This is my idea if our Inquisitor was part of the old Elvhen Empire, and like Solas, Mythal and the Fake Gods, survived Fen'Harel's Veil.
Ih'tal is Mythal's sister who has been in deep sleep for centuries after Fen'Harel destroyed the world with The Veil and separating the Fade. She was one of the lesser "Gods" but one who worked in the shadows for the oppressed and the slaves. She woke up 10 years before Solas, and although she was still weak, she has wandered around Thedas and experienced the humans, the new elven and the dwarves. Although she was devastated by losing her home, she has found a new one in Thedas.
Ih'tal is aware of Mythal and Fen'harel's collaboration, but do not know what goal they hope to achieve. She was at the Conclave to learn more and thereby stopped Corypheus where she got the mark.
I don't own the rights to Dragon Age and the people who appear in it.
English is not my mother tongue, so I deeply regret the grammatical errors or other word compositions that does not make sense. Finally, give feedback if something comes up. Thank you!
Chapter 1.
Ih'tal looked at her marked green hand. The green glow dazzled but demanded attention at the same time. It was now weeks ago that she had received it and yet she was still very much as fascinated and curious as when she first got it.
She looked up and saw That Solas was looking at her. The look of curiosity that she soon had become so accustomed to.
He looked at her, as she looked at the mark. Something that caused wonder and that you couldn't look away from. Solas was an enigma. She knew him as Fen'Harel in the old world. Here he was Solas. It was difficult to reconcile the myth with the man sitting opposite her, but her sister Mythal had been a close ally and was told to be his old friend. Ih'tal knew, however, that Mythal always wanted more when it came to the infamous Dread Wolf, but as far as she knew, nothing had ever come of it. Whether it was because they kept it a secret (though Mythal probably wouldn't have been able to keep it to herself long enough) or whether it was because Solas had different views on it she didn't know.
Solas still did not know that she knew who he was and that she was one of the old Elvhen who had survived the Veil. It was a time she couldn't think back to without flashing openly the uneasy emotions and she was under scrutiny from those around her.
They were currently in their new home Skyhold. Liliana, Solas and Varric was gathered in the spymaster's chambers discussing plans for the spies to be sent out to uncover the best possible way to unite the elves and dwarves (though Varric vehemently protested about his knowledge and relationship with the dwarves) in hopes of finding new agents for the Inquisition.
"Listen Nightingale! I don't care what you and Harding think about The Deep Roads and the Dwarves. Unless there's something in it for them and all activity, be done from down there, don't expect there's any help to be had from them!" Varric, otherwise known for a humorous approach and sarcastic remarks, had clearly lost patience with the spymaster. Liliana, however, stood with her arms crossed and refused to give in.
"It is my job to make sure to be familiar with all the possibilities and traits the different factions have, can or will make. If you don't trust that mission, then I don't see what you're doing here for this meeting," Liliana replied coolly.
"That's what I said from the beginning! Take it up with Harding Hightown if you both agree anyway," Varric said.
Most of all, Ih'tal wanted to stop the meeting. Solas kept staring at her, and the other two had stopped providing informative input and were just arguing back and forth. The weeks in Haven had been long and it had been even longer days in the mountains on the journey to Skyhold. Ih'tal had gone from being someone in the background who discreetly helped and pulled strings, to being the face for the Inquisition to the rest of Thedas. Although she wasn't a green elven, about war, tyranny, and slavery. It was still an upheaval to go from an unknown role to being as public as she was now.
"Let's stop now. The Inquisitor is exhausted, and I don't think we're moving forward. The logical thing would be to continue tomorrow when everyone has rested and cooled down." Solas said quietly but penetratingly from the other end of Liliana's workbench.
Although Ih'tal was grateful, it was still a little disturbing that he could read her so well. For although she was familiar with his work as Fen'Harel in the old Elvhen Empire, she was pretty sure that he knew nothing but the myths about her. If he even knew about them. Varric and Liliana seemed to agree on the suggestion. Varric bid them farewell and walked down the stairs towards the library while muttering about stubborn, tall redheaded women. Liliana nodded to both her and Solas and continued to look through her documents on her desk. Ih'tal said a quiet goodbye and went with Solas down the stairs after Varric. None of them said anything. They went on past Dorian who was in his usual seat in his corner of the library and onward down towards Sola's open room in Skyhold. Before moving on to her own chambers, however, she felt a hand on her arm.
"If I may, I'd like a moment of your time Inquisitor."
Solas stared at her again. Although they had flirted a little back and forth in Haven and that he had followed her on missions all around, it was still awkward to be alone with him after he told her, that the orb Corypheus used was Elven, she knew that it was Solas and Mythal who somehow had a hand in it, but the picture was too far away, for her, to see the whole truth. She found him interesting in terms of the knowledge he possessed. Especially about the border that separated the Fade from the rest of the world. Ih'tal was like Solas, used to her magic and powers associated with the fade and felt the first year after waking rebutted. Her grief after losing everything she knew and all the ones she loved, also had a grip on her, but she was quickly found by a Dalish keeper who took her into their clan Lavellen.
Although they never knew about her origin, they taught her to love the world she had woken up to and opened her eyes to the opportunities this new world could create. Although she sought answers from Solas about his decisions, she knew it wasn't time for direct questions.
Right now, they were allies and despite her misrepresentations, she trusted Solas to guide her according to what he saw as the advantage of the Inquisition. She took a step forward, so that his hand fell away from her arm and turned towards him.
Solas took this as encouragement to continue. "I was hoping we could talk alone. Unfortunately, we haven't had the chance to have a moment after Haven, and I have a feeling you're pulling away from my guidance and friendship. It's an unfamiliar territory for me, as I've been alone for many years. I hope you'll bear with me for asking." He looked expecting and inquiring at her and waited.
"Solas..." she started. "I appreciate the time you spend here and that you're always there for me if I have any questions." She took a deep breath and decided to be honest. "The truth is that right now I am in a place that is completely alien to me. I believe in our mission to stop Corypheus and that this mark is the solution to many of the problems that have arisen. But to be honest, I've never been comfortable in the spotlight."
She took a few steps away from him and turned her back on him. When she felt confident that he could not read her face, she continued. "I have a sister who for many years has been in the light like everything that was good. She spoke out loud about justice and love and saw herself as the protector of the innocent. And for many years, she was everything she saw herself to be. But that changed. In the war, she lost track of good and evil and tried to justify deeds to keep the peace between two sides. She compromised. And by doing so, she did nothing good on both sides."
Ih'tal had not talked about Mythal in a long time. She knew that many of the elves saw her as an all-mother and the goddess of love. The Mythal that Ih'tal knew, only thought of herself, and didn't do a good deed unless it helped improve her own reputation. Many saw her as a good person as it was the image Mythal devoted energy to leaving behind, and Ih'tal was both happy but mournful of the legends left behind as the image of Mythal. For although she loved her sister, Mythal loved herself more.
Ih'tal clearly remembered when Mythal first mentioned Fen'Harel. It was the first time she heard her sister sing someone else's praises than herself. And she immediately became curious about who could manage to get Mythal to turn her gaze away from herself. Ih'tal had of course heard from the slaves she had helped and other contacts about Fen'Harel, and the good work he did, against the False Gods of tyranny and war. But before that, it had never bestowed on her who the man behind Fen'Harel was.
The Dread Wolf was both Mythal's redemption but also doom. The False Gods discovered Mythal's love for him and killed her.
But whether it was Fen'Harel's love for Mythal that made him create the Veil or whatever it was, Ih'tal could not know. But it was just one of many questions she wishes she could ask him.
Solas looked at her as she turned around to meet his gaze. She had no doubt that he saw the grief in her eyes. But he looked at her with compassion.
Ih'tal did not doubt that there was something between her and Solas. If the look she sometimes picked up from Solas when he didn't have time to hide it away, or the warm feeling that spread through her, when she thought of more intimate moments with him, was something to assume. But she knew she had to seek answers about what Solas had to do with Mythal and Corypheus.
"I'm interested in what you told me of yourself and your studies, If you have time, I'd like to hear more?". She tried to keep the emotion out of her voice.
"You continue to surprise me". He gifts here a soft smile. "All right, let us talk... Preferably somewhere more interesting than this".
