Sweat started to drip from Michela's brow as she stood at the door to the undercroft.
"It's fine, it's been like forever she barely knows me," Michela said to herself as she stepped through the door. As soon as she did, Dagna was there with bright eyes.
"Hi, I knew you'd be back," Dagna said with a knowing smile, making Michela nervous.
"Uh… Hi. yeah, I'm back." Michela said as she closed the door.
"What did you need this time… warden." Dagna raised her brows.
"SHhhhhH!" Michela stepped up to Dagna and covered her mouth before she could finish the last word.
"Hey, Dagna is everything okay?" Harriot the blacksmith called up from his workstation.
"Oh, Yea! It's fine." Michela chuckled innocently.
"I knew it! I knew it KNEW it!' Dagna said before she broke free from Michela's grip. "It is you! I can tell by the eyes! I have never met someone with eyes like yours." Dagna was so excited that tears welled up and sparkled off the setting sun.
"Harriot! Do you have any idea who this is?" Dagna shouted.
"Hey hey hey! You got me confused for someone else, I hear that all the time." Michela tried to signal how seriously it was to be quiet, but now Harriot was curious.
"Who is she?" Harriot asked. Dagna looked a little guilty and confused.
"Uhhh…." Dagna paused. "Ah! I'm sorry, I got excited. She's an old friend of mine from when I was with the circle." Dagna replied. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Uhmmm… is it too much to ask if you left for a moment? I want to catch up with my old friend." Dagna asked Harriot, giving him the biggest doll eyes she could muster.
"I thought I heard you say… warden," Harriot questioned and looked at Michela. Her eyes widened as she smiled calmly.
"Um… ugh, it's really important that I talk to her alone." Dagna pursed her lips staring at the blacksmith as she slid behind her back.
"Well, I heard nothing if you didn't want me to. I'm from Ferelden and we don't spill secrets." Harriot nodded and wiggled his moustache and walked to the door. "Shall I get anything from the kitchen? Are you hungry ladies?" He asked kindly with a warm smile.
"Oh… um, sure. Surprise me!" Michela said with a smile.
When he was gone and the door clicked shut Michela picked Dagna up by the scruff of her collar.
"Why you little! Loveable! Little thing! How could you out me like that!?"
"I'm sorry!" Dagna squealed, "I am!" she wiggled in Michela's grip. Michela set her down as quickly as she picked her up.
"I got excited. I was worried about you!" Dagna exclaimed.
"It's alright, I get it." Michela sighed and scratched the back of her neck. "I thought my disguise was good enough to fool you." Dagna regained herself and gave Michela a serious look.
"No one else knows… do they?" Dagna asked. She suddenly gasped, "does LELIANA know?!" her eyes widened.
"I don't think so, I was worried but she hasn't tried to look me in the eye since I arrived. She's so busy." Michela looked at the door concerned.
"What about the inquisitor?" Dagna continued.
"Is Harriot a gossip?" Michela asked, dodging the question.
"Hmmm… not really. He's more the strong silent type. Likes his quiet. Or at least he is always telling me to be quiet.
"The Hero of Ferelden is supposed to be dead," Michela propped her hands on her hips and paced the room. "Shit…"
"What about Cullen? He was there too!" Dagna asked.
"No, he doesn't know! Only you figured it out. That and Fenris…. and Anders… and Hawke." Michela admitted.
"You should tell Rubeus. He should probably know. It might help him relate to you better, ya know?" Dagna exclaimed.
"Oh come on, as soon as I tell him the entire world will know. I can't, I promised someone the Hero of Ferelden would disappear. End of story." Michela stated firmly as her voice cracked.
"He can keep secrets. Trust me, I've spent enough time with him to know." the dwarf remarked with a smile. "Or he might not even believe you in the first place. He thinks the hero of Ferelden is dead… then he might get frustrated with you for lying. Ok, maybe not tell him." she hummed to herself in thought.
"You're joking, be serious. Do you have any idea, what would happen to me if word got around? Not only would I disgrace my family, but I would also put a target on my back from crows, and nobles who want both the Di'Pasqua and Couslands wiped out." Michela paced the edge of the mountain looking out over the magnificent view.
"Leliana's going to figure it out eventually. I don't put that past her. It would be easier to tell her and then demand she keep it secret." Dagna added.
"Maybe I should just be dead…" Michela sighed and crossed her arms in thought.
"What? No!" Dagna scolded, "Don't sell yourself uh… short. Aaaaah, you really should tell the Inquisitor."
"If he won't believe me, what's the benefit of Rubeus knowing? He has enough friends." Michela asked and noticed a sword in the middle of being worked on near the table.
"He's not the one in need of a friend, you are!" Dagna replied bluntly and directly, "He's not a bad person to have on your side. Even if he wasn't the Inquisitor." Dagna explained. Michela merely paced the room, her eyes constantly returning to the craft table. The sword looked like a simple one-handed iron blade. Nothing extra or fancy, but the craftsmanship was delicate and finessed to near perfection. It was still missing the hilt.
"Listen, I have enough on my plate. I don't need to be adding it to his. The whole clusterfuck of Orlais demanding their saviour to solve every problem before they tear him apart to feast upon."
"You know, between you, him and myself… We could probably make something amazing!" Dagna mused.
"Wait he made this?" Michela asked curiously. Touching the blade, and marvelling at its delicate blade. "May I?" Michela asked curiously. Dagna grinned and nodded.
With her blessing, Michela picked up the blade and ran her finger along with it. Nearly slicing her fit open as she did. "Oh wow! This is magnificent. How long did he take this to the grindstone? Twelve? No Fourteen hours." Michela asked before she tested the balance.
"I lost count after the tenth hour." Dagna admitted, "He'll tell you he was only at it for three hours tops though."
"It's heavy," Michela added before putting it down. "How does he get strong muscles without looking like a pride demon?" Michela laughed a bit. "I mean you saw the Ironbull right? That guy is like a walking orge. Oh… I miss having strong arms around me…." Michela smiled at Dagna and hugged herself dramatically. Dagna giggled.
"I asked him that once. He said physics. But, I think it has to do with the elven physique. He wouldn't let me run tests though." Dagna pouted.
"You know what Zevran would say about guys with big biceps?" Michela quirked her brow at Dagna with a cheeky grin. Dagna shook her head.
"Oh, I have no idea. What would he say?" Dagna inquired.
"They spent a lot of time…." Michela was about to reveal the punchline before the door opened.
"Excuse me, may I speak with you a moment Lady Di Pasqua." Vivenne entered the room, gracefully striding down the stairs into the workshop.
"Oh! Madame De Fer, you never come here? Is there anything I can help you with?" Dagna asked in shock.
"Madame De Fer," Michela said as she put the blade down carefully and turned to the Orlesian mage with a quirked eyebrow. "How long were you listening at the door for?" Michela asked bluntly.
"Not long enough to catch anything interesting, I had a request, however. From you." Vivenne said and turned to Dagna. "But first, How did you two meet? Last I checked, Tevinter and Ferelden were very far apart."
"I've been sailing on a ship for seven years, my lady. I've been around the entirety of Thedas." Michela replied rather suspiciously as Vienne approached her. Investigating her with hungry eyes looking for something."
"Seven years? Well, that's a long time indeed." Vivenne replied.
"Michela is interested in enchanting items, of course, she and I have met before!" Dagna exclaimed, "Although I didn't know she was from Tevinter."
"Oh Yes, She is a duchess after all. Isn't that right?" Vivenne added with a smile towards Michela.
"Yes I am, I have a very far reach of influence across Thedas." Michela took a calm breath and stared the enchanter dead in the eye.
"Listen, I heard you were tasked with hunting down Solas," Vivenne said casually.
"How did you hear about that?" Michela eyed Dagna quickly.
"One discovers a lot if you merely listen in the right places," Vivenne replied. Dagna took a step back from the mages and merely listened to the conversation.
"Sounds like you listen a lot, you remind me of a friend of mine... " Michela crossed her arms defensively.
"Oh really?" Vivenne asked.
"He's dead." Michela quirked her brow.
"Point taken." Vivienne's smile faded, something in the Duchess's stare threatened the enchanter, and she backed away.
"I thought you weren't interested in what Solas had been up to though?" Dagna questioned.
"Rubeus requested I look into his disappearance. Madame De Fer, are you suggesting you wish to assist me?" Michela asked.
"Oh, I do, but not in the way you think," Vivenne said proudly.
"Dagna? What do you think of Lady Vivenne?" Michela asked.
Danga blinked a couple of times and stared.
"I'll be honest, this is the longest Madame De Fer has ever been in here. If she has a business, she usually sends someone else." Dagna explained, "Oh! But she is spoken of highly!"
"I have been a trusted ally to the Inquisitor since the beginning." Vivenne defended herself.
"Ally? Or vulture? You know powerful empires fall to corruption all the time." Michela wrinkled her nose as the enchanter.
"They weren't joking when they called you a stuck up bitch." Vivenne said bluntly.
"They weren't, you get used to it." Michela relaxed a bit.
"There was the incident with the furniture though…." Dagna pondered. Michela quirked her brow at Vivienne curiously, and the mage shrugged her shoulders.
"What can I say, no one has an eye or time to arrange the castle both fashionably and functionally," Vivenne explained.
"Dagna?" Michela asked.
"Oh! Lady De Fer had a bunch of the servants move the furniture around Skyhold to see if it bothered Rubeus. He was pretty unphased till he tripped over a flower pot that had been moved," Dagna elaborated
"Thought so, listen. I get it…" Michela walked up to Vivenne and stared her straight in the eye. "I get it. However, Solas is my task. So stay focused on your people." Michela instructed.
"I will not be instructed how to deal with my affairs by some privileged princess who escaped their responsibilities to become a pirate." Vivenne snapped back.
"Watch it doll face, did your spies tell you that I'm crazy yet? I might turn into an abomination." Michela taunted mockingly causing Vivenne to jump back away. The aggressive grunt Michela made turned into an evil cackling laugh that was disturbing to hear echoed off the walls.
"Lay a hand on me one more time and I'll make sure you never walk again." Vivenne snapped and huffed, clearly shaken by the outrageous behaviour.
"Wah!" Michela withdrew a knife from her belt in a blink of an eye and made an aggressive taunt towards the Mage. Vivienne nearly hit Michela with a firebolt as she ran for the door. Dagna started to double over with laughter.
"Wow, I've never seen her move that fast!" she exclaimed. "I always wondered how she moved in those shoes though… They never looked practical to me!"
"Enchanter of Orlais, I am surprised she isn't wearing ballet shoes around the castle." Michela sighed. "To be fair, she is one of the most impressive mages I've seen trained under the circle." Michela walked back over to Dagna and sat down on the ground next to her.
"I think she knows more about me than she lets on." Michela nervously tapped her foot. Pulling out a stash of weed to roll into a joint. "I have an idea where to start looking for Solas, but I'm not excited to do it," Michela said and stuck the joint between her teeth as she ignited with a snap of a finger.
"That's excellent! If you need any help let me know. I'd love to help solve this mystery," Dagna said with a smile as she got up close to Michela.
"I need to Dream in the Fade again," Michela said with a scared knot in her brow. Dagna's eyes widened in excitement.
"You're going into the fade? I bet that will be amazing! I wish dwarves could do such things. I'd love to experience-" Michela cut Dagna off before she could go into a long spheal.
"No Dagna, it's not fun. It's crawling around nightmares, the fade searches your history to create, and a few demons already have a huge crush on me." Michela took a long drag of her joint and offered it to Dagna. Danga declined, "I have some work to finish tonight. Thank you though!" Michela nodded and continued to smoke it herself.
"Before you run away to the Fade, I think you should tell Leliana and Rubeus who you are. They deserve to know!" Dagna said finally.
"Like they would believe me. I'm not… some legendary hero the bard sing of in taverns. I'm alive because of lies. The hero of Ferelden is dead." Michela said and kicked a person off the edge and clanked and echoed off the stone as it fell down the cliff.
"Besides, Cullen knows who the Hero of Ferelden is and he looked me square in the face over lunch and didn't even recognize me. I don't know if it's the Braids or the black eyeliner, but that boy is dense." Michela chuckled in a fit of laughter.
"He's smarter than Alistair," Dagna giggled.
"By the ancients, when Fritigern kidnapped him. I swore to the old gods I thought I was busted. Low and behold, the very junior ranked templar pissing his pants at mage possession was the very same commander of the inquisition. Who helped close the breach." Michela rubbed her chin.
"To be fair, he probably blocked out a lot of what happened. I think he's still dealing with what happened in Kirkwall." Dagna commented, "I don't think he needs to know who you are either way."
"Maybe, if I cleaned up they might believe me." Michela thought and grabbed one of her Braids and inspected it.
"I wouldn't hurt," Dagna replied.
"Alright, fine… I'll go tell them. Where is the bathhouse?"