Miriel heads to Emprise du Lion and Solas spends some quality time with her clan. SFW

Six Days

The weather was clear and good on the day Miriel left for Emprise du Lion. She was accompanied by Bull, Vivienne, and Cole. Dorian was standing by Bull, looking at him sourly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You better not get yourself hurt or killed while I am not there," the mage ordered.

"Aww, Kadan, are you telling me to be careful?" Bull teased and Dorian scoffed.

"Hardly, I would just hate to miss you making a fool of yourself," he said before pulling the Qunari down for a kiss.

Solas was not the fussing type and he was excellent at maintaining a carefree expression, but not even he could hide the worry as Miriel loaded up her Hart for the journey.

"Do not take risks," he was saying as she began to pack in the healing potions.

"I plan to jump off several cliffs and swim in the icy water and-

"I am serious, vhenan," he admonished and she sighed, turning to face him.

"I will be extremely careful, ma lath, don't worry." She smiled brightly for him but he continued to scowl as he drew close to her.

"Is it not my place to worry for you?" Solas asked before leaning down to kiss her. It was supposed to be an innocent kiss, but it quickly turned heated and passionate as Solas showed how much reassurance he needed.

"Promise me you will do everything in your power to stay safe," his voice was low, eyes full of worry and hard headedness.

"I promise, Solas, I will do everything in my power to stay safe," she replied before kissing him again.

"Do you do anything that doesn't involve kissing?" A sassy Maren asked. Miriel pulled away from Solas to roll her eyes at her sister. Rana gently nudged Maren with a soft scold.

"Maren, don't be so rude," the older sister admonished and Maren harrumphed. Rana turned to Miriel and wrapped her in a warm hug.

"Come back safe, lethallan," she murmured into Miriel's ear. Miriel squeezed her sister close before leaning back with a reassuring smile.

"I will be fine, you worry too much." She then hopped up on her Hart and smiled. "I am not going alone, we have faced dozens of Red Templars and survived. This time will be no different."

"Creators be with you, Miriel," Rana said. Maren's brow suddenly furrowed in worry but she shook her head and put on a brave face.

"If you die, I will learn necromancy from the Vint and raise you and kill you all over again – just for dying." Dorian looked over from where he was standing.

"That is not how it works, you know," he said and Maren just narrowed her eyes.

"I'll make it work."

"Enough you two. Ma lath, Rana, Maren – I will be back before you know it." Miriel then turned to her traveling companions who were already mounted.

"Alright, time to head out. I will see you all soon," she was then off to Emprise du Lion. Bull, Vivienne, and Cole followed on their respective mounts. Solas watched them leave with a sense of foreboding in his gut. Come back safe, vhenan, please.

While Maren proved to be exceptionally gifted magically, she was also woefully difficult to teach. Solas had thought Miriel to be stubborn but her little sister took hard headedness to a new level. But she was eager and seeing as Solas was the first actual mortal teacher she had ever had, this was also her learning how to learn. It was a challenge, but not one he would back down from.

Maren's very existence was nothing short of astounding and borderline miraculous. An elven dreamer living outside of the Chantry's influence and not possessed by a demon. Absolutely remarkable.

He currently had her engaging in a breathing exercise where she had to create a small flame in her open palms every time she exhaled. She had to control the magic completely while also not running of mana. It was an exercise in control, an exercise that she needed desperately as the first few attempts involved her accidentally causing mini-infernos about her hands. Apparently she could not distinguish the idea of a flame and that of a roaring fire.

When he had first proposed the exercise she smiled wryly and 'shown' him how much more advanced she was and did not need to learn basic control. That little display had almost knocked a hole in the wall of the mural he was working on.

"Merde! What was that?!" Leliana had cried, looking down from the roost. The crows cawed unhappily, flapping and releasing their bowls as they tried to escape. Maren had blushed as her eyes widened.

"It…it doesn't usually do that," she had stammered.

"And this is why we do control training exercises," she hadn't complained too much after that. He took his time with her knowing very well that her magic, while beautiful and full of potential, needed to be tempered with a patient and understanding hand. He would push her but be careful to not stretch her too far before she was ready. As many roles he had held in his amazingly long life, teacher had been a rare one – at least in the magical sense. Even slaves in Arlathan had more basic knowledge of magic than Maren currently had. He was supposing that her spirit teacher had taught her concepts and had forgotten the importance of mortal practice. This was why it was so essential to have a mortal instructor in addition to the spirit guides. Even he could admit to the necessity of elves he had learned from.

That was how Solas spent the first day – teaching Maren and her younger counterparts the control exercise while a dowdy Circle instructor looked onward. The woman scowled as she watched the elves but thankfully said nothing. Solas later heard the woman mutter about how teaching children magic without speaking of the Maker must be a blasphemous offense. He was suddenly immensely glad that Miriel had requested he stay behind to help. If nothing else, Solas could at least not make them feel unloved or unwanted because of their magic. He had an opportunity to impress upon them the beauty magic held and that they should never feel lesser for possessing such a gift. Maren especially needed such reassurance due to the sheer potency of her magic.

Solas shuddered at the thought of what would have happened to her if she had actually ended up at a Circle instead of hiding with the Dalish. He had no doubt that she would have been made Tranquil, if not accused of blood magic and killed even in her young age. She was not obedient or quiet, ready to blindly serve the Chantry and bow to the whims of scared men in heavy armor. She would not have been content to watch her fellow mages suffer in silence. She would have mouthed off until the words 'the rite of Tranquility' were suddenly being bounced between the Knight Commander and their men. She would have shown how gifted she was with magic until the Templars were suspicious enough to begin to murmur rumors of blood magic. The Chantry would have written her off as being potentially dangerous and by killing her, for either Tranquility or death would be the same for such as her, they were protecting the people of Thedas.

No, it was good that Miriel had hidden her. It was a foolish and terribly dangerous decision, but ultimately had been for the best. And despite all of the girl's hard headedness and sass-filled comments, Solas actually found her endearing. She was ravenous for information and boundlessly curious. No question was off limits and she asked any that came to mind. He was actually…exhausted from teaching all day. So much for getting work done, but he couldn't bring himself to be too upset about not being able to work on the new panel or catching up on research.

He looked over at his pupils who had commandeered his couch in the rotunda. A smile spread across his face as he took in their slumped sleeping forms, little Tonlen sucking on his thumb as he rested his head in Maren's lap. Solas sighed and turned back to his research, rubbing his face in exhaustion. He wanted to get another hour of reading done, then he would notify Rana and Theron of the children's states. This was the plan, at least.

He woke up hours later to a snort, his head resting on the book he had been reading that now lied upon the desk. He blinked his eyes in confusion as he realized that he was covered by a thick wool blanket. Another soft snort had him turning his head to see that Rana, Theron, and even Dhavon had moved their bedrolls into the rotunda for the night. The children remained curled up on each other on the sofa, sleeping soundly.

This was…unexpected. He was unsure how to feel about this display of…of what he was not entirely sure, perhaps it was something akin to comradery? Whatever it was, judging by the warm blanket draped across him, it was intended to be kind. He sighed once he realized how rude it would be to leave the Dalish to wake alone and it had been his task to help them acclimated. With that realization, Solas adjusted himself so that he was leaning back in his plush chair with the blanket over him. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, allowing his mind to drift into the Fade.

The second day began with more of the control exercises and then the young elves were transferred to the care of Theron and Dhavon. They were off to meet some of the other elves in the hold and Solas was glad to have some time to himself. He finished the book he had been reading and even managed to work on the new panel after dinner. Satisfied with his work, he retired to Miriel and his room, happy to not have to sleep in a surprisingly uncomfortable chair. He pressed his nose into the pillows, inhaling her scent. He slipped into the Fade with her in his thoughts.

The third day was spent with Maren alone. They were standing outside in a training area working on staff handling when Dorian walked by. He clicked his tongue in distaste as he watched Solas show Maren quick and efficient ways to use her staff.

"Such lackluster style." The Tevinter chided as he sauntered into the arena. Solas scowled and his eyebrow twitched in agitation.

"Do you find something lacking in my technique?" He asked with the barest hint of sarcasm. Dorian shrugged.

"Oh it is quite a nice technique if your goal was to bore the enemy to death."

"Ah, flourish. Have you considered, Pavus, that an ostentatious style may not always serve a function?" Solas asked and Dorian rolled his eyes.

"It serves as much function as lingerie, Solas. It is not obvious that something so frivolous could be so useful but suddenly, there she is, standing clad in beautiful silks taking your breath away. Before you know it, she has a knife at your throat and is demanding your country's secrets."

"And your point is?"

"The point is that pretty things stung people, have you seen people's faces when I enter a room? Add magic to the mix and suddenly your staff is glowing beautifully, manipulating the Fade itself in a magnificent display of power – your enemy is briefly stunned as they watch the lights. They are dead before they can pick their jaws off the floor." As much as Solas disliked to admit it, the man had a point. Maren looked at Solas, apparently waiting for her instructor's approval. Solas waved Dorian over and the Tevinter then began to show Maren surprisingly simple, elegant beginner staff exercises.

"It is an extension of yourself, think of it as your unbendable arm that can kill people with just a thought and a twirl," Dorian said and she rolled her eyes.

"My fingers can do that just fine," she grumbled and Dorian laughed.

"But not as well. Feel those strands of energy pulling at you? The staff wants to conduct your magic into a more potent force. Let it, then direct it." This went on for about two hours with Dorian and Solas both directing and helping Maren begin her journey with staff maneuvers. By lunch, she was already exhausted and eager to work on her control exercises instead.

Dorian was apparently completely intrigued by the idea of taking on an apprentice and he proceeded to bother Solas about making training plans and yammering on about how they could teach the children different magical properties. But he left out basics and simple exercises the young ones needed to learn before anything else. Solas was about to inform the man of this fact when he caught Dorian looking away, lost in thought with his brows furrowed and eyes filled with worry. Solas let him speak as much as he wanted after that.

The fourth day Solas was approached by Dhavon. The elf was leaning against the entrance to the rotunda from the Great Hall, frowning. When he saw Solas approach he schooled his features into a pleasant enough expression.

"Solas, you got a moment?" The young man asked and Solas contemplated telling him no and he was thoroughly uninterested in what he had to say, but that was not what Miriel would want. Solas gave a small nod and began to walk towards the exit of the Great Hall.

"Where are we going?" Dhavon asked.

"A place we can speak in private," Solas lead the man to a secluded part of the castle that was currently being reconstructed. Only construction workers came here and it was their rest day so the place was quiet, if not a bit dusty, but completely private from the entirely too open ears of the rest of the castle.

"What is it you wish to discuss?" Solas asked and Dhavon took a deep breath.

"About Miriel, naturally. I was wondering…well, I just…is she happy?" He asked finally and Solas raised a brow at him.

"Did she not tell you she was happy?"

"Yes, she did."

"And do you not trust her?"

"I do! It's just…for the entire time we were together she said she was happy and now she is saying that she wasn't exactly happy but she is happy now. I just…I don't know." He finally said lamely, hanging his head in defeat. Solas stood straight with his arms behind his back, watching the young man flounder about in his still lingering affections for the woman Solas now claimed as his lover. There was the temptation to gloat and bask in the glory of being with the women this man so obviously coveted, and if he were younger, Solas would have done exactly that. But he was not younger and he understood too much. So he sighed, unclasped his hands from his back and tried to be as gentle as possible.

"Happiness is a relative term. What made Miriel happy then may not make her happy now. Further, she may now have more self-awareness to know what exactly makes her happy." Solas said, keeping his expression as kind as possible.

"I just can't stand the thought that I hurt her, has she…has she said anything like that? Please, I need to know if I need to make amends or…something," Dhavon raised a hand and dropped it in exasperated defeat.

"She has said nothing of the sort. I believe she has simply grown in a direction that you did not anticipate." The older elf explained. Dhavon looked up at him, dark eyes sad but understanding.

"Yeah, I guess you're right…still doesn't feel good, though," the man sighed dejectedly before beginning to walk out of the space. Before he reached the exit, Solas stepped forward.

"Dhavon, consider that you now have the ability to find your own happiness." He offered and Dhavon laughed bitterly.

"What kind of happiness awaits me without her?"

"One that has a love that sets you free instead of binding you," Solas replied softly. He did not need to elaborate for Dhavon to understand. The man in question closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I think…I think I need to be by myself for a while," he murmured before wandering off. Solas sighed but felt like he had accomplished…something. Whether the young man would take his words to heart or not was not his decision.

Solas spent the rest of the day with a large group of mage apprentices. Maren and Ileth were being introduced to the group and they had requested he be there. So there he stood with his hands behind his back, watching the young elves' faces wrinkle in distaste every time the human instructor mentioned the Maker or Andraste. When the lesson was complete and the apprentices were departing from the instructors to have their midday meal, Solas wandered closer to listen in on Maren, Ileth, and their new instructor.

"Maker be with you," the instructor was saying in farewell. Maren gave a saccharine sweet smile as she inclined her head.

"May Fen'Harel covet your footsteps," she said. Ileth's eyes went wide and he leaned back from the girl. Solas resisted from grinning as the instructor fumbled for words but thanked the girl nonetheless. Once the woman was out of earshot, Ileth smacked the back of his hand against Maren's arm.

"Elgar'nan, Maren, did you have to say that?" He hissed and Maren shrugged.

"What? It's not like she understood it."

"But the intent to disrespect your instructor is still present, da'len," Solas finally said, announcing his presence to the young elves. Maren whipped around, eyes wide and face red.

"Ha-Hahren! I didn't know you were there," she stammered. The urge to grin was still present but Solas fought it and looked sternly down at the girl. He wished to praise her sedition, stoke its fire, but knew that long-term she would have to learn from these people. It was wise to not welcome the ire of such key people.

"Your instructor is also a Hahren, even if she does not use that title. Her knowledge and practice is different, yes, but that does not mean inferior. In fact, there is much to be learned from people who think differently from you." He said and Maren sighed, kicked the dirt and mumbled something that sounded like it may be an apology.

"I did not quite catch that," he said and she sighed even more prominently.

"Ir abelas, Hahren," she murmured. He nodded.

"Thank you. Now, this doesn't mean you can't push your instructor. Ask questions, even the ones that seem outlandish. Especially the outlandish ones. Make them think and teach you to the best of their capabilities." Maren beamed at his words and nodded, newly determined. Ileth was quiet, but his eyes were bright. That boy soaked up more than he let on and Solas finally lost the battle and smiled at his two students.

Solas spent the fifth day in quiet meditation. Or at least, he tried to. Rana found him just past midday meal and frowned when she saw him in his state.

"You didn't eat your midday meal," he didn't need to open his eyes to see the frown on her face. He sighed.

"No, I am in meditation and fasting for the day." He explained.

"Fasting? At your weight? That is about the most ridiculous things I have heard today, and that is saying something since I have a four-year-old," the woman admonished. The distinctive clang of a dish landing on his desk made his eyes open instinctively. He scowled at the plate of corned beef and steaming smelly cabbage before him. He looked up at the woman whose arms were crossed over her chest, resting on her swollen belly. She stared him down with her relentless 'mom' glare and Solas sighed. There was no point in fighting her. He picked up the fork and began to pick at the cabbage.

"Is there anything else besides cabbage?" He asked and she shrugged.

"There was during the actual meal," ah, so there would be nothing but the cabbage. Very well. He began to eat quickly, shoving whole leaves into his mouth before she placed a hand on his wrist.

"It is not a race, Solas. Small bites, and for the love of the Creators, chew. You're going to upset your tummy," despite the child-directed speech, Solas did as instructed. He slowed his manic feeding and began to actually chew the foul pungent leaves. At one point he tried to stop only to be met with Rana's scowl and raised eyebrow.

"Don't fight it, man, gotta eat your veggies," Theron had called in at one point while being chased by Fenaven and Tonlen. After Solas finished his meal, he believed he was free to return to his meditations – he was incorrect. Rana lowered herself onto the couch, sighing as she leaned back.

"It is so nice to not have to travel when so heavily pregnant," she said, absently rubbing her stomach. She then turned to him and smiled, "I wanted to thank you."

"For what, may I ask?"

"For taking on Tonlen and Ileth in addition to Maren. Da'Mare's is your vhenan's little sister, there is a certain level of obligation there. But you have no obligation to either of the boys, and yet you have taken them under your wing. And they are quite taken by you, just so you know."

"Thank you," he replied and she closed her eyes as she reclined further into the couch.

"They lost their parents, the boys I mean. Both of their magicks exploded when they saw their parents cut down like that. Suddenly the shems were there and then they weren't." She murmured almost absently. Solas's eyes widened. The boys were young, so young, and they had already witnessed such horror.

"Tonlen used to be this vibrant little boy, never stopped talking. He barely speaks now. Ileth was carefree and now…now they are these little adults fumbling in a world that would rather see them dead or assimilated to the humans. So to have you, a man who carries himself so like a Keeper help them learn how to walk among the humans as an elf proud of their heritage…it means the world to them." Her eyes opened and stared into his. Her eyes were the same honeyed hue as Miriel's but hers were harder and lines were beginning to bracket them.

Before he could reply, she was standing up and taking his plate away.

"I will let you get back to work then, Solas," she said as she waddled out of the rotunda. He should have returned to his work, but all he could think about was the comparison Rana had drawn between him and a Keeper. A year ago, or even a few months ago, he would have been insulted by the comparison. Keepers were glaring reminders of how far the elves had fallen, how they had to scrounge through rubble, fumbling blindly as they tried to reconstruct a past they could be proud of. They wanted to find evidence of the great empire they used to be, to emulate the ancient elves and gods. At least, that was what he had thought.

Solas sighed. Different thoughts were beginning to form and take root in his mind. Perhaps they were not as blind as he had initially thought. Perhaps, if it were the right person speaking, they would listen to reason, to truth. And the Keepers were not necessarily blind herders of blind flocks. There was so much more to the Dalish than just their need to find clues about the past – there was a real and tangible need for survival and guidance in a world that would rather see them all dead or worse. They were protectors, counselors, leaders, parental figures, spiritual guidance counselors, respected elders, trusted. By being called a Keeper, Rana had assigned him all of these traits. It should have made him happy to be so respected, but all he felt was dread and guilt. He was a man shrouded in lies and half-truths and these people trusted him, saw him as one of their own. He did not know if it was because of his relationship with Miriel or his pointed ears, but it had become evident that at least Miriel's family considered him part of the clan.

He felt nauseas and he feared that it had nothing to do with the cabbage.

The sixth day was spent with the boys. Solas worked with Ileth in the morning, teaching him control exercises that he seemed very gifted at. His breathing was measured and his magic naturally bent to his will. He would make a fantastic healer one day. In the afternoon, Solas trained Tonlen…or rather, chased the boy until he could run no more and sat him down to talk to him about magic.

"What do you think of magic?" Solas asked, nearly out of breath himself. Tonlen shrugged. He refused to speak and Solas sighed. It seemed magical practice would be put off until another time. He moved so that he sat next to the young elf.

"Losing those who are close to you is one of the hardest things a person can go through," he began. Tonlen looked up at him with big blue eyes, eyes that were far too old to be in a five-year-old face.

"It doesn't really ever stop hurting, but you learn how to live with the hurt. You learn how to focus on the good times you spent with them. Magic can help with that." He said softly.

"It does?" The boy's voice was barely a whisper but it was enough. Solas smiled and nodded.

"Yes."

That night, Solas went to bed with a heavy heart and a mind laden with old memories of old friends and even a family he once could claim as his. He normally would not have minded the melancholy and somber introspection, but tonight he was sleeping alone in a bed that was too big without her. He entered the Fade with practiced ease and decided he would do something different.

He sent a feeler out for Maren, finding her bright, beaming magic easily enough. It seems that he had underestimated the potency of her magic. She was not merely a dreamer, but one brimming with untapped power and potential. It was almost as if she toed the line between modern elf and the Elvhen. But even with her raw power, she needed training.

Solas entered Maren's dream of a large open valley full of butterflies of varying brilliant colors and patterns. She stood in the center of the valley, head back and eyes closed as the butterflies flew all around her. They flew in no particular direction at first, lazily drifting about her before she raised her hands palms up. He felt the pull of soft magic, a whisper of a question before the butterflies began to fly in particular patterns until two figures were formed in front of Maren. Two elves stood before her, their forms generic and completely faceless.

"What was she like?" Maren asked softly and the first form, smaller and less defined moved forward.

"Kind, like a mother ought to be I should think," Maren tried to answer herself, changing her voice only slightly.

"Rana says that I have her eyes. Fitting, they say life is in the eyes and I took both of hers," the dream suddenly shifted and the girl whipped around her, summoning fire at her hands. She stared at Solas immediately. Her eyes briefly widened before she narrowed them and hissed.

"Stay back, demon, I have no quarrel with you," her voice was clear, enunciated, and far more powerful in the Fade than in the physical world. It wasn't particularly surprising, she would eventually learn that her emotions were more present, more real in this realm than the waking one. She would find that her dreaming hours were far more enjoyable than her waking ones.

Solas smiled, he was pleased she was so defensive here. Dreamers were…uniquely troubled by demons since the Veil was constructed. The Fade touched mages were the clearest portal to the physical world that they so desperately wanted to experience. And their bright, burning power did nothing to hide them from the demons.

"I am no demon, Ulena," he said, using the name she had almost been given. She did not move however, and the flames dancing around her hands continued to burn.

"Miri said that in the Fade, you could have been listening in." She was wonderfully clever to so quickly realize the loophole. Before he could respond, a spirit materialized beside Maren. It took the form of a rather frazzled looking elf with long, mussed black hair and a crooked nose.

"That is not a spirit, falon. His name is Solas but he is not Pride like Pride is Pride…just Solas," the spirit said and Maren immediately cooled her flames and relaxed her stance, nodding at the spirit.

"If you say so, Widdy. Oh, Solas, this is Widdy. Widdy, this is Solas, but I guess you already knew that. Wait, how did you know that?" She asked and the spirit, Widdy, shrugged.

"Knowledge from another, we spoke a few times. She was much older than me, but she spoke of the man who wandered both worlds and struggled in his pursuit to do good. Solas," the spirit fiddled with its fingers, casting its eyes to the ground. Ah, so it was a young spirit of Wisdom, most likely not more than a few centuries old.

"I am Solas, as Wisdom told you. She is – was – a dear friend," his chest tightened in the all too familiar pain of loss. The spirit before him sighed.

"I felt her departure. I was saddened to see her go, but all journeys have twists and bends in the road. Sometimes these paths cross others only to continue in separate directions while other paths are destined to intertwine forever. We were lucky to have known such Wisdom," the spirit continued. Solas smiled wistfully as he watched the young Wisdom fiddle with is fingers and hover closely to Maren.

"We were indeed," he answered. Before either Maren or Widdy could respond the Fade rumbled and wavered. The butterflies scattered and Widdy wrapped his arms protectively around Maren. Solas drew a barrier around the small group before the wavering created a small green glowing pocket of light.

"Hello?" It was Cole's voice strangely enough. Small and tenuous but it was clearly him.

"Cole? Is something wrong?" There was absolutely no reason Cole should be communicating at all in the Fade. Judging from his experience at Adamant, the spirit boy had no intention on being a part of the Fade once more.

"Broken, beaten, bloody. All around us, red. Blood, blades, bane – you have to come! She's dying, she'll die!" Cole shouted. All of the color drained out of Solas as cold horror froze him briefly.

"Solas, who is talking about?" Maren asked, eyes wide with mounting fear. Her voice jarred Solas out of his paralysis and he began to act.

"Cole, do everything you can to keep her alive. Maren, he is speaking of your sister. Now listen, what I say next is very important, so you must listen. When I wake us, you need to go to Commander Cullen's office, he will be there, trust me, and tell him to send a full contingent of Inquisition soldiers along with the hold's best healers to Emprise du Lion. Cole, where exactly are you?"

"Old walls full of history she wishes to know. Tough, touched, tattered. 'It endures, we endure – Suledin.'" Cole answered.

"Tell Cullen to send them to Suledin Keep in Emprise du Lion. Maren, do you understand?" He asked and she nodded.

"Yes, but Solas, what are you going to do?"

"I am going ahead; I can make it there faster by myself. Now…wake up."

When Solas opened his eyes, he was in her – their – room, twisted up in sheets that still carried her sweet scent. He flung them to the side as he quickly donned his robes, grabbed his staff and ran down to the garden.

The witch had smuggled an Eluvian into Skyhold somehow without Solas's knowledge. He had only learned of its presence when Miriel had come bounding into the rotunda one day with wild exclamations of the amazing Eluvian Morrigan had brought. At the time he had been cross that the woman had pilfered another object meant for the Elvhen and perhaps even their descendants, but it served his purposes now and he could no longer begrudge the woman as he thrust himself into the Crossroads. While it may seem bright and blooming to elven newcomers, it was a shadow of what it once was. A place where not only all worlds met, but all magic.

"Revasala!" He shouted towards the Eluvian that lead to Halamshiral, sending out a burst of magic to summon her. He waited a moment and then the elf was striding into the Crossroads. She was quick to business, matching his brisk pace as he searched for the mirror that lead to Suledin Keep.

"The Inquisitor is danger; I need agents at Suledin Keep immediately. No more than ten, no fewer than seven." He instructed as they strode through the world.

"Understood, but ser…the mirror to Suledin Keep has been damaged." Revasala said but he did not stop.

"How badly?"

"One crack, nothing shattered," she informed him and he nodded. He may be able to work with it.

There! He ran to the mirror and it was just as Revasala had said – a long seam ran from the edge towards the center of the glass, but it was thankfully not shattered. Solas brushed his hand over the mirror, sending a small inquiring magical pulse. The mirror responded in kind by flaring up to life with a brilliant sigh. Cracked Eluvians were always a risk to take, the magic could be disrupted in any manner of ways that could be disastrous. But what choice did he have? Without him, she would die and he could not let that happen.

"My lord? We have no way of knowing if it is safe. Perhaps I should go instead-

"No, I must go. I will tell you if it is safe to come this way if I pass through." As talented as Revasala was, she was nowhere near as powerful as he was – and power would be needed here. He could not bear the thought of losing Miriel because he could not risk his own life to save hers. No, it had to be him. He wouldn't be able to look at Revasala ever again, otherwise.

He took a deep breath and steadied his magic, clearly envisioning his target.

Solas stepped through the mirror.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Also, I am out of town next week, so updating may be later than usual. Please review! And to everyone who has followed, favorited, reviewed - Thank you so much! It means the world to me.