Chapter length: 2,670

Thoughts are in italics

Here's a slightly longer chapter. Enjoy.


As Jack shut the door to the war room, Danica grinned at her, stopping her conversation with Cassandra.

"Blackjack!" The lithe elf crowed, dancing around the table and pulling her into a tight hug. "How's your training treating you? You look so much different than when I last saw you!"

Jack blinked. "I do?"

She knew it was a possibility that she had changed in the past two weeks, what with the thinner meals and constant workout she was getting, but she didn't think she'd changed that much.

Then again, she hadn't looked into a mirror in quite some time.

Danica placed her hands on both sides of Jack's shoulders and looked at her critically up and down, patting the new muscles on her shoulders and arms. "You look like your training's doing you good. You're a little thinner, sure, but you've gained more muscle than you had when you arrived and you aren't so deathly pale. You're more confident when you walk too."

Jack smiled at the smaller woman. "My thanks, then."

Danica grinned back. "Leliana tells me you knocked a recruit on his ass."

Before she could respond, Cassandra cleared her throat. "You can catch up later. We need to give our report on Val Royeaux." Cassandra turned to Jack, her eyes narrowed. "I hear you already know what happened?"

Jack inclined her head to the, frankly, very scary lady. "I have relative knowledge of the future. I did not know what would happen for sure, but I had an idea of several things that might happen. That will run out in a month or so, I'm afraid."

"And you know nothing beyond that time?" Cassandra looked suspicious.

"I do not. Given how I know about what is to happen in the first place, my knowledge is incomplete anyways. How much were you filled in on?"

"The Herald told me all you told her and the other advisors." The disbelief was evident in her tone.

"I have already sworn to Danica and Sister Leliana that all I have said is the truth of what I have seen. I would offer you the same swear if it will put your mind at ease about me. The only thing I have knowingly left out is what I know about the mages, something I will explain when a clear decision on who to support is made. I don't want to talk about it until after your decision, but then I will tell you everything I know."

The seeker nodded. "I will accept your swear then."

Danica stepped closer to the table, looking at the map with sharp eyes. "Everything you told us about Val Royeaux came true. Sera came back with us and Madame de Fer is en route for Haven at her own leisure."

"Have you decided who to support?" Leliana asked, and everyone's gaze settled on Danica as the tension in the room rose several levels.

She blushed at the attention, but sighed while nodding. "Yes. I have decided to approach the mages. I've thought about it for the past two weeks long and hard. Having the Templars there won't help me if they accidentally suppress my magic in the crossfire of suppressing the breach's magic. I don't think throwing more magic at it is necessarily the correct option, but it's the only option I see being feasible."

Cullen looked like he wanted to argue, but conceded. "It is a logical reason, even if I do not agree."

Jack saw Leliana hide her smile as Danica turned her gaze to her from across the table. "Now that I've chosen, what happens?"

Jack grimaced. "I've spoken with Sister Leliana while you were gone over all I can remember. It's not pretty, what happens in Redcliffe."

Despite that, Jack told them of all she'd seen in the thread – of Dorian, Felix, Alexius, of the corrupted future and the knowledge of Empress Celene's assassination. Leliana jumped in between Jack's breaths, slipping in things what her scouts had found in the past weeks of their duties. When they finally finished painting the picture of the spine-shivering future.

It was quiet for a heavy moment before Cassandra broke the silence. "So you believe this? We can just trust what she says?"

It was Leliana she was directing the question to, but Jack who spoke.

"No."

Everyone startled and turned to her in question. Jack blushed under the renewed scrutiny.

"What? Why not?"

"I would prefer if you not just blindly trust my word; that leaves room for errors. You've checked what you could of what I've said so far, which I appreciate, but at some point, what I know and what will happen will split off and just listening to what I say and trusting that it is true would be dangerous to everyone. Take my words with a grain of salt. There is a possibility that what I say comes true, but it might not. We need to take precautions for more than just what I say."

Cassandra cast an appraising eye at Jack. "Interesting. Still, what say you, Leliana?"

Leliana's lips twitched. "I believe what she says is true, and that Lady Jack has been genuine in both her words and her endeavors. Still, I will do as she asks, and take her word with a grain of salt."

Cassandra and Cullen exchanged amused glances before their iron masks of professionalism fell back into place.

Danica's lips were turned into a grin, but they too soon fell. "What do you think we should do?"

Jack grimaced. "You aren't going to like it. I think you should follow the timeline until at least after you come back to the future."

Instead of jumping down her throat, everyone seemed to think on her words. "To what purpose?"

"Well, Corypheus doesn't know that we're all aware of his plan yet. He thinks we're still in the dark about his existence and I think we should keep it that way until he shows his hand. That way, we not only blindside him with the fact we've been aware of him, but we also have an escape plan that works for us. The attack on Haven will happen, make no mistake. At the very least we can be prepared."

"We can have the non-combatants ready for evacuation to… Skyhold was it?" Cullen moved a marker on the map to a general spot in the Frostback's region.

Jack nudged it a little closer to where Skyhold actually was.

"Yes. I suggest we quietly send out people who know how to not be seen towards Skyhold and get a rough plan of what needs to be done for a smooth transition from Haven to Skyhold. That throws Corypheus off even more when he needs to rebuild his army but the Inquisition is already back on their feet."

"Do you have any advice on how to get to Skyhold?"

"Not other than it's north of here." Jack hesitated. "Maybe you could ask Solas to help find it? He's unafraid to search the Fade, and he might be able to save time on the search. Other than that I have no clue. I watched the Inquisition walk through a snowstorm to get to Skyhold, I'm surprised you got there at all."

Danica hid her smile. "I'll speak to Solas about looking for Skyhold."

They spent the rest of the day going over the trip to Val Royeaux in great detail. When Cassandra and Danica had finished going over the details, Leliana, Cullen, and Josephine took turns going over what had happened while they were away. Finally, Danica turned to Jack, who was startled at being addressed.

"How has your training come? I hear you've come leaps and bounds in our time away."

Jack nodded. "I believe I am adequately prepared if a fight were to happen. I am unsure of how I would respond to actual battle, but Captain Tevin has been training me from dawn to dusk every day since you've left and I think I could handle myself in a fight."

"Oh, I think you'd do better than just alright." Cullen muttered. "She broke a recruit's nose in three places in a bar fight not even a week ago. Tevin's told me that she's a menace with a bow, almost perfect with throwing knives, and not horrible with a sword either."

"A glowing review." Danica grinned madly at Jack. "I'd like for you to come with me to Redcliffe."

Leliana cleared her throat. "Actually, I do not think that is a wise idea."

Jack frowned. Why?...

Danica spoke how she was feeling. "To what purpose? She seems competent enough that I would not mind her help."

"Think about it Herald, Lady Jack has knowledge no one else could ever have. If we happen to slip up and her existence gets out to Corypheus, they would swarm us to get to her. They may think her an oracle or seer. It would be disastrous all around."

The thought of being in Corypheus' clutches made Jack's skin crawl. "I agree. I did not think of that. After Skyhold perhaps I will join you."

"I would suggest after we are situated in Skyhold, we send you out with a group outside of the Herald so you can get a feel for actual fighting without being dropped directly in the middle of battle." Leliana smiled at Danica. "I'm not saying she can't ever go with you one day, but let's not throw her in the deep in, shall we?"

Danica nodded slowly. "Alright, fair enough. Well, I think that's everything. Everyone get some sleep tonight. We're going to Redcliffe as soon as everyone's rested. There's no time to waste."

Everyone agreed and trudged off to their respective rooms to at least try to sleep.

Danica walked with her to Jack's cottage.

"I'll talk to Solas about looking for Skyhold tonight. So tell me, how was your last two weeks. Val Royeaux was dreadful, but that's no surprise. Fuckin' Orlesians." She muttered under her breath and Jack laughed. Danica smiled at the sound. "What I actually want to know is about you punching that soldier. There's a story there, I can tell."

Swept up in her cheerful disposition, Jack regaled the story of drinking with Tevin and couldn't help her own grin as she recounted the exact sound Carson's nose had made when she'd smashed it like a grape.

"Oh yes!" Danica crowed as they reached her cottage. "After you get back from field training, you are definitely on my team."

She snorted. "You mean no more tests?"

The elf shrugged. "Only at the beginning mostly. We weren't sure where to put you, so we decided to give you to Tevin as a beginning test. You passed, by the way."

"Huh. I'm glad then." Jack opened the door to her cottage open wide. "Do you want to come in for a bit?"

Danica shook her head. "Nah, thanks though. I'm going to talk to Solas then go sleep for the rest of the week probably. G'night."

"G'night."

Technically, Jack didn't have to go to sleep. She could have gone to the tavern, or talked to Varric, now that he'd returned, but after spending the last two weeks being run ragged, Jack welcomed the break and sleep.


Jack was not in her usual place in the Fade.

Instead of Learning's clearing, she was in a darker alcove, the tree's branched so close together that Jack couldn't tell if it was actually night or not. Before she had too much time to ponder on her location and why she wasn't at her usual place, she caught six glowing red eyes that stared out at her from the darkness.

The giant black wolf from her first visit to the fade materialized from the black.

"Oh. Hello again." Jack cast a critical eye at the wolf. "Are you the reason I'm not at my usual place?"

The wolf let out a bark of a laugh. "Yes. I was curious and had a question for you."

She felt her eyebrows raise. "You had a question, so you took me from my lessons in the fade to satisfy your curiosity?"

"Yes."

"Well, alright. Curiosity and the cat, I suppose. What's your question?"

The wolf sat on its haunches, nearly blending into the black background. "What do you want with Skyhold? Why do you seek it?"

"You pulled me from my lessons to ask about an abandoned fortress." Jack deadpanned. She shook her head before the wolf could retort. "I am searching for it because Haven will be attacked in the coming month or so and the Inquisition will need to move. Haven will be destroyed and in my world, I saw them move there to rebuild."

It cocked its head. "So you do not know the significance of Tarasyl'an Te'las then?"

She startled. "It's elven? No, I didn't know there was any significance. May I ask why you, a fade wolf, care?"

The wolf grinned, showing off it's gleaming white teeth, which was extremely off-putting. "I care because it was originally mine and I do not remember offering it to any Inquisition."

Jack blinked. "I see." She sighed. "I should have known better than to assume you were just a wolf. Of course not, that would be too easy. Right, Skyhold. Are you angry about it? I can try to convince them to change their plans, if you do not want us there."

It rumbled. "No. I have no use for it currently. I am now curious about your Inquisition." It turned its head away, disinterested. "I will watch your progress in the future. It has been a long time since any walked in my own house, after all. Do what you please. It's yours, for now."

"Thanks, I guess?"

The wolf yawned, showing Jack his millions of sharp, white teeth again.

"We shall see." It gave her an amused look. "You are free to go back to your lessons with the Spirit of Learning now."

"Wait, who exactly are-"

Jack popped out of the dark alcove and into Learning's clearing. The spirit startled, but brightened when they saw her.

"Oh Jack! You're earlier than I expected. Are you alright? You look like you're in pain."

Jack rubbed her head. "Something really, really weird just happened, maybe you can help me out. I just met a large black wolf with six big red glowing eyes for a second time, and I get the feeling it's more important than I originally though it would be."

Learning hemmed. "A large black wolf with six eyes? The only reference I've heard that matches that would be Fen'Harel in his wolven form. Do you think it might be him?"

Jack's eyebrows leapt up her face. "It might be. But why does an ancient elven god care about me? If the wolf is Fen'Harel, he was one of the first living things I met in the Fade. Why would he be interested? And how the hell would he have found me so fast?"

Learning shrugged. "Fen'Harel was always odd. It sounds like him. You are different from all others in the Fade. He might have been curious about your fire. You burn rather brightly."

"I burn?"

"Yes. Most people in the Fade, mostly mages, glow. It's what attracts demons and spirits to a person. You do not glow however. It's like looking into a bonfire."

This was new. "Huh. So you really think the wolf is Fen'Harel? He called Skyhold Tarasyl'an Te'las. Any idea what that's about?"

Jack settled in for her lesson on Fen'Harel and the origin of Skyhold. Despite being away from the wolf, she still felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing straight up.

This was a dangerous game to be playing. Perhaps Fen'Harel had gifted the Inquisition Skyhold from the shadows. Perhaps he hadn't known they'd moved in.

They now had an ancient elven god watching their every move.

I… I think I might have fucked up.


This week's recommendation is Just a Spoonful of Sugar by lovelyskinandbones. Interesting read, but hasn't been updated in awhile. If you have any recommendations you'd like to add, please let me know because I'm running out of material to recommend.

And now onto the bad news.

You've reached the last written chapter I have. We're all caught up with what I've written and I start school back up next week so from here on out updates are going to be a little more sporatic. I'm taking 5 classes so it sucks to suck.

Good news is that I'm not giving up, just easing out a little bit. I'll probably get a chapter out every other week so its not a total loss? I just don't have enough time for once a week updates

Hope you understand

-Jade