Bard of Orlais
Author's notes: Hello, the chapter starts in a glimpse of the past, and we'll go back to the present, the Storm Coast.
Disclaimer: Female Qunari booty, Sera likes. Bioware owns the franchise save for my own characters…hands off guys, I made these babies.
Yvette, the sister of Josephine Montilyet…in the course of the stay in Orlais I have not grown that attached to someone during my time spent in Val Royeaux, and she may have been one of the very few that touched my heart. For some who knew me, or those in the world who would observe this story unfold, unlikely as it may be, would have looked on in envy to know the connections I wielded or for a certain community jealousy at my presence being accepted by some of the most powerful women in Orlais in their right.
If only that were true, the reality was very grim compared to the fantasy life that was imagined at parties, they did not know my personal struggle save for those who knew me.
For one, when I first revealed to Leliana that I was in need of the mage advisor to the Imperial Court she of course reacted badly to my hasty needs. My secret origin was the one barrier that has stopped me from being able to see Morrigan at all, Leliana instead had me confined to the manor of the Montilyets and it took a lot of trust from her to even let me out of her sight for a few minutes without some agent reporting on what I was doing. The deal: I would get to see Morrigan if I told her where I came from, and of course I refused vehemently resulting in a stalemate. To even bother to describe my relationship with the spymaster is put in simple words: I once called her the same as Marjolainne, and got several throwing knives pinning me to the wall as a reward.
Cassandra, most see her stoic and serious demeanor hiding her romantic attitude, partly true. To be honest I have not met anyone who thinks I would be a person dangerous to her or even an entire country, shocking as the accusations and the ridiculous speculations about my purpose is I am flattered to a certain extent that I could somehow bring down the Chantry to kneel if I had enough contacts of blood mages in my circle. Ah, to be looked at funny….good times.
Then came the day I read poetry, my own words twisting the poem's original purpose to mean something else or rhyme it funny. The look on her face when I expressed fondness for the subject, it was slow and painful…but I lived through it, and somehow I was glad that I did it all, for her…
Something tells me I would do anything to protect them and do my best to earn my way back. And for once I can feel a bit more human than a tool sharpened for greatness and success at a cost. I feel more alive.
-excerpt from the diary of the Bard of Orlais, 9:40. The journal entry along with the others were smeared with blood
Val Royeaux, a few months before the Conclave
"Where's the little shit?!"
"Find him, this is private property and get some buckets of water! If Lord Rastarian sees what they did to the walls…"
All that Cruz could do was hide, the young man clutching the sack which held the parchments in them tightly to his back as he peeked out from the crates stacked near the estate, the young man feeling his back press hard against the surface while a foot scraped against the marble getting his attention to his right as he twisted his body to glance at his accomplice with a glare.
"What, we're in the clear, let's go!" Sera spoke hissing through her teeth as Cruz nodded joining the elf in escaping the guards the duo sneaking around the corner which led to the marketplace, a key area where they could disappear from making it harder for guards to track them unless they really stood out amongst the crowd, save for Cruz who was already breathing rather heavily from his illness depriving him of certain exercises to keep fit and dressed in Orlesian commoner clothing Sera's plaidweave sleeves for both her shirt and skirt under the protective brown red leather of checkered yellow was a sore spot in the sea of dresses and masks, making them easier to spot.
"Come on, Sera we have to get out of here as quick as we can." Cruz lightly warned as they politely pushed their way through the crowd landing on the other end with the road leading to the important high class district housing the different ambassadors and other officials within the city, Sera noting the area with some disdain as she pulled off a raspberry in the general direction. "Pfftt, back here again…all the nobles prissy and uptight lying around, the sight is making me rather ill just looking at how many butts are there in those houses." Shaking his head in response, Cruz began to walk as Sera followed her fingers playfully twirling with her side bangs while whistling joyfully behind him, the dimension traveler opening the sack to grab a stack of letters and some scrolls smiling to himself as he searched the contents carefully, making sure not to read anything damning.
"Thank you nobles for the important correspondences," Cruz smirked as he kept the copied letters at his side, making sure the papers weren't going to rub against the charcoal piece he held within smearing it with more dark scars marring the information. "Looks like the nobles that you were targeting are throwing a private party sometime this month with some relatives and important figures of both Antiva and Nevarra being invited for talks of trade, you'll have to tag their servants for more details Sera if you want to crash this party."
"I got friends who do that sort of stuff, I'll just send a letter…they'll know what to do." Sera waved at his hidden concern, the man nodding in acknowledgement as he stuffed his concerns away the pair walking towards the gate of the estate down the road the man flipping the sack over his shoulder as the two stopped at the entrance both elf and human companions facing each other. Sera dug her heel in the neat patterns of arching square rocks the elf scratching her head as she gave a glance towards him, silence permeating between the pair before the white-haired sandy blonde spoke up first.
"So, uh, this is it?"
"Yep, this is the place. Don't you want to come in, the Montilyets are very accommodating and I would like you to see Yvette, she's just as cheeky as you are." Cruz extended the invitation smoothly, not wanting to freak her out due to her explosive and unpredictable nature. Watching the elf fidget a little out of nervousness, Cruz felt the awkwardness beginning to set in as the elf stood still her bow and quiver still slung across her shoulder wringing her hands before he spoke.
"Are you still recalling that particular memory?"
"…What happens is right now, innit? I don't want to remember but it doesn't bother me too much, though I still don't get you. You wanted to stick one in the nobles yeah, but here you are living the life of one of those rich pricks living it up and slamming fists down on the lower class," Sera gestured to the manor with some form of disgust as she put out her tongue folding her hands. "I don't get it."
"It's complicated, you won't bother to understand if I go into a long monologue and ruin you with the moaning of the natural order of things here," Cruz replied quickly as he opened the gate just as the door to the manor was flung open before a female voice reached the ears of the young man. "Crrruuuzzz, Josephine is withholding my monthly wine somewhere and I can't find it…please help me?" Almost groaning in reply while Sera snorted at the voice of the woman, Cruz nearly slapped his palm onto his face sliding it down his features as he replied to her request with a measure of disdain.
"Yvette, why are you even drinking in this time of day?" Cruz asked as he looked to see the young woman without her hat and mask, revealing her raven black hair which curled outwards at the tail while a braid was left at the side of her face while bright dark eyes sparkled as she set her eyes on the sickly man leaning at the pillar holding the gate, the woman catching Sera's eye as the elf let out an uncharacteristic low growling 'woof' under her breath the silky tone making Cruz feel a lot sicker than before. The man had only seen this wonderful sight once, when she was preparing for a party that she was invited to by her friend to celebrate her return to Orlais and Yvette personally asked him to help her with some of the annoying adjustments on her corset, and the face he made when he entered the bedroom…the eyes were one of the few glaring features that still told him that she was the blood sister of Josephine, and even then their beauty was doing no word justice. Over time as she showed more of her real face to him in the manor Cruz felt as though he was being treated to a sight no one would normally see, though what that was he couldn't say even with his limited knowledge of the world state now.
"Well it was my celebration on making an artwork for the gallery two weeks ago, I wanted a bottle but then Josephine said I couldn't…" Yvette insisted with politeness in her edge as Cruz groaned again slapping his palm on his face once more. "Well, in that case I can't-"
"Yes we can, come on Cruzie it'll be fun to crack open a wine cellar or two."
"Sera when did you get so interested in getting into the manor-oh." Cruz was about to ask before he noticed her blatant stare as another growly 'woof' answered his question, prompting him to bow his head and shake it. "Of course you do." Cruz muttered before he felt Sera wrap her hand around his own, the elf absentmindedly running towards the mansion while Cruz barely managed to close the gates with his only hand the two entering the manor where Yvette had disappeared into, as Sera felt herself be swallowed up by the sight of the main hall watching the towering ceiling with mosaics painted of Orlesian tales decorated for all to see while marble statues of various Orlesian heroes were found in two rows and at the staircase the footsteps of their feet echoed through the hall.
"Sera I really need to get to my room first before we tear up the wine cellar."
"Fine, go do your secret thingy that you normally do. I'll be eyeing some of that Antivan butt while you're busy," Sera spoke with a childish ring to it as Cruz waved her jab away. "Right, go and play little one and be nice to Auntie Yvette while I'm gone." Hearing the familiar raspberry thrown at his back as he turned Cruz proceeded up the flight of stairs to the top entering one of the many hallways that led to his personal room, hoping no interruptions would bar him from stashing the copies of information he could probably use.
"And where do you think you're going?"
Well, so much for that idea.
"That isn't much of your business where I go and what I do when I'm out, though your mind may scream otherwise," Cruz answered calmly as he heard the footsteps walking over to his side the man out of instinct flinched slightly at the newcomer's presence gliding over to him tugging at the sack he held as the familiar Orlesian accent filled his ears tickling his senses. "Really, then explain why I found these in your sack…and such tactics too. With the right training you may have become a bard."
"A bard is a job description I don't plan to stick myself with, I am already threatened with a slow illness, plus you have to handle assassinations and other sorts of shady stuff I do not agree with. I thought you would have known that about me Leliana." Cruz replied sharply at the suggestion, his skin bristling at the idea of becoming one of them while Leliana noticed his response with a strange feeling of relief as she nodded looking over the letters taken from the Rastarian house. "True, past experience has taught me much about bards in both the Court and amongst the nobles along with the complexity of the Game."
"You're very different compared to back then."
"What?" Cruz shook his head as he gave a quiet 'nothing' while hearing the shuffle of papers for a few moments before Leliana continued, the former bard eyeing each line on the correspondences raising an eyebrow in curiosity as she recognized several names listed her mind beginning to formulate deductions and possible movements from here. "This is very detailed, knowing Lord Rastarian he would be using the soiree as a way to make negotiations with several notable allies and potential ones, the man throws too many parties in the same month."
"I was going to stash that one away, too personal for my liking." Cruz replied to her statement as he leaned against the windowsill, folding his arms as the spymaster glanced up at him her orange bangs slid downwards the light of the sun illuminating her face to give a unnatural glow to her beauty, the dimension traveler finding it hard to control his nervousness as he let out a withheld breath trying to calm his nerves. Before either could say a word, the emergence of new footsteps more distinct with metal clanking against marble silenced any chance of talk as Cruz saw the Seeker coming to a stop between them, the former tensing at her appearance as he took in the sight. The Seeker was dressed like a warrior fresh from a return journey from a warzone, the familiar Seeker emblem with its emblazed banner was missing as dark red roughly knitted leather made up the outer coat of her outfit besides the chestplate attached to her chest with buckles at the ribs and shoulders, her collar upturned to accommodate room for the metal piece which did give some appeal to her figure and looks especially when Cruz noticed the sweat he would recognize from her rigorous training routine, the sight of such power within a body was no doubt to some arousing or even causing lustful gazes at the abilities it could perform…Cruz himself admitted a weakness to it, but if anything to the young hot-blooded male looking at her now, lust was not the present feeling than a hint of being flushed for eyeing such beauty.
"Cruz, I didn't know you were back from your excursion out in the market."
"Nice to see you too, Cass…for a woman trained in the ways of a warrior you certainly do not make it up for manners." Cruz replied nonchalantly quickly covering his emotions as he used the shortened nick-name for the Seeker, the warrior unaware of his point as she turned to address Leliana who had already kept the letters safely hidden in her leather mail armor with a slight bow of her head indicating to the door. "I'll keep watch, the Divine was asking to speak to you for advice on something private…she says you'll know where to find her."
"Is it about the Conclave which is coming up?"
"No idea, best if you meet her and ask the questions yourself." Cassandra said as she shrugged, the spymaster going into thought for but a moment before she nodded walking towards the flight of stairs towards the meeting, Cruz finding his voice as he called out to the spymaster. "Shall I prepare some cookies right now? I and Yvette managed to make a batch and it is sitting in the kitchen, if you want some in case you were hungry or staying over in the Grand Cathedral for the night doing whatever it is spymasters do."
"Tempting, but I'll pass." Leliana replied her accented silky voice almost making Cruz cough to clear the air of his personal tension before the former bard disappeared down the stairs, Cassandra watching the two interact with a raised brow unsure of what to say just as Cruz shook his head attempting to clear the images that were flooding his mind. Seeing that he was nervous, Cassandra figured that the best way to find things out was to be a bit more direct with getting the answers, her training as a Seeker was to always be clear in what you wanted...and to confirm suspicions. "You two are very close nowadays."
"*gulp* Yes…we are, though I think she's making me think of getting closer to her than the other way around, that and I was quite lonely where I came from." Cruz replied with a groan as he heard the woman chuckle, Cassandra giving a rare grin as she shook her head watching where the spymaster had disappeared to. "I do not get how she appeals to you or what makes her able to make you nervous."
"You and me both are on the same boat for that one, but then I am struggling with a desire for companionship myself and at this age my people would have called me old and probably not breeding stock if they had a say in my life," Cruz replied bitterly as he switched topics unwilling to think of home or what it means to him anymore, the traveler's words did stick with Cassandra who considered his words and reluctance to talk further about it stopping her from saying anything further. "That's…rather crude to speak of your people."
"They were bastards, they deserved a comment like it and their vice and virtue was business and manipulating money," Cruz bitterly spoke as he flicked at his bang watching the strand of hair rise in the air before he folded his arms glancing at the Seeker who still had her armor on, the man sighing with a palm to his face as he muttered something under his breath which did not go unnoticed. "What's the matter with your muttering?"
"You need clothes, proper ones not some fatigue armor." Cruz pointed out firmly as he observed the Seeker's dress code with some distaste in his tone, the woman already beginning to scowl a little as she folded her arms. "What?"
"The clothes, Seeker the clothes…we're in home territory which is a pretty good time to find some fashion sense."
"Or I could land up the next morning with a dagger in my back." Cassandra shot back at his words, the woman beginning to clench her fists at his remark as Cruz shook his head at her insinuations gesturing to the window as he tried to salvage what explanation he could come up with to save himself from an 'accidental' fall from the second floor into the garden, clearing his throat. "I think you know that I mean for you to get out of your armor, wear something less…warrior like." Seeing her scowl further frowning threatening his life with each word he was speaking, Cruz already anticipating the conversation to go down as she gave him an 'oh, really' stare.
"Why would I do that?"
"Come on, surely you can't love wearing buckles and metal around your beautiful bos -I meant chest, yes, your chest…that was what I meant to say." Cruz stumbled as he felt his hormones and his flirting personality kicking in as the man reined it in, the man already cursing his loneliness for causing this tense desire while Cassandra was sporting something akin to embarrassment as she took the minute long awkwardness to process what he was about to say before the correction, the woman snapping back to her 'serious' mode as she glared at him venomously. "Is this some kind of trick?"
"Uh, no, look can we just focus on something else that isn't about me and…me?" Cruz stuttered as he kept his cool which was straining to break as the young man began to fight surfacing thoughts in his mind which had bubbled up to the surface, Cruz immediately deciding right then to break off from the conversation as he strode past the Seeker his breath hot in his trails as he quickly replied to her confused stare. "I-I need to get to my room, some things to drop off. I'll see you later and we can do some poetry…hope Yvette can handle Sera for the time being before I stop whatever she's planning. But not after a long drawn out bath."
The present, Storm Coast
"A new challenger?"
"No one has beaten the chief yet, that lucky bastard." The gates to the Blades of Hessarian's compound opened, the murmurs of the men and women encamped at the entrance and inside the small fort cast their eyes upon the small group of four, their eyes filled with different emotions as the small crowd parted for the dwarven woman standing at the head of the party while a large man with sharp wide horns grinned feverishly at the group, the stirring of a fight exciting the man to no end while Blackwall the Warden stood by the right his eyes catching sight of their objective as he gave a hard glare the griffon symbol causing whispers to erupt amongst the warriors while Solas kept himself in a low profile, trudging at the back of the group to avoid any attention before a loud boisterous voice boomed at the new arrivals.
"Well well, the Inquisition has come to challenge me."
"You had your men kill our soldiers, you know as well as I do that such actions for no reason than negotiation is something I do not easily forgive," Leora growled showing her bare teeth as she gripped her daggers which were drawn out and spinning in her fingers before she snapped her grip shut, the tall burly man with a beard covering his gruff features simply laughed at her keeping his arms folded as the man sneered at the herald with a sickening smirk.
"Really? Then get your justice here." The man laughed as the nearby animal cages began to shake, the woman now turning to properly see a rabid mabari trapped within its confines before another bark drew her attention to the left where a similar beast was trapped inside with their teeth dripping with saliva. Sighing, the woman ignored the men and women who then withdrew from the mabari outside of the fort not wanting to be dog bait leaving the four with the beasts and their master tamer, the gruff man drawing his sword in the air as he snarled at Leora.
"Let's see you handle my beasts." At that moment, the cage doors were flung open Leora palming her face as she glared down the beasts which ran out at the group as Solas cast out a barrier to protect them, the dwarf given only a moment to comment on the situation which now seemed more difficult than previously expected.
"Well...shit."
A few minutes later
Leora had to resist the urge to groan, the rainy weather pouring upon her thick jacket as the wind continued to pick up speed almost throwing the rogue off from the sheer force of the gale. Growling, she rolled to the side as a blade made its way for her neck the dwarf barely rolling away in time as she picked out the crossbow from her back holster firing a bolt that found its way into the plate of a heavily armored man standing a few feet above her the man growling as he charged again, sword raised to charge before a blur tackled the man with a pommel to his chest sending the man skidding across dirt and a hand outstretched to grind into the clumps of earth. Leora readied to charge but then one of the pair of mabari lashed out towards her, the dwarf cursing as she rolled away throwing a knife at the canine only to hear the clang of metal, causing the dwarf to curse even more.
"Stupid fucking mabari and their stupid armor. Blackwall!"
"On it!" Blackwall confidently said as he charged forward letting out a war cry which caused the beast to hesitate, the warrior stabbing at the beast before the dwarf found herself being engaged by the Hessarian leader, the two exchanging parries and blows as Leora dodged and deflected the ruthless hacks from the man, the Hessarian leader speaking in grunts and yells. Bull on the other hand was having a good time, the Qunari grabbing one of the armored pups and tore out its armor plate with sheer force as it shrieked as the maelstrom of muscle tore through its protective wear and threw it to the ground causing it to whine the beast rising up while baring its teeth.
"Oh yes...come on!" Bull yelled in joy while Solas kept himself at a distance, the elf throwing the occasional ice from his staff focusing on defensive measures as he waited for an opportunity. Leora was momentarily distracted by the battle surrounding her that she didn't notice the Hessarian leader swinging his sword at her leg intending to cut her off, the dwarf barely sidestepping the thrust before a greatsword deflected the blow, the man growling as he beat repeatedly against the fighter however the incident did not go unnoticed by Solas whose ears perked at hearing the loud clash of steel as he brought his staff to heel, slamming the end of the staff against the dirt hard as a flash of ice encased itself around the man's leg but that did not stop him from defending himself against Blackwall's slower movements as he broke the ice with his sword before lashing out at the Warden.
"Die!"
Clang!
"Over here, fuck face!" Leora taunted as the man disengaged allowing his pet mabari to bite at Blackwall forcing him back again while Solas had teleported himself to another corner of the battlefield watching for opportunities, the mage casting a barrier to protect both warriors except for Leora who was in a threatening standoff with the larger sturdier opponent, the dwarf finding herself losing ground before a gruff hand slapped her aside the woman glaring up as the tower of a human raised his blade, the man interrupted from his victory by a pommel to his gut causing him to grunt as he stepped back from the Warden who had lost his helmet in the scuffle with the beast, his hair ragged and sticky as a bang clung onto his forehead just as he spoke to Leora.
"My lady, focus! We can't have you staring off into the distance now!" Blackwall's voice called out to her as the dwarf immediately snapped back to reality just as the bearded giant of a man began to yell again this time with more ferocity as the Grey Warden used his blade to bear upwards in a parry stepping to the side just to give himself the edge to land a sideways glance off the armor the sound of steel hitting plate before a squelch could be heard along with an angry yell were the only indicators to the Warden that he only nicked the man, rolling aside to face his opponent.
"Ow, get the hell off me you stupid rabid dogs!" Bull yelled, the Qunari already struggling to hold his own as the two-handed warrior found himself being blocked from using his weapon as the mabari duo tackled his arms and weapon by biting the shaft forcing the warrior to shake them away. "If you have the time it would be nice to come in quick now and save me!"
"Leora, go! I've got Blackwall!" The loud voice of the elf mage reached the herald's ears as she threw a smoke bomb nearby the Qunari who was still trying to fight off the beasts, Leora jumping into action as she leapt up to one of the beasts digging her daggers deep into the skin ignoring the smell of wet dog in her mouth as she moved to the next one plunging on in the side of its mouth causing the beast to whine before it growled harder sinking the teeth in Bull's arm the bulky built man gritting his teeth as he channeled his anger shaking the mabari off him with sheer brutality as Leora leapt back noticing her dagger still embedded in the creature just as Blackwall crashed landed next to her his knees trembling but holding strong against the blows against his greatsword catching a breath as the remaining mabari was ruthlessly thrown to the ground and Bull reaching out to wrangle the beast throttling its throat before the Qunari sharply twisted his hands, the bone of the beast cracking open like a splinter making Solas flinch as the Qunari ruthlessly growled in triumph the leader of the Hessarians already rethinking his strategy upon seeing his warhounds dead at his feet.
"That was annoying! Stupid war dogs and their…breath, bitch they bite!" Bull hissed as he picked up his greataxe, a maddened gleam in his eye as he glared up at the Hessarian leader who was determined to fight to the last and finish the group. Smiling, the Qunari readied himself, the two men casting sidelong glares at the rest of the party as Leora nodded in understanding signaling the elven mage to come to Blackwall's aid, the Warden slighting as he relaxed but only barely to match any movements against them as Leora retrieved her dagger, watching as the two burly men circled each other like predators.
"Die…you filth!" The Hessarian leader cried as he ducked out of the way from Bull's swing, scoring a slash around the thigh as the Qunari threw a throwing knife at the man's shoulder causing him to cry out before he gripped the handle and pulled it out. Bull took the opportunity to punch the man in the face sending him stumbling back as he kept his guard charging into a roll as Bull did the same except he circled around the man and brought his pommel to bear upon the back of the man forcing him down on the floor as he brought his pommel down to strike his back again but the Hessarian rolled out of the way and crouched into a charging stance as he leapt forwards into a lunge still screaming murder.
"Play with the Bull, taste the copper of blood." Bull warned as he moved aside letting the man run just past him before an arm met his chin, forcing the human down on his back while Bull watched him roll again avoiding any deadly blows while Blackwall recovered soundly the Warden already bringing himself to stand upright as he brought his weapon to the fore as he watched the Bull grab the sword arm of the man and his thigh lifting him high in the air and with an inhuman force threw him hard against the dirt the impact shattering the man's ribs. The human bandit had no chance to react as Iron Bull raised his greataxe and brought it down on his chest, drenching the ground and axe in blood from the powerful swing as the adrenaline feeling died down just as the final blow was struck, allowing the noise of the storm to overtake the silence as the Qunari breathed heavily his chest heaving for air as he pointed at the dead man whose chest was completely depressed into the ground with a splattered mess of blood and flesh smirking proudly.
"You…were nothing," Bull gasped out as he sat on the ground, the party breathing out a relieved sigh as Solas sighed a deep breath he had been holding during the fight, the mage releasing a small ball of ice that was prepared in his staff as soon as he saw the mighty man fall to the warrior relaxing his posture.
"Well, that takes care of that. With their leader dead the Blades of Hessarian should follow us if I am familiar with such duels." Leora nodded, the dwarf stretching out her hand to flex her fingers as she heard the doors open the group of four looking back to see a group of twenty men and women dressed in armor with blue tints and cloth walking in with uncertainty as they looked at the group before one of the braver souls noticed the limp arm of their former leader, the woman indicating for some of the group to see what remained of their leader as they stared at the depressed chest along with the pained expression frozen on the burly man's face before they glanced over at the dwarf and her group.
"Herald, the Blades are at your service."
Two hours later
"So what's the word on the coast?" Leora asked with a tilt of her head as she kicked her legs in the air as the officer dressed in the Inquisition's colors folded her arms, the sound of the rain pelting against the tent which they were sheltered in while several soldiers and Blades moved past them carrying stashes of weapons and herbs, the Blades accepting the crates for their stores while the sound of hammers were distant as small watchtowers were being built into the camp. The officer was looking over a small local map of the coast, pointing to one of the lower regions where several indicators were placed with circles drawn around them.
"The Blades were kind enough to give us information about the region and save us some time scouting, they have provided the layout of resources we have access to such as serpentstone and lots of spindleweed if you actually need such a thing," Leora had to snort but not blatantly as she shook her head, normally she was collecting all the herbs she had so far just cause, she had not put not much thought into how she would use them to be honest. "As to signs of Grey Wardens, they have pointed out these circles as where the Wardens were last seen. If anything else you should start there." Pushing herself off the crate, Leora thanked the woman as she glanced over at Blackwall who glanced over at the woman sharing a brief look before the man nodded, Leora indicating him to get the others as she called out to him.
"Blackwall, get the others…we're going Warden hunting."
Haven, spymaster's tent
"Sister Nightingale," Leliana's head rose from her prayer as her words died in mid-sentence, the former bard stood up while watching the arrival of an agent out the corner of her eye the unmistakable green hood covering his head as the man continued with his report. "Mistress, there is a person at the gate wishing to speak with you about something important, he asked specifically for you by name at the guards and Cassandra has been trying to find out the man's intentions, but he has vehemently insisted that the message be passed on to you." The words caught Leliana's attention as the spy stood up, her coat billowing underneath the chainmail mesh in the wind as she gave a nod of affirmation that she had the message the agent taking his leave, giving her a moment's peace before Leliana grabbed something off the crate and stuffed it into her pouch hidden beneath the armor patting it once and strode over towards the gate. As she got closer, there were several raised voices in the distance which made itself clearer as Leliana heard the distinct accent coming from a certain hot-headed Nevarran the spymaster tuning in on the conversation as she tried to keep some distance as she walked.
"What do you mean you can't?"
"That is the truth, Mistress I am afraid that coin keeps mouths open but sometimes shuts it up tight." The voice shot back at Cassandra, meeting her venomous demands with a stoic and trembling voice, Leliana breaking through the small crowd of soldiers towards the center where Cassandra stood on one end facing down a hunched man in rags trembling in the cold with a tattered hood drawn up his face hiding his dirty features.
"What is going on here?" Leliana spoke up, the Seeker turning to see her as she glanced over at the beggar, the latter taking a long look at her before the man shuffled over his bare hands reaching into his cloak as a few of the soldiers were on high alert as Cullen broke the circle watching the scene for some time.
"It's a beggar, he has no reason to attack anyone…even if he tried, it wouldn't succeed." The general said as he watched the man retrieving something from his pocket, the sight of the locket triggering something in Leliana as she watched the memento with wide eyes as the beggar coughed stretching out his dirty palms, a hand over his mouth. "I was given a few silvers to deliver a message for you along with this trinket, the sender said that you would know him very well, he was expecting you to respond accordingly." Leliana shakily took the locket, her fingers opening the cover her own feelings suppressed within as she hoped it was not what she had feared…and was proven wrong as she saw what was inside, the spymaster turning on the beggar with a sharp glint in her eye.
"Who gave you this?"
"His name…he said he went out of his way to Val Royeaux for its personal collection," hearing that Leliana felt her world freeze but it wasn't the only thing that shocked her into silence. "The sender calls you to remember and atone for what you did back then, some past mistake-"
"What was his name?"
"Sparrow, Lady Nightingale…his name was Sparrow."
End
Author's notes: Well this is the end to the chapter, hope you enjoyed reading it. I am very surprised by the neat reception this story has gotten, many ideas flowing in my head as I unlock each new chapter in the game regarding characters and motivations it does make me rethink of what to do and make them say…well anyways.
Sparrow's move is set, so is the exploration of the Grey Warden camps. The next chapter is more focused on the task at hand with Leora more so than Leliana but either way this chapter does take place in skips forward in time.
The addition of the chapter in the past does give an insight as to what Cruz was doing since that time, the memoirs do tell a bigger picture. Now it is questionable concerning Cruz's own nervousness with women and his own life, well that will be explained though I would say that it is both a combination with his life and what he feels is confusing to him…that will come later.
For now, have a good one.
VI