Damn Solas was in my globe. Waiting for me. Leaning up against a tree I DIDN'T PUT THERE. I glared at him. "Deceiver. Leave," I spat at him.

"Chrissy, I.."

"LEAVE! You kept me hurt and imprisoned, caged in a body that wouldn't work and was vulnerable to any attack. I couldn't even BREATHE until I healed MYSELF," I threw at him. Uh, the fade takes things kind of literally, so if you picture him being assaulted with actual letters made of I'm not sure what, then you'd be kind of accurate. They were peridot green, I know that. He flinched like that hurt. GOOD. "You LIED to me about WHY you wouldn't heal me. Either that, or you assumed you couldn't because you can't comprehend anything outside your narrow world view." I paused. "I don't understand why you didn't just kill me yourself." He took a step forward, and I backed up.

He opened his mouth. Then closed it. Opened it again and said, "You play with metaphysical energies you don't understand."

"Seriously? I give you a shot at getting off the shit list and you start with a lecture on how I'M screwing up? We're done." I turned away from him, sat down on my old rocker recliner (that magically appeared under my butt), and put in my iPod so I wouldn't hear him. I was to all intents and purposes alone. Yeah, I know I was bitch with him, but I'd believed his lies. Even knowing he was a trickster-deceiver. I was as much angry with myself as him, I suppose.

Oddly, I woke up both very late in the morning and rested. The sun was at least mid-morning high. Nothing hurt except for a bit of a twinge when I stretched too far. When I changed, my bruises were much healed, faded to pretty yellows and greens. I didn't see a scar at all. I could take a full breath comfortably. What the hell? If this was some sort of apology, it was actually a pretty good one.

I got dressed on my own, and came out of my corner. Cara was looking out the window. I looked out, and hobo elf was there, leaning against the rock. When he saw my face, he stood up and walked off. Not a word. Cara looked at me. "I had a bruise on my leg. I'd been clumsy and walked into a table. It's gone. Grandfather's hands are strong today." As an aside, grandfather? Eadras was her grandfather? "Lots of little hurts are missing, from all of us."

"All of us?" She nodded. "Hmmm."

"He's sorry," she said, looking at me.

"Are you his mouth now?"

"No. But he stood there a long time waiting to see you." I put my arm around her shoulders, but didn't respond. As apologies went, healing me, even belatedly, past what other healers could do was good. Healing my people as well? That's actually good enough it might work. Eventually.

My day started very late. Luckily I didn't have very much slotted for me to do. I'd planned on being an invalid for far longer. Regrettably, Ethelathe didn't get the message that I was better. Well, they got it. They just really didn't care. I was still grounded. Also, I missed the alcohol shipment. Shit. Maybe I can Nearbeer it later.

One thing they did want me to do was go earn them some sovereigns. Looks like I'm performing tonight. I'd suggested another bonfire a week or so ago, but then the payday from hell happened, and everything went to shit. They wanted to do it today, inviting the Herald as well as Cullen and Varric. And anyone else who wanted to come. A huge party.

Josephine had personally delivered all the wages that hadn't yet been received. She apparently said she "dared someone" to treat her the way they'd treated us. I had my own little sack. I'm not sure how much was in it, but it was a fair bit. I took about twenty out, and left the rest on my bed.

Meandering up to Haven felt good when I didn't hurt. It was still itchy/icy, but I'm used to that. Garalen caught up with me very quickly. So much for slipping out. I didn't complain, though. It was a strange mood to be in. Had to stop at Soldier's Field. Need my daily fix of sweaty testosterone viewing.

Bull and Krem were next to the main gate. I stopped by there, making sure the wall of the stairs was between me and them. They both turned to look at me when I stopped. "I just wanted to say I appreciate your culinary contributions. Cook said the coffee was donated by you Chargers, and I hadn't had coffee in months. The little comforts can be so important. Thank you." I must have shocked them, because both of them just stared at me.

Bull eyed me, and then just said, "You're welcome." I smiled and headed up the stairs.

I continued on through my usual stops, not actually having to sit and rest. That means it took less than half an hour instead of half a day like before. I warned Seggrit and Adan that we were doing the bonfire thing tonight, and that it WASN'T the party I told them about. I slipped the twenty sovereigns into Seggrit's cash box when he was busy with another customer. It wasn't exactly hard. I do read, after all, and it's easier to put things there than take them out. I knew, just KNEW that he'd been giving Ethelathe things at a loss.

I asked Varric on my way up if he'd changed his bet on whether or not I could sing. He told me that he hadn't, because I was way too cocky about this. When I got up to the chantry, I told Josie I was planning on winning some money tonight with her guitar, and that she was welcome to come. She told me she'd be there.

I stopped by the board. It was wiped clean. I stared at it for a while, then wrote "Bonfire. You can come. If you want. Just stay away from me. I'm still mad at you." It took up the whole board.

As I was coming back down, I noticed Varric in his usual spot talking to The Iron Bull. "Cuddles!" he called. "You haven't been formally introduced, though our large friend here says you have nice manners." He turned to Bull. "Iron Bull, this is Chrysopal, otherwise known as Chrissy or Cuddles. Cuddles, this is the Iron Bull."

I curtsied. "Pleased to meet you."

"Oh, don't start with that shit. Chrysopal. Because it matches your eyes?"

"You're the only person who's known what a Chrysopal is. Yes, because it matches my eyes."

"You're the only person who bothered to find out where the coffee came from and thank us."

Varric interjected with "Some of us don't actually LIKE coffee."

I said, "My friend Leorah actually told me. I didn't hunt the information. She probably found out from Cook. You know, there's going to be a bonfire behind Ethelathe tonight. I have to win some of Storyteller's money."

"I told you, you're too smug about this. You're probably terrible," Varric chimed in.

"I'm betting you bet both ways, and will come out ahead no matter what."

The Iron Bull roared with laughter. "She's got your number, Varric. We might show up, Chrysopal. Could be interesting."

"Ever heard of Kizomba?"

"No. What is it?"

"A dance. Nevermind. I should head back. The kids think they're going to get out of lessons, and I have to disabuse them of that notion."

"You brought your kids near to that thing?" The Iron Bull sounded incredulous.

"No, I claimed kids left orphaned by that thing. Good day, ser." That last bit may have been a bit snarky.

I swept off to the accompaniment of Varric laughing, saying, "Looks like she's got your number, too, Bull." I'm a bit of a bitch sometimes.

We got a few minutes of lessons in, but Harritt and his guys cut out early to help us set up the bonfire. I'm still grounded, so I got to watch, but not participate. I sat on a log, strumming the guitar idly. I was practicing my chords for the choices I'd made. Two songs, maybe three, nothing like the songs I'd heard here, but not so different that they'd be hated. Oh, I forgot to mention I'd checked with Maryden to make sure I wouldn't be stepping on any toes.

Just like last time, everyone brought bits and pieces. Half a pie, a few fruits, stuff like that. All together, it was quite the feast. People spent time together. Mika was cuddling with Seggrit. Feren had his arm around Isa. Andrew was sitting next to Garalen, tracing patterns in her palm. Varric was over by the food, Inquisibabe was standing with Josie, and even Cassandra was there. Eventually, as the sun dipped below the horizon, I decided to kick off the singing.

Have you ever heard the song "The Voice"? It's the winner of the Eurovision song contest of 1996. It was also done by Celtic Woman. Sounds like what they have here, but better. It starts with a piercing high note that caught everyone's attention. I wasn't even a stanza into it when money started changing hands. HAH! That'll teach them. You'd think they'd know after I told them how terrible I was. The fun part is that I saw The Iron Bull at that point, collecting money from Sera. He'd bet for me.

And then Varric called out "Bet you can't sing a song I don't know twice!" He must have bet that I could.

"How about something different!" I called. "Or we can give someone else a turn!" That got a response. Encore it is. "Let's slow it down." I sat down and strummed into Sara Bareilles' "She Used to be Mine" from Waitress.

"She's imperfect but she tries
She is good but she lies
She is hard on herself
She is broken and won't ask for help
She is messy but she's kind
She is lonely most of the time
She is all of this mixed up
And baked in a beautiful pie
She is gone but she used to be mine"

It's a beautiful song, and it made Josie cry. I was both thrilled and sad that I'd done that to her. It was surprisingly quiet around the fires when I was done. I handed the guitar off to Eadras to whistling and stomping. Must have done good. My elves were smiling. They'd nearly all been receiving coin. I have a lot more songs up my sleeve now that I have a guitar to use. I think I'll pull out Evynne Hollens' version of Defying Gravity later. I love it when her voice says "No wizard that there is or was is ever gonna bring me down." Might be apropos.

As the evening went on, more singers, more dancing. I ended up dancing with Inquisibabe twice. He told me he appreciated the party because he had to leave for Redcliffe again in the morning. Eadras insisted on latin dances with me, which was fun. One Kizomba. He's been practicing. Varric doesn't dance. He said so. He does, however get drunk and then he does. Badly. Very badly. I wasn't invited into the more exertive dances, like the stomps and the flying dances. (That's what the jumping around in a circle dance that looked like Cossack-indian-square dancing is called, apparently.)

I think I kind of cheated at that bet. I got my major in Accounting, but I spent two years in vocal performance before that, and had several years of voice lessons in my youth. And most of us in America have been in choir or band in school, at least at the lower grades. Rudimentary vocal training, at least, is common for most modern people. Most have more advanced training, although they aren't expert.

As the evening progressed, I took the boys to tuck them into bed. Kisses and cuddles and hugs. They've missed these things as much as I have. Cara turned in at the same time, so I headed back out to the party. I spotted Solas at the other side of the fire. He did come. I'm still not speaking to him. I find it interesting that none of the inner circle has said one word about this. Even Sam, who was right there when Ethelathe kept Solas away from me, hasn't mentioned it at all.

I grabbed a few sheets of paper and sat down on the rocks above the bonfire. I was about peopled out, but it was nice being out in the air with all the happy energy. I'll probably go back down later, after I put my journal away. I intend to drink enough not to dream. Goodnight, my little girl.