"I dream of places shifting. Forever without solid ground under my feet, the skies a different colour every second, the oceans calm and then violent. Is that the Fade?"

"It's possible," said Solas, "It all depends. Do you meet with spirits?"

"I meet with…strange people. People who never seem to be whole."

"That is fascinating. Perhaps your mind expects people, and the spirits adapt. Have you had many conversations with them?"

"Yes." Fabriel reached over for his tea. He noticed the elf did not pour himself a cup, and wondered if he shared Dorian's allergy to stripweed. The pair sat in a sheltered part of the garden, over an unfinished game of chess that Solas was clearly winning. The weather was still foul – he could feel the frost in his lungs, needling at his wounds, but he needed to understand what the elf had shown him, if it was even possible for him to manipulate the Fade. For the most part, his companion seemed unaffected by the cold. He was more interested in his son, his eyes concentrated on him and his expression wise and light, even comforting.

"What do they say?"

"It depends on the person. Some say there's a wolf in my soul, others say I've lost my colours. I don't understand it. I thought it all nonsense. But I remembered that elvish. Does that not mean something?"

Solas tented his fingers and leaned back in his seat. "It does. It's my hope that you will come to remember more, in time – if not everything, then enough to further develop your talent."

"I'm not certain I want to," he said.

"It's too rare a gift to waste, vhenan, especially in your circumstances."

Fabriel made his move on the board.

"The Vessel should be committed to the people," he said.

"Do they deserve it?" Solas countered. "These are the same people who deny you your right to live and love freely. They command your time, your attention, require your complete devotion. In their eyes, how are you any different from a slave?"

"Those who I protect offer me food, water, shelter from the elements. I am their last line of defence against the world's horrors. They suffer just as I do."

"No, vhenan, they do not. They sleep in their beds with their lovers, are free to rear and raise children, cattle, build lives independent of the Chantry. But you? You are bound to that creed, no matter your own desires."

Solas played his move. He was closing in on Fabriel's king, and the rider scrutinised the board in an attempt to save himself.

"I am no more bound than the Vessels before me," he said. "Rosaline retired from service and died a natural death."

"And Athrahel, the only other of the elf-blood, was killed by those he was sworn to protect."

Fabriel moved his queen's position. "This is a pointless tangent, Solas."

"Because it discomforts you?"

"No," he replied, "because it changes nothing."

"I see." He moved a templar. "I wonder, then, what will become of you and Dorian. He is Tevinter, and already there rises hysteria about your relationship."

"I will endure it."

"Ah, as love does in the face of adversity."

Fabriel moved forward his queen. Solas studied the board, his brow furrowed and his lips thinned.

"Did your mother not teach you chess?" he asked as he put forward a pawn.

"I was a child," he moved his queen, "I didn't want to sit for hours and learn when I could be playing outside. I spent an entire month determined to chase the chickens from their coops. By the time it was reasonable for me to try and learn again, Father had already started to teach me carpentry."

"Ah, yes, Lars," said Solas, moving the pawn, "I never did like the last name he gave you. Glin." He moved his tongue as though he had something in his teeth, the word ever-so-slightly stretched as he said it. "You used to say it all the time. 'I'm Fabriel Glin. Glin, Glin, Glin.' As if you were trying to convince yourself."

Fabriel moved his queen. "It seems I had reason to."

"Yes. You were always a precocious child." He moved his templar. "Check."

Fabriel took the templar with his queen.

"You said I have a destiny," he told him, "What is it you believe I should be, if not the Vessel?"

"That shall come in time. There's much for you to learn before we can even discuss it." He moved his mage. "Check."

"It matters little, I suppose. Fate put me on this path. This is what I committed myself to."

"No, vhenan. Other people committed you to it when you were no more than a child. The destiny you have is far more than their minds can even contemplate – even if we must take regrettable measures to reach it."

"Regrettable measures?" he questioned. Solas' eyes were steady, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

"Yes," he replied, "It will become clearer in time, the more you understand."

"Am I to have no choice in my future? Condemn the Mothers as much as you like, Solas, but do you not also want to force me to accept a path I've not chosen?"

"Point taken." He said. "I will not force you. I believe that it will become your natural choice, and all the sacrifices made towards it will be informed decisions rather than ones thrust upon you, as they are now."

"If I were to refuse?"

Solas smiled. "We shall cross that bridge once we come to it." He gestured to the board. "Do you have another move to play, or do you concede defeat?"

The rider studied the board. He could see no move that would free his king. He made certain to calculate all possible avenues of escape, but as he went through each one he realised it was pointless; he would just put himself in another check.

"Well done, Solas," he said as he reclined into his seat. "I should have taken my lessons more seriously."

"No matter. We've time enough for me to teach you."

"I would like that. With Dorian at the cave I need to find distractions."

"You care for him. It's admirable. But I've seen Dorian's magical skill. He can defend himself, if he needs to." Solas paused and looked out at the garden for a moment. "At any rate, we should return to the fortress. This cold cannot be good for your wounds."

The elf stood, folding his hands together as though he was nervous of his next question.

"If you find yourself at a loose end, would you care to have dinner with me tonight?" he asked. "It's been a long time since we dined together. I would love to hear more about your travels."

"I…would like that, Solas." He replied. "I'm teaching Sera how to protect herself against drakes this afternoon. I'll come to the rotunda afterwards."

"Be cautious of Sera, vhenan. She will turn those tricks against you, and you'll soon find your bed full of lizards."

"Lizards?"

"A story for another time," he chuckled, "Come, let's not freeze any longer."

Fabriel set the pieces quickly into place before he stood and followed Solas.