Repairs on Skyhold were going well. The gate was the first, and most important thing that was finished. With the gate reinforced, the people of Haven could feel safe. Cullen and Cassandra planned other defenses of the castle, repairing the watch towers and setting up guard duties to watch for any signs of Corypheus.

But the monster never came.

Josephine had designed the throne room, replaced the red carpet and even had an unwilling Talyn sit for hours so someone could paint her portrait. The crystal chandeliers held hundreds of candles that lit up the ceiling like the night sky, and Josephine was in the process of having the rest of the council's portraits painted so that they could hang in the throne room. She was going to replace the throne as well. She called it ghastly, but Talyn had snapped at her so fiercely about keeping the wolf throne that for a moment, Josephine was afraid of her.

Talyn didn't know why, but she needed that throne to stay there. Removing it from it's rightful place felt… wrong.

Talyn's headache had subsided, but it had lasted for a few weeks. Every time she walked through a different part of the castle, she was struck with familiarity, and the further she pushed her mind to recall why she felt like she knew Skyhold, the pain in her head worsened.

She needed Solas to finish the story of Fen'Harel and the huntress. Something about that story had triggered something inside of her. Her dreams of the red haired huntress grew worse. Every night she had a nightmare of mangled bodies, all pointing fingers at her, with that woman laughing at her from the shadows.

She needed him to finish the story. But she was afraid of what the ending would bring.

Talyn was in the courtyard, sparring with Cole. The boy's skill with his daggers matched Talyn's skill with her sword, making him fantastic practice for Talyn. The clash of steel sounded throughout the courtyard, bringing a crowd of onlookers watching them.

Cole was quick. Every time Talyn got close to beating him, he would move out of the way, fast as lightning. Her tattoos started to glow with her frustration. But at the same time, the challenge was good for Talyn, after weeks of doing nothing but helping repair Skyhold and wandering the vast castle by herself.

And she did help repair Skyhold. She didn't like sitting back and watching, so she had carried wood and stones and picked up a hammer herself. It wasn't her intention, but that just only solidified the people's love for her. All she could hear when she worked was that the Herald herself was willing to help, instead of watching from afar. How amazing she had to be, in order to do something like that work alongside the common people.

Talyn didn't understand it, and it made her ears burn.

She could hear the people in the crowd making bets on who would win the match.

"The Herald beat a dragon, that boy has no chance."

"Ten gold coins to prove you wrong!"

She grinned and pushed herself harder.

She got distracted momentarily by Solas, who was also watching. She almost didn't recognize him without his staff, which he usually carried everywhere with him. Cole had almost had her right then and there, but Talyn was able to focus and block the dagger before it could land on her.

Before a winner could be declared, Cassandra was calling for her.

Everyone grumbled as Talyn stopped and sheathed her sword. With a flourish, she bowed to Cole.

"You, my friend, are hard to kill." She complimented him, her voice a little breathless from their match.

He smiled at her, with that dreamy, far off look in his blue eyes.

Cole was very odd. But she liked having him around.

Talyn was coated with sweat. Her sparring clothes were soaked with it. She wiped it off of her face with a cloth as she walked over to Cassandra, who was waiting patiently for her off to the side. Talyn automatically knew that Cassandra was hiding something. There was a shiftiness to her eyes, but also excitement.

"What do you need Cassandra?" Talyn asked.

"Come with me."

Oh, gods no. Talyn quickly looked around for the nearest exit. Did they figure out that the weapon Corypheus was using was elven? Was she walking to her death now?

No. Cassandra, at the very least, wouldn't do that to her. She had the chance in the beginning to have her executed, and she protected Talyn. She wouldn't blame her for something just because she was an elf. Talyn had to believe that, had to trust in Cassandra.

So she followed her warily, all the while arguing with herself in her mind that Cassandra wasn't there to kill her.

Cassandra gestured to the people. It wasn't just the people of Haven that occupied Skyhold now, but others, from different towns had come here as well.

"They arrive daily from every hold in the region. Skyhold is now becoming a pilgrimage. If word has reached these people, then it has surely reached the Elder One. We have the walls, and now the numbers to put up a fight here. But this threat is far beyond the war we anticipated."

"But we now know what stopped Corypheus, what drew him to you."

Talyn held up her hand, where the Mark shimmered on her palm. "He came for this. And now that it's useless to him, he wants me dead."

"The Mark has power. But it's not why you're still standing here." Cassandra led her up the stone steps to the throne room, and passed it, up the battlements to a spot where all in the courtyard could see her. The courtyard started to fill with people that had stopped whatever they were doing to watch.

Leiliana was up there as well. was smiling at her, and holding a sword with the flaming eye of the Inquisition on the hilt, it's pupil a red ruby.

Talyn looked at them in confusion.

Then Cassandra said, "The Inquisition requires an Inquisitor."

What?

"And who better to lead the Inquisition than the one who's been leading it all along?"

Talyn looked down at the people, all looking at her with pride. She looked at the council, with that same look of pride on their faces.

"It's… unanimous? You all have that much confidence in me?" She asked, shock in her voice.

Cassandra gestured to all the people down below. "Each and everyone of these people all have their lives thanks to you. They will follow."

Talyn resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "That wasn't the question."

"I will not lie," Cassandra stepped aside and let Leiliana come forward with the sword. "Handing this much power to anyone is troubling. But I have to believe that this was meant to be. There will be no Inquisition without you. How you serve, how you lead, is up to you."

Talyn couldn't believe this. She went from an elf with no memories on the verge of execution, to being handed the title of Inquisitor, and the power to save or annihilate all of these people. She didn't want this power. She wasn't a savior, a Herald. The Anchor was Corypheus', Andraste had nothing to do with this. Talyn was nothing.

And yet… if she didn't do this, if she didn't become the Inquisitor, then who would? Could Talyn let someone else defeat Corypheus?

No. She couldn't, wouldn't, let the power of Inquisitor fall to anyone else. She couldn't trust anyone else but herself to keep these people safe. Corypheus wanted to fight her. Then he would get the greatest war that could ever be. Talyn would rain fire from the heavens before she let him hurt anymore people.

Talyn took the sword. "Corypheus wants power." She said loudly, so the people below her could hear. "He wants to be a god. But he is no god, no "Elder One". He is nothing but a coward who hides behind dragons and demons. And together, we will stop him."

Cassandra faced the crowd.

"Have our people been told?" She asked.

Josephine stepped forward from the crowd. "They have. And soon, the world."

"Commander, will they follow?"

Cullen stepped forward from the crowd, and faced his men, his sword drawn. "Inquisition, will you follow?"

The soldiers in the crowd cheered.

"Will you fight?"

The cheering got louder.

"Will we triumph?"

The entire courtyard erupted into cheers.

"Your leader, your Herald, your Inquisitor!"

Talyn couldn't help but smile from ear to ear as she held the sword out to her people. Her people. Their love, their hope and trust in her was so overwhelming that she had to fight back tears. Never in her life had she thought that so much faith would ever be placed in her. Never in her life had she thought people would follow her.

And she made a silent promise to herself, to them, that she wouldn't let them down.

The other hidden room in the throne room became the war room. The overturned table was a large, ancient slab of wood that they used to hold the map of Thedas. The mural that Solas had shown Talyn in the beginning was gone. Josephine, Leiliana, Cullen, Cassandra and Talyn were standing around the table, looking down at the map.

"Corypheus is going to kill the Empress of Orlais." Cullen said. "From what you and Dorian said about your visit to the future, it seems to be his next step. With the Empress dead, Thedas would be plunged into chaos."

"We have to reach the Empress before Corypheus. But the question is, how?" Talyn asked.

Josephine smirked triumphantly. "I have just begun working on getting the Inquisition an invitation to a ball the Empress is hosting."

"The ball is nothing but a distraction from what's really going to happen that night." Leiliana started to explain. "Orlais is in the middle of a civil war, between the Empress Celine and her cousin, the Duke Gaspard. The night of the ball, they will be having peace talks. We believe that this is when Corypheus will strike. He will probably have an assassin waiting for the right moment to kill the Empress, and the people blame it on Gaspard."

"It's rather brilliant, if you think about it." Cullen added.

Talyn nodded. "When is the ball?"

"Three weeks from now. We should have our invitations by the end of the week." Josephine told her. " Which gives us plenty of time to prepare."

"We have another pressing concern." Cassandra looked directly at Talyn. "Alexius must be tried and punished, by the Inquisitor, for his crimes."

"By Inquisitor, you mean me don't you?" Talyn asked, although she already knew the answer.

"You are the Inquisitor." Josephine said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which it was.

Talyn took a deep breath. "I want him brought to the throne room first thing in the morning."

That felt strange, giving an order like that. Would she ever get used to this?

"Of course, Inquisitor." Cassandra replied.

It was nightfall. Talyn should have been asleep, to get a full night's rest before the trial tomorrow morning. But she was kept awake with plaguing thoughts of Alexius. So she was sitting on the railing of her balcony in the Inquisitor's chambers. Her chambers. Her legs were dangling over the edge, as she stared straight down into the abyss of the mountain. She sighed, her breath a frosty cloud in the moonlight.

Talyn had killed people before, so many she had lost count. But this was different. Alexius had committed terrible crimes, and a few months ago she was going to kill him. But now he was just a prisoner, just a man whose fate was now in her tattooed hands. How could she condemn a man to death?

But how could she not, with what he had done? With what he was going to do, had Talyn and her companions not shown up in the Redcliffe castle when they did. Alexius was trying to destroy the world. He was a key player in Corypheus' plan.

"Good evening, Inquisitor."

Talyn looked over to see Solas leaning against the rail, his arms crossed over his chest and a small smirk on his face.

She smiled, and her worries were slightly alleviated. Solas' presence always had a way calming her, and even if it was just a little bit of a reprieve from her thoughts, she would take it gladly.

Her feelings about Solas was another matter she was going to have to contend with eventually. Whenever he was near her, her heart quickened, her limbs became jittery. His cryptic sayings that could either be confessing his feelings or just simply stating his loyalty sent butterflies through her entire body.

"Hello Solas."

"I was at your ceremony today. It looked like your council had deceived you about their intentions."

Talyn snorted. "Yeah, I had no idea what was going on until Leiliana handed me a sword."

"Would you have gone if they had told you?"

Talyn had to think about that for a moment. "Honestly… probably not. If they hadn't put me on the spot like that, I would have declined their offer."

"And why is that?"

Talyn sighed again and looked at the ground that was far below her. "I only accepted to be the Inquisitor, because Corypheus has a bone to pick with me. And after what he did to Haven, it's personal now. But I can't take him on by myself, not now at least. But Solas… I'm no one. I don't even know who I actually am." She lifted her arms, the blue lyrium in her skin shimmered in the moonlight. "All I have are these, my name, and nightmares about a red haired woman. I'm not fit to have this much power, to be a leader. I can't even decide what to do with Alexius. If I can't handle having someone's life in my hands, how can I handle being a leader?"

"A red haired woman, you say?" Solas was more intrigued now, his eyes were more intense.

Talyn nodded. "Yes. Every time I dream of her, she's blaming me for something. I made her do something. And there's always… fire. And…"

She shook her head. She didn't want to think about it.

Solas didn't say anything for awhile. And then, he said, "Talyn, you've been a leader since the beginning."

She furrowed her brow. "Please, tell me how I've been a leader."

Solas turned his entire body so he was facing her, and he grabbed her hand that was resting on her thigh. Talyn hoped the moonlight couldn't show her burning face. With his other hand, he lightly touched her jaw, making her turn her head to face him. His face was sincere, gentle, and full of pride.

"You are the most extraordinary woman I've ever met. These people had wanted you dead, for a crime you didn't commit, and yet you still fought for them. You stopped a war, you swore to protect a group of people who had no right to ask for it, and you did it without expecting anything from them. You closed the Breach, not because you were forced to, but because you wanted to. And when Corypheus attacked Haven, you gave yourself freely, and willingly, so that everyone within Haven's walls would be safe. You almost died more than once, for people that not so long ago wanted your head. And after all of that, you helped them survive the snow, you found them a home. You gave yourself, over and over again."

The intensity of his emotions grew. Talyn could have sworn that his eyes were glistening. "You are selfless, Talyn. That is not a quality most leaders possess, yet it is one they should all have. Without you, the people of Haven, the Inquisition, the world would be nothing."

Talyn stared into his eyes and saw the honesty in his face. He called her selfless, extraordinary. But Talyn didn't feel extraordinary. She just felt like Talyn.

"But Solas… even after everything I've done for these people, how can I send a defenseless man to his death? He did terrible things, but… I still can't imagine having the blood of an unarmed man on my hands."

Solas' hand was still on her cheek. His fingers trailed over her skin as he tucked some blond hair behind her pointed ear, and then it trailed down the side of her neck to her shoulder. Her pulse quickened.

"You are the second most powerful person in Thedas now, Talyn. You have more options than to free him or kill him."

Talyn pressed her cheek against the hand on her shoulder and squeezed the hand on her thigh.

"Thank you, Solas. You've brought me some clarity to the situation."

He smiled and removed his hands. "I'm glad. You should rest. You have an important decision to make tomorrow."

Her face and hands suddenly grew cold with his absence. She took a deep breath to collect herself and nodded. "You're right."

So Solas helped her get back over the railing and bid her good night. Talyn went to sleep with the smell of cedar trees on her skin.

The next morning, Talyn was sitting in the wolf throne, her sword leaning against the side. The throne room was filled with people Talyn didn't even recognize. Fereldan and Orlesian nobles, soldiers, and her council. She saw Solas in the mix of people, smiling at her with pride, leaning against his staff. Solas being there gave Talyn more confidence.

Fiona was also there, hiding in the shadows. She, of all people, deserved to be in this room.

Alexius was in rags, with shackles on his wrists and ankles. He shambled up the red carpet with his head down, his shackles clinking the only sound in the room. But Talyn saw the disgusted looks everyone in the room gave him, saw the hands of some of the soldier's in the room twitch, aching to cut him down as he did his walk of shame.

When he reached the steps to the throne, the prison guards shoved him to his knees. Josephine stepped forward.

"You recall Gereon Alexius. Fereldan has given him to us as acknowledgment of your aid. The formal charges are apostasy, attempted enslavement, and attempted assassination - on your own life, no less. Tevinter has disowned him, and stripped him of his rank. You may judge him as you see fit."

Talyn looked down at him coldly. She crossed one of her legs over her knee, and folded her hands together. Without taking her eyes off of him, she asked, "tell me, what's the precedent for ripping time apart at the seams?"

Alexius glared at her, pain and grief in his eyes. "I couldn't save my son. Do you think my fate matters to me?"

"Do you have nothing else to say in your defense?" Josephine asked him.

His angry, pain filled eyes were trained on Talyn. "You've won nothing. The people you've saved, the acclaim you've gathered - you will lose it all in the storm to come. Render your judgement, Inquisitor."

Talyn took a deep breath, and leaned forward. She had already made her decision last night, before she fell asleep.

Her voice echoed in the room. "You tried to enslave Fiona and her mages. You tried to kill me, and my friends. You tore apart time, and with your help, Corypheus would have destroyed the world."

Alexius said nothing.

"Everyone in this room wants you dead, Gereon Alexius. But there is one thing that I don't think any of them considered. You did all of these evil things, not because you truly enjoyed it. You did it to save your son."

That got a small reaction from Alexius. His eyes tightened.

"You did everything you could to save him. Even striking a deal with a demon. And I relate to that, Alexius, because there is nothing in this world that I wouldn't do to save the people I love. I can't honestly say that if I had been in your position I wouldn't have joined Corypheus."

"I am not making this decision just because of you. I am making this decision for your son, Felix, who needs his father right now just as much as his father needs him. Felix may not have much time left in this world, and he should spend what precious moments he has with you."

Alexius' eyes lit up, and murmurs started to spread through the room.

She continued, "that is why you are going to be on house arrest. You will be sent to a secluded place, under twenty four hour supervision. You will get to be with your son, and you will do anything that the Inquisition requires of you."

Everyone started protesting, shouting.

Talyn immediately stood to her feet, and the room grew silent with the cold glare she gave everyone. Then she looked back at Alexius.

"This is your second chance, Alexius. You will not get another one."

"Inquisitor, he should be hanged!" One of the nobles called out.

Talyn's head snapped in his direction. "I am the Inquisitor, and I have passed my judgement. Take him away."

"Thank you, Inquisitor." Alexius said softly as he was taken away.

The nobles walked out of the throne room, grumbling amongst themselves, question the new Inquisitor. But Talyn didn't care what anyone else thought. What she chose was the right move, she knew it in her heart.

Talyn had just walked out of the throne room, and was immediately approached by Varric, who looked like he was about to vomit.

"Varric, what's wrong?"

Talyn hadn't seen much of Varric since she arrived in Skyhold. She had been too busy helping with the repairs and being lost in her thoughts for her to see much of her friends. This morning with Cole had actually been the first time she conversed with anyone besides the council. Although her and Cole didn't do much talking.

He truly did look like he was going to be sick. His face was pale, he wouldn't meet her eyes. But he smiled and completely ignored her question.

"Congratulations, Inquisitor. Does this mean I can't call you Firefly anymore?" His voice was strained, like he was trying to sound excited for Talyn.

She grinned, and let it go. When Varric was ready to talk he would. "No, Varric. Just because I was handed an army and power doesn't mean anything changes. I'm still Firefly."

He clapped his hands together. "That's good to hear, Firefly. Can we go somewhere quiet?"

And that's when she started to really worry for her friend. "Of course."

So she walked with a nervous Varric up the battlements, where the only people around were the guards on patrol, watching for any threats outside the walls of Skyhold. Talyn leaned against the stone and looked out at the world while she waited for Varric to say what he needed to say.

"So, do you know why I was with the Seeker in the first place, the day of the Breach?" Varric asked.

Talyn shook her head.

Varric chuckled nervously. "Well, the Seeker basically kidnapped me because I'm very close with a certain individual who helped start the mage rebellion. A well respected member of Kirkwall, who was secretly an apostate mage."

"What is his name?"

"Her name is Melina Hawke. After Blondie blew up Kirkwall she ran away with her lover, Fenris. But when the Grey Wardens captured a strange darkspawn, I got a raven with a message from her asking me to meet her at the one of the Grey Warden's fortresses."

Blondie, a strange darkspawn. Where was Varric going with this?

He ran a hand over his hair and exhaled loudly. "The Grey Wardens couldn't kill the damn thing, so Hawke, Fenris, and I ran about a hundred swords and bolts into his body. I thought he was dead... until I saw him attack Haven."

"What?!" Talyn exclaimed. Varric had encountered Corypheus before? "Varric, why didn't you say anything?!"

Varric looked at the ground, ashamed. "Because I promised Hawke I wouldn't tell anyone where she and Fenris were hiding. She's a wanted fugitive. The Chantry thinks that she had something to do with Blondie blowing up the Chantry in Kirkwall. But you need to talk to Hawke about Corypheus. She knows more about him than anyone in this castle."

He slammed a fist down on the stone wall. "He was dead! There was nothing left of him, we stabbed him until he looked like spider food. I swear on my life that he had no heartbeat, Firefly."

Talyn put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Varric. You couldn't possibly have known that he'd come back. But you need to get a hold of Hawke, and tell her to come here." Talyn needed to know everything that this fugitive knew about Corypheus. Especially now that she knew how hard it would be to kill him.

That seemed to have alleviated some of Varric's guilt. He nodded, a look of determination on his face. "You're right. I need to leave Skyhold for a bit, but I'll come back with her."

Talyn nodded. "Good."

"I won't let you down again, Firefly."

They parted ways. Varric went to go prepare for his journey, and Talyn went to find Solas.