Chapter 36: Sanctuary

"She's gone daft, yeah, that is the word for it."

Varric did not respond. Sera had been voicing her opinion on the mental state of the herald since the camp had risen four days ago. It was on that morning, after Mother Giselle's little sing-along, that Ana had emerged from her tent a changed girl.

He had hoped that that change was a good thing.

He looked at Sera. The elf did not seem at all pleased by this trek, not that he blamed her. Four days of trudging through fields of snow and ice was not his idea of a good time either. He would always be a city boy at heart. He preferred the paved streets of Kirkwall to all this…this wilderness.

Was Ana still there? Was she still sane?

He hoped so, but even he had his doubts, not that he would let the elf see them.

"Trust her, Buttercup," he replied, "She hasn't steered us wrong yet."

"Ugh," the girl replied.

The elven archer shivered, wrapping herself tighter in her fur cloak, her clothes did little to shield her against the cold, not that it was just the weather that was bothering her. She would never be counted among the true believers in this Inquisition, and since the battle she had seemed even more off than usual.

He had tried to speak with Ana about it the morning they left, but she was just so…so…excited.

He had tried to find out why.

"What's going on, Kiddo," he had asked her.

She had grinned at him, her first real grin since before the attack on Haven.

"It is a surprise, Varric," she said gleefully, "Spread the word, everyone is going to want to hear this."

She limped away, having spotted Cassandra and Josephine near one of the small cook fires.

The dwarf blinked.

He had never seen her like this, she was clearly still suffering from her injuries, but in spite of all that she looked almost joyous, eager to start the journey.

She seemed…lucid, but who could tell after the damage that had been done to her, perhaps she was still not recovered, and the pain medicine was making her act this way…

He hoped that wasn't the case. The Inquisition could use a little good news right now.

Ana summoned the war council and asked that the rest of the camp come together as well. She promised them all that she had a grand announcement, something that they would all want to hear.

Varric could only guess what that announcement might be, Ana certainly wasn't sharing.

The dwarf shrugged.

It looked like he would find out the same time as everyone else.

When the time came, he had found himself standing near Solas, the elf seemed, a little smug this morning, what that might mean Varric could not say.

Normally, Chuckles was anything but smug, yet there he stood looking like the cat that ate the canary.

It made Varric suspicious. Ana kept glancing over at the elven apostate, as if making sure that he had gotten everything ready for her, even though he had not moved since the crowd had started to assemble.

The dwarf had tried to find out from him what was going on, but Solas merely shrugged.

"Ana has an announcement," he said, "It is best that we wait, and find out from her."

Varric frowned at this.

He had never been a big fan of surprises.

When the camp had gathered, the herald finally began to speak.

Varric…well…he was not sure what to make of it.

Ana claimed to have had a vision the night before, she said that Andraste had heard the words of her children, heard their prayers, and honored their faith.

The herald had smiled.

She asked them all to follow her, to leave the destruction of Haven behind, and trust in their faith. Andraste had not abandoned them, she claimed, she had offered them all sanctuary.

All they had to do now was accept it.

"Will you come with me?" she had asked.

The common soldiers went nuts.

"Will you follow?"

Excited cheers filled the mountain valley.

Varric glanced over at the Seeker and the rest of the war council, if this had been some ploy of theirs to bolster morale; they were doing a good job of hiding it. They seemed as surprised as anyone, but they were all too smart to let Ana just hang in the wind…

They got behind their herald, as they always had.

Cassandra and Leliana both looked eager to see what Ana had planned, perhaps they even believed that she did have a vision of Andraste last night. Cullen remained unreadable, but had rushed off quickly to get the camp packed up and ready to move. Josephine tended to a quick catalogue of their supplies, they had lost much in the flight from Haven, so what they had saved was as precious as gold right now.

They only paused once to tend to those who had perished the night before. Many had been lost, from injuries sustained in the battle, including Chancellor Roderick. Varric had not actually liked the guy, but that did not mean that he did not acknowledge that he had died a hero.

The chancellor had gotten the bulk of their people safely out of Haven. They were still alive because of him. He had given them the shot they needed to make it to where…well….

…Wherever Ana chose to lead them, he guessed, it had to be better than here.

Once the supplies had been loaded on to the Brontos and Druffalo they were off. He had expected the Herald to lead them out of the mountains. Perhaps to some ally that only she knew about. Instead, she led them up into the mountains and farther deeper into the unknown.

The snow was quite heavy in some spots, drifting almost up to a person's waist, more than once he had seen Ana stumble, she would curse and struggle back to her feet, not letting anyone help her, despite her injuries.

Varric gave the girl a worried look.

She was pushing herself extremely hard; he hoped that whatever was waiting for them at the end of this journey it would be worth it.

For Ana's sake, and theirs as well, she needed to be right about this.

He heard some of the troops whispering about her, how if the Herald, so grievously wounded such a short time ago, push ahead, then surely they could make it to. She would lead them to safety, and then they would make the monster that destroyed Haven pay.

Varric had snorted at that.

He had confidence in Ana, but after seeing Corypheus and his dragon during the battle…he was starting to have doubts. It wasn't about Ana though, no he had seen how tough the kid was, his doubts were about the Inquisition stopping the Elder One. The bastard would not go down easy.

The dwarf shook his head.

He still could not believe it.

Corypheus was still alive? How could that be? He had seen the bastard stone dead on the floor of his prison. Hawke had run him through, and afterwards, Bethany had burned the body for Andraste's sake…

Yet…there he was, still breathing and as ugly as ever. Still driving self-righteous idiots to kill in his name, first it had been the grey wardens, now it was the Templars…

Varric shook his head.

It seemed that those in power…never learned. Even after what had happened in Kirkwall, the Templars still sought out red lyrium, wasn't the fate of Knight-Commander Meredith enough for them? Now…not only to start ingesting the stuff, but to ally themselves with a magister, one of the very Magisters who brought the blight down upon the world in the first place…

It was more than just stupid… it was tragic.

He sighed heavily; he knew what had to be done.

If Corypheus was still alive, he was going to have to do something he really, really, did not want to do.

After everything that had happened in the warden prison, there was a person who needed to be told that Corypheus was still walking in the land of the living.

He sighed.

The Seeker was going to be pissed, but that could not be helped.

If Ana was going to fight that bastard, she would need help.

As soon as they reached their destination, Varric would see if he could borrow one of Leliana's ravens.

He needed to send a message to an old friend.

He hoped that he was still around to get it.

IOI

Ana scrambled up a tall boulder in their path, ignoring the soreness in her ankle, the tightness of the bandages on her back. The herald looked out over the snow, looking for the next landmark on their path to safety; at least she hoped it would lead to safety.

She winced, and not just from the pain in her ankle and back.

What Solas had told her made sense, but at the same time, she had not liked lying to her people.

She almost chuckled at that thought.

Her people, when had the Inquisition become her people?

Probably the moment they all decided to bow to you, her conscience chided.

She pursed her lips.

There was that wasn't there?

"Shit."

Okay, technically she was not lying to them, she had seen the path to…to…where ever it was they were going in a dream, but that path had been planted by Solas, or rather his "friends" in the fade. They made no direct contact with her, just showed her the road she needed to walk.

She glanced back over soldiers and refugees from Haven coming up the path.

The Herald sighed.

She prayed that where ever Solas was leading them was worth it. That is friends were not simply messing with her. Solas vouched for them, but still, she was still a good Andrastian girl.

She had always been taught to be leery of spirits, and their motivations.

They were running out of food and supplies, if they did not find sanctuary soon…

Well…it would be bad.

Ana looked ahead of them, the white snow starting to turn blue in the light of the fading sun, she recognized this place from her troubled sleep last night.

Between those two peaks, then up on the ridge beyond them, from there…they would be able to see it.

Ana's brow furrowed.

She could not help but wonder what it was.

Solas had not said, he said it was worth seeing with her own eyes.

She hoped that he was right.

She bounded off the boulder, wincing at the pain in her ankle. She had abandoned her broken armor; she had managed to scrounge up a new sword and buckler, but still held the broken one she carried out of Haven. She felt safer with it in her belt, she did not entirely know why.

The snow was really deep here; even the brontos were having trouble making it through. The druffalo groaned as much as the soldiers, but still they pushed on. Mother Giselle's people keeping everyone moving, Cullen's soldiers herding them like shepherds, moving them ever forward.

Solas managed to make it up next to her, Ana gave him a hopeful look.

The apostate smiled.

"We are here," he said.

She arched an eyebrow.

"Where here?"

The elf smirked and led her up to the last ridge.

She had no idea what to expect. A village that would allow them to resupply, perhaps some fort like she had found on the Storm coast, something like the Blades of Hessarian maintained, that would be useful…it could be…

Ana scaled the ridge.

All thought ceased as she took in the sight before her, where the elf had led them, led her.

It…it was…

Oh Maker!

She had expected some hidden enclave, perhaps a hidden valley where they could rest and start again.

She…she had not expected…this.

A silly smile spread across the Herald's face.

Sanctuary indeed.

The fortress in the distance was massive. Its pale stones blazed orange in the fading sun. Battlements rose from its high walls. It was not so much as nestled in the mountains, but perched atop one. A great keep rose above the high walls. A great stone bridge led up to the fortress' mighty gates.

Ana blinked, wondering if she was still dreaming this.

Had Corypheus attacked this place, he would not have had an easy time of it. This fortress, this castle, it was almost a palace. It was grandeur from a forgotten age.

She looked at Solas, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"I have done nothing," he murmured, "This is your victory my friend."

He gestured to the structure in the distance.

"Behold…Skyhold."

"The end of our journey," Ana murmured eager to step inside the place, explore its high walls and many rooms.

The elf chuckled.

"No Ana," he smiled, "It is just the beginning."

IOI

The army cheered as, Ana revealed Skyhold to them, this place that was promised to the Inquisition.

It was all Cullen's people could do to maintain order.

Before the sun set completely, he sent scouts into the old fortress, to make sure that it was unoccupied and safe enough to move their people into. Ana had wanted to join them, but by then, after the four day journey here, the girl could barely stand.

Cullen demanded she stay with the people and rest, that she regain her strength.

The tone of his voice brooked no room for debate.

Ana obeyed.

The scouts returned the fortress was secure; the bridge was stable, though there was some damage to the walls. That would need to be fixed, but for the most part the place was perfect. It would easily shelter their people.

The Herald led the way, the rest of the war council trailing behind her. The first night in Skyhold saw its great courtyard turned into a tent city. Leliana sent out the few ravens she had managed to save, informing the rest of the Inquisition forces scattered throughout Ferelden and Orlais that their leaders still lived, that they had found a new base from which to operate out of.

Cullen set up guard rotations on the wall, just in case any of the Venatori or red Templars had followed them, unlikely, but there was always that possibility.

Skyhold had the bones to withstand an armed attacked, but it would be better that Inquisition be resupplied before that attack came. The soldiers still needed to clear the old mountain paths leading to this place; they had likely not been used since this fortress had been forgotten.

It would be a big job, but everyone seemed eager to pitch in.

He wandered the camp, hearing the excited voices, seeing the hopeful looks on their faces.

The Commander smiled slightly.

The herald had come through for them.

It would make what was to happen that much easier.

The war council had voted that first night, right before they began their trek here, all that remained now was to inform Lady Ana, and the rest of their people.

After leading them here, Cullen doubted that anyone would disagree with the council's decision.

He went in search of their herald, he found her curled up asleep in her tent, not that anyone could blame her. She had gotten little rest on the trip here; in fact, she had almost fallen over when they had finally arrived.

She snuggled deeper into her bedroll, a sweet smile gracing her features.

He smiled fondly at her.

Adorable.

He coughed pushing such thoughts away.

Business still needed to be tended to.

The girl had done her part, now they would do theirs.

The next step would come.

The Inquisition had survived.

Now the time had come.

It was time to name an Inquisitor.

He hoped that she was ready.