AN: been a while, but i am not dead. this chapter is shorter despite the wait, but i was too lazy to come up with a transition between the end of this and what i have in mind next, so i just cut it off. have fun ty 3
It was established around Haven that Eden was not an early riser. Mercifully for her traveling companions, this unfortunate trait was not quite so prevalent on excursions to different parts of Thedas - likely something to do with the 'camping' aspect of it, and the fact that a noble, even one as unorthodox as she, was not adapted to sleeping soundly in the wild.
Alas, in the cozy cabin she called her own in Haven, most mornings were akin to time spent in a coma for the so-called Herald of Andraste. It fell to Seren, the Elven servant who'd first happened upon Eden after she woke up from stabilizing the Breach so many days ago, to wake her up - as it often did. Eden had established a rapport with the meek Elven girl, and was much less inclined to throw things at her for trying to wake her up than, say, one of Cullen's men. Or so they'd learned her first few days there.
"My lady? You've got to wake up, it's been light for several hours now." Seren spoke loudly but still not harshly. She was standing over Eden's sleeping, hands clasped close to her chest.
Eden, true to form, did not respond in the way a conscious person might, but rather much in the way Seren imagined an undead creature might, with a dull groan muffled by Eden's pillow. Eden certainly looked the part of undeath, for her hair covered most of her face and the general vicinity, and her body was splayed at such unnatural angles Seren couldn't imagine it was comfortable.
"My lady," she persisted, now reaching forth to grab her shoulder and shake it a little.
"Hnngh..." another groan in response, just as dead as before.
Seren sighed. She always tried to wake Eden up gently - this was the Herald, after all, - but unfortunately, she never responded to such half-measures.
"MY LADY HERALD! IT IS TIME TO WAKE UP!" She shouted. Eden jolted upward and Seren leaned back very quickly to avoid getting knocked in the chin by the Herald's own head.
"AH! Mother! I'm up - I... wha -?" Alarm turned to confusion rather quickly. Eden was supporting herself in her bed with one hand, and the other reached up to untangle the jungle that was her hair at present from her face, that she might see. "Oh..." she said, quieter. "It's you. I'm going back to sleep." She promptly plopped back to the bed.
"No, no, no! Lady Montilyet was very insistent, that you, herself, Commander Rutherford, Lady Nightingale, and Lady Cassandra have a discussion, and that it happen this morning."
The unfortunate news that sleep would not be allowed elicited another, louder groan. "But I don't want to..." she whinged.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure you don't, but if you don't get up now I'm sure that someone else will come in with a bucket of water, and then where will you be?" Seren insisted.
A few moments of contemplation. "Fine." Came the grudging answer, and Eden drudged herself up once more. Despite the fact that she was clearly awake, full awareness had not yet come to her, and she sat on the edge of the bed staring at a wall waiting for it to do.
Another sigh from Seren. "Don't tell me I have to tell you what to wear, too." Despite herself, the elf's longsuffering tone made her smile.
"Don't know what I'd do without you, Seren." She half-mumbled, rising first to go to her dresser and attend to the mess of bedhair.
"Miss all of your meetings, probably." was the response.
As clarity of thought came to Eden, a frown gradually began to appear on her face. At one point she simply froze with the hairbrush in her hair. From her position fixing the sheets on the bed, Seren noticed this.
"My lady? Something wrong?"
"I'm... trying to discern what happened last night." The last thing she remembered was finding her way to the old dock and having some enlightening conversation with... oh.
"Did I - did someone - that is to say, how did I end up in here?" Eden continued, turning to address Seren directly.
Seren, predictably, was just confused. "Well, you came here yourself, I assume. Why?"
"Because last night I was out on the docks with..." She hesitated, feeling an irrational need to disguise what happened, "no one. By myself. And I didn't remember coming here. But I must have, obviously. So that's sorted." She spoke quickly, and went back to brushing her hair.
"...you were out there with that Atlas fellow, weren't you?" Seren may have been a servant, but she was not dimwitted. Eden was also a terrible liar, apparently.
Eden twitched involuntarily at the name and the brush got caught in her hair and she winced, quickly going on to try and rectify her mistake.
"No - er, I mean, what makes you say that?" She was very focused on her reflection in the small mirror.
"Everyone knows he frequents that dock. Might as well have put a sleeping bag out there, though I think the talk is that he doesn't sleep either." Eden didn't quite know what to say to this for several moments.
"Okay, so what if I was out there with Atlas? He's my... traveling companion. It's good if I get on with him."
"Oh, I'm sure you were getting on very well with him, my lady. Out on the dock. In the night. Alone." Seren's tone was downright devilish, and there was little semblance of the relationship between a servant and a noble; something Eden might note later and be immensely grateful for.
"I... I do not know what you are insinuating. There was absolutely nothing untoward going on. Just friendly conversation." She denied (and she was quite right, she thought; it was just conversation) though she could see in her mirror she was blushing.
"Of course, my lady." said Seren knowingly, and they lapsed into silence for several moments.
"...you are attracted to him though, right?" Seren broke the quiet.
"Of course I am," she hissed immediately, as though she was displeased with the fact. "Have you seen him? He's gorgeous. And..."
"And...?" Seren pressed.
"And... he's... very nice to talk to. That's all." She had reverted back to her stubborn tactic of brushing off anything about him.
"Mhn," intoned the elf, unbearably smug. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm sure he finds you very nice to talk to, too."
Despite herself, she returned a question, "...you think?"
"Very much so, my lady. Now, hurry up, you're keeping the war table waiting." she insisted, in a fashion Eden would have attributed to an older sister.
While she may have been late, she was not abhorrently late, which was a small mercy. It was not enough to deter a comment from Josephine about her tardiness nor raised brows from the other three. All harmless, though.
"So, where do we begin?" Eden spoke, looking to the four.
"The most urgent topic is that of the mages and Magister Alexius' invitation to Redcliffe, Lady Trevelyan," responded Josephine, merciful bearer of every meeting's agenda. "Negotiations, as you know, were cut short by the Magister attending to his son, and he will be expecting us back before too long to finish them."
"But, he does not know we are aware of his true allegiances; only that we know something is amiss." said Leliana.
"Well, we can't exactly let that situation go unaddressed." Eden spoke, trying to sound official and business-like. She had no idea if she was succeeding.
"Quite. Considering the accounts we have from both the Magister's former protegé and his own son, we have enough to justify our intervention." Leliana added.
"Not to mention, were we to depose the Magister, the mages would be deeply indebted to us." Josephine said.
"Except we don't have the manpower to take Castle Redcliffe. Either we find another way in, or we give up this nonsense to go and find the Templars." Cullen interjected. He spoke with the air of giving an ultimatum, but in this, it seemed, he was outnumbered, for Cassandra spoke up thereafter.
"Redcliffe is in the hands of a Tevinter Magister. This cannot be allowed to stand." She spoke, meeting Cullen's hard tone with the fine edges of her Nevarran accent.
"The letter the Magister sent asked for Lady Trevelyan by name. It is obviously a trap." said Josephine, and Eden couldn't exactly tell whose side she was on. That was her forte though, she supposed.
After a few beats, it seemed her turn to chime in had come. She took a moment to consider. "We have heard no word from the Templars of late, and we have only seen their strange behaviour in Val Royeaux. I can't help but note that, despite the difficulty of the situation, Redcliffe commands a little but more urgency." She was mustering all her lessons in courtly diplomacy to try and guide the situation without stating her opinion outright.
"Castle Redcliffe is the most defensible fortress in Ferelden. It has repelled thousands of assaults." Cullen argued, then looked pointedly at her, which made her stiffen, "If you go in there, you'll die. And we'll lose our only chance of fixing this mess. I won't allow it." She bit the inside of her cheek and looked to the table. All of these were things she knew, of course. Castle Redcliffe's reputation was well annotated throughout history.
"And if we don't even try to meet Alexius, we lose the mages, and leave a hostile foreign power on our doorstep." Leliana retorted coolly.
"I admire your tenacity, Leliana, but I also have to admit that dying doesn't sound all that nice." She was not that bad with a sword, and would hopefully grow better, but assaulting a fortress, especially one as reputable as Redcliffe, seemed beyond her.
"Even if we could assault the keep, it would all be for nought. An Orlesian Inquisition's army marching into Ferelden would provoke a war." Josephine's accent was clipped, emphasising her point.
"The Magister-" Cassandra tried to speak up.
"-has outplayed us." interrupted Cullen, sounding none-too-happy about this fact. Eden sighed, placing her hands on her hips. Everything pointed to Redcliffe no longer being an option, but something in her was telling her this couldn't be the case.
"That can't be the end of it. Castle Redcliffe may be impregnable to a frontal assault, but that may not be what we need. There has to be another way in, something other than the front gate." She looked between the other four, hoping some of them would have an inkling.
"There's nothing I know of that could help." Cullen said, sounding clearly as though he wanted to be done with it.
"Wait," said Leliana, and Eden looked hopefully to her, "there is a secret passage, outside of the town. An escape route for the family. Too narrow for soldiers, but I could send agents through. All the while, the Herald meets with the Magister, serving to occupy his attention and that of his men."
"I - that is a huge risk." Cullen argued, pulling a face. He seemed about to continue, before the door behind them burst open and she started, surprised.
"Fortunately, you'll have help." came the vaguely familiar voice of the mustachio'd Tevinter, tone and swagger oozing 'I've-come-to-save-the-day'.
"Were you just... standing outside listening?" Eden couldn't help but ask, brow raising.
"No. Well, sort of. You all speak very loudly, and it's a rather thin door." responded Dorian with a shrug.
"I'm sorry, I tried to stop him, but he claimed he had important information about the Magister." huffed a guard who walked behind Dorian, clearly irritated. She gathered Dorian had simply walked past the poor boy without a concern for him.
Cullen stared, first at the guard, then at Dorian, clearly displeased. She wondered if there was ever a time when the Commander was in a good mood. She heard the guard hesitantly march away thereafter, closing the door behind him.
"Your spies will never make it past Alexius' magic without my help. If you're going after him, I'm coming along." Dorian stated with an air of finality.
There were a few tense moments before Cullen sighed. Despite their being four of them involved in the decision making - well, five, with her, sort of - the Commander's word seemed to carry a fair bit of weight. It was his decision they were waiting for. He looked to her.
"The plan puts you in the most danger. We can't, in good conscience, order you to do this." Or not. They were waiting on her decision, then. She considered carefully. "You can still go after the Templars, if you decide you don't want to play the bait." He said this almost lightly, as though trying to crack a joke
"No pressure." said Dorian, which made her crack a smile, but was not, unfortunately, all that helpful. Upon further thought, it made the most sense to stick with the mages, though. Of the two choices, they by far had the most information on the Magister and his machinations. They had a plan, too, even if it was dangerous. And if it worked out, they would almost certainly have the goodwill of the mages and the means to close the Breach.
"I'll do it." She said at last. She could see Leliana and Cassandra's shoulders sag with some relief at a a consensus reached. Cullen sighed, full of forbearance, but he just nodded. Josephine just nodded and began writing away at her clipboard. She opened her mouth to continue, but alas, the door slammed open once more and she jumped, which prompted Dorian to laugh a little.
"Commander! I - ... uh," Another, different soldier had entered, holding a letter in his hand. He looked about the room, now having four other people with not inconsiderable titles to greet and not knowing with whom to begin.
"Report, Corporal." said Cullen patiently. She had no idea how he could tell his rank, but maybe the Commander just knew his soldiers.
"The -," he cleared his throat, "we've received communique from the Templars, Commander. A runner on horseback just came by a few minutes ago."
"What?" Cullen responded, clearly surprised. Glancing about, Eden could see some of the tension return to Leliana and Cassandra's posture. "Give that here." The letter was sealed, and thus their message was yet a mystery. The soldier stepped inside, proffering the message across the table, and Cullen took it. They all waited with bated breath for him to open the message and read it.
She herself had no idea what to think. She was still very unfamiliar with the entire 'being a person that people listen to' thing, and while she had opinions, she was more used to nobody actually caring what those opinions were.
She watched the Commander's face slowly turn into a deeper frown. Only Cassandra had the bravery (or, more accurately, the impatience) to question him. "What does it say, Cullen?"
He looked up and offered the note to Josephine. "The Templars request a meeting with a member of the Inquisition, to negotiate." He said it so plainly yet vaguely that she knew there had to be more.
"With the Herald?" Leliana asked.
"No," said Josephine, reading the note herself, "in as many words, with 'the Outlander', known otherwise as Atlas." Her voice was carefully neutral, betraying no feeling. Eden, however, felt herself freeze at the mention of the name, her mind going completely blank.
"You are serious?" Cassandra, questioned, looking between Cullen and Josephine for clarification, or perhaps the unveiling of the world's strangest joke.
"That is what the note says." Josephine responded.
"Corporal, go find Atlas and bring him here." Cullen commanded coolly.
"Yes, Ser." He placed a fist to his chest and shuffled off rather quickly.
"Well, I do believe I've said my piece. Much as I'd like to listen to the ensuing argument - oh wait, I wouldn't like that at all. I'll be around whenever you decide to visit Redcliffe." Dorian wisely extricated himself from the situation, offering a shallow theatrical bow. She managed to give him a wave before he left.
"I take it you all... ahem, don't like him, then?" Eden managed to get her brain to work, and piped up.
There was a moment of silence where Cullen, Leliana, and Josephine traded looks. Naturally, it was Cullen who went on to most plainly state his objections. "He may have proven his willingness to work with us, but that doesn't mean I trust him. The story he told Leliana sounds like pure fiction, and now the Templars come asking to meet with him? It makes no sense. Why not Cassandra, one of their own? Or yourself?" He scoffed.
"Lord Seeker Lucian stated plainly he wanted nothing to do with us at Val Royeaux." Cassandra responded, crossing her arms.
"Then why would they come to us? Their strange behaviour has been too common lately." Cullen grumbled, resting his hand on the pommel of his sword.
"But Atlas is not a part of the Inquisition, is he?" Leliana spoke, frowning and looking at the table. "He is affiliated with us, but he holds no official position. And what they called him - 'Outlander', you said?" Rather than answer, Josephine remained silent, and crossed over to hand Leliana the letter.
"Is that all the note says?" Eden asked.
"It is fairly standard, as far as these things go. It merely requests a meeting with the 'Outlander', Atlas, and acknowledges him as an acquaintance of the Inquisition. 'For the purpose of discussion on matters most important', I think it says. Signed by Knight-Captain Denam." Josephine said, ever straightforward in her delightfully eloquent way.
"'Matters most important'?" Cassandra said in disbelief, now scoffing herself. "What matters could he have to discuss with them?"
"We would have to ask the man himself. He should be here soon." Josephine responded.
"So, what, er, story did he tell you, then?" Eden said, trying to make sense of the situation. It did not help that she was mildly (she refused to mentally correct herself on whether it was more or less than just 'mildly') attracted to the man in the question, and altogether did not have enough information to draw any meaningful conclusions about the predicament.
"In short, he told me that he was a member of a noble family, and that he had come via portal from another world, called 'Aethys'. I let him leave under the agreement that he would be assigned a mission of my choosing." Leliana said, tone clipped.
"I am still surprised you believed him," said Cullen with the shaking of his head.
"And as I said before, I didn't believe him. I let him go. I believed that he didn't want to talk about where he was from, and that he meant no harm - and I gave him an opportunity to prove himself. Which he has, gaining the respect of two of my operatives and of our very own Herald." Eden pulled a face, managing to mask her blush with her feelings towards the title of 'Herald'.
"He told us the same story, more or less, on the way to Redcliffe. Talked about the island he lived - Ayo, or something like that." Cassandra responded, albeit grudgingly. Much as she might not dislike Atlas, or so Eden had guessed, she probably disliked the situation. She remembered him talking about his home as well, especially because she was the one who asked him. At this thought, a lightbulb flashed.
"Oh!" Eden exclaimed, then froze when she noticed everyone else looking at her.
"Something you wish to share, Lady Trevelyan?" Josephine said, in a tone she imagined her mother might have used, long ago. Eden cleared her throat - she hadn't actually meant to say anything.
"Last... yesterday. Atlas was telling me about his religion, because I asked. I just remembered. Because I had forgotten." She was doing her best to look just above or beside each of the other's faces, instead of meeting their eyes. She squared her shoulders and raised her chin. She was terrible at this.
"He seems inclined to stick to his story, then." Cullen grumbled. She was really quite unused to people speaking about Atlas in less-than-hospitable tones - she was under the impression that most found him generally likable. Maybe she was biased, though.
"It is a point in his favor that he has ingrained himself with many around Haven - the workers and lower-ranking soldiers, especially." Josephine spoke up, ever the diplomat.
"That doesn't mean he has been entirely forthcoming with us." Leliana said, and now it was she whose side was unclear. She let him go and admitted he had proven himself, but then said he was also untrustworthy.
It was at that moment that the man of the hour arrived, and, thankfully for her nerves, gently pushed the door open to step inside. Atlas' hair was a hastily combed mess, and he was dressed casually. His eyes were alert as ever, sweeping the room. She noted that his gaze paused for the smallest instant on her before continuing, but she could've been imagining it.
"I was told you wanted to see me?" Atlas spoke, neutral and unassuming. He clasped his hands behind his back. "The messenger didn't wish to tell me why."
"We received a letter from the Templars," began Leliana, watching Atlas carefully, "and in it, they requested a meeting with the 'Outlander', who they went on to name as you, to speak about matters of upmost importance."
Atlas tilted his head a miniscule degree, and pursed his lips. He cast a look to Leliana, Cullen, then Josephine, perhaps sensing they were the ones he was going to have to deal with, before settling back to the Lady Nightingale.
"Curious. They asked for me, by name? Or by title, rather. 'Outlander'. A strange thing to call someone, don't you think?" Despite the deepening furrow in his brow, he seemed at ease with the situation, now keen on deciphering it.
"We thought so too." Cullen said, tone a little more confrontational. "We wanted to know if it was as much a surprise to you as it was to us."
"Well, probably. I've never spoken to a Templar in my life. If you'll exclude yourself, that is. And Ser Rylen once, when I was watching some of the soldiers train." At mention of being included among Templars, Cullen stiffened, and Atlas quickly moved on, "Outlander, hrm. Sounds important. Speaking of important, did they say what those important matters were?" She envied the confidence with which he casually navigated the conversation. His tone and the way he spoke to them conveyed that he was working through the issue with them rather than against them.
"No, they did not. It was our hope that you were in a position to enlighten us on that, but it seems that may not be the case." It was now Josephine's turn to speak (were they aware they were all speaking one after another? It almost sounded planned) and she did so with notably less hostility than the other two, veiled or otherwise.
"It would appear so," he agreed with a sigh. "But honestly, have you ever heard the word 'Outlander' before?" He said, now almost incredulous with the third mention of the strange title.
"Is there something you're trying to get at? It'd be easier if you just say it." Cullen cautioned, almost sighing the words out.
"You're focusing on the wrong thing. Might I read the letter?" He inquired, and now Eden's brow was furrowing. What was he getting at? Josephine handed him the letter after a moment's hesitation, and he glanced through it in a moment before place it on the table. Did he read it that quickly?
"The 'matters most important' aren't actually important, they're just fluff, trying to make things seem noteworthy or urgent than they actually are. But this - 'Outlander'. Why would they include that?" He questioned, and she noticed, like the ride to Redcliffe, that everyone was interested by his words if not outright hooked. Maybe that was just her, though. "It's not a title of respect - if they wanted to be respectful, for whatever reason, they'd have said 'Ser'. Or, more probably, they wouldn't have included any title at all. To them, I shouldn't have one. Why'd they do it, then?"
"Is there something they know that we do not?" Leliana questioned, but it didn't seem a genuine question - more like when someone already intuitively knew the answer, they just needed to get to it.
"No," sighed Atlas, "in fact, you all should know more than them. But I suppose you didn't believe it, did you?"
"Believe what?" Cassandra said, which surprised her; she'd forgotten the Nevarran was next to her.
"What I told you, of where I come from. I suppose I can't blame you, but I was - am telling the truth. I'm really not from here. But the question isn't whether I'm telling the truth - which I am, by the way - it's why they would call me an 'Outlander'. Or, more specifically, 'the' Outlander. Singular."
"You mean to imply that they are also aware of your... claims?" Leliana said, tone now less laconic and more thoughtful.
"Precisely that. How would they even be aware of such stories? As isolated as they've apparently made themselves." Atlas reasoned. Glancing across, she saw Leliana with a considerate expression, Cullen with a begrudging scowl, and Josephine with nought more than a pursing of her lips.
"What would you propose we do about the situation?" Eden asked. She knew the other three would be unwilling to do so, as they seemed more inclined on an interrogation instead of problem-solving, though she could tell his words were getting to them.
"Well..." he hesitated, turning to look at her, "sometimes the best way to avoid a trap is to spring it." At this, she frowned.
"That doesn't make any sense."
"It's - it's a figure of speech." He said with a sigh, "The only way to know what it is they wish from me is to actually go there. They've offered me - that is, offered us a pretense."
"But it isn't necessary, either." Cullen began, "We have a plan for Redcliffe. If and when it is successful, the assistance of the Templars will become unneeded, much as I hate to say it." She was surprised to hear Cullen seemingly arguing now in favor of their Redcliffe plan. Maybe he just disliked Atlas that much; she really couldn't imagine why.
"Well, yes, you have me there." Atlas responded, conceding the point, and he seemed about to continue before Leliana interrupted.
"Their assistance is not what we would be after. Investigating their strange behaviour and its source would be the objective." Leliana said matter-of-factly. Eden blinked - this meeting was full of surprises, because now it sounded like Leliana was speaking in Atlas' favor. Cullen didn't seem particularly pleased at this, and Atlas seemed surprised.
"So we would acquiesce to their request, despite it so clearly being a trap of some sort?" Cullen argued.
"Therinfal Redoubt is a fortress. If something were to go wrong while inside, we would not be able to rescue anyone left inside." Cassandra spoke up. Eden presumed that Therinfal was where the Templars now made their base. No one told her anything (or maybe she just didn't listen. she'd have to work on that).
"Then don't send that many people. A small group of reputable persons to let them know we're taking them seriously, and enough to make them think we've taken the bait." Atlas suggested.
"Ordinarily, if we were to have gone to the Templars, we would have needed the support of Orlais." Josephine now spoke. "That they have offered a written invitation to Atlas as an acquaintance of the Inquisition rather than member of it means that this is... unofficial, at least in regards to us." She articulated her point with the quill in her write hand, which physically punctuated the air. "They seek only him. It is strange that they would ask for it. They wouldn't have done so for the Herald without significant pressure from the Houses of Orlais."
"Yes, I believe the peculiarity of the situation has been noted," Cullen said sourly, and Leliana gave him a pointed look. No need to take it out on Josephine, after all.
"What do you think, Eden?" Cassandra asked beside her, and she was now reminded that she was, at some points, expected to have an opinion. She crossed her arms and fiddled with the sleeve of her tunic.
"I think that this may very well be the best of both worlds. Commander, I know you wish we would enlist the full aid of the Templars, but with what Josephine has said, going through Orlais to get to them in the same manner may take too long, and Redcliffe needs a response." She looked between the three of them, and also to Cassandra, who she was now sure just wanted the situation to be resolved one way or another.
"I know you don't trust Atlas, which... is, I - fair enough. He's mysterious and strange and his stories are... erm. Elaborate, to say the least." She saw Atlas shrug out of the corner of her eye. "But I don't think he's a liar. If he wanted to harm the Inquisition, he's had ample time to do so. In the midst of battle, for example, he could've stabbed me, or Cassandra, or Varric - well, maybe not Varric, he's usually behind us - in the back." She was realising this as she said it, for she'd never even considered the possibility before then. "You may not trust him, but you've trusted me this far. I believe him." She was quite proud of the steadiness of her voice. She dared not look at Atlas after this, for fear that her headstrong expression might break in favor of a blush.
The three traded glances, communicating silently. She was mainly focused on Cullen, who had been the main opponent of the entire idea. She was fidgeting all the while, until at long last Cullen let out a sigh that was approaching a growl.
"Fine. We'll discuss it more tomorrow after we begin making the preparations for Redcliffe." Cullen acquiesced, and she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.
"Thank you, Commander. Lady Nightingale, Lady Ambassador, Seeker." he bowed his head to each in turn, and received a nod back from them. He took his unspoken cue and turned to leave. He did not acknowledge her, probably due in part to the fact that she wasn't the one he had needed to convince.
"...would this be a bad time to mention that there's a mercenary company on the Storm Coast that wants to talk to me?" Eden said, trying to act nonchalant in face of the displeasure she could practically sense in the air. She was rewarded with some sighs, which was at least far better than glares. "No? Well, then I hope you won't be mad if they talked to me a few days ago." This time, they did glare. Procrastination never pays, apparently. She had the grace to look sheepish.