"I'm sorry…" Leliana's soft genuine tone of sorrow perks my ears as I approach Leliana and my heart clenches when seeing Cullen look so saddened.
"So am I…" Cullen turns his back his voice filled with emptiness as he releases a breathe of sadness, turning his back to Leliana, his facial features saddened as he gently brushes past me, my heart clenching pained at the sight of the saddened Cullen. "The names of those we lost. You must blame me for this…" Leliana turns her back to me leaning over the table in shame. It wasn't her fault, she couldn't have expected and predicted Corypheus, she couldn't save everyone…
"You can't save everyone…" Fens' voice rings in my ears at her sad but truthful words. She sounded so bitter, so honest, so cold…how many people has Fen failed to save?
"We all fought those who attacked us we know exactly who we are up against now," I reassure her only to see her sunken expression, showing true sorrow.
"I keep wondering if there's something I could have done. When the first of my lookouts went missing, I pulled the rest back, waiting for more information if they stayed in the field they could have saved us more time…I was afraid to lose my agents and instead we lose Haven," Leliana explains mournfully looking out at the window.
"You care for your agents, that's a good thing it shows you are both strong and caring, a great leader and role model for those to follow," I explain as she turns looking at least hopeful from the gleam in her eyes.
"Is it? My people know their duty, they know the risks, they understand the inquisitions may call upon them to give their lives," Leliana snaps.
"They are still people with their own feelings, own families own lives, yes they are willing to give their lives but that does make them pawns, they are still human beings like the rest of us," I argue seeing the hint of coldness try to crawl back.
"Can we afford such sentimentality? What if Corypheus…?" Leliana trials off her hardened blues meeting my stern greens.
"We are better than Corypheus now come on, we got a meeting with the others," I sigh as we both head down to the main hallway of Skyhold, finding it still in rags and looking messy, still in need of some good old fashion spring cleaning…
Fen pov:
Hesitatingly, Varric and I stare up at the tall towering doors before us as we see the others discuss their next move, me groaning knowing the assault that is to come while Varric smiles forcefully, hoping to use his wistful charisma to snake us out of the chaos that is Cassandra's wrath.
"So we're really doing this," I sigh sadly as we stare at the impending doom that is our soon to be demise.
"We have no choice," Varric reminds me.
"Cassandras going to kill us," I retell him irritated.
"Yep," Varric replies.
"We're going to die," I state.
"Yep…"Varric repeats as I raise a brow smirking at the quick joke to come.
"You're gay," I smirk.
"Ye-hey! Not funny," Varric scowls as I snicker.
"What I just meant you're happy," I smirk at his frown only to sigh and release a dry chuckle as we enter the dusty room, in disarray as the others speak of their next move.
"So what do we do? We know nothing of this Corypheus or why he wanted your mark," Josephine sighs.
"Corypheus want to restore Tevinter, is he an ally of theirs?" Eve enquires turning around to face the group, raising a brow when seeing our lingering figures.
"I get the feeling we're dealing with extremists…"
"That's the understatement of the year," I mutter lowly only Varric hears who gives me a smirk.
"Tevinter is not the imperium of a thousand years ago. What Corypheus yearns to restore no longer exists though they would shed no tears if the south were in chaos thanks to us, I'm certain," Josephine reports.
No longer, my ass, you have no idea the bullshit that goes on in that abomination filled hellhole…
"Can he really become a god? He wants to enter the black city," Eve questions concern in her tone.
"He is willing to tear this world apart to reach the next. It won't matter if he's wrong," Leliana exclaims.
"What if he's not wrong? If he finds some other way into the fade," Cullen brings up.
"Any against the power he seeks will only release catastrophes on us all," Leliana replies.
"What of his dragon? Was it a arch demon? What would that mean?" Eve asks.
"It would mean the beginning of another blight," Leliana says.
"We've seen no other darkspawn then Corypheus himself, perhaps it's not another arch demon at all but something different," Josephine offers.
"Whatever it is, it's dangerous, commanding such a creature provides Corypheus an advantage we cannot afford," Cullen sighs.
"We need more information before we can provide a proper counter attack against Corypheus. Can he attack us here? We can't afford another haven incident," Eve reasons.
"Skyhold has the bones to withstand Corypheus after what you did with one trebuchet I would bet against a direct attack," Cullen reasons.
"We do have one advantage we know what Corypheus intends to do next. In that strange future you experienced empress Celene had been assassinated. Imagine the chaos that death would cause," Leliana brings up.
"With his army…" Josephine trials off.
"An army he'll bolster with his massive force of demons along with his gruesome weapon or so the future tells us," Cullen reminds us briefly, I flinch at the memory Eve informed me of, my current state of that time, being bought, tortured, experimented on into some soulless killing machine Christ…I feel a sliver of fear, anxiety and rage hit me only to feel Varric attempt at comforting me with a soft hand to my wrist, making him sigh, shaking my head, trying to ease and relax my tense muscles.
"Corypheus could conquer the entire south face of Thedas, god or no god," Josephine exclaims.
"I'd feel better if we knew what we were dealing with," Leliana sighs sadly.
"And that's where we come in I suppose," I announce ourselves as all eyes turn to Varric and I, shuffling around awkwardly, preparing for a mouthful of angered curse words and slurs for this tad bit we hid.
"We know someone who could help with that. With everyone acting all inspirational, jogged up our memories. So…I sent a message to an old friend, she's crossed paths with Corypheus before, she may know what he is doing, she can help," Varric offers.
"Just as long as you guys don't make her do anything too stupid," I add arms crossed.
"Who is it?" Curious Eve questions making me smirk.
"You may have heard of her work," I smirk playfully.
"Parading around may cause a fuss. It's better if you meet privately up at the battlements," Varric reasons.
"Trust me it's complicated, together," Varric and I turn our back, seeing Leliana raise a brow at me with Josephine, glancing at one another as I release a shaky laugh and leave.
"If I know one thing if Varric and Fen have brought who I think they have. Cassandras going to kill them both," Leliana comments dryly as I release an uneasy laugh.
"We know," Uneasily, we chuckle leaving the group alone.
*What do you think Solas thinks of Fen's past with Kirkwall?*