Moonpriestess30: Yep, i didn't get to write it in the original so I'm diving in here.

Judy: Yay, I'm glad you like it.


Chapter 206 - I see you.

Tears swam in Garrett's eyes as he saw her, she waited at the rail of her ship as the plank was lowered for her to walk down. Too late he saw the expression on her face as she grabbed the the mooring line and threw it over one of the supports to tighten it and slid down the length, literally into Hawke's arms. He laughed in glee and held her close almost crushing her. It had been nearly two years since he last saw her. 'Oh, Isabela!' He says kissing her temple as she hugged him.

'Andraste's tits am I glad to see you! I have got an itch that can't be scratched!' She complains. 'This whole love shtick is a frustrating ache. Honestly, you better not have lost your touch,' Isabela grins. She looks over and waves at Katza. 'I'll be with you in about an... hour, sweetpea! Mama's got neeeeds!' She says dragging her lover up the gangplank.

Makatza grins and nods, she half expected as much. 'Okay, well they're not the only ones here,' she grins as once Isabela and Garrett had cleared the way, Orana, Merrill and Aveline appeared. Orana squealed and ran down throwing herself at Makatza as she reached land. 'Hello, Orana,' she says happily giving the elf a squeeze.

'Mistress!'

'Keeper, if you must address me by a title,' Makatza laughs. Fenris smiles softly as Orana finished hugging Katza and looked at him shyly.

'It is good to see you, Orana,' he says honestly as she takes his loose arms as an invitation and embraced him as well. He pats her fondly on the back and smiles genuinely when she moves away. 'The children are in camp if you wish to see them?' He asks making her face light up. 'Hahren, can you-?' Fenris began asking Silvanus but the older elf had already draped his arm around Orana's shoulders and began leading her back to the clan.

In the meantime Makatza had already been tackled by Merrill and was on the floor being smothered with adoration. Fenris still wasn't in the best place mentally with the blood mage but he was a lot more civil to her and made an effort. Makatza's clan didn't know of her magic use and so when she had finished giving her love she was embraced into the people happily. Lastly Aveline steps forward and Makatza throws her arms around her shoulders. 'Oh, Aveline,' she says feeling tears fall down her cheeks. 'Maker, I've missed you.'

The Guard Captain merely nods, trying not to cry as she held one of her best friends. 'I've missed you too,' she agrees. Makatza finally lets her go and she looks at Fenris and smiles. 'Fenris,' she says softly. 'It's so good to see you,' she places a hand on his shoulder. 'You look great, I guess Donnic wasn't lying when he said that married life was bliss?' She teases making the elf go a little pink.

'Aveline,' he chuckles, rolling his eyes. 'It ….. It is good to see you,' he agrees. The Guard Captain a firm friend and someone he didn't realised he leaned on until she was gone. They were all introduced to the Inquisitor before reuniting with Varric and then lead back into the camp. Makatza insisted that Isabela and Garrett have a wash before joining in the celebrations and she did so by literally picking Isabela up and dumping her in the river. There was a lot of swearing and Garrett laughed until he was bent double before with the help of Bull, he was thrown into the river as well. Makatza had found out that the rest of the Inquisition had made the journey and were waiting at camp so she invited them into the clan to join in the celebrations. The Dalish were doing their best to be accommodating but it was a first for most of them, they rarely got involved with humans let alone Qunari and dwarves; seeing as their Keeper was calm they were more than happy to relax. It had gotten later on in the evening, Makatza and Fenris had put their children to bed and were now enjoying some time together around the fire. Makatza spots the Inquisitor a little way off from the crowd.

'I'm going to speak to her,' Makatza says softly to him as she gets up.

Fenris gently catches her hand, 'do not go running off fighting to solve another problem,' he says quietly but seriously. Makatza smiles and nods, leaning down to kiss him.

'Don't worry, I have too many important things here to take care of,' she assures. 'I'm just going to talk.' Fenris squeezes her fingers and watches her go until he's dragged into another conversation with someone who introduced himself as Dorian.

Makatza nods and greets people as she makes her way through and tilts her head when she sees the Inquisitor. 'There's a party and you're sitting on the side lines,' she says softly as she looks her over. She was sitting on a slight incline able to oversee the crowd of people.

'Doesn't really feel like a good time to be celebrating to be honest,' Lavellan sighs as she looks at her hands. The weight of the inquisition was bearing down on her shoulders, she didn't know what she was doing half the time and it felt like it was too much. 'You were the Viscountess of Kirkwall, how did you know what you were doing was the right thing?' She asks.

Katza takes a seat next to her and within moments Elgon and Ciere had found their way to her side and put the Inquisitor on edge a little. 'You are from the Free Marches, Dalish yes?' Makatza asks as she pets her wolves who were enjoying the attention. 'Did you hear what I was doing in the city?'

'I heard rumours and things, like you tried to bring equality and had a woman beheaded for treason,' she admits.

'Ah, yes. Well, honestly I've found that if people are trying to kill you, you're generally doing the right thing,' Katza says with a weak smile. 'You can't know what you're doing is the right thing until it's done. If you feel you have good moral standards and people are willing to stand by you and follow your decisions, then be confident that you're at least going in the right direction. I have a feeling that Cassandra would have something to say should she not agree with what you're doing,' Makatza teases making her smile. 'She's like my Aveline, always so black and white as to what is right and wrong.'

They take a moment of silence and Makatza catches her looking at Solas who was speaking with her father, they seemed to be in deep conversation. 'Are you ever scared?' Lavellan murmurs as she holds her knees tightly.

Makatza breathes in deeply, 'every day,' she admits. 'My presence and mana absorption has stopped any tears appearing near us so far but that won't last. I am scared that I am not powerful enough to protect my family for what is to come,' she said simply.

'What do you think is coming, Keeper?'

She looks at the young woman and smiles weakly. 'Redemption.'

'I don't understand,' Lavellan, 'what do you know?' Her heart picked up, there was something in the way that she said it. She truly believed that something was going to happen that she wasn't going to be able to save herself and her family. 'If there's a larger threat out there-'

Makatza laughs and nods, 'there is,' she whispers. 'There always is. Just when you think you've seen the worst the world can throw at you, more arises.' Makatza looks over at Solas, 'what would be the worst thing he could do to you?' She asks. 'Are you in love, or is it an infatuation?'

Lavellan goes bright red and looks away, 'I don't know, he calls me, vhenan, and we've kissed... a couple of times...' she says quietly. 'I never know what's going through his mind. I think the worst thing would be to find out... it wasn't real.'

'Dangerous men know how to keep us on our toes huh,' she teases breaking the tension a little. 'A little advice from me to you, everything that man feels about you is true,' Makatza says honestly. 'Do not ever doubt that. Even if you wish it weren't true, it is.'

'How do...how do you know Solas?' She asks, biting the arrow.

'About three years ago, I found myself trapped in the fade. I was giving birth to my daughter, and it hurt so much. My soul found release by being in the fade, but as the labour went on I couldn't come back. I wandered. Time moves differently in the fade and it felt like I was there for years. When I looked at myself, I didn't look like me; I glowed, I was a spirit but none that I have ever seen. I came across an elf, Solas. He wasn't afraid of me. Nor I him. We knew each other,' Makatza says carefully, she didn't want to reveal too much to the woman. It wasn't her place.

'He explained to me that the Bellarnaris Elgar wasn't a special type of mage that we had always thought, it was a spirit and it was born into the world at times of conflict. A warrior, a protector for the people. Powerful and barely controllable. Born into a vessel, if it survived, it would burn bright and bring balance before dimming out. You wonder why I don't want to be involved in this fight? If he got his hands on me, this world... it would be no more. Once Solas had explained this to me I was able to understand who I actually am. I am Makatza Lorias, Keeper, mother and wife. But I am also a spirit born to protect this world. And I will protect, starting with my family. I have grown, I know I can't change this world by force, I have to try and change people and watch the world change that way. Knowing who I am allowed me to rejoin my body, only moments had passed and just like that, my daughter was brought into this world, to a mother who finally knew that she could protect her.' Makatza sighed deeply and smiles.

Lavellan just looks at her in amazement, 'there is so much about my people that I never knew,' she says quietly as she looks back over at Solas who caught her eye and smiles, making her blush.

'Life is a journey of learning,' Makatza smiles. 'Now, if you'll excuse me. I have to save my husband from a rather enthusiastic conversation partner.'

'Ah, that's Dorian, just flick him if he gets too much,' Lavellan laughs rolling her eyes at her best friend's antics. Makatza grabs her by the arm and dislodges the wolves that had been leaning on them as they stand.

'Come on, don't watch life go on without you,' she grins as she drags her back into the fray. With a gentle nudge she sends the Inquisitor towards Solas and continues onwards. She caught some of Dorian's conversation as she got closer.

'-they're just fascinating. The process that goes into making them. And your children? No magic? Not even with your lyrium and her own heritage? I mean, what a specimen you are! If I didn't know you were married-' He babbles as Fenris had his eyes wide in what looked like fear. A Tevinter Mage, openly discussing the ritual used to create him. He had to use all his willpower not to just lash out and punch him in the face in order to silence him. Makatza drifted over like a stifling wall of charisma as she grins wrapping her arms around Fenris' shoulders from behind. 'Ah, and there she is! The Eternal Spirit! My countrymen have been up in arms about you! Tell me is all that stuff about the red lyrium true?'

Makatza grins and looks at the mage, 'Dorian, do I have to be concerned about you using your wily charm to ply my husband away from me?' She teases, completely dislodging his rail of thought.

'You wound me, I mean, don't get me wrong we would look fantastic together,' he says winking at Fenris who stiffened, 'but alas, I have better morals than that. Damn it all,' he grins.

'Damn it all indeed,' Makatza smirks as she kisses Fenris' cheek. 'I'm stealing him away from you, Dorian. I can't help it, you're just far too attractive to be left around.'

'You're pandering to me, and I love it,' he says giving her a look. 'You and I are going to get on.'

'I know how to talk to pretty boys like you,' Makatza teases as she leads Fenris away without too much encouragement. Fenris breathes heavily as soon as they were a fair distance away, 'feel better?' She asks placing her hands on his chest.

'I honestly thought I was going to black out and hurt him,' Fenris admits shaking his head a little. 'It is getting late, do you mind if I go check on the children and then retire for the evening?' He asks rolling his shoulder. Makatza smiles fondly and shakes her head, how could I mind if you do such a thing like that? She thinks to herself, her inner wolf yowling in happiness. 'My Katza, I love you,' he says softly taking her hands and kissing her sweetly.

'I love you, Fenris,' she replies. 'I'll join you soon,' she promises. Makatza watches him cross the camp before looking over the fire and catching Solas' eye. They stare at each other for a moment and she breathes in deeply, her inner wolf howling. She felt the familiar presence of magic in her mind so she spoke, mentally.

I see you, Solas.

I see you, Makatza.

They call me the ''Dread wolf,'' which it seems I have borrowed from you.

Indeed they do. I wonder what they will call you when this is all over?

Makatza folds her arms and looks at him with yellow eyes, her intention and threats clear as she stares. Their mental conversation had gone unheard by those around them as it happened in barely a second. She can hear and sense her family, her father laughing with Garrett and Isabela. Varric and Merrill dancing, Aveline playing cards with Orana and teaching her how to play properly. Further into the camp she could hear Fenris singing to their son who had awoken, her daughter breathing gently in her bed, soothed by her father's words while she slept. Tears swim in her eyes as she knows what to is to become of this world. How she was going to have to fight, tooth, claw to keep them.

I see you, Dread Wolf.

How you tread in my camp, weaving between my people.

If you hurt any of them you will see the real me.

She is merciless and will not hesitate to harm you.

You asked for my power and I refused.

Mine will not be the hand that brings down the veil.

This world will fight and you may fall.

I will protect mine, as the Bellarnaris Elgar, this I swear.

Solas nods and blinks slowly at her in his understanding.

I see you.


So that truly is the end.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.

Please, review and let me know.

Sabaine

p.s: I'll be taking a break from posting for a week. On the 26th I'll be uploading a new novella, (already complete) with 5 updates a week for 3 weeks while I catch up on my other Fanfictions.