I know, I know, Faye you said the 20th. Well alas; I will not be available on Saturday so here we are. This is the first chapter of "part II."
Major kudos to my beta, enco432. And to you, fair readers.
Chapter X - Dorian
Dorian woke to sound of birds and the warmth of the sun on his bedsheets. He yawned, stretched, languid as a cat, and groped the other side of the bed for trace of the Iron Bull. Bull rarely ever slept late, old habits, Dorian assumed, from his Ben-Hassrath days. Without haste, Dorian climbed out of bed and dressed. Bull would no doubt be in the tavern with his Chargers and Dorian wanted to speak with him before the daily war table meeting.
Despite all the fluster and worry over the Inquisitor's disappearance, the Inquisition ran rather smoothly without her at the helm. He missed her, naturally, and would rather not be tied up in her paperwork and meetings—he was beginning to see why she'd left in the first place, to avoid being buried alive in missives and ornery Chantry officials and nobles. Still, he wanted her to come back as soon as possible. He'd been holding off going back to Tevinter for months now. He held off for Bull and for her, but he didn't feel right leaving his homeland in such a state as it was. But he wouldn't leave without her goodbye. That was for sure. He would not be like Solas.
Dorian went down to the kitchens for a bit of breakfast before making his way to the tavern. Bull was in his usual corner leaning heavily in his chair, a drink nearby. The qunari shifted in his seat, and reached over to an empty table and moved a chair for Dorian.
"You speak to Cole last night?" Bull asked, crossing his beefy arms over his chest.
"Yes," Dorian sat down. "He said the same thing he said to Cullen and Sister Leliana," For the past few weeks, everyone had tried to get Cole to tell them if he knew anything about the Inquisitor's impromptu vacation. He said the same thing in one varying degree or another; that it was quieter the further she walked away. Dorian had an inkling as to what that meant, but he saw no sense in scaring everyone with base conjecture. "I don't think we're going to get anything else out of him."
"He's been keeping more to himself lately." Bull added.
Dorian sighed. "She wrote that she had to do whatever it is she's off to, I'm inclined to believe her. We really should let the matter be."
"I think she got bored." Bull grunted. "All that action and then suddenly it's over," he chuckled slightly. "Violence is addictive, Dorian. She got restless; she'll come back when she's ready.
"Try telling that to Cullen," Dorian grumbled. The only person willing to see reason was Leliana. The Spymaster still refused to allocate scouts to hunt the Inquisitor down.
"Speaking of Red, did she tell you anything about her missing scouts?"
"The ones searching for the dragon?" Dorian asked. He'd heard they were a day overdue, but in mountainous terrain like the land around Skyhold it was expected. A rockslide or avalanche could easily waylay anyone.
"I wish we could have gone after that beast," Bull laughed and thumped his chest. "Would have loved another good dragon fight,"
"Only you would consider that fun."
Bull let out a great guffaw and slammed his palm to Dorian's back a few times. "Like I said, kadan, violence is addicting,"
Dorian, still recovering from Bull's back slap, stood up and straightened out his clothes. "We should probably get Sera, we have a meeting remember?"
"Sera's been pouting since she got the news the boss left without her." Bull stood and put their chairs back where they belonged. "I think deep down we all got a little…upset."
Dorian was forced to agree. There was an underlying degree of jealousy that the Inquisitor had entrusted Blackwall, Cassandra, and Varric with her secrets and not the rest of them. Dorian hated to admit it, (even to himself,) that it felt like she hadn't trusted him enough to tell him where she was going or even invite him. She even left her note with Ser Marbrand and not one of her other friends.
"Well, I best go and talk to her," Dorian sighed. He wasn't really looking forward to speaking with Sera, it could be trying, even if she wasn't upset. Slowly, Dorian hiked up the stairs and to her little corner room. He lightly tapped on the door, getting no response he knocked a little harder.
"Piss off!" Sera's muffled voice cried.
Dorian rolled his eyes. "You're going to have to come out of there eventually, we could use you at the meetings," they had been getting along just fine without Sera but Dorian found himself feeling guilty for not ensuring her participation. Sera was a handful, but she was still a part of the Inner Circle, still a friend.
"I said piss off," something thunked against the door.
"Sera all of us are upset you know." He told her, pressing himself close to the door in hopes of making his words more intelligible. "I don't think it was meant to be taken in insult. Something upset her—you said so yourself." No response. "When she gets back you can tell her off, give her a true piece of your mind."
Something else hit the other side of the door, then again, and the third finally pierced through the wood. It was the tip of an arrow, Dorian backed away and sighed. "Very well then," and he made his way back down the stairs. Bull was waiting for him and together they walked up the keep.
Cullen, Josephine, and Leliana were already at the respective places around the table. From then on it was a blur of dust, parchment, and ink. Duchess So-and-So wanted a meeting with the Inquisitor, the Sisters from the Chantry of Nowhere-Important wanted to make a pilgrimage to the Temple of Sacred Ashes and wanted money to finance it, Comte Nothing-Worth-Remembering would be ever so pleased if the Inquisitor attended his birthday, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
And that was just foreign affairs—there was military work to do after lunch and the missing scouts still hadn't shown up. By dinner Dorian was exhausted. But that was how it was for the next week. Dorian was once again forced to think about how it was the Inquisitor managed to stand it all.
Midweek they kept their meetings short so that everyone would have a chance to recharge. And as they did once a week, Dorian and Cullen set out their chess board in the garden's gazebo. Dorian appreciated the challenge Cullen provided him. The Commander was an excellent tactician and he never gave Dorian anything less than his all.
The first match ended with the Commander's victory although Dorian took the second game. They were twenty minutes into their third game when Josephine came to find them.
"An interesting group of refugees arrived this morning," Josephine told them; Dorian thought she looked worried, although he was confident in her ability to handle anything. "Their leader has asked to speak to the Inquisitor,"
"What did you tell him?" Cullen set his knight back down, their game forgotten.
"That the Inquisitor was off on an important mission and will be happy to speak with him when she returns," she crossed her arms and leaned against the one of the gazebo's pillars. "He then asked to speak to the second in command,"
Cullen sighed and stood. "Raincheck, Dorian?"
"Of course," Dorian stood and smoothed his wrinkled tunic. "I had you on the run anyway, no need to embarrass our esteemed commander,"
Cullen gave a snort of laughter and looked down at the board. He moved his knight into position leaving Dorian's king in a perfect checkmate. "You were saying?" he laughed.
Brushing the defeat off, Dorian followed the two advisors to the main hall. The hall was mostly empty save for a few guards. Two men were standing nearer to the throne. A young man, perhaps only a few years younger than Dorian himself, was acting as the crutch of an elderly fellow. The two men turned as they approached. The elder carried with him a gnarled wooden staff in his right hand; he was using to hold himself up. He sported a white beard so long it might elicit a bit of jealousy from Blackwall, his face was marred by terrible burn, his back was bowed, and he sported several other noticeable disfigurements indicative of torture.
The old man smiled; he was missing several teeth. "I am…" he took a deep wheezy breath. "Very sorry to bother you, my Lords and Lady," he took another gravelly breath.
"Easy, Grandfather," the youth muttered. They both had Orlesian accents, Dorian noted, although the old man didn't look to be of Orlesian decent. "Sorry, my Lords, the walk here was very hard for my Grandfather."
"Of course," Josephine called for a chair and the old man gratefully sat down. "What brings you here, Serah?"
"We're refugees from the Dales," the youth answered. "Simple peasant folk, driven from our homes by the Freemen,"
It seemed like so long ago that Dorian, Varric, and Blackwall had gone with the Inquisitor to uproot the Freemen. Naturally, as with all outlaw-bandit types, cutting the head off the snake merely allowed three more to grow. He pitied them; the old man looked like he had been through quite the ordeal. Dorian could tell he was a mage—not a strong one, but a mage nonetheless.
"Oh, I am sorry, my Lords; I am Toulouse, and this is my Grandfather Aramis,"
"Commander Cullen, Lady Josephine, and Lord Dorian Pavus, a personal friend of our Inquisitor." Cullen introduced them.
Aramis looked up at the commander; his eyes were blue but glazed, still, Dorian could see a bit of wit in them. "Your Inquisition sent most of the Freemen out of our land…" the old man took a deep breath. "But some of the stuck around I fear," another breath. "They've come back in greater numbers."
"Oh, dear," Josephine sighed.
"Most of our village was burned to the ground," Toulouse continued.
"My grandson was able to gather those of us who remained—but they took all of our women and children."
Dorian and Cullen exchanged glances. This wasn't new, the Freemen took prisoners, but they had never simply come into a village and stole all the women and children.
"Few of us escaped with our lives," the old man whispered, trailing off into some distant memory.
"My grandfather left the Circle when they disbanded; he hardly has the strength to heal minor wounds—and he's blind—but that didn't stop the Freemen from hurting him," the boy wiped his eyes and tried to hold back a sob. "My mother…"
Josephine reached into her pocket and took out a handkerchief. She handed it to the youth who thanked her and dabbed his eyes. "They separated us out by sex and then locked all of the men in a makeshift stockade," the lad continued. "We men escaped, but they have our girls, our children—we didn't know where to go, who to turn to."
Cullen nodded. "The Inquisition will see what they can do," he turned to Dorian. "Will you please fetch Sister Leliana?" Dorian nodded. The last thing he heard before heading to the tower was Josephine promising the two men there was room in Skyhold Village for everyone.
XXXX
They crowded into the war room. Cullen, Josephine, Leliana on their side. Dorian, Bull, Cole, Cullen's second, Scout Harding, and even the First Bow of Starkhaven, packed into the room around the map of Thedas.
Dorian was leaned up against the wall; his arms crossed as he listened to the group go back and forth. "I've been aware of their movements since they enter the pass," Leliana was saying. "I haven't heard much from my people in the Dales—as far as I know it's been quiet."
"If something happened, we would know about it," Harding insisted. She seemed to be taking it as a personal insult that something might have happened that her scouts didn't see. "The whole damn thing is fishy to me,"
"Me too," Leliana said. "Venatori movements have all but stopped,"
"What are you trying to say Leliana?" Dorian, arms still crossed, pushed away from the wall. "That these people are Venatori?"
"I personally looked over these people, Leliana; many of them were seriously injured."
"I am not saying that they're Venatori agents, Josie, in fact, I think we need to house these people, we need to check on what they said happened. Maybe they're confusing the Freemen with Venatori? Or Red Templars,"
"I find that hard to believe, Red Templars are more akin to monsters than men," Dorian quipped. He couldn't help himself, although he knew he needed to guard his tongue better when speaking with the Advisors—especially Leliana.
Cullen cleared his throat. "You said Venatori activities have stopped? I know they've calmed somewhat, as if in retreat. Do you think they're regrouping?"
"I don't know," Leliana sighed.
"I've got my scouts scouring for any information on what's going on with the Venatori. The boys out of the Western Approach have had steady contact with Venatori remnants, Commander." Harding tapped the map indicating the Abyssal Reach. "A few weeks ago contact dropped, not completely, but enough to be noticeable. Last week not one agent was seen. I'm no commander, Ser, but that's pretty suspicious,"
Cullen's second—Dorian couldn't remember her name—confirmed as such. "The men in the Hissing Wastes have reported the same thing, ser."
"Then it must be looked into," Cullen sighed. "Leliana, Harding, can your people hand the Venatori while I have my men check out this Freemen threat?"
"Yes," Leliana nodded. "Josephine, try to get as much information out of the refugees as you can,"
Cullen looked to the second. "Captain, assemble a squad, I want them ready to head out dawn,"
The Captain saluted; "Yes commander," and left.
Speaking quietly to one another, Leliana and Harding left them. Josephine excused herself next and the room lapsed into uneasy silence.
"Commander," Lady Moraven's brogue broke the quiet first. "If you've no need for me…"
"Oh, I'm sorry First Bow, I forgot you were there," Cullen admitted, his face turning ever so slightly pink. "I would like to take you up on your offer of aide,"
"Of course, my men are at your command," the archer said.
"Since I have to send so many men away would your men take up guard shifts around the keep and village?"
"It will be done,"
"Shall we continue this in my office?" Cullen offered and they were gone and Dorian felt as if there had been no point to his being at the meeting anyway.
"Josephine thinks your opinion is important," Cole muttered wistfully.
"Thank you, Cole, that's very reassuring," Dorian sighed, drained again, and on his day off.
Bull seemed to find it funny and laughed a deep chesty laugh and gave Dorian a pat on the back. "I should go speak to the Chargers; we may be pulling some guard duty if Cullen needs it,"
Dorian nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. He decided to go do some reading, at least then if he was needed they would know where to find him.
XXXX
Mother Delphine's voice carried like a warhorn. She was the kind of woman who not only demanded she be heard, but spoke so loudly that it was nearly impossible to not hear her. Even now, as Dorian sat reading on the balcony in the main hall, he could hear every word she was saying. And poor Cullen was defenseless against her verbal onslaught.
"Your Holy Divine is missing, Ser, how can you worry about village ruffians and not her disappearance?" Delphine's voice was like the screech of a dragonling, a very fat, very pompous, very annoying, dragonling.
Dorian could not help himself, he stood up and looked over the balustrade and down at Cullen and the Chantry witch. Cullen was trying to walk away from her but with every step he took she was right on his heels.
"I can assure you, Mother, that we are trying to find them—"
"Try harder, Ser, I am beginning to think that perhaps you are not interested in finding Most Holy,"
Even from here, Dorian could see the angry glint in Cullen's eyes. He turned to face the woman, hand on the pommel of his sword—he would never draw it on her—but Dorian wouldn't blame him if he did. "As far as we know," the commander's voice was low and angry. "Cassandra is with the Inquisitor and I promise you, there is no safer place for those two then by each other's side. If anything, Maker forbid, happens to them, they will take care of each other. Now I have more pressing business to deal with than listen to you prattle on like an ill-mannered shrew."
Dorian laughed on his way to the library. The horrified look on Mother Delphine's face was perhaps the most hilarious thing he had seen in a very long time. He hoped that Cullen's outburst had shut that woman up for a time, they could all use a few days without her breathing down their necks.
As he was putting his book away, Sister Leliana came down from the rookery. She greeted him and he asked about her missing scouts.
"Still nothing," she said as they walked together to the main hall. "I'm tempted to go looking for them myself,"
"Do you think they may have stumbled upon the dragon by accident?" Dorian asked, opening the door to Josephine's office for her. Josephine was at her desk, she looked up and smiled.
"I'm beginning to think so; they might be hurt…" the spymaster swallowed. "Or worse," she reached into her coat and pulled out a letter. "Look what I've got, Josie," Dorian thought she always cheered when she was around Josephine.
Josephine took the note from her hand and opened it. Dorian took notice of the green wax seal on the paper. He knew that green, he also knew the seal pressed into it. It was the Inquisitor personal mark, a seal made only by the signet ring she wore.
"Is it from the Inquisitor?" he asked.
"Yes, it is," Josephine sighed in relief. "They're all right; they found Tevinter Slavers in the Planasene Forest. Rescued an old friend of Varric's,"
"Merrill," Leliana said. "When Cassandra and I were looking for Lady Hawke, we couldn't even get close, the alienage protected her. The Inquisitor has put a writ of protection on Merrill and her people, they're coming here,"
"They'll have more news then," Josephine seemed visibly relieved.
Dorian couldn't hide the fact that he too felt much better. Even though he had bet against the Inquisitor on multiple occasions, he always knew in his heart that he was rooting for her to win. He was worried about her, and there was no denying that. He didn't pray to the Maker often, but he prayed for Him to watch over the Inquisitor and his friends. Life would be so much less interesting without them. This time, he would not be betting against the hero.