"The question isn't 'is it special?' The question is 'how special?' We found relics, but there are always relics. Elves ranged far before their empire was crushed, but rarely did they return where they did not build. This place, they visited again and again. I see it in the fragments—clays from different nations, not just craftsmen. Styles from different centuries, not just clans. And yet no record of a ruin. The structures here are all Fereldan, with stone ferried up by a typical madman. Whatever was here, whatever natural spire, it was flattened for a floor. But I know the common shapes, and I will erect them as was custom. And we shall see what the elves wished to see."
-Enchanter's Journal
The sun was high in the sky as the refugees pushed on, climbing the Frostbacks with newly struck hope. Leading the troop with the elf at her side, she turned look at those who'd follow. Stragglers in the back began to stagger, holding on to each other as they stumbled forth. The situation turned grim, and she feared for their lives.
"Solas, how far out are we?" She asked.
"About half way, Herald."
She observed tired eyes on the faces of the ambitious.
"We should rest here for a moment. Eat, drink, that sort of thing. We are losing some of our people to fatigue."
The elf mage gave her an approving nod, placing his pack on the ground and sitting. He dug through it and removed some elfroot.
Naomi left the elf alone, walking towards the Commander who followed with a watchful eye.
"We're resting here. Too many off in the distance," She repeated to him, pointing at the back line to the stragglers, "See me when you're done giving the order, would you?"
"Of course, Lady Herald." He gave her a quick nod.
It wasn't long before his booming voice barked the command to halt. The Captain stood there, watching the crowd as they opened up wrapped meat they'd scrounged together, as well as any other resources. The mages conjured fires, allowing the food to be cooked and the snow purified for drink. Varric and Sera split bread, while Dorian and Vivienne declined any of the "rubbish" anyone had to offer.
"I'd rather starve." The Tevinter mage sneered.
"Agreed." The Lady of Iron raised her lip in disdain.
The Iron Bull and his chargers sat in a circle, drinking from a single cask they'd saved.
"Exchanging hands isn't going to cut it. Lugging this thing through the mountains is growing tiresome, Chief." Krem joked.
"You aren't suggesting we abandoned 15 year-aged Antivan drink?" He joked, "Let's lighten it up a bit." He turned the faucet.
Dorian and Vivienne looked to each other, overhearing the conversation.
"What's this about finely aged wine?" Dorian leaned over the Bull, snagging the cup from his hand, "Don't mind if I do!" He chimed.
"You do intend to share, don't you, my dear?" Vivenne took a seat next to the Chief, his Chargers laughing hysterically.
Blackwall and Cole attended to the horses, much under Master Dennet's supervision.
"Frightened. They don't like the dracolisk much. He's scary to them." Cole pet a horse on his nose.
"Use your fancy powers to tell the horses to grow some balls,then." Blackwall scoffed.
"I don't see you cozying up to the beast either, Warden." Master Dennet retorted, defending his beasts.
Crunching in the hard snow snapped the Captain out of her observation.
"You and I need to talk." Cassandra snarled, "That thing on your waist- it heals wounds."
Naomi sighed.
"Aye, lass, that it does."
The Seeker glowered at her in disgust.
"You'd just let us all die without remorse? You could have saved hundreds of our people-"
"It's a parasite and I'm the host, you see. The effects of using this thing…" Naomi shook her head, "Unspeakable."
"Try." Cassandra demanded.
"I have seen deep into history using my artifacts," The Captain crossed her arms, "I have seen entire nations erased from history fightin' over this particular Shroud. So aye, I keep it to the members of the Brotherhood. Not out of spite, but safety. It allows us to keep goin' and we protect it." Her words unsettled the Seeker.
A fresh scar traced Naomi's hairline, passed her ear, and ended at her jawline on the left side of her face. The intersection with the previous mark of battle was right at her cheekbone, above which her eye remained all but swollen shut. A new, permanent reminder of Haven, crossed with the memory of her duel with the Sage. She sighed, wondering how she could nicely ask her enemies to stop carving into her flesh.
Her still-swollen eye was bruised and displeasing to look at.
"Is it that horrific?" Naomi jested at the Seeker's gawk.
Cullen walked back to them, engaging in the conversation.
"The troops welcome rest after half a day of climbing."
The two women fell silent.
"Am I interrupting something?" He asked nervously.
"Cassandra was just makin' note of how mangled me face is." She joked.
Cullen shot a harsh glare to the Nevarran warrior, who then claimed innocence.
"I just want to understand, Herald. I need to understand." Cassandra frowned.
"The Seeker of Truth comin' out in you, eh?"
"Perhaps."
Naomi rolled her eyes.
"How did you come to knowledge of it, anyhow?"
"He sliced his hand on his own blade and held the stupid thing." Cassandra spat.
"After I watched it heal Dullahan's leg, on accident." He defended himself.
"Most curious…" The Herald's voice trailed off, "Aye, alright, the Shrouds can heal wounds. Happy?" She crossed her arms defensively, "E'rrytime someone outside of the Brotherhood has learned of this, the death toll starts a'climbin. Ironic, isn't it?"
"Shrouds? As in there's more than one?" The Seeker asked.
"The exact number is unknown, but aye, there's more than one. This one's just…special."
"I can guess as to why." Cullen rested his hand on his hilt in a relaxed fashion, switching weight to his other leg.
"Can you, now?"
"That voice that comes out of it. Nearly thought I'd been possessed." He rubbed the back of his neck.
The Captain's arms unraveled in surprise.
"He spoke to you?" She grabbed his forearms, "What did he say?"
"Told me you were alive, told me how to find you." His eyes softened, a gentle, crooked smile lifting from his lips. His eyes were smoldering.
Cassandra snapped her fingers between them three times.
"Focus- why does the Shroud speak?" She put her hands on her hips, irritated.
Naomi pulled away from the Commander.
"It holds the consciousness of its original creator, the best of the Isu scientists by the name of Consus."
"A consciousness named Consus?" Cassandra laughed, "You've got to be kidding me."
"That's where the word comes from, lass. His name…in my world, anyway. Listen, this story is not of short length. It'd be best to discuss this when we get to…" She sighed.
"To where?" Cullen asked her.
"Do not change the subject." The Seeker growled.
"Cassandra, I'll answer any questions that you might have after there aren't so many ears around us that might overhear." Naomi stood her ground, "In the meantime, keep it to yourself. I don't recommend compromising a secret that I've dedicated a decade of my life to protect." She threatened, her hand reflexively wrapping around her sacred hilt.
The Seeker did not respond well to it, and left them in silence. Leliana tried to speak with her, and the angry Nevarran stormed passed her, waving her hand.
"She'll come around. We've all been through a lot, I fear all our minds are strained." He comforted her, "Do not worry yourself."
She smiled, rubbing her now-healed shoulder.
"Since I've got here, you've been watchin' over me." She grunted, "And all I've done is piss you off and tried to kill you."
"My temper isn't a hard one to provoke." He chuckled, "Although, the attempts on my life might be something I could have lived without."
"Aye, you're standin', yeah? Seemed like you've lived well just fine with 'em, too." She jokingly punched his chest plate.
His face lifted.
"That's not all you've done for me. You've also been the one to make the hard decisions when our reasoning has failed. You confronted an evil Magister who'd call himself a god- for us, for people who accused you of heinous acts." He blushed slightly.
She felt saddened, looking on to his ashamed demeanor. She didn't want anyone to feel as though they owed her a debt.
"I took vows, and oaths- just as you, once." Her fingers curled around the hilt of the Sword reminiscently.
"I swore myself into a war that was fought in the shadows of society. We fought for all who'd brand themselves as innocent." Her gaze left him, facing the pool of refugees, "I see no difference in duty, here-in Thedas. And though me 'nd me crew may disagree on many'a things, they, too, are blind to where we fulfill those duties and oaths."
The wind twirled her delicate strands of hair, sending it across her thick, black eyelashes. The bruises and marks littered her face, and dark circles encompassed her green eyes. They lifted up to him.
"I seek no praise, Commander. We've all played our part in the last two weeks, God help us…"
Cullen lifted the pendant he still wore from his shoulders. He gently held the loop around her head, bringing it down carefully, balancing the strap from his fingertips as it caressed her neck.
His hands lingered for a moment as he looked down to her in awe, his mouth slightly ajar, his hair tumbling just as hers.
"Just the same, you're a hero to us-to me." He held an enthralling, amber gaze that lit Naomi's belly aflame.
"You're tall, know that? Lot taller than me- than anyone I've met, in truth." She sputtered, giving off an awkward laugh.
His eyes darted in perplexity as she stumbled backwards.
"Uh..thanks?" He cleared his throat, "I, uhm...I should…" He rubbed the crook of his neck, extending it as he turned his head away from her.
Naomi looked to the spot where she'd kissed him only nights before. She remembered the way he smelled, tasted, and how his body felt against hers. He turned his head to the ground, lifting his eyes.
"Are you alright, Herald?"
Sweat beaded her forehead as her mind wondered into feverish desires.
"Aye, I'll be quite 'right. Let's get going after an hour." She turned on her heel, her heart pounding in her chest. She all but ran from him.
He stood there, watching her use the Staff to balance herself as she made her way to Dullahan.
"Maker have mercy on me." He released stale air from his lungs, having held his breath with anxiety.
Giggling caught him off guard. He turned behind him, seeing Josephine and Leliana wave to him.
"Come here!" The Ambassador shouted.
"No!" He responded.
"Don't make me come over there!" Leliana challenged.
"Andraste preserve us…" he grumbled angrily, marching over to the two women.
"You still owe us an apology." They crossed their arms, looking at him diligently.
He sighed in defeat.
"I'm sorry for…yelling at you two."
"And?"
"And?" He repeated Leliana's question.
"Not being honest with us!" The Ambassador shouted.
Cullen lowered his hands in a gesture, suggesting they keep their voices down.
"What have I not been honest about?" He crossed his muscular arms.
"Having interest in the Herald?"
"This again?"
"Lying to the one they call 'Lady Nightingale' is not very becoming of you, Commander." Josephine rolled her tongue.
"I don't have time for this." He growled.
"We're stuck in a valley in the Frostback Mountains with half a days' journey ahead of us. You have nothing but time." Leliana grabbed his elbow, pulling him down beside her on small, wooden bench set in the temporary camp.
…
Naomi and Solas lead the Inquisition through the valley until the sun began to set behind the stone guardians looming to their sides.
They came to a rounded path, bending to the right and slopping downwards.
"I believe we have arrived." He walked passed her, using the blade of his staff to help him climb a boulderous slope to their flank, leading up to a tiny break in the large mountains. Drawing her own Staff, she followed suite.
The light broke through the small clearing casting a shadow below. Solas stood there looking pleased with himself as he gazed towards the setting sun.
"Quite fancy yourself, huh?" She grunted as she climbed- the nimble elf being much quicker than she.
"What's got you all-"
There it stood, out in the distance, paling everything around it. A medieval lift tower gave way to the winding arches supporting the bridge to its' monstrous gates. Guard towers littered the perimeter. It stood a league from the base of the mountain, high above anything that could ever dream of assaulting it. A small, semi-frozen sea surrounded the hushed mountains, bottlenecking into the ocean down below. A fortress capable of harboring a force of their size and on- capable of defending such a people as theirs- yearning for someone to fill its' empty halls, for someone to drape banners down its' impermeable sides.
Skyhold.