Magic and the Inquistion

by Battleship Vytalia

Finding himself in a fucked up fantasy word, a wizard has to find a way to get back to his own universe. All that stands in his way, are demons, a mage-templar war, a great big fucking hole in the sky, a civil war in knockoff France, a female elf mage who finds him fascinating, and an ancient human mage who is in severe need of a makeover

13. Chapter 13 A Calm Wind

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Dragonage or anything else I may reference

Magic and the Inquisition

Chapter 13 A Calm Wind

Blood, blood was everywhere. From the base of the mountain down to the small stream far off into the distance, the red liquid life force covered the ground in all direction's twinkling under a black sky missing the stars that would typically twinkle above like beautiful magical lights. Coming from all sides, Valeyna was unable to prevent the stench of decay from rotting flesh that emanated from the corpses that decorated the ground of what had once been the base of the Inquisition.

Fires burned mutely in the distance, their once mighty power having depleted with a lack of fuel leaving a trail of burnt black skeletal husks behind crawling almost pleading for mercy in now hollow eyes. She turned away from those bodies and returned instead to the rest of her surroundings her in complete horror.

The small wooden palisades had been entirely destroyed leaving at best a few small burnt wooden stumps in some places, whilst the others on opposite ends were nothing but ash that had been stomped on from heavy boots mixing in with the tainted blood snow. In the distance, more terror struck her as she gazed at what had been the location of their soldier's camps. Like the palisades that had been completely burnt down where they stood again leaving only a few small pieces of black smouldered wood where the main pole of a tent had been. All around these ruins of tents lay more dead soldiers only these were joined by another type of dead, demons.

There were a great many deal of dead demons she saw: rage, hunger, sloth, fear and other demons all joined the cacophony of those who had been killed in what Valeyna had assumed to be some sort of great battle. Only as she took in the sight further, the heavier she felt her chest grow. There were very few demons among the dead compared to the soldiers of the Inquisition. In fact, it appeared that there about twenty dead inquisition soldiers to each demon if not far more. Beside each cold demon corpse was more dead then she could have imagined. How had this happened she wondered, how had the Inquisition been so unprepared that they would be slaughtered against a hoard of demons?.

This place was now nothing but a dark grave and as a harsh wind blew past blowing her hair all over the place in a messy fashion, Valeyna found herself blinded for a few moments. Patting her hair down quickly with little care as to what it may appear like to others, Valeyna allowed her eyes to wander back to what was supposed to be the citadel of their small encampment.

What met her was an ugly sight. Besides the burnt crates, tents and other buildings leaving billowing black plumes of smoke high into the sky like tall stones marking the deaths of where a person had once stood, more blood, weapons and corpses of the deceased were sprayed around like toys thrown by a child. The old building that had once been their citadel standing tall on a raised platform had been brought low leaving nought but a pile of ruins that had cascaded onto those that had been below crushing their fragile bodies.

"Hello" She raised her staff clenching it tightly as she held it to her chest her eyes glancing quickly off every bit of terrain that she could see in the area around her. "Hello" She called again louder, hoping that there may be at least one person alive in the fallen ruins of this ruin. There was no response other than the echo of her own words, the soft sound as her clothing brushed against itself and the crunching of snow beneath her feet. "Is anyone there?. Nat, Leliana, Cullen, Josephine" The area continued to remain silent harbouring no revelation of a possible alive companion to her. "Please anyone, is there anyone here that is alive."

Panic began to set in as she continually heard no response. Desperate she tried, again and again, hoping to gain the attention of anyone or anything if it meant having an answer as to what had occurred. Only nothing happened, no demons rushed out to meet her and no soldiers groaned in pain and agony hopelessly clinging onto life for the chance that a healer might be nearby to save their lives.

With fear deepening further and further into her chest, she soon realised that all she could hear was the breeze of the wind as it smacked her lightly blowing in her ear. Nothing else was heard, no voices, no sounds of battle, no animals, no music the entire area of this place was dead with a heavy atmosphere of despair and destruction.

Immediately she knew she had to search for survivors if just one person had managed to live this long, then she could get some much-needed answers. Fixing her gaze back onto the citadel, she moved in that direction. If anyone had managed to survive the battle, then they would have been forced to pull back towards the old building. Perhaps if she was lucky, there might be someone left alive remaining within the rubble. It didn't take much to recognise that after such an attack, that any survivor would need urgent medical aid now forcing her to rush as fast as she could towards the rubble.

It wasn't a hard challenge, with the destruction of all the camp and its equipment, navigating an area like the camp was fairly easy. Where once tents had lined areas forcing her to dance and evade a group of servants who themselves were busying themselves as they moved between different masters, now there was only a clear pathway with only bodies providing any sort of obstacle. Moving over the bodies with a grim look on her, Valeyna continued to scan the area for any survivors when she stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing one particular corpse on the floor.

Her breath hitched as she approached the first soldier lying dead on the floor. He had been killed brutally; three long deep gashes stretched from end to end of the man's chest what little armour he had worn had been torn up into shreds. Pulling the man over from his side, Valeyna did her best to stop herself from vomiting as the man's internal organs spilt out of his chest cavity and onto the now rapidly turning red snow. Gently, she rubbed her finger across the man's breastplate. It had been cleaved in half, ripping it into two pieces and violating the image of a gryphon with outstretched wings.

"Blackwall" Her voice shivered slightly over the wind as her other hand moved to the man's cheeks inspecting his face. That too had been destroyed. Blackwall's once sharp features and handsome face guarded by a full thick beard now instead had entire chunks of flesh and muscle town asunder leaving the man's shattered skull for her to see clearly. She gulped, staying still for a few moments fighting the vomit that had nearly escaped her and forcing it down her throat gain with a shudder.

Placing the body gently back down into the snow, Valeyna moved forward her eyes continuing onto the other familiar dead bodies. Like ants when a person who had begun to flood their nest, Valeyna then soon began to take in the sight of ever more people she recognised in the field of corpses. Cassandra was the next one she saw, her head had been removed from its body and thrown elsewhere leaving only a scarred body drenched in the blood of demons and other monsters. She too had fallen to this menace of demons.

Soon after came none other than Cullen, his body had been stripped bare of its armour revealing a muscled chest with large powerful abs and a lot of holes all over the man that went so deep that Valeyna could actually see through him to the other side. Collapsing to her knees by the man, she tried to lay the man to rest from the awkward position he found himself in via being stretched in four directions and held there by inquisition spears that had been impaled straight through his arms and legs holding him there as if he was a prized pig.

"Varrick, Bull" She cried loudly again desperate for some kind of company any company. Her result was that she did find the bull, only he had been skewered through by a spear from his ass up to his mouth and was being twirled over a still hot fire having been presumably left unattended for a demon to cook him. What completed the grisly sight was the bright red apple that could only have been grown on the finest northern orchards had been shoved in his mouth like he was an animal.

Hanging her head low, she battled the urge to just collapse and cry instead pushing herself to the position where she managed to get to where the two thick oaken doors had stood and had now been replaced with rubble. She inspected the area, looking for anything that may indicate the presence of one of her companions or friends. She hoped that perhaps one of them may be injured and trapped under the rubble. However the more she looked the more she saw nothing but blocks of stone that had been torn down on those on top of them.

Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a pair of shoes in the distance. Clambering over the dusty rocks, she jumped over to where she had seen them only for her heart to feel like it had been pulled out of her chest. Those shoes weren't any random pair of shoes, they were expensive, shoes, the type that was impractical for real life day to day activities and incredibly expensive. They were the type of shoes that only a person who had the upbringing of a rich family could afford to lose. Reluctantly she approached and saw that they were still attached to a set of chocolate covered legs that went under a large piece of rubble.

"No" She whispered to herself. Turning around, a sense of dread filled her even more. If Josephine was dead inside the building, how many of the others hand survived or were trapped in the dungeons below. Did they have enough air down there to breathe, what about food and water. A sudden squawk from a bird averted her gaze upwards, ravens she figured. They were here to feed on the corpses of the deceased.

Once raced down towards her seemingly catching sight of either the alive target or the feet of Josephine which could be eaten or consumed. Not wasting a moment, she directed her staff upwards called forth the power of the fade and unleashed a blast of blazing orange fire into the black sky incinerating the bird into ashes. Seeing the fate of their brethren, the other ravens swooped down but once more Valeyna was faster and summoned a small storm of lightning. Crashing heavily into the area around her, the Ravens were promptly picked off one by one charring their little black bodies mid-air forcing them to collapse straight down toward the ground smashing into a bloody pulp by the force of their impact.

With the area free of demonic birds who wanted to eat the remains of her friends and companions. The elf returned back to the business of looking for her friends. Quickly she moved towards the area that the underground passage was kept and stood well clear. She concentrated her magical power on the rubble, enveloping it in a green light of magical power before then lifting her hand up forcefully as if she was physically lifting the large rock. At her command, the piece of rubble followed levitating itself off the ground with small chunks of rubble falling off and striking the cracked stone floor beneath with a set of loud noises. With the stone now hovering in the air, Valeyna gave as push with her magic sending the piece of rubble flying through the air before colliding heavily with what had once been her small shack. She then repeated this pattern with the other pieces of large rock that covered the entrance downstairs a further three more times until the entrance was easily clear allowing her access.

Descending down the stairs, Valeyna cast a spell resulting in her staff emitting a white warm glow enabling her to see more precisely what she was looking at. What waited for her, was ever more corpses of men only most hadn't been injured. Instead, corpses were huddled together clinging against one another for all dear life as they likely awaited for the air they breathed to run out and for them to meet their final resting place. Advancing forwards through the multiple underground rooms and tunnels, she came across more and more corpses all of whom had died due to a lack of air. Among them, she hated to say it was some of her companions including Vivienne who was hunched back against a wall her staff held limply in her hands and Sera who had died hunched over a small hole in the stone wall with a rock in her hands. She had tried to tunnel her way out of here. Then she came across Leliana who had died on her knees her hands clenched together for prayer and her hood had been removed entirely leaving her dark red hair to blow occasionally as a breeze swept through from above.

She continued to search the area after that for a few more minutes wondering if she would find the bodies of her other companions such as Nat, Solas and Varrick but ultimately they were nowhere to be seen. A new sense of hope sprang up in her chest, perhaps the Inquisition wasn't doomed after all and there was somebody who could help her fight against the demons. Rushing up and out of the tunnels, she was met back buy the cold harsh winds which had now started to turn to a blizzard.

Heavy snow was all the more prevalent already it was starting to lay over all the corpses so thick that not even the blood shone through hiding from sight all that had happened here. She felt cold as the wind whipped against her so harshly that if anyone had been watching, they would have been entirely unable to make out her figure. She knew she needed to find shelter, and briefly, she thought of hiding with the others down below. She shook her head admonishing that thought. If the others had died down there due to a lack of oxygen, then it would be the exacts same for her. Inspecting the rest of the area for someplace where she may take cover from the even encroaching wind ice and blistering hale, she soon found a set of deep snowy footprints ascending upwards into the mountains.

Shivering she grunted in pain as a chunk of hail at least the size of her hand smacked into her back knocking her down into the snow. She stayed there for a few moments, her fingers beginning to freeze painfully to the point that they became so numb that the pain vanished entirely. Had it been possible, she would have paled. She knew what happened during snow and ice when a person became very cold, they lost limbs, fingers and sometimes even people. She had to escape.

Grunting in exertion, she pulled herself up ignoring the screaming that her muscles were doing as they started to lock up. Back on her feet, she pulled herself up the mountain a few steps at a time while constantly being hammered by hail so large that if it continued, then she would certainly die.

Before she knew what happened, her head felt light and agonisingly painful. Closing her eyes briefly in reaction, she soon opened them again only to see that white surrounded her in all directions bar one. A dark crimson red painted the ground next to her. She blinked before her eyes widened once she recognised the blood and came to the conclusion of what was happening to her. She needed to stem the blood, use a healing spell and keep her alive.

She tried to raise an arm in front of her, but it was no use. She felt nothing from her arms, not the snow not her clothes there was just no sensation in her arm at all. She attempted to move the other but it was of no use, her arms were utterly numb as were her legs leaving her abandoned on the mountain. Soon all she heard was her laboured breathing and the sounds of roaring winds brushing waves of snow onto her covering her body entirely. Her vision also deteriorated until the point where all she saw was white and that was it. Finally, as an unknown amount of time had passed, the last thing that she knew was a strange powerful wolf howl in the distance before everything went black.

Like that the Herald of Andraste was simply one more corpse upon the Frost back mountains.

Haven

Racing up to her knees, Valeyna panted heavily her face pale and covered in sweat with her hair clinging onto her forehead. Her eyes searched the place she was in waiting for snow only there was none. It was warm where she was, directing her yes downwards she saw that she was naked. She blinked confusedly at first before she remembered. Quickly her breathing calmed.

Rubbing her thighs together, she felt a familiar wet sticky substance right where her flower would be.

"Now that was great" Behind her, a deep voice chuckled smugly. Turning around, she moaned half-heartedly as she saw the other member of this tent leering at her with hungry lust filled eyes. "What about your boss, how was your first time riding the bull?" Valeyna grinned at the handsome Qunari she was glad what she had awakened too. Bull was here behind her as naked as she was and completely unrepentant about his lack of state of dress. In fact, going by the way his body was reacting as it became firmer, she knew she was out of the previous nightmare and into the real world.

"That..." She breathed out her face happily flushing red as she remembered everything from the previous night. "Was fucking amazing" She cried out happily. Bull smirked from his position taking in the sight of the so-called Herald of Andraste. Her hair was a complete mess, strewn about backwards and like the rest of nubile and fit body was covered in splodges of white fluid.

"Good to hear I haven't lost my touch" Bull laughed raising his muscular grey arms into the small amount of free space he had between his arms and the cloth of the tent. "When the kid said that out had a bit of an appetite, I was expecting something small, three rounds at most" Valeyna pulled back a look of mock anger emblazoned on her face as she stared into the handsome qunari's face not caring in the slightest about how her chest jiggled by the fast movement.

"Three rounds is that it?. Someone has a high opinion of himself" Bull laughed even louder before reached out towards her and gripping her two arms tightly. Playfully Valeyna gave a kick to the man's groin, but it only seemed to awaken something primal within him. Forcefully, Bull brought one of the Heralds petite arms into his other hand ensuring that with one single grip he prevented the woman from any type of movement or summoning magic. Then using his large frame and weight he pushed her down her arms still held by his beneath him leaving her entirely at his mercy.

"Oh, do you think you can go for longer?" Bull taunted bring his mouth closer to the woman's chest stopping just before he actually touched anything. "After the ninth round, you were just a wreck, one constant moan as you squeezed around me." Valeyna gave a sultry moan as Bull then moved his other hand up her exposed thigh and between her legs.

"I was tired last night" She smirked back her breath faltering as she knew what was about to come. All over she could feel her body heating up and an inescapable desire to delve into the lust that was overtaking her. "I want to see just how good this bull is" Sultrily she moved her head so she was next to bulls ear and blew warmly into it ticking his eardrum and taking great delight in the way he squirmed.

"Oh, I doubt that. Only one of the girls back in Par Vollen could sate me. And you're no Par Vollen" Valeyna purred at the challenge presented to her quickly she moved her head up to try and blow into the man's ear again only Bull gripped her face and held it there. "Now you be a good girl and stay like this while I get the rope" More moaning at the suggestion.

"No, I'm better then they are" Bull raises his eyebrow saying nothing as he leaned back slightly feeling around for the piece of rope that he carried around. It didn't take long to find it. Presenting it in front of the elf, he gave a quick tug giving an indicator to the woman just what she was in for only he smiled as she shivered and then began to squirm.

"Why don't you show me how good you are then"

"How about you make me your little toy and find out" Bull laughed more leering at the woman before gripping the two arms and started tying them tightly ignoring the melodious sound that the woman under him made as he did so.

"When I'm finished with you, you'll never find anyone who can do what I did "Feeling the ropes tight around her arms Valeyna gave a sultry look before she kicked him back.

"Shut up and fuck me"

Haven

"Dear Merlin, what happened to you lot?" Walking into the tavern, Nat who was as ever fully fresh and never showing a single instance of tiredness at all came across the rather different sight of a half dead looking set of inner council members consisting of Varrick, Solas, Blackwall and Cassandra. All of them were currently nursing drinks in their hands and all of them appeared like they were about to collapse at any moment. With them all leaning on the table so heavily, Nat was thinking of perhaps starting up a betting pool to see just how long it collapses and made the lot of them look like complete idiots.

It took a few moments to get a response although Nat was more sure of the fact that they were half dead as they lingered on hate precipice of sleep than trying to ignore him. Eventually, it was Cassandra who came to his aid by slowly sitting up straight her bleary eyes focusing on the young man who was standing to the side of them.

"The Herald and The Iron Bull got together last night for" She blushed bright red at the thought stammering as she tried to continue the sentence but for the life of her, she just stuttered repeatedly. "They, they. Oh, dear Maker "She slammed her head back onto the table clenching her eyes shut in a desperate attempt to catch some form of sleep.

"They what played monopoly?." Oh, he knew exactly what she meant, it wasn't hard to miss the looks that the elf and qunari had given in that room. As for why he was torturing the poor sods, well he was bored. Cullen was running his recruit through training whilst Elyria was taught bland magic by her teacher while he personally stayed up all night at the forge toling away for hours as he crafted his first ever set of his new weapons. When Valeyna had stated about leaving in three days, she had meant that all of them would leave in three days for their respective tasks. Therefore with any luck, he could have a functioning musket by the time he left for the infamous land of the Dwarves.

"I don't know what having an advantage over all your opponents in a business has to do with anything kid, but not they were not playing monopoly" Varrick responded dryly. With a heave, he managed to pull himself back up his chair and bring the wooden flask of ale to his lips and began gulping down his eyes never once leaving the inside of the barrel. "Andraste's tits I thought Hawke was loud".

"Don't take the ladies name in vain" Cassandra slurred. Her head lifted briefly off the table to get the point across before slamming it back down with a loud bang.

"Remind me to move my tent, I'm not sleeping anywhere near those two. Makers Breath how did they even do it, felt like my nuts were in a blizzard" Blackwall shivered at the reminder of the temperature. Although an observant person would have noticed that walking around in only a thin linen shirt probably wasn't the best idea but so far Blackwall didn't seem to care. Turning his gaze onto the painfully calm and unaffected voice, the fake Grey Warden rested his eyes on the young man who had approached them.

"May I ask why you were storing nut's, you're not a squirrel?" Nat inquired. A horrified look spread across the man's face as he heard the calm but also slightly curious and innocent tone. Reluctantly, the man gripped his drink and closed his eyes briefly hoping that the pain nagging his mind would start to dissipate long enough for him to ask a question.

"Kid you do know what happens between a man and a woman; you know how babies are made?" Nat smirked evilly internally. This was going to be so much fun.

"Of course I do. When a man and a woman love each other and they want a child, then they write a letter to Santa Christmas and send it off by an Owl. If the man and woman have been good boys and girls, then Santa will personally create a baby by making them first of pottery and then casting magic on them to make them real. Once that's over, Santa puts the baby in a small white bag and hand's it over to the owl who then flies it back to the man and woman. Of course, because it's such powerful and complicated magic, Santa needs around nine months per baby. As such because of the stress, he's under he often makes mistakes which are how people who are blind or death get born". Finishing with a childlike smile, Nat waited for the inevitable reaction from the others. It didn't take long.

Blackwall stalled where he was the tankard that had been in his hand making its way to his lips had also stopped moving entirely as the man slowly stared at the wizard with a sense of abject horror. Cassandra, on the other hand, gave a loud groan smacking her head against the table once more entirely not liking where this conversation was going to inevitably end up. Solas watched on in silent amusement already seeing through the lies whereas Varrick gave the kid an incredulous look not quite believing him but decided to press on anyway.

"Nice try kid, but why don't you tell us how kids are really made" Another groan emanated from Cassandra causing Varrick to turn towards her with a gift of a happily amused smirk.

"But I did" Nat kept up the innocent childlike tone his face far more expressive than it normally was with him furrowing his eyes. "Babies come from Santa and owls" Varrick's face dropped also in a sense of horror. With wide eyes, the dwarf realised that Nat wasn't joking. Darting his eyes towards the others, he saw that Cassandra was still nursing her head, Solas was sipping his drink and only Blackwall had the same reaction to him.

"Alright kid, stop the jokes" Blackwall warned Nat cautiously but he was unable to hide the uncomfortable feeling that had formed within him. "If you behave then we can carry on talking otherwise..." He paused not knowing exactly what to say.

"Otherwise Blackwall will have to enlighten you on how the world works" Solas chirped in happily. Blackwall glared back at the happy elf man but soon found himself outnumbered as Varrick also joined the fray in pinning him into a corner.

"Hey, that isn't my responsibility" He argued.

"Wait if Santa and Owls don't make babies, what does" The pained face that Blackwall made that day would be one to be treasured by everyone else there.

"Go on Hero. It's the duty of the Grey Wardens to help people isn't it." With Varrick's amused tone playing in his ear, the fake Grey Warden pried the dark wooden tankard from the Seekers fingers before then downing the entire thing in one go before finally facing the kid.

"Look, kid, how do I put it. You see babies aren't made by birds and" The man blinked trying to remember the name.

"Santa?"

"Yes, Santa" Blackwall shook his head. "You see babies are made when a man and a woman Uhm. Do I really have to do this? cant one of you two do it?" Solas and Varrick grinned evilly at the misfortune that Blackwall had been subjugated to. "I'm going to get payback for this one day"

"Promises promises Hero. Now, why don't you be a good Grey Warden and teach the kid the necessary facts of life". Blackwall shook his head once more returning to the uncomfortable task that had been laid before him.

"You see kid, do you know that thing between your legs" By now Blackwall had turned as red as a cherry. "That's called a..." Blackwall slammed down the tankard unable to go on anymore. Varrick burst into laughter.

"Yes Blackwall I am aware of the birds and the bees, I just thought it would be fun to fuck with you". There was no sigh of relief from Blackwall, only stunned silence as he moved the focus of attention to each person sitting around the table or well tried to when it came to Cassandra only to come across the sight of people mocking him. Soon after, Cassandra again managed to push herself back onto the chair giving Nat a drunk but admirable look.

"That was evil " She slurred. "Very evil. Do it again." Nat nodded returning his fake merry face back to its usual calm one as he made himself comfortable on the spare seat provided and again started to take a sip of his tea.

"Say kid care to explain why you're always drinking tea.?" With a change of topic, Blackwall started to calm down with his usual slightly tanned skin coming back through. Locking his eyes onto the kids, cup with that strange herbal drink, he could honestly say that he was also curious about the kid's apparent obsession.

"It's just normal," Nat responded. "It's like Orlesians and their masks, it's just what happens, a common thing that nobody thinks twice about. Back home people just drank tea. In fact, it was generally seen as part of my people as an intrinsic part of our culture." Varrick nodded.

"Surely you drank something else during the summer," Blackwall asked. Nat shook his head.

"Just tea"

"But it's hot"

"Only tea"

"There are no other drinks?" Solas questioned.

"Only tea"

"But what if a person doesn't like tea," Cassandra asked the blonde haired mage.

"Then the weak die."

Coughing loudly, Cassandra smacked her chest hard with a loud thumping nose doing her best to help the passage of whatever had clogged up in her throat. After the third hit, she was able to solve the problem by allowing her to gaze onto an amused Varrick who was staring at the kid in amusement.

"Seriously Kid, you drink tea even during summer when it's ridiculously hot" Nat gave a mock offended look at the question leaning back as if the dwarf was some kind of filth that he had no desire to be even close to.

"What do you take me for, some kind of uncultured barbarian. Tea is the symbol of sophistication, power, civilization. To not like tea is... inexcusable" It was quite fun playing this role Nat thought, perhaps in the future he should do it more. Apparently, he was so convincing that Blackwall was off the opinion that he was being serious.

"So what happens when a person takes away your tea" Nat froze in place. Slowly he turned his gaze creeping forwards onto the Dwarf who had mentioned such a horrific scenario. This time he was not joking if anyone was to touch his supply of tea. He repressed the shiver, nobody touched his tea.

"Then I would do what my people did the last time someone threatened our tea" Blackwall backed up a bit his senses warning him all of a sudden that the joking kid was now actually be serious. And that look on the kids face, it was if a mage had unleashed a powerful whirlwind that was about ready to devastate the entire encampment. "I will grow drugs get those who would dare to threaten my tea hooked on it, devastate their entire community before declaring war and humiliating them to the point that they shall not only forever remember the date that they dared to challenge my people, but also decimate their pathetic nation and grind it to dust. No one fucks with my tea."

"Okay," Cassandra blanched at the sheer protectiveness that their youngest member had over a simple drink. Absently she peered at the cup of tea that was sitting on the table innocently by the young wizard. After more than three seconds, however, Nat turned his attention onto her narrowing his eyes even though Cassandra couldn't see them. Backing off, Cassandra made a not never to mess with the kids tea.

"Andraste's tits Kid. I've seen people attack each other over a few gold coins but I can't say that I've seen anyone as protective as you about a few herbs and some hot water." The glared Varrick received also got him to back down.

"Insult tea at your peril" Nat warned picking up the cup and taking a nice long drink. Dear Merlin, he was glad that alongside other things that he had this one luxury with him. He could brave going this world without a comfortable bed or a working toilet or even toilet paper or the internet and electricity, but there wasn't a chance he would survive without tea calming him down 24/7.

"Anyway," Nat spoke louder causing Cassandra to grip her head in pain once more. "So you were saying that Bull and Valeyna were at it last night. Just how active were they if you didn't get any sleep?" At the mention of the precious nights incident, the others all groaned.

"I've travelled a good chunk of Thedas, heard and seen some strange things" Blackwall began solemnly his eyes staring off into the distance. "And not one of them have been as loud as those two were last night. Every moan, slap and thrust those two made could have been heard for miles. Which leads me to ask the question, how were you not aware of what happened. Your tent is right next to Bulls so how did you escape the endless torture?"

Everyone honed onto the young wizard who had somehow managed to escape the loud moaning noises from the night prior. Their suspicious looks Nat knew were more to do with envy than they were about any general suspicion about him being some kind of spy.

"I wasn't in my tent" Nat replied casually. "Things have a tendency to get rather loud so I regularly stay away from the main camp to read when I don't have anything to do"

"They were up nearly all night, surely you would have heard them" Cassandra replied not convinced that Nat had managed to avoid the rather vocal lovemaking that the two had gotten up to.

"No, I stayed up all night, just walked in" Varrick raised an eyebrow but didn't seem to care whereas Cassandra and Blackwall looked at the kid in concern inspecting him as if he was about to collapse at a moment's notice much to Nat's annoyance.

"You stayed up all night kid, what about sleep?" Nat shook his head taking another sip of his drink not concerned in the slightest about any damage that could be done to his health.

"I do it regularly." He responded much to the horror of the others as if he was some child that needed to be coddled when he could easily slaughter everyone who sat at this table beside perhaps Solas in less than a heartbeat. "My mind is constantly racing through ideas, makes it difficult to sleep most of the time. When I was younger I had to drug myself most nights but I got used to that rather quickly. Nowadays, I just let exhaustion do the work"

"How can you brush it aside so easily" Cassandra looked to the rest of her table also noting the rather pained looks that the others got at the mention of having so little sleep. With what they had to do on a regular basis, sleep was one of the most beloved things so to willingly go days awake without sleep was almost insane. "I've seen recruits who collapse after a short amount of training, but you say that you sleep far less then you should. Tell me that you are not affected by it. " Nat took a sip of tea not bothered or hindered by the previous night's lack of sleep.

"I'm perfectly fine Cassandra, you don't need to worry about me just keeling over. Besides, before I had tests back when I was in school, I usually went the full week before without any sleep. Afterwards, I'd just have a little bit more the following few days." Cassandra said nothing, she at first thought to stand up slam her arms on the table and command the boy to act normally and sleep especially at this time of his life and when he could get it. On the other hand, she didn't. A feeling in her gut told her that the boy would ignore any order to do so forcing her to sigh in discontent occasionally giving him looks as if he was ill.

"Well, Kid I wish I could get away with what little sleep you had, however, the rest of us are normal adults, unfortunately. But in the meantime, tell us about this school you went to? That is unless either of you two has anything to say on the kids sleeping habits" Both Blackwall and Solas said nothing allowing for Nat to carry on with his talking and explain this school that he had attended.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" Though he insured to hide it behind his usual calm none emotional tone, he could honestly say that he was missing the place where he was taught a good chunk of the magic he knew and especially the fond memories he had shared with a particular professor. "It was founded the date that my people came to these shores over a thousand years ago to teach us how to use our power."

"Why were you're people in need of a school?" Solas leaned forward now very curious s to how exactly these people had taught the young people on magic.

"Because people had live's" Nat replied with fake amusement. Seeing that Solas hadn't laughed, the blonde haired wizard resisted the urge to roll his eyes before addressing the point. "There was more to our society than just child rearing, as soon as we were old enough, our caretakers would ship us off to Hogwarts for the majority of the year. Once we arrived we were our teacher's problems until it came to the holidays or we graduated."

Ah, how he missed that beautiful train that had taken them to that lovely castle. The beautiful Scottish Highlands, the shimmering lake beside it and the magnificence of the stone castle that lat upon the land strong, mighty and intimidating all that was within sight. If there was one thing that like all other students of that grand old fortress remembered, it was their first viewing of the place. Beautiful golden lights shining brightly like little fairies under a dazzling starlit sky. Hopefully, he would see it again, he missed the place.

"Ship you off" Blackwall sounded scandalised. "Like some kind of unwanted item," Nat shook his head.

"It's a figure of speech Blackwall. Nearly everyone's parents were too busy with work to teach us brats, and the general consensus amongst the public was that by having the school separate from the main area it protected the society" Speaking softly to try and calm the man, Nat could only imagine that the thought of children just willingly putting all of their children on a boat and sending them away for a good chunk of the year was considered very poor parenting.

"Why would they do such a thing, wouldn't the more intelligent decision be to keep the children closer to home" Cassandra spoke curiously wondering just how differently this magical society worked compared to their own circles.

"I believe I can guess Seeker" Solas Interrupted the woman before turning towards the young man."Besides the peace and quiet, I assume that it was also to teach the children a sense of independence, make sure that they can act alone if the need should ever arise."

"Yes. Although having a bunch of young untrained wizards and witches who are constantly casting spells 24/7 isn't a good idea for social cohesion. Isolation of young wizards and witches prevented any outside group like your Templars and Seekers from finding excess magic." Gesturing towards Cassandra at the mention of her order, the woman frowned not entirely convinced that the Templar's being aware of who they were being a bad idea.

"Yes, if we had off found you, then we likely would have demanded that you split up and become part of the Circles"

"Which would have caused a war" Nat spoke brightly as he saw the blanched face that Cassandra gave at the very mention of such an activity. Solas on the meanwhile got his approval as the man showed his agreement with such an action by the knowing nod.

"Why would it have had to end in such a way, I'm sure there could have been a compromise" unable to help himself, Nat gave a slight chuckle at the words of the Seeker. She meant well and her actions were understandable from her perspective of the world, but it was a truly nonsensical idea.

"Sure, you leave us alone, you don't send missionaries to spread your religion, you do not arrest any of us if we were to visit and Templars would never visit. Oh, and our society would stay the exact same way." The look Blackwall gave was truly fantastic Nat thought. The way the man's eyes had furrowed as if he was attempting to understand something complicated like he had rocket science explained to him.

"That's hardly a compromise" Cassandra drawled her eyes tightening on Nat as he sat there with a calm expression on his face. "What would the Chantry get in return?" Nat smiled happily turning to face the Seeker head on. Although she could not see his eyes, there was a sense of happy malice directed at her. Then utterly without a care, he answered.

"Simple" Nat shrugged. "We don't wipe you off the face of the planet"

"I'm sorry, are you saying that in return for the Chantry leaving your people alone, that yours wouldn't have gone around killing us" Cassandra spoke incredulously not entirely believing that such a person would threaten such an action. "You would have been slaughtered, your civilization destroyed." Nat just chuckled once more not at all convinced by Cassandra's point. She could sing the praises of the Chantry and its group to the moon and back it meant nothing to him.

"Cassandra, just over a decade ago there was fierce social division over a certain political policy that split the nation. One of the main driving forces for some people on one side was the feeling of a loss of sovereignty. Compared to what you're saying, that was a small thing. Believe me, when I say that had your people attempted to subjugate ours, you would have had the fight of your life." As much as he had wanted to, Nat made sure to not give hint to a certain capability that his and a few other nations held in the world. Had he implied something along the lines of wiping Thedas of the continent, then there would be a bit of a panic with people like Leliana.

"You would have lost eventually" Had it not been for the education he had received, Nat might have spat out his tea at the mere assumption that the Templars could have stood up against the witches and wizards back home.

"Perhaps, but trust me when I say that the casualties of such a war would have exceeded any blight" Cassandra narrowed her eyes at the boy attempting to see if he was joking about such a scenario. He was aware that Templars nullified magic and that Mages only had limited range. Then again she thought back to when they had visited the Hinterlands and fought those Templars. The power of Magic was indeed strong with only exceptional warriors and rogues being able to fight them in the open, however, Nat had shown a certain deadliness to his attacks. If all his people could fight like him, could easily cut down entire legions of Templars so easily as if they were dead flowers and leaves against a forest fire? She frowned solemnly, the casualties would indeed be tremendous.

"Maybe?." She ended the conversation not sure of her words.

"You said you were taught magic" Solas interrupted looking at the child with a curious gaze. "Just how exactly did your people categorise spells."

"It depends, we've had different ways to sort them over the years. We do have our healing spells and our combat spells and other types of spells however our classes were split between three main groups, each one going over a different type."

"Only three" Solas sounded astonished.

"Charms, Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts or DADA for short. Charms are daily purpose spells, making things fly or move. Transfiguration is turning one item into another such as a hamster into a penguin. DADA, on the other hand, is more combat oriented, self-defence." While it was only a very brief overview of what each class was, Nat was sure that it did tell them just how their time was divided and what exactly they were trained in.

"DADA, that's where you learned about demons isn't it"

"Demons were part of it, but they were not the focus. Most of the time, Defence was geared towards defending ourselves against one another." A dark and concerned look was prominent on the Seekers face.

"How could you say that demons were not the focus of your schooling? Did you not teach your students just how dangerous it was to speak and interact with demons?" She asked quickly her eyes lingering on his form as if he himself was a demon and was merely taking the guise of a human.

"A few reasons" Nat started hoping to nip this in the bud before any apparent concerns of him being possessed got any were allowed to continue. "One, demons just weren't a threat, we hadn't had an incident with demons in several centuries." That one caught surprise although the curious look on Varrick indicated that the man might pester him for stories on the last time they had to deal with demons. "Two, we had far stricter rules then your Templars did when it came to demons"

"What exactly did you do then?"

"By our laws, anyone interacting with a demon in a willing manner whatsoever was executed" Solas shook his bald head in the air at the announcement as if he was an adult with a child who had just made a terrible mistake.

"What counted as willing" With a sense of morbid fascination, Cassandra pushed the topic desiring to know more.

"Unwilling, was if you enter the fade and are accosted by a demon. By our law, you are to do everything in your power to return back to the real world make no agreement with a demon, not to risk possession and to instantly report the incident to the proper authorities. Failure to report your interaction with demons was met with execution".

"Ouch and I thought Templars were bad when it came to demons" Joking, Varrick expected to be met with some kind of rebuttal from Cassandra but oddly she didn't even bother to send a glare her way.

"What if you wanted to save someone like a person who had been possessed"

"Now that is a good one Hero."

"Execution. We did not suffer the risk of demons entering our community" Taking another sip of tea, Nat briefly looked through the slightly ajar windows into the sky where the light of sickly green coiled constantly like some kind of giant evil snake circling the sky neverendingly. True demons like Dementors were very rare, but all the same, they were feared back home to the point that such harsh rules had been put in place. Demons here were different, far more common then he desired to be as were mages interaction with them however that was just the sort of world it was and he was glad that he had yet to not suffer the wrath of something like Dementors. He resisted the shiver, just the very thought of coming up close to one in person terrified him.

"Is that how your people would have handled Feynriel, you would have killed him". It was Solas who asked the question and for a moment Nat had to wonder who this person was before he remembered the name from Varricks book about the champion. Feynriel had been a very powerful elf mage who was something called a dreamer which gave him the ability to enter the Fade far more easily and increase his power. It also made the elf boy far more susceptible to the corruption of a demon. Hawke had sent the boy away to Tevinter to be trained, personally, Nat thought it was a terrible decision.

"Not immediately, however, if the boy continued to show signs that he was unable to resist the Demons, then he would have been sent away to a secure place to live out the rest of his life until he was taken over. Then when Feynriel was no more, the demon that took his place would be executed" The sombre attitude that fell upon the group thickened. Two different views on such an act were given, one which was given by Varrick and Solas as they agreed softly while Cassandra and Blackwall were off a different matter.

"You would allow such a man to live? Despite the threat, he could present to the rest of your people?" Nat turned to Blackwall, the man showed his concern with the very thought that for a people who would seemingly execute people for interacting with mages, that they would allow one of the most powerful types of mages who had been possessed to be allowed to live.

"Feynriel would have committed no crime, he was at risk and would have fallen yes, but it is not illegal to be possessed against ones will. Therefore in the boys final days, he should be allowed to live as best as he could before the end, give him something to enjoy before the time came. That is unless the boy asked to be killed while he was still him and not the host of a demon."

"A small mercy" Solas spoke softly. "You're people would wish him to enjoy life while he could and have it end on his terms. I respect such a decision" Blackwall scoffed loudly.

"Why not make the kid tranquil, that way the kid gets to live and the demon stays back in the Fade" Nat repressed another shiver as he looked Blackwall in his eyes staring him down.

"Among my people, Tranquillity would be viewed as a punishment worse than death itself. The act of barbarians, uncultured swine, evil. If one of my people were made tranquil without first committing a crime of the highest possible order, then the ones who would have carried out and sentenced such a deed would have had their bodies hung drawn and quartered, their heads placed on a spike and their names forever etched as one of the worst criminals of all time."

"You'll have to explain how being tranquil is worse than being dead?" Blackwall spoke slowly. He didn't know why, but there was a change to the demeanour of the young man. Gone was the calm slightly happy feeling in the air like that of a summer day and was instead replaced with Winters blizzard. Calm yet so cold that it was as if he was about to be enveloped in an avalanche and suffocated to death

"Magic to my people is a fundamental part of who we were. It was part of our daily lives how we did things it was second nature. To us Magic was another hand or leg, it was what made us, us, and to lose such a thing would be akin to me cutting off a person's arm. When people say tranquillity is the better choice as it prevents a mage from being taken over a demon or using their powers for ill, it's like me looking at a young man or woman and seeing that in the future they might murder someone and so to stop that I should cut their arm off."

"It isn't like that" Cassandra rebutted loudly her eyes steely at the implication given "Magic isn't another arm, magic is dangerous, it can and does kill people. It is known that magic is affected by emotions, if a child is feeling angry then they may use it accidentally on another child and kill them. "

"As could a child pick up a stone and bash a person's skull in if they were in a foul enough mood."

"A mage can easily kill an entire village if they desire to. Their power is dangerous"

"And could not a Templar do the same? A man dressed in full armour with a sword and shield has little to fear from pitchfork wearing villagers."

"Well yes"Blackwall fiddled with one of the leather straps on his armour playing with it for a few moments before it tightened in his hand. "But having magic makes it a lot easier."

"He makes a point kid, very few warriors can take on a village by themselves." Oddly as the conversation progressed, Nat couldn't help but again be thought of home again only instead of sitting around with people, he would rather be reclining in a chair likely discussing the issue of gun control with some stranger on the internet. It was quite fun.

"True having magic makes it an easier task, but so does a sword or a spear."

"Anyone can pick up a weapon just as they can put them down. Magic is not something that can be gotten rid off" Waving over the bartender, Varrick quickly ordered another set of drinks for the group seeing as all but Nat had finished before then returning his attention back onto Cassandra.

"Another excellent point." Nat gestured his cup of tea to Cassandra as a toast before then leaning back on his chair making himself comfortable. "As you said a sword can be picked up or put down, that makes anyone who carries it a person who has knowingly and willingly picked up such a device and has the responsibility to use it. Magic, on the other hand, is a gift, one that can only be chosen to not be used. You can't put down magic like I said before it would be choosing to put down your arm."

Cassandra groaned at the analogy hitting her arm against the table before peering back to where the bartender was hoping that at any moment he would come back and serve them their drinks. Only when he did come back with multiple cups of ale did she speak.

"So then how would you reduce the risk of mages using their power kid" With a friendly nod to the bartender, Varrick picked up the last two tankards of ale putting one in front of him and then one in front of the kid. Instantly and far faster then expected, Nat pushed the tankard away from him towards the middle of the table before rushing back flinching as if he had been scolded by the drink. "You're not going to drink kid?"

"I prefer to keep a clear and sharp mind; alcohol is rather detrimental to that. Oh and I also despise the taste" Even though he was unable to see the kids eyes, Varrick noticed that for a few moments that the kid seemed to stare at the tankard in the centre as if he was concerned that it was going to come alive and attack people.

"Oh is that so" Blackwall stared at the odd reaction the kid had to the tankard, he had seen kids less than half his age easily drink the liquid yet the kid was very rapid in staying away from it. "I can give you the name of a good few taverns to visit if you would be interested".

"I'll decline thank you Blackwall."

"Suit yourself kid"

"Is there a particular reason for dislike of alcohol" Solas inquired carefully.

"I have tasted Ale, Beer, Bitter, Lager, Cider, Champagne, Vodka, Whisky, Scotch, Mead, Wine, Sake, Brandy, Rum, Gin and many other drinks." Varrick nearly spat out his drink staring at the kid in a look of utter wonderment.

"How many drinks did you people make?"

"Do you have any with you" Chimed Blackwall a hopeful look on his glowing red face.

"Don't know and No" Nat answered swiftly. He cared not for such drinks and would rather be away from them as quickly as possible. "Do you know what every single drink has in common?"

"That I want to try them" Varrick spoke cheerfully a look of interest in his eyes at the idea of having so many drinks that he could choose to drink from. Perhaps if the kid could make some of them, he might buy the recipe and start making it on the side.

"That they're all utterly revolting. I would not drink alcohol if it was the last drink on earth." Honestly, if it hadn't been for the fact that other people were present, at this point Nat would have vanished the entire drink or more realistically just poured it on the ground. He would not lament the actions of his fellow members of the Inquisition about drinking such liquids, alcohol was safer than water in this time frame and it was not up to him to either force or not force something down their throats. Subconsciously he rubbed the bottom of his throat at the memory of when he had "tasted" such concoctions.

"Then what do you drink if you want to forget your problems or get happy."

"What do you think?"

"Say, kid, you wouldn't happen to know how to make one of those drinks you mentioned would you" Nat shook his head quickly as he was unable to talk as hid tea consumption had tripled three times since starting this conversation on alcohol. "That's a shame."

"Hardly, considering that our stuff was a lot stronger than this, then you can already start to see the problem".

"Problem" Varrick spoke up louder his arms extended in a gesture of amusement as he gave the bartender another nod for another round of drinks before then snatching up the drink that Nat had left behind and drunk the entire thing in one go. "Drinking is fun, drinking could never be a problem. How did your people who have so many drinks hate drinking"

"They didn't hate drinking, I hate drinking." Nat was unsure of how many drinks the dwarf had now consumed, but Nat was rather glad when a few moments later, none other than Gerald walked into the bar. Nobody bar him, however, paid the lad any attention making it instantly easy for the young wizard to stand up rapidly and give the rest of the group who had been sitting at the table a quick farewell before making a rendezvous with his soldier.

"Gerald good morning glad to see that you got my note. Now come with me" Not waiting for a response, he rushed out of the building with the older boy trailing behind him struggling slightly to keep up with his bigger pace as they weaved in and out of the camp. At his pace, escaping the camp was a very short affair but that only then began a rather unexpected hike for the young lad as Nat promptly marched him up some very steep snowy steps that had been crafted long ago into the side of the mountains.

"Sir, where are we going?" Slightly tired by the fast pace, Gerald leaned against a wall resisting the urge to shiver as he felt a piece of snow from a higher piece of rock fall down and land between his back and shirt that he was wearing. Before he could shout at the sudden sensation, the boy was instantly handed over what he assumed to be a small towel of some kind. Although he didn't know for sure as it was far to clean but not quite elaborate enough to be the ones he had seen on occasion when he spied upon a noble lady visiting Denerim.

"I have a present for you, Gerald. I spent the whole of last night and the early hours of this morning in the blacksmith just for you." Not saying a word more, Nat quickly hastened down a few of the steps that were separating him from Gerald and gave him a checkup wanting to make sure that the boy had not somehow gotten injured or was feeling ill.

"A present" The boy spoke up suddenly as he looked over at the one who was checking him over. Quickly Nat moved away glad of the knowledge that the older boy had not yet managed to injure himself before they moved elsewhere. "I can't remember the last time I had a present, I think my mum gave me a few cookies once."

"Well it's not cookies, but from what I've heard, it can be quite fun" On their journey up the ever steepening steps of this old decrepit mountain pass, Nat was forced a few times to use magic to prevent some kind of ill fate befalling the kid. There had been a few close calls with the boy slipping on fresh black ice and once he had even plummeted down several metres before he was stopped in mid-air before he was floated back up.

"Thanks," Gerald said his face slightly pale from the experience. "But did you seriously have to take me somewhere so dangerous?"

"I don't want people spying us here, once people know of your present, they will all want one". Gerald attempted to ask a question hoping to see if he could know what his present was beforehand but stopped himself short. He thought back to his own sister and smiled as he remembered just how happy her face would get when he brought her a little gift and how she would say that he also needed a present. If she was to learn that he had kept pestering his new commander to learn what his present was before he was given it, then he would be in for a rough-talking too.

Finally, they came to a stop. Where they were Gerald had no clue, but they were up high in the mountains and far away from anyone else in the region. Not even the grand height that he was now on enabled him to see where Haven sat as mountains blocked his view instead he looked at this new place that he had been guided to.

It was a clearing on one of the mountains, a wide open space and nearly entirely flat. To his right about a mile or two to his right, the mountain kept expanding higher and higher jutting into the mountain jaggedly like a sharp knife. Also to his right was the entrance to a cave, following his commander into it he saw that it wasn't a large cave, but it was certainly big enough for a person to sleep comfortably in if they sought protection from the freezing temperatures and harsh fast winds that struck the mountain.

"Gerald, come here" Following the order, Gerald rushed further into the cave where his commander was standing next to a fine wooden table the type that only nobles would be capable of purchasing. On top of that table, Gerald saw was a strange sort of box/crate that had a symbol on the front. Unlike anything else he had ever seen, the box was black and made of a hard looking material that he had never once seen before. Curious he walked closer and rapped his knuckles against the surface.

"What is it?" Gerald questioned rubbing his fingers smoothly across the black material. Standing backwards, he then inspected the symbol on the top of this case. It was unlike any other symbol he had seen. It was neither the symbol of the Inquisition or the strange symbol that his commander wore on his shoulders with that red white and blue flag.

It consisted of what Gerald assumed to be a snowflake in the centre only it had been changed to resemble a shield. Behind it, two swords in the same shape as his commanders crossed behind it while above it sat two other wooden things that had also been crossed over on another with a symbol of a staff that lay on top of that. Surrounding the entire thing was a series of bright gold beautiful leaves that continued to glint sunlight into his eyes. Finally coming diagonally downwards was a set of two bolts of purple lightning so lifelike in their depiction that it made Gerald wonder if his commander had managed to snatch up the very heavens itself. This had all been placed on a black background in the form of a large circle where words in some strange language were written that he could not understand.

"The symbol or the material" Nat asked gently watching in amusement as he saw the lad stare at the symbol he had devised. Personally, he didn't think he'd done a bad job.

"Both" Gerald countered quickly his hand pressing downwards onto the symbol.

"The case is made of plastic, a material from my home that is quite useful. As for the symbol, that is the sign of our regiment."

"A regiment, that's a body of soldiers?" Feeling down the case, Gerald wondered how it was to be opened. He saw no place where a key may fit or latches that he could unhook. The entire case has been sealed with no way to open it.

"Indeed. Gerald, I welcome you to the first Tempest Regiment. Please enjoy" With a simple wave of his hand, the case slowly opened up until it finally revealed the contents within.

Inside this black case was a few items and all of them had been put into areas that had been cut out leaving the basic shape. The first thing he recognised, was the sword that had been placed within, it was curved like his commanders and had a protective handle that had been inlaid with the same symbol on top. Next were two daggers only they weren't quite the same. The smaller one was an easier thing for him to recognise, it was a small thing but quite useful for close engagements, the other one, however, was longer more akin to a short word only it's handle had a strange hole in one side and the blade was curved. In the centre of the case was something he had no clue about although he recognised it from the symbol on top of the box.

This device was made of wood, it was long and had a tube of metal on top of it that extended outwards. Further back was some sort of empty but curved dish with a strange looking piece of beautifully curved metal that held a piece of flint in its snake-like maw. Underneath, the strange wooden thing was a trigger like one would find on a crossbow only again it was made of steel and not wood. At the back end of the device, the of quickly got larger and larger although he had no idea what for. The entire thing he quickly noted had been incredibly well polished so much so that he could easily see his own face. Turning his attention back onto to the handle of the weapon, again he saw that the symbol of his new regiment had been engraved while further back on the thicker part it had been painted on. There were even a few numbers and words beneath although what they meant he had no idea.

"What is this" Something about this device called out to him and before he had even known what had happened he had gently placed his fingers underneath the device and gently pulled it out as if he was carrying a small freshly born babe. Gazing lovingly at it, he allowed his fingers to run down the smoothness of the long end feeling all its contours and curves admiring the beauty of the thing.

"It's called a rifle" Nat started "That will be your primary weapon when you serve under me" Speaking softly, Nat ever so slightly smiled as he saw the reaction that Gerald had towards it. Creating that thing had been dam exhausting, he had made quite a few as practise attempts before he made his first proper one. He was just glad that he had magic as that had carried out the majority of the work allowing him to create multiple at a time, had he not used magic then it would have taken longer.

"She's beautiful, what's her name?"

"It called a Baker rifle after the person who invented it. This rifle is part of a family of weapons called guns which is part of an even larger family called firearms. That spike on the right is so that you may attach the bayonet to it when it is required." Looking back at this new weapon, Gerald indeed did see a small spike to the right of the end of the weapon.

"What's a bayonet?" He asked having never encountered such a word before.

"It's the short sword in your eyes" Diverting his attention back to the small collection of bladed weapons that were in the case, Gerald had no hard time realising which one. The bayonet as it was called did indeed have the appearance of a short sword with its straight design. The hilt was protected by a single strip of metal that went down from the guard to the pommel, it was also hollow and had a piece that had been cut out to slide onto the small piece of metal that jutted out to the side.

"I have it" Gerald replied his eyes lingering back onto the other items that were inside the case. Other than this rifle, Gerald also spotted another gun as his commander had called it. Unlike the rifle, however, this gun was far smaller with a short barrel that seemed more accustomed to being held in one hand rather than this rifle which like a bow appeared to require two. "What's this?"

"A pistol, it works roughly the same as a rifle and I'll show you it later but for now I think it's time to get into your uniform." Gerald blinked, there were clothes in this all he saw were some weapons a strange looking belt and a bizarre coloured piece of material.

"Unifrom sir" Gerald answer was a short point towards the very oddly coloured piece of material that had been neatly folded. Gently he picked up the material bringing it out so that he could have a look at it. Quite frankly, it was the most bizarre looking piece of clothing that he had ever laid eyes upon and that was including the odd all black appearance of his commander.

"There's a changing room out the back and some instructions for you in case you don't know" Looking further into the cave, Gerald saw a strange looking wooden room that had appeared. Had that been there before he wondered? Blinking he shut the case where as soon as he did so, a keyhole appeared alongside a key that was kept inside of it. He gave his commander an odd look. "Please don't take too long Gerald, we're about to get to the fun part" Not saying a word, the older boy made his way through the rest of the cave until he reached the changing room and walked inside.

What he saw, wasn't a tight space as he had imagined, but rather a small but comfortable size room where a few wooden triangles were hanging attached to a metal pole. There was also a large full body sized mirror, in fact, looking around, there were four each one on his main sides. Slightly self-conscious as he stripped himself of all his clothes until he was entirely naked in front of the mirror, something that he had never done before, Gerald reopened the case and brought out the odd-looking clothes.

He started with the oddly looking shirt. Like the rest of the clothes, it had a very strange pattern but only on the sides of the arms compared to being everywhere on the other parts. The front bit was a light forest green with that strange device that his commander wore. It was called a zip he remembered his commander telling him. Opening up the strange shirt with a sort of wonder, Gerald looked on the inside briefly of this wonderful new way to wear clothing before then fitting his arms through the sleeves.

"Wow, that's nice. Doesn't scratch like my old shirt does" Zipping up the strange device, Gerald was half tempted to walk around a bit to feel it better but then chose not to as he remembered he had to be fast. With a feeling of times in the back of his mind, he rapidly picked up the other set of clothes starting with this strange soft loincloth and then slipped that on followed by these trousers and the other shirt on top of that. Following the rest of the instructions, he then soon had his other shirt on alongside his new oddly shaped helmet. Followed by this was a new type of armoured chest plate that went down his front which then had an odd type of belt that went over it with a large number of pockets and other things inside. Then came his belt which his sword had been placed into its scabbard. Also on this normal belt was his new smaller dagger and his bayonet. Then on his right leg where another belt had been attached, was this new pistol. Finally, he brought out his new rifle which also came with a casing to keep it dry. That, in turn, had been placed into the larger backpack that had come with everything and instead elevated to carry his rifle with the strap that had gone around his neck.

Daring to look at himself in the mirror, he was surprised to see himself look so oddly. Compared to the Templars he had seen, he looked far less like a warrior ready for battle and far more like some sod who was heaving around a lot of random shit to sell on to someone. All the same though, as he looked at himself he couldn't help but think that he looked smart, far different to how he had been when he was in Denerim. Unable to help himself, he walked to the mirror gently touching it before then throwing on the last addition to this bizarre uniform. It was one of those black masks his commander wore.

"Hey mum" He whispered. "I don't know if you can hear me in the Fade, but, but I hope you're proud of me. I don't know if this is possible, but could you ask the maker to make sure that I don't look really stupid in front of the commander." A sour look appeared at the idea of disappointing his commander before he then smiled. "Thanks, mum, thank you for everything." With a heavy gulp and a few more seconds looking in the mirror, he closed his eyes before opening them again and marched quickly forth out of the changing room back into the cave.

"Nice to see everything fits. What do you think of the clothes?" Gerald turned his attention back onto his commander. Somewhere, he didn't know where though his commander had brought out another one of these rifles that he had created and was holding it in a casual manner.

"They look strange, but they feel nice far better than anything I've ever worn" Nat gave him a reassuring grin.

"Good. Truth be told, all that stuff you're wearing would likely prevent you from moving however it's been enchanted to adjust the weight to a more reasonable level. Of course, when you need to use something such as your sword, it will weigh the proper amount. You also don't have to worry about the lack of any armour, those clothes you're wearing are enchanted among a few other things to be immune to swords and arrows. Magic, on the other hand, is another question, but then again armour doesn't do shit against magic in the first place." Leaping down from the rock formation that he had been standing on, Nat walked up to Gerald and gave him a bit of a look around.

He'd seen Ant before in combat uniform before he had been deployed off to Germany but it hadn't been for a long time only for a few minutes. He was happy with the look of it though, the dark green forest camouflage was the default one but could be changed when necessary and the flags and rank on the shoulders looked about right. On the left arm in there were three badges. The first was the larger one of the regiment and under it were two smaller ones next to one another with the flag of Fereldan to the right and the Inquisition to the left.

"Wait this is all enchanted, how were you even able to pay for that?". Taking his position back in front of Gerald, Nat gave him another smile only this one to relax him.

"Gerald you are in my regiment, therefore your protection is my utmost concern. If I had desired to, I could have fit you in some cheap cloth and make you wear that." Gerald's eyes widened as she stared at his commander in shock. Before he could blurt anything out Nat carried on. "I will not have my soldiers going to war without the right bloody equipment. I enchanted all your clothes and I expect you not to tell anyone about such a thing. Do you understand me, Gerald?"

"Yes Sir" Nat nodded and then gestured outside.

"Okay then let's teach you how to shoot" Gerald grinned at the idea happily following his commander out of the cave and back into the open mountain air only this time he no longer felt the chill or ruffle of the wind only the excitement. Had the area not been enchanted, then ten minutes later scouts would have spoken of strange bangs in the vicinity.

Haven

With a bright beaming smile on her face, Valeyna trudged through the snow not bothering so much as she usually would about the cold temperatures until she made it over to none other than the bald elf. "Solas" She called happily, now alert to her presence, Valeyna soon ran through the rest of the snow over to him.

"Greetings" He stated neutrally. "I assume that you have finished with The Iron Bull. Did you enjoy your time together" Without a single bit of embarrassment, Valeyna smirked at the memories of the activity she had just enjoyed?

"It was certainly enjoyable. Unfortunately, I have duties to attend to" Solas raised an eyebrow sharply at the woman. Unnoticed by the Herald, a multitude of people were giving the Herald certain looks varying from lust, derision and anger the latter because of the lack of sleep that they had because of her moaning.

"Then perhaps next time you could be quieter, There are multiple people who were unable to sleep because of your moaning" Valeyna rolled her eyes waving her hand away dismissing such rumours.

"If they can't handle a bit of noise, then they're not suited for being at a military camp"

"You kept awake everyone around you for a good radius Herald, already they are discussing your activities" A grin was all that met Solas as he looked at the elf. Though he didn't say anything, that woman had also kept him up last night and it had been quite irritating to his desire to rest peacefully in the Beyond.

"Then that just means that they aren't doing it right. If it's not loud and rough then it's not worth having. Besides I couldn't have been that loud" Behind her, every single person who was in earshot stopped what they were doing and glared at the elf before a few finally managed to gather the strength and wipe the tiredness from their eyes. Yawning almost in sync, they got back to business.

"Oh Bull, fuck me harder then Fen Harel did my people." A slight blush appeared on Valeyna's face as she looked intently into the eyes of the bald elf who was now in a mix of amusement and something else that she couldn't pin a name on.

"I said that" She whispered softly her small blush transforming into a look of mortification.

"I can't say that I've ever come across using such a term. I wonder just how you were expecting the Dread Wolf to respond to such a thing" Awkwardly, Valeyna kicked a bit of snow with her feet as she diverted her eyes back into the snow trying to act all innocent as she possibly could.

"It was an expression" She mumbled weakly. "I need to apologise to the creators for offering him prayer".

"I would hardly call that a prayer" Solas pressed on taking a slight amount of amusement as he saw the young girl squirm as she became more and more aware of what she had done. "I was under the impression that the Dalish did not care much for the Dread Wolf. Do your people not have a curse which involves his name?" Valeyna looked down again her cheeks burning with shame from her actions.

"I should not have said that." She whispered three times before a cough from the man in front of her forced her attention back onto the elf who was waiting expectantly from an answer. Absently, Valeyna noticed that his bald head was reflecting an awful lot of sunlight, if only there was a way to power devised with such a method. "Yes. "May the Dread Wolf take you" It's one of our more serious curses". She blinked before then looking at the man more curiously. "Do you not already know this, I thought you had already spoken with the Dalish".

"I spoke with a few different members from a few different clans. Your people's belief that you are still united is folly. Your clan has as much in common with another as Fereldan does with Orlais." Instantly Valeyna's mood soured as she heard the ever so slight derision in the man's tone.

"Why do you hate my people so much, what have we ever done to you?" Solas shook his head at the young elf, her naiveté shown through quite proudly here. All the same, she appeared to be a kitten that had puffed up when someone had brought a friendly hand to pet them.

"Your people hang to images of false gods and traditions. When I first spoke to one of your clans I offered to help them, to share what knowledge I know of the old ways however they rejected me like a candle burns wax. I am not welcome in your clans, they cast me away the moment a person questions their belief. Your people are like a dog that bites the hand that offers them food and then whines when that person leaves." Speaking starkly, Solas shook his head as he saw the elf woman become furious with him to the point that she had lost control of her magic. Around her, the small wooden house that they were situated next to began to be engulfed entirely by a quickly rising wall of ice. Like spiders webs in a dark area, it did not take very long before the entire house had been frozen over.

"Is it wrong that we protect the last vestiges of our history. What would an outsider know about elf history if they were not taught by us, how can they understand the pain of knowing day after day that we could have lived in our own land in our own cities? And then people like you just come in and deride us, call us nothing but animals." With her temper flaring, Valeyna marched up to the man her smaller frame meant that her eyes could not meet up to the older elf's severely reducing any intimidation that she had hoped to give. "My people were forced to split into different clans so as to protect our history. When we have a home of our own, my people will come together and remake the time of the Dales."

"You are more naive then I believed if you think that something like that would happen. Do you seriously believe that the humans would just grant your people land?" Valeyna kicked her foot in the snow sending some of it flying a few food metres into the air where it then smashed into the wooden palisade.

"We will have a home" She spoke resolutely her eyes burning with determination whilst her hair flowed freely as her magical power pressed against the oncoming wind. Solas, however, was not impressed in the slightest. Tired of this lack of display of control, he outstretched his hand before then disintegrating the slight snowstorm that Valeyna had attempted to summon. With the state of affairs back to normal, he stared into the ever frosty eyes of the young elf.

I dislike is the arrogance you Dalish preside over elven history. You are children repeating stories misheard a thousand times" Valeyna only became even angrier again.

"And you would know better" She yelled.

"While your people pass on stories, mangling details I walk the Fade. I have seen things you have not"

"Then why have you not taught other elves the knowledge that you have gathered, why leave us in the dark if you know so much?" Watching the woman yell and shout, Solas could not help but lose respect for the Herald. As beautiful and powerful as the young mage would be, she showed her youth and it was getting tiring hearing the repetitive drivel that she and others like her spouted out the moment they heard an opinion that contrasted with hers.

"And would they even listen, you yourself are showing an unwillingness to hear anything that goes against your misguided beliefs."

"Misguided" Valeyna whispered her face contorting in rage once again. "You are not one of my people, you have never had to live knowing that at any moment humans would come and attack you simply because you are crossing through "their" land. You are also not the one who is being told that everything you know about your peoples past back when it was glorious and we was free is wrong. All by a stranger who knows how nothing works" Solas flickered his attention upwards not to the main hall or the small gathering of people who had stopped to try and listen in to the conversation but rather up to the cliffs above. Carefully he paid as much attention as he could to the mounds of snow that lurked above like wolves waiting for a potential dinner to become ever more vulnerable. To Valeyna however, it simply came off as arrogance. "So you won't even listen to me talk, is that how below you I am" With a bored expression, the older elf turned back to the younger one.

"If I may be of service answering your questions then do it, otherwise I suggest you leave for someone who is more willing to share your preferred interests" Back somewhere a gasp was heard although it was too fast for Valeyna to pick up on it.

"Alright." She grunted. "Tell me about the ancient elves oh wise one"

"When your people think of ancient elves, you think of Halamshiral. However, Halamshiral was a pale imitation of what came before"

"Arlathan" Valeyna scoffed. "You're telling me that you've seen Arlathan in the beyond." As much as she tried to hide it, there was a small tone of curiosity in the woman's voice as if despite her doubts that she was willing to listen to a story. Sensing this, Solas eyes the woman carefully.

"When we think of Arlathan we think of elves living in trees using ramps or Dalish Aravels. Imagine instead spirals of crystal twining through the branches, palaces floating among the clouds. Imagine beings that lived forever for whom magic was as natural as breathing. That was what was lost." Valeyna blinked her eyes scrunching up as she tried to imagine such a place, it sounded, unlike any other city that she had heard of before. Floating palaces, towers of crystal, she guessed it was possible if elves truly were exceptional with magic as Solas claimed that they were, but even so it sounded rather fantastical.

"Is the magic they teach in the circle different from the magic I learned with my people or Nat from his?"

"No, and yes" Valeyna rolled her eyes. "Magic is magic just like water is water but it can be used in different ways. Dalish Magic is more practical not needing Chantry approval oh though they still frown on blood magic. Superstition." Solas mumbled the last bit quietly to himself. "Much of it is more subtle. A legacy from when elves were immortal."

"The legends of elven immortality" Valeyna spoke calmly her voice lowered from the loud yelling that it had been as all the anger and hate in her voice had vanished instead replaced by curiosity. "Did they use magic to increase their lifespan?"

"No, it was simply part of being elven. The subtle beauty of their magic was the effect not the cause of their nature. Some spells took years to cast, echoes would linger for centuries. Harmonizing with new magic, an unending symphony. It must have been beautiful." Now that the conversation had returned to a more agreeable nature, Solas gestured towards the Herald to a more private place. Onlookers were still watching hoping to catch even the barest glimpse of how the Herald was acting. Some Solas knew would be for whichever master they served whether that be for the suspected old Magister or for some petty human nobles in Orlais that desired to show off to other human nobility. Finally, when they were more alone behind a small building Solas returned to the conversation.

"Solas" Valeyna spoke gingerly. "I'm, I'm sorry for yelling. It was wrong of me" Bowing her head low in respect, Valeyna averted her eyes downwards shame taking over her being as she realised just what had happened."I'm the ambassador of my clan, I'm supposed to act better than this. It's just" Solas smiled gently lifting the elf back up to posture. Briefly, Valeyna was unable to hold back the slight blush as her cheeks warmed from the soothing look that Solas gave her.

"You are under much pressure as the Herald of Andraste and leader of the Inquisition. It is expected that the pressure of such a weight on your shoulder will affect you."

"Thank you, Solas. I will try not to make such a mistake in the future." Solas frowned.

"There's something else that trouble you" Sighing heavily, Valeyna soon found a pile of firewood that had been stacked up to a decent height and was now leaning against the wooden wall of the building. Without a second thought, she soon jumped on top of them and made herself comfortable.

"I just received another not from my clan, apparently they're under attack from bandits" Solas nodded consolingly.

"You worry about if they are still alive and what assistance you can bring to them" Another sigh from the elf woman.

"I wish I was there with them, that is where I belong not here in some human organisation. I don't even know why people want me in charge, there are several people who would be a better Inquisitor then I would." For a brief moment there was a sudden burst of caution from Solas as Valeyna drew the small knife from her pocket but soon that fear ebbed away as the blonde hair woman simply grabbed one of the smaller logs and began to cut into it with her knife. Bit by bit she started to remove small strips of wood dumping them on the floor.

"And who would you suggest run the Inquisition in your stead? There is nobody else who is suited towards running such an organisation" Valeyna chuckled.

"What about Cullen, Cassandra, Leliana or even Josephine. Nat stated that there's some sort of balance of power between them, but I don't see it. In fact, I bet that even Nat could run the Inquisition better than I ever could"

"Oh," Solas spoke with interest his mind turning onto the young mage. "He is powerful and educated, but he is younger than even you and the nobility will not respect the word of a child. But that would explain why you put so much trust in him."

"Seriously Solas, he is better suited then I am to lead the Inquisition. I mean if Cullen and the others need to control their "balance of power" then fine, but Nat is serious, a good warrior, know far more about politics or espionage then I do and generally helps me make decisions. Not to mention he's human and a mage. The only thing that goes against him, is that he isn't nobility, he isn't handsome and he's young."

"He is also not the one with the mark" Solas spoke quietly. Looking over to the snow, he silently flicked his fingers outwards resulting in the nearby snow flying through the air before all squishing together to form a small solid mound that he then sat down on. "I'm surprised that you feel threatened by him" Valeyna blinked.

"Threatened, I don't feel threatened." Solas was not so sure.

"You compare yourself to another believing that you are inadequate to rule when you see that there is another who has other talents. Tell me, what else does he have that you also do not possess?" With a roll of her eyes, the blonde haired beauty easily responded and far faster then Solas had initially thought.

"Well if mages had freedom, then he's young enough to get married" Somewhere far in the distance Nat shivered. With a quick pat of his clothes, he returned to his business.

"As are you" Solas countered. "The only difference is that you are far more... open with your relationships" Unable to help herself, Valeyna snorted loudly at that comment. She was a lot more than "open" with her relations. She could still remember the feeling of Bulls muscled hands on her skin gripping her close as she begged for more.

"Oh please Solas, I've heard what the soldiers say, I'm spoiled goods. Nobody is ever going to want me. Not that I can blame them, who wants some elven whore when they can have a proper lady who behaves correctly?"

"I cannot speak for all people Herald, however, there are bound to be a large group of people who would want to meet you if nor marry you" With another scoff coming from the woman, Solas sighed.

"They would just want to marry me for my title."

"How about we come off this topic, return back to something of more interest to you?. You were asking about elven immortality" Before she could even have a moment to reject such a proposal, Solas stared her back in the eyes this time with the typical more knowledgeable gleam that she had grown accustomed too. "Your clan for instance. It was unique in that it held enough interest to send you to spy on the Divines meeting. As your clans have been separate for so long, they have all changed, adapting to the lands in which they live. Some are no more than bandits, others trade freely with humans and some have disappeared entirely into the forests."

"I remember my keeper saying that as the years went by that the number of clans that would meet with one another has decreased. Do you know why?"

"It is the result of time, with so little meetings, so far a distance and a lack of anything to rally behind, your clans have steadily diverged one by one until at this point your people are truly a different people but each claiming the same title." Slumping her head back, Valeyna pinched her nose lose lightly. There was no doubt that he was right, despite all the posturing that she and other Dalish did when it came to saying that they were a united people who as soon as they had land of their own would rebuild a nation, that they were disunited.

She was aware of two clans which had a strong rivalry with one another, whilst another had essentially become residents of an alienage settling down in the city to teach the city elves their tales. Even the legendary Hero of Ferelden had come from a tribe which was slightly more isolationist than most. She could still remember the times when she would go with her Keeper and meet with the other clans in the rare time they met up. She had never noticed it when she was younger, but now she only saw the division among the clans. They spoke of good fertile hunting grounds or friendly cities some even spoke about the rare trip to Orzammar to purchase some Lyrium. All the same, the sense of camaraderie and family and friends she felt with her clan was not there with the others, she felt just as much as a stranger likely did when she came across her clan.

She knew what Solas was true, in her heart. Her people were slowly disappearing no matter how hard they tried to stop and resist it. Pain was what she was feeling. Pain at the fact that her people were not what she believed they were, pain in that as time went on the number of clans and their members slimmed and pain at the growing doubt in her heart in the faith that her people had towards having a new home.

"Thank you, Solas. It's been... hard" Feeling another chill, Valeyna wasted no time and called on the power of the fade and brought forth a shimmering ball of fire. Quickly with a wave of her hand, she pushed a few of the firewood onto the floor where she then sent her flame colliding into. With a little roar, she had a small fire going. Sighing in contentment she walked towards it embracing the warm glow of the fire. Solas soon joined her also apparently cold though he did not state it like a great many deal of the soldiers and servants did.

"I apologise if my words stung, I did not mean to cause offence" Valeyna shook her head.

"No you're right, I just never really saw it till now. I'm proud of my people, how they have kept alive who we are, it's just difficult to hear especially from an outsider". Solas gazed at the fire admiring the beautiful hue that it made as it fought valiantly against the ever-encroaching snow and wind. In the background, the Breach crackled again lighting up the sky like a candle but nothing came out.

"Hearing that one has a problem is the first step to solving it. The fact that you are able to look at things, see the errors in them even when you are protective of them is good. With time you will prove to be a good leader for the Inquisition to rally behind" With a careless flick of his hand, Solas sent his own plume of fire towards the wood only this one was larger. Spreading upwards, the fire doubled in size increasing the sheer heat that the two of them felt upon their faces.

"You talked about how Dalish magic was different to Circle Magic, Is Nat's magic different to that" Straightening his back, Solas closed his eyes slightly pulling his thoughts back to what he had observed of the child that fought with them.

"There are a great many differences. For one I have noticed that he has never once called upon the Fade like you or I do but neither does he call upon a spirit, blood. Lyrium or the taint."

"Wait what?. Isn't that impossible?. How is he able to use magic if he doesn't use the Fade or any other method, are you sure he isn't using Blood Magic" Valeyna said confused. Solas raised an eye at the suspicion but shook his head. Leaning on his staff, he touched his chin-stroking it wisely as his eyes narrowed his mind pressing on the issue.

"No he doesn't use blood magic, if he had then we would have known by now. What young Mr Tempest uses is something entirely different, another source of magic entirely, one that has never been known before." Blinking, Valeyna recalled her memories to the time she had seen her friend fight. He had been incredibly quick with his spells, one after another in quick succession. It was far beyond the skill of most mages, however, he had handled it so easily and carefree that it was normal for him. Calling magic from the fade was an easier job for some over than others, but the sheer amount of magic that someone his age called upon and in quick succession without even the slightest amount of fatigue was curious.

"Maybe it's that staff of his, he is very protective of it" Cassandra had asked before she had left for Val Royeux to look at Nat's small staff mentioning about its small size and how she had never seen one so tiny. Politely she had asked to look at it and asked if Na would explain more about it, however, Nat had politely declined, stating it was a secret of his people.

"It is possible, however, I do not believe that is the case" Gesturing to his staff, Solas once more spoke but this time with a sense of curiosity and mystery while at the same time sounding like her keeper had as she was told about the mysteries and powers of magic. "When he casts spells, they are always without a doubt from his staff. He always points his staff at the target and the spell always comes out of it. Compare that to you or I or even the First Enchanter, we may use our hands to call forth a spell, direct it with such gestures. Nat on the other hand always uses his staff, not once has he ever shown to handle magic without it."

"It is rather odd" She commented. "My staff is always for basic magical attacks but other than that I can easily cast a spell without it. Do you think he uses the staff power?"

"Perhaps," Solas said slowly. "But I cannot help but theorise that perhaps he is entirely unable to cast magic without a staff. It would explain his caution in protecting it. The staff he wields is quite unlike any other in Thedas, most likely any other staffs of the same type are destroyed or cannot be used. As a Seeker, Cassandra presents quite a threat were she to break it." Valeyna looked at Solas dubiously.

She doubted that Cassandra would ever be so rash as to break one of her fellow member's weapon, however, she also knew that Cassandra was an individual who believed that the Circles despite how poorly they had been run needed to be kept intact but severely updated. Now away from his people and surrounded by mages and Templars who had a different way of doing things, it wasn't too much to guess that her young friend did not like the idea of being forced to do things a different way. Should the circles be restored, then he would likely be forced into one against his will. He would not stand for such an action.

"He considers her an enemy still" Solas nodded as he turned his attention onto the group of Templar's who were standing in the cold trying to stay still and allow the sheer blistering cold take their minds off the withdrawal. It wasn't exactly the best way to deal with the problem, quite frankly it was like whacking a person's elbow with a hammer because their knee was hurting in his opinion. All the same though, it appeared to be working for now.

"By now whispers have already spread about your companions. Besides mentions of a Grey Warden serving and a powerful Qunari Mercenary joining up, they will talk about a young mage who wields powerful magic and slain a large number of Templar's in the Hinterlands." Valeyna grimaced at the mentions of rumours, they were a most annoying thing that she had to deal with. Before the Inquisition, she would have to deal with rumours of her being some type of elven whore or savage sometimes it was an odd story about her clan. Now though there were the constant rumours she heard, the most recent one she had heard was that she had made a pact with an ancient demon to keep her alive and spread chaos throughout the world.

"Well, technically he did kill a few Templars when we visited the Hinterlands." Solas leaned back his skin having gone slightly pink being so close to the fire.

"That is true, however, it has shown us that there is information he is keeping secret" Curious, Valeyna looked at the bald-headed elf imploring him to say more. "He has dealt with his opponents with exceptional skill, far more than a normal mage would"

"He did say he came out of a war" Solas stared into the fire a few seconds almost entertaining the idea of making it dance warming up the nearby area a bit more.

"There is more to it than that. If he was a normal mage that had fought in a war, then he would still show flaws in his ability, indications that he had never had extensive training" Solas explained quickly. "That is not the case, he has seen combat long before a civil war and even then I am not so sure that he was part of such a conflict" Valeyna blinked repeatedly staring at Solas as if he had just revealed that the world was flat or that the planet orbited around the sun. Shaking her head, she stoked the fire a little bit making sure that she didn't catch on fire as she did so.

"You think he's lying," She asked not believing a single word that the elf was telling her.

"For one who has just lost all of his people, he seems remarkably... stable," Solas said slowly. "Have you not noticed that he never once seems to feel the burden of pain by being the last of his people, that everyone he knows is dead?. If it is as he has said, then he should be grieving. Yet he carries on life normally as if nothing had happened. Then there is his magic, I mentioned before that he does not call upon any known force for his spells and he does not ever seem to tire."

"Don't tell me you think he's some type of demon" Valeyna joked her eyes flickering briefly over to where her young friend's tent should be. Like normal, it sat there untouched and seemingly unknown to the wizard. Though looking at it, she thought that she should peer inside. Last night when she had enjoyed the dinner he had cooked, he had introduced her to more meat and other food on a single plate then she had ever enjoyed before. Nat, on the other hand, had behaved as if it was normal that the at least in her mind large plate of food was something he regularly consumed.

"No" Solas disagreed quickly pushing aside any such thoughts before they could be allowed to fester and cause doubt in the mind of the pretty blonde. "I do not know where his power is drawn from, but he is certainly not any demon or spirit from the Fade. I would have sensed such a thing."

"Wait now that I think about it, I've never once felt him use the fade. There's also that time when we first met him, he just appeared out of nowhere." All those weeks ago and she had never questioned it. One moment she and the others had been fighting against the demons and the next he was simply there. There had been no footprints in the snow no sound of him approaching and she was certain that a strange Mage like himself was bound to have been caught by the Templar's or the Seekers. Not to mention there was his strange clothing and staff. "And how often do we see him, most of the time he's doing something or other but no one knows where?"

"And food" Solas added. "Here in Haven it is a simple matter of breaking into the larder when nobody is observing, but back when we were in the Hinterlands he never once ate in front of us."An uncomfortable feeling started to form in the lower part of Valeyna's stomach. The more she started to think about their youngest member, the more things didn't add up. When it came to his initial meet up with them when they closed the Breach she could dismiss the sudden arrival under a form of invisibility spell or something along those lines, but that still left the footprints. When it came to food, he had already demonstrated that he could easily conjure things from thin air like water and had no problems showcasing such an ability. Then again, when he had cooked for her last night, he had magically moved the food rather than just made them appear. Why was he so afraid to eat anything in front of them if he could conjure food.

"Could it all be his special type of magic. Maybe he doesn't want to alert the Templar's too much and bring them on him?." All this was unsettling her. She held no doubt that Nat wanted to help her and the Inquisition in its goal of healing the Breach, and when he did occasionally mention something about his people it did sound like he told the truth. Now though she couldn't help feeling like there was a certain sense of evasion when he spoke about his past. Just what was he hiding she wondered and more importantly why was he hiding it. Did he not trust her?

"I would assume so, he mentioned earlier that his people despised demons and took far more reactionary methods then even Templars."

"Wait how can a group of mages hate demons can more than Templar's do. Isn't that what Templar's are all about, demons are bad evil monsters whereas they think mages like demons?"

"According to him, his people killed anyone who had interactions with demons"

"That doesn't make any sense" She whispered her confusion openly showing at the sheer contradiction that such a task was. "If everyone who spoke to a demon was killed, then every mage would be dead at some point. His people never would have existed in the first place" Solas agreed with the young Dalish. For a mage as powerful as him, there should have been no way that Solas would have not felt his presence in the Fade when he called forth magic, but there wasn't any presence, not in the slightest. It was rather disconcerting in all honesty.

"Indeed, somehow his people have either found an entirely new source of magical power, or they have learned to hide their presence so utterly that an interaction with a demon is a rare event. Both results would have interesting implications." Valeyna simply nodded unable to form the correct words. If what Solas was saying was true, if Nat was somehow special in how he went ahead with magic then just who was he, who was his people and why was he here?. There was something about him now that she concentrated on it that didn't make sense. She needed answers.

"Thank You, Solas. I need to go" With a slight smile, Valeyna rushed quickly from her position of behind the small building. Solas's words held a great deal of merit and with her mind now concentrating on such an oddity, she could no longer ignore it. Nat was something strange, perhaps unique and maybe even lying to her. A pang of pain ripped through her at that very idea. He had been for her from day one, listening to her problems and soothing any worries she may have had. Yesterday they had spent an odd but nice meal together underneath the glimmering stars. It had been something out of a fiction book but all the same, she had enjoyed it.

What was he hiding and why was he hiding it. Before she knew it, her feet were slapping hard against the stone floor making a loud echoing sound that almost made her think that she was some terrible creature here to punish little boys and girls for misbehaving. With a loud bang, she slammed open the door to the war room revealing Leliana and Josephine.

"Lady Herald is there something you need?" Curtsying gracefully Josephine eyes the Herald. The woman was not in distress, however, she was certainly in some great hurry. Sensing that this was no time for jokes, she went immediately to business pausing her conversation about how to deal with a certain Orlesian noble with Leliana.

"Nat, have you seen him?" Beside her, Leliana narrowed her eyes and her back straightened. The redhead recognised that tone of voice, there was something happening with their youngest inner council member, something that would cause the small flush that had gotten the elf to move so quickly over the snowy outside ground.

"I sent a messenger to him about two hours ago. The situation with Orzammar has gotten worse and I asked him to send us back news. He did take two people with him, a boy in strange clothing and one of the mages". Valeyna's stomach dropped with a powerful feeling of uncertainty. All she had wanted to do was ask him some harmless questions and now he had already left for Orzammar.

"If it is anything important we can always send him a raven" Jutting into the conversation, Leliana shared a look with Josephine. Whatever the Herald wanted to talk to Nat about wasn't anything minor in fact the girl seemed concerned that he had left so suddenly.

"No its a personal matter" Valeyna replied her voice slightly defeated. "I'll speak to him when he gets back. Why did he have to leave so urgently?" Grimacing, Leliana looked the Herald in her slightly worried eyes.

"There was an attack on the king, it's unknown if he's going to survive. We sent Nat because he needs to get into Orzamar before they close the gates." Valeyna swore quietly.

"If the gates close before he gets there, then we won't be able to get the Lyrium" The effects of no shipments of Lyrium didn't have to be said. Anyone could see how badly the Templar's were struggling. Tempers were flaring on a more regular basis and the tensions between the Templar's and Mages was getting worse by the day soon it would come to a boiling point. It was a wonder so far that nobody had been killed yet but that was likely to change soon.

"Don't send the Raven, Nat has to focus on getting a deal with the dwarves. Anything else could distract him from that task. Josephine how long can the Templar's go with our current supplies" Focusing her eyes on the bronze-skinned human woman, Valeyna's eyes bore into her a strange commanding presence slowly being let loose as she concentrated on the task that she now had to complete.

"If we ration what little we have left, then at most a month. However, we will surely lose some Templar's and be forced to kill them. Without extra rationing, then it's the same as before." Valeyna pinched her nose so tightly that it started to turn white. Breathing slowly, she paced back and forth quickly as she thought of possible other ways to deal with the current scenario.

"Tell the others that we leave for our assigned areas tomorrow morning" Firmly she looked into Leliana's eyes. "Can your agents pin down anyone from the Coterie, that's our best chance".

"I will speak to Varrick, he is bound to have contacts."

"Good, if I remember from when you travelled with the Warden, Orzammar will shut its gates soon. If Nat gets in then we have a chance and if not then tell him to meet us at Redcliffe." With a light curtsy, Josephine gave a quick farewell and left the war room leaving Valeyna with Leliana. Now with the one person who had gone through something similar, she gave a fixed and worried look.

"Is he going to be okay? I know things were different during the blight, but it it's anything similar then our only possible chance of getting Lyrium will involve some sort of political task. Picking up a knife, Leliana started to play with the blade between her fingers. Soon she turned her attention back onto the map staring at where Orzammar and Kal Sharok were on the piece of parchment.

"I have already sent agents to see if assassins were sent. Kal Sharok has firmly denied to obey Orzammar ever since it was rediscovered. Over the last few years, the king in Orzammar has been putting pressure on Kal Sharok, sometimes even threatening war if they did not obey. We could be facing a civil war between them, or it might be another plan to cause chaos on the continent for this Magister." Frowning darkly Leliana remembered when she had visited the underground city.

Orzammar was an impressive place, that was for certain. Made of thick stone the buildings of the city covered nearly the entirety of the large indoor cavern giving off an impressive display to any visitor. Their large neatly crafted statues of previous paragons were also a sight to see and were likely even now being prayed to by one dwarf or another. Then there was the smell. Living underground had a tendency to force smells to congregate together. Truthfully for a person like her Orzammar smelt awful with all the sulphur and metal and body odour that was heavily present. She chuckled briefly as she remembered what her friend Shale had called the city. It was rather ironic to see a former dwarf turned golem to view the capital of her people so poorly.

Then her attention turned onto a less welcoming place and she resisted the shiver. Even now she could remember the horrific sight of Darkspawn in the Deep-Roads. She had killed countless people and ordered the assassination of countless more. However, even to this day, the milky pale faces of Darkspawn with black gunk blood pulsating was a hideous and terrifying sight. She was glad that she had been in the Wardens company then, had she not then she doubted she would have survived quite a place.

"He can take care of himself, I do not remember the dwarves being so callous as to allow three children into the Deep Roads" Valeyna went pale her eyes staring at the map of where Orzammar was. Why would they have to go into the Deep Roads, this was just supposed to be a negotiation. Nat was powerful and used a strange set of magic, but for a child to go into the Deep Roads. He would be lucky to come out alive not tainted.

"Three children, who did he take with him?"

"Elryia Trevelyan was the circle mage, Nat has been seen spending a great amount of time with her and there are rumours that they may be in some kind of a relationship" Valeyna blinked, whey hadn't she heard these rumours. There was a golden opportunity to tease Nat and nobody had told her about it into to now. The moment they got back she was going to spend some time with this Trevelyan girl, make sure she knew just what this girl was after. "And a boy called Gerald. He's been recruited as one of Nat's own soldiers." With a heavy sigh, the elf leaned back against the cold wall. There was some relief then. If he had people with him then he had some type of help in the scenario that Nat was forced underground to fight the Darkspawn although it wasn't much. Silently she gave a prayer to Mythal begging her to protect him while he was away.

"At least he has someone with him" She murmured softly to herself hoping for anything that would silence the growing worry she had for her friend's safety. "I'm going to find a drink, calm my nerves"

"Have fun" Without another word, Leliana watched somewhat amused as the Herald left. It was adorable how she worried about the young mage as if he was her little brother. Was this how she had been seen back when she had travelled with the Warden and Alistair? The cute young sibling who everyone else had to look out for. She blushed slightly at the thought before returning back to business. Nat was only going to negotiate a trade deal with the dwarves, nothing should go wrong.

She hoped.

Fereldan Road

"Now I remember why I hate horses" Nat chuckled lightly as he heard the melodious sounds of Elryia moaning in pain every time her bottom touched the saddle. Up and down she went, like a seesaw on steroids. Her dark hair was fanning all over the place and certainly didn't keep the more noble looking appearance that she usually kept when she walked. As for her staff, it was a good job that it was placed on her back as otherwise, it would surely have hurt her. "Ow, ow, ow." She complained more loudly resisting the urge to move her hand downwards and massage her aching bottom. To his left, Gerald wasn't doing much better as his face scrunched up in pain from the constant impacts. Thankfully he wasn't complaining of pain in his ass yet although he had a feeling that the soldier would be eager to sleep the first moment they got.

"Commander how come you're not in pain" Turning his gaze onto the young commander, Gerald noted that out of the three of them, he certainly showed that he was comfortable with a horse. His face was normal and entirely unaffected by the constant rocking motion and appeared at least compared to them quite comfortable sitting on the back of an animal that when needed to could gallop far faster than a human could run.

"I've had a little more experience then you have. Don't worry with time you'll get used to it." All lies of course. What Nat knew that they didn't was that he had applied a cushioning charm ensuring that his backside would not be in a state of unending agony as his flesh collided with the thick leather of the saddle.

"I hope so" Elyria muttered gritting her teeth as her but collided with the saddle once again. "But why did you want to take us with you?" Keeping his eyes on the road, Nat sped up the horse he was sat on top of a little faster soon after the other two followed suit.

"It's supposed to be a negotiation, we walk up we speak to the person in charge and see if they can lower the price of Lyrium. With the lack of danger, I thought you two might want to accompany me, leave the base and stretch your legs. That and the fact that I want to get you away from Vivienne" Elyria frowned at the mention of that woman, just being in her presence made her angry. That stuck up bitch thought that she was better than anyone else just because she had been the court Enchanter of Empress Celene.

"Thank you" She replied happily glad to be away from the camp. "Visiting a dwarven city isn't exactly where I would have liked to go, but it's better than Haven" Another chuckle came from Nat as he paid attention to the surroundings. The snow was far less present here then it was in Haven although that was to be expected since they were now in more flat land and at a lower altitude. Green grass was swaying in the wind and the usual biting wind was now merely uncomfortable when it occasionally struck them.

"And where exactly were you expecting me to take you?. Some candlelit dinner underneath the sky by a lake where I would then feed you fine dining and champagne while I whispered something romantic in your" Turning bright red Elyria quickly diverted her attention onto Gerald only for the older boy to start laughing at her misfortune. She looked away again. "Don't worry Elyria I wouldn't subject you to such torture. I don't like anyone that way in the slightest"

"Oh" Gerald interrupted wriggling his eyebrows at the two. "I thought you two were pretty close." Nat rolled his eyes behind his glasses.

"Hardly, Elyria is suffering from what I guess would be called Rescuer Syndrome. It isn't uncommon for a person who is rescued to develop some sort of feelings for their rescuer, however, the best thing for that person is to be left alone to heal on themselves. If I indulged Elyria's feelings, then she wouldn't be able to heal leaving her weak and unable to fend for herself. Besides it's generally accepted that any feelings born from such a thing are only temporary and sooner or later will vanish if allowed to heal. " Turning his attention back onto the circle mage, Nat gave a gentle warm smile at the girl hoping to comfort her. It, however, did the opposite affect as Elyria instead just looked at Nat horrified as if she had just killed her best friend or pet.

"You know" She went bright red and she tried to turn away embarrassed. However, she was unable to do so and instead looked at him staring innocently in her eyes as he eyes fluttered and her heart beat faster. Subconsciously she leaned forward hoping for him to return the favour. What she got instead, however, was a gentle hand petting the top of her head lightly soon after Nat began stroking her.

"I'm not daft you know. I knew that you had feelings for me the moment we met." Elyria wished she could see his eyes, that were what happened according to the novels she had read. When two people loved one another they stared into each other's eyes where they began to dazzle with love like glimmering stars. Slowly bit by bit they would then lean towards one another where finally their soft lips would press together and kiss, finally after a few moments they would then undress one another and show their love for each other. "Elyria, Elyria snap out of it" Snapping loudly in her face Elyria was brought back to reality to see a bored Nat and a smirking Gerald.

"Yes," She whispered hopefully.

"She did not hear a single word of what you said" Shaking his head in sympathy Gerald looked over at the pretty circle mage who was riding beside them. She was certainly a noble, those delicate cheeks, thin slender body and larger than average buxom for her age could only be brought about by years of careful and meticulous breeding. Had she been born without magic then she would have been sold off long ago and if she had been a commoner, then she would have already become a concubine to some noble or other.

"It's like talking to a brick wall" Nat replied in agreement as he watched with a somewhat bored fascination as Elyria seemed to go through a type of fantasy in her head. Were most girls like this he wondered?. He didn't mean on a daily business, a lot of girls he knew were serious and professional most of the time but that was because of the public image they had to project. Rather what he meant was that when most girls were alone or with trusted friends did they fantasise about wedding'a or how romantic something should be. If they did then he could not possibly imagine such a dreary existence.

"I tried that once" Nat looked over. "When I was younger one of the older guys said that a mage had been killed when a demon took over. Apparently, the templar's killed the mage and then banished the demon into the wall as they were unable to kill it."

"And you believed them" Bursting out laughing, Elyria held her sides together as she listened to one of the most ridiculous stories that she had ever heard about demons. That laughter son stopped however when the horse she was in jumped slightly and soon started galloping forwards ahead of the others. With a small sigh, Nat turned to Gerald.

"Come on we have to make sure that she doesn't get into too much trouble"