The first thing Amelia recognized as she struggled to consciousness was the angry pounding of her own head. The second thing she recognized was the dark, damp scent of an underground cellar. Shit.
"Might as well stop the unconscious act, Trevelyan," a gruff voice called to her from the left.
Double shit.
She opened her eyes and frowned when she saw the moist stone above her. She attempted to rub her left temple to ease the throbbing ache but was brought to a halt when she noticed the shackles. With a glare to the guard who had spoken earlier, she struggled to her knees.
"Shackles? Honestly, is this really necessary?" she asked as she settled back on her haunches.
"Weren't our orders," he replied, his gaze never leaving the door ahead of him.
What a chatterbox. She huffed out an annoyed breath and tried to remember. All that came back to her was the dull ache that sat at the base of her neck. Her shoulders rolled, and she winced. Change that dull ache from the base of her neck to her entire body.
The door flew open with such an impact it banged against the stone wall. Amelia's lips turned up at the left corner in admiration. It had been a decently powerful shove. Her gaze lazily went over the furious woman who strode toward her, damn near spitting venom out of her very eyes. Behind her, a lithe figure pranced in the angry woman's shadow, shrouded in a purple cloak.
"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you right now!" the first woman sneered as she grasped onto Amelia's arm. Her fingers bit into the flesh of the limb with such a force, Amelia knew that the pale expanse of flesh would no doubt be bruised.
Amelia said nothing but made sure to keep her smirk in check. She watched as the cloaked figure pulled the angry woman away from her. The instant that the light hit her face, Amelia knew who stood before her.
"Cassandra Pentaghast! To what do I owe this pleasure," Amelia sneered as she shot to her feet.
"Why don't you tell me!" Cassandra snarled back, this time grasping Amelia's left hand.
The pain surprised her first, enough to spare a quick glance at the offending appendage. The green, pulsating glow that radiated from her hand, however, surprised her the second.
"The divine died for this! Why?!"
Amelia's gaze snapped back to the two figures once again. The divine was dead? And now she stood in chains, being screamed at like some feral dog who tried to steal dinner. Her head began to ache worse, something she found damned near impossible.
"Can you make some sense, here?" she asked, butting into the conversation between Cassandra and the other woman. "Because you're making about as much sense as me going to a ball and snagging me a King."
"We happened," Cassandra began through clenched teeth, "was you killed the most holy and have the gall to stand before me and act as if nothing happened! A damned explosion wiped out the conclave. Gone! Just like that. The temple of sacred ashes in ruins! And here you stand, unscathed, with the same magic that's tearing the world apart in the palm of your hand!"
Amelia laughed. Killed the divine? Please.
"Cassandra," Amelia began, voice low and lethal, "you know of the reputation I bring. I could have killed the divine five different ways within the first few moments I was in her presence. I need no damned explosion."
Cassandra took an angry step towards the redhead, and her face transformed. The sly smirk she had worn seconds before now was a feral grin, her eyes having gone dark and dull. She advanced a step forward herself, fully prepared to clash with the other woman. Instead, however, the lady in waiting jumped between the two. The hood fell from her face, and Amelia almost stepped back.
Leliana? Well, well, well. Wasn't this just the perfect little gathering. Amelia shook her head humorlessly. Her cousin would have a hay day knowing that she was sitting in front of one of her old companions.
"We do not have time for this, Cassandra," Leliana said lowly as her gaze flickered between the two hot heads. "We must go forth and test Solas' theory. You can interrogate her later!"
"I want to know why she murdered the divine!"
"Oh, please!" Amelia interjected with a roll of her eyes. "Do you think I'd be stupid enough to take a mark like that? That's like Zevran taking the mark for the Hero of Ferelden. I'm not a bloody idiot. Think of the bounty I'd put on my own head!"
Leliana tilted her head to the side as she studied Amelia. The woman gave her the ghost of a smile before turning to Cassandra and whispering a few words. Amelia bounced on the balls of her feet, desperate to escape the situation.
"Fine," Cassandra finally said, dejectedly. "You're right, Leliana. We don't have the time. Go to the forward camp. We will meet you there."
Amelia fixed a bored expression on her face as she watched Leliana flee from the room. Her gaze once again fell on Cassandra. The other woman was strung tighter than a wire, clenching her jaw as she stormed across the damp cellar once again. Muscles tensed as Cassandra grasped her arms and quickly released her wrists.
"A little warning would be nice, you know," Amelia muttered as she rubbed the irritated flesh.
"You are a prisoner and you're asking for a warning? Did you give the Divine a warning before you killed her?"
"Cassie? You really need to realize that I didn't kill your precious Divine. I don't know if you've heard but I hung that hat up a long time ago."
Cassandra's response was a grunt before she stalked from the room. The redhead rolled her eyes before she fell in step behind the Nevarran. The sun blinded her momentarily, sending a short coarse of panic through her very veins. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she quickly surveyed her surroundings.
All around them, people glared at her. Whispers and shouts of her being a murderer and a traitor. Amelia smirked. Those whispers were nothing new. She held her chin high as she marched behind Cassandra.
"They all believe you guilty," Cassandra finally told her as she glanced at the other woman from the corner of her eye. "The explosion that rocked the Conclave.. It killed everyone. You're the sole survivor."
"Sole survivor, eh?" Amelia asked as she swiped an apple off of a nearby table. "Does that mean that dear old mother is dead, too?"
"Yes, Lady Trevelyan," Cassandra responded sadly, pity mixing in the depths of her eyes. "I'm so very sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry about, Cassie," Amelia responded as they neared the gates. "No love lost there. Trust me."
Cassandra shouted for the gates to be opened. The minute there was enough space for her to squeeze through the doors, Amelia shot through them like a bat out of hell. Cassandra's disapproving grunt was all the response she was given before the other woman fell into step with her. Amelia listened as Cassandra explained more about the explosion and the breach.
Pain flared in her left hand once again. This time, however, Amelia cursed loudly before she fell to her knees. She gritted her teeth as she rode the wave of pain, pins of light firing behind her closed eyelids. Cassandra held a hand out to her.
Amelia slapped her hand to Cassandra's and let herself be pulled level. Her head swam briefly before she gave it a quick shake. Back to business.
A cobblestone bridge stood before them. She shook her shoulders, bounced on the balls of her feet, and stalked forward. Her walk, however, was short lived when a ball of fire hit the bridge and the stones beneath her feet gave way. The two women hit the icy ground, rolling to their feet.
Amelia wouldn't admit it, but she was mildly impressed with how quickly Cassandra jumped back up. Most of the warriors she knew were slow to react, and even slower to get up. Being impressed, however, lasted only fleeting seconds when she noticed the two demons that advanced upon them. Shit. Her shoulder ached but she pushed through the dull pain, her eyes settling on a discarded bow and quiver.
Thank the Maker, she thought as she lunged for the weapon.
The weathered wood felt wondrous in her hands. She notched an arrow before pulling the string taught. A feral grin pulled at her lips when she let the arrow fly. The grin turned out into a full, maniacal smile when the demon screeched in pain as the arrow imbedded itself deep in its eye socket. She released arrow after arrow, never missing her target, until the demons laid slain at their feet.
"Drop your weapon! Now!" Cassandra growled, her eyes never leaving the bow in Amelia's hand.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," Amelia sighed before tossing the bow to the ground. "Happy now?"
Cassandra sighed before tugging at a few loose strands of hair. "No. You need to be able to protect yourself. I cannot battle the demons for the both of us."
Amelia gave the other woman a cheeky grin before she picked up the bow once more. "Glad we're on the same page, Seeker. Though, I should tell you - there's three daggers strapped somewhere on my person, as well. I'm never helpless."
"Three- How?! We searched your entire person while you were in the cellar!"
"Searched my person, sure. But I'm really good at finding things along the way.,"
Cassandra shook her head before the women set forth on the path once again. The wind was bitterly cold as it bit into their flesh. The thin fabric of her tunic did nothing to help protect the rogue from the elements.
"Are prisoners of war not allowed thick clothing?" Amelia asked, her teeth clacking together.
"The famous assassin is complaining about the cold? Really?"
"Assassins are people, too, you know."
Cassandra chuckled and shook her head. They crested another hill and Amelia cursed, her eyes settling on two more demons. She notched another arrow just as Cassandra charged down the hill with a war cry, sword raised in the air. Amelia paused briefly to shake her head at the warrior before she released the arrow.
The two women worked in tandem, taking down the demos who stormed at them. By the time they've finished, they're both panting, pink tinging their cheeks, laughing in the wind. Demon goo stuck to Amelia's body and caused her nose to wrinkle.
"I stink," she told the other woman.
"Oh, please," Cassandra responded on a scoff. "We have a breach to close. Once that's done, we can go back to Haven and get you a nice, warm bath. Stuffy nobles like warm baths, right?"
Amelia rolled her eyes before she began to continue down the beaten path. She tried, albeit in vain, to avoid looking at the scattered bodies and blood soaked earth. So much wasted life - some of these corpses looked to be no older than children. She saw the body of a young woman, her bloodied fist still clamped around a wooden staff, green eyes vacant with short, dark hair plastered to her pale face, and she almost vomited. Her stomach heaved.
Was Anna okay? Or papa? The questions rolling around her mind right now did nothing to bring her comfort or a distraction. It made her hands feel clammy. She'd only just recently rescued Anna from that damned tower. If demons and rifts were popping up throughout Thedas.. She swallowed thickly and forced the thoughts from her mind.
Close the Breach and then go find your sister, she told herself.
"We're getting closer - I can hear the fighting," Cassandra told her.
Amelia nodded and picked up the pace. The women jogged up the last hill and were immediately greeted by commotion, fear, and death. The sickly sweet scent carried to her on the air, and she grinned. She rolled off a ledge, coming to a stop on her knees. Arrow after arrow were notched and released, finding their designated targets with ease. All at once, however, it seemed the demons noticed her, their heads tilted to the side as they studied her.
No, not her. The mark.
With a screech that bounced off the scorched, stoned walls, they advanced on her. The redhead cursed before throwing her bow to her back. The first demon reached her just as she wrapped her palms around the daggers at her waist. A shriek left its mouth, so loud it almost deafened her. She grimaced before dropping low, avoiding slashing claws before jumping to her full height and jamming the blade underneath the demon's jaw.
A thick, black mist erupted from the wound and wound itself over her hand. She cursed and jumped back, shaking the digit while pain and cold seeped into her muscles. Then, almost as quickly as it began, the pain and discomfort eased, the mark on her hand flaring, caressing the singed flesh.
"Maker's balls," she whispered, amazed.
"Quick! Give me your hand!" an elf with a shiny, bald head shouted at her.
She was preparing to draw herself to her full height and let him have it for demanding something from her before he grasped her left hand in his and shoved it towards a rift. The mark began to tingle, starting at the palm of her hand and worked itself upwards. A green blast shot from her palm and shot into the mouth of the rift. Amelia cursed and grit her teeth against the sensations.
"Andraste's hairy balls, that was uncomfortable," she snapped as the rift exploded before her. "Do I have to do that every time?"
"If my calculations are correct, yes," the elf replied, deadpanned. "I'm Solas."
"Varric Tethras," a dwarf chimed in to her right. "An absolute pleasure to meet you."
Amelia's eyes immediately drew to the crossbow held between the dwarf's weathered hands. Her wood was shined, silver mechanisms gleamed under the sunlight, while her strings were pulled taught.
"Nice crossbow," Amelia complimented, "what's her name?"
"How did you know it was a her?!" Cassandra asked, amazed.
"Oh, please!" Amelia replied as she turned her head to look at the other woman. "A piece of equipment like thatI,and you think that it's a he?"
"Wherever you found this one, Seeker," Varric purred, his eyes alight with mischief, "I think we should order a few more."
Amelia threw her head back on a laugh."Sorry to ruin your hopes and dreams, my friend, but I'm one of a kind." She thrust her hand out to him. "Amelia Treveylan. A pleasure."
Varric chokes, his eyes wide. "Amelia Treveylan? As in, the Amelia Treveylan who broke into the Ferelden Circle and-"
"Painted the walls red? One in the same," she replied.
"Well, shit, Seeker," he blew out a breath, his eyes on Cassandra. "You sure know how to start a party.
"Actually," Amelia interjected, a smirk on her lips. "I'm pretty sure that's my job, not the Seeker's."
"If we're all through with the introductions," Solas sighed from the sidelines. "Can we perhaps continue on to the Temple of Sacred Ashes? There is a Breach that needs addressed. Urgently."
"Are you always a fun killer, Solas?" Amelia asked.
"Oh, don't mind Chuckles over there," Varric said with a pat to Amelia's hand. "He's an acquired taste. You'll get used to him in time."
Not likely, Amelia thought as they all fell in line, jumping over a wooden support and embarking down the trail once more. There's something wrong about that elf. I'm sure of it.