The Herald's Light

by Ferrilsblood

A modern girl led an average and peaceful life, until mysterious circumstances landed her in Haven's dungeons, alongside the Herald of Andraste. Opposites in almost every way, they need to find a way to work together to save Thedas from the Breach. Will they succeed in overcoming their differences, or will they be driven apart. This is the story of how their legend unfolded.

3. Chapter 3: The Duplicity of Nature

Author's Nerd Corner:

Lots-a chatter this chapter… though the idea behind it is to instill a sense of distance rather than characters wasting their time. Not sure if I succeeded.

Also, all characters have full access to their specializations. Namely Cassandra, Varric and Ellana, being warriors all their lives. Solas won't use his since it's not supposed to exist yet.

Not beta-ed. If you find any glaring inconsistencies, please point them out so I can fix them.

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Chapter Summary:

The trek continues full of perils. Two more join the protagonists and they take a short rest in a cabin.

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The Herald's Light.

Chapter 03:

The Duplicity of Nature.

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Ellana PoV:

"Walk in front of me." Came the command.

"You do not trust us, Cassandra?" was the rebellious question.

"No." was the deadpan answer.

"Woe ye of little faith…" The scarred shem mocked with a roll of her eyes, before she walked ahead, missing the bristling of the chantry warrior.

Ellana was not sure if she was amused or annoyed by their antics. Either way she followed her 'fellow prisoner' along the frozen river bed. There wasn't much choice really, for the banks were too steep to be climbed, vertical in fact.

They'd barely covered any distance, when suddenly, the scarred shem held the shield over her head, like she was hiding under it. It prompted the elven hunter to give her a weird look.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, then answered once Ellana raised a brow at the shield... "Look above us."

Ellana did so… ice spikes were jutting out of the rocks just above their heads and casting ominous shadows, like predators lying in wait.

"Ah."

"Yeah. I really don't want to find out what that would feel like if it falls on my head."

Ellana silently agreed and made a note to keep an eye on those as they continued to trek in silence. A few paces ahead, the river bed was blocked by a fallen tree. Thankfully the river banks had lost their steepness, making them easier to climb over.

Ellana took advantage and quickened her pace. She climbed up the small hill right next to the fallen tree, gaining enough high ground to properly study her environment. The 'hill' she was standing on was actually a small bank that dipped into the frozen river. Two shades were roaming aimlessly at the bottom-

She immediately took cover by a small bush close to the ground and began to plot her ambush.

The spot she had chosen was high enough that the shades wouldn't be able to reach her in a straight line. They'd have to circle around the path leading to her was wide and long enough for her to shoot down the shades before they could reach her. She could get a few good shots before, they even noticed her presence, she might even be able to kill them before they even got to spot her.

Pleased with her plan, Ellana notched an arrow and leveled her sights onto one of the hapless demons, both fully oblivious to the lurking danger. A smug smirk twisted the hunter's lips…

"There! Watch out!" The Chantry Warrior barked, startling Ellana. Only her years as a hunter kept her from releasing the arrow like an amateur.

But the damage was done. The shades were alerted and looking their way.

"Fenedhis!" Ellana cursed and glared at the woman that ruined her ambush!

"If we flank them, we'll gain an advantage." The warrior unslung her shield and drew her sword, as she charged into the fray, completely unaware of her blunder or she was uncaring for it.

'If you kept your mouth shut, that wouldn't have been necessary!' Ellana raged within her thoughts, but dared not give voice to them. It was never a good idea to aggravate members of the chantry… unless she was planning to kill them.

The scarred shem stopped a few paces in front of her, planting herself on the path... acting as a makeshift cover, in case the shades came their way. It was not a bad idea, but it was completely unnecessary in this case.

Ellana made short work of the shades with her, admittedly poorly suited for an elvhen of her skill, bow. Still arrow, after arrow, after arrow, after arrow were set flying upon the demons, each finding purchase into a vital spot, dealing critical damage that crippled their movement. They were done for, long before the chantry warrior could reach the frozen river.

"Nice shooting there. You are a true master with that bow." The scarred shem praised her, managing to sound genuine.

"All Dalish are masters of the bow..." Ellana could not help the reply. "It is the very first thing our children are introduced to. The tool of our survival."

She thought this would humble the shem, even shame her for her lack of skill, but no. The scarred shem just smirked.

"So, what you're really saying is that there's someone better than you within your clan, no?"

"No." Ellana snapped, glaring at the scarred shem. "I am the best shot in my clan."

"My statement remains true, then, right?" She responded rather cheekily with a smirk that made her scars look sinister. "Anyway, shouldn't we collect your arrows… oh." the shades had dissolved taking the arrows along with them. "Uh... never mind." She looked away in embarrassment.

"..." It somewhat amazed Ellana that the untrained shem was more attentive to the battlefield than the trained chantry warrior had been. Said warrior was glaring daggers at them both. The Tael returned the glare and held the chantry shem's gaze.

Before it could go further-

"Oi, ladies." Ellana shifted her glare to the scarred shem who was giving them a stare of pure exasperation. "Let's move it. The Breach ain't gonna close itself y'know."

The Chantry Warrior took a deep breath through her nose and glared at Ellana once before signaling her to take point.

Ellana felt the urge to resist the blatant order but decided against it. It'll do nothing to further her goals and right now, the goal was to survive. Loathe as she was to admit, the scarred shem had made a good point. The Breach threatened everyone. It had to be closed. If she was the only one who could do it. Then she had to.

It was her duty.

They continued on along the river bed… quietly, with the scarred shem taking point, Ellana in the middle and the chantry shem bringing the rear.

Soon a cliffside was before them, adorned with stairs they could climb it easily. The problem was that a wraith and a shade were already haunting it. The former atop the stairs and the latter at the bottom.

"Up on the hill! It attacks from a distance!" The Chantry warrior charged the shade, blocking the latter from Ellana's view. She knew shooting The Chantry Warrior would be a bitchy move, not to mention utterly stupid, resulting in a premature death, but it was very tempting to put an arrow in her backside after her last stunt.

"A little help! Help! Please!?" The scarred shem cried out beside her. She had taken to blocking the wraith's bolts. Not a difficult task, given their slowness. She decided to observe the scarred shem for a moment.

The wraith bolts bounced off the shem's shield, a feat the scarred shem was finding fascinating. She kept angling the shield, sending the bolts in different directions upon impact… but to what purpose she did not know. It did not matter.

What mattered was that it kept the shade distracted and allowed Ellana to line up her shot perfectly.

"I've got it." Ellana assured with a grin that no one saw. She pulled the bowstring to its limits and killed the wraith in a single shot.

"Bull's eye!" The scarred shem exclaimed. "And the award for the Best Archer in all of Thedas goes to, Ellana." She gestured with a flourish.

Ellana snorted. She couldn't tell whether she was amused or annoyed by the shem's antics.

"Let's move!" The chantry shem urged, the beaten shade already dissolving at her feet.

"Ugh." The scarred shem panted, moving at a much slower pace. "She is such a slave driver, isn't she?"

"Tired already." Ellana mocked, hoping to provoke the woman, but...

"Yes." The Scarred Shem admitted without a single copper of shame. "This is the most exercise I've had in years! Man, I'm going to be black and blue, tomorrow… that is, if I live long enough to see a 'tomorrow'."

Ellana was uncertain how to respond to the frank answer so she chose not to.

They climbed the stairs only to dip once more, where the river bed was wide, making it an open field in front of them with no cover.

"They're falling from the Breach! Twelve o'clock!" the scarred shem called out.

"What does that even…" her question was simultaneously interrupted and answered as a green projectile crashed some ways to her left, leaving in their wake two wraiths and four shades. "Oh…"

"How accurate are you at long range?"

"Accurate." Ellana replied on habit before pausing. An archer was as good as the bow in their arms. The bow in hers was of an unfamiliar make, poorly for her frame. The arrows within her quiver were also made for shorter distances. These facts made the Tael doubt her own statement. But she was not about to show weakness, not in front of these shemlen.

"Think you can hamper their arms as they approach." The scarred shem suggested. "I can hold them off longer, maybe even knock them down and you can kill them at your leisure."

"That?" Ellana opened her mouth to berate the scarred shem for daring to order her around… but paused. She didn't order, she offered. A tactically sound offer to boot. "I can do that."

"Then do it." The Scarred Shem readied her shield and took a stance. "Let's make these bastards regret crossing the veil!"

The scarred shem carefully approached… carefully minding the slippery ground. It was not long before she was spotted and a shade was upon her, followed by a second. They attacked. The shem was proving to be a good blocker, despite her lack of training. Not that the shades were shining examples of combat mastery themselves. A few well-placed arrows and the shades were even slower, giving the scarred shem time to adjust.

Seeing as the scarred shem was mostly out of danger she turned her attention toward the other warrior.

The chantry shem was fighting a few paces ahead. Locked in a deadly dance with two shades and two wraiths. Each strike was full of rage and grief. Her positioning was strategic. She kept the shades in front of the wraiths, using the former as shield against the weakening bolts. It was very effective as the shades soaked up the bolts, it weakened them and made them easier to fight.

Ellana was impressed. The chantry warrior was proving a true force to be reckoned with.

The Scarred Shem, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Everything about her was wrong. Her stance. Her grip on the shield, her footing. It made Ellana wonder what the chantry shem had been thinking to bring her along. Or perhaps that had been the point. She hoped that a demon would do the dirty work for her.

And yet, despite the lack of strength, skill and experience, the scarred shem was proving cunning enough to make up for both. Her ditching her blade seemed like a mistake at first glance. But now she saw it had been a strategic decision. Having two hands allowed her shield greater mobility, letting her defend against two shades with relative ease.

The attacks struck her shield, her knees stiffened and she held her ground against the shades. She had traded offense for defense and was managing to survive. Had she been alone, this would be a problem. She dealt no damage this way. But she was not. She was trusting others to do damage for her.

With that realization, Ellana did as it'd been requested of her. Hamstringing the shades' arms… it did little to limit their strength but it limited their mobility, giving more time for the scarred shem time to adjust her atrocious stance to block the next attack.

Ellana turned to help The chantry shem to try and get her to lend aid, but she was in her own predicament. She was still trapped between the two shades and two wraiths she was having a hard time breaking free of them. The wraiths kept pushing her into the defense.

She shot them once, but they pulled up a barrier to protect themselves. Fenedhis! It would forever to punch through the barrier and she was too far away to dispel it.

She needn't have bothered.

The chantry shem raised her sword up. A bright light burst from her, dispelling the wraith's barrier, causing it to twist away in pain, and then fade away. With the wraiths gone the chantry warrior was free to fight the shades at her leisure.

Ellana recognized attack. She'd been on the receiving end of it once or twice.

Spell purge they called it.

Templar!

The chantry warrior was a templar of all things. She shouldn't have been surprised by this revelation and yet she was. All templars had a distinct trait that allowed her to find them even when they did not wear their signature colors. That trait was the scent of lyrium. And yet this one didn't have it. Did they figure out a way to mask it somehow?

The implications were terrifying. It would make the templars even more dangerous and harder to detect. She needed to get closer to this templar. Figure out her secret and share it. The safety on her clan and her people depended on it.

But that was to be a task for another day. Ellana had more pressing matters to focus on right now.

She then turned to the scarred shem, ready to assist and did a double take. The scarred shem had adjusted her tactics. She'd gone from blocking to deflecting. This way, she was managing to hold off, not one but two shades by herself, simply by tricking them into hitting each other.

The scarred shem was essentially angling the shield to deflect their attacks into each other. The demons damaged themselves and got in each other's way. It slowed their movement and interrupted their attacks which gave the scarred shem enough time to readjust herself or to catch her breath in between assaults. Her legs had gone from stiff to relaxed, bending from each block, reducing the force of the impact.

To top it off used the ice to her advantage when she had no other choice but to block. Rather than planting her feet to hold her position, she let allowed the impact to push her back, using the ice to slide with ease. The tactic greatly lessened the strength of the blow as well as the energy she needed to take it.

Untrained the shem might've been, but she had an instinct for battle. Had she been trained from childhood, she could've been a warrior to be reckoned with.

The whole scene was very interesting to watch and painfully familiar. It reminded her of Vir Bor'assan, the Way of the Bow. The words of her Hahren echoed in her mind.

'Bend but never break or alternatively, as the sapling bends, so must you. In yielding, find resilience. In pliancy, find strength.'

Ellana scowled upset that a shem reminded her of one of the sacred Dalish paths. And yet it was appropriate given her situation.

There was no time to ponder philosophies, though. The scarred shem's luck ha ran out and she fell, prone on the ground. She tried to scramble up but realized very quickly she wouldn't be able to, as the shades were already upon her. Instead the scarred shemlen doubled down on her defense planting her feet at the lower end of the shield and cowered underneath it.

A surprisingly effective tactic.

It made Ellana reevaluate the shem, again. In addition to her instinct, she clearly had a head for strategy given how easily she adapted herself in such a short time with no instruction.

Ellana cast a barrier over her. The scarred shem startled, but then she relaxed, almost nigh-instantaneously. The anxiety she had previously held was absent in her features. Did she understand what was happening or did she recognize her magic from before? Preposterous. She healed the shem three times thus far. Hardly enough for her to get used to it.

It was a good thing the demons were weak or the girl would have perished.

It made the elf briefly wonder. Why were the demons so weak? The veil was torn… mana was pouring into this world in waves. It made it easy to cast spells even in her weakened state. By the same logic, demons should have been empowered.

She looked up, observing.

They came straight from the Breach, the Fade, as huge falling bolts. As they were falling through the air, she could see the mana that made them burn, leaving a trail behind them.

Ah, that's why. They used too much mana to survive the crash, which reduced them to a fraction of the power they had upon entering this world.

The Templar barreled into the shades, knocking them off the scarred shem.

"Thank you!" she slumped underneath her shield.

Ellana wasted no time in putting arrows into them and they soon fell, but the shem was still cowering under her shield.

"Is it over?" The scarred shem asked, head poking from under the shield. Like a little tortoise, shyly coming out of her shell to survey her surroundings. It was amusing.

"Yes, it's over, lazy tortoise." Ellana could not help the jab. "How long do you plan on staying under there?"

"Well, excuuuse me, Hare! But not all of us are as spry and agile like you are!" was her immediate retort.

Ellana bristled and glared at the shem, as the latter got up and approached the fallen demons.

"What did you just call me?" Ellana asked with a chill in her voice that flew over the head of its intended target.

"Hare." The shem replied absentmindedly as she quickly pulled the arrows out of the demons before they could fall apart. "You know. Like in the story of 'the Hare and the Tortoise'. Surely you've heard of it."

Her anger was quelled by her curiosity.

"Actually, no, I haven't." Ellana frowned at the shem's unrepentant explanation. The latter looked at her in mild confusion and surprise…

"Tell you what. I'll make you a deal." The crazed shem grinned. "Since now is not really a good time for stories, I'm going to tell it to you at the first given opportunity, after the Breach is closed."

"This story of yours is not derogatory to the elves, is it?"

"Uh... no." the shem blinked. "There are no elves in the story, nor humans."

"Then who is in the story."

"Not who, but what. Just a regular tortoise and a hare..." The scarred shem explained confusedly so.

Ellana found her curiosity growing even more. A story about animals. It was bound to be derogatory towards her people in some way, shape or form.

"I promise you'll like it." The scarred shem held out her fist, her tiny finger extended out.

"What's this?"

"A 'pinky swear'. Haven't you done one before?" The shem asked making Ellana scowl. Of course, she knew what it was!

"Aren't you too old for one."

"Well." The crazed shem blinked, looked at her finger and simply shrugged with a grin. "Guess not."

"Then... you did not mean it as an insult?"

"What? Hare?"

Ellana nodded.

"No! No! Never! I mean, why would I? That spell of yours really saved my life. Thank you." The Scarred Shem bowed her head… bowed!?

And then she handed over the collected arrows.

"How did you know it was me?" Ellana could not help but ask as she placed the arrows in the quiver.

"Who else would've put that spell on me? The Seeker?"

Well… that made sense.

"You are welcome."

"What was that anyway?" the crazed shem asked. "The light you put over me."

"It's called a barrier." Ellana found herself explaining against her better judgement. "It is a magical field that encapsulates the body and soaks all harmful damage."

"Like... if I fall off a cliff with a barrier on, I'd survive and not get broken bones?" the scarred shem grinned.

"It's possible, I guess?"

"That is so awesome! I'll have to try it out sometime!" The scarred shem exclaimed with a big grin.

Ellana could only stare in astonishment...

This woman was insane!

An insane tortoise.

Creators, what has she gotten herself into?

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"Quickly, up the stairs." The templar urged making the crazy tortoise double it up the stairs out of sheer fright. "We're getting close to the rift. You can hear the fighting."

"Who's fighting?" Ellana asked curiously. The sound of crackling lightning, shattering ice and if she did not know any better, a bow of a kind reached her elven ears. The last one puzzled her. The telltale sound of a snapping bowstring could be recognized by any archer with decent enough experience and she was more than decent, yet she couldn't recognize its type.

"You'll see soon enough." The templar said impatiently, while climbing up the stairs, two at a time. "We must help them!"

"Aye, ma'am!" The scarred shem was out of breath, but tried to keep up.

As soon as they reached the top Ellana took in her surroundings. Crumbled stone walls were everywhere she looked, likely part of a larger complex... of the Temple even.

To her right used to be a stone bridge connected to the main road, a path she and the templar would have taken had the first it not been smashed to pieces. In hindsight, it was a good thing they cut through the frozen river, as the bridge before her was broken, and engulfed in flames. She took note of the supply crates, burning wagons, barrels and several unfortunate souls who were unable to get away.

Ellana turned her focus ahead. There was a short drop down a stone wall, where a skirmish, was in progress.

But what caught her attention was the big, floating veridium six feet into the air. It was saturated with fade energy that she could feel it even from a distance. This was the 'rift' the templar had mentioned.

Said templar was already charging into the fray to aid two men: an elf and a durgen'len in the midst of four shades. She let out a challenging yell as soon as she was in range, drawing the demons' ire. The men tried to disengage and gain some distance, but a pair of the shades were not willing to let them.

The insane tortoise was frantically looking around, trying to stay close enough to act as her shield. As soon as she saw the shades breaking away from the seeker, she went into the fray.

Presented with seemingly an easier target the shades attacked her. Like before, she used her shield to deflect, retreat and taunt the demons into following her around the battlefield.

Seeing as her input would not be needed yet, the tael walked slowly towards them as she shifted her attention to the elf and the durgen'len.

Both had their backs facing her, making it hard to distinct their individual features, so she settled on observing their weapons and combat style. Ellana notched and arrow and began to pick off the enemies at a distance, using her peripheral vision to take in the details of her environment. A hunter had to be always capable of dividing their attention. Keeping an eye on the prey and of incoming threats.

The elf carried a staff. His movements were steady and fluid, each strike blending into the next seamlessly. Each time his staff was pointed at the shade, a bolt of frost was launched. Even from her distance she could taste the quality of his magic. It had a crisp spirit kind feel, which she found odd for an ice-based spell.

She shifted her attention to the durgen'len. His weapon, while resembling a crossbow, aesthetically, was thicker than any she had seen before. When he pulled its trigger, the bow string would release firing a bolt from the chamber. Then he'd pull a handle on the bottom, that he used as a stabilizing grip. The action would reset the crossbow's string and then he pulled the trigger once again, releasing another bolt... all without reloading!

Ellana was amazed.

The durgen'len fired eight shots before opening the rectangular box at its bottom, a loading chamber of a kind and deposited another bundle of bolts, closed it and resumed firing.

A shade suddenly wailed in pain tearing her away from her ogling the exotic weapon any longer.

Ellana refocused her attention to the battle at hand. She was quite surprised to find the shades had already been beaten and then got sucked into the floating veridium. With the sound of a broken bottle, it burst wide open.

It resembled a mouth of a cave, covered by a thin green sheet of magical energy. She found herself standing at the threshold of the beyond and mortal realms. The man oozed out of it like a waterfall. She had no words to properly explain the sensation.

The closest was… completion.

"Quickly!" a male's voice, snapped her back to attention. The seth'lin was holding her hand firmly in his grasp. Ellana glared at the offending arm as he stressed with urgency. "Before more come through!"

Before she could even ask what in the void, he expected her to do, she felt some of his magic pour into her arm as he pointed her palm at the rift.

Pain shot through her arm, like a hot steel was stabbed into her palm. Her vision had turned pure white for no more than a few seconds and her nerves were completely overwhelmed.

Then was gone as suddenly as it had come. A burst of compressed air jerked her hand away. The veil snapped back into its place. Her vision cleared as pain had given way to numbness, just like the other times the mark had sparked to life. Her arm was fully numb and completely unresponsive to her command.

She looked for the rift, seeing no trace of its existence.

It worked. She had closed it.

"It worked! The rift is closed." The templar was relieved. "There is still hope."

"Was there any doubt?" the insane tortoise quipped earning herself a glare.

There was plenty to doubt, Ellana surmised in her mind. She knew the elf manipulated this somehow

"What did you do?" she asked the circle mage with suspicious amazement.

"I did nothing." The elf said in a crisp clear tone, each word was articulated properly, masking his accent if he even had one to begin with. "The credit is yours."

He deflected with practiced ease, making Ellana's hackles rise.

"You mean this..." she groused, flexing her fingers as sensation began to trickle back into them.

She wondered if it was affected in any way. With her curiosity reignited, she focused on the mark...

…

…

…

Nothing.

No voices.

It was odd. It definitely had a connection to the fade, the veil at the very least, and it had made the demons stronger. And yet she hadn't heard a single whisper in a while now, not since-

"Luckily for us all." the seth'lin said sagely, cutting off her trail of thought. "Whatever magic has opened the Breach in the sky has also placed the mark on your hand."

"How could you possibly know that?" Now that she had a better look at him. He was slightly taller than her, and dressed simply. He a cotton blouse with a green vest on top. Black trousers and boots. His staff wasn't all that fancy. His eyes were a very light brown, almost a dull grey. But his most prominent feature were his ears... they were... a little different than most elven, whether they were city or Dalish.

All in all, he was a handsome unassuming fellow, but there was something about him that was rubbing her the wrong way.

Maybe it was how untouched se appeared by the chaos all around him, or the teasing twinkle in his eyes, or that small, but smug as all the Fade, smile he seemed to have, or was his knowledge on how to manipulate the thing on her hand...

"Current events, aside. I theorized the mark may be capable of closing the rifts that had opened in the Breach's wake." he sounded so proud of that. "It seems I was correct." his chest even puffed out, just barely and a small but smug smile tugged at his lips.

"Meaning it also could close the Breach itself." The templar deduced with hope in her voice.

Ellana glanced in the templar's direction, but the crazy tortoise caught her gaze. she rolled her eyes and mouthed:

Thank you, Seeker Obvious.

Ellana could not help but raise an eyebrow at the odd reaction… She got punched thrice by the templar up to now, getting her nose broken each time and was still risking her wrath?

Was she not right in the head? After so many concussions it was a possibility. She had displayed absolutely no sense for self-preservation what so ever, thus far.

"Possibly." The circle elf conceded politely. He reminded her of a wise Hahren, whom, everyone wished to ignore because he was too polite. "It seems you hold the key to our salvation."

"Good to know." The durgen'len fixed his sleeves before he faced them. "And here I thought we would be ass-deep in demons forever." he added as she studied him.

He had this russet rogue look. Blonde hair swept back in a pony tail, a bit of stubble just to make him look scruffy. His eyes were hazel and actually matching to color of his hair, or maybe that was just the light. He wore a teal trench coat with a red shirt underneath, which was unbuttoned and revealed a great deal of his chest... and that chest hair, made him actually look, really appealing... like soft Halla fur! There was a golden chain around his neck, holding up a thick ring, that was huge and made him look manly. His outfit was complemented by black trousers and boots...

The difference between them all was night and day.

"Are you two part of the Chantry or?" Ellana asked in genuine curiosity... they just seemed so different...

"Haha… Was that meant to be a serious question?" The seth'lin asked with mirth, clearly amused by the whole situation.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Ellana looked at him in confusion.

The two men shared an odd look, a silent conversation passing between them. The durgen'len spoke first.

"I don't know about Chuckles here, but technically…" The durgen'len fiddled with his thumbs. "I'm a prisoner just like the two of you."

Ellana could not help but wonder why. The templar was eager to oblige.

"I brought you here to tell your story to the Divine." The shem explained defensively. "Clearly that is no longer necessary."

"Yet, here I am." The durgen'len responded with an unrepentant shrug. "Lucky for you, considering the current events..."

"Who are you?" Ellana asked.

"Varric Tethras..." he introduced himself without any further ado and a small bow. "Rogue, storyteller and very occasionally, unwelcome tag-along." he glanced over her shoulder and winked at the templar behind her.

"Ellana." She replied absentmindedly eyes wide in recognition. He was the author of the Tale of the Champion. Why would he be here?!

"I'm Denny The Insane – jester, the human shield, and the full-time dead weight of the party." The tortoise introduced herself a little too happily.

Ellana could not help but gape. Did she have no pride to simply blurt it out like that!?

"By the Maker! There's two of them!" The Templar rubbed her temples. The insane tortoise's grin threatened to split her face.

"A pleasure to meet you." The crazed shem extended a hand. "Too bad it won't be for long... we must get to the Breach. It won't close by itself you know..."

"Fear not then, kid, for Bianca and I'll be tagging along for the ride." The durgen'len, Varric, said with an easy confidence. "She'll be great company in the valley."

"Bianca?" Ellana asked looking around for said 'Bianca' as the insane tortoise grinned at the durgen'len.

"We'll be happy to-"

"Absolutely not!" The Templar cut her off, stepping forward and completely missing the latter's crestfallen look.

"Why not~" the tortoise whined childishly, getting completely ignored once more.

With a small scoff the templar walked up to the durgen'len.

"Your help is appreciated Varric, but..."

"Really, Seeker? It had to be now I that you choose to be picky?" He was unperturbed by her protest. "Have you been in the valley in the recent days? Your soldiers aren't in control anymore. You need my help." The durgen'len informed smugly with a wide infuriating smile on his face... even she felt irked by it, and it wasn't directed at her.

"Ughrrr!" The templar growled and backed off clearly irritated with the short man. Mostly because he was right, no matter how much the former hated to admit it.

The tortoise on the other hand, looked like she wanted to hug him. It was... It was almost cute to watch. Ellana scowled… did she really just think the shemlen was cute? Preposterous.

"My name is Solas. If there are to be any introductions." the seth'lin mage was at last gave his name... she was getting tired of referring to him as such. "I'm pleased to see you still live." He glanced towards the shemlen. "Both of you."

"Truly?" The tortoise asked with a raised eyebrow. She appeared honestly surprised that he cared so much.

"He means to say... 'I kept that Mark from killing you while you slept'." the stout man translated for Ellana. "And to you he means 'I kept the Seeker from executing you while you slept'."

"My brave hero!" The insane tortoise swooned dramatically and gave Solas a big hug.

The seth'lin stiffened in her arms, caught off guard at the sudden display of affection.

"Ah, yes. You are... you're quite welcome." Despite his even tone, meant to discourage all sentiment, the insane woman's smile grew wider and she winked at Ellana.

Solas was eventually released and wasted no time in putting some distance between his self and the affectionate shem.

"How did you come to know how to fix it?" Ellana asked genuinely curious. "I've never seen anything of its like..."

"Solas is an apostate." The templar answered for him. "Far better versed in the arcane than mages are usually permitted to be."

Not a circle mage? A hedge mage then… or was he part of the Dalish? Where was his vallaslin?

"Technically... all mages are now apostates, Seeker." Solas informed them, making the tortoise make an 'Ah!', but he ignored it. "My travels have allowed me to learn much of the Fade, far beyond the experience of any Circle mage." Or any Dalish, his eyes seemed to add as he looked at her... challenge obvious in his posture.

"I am no circle mage, seth'lin." Ellana felt compelled to say.

"Clearly." His eyes flickered towards her vallaslin, his lip twitching in disdain.

"What she means to say is 'We humbly thank you for keeping us alive, mister Solas'." The insolent tortoise bowed to him in deference, cutting off her remark.

"Do not speak for me!" Ellana snapped and was promptly ignored.

"Thank me when we manage to close the Breach, without killing her in the process." Solas stated the fact in such a way that made the crazed shem noble snort.

He dared!?

"How did you manage to keep it stable?" The tortoise asked. "Ellana seems to have trouble doing that by herself."

Ellana felt her hackles raise even higher at the implication of having poor skills.

"Healing magic and minor wards, but I fear it is now past the point where those can be of use." The seth'lin explained and turned to Ellana. "I am sorry."

"Then... there's no chance to calm it?" the tortoise sounded genuinely remorseful and worried.

"Not, unless we close the Breach. It is the source of the mark's aggravation." Solas replied with his usual politeness, though Ellana could tell he was a bit irritated by the questioning. "Even so, if it is not closed soon, then we're all doomed regardless of origin."

"Truer words have yet to be spoken." The insane tortoise smiled widely, giving Ellana a pointed look. It was clear that she was immensely pleased that someone else supported her claims.

Ellana could not help but roll her eyes, which for some reason, pleased the shem.

"Cassandra, you should know." Solas tore her attention away from the shemlen. "The magic I have seen here is unlike any I have seen." He seemed to consider something as he looked at Ellana, then turned back to The Templar. "Your prisoner is a mage, yet I cannot imagine any mage wielding such power."

The crazed shem coughed exaggeratedly... Ellana found that very odd.

"You okay there, kid?"

"Sorry. I choked on my own spit."

"Understood." The templar slightly inclined her head at Solas, then turned to the rest "We must get to the forward camp!"

"We need an alternate route. The gate ahead has been collapsed. It cannot open." Solas informed urgently. "We must move quickly."

The templar looked around, seeking a path along with the seth'lin.

"So, kid." the durgen'len asked the insane ptortoise. "Where's your sword?"

"What sword?"

"You carry a shield. Where is your sword? Did you lose it?"

"Oh no. I ditched it."

The durgen'len looked at her oddly.

"Why would you do that?"

"It was getting in the way." The crazed shem explained. "I am untrained and I am sure it shows."

"It does. Why would the Seeker bring you here?" Disapproval tinged his voice.

"Well, I had a choice: stay in haven and face a mob of angry people or come along and face a horde of demons." The crazed shem shrugged. "I figured, I am going to get hurt either way… might as well go against the things I know I can hit back. Therefore, here I am."

"That's one way to put it." The durgen'len chuckled. "So, why ditch your blade?"

"Wielding both is nigh impossible for me, I know, I tried it. Nearly got killed for it too, but Ellana saved me in the nick of time. I manage the shield well enough by itself… the choice was easy."

"But you deal no damage this way." He pointed out.

"That's where the rest of you will come in." The insane tortoise grinned widely. "I focus on defense. You're on offense. Win-win."

"Well, I can't argue with that logic." He laughed.

"Think of me as walking cover."

"You know… that just might work."

"This way, down the bank. We can circle around." The Templar shouted, standing by a wooden barricade that had been torn down.

"Well..." Varric stood by her and shrugged. "Bianca's excited."

"And she is one beautiful lady!" The scarred shem commented falling in step with the dwarf. Ellana followed closely behind.

They climbed over a fence and were onto a path that ran along a crevice in the mountain. The path was long, yet even from this distance she could make out the frozen lake at the end. Ellana had taken the lead of the group.

Something not even the Templar had tried to oppose curiously enough.

The reason for that was quite simple. As a hunter, Ellana's eyesight was better compared to most. She intended to try and spot if there were demons below... well, there WERE demons below, she could feel their presence and general direction, but she needed their exact location to form a proper strategy. There were no suitable vantage points yet, so she kept an ear out on the conversation around her.

Unsurprisingly, only the durgen'len and the crazy tortoise were speaking.

"So, back to basics: Bianca?" Really chatty that one. Did these shems have no concept of stealth?

"Isn't she a beauty?" the durgen'len replied nodding towards his... crossbow? That was Bianca?

"Yes, she is. Abso-fuckin-lutely..." The crazy tortoise exclaimed eyeing the crossbow with barely contained glee.

"What is it?" Ellana asked curiously, as she allowed herself to fall back a bit, so they had an easier time conversing with her.

"SHE!" the durgen'len corrected in offense. "…is a repeating crossbow." he beamed with pride. "The only one of her kind."

"Looks like she's the love baby of a semi-automatic and a crossbow." The crazy tortoise grinned. "She is gorgeous."

"I see." Ellana did not.

"So, tell me, how did you end up here?" the durgen'len asked the crazy tortoise. It was a question Ellana was grateful for, as she was burning to know herself, but did not want to ask.

"I don't know about Ellana, here, but as far as myself goes." The crazy tortoise sighed, doubt creeping in her tone. "I fell asleep in my fluffy pajamas, in my comfy bed in the beginning of august, in a place that is like thousands upon thousands of thousands of miles away and somehow, I ended up here in the span of six hours… or at least it feels like six hours to me."

"Huh... do you have any idea what might've happened?" he asked.

"I do have a few ideas. None are pleasant to think about." The crazy tortoise looked ahead with a thoughtful frown.

"And those might be?" Ellana found herself asking against her better judgement.

"Either I'm having the most interactive and epic dream in my life, or I've severe case of amnesia, or I've gone completely insane, or - if I were to believe Cassandra - I've been possessed for who knows how long, by who knows what monstrosity and brought here for nefarious purposes." The tortoise took a deep breath. "Which I find hard to believe since there are sure to be lingering flashes of previous actions I've done while being possessed, and there are none." she took a deep breath again. "Surely, I would have suffered some physical changes, yet I've not! Not as far as I can tell..." The crazy tortoise paused to take another breath... "Insanity wins out so far."

Ellana turned to look at the woman in curiosity. The idea of possession was simply laughable. She'd have found traces of a foreign presence by now, yet there were none.

Then durgen'len asked the single question Ellana had been dying to know the answer to.

"So, are those scars from before or after the explosion?"

"What scars? Do you mean the one on my nose?" She asked giving him a confused stare.

"He's just teasing you." Ellana jumped in, realizing that she had been correct in her initial assumption: the shem had absolutely no clue about het scars. Whether she was consciously ignoring them or her mind had just blocked out their existence was not important. Ellana was certain if she were to find out about them, she would panic and that would impede their progress.

Realizing this, she threw a warning glance and a subtle shake of her head towards the durgen'len who, thankfully, was sharp enough and understood the message.

At least one of the people accompanying her was perceptive.

"Naughty dwarf."

"I can't help it." He shrugged unrepentant. "I love a good story."

"Who doesn't?"

"Interesting theories. I'm surprised to hear a human interested in such matters." The seth'lin commented from ahead.

"What can I say? I'm an open-minded girl." the crazy tortoise shrugged. "A trait that's really, REALLY being tested to its very limits now…"

"How far before you snap?" Varric asked teasingly.

"If this shit keeps up then you'll get to see it soon enough." The tortoise snorted. "Feel free to knock me out cold when that happens."

"That far along, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Then allow me to assuage your worries on at least one of your concerns." The seth'lin turned towards her, falling in step on the scarred shem' side. "You have not suffered any possession."

"I have not? You're sure!?"

"I am very sure." He bobbed his head once. "It was one of the first things I was asked to check about you."

"Well that is a big relief." The crazy tortoise rubbed her arm nervously... "Mind telling Cassandra that. She seems to think I am an abomination in human skin."

The templar scoffed and ignored them.

"You're injured." The seth'lin remarked all of a sudden as he got closer to the tortoise. He was eying her arm.

"I don't think it is that bad. It feels bruised or I might've pulled a tendon..." The crazy tortoise moved her arm. "Oh! Definitely the tendon."

"I may offer assistance."

"You mean a healing spell?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, no thanks. I would rather if..." The crazy tortoise's eyes met Ellana's... then they fell to her mark. She frowned and then turned back to the seth'lin... "On second thought, yeah, okay."

The dismissal stung.

"You did not have a problem the last three times I healed you." Ellana bit out harsher, than she intended.

"I do not have a problem with that. I quite like your magic in fact." The crazy tortoise replied, not a hint of remorse. "But tell me, do you know what type of fuel the mark uses?"

"Fuel?" Ellana paused mid step, intrigued and puzzled by the question. What was fuel anyway?

"Component?" the tortoise shrugged. "You know, like a campfire uses wood to keep itself going, what is your mark sustained by?"

"Sustained?"

"Does it use your mana, stamina, life force, soul... or does it power itself by absorbing mana from the air like a sponge would water, does it draw power from the rift and use you as a simple conduit?"

"I... I don't know..." Ellana felt a chill down her spine for admitting that. Creators! How stupid was she not to think of that!? Mana seemed like the obvious answer, but she didn't feel any sort of drain beyond the normal... if not her mana, then what-

"In that case… wouldn't it be more prudent for you to save yourself only for the rifts. To avoid any fighting as much as it is possible? That way you will have more of everything and a greater chance of surviving the mark after you attempt to close the Breach."

Why do you even care?! Ellana wanted to scream at the shemlen, but found she was too shaken by revelation to do so.

"A very astute deduction for a human." The seth'lin commented in mirth, as he turned towards Ellana. "One I wholly support. You are our only hope for closing the Breach. You must save yourself for it."

"Besides, as you said, you healed me thrice already. I'm indebted to you…" The tortoise added with a smile. "Making sure that you survive this ordeal is the least I can do."

"I healed your nose." Ellana heard herself say. She was at a complete loss in the face of such genuine gratitude, from a shemlen no less.

"Well yeah… but I got a bit of a cool scar." Wait until you find about the others. Ellana exclaimed in her mind as the crazy tortoise continued in her excitement. "Some could ask 'Where you got it from?' and I will be like 'Well, you see my sweet young man, I got this scar from battling a real nasty demon', and that is oddly enough, not that far from the truth." The crazy tortoise gave the templar the stink eye.

"I am not a demon."

"When you stop behaving like one, Brawny, I might believe you."

She was not only insane, but had a death wish, to boot. Ellana was growing more and more certain of it.

"One. Word. Dwarf! And it'll be your last!" The templar snarled at the durgen'len, who had the smile of a mischievous da'len. He raised his hands in mock surrender.

Ellana turned her attention to the seth'lin and the insane tortoise, wondering what her reaction would be. The seth'lin cast his spell with no delay, not like Ellana had. And, like with her, the crazy tortoise followed his every move with open curiosity. Not a hint of fear or repulsion on her face. Just trust and wonder.

It was odd to see. What would the world be like if people did not fear magic?

"There. That should be enough for now." The seth'lin pulled back, a bead of sweat running down his forehead. "How does it feel now?"

The tortoise moved her arm, testing its limits and touching the affected area.

"Numb. But I suppose that will pass."

"You can tell the difference?" he was surprised.

"Oh, yeah. It's like my arm is asleep, after leaning on it and cutting off the circulation… oh there're the pins and needles." The tortoise rolled her arm and grinned. "It doesn't hurt anymore! At all!" She exclaimed in sheer happiness. "And I have the full range of my movement!" she then frowned and began scratching her arm. "It's itchy though. Good as new otherwise. Thanks, Solas."

"It seems you are having a reaction to the healing. Not an uncommon phenomenon in those who have been healed for the first time."

"It is not my first time. It's…" she counted on her fingers. "Like my fourth… as far as I am aware of." The scratching grew harsher.

"It appears you are sensitive- Will you stop scratching yourself!" the seth'lin frowned. "You are going to make it worse!"

"I can't help it! It itches like crazy! Oh my god, why does your magic feel so odd." The tortoise suddenly paused, scowled and paled in horror within seconds. "Solas? Is it possible to be allergic to the healing spell?"

"No." The seth'lin grimaced in distaste. "You'd have had a negative reaction to her healing and yet you have not?"

"No... but..." she scratched her arm and gave him an odd look again. "Is it possible that I am allergic to your magic?"

"If that were the case, your reaction would have been more severe and negative. As it stands now, you're simply sensitive. Not unusual for someone encountering magic for the first time."

"Oh." She continued to scratch her arm.

"Stop it!"

"I can't!"

"Don't take it personally, seth'lin." Ellana walked up to his side, falling in step. "She was sneezing like crazy after I was done healing her."

The seth'lin regarded her in mild curiosity as his next words sent chills up her spine.

"Fascinating. This is such an odd reaction to have. Even for a templar." He commented off-handedly.

Ellana could barely believe her ears. She was not given a chance to process the statement as the crazy tortoise's reaction was visceral.

"Excuse you, Bitch!" the crazy tortoise sent him a glare full of utter revulsion. "Do I look like a stunted zealous addict to you!?"

The templar bristled at the crazy tortoise's derogatory description of her brethren. Even Ellana felt surprised at the venomous outburst. And rather pleased by it. This shem… the tortoise? A templar? The idea seemed too farfetched even for her paranoid mind.

"No." the seth'lin blinked, genuinely taken aback. "You simply appear to have a high resistance to magic."

"And that makes me a templar?!" The crazy tortoise's eyes narrowed in fury and suspicion before she gave him a side glare. "How high is high, exactly?"

"Very high. Templars are the only ones with such resistance after the dwarves. And you are no dwarf, despite your height."

"Blame my parents. They've made me short." The crazy tortoise retorted in mirth as she turned towards him, eyes shining curiously. "Do I really possess high magic resistance?" she asked like a curious da'len.

"Yes." The seth'lin frowned. "Though none of it is present now. It is puzzling."

"What do you mean?"

"You were susceptible to healing while you were unconscious, almost to an obscene degree one might say. It took one small spell to stabilize you, but now… you appear to be quite resistant." The seth'lin gave her a scrutinizing look. "A pulled tendon should not have taken as much as it had."

"Perhaps, you're not that good of a healer, seth'lin." Ellana teased.

"I assure you I've vast experience with healing minor injuries like hers." The seth'lin remarked.

"I don't know what to tell you, Solas." The tortoise shrugged. "Today is my first encountering real magic."

"Have you taken lyrium recently?" the durgen'len asked suddenly.

"No."

"Do you feel anything like a headache or a craving?"

"No… maybe a little hungry and thirsty… and tired, but otherwise no."

"Could it be because she was in the physical Fade?" the durgen'len guessed.

"If that were the case, then the elven da'len would be in a similar situation." The seth'lin's words made Ellana scowl darkly at him.

"Perhaps, but she is a mage and the kid, isn't." The durgen'len pointed out.

"I doubt there's any relevance." The seth'lin scrunched his nose up in distaste.

"I wonder why only you are affected this way." The durgen'len turned to the crazy tortoise.

"Beats me..." The crazy tortoise shrugged. "Could it be like an on and off switch? Like when I'm asleep it is inactive, and now that I am awake it is a conscious decision or something?"

"It is something."

"Have you been training to be a templar?"

"Never." The crazy tortoise frowned. "I've never received any combat training either."

"That much is obvious, and yet you seem to have a very good grasp on tactics."

"I read lots of fiction and played a few FPS and plenty of strategy war games." She shrugged. "It's a hit or miss."

"FPS?"

"First person shooters."

Ellana pondered the odd phrase.

"You're an archer, then?" she looked at the crazy tortoise curiously.

"Pft! Hell, no!" the crazy tortoise exclaimed. "My aim is atrocious. Why did you think I grabbed the shield?"

"To hide."

"That's..." the tortoise paused for a moment. "That's fairly accurate actually."

Silence overtook the road for a brief moment... aside from the odd glances the seth'lin and the durgen'len were giving her fellow prisoner, it was quiet... for one blissful moment.

"I am starting to believe her introduction might have been earnest." The durgen'len spoke in a hushed tone.

"Are you suggesting that I would lie to you, puss, ol' buddy, ol' pal?"

"Puss!?" the durgen'len sputtered in mock offense.

"Yes." The crazy tortoise crossed her arms. "That chest hair MUST to be honoured."

"Bah!" the durgen'len raised his hands in exasperation. "It's always the chest hair! No one can resist it." They shared a chuckle. "Why 'Puss' though?"

"You remind me of Puss in Boots a little too much. I think it suits you." The tortoise grinned. "Minus the rapier..."

"Rapier? Pft. Bianca is much more refined than a rapier. But I must admit to being curious who this 'puss' guy is..." the durgen'len grinned.

"Hm." The crazy tortoise tapped her chin. "I will tell you the story as soon as we get the Breach closed."

"A story?! BAH!" the durgen'len turned fully towards the tortoise. "Come on, kid, why must you be so cruel? Now this is going to bother me the whole time!"

"Tell you what. I'll make you a deal." The crazy tortoise almost broke into giggles at the way the durgen'len's eyes lit up with glee. "You make sure Ellana survives this whole ordeal and I will tell you the story."

"Shouldn't I make sure you survive as well? I won't be able to hear your story if you are dead, you know."

"I would love that but let's be real here." The crazy tortoise swallowed. "Ellana is the one whose survival is vital. I am expendable. If you must choose between her or me, then you must protect her."

There was no disdain or resentment in her tone. Just a quiet resignation. The woman was no expecting to live through this at all, which while consistent with her behaviour, it bothered Ellana.

The durgen'len seemed to share her opinion as his cheer seemed to drain out of his whole body, replaced by a seriousness, Ellana doubted he was capable of.

"I promise you kid, I will protect our elven friend." the durgen'len promised solemnly and hefted up his crossbow. "So, will Bianca."

"Thank you." The crazy tortoise inclined her head. "You're a good man, Varric. Never forget it."

"What is this gloomy talk? We're not dead yet."

"Just wanted to say it once, in case the worst happened."

"It won't. Have a little faith." The durgen'len tried to lift her spirits, even though he'd known the odds.

The tortoise chose to remain silent, but gave him a small, but sad smile. That was the end of the conversation. Good thing too, for they managed to reach the end of the crevice, coming out to a wide valley. Ellana rushed ahead and stood at the edge of the bank and surveyed the valley below. Two things stood out. One of them were the burning ruins of a wooden cabin. The other were the numerous demons scattered on the frozen pond. There were about four wraiths and six shades roaming aimlessly… with a pair of the shades having armor…

A greater shade… wonderful…

She was about to turn back to inform the others-

"Demons ahead!" the templar exclaimed. "There are so many."

"Fenedhis lasa!" Ellana cussed in irritation. For the second time!

"Glad you brought me now, Seeker?" the durgen'len readied his crossbow. "Oh... now that's a party down there."

Ellana sighed and made a mental note never to take the templar or the durgen'len out to a hunt.

"Helmets? Demons wear helmets… why?" The crazy tortoise remarked as she peered below. "Oh, those are... too many. Why are they so many?"

"Because there's a giant hole in the sky... maybe..."

"It was a rhetorical question..." the tortoise blushed and looked away.

"The shades wearing the helmets are more powerful than the rest." The seth'lin began sagely.

"Why don't you tell me something that isn't obvious?" she challenged.

"The shade is a demon in its true form that has adapted to affect the world around it. It drains to drain energy from the psyche of those it encounters. Once it has drained enough, it has the power to manifest properly into the real world. Such a creature spurns possession. It instead floats as a shadow across its piece of land, preying upon any who cross its path." He took a step closer to the crazy tortoise, his grey eye peering deep into her brown. "A shade will weaken the living by its very proximity. If it focuses its will, it can drain a single target very quickly. Some have even been known to assault the minds of a living victim, causing confusion or horror and making the target ripe for the kill."

"Th-that m-makes sense..." The crazy tortoise was several shades paler than before. Her body trembled... and Ellana did not think it was the cold.

"That was mean, chuckles." The durgen'len admonished.

"She asked for it…" The seth'lin shrugged unrepentant. "She needs to understand the situation we are in is dire."

"She does, chuckles. She just has an odd coping mechanism."

"I think you overestimate our human friend."

"Right." The durgen'len shook his head in disapproval before addressing all of them. "What's our plan then? Charging in, seems like a quick way to get us all killed, given the opposition."

"We have the high ground and the element of surprise." Ellana found herself saying.

"We must capitalize on that." The templar jumped in. "We can kill most of them at range. Ideally the wraiths."

"While we do that, the kid and the Seeker can stand guard to keep the shades from sneaking up on us."

"By the time the shades reach our position, their numbers would be greatly reduced." Solas surmised. "We'd be able to fight them comfortably."

"Making them easier to deal with in the end." The durgen'len smiled in approval. "I like that plan."

"I've concerns about this plan… Like many." The tortoise quipped seemingly shaken.

"Don't worry kid." The durgen'len soothed her. "We will dispatch the wraiths quickly. You won't have to face the shades alone for too long."

"While I do have concerns regarding that as well, it isn't my primary one..." The crazy tortoise chuckled. "The only thing I can do is block. I can barely hold off two shades at once on my own, let alone more."

"Right." The durgen'len looked concerned. "We need a better plan."

"If I may make a suggestion. If that is alright with everyone?"

"Go on." The durgen'len urged.

"We take out the wraiths first. Their bolts are weak sauce, but they tend to sap your strength, make you slow. That may prove fatal in the long run. Solas and Varric will deal with them while I act as portable cover for both to protect them from getting shot. It won't matter if I were to get weakened, but if they do, then our damage output will suffer and that is something we just can't afford."

"That will leave the seeker dealing with six shades." The seth'lin pointed out.

"And our elven friend will be unprotected." The durgen'len added.

"Not unless Ellana hamstrings them with her arrows to slow them down. That way the shades will be forced to come at us one by one… provided they do not have any coordination."

"An interesting strategy. However I'll need to get closer for this plan to be effective." the seth'lin pointed out.

"Why?"

"Spells and weapons have range, da'len." The seth'lin reminded.

The tortoise blinked a few times, eyebrows furrowing in contemplation.

"Huh." She tilted her head before addressing the durgen'len. "Can you shoot the shades from here?"

"I most certainly can." He hefted up Bianca with a smirk.

"Can you do the same with your bow?" she asked her.

"I can..." Ellana affirmed seeing where she was going with this. It was smart, she had to admit… and it made use of all of their strengths, while keeping their weaknesses relatively covered.

"Can you shoot that far? With that bow?" the seth'lin suddenly challenged, breaking her trail of thought.

"I just said I can." Ellana frowned.

"Typical Dalish." He sneered.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ellana bristled in insult. She turned to him. He did not deign to say a word, just watched her like a disappointed Hahren. With it a rage began to boil in her veins. Who did he think he was to judge her in such a manner? Why was he so hostile to one of his people?

Surprisingly, it was the tortoise who broke their stalemate.

"What's wrong with branching out, Solas?" The tortoise asked curiously. "Besides, why waste mana on grunts, when she can do it conventionally? And, we WANT her to stay out of combat as much as possible without endangering her life, remember. That also implies that she uses her mana sparingly."

"I..." the seth'lin looked as taken aback by the sharp reprimand as Ellana had felt in that moment. "I suppose you make a good point, da'len."

"I know I do." She chuckled with a wink. "if you two want to measure your magic dicks we can do it after the Breach is dealt with."

"Excuse me?" the seth'lin's face curdled in distaste.

"We?" Ellana raised a brow.

"I want a front row seat. It promises to be quite the spectacle." The insane tortoise giggled and winked at Ellana before smiling at the seth'lin. "That way she can kick your ass in peace."

"You believe she can?" The seth'lin sneered at the scarred shem.

"You believe I can't?" Ellana sneered back, grabbing his attention.

"Behave, kids. Save it for the demons." The tortoise admonished.

"Wonderful! Now that we've gotten it all off our chests and have a plan to follow…" the durgen'len loaded his crossbow as he took his position at the edge of the bank. "Shall we get started."

She and the seth'lin shared one last glance. it was a challenge and a promise. They will finish this later… in private.

"Let's." Ellana joined him as she notched an arrow and took aim at the wraiths. The tortoise took her place by their side, shield held in front of her.

Two long shots, two dead wraiths right out of the gate. The rest began to look around frantically for the one responsible.

Ellana notched the second arrow as the durgen'len simply adjusted his aim, but it was too late.

The wraiths spotted them first and cast a barrier upon themselves before shooting bolts in their direction. The shades spotted them and began to close the distance.

The insane tortoise easily caught the bolts and deflected them, keeping her and the durgen'len safe.

It gave them enough time to line up two more longshots and the third wraith faded away.

Ellana spared a glance at the shades and cursed. They had already reached the bank. The seth'lin cast a frost wall to keep the shades from reaching them.

And that is when the plan fell apart.

All six shades ducked under the ground. Half went for the templar and the other half for the seth'lin. He cast a barrier on himself, before using fade step to get out of their range… just as a pillar of white light erupted from the templar, damaging and stunning the demons.

The seth'lin placed three ice runes at his feet and continued to shoot staff bolts at the chilled shades.

"Let's kill the last wraith quickly, then help the others!"

"Wait." The tortoise interjected suddenly. "I have an idea. Leave the last wraith alive."

"To what purpose?"

"It just renewed its barrier. Wait till it drops to kill it quickly!"

"You sure kid?"

"I can handle it!" at their skeptical gazes the tortoise added. "It's just one. I can keep it from shooting you. They need you more!"

Ellana saw the durgen'len comply and she followed suit. They began shooting at the shades who had focused on the seth'lin. He ha

She spared a glance at the templar, who seemed to be holding her own against the greater shades with practiced ease. She should not be surprising. What was peculiar was how shiny her armor us despite being covered in demon gunk. That was weird.

Ellana did not wish to take any chances and cast a barrier on the templar. The woman had barely acknowledged it as she bashed a shade and stabbed its chest. The shade fell dead, dissolving into a clump of plasma on the ground. Ellana sank a few arrows in to the flanks of the greater shades, slowing down their movement. The templar caught her gaze for just a moment, giving her a nod of thanks. One Ellana returned.

A sharp sound drew her attention. The shades had stepped onto the frost glyphs. All three were frozen before the seth'lin.

"Get back, chuckles!"

The seth'lin did so. Using a fade step to, go through the shades, he managed to get away just as a bolt punched through the trio of shades, shattering the last one.

If nothing else, Bianca was terrifying.

Ellana wasted no time in casting a winter's grasp spell. Mana gathered at her fingertips as chilled air coalesced into a ball of frozen particles onto her palm. The bolt of ice was tossed at the nearby shade. It hit it square in the chest and covered it in a sheet of jagged ice. The shade let out a sharp wail of pain before going limp in its icy prison.

The last of the batch broke free and ducked under the stone.

On habit she coated herself in a protective barrier just in time for the shade to emerge from the ground. Leaping into the air, its claws extended. Fenedhis lasa! She would not be able to get away. She prepared for impact just as a wraith bolt wheezed past her and hit the shade, missing her. It did nothing to stop its momentum, nor did it avert its course, but it did its intended job. The impact took far less out of her barrier than it would normally have.

"A-ha! It worked!" The tortoise exclaimed.

"Well done, kid!" the durgen'len praised as he kept his sights on the shade sinking bolt after bolt into it.

"Thank you, Varric."

She did not dilly dally and sank more arrows into the shade, each landing a vital spot. But curiosity got the better of her. A single glance confirmed her suspicions. The crazy tortoise had deflected a wraith bolt into the shade. As a result, the shade was weakened making it easier to fight.

It was ingenious and effective. The tortoise had taken advantage of her perceived weakness -the lack of a weapon- and turned it into a strength. Ellana was amazed by the tortoise and her ability to adapt... Though she would not dare say it out loud.

"Keep it up!" the durgen'len urged.

"I will!" the tortoise called out already angling her shield in an odd way. She looked over the edge and taunted the wraith to keep shooting at her. A bolt came her was and she caught it on her shield before angling it toward her desired direction: the greater shades. The bolts weakened them, making it easier for the chantry warrior to defend herself.

"Firing an explosive shot!" The durgen'len called out and she scrambled out of the way just as the shade was hit. The shot exploded and the shade was consumed by flame and shrapnel, before crumpling to the ground and dissolving to rags.

The last of her barrier soaked up the excess shrapnel leaving her unscathed. But there was no time to celebrate... there were the greater shades left and the wraith below. She focused her fire on

Alas most shots failed to find purchase, bouncing off their armor. The seth'lin had greater luck with his elemental bolts fired from his staff. Ellana briefly wondered if she should not switch as well.

"I am about to stun them!" the templar shouted gaining their attention. She blocked another strike from the shades, not budging an inch. "Hit them with everything you have!"

"Readying an explosive shot then!" the durgen'len began swapping bolts. "Make sure to get out of range, Seeker!"

"I will freeze them first!" the seth'lin looked at her. "That should give you enough time to gain some distance."

"Understood."

"I'll follow up with Winter's grasp!" Ellana finished for him gathering the spell. "Don't hit them before I do, durgen'len!"

"Got it!" The durgen'len acknowledged.

"Ready! Set! CAST!" The tortoise shouted in brief intervals.

The templar stunned the demons with the pillar of light. They slumped on their feet, whole bodies going limp, burns appeared on their skin in patches. The seth'lin passed through the shades with Fade Step, freezing and immediately followed with a winter's grasp just as Ellana unleashed hers. The greater shades let out a wail of agony as ice tore consumed them, withering their bodies from within. The durgen'len's explosive shot finished them off as shrapnel shredded their flesh, dealing fatal damage.

What followed was silence as the shades dissolved into a pile of rags and they tried to catch their breath.

"Well done. That was very well executed." The templar praised cautiously after a few moments. The suspicion in her eyes was hard to miss.

"Well, Seeker. Chuckles and I had some time to get used to each other's styles." The durgen'len turned to her with a quirk of his lips. "And our elven friend here seems to share some chemistry with us."

There was a hint of something in his words, but Ellana did not care to dig too deep into them. And yet she could not deny that they made a good hunting party. Praise where it was due as her Amelan always said.

"Well cast, seth'lin." Ellana acknowledged him with a nod. She was truly impressed by his spellcasting. It took a lot of training to follow up spells the way he had.

"Thank you, da'len." He gave her a haughty look. His eyes were alighted with mischief. A desire to take things further, but to where exactly, Ellana was uncertain.

Even in this simple exchange she felt challenged in some way. What frustrated her was that she did not know what he wanted from her.

"That's wonderful and all, but there's one green Casper down here who's just begging for your attention." The tortoise called out.

"Who is Casper?" the durgen'len asked.

"A character from a story."

"You know a lot of stories then?"

"Some. I promise to tell you a few if you kill this thing at the bottom!" the tortoise nodded down the bank.

"As you wish."

Thus, the one remaining demon was ended with a long shot, courtesy of the durgen'len.

"Thank you." the tortoise panted. Sweat poured down her forehead and her face was flushed a bright red colour.

"Are you okay, kid?"

"Fine..." she gave him a small but tired smile. "Just... never mind. We should keep going."

"I agree." The templar gave them all a sharp look.

Ellana fought to keep her eyes from rolling and managed not to. She took point descending upon the frozen pond, followed by the seth'lin and the rest of the group. She took a tentative step onto the ice, sending a wave mana through it to test its denseness. She was relieved to find it thick, and highly unlikely to crack under their weight. With that knowledge she stepped on more confidently. ice beneath her feet was solid, there was no danger of falling through.

They were halfway across when.

"Oh, no!" the crazy tortoise exclaimed and cowered behind her shield.

Ellana turned to her and saw eight greater shades glide along the pond... towards them. Fenedhis lasa! They weren't prepared to deal with such a number.

"Where did they come from?"

"My guess is all the noise attracted them from nearby." The seth'lin readied his staff.

"We can outrun them." The templar suggested. "They are not that fast—"

"Where did they go?!" The tortoise asked.

The seth'lin cast a barrier over all of them.

"AH! My vision turned blue!" the tortoise shouted.

"It's a barrier. It protects you!" The seth'lin scolded. "Calm down."

"Oh! Thank you!" the tortoise was breathing hard. "What do we do?"

"They went under the ice." Ellana weaved her fingers, summoning an ice glyph under her feet. Then she notched several arrows onto the bow string. It was risky... but if she timed it right, she could get out of the damage zone with a leaping shot.

"Then there's no telling where they'll emerge from." The durgen'len scattered caltrops onto the ground also preparing for a surprise. "Be rea—"

WOOSH!

All eight shades burst from the ground, all of them pouncing the defenseless tortoise.

"FUUUU-AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

=_Scene_Break_=

"Oh my god! That was intense." The insane tortoise tried to take a gulp of air. "Oh my, little lungs are burning." Deep gulp of air. "Oh my, muscles are trembling." A deep gulp of air. "Oh my, heart is trying to break my ribcage." Deep hiss of air. "Holy Jeezus, I haven't felt like this since that sprinting competition, back in third grade." Deep gulp of air. "Holy shit, I'm so out of shape!" she slumped against her shield. "Damned fucking adrenaline wrecking my system!" she wheezed and coughed before looking at them... "Is it normal to feel so empty!?"

"You are just coming down from a battle high, kid." The durgen'len reassured. "It'll pass… just keep breathing."

"Is that what you call it." She wheezed with a chuckle, taking a few big breaths before demanding. "What was it with those damn shades ganging up on me like that!"

"They must really like you." The durgen'len teased.

"The feeling is not mutual!"

"You are an easy target, that is why they went after you first." The seth'lin pointed out.

"Wonderful. I am attracting demons just by standing around?"

"Looks like it."

"Lucky you! Free bait!" the tortoise's grouchy deadpan, made the durgen'len and the seth'lin chuckle. Even the templar cracked a smile. Ellana, on the other hand was puzzled.

It was an odd battle, if it can be called that.

As soon as the shades had pounced, the tortoise had fully panicked. She ran with no regard about anything or anyone around her, screaming at the top of her lungs. The sound was like sweet music for the demons and they chased her.

No matter what taunts, spells or attacks had been used against the greater shades they remained single-mindedly focused on the tortoise. She panicked shem must have seemed easy prey. A tasty morsel delivered to them on a silver platter to devour. They had underestimated her ability to run... as had Ellana honestly.

Despite her lack of training, despite clearly being unfit, the tortoise had managed to stay one step ahead from their claws and strikes, all the while she was wasting her breath with all the screaming. It shouldn't have been possible and yet, here it was, happening right before her eyes.

Even so, she and the seth'lin had casted barrier over the tortoise, just in case a greater shade got lucky. And that is when she noticed another peculiarity. For some reason the spell was fading faster than it was normal. Ellana knew the tortoise was not getting hit and neither her's, nor the seth'lin's barriers flimsy enough to decay so quickly, especially with the fade practically being present in the realm There was no reason the barriers should fade so quickly… so why?

Did the seth'lin's claim that the tortoise was a templar had merit after all? Perhaps she was trained and was only pretending to be weak. Was she fooled? Ellana frowned at the thought.

By the end the demons were killed without even touching the crazy tortoise. Yet she kept on running and screaming. The others tried to stop her but the tortoise was not hearing any of it. Not even the templar's harsh tone was able to get her attention.

They had to resort to drastic measures. The seth'lin raised a wall of ice in the tortoise's path and she crashed into it with enough force to get dazed and for the ice to crack.

The only reason the tortoise managed to stay upright, was thanks to the barrier they had cast on her just moments before the impact.

Now, She was leaning on top of her shield, panting heavily. Her whole body was shivering from the excess strain it had just been put through. The exhaustion from everything that happened to them had caught up to her at last.

If she survived today… she was going to feel it all tomorrow.

"You didn't do half bad in the battle, kid." The durgen'len praised.

"Really?"

"For someone who has had no training at all." The seth'lin added.

"Thanks, Solas." The crazy tortoise replied sincerely, making the seth'lin confused.

"You clearly possess an affinity for battle." He remarked. "Did you not wish to train as a warrior when you were growing up?"

"It's a combination of health problems and life." The tortoise explained, her breathing slowly getting back to normal. "We didn't have mages to help me with them. Besides, where I lived was peaceful... and we rarely got bandits or wild animals and the like."

"Must be quite the idyllic place."

"Yeah, kind of." She continued to breathe deeply. With each inhale and exhale she seemed to gradually shrink into herself.

"Are you alright, kid? You've gotten quite pale…"

"Fine, I guess." The tortoise shrugged. The tremble in her voice reminded Ellana of something.

"First true brush with death, huh?" flew out of her mouth before she could realize it.

"Y-yes…" The tortoise laughed hysterically. "I saw my life flash before my eyes."

"How was it?"

"It was boring!"

"Boring ain't so bad sometimes, kid."

"I'll take your word for it." panted and got up, or at least tried to, but lost her balance, flopping back down on her shield. "I know… I… that we need to go, but can we rest for a second longer, please? I need to…" she swallowed thickly. "I really need to gather my faculties."

"We don't have a second!"

"Come on, Seeker." The durgen'len cut in. "We can catch a breath. The girl looks ready to collapse on her feet."

Thud.

"I stand corrected."

"S-sorry." Her breathing got shallower and more frantic.

"She could hang back and not fight." The templar pointed out.

"I could... but then you have to worry about me... the least I can do is hold a shield and block an attack or two."

The scowl and the glare the templar sent the tortoise indicated the former found the idea offensive.

"Perhaps when we get back to Haven, we can get you treated properly." The seth'lin offered.

"Really? You'd do that? For me!? That'd be great!" Her excitement was replaced with shyness. "But I have nothing to pay you."

"Pay me?"

"Of course, pay you." The insane tortoise looked at the seth'lin like he'd lost his mind. "You are performing a service for me. You should get something in return."

"Then perhaps you can 'pay' me by aiding our Dalish friend here." The way he looked at her. There was a challenge in his eyes. It set her temper ablaze.

"What is that supposed to mean, seth'lin?" Ellana snapped defensively. She had had enough of him.

"You are Dalish, da'len, and clearly far away from the rest of your clan." He raised an eyebrow. "Did they send you here?"

Ellana scowled at him. Was he serious? Did he really expect her to reveal something so sensitive in the open? In front of a chantry templar no less.

She did not get the chance to answer, as the tortoise beat her to it.

"What have you against the Dalish?" the harsh tone of her voice came as a surprise to Ellana.

"I've wandered many roads in my time." The seth'lin spared the tortoise a glance, before turning back to Ellana. "I've crossed paths with your people on more than one occasion." he sneered. "They were less than receptive."

"You say that like they chased you away with pitchforks and torches the moment you said 'hi'." The tortoise quipped again.

"Yes… in a manner of speaking." His eyes never left her own.

"Did you insult the ones you crossed paths with by any chance? I find it hard to believe they'd just turn you away." Ellana crossed her arms.

"If by insult you mean offering to share knowledge, only to be attacked for no other reason than their superstition, then yes... I've insulted them gravely."

"If this is your idea of sharing, then it is no wonder you've succeeded." Ellana shook her head.

"Teaching da'len is always a big challenge." The seth'lin pointed out. "Even more so when the student is not, at all, interested in learning."

"Perhaps the teacher needs to be humbler about his knowledge." Ellana countered sarcastically. "He should allow his students time to understand his words rather than branding them a lost cause due his impatience."

He glared. So, did she.

"Can't you, elves just play nice for once?" The durgen'len groaned in exasperation, breaking their stalemate.

"I think this here counts as 'playing nice', Varric." The tortoise quipped. "They're not throwing spells around."

"Yeah, you may have a point." The durgen'len shook his head. "But somehow, I'm not convinced. The elves are masters of passive aggressive comebacks. If given proper incentive they can make you feel guiltier than you should be."

"Either way... you assume a great deal about the Dalish, Solas." The tortoise addressed him. "Is that wise?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, can you really judge an entire race based on a few meetings with a few clans? After all, assumption is the mother of all fuck ups."

The seth'lin frowned at her as if he'd bitten something sour.

"Nice quote, mind if I steak it in the future." The durgen'len quipped in amusement.

"Just credit me, when you do."

"Sure will, but who is the father of all fuck ups?"

"Pride."

Ellana could not help but snort this time. At her side Solas looed like he just choked on his own breath.

"What? You disagree…" the tortoise asked Solas, oh so innocently, it sent Ellana into a belly aching laughter. Oh, this was just too perfect!

"Not… particularly." The seth'lin groused in distaste.

"You need to understand, tortoise. 'Solas' means 'Pride' in elvhen, that's why he's being so salty about it." Ellana could not help the jab.

"Oh, for the- Really? We are resorting to petty insults now?" he huffed indignantly.

"Oh… oh I did not know that I swear to you."

"I believe you."

"In that case. I don't know why, how or even if it is possible, but all of this Breach stuff..." she paused for dramatic effect. "It's all Solas' fault."

A snort escaped Ellana against her will as Solas flushed in offense.

"Why?" he demanded.

"You are the father of all fuck ups, that's why!"

"Fenedhis lasa."

Ellana laughed even harder... she couldn't help it.

"Andraste's holy Mercy! Must you all be so like Varric?!" The templar barked in fury.

"No need to be so touchy Seeker." The durgen'len was smirking.

"We have rested enough! We should press on!"

"Just a little bit longer, Seeker." he teased.

"We're wasting time!"

"Why don't you search the area, first?" The tortoise suddenly suggested. "There could be supplies we could use or an interesting bauble here or there, at least in the lodges and maybe the deceased. It should take long enough to get myself together."

"You're suggesting we desecrate the dead? Have you no shame!?"

"No, Brawny!" the tortoise snapped. "We need every single available advantage we can get... if Ellana perishes we all do. If desecrating the dead is what it must take then so be it! We can beg for forgiveness later."

"Ughrr!"

"That is a good idea." The durgen'len said. "Back in Kirkwall, Hawke used to loot the dead almost religiously… and more often than not, it yielded some interesting items. We must search around."

"Indeed." Solas approved. "We should scout ahead as well... at the very least to determine whether or not, the road ahead is safe... we may not be as lucky if we run into another ambush."

"Ambush?" The templar questioned.

"It is possible the demons nearby may have been alerted to our presence." He pointed out, making the tortoise mutter a quiet 'sorry' before adding. "They could be converging on us as we speak. It'd be best to take stock of our surroundings before proceeding."

"It'll help us avoid getting dog piled on, like not a few minutes ago… with the shades…" the durgen'len grinned.

"I see your point..." The templar finally conceded, but was extremely unhappy about it all.

"I am just going to lie in that untouched cabin for a bit… while you do your thing." The tortoise made for the cabin

"Someone should stay with you, kid." The durgen'len said in worry.

"No, Varric." The tortoise shook her head and pointed at Ellana. "She must survive. I am not that important." With those words she scooped some snow and went into cabin, leaving the rest standing outside.

Ellana frowned… bothered by her attitude. She could not tell if she was handling it well, or if this was a prelude to a greater breakdown. If they took her and she broke during a battle, it may spell their doom.

"One of us should stay to protect her." The durgen'len said, eyeing the…

"Why are you looking at me, dwarf?"

"You are the Seeker." He pointed out. "Besides I am a rogue and used to sneaking. And these two know their way around woods. We'll cover more ground… much quicker."

"Or we could leave her behind and press onward." The templar suggested.

"The kid wouldn't last a minute out here on her own." He pointed out.

"I fail to see how that is my concern." She crossed her arms.

"Seeker… listen..." he began with a gentler tone. "I know you are mad and hurting, but the kid has a good head on her shoulders. She doesn't deserve to be abandoned."

"She is a liability. She cannot attack and is slowing us down."

"Thus far she's been an asset."

"If you worry about her so much, then perhaps you should stay as well."

"And rob you of my and Bianca's presence, Seeker? Perish the thought." He chuckled, making the templar glower in irritation, but before she could respond, he held up a hand stalling her. "What happens when you encounter a dozen demons with only Chuckles and our only hope for closing the Breach?"

The templar scowled and glared thunderously...

"We may be able to handle it." Solas interjected as he adjusted the grip on his staff. "But the risk of exhausting ourselves is too high and that may prove fatal in the long run."

She'd fail to close the Breach... was what remained unsaid.

There was a pregnant pause, quiet enough that Ellana picked up on the sounds coming from the cabin. Curious, she shifted her attention, tuning out those around her and caught it.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Footsteps, loud and sharp, indicated the tortoise was pacing.

"I can't believe this! Fuck! Fuck! I can't do it! I'm no warrior. How am I supposed to protect anyone with just a shield? I am not meant for this. I'm just going to be attracting demons. But if stay here... and demons converge... No-no-no... I don't want to die. The best that could happen is to die quickly. The worst is to get possessed and used like the cheapest whore." Her voice trailed off to quiet mutterings that Ellana was having a hard time picking up

Slap.

Ellana blinked, caught off guard by the loud sound. Did she just slap herself?

"Stop thinking! Okay. Enough with the self-pity. Capable or no, deserved or no, you're here, now! Nothing you cry about will change it. The demons won't stop coming. Nowhere will be safe... the demons don't care who I am... just that I'm a pile of flesh for them to wear..." A loud deep inhale. "I can do this! Ellana must get to the Breach. Nothing else matters. I will wonder how I got here later, when there aren't demons around trying to murder everybody."

Deep breath.

Deep breath.

Then she quieted down.

Ellana was surprised that the tortoise was able to get a hold of herself... and how she gave herself a pep talk. Even when alone, she, called her by name. Ellana found that extremely bizarre and somewhat touching.

"Fine. Go." Cassandra scowled as if she had bitten something sour. "I will remain near the cabin and protect it. We will decide what to do with the other prisoner once you return." She turned her glare towards Ellana. "You will stay as well."

"Why?" Ellana frowned and turned to the chantry warrior.

"I don't need you to run." The templar pointed out.

"I came willingly." Ellana reminded and looked around only to find the durgen'len and Solas already gone. Fenedhis lasa! She was going to get back at them for this.

"You did not… your lover agreed on your behalf. It is not the same."

Ellana gaped at the templar. She couldn't be serious, could she? Faced with a baffled expression, the templar merely scoffed as if she did not believe they were anything but. The notion angered Ellana. The shemlen were responsible for the death and suffering of many of her people: slavery, kidnapping, raids, servitude, fraud... the list was endless.

The idea of bonding herself to one, be it a mild shem such as the tortoise, sickened her.

"We're not lovers." She bit out.

"Say what you like." The templar rolled her eyes. "It is clear that she cares for you."

"She made it very clear why." Ellana scowled. "And it has nothing to do with love."

The templar's assured expression cracked for a moment. Doubt seemed to take hold, but it was gone within moments.

"Your lover—"

"She is not my lover!"

"—seems not to remember much. What about you? Do you remember anything… from the Fade? Anything at all." The templar asked instead, dark eyes burning with curiosity and a desperate need for answers.

Ellana wanted to deny her, but chose not to. It was a question she was struggling to answer herself. The tortoise had been asked a similar question, but she knew nothing. Whether that was truth or a lie to protect herself... Ellana was uncertain. If she survived this ordeal, then perhaps, she could ask her.

Ellana had no clue where the mark had come from or how it had gotten into her palm. She wanted it gone. Unfortunately, that was not an option. What was worse, she could not remember how she got here either. He last coherent memory was running into the temple of sacred ashes to escape a very zealous templar, who saw a defenseless knife-ear and decided to just accuse her blood magic because she wouldn't go with him for 'inspection'. The bastard had the gall to smite her out of the blue, she had had no choice but to run. And she'd run into the temple, where she hoped to lose the templars in the labyrinthian corridors.

Everything after that was a blur and flashes of images, she could barely make any sense of.

She remembered pain and peace, both at the same time.

Spiders were chasing her.

Someone was holding her hand…

A face mauled.

A flash of white robes…

'Go!'

'NO!'

'I won't let you take her...'

Screams...

The last thing that stuck with her was a blinding flash of light and then darkness. She didn't remember passing through a rift or anything after that.

"I remember someone dragging me… a dark place with a lot of spiders... there were screams… and a bright light…" Ellana looked at the templar. "I remember nothing else."

"Then… she protected you in the fade."

Ellana did not say a word. If that were true, she was indebted to the tortoise. She felt it in her bones but her pride would not allow her to even consider it.

But the tortoise had proven herself smarter and more resourceful than Ellana gave her credit for. That deserved respect.

Ellana decided that she'd see the insane tortoise to safety. At the very least, she had earned that much.

"What did she look like before those scars? What made them?"

"I don't know. On both accounts." Ellana responded flatly hoping the templar would lose interest, but... no.

"I find it surprising you do not care about your lover."

"Templar." Ellana growled. "If you keep insisting the tortoise is my lover then I will make sure the world knows you are in love with the durgen'len."

"You wouldn't dare!" her outrage was big.

"Try me!"

Their eyes locked, neither refused to back down or to blink. This is the third time they had locked into a battle of wills. The last two had no clear victor as the tortoise had broken off.

In the back of her mind, Ellana agreed. Displays like theses was what got people killed. If her Hahren ever found out about this she would be scolded. If the Amelan discovered such squabbles then those causing the dissent would either be punished or put through a challenge that befitted the problem they were trying to solve.

But now in their moment of respite, she could indulge her spite and stare down the templar. That their time to so was limited until the seth'lin and the durgen'len returned added to the challenge. Ellana loved a good challenge.

This is how the durgen'len and the seth'lin found them... far sooner than Ellana would have liked.

"We're back." The durgen'len quipped. "You can stop the staring contest now."

"Find anything useful?" Ellana asked at the same time as templar seemed to understand their non-verbal cues. They broke off the stare at the same time.

It was a draw.

"We did…" the durgen'len said as Solas handed Ellana an amulet.

Ellana took it, her fingers gently tracing its outline. She could feel the enchantments placed upon it. It was an emergency healing spell that would trigger once its owner got too hurt. The spell was not potent, but it was better than nothing. She was surprised such a valuable item was lying around, but she knew how to protect herself...

"This is an excellent find." Ellana said with a smile.

"Right?" the durgen'len smiled. "Our scouting also revealed the path ahead is safe, for the most part."

"What do you mean?" the templar asked.

"There are demons ahead, but they're mostly scattered... they're also headed here." he knocked on the cabin door.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that our human friend has successfully piqued their interest." The seth'lin said. "That works in our favor, however. If we hurry, we can go right past them and avoid them altogether."

It took a few moments before the tortoise opened the door. She came out, looking better and worse at the same time. There was an odd sense of calm about her, despite her flushed and tearstained cheeks.

"Took you long enough." The templar crossed her arms.

"Not all of us are as spry as you are, Brawny." Her voice trembled with raw emotion.

"Just get a move on." The former barked and nodded toward the path by the burning building.

"As you wish." The tortoise took the lead as they fell in step behind her.

Naturally, the durgen'len picked up the conversation with the tortoise once more.

"I couldn't help but notice that you just called the Seeker, 'brawny'?" he asked tone full of mirth.

"Yeah."

"How did that come about?"

"Meh…" the tortoise shrugged. "She deserves it for punching me TWICE to no reason."

"Thrice." Ellana corrected.

"The third does not count."

"Why?" the durgen'len asked.

"Because I kissed her."

The durgen'len suddenly stopped, then grabbed the tortoise with a death wish by the arm, spun her around and pulled her to his eye level. Then with the gravest of tones asked:

"You kissed the Seeker?" he was staring at her in abject disbelief.

"Yes." The tortoise answered, not at all phased, by the way she'd been manhandled.

"On the lips?"

"Sort of impulsively… yes."

"And you're still alive?!"

"Well she did try to cave my skull in for it… but Ellana healed me right and proper." The insane tortoise turned towards her. "Thanks again for that."

"Ma nuvinen."

"Hahah!" the durgen'len laughed from the bottom of his soul and smiled at scarred woman. "You really are something special, aren't you, Courage!"

"Courage?"

"Varric is fond of his nicknames. Much like you appear to be..." The templar hissed.

"I see... but Courage, really? Coward seems more fitting for me."

"Trust me, Courage. You have balls."

"Well, duh!" The tortoise snorted... and shamelessly cupped her breast. "Look at them, they're cannonballs." She gave them a little squeeze as if to make a point.

The durgen'len blinked a few of times, then collapsed on the ground and shook with uncontrollable laughter.

"Ughh!" The templar made her trademark disgusted sound while the seth'lin looked like he smelled curdled milk.

As for herself... Ellana had-.

"Gah!"

-screamed, as pain shot through her body... but it was mercifully short. The mark still sparked with unfamiliar energy, pulsing.

"That… didn't sound good." The durgen'len sobered up.

"Ellana! Are you ok?" the tortoise was at her side in an instant.

"I'm fine, shemlen." Ellana could not help the grumble.

"You're not fine." The tortoise challenged and then turned towards the hedge mage. "Solas? Do something!"

"I fear there's nothing I can do. My magic can't keep the mark from growing any longer." Solas looked at her, worry and urgency etched on his smooth face. "For your sake, I suggest we hurry."

"Wonderful." Ellana hissed as she tried to get her bearings.

"I know this is difficult." The templar was speaking softly at her side. "But we must keep moving."

Ellana clenched her fist, trying to bend the foreign magic to her will. The aggravation receded down to a dull ache. There was a numbness in her hand, that made it difficult to move her fingers. The tortoise's questions

"I understand." With those words Ellana took point.

Her strides were purposeful now. Whatever her feelings for the shemlen or the situation, the mark was her greatest obstacle. Until she figured out what it was or how to remove it from her on her

She would not allow this break her.

Not now.

Not ever.

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Author's Notes:

Woo... this was a long one. This is what i get for making one of the characters a chatter box.

And Denny got her nickname finally... though I'm uncertain what Ellana's is yet. I'm open to ideas.

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Elven Translations:

Arlathvhen – Dalish clans rarely encounter each other in order to protect themselves; their diaspora is as much of a blessing as is a curse. Only once every decade or so do the Dalish clans all meet together, and their keepers, the elders and leaders of the Dalish who are responsible in keeping elven lore and magic alive, will meet together and exchange knowledge in a meeting called the Arlathvhen. During such a time, the clans will recall and record any lore they have relearned since the past meeting, along with reiterating what lore they know already to keep their traditions as accurate and alive as possible. During such time, the clans will exchange relics dating from the two elven nations for safekeeping. The Dalish believe that all the relics they've preserved from the Dales and Arlathan belong to all the Dalish, such trades are seen as much of an act of sharing as it is a matter of trade, and the same is true even for talented elves. The last one happened in 9:32.

Ghilan'nain – She is called the Mother of the halla—white deer-like creatures revered by the Dalish and used to pull their aravel, or 'landships' — and goddess of guides and navigation.

Fenedhis –wolf dick.

Fenedhis lasa – Suck wolf dick.

Da'len – Child.

Seth'lin – Thin blood. A slang for city elf.

Durgen'len - Children of the stone; the Ancient Elvish term for the dwarves.

Durgen – stone.

Ma nuvinen – you are welcome.

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