"How badly are you hurt?" Solas asked. His eyes touched hers, searching her face anxiously.
IIyana licked her lips and then raised a hand to massage her throat. The delicate movement only brought more attention to her fragile state. Stepping back, she willed the Fade to show Solas what she'd been hiding.
His breath caught at the bruises shadowing her face. Her cheek was swollen, her lips split. Even in the Fade, he could see fingertips around her neck. Blood caked around a wound on her left shoulder and her wrist appeared sprained, perhaps broken. If Solas still had a faith, he would have cried to the Gods. Instead, his stomach heaved as he imagined what could have occurred. IIyana looked so fragile. So delicate. How could she have survived such brutality?
Dorian and Blackwall have provided their accounts of what happened at camp, and the scene he'd witnessed at the stream had left him disturbed. But this. The shadows around her eyes troubled him, for they went deeper than the bruises. Even now, she hesitated to meet his eyes.
His hands trembled as he reached out to touch her face. Fenedhis, he couldn't imagine anyone touching her. Of hurting her. He didn't think he could stomach knowing the horrors she'd endured.
"I'm low on mana," she whispers. "The pain will start soon."
The helplessness in her voice sent him into a fury that whistled like a whip. The fear he'd experienced when he met Cole in the Fade was more real, and the reality of their situation was made more pronounced by her behavior. She was detached and something was off about her.
"IIyana," Solas began gently. "Can you tell me what happened to you? Start from the beginning. There is nothing you can't tell me."
Her gaze flickered dispassionately, laced with a look of haunted terror. He wanted to crush her to him. He wanted to wrap his arms tightly around her fragile frame. He wanted to whisper lies into her ear and let her know that everything will be fine. But he was afraid to hear what she had to say just as much as her having to relive it sent tremors down her spine.
"We were attacked a few hours before dawn," she said. "By the time I made it out of my tent, Iron Bull and Blackwall were already surrounded. I don't remember much of the fight, only that I saw Dorian fall, and I needed to get to him."
Solas pulled her into his arms then, hoping that she would find some comfort in his strength. He soothed her with the hum of his magic, the warmth of his arms, and the beating of his heart.
"One stabbed me in the shoulder and dragged me into the woods. I managed to kill him."
"Good," Solas said gruffly.
"I escaped but was knocked down by another who chased me into the woods." For the first time, her voice wavered, layered with emotions as she gripped his shirt tightly. "I was so stupid. I just wanted to get away and I slipped. I fucking slipped - into a ravine. The templar caught up to me and backhanded me. I remember the pain in my side and then he was pushing me into the water."
It took all of Solas' willpower not to let his anger show but his body trembled with rage.
"The next few minutes were a blur but I remember Eri was there." She frowned at the memory. "Then someone attacked us and the next time I opened my eyes, I was in a cabin with a man."
Solas went completely still. Eyes narrowed. Was this the reason for her strange behavior? Had she been violated? He tried to swallow but couldn't manage it. "Can you tell me about the man?"
She bit her lips in frustration. "I'm not sure," she said angrily. "I can't remember half the details because I think I was drugged half the time."
Suspicion clouded his vision and Solas asked. "Did he make you eat anything? A pill perhaps? Or some powdery substance."
"He forced me to drink some form of liquid. It was bitter but salty and earthy -"
"Magebane," Solas interrupted. "A mixture of lyrium dust and a corrupting agent." His chest hurt. His stomach heaved. No wonder he hadn't been able to find her at all. He grinded his teeth so tightly he feared he might break them. "You've been poisoned, IIyana. Are you with him now?"
Her eyes darted to his in disbelief, then turned dark and troubled as the Fade shifted slightly. "No, I've managed to escape," she says. "But he -"
Something shifted in the Fade, a slow tremor in the far distance as if an explosion of some kind had happened. She looked … afraid. Not just in body but spirit, as if whatever was happening at the moment shook the foundations of her faith. "IIyana," Solas asked. "What is it?"
Her eyes found his again. "It's my wards. He's found me … I - I have to go before - before -"
"Wait!" Solas demands. He pulls her in for a scorching kiss. Then he placed his forehead against hers. Magic hummed, shuffling through her memories and he cursed. He should have known. He should have followed his instincts. "I know where you are," he says. "Whatever you do, just stay alive, IIyana."
And she vanishes before he can finish his sentence, leaving him alone in the Fade as if she'd only been a dream.
Cursing underneath his breath, Solas awakened from the Fade, grabbing what little he needed before readying his horse for the journey ahead. Sensing his urgency, Iron Bull joined him. He finished tying his travel bag into his horse as Dorian arrived.
The three men rode out of camp and were soon joined by Varric and Sera. Despite his earlier reservations about traveling in a group, Solas was grateful for the added strength.
Night fell and Cassandra had no idea where she was. After being taken prisoner, she and Eri were blindfolded and separated. She felt helpless, and she didn't like it. She had felt helpless far too much in the last couple of days. Worse, she had no idea if Eri was even alive. Damnit, another Lavellan she had failed.
Cassandra opened her eyes and looked around the dreary cell. Other than being kept in solitary, her captors had been stupid enough not to chain her to the wall. A slip of luck on her end as the chain was long enough to wrap around her hands, using it as a weapon as needed. And so she waited.
The clink of metal in the passageway signaled the arrival of a visitor, followed by the metal door scraping along the floor, sending a rush of paralyzing fear up Cassandra's spine. But she will not give in to her fear today. Footsteps, at least two, walked down the darkened hallway leading to her cell door. As the yellow glow of torchlight glimmered through the room, Cassandra slipped silently to her feet. Reaching for the iron shackles, she moved to stand behind the door.
When the profile of a man came to view, Cassandra moved with agile speed, grabbing hold of the man's shirt and slamming him against the bars, looping the chain around his neck and jerking it tight. She'd expected the fellow to pull out his sword but when none came, she glanced up and released her hold immediately.
"Maker take you," Cassandra hissed. She threw her arm around Cullen and enclosed him in a fierce hug while he clung to breathe, straining and coughing for air. Leiliana laughed, moving forward to pick the lock.
"You could have given me a warning, Cullen," Cassandra said hoarsely, relieved to see a friendly face. "I could have killed you."
Cullun scoffed. "Remind me not sneak up on you again."
Meanwhile, the cell door swung open and Leiliana stepped inside, assessing Cassandra's injuries. "Tell me how you got here," she asked, hands moving to check for broken bones.
"I'm not even sure where here is," Cassandra confessed. "We were taken by red templars- Eri and I. But I have no idea where he is now."
Leliana frowned. "We're at Suledin Keep. We were told the red templars were holding a member of the Inquisition here. We had hoped it would be the Inquisitor but I am glad to see you, too."
"So we have still not found her," Cassandra sighs. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. Defeated.
"What the hell were they doing here?" Blackwall said as he and Vivienne passed a series of corridors that led to a massive courtyard wrapped around the entire Keep.
They were careful not to disturb the tents littered with boxes and chunks of red lyrium carelessly tossed aside. From where they stood, red energy emanating heat, pulsating and humming like a heartbeat.
To their left, massive cages - housing dead animals and a giant from the Emerald Graves - were left undisturbed. Crystallized red lyrium perturbed from the creatures' back and legs, and aligning the cell were tables covered with blood and more red lyrium. From behind, Blackwall could hear Cole rambling. "It's quiet, but the old song still echoes inside, almost like templars."
Vivienne's eyes swept the area with a knowing gaze. "So that's how the red templars created it so quickly. Blood, to speed the growth."
"They were experimenting," Blackwall concludes. "Cullen would want to know about this"
"Yes," Vivienne agreed. "Red lyrium. I would prefer not to linger in its presence."
"Daggers under the skin. It eats you inside until you're nothing. They hear a different song. The song behind the door still whispers. They are dead and dark and done." Cole stated as he stared at the red lyrium.
Disturbed by what they found, Blackwall led them out of the courtyard and along a pebble walkway, wrapping around the Keep. When they came upon another open courtyard, the companions worked efficiently to take out the guards stationed outside the perimeter before heading up the stairs, and through an archway that opened up to another courtyard.
They could hear angry voices as they approached and they were careful not to alert anyone to their presence. In the center, surrounded by red templars, was a man, chuckling as he stared at Eri, who was held down by two templars.
"Who are you," Eri sneered.
"Call me … Imshael."
Eri knew that name. He'd heard the stories of the forgotten ones and sneered. "You're a demon!"
Imshael coughed. "Choice spirit."
"Fuck you!"
"Would you still be so rude if you knew I could tell you where she is?" Imshael stated. "The one you seek, that is."
Eri growled angry, fighting against his captures to be set free. "Tell me where she is, or I swear! I will fucking kill you!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Imshael. "You are a wild one -" He was interrupted by a whistle of wind as the two templars holding Eri down suddenly loosened their hold, gargling. Eri Looked behind him to find both templars struggling for their final breath, a dagger plunged through each of their hearts. The silhouette of a large hat poked from behind his captors.
"You hurt, an old song that won't go away," Cole said softly. "I heard you and I came to help."
The entire courtyard exploded into pandemonium as Blackwall and Vivienne charged into the courtyard, but Eri's gaze was only on Imshael as he fled. Mustering what little energy he had, Eri followed, running back into the Keep, through the open doors, passing a pile of dead red templars. Eri was surprised to find the the main hall was empty. Its tables and benches have been shoved against the windows as if to keep something big out. Eri crossed the floor, stirring up the scent of elf root and crystal grace rushes, ironically sweet in contrast to the gore and death surrounding him. Halfway across the chamber, a blur of movement caught his eye and he turned towards a door on his left, leading to an inside staircase, which had been left ajar.
Calm and collected, Eri stepped down to the last stair. With a faint hissed, he clutched his opened wound tightly. The sealed skin had reopened and blood dripped with every step he took as he made his way to the fireplace, where a templar lay dead, his broadsword covered in blood near his feet.
"So, it comes to this," Imshael said with a smirk of satisfaction as he moved away from the shadows. "We can decide, just the two of us, what choices you have."
Eri hissed, dragging the broadsword along the floor. "You talk too much,"
Imshael ignored the implied threat. "True to my name, I will show that you have a choice. It doesn't always have to end in blood. Here, let me show you." The demon moved so quickly that Eri barely had time to counter until the blackness took over.
"Wait for my mark," the man said as he handed the boy a bow and arrow. "Relax. Do not think of it as an animal, but a blessing from Andruil herself. Clear your mind, Erion."
The little boy took a deep breath, eyes focused on the ram who grazed no more than twenty yards away. His arms shook slightly, and the bow he'd been holding quivered with each breath he took.
"Don't be afraid," his father soothed. "Feet solid. Steady yourself. Now breathe in."
Eri inhaled deeply as he positioned his arrow straight at the ram's heart.
"Be swift and silent, strike true, and do not waver," his father said. "Now let go, Eri."
Eri released the arrow. It whistled across the forest, catching the light of the summer sun, and pierced the animal in the heart.
"I got it!" he cried, celebrating with a little cheer. He's always wanted to be just like his father - the best hunter in all of Thedas. And seeing the pride on his father's face made Eri feel like he was atop of the world.
"Well, done, my son," Aeron Lavellan said proudly. "Pretty soon, you'll be joining me on the hunt." Laughing at Eri's widening eyes, he quickly added. "But let's not tell your mother I said that, she already worries too much. If she knew I took you out today, I'll never hear the end of it."
"Mamae can worry for days."
"Yes," his father agreed. "But don't say that to her. She'll think you learned it from me." Father patting son on his head. "Now come on, let's go check on our prize."
Eri's heart clenched painfully as he watched father and son slide down the slope. Mindlessly, he followed, lost in the memory of their last morning together. His father was just as he remembered. Tall, so tall that even as he crotched, he appeared a giant, towing over his son. Golden eyes, just like his, were warm and kind as he dressed the ram. His father had been proud that day and the feeling of knowing such pride was something Eri hadn't felt since. He'd often wondered what his life would have looked like if his parents hadn't been killed.
"I can give him back to you," Imshael offered. "Instead of living your life in darkness, killing for coin, you can be loved by all. By your parents. Your clan. Keeper Deshanna …"
Eri snapped his head to Imshael, searing him with a blistering stare.
Knowing that victory was inevitable, the demon laughed. He snapped his fingers and the image changed to a bright, sunny day. Eri stood in the entryway of the familiar aravel, with herbs and spices aligning the walls, along with tomes of ancient texts and dalish philosophies pilled in the corner.
A middle-aged woman leaned over a table, hair peppered with silver, hummed softly as her flour-covered hands kneaded the dough carefully. In the corner, the kettle whistled to a boil and she stopped, turning her attention to the little burner Eri had constructed himself, along with the table he'd carefully handcrafted from wood in the Free Marches.
The woman gasped, eyes widening. Then tears. Happy tears he'd never seen before. "Eri - Eri? Is that you?" Deshanna said with a shaking breath. The wooden bangles she wore around her tiny wrists clattering excitedly as she clamped her hands against her heart. "Oh my dear," she cried. "My little lethallin, you are finally home."
Swallowing back his emotions, Eri saw through a blur of tears as Deshanna ran straight into his arms. "Look how much you've grown," he heard her say. "Where have you been all this time? And why didn't you write to me? Oh, it doesn't matter. You're home. You're finally home."
Choked with emotions, Eri brought his arms up to wrap around Deshanna but his hands grasped at nothing as the image evaporated. Then an image of a bleeding IIyana, stumbling, rasping for breath as she fought against the templar flash before him.
Eri hissed deadly. He knew then why Imshael had chosen him.
"This doesn't have to end in bloodshed," Imshael said. "It's simple. We don't have to fight. And I grant you your deepest desire. Your parents. Forgiveness and acceptance back into your clan … or the whereabouts of the Inquisitor. You pick. The choice is yours."
Surrounded by a hoard of red templars, Blackwall, Vivienne, and Cole fought their way into the keep, trailing hot behind Eri's trail. They were outnumbered. They were overwhelmed. Blackwall advanced cautiously, his broadsword in his right hand, Cole to his left, while Vivienne provided cover. Suddenly, the air charged, tightened and stretched without warning, and all the red templars fell to the ground.
Dead.
Vivienne and Blackwall gave each other a questioning stare, while Cole stared off into the distance, his lips moving incoherently as he tilted his head slightly. He appeared as if he was listening to something, then his eyes widened and he vanishes out of sight. A second later, the door to their left creaked open and Eri stumbles through.
His eyes were haunted and his expression was one of doubt as he fell into Blackwall's arms. "I know where IIyana is …"
