And she immediately was met face-first to the metal armor on someone's back. Ellana took a step back while rubbing her face. Golden armor? What?
She lifted her head and saw confused, angered faces. Faces that had vallaslin. And those people were also pointing a variety of weapons at her, the closest being only inches away from her.
Ellana whipped around to the eluvian, but it had already deactivated. Resigned, she turned back and raised her hands to convey innocence.
Her left hand sprouted fresh pain up her arm, and she stumbled, but the glass of the mirror held her upright.
The elves around her yelled something she only understood a few words of. If anything, Ellana was shocked that they didn't kill her when her hand went haywire, what she did was meant to be a gesture of goodwill but could have easily been construed as something antagonistic.
The few elves near her cleared way for another to walkthrough. He was tall and his armor was as the rest, a type of gold with intricate carvings and inlays.
He raised a hand and slid the hood he was wearing down, exposing his long, blond, braided hair. A sentence was said by him, but Ellana had a hard time following. She pulled the words she recognized from the sentence and tried to assume the meaning–
"I forgot that your kind speaks that butchered version of our language. Cruel to even refer it as Elvish," the man said to her layered with condescension.
Ellana's mind was blank. Nothing had surprised her that much on her journey, not as much as this did.
"You–you speak Common?"
"Why wouldn't I, girl?"
One of the Elvhen was speaking to her. Elvhen were surrounding her. They were still alive and somehow remained undisturbed all this time.
"What is uthenera like?" Ellana blurted. She could be cut down where she stood at any moment, but that was what she chose to say.
He scoffed. "Why would you concern yourself with something that has nothing to do with you and your people? It's something so far removed that you need not concern yourself with it. Now, tell me who you are and how you came through this eluvian."
"It was activated," Ellana dumbly replied, still distracted by the current predicament.
A different elf cut in, but Ellana understood the word, abelas, from what they said.
Ellana asked, "Is Abelas your name?" What a strange one if so.
He gave her an irritated glance. "Yes, it is," he then motioned to someone, "you will be taken to a room and be questioned again later, because you are obviously incapable of providing any answers in your current state."
With a staff to help with walking, an older female elf approached her. Abelas yelled something in Elvhen, and the remaining people relaxed their stances and scattered.
"Mythal'enaste," the older elf said.
"…Mythal'enaste," Ellana eventually replied. She followed the older woman down a set of stairs and to a section that was for personal quarters. Sconces lit themselves as they passed. Abelas stuck close to them, so Ellana had nowhere to go. Someone to the front of her and someone to the back of her, she was flanked.
If it were somehow still the same day, she had started it following a spirit and now was ending it following Elvhen.
"What year is it?" Ellana asked at a sudden halt and spun to Abelas.
"I would not know and do not care to. It is a time long past of my people, now keep moving."
It wasn't the past and relief washed over her at the realization. Could eluvians even do that? No, they were only methods of traveling.
"Here is fine," Abelas stated, "she shall help you with what you need. We will retrieve you in the morning."
The woman opened the door to lead Ellana in.
As Ellana went into the room, she stopped at the door's threshold and asked Abelas, "Why didn't you immediately kill me?"
"You can thank that hand of yours for carrying a mark of magic that is familiar to us. We also need answers that you may be able to provide. It is nothing more than this, although if you choose to threaten my people, know that you will die." He maintained eye contact for a few seconds after he replied, and afterwards he made a curt nod and left down back the hall.
The woman tapped her cane against the floor several times to express her annoyance.
"Yes, sorry, I'll go in the room now." Ellana went in the room and closed the door behind her, and from behind the wood of it, she heard the woman shuffle and presumed that she sat against the wall.
A deep breath escaped Ellana. For as dangerous and tumultuous everything was, all she wanted to do was bathe and sleep at the moment.
The room was surely beautiful, but she didn't have the mental capacity to focus on that, or anything that was not related to her current objective. A bath, then some shaky sleep. She slumped off her backpack and peeled off her grime coated clothing. Oh, the freedom she felt when she untied and slipped off the boots.
Opening the wardrobe, she grabbed what felt and appeared to be clothing. A quick shake to each article to ensure nothing was crawling between the layers and off she went into the adjacent connected room in hopes that it was the washroom.
And indeed, it was.
Fire appeared on the candle wicks as she entered the bathroom; and goodness did she wish that her camera worked. How beautiful, how ancient it was. A type of architecture and beauty lost to time.
The bath itself was a sunken tub and installed into the textured stone flooring; draped chiffon and gossamer fabrics in gold were above it. Tall windows behind the tub let late afternoon sun through. A few vines poked through the walls and crawled up and inside them.
Ellana finished admiring the architecture of the bathroom and went to tub, which immediately began to fill itself similar to the sconces and the candles. The steam from the water that filled it cloyingly smelled of crystal grace.
She folded the clothing she brought with her to the side and finished preparing to enter the bath. When ready, Ellana carefully took the steps into the tub and immediately felt the welcoming sensation of the perfectly warm water. The immediate stings coming from her left leg and her back upon entering the water made sure to tell her she was in fact injured.
Though, it did not escape her mind that this was quite the vulnerable situation and that she had everything exposed, but Ellana would never squander the opportunity for a good bath in a beautiful bathroom.
That, and she really needed one. What did she even have on her? Various spider fluids, dirt, sweat, and her own blood. What a nasty concoction that was.
Then, as though the room knew, unknown soaps and lotions appeared to her right. This was something else that felt familiar to her, but she couldn't be stuffed to focus on it.
Through her lethargy, she bathed herself and attempted not to pass out in the tub. Out of all the scenarios that crossed her mind that day, surely drowning in a tub from lack of sleep would be at the top.
When she finished her bath, she stood only to realize she had no towel. That concern left as soon as it came, as the water drained from the tub and after the faintest tickling sensation, her body was dry.
Normally, she'd want to question the logistics of everything, but her mind was too fried to do so. Perhaps this was all her brain creating some scenario of her being saved from the Crossroads with her final breaths.
Ellana grabbed the clothing and tried to clothe herself with the help of the room's vanity mirror. This clothing was so tedious! Why were there so many knots to be tied? There was no bra from what she saw in the wardrobe, so she took what looked like a scarf to wrap around her chest. The pants were easy enough, they just slipped on and tied at the hip. The shirt though, that was the issue. Was it a robe, a blouse? Ellana settled on some sort of wrap-around blouse.
Tuck, untuck. No, that wasn't right. A bit more tucking and folding, and finally it managed to stay in place and cover her abdomen.
Oh, for the love of Elgar'nan, she looked ridiculous. And this clothing was far too transparent for her liking. Sure, nothing could technically be seen underneath it, but her silhouette was still visible. Also, why was everything either gold, silver or green?
She exited the bathroom and walked over to the bed, but before she let herself succumb to sleep, Ellana opened her pack and dug out the last of her rations. Not that Ellana had packed much before venturing out, as they were supposed to be back at the hotel by now. She'd already given that nug a piece of jerky, so she only had about three pieces left. Ellana chewed them and swallowed in haste with the last remaining bit of water she had.
With the last of her strength and will, she shook the comforter and pillows before burying herself underneath the softest blanket she'd ever felt. Ellana resigned to the fact that if any bugs were in the bed with her, they were going to share this bed together. Clutching her pocketknife tightly, she let herself sleep.
But no matter how tired she felt, Ellana slept with an awareness around her and didn't let herself sleep too long.
About three hours later, she roused herself from a sleepy haze and sat up in the bed. Moonlight drifted through latticed, stained glass windows and colored the room in a myriad of jeweled colors. Ellana rushed off the bed and to the windows. From what she could see from them, it appeared that she was on the first floor. Which means that the eluvian was on a higher one and the Elvhen simply brought her to the ground floor.
Perfect, that meant she could try climbing or jumping out of the windows. Jumping would be the more likely option as Ellana didn't see anything that she could climb down with. The jump was high enough to certainly hurt, but if she bent her knees and rolled at impact, her odds were better.
Not that she really had experience with this. The most she had was learning to roll on the ground with Cassandra yelling at her.
Oh, to have Cassandra help her in this situation, that would be a dream come true.
"Not thinking of jumping from there, are you?" a man's voice asked jokingly behind her.
Ellana's heart rose to her throat in fear as she spun around while unlocked the knife she still held.
"Why are you here?"
Someone sneaking in her room did not bode a good outcome. Was it time for her to be carried off to the Elvhen's version of the gallows?
"Answer me," she ordered when he didn't reply, and her grip on the knife tightened. With the distance between them, there was no way she could open the casement windows and jump before he reached her. No, she'd have incapacitate him enough so she'd have enough time to escape. And that would be without her bag, which she really didn't want to leave behind.
He took a step forward, arms raised. "Calm, I mean peace. Truly."
"Then be quick to explain."
The man's violet eyes met with hers. "My name is Felassan. I am one of the Elvhen, but I do not share their sentiments."
"You speak Common, same as Abelas."
Felassan suppressed a rolling of his eyes. "Yes, that is obvious. Are you not going to ask why I do not share their beliefs?"
"Go ahead." Ellana sighed in irritation.
"I'm sure you've wondered where you are and why you're still alive." He sat on an edge of the bed, but still gave enough space between them so Ellana did not feel more threatened than she already was.
"I have."
"You are in the Temple of Mythal, and us sentinels guard the vir'abelasan, the Well of Sorrows," Felassan paused and continued, "The Well…it contains the knowledge of the Elvhen through the memories of Mythal's servants."
Ellana's breath caught in her throat and her left hand brushed across the vallaslin tattooed on her face. The vallaslin she had done in respect to the Creator of her choosing.
"My–Mythal was real? The gods are real?" Her hand slid to her lips, and she had to look away from him. She focused on a meaningless object that she could see in that dark room. Her hold the knife faltered, and Ellana's arm dropped to her side.
"Yes, they are, but we do not have time for you to question your Dalish beliefs and whatnot. There is much at stake."
"There must be if you're willing to betray them."
Felassan explained, "We were tasked with protecting the Well of Sorrows, and we have been for longer than you could possibly imagine. But with day, each year, each millennium, us Elvhen grow weaker. Our magic has dwindled to nothing, especially because most of our focus is ensuring the temple is never discovered. This is why Abelas didn't order your death immediately."
Ellana shook her head. "Magic? But I am not a mage. People can't cast anymore."
He leaned in. "That is wrong. With the Veil as thick as it is, mages would no longer be born, that is correct. But if there are those with special circumstances, such as Elvhen, then magic can still be manipulated. It just takes far more effort for less yield." He let out an exasperated breath at the end.
"So, you practice blood magic to do this?"
Felassan's eyebrows rose in surprise, and he let out a quiet laugh. "Oh, da'len what a question. That would be negative, regular casting only. With the Veil the way it is, I doubt blood magic would be more effective."
But Solas had said–
Felassan stood from the bed. "Now, we'll need to leave. Do what you need but make haste."
Ellana dragged her shoes to the bed and sat to put them on. No clean socks, but it'd be fine for the situation.
"Wait," Ellana stopped midway of tying the first shoe, "why am I listening to you? I don't even know why I'm putting my shoes on in the first place!"
"You need to drink from the Well of Sorrows. Someone needs to, and you're the only one able, as the sentinels cannot. The knowledge, the history it contains cannot be erased. It needs to persevere in some way and Abelas cannot see that. He'd rather destroy the Well then see it despoiled, as he likes to put it," he crossed his arms and then uncrossed them, "your hand holds the strongest Elvhen magic this Temple has seen in so long. Abelas wants to use it to demolish the temple."
"How would he even do so, only I can control my hand."
"Da'len, we are old. Very old. That magic is foreign to you, but not to us. Now, hurry! We are wasting time with all this chat."
Between drinking from the Well of Sorrows, and Elvhen somehow hacking her hand to bring the temple down and kill everyone within it, how was Ellana supposed to follow? Not to mention Mythal was real, that they all were real.
Abelas did feel suspicious to her when they met, especially with how quick he was to dismiss her to the room. He didn't even explain to Ellana where she was or anything concerning the Well. Yet, an Elvhen that broke into her room tonight told her everything without regard.
"You don't hide your emotions very well, do you? You've no choice but to trust me, I know. But it's either that or be a part of rubble soon enough."
Ellana finished lacing up the first boot and then proceeded to do the same to the next.
"A smart choice, though probably not the one I would have made. I don't particularly take kindly to people entering my room at night and telling me to do something," Felassan said as she finished up.
Ellana tied the second one, stood, and slipped on her backpack. While it proved useful to carry things in, it was certainly becoming tedious to take on and off.
Felassan faltered when she faced him. "I can see no one bothered to help with the clothing, did they? Is what you wear so different that dressing yourself proved to be a difficult task?"
"Let's go. You said you needed me, right? I'm still not entirely convinced and mocking me isn't helping your case," Ellana complained.
As they exited the room, Ellana saw Felassan pull something from his armor. She was ready to get defensive, but the object elongated to a glowing staff.
"Better to be prepared than caught off guard," he told her.
Unlike when was she guided there earlier, the sconces didn't light themselves.
Felassan broke the silence that settled between them, "Is it true? That your kind drinks blood?"
"Uh, yes. Hematophagy, but we just call it vampirism." Ellana tightened her grip on the pack's straps. "Why do you say your kind?"
"Forgive me, it's a terrible habit. You are related to the Elvhen, such as we are to you," he sighed, "for any of the Elvhen it is difficult to view you as versions of us, because, well, it is like seeing that only the worst of ourselves has lived on. And that's not even taking into account that gift from Ghilan'nain."
Ellana opened her mouth for a reply, but Felassan held out an arm to stop her from walking further. They'd been talking in low tones the entire time, but he then whispered even quieter, "Seems like my plan didn't fully realize as I'd liked it to. Stay here."
She watched as the glow of his staff faded as he went down the hallway, but he didn't give her enough time alone to become unsettled. When he returned, he said, "One of the sentinels thought it was their round to man this wing. I politely reminded them it wasn't. Let's keep going."
"Is your uthenera cycled?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Trying to get information from me about the sentinel's cycles, are you? To answer that, no. We all enter uthenera and only awaken when there's an intruder," he gestured to her, "or when it is time to check our eluvians, which was this morning. We'd all be back asleep already, but you thankfully interrupted. Abelas has been trying to find a way to destroy the Well for ages. Now, he can finally be stopped."
Neither had something to say for the remainder, so a comfortable quiet fell between them. They crossed through other halls and climbed staircases.
Throughout this adventure, and how it seemed that moments like these were now a common occurrence, Ellana noticed how the temple transformed at night. Those yellow and golden tiled walls that depicted the pantheon made them so…disapproving. Hateful and cold, even. And to make it worse, their faces were highlighted by veilfire. Certainly, the murals spanning from the ceiling to the floor did not aid in making the pantheon overbearing and peering down on all that passed. Not at all.
The tiled portraits eventually came to a stop, and they were entering a courtyard within the temple. Over tumbled walls and statues, vines and roots crawled over them all. This place may have been forgotten by the people, but nature did not and was eager to reclaim it.
"This is where the Well is," Felassan said.
Even though it was dark, Ellana didn't see a well. Or anything with water. Maybe it was time to cut her losses and take off running? Putting her faith in a random Elvhen was a terrible idea, but he did bring her outside, which gave her more leverage.
"Uh–where is it…?"
"Were you not taught to never fully trust your senses, young one?" Felassan waved his staff and a stone staircase appeared.
"Wow," she uttered underneath her breath. It turned out that Felassan wasn't lying to her this entire time. When he'd entered her room and told of the Well of Sorrows, Ellana did not believe a word he said. What she needed was a way out of the temple, and she saw that this was the opportunity to get out. There was no way she could even stand a chance against a fight with Felassan, let alone multiple sentinels, in an enclosed room. Outside, she did have a chance – not in fighting, no, but she would have space to run. Hopefully mages would have a difficult time hitting a moving target.
There was one thing Ellana knew for a fact – she would not go down easy. Even if in the end she perished here among the ancestors to her people, going easily would be an insult to her friends and family.
Although there really wasn't much she could do if they just zapped her with some lightning.
"Are you afraid? I will not harm you."
She'd remained in her spot while he had begun going up.
Follow him or run for it? Follow or run?
Ellana sighed as she started up the stone steps.
"Stop," a familiar voice imposed from behind them when they reached the top.
Felassan gritted his teeth and turned to it. "Abelas. I should have known that trick of mine would not have held you for long."
"The Well will be destroyed. If it needs to be now, so be it. I'm disappointed in you, Felassan." Abelas waved his staff in Ellana's direction.
Inexplicable pain shot through Ellana, and she fell to her knees. And against her will, magic from the anchor seeped away from her and into the ground beneath her.
No!
Abelas' presence and actions were enough to convince Ellana that she needed to do what Felassan said. Though her whole body felt leaden, she crawled herself to the Well. Her left hand dragged and scrapped against the stone.
Pops and whirs filled the air behind her, but Ellana only focused on getting to the Well. She dragged herself to it, the nails of her right hand chipped and split while the fabric covering her knees ripped and exposed skin.
Her body felt so, so heavy.
Only a bit further.
Once her hand hit cool water, the Well pulled her in. She sank in and water rushed in her mouth and nose. Was she drowning now? But the sensation was odd, and there wasn't any pain. And her chest still moved as if breathing were possible.
Whispers in an ancient language filled the atmosphere and confused her senses. Images, no, memories flashed through her mind with bursts of intense emotion interlaced.
A final image was shown to her – a man's mangled body upon a lab table. For the short time the image appeared, she saw greyed fingertips with several iron fetters along both forearms. What those fetters were containing, she didn't know. Ellana would have assumed those were bangles of some kind if not for feeling forced into her by the Well that those were bands that restrained.
Before she could escape the grasp of the Well of Sorrows, searing heat carved itself into her face in an act of branding.
And as though she were breathing for the first time, Ellana gasped, and her lungs reached for air.
When trying to stand, her legs wobbled but stayed upright.
"Go through the eluvian!" Felassan yelled.
Ellana was still trying to catch her breath but lifted her head to see what was going on. Felassan had casted a barrier around the Well, her, and him with his staff. Several more sentinels had woken up and had their staffs and readied bows pointed at them.
"Come with me!" Ellana cried. "You'll be safe, and I know people that can help!"
"I was only able to create this barrier because of lyrium. Go, I don't think I can hold it for much longer. They will not be able to follow you through it."
There was no way that Ellana was going to leave Felassan here to die. If she did, there was no way she'd be able to live with the guilt if she didn't at least try to help him.
She ran across the now dry well and tugged on an arm of his. "Please try. If we run, we may be able to make it through the eluvian in time."
"You are very persistent, aren't you?" he said with a hint of mirth through gritted teeth, "but if I do not make it, you are to keep going, understood?"
"I'll agree, but long as you make a good attempt at it," she then faced Abelas and spoke loud enough for him to hear, "all of you can have a life away from the Temple of Mythal."
Abelas scoffed. "We would never associate ourselves with abominations such as yourselves. It is a shame that Felassan fails to see you for what you are, and he has ruined us for it."
Felassan interrupted in a hushed tone, "I hope you're done chatting as I can't hold this much longer."
Ellana nodded, and Felassan brought down the barrier. Holding a hand of his, they ran to and through the eluvian.
"We made it," Ellana said as she took in the Crossroads once more. They were in a different section than where she initially entered originally, but everything felt far more familiar. "Felassan, we're not far, let's go," she pointed in the direction they were to go and faced him, "oh, Felassan…."
He was tightly holding his right arm against his body. "Nicked with an arrow on the way out. I'd hate to ruin that outfit of yours, but could you spare some cloth? I don't know your word for it…but I need to stem the flow of blood."
Without hesitation, Ellana untied the blouse, exposing her wrapped chest. Despite his weakened state, she saw him raise his eyebrows.
"Quit that. I didn't know what was used to cover my chest, so I wrapped it with some cloth."
"You misunderstand me, I'm actually quite surprised you managed to do that."
She ignored him and rummaged through her pack. Wait, what was she looking for? Oh, her knife! Which she dropped somewhere at the Temple of Mythal. This was nothing she couldn't handle, knife or not.
Ellana started ripping the blouse from the edge of one of the dangling straps. It took a few tugs, but the material eventually relented began ripping. The result was a widely uneven strip of cloth, but good enough for the situation.
"Hold out your arm," she ordered him.
He took in a sharp breath and lifted his right arm away from his body. Felassan then gripped and leaned against the staff for support. Ellana got close and examined; there was a deep, gushing gash above the elbow. She swallowed silently and took a step back.
Felassan frowned. "By the look on your face, I'll surely be needing that cloth."
"Right, of course," Ellana placed the cloth above the wound, "is this a good place?"
"It will have to be. Go ahead and tie it."
She made a silent prayer and did a tight knot. "That should hold till we get back. Will you able to keep up the pace?"
"Yes. Although I'll admit, my memory is lacking on the Crossroads." He waved the staff around them for emphasis.
"It's fine. I know where we're headed." Ellana tucked in the ripped blouse at her hip.
"You do?"
"Yes, which I'm sure that is thanks to the Well of Sorrows." She began in the direction she pointed in earlier. "Stop smiling and follow me."
"You continue to surprise me yet," he chuckled.
"You will get along with everyone so well back in Val Royeaux," she said while shaking her head. This portion of the Crossroads was in far better shape and was not in such an advanced rate of disarray.
"Oh, is that where we are going?"
"It is. Do you know of it?"
"Not much aside from what I've explored in the Fade."
"You will be in for the culture shock of your life, then."
"Culture shock?" he questioned.
"It's, ah…it's something that can happen when you're adapting to new surroundings." Was that a good explanation of it? It was the best one she managed to conjure.
"I'm sure nothing has changed that much," Felassan mused.
"Have you ever seen a skyscraper?"
"A what?"
Ellana laughed, "I'm so glad I'm taking you back with me."
Felassan sat on a boulder with a thud, and Ellana did the same next to him. They'd been traveling for a good amount of time by then, and he had argued for a break. Ellana wanted to argue that they only had a little left to go, but she relented.
If he needed a break, she was going to give him. She wanted to push him to keep going though, because she didn't know how fast an infection would set in.
"How's the arm?" She peered over to see it.
"I haven't passed out, so it appears to be doing its job." He focused his eyes on hers and said nothing.
"Why are you doing that?" Ellana tilted away slightly at the gesture.
"Does it not bother you?"
"Does what not bother me?" Her eyebrows knitted in apprehension and confusion.
"The smell of it, the blood from my arm."
Ellana blinked away turned her head away from him. "Oh. It hasn't been an issue at all. I can smell it strongly, yes…but no, I'm surprisingly fine?"
"You say that as a question."
"It's just," she fidgeted with some gravel underneath her right hand, "with everything that's happened I'm more concerned as to why I'm not feeling any need for it. Well, that must be a good thing considering it all."
"So, you really do drink blood?"
"Yes," she chuckled, "and you already asked me that."
He reclined his head and closed his eyes. "I apologize…it's just something hard to imagine."
"Why so?"
Ellana jolted when he suddenly stood and rapped a leg of hers with the wooden staff. "Come, didn't you want to leave this place? Lead."
She grunted and began down the trail. "Only a bit more, but there will be a bit of a problem."
"And that is?"
Ellana pointed once more. "That island-like area over there is where we need to get to. There will be floating steps we'll need to cross."
"That's all? I thought it would be an actual issue."
"And that's not an issue?"
"Just don't fall. Now, go. We shouldn't waste any more time."
After a silent traversal down the path they were on, they soon came to the floating steps.
"I'll go first," Felassan said as he swiftly went up them in short order.
Ellana complained to herself, "I guess he can't be that much in pain or hurting that badly if he ran like he just did."
"How long are you going to wait?" Felassan called down to her as he stood before an inactive eluvian.
She shot him a look and placed a boot tentatively on the first step. All she would have to do what shift her weight – and there! Ellana stood on the first one. Only the rest to go. Carefully.
Finally, she made it up to Felassan.
"Took you quite a while, didn't it?" he playfully teased.
Ellana bumped the bottom of the staff with a foot, causing him to wobble from the weight he placed on it. "Let's go," she replied with a small smile.
With confident steps, Ellana sauntered up to the cold eluvian. She felt no fear, no confusion. Nothing was calling or luring her to it. She had full control. "Felassan, before we enter it…promise me not to speak about the Well of Sorrows after we cross."
"You wish to keep such a thing hidden?"
"For now. I need figure out what's actually going on first, okay? You'll understand more when we arrive."
Ellana placed her left hand on its glass, allowing the magic to bleed within it, and whispered something she did not know that meaning of.
The mirror lit with a brilliant glow, and the two of them passed through it.
Before her eyes could adjust after exiting, a worried and high-pitched voice sounded, "Oh, Ellana, you made it back!"
Ellana rubbed her eyes. "Merrill, what are you doing here?" When she stopped rubbing them, she realized Merrill wasn't the only person in the small hidden room. Beside the worried elf was an eager physician already prodding at various parts of Ellana's body.
"Focus on him, not me," Ellana placed her hands on Felassan's back and pushed him forward, "Merrill, make sure he gets proper medical attention, food, and rest. Do not overwhelm him with questions or do an interrogation. That can all be done later. I'm now going to my room, please have food sent to it. I am not to be disturbed, thank you."
"Yes, absolutely!"
Ellana felt her heart soften as she looked at the apprehensive elf, and she went over and hugged Merrill. "I'm sorry I'm dirty, but I am so happy to see you, Merrill. Thank you for helping right now, really."
Merrill gave Ellana a squeeze with her arms when she hugged back. "Everyone is going to elated to know you've made it back. Good luck getting to your room without being stopped, though." She let out a light giggle as they ended the hug.
Ellana lowered her voice so that only Merrill could hear, "And please keep Solas and Felassan separated for now. Don't let them interact. Please, this is important."
"I'll try my hardest."
"Thanks again, Merrill."
"Stop tugging at my armor!" Ellana heard as Felassan chastised the doctor.
It was great the Merrill was here; it was obvious what Felassan was, an Elvhen, and Merrill would follow everything Ellana told her. He was in good hands, and while Ellana recouped, she trusted that all would be fine.
Ellana walked into the lab proper and passed a shocked Morrigan. Before the woman could inundate Ellana with questions and force her to explain everything, Ellana excused herself and went on.
People rushed Ellana and gaped in audible surprise that she was walking through the building. As she passed, she heard whispers that no one believed she'd ever come back, that this was a blessing from Andraste, and that apparently Leliana and Josephine did such a great job, many didn't believe she was actually missing.
Ellana never thought she'd find this overly decadent architecture comforting and welcoming, but here she was finding it exactly that.
When the wooden door to her room was in sight, she excitedly saw trays filled with covered plates of food awaiting her. She could relax for now.