Tevinter – again an Imperium?
According to sources from the Grand Cathedral, Tevinter is worming its way in Fereldan and Orlesian politics by way of unsanctioned trips and Fade experimentation. A lead on one of these expeditions was Alexius Gereon, a respected scholar across Thedas. His works have not only been a source of inspiration for many scholars, but his works are studied closely in universities across several countries. His most popular essays and books have been translated into dozens of languages.
Choosing nationalism over academic honor, Dr. Alexius decided to steal and tamper with historical artifacts from Redcliffe Village in Ferelden and possibly other locations as well. These historical artifacts were revealed to be Elvhen in origin and were previously thought to be not of much value, especially due to the high amount of Elvhen objects that are discovered each year through archaeological ventures.
The one good thing Dr. Alexius provided was that these objects are in fact of high importance, unlike previously thought. They may or may not have the ability to affect the atmosphere itself and the Fade that surrounds Thedas. King Alistair, Empress Celene, and Divine Justinia have all coalesced to create an effort to locate as many of these Elvhen orb-like objects. Due to their fragility and possible unexpected volatility, they shall not be moved from their places. Instead, their locations shall be marked as protected territories and shall be manned with surveillance. Rivain, Antiva, and Nevarra have released comments in support of this decision. It is reported that Lt. Lace Harding will lead this mission.
In light of this information, societal response has been split as expected. It has flamed the old, harbored hatred against Tevinter that is deeply rooted within Fereldan and Orlesian history. A more concerning response has been that against elves and the qunari. People have been expressing distress over the discovery of something than can alter what cannot be seen nor felt and that is Elvhen in origin. Keepers from Dalish clans and city elf coalition leaders have been in talks–
Ellana locked her phone and flipped it facedown away from her, not wanting to read anymore of the article. Sera was permitted to give just enough information to allow people a sense of urgency, but more importantly, to hopefully lure enough of Tevinter's attention. It was all a political mind game, at least that's what Ellana assumed. A type of cold war in the hopes of luring and discovering what else is going on across Tevinter and other territories.
She swayed her feet back and forth in her chair behind the register. It had been almost a month and a half since she woke up from her time in the Fade – her time at Haven. Dorian woke a few days before she did, coinciding with the closure of the Breach in Haven, but she pushed the implication of that from her mind.
Dorian, ever aware and mindful, claimed to not remember anything aside from Alexius placing the amulet. He did in fact remember their time at Haven but was waiting for Ellana to wake before telling them about anything. She went the same path as Dorian and told everyone that it was an odd and unusual dreamless sleep. They all believed the two of them, including Solas. After everything that happened, Ellana was so glad that they did.
"Hi, um. Can I get a bottle? Doesn't matter the blood type," a young elven woman asked, Ellana hadn't heard her enter the store.
"Yes, absolutely!" Ellana grabbed one out of the fridge and passed it to the woman. She paid with her debit card and left with a thankful smile.
Waking her laptop from sleep, Ellana catalogued the purchase in a digital spreadsheet that Merrill had created while looking after the store. She really needed to thank Merrill again for making it – it was all color coded and separated into appropriate columns. It wasn't that Ellana didn't keep track of everything before, it was just a far lazier version. Her worry about Merrill overseeing the store was misplaced, in fact she may be a better owner than Ellana was. When she got back to her store, everything was tidier than she remembered, and nothing was missing. Merrill had coded everything in the store and said reports about objects that they tested for energy readings would be sent soon.
"I really ought to ask her about being First…" Ellana repeated to herself and placed her head on top of her hands. While everything that occurred had been stressful and chaotic, being alone in her empty store now felt more boring than ever. It was a slow day.
As Lt. Harding's team discovered artifacts in Orlais and Ferelden, Ellana would make her way out of town, activate them, and return home. So far this was all that was required of her. It was now a waiting game to see what would need to be done next.
Thinking about Harding, Orlais, and Ferelden, Ellana opened a private tab on her internet browser. She stared at the address bar, debating what to input. Should she just write the query out right, or would that be too obvious? Was Leliana somehow tapped into her wi-fi and tracking searches? Was the Spymaster reading her texts?
Ellana shook her head. "Spymaster, ha. I better make sure not to call her that, shouldn't I?" She was being paranoid. Still, maybe it wouldn't hurt if she were a tiny bit cautious. Ellana typed in 'castles in the Frostback Mountains' and hit enter. Skimming through the results, nothing appeared at all to be what she was searching for.
So, not a castle then. Fortress? Stronghold? She typed 'fortresses in the Frostback Mountains' and searched. Scrolling, scrolling – there! It was a picture of Skyhold exactly how Ellana remembered after the events of Haven, almost uncanny in the similarity. It wasn't rundown and dilapidated like many of the unkept historical buildings. And it was also not called Skyhold, it was called 'The Maker's Keep' because of how high up the structure was.
Clicking on a link for a site that had a page for the fortress, Ellana eagerly waited for the page to load to read paragraphs of its history. Well, she wanted paragraphs, except for the fact there weren't multiple. Just a single long one detailing its brief history and that it is now unmanned with no tours available due to its dangerous location. The only interesting thing was that it was commonly a stop for experienced mountain climbers.
Ellana tapped her fingers on the keys of her keyboard. She needed to confirm something, but she didn't want to make it too obvious. She typed 'holdsky song' in the search bar and a bunch of results came up. Next she typed, 'holding the sky song', and then afterwards she typed, 'skyhold'. She ran her eyes across the results of the first three pages. It was a bunch of nothing, just references to some books with weird titles or a person's blog page. None of it had to do with castles, fortresses or the like. The Skyhold she knew was Maker's Keep.
Before she flipped the lid down on her laptop, she typed in something else that sounded similar to 'Skyhold' in the address bar and clicked the second link listed. If Leliana was indeed monitoring her computer, hopefully those searches were innocuous enough to not warrant more attention from her. Ellana took a deep breath and reached out for her phone again and idly went through her routine of checking different sites and her email. Closing her laptop to only browse the internet on her phone, how original. When her email synched and loaded, there was a new email in bold text.
Vivienne de Ghislain
The Ghislain Estate Annual Gala
The contents of the email were fairly straightforward; nothing was personalized to Ellana. It was a simple invitation for the night's event. She almost missed it but saw that the email was forwarded to several people she knew. She wasn't sure if it was intentional or not, but Solas, Leliana, and Morrigan's emails were missing.
As on cue, her phone beeped.
Josephine Montilyet – 3:12PM
Yes, you have to go.
3:12PM
Wonderful. Sounds like so much fun.
Josephine Montilyet – 3:15PM
Oh, Ellana. You don't know Orlais.
Josephine Montilyet – 3:15PM
This will be more than fun. It will be *entertaining*
On the day of the event, Ellana closed in the mid-afternoon and prepared to keep the shop open late on another day to compensate. Her outfit was simple enough to be comfortable in and not stick out too much – a black semiformal mid-length dress and low-heeled black suede wedges.
Ellana finished locking everything up and made sure that she had everything needed in her purse. It all checked out and she just waited for her ride to arrive. This was a social event that invited them publicly as individuals, not a group in association with Justinia. For this reason, rides were arranged for those going and they were instructed to arrive separately. She snorted to herself at the thought. Sure, they were not in association tonight and most definitely not meant to gather any information that could glean usefulness.
A car pulled up in front of the store, and then it was time for her to go and experience high Orlesian nightlife. A picture of Sera's scrunched up face popped in her mind in response to that thought. And at that moment, Ellana felt the exact same way. She shut off all the lights, set the alarm, and went outside.
"Hello, there! Ellana, I assume?" a woman called out from the driver's seat, window rolled down.
"Yes! Isabela Naishe?" Ellana looked at the information forwarded to her and then back at the driver. It was the same woman – slightly wavy black hair and a labret piercing.
"The one and only, I'd wager. Hop on in, Miss Lavellan." Isabela clapped and smiled. Ellana smiled in return and sat in the backseat.
Isabela turned halfway to face Ellana. "Now where to, hm? Dressed like that, I imagine it's something good. Or at least it should be."
"Uh..." Ellana looked at the emailed invitation. "The Ghislain Estate."
"I'm going to need more detail than that, you know." Isabela laughed, and Ellana frantically searched for the address on her phone's map app. "I'm joking with you; I know exactly where to go. Relax." Isabela was hired to be her driver for tonight, she would obviously know the route information.
"So, what's going on at this Estate? You meeting someone fancy?" Isabela asked as they set off and made momentary eye contact through the rear-view mirror. The trip was going to be at least forty-five minutes if traffic was low throughout.
"No. I'm not. I'm attending some gala thing."
"You don't seem too excited. No matter how boring something seems, there's always some fun to be had Especially when there is a party involved. And alcohol. There will be alcohol, right?" Isabela merged onto the highway, so far there wasn't any traffic or many cars on the route Isabela decided to take.
"Yes, I think so…I hope so." Surely a woman like Vivienne wouldn't skimp on the drinks…right? Ellana questioned if she would survive the night if the party was dry.
Isabela slightly slowed down and allowed someone to merge in their lane before sparing a glance in the mirror. "Oh, Ellana. I hope so too for your sake by the look on your face."
"Ah, haha…yeah. That obvious?"
"That you don't want to go? I think everyone on this highway would be able to tell." Isabela turned on the radio and let it play at a low volume.
"It's just that these events…they feel so suffocating. You have to act a certain way, be a certain way. It's becoming tiring, honestly." Also a reason why she avoided the subject of First with her parents and the Keeper. Her time in Val Royeaux was supposed to allow her room to breathe, to think. Do her own thing for a bit. Instead, a year later she found herself in the exact situation she was avoiding. Ran away from something only to run right into it. Oh, the irony – both painful and oddly comical.
"I get that, I really do."
"Not that you needed to know any of that, Isabela. I just rather be working at my store and that's saying something," Ellana laughed.
"For me to escape those feelings of, as you put it, suffocation, it's why I do this on the side."
"Chauffeuring?"
"Yup. Driving gives that sense of freedom – anywhere to go and be. I've seen some places I've never heard of, too."
Ellana grinned. "Like where? If you don't mind me asking."
"Did you know there's a place that sells only alcohol-based ice creams?"
"….No, actually. In Val Royeaux?"
"Not in the city, more on the outskirts. But they also sale lyrium sprinkles for their ice cream. It doesn't have hardly enough of the stuff to do anything, but it makes this tingling sensation in your mouth." The car went to a stop as they hit a small patch of congested traffic.
"I'm assuming the sprinkles aren't legal, so I won't ask." Ellana's lips curved in amusement.
"A lot of the best things aren't." Isabela winked at her.
After a short while the traffic cleared, and it didn't take too long for them to arrive at the Estate. As they neared the gate entrance, Ellana told her, "You can drop me off here, and I'll walk up."
Isabela eyed the long queue of cars in front of them. "That may be easier for you." She slid them away and parked the car.
Ellana gathered her things and ensured she wasn't leaving anything behind, as well as a quick check of herself in a pocket mirror when she exited the car.
"All right, now go on in there. Smooth sailing, okay?" Isabela processed the payment for the first half of the ride. "And nice tattoo."
Confused, Ellana looked down and saw nothing. After a few seconds she realized that Isabela was talking about the subdued anchor, a faint green line vertically across her palm. "Oh, I got it to cover up a scar," she lied.
"Well, if you ever want more, I recommend having a custom done by Zevran. He's not usually in Orlais, but it's worth the trip to see him." Isabela nodded as the payment was confirmed.
"Noted! Thank you for the drive. See you soon," Ellana replied.
"Thanks for the chat. Now go on in there and make sure it's not dry. When you're ready to leave, come find me." Isabela smirked. Ellana said another goodbye and began to walk toward the gate.
"Ellana!" Cassandra yelled at her from inside a car with the window rolled down.
"Cassandra!" Ellana weaved through a few people standing in front of the gate and to the car. They chatted for a few minutes until the car line began to move. "I'll see you inside, okay?"
"Yes, absolutely. I'll need a friendly face in there."
Ellana walked along the paved sidewalk to the estate as night began to fully settle. That estate was something to look at, that was for sure. As if the building itself were dressed for the occasion, the outdoor lighting made the gold trimmings stand out, showing how polished and clean everything was.
As expected, the amount of people grew as she neared the entrance. Ellana stood in a line and took out her ID like if she were waiting to get in a club. The person checking invitations and identification looked doubtful when Ellana presented everything, but they let her through. A promising start to the evening. Music filtered through the building, but not loud enough to be obnoxious.
A dry party it was not, and Ellana easily found the food and beverages.
"I hope this evening goes by fast," Cassandra said as she appeared behind her and grabbing a glass of her own.
"Do you know why we were all invited? It's not like I'm a likely candidate to normally be here."
"Vivienne more than likely wants an audience with us."
"Good…bad…?"
"Unknown."
"All right, then." Ellana took a sip out of her champagne flute.
A gaudy and overdressed man sauntered up to them. "Cousin! Is this possibly the family's Seeker I'm seeing?" The man clapped Cassandra on the back. "Come on, let us catch up! You know the family misses you. And no dresses still, I see."
Cassandra was clenching her hands so hard she nearly snapped the stem of her glass. Ellana gave her a pitying look and slid away. While she felt for Cassandra being roped into a conversation, Ellana herself did not want to get involved.
She quietly swapped her empty glass for a filled one and decided to pick a small paper plate and pick at the food. When she was satisfied with the array crated, she meandered away and stood in a corner that didn't have many people loitering around. She went to bite a lightly golden baked madeleine when the urge to take a picture of the plate hit her. Looking side to side, she found a decorative table with lilies in a vase. Perfect. She rearranged the food and angled the plate to her liking. The champagne was also in the picture, but it wasn't the focal point.
She unconsciously smiled at the picture; it came out well. As she was in the process of opening her contacts to send the picture to her mother, Varric's voice sounded behind her, "Wow, you got all dolled up for this, huh. Guess we had to, didn't we?"
Ellana's slowly brought her face up from the phone with her brows creased.
"Are you okay?" Varric snapped a few times to get her attention back. "You look like you've seen a ghost. I know I don't dress up that often, no need to make it obvious." He was wearing a well-tailored tux with a tie.
This made the crease deepen. "Yeah, sorry. I was distracted. I think I just had a déjà vu?" She smiled and snorted, thinking at how stupid that sounded. Hastily tapping the screen but keeping her focus on Varric, the picture was messaged. It was already getting late where Clan Lavellan was, but her mother would surely appreciate the picture, especially because the woman prided herself in her own baking skills.
"We've only been here a little over an hour and you're already speaking Orlesian. You learn fast," he chuckled.
"Okay, okay I get it." She held the plate between them and asked, "Want some?" He picked off a caramel-glazed profiterole and popped it in his mouth.
"Oh! Before I forget," she said between bites of a madeleine while reaching in her purse. "I believe this is yours." Ellana handed him his erotica book.
"That does not look like the one I lent you," he remarked sarcastically and gently took the book and proceeded to thumb through it.
"I wrote down all my thoughts and suggestions if you want them, as evident by the sticky notes hanging out everywhere."
"I see that," he paused for a moment and then continued, "I think you do more than my editor does, damn. I'll need you to read every book before sending it in," Varric snarked.
Ellana look a long sip of her drink, finishing the glass. "I actually…wanted to apologize."
"What'd you do this time?"
"For dragging you into everything. Into this. It's pretty obvious you didn't want to be involved. I'm sorry."
Varric smirked, "It all works out in the end. I'm pretty interested in how all of this will end up, and I get to finally figure out all this lyrium stuff. In all seriousness, I really appreciate the apology."
Ellana lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned in close. "And I know…that all this attention isn't good for you know."
Clearly bemused, he ate another pastry and replied, "What?"
She waved her hands in front of her. "You know!"
"I obviously don't." He was confused and entertained.
"Your businesses!"
"…And what of them?"
"Illegal," she whispered very softly, internally giving herself a facepalm. The party wasn't the best place to say this, and yet she still did.
Varric stared at her in mild disbelief before laughing. "What?" Ellana's face fell.
He continued after his bubble of laughter subsided, "My businesses aren't illegal, Ellana. I go through a lot of paperwork to make sure they are all up to date and have no funny, pun intended, business. The restaurants, bars, convenience stores, all of it."
Now Ellana was confused. "But what about your late-night fights that are booked at your bars?"
"I like to spar with…Bianca. A good friend of mine. It's just her and me. Although, I will say you're blowing our cover." He raised his eyebrows.
"Oh…" A blush crept up her ears. "And the…lyrium?"
"It's something that I've seen passed around and traded, and I've been trying to figure out what exactly is going on with it. Ever since someone had a lyrium-induced fit in my most popular club, I've been monitoring the situation closely. Also the reason why I know Cassandra, I've been providing her the information that we find. Well, most of it."
"For a sting?"
"Something like that."
She made an awkward expression. "Well, I guess I apologize…again. For my baseless assumptions this time."
"I never said they were baseless."
"Varric…" she groaned and then snickered. Her face was beginning to feel warm.
Vivienne suddenly appeared before them. "I'd hate to interrupt, but I'd like to steal you away, Ellana Lavellan."
"You have my permission to take her away," Varric replied as he walked elsewhere, book and her plate in hand.
"Yes, absolutely, Madame de Fer." Ellana went to pick up everything on the table to only see the empty flute. Right. She saw Varric take her plate.
"Oh? That is a moniker I have not heard in such a long time. Pray tell, where did you hear it, darling?"
What did Ellana just call her? Did she just say Madame de Fer? Her cheeks burned in embarrassment. She only drank two glasses! Why were things already slipping off her tongue?
"I overheard some of the people say it, and I thought it may have been something you preferred to be called." Yes, that was a compelling enough lie. That oddly familiar déjà vu feeling washed over her.
Vivienne's heels loudly clicked against the summer stone flooring with her elegant strides. She was wearing a white open-front dress that completely covered her chest but allowed her jet-black culottes to be seen. It was paired with silver stilettos.
They weaved through halls, and Ellana matched her pace to Vivienne's. The more they walked, the less people there seemed to be.
"So, word about you has spread like veilfire, Miss Lavellan," Vivienne started.
"Has it? I had guessed it had mostly died down by now."
"Quite the opposite in my circle, dear."
"Oh, and why is that?"
Vivienne's heels stopped with a uniform click and she met her eyes with Ellana's. "Because a mere rumor has now been confirmed by my own eyes. That hand of yours is real."
"And if I told you it was just a tattoo, would you believe me?"
The other woman didn't respond and simply continued walking. Ellana said nothing as well and chewed on a corner of her lip for the rest of the way. They reached their destination, and Vivienne had someone unlock the door for them to enter. It was a kind of study, filled with books and desk to the corner and a fireplace in the middle. They stepped inside and Vivienne said to a servant, "Bring the Rowan's Rose, please."
Ellana took a seat in an expensive lounge chair and looked around while Vivienne waited for the worker to return. Within minutes they did, and Vivienne came over with two wine glasses and the drink. She filled one glass and handed it to Ellana and poured one for herself. Vivienne took the seat opposite of Ellana.
Ellana swirled the drink and sniffed at it, debating whether to drink from it. She could hear Josephine chastising her, It would be rude not to drink from it! If she took small sips she would be fine.
Vivienne began, "Now, if you'd be so kind. What does that hand really do?"
"Honestly, we're not entirely sure."
"What has it done so far?"
"It's able to activate certain objects, that's all we know exactly. It also can possibly interfere with the Fade."
"Interesting." Vivienne swirled her drink. "I'm sure, as you already know, I've written about the Fade and how the usage of magic impacted Thedas, especially in the realm of politics. It's something I'm greatly interested in."
Ellana took a sip and immediately registered how strong it was. Very small sips. "Yes, Dorian sent me a few of your essays." She felt her phone vibrate in her purse but disregarded it, must be her mother replying.
"Ah, did he? I wondered why he sent me that email a few months ago regarding that. Pavus is always so thorough in his research."
Ellana replied, "Not to be overly rude or anything, but why did you want us here – want me here?"
"Simple, I want in."
"And you're going through me to do that?"
"I needed to get Leliana's attention in some way. The woman has a habit of ignoring me," Vivienne playfully accused.
"That's all this was?"
"Of course, why did you think I had some nefarious plan like a villain?"
"This just seemed like a lot of trouble for something so small."
"Oh, Ellana dear, I invite Leliana every year, I specifically didn't this time. Maybe now she'll pick up when I call her," Vivienne smiled to herself and continued, "I'd like to be the one to introduce and write all of your findings in an official and academic sphere. I'd also like a formal examination of your hand."
"They already have Varric, Dorian, Solas, Morrigan, and Merrill. Why would they want to recruit you for this?" Ellana bit her cheek as she finished her question. That was rude of her to ask.
Vivienne's eyebrows momentarily knitted before she replied, "None of them have the pull I do, simple as that. And as such, it would be very easy for their any of their publications to be dismissed or discredited."
Ellana focused her gaze on the fireplace. "And you'd like me to bring back this proposition."
"You learn fast. And yes." She smiled before finishing, "And do let them know that I'm inclined to do my research with or without their sanction."
"I'll make sure to pass that on. Just a heads up that our trips aren't to pleasant places."
"A lady always knows how to get her hands dirty." Vivienne finished her glass and with that, the conversation was over. Leaving her full wine glass behind, Ellana followed Vivienne back to where the party was and quickly noticed that the crowd was much rowdier and louder. Cassandra, Josephine, Varric, and Dorian were huddled together and shouted in unison when they spotted her. They were the only ones that needed to attend as many weren't keen to.
Vivienne tilted and whispered before disappearing around a corner, "Do enjoy the rest of the party, dear."
"'Lana!" Dorian called after her. "What have you been doing all night?"
"Leave her be, Dorian. She was attending to business," Cassandra replied, cheeks a light blush.
"Never took you to be one for dirty jokes, Cass," Varric replied.
"Ugh." Cassandra's cheeks became a deep red.
Ellana pulled out her phone to look at the new notifications while walking to the group.
"Why did she stop in her tracks like that?" Cassandra asked.
"Must be a message from Solas, I'd assume," Josephine replied slyly.
"Like when Blackwall nods his head to greet you?" Varric joked and Josephine huffed in return.
Ellana finally looked up and said, "I'll be back in a bit. I need to do something." As soon as she finished talking, her face was buried in her phone, and she was already heading away from the group. Ellana found a stone bench on an empty balcony; the balmy and cool air complimented her warming cheeks.
Solas – 9:19PM
They appear well baked, enjoy them.
She was in such a frenzy when Vivienne approached her, Ellana didn't double check the chat selected. What a dumb thing to do. This wasn't one of Varric's novels, yet such a cliché scenario happened. Ellana scrolled through their chat log. It wasn't much, mainly dates and times for meetups to help her control the anchor. Which after each visit, became less and less awkward. It was now almost routine for her to visit him and take blood. Ellana messaged the picture to her mom before finally replying to Solas.
10:30PM
I ate one! Varric took my plate
Ellana locked her phone and closed her eyes to feel the breeze caress her face and the tips of her ears. He would probably reply soon enough as he had a tendency to stay up late, although she assumed this was more due their meetings than what he preferred to do himself.
Solas – 10:33PM
How unfortunate.
Blaming the slight fuzziness in her head, she hit the call button.
"Lethallan, the party must terrible if you're calling me," Solas answered with.
She let out a light laugh and replied, "The alcohol's been great at least."
"I can hear that."
"Because I'm curious, why weren't you invited? Varric and Dorian were."
"Ah, well, Vivienne and I tend to disagree on fundamental matters. Not only that, but she publishes everything through an academic venue, and I chose not to."
"I don't know what to say in response."
"Silence is just as valid as speech."
"So wise, hah'ren."
"Again with this?"
Ellana cackled and replied, "I'm sorry, you just make it so easy sometimes. You do see that, right?"
"I am aware of such, much to my dismay."
Silence filled the gap of the call for several seconds.
"…Solas?"
"Yes, Ellana?"
"I want to see what you see. In the Fade."
"Is there something in specific you'd like to see?"
"No, you choose. I want to experience it like you do. It'll probably help me understand my hand more, too."
"Absolutely. I'll see you in a few hours then, Ellana. If you are up to it, that is."
"I am." And the call ended with that. This was something Ellana had been wanting to ask Solas recently, but she always created an excuse to procrastinate with.
She joined back with the others while they in the middle of some Antivan drinking game. Knowing she was going to meet Solas that night, water was the only thing she drank for the remainder of the night. Ellana only spent time with them for about an hour or so before calling for Isabela and heading home. Cassandra followed Ellana's lead and also called for her driver to take her home. The other three hurled various humorous insults as the two left the party.
"From the look of it, I'd say you had a splendid time, didn't you?" Isabela surmised as she slid in the driver's seat.
"An exhausting time more like it," Ellana replied.
"And you're leaving before the fun really starts. There's plenty to say about Orlesians, but they can hold a party. Not as good an Antivan or Rivaini one, but still decent enough."
While it felt late to Ellana, it was apparently an early time to leave the party. No traffic congestion until nearing the exit Isabela needed to take.
When they arrived, Ellana said goodbye to Isabela and bolted upstairs. She ate a quick dinner and did the necessary routine before sleep. Ellana made sure she at least brushed her teeth, took her makeup off, and changed clothing before falling in the bed in an exhausted heap.
"It's nice to see you, Ellana."
"I don't think I could ever get used to this" Ellana waved her arms around herself, observing how the atmosphere reacted. Surveying herself, Ellana noticed she was wearing what she wore to the party. Did she fall asleep with the dress on? She swore she changed. "It all feels so real yet so foreign at the same time."
"I still say the same to myself. It truly is a wonderful feeling." Solas was wearing a knitted sweater and casual slacks.
She met his gaze. "Where will you take me? I'm eager to know."
"Hm. I've been mulling it over and still haven't decided."
"Well, now's the time to decide."
He took a deep breath, and everything shifted around them. Skeins of blurred color eventually took root and formed a solid environment.
"I'm aware it isn't what you probably envisioned for your first visit, but I do find the sight quite nice."
"It's – this is amazing. The Hissing Wastes."
"It is, but not recent. This is the Hissing Wastes of a time long gone."
"I can only imagine. The sky…it's something else. The moon is so close I feel like we could just touch it."
He took a step forward. "The light pollution drowns out so much."
She spun to face him. "So, why here?"
"Patience is not a virtue of yours, is it? Questions so soon."
"You act as if you detest answering them."
"Fair enough." His cheeks lifted slightly in response, and he began to walk ahead of her down a sandy trail lined with lit braziers. "This is roughly around 9:41, during the Dragon Age. As you can see, by then the Wastes were more sand than a verdant landscape."
Ellana didn't reply and silently followed him and took in the sights. Even though they were in the Fade, she swore she could feel the grains of sand lifted by the wind that tickled her skin.
"Dwarven ruins," she stated as she stopped to stare at a giant statue.
"All of these ruins are long gone in our time. Between wars and erosion, crumbles are all that are left."
"Like many of the Elvhen ruins."
"Yes." He started moving again.
A slithering, scaly animal ran in front of them, hissing along the way.
"A wyvern," Ellana commented incredulously.
"A wyvern," Solas confirmed. After a beat he said, "Before they were lost to the passage of time, the Wastes held homage to Fairel and his sons as well."
"The great Paragon," she stated before it dawned on her, "you mean the ruins now of the Wastes are tributes to Fairel and his sons? There's no records of anything relating to them, only oral legend."
"Well-versed in Dwarven literature, are you?"
"Ever since I heard the tale, it reminded me of Dirthamen and Falon'Din and it stayed in my mind. A pair of brothers took arms against one another, while another pair were inseparable, even if Dirthamen and Falon'Din may not have been related. I know some stuff."
"It's good that you are aware of the lore, it saves me from having to explain everything."
Ellana scoffed, "I think you will somehow still manage do that."
"Perhaps."
They trudged along in the sand, Solas leading them. The occasional shooting star ran across the sky and left behind a glittering trail.
He broke their silence, "The party, how was it?"
"Well, I continue to learn that people tend to not be fond of you."
"I assumed that would be common knowledge. As it is, I'm surprised you asked me to bring you here."
"I don't recall ever saying anything about the Hissing Wastes."
"Ellana."
She stretched her arms. "Vivienne wants to join us, and she's using me as leverage. I'll have to meet with Leliana tomorrow about the whole ordeal."
"And you think this is a good idea?"
"I think that we'll need as much help as possible, and if she has the influence to sway public opinion, that would be great for all involved."
"I actually agree, to a certain point that is." His pace sped up a bit, and Ellana nearly stumbled to change hers to keep up. Solas announced, "There."
Ellana looked over the hill they were standing on. "Wow…is that a real dragon? Sleeping?"
"It is. Would you like to a closer look?"
Her eyes lit up, and she unconsciously smiled. "Of course." This would be her chance to witness a dragon that wasn't trying to actively maul her.
"It's amazing," she said breathlessly as they approached it. "And dare I say cute? The way it's sleeping reminds me of a cat."
"Now that you mention it, it does. Something I hadn't noticed before."
The ground tremored with the rise and fall of the dragon's chest.
"In documents it's noted as the Sandy Howler." Solas laid a hand behind its head and glided the hand across the scales. Meanwhile, Ellana was admiring the curved horns up close.
"Are you ready to go on?" he asked a few minutes later.
"There's more?" Ellana inquired in return.
"Follow me." Solas gracefully made his way around the dragon and led her to a stone door ahead of them. "This is where I wanted to bring you." When they reached it, he waved his hand and the door opened. They both stepped inside, and with a flick of his fingers all the braziers lit up with veilfire.
"This is the Tomb of Fairel," Solas announced, although he wasn't sure if Ellana heard him as she was admiring the murals painted on the stone walls. In the blocky and square art style favored by dwarves at that time, it showed the story of Fairel's rise to the surface and the tragic tale of his sons. He kept quiet and allowed her to survey the tomb.
"This is all gone? I find it hard to believe efforts haven't been made to restore anything."
"There is nothing to restore if it no longer exists."
"That's depressing. So much lost."
Ellana's eyes landed on a statue at the center of the room. "Mythal? What is she doing here?"
He stepped next to her. "Wondrous, isn't it? How different societies somehow merge in the smallest of ways?"
She moved her head to meet his eyes. "Why are you always so vague?"
"It's not vague if you understand what I'm saying."
Her gaze hardened and she kept her eyes locked on his. Before the action could actualize in her mind, Ellana kissed Solas. Slightly taken aback by it, Solas took a second before reciprocating. As soon as he did however, Ellana broke away.
"I shouldn't have done that, I–" Ellana tried to say but was broken off by Solas' lips on hers. Any of the tension that accumulated when she broke the kiss melted away and her body relaxed against his.
The kiss naturally deepened, and Ellana found herself thinking about how his blood tasted, how she continued to crave it more and more as time passed. Whether this was due to the anchor or herself, it wasn't known. All that was for certain was that the urge was there, and it was especially present in the corner of her mind.
But at the same time, the urge for him to drink from her was also there, and there was a war in her mind at what she wanted most. It wasn't because of his whole fresh blood situation, but that she wanted him to take from her, for her blood to be the one to cloud his mind from the instinctual need of it.
Solas pulled away softly and whispered as he said, "I would say this is impulsive or ill-considered, especially because we're in the Fade, but I don't care." He stroked her bottom lip with a thumb as he held her head.
"I'm trying to think of something clever to reply, but I have nothing," Ellana whispered as well, and Solas let out a reverberating deep chuckle.
Author note: "Quite the opposite in my circle, dear." I am too proud of this pun.