Solas found her in the Fade easily enough. The girl was sitting on the ledge of the area in front of the Chantry overlooking the entrance of Haven. She had one knee pulled up, her chin resting on it while the other made a hollow tap against the stones as she swung it back and forth.
The girl's hair was braided and fell in a long rope down her back, little curls sticking out here and there. It struck him how small she looked, vulnerable. This impression was aided by the borrowed clothing that was far too big for her and the huge Breach in the distance. For a moment, part of him wanted to shelter her.
"Do I have something on my back or are you debating if you want to tug my braid?"
Moment gone. "Do you find having this attitude helpful?"
The tapping of her foot stopped as she stilled, "I'm not sure. I've not often felt the need to use it." She started swinging her foot again, "There are more important things to discuss right now than moods. Like that big gaping hole in the sky, for a start."
"The Breach. Simply put it is a tear in the Veil between this world and the Fade, allowing spirits to enter the world physically. Small tears occur naturally when magic weakens the Veil or when spirits cluster in an area that has seen many deaths. The Herald's mark, and the control it has over the Breach, would indicate it was created deliberately."
The fingers of one of her hands fiddled with the hem of her sleeve, "Could someone-" She swallowed and her next words came out in a rush, "Could someone go into the Breach?"
Solas shifted, his lips pressed together. Not only was it one of the least relevant things she could be wondering about but it was something most would want to avoid, not ask if it is possible.
"Entering the Fade physically is not something that is done. Not now. That is not taking into account the instability of the Breach. All the spirits here have been driven away or corrupted by it. Attempting to enter it would be unwise."
"You said 'not now.' Does that mean it was done in the past?"
Solas internally cursed himself for his choice of words. At least, it was an easy enough slip to redirect without raising suspicion. He clasped his hands behind his back and fixed his stare on the distant mountains. "Humans have entered it twice. We know little about either instance."
"What about through here, through dreaming I mean? Could you go through the Breach that way?"
Solas' brows furrowed, "I am not sure."
She stopped swinging her leg, still not looking at him, she moved the other leg, so it was also hanging over before leaning forward, "Is it always like this?"
"Not necessarily. The Fade reflects the minds of those in it. This affects what and how you see things." His glance went from her to the view of Haven and the mountains beyond, "There is much to explore but to find interesting places one must be interested."
"So, you can't dream of something, or somewhere, you have not seen?"
"That is correct. Though imagination also plays a role." An idea formed in his mind and he started to turn, "Come. Let us walk."
Solas heard the crunch of snow as the girl stood and started walking again, keeping a slow pace as she caught up with him.
"You've said we're unique."
"Correct."
"So others don't dream at all? Or do they see the dreaming differently?"
"Children of the Stone-"
"The what?"
"Dwarves. Varric's people. They do not dream. Everyone else does. Most do not recall their dreams upon waking. Mages do."
He glanced over to her as they walked. The girl's brows were furrowed, "So how is a dreamer different from any other mage?"
The corner of Sola's mouth quirked up a touch, "Mages see what spirits decide to show them. Dreamers have a certain control over the Fade. They may shape the Fade. Those talented enough may even kill an enemy through his dreams or drive him mad."
The girl's footsteps stopped abruptly. Solas also stopped, looking back at her. Her face had gone pale, "That is-," her eyes looked him over once before narrowing, "Have you done that?"
"I prefer to use my abilities in other ways," he grasped his hands together behind his back and turned, continuing forward.
"Can demons kill people in their dreams?"
"It is possible but unlikely."
"Wonderful." He heard her release a sigh, and her next words were more to herself than him, "Now my dreams can kill me too. What fun this is."
"I will teach you precautions to prevent such things. The Fade can be dangerous, yes, but it can also hold wanders. A fast flowing river may drown careless children, but it can also carry a merchant's goods or grind a miller's flour. Even demons are not so easily defined. Common belief is that demons hate the natural world and seek to bring their chaos and destruction to the living. But such simplistic ideas misconstrue their motivations, and in doing so, do all a great disservice."
"How is it simplistic? That is accurate for a demon isn't it?"
The tone of her voice held pure curiosity, not the hostility he had become so used to, "Demons do not start as demons. Spirits wish to join the living, and a demon is that wish gone wrong."
They reached their destination, and he halted the girl next to him, brows furrowed and eyes looking down, "So, spirits are beings who live in the Fade but are not evil and are affected by the world around them. By thoughts and feelings, like the Fade itself. Then isn't there a way to stop demons from forming in the first place? To teach people to co-exist with spirits, to understand them?"
The girl's thinking surprised him. When she wasn't hiding behind her irritating attitude she could prove to be rather interesting, even insightful. He found himself hoping to see more of this side of her. It would be good to have someone to discuss such things with on occasion. It had been so long since he'd been able to do so.
Solas realized he hadn't said anything in response for some time and cleared his throat, "Not in the world we know now. But the questions are good ones, and it matters that you thought to ask."
The girl's attention had been drawn from him, and her eyes were looking around the area they were standing in, "This is Ivy's lodging isn't it?"
"Correct." he focused, reaching out to the world around him and using his will to shape it, "Now watch."
Suddenly there was a line of people all the way from the Herald's door up to the Chantry. Solas heard Ella take in a quick breath and turned to her. A smile formed on his lips at the expression on her face. Her eyes were wide; her full lips parted slightly. "What- how? This is incredible. Are they-"
"It is a memory."
The door to the Herald's lodge opened, and she stepped out. One moment she was the savior with an inner light that glowed like a halo around her. Another moment she was an imposter, a monster, with cold hate in her eyes.
"Ivy." The girl's look of amazement fell and her brows furrowed once again, lips turning down in a frown, "Yet not. How is she herself but- different?"
"These are memories. Memories are-"
"Subjective," understanding dawned on her face, and he was somewhat surprised she seemed to understand so quickly. "No two people experience things the same, so of course memories would be different. That is-"
"Fascinating?"
"Confusing, but yes that too." For a few moments they watched in silence, he saw her eyes move trying to take in everything, questioning.
With her attention rapt on what was happening around her, it allowed him a moment to really look at her. The look on her face was too pure to be feigned. She was not lying about having never experienced the Fade like this, at least.
Solas guessed she was educated. Her speech was articulate, and he would be shocked if she wasn't literate. As far as looks, her skin was clear, smooth, and pale. Solas imagined that, if he could see her hands, they would be soft and free of calluses. Her teeth were in excellent condition also. Not someone who had been forced to live on the streets.
A noble perhaps? If that was the case, it raised more questions. Why would she hide it? Had something happened to her family? Was she in hiding? Not to mention the fact that, though she was obviously young, she seemed too old to be only now manifesting her abilities.
On top of all that, there was the fact that she was a dreamer and then there was the strange clothing she had been wearing when he first saw her. He would say she was from Tevinter, but that did not seem to fit at all, either. All in all, the girl raised far more questions than answers.
Finally, when she turned to look fully at him, her eyes glowed and her voice was bubbly, "The history you could learn through this! The possibility of it! Things lost that could be found! It is a treasure trove."
Despite himself, he felt a pleasant warmth spread through his chest at her enthusiasm. "Yes. Dream in ancient ruins, you may see a city lost to history. Some of my fondest memories were found in crumbling cities long picked dry by treasure seekers. The best are the battlefields. Spirits pressed so tightly against the Veil that you can slip across with but a thought."
"Ancient ruins and battlefields?"
"Yes. Any building strong enough to withstand the rigors of time has a history. Every battlefield is steeped in death. Both attract spirits. They press against the Veil, weakening the barrier between our worlds." He smiled as he spoke, his voice turning soft, "When I dream in such places, I go deep into the Fade. I can find memories no other living being has ever seen."
"Is that safe? What with everything that seems to be going on…"
"I do set wards." He turned his attention back to her, still smiling, "and if you leave food out for the giant spiders, they are usually content to live and let live."
"Ok, two things. First, giant spiders? How giant are we talking, like fist sized?"
"They vary. Some are larger than I am."
"That's…" she turned her head for a moment mumbling something he couldn't make out before looking at him again, "Ok, this makes the second thing even more important, what do you mean usually?"
Solas chuckled, "Stories for another time perhaps."
"I don't know. Are you sure you want to let my imagination go wild with this one because it's already coming up with some pretty golden stuff?"
"Perhaps you will share those with me some day. For now, we should focus on teaching you about your abilities."
Ella paused, looking down for a moment, "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather avoid the spiders, if possible." She paused for a moment before adding, "The battlefields also."
"Why?"
"Isn't there enough pain and hate in the world without dreaming about it?"
Solas kept his eyes on her, but she continued looking elsewhere even as he responded, "Yes. There is pain and hate. I have witnessed the brutality of darkspawn but also the valor of the Ferelden warriors. I saw Alistair and the Hero of Ferelden light the signal fire. In the Fade, you will see reflections created by spirits who react to the emotions of the warriors. Good and bad."
"So it is all memories, all subjective. Does that mean that none of it is real?"
"That is a matter of debate, but it is the Fade. Here, at least, it is all real."
Solas watched as her eyes shifted to the Breach and became distant. When she spoke, it was as though she forgot he was there, "If I had this ability before, the things I could have learned. All that history I could have touched. Like time travel."
"We could access your memories. It is simply a matter of will."
In an instant she was back with him, her eyes snapping to him, face guarded again, "What about you?"
"Excuse me?"
"Would you expose your memories for me to watch?" he started to reply, but she waved a hand dismissively at him, "I don't mean the easy ones. I mean the memories from before," Her hand went now to gesture at the Breach, "before all this."
How was it this girl was able to get under his skin? Others he'd been able to block out to keep a cool, polite distance from but her- he felt irritation simmer just beneath the surface, "A suggestion. Nothing more. If you have something you are hiding-"
"You're going to pretend you don't?" The girl had her hands on her hips, stance wide, and eyes narrowed.
He felt his jaw twitch, "Enough."
"Fine. I'll leave your secrets alone if you do the same for mine."
Either it was something in her stance or what he already knew about her, but he felt she had no intention of leaving well enough alone. "You are either lying or fooling yourself."
"True enough." It threw him that this was what seemed to make her drop her aggressive stance, shrugging and taking on a lopsided grin, "We are what we are."
"Oh, and what is it you presume me to be?"
"You, Solas, are like a dog. Constantly after whatever bone catches your eye." She walked up to him stopping close enough to him that she had to tilt her head up to meet his eyes. "I'm a cat. Always curious. Always getting into things I shouldn't. We are fated to always stick our noses where we shouldn't."
For a moment, along with the irritation, he felt a stirring of something else deep in his belly. A hint of a sensation he had long ago given up, something he did not wish to examine. Instead, he forced even breaths and met her steady gaze.
"Are you challenging me, child?"
"One, I am not a child, so don't. Two, yes. Why not? You clearly like a good mystery, so why not add challenge to it. Let's agree on this. Neither of us has to answer any questions that we don't wish. If we don't want to answer the question gets dropped. Period. No, why won't you answer me, or anything like that. Also, if you can pull things out of my head, none of that either. That would be too easy. Otherwise," she shrugged, "other methods are fair game."
"You should be careful, cat. There is a saying among the elves, may the Dread Wolf take you. It would be unwise for the cat to wander too close to the den." Saying it felt odd, dangerous, not just because it was hitting close to the truth but because it increased that stirring in his stomach.
"Go ahead and keep underestimating me, wolf. Let's see where this game takes us."
With that she woke herself, leaving him stiff and not exactly sure of what had just happened. It was a wonder he had managed to not flinch at being referred to as wolf so directly, given the feelings it could evoke in him. Though, he was the one that had given her the term over dog.
The girl was unexpected. Underneath her aggravating attitude towards him, she was intelligent and observant, a potential danger. However, he had wisdom and experience she did not possess.
He should stop this now. Yet it had been so long since he had been drawn in like this. A little challenge wouldn't hurt. He had every intention of puzzling her out already. He could stop whenever he chose.
