Chapter 7: Val Royeaux
"These are some damned weird statues." said Muffy as the group walked into Val Royeaux.
"Upon meeting a low door-frame." read Faize. He looked up at the statue. "I don't get it."
Cassandra sighed, shaking her head. "The things vandals write." she groaned.
Faize seemed to have found another one. "When his headache got to much for him." He looked up again. "Looks the same as the last one."
Obsinion grabbed him by the arm. "Stay with the rest of us." he said.
"Sorry."
"Honestly, not the best statues I've seen." said Rose.
"Likewise, but then again, these were probably crafted by humans, not Dwarves." Muffy replied. "Still, not bad, though."
Iron Bull sniffed. "What is that smell?"
By this time, they were halfway down the entry corridor, and even Obsinion and Faize were wrinkling their noses.
"Smells like piss." said Lotus. "Let's get into the city."
The rest of the group nodded and finished the walk in relative silence.
"They're staring." Faize whimpered.
"Who wouldn't?" asked Varric. "We're a pair of Dwarves, two Qunari, three Elves, and three Humans. You'd have to be blind not to see us coming from the Frostbacks."
"They can see that far?" Faize asked.
Obsinion face-palmed. "No, Faize. It's a figure of speech."
"Oh." Faize snickered. "Though Leliana will know we're on our way back before we see Haven."
"Touche." said Obsinion. They continued around the central tower of Val Royeaux to where one of the Chantry's Revered Mothers was addressing a gathered crowd.
"And what are you?" she demanded.
"The Heralds of Andraste, as requested." replied Lotus. She tapped her staff on the ground. "And you are?"
Mother Hevara." she returned. "Is not even one Herald here a Human, or all of you sub-species the only things they could send?"
"Hey!" snapped Muffy, pushing her way to the front. "I say my Chant of Light, bitch. It's the Chantry that turned it's back on the Inquisition, even though it's a written directive from Divine Justinia herself."
"Yeah, and for your information, there's a big hole in the sky." added Rose. "So this crap about the Inquisition not being worth anything? We're the only one's trying to fix the mess." She glared at the scowl on Mother Hevara's face. "I'm Human, thank you."
Just then, the crowd seemed to part for another group.
"Lord Seeker Lucien." said Cassandra.
The man only sneered at her as he led a group of Templars towards the Mother. One of the Templars pushed her aside, into the crowd. Whether it was a good thing or not, it was Faize she fell on, and they both hit the ground.
"This is the pathetic Inquisition?" Lucien sneered. "The Chantry isn't deserving of our protection. Come, Templars." With that, he left the city, taking the dozen soldiers with him.
"Sorry." said Faize, helping Hevara up. "But, we are trying to make things better. To end the fighting."
"Then I will pray for your success." she said.
"Well, that didn't turn out quite the way we hoped." said Cullen.
"While we're here, is it alright if we look around?" asked Muffy. "I haven't been back here in a while."
"Why not." said Cassandra. "A bit of shopping might be good. We need to resupply before we head back to Haven, anyway."
"Just stick in your pairs." Obsinion said, more to his brother than anyone else.
Iron Bull put his hand on Faize's shoulder. "Sure thing, Boss." He smirked and headed off with Faize.
Rose sighed, taking Cullen's hand. "Coming?" she asked, dragging him towards a shop of frilly things.
Muffy and Varric snickered. "So, people-watching?" Muffy asked.
"Sounds good." said Varric. "I know a nice terrace we can do that from."
Lotus shifted. "I think I'll wait by the entrance."
"A good choice." agreed Solas. "We can discuss things a bit more freely."
Obsinion sighed. "Coming?" he asked Cassandra.
She nodded, and the pair started along behind the small stage where Mother Hevara had been talking only a few moments before.
"Excuse me." said an Elf.
"Hmm? Yes." asked Obsinion.
"I am from the Mages of Redcliff. We would welcome an audience with the Heralds of Andraste, at Redcliff, in the Hinterlands." she said.
"Thankyou." said Obsinion. He looked over at Cassandra. "We'll, the Mages are willing to talk. That's something, now, isn't it?"
"It was worth coming, then." Cassandra agreed. They turned again when there was a shout out in the courtyard, but they had already walked along the path far enough that they couldn't see what was going on.
"I beg your pardon." said a servant.
"Yes?" asked Obsinion.
"An invitation from First Enchantress Vivienne, to a party at her salon." said the servant, handing Cassandra the invitation. "I must be going."
Cassandra turned the invitation over in her hands. "The First Enchantress? Wonder what she wants."
"Well, we might as well go see." Obsinion said. "We're heading in the right direction."
Meanwhile, Faize and Iron Bull were tracking down a red scarf. With a key on it. The first note had been tied to an arrow, and had said simply 'Follow Red to help. the Friends of Red Jenny.' The handwriting was terrible, and the doodled map was vague at best. Still, they'd managed to find one. Now, they were down by the docks.
"Ugh. I hate the smell of fish." said Faize. He looked around. There, stuffed in the mouth of a fish, was another red scarf. He pulled it out. "Ugh." There was another note, thankfully dry because the scarf had been around it.
"So, we find the last one?" Iron Bull asked. He didn't mind the search. It was the stares. If they got any worse, he knew Faize was going to start fidgeting.
"Why not. We've come this far." Faize sighed. "Are you bored of this, Bull?"
"Excuse me?"
"Did I say something wrong?"
"You shortened my name." the Quinari observed.
"Sorry."
"No, it's alright. I don't mind, not from you."
Faize seemed a bit more hopeful as the unlikely pair searched for the last scarf. They found it . . . under Varric's ass.
"Woah!" the Dwarf cried as Iron Bull picked him up and took the scarf. "What was that about?"
"Well, there was this note on an arrow, and we've been looking for these." said Faize. "Huh?" He shifted the pages around a bit.
"Hey look." said Muffy. "A place, a time, and a key." She looked up at them. "Can we come along?"
"Don't see why not." said Faize. "Besides, it's still here in Val Royeaux, so the others can't get upset about us wandering off."
"I feel so under-dressed." said Obsinion as they stepped into the salon. There were several Marquis, duchesses, and dukes around, and even Cassandra was doubting her own dress, which was still her armor.
"Well well well." said a Marquis. "If it isn't the Dalish bastard playing at Inquisition."
"This isn't some game." Obsinion returned. If it was anything, he knew how to defend with words as well as weapons.
"You parade around, pretending that your going to, what exactly? Fix the sky? Solve the problems of the world? Pha! Go back to your deer-herding, Knife-ear."
"Firstly, they're called Halla. And secondly, yes, we intend to mend the Breach and hopefully stop the Mage-Templar war before it can reach Orlais."
Well said, thought Cassandra.
"You're nothing but a stupid . . ." The Marquis never finished his words, as he was suddenly frozen in place.
"Now, now, Darling. That's no way to speak to one of the Heralds of Andraste." came a soothing voice. A woman dressed in a white and silver Orlesian Mages gown came down the steps. Her skin was dark, yet seemed to have a glow to it as well. "I am Madame de Fer, First Enchantress Vivienne."
"Pleasure to meet you." said Obsinion. He bowed slightly at the waist.
"The pleasure is all mine." said Vivienne. "Now then, what should be done with this rude fellow?"
"Let him go. It's not like he can do me any real harm." the Elf replied. "And anything he does say about the Inquisition will only spread it's name around to others."
"Very well." Vivienne let the man go, and he scurried off like a mouse being chased like a cat. "Now then, to the point, Darling."
Cassandra frowned, wondering what Vivienne was going to try and do.
"As the leader of the last Loyal Mages of Orlais, I feel it's only right to add my skills and abilities to the Inquisition."
Obsinion blinked for a moment. "You wish to join?" he asked.
"Of course, dear. If nothing is done about the hole in the sky, then nothing will be done about the Mage-Templar War. We need the Circles, dear boy, in order to properly teach one the ways of Magic. And those can't be utilized or protected without the Templars. And in order to get it all to work properly, as it should, when the time comes to put the Circle's back in order, you're going to need me."
Obsinion could see she'd just talked several circles around him, and he wasn't going to get out of this, even if he wanted to. Having the First Enchantress of Orlais with the Inquisition would definitely help. "Welcome aboard." he said, carefully taking her dark hand in his pale one and placing a light kiss upon her fingers.
"A gentleman, how sweet." said Vivienne. She looked at Casandra. "Take good care of him, Darling. I shall meet you in Haven."
Cassandra wasn't sure, but she felt she might be blushing. This was confirmed when Obsinion looked at her curiously, then nervously took her by the hand as they walked out of the salon. "Well, that went well."
"She talked circles around me, and there was no way possible to back out of it, if we had wanted to." Obsinion replied. "But I'm glad someone out here knows what's important."
"Same here." agreed Cassandra.
"This is some rich shite's place." said Muffy.
"What are you doing here?" asked a stuffy Marquis, his mercenary guards with him, about a dozen strong.
"Go on!" came a voice. "Just say 'what'."
"What do you . . !" An arrow stuck in the Marquis face.
"Dumb-arse nobles, always trying to get more. You lot heard me. I said' just say what', didn't I? But no, he had to come out and try to go all 'oh, look at me, big noble, blah, blah, blah, I've got an arrow in the face'."
Standing there was a pale as moonlight Elf, her hair tied back some and scraggly blonde otherwise. "Well, come on. The mercs are comin'." She set another arrow on string and fired.
It didn't take long before the mercenaries were gone.
"Well, that's the lot of 'em." the Elf said.
"Who was this?" asked Muffy.
"Some corrupt mucketty-muck. Been keepin' my eye on 'im for a whiles, now. So, you're them. The Heralds of Andraste? I mean, you glow, right, so you gots to be them." She suddenly frowned. "And one of you's an Elf. Well, hope your not too Elfy."
"Elfy?" asked Faize. "Aren't you an Elf?"
"I'm Elf as much as you's a Dwarf." she replied. "So, introduction. I'm one name, well, two. Well, it's like this. There one name, Sera. That's me, who I am. Then there's also the Friends of Red Jenny, out there. Also me, kinda. There one in Kirkwall. Two in Redcliff, siblings, I thinks. But, anyway, we's out there, doing stuff to stop the corrupt."
"And?" asked Muffy, noticing that Sera was talking more to her than Faize anyway.
"Well, I wants to help. I mean, there it is, a big hole in the sky, clear as day, and these blokes are still trying to find pocket change to buy a horse." Sera said. "I want the world fixed up, like it used to be. So I can gets back to work, like."
"Welcome to the Inquisition." said Muffy.
"Great. I'll sees you all in Haven. That is were you am, right?"
"That's right." Muffy replied. They turned and headed out. "Well, wonder what the others got."
"I don't think they can top another helper for the Inquisition." said Faize. He nearly jumped out of his skin as something snapped behind them.
"I've got you." said Iron Bull, putting an arm around Faize. He looked back. "Hey, Obsinion, Cassandra."
"What are you four doing out here?" asked Cassandra.
"Just recruited someone." Muffy replied. "You two?"
"Same." said Obsinion.
"Oh, this is going to be good." said Varric. "Still, it's getting late. We'll talk more around the camp or on the way home."
"Good idea." said Iron Bull, hefting Faize up into the crook of his arm. He felt the Elf get heavier and sighed. "He sleeps on a ridged schedule, doesn't he?"
"Pretty close." Obsinion replied. He saw Faize's relaxed face and smiled. "At least he seems happy."
The Qunari pretended not to have heard that, but in his heart, he was glad.
"Care to explain?" asked Leliana.
"About what?" everyone practically asked. Aside from the wagon having come back full of much-needed supplies, there had been another mode of transport there as well. A carriage, open top, with a pair of very well-kept Orlesian horses pulling it.
"This." Leliana pointed to the blonde Elf standing in the corner, picking her nose.
"Oh, that's Sera." said Muffy. "I sent you a message saying she was coming. The non-Elfy Elf."
Leliana sighed. "And Orlais' First Enchantress?"
"She offered." was all Obsinion could say. "And besides, with both her magical knowledge and her connections to the Orlesian Courts, word of the Inquisition, as well as support for it, is bound to increase."
"He does have a point." said Josephine. "Also, messages from both the Mages in Redcliff and the Templars in Therinfal Redoubt. They would like to meet, but have eyes on the other party. As soon as even one Herald of Andraste sets foot into one of the areas, the other side will not see anyone."
"So, we have to choose between the Templars or the Mages." said Obsinion.
"Why don't we put it to vote?" suggested Faize. "I mean, in either case, they are asking for at least one Herald of Andraste."
"A good and sound idea." agreed Rose.
"Templars." said Lotus. "As much as being free to study and practice my magic has helped, a place where I can be supervised to learn would be a bit more ideal. The Templars would be able to help re-instate the Circles."
"Templar." said Obsinion.
"Mages." said Muffy. "Those Templars were way out of hand at Val Royeaux."
"Mages." said Rose, looking at Cullen. "They can provide the power needed to close the Breach."
All eyes turned on Faize, the one to have suggested this. He swallowed. "Templars. The one Templar in Val Royeaux seemed upset that Mother Hevara was pushed around like a rag doll. If there are others like him, I'd like to at least try to get them to join the Inquisition."
"Very well. I will send word to the Noble Houses of Orlais. " said Josephine.
"Why the Noble Houses?" asked Obsinion.
"One person, or even five, are easy to ignore." Josephine explained. "But, have a number of Nobles backing you, and suddenly you become a force to be reckoned with."
"Well, I'm not going." said Rose.
"Me neither." added Muffy.
"It's on the Elves." said Lotus. "As a Mage, they'd skin me before I even said something. Sorry, guys."
Obsinion looked at Faize. "Looks like we're headed to Therinfal Redoubt."
Faize shook his head. "Not us. Only I'm going."
