A/N: Hello everyone! I'm sorry I've been so spotty with the updates, but I've spent the last couple of weeks moving (twice!). Thank you for your patience and I hope you continue to enjoy Renna's story!
Josephine was anxiously awaiting them when they returned to Haven. She leapt to her feet at their entrance, and hurriedly approached.
"It's good you have returned. We wish to discuss your...encounter." she explained. Renna chuckled. They had discussed it at length already while in Val Royeaux, but she supposed they would continue to do so until something got solved.
"It is a shame the Templars have abandoned their senses as well as the capital." Cullen said, entering the room. "It is good to see you, Renna." he added warmly. She smiled softly.
"And you, Cullen." she replied. "At least we know how to approach the mages and Templars now." she pointed out.
"Do we? Lord Seeker Lucius is not the man I remember." Cassandra said sadly.
"True, he has taken the Order somewhere, but to do what? My reports have been...odd." Leliana admitted.
"We must look into it. I'm certain there are more men in the Order that disagree with the Lord Seeker. Ser Barris and his friends cannot be the only ones." Cullen offered.
"Or the Herald could simply go to meet the mages in Redcliffe, instead." Josephine suggested. Cullen turned on her.
"You think the mage rebellion is more united? It could be ten times worse!" he argued. Renna rolled her eyes.
"Here we go again." she muttered to herself. Leliana smiled and appeared to be the only one that had heard.
"What do you think, Herald?" the spymaster asked. Renna frowned at the floor. She knew that she was about to anger Cullen, but she did not have much choice.
"I think that we should speak with the mages." she stated. Cullen opened his mouth to argue, but she raised a hand. "I feel that it is a good sign that they have made an offering to meet with us. It may be a trap, but at least we will walk in expecting a trap instead of not having any idea of what we go into." she reminded him. He sighed, but nodded.
"True enough. I'm not sure the Inquisition could approach the Order safely at this time, and time is something we do not have." he agreed. They all seemed to be in agreement, and Cullen, Josephine, and Cassandra left the hall. Leliana stepped forward.
"There is one other matter. Several months ago, the Grey Wardens of Ferelden vanished. I sent word to those in Orlais, but they have also disappeared. Ordinarily, I wouldn't even consider that they were involved in all this, but the timing is...curious." she admitted. Renna nodded.
"I hate to doubt the Grey Wardens, but it is very odd." she said. Leliana nodded.
"The others have disregarded my suspicions, but I cannot let it go. Two days ago, my agents in the Hinterlands heard news of a Grey Warden by the name of Blackwall. If you have the opportunity, please seek him out. Perhaps he can put my mind at ease." she revealed. Renna nodded slowly, and then a thought occurred to her.
"You have friends in the Wardens, don't you?" she asked. Leliana smiled sadly.
"I do. I can only account for the locations of two of them, however, and that makes me nervous. Zeriah has been missing for nearly a year now, and while I am certain Alistair knows where she is, he won't say anything to anyone about it. Even he is getting more distant and less likely to reply to my letters. I fear he is withering without her." she said worriedly. Renna tilted her head slightly.
"You said you could account for two of them. Who is the other?" she asked. Leliana smiled fondly.
"Traven Amell. He has been in Starkhaven for some time now. I know that he is safe." she said mysteriously, apparently unwilling to say more. The stories said that Traven Amell and turned away the love of Leliana in favor of the apostate, Morrigan, but that the witch had scorned him in the end. She wondered if that part of the tale was true. "Anyway, I hope that you will be able to find this Warden. He may be our only chance for answers." she said before leaving her alone in the hall.
"Excuse me, I've got a message for the Inquisition, but I'm having a hard time getting anyone to talk to me." a voice said behind her. While the voice had been distinctly male, it was clear to Renna that the person was actually a woman. She shrugged. She was able to recognize that some people identified more with the opposite gender. It did not bother her as it would others.
"Who are you, soldier?" she asked. The young man stood a little straighter.
"Cremisius Aclassi, with the Bull's Chargers mercenary company, my lady. We mostly work out of Orlais and Nevarra." he said proudly. "We got word of some Tevinter mercenaries gathering out on the Storm Coast. My company commander Iron Bull offers the information free of charge. If you'd like to see what the Bull's Chargers can do for the Inquisition, meet us there and watch us work." he said before giving her a slight bow and leaving her alone once more. She nodded to herself. A mercenary company might provide a good opportunity for the Inquisition. They needed soldiers.
As Renna wandered about Haven, she was unhappy to see that they still had not gotten over the gawking stage. Some only gave her a respectful nod, but the vast majority gaped or whispered as she walked by. She wished that she could feel at least semi-normal again. She saw Varric, telling stories to some kids by a campfire.
"And then, the Herald looked up at the rift, demons pooling all around her, and said, 'You will not swallow Haven.' She threw her hand up against it, and it exploded in a tide of green light, the demons wailing and melting into a puddle on the ground." he said epically. Renna rolled her eyes, but smiled as the children applauded.
"But I went up there and I didn't see any puddles!" one cried. Varric patted the boy on the head.
"That's because they cleaned it up already. We can't just have puddles of demon lying around." he said. Varric looked up and saw her watching. "You'd better get home, kids, it's starting to get late." he said, ushering them away.
"Telling more stories, Varric?" she asked, sitting beside him. He shrugged.
"It's what I'm best at. What can I do for you, Freckles?" he asked. She shook her head.
"I don't really know. You seem to be the one to ground me." she admitted. He nodded.
"That's because I am able to see past the Herald, and into the insecure young lady who is head over heels in love with the commander of our forces." he joked. She elbowed him in the side.
"Shut it." she said. He laughed.
"You say that now, but one day when you two are getting married and having babies, you'll thank me for all this teasing." he said. She rolled her eyes.
"I'm sure I will, Varric." she drawled. He chuckled again.
"But really, Freckles, what did you want to talk about? Is the pressure getting to you?" he asked.
"Varric do I detect a hint of worry in that voice of yours?" she asked in false wonder. He poked her in the side.
"Hey, everything is riding on you. I've had enough experience with heroes to see how much it wears on them." he pointed out. She shook her head.
"Tell me about Hawke." she said, hoping to derail the conversation from her own trials. Varric chuckled quietly.
"What do you want to know?" he asked. She bit the inside of her cheek. Questions were bubbling up inside her with an almost childlike excitement. Hawke was a hero, a real hero out of the stories, and Varric was his friend.
"Where did everyone go after that last day in Kirkwall?" she asked. Varric thought for a moment.
"Let's see...our lady Aveline stayed in Kirkwall and is the Viscountess to this day. She and Donnic have a nice firm hold on the city and it has never been more prosperous. Hawke's little brother was on some Warden business in the Anderfels, last I heard. His little wife Orana was about to have their first baby just before they left. Sebastian and Kierrai retook Starkhaven after a bout of kidnapping and having babies in a cell." he began.
"Wait, what?" Renna interrupted. Varric grinned.
"That is another story entirely. Let's just say that Kierrai and her little girl are fine, and she's popped out two more since they got things settled down over in Starkhaven. Fenris is with them, still being a great bodyguard. There's a rumor he's been expanding his little family as well, but it's still unconfirmed. Merrill...ahh, Daisy. I found out that she died protecting Kierrai while they were retaking the throne. Breaks my heart." he said, shaking his head sadly.
"And Isabela?" she asked. Varric laughed.
"Isabela went back to the Raiders. She's calling herself an admiral now. I'm not sure if the title actually means anything or if she just gets to wear a really big hat. They might be the same thing." he explained. Renna stared at him suspiciously.
"And Hawke isn't with her?" she probed. His lips twitched slightly.
"I wouldn't know." he said plainly. Renna leaned back and stared at the fire for a long time.
"I can't believe Cassandra thinks you don't know where he is." she said, standing. Varric chuckled.
"Don't tell her, Freckles." he requested. She grinned and nodded.
"I don't have any idea what you're talking about." she said, cocking her head as she heard Leliana's voice floating from a tent nearby. She heard Varric's laughter as she wandered over to the spymaster and she grinned. The smile faded as she heard what was happening in the tent, however. Leliana was speaking with one of her agents.
"There were so many questions surrounding Farrier's death. Did he think we wouldn't notice? He's killed Farrier, one of my best agents, and knows where the others are. You know what must be done. Make it clean. Painless if you can. We were friends once." she sneered. Renna's eyes widened. The spymaster frightened her. She was hard, the hardest woman she had ever known. It was worrisome. Leliana always seemed to rush straight to murder, without any hesitation. Renna couldn't stand by and let this happen if she could stop it.
"Wait, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly as her fear filled her. Facing the rifts was one thing. Facing the spymaster was another. The agent stepped aside. He clearly knew that what Renna was doing was insane and he wanted no part of it.
"He betrayed us! He murdered my agent!" the red-head spat, voice full of scorn. Renna flinched. No, she couldn't back down now. She straightened her spine just like mother had taught her to. Her features became stern.
"And you'd kill him, just like that?" she retorted.
"You find fault with my decisions?" the bard asked. Renna blinked. She would not fall for her word play.
"I'm sure most of your decisions are fine. But that one? A little extreme." she argued. Leliana's eyes were like blue ice, hard and unyielding.
"Extreme? Butler's betrayal put our agents in danger. I condemn one man to save dozens! I may not like what I do, but it must be done. I cannot afford the luxury of ideals at a time like this." she growled, advancing on her. Renna stood her ground.
"Now is precisely the time for ideals." she growled back. The two women stood nose to nose, and Renna hoped her anxiety at confronting the imposing woman would not show. After a long time, Leliana turned away and strode back to her table.
"You feel very strongly about this." she pointed out. Renna nodded and Leliana sighed. "Very well. I will think of another way to deal with this man. Apprehend Butler, but see that he lives." she ordered. The agent nodded and quickly left. Leliana appraised her. "Now if you're happy, I have more work to do." she said in a monotone. Renna bowed her head slightly and ducked out of the tent. She wanted to hide in her cabin to avoid getting on any more bad sides.