There was only darkness, and the cold touch of death. Talyn blindly gripped onto the ice that would become her coffin and desperately pulled, frantically trying to climb out of the snow piled on top of her. It seemed like an impossible feat, because the more Talyn climbed, the more snow that seemed to fall on her. She could barely breathe, the snow was everywhere, clogging her nose, her mouth. Panic was starting to consume her. She fought harder, reaching her hands as far as they would go, grabbing a hold of anything that wouldn't crumble at the slightest pressure.
She felt her hand reach up out of the snow. She felt around, and her fingers brushed something solid. She grabbed onto it, fighting to shove her other hand up out of the snow. Once both hands were holding the object, she pulled with all her might.
The full moon and fresh air greeted her. She gasped for air as she pulled herself up out of the snow and collapsed.
She rolled onto her back and looked at her surroundings. The avalanche had carried her down the mountain, and she had fallen through the caved in ceiling of what looked like an abandoned mining tunnel. The full moon shone down from the opening where Talyn must have fallen through, being buried under what had felt like a mountain of snow. Snow slowly poured through the opening in the ceiling, like an hourglass.
The walls were rough, and made of stone, with quick, careless construction to hold up the ceiling. Perhaps, if whoever had created this tunnel all those years ago, had actually done their job correctly the mining tunnel would still be open.
She was so cold, but so warm. She was exhausted, her energy spent beyond any point of return. As she lay there, she felt her body relaxing, her eyes closing as the warmth she began to feel started to lull her into a much-needed sleep.
Sleep. The mountain whispered to her. Give into me.
There was something she had to do though.
No. The mountain told her. There is nothing to do but dream.
Yes. Dream. Talyn wanted to dream of the blazing sun, and a hot meal. She wanted to smell and hear and feel a crackling fire. She wanted to dream of days where she was free of pain, of worry, of sorrow.
There was something warm on the back of her head. It tickled. She lifted a heavy arm and scratched, only for her head to sting. She lifted her head a fraction of an inch, opened her eyes just enough so she could look at the red liquid on her fingers.
That's odd, Talyn thought. Why was she bleeding?
Ignore it.
Talyn laid her head back down on the snow, and closed her eyes.
But then, in her mind, she saw a face. A bald elf with eyes that glimmered like a stormy sea, his face twisted in grief and worry as he stared at her.
Solas.
The world came crashing down on her. She was freezing to death.
Talyn forced her cold, shaking limbs to move.
Solas.
His voice rang in her head.
"I will never leave your side."
She couldn't leave him. Or Cassandra, or Varric, or Iron Bull, who was already grieving at the loss of Dalish and Skinner. She couldn't leave the people that depended on her, the people that needed her to save them from the Elder One.
She stumbled to her feet. Talyn felt like she was floating, delirious from hypothermia and the nasty head wound she had acquired in her battle. But she pushed herself to move, to walk. She had no idea where she was, but she walked anyways to get her blood moving, to warm up her frozen body and stave off the cold touch of death.
The more she moved, the more she realized how hurt she truly was. The nerves in her leg screamed in pain from what felt like a broken bone. She could feel burns on her neck and face as well.
She tripped, several times. But she forced herself back on her feet, hopping on one leg until she could properly balance herself and limp down the tunnel. .
I will never leave your side.
She couldn't leave them. She wouldn't leave them.
She walked for hours. The tunnel was silent, except for the constant pouring of snow and Talyn's uneven footsteps. Talyn just walked straight, hoping that she would escape the tunnels before any creatures decided to make a meal of her. She could see the silver light of the moon at the end of the tunnel and moved faster.
The moon bathed her in its light as she exited the tunnel. She looked around, but the avalanche had wiped out any landmarks that would have told her where she was. She couldn't see the dragon's fire, but the sky had clouds of ash billowing from some point on the other side of the mountain. From the sky fell a mixture of snow and ash, melting in Talyn's hair, sticking to her body until her skin was dark with soot.
She had no idea where she was. But she kept moving, if only to keep herself from making this foreign ice plain her graveyard.
Soon enough, the weak sun rose over the horizon, guiding Talyn.
GIVE INTO ME. Death shouted at her. LET THE MOUNTAIN DEVOUR YOUR BONES.
Never. Talyn told Death.
She kept limping along.
She stumbled again and tripped. But this time, her arms had no more strength to push her up.
No, she had to do it. She tried, but her arms just shook and collapsed underneath her.
She couldn't die.
Her vision started to blur, darken.
She rolled over onto her back. She could hear Death's triumphant laugh, feel his bony, ashen fingers wrap around her throat.
You're mine. He seemed to whisper in her ear, as his grip tightened. For one small moment, Talyn could actually see a skull looking down at her, fire burning in it's empty eye sockets, and a wicked grin on its face.
"She's over here!" Someone shouted.
"Oh, thank the Maker!"
Through her blurring and darkening vision, she saw someone standing over her, breaking the vision of the skeleton.
"Talyn." A familiar, soothing voice said. She was lifted, something like bone jabbed her side.
She smelled the forest.
"Solas." Talyn breathed.
"You're safe, Talyn. You're safe." Was all he could say, holding her so tight to him that whatever was underneath his tunic was starting to stab her side.
The last thing she saw was Cassandra's relieved face, before she passed out once again.
She woke up and screamed when Mother Giselle set her leg in a splint. The pain made her black out again almost immediately.
When she woke again, Solas was standing over her, running a cool cloth over her burning forehead.
"Her fever is out of control…" She heard someone say softly, before she let the dream world take her again.
Solas gently woke her again. "Drink, Talyn."
Something hot touched her lips. She turned her head. She just wanted to sleep.
He brushed her hair from her forehead and pressed the cup to her lips again. "ma' lath, ma' alas'en... sathan mavash."
All Talyn could process was the last part of what Solas said. Please drink.
Talyn tilted her head, and drank as much of the tea as she could. Then she let her head fall back on the cot and closed her eyes.
She felt his lips brush her forehead.
She was standing in a meadow, the warm sunlight reflecting off the vibrant wildflowers and making the meadow glow. The air smelled of honeysuckle, the soft breeze carried an ancient song that Talyn recognized yet couldn't ever recall a time she heard it. A halla mother and her fawns were off to the side of the meadow, grazing under the branches of a tall leafy tree, their twisting horns shining like diamonds.
Directly across from Talyn, on the other side of the meadow was a woman. She was the most beautiful elf Talyn had ever seen. She was tall, slender, with lean muscles from years of hunting. A beautiful golden bow was in one of her hands, a golden quiver on her back. Her hair was tied back, but it burned like pale fire, a crimson crown. Her eyes were as green as emeralds, and they too burned into Talyn, making their mark on her soul.
She smiled at her and beckoned for Talyn to come closer. Hypnotized, Talyn did as she was told, gliding across the flowers on silent feet.
Talyn stared at the elvhen woman, her heart beating her ribcage in an uneven rhythm. The woman smiled and tucked some of Talyn's hair behind her ear.
Talyn knew this woman. She couldn't remember who she was, but she felt as familiar to Talyn as her own pulse. Talyn grabbed the hand that had touched her hair and kissed the back of it.
The woman was still smiling. She grabbed the front of Talyn's shirt and pulled her to her, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Talyn felt warm, and safe, in this woman's arms. She wrapped her arms around the huntress and held her tightly. She buried her face in the woman's shoulder, breathing in that comforting scent of honeysuckle. The woman set her bow down and did the same, one hand on the small of Talyn's back and the other one running over her hair. She felt the woman press her cheek on the top of her head.
"I missed you." Talyn cried, although she didn't know why.
Something cold, and sharp, scratched its way down Talyn's spine.
"Look at what you did." Her hauntingly beautiful, menacing voice whispered in Talyn's ear.
Suddenly Talyn didn't feel safe. Every hair on her body stood up straight, and all the warmth was sapped from her body. She no longer longed for the huntress, no longer wanted to be in her arms. Talyn lifted her head from the huntress' shoulder and looked into what used to be beautiful emerald eyes. Now they were just black pools of darkness, what was once so strong and safe now turned to madness.
Horror filled Talyn's core. Dread forced her to fight against the woman's hold on her, but she couldn't leave the circle of her arms.
She was laughing maniacally, her teeth and lips now stained with blood.
"Look, da'len, look at what you made me do."
Talyn tore her eyes away from that demonic face, and tears filled her eyes. The beautiful meadow, the one that glowed, where the halla were, was now barren wasteland. All around her the ground was black, burned. The trees were blackened spikes, reaching towards the sky like knives. The halla Talyn had seen were nothing but burned corpses, maggots crawling through their eye sockets and noses, spilling out of their mouths.
She turned her horrified eyes to the woman, who was still laughing.
That cold, sharp object was driven straight into her back. Talyn cried out as she twisted the dagger into her spine.
"You did this." The woman shouted in her ear as Talyn started to cough up blood.
The fourth time Talyn woke, she felt much better, physically. Talyn was dripping in a cold sweat, her heart racing. She could still feel the ghost of that woman's arms, see her black eyes.
You did this. This was the second time she had a dream where she was blamed for something. She ran a hand through her hair and took a deep, calming breath.
To distract herself, she looked around at her surroundings. She was lying on a cot, in what looked like a shoddily made shelter. She lifted her head and looked down at her numb leg. It was wrapped tightly in a splint. She touched her head and felt a bandage. Her abdomen was sore as well, each time she took a breath a small, sharp pain stabbed her in the side.
"Solas! She's awake!" Cassandra exclaimed.
Talyn turned her head to see Cassandra and Solas sitting by her side.
They both looked like a mess. Their faces were pale, and the dark circles under their eyes showed how much sleep they had gotten. It was like they hadn't slept in days.
But Solas looked at her like he did the first time they met, like a blind man seeing the sun. He reached over and felt her cheek with the back of his hand.
"Lethallan." He breathed. "How are you feeling?"
"Water." Talyn croaked, when she realized how dry her mouth was.
Cassandra jumped to her feet. "I'll get her some."
Talyn sat up, and immediately regretted it. She felt dizzy, and fuzzy. Like she had slept for weeks.
"Be careful, Talyn. You were very ill." Solas warned her.
Talyn squeezed her eyes shut as her empty stomach settled.
"Where are we?" She asked, her voice hoarse.
"In the Frostback Mountains. We've made a camp here."
"Did everyone make it?"
Solas' face was solemn, his silver eyes dark. "We lost some on the trek here. Their aging hearts couldn't handle what was required of them."
Talyn's heart sunk to the bottom of her stomach. "Chancellor Roderick…"
"Was stabbed by a Red Templar. He had the Red Sickness. Either way, he was going to die."
Talyn ran a hand through her hair, wincing as her fingers grazed the bandage.
Cassandra returned, with Varric in tow. Talyn reached for the steaming cup of water Cassandra held out for her, and held it in her hands, letting it warm up her stiff bones.
"Firefly, you're alive!" Varric was grinning. He took Cassandra's vacant seat, his legs hanging off the edge. His crossbow, Bianca, sat in his lap. "I was worried for a second you weren't gonna make it."
Talyn grinned back at him weakly. "I'd really like to stop going unconscious, at least for a little while."
"We'd all like that too, kiddo." Varric agreed.
"So," the dwarf continued, "any idea where we should go now Firefly?"
"Varric!" Cassandra hissed. "She just woke up, she is in no condition-"
"What do you mean?" Talyn asked, interrupting Cassandra.
"Well, we're in the mountains and it's snowing, so there's plenty of water for us, but food on the other hand…" Varric looked to an irritated Cassandra for an explanation.
Cassandra sighed. "Food is scarce. If we don't find a new home for these people, we will starve."
Talyn set her cup down on the ground and swung her legs off the side of the bed, ignoring the shooting pain in her side. Solas immediately stood up and placed a hand on her chest, gently pushing her back down on the cot. Talyn tried to ignore the way her heart skipped a beat at his touch.
"You need to rest, Talyn." He insisted.
"But I need to help!" Talyn sat up again.
"You saved us, Herald." Cassandra said. "And in the process, you broke your leg, three ribs, acquired a high fever and a concussion. You've done enough. All you must do now is rest, let us take care of everything else."
"Are there any mage healers that can speed this up?" She gestured to her broken body.
"We tried that." Cullen suddenly appeared in the entryway. Out of all the people that were now crowding the small space, only Varric looked like he got a full night's sleep. Cullen however, looked more terrible than Cassandra and Solas. His youthful face looked like it had aged ten years.
Talyn smiled. "Glad to see you're alive, Cullen."
He smiled back at her sleepily. "I'm happy to see you've made it too, Herald."
"Your fever made it impossible for any mage to heal you without burning out." Cassandra explained. "There was just too much damage."
"I've already sent for one of the healers." Cullen crossed his arms and leaned against the post that held the tent up. "Now that you're fever is gone, maybe they can fix your broken bones."
"But for now, you need to rest." Cassandra glared at the men in the tent, a signal that it was time for them to leave.
Varric hopped out of the seat, and rested Bianca on his shoulder. "See you, Firefly."
"We'll talk more about our situation when you're healed." Cullen reassured Talyn, after seeing the distraught look on her face. "The healer should be here soon."
Cassandra glared at Solas, who had made no move to get out of his seat. Solas raised an eyebrow and stared back at Cassandra. Talyn, in all of her time with the Inquisition, had never met another elf, human or dwarf that could be as calm as a gentle river, yet give off the intimidating power of a storm.
Solas stared Cassandra down, daring her to tell him to leave.
Cassandra yielded, turning away and marching out of the tent with Varric and Cullen.
Solas leaned down and picked up Talyn's abandoned water cup, and handed it to her. She took it gratefully, downing the whole thing and then setting it back down.
It was an awkward silence, at least it was for Talyn. As usual, she couldn't tell what Solas was thinking. He just sat there, staring at her like a parent scolding their child. She couldn't even look him in the eye.
"You should have died. Again." He eventually broke the silence.
"I'm beginning to think at this point I might be immortal." Talyn tried to joke.
Solas just raised an eyebrow, his face growing darker.
Talyn shrunk back into herself, looking away from him. She didn't like how he could make her feel like this, like she had done something wrong.
"You have to stop doing this Talyn, sacrificing yourself."
No. No, Solas didn't get to ruin this for Talyn. She saved the people of Haven. She took on a gods damned dragon and survived. She was the one lying on a cot, in pain and confused, for the millionth time. So Talyn straightened, ignoring the pain of her broken ribs, and furrowed her brow.
"You seem to be the only complaining about being saved from a demon army and a dragon." She hissed at him, her eyes burning with the intensity of her ever-increasing rage.
He leaned forward, his eyes alight with her challenge. "You throw yourself into danger like you're invincible! Like nothing will ever touch you. It's stupid, and reckless!"
"Do you really think I don't understand what could have happened?" Talyn threw her legs over the side of the bed. "You have no idea what I would do for the people I love!" She meant to stand, to tower over him and shout at him until she was breathless, but the moment she put weight on her bad leg she fell.
Solas caught her before she could hit the ground, his arms under her shoulders. Her face burned as he set her down on the bed and sat next to her.
She refused to look at him. Her pride wouldn't allow it.
They stayed like that, with Talyn looking at the wall and Solas just sitting there.
"There is no world without you in it." He finally whispered, so quiet a normal elf wouldn't have been able to hear it. His voice was thick with emotion, with the things that he wanted to say but couldn't.
Talyn, shocked, turned her head to look at him.
But he had already left, disappearing without a trace.
The mage that healed Talyn was able to completely heal her, since she was no longer on the verge of death. So, by dinner time Talyn was walking around.
Talyn had grown accustomed to the stares and whispers, but it was different now. It felt different. Like there was a different meaning to their revering tones. Some even cried when they saw her, thanking her profusely for what she had done for them at Haven.
"Firefly, they watched you take on a dragon by yourself and win. They watched that dragon slam into the mountain and cause the avalanche that took out the Elder One's army. You single handedly saved them, again. Of course they're gonna be a little weird around you." Varric had told her when she brought it up to him.
Talyn sighed. "I don't even know what I did. I didn't even touch the dragon, it was like…"
Varric momentarily paused his maintenance on Bianca to look at her and shake his head. "One of those Qunari bombs? Yeah, it lit up the sky. And you always wonder why I call you Firefly."
Talyn looked around the camp. "Speaking of the Qunari…"
Varric's face grew solemn. "Iron Bull isn't doing too good. He lost two of his me- er, women in one battle. None of the Chargers are handling it well."
"Do you think I should talk to him, Varric?" Talyn asked.
He shook his head. "Don't worry Firefly, Dorian is looking after him. But he hasn't been in a socializing mood."
Talyn nodded. She'd keep her distance, for now. But if he wasn't himself soon, Talyn was going to have to take some very drastic measures.
The camp wasn't full of despair and hopelessness like the refugee camp in Haven. Yes, Talyn saw many sad, crying faces amongst the terribly made shelters, and so many cases of frostbite Talyn didn't know if they had any able-bodied men left. But as she passed, they smiled and cheered. They walked up to her and hugged her. Some just reached out and touched her arms and shoulders, like she was a holy object.
She did see Iron Bull, but she didn't approach him. He was sitting at a camp fire with Dorian, who was sitting close enough that their thighs were touching. Bull didn't look good, like Varric said. His face was pale, his one eye that had always been full of light was unfocused, as he stared into the fire like all the life had been sucked from him.
Talyn wanted so desperately to talk to her friend. But she heeded Varric's advice and went to speak with the council.
Talking with the council wasn't very fun. After she spoke of the devastating news of what they were now up against, this Corypheus, all Josephine, Leiliana, Cullen and Cassandra did was argue. They all had different viewpoints, different ideas about what they should do to keep their people from starving to death. Talyn couldn't get a word in edgewise, so she had been leaning on a post all night, her arms crossed over her chest and a look of irritation all over her face.
Mother Giselle was suddenly at her side, a small smile on her face and a twinkle in her brown eyes.
"I am pleased to see you are alive and well, Herald."
Talyn smiled at Mother Giselle. She hated the Chantry, but she had grown to love the wise, and ever so patient Mother Giselle.
"I'm very happy you're alive as well, Mother Giselle."
She gestured to the arguing. "Has this been going on all night?"
Talyn looked over at her fellow council members. "They've been at it for hours."
She bowed her head. "They have that luxury, thanks to you. The enemy could not follow, and with time to doubt, we turn to blame."
She looked back up at them. "Infighting may threaten us as much as Corypheus."
Talyn sighed. "The only thing this gets us is a headache. Another headache."
"They know." Mother Giselle replied. "But our situation - your situation - is complicated. Our leaders struggle because of what we survivors witnessed. We saw our defender stand… and fall. And now we have seen her return. The more the enemy is beyond us, the more miraculous your actions appear. And the more our trials seem ordained."
Talyn frowned. "But I escaped the avalanche. Barely, that is, but I didn't die."
She smiled and nodded. "Of course, and the dead cannot return from across the Veil. But the people know what they saw. Or, perhaps what they needed to see. The Maker works both in the moment, and in how it is remembered. Can we truly know the heavens are not with us?"
"You saw Corypheus. What do you think of his claims that he is a god? Of him assaulting the heavens, taking over the world?"
"Scriptures say that magisters, Tevinter servants of the False Old Gods, entered the Fade to reach the Golden City, seat of the Maker."
Talyn had to remind herself to be patient, and polite. She didn't like hearing about the Chantry's "Maker".
"For their crime, they were cast out as a darkspawn. Their hubris is why we suffer the Blight, why the Maker turned his back on us. If such is the claim of this Corypheus, he is a monster beyond imagining. All mankind still suffers from that sin."
Talyn frowned. "Wait… are you saying Corypheus might be one of the magisters that invaded your Maker's Golden City?"
"He claims to be a god, does he not? An "Elder One"." Mother Giselle said. She looked at Talyn with such faith. "If even a shred of it is true, all the more reason for Andraste to choose someone to rise against him."
Talyn just shook her head. "Corypheus is a real, physical threat." And somehow she was connected to him. She had stolen his mark. "We need more than hope right now."
She pushed off the post and walked away.
Then a lovely voice rang out for all to hear, her voice as calming as if she was singing a lullaby.
"Shadows fall
And hope has fled."
Silence fell over the camp. The people of Haven began to crowd around, watching her. Even the council stopped their arguing to listen.
Mother Giselle, with her hands folded in front of her, moved to stand next to Talyn.
"Steel your heart
The dawn will come."
Mother Giselle looked up at her..
"The night is long
And the path is dark.
Look to the sky,
For one day soon, the dawn will come."
Talyn heard Leiliana's voice join Mother Giselle's, and she felt the Spymaster stand on the other side of her.
"The shepherd's lost,
And his home is far.
Keep to the stars,
The dawn will come."
Then she heard Cullen, Cassandra, and Varric, and so many countless others join, their voices ringing through the cold, harsh mountain.
"The night is long,
And the path is dark.
Look to the sky,
For one day soon
The dawn will come."
Then, the people of Haven, the people that Talyn had grown to love like her own family, all moved around her, and knelt before her, tears in their eyes and looks of hope so powerful that Talyn herself could feel their faith. Talyn felt her ears grow warm.
"Bare your blade,
And raise it high.
Stand your ground,
The dawn will come.
The night is long,
And the path is dark.
Look to the sky,
For one day soon,
The dawn will come."
Josephine, Cassandra, and Leiliana were beaming at her. Cullen looked like he was on the verge of tears himself. There was only one face in the crowd that Talyn didn't see.
Everyone stood, and Talyn felt herself smiling. She started to feel that maybe they weren't doomed after all.
Mother Giselle gave her an "I told you so" look and walked away.
"We will figure this out Talyn. And I am glad that you are here to help us." Leiliana said, before joining the others. The council went back to arguing, and everyone else dispersed. Some went up to Talyn first to thank her again, for the millionth time.
"I need to speak with you." Solas quietly to her. He came from nowhere, not even her advanced hearing could detect that he had been behind her.
She could feel her face warm. But she nodded, and followed Solas a little ways outside the camp, where their conversation would be private.
Solas acted like they hadn't argued earlier that day, and that he hadn't ended it with a statement that confused Talyn to no end. He went up to the edge of a cliff that hung above a snowy valley, and waved his hands, setting a lantern alight with the ice blue Fade Light. Talyn's markings reacted to it, making them shimmer like water. Talyn stood next to him.
"A wise woman," Solas said, referring to Mother Giselle no doubt, "worth heeding. Her kind understand the moments that unify a cause. Or fracture it."
Talyn raised an eyebrow. "'Her kind'?" She asked simply, her tone angered.
Solas just chuckled and shook his head. "The Chantry is good at manipulating it's people, Talyn. We're lucky Mother Giselle is on our side."
He changed the subject. "I saw Corypheus carrying an orb. It's the one he used against you, the reason why we lost the battle at Haven. It is ours." Then he said, very quickly after that, "Elven."
"What?" Talyn breathed.
"Corypheus used it to open the Breach. Unlocking it must have caused the explosion that destroyed the Conclave."
This was bad. How did Corypheus come across such an artifact? And how did Talyn play into all of this? And the humans… when they found out the thing that had caused such mayhem, such destruction and death was elven…
"I do not know yet how Corypheus survived, or you… nor do I know how people will react if they know of the orb's origins."
"Terribly, I suppose." Talyn said. "Alright. What is it and how do you know about it?"
Solas smiled. "They were Foci, used to channel ancient magics. I have only ever seen them in the Fade, older memories of older magic." His face darkened, and so did his voice. "He may think it Tevinter. His Empire's magic was built on the bones of our people. Whether he knows it or not, he risks our alliance. I cannot allow it."
"And neither can I." Talyn agreed.
Solas nodded, his approval shining in his eyes. "By attacking the Inquisition, Corypheus has changed it. Changed you. Scout to the North, be their guide. There is a place that waits for a force to hold it. There is a place where the Inquisition can build, grow."
Talyn's heart was racing, excitement spreading in her veins. "What place?"
Solas looked back out at the valley below them. "Skyhold."
Talyn took off, not even saying goodbye to her closest friend. She raced back to the camp, kicking up snow in her wake. She nearly ran into several people as she frantically ran to the campfire that the council was sitting around, shouting about things so trivial in Talyn's mind now that she couldn't remember.
They all grew quiet at Talyn's arrival, and she said in between breaths, "we leave at dawn."
"Where?" Cassandra asked.
For some reason, Talyn knew that she wasn't supposed to say who told her where to go. She was supposed to lead them on her own.
"Just trust me."