Stories Untold

Chapter Twenty-Five: Fucking Perfect

It took us close to a month to finally drag ourselves from the Graves. That hadn't exactly been the plan. We were going to stay for two weeks at most and then leave. Unfortunately, when you get lost there you really get lost. If it weren't for the Dalish clan we found there we might not have come out alive, if at all. I shouldn't have made Hollow stay at the scout camp.

I could see Scout Harding ahead of us. She was waving and shouting. She saw us. Iron Bull saw us and came running along with Dorian. I guess they'd been looking for us. I pulled the bow I had found in a cave farther up on my shoulder. It was part of the reason we'd lived so long. I had helped feed the four of us with my minimal training.

"Fasta Vass," Dorian cursed. "You all look like shit! What happened?"

I groaned as Hollow ran over to me and pushed at me. "I left this flaming bastard behind. That's what happened."

"We got lost," Hunter sighed. "If it hadn't been for that Dalish clan we might not be here now. They led us out."

"But..." Scout Harding started. "There isn't a Dalish clan anywhere near here."

The four of us shared a look. "Emerald Graves indeed," Blackwall stated.

"Can we go home now?" I asked. "I want to sleep in a bed that isn't made of moss and grass."

A few days later we were back at Skyhold. We staggered through the gate, heading in different directions. I waved off a healer as she tried to lead me to a tent. I had the most cuts and bruises, but I was the one prone to tripping over every root possible. I drug myself up the steps leading to my room,

I could hear people running up behind me. I waved them away too. I hoped they got the point that I wasn't talking until I got some sleep. Over the past several weeks I hadn't slept well. That's what happens when you could be eaten by something at any moment. I knew I was safe in Skyhold.

I refused to move from my bed. I refused to answer the door. I was worn out from getting lost for a month. I had collapsed on my bed with all my gear. I don't know how long passed before I heard a snapping sound and a searing pain lashed across my face from just under my left ear and across my nose.

"Shit!" I hissed in pain. "Fucking old as shit bow string."

I gingerly touched the wound. Blood was starting to well up. I would have to leave comfort and warmth for the healers. I slowly peeled myself from the bed and drug the bow and snapped string to me. It would have to go with me. Out my door and down too many steps. I was still so tired.

Someone ran up to me and started speaking, but my head was buzzing from the pain. I waved at them, telling them to leave me the hell alone. My mistake, it was one of the healers asking what had happened. I held up the bow with its bloody, snapped string.

I didn't see any of my friends as I was rushed to the infirmary that had been built while we were gone. The woman forced an elfroot potion down my throat and made me lay down. She came back a few moments later and made me drink something else. It was even worst than elfroot, if that's even possible.

I felt something tugging at my mind. What... Lights out.

I stood in a field of lavender on a hill. It was bright and warm, but there was a weird green haze over everything. I should have remembered why, but I couldn't. I knew I had been in a place like this before, but the memory was out of reach.

I walked down the hill- had it always been a hill?- and stopped in front of a pond. The water was crystal clear and I could see strange looking fish swimming around. I focused on the surface and looked at my reflection. Had there always been a scar across my face like that? How did I get it? Was I in some horrible battle?

"You always find trouble," Someone said next to me. "Do you not?"

I smiled. "It's been a long time, Flemeth."

She chuckled. "That it has, girl. You seem to have found your way." A pause. "For the most part. You have questions."

"I do," I said, matter of fact. "Did you bring me back, or was it a result of the breach?"

"It was not my doing," Flemeth sighed. "T'would seem there is a greater link between our worlds than I first thought. Your home is a place of power."

"Was," I said softly. "It burned down. Some kids from out of town heard it was haunted and burned the place down. At least, that's what Ray told me. Did you bring him here, or was it a fluke? Maybe something left over from my final crossing?"

"It is possible," she answered. "Or his magic is strong enough to bridge worlds in search of his only family."

I looked up at her. "He's a mage?"

She smiled slightly. "Yes. Does this bother you?"

I thought about it for a moment. It should after what Anders did. After all the people that got stuck and killed because the Mages and Templars were blind to the suffering they caused everyone else. "No, it doesn't. He's not like Anders and he isn't a product of this world's waring factions. He'll make the right choices and if he doesn't know what those are he'll ask for help."

"Good," Flemeth chuckled. "Blood above hatred. That is good." She laid a hand on my shoulder. "We shall see one another again before this is over." And then she was gone.

I breathed in the scent of lavender and relaxed. I didn't know if any of this was real, but I would find out when I woke up. If Ray turned out to be a Mage I would know. Until then I was going to relax and enjoy this place. This had to be the fade.

The world brightened up and I let out a frustrated scream as another elfroot potion was dumped down my throat.

I made a face and hissed in pain as it pulled at the skin around my stitches. "Please tell me no one told Cullen I'm awake."

"No," Dorian sighed. "I can't understand why you wouldn't want him to know."

I regretted the next face I pulled. "He was being a dick before I left and he wouldn't even tell me why!"

He ran his fingers through his hair before he answered. "He didn't know Ray is your cousin. I would have told him if you four hadn't disappeared in the thick of things."

I groaned and laid back on the cot I had been in since I woke up. The healers wouldn't let me leave until they were sure I wouldn't get an infection. "Why me? Why do these things always happen to me?"

"Your luck is just that bad sometimes," Dorian laughed. "Your good luck is usually just that good. There has to be a balance."

I sighed and tried to keep my hands away from my itching stitches. "That bad luck is going to leave me pretty badly scarred. I wonder if Cullen will care that I'm starting to look like the Seeker."

Dorian just laughed at me and told me to try to rest. There was no way I getting back to sleep. I could at least relax and try to keep from scratching my face.

It wasn't until the next morning that the healers released me from their clutches. I was starving and wanted to drink something that didn't involve elfroot. I spotted Hunter in the great hall. He was leaning over a plate like he was guarding it.

"The string on that bow snapped," I said as I sat down across from him. At least they liked to serve injured people instead of making them get it themselves. "Now I look horrible."

Hunter looked up and dropped his fork when he saw my face. "How the hell did it hit you?"

I shrugged. "I should have put it down before I flopped onto my bed. I don't even want to know how long I was asleep. Anyway, yesterday it snapped and got me. I don't know what the healers did with it. Kinda sad. I liked it until it did this to me."

Hunter gave me a lopsided smile. "You'll be alright, Korbin. It might not scar that badly."

"Wishful thinking," I sighed and rolled my eyes. "I can't even make my usual faces out of fear that I pull the stitches. When it rains, it pours." I heard Ray call my name as he came through the doors. "I have a bone to pick with my dear cousin. Want to stick around and see how it goes?"

Hunter laughed. "Knowing your temper, this could be interesting."

"What the hell happened to your face?" Ray asked as he sat down next to Hunter.

"Snapped bow string," I said simply. "What have you been up to my dear Magey cousin?"

Ray's jaw dropped. "Who told you?"

I let out a snort. "I was in the fade recently. I have my ways. Have you gotten the chance to talk to Cullen?"

"The Commander?" he asked slowly, cautiously. I nodded. "Why would I need to talk to him? He looks like he wants to kill me every time he notices I'm close enough for him to spot. By the way, what is up with that look? Does he hate Mages?"

"Not as much as he should," I said bitterly. "Trust me, if anyone has the right to hate them it's him. He's giving you that look because he thinks there's something going on there. Everyone keeps forgetting to tell him you're my cousin."

"Why would it even matter to him?" he asked. A look of sudden understanding fell over his face. "Oh, shit. I am so sorry Korbin. I didn't mean for that to happen."

I rose an eyebrow at him. "Nothing has happened yet, but he isn't speaking to me either. You're going to help me fix this shit or I'll throw you off the top of his tower." I neglected to tell Ray that there's no way to even get up there.

"Ok! I'll help you," he said, throwing his hands up in surrender. "Are you going to come along and make sure no one dies, Hunter?"

The Inquisitor smiled. "Of course! It was hard enough pushing those two together. I'm not letting them fall apart now."

The bastards refused to go through the door until I did. It was my understanding that no one had told Cullen about the incident with the bow. Boy was he going to be in for a surprise. I took a deep breath and started up the stairs. I hadn't had this wound for long and I was already nervous about it effecting the way people speak to me. Shit, what am I going to do?

I reach up and knocked on the door to Cullen's tower. I waited for him to answer in some way that would let me know he was there so I wouldn't chicken out. I heard something hit a wall near the door and swallowed hard. Oh shit. "Who is it?" He shouted. Oh good, he there. I pushed the door open before I could turn tail. What the hell was I afraid of? Rejection or finding out that he'd moved on. That's what.

I closed the door behind me before turning to look at him. It was obvious that Cullen was struggling with his addiction. I looked to where I'd heard something hit the wall. Lyrium splattered the wall and shards of glass were everywhere. "We really need to work on you not throwing things that can break."

Cullen's head snapped up and his eyes went wide. "What happened to you?" It was barely above a whisper.

"I brought back a bow and true to Korbin stupidity I didn't put it down before I tried to go to sleep," I explained. I couldn't look at him. "It snapped yesterday, I think. I was in the infirmary until this morning. I kinda want to kill the healer I got stuck with since she drugged me so they could stitch me up. I ended up in the fade. Again." And I was rambling. Great. I shouldn't have been worried. The next thing I knew I was swept up in a tight hug.

"I thought you had died," Cullen whispered, near tears. "You were gone for a month and no one could find you."

I snickered. "If you haven't noticed, no one has had any luck killing me yet." That just made him squeeze me a little tighter. "Now, why are you giving Ray the death glare every time you see him?"

"I-Who?" He looked genuinely confused.

I snorted. "The mage I was talking to a lot before I got pissed off at you and went to the Emerald Graves and got lost for a month."

Cullen rubbed the back of his neck. "I- I...uh. I.. can't tell you."

"I'd make a face at you right now if it wouldn't hurt," I said, giving him a dead stare that said I was on to him. "You got jealous. Didn't you?"

I have never seen Cullen so embarrassed before. It was adorable. "Yes." He said, hanging his head.

I let out a laugh. "You shouldn't be. That's my cousin. He followed me here somehow."

"If it is possible, I believe I feel even worst now." The face he made was priceless.

I laughed and gave him a big grin. "Well, you owe my poor cousin an apology. Let's get that taken care of before you collapse from embarrassment." Dear gods, that man is adorable.

While I normally wouldn't go anywhere near the garden, I really needed to thank Morrigan for her gift. It might have put me out of commission for a few days at the ball, but it was still useful. It was going to help me train a charger.

I waved when I spotted her. She looked different from the last time I saw her, but it was at the ball. "Hey there."

"I had not thought to see you again," she said. "You have been busy."

"Yeah," I sighed. "Getting lost in the Emerald Graves and earning a scar by sleeping next to a bow that had weak string on it. I guess I can see where that would be a busy sort of thing."

She considered my words for a moment before she spoke again. "You are not wary of me as your companions are. Why is that, I wonder?"

I hummed and thought about it for a moment. "You remind me greatly of someone I owe my life to. Actually, you look and sound like her if she were about thirty years younger. Maybe less. Are you familiar with Flemeth?"

Her demeanor seemed to change from friendly to agitated quickly. "I am. She is not someone you should owe a debt to."

"Yeah," I said slowly, mind drifting. "I don't generally give it much thought. Too much other shit to worry about."

"Quite true," she agreed.

"Well," I said, at a loss for words. "Thank you for the gift."

"You are very welcome," she replied with a smile before going on her way.

Good job Korbin. You're a fucking asshat.

"I had not thought to see such a glorious creature in the Inquisition's stables." That was a very unfamiliar voice and I had a good idea who the guy was talking about. My charger.

"The Inquisition boasts some of the greatest mounts Thedas has ever seen," the Horse Master answered. "In fact, the greatest horses we stable here belong to one person."

"Master Dennet," I said in greeting as I approached. "How are my boys doing today?"

The older gentleman smiled brightly at my arrival. "They fair well, Lady Korbin. Ready to start training that charger?"

The other man looked between us like there was something strange going on. "You... are the owner of this majestic beast?"

"I wouldn't exactly call him majestic," I laughed. "He's got a long way to go. Isn't that right?" I reached out and ran my fingers over his velvety nose. "Today you get to learn ground manners."

"That's a good place to start," Master Dennet replied. "He's had plenty of time to get used to not being shod. You could really start anywhere you wanted with him."

I carefully made a face. "Now you and I both know that any good trainer starts from the ground up. That's the quickest way to spot any potential problems."

Dennet grinned and moved to get the charger's lead rope from the tack room. The guy that still hadn't introduced himself looked at me oddly. "Do you mean to say that you plan to train this animal?"

"Yep," I snipped. "Oh, and you might want to move. Hollow is about to take a chunk out of your ass." Too late. He screamed in pain and turned on the fade-touched- horse. "I tried to warn you. Hollow doesn't seem to like you too much."

The guy puffed up, looking really angry, and left the stable. Dennet gave me a look when he returned and I just shrugged. What was I supposed to do? Not a damn thing.

I took a deep breath. Eyes closed. Forehead to forehead with the charger. I breathed with him, trying to center myself and him with the calm action. The calmer we were, the easier this would be. I lightly grabbed the sides of his halter and took a step forward. Relaying my actions through pressure and movement.

I kept my eyes closed. It was easy to feel the way he moved with me. I took another step forward, a little pressure on the halter. Asking him to move with me. Not demanding. His movements were smooth and easy. The exercise working well for him. I dropped my hands and repeated the movements. His stride was easy and trusting thanks to my calm demeanor.

I took a blind step back, listening for the sound of his hooves as he moved. His forehead touched mine again. I repeated the action and was rewarded with the same results. I wasn't asking him to do anything complicated and he was responding to my method. I stepped back and he moved with me, never parting. He was picking this up faster than I thought he would.

I made the same series of back and forth steps to test him. He moved with each step, never missing a beat. I stepped to the side suddenly and lost contact with him. Then he was there. I repeated the move and he came along with me. When I stepped to the other side he came with me easily, anticipating my steps.

I opened my eyes and smiled at him. "Good boy!" I praised. "You're a fast learner. Your stride is easy... And there's your name, Strider." He pricked his ears at the name. "Yep, Strider it is. Come on, let's get you something to eat. You earned a little extra."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I yelled as I walked into the great hall. Hunter had sent a messenger to get me, because I was apparently in trouble for some ungodly reason. The guy from the stables was standing close to the throne. Cullen, Josie, and Leliana stood close at hand. Apparently I was about to be judged. "What did I do? Kill someone's grandmother in my sleep?"

Hunter tried hard not to grin. "Lord Le Meur tells me that you allowed a 'demonic horse' to bite him. Is this true?"

"No," I snorted. "I tried to warn him that Hollow was about to bite him. Did he listen? Hell no."

Hunter hummed in consideration. "Seeing as Hollow has never shown such aggression towards anyone else and because I know the toll his current state took on poor Dorian I have no choice but to disregard the allegations. I am sorry you were bitten by a Bog Unicorn, Lord Le Meur, but there is nothing I can or will do to my friend's beloved undead mount."

"This is an outrage!" Lord Le Meur shouted. "You only side with her because she is your whore!"

I raised an eyebrow. "I think Commander Cullen might have a few words to say to you about that."

Cullen smiled at that, but stayed silent. Hunter, on the other hand, dismissed him without another glance. "If you are done insulting myself and my friends I must ask you to leave. We have things to discuss."

I had a feeling I wasn't going to like this.

I stared at Leliana in disbelief. "Are you fucking serious? The Arbor Wilds? Don't people just disappear in there and never come back?"

"The same can be said for the Emerald Graves," Josie sighed.

"We have received information that says that Corypheus is heading there," Leliana said. "We must discover the reason he has gone there."

"Whatever he's up to can't be good news for us," Cullen ground out. "We need to find out before it's too late. I suggest we leave in three days. That will give us enough to time to prepare and gather our allies."

"What if it's a trap?" Varric asked.

"If we have Celene's forces behind us I see no issue," Leliana supplied.

"At the very least it's worth investigating," Hunter agreed. "Who wants to go?"

"Why not all of us?" I asked. "Overkill is better than nothing. Some of the best you could ask for are standing in this room."

Cullen sighed. "She's right, you know."

"I guess it's settled then," Hunter said slowly. "We march on the Arbor Wilds in three days."