Talyn woke up in a soft, warm bed. Her head was killing her, but her hand no longer stung with pain. She looked around to see she was in a different room than the room she woke up in yesterday. This one had no bars on the window, and instead of the scratchy, moth-eaten rags that covered her yesterday, there was a soft blanket stuffed with feathers that draped over her. Talyn frowned, squinting her eyes as she tried to recall the events of yesterday. She remembered waking up, remembered her loss of memories, Cassandra, Leiliana, the hairy chested dwarf Varric…
Solas' face flashed in her head. She remembered him the most clearly. Her face turned red at the memory of him kissing her hand. Did that really happen? Or was it just a dream?
She could recall everything that happened up until the beginning of the battle.
There was a clattering of dishes breaking, and Talyn looked to the doorway. An elf, with choppy red hair was standing there, fear and shock on her face.
"M'Lady! You're awake!" She stammered, dropping to her knees and pressing her forehead against the floorboards.
Talyn frowned. "What are you doing?" She asked, her voice dry and hoarse.
"You saved us from the Breach, M'Lady. Everyone saw it." The elf said, from her spot on the floor.
Talyn walked over to her and held out her hand. "Please get up. And why are you calling me that? I'm no lady."
The elf stood up, refusing to take Talyn's hand, her face still pale and her eyes still wide. "M'Lady, you're the Herald of Andraste. You're holy."
"I... what?" Talyn asked, confused.
But the elf was done speaking with her, it seemed. "Seeker Cassandra wants to see you when you wake... in the Chantry, at once she said!" And with that she picked up the tray, not bothering to pick up the broken porcelain on the floor and rushed out of the room.
Talyn frowned again, but followed her out the door, stepping into the freezing mountain air. The sky was black with clouds, but right in the center of the sky, the Breach glowed faintly.
"No." Talyn breathed, dread filling her very core. She had failed. She had failed them all. But Talyn could hear music and laughter and clapping, people shouting to the heavens in celebration. Who would celebrate such a catastrophe? Where were the demons raining from the sky?
The frosted ground crunched underneath Talyn's feet as she nearly ran towards the largest building, hoping that that was the Chantry the elf was talking about.
She nearly ran into Varric.
"Whoa there, Firefly! Slow down." Varric peered up at her panicked eyes. "What's the matter with ya? How long have you been awake?"
"Varric, the Breach! It's still open! We have to get these people-"
Varric held up his hands in a plea for Talyn to be quiet. " Talyn, you didn't close the Breach, but it's stable. Demons aren't coming through it anymore, and the earthquakes and lightning have stopped. You saved us. "
"I… what?"
Varric grinned. "They're calling you the Herald of Andraste now. Saying that the woman behind you in the rift was the Maker's bride herself, saving you from the Temple of Ashes so you could save us all from the Breach."
Talyn looked around her. The people that were walking around the dwarf and elf were staring at Talyn, with reverence stuck in their wide eyes, whispering to each other.
Talyn turned to Varric. "I'm not a hero."
Varric shrugged. "Well they all think you are. Bask in the glory of it, Herald. All of Thedas is in your debt."
He slung his crossbow over his shoulder and started his trek to wherever he was heading.
Talyn's pace was much slower now, but her cheeks burned red. She kept her eyes on the ground in front of her, instead of meeting the eyes of the humans that were staring at her. But then she ran into someone, forcing her to look up. His silver eyes and bald head were hard not to recognize. Although he did look different without the dirt and demon blood all over him.
He smiled at her. "Ah, the Chosen of Andraste, a hero to save us all. You're finally awake."
"Am I riding in on a shining steed?" Talyn responded, the embarrassed sarcasm thick in her voice.
Solas' smile grew wider. "I would have suggested a Griffon, but sadly, they're all extinct." Then he grew serious. "Joke as you will, but posturing is necessary."
He turned to look at the sky. "I've traveled deep into the Fade, in ancient ruins and battlefields to see the dreams of lost civilization. I've watched as hosts of spirits clash to reenact the bloody past in ancient wars both famous and forgotten." He turned his head to look at Talyn once more, a curious sparkle in his eye. "Every great war has it's hero. I'm curious to see what kind you'll be."
Irritation must have shown on her face, because Solas gave her a teasing look. Talyn just looked at the ground and slowly shook her head. "I'm no hero."
"You are. In more ways than I think you realize." Solas lifted her chin, so that she was looking at him and not the ground. At his touch, Talyn's pulse quickened. "How are you feeling, lethallan?"
There was something mesmerizing about his eyes, grey as the sea's stormy waters. Because of his gaze, Talyn blurted the truth without thinking it. "Emotionally? Or physically? Because either way I feel like I was trampled by a herd of halla."
That made him smile bright, with no trace of the guarded look in his eyes this time. His face was brighter than the sun. "You were asleep for ten days."
"Ten days?!" Talyn exclaimed. It felt like the battle had only been yesterday.
"You were drained. Anyone else would have collapsed much sooner than you did. And now that the Breach is stable, so is your mark. Do you feel any pain from it?"
Talyn shook her head no. And just then, her stomach started to rumble. The sharp pain in her abdomen signaled it was time to eat. Solas heard it as well.
"Come, let's get you something to eat."
Talyn gestured towards what she hoped was the Chantry. "Cassandra wants to see me."
"The Seeker can wait." Solas said firmly. "You need to eat."
Talyn was too hungry to be more insistent about meeting with Cassandra, so she followed Solas up the path to his cottage. It was one room, like Talyn's was, with a small cot shoved to one side of the room, and bookshelves all stuffed with what looked to be ancient volumes perfectly preserved. Solas' staff was leaning against the wall by the door, the little gem embedded into the wood reflecting the firelight.
Talyn sat at the table, and Solas placed a cup of tea in front of her. She sipped it, the hot liquid warming her and settling her angry stomach. She watched Solas as he went around the room, collecting ingredients and stirring them into a cauldron bubbling above the fire.
"You mentioned something about ancient ruins and battlefields, and the Fade. What did you mean by that?" Talyn asked him.
He seemed to like her question. "Every building strong enough to withstand the rigors of time has a history. Every battlefield is steeped in death. Both attract spirits. They press against the Veil, weakening the barrier between our worlds. When I dream of such places, I go deep into the Fade. I can find memories no other living being has seen."
Talyn sipped her tea. "You fall asleep in ancient ruins? Isn't that dangerous?"
"I do set wards. And if you leave food for the giant spiders, they are usually content to live and let live."
"That sounds wonderful." Talyn said. "Being able to see the past like that. Can every mage walk the Fade like that?"
Solas set a bowl of stew in front of her, a hint of something akin to pride in his eyes. The stew's warm, intoxicating aroma made Talyn salivate. She immediately dug in and listened to Solas answer her question.
"All mages have a connection to the Fade. But it takes years of practice to walk in it. I have yet to see another mage that can go as deep into it as I can." He sounded smug. He should be.
Talyn finished her food. Now that her stomach was full, her headache was gone, and she felt less irritable. "Thank you, for the food."
"Of course, Herald of Andraste." The playful smirk that danced on his lips was enough to make her want to slap him.
Talyn just huffed and glared at him as she stood. "I need to speak to Cassandra." She said sharply.
That stupid smirk just grew. Then suddenly, he changed his demeanor. He grew serious. "It was a pleasure to see you, Talyn.". The way he said her name, it gave Talyn pleasant chills.
"It was good to see you as well, Solas." Talyn stumbled over her words like an idiot. When she turned to leave, she tripped over her own two feet, ruining their strange moment.
Solas chuckled.
As Talyn walked out of his home, she lifted her hand and her fingers formed a rude gesture. His laughter echoed behind her.