Even Dhaveira's happy shrieks could not rid Ellana of the sound of that laugh. It had plagued her for days, creeping in from the periphery whenever she found a moment's quiet. She did not recognise that Solas. She found comfort in the most logical explanation – that it was not him. The evidence Varden had shown her and the certain knowledge that Solas was undoubtedly moving people only added to that theory. She had collected piles of books on the subject of abominations but even with all the knowledge they held, they were limited. Few could claim to have direct experience; there were hardly books written from the perspective of the possessed and those that did succumb seldom lasted long enough to be recorded in any detail. As Ellana read, the more her mind wandered to Varric. She had thought of him now and again - what he was doing now, what he thought of her and all they alone had shared but never had she considered contacting him. Now was different, now he was the perfect person. She smiled thinking back to the stolen glimpse of Solas's journal and the name written within. Varric could have made a lot of money closely documenting Anders the famous abomination that started the mage-templar war.
"Oh, Ellana! You must come see this!"
Her mother's sharp tone splintered her focus with more ease than any sound could. Frown formed by the interruption, she could see nothing but Dhaveira's great hide. She got to her feet with a groan.
"Ellana!" her mother hissed once more.
"I'm coming! Give me a damn minute," Ellana replied as she made the long journey around the dragon to reach the demanding woman behind.
"Be quiet! You'll wake her!"
Ellana rolled her eyes thinking it something of an ironic statement given her mother's own volume. Dhaveira rumbled and raised her great head to bear down on the tiny form of Siona sitting next to her curled bulk. She shrieked softly in the direction of her lap before the elf turned up and shushed her.
"Da…da…da…"
The sound cut straight through Ellana's heart. She stopped in her tracks.
"Dada… Dada…"
Her mouth fell open. She quickened her pace to her mother's side and knelt, eyes immovable from her sleeping daughter.
"Dada… Dada? Da…da…"
"She's…she's…" Ellana could not find the words.
"She's saying 'Daddy'!" her mother finished for her. "Isn't that just wonderful?! She's never tried that before, has she? And in her sleep as well!"
Siona's volume provoked a wriggle from the child along with a disgruntled sound.
"Never," Ellana replied in a whisper. "Just nonsense words… It's…It's…" She trailed off with the weight of emotion.
Her mother held no such difficulty finding speech. "And he wasn't here! How disappointing! We will have to tell him!"
Ellana stared down as Emmaera's eyes slowly opened, no longer able to suffer her grandmother's shrill voice.
"Dada?"
Tears welled as Ellana gazed in to her daughters questioning features.
"No, my darling," she said as she took her in her arms. "Daddy is working but he would just love to see you." She fluttered her fingers and the little one beamed a smile. "Your daddy loves you just like your mummy."
"Dada!" the little one replied before degenerating in to long babbled sentences punctuated by the occasional giggle.
"Yes, my darling," Ellana breathed, looking down on her child with melancholy.
Siona tried to catch her gaze. "Do not fear, my child. He may have missed the first but he will be there for the many thousands of repeats."
Ellana did little to hide the doubt in her eyes. She broke away from her mother but Siona did not give up so easily.
"What troubles you, da'len?" She exhaled a note of a laugh. "Much, I am sure but I have sensed a change in you of late. As if something is building beneath the surface but I know you, my girl, I know when it's becoming too much."
"Ha!" Her mother glared at her for the laugh. "I've been in over my head pretty much every day since I left the clan but…" Ellana's expression turned suddenly serious. "I've always known what to do. I may not have liked it or thought I was capable but I have always known. Now though…I don't know anything anymore."
"But you have him. He supports you. Even when you feel incapable, he is there to make sure you achieve your goals…"
"His goals," Ellana could not help but say. She turned away from her mother, damning herself.
"Ah…so that's it." Siona touched her hand to her daughter's arm and spun her reluctantly back in to view. "You no longer want the same things." Ellana barely met her gaze. "Does he know? Have you spoken with him?"
Ellana looked away entirely. "Not directly but…he must know… He knows me, Mamae, all of me. He must know that I cannot…"
She trailed off in to silence as her mother pulled her in to a warm embrace. "My girl, if he already knows then why falter? Trust in what you have. He will understand. He is yours and you are his. You fight together now, not alone."
She breathed in her mother's scent. She wanted to say, "I am alone but not him, not anymore," but she held back. Dhaveira got to her feet in the background and hailed a rock-shaking shriek. The sound of scuffing stone kept on long after the shriek died. Ellana expected Solas, his timing always had been perfectly terrible but it was not him. Mirwen paced towards them, no hesitation registering in her gait. If it was even possible, Ellana's expression fell further.
"Be still, soaring bird," Mirwen said in reply to a warning growl from Dhaveira. "We have met many times in my dreams albeit not in yours, unseeing raven that you are. You already see too much in this world."
Dhaveira trilled cautiously as the old woman outstretched a hand to her. She glanced back to Ellana and sounded another shriek.
"Wiser than most, you saw what was hidden. You understood better than any that came after. You see more than most could ever dream."
The dragon accepted her hand, head moving back and forward against it in instruction. Mirwen was stroking her dutifully long before Ellana made it to them.
Siona spoke before she had a chance. "Good day. I do not believe we have met? Have we, Ellana?"
She gazed expectantly at her daughter but Ellana found herself distracted by their visitor's expression. At the mere sight of Siona, Mirwen's face had darkened almost instantly.
"No, we have not met," she started in Ellana's place. "I am Mirwen – Keeper to the clan Namahris. You must be Ellana's mother."
"She delivered Em, Mamae," Ellana added.
Likely thinking of the rumours she too had heard about Mirwen's clan, Siona's features had fallen but they brightened up again just as quickly.
"You did?" she breathed, emotion thick in her words. "Then I cannot thank you enough! You must be very important to Ellana and I cannot imagine why she would not have thought to introduce us sooner." The obvious scolding did little but make Ellana roll her eyes. "I have heard of your clan but I did not know you were present in this place. There are many entire Dalish clans? I have only seen fragments within the camps…"
"Mother," Ellana interrupted with her gaze firmly planted on Mirwen. "Could you take Em back home? She must be tired and I…Mirwen and I have much to discuss."
Siona glared at her. "I believe I was told not to walk alone with her through the camps! And now you want me to take her through the woods as well?"
"Yes, Mother, just do it…please," Ellana interrupted yet again. "I'm sorry but could you? It would…"
"Fine. If that is what you need then I am not about to deny you." She nodded to Mirwen apologetically. "My daughter can be rather rude at times. I hope you will not consider it a mark on my parenting, but it was lovely to meet you. Perhaps we can continue our meeting in the camps at another point?"
"That would be lovely," Mirwen replied, nodding in turn but likely having no intention to keep such plans. "I valued meeting you as well. You have raised a wonderful daughter."
Siona beamed briefly at her before noticing Ellana's glare and making to leave. She turned back after only a few steps. "What would you have me tell her father? He will wonder where I have left you."
Ellana shrugged. "Tell him I was waylaid by someone and will return shortly."
Her mother nodded but before she could get far, Mirwen shouted, "Don't mention me! The Dread Wolf thinks I'm a menace!"
Ellana brought her palm to her forehead. Her mother had finally made it out of earshot but even still, she lowered her voice. "Did you have to? Next time I see her that is all she will ask about."
"So answer her; tell her all. It is hardly complicated."
Ellana's breath rattled in frustration. "I can't do that! Do you know what she would do if she knew everything? Worry herself sick if not try and solve it all. Which no one can do but me apparently."
"What mother does not wish to know their child? Do you not think she sees how much the wolf is privy to and feels outdone?"
"I'm sure she does but that doesn't mean it's what's best for her. Concern, disappointment and fear are all she would gain from that conversation," Ellana interjected with a roll of her eyes.
Mirwen sighed. "Some day you might regret not letting her in and then there will be nothing you can do but mourn that which you denied yourself…and her… Concern, disappointment, fear – all are nothing in the face of regret."
Ellana stared at her for much too long. Eyes narrowed, she could not tell if that was simply a maternal warning or an actual prophecy. Either way it did not matter, Ellana knew that no good could come of hurting her mother with that sort of knowledge.
"Regret…ha," she mused quietly. "Fitting you would choose to use that term given what a strong driver it is for the man I love." She turned away from Mirwen, hands fidgeting at her waist.
"He is the topic of discussion." Out of the corner of her eye, Ellana saw her expression fall. "You have found something…"
"Not found," Ellana interrupted. "He told me he was an abomination and in truth, I should have known all along. I'm sure you did."
"Of course I did." Mirwen's tone held a hint of derision. "Have you not seen abominations? The few that survive long enough exhibit glowing eyes much like his." Her hand found Ellana's arm, blue stare boring in to her. "But that was Mythal. A gift from his world meant to grant him the strength to press on, not…"
"And it is destroying him!" Ellana unexpectedly yelled.
The sudden volume made the Keeper jump but she recovered quickly, calm in the face of anything. "What did he tell you of the spirit?"
"That she is purpose…that…that…" She considered Mirwen for a long moment. "That she is more like Mythal than anything."
"Yes. More like Mythal than anything." She compelled Ellana's eyes to her own. "From what you know of Mythal, would you say she is likely to submit to corruption?"
"But she is! I can see it! Every moment that passes his heart darkens and I can see the effect it is having on him! She is a spirit; she could never stand the corruption of this world…"
"And yet, she did. For centuries. Do you imagine the Witch of the Wilds was free of corruption? Better at controlling a spirit than a god-like being who lived with similar bonds for much of his near eternal life?"
"But that…that…" Ellana held her head in her hands. "If not that, then…" She stared up at Mirwen, grey eyes absorbed by question. "What?"
Mirwen dipped to meet her lowered height. "Walk the path. Trudge on until the fork comes and keep on. The answer lies already in your mind. Dream and it will find you, long before you need it. Think to dream."
As Mirwen walked away, Ellana wanted to stop her but she could not. Her legs barely seemed able to hold her weight, let alone chase after the Keeper. Beside her, Dhaveira shrieked defiantly; a puff of blue fire propelled to cover the scorched columns that led on to the dreaded doorway.
"Teaching her? Like, alone?" Lis tried to clarify, struggling. "So, they're together…alone, having lessons or something and you're okay with this?"
Ellana said nothing. She had no idea how to put in to words the way she felt about it. Jealous would be the honest term. Aemilia had agreed to work with them and that was a wonderful thing for their cause but she also essentially invited herself to their home. Ellana hated the idea but said nothing; this rebel mage was, after all, just what they needed. Normally the idea of Solas alone with another woman would not have bothered her in the slightest but this was different. Aemilia interested him, not in the same way as Ellana knew she did but that was how it started. On the way back from Tevinter, the two of them had talked for hours about the wonders of magic, leaving Ellana to feel completely forgotten. He had so much in common with this Tevene elf that she could never have and a part of her was simply jealous of that fact. On top of that, the possessive part of her saw the first real threat their relationship had suffered. Luckily for her, her friends did not seem fazed by her silence – happily filling it for her.
"Who gives a shit?" Shivra added. "So he's teaching her; since when does teaching lead to fucking?"
Lis rolled her eyes. "I'm not saying it does but it might and maybe that bothers El? I mean, it's not like he's ever shown the remotest interest in any other woman up until this point…even that must make her worry…"
Lis gawped expectantly at her but Ellana was too lost in thought to notice. Truth be told, Aemilia was far from her most pressing concern. She was jealous, that was true but it was certainly not what kept her awake at night.
"Fine, you're right," Shivra conceded, her eyes now also trained on Ellana. "The issue isn't him; it's what El thinks and just fucking look at her! Can't even focus for a few minutes." She waved a hand in front of Ellana's face. "Hello? You in there?"
The sudden close movement broke Ellana from her thoughts. "What?"
Her eyes darted between them all as they simply stared back at her.
"Wow…she is pretty far gone…" Lori breathed with a sigh.
"Far gone? About what?" Ellana asked in an irritated tone. "Are we still on the Tevene? For fucks sake! I told you – I am not jealous!" Her voice rose uncomfortably.
Shivra raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you are…"
Ellana tired of the argument. "Okay, fine – maybe I am a bit jealous but not because I think he's going to sleep with her; he would never do that. It's…it's stupid." She sighed in the face of yet more doubting stares. "Knowledge is Solas's first love; if he finds something interesting then that is all he sees… I guess…I worry that if he spends enough time with this woman then maybe…maybe he'll find her more interesting than me. It's so stupid and childish and I know I can't…"
"Bullshit," the sound of Miris's soft voice stopped Ellana in her tracks. "Not what you're saying, that is valid but the thought behind it. I barely know the guy but even I know that if you showed up right in the middle of their little lesson, dressed to the nines – he would drop her in a second."
"But you don't know Solas," Ellana added. "Teaching, learning, all of that – he may be a man but sex comes second…"
"Bull. Shit," Miris repeated before unexpectedly getting to her feet; gone before Ellana could even think to open her mouth.
She turned to the others. "What the…?"
Miris stomped back in to the tent, throwing a bundle of fabric down in to Ellana's lap. "I will bet you anything that if you put that on and go interrupt them right now, he will forget that bitch even exists."
"What is it? A dress?" Shivra added, eyeing the fabric as Ellana examined it herself. "I second that bet."
"Me too!" Lis added with a grin.
Ellana stood and holding the fabric by what appeared to be straps, she allowed the dress to fall free. "You have got to be kidding me. It's practically sheer! Is that a slit?!" She turned to Miris accusingly. "Why do you even have this?"
She turned ever so slightly pink. "Well…for a job originally but I kept it… For the ladies, you know?" Her expression regained its confidence. "Anyway, it's not sheer – that's lace and beading; and the slit…well…"
"For the ladies?" Ellana asked with a raised eyebrow.
Miris nodded, unashamed. "Are you going to try it on then or what?"
"No!"
Lis joined Miris on her feet, hand to Ellana in appeasement. "Come on, El. It'll be fun." Ellana glared at her. "Maybe not fun but wouldn't it ease your worry? Might not take it away completely but even if it helps a little, why not try?"
Ellana rolled her eyes. "Fine. I will try it on." Her friends all appeared gleeful. "But I am not saying I will go and see him!"
"Fine, fine ,fine," Miris interrupted, nudging her out to find privacy. "That remains to be seen."
Ellana felt ridiculous. Her envy may have been real but it should have been beneath her. She could not help but think of a child vying for attention and that thought alone made her feel pathetic. The dress itself was gorgeous. Not Ellana's taste, that was certain but undeniably beautiful nonetheless. It was sheer despite Miris's continued insistence to the contrary. Panels of coloured fabric, each practically see-through, formed an overall print; sparingly used sections of silver embroidery and beading all that covered her modesty. That was not the only thing that brought her discomfort. The neckline dipped much lower than she would have liked and the flowy skirts parted at one side, cut so high that with a slight movement, Ellana could reveal much of her near naked hip. Miris was taller than her and her body, significantly less curved in the hips and breast. The dress being fitted to a more willowy frame only amplified its provocative features.
"You wear it well," Miris purred, examining her proudly. "You can come in!" she called out to the others.
First through, Lis stopped in her tracks. "Damn!"
Shivra bumped in to her and they argued loudly as Lori came through. She reached out and touched the fabric.
"It's like stained glass," she quietly mused.
"Yeah, if stained glass had a naked woman under it," Shivra added with a laugh.
Miris promptly hit her over the head but Ellana had already started to redden uncontrollably.
Shivra kept on, "So you going to go get him or what?"
Ellana shook her head, arms desperately trying to conceal at least some of her bare body. "I can't go out looking like this! It was stupid anyway…"
"El, just damn well go," Lis piped up. "You look amazing and you clearly need this. No one will care."
Miris took her by the shoulders. "Look, you have a mountain of worries. So many that I don't even know how you do it. This is one; a tiny one, maybe but it is still adding to all the others. Get out there and slay that Tevene. Fuck everyone else – they are only looking because who damn well wouldn't. Cross this worry off the list like you know you can."
Ellana stared at the ground for a long moment. "Alright," she said, finally meeting Miris's gaze. "Bring it on."
When Solas taught Ellana about the magical arts it was a worthwhile experience but undeniably limited. She lacked the ability to put anything he told her in to practice and although it seemed to do nothing to dampen her enjoyment of the learning, it did leave him with a sense of emptiness. Aemilia was a different story entirely. She had the ability. The well-established conventions of her previous tutelage did do something to hamper her efforts but she seemed more than willing to cast off these limitations. It was heartening to see, most of all because he could see it so directly. Each time she succeeded in grasping a new skill it felt like a personal victory for him – bursting forth just as easily as the magic did from her. The only factor that did bother him was her intent. Ellana approached any subject with curiosity and little else – the desire to learn purely for the sake of it. Aemilia, again, was completely different. Her desire was for power and with the knowledge he brought, that was all she was trying to gain. Still, he worried little. Teaching her was gratifying and could be beneficial in the long run. If it went the other way then that was a risk he was willing to take. The likelihood that she could ever come close to surpassing him was next to none and he was prepared to put her down if needs must.
He knew that Ellana had not liked his new student at their first meeting and likely continued to do so but he was oblivious to the continual jealousy she suffered. In Solas's mind it did not matter, he loved Ellana and that was clear so she had nothing to be jealous about. He viewed it much as he viewed her rather thorny relationship with Cyrrian. In a way it was different because she hated his attentions and Solas knew that – her discomfort the only reason he had thought to threaten him in the first place. If she had appreciated the adoration, he would have simply allowed her the enjoyment. As long as it did not cross the line in to the territory that he alone occupied, he did not care and he just presumed she felt the same way.
Aemilia had made some pretty pathetic attempts at seduction. Whenever it did happen, he rebuffed her politely but if it ever went any further, he was ready to end it all there and then. On this day, she had actually said little – her focus purely on the knowledge he imparted. They had been sitting in the war room for some time mulling over texts. She seemed to dislike these sorts of lessons. While Solas saw great value in theory, she seemed to covet the more practical side.
Golden hair partially covering her features, she gazed up at him from the book she had been poring over. "Are you ever going to show me this or will our studies of the Fade always be purely academic?"
He smiled at her eagerness. "Perhaps some day. For now I… Now is not a good time." He downturned his head ever so slightly.
"I'm sorry; I should not have asked." Her brow crinkled up and she reached out a hand to touch his forearm. "You seem troubled."
He pulled away from her; hand he had taken brushing awkwardly across his head. "It is nothing. Not your concern."
Still not fully deterred, she leant forward against the table. "You bear so many burdens upon your shoulders. Too much for one man alone…"
"How fortuitous then that I have so many to help me carry the load," he interrupted with an angered crinkle in his nose. "It remains no concern of yours."
It was a harsh statement, too harsh but he needed her to stop. Even the suggestion that he was alone was already birthing fear and that blended with the strange mixture of anger and desire he already felt would likely not end well.
Her expression crumpled with hurt. "Is it too much to show concern? Is she so insecure that I cannot even…?"
"This is not about Ellana," he interrupted, spite biting through but still predominantly measured. "It never was. Learn. That is all I want from you. If that is too much to ask then…"
A crash from the office cut his words short. Both of them, distracted from their tense discussion, turned towards the sound. Aemilia gazed back at him questioningly but he was already on the move.
"Ellana?" he called out, office empty and absent of explanation. "Ellana is that…"
An empty inkwell lay smashed on the floor. It had likely made its home somewhere within the disorder of his desk but now it sat almost in the centre of the room. He raised an eyebrow, the sound of the padding feet of the likely culprit audible from the bedroom.
"Ellana!" he called out again. "Ellana, I know…"
"Yes, my love?"
Words abandoned him. Not because she had chosen to interject, her words had been much too quiet for that - his mouth had in fact fallen open the second he saw her. She stood casually leaning on the doorframe. Silver hair tousled about her shoulders, she wore perhaps the most enthralling dress he had ever seen upon her form. It showed skin, a great deal in fact but just enough that he was still left wishing for the parts it did not show. She had kept her eyes from him but not any longer. With a flick of her hair, she watched him beneath a mischievously arched eyebrow.
"Ma lath?" she asked with a hint of melody in her voice. "Are you quite well?"
She shifted her weight to one side and out of the edge of her skirt a leg and hip, nude excluding the small line of her undergarments, flashed free. His already wide eyes somehow widened further.
She giggled lightly, turning to what was likely a stunned Aemilia behind him. "Has he been like this all afternoon?"
She did not get a chance to answer. Solas had found at least some sense, albeit a primal one. He strode to Ellana and she recoiled at the intensity as he met her.
"Vhenan," he managed as he kicked the bedroom door shut behind them.
Aemilia's face had been a picture and Solas's a close second. Ellana's rival was likely still out in the office ruminating on what had just happened but she had other concerns. Solas had a hand through the slit of her dress already threatening her underwear.
She pulled away from his kiss. "Do we not do greetings anymore?"
His busy hands hardly even paused. "No."
The second her undergarments hit the floor, he lifted her free of the ground. She squealed in surprise.
"This is what you want, is it not?" he uttered, breath warm on her ear. "Tell me to stop."
He pressed her hard in to the wall and kissed her deeply, hand once again finding its way beneath her skirts.
"Too many clothes," she uttered between heavy breaths. He stopped to gaze at her quizzically. She pointed lazily at him. "You. Lose them."
His head cocked to one side as a half-smile formed. "Lose them?"
"That is what I said." She ran her hands across the breadth of his shoulders. "Be quick about it."
Unable to wipe the surprise from his face, he still did as she commanded. She watched eagerly but in her watching, an idea came to her. Once all that remained was the bottom half, she ended her watching.
"Stop," she ordered, fingers idly running the length of his chest. "I'll do the rest…but first…hands."
Palms up, she held out her own expectantly waiting for his. He still thought to raise an eyebrow in confusion but luckily for her, curiosity seemed to be winning the day. He placed each of his hands in hers and before he could react, she knotted them tight with a tie taken from his own clothing. Alarm read across his features as he thought to tug against his bonds.
"What a compromising position you find yourself in…" she mused with a slight giggle. She paced around him, hand sliding lazily across his bare back.
"Hardly. I may not be able to break myself free but fire would be just as effective."
"Oh of course. You are so very talented, my love, in so many ways," she purred, enjoying this far too much. "But you are not going to do that, are you?" She came to rest in front of him, hand grazing up and down his chest. "You're going to lie down on that bed and I'm going to reward you for being so very good."
Brow furrowed, he glanced back at the bed. He was likely not enjoying this nearly as much as Ellana but she hoped his want for her and curiosity would keep it going.
"Reward?" he asked, eyes narrowed. "With my hands tied?"
"Mmhmm," Ellana purred, a hand to his chest compelling him backwards towards the bed.
He landed on it with a thud and she promptly mounted him. She ran the tips of her fingers ever so slowly up his chest until they reached his arms and she forced them above his head.
"Reward can be rather slow for those who misbehave, my love. Another woman would never pull a good man's gaze."
He sat up suddenly, taking her with him. "That's what this is about?! The girl?" Recognition dawned across his features. "You're jealous?"
Ellana's mouth hung open for a second. "Not… No, I am…! I'm the one in charge here!"
He tried to touch a hand to her cheek but bound as he was, the other hand came with it. "Vhenan, she means nothing to me. She wishes to learn and I am obliging. She is a mere curiosity…"
"As I was," Ellana interjected, finally allowing her hurt to show. "Although you called it 'a mystery' but that is one in the same."
Hurt registered in his eyes too. "Yes, you were…at first but even then, even when I was only beginning to know you…nothing about you gave me pause. I loved every part I saw, virtues and flaws. Never in all the lifetimes I've lived have I known that... I am yours, vhenan, and I always will be."
Her look remained down but a gentle smile spread across her lips. "I suppose…" She finally granted him her gaze. "Who else would you allow to put you in this position?"
He brought his lips close to hers. "Only you. For my heart…I kneel only at your feet."
She closed the gap, kissing him with all she had to give.
"Will you untie me now?" he asked hopefully.
With a palm and a giggle, she shoved him back down on to the bed. "No, I don't think so."
He laughed too until she held his arms up and he realised she was serious. Every action, every touch of his skin she ensured was done with slow grace. He kept trying to kiss her but every time, she denied him. He kept trying to touch her in spite of his bonds but every time, she stopped and returned his hands to their position. The longer it went on, the more desperate he became.
"I cannot stand it any longer!" he shouted as the ties that bound him burst in to flame and fell as ash.
He grabbed her hips before she could move, taking the lead and bringing her down on to the bed beneath him. His finally freed hands buried themselves within her hair as he kissed her, pouring all of his frustration and desire in to every one of his movements.
Ellana cried out so loudly that she felt sure the whole tower must have heard. The fervour with which he had taken her had left her body a shuddering mess, so much so that her legs shook still. Red marks marred her wrists beneath the makeshift ties that bound her to the bedpost. She could not quite fathom how he had done it but she had been convinced to take the bonds and initial apprehension aside, it had certainly been worth it. His collapsed weight made it all the more difficult to breathe but resigned to her pleasured exhaustion, she made no attempts at movement.
"Vhenan," he purred in to her neck before lips and tongue claimed her skin.
She brought a hand to his cheek. "That… That was…different. Good different."
He chuckled, still muffled in the crevice of her shoulder. "I could tell." Rising first to his forearms on either side of her, he finally found his feet. "I believe I may in fact have suffered hearing loss." He gazed down on her with a decided smirk.
"Do not tease," she uttered as she glided one of her feet, the only part of her she could move, up his chest with surprising grace. "Untie me, my love."
His head tilted to one side. "No, I don't think I will."
He made for the bathroom still smirking. Ellana sat up as much as she was able.
"What? Solas? You can't just leave me here!" she yelled to no response. She rotated in the bed enough so she could see her bonds and tugged hard. "Solas!"
The tied portion around her hands was too tight; she would never be able to slip free from there but with only a little movement, the other end quite happily shifted against the bedpost. She was free and sneaking up behind him within mere moments.
"Would you care for a bath?" he said just before she reached him. He turned to her with yet another smirk. "I would speak with Aemilia before too much damage is done." Ellana made to talk but he stopped her. "My behaviour, and yours for that matter, was rude and beneath us. She remains of use to our cause and with the proviso that you have nothing to fear regarding her, I see no reason to end our lessons. If she still has interest…that is…"
Ellana brought her arm to rest on his shoulder, lips close to his. "As you will it, vhenan'ara. I fear nothing from her."
"Then rest, my heart," he said with a smile. "I will collect Maera from your mother and perhaps then you will have gathered the strength for a third bout…"
Her fingers slowly brushed his neck and she bit her lip. "For certain."
"Until then," he purred before kissing her lightly on the cheek. As he left her to her own devices, he turned back. "We may require a means to silence you…"
"Already have an idea," she interrupted, grinning widely.
Ellana stood holding on to the war table for dear life. Neither she nor Solas had slept. Some of their time had been spent in carnal exploits but much of it had been lost to simple conversation. Today she was feeling it, undeniably exhausted but she regretted nothing. It was remarkable what a night could do; so many of her worries gone through just talking. She had not of course broached the subject of abandoning his cause, that remained off-limits until she could be certain but most else had dissipated. He had talked at length about Aemilia; the fears he held about her and her desire to covet his power for her own. Ellana had not thought to get to know her so hearing it from him was immensely comforting. With all she knew now, she could confidently say that his interest in the Tevene was a flippant one. She too had abandoned her fears about him. Mirwen had been right; her logical solution was in fact illogical. Not only that, she had spent hours with Solas, his attention focused entirely on her and he at no point seemed anything but himself. His previous actions obviously still concerned her but no longer to the point that she sought resolution. He made mistakes, as any person did. It was only natural that he would struggle when times were harsh and it seemed that for now, their work wore on him greatly. It was her job to make that easier for him and encourage him from the wrong path, not declare demons where there were none.
Solas took her hand from the edge of the table, holding her steady against him by it. The discussion around them had not been a long one; focused largely on what their new Tevene guest intended to offer but Ellana was already flagging. If not for the myriad of eyes, she would quite happily let herself fall.
"Organising every slave is impossible and frankly unnecessary," Cyrrian asserted from across the table. "Remove enough and Tevinter will fall. Their economy cannot stand without them and then the remainder can simply walk free."
Aemilia tutted from Solas's side. "I am not saying we must free them all. That is impossible but if you intend to take down Tevinter then you will need a majority. That is why I propose bringing in others. I can only reach so far but there are other organisers... The Imperium is a large place; practically every region has someone like me trying to fight the injustices they see. With their help, we could have our majority and they would be organised." She turned to Solas. "If you need information, you could have it in a word; if you need soldiers, you could have it in a word; anything you need, you could have across all of the Imperium."
"More people bring more risk," Varden added from Solas's other side.
"I think it is too late for that now," Aemilia interjected with a laugh. "This room alone has more people than I would be comfortable meeting with in my line of work."
Silent until now, something must have irked Solas to prompt him in to speaking, "What then, do you propose?"
"I…well…" she started, quite clearly put off her stride. "I know of someone. He was gone from Tevinter for some time but returned fighting. I have only met him once but they say he holds great sway amongst the others. I cannot imagine why as he hardly seemed particularly personable but if we were to gain him as an ally, others would likely follow."
"You have access to this man? The means to set up a meeting?" Solas asked, voice rumbling against Ellana's back.
"Yes," she replied looking uncharacteristically flustered, taking orders likely an unwelcome change. "A…a meeting with you? Alone?" Aemilia's expression turned hopeful.
"No, I should think not. A meeting would likely benefit from your presence, vhenan, if you are willing?" He turned down to Ellana as Aemilia's expression instantly fell.
Ellana gazed up at him, head pressed against his chest with the effort. "Of course. If you would benefit then I am always at your disposal."
He raised his eyebrows and a corner of his mouth quirked up in a manner that suggested he was taking her statement far beyond its intended meaning. Aemilia cleared her throat rather deliberately and a frown overtook Solas's features as he granted her his attention.
"If I am to be your contact, should I not be present also?" she carefully asked.
"For what purpose? You have only met him briefly. 'Once' is the word you used. Better he meet with me, the one who intends to ask of him rather than be distracted by the presence of others."
Aemilia's eyes flashed to Ellana. "But then why…"
She stopped herself short of saying Ellana's name although it was likely clear to all what she intended. Aemilia closed her eyes as if struggling to hold in her dislike of the situation. Beneath the table, Ellana repeatedly passed her thumb over the back of Solas's hand that enveloped hers. It was a small gesture but one that she hoped would remind him to be calm and let the small things go.
Aemilia finally nodded. "As you wish."
"Then a plan is ours," Solas said, squeezing Ellana's hand lightly in response to her efforts. "I look forward to progress."
Solas pulled away from Ellana as everyone started to file out and with a word, stopped old man Getros before he could leave. Ellana had no idea what they were discussing but neither did she consider it her business. As everyone left, Aemilia was the only one who remained still. She was new to all of this and likely had not yet learned Solas's cues that told literally everyone else when talk was over. Ellana had expected she would copy the others or at least follow but she seemed to be waiting for something. As Ellana started to leave as well, the Tevene's closed eyes snapped open and she made for Ellana with sudden haste.
"May I speak with you?"
Ellana could do little to hide her bemusement. "Um…yes? I mean, of course. Could we perhaps do so walking? Emmaera was sleeping but I would check on her." Aemilia's eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed and Ellana slowly came to realise that she did not understand. "My daughter?" She pointed a finger between the distant Solas and herself. "Our daughter?"
"Oh… I… Of course. Your daughter…"
Ellana's eyes widened in disbelief. "He didn't tell you?" She scoffed angrily and gestured for Aemilia to follow her out. "He did not think to mention our daughter. Of course not! Why would you? Not like it's your damn child!"
Aemilia seemed to be struggling with what to say as she followed dutifully behind. "I did not ask so…perhaps…"
"Oh no, don't take it personally. That's just him!" Ellana interrupted. Gazing about the new rooms, her follower appeared to be paying little attention to her ranting but Ellana raising her cooing daughter from the crib brought her attention back. "You'll gather soon enough that he is beyond reserved. If he does not deign it relevant then you're not going to know unless you ask!"
"Good to know," Aemilia added with a raised eyebrow. Her gaze fell on Emmaera and she reached out a hesitant hand. "She is beautiful… You must hear that all the time…"
Ellana laughed. "Well…yes but I cannot say I do not still enjoy it." She pried her eyes from her little one to the woman in front of her and sighed. "I…I feel I owe you an apology."
"That is what I wished to say to you," Aemilia interrupted, eyes bright and golden hair bouncing about her face.
"No, you owe me nothing but I…I have treated you poorly and I…" Ellana gulped back the half-truth she was about to settle for. "In honesty, I was jealous. When he showed interest in you I…well… I am not used to it and you're a mage so I…"
"You felt abandoned," Aemilia finished for her. She reached out a wavering hand to touch Ellana's shoulder but stopped short. "That was not my intent and I am sorry. If my time with him is too much then I…"
"No," Ellana interrupted firmly. "I no longer feel that way and I'm sure it is good for you both. Please…I would hope you would not stop on my account." Aemilia slowly nodded, a warm smile forming across her lips. "But can I give you some advice?" She nodded again. "Try and keep listening. I know he goes off on absurd tangents that can last gods know how long but that's just passion and he knows what he is talking about better than anyone I have ever met. Even when it's been hours and what he's saying has absolutely no relevance to what you asked – listen. You may not use it immediately but trust me - every word is worth the effort."
As Aemilia nodded once again, Emmaera squealed in delight and a flailing arm almost pointed. At the end of her gesture, Solas stood in the doorway wearing the widest grin.
Surrounded by Dhaveira's warmth, Ellana had not felt this contented in a long time. She felt strong and for once, as indomitable as Solas so often said she was. So confident was she that the idea of swaying him that had once seemed so out of reach had crept in to the periphery of her mind. Every so often, she told herself that she should just ask - tell him he was wrong; make him see and then make him choose. He loved her and his daughter; he saw value in her people and he surely could not deny that his world had been far from perfect. So bad was it in fact, he had inadvertently destroyed it trying to make it right. Ellana could not see how that was worth saving, certainly not at the expense of almost every living person in existence. Her mind kept telling her that he surely could not argue with that.
Emmaera stirred in her arms. Ellana had been singing to her, quiet now with thought but she started up once again. She chose some tavern song, a tale of a dragon soaring in the sky. Dhaveira rumbled gratefully around her. When she got to the part about the dragon finding another to fly alongside, Emmaera's eyes slowly opened.
"Di…di…din."
Dhaveira raised her great head, giant eyes scrutinizing the sounds the child made.
Emmaera flapped out an uncoordinated hand in the beast's direction. "Din din!" Dhaveira let out a gentle shriek in reply. "Dindin!"
"That's right, da'len! Dragon," Ellana cooed, sounding out the word slowly with a wide smile.
"Dindin dindin!" her daughter practically shrieked.
Ellana giggled lightly. "Close enough."
Watching the little one with just as much intensity as her elf, Dhaveira released a puff of blue fire for her amusement and she giggled wildly. Heart rising so far that it felt like she might choke, Ellana embraced her with fervour. The dragon behind her let out a questioning trill and the telltale sound of the distant Eluvian pervaded Ellana's emotion thick aura.
"Da da dada…"
Ellana smiled down on her daughter as she rose slowly to her feet. "Could be, my little love. We'll just have to see, won't we?"
Dhaveira had already rounded back to face their coming guest but Ellana still had to make the journey around her beast's massive body. The dragon hissed and sounded a warning shriek just as Ellana made it to her head. Smoke escaped from behind her enormous fangs as a low growl pulsed across the ground towards Solas.
Ellana placed a hand roughly on the dragon's neck. "Calm down. It's just Solas."
She sounded a defiant hiss before turning her attention fully to him and roaring. He did not slow in his gait but even still, a light slap from her elf brought the dragon's ire to an end.
"What has gotten in to you?!" Ellana exclaimed as she glared at the beast. Dhaveira hissed and snapped at the air as if arguing. "No, if you cannot behave nicely then you can just leave!" The beast shrieked defiantly. "I said no! If you're going to be like this then go! Go on!" The dragon gazed at her with what looked like hurt in her huge eyes. "Go on!"
With one final hiss in Solas's direction, the colossal beast shuffled reluctantly off before taking flight.
Ellana turned to Solas with an apologetic look. "I don't know what has gotten in to her! That was just rude!"
Solas barely seemed to even register her words, dipped as he was to greet their child but he did finally think to reply, "She wishes to protect you, vhenan. Perhaps the fact I have not seen her in some time has faded her memory of me?"
"I guess," Ellana replied with doubt. She leaned in to his chest with a contented sigh. "But you're my love; she should remember you of all people…"
Solas caught her chin in his hand, raising her eyes to him. "I came to see you, not her…" His lips gently found hers.
She shivered lightly, enjoying the feeling, before pulling away from him. "For what purpose?"
"Must I have one?" he remarked, a frown formed by her sudden distance. He slowly paced towards her. "I wished to see you; hear your voice; feel your touch; bask in your comfort…"
His voice trailed off as his arms enveloped her waist and his lips grazed the nape of her neck.
"True enough," she breathed as she rose a palm to follow the path of his jaw and around to the back of his head above. "Do you have the time to sit with me?"
He did not reply but dutifully followed her to the area she kept in her own ordered disarray. It was like her makeshift office despite being simply an area of ground she sat upon and on which she left her materials. As Solas sat down beside her, his eyes fell on one particular pile of books nearby.
"I had wondered where these got to," he mused as he picked up the top volume. "Ah yes, 'The Demon Problem', a classic if one-sided tome. Reading up on my condition, were you, vhenan?"
His glittering blue eyes bored in to her and she looked guiltily at the floor. "I wanted to learn all I could and…and you were hardly going to tell me."
"You never asked," he interrupted, face fallen. "You never asked and so I presumed you did not want to discuss the matter. If I was wrong in my assumption then I apologise…perhaps I should have thought to discuss it with you." He took her hand, compelling her eyes to him. "Ask me now."
She gazed down thoughtfully at the pile of books. Sticking out of the third one down was a sheet of paper – the evidence Varden had given her of Solas's covert actions. At least it certainly was his writing, his words if not his actions. She glanced up at him.
"I had another question…"
His brow furrowed. "Do tell."
"Solas…" She paused, unsure of the proper wording. "Why have you been sending people to the Arbor Wilds?"
His eyes widened slightly before contorting in to a frown. "This again?" He shook his head in disbelief. "Did Varden put you up to this? I will tell you what I told him – there is no 'why' because I have not. What could I possibly want in the Wilds? Nothing remains there!" He rolled his eyes and made an offhand gesture. "Where he is getting this from I do not know but…"
In one movement, she pulled the papers free from the book and held them out to him. "Here. It is all there – orders, reports… That is your handwriting, is it not? Your seal at the bottom; the reports addressed to you…"
He took the papers roughly from her and shuffled through, expression turning more and more alarmed with each one he examined. He stopped at the last, eyes still wide beneath a brow crinkled in disbelief.
"This is…not possible…" he breathed, eyes darting across the paper. "It was not… It was not me!" His eyes stalled in their movement, still as stones and his voice quieted to nearly a whisper. "It was not me…" He rose to his feet abruptly. "Vhenan, I did not write this but someone did. Whoever it was… I will ensure it is dealt with." He lowered himself to meet her seated height. "Do not concern yourself with it any longer. I will speak with Varden and ensure resolution is found."
Using his shoulder for leverage, she rose with him. "I am glad, my love. Varden was concerned and truth be told, I was too. I had never imagined someone would dare use your name fraudulently!"
"Yes, it is…far from a wise decision," he mused before kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Forgive me my departure but I would cherish the opportunity to make up for it later."
She smiled at his back, bouncing their little one in her arms as he walked away. "I look forward to it!"
Ellana happily sauntered back in the direction of the ivory tower. Hours had passed and the moon now granted much of the light. She had spent the rest of the day in the company of her mother and her friends. While Solas's reaction to her evidence did concern her, it had been far from what she had expected. His surprise was genuine, she could tell and at least that meant he was free from blame even if it did suggest they had an impostor in their midst. The great door opened just as she reached it and she stopped to allow whomever it was to exit.
"Good evening, stranger!" she said as her eyes fell on old man Getros. "Fancy seeing you here."
It had been a long time since they had spoken in anything other than a professional capacity. With the last elvhen book they could find translated by her hand, she no longer needed his tutelage and lacked the time to maintain social visits. She had missed their discussions and it had been so long since he had seen Emmaera. She was about to say as much when the sight of his dire features interrupted her intent.
"Are you…are you quite alright?" she asked with genuine concern.
He turned ever so slightly away from her and her daughter. "Certainly, my Lady. I…it has been a trying day." Ellana only got out a few syllables before he raised a dismissive hand. "Nothing you can help with, pay no mind but if you would excuse me…"
With that, he left her to her own confused silence. Getros seldom appeared anything but his usual, somewhat jolly self and to see him so rattled was a new experience. She passed through the door ardently questioning his distress but even by the time she had ascended to her home, she still had no answer. Solas sat at his desk. Holding his head in his hands, elbows against the desk held much of his weight.
"Ma lath?"
He started at the sound of her voice and rose quickly to his feet.
"Vhenan." He said the word slowly, savouring it until he reached her and wrapped her in his arms. "You are a welcome sight."
She allowed herself some distance to look upon him. "Tiresome day?"
He took more distance, a hand gently touching his daughter's back before taking her from her mother. "I leave your arms with strength abound. It lessens until I am left wanting; mind torn asunder in your absence."
"A beautiful sentiment – poetic even…"
He turned to perch on the desk, finally facing her once again. "It is truth, more so than I think you realise."
She came to perch alongside him, resting her head on his shoulder and watching as he gently stroked their sleeping daughter's hair.
"Your discussion with Aemilia has certainly done wonders," Solas went on in her silence. "She was practically singing your praises. It would have been endearing if it had not distracted her so. You are on something of a roll, vhenan. Will it be Cyrrian you tackle next?"
Ellana scoffed. "You do it first and then maybe I'll consider..."
"We shall see," he replied, chuckling lightly. He downturned his face to hers. "I will put Maera down. Join me?"
She smiled at him as he rose. "In a minute."
Once he was gone, she reclined back on the desk with a long sigh.
"I must stay conscious."
Ellana's mantra started long before she saw the familiar red eyes in the distant dreaming night. Her mind no longer stalled until the memories returned; all of it sat close to the surface.
"I must stay conscious."
Alone in the Fade, she had never felt this strong and it showed. Every repeat of her words caused the world around her to stutter and the screams that had once plagued her, did no longer.
"I must stay conscious."
Her mind faltered as the wolf broke in to a run but she did not. Even when all she could see was red orbs and black, her resolve did not break.
"STOP!"
Her shout touched the silence with force and it was not her that faltered but the wolf. Ellana's resolute eyes locking with the many, she swore she saw recognition dawn. The beast shook its great head. She wanted to reach to it, hoping, but it burst in to smoke. From the centre of the billowing tendrils, a woman emerged. She knew her. The features were foreign but she knew her all the same. Her image struck light through the darkness that sought to hold her – golden armour flashing brilliant. It was just like Solas's, excluding the dragon shaped prominence that emerged proudly from her chest. Concealing much of her jet-black hair, all too familiar horns of a dragon sat bound atop her head.
"Mythal," Ellana breathed.
"Run, you fool!" the dragon elf roared, fighting as smoke dragged her back. "RUN!"
Ellana did not need to be told twice. Her feet pounded hard against the grass but not fast enough. Behind her, clawed feet tore up the earth faster than she ever could.
"Wake up. Wake up. Wake up," her mind repeated over and over but the beast caught her leg.
She could feel warmth trickling down; feel the pain that was until the monster suddenly released her. Jaws wet with the taste of her blood, it stared at her for what seemed like an age.
"Wake."
"The wolf, the smoke, Mythal – it was telling me something I just know it! Like the images you see! They must represent something!"
Ellana gawped expectantly at Mirwen but the Keeper made her wait.
"You believe that was…an image?" she replied at long last. "A representation of a possible future?"
Ellana nodded her head insistently, hair flapping about her like a mad woman. "Uh-huh… What else could it be? Dreams are nearly always memories and that was certainly not any memory I've had! You told me about your images…and Solas did too. Isn't that what they are? Vague forms that represent some higher truth? That's exactly what I saw!"
Yet again, Mirwen retained her silence for uncomfortably long in spite of Ellana's stare.
"The smoke you saw… Could it not be shadow? Shadow can create form, twisting itself in to a being. Perhaps against a wall, perhaps in the shape of a human that whispers the screams of many…"
Ellana's eyes widened before narrowing once more. "The demon that Dhaveira guarded? What does that have to do with anything? You think that it was part of the future I was seeing?"
She sighed before finally speaking, "If that is what you believe you saw then who am I…"
"Oh don't even," Ellana interrupted angrily. "You may have your reasons but I grow tired of this mystery nonsense! You have the answer so let's just be honest for once and say it. At least grant me the respect to tell me that you know but will not say."
The Keeper said nothing. Gaze fixed to the sky, it appeared she was listening intently for something but certainly not Ellana. Incensed by the very idea, Ellana made to launch into a tirade but Mirwen raised a finger before she could get a word out.
"Wait," she said.
Ellana listened too, brow furrowed. Amongst the bustle of the camps, she thought she could hear angry voices. They were growing louder, getting nearer.
"I no longer need to," Mirwen said the second Lis and Lori, arguing as they walked, came in to view.
Lori was too quiet to hear but Lis had never been all that good at containing her volume. "If anyone will know, then it's El! Just suck it up and ask!" She paused as Lori's mouth moved. "Not too busy for her friends. Come on – you're asking her and that's that! She'll know what to do and then you can damn well sleep!"
Before they reached her, Ellana did notice that Lori's appearance was concerning. She looked exhausted, continually rubbing her eyes and brushing her hands through her dishevelled hair. Even with just this short walk to observe, Ellana thought she seemed uncharacteristically fearful; jumping at every little sound outside of her conversation with Lis.
Ellana gazed up at her in concern as both of them took a seat in front. "What is wrong? Lori, are you well?"
At first, Lori did not seem to register the question but beneath Ellana's intent stare, she finally looked up.
"Are you alright?" Ellana repeated, this time with more concern. Lori kept her silence, looking around them fervidly. "You look like you have not slept…"
Seemingly satisfied, Lori fixed her eyes back to Ellana's briefly before gazing back down at her knees. "No, I…I couldn't sleep… I've been having bad dreams…"
Ellana's brow crinkled with remorse; she should have known her friend would still be having a hard time dealing with her incarceration amongst the Imperials. "I know…" She started weakly, shifting closer to offer a reassuring hand. "It must be difficult dealing with Tevinter after what they did to Garith…"
To Ellana's complete surprise, Lori laughed. "It's not that!" she scoffed but slowly her amusement faded. "I…uh…it was just a bad dream…"
"What was it?" Ellana prompted carefully.
Lori looked away, closing her eyes. A slight tremor passed across her lips.
"It's alright, you can tell me…" Ellana went on but Lori had already turned back to her with a strange determined stare.
"I was in the forest…the place where Garith died. I think I have that dream a lot and well…this pack of wolves came out from the trees," the Dalish girl started, noticeably hugging her legs tighter. "They attacked me and I fought a couple off but I had to run. They kept coming out of nowhere but somehow I made it to some cliffs." Ellana's eyes slowly widened as her explanation went on. "I climbed up and they couldn't get me, they kept trying but they couldn't. Then this huge one came out of the trees and all the others ran off." Lori had started shaking ever so slightly.
Already suspecting she knew exactly who tormented her friend, Ellana's lips formed in to a hard line. If Solas had seen fit to visit two of her friends, adding a third hardly seemed a stretch but he would never help Lori. Just like Shivra, he held the same ridiculous belief that her friend was somehow out to get her. In her dreams, Ellana knew he would find it hard to resist throwing his weight around if at all tempted.
"I tried to keep climbing but the rocks…they just tumbled away and it's…it sounds ridiculous but it's like this wolf was laughing at me…"
"Was the wolf white?" Ellana interrupted anger evident in her tone.
Lori slowly shook her head. "It was black and its…fur was…strange…like shadow and it had lots of eyes, all laughing at me…"
Recounting this, she looked terrified but Ellana could offer no comfort. Mouth hanging open and eyes vacant, she could barely even hear.
"The rocks fell beneath me and I fell too. It didn't even chase me at first. I tried to run but it's…like it was right behind me the whole time, no matter how fast I went. I tripped and its jaws were about to crush me but I woke up… Couldn't sleep after that… Do you think…do you think it was something I did?"
Ellana said nothing as her expression crumpled.
"It's real…" With sudden movement, she faced Mirwen head on. "Not an image; not a memory! What I saw was no representation of the future; it was…it was…" Her face fell in to despair and tears threatened. "…reality." The Keeper just stared at her, pain shining out from behind the waters of her eyes. "Answer me!"
"I offer no answer…my child…" Her voice broke with emotion. "You already know where it is." Ellana's brow furrowed deeply. "You have been preparing for it; 'out of spite or out of necessity,' you argued both as you tried to outsmart him. Read it and know. That is all you have to do."
"The book," Ellana breathed.
Mirwen touched a hand to her cheek. "His book – hidden or gone but you are best placed to determine that. Find it, read it and know."
Ellana ran past her friends without another word in the direction of the tower. Solas was not there so now was her chance. He no longer needed the book, that much was clear from its absence but Ellana knew him; she knew he would find disposing of any knowledge too unnatural to bear. He had hidden it, she knew he would have and she would find it even if it meant tearing their home apart.
"You know her better than anyone."
Dorian rolled his eyes as he coolly took a seat opposite Cullen's desk. "Oh do spare me, Commander. You did not summon me to discuss my thoughts on our dear departed Inquisitor. I imagine you have plenty of your own to contend with."
Cullen fixed him with a glare that could cut through just about any person.
But not Dorian. "Either I leave now or you tell me why I am really here."
The Commander said nothing and true to his word, Dorian rose up out of his chair.
"Leliana is a spy…a damn good one. You do realise that?" Cullen remarked just before his charge reached the door.
Dorian turned back to him with an incredulous look. "Of course I do… Do you think me oblivious?"
"No but apparently you are not above being a fool," Cullen said, stare uncharacteristically intense.
"Excuse me?" Dorian could hardly believe his ears. "Are you sassing me, Commander, or is this more…"
"She found one of your letters."
Dorian's eyes widened. He had known how foolish it was to continue his correspondence with Ellana while within the walls of Skyhold. A part of him knew he was bound to be found out but his desire to maintain the bond overtook his logic. She was his friend and while it was true that she had lost her way, he was not about to abandon her. If ever a time he thought she needed his influence, now was it.
Cullen sighed. "Nightingales search your room as we speak."
"Ah… So you were charged with distracting me?" Dorian added, retaking his chair.
Cullen nodded. "But I think it would be best if you were not here when Cassandra comes for you."
A slight laugh escaped the Imperial. "A true sentiment if ever I heard one." He got to his feet. "Pleasure doing business with you, as always. Take care, Commander." He stopped just before he reached the door. "You should read them." He turned back to Cullen. "The letters, I… You were not wrong about her, none of us were. She is not the monster they think she is." He left without another word.
Within the shadows of Skyhold's great courtyard a gruff voice halted Dorian in his path.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Absurdly hidden in the shadows given his size, the Iron Bull emerged with a rather smug look on his face.
"We have guests. Red's birdies rifling through just about everything. Must have pissed them off."
Dorian sighed. "I fear we have outstayed our welcome."
"Found Doe's letters, didn't they?" Bull probed with a sly smile. "I did warn you it was a shitting bad idea." He held out an envelope. "Managed to save you a new one. Doesn't look like it's from her."
Dorian gazed at it before opening. He recognised the handwriting as that of his ally - Magister Tilani. He tore it open and skimmed through the words.
"I know a few ways out of here they won't be guarding. We should get out before Cass comes down on you like a tonne of bricks, kadan…"
With a hand to his chest, Dorian abruptly halted his words.
"No, I need to get back as soon as possible." Already on the move, panic overtook his tone. "Shit! We need a raven too. If this is right then she'll never see it coming!"
Bull took him roughly by the shoulders. "Calm down. Breathe and try to say it slowly. Who is the letter from?"
"Maevis," Dorian answered, not enjoying Bull's tone in the slightest. "Updating me on the everyday happenings but…"
"The Vints are finally coming for Solas," Bull finished for him.
Dorian nodded. "They're going after Ellana."
A/N - Soooooooooo... Next one is with my beta but may need to be re-written if a particular thing doesn't work. If that comes to pass, it may be a while but might not...I realise how unhelpful that is as a statement but...yeah...
*UPDATE* So it's been months again...sorry... As you probably gathered, it does need re-written but I am alive and finally able to get back on it. Unfortunately it's been long enough that lots of self-doubt is messing with me so it might take a wee while longer than a simple 'add stuff so it makes sense' then 'send to beta for another check' deal. Will have to include 'send rambly email that spans a number of pages to B seeing if my explanations make sense' diversion but I am on it. Sorry again.