Part 10
Consequences

Cole had "woken" first to tell Dorian to take the sleep spell off of Astlyr. She woke with a slow blink, sitting up. Even with this warning, one of the younger mage guards squeaked in alarm and activated one of her wards. As it was intended to trap demons, it only made Astlyr feel as though her limbs had fallen asleep for a few moments. "Naomi!" Dorian scolded loudly, "Keep control of yourself, young lady!"

The mage blushed with embarrassment and banished her other spells with a wave of her staff, her peers chuckling goodnaturedly at her.

"Well?" Varric was the first to address Astlyr.

She glanced at Cole who was still sitting on the foot of her bed. He no longer looked vital and alive. His skin was back to its sickly pallor and his eyes were dull and sunken. When she met his gaze, however, he gave her a reassuring nod. She had no choice but to believe that being in the human world was what he wanted.

Then she turned to look at the elvish man. Even though she knew what he would look like in this world, it still seemed strange that she was no longer seeing the tall, red haired figure from the Fade. His eyes were the same, she noted, uncertain if that made her feel better or not. She turned to her companions. "Gather the inner circle" she addressed Cullen. He gave her a scrutinizing glance before nodding curtly and marching out of the room. "The guards and healers are dismissed for the time being. After our meeting you will be briefed as necessary concerning out elvish guests."

The guards looked uneasily at one another, but slowly began to leave the room. One of them stopped near Astlyr's bed, seeming to gather his courage he leaned down to whisper, "guests, Ma'am? Not prisoners?"

"Yes," she said, in just as hushed a tone.

The man nodded, then walked on, following the rest of the guards. Shortly afterward Vivienne, Blackwall, Sera, and Josephine were led into the infirmary by Cullen, and the healers retreated to an anti-room and were instructed to have dinner and perhaps a loud game of wicked grace to pass the time. Then Astlyr's company gathered together as best they could with so many of them wounded.

"Alright," Cullen folded his arms, still looking grim and suspicious, "so what do we call this thing?" he gestured towards the elvish man, who was sitting on a wooden chair near Astlyr, looking less intimidated than might have been expected with so many untrusting stares aimed at him.

"You may call me Fen, if you like," the man said, the twitch of a smile playing on his lips.

Astlyr had to contain a chuckle at Cullen's glare. It could have frozen a pond. Then she began her recounting of what she had seen while she dreamed, and what she thought to have concluded. "I'm almost certain he isn't a demon. He asserts that he is not a spirit either. I suppose we may all form our own conclusions as to his godhood," she shot a glance towards Myfanwy, who was sitting beside Fen'Harel looking just a little bit pleased with herself. "Now you've heard my conclusions. Does anyone have any questions for myself or Fen'Harel over here? Anything they would like to voice."

There was a long, uneasy silence. A few unreadable looks were passed between one another. Then Sera stood up. She calmly drew a knife from the back of her belt, and launched herself at Fen'Harel. Myfanwy intercepted before anyone else could. The two women grappled and it was Josie who reached them next and pried them apart. By this time Sera was shouting, "NO! Have you all lost your minds!? It's a DEMON and it needs killing! Why can't you see that?" she turned, slashing at Josie, who narrowly got her arm out of the way.

Cullen grasped Sera's arms then, and with a jerk he pulled them tight behind her back. The knife clattered to the floor. He spun her top face him, intending to try to calm her down and she wriggled an arm free, clumsily punching him in the face. This staggered the man enough to let her go. She scooped up her knife and backed away as Dorian missed her with an ice spell intended to hold her feet in place.

Astlyr moved as quickly as her injured limbs would allow, but Sera dodged her as well, "Look! You're all a bunch of idiots for sitting around here chatting with a demon! You-" she pointed her knife at Astlyr, "are probably already possessed, and I'll be buggered senseless if I am going to hang around here and join you! I thought your inquisition fought shite like this, not welcomed it with a hug and a cup!" she was backing towards the door, knife slashing at anyone who drew near her. Then she turned and darted out of the room.

"Do we send guards?" Astlyr wondered aloud. "Capture her?"

"I wouldn't bother," Cullen's voice was weary. Astlyr turned to see Cole standing before the knight, resting a cool hand against a welt that was forming on the man's cheekbone.

"She could spread the word that Skyhold is harboring demons," Cassandra pointed out.

"And who exactly would believe her?" Cullen stood straight, Cole having done what he could. The warrior put a hand to his cheek and prodded his teeth with his tongue to check them. "People in Skyhold can't understand what she's talking about half the time."

"Still, it would be better to-" Cas pressed.

"To what?" Varric interrupted, "to lock her up? Do we put one of our own in the dungeon? Need I remind everyone that she helped save the world?"

"I must say," Vivienne spoke next. She had been watching the scene play out with a thoughtful and passive expression on her face. "While I do not agree with the method our young elf used to get her point across, I do agree with her, for the most part."

"Viv?" Astlyr turned to her elegant mage friend with a feeling of dismay.

"Don't worry my dear, I am not going to attack anyone," she smiled. "I, at least, do not think that you have been possessed. I do, however, firmly believe that your experience with demons is far to o limited in this case. I must know, darling. What are your plans for our...guest?"

Astlyr looked back to Fen'Harel, whose posture hand changed. He no longer sat up in the chair, interested and trusting. Instead his shoulders were rounded, his eyes cast down. He looked almost ashamed, Astlyr thought as she watched him. She turned back to Vivienne, feeling a lump forming in her chest as the mage's dark, appraising eyes rested on her. "I...I don't know."

"Well, you had better know soon," Vivienne said coolly, "or I shall be leaving Skyhold as well. Granted, I will be far less violent about it, and you will have my word that I will not gab about what is happening here to every passing farmhand I encounter."

"He must be kept under guard," Cassandra spoke up, her tone level and military. "Perhaps not I the dungeon, but certainly watched at all times by at least one mage and one templar."

Cullen rubbed the back of his neck. "We don't have many templars to spare."

"Is that guard enough?" Blackwall sat forward. The man had situated himself at the outskirts of the group, watchful.

"I assure you that it will be," Fen'Harel said, looking at his hands, which were clasped loosely in his lap.

"I will also be watching over my lord," Myfanwy pointed out. While everyone else's mood was clearly tense and dire, the elvish woman seemed happier than Astlyr had yet seen her. "Now that he has awakened my role is as important as ever. Ensuring that he should want for nothing."

"I think I need to get myself a disciple," Varric snarked, grinning lopsidedly.

"Are we sure we trust her?" Blackwall questioned, jabbing a thumb towards Myfanwy.

"She has given us no reason to distrust her," Astlyr said. Her mind felt overcrowded with possibilities. With thoughts, ideas and plans, none of them helpful. Truth be told she wanted to flee the entire situation. She wasn't cut out for this. She was just a lone qunari from the wilds who has stumbled into a temple on the exact wrong day. She felt her shoulders hunch when she should be standing tall. She cleared her throat, forcing herself to square up. To look the part of the intimidating leader.

"One day your horns with scratch the sky."

She was startled when Cole spoke. She turned to face him, confused, as did everyone else. "Your father told you that," the spirit boy gave Astlyr a reassuring nod. "When you were little and you had failed at something you were trying...your shield training. Your arm wasn't strong enough to keep your shield up yet...he told you that one day you would stand so tall and proud that your horns would scratch the sky."

"I think I like your father," Iron Bull chuckled.

Astlyr's brows came together as she searched for the memory. She must have been very young, but Cole was still able to find it, somewhere in her mind, as he seemed to able to do when he wanted to help. She recalled her father. A mountain of a man, with horns that curled, a bit like a ram's. It was from him she had inherited the brown tint to her skin, rather than the plain qunari grey. He had been a shield-man himself, and had trained his only child well, and with great patience. Thinking of him now she felt her spine straighten and her determination come back to her in a warm rush. "Alright," she said, and this time she did sound like the commander she intended to be. "'Fen', as he would like to be called, will be staying with us, at least for a time. He will be kept under strict watch, and not allowed to wander Skyhold. At least one mage and one templar must be in attendance at all times. I also give permission for the elf Myfanwy to accompany him if she so chooses."

"What do we tell the people of Skyhold?" Josephine asked, her pen already poised to write down the answer.

"Tell them that we believe we have another friendly spirit in our midst, but we are being cautious, just to be certain." She turned to Myfanwy, "I will allow you to be with 'your lord' but you will keep this god business to yourself. All of us will," she looked up to meet everyone's eyes. She was pleased to receive nods of ascent, and even approval from some.

"Should we not tell my people that one of their gods has awakened?" Myfanwy asked, her eyes.

"If we do not, we may risk treading on the religious rights of the elves," Josie pointed out, dabbing ink from her quill on a blotter.

"I would prefer The People not know me. At least for the moment," Fen'Harel spoke quietly.

Myfanwy looked at him, confusion and sadness mingling on her face, "but my lord-"

"One day I may reveal myself to The People," he reassured her in a gentle tone, "but now is not the moment, little one."

Myfanwy sat back, clearly unhappy, but pacified

"What about this Mythal issue?" Cassandra asked. "If we believe Fen's story, and another god is roaming around out there summoning gigantic monsters, how should we react?"

"I will speak with the spymaster," Josephine said, "and I will be discrete. Our scouts will keep their eyes open for any signs of an elf that appears to be Solas. When you were in the Exalted Plains, Astlyr, you made friends with the nearby Dalish tribe," the diplomat pointed out. "I can attempt to locate them as well, and see if they, as Dalish, have heard any news, or thoughts on the subject of their gods."

"Alright, that sounds good," Astlyr nodded.

Varric addressed Fen'Harel, "So, we've met at least two gods, but what about the other two people? The elf who came with Solas—sorry—Mythal," he corrected himself, "or the one that turned into a giant monster?"

Myfanwy took out her sketch paper and rifled through, pulling out the picture that the group had agreed looked the closest to the man they had all seen, shortly before battling for their lives. She showed it to Fen'Harel. He took in the image for a moment. "I cannot be certain," he said.

"Yes you can," Cole's voice had an edge that Astlyr didn't often hear. "You know who it was."

Fen'Harel lowered his gaze again. "I did not want to alarm you. I believe the one you summoned is Elgar'nan."

Myfanwy stood up, her sketches falling from her lap. She backed away from him, her expression tense, "the All Father?" she said, her voice a little too high.

"The Orb of Destruction was his foci, so I believe it was he you summoned. And the picture you have drawn does resemble his most recent form...if I can recall it correctly. It has been a very long time, and I have slept, and woken, and almost ended the world, since then."

"Who or what is this All Father?" Vivienne demanded, her eyes flashing dangerously. Astlyr felt a prickle of the magic building in the room like a static charge.

"Each god in the pantheon has a specific role. A title by which they were known. These titles are not always accurate. I often find myself referred to as the trickster god, which might apply in my more puckish moods, but there is far more to me than that," he glanced at all the waiting faces and it was clear he was not going to get away with being vague. He sighed. "Mythal is known as the goddess of Justice and her husband, Elgar'nan as the god of Vengeance."

"Maker's balls," Varric exhaled, "and what might he have to seek vengeance for? Oh, perhaps, the systematic slaughter and enslavement of his people?"

"I do not know if that is what he intends," Fen'Harel said, dipping his head in a gesture that reminded Astlyr of his wolf form. "Mythal and I had intended to go about waking him together. I felt that I could act as counselor and guide, as I had in days gone by. I did not imagine she would even be able to free him after I was..." he trailed off, an expression of pain on his face.

"Another way has been found, clearly," Vivienne gestured towards Astlyr. "Can you give us any idea what this 'All Father' might be planning to do, if it is indeed he who we have freed?"

Fen'Harel shook his head, looking up through dark eyelashes at the gathering, "I suspect they may attempt to continue to seek and free the rest of the elven pantheon."

"You mean those other gods that we images of in the Temple of Mythal?" Astlyr questioned.

"Them, and others," Fen'Harel answered, looking tense. It seemed clear that he was expecting to be attacked at any moment. "However, this will be no easy task for them. Mythal is weakened, even with my body, and I suspect you left her mate in a similar state when you defeated him in the Emerald Graves. They will require the foci of each god to awaken them. I know that Mythal has her own, and mine. I do not know if she has possession of others. She did not before she took my body."

"She has your foci?" Astlyr tilted her head, trying to see the Elf's lowered face behind the tumble of dark curls which fell over it.

"My foci was with my body, and when she took my body she took my foci," he explained. "This is why I was so slow to awaken myself. I would have gathered enough energy eventually, but at great cost to this body," he gestured to himself. Finally he looked up to meet Astlyr's eyes. "Thank you, my friend, for the gift of your energy to help me."

"Er, you're welcome," Astlyr felt awkward, "though I wouldn't say it was an intentional gift. I suppose, in the end, I was happy to give it."

"Could you have taken all her enegry that way? Killed her?" Dorian spoke up.

"I do not know," Fen'Harel admitted, "I have never used the anchor in that way before. I know very little about it."

"No one seems to know," Astlyr glanced down at her hand.

"Back to the issue of these awakening 'gods'" Vivienne helmed the conversation again, "What we need to know is how likely they are to attack people, or cause trouble for us mere mortals." Her voice was icy with sarcasm, showing clearly what she thought the their claim to godhood.

"I do not know," Fen'Harel said, and he put his face in his hands. Myfanwy placed a gentle hand on his rounded shoulders.

"Alright," Varric's tone was kind, "I believe him. Let's stop asking him the same question over and over."

"We need answers," Josie pointed out, though her words were not laden with the same coldness as Vivienne's.

"He wants to help us," said Cole, pale eyes fixed on the slumped elf. "He is afraid..." he began to speak rapidly, as he did when reading someone's pain, "she wants me with her. Needs my help to walk on the safe path. But he... he pulls her, drags her under cold water and she doesn't see. They rule The People, but never walk their roads. I met a child and she petted my fur and laughed. My friend has forgotten. He never understood. He shook the earth and made The People love him with fear."

"Well, that was helpful," muttered Iron Bull sarcastically.

"I think the best we can do is be extremely vigilant," Astlyr spoke, her tone level and firm. "We will increase our spies and scouts. Return to the level of watchfulness that we had when Coryphius was around."

"Should we send word to Lelianna- I'm sorry, I mean the Divine Victoria?" asked Josephine, who seemed to already be drafting a letter.

"She'll find out either way," Astlyr chuckled. Not much happened in all of Thedas that the red haired woman did not know about. "It would be better if she could hear it from us. Do impress upon her our desire to use caution and not stir people into a panic. We do not know what, if anything, will come of this."

"Indeed," Josephine agreed, nodding as she wrote, her pen feather twitching madly.

"We should also be more vigilant about whom we let into Skyhold," Cullen remarked. "Thus far our doors have been open to any who needed aid, but now it seems we could be letting in gods. Or whatever these people are."

"At least one of us," Astlyr gestured between Josephine, Cullen and herself, "should always be informed when newcomers arrive here and be present to greet them, and ensure they seem safe. Once Cassandra is back on her feet she can help with that too," she gave her warrior friend a nod.

"Our plan is formed then, such as it is," Dorian said, studying the group with an apprizing look.

"I will speak to the mages and what templars we have," Cullen said, moving towards the door.

"Alright, but wait a moment, Cullen," Astlyr raised her hand to stay his progress, then got clumsily to her feet. Her thigh had stiffened in the time they had been speaking. She gently flexed it to work out of the knots. "The rest of you are free to go about whatever business suits you for the moment," she said to her fellows.

"A nap suits me," Dorian announced with a good-natured smile.

"I believe I shall go back to helping your workers," Blackwall said, rising and stretching his back. "You've got snow falling through unfinished roofs all over the fortress, and people going cold. Not to mention your mage tower was hardly finished when the snow hit. There are a lot of repairs to be done before another winter storm finds its way to us."

"You are right. Thank you, Blackwall," Astlyr smiled and took his hand for a reassuring moment. Though he had once lied to her about his past, and she had thought her trust for him had fled, she found it difficult to look down into his steady gaze and not feel reassured. One lie, however large, did not counteract all his true actions in her service. She was a believer in second chances. She had certainly been given a few.

"I shall retire to the mage tower as well," Vivienne said, striding elegantly towards the door. "You may wish to pop your head in every now and then, my dear. Without the structure of a proper circle your mages are often chaotic and confused. I only hope that I can be a steadying influence on them."

"Thank you, Viv," Astlyr gave her a nod of gratitude.

Cole called the healers back into the infirmary and things began to move as always. Astlyr told Audra and her people that the man calling himself Fen, was likely a friendly spirit, and they were to treat him with courtesy and caution. They all nodded solemnly. Fen'Harel, who seemed wearied by the day of being interrogated, went willingly back to his bed to wait until secure quarters could be arranged for him. A few guards were called back to watch over him.

This finished, Astlyr turned to Cullen, who had been waiting patiently by the door, hand resting on the pommel of his greatsword. He gave her a thin smile as she limped up to him and gestured that they should move out of the infirmary.

The two walked quietly down the hallway. Astlyr noticed at once how much cooler it was outside the room of healing, which was kept quite warm with two large fireplaces, though often only one was lit. For a long moment only the sound of their footsteps echoed on the stones. Cullen's even and measured, as Astlyr's clopped unevenly with her limp. Finally Cullen spoke, his voice barely above a muttering as he gestured to the bare stone walls. "We need to get some tapestries down here. They keep in the warm. Not to mention are much more interesting to look at than grey stone."

"Cullen," Astlyr stopped walking, watching as he moved past her and his back stiffened as she spoke his name. He turned to face her, his brows knit together, though he said nothing. "I know you have much more experience with demons than I do. I'm sorry if I belittled that knowledge, but you cannot continue to second guess me in front of my men."

"Someone should," his lip curled slightly. "You said yourself that you wanted me to check you if you are about to do something stupid. Then I try and you do it anyway."

Astlyr fell silent. He was right. Hadn't she requested he do that very thing for her? And he had even attempted to be discrete. Not shouting it for the whole room to hear, but speaking only to her. "I..I'm sorry," she mumbled, feeling small, which was difficult for someone who took up most of the hallway. "I saddled you with an impossible task. Of keeping an eye on me, when I have done, and will likely continue to do, whatever fool thing comes into my head."

"It wasn't a fool thing," his voice had softened. There was a gentle huskiness to it that she found she liked. "You did what had to be done to find out what you could. But it was a great risk and I don't like endangering our inquisitor."

"You were right to try to stop me," she said, letting her shoulder's droop.

"It's bad enough that you insist on going out on every mission and almost getting yourself killed," she expected his voice to be scolding, but instead there was a hint of mirth. She looked up to see a smirk playing on his scarred lips. "Astlyr, you are a woman of action. Whatever other reasons people have for following you; your status, your potential holiness, that mark on your hand, I follow you because of your willingness to face things yourself. My teachers would have told me that it is a poor leader who puts themselves in constant danger with their men, yet it is the only quality I will follow without question."

"Blackwall once told me 'you are who you choose to follow,'" Astlyr mused, "so it would seem you are a foolish risk taker who should be dead several times over."

"That is remarkably accurate," Cullen was still grinning, his gold-flecked eyes sparkling in the torchlight of the hallway.

"So, are we alright?" Astlyr asked. "I cannot be at odds with the people I need the most. That much I do know about good leadership."

"We are alright," Cullen dipped his head, a slight seriousness returning to his voice. "You should know, I will not stop attempting to be your voice of reason, even if you do ignore me."

Astlyr smiled, feeling her heart lift, "I would never want you to stop. I promise that I shall try to listen to you in the future. At least for a few moments before I ignore your advice completely," she grinned.

"I feel so reassured," he chuckled. "Shall I go see to those guard rotations now, my lady?"

"Please don't call me that," Astlyr snorted at his formality. "And yes, please do. Oh," she stopped him as he began to turn. "I thought you should know that I intend to return to my duties after today...and as such I will also be returning to my quarters," she felt a little guilty. "You are still free to come when you need a place to hide out, but I will likely be there."

He shrugged, though she detected a slight blush blooming on his cheeks as he realized she knew that he had been using her room to sleep in. "No, no. Of course you must," he smiled briefly with a flash of white teeth. "Thank you for the use of it."

"You're welcome."

Cullen dipped his head to her, then finally turned and walked on down the corridor. Astlyr sighed wishing she knew better the right things to say to people. She knew Cullen would remember her refusal to heed his advice. Though he would not hold it against her, he might be uneasy about correcting her in the future, whatever he said. She turned and limped slowly back to the infirmary.