"So…let me get this straight you want me to track down a bear…" Frowning, I scowl at the sheepish Eve as we make our way to the boat after talking to some guy about a bear to the west. When Eve told me about this Storvacker, I thought he was some savage or at least human but nope, it's a…
"Not a bear, Storvacker." Kindly, Eve corrects me making my eye twitch.
"I…you know what? Okay, fine, what…whatever. But if that bear tries to kill us don't blame me if you bring back some a new coat." Defeated, I put my hands up in surrender.
"Weird." Confused, I perk up at Sera stilling her movements.
"Sera? What are you feeling?" Gently, Solas questions Sera who crosses her arms.
"Ugh, here we go. It's nothing, it just feels like I've seen this. Exactly this. It happens." Easily, Sera dismisses.
"Not to everyone." Calmly, Solas assures her.
"It's not an elf thing. Fen's not shaking." Sera gestures to me making me frown at the two confused.
"What colour is the sky, Sera?" Solas probs.
"Hang on." Sera furrows her brow.
"It is an earnest question. What colour is the sky when you look at it?" Solas enquires.
"You know, blue mostly. Except for the Breachy bits." Honestly, Sera shrugs.
"And when you looked past the Breach? As perhaps you were drawn to do?" Solas prompts.
"Greenish? Then clear a long ways, and kind of... felt like falling. Ugh! Makes my head hurt. You make my head hurt." Struggling, Sera describes.
"We are not so far apart, you and I." Hopeful, Solas smiles puzzling us both.
"We will be." Sera scoots over to me as I shrug, adjusting the string holding my bow to my shoulder.
"You know, we met the Arishok. Fen punched him in the face." Varric smiles.
"Good times," Dryly, I remark.
"Oh, the old one? Man, he had an impressive rack. The new Arishok doesn't have horns at all. Usually means they're destined for something special." Iron Bull smirks.
"We met him too. The only thing they seem to have in common is a tendency to burn things." Varric smirks.
"That pretty much sums up the antaam, yes." Iron Bull confirms.
"I got to hand it to you Fen…" Smirking, Bull begins confusing me.
"What's that?" Lost, I raise a brow at him.
"Your loyalty I mean how do you do it?" Impressed, Bull questions me perplexing me.
"Do what?" I furrow my brow.
"You must have been offered tons of money, connections, tools and all you had to do was squeal about Isabella or any of your friends why didn't you?" Bull offers.
"Because as much as I hate to say it their family besides that's not always true." Slyly, I remark, my brow furrowed at the thought of Merill, my brother, Hawke, everyone.
"Wait you ratted them out once?" Surprised, Ball blinks.
"Yeah and they bought tons of lies," Proudly, I smirk at the memory of tricking those idiots, secrets for secrets, more like secrets for lies if anything.
"But you were never caught?" Bull exclaims.
"They never saw me again." Smugly, I smirk at the memory of me often going from one place to another, settling down only really makes me even more anxious my leg goes like a Nug moving up and down.
"Aww I didn't know you were so protective over us Fox!" Cheekily, Varric teases me.
"As much as I hate to say it, we're a family, we're all we got." Bluntly, I state the fact.
"Aww you do care!" Teasingly, Varric continues making me groan.
"Urgh thanks Bull he's going to wave this over my head for years now…" Irritated, I groan reeling my head back pained at the migraine to follow.
"Sera, how are you not dead?" Bluntly, Cass questions Sera as we approach the dock, Eve wandering off to report about gaining the approval to use the boat.
"What are you on about?" Lost, Sera scowls at her.
"I was trained from childhood by the greatest swordsmen of the age. You were apparently orphaned to the street with your wits and a quiver. Neither full." Cassandra reasons.
"Pfft, you come from nobles all right. Get over yourself. I'm not even near the bottom of what real people live through. Have you seen the shit Fen's been through?" Sera points out making me furrow my brow, not appreciating being a cast study for them.
"So, Fen…" Bull begins making me glance at him.
"Yeah Bull…" I turn to him adjusting my bow string.
"So, you know you were in the fog warriors." Casually, Bull starts.
"Yes, I think I would know if I spent several months there Bull." Drily, I remark earning a small chuckle from Varric.
"Well yeah I just…does that mean you wore their uniform?" Slyly, Bull questions making me groan, feeling a rush of red at the ass.
"Bull I swear…" Irritated, I begin making him laugh.
"Uniform?" Confused, Dorian glances at me.
"Fog warriors don't wear much." Shyly, I begin scratching the back of my neck.
"And by much you mean nothing at all!" Boisterously, Bull proclaims making me groan, facepalming.
"Some of them are stark naked!?" Cackling, Sera laughs gawking at the info.
"It is how they feel most comfortable!" Tiredly, I defend.
"So were you?" Eagerly, Bull wiggles his brow making Cassandra groan.
"No! I mean…" Frustrated, I groan bowing my head shaking it, not sure what to say.
"What did you do about the lyrium markings?" Curious, Dorian wonders.
"They put this substance over my marks, it stung but it made me fit into the fog, then again after rising up in the ranks they wanted me to show my marks." Calmly, I explain remembering the memory it stung at first but I got used to it.
"How come?" Confused, Sera wonders.
"As a mark of rebellion," Casually, I shrug, getting on the boat as Eve comes out nodding her head at me as I get the boat ready as the others join in, unaware of their looks of awe and shock, from my rather intense response.
"Well let's get on this boat, shall we?" Smiling, Eve tells me as I nod following after her as we all head on the boat and take off…
"Any news?" Hopeful, Eve asks me after listening to Bull's description of the scene as we approach while I kneel down, analysing the tracks, my brow furrowed at the scene before us.
"I've got good news and bad news what do you want first?" Calmly, I stand up turning to face Eve.
"The good news…" Brightly, she smiles at me as I frown at her, of course she's the type to ask the good news before the bad.
"Right then, so the bear is here the tracks are fresh so it's most likely in good health." Optimistically, I offer.
"And the bad news?" Nervously, Eve squeaks out.
"Hakkon has it and form the fight is probably injured." Bluntly, I state the fact, I'd be surprised if it's still alive then again, the Hakkon may be using the bear to get back at the tribe.
"How do you know?" Curious, Eve enquires.
"I assume anyway from the fight that occurred and the human tracks alongside the bear tracks, seems a fight happened from the disarray." I nod gesturing to Bull who nods his head agreeing with me.
"I have to admit Fen I am impressed by your tracking skills who taught you them?" Curious, Cassandra questions me.
"The fog warriors, they taught me how to hunt, fish, even Qunlat." I answer.
"They knew Qunlat?" Surprised, Bull blinks.
"Most of them were Tal Vashoth," I shrug not sure what to say as Bull grimaces at the title.
"We should save the bear first, they are very concerned for it…" Worried, Eve voices out.
"I thought it wasn't a bear I thought it was a Storvacker." Smugly, I remark.
"Okay very funny…" Eve rolls her eyes at me as I release a small snicker of victory.
"You know Bull, Fen and I met a Ben-Hasserth once. Fen and I went on a caper with one named Tallis." Varric smirks.
"Urgh don't remind me of her." Annoyed, I grimace at the thought of the nagging redhead who was hungry for Hawke, dealing with my nagging jealous brother isn't the greatest.
"You don't say." Bull raises a brow intrigued.
"You can have her if you want, she is a redhead though I doubt Dorian would be happy to share," Snarky, I point out as he sends me a playful glare.
"He can do whatever he likes…" Dorian huffs crossing his arms.
"Well…" Bull begins.
"Bull don't do it! I've been in this trap before!" Urgently, I call out to my friend surprising him by the urgency of my tone.
"What do you mean?" Lost Bull furrows his brow.
"This is a mind game trust me, Solas has done the same to me they say it's okay when in fact it isn't." Calmly, I warn him.
"Why do they say it's okay then?" Perplexed, Bull questions me.
"I don't know! But if there's anything I have learned about dating a mage, they can never be blunt or tell you how it is, they always have to make things more complicated then it has to be. They like speaking in riddles as well or like to sound smarter than they are by using big words. Then again most mages are snobs." Feverously, I explain to Bull nodding his head almost taking notes from my warnings.
"Speaking from somewhere are we?" Scowling, Solas remarks.
"See, see what I mean! What does that even mean!?" Frustrated, I gesture to the frowning Solas as Sera giggles while Dorian exhales tiredly alongside Solas and Cassandra groans.
"Anyway, she caused us no end of trouble." Varric cuts in.
"I did warn you about her, I mean I did say Tallis meant to solve in Qunlat but no one believed me." Annoyed, I huff.
"You wouldn't know her, by any chance?" Smoothly, Varric asks him, knowing the argument I had concerning Tallis often lead into circles.
"Hey, one time I ran across this dwarf on the road. Short, grouchy... You think you might know him?" Bull retorts.
"I'm in the Merchant's Guild. Ten royals say I not only know him - he owes me money." Confidently, Varric promises.
"Oh. Well. No, I don't know Tallis. Sorry." Bull confirms.
"Okay we're here but before we go in. Eve." Sternly, I approach Eve blinking baffled by me stopping her as we stand before their fortress armed and ready.
"Yes…" Confused, Eve furrows her brow at me.
"Let me just clarify this for you, ALL bears are hostile." Firmly, I tell her.
"I know that." Annoyed, Eve crosses her arms pouting almost making me roll my eyes.
"Do you now? That isn't what I saw last time when we hunted down those white bears…" Snidely, I remark as I glance at Cassandra grimacing at the memory.
"They were adorable…" Whining, Eve huffs childishly making my eye twitch.
"They were trying to kill us!" Irritated, I remind her.
"I still feel bad for Monty and Bernard…" Pouting, Eve glances at the floor as I exhale shakily.
"And she named them. Maker Eve you are going to be the death of me…" Tiredly, I pinch the bridge of my nose as we all roar and head inside ready to deal with the Hakkon and save some stupid bear.
"Storvacker! Look Fen he isn't hurting me!" Perkily, Eve grins leaping over to the bear, wrapping her arms around the bear as I stare alongside the others dumbfounded by it's rather stoic calm demeanour impressed and relived to find it not tearing the flesh off of Eve.
"That's because he isn't wild Eve." Tiredly, I regain my composure as I watch Eve go gaga for the bear, feeling my eye twitch once more at the girl, seeing brief images of Merill as she clings to the bear that could tear her limb from limb.
"Wait does that mean…if we're careful I can take a bear and socialise it into a pet! I mean we have those fancy horses…" Hopeful, Eve asks.
"Eve dear there is so much wrong with that sentence I don't even know where to begin." Exasperated, I try to hint at her to drop it.
"But I want one…" She whines as I scowl at the spoiled brat, her nobility side kicking in.
"And I don't care you are not having a bear!" Firmly, I state the fact as we head back to the Avva tribe leader to return the bear.
"Everyone remember not to look down…" Sternly, Dorian calls out to us as Dorian, me, Varric, Eve, Cass and Solas continue on our journey, climbing upon rather high root like mountains of sorts all over.
"I…may have already looked." Nervously, Eve squeals out shyly looking down as she releases a small noise. Urgently, I grab her hand steadying her.
"Just try not to think about it or falling. Falling would be worse." Dorian advises her.
"Now you're making us all think about it." Grumpily, I point out.
"You're not helping here. I'm not going to be the one who has to explain to Cullen that I let you fall to your death from a tree." Dorian points out making me roll my eyes only then to furrow them as I note his eyes lingering on me.
"Hey why are you looking at me?" Perplexed, I raise a brow at him.
"Well?" Dorian prompts perplexing me.
"Heck no, I already have to deal with his lyrium I am not dealing with a crying curly, Cassandra can deal with it she loves dealing with crying children you should see what she does…" Cheekily, I point.
"I do nothing to children, my men however I tell them to man up." Frowning, Casandra answers.
"Exactly!" I smirk only then to furrow my brow at the horde of Avvar warriors.
"Even in the middle of nowhere we find fanatics lucky us!" Smirking, Dorian greets the camouflaged people.
"All we need now is some blood magic and wine," Jokingly, I play along.
"Question is which one?" Playfully, Dorian questions.
"Depends on how quick you kill them I suppose." Slyly, I remark as we both chuckle and easily take care of them.
"Fennic?" Frowning, I turn to Cassandra, placing my bow back around my shoulders as I turn to her.
"What is it Cassandra?" I question her as I pry the arrowheads from their dead corpses.
"Your swordplay is very good why do you not use a sword like your brother?" Curious, Cassandra questions me making me hum having not considered taking up the blade, for quite some time if you don't count daggers that is.
"Oh that. Well…I'm trained in mostly every art of fighting except well magic." Sheepishly, I begin not sure what to say.
"You are?" Surprised, Cassandra raises a brow.
"Yes my master Denarius often made sure I trained in all fighting styles, even barehanded." Calmly, I answer having always been prepared for a Qunari mage or any sort of attack.
"Even Qunari?" Bull wonders.
"Particularly Qunari so I could come up with methods to counter their battle tactics. But the reason I don't I suppose would be I never really had to use a two-handed sword, I've always had my daggers and bow. My brother often was the tank I suppose you could say I never had to do that." Casually, I explain to the group surprised well all but Dorian no doubt having suspected it.
"I see…" Cass whispers as we then draw close to a broken old abandoned hut finding a familiar eerie green orb of sorts, a barrier surrounding it.
"Vhenan…I'm dreaming…" Weakly, the distorted voice whispers out.
"Vhenan? Fennic isn't that what Solas calls you." Confused, Eve points out making me grimace at the title.
"Yes it was what he referred to me as which he should stop doing but hasn't yet…" Snidely, I remark scowling briefly at Solas who glances to the side at the slip of tongue.
"What does it mean?" Fascinated, Eve wonders.
"Why not ask him?" Snippily, I remark crossing my arms unamused by the rude question.
"Solas?" Eve turns to him.
"It means my heart, I'm…sure you gather what it refers to." Pained, Solas answers.
"I do that's so romantic!" Amazed, Eve gasps in awe only to falter from our furrowed brow and tense air surrounding us both.
"It really isn't." Curtly, I answer.
"What do you mean?" Lost, Eve quirks her head to the side.
"What would I wish to be referred to as a piece of pulsating meat? An object at that…" Venomously, I point out making him grimace.
"O-Oh I didn't think of it like that." Startled, Eve blinks taken aback.
"Look we're not going to leave that rift, there right?" Varric glances at us as we all nod, watching as Eve steps forward, hand outstretched.
"This blood….my blood? No I ain't…Telana slept…I slept. To find him in dreaming…but I…the blood…I'm…she's…gone. Telana wanted to reach Ameridan again, one more time but she couldn't. I couldn't. I died. I tried to stay but only pieces came through. You opened the sky for the rest of me." Easily, Eve disperses the barrier.
"Could use your fade knowledge here Solas?" I hint.
"Pain drew the wraiths but this spirit touched the mind for someone who cared for Inquisitor Ameridan." Solas gathers.
"Do you know where Ameridan is?" Gently, Eve questions the spirit.
"Ameridan. Yes. Inquisitor. Beloved. I…she…came with Ameridan to hunt the dragon." The voice answers.
"The dragon?" Hopeful, Bull beams making me scowl.
"Don't even think about it Bull." Sternly, I cut him off.
"Oh come on!" Annoyed Bull huffs, pouting like some child.
"Huge…power like none had seen. It came from the mountains with the Avvar. Towns fell, all dead. One last favour for emperor Drakon. Slay the Avvar-Dragon, save Orlais." The voice whispers.
"Wait he was on a mission from the emperor? Why was this covered up?" Lost, Eve demands from the spirit.
"Yes. A secret. Drawn by the dragon. Telana…I didn't want to but where Ameridan goes, I go…" The voice exclaims.
"You must have loved him very much." Tenderly, Eve says pain in her tone.
"I did… I still do. I'm waiting even now. They fought at the shore. Spirits and magic, cold, so cold. How I found her, how she found us. They rested here then up the river. Metal spires. A way to stop the dragon. Then Telana returned here alone to wait for him. Forever waiting. Dreaming…then dead." Solemnly, the voice explains to us as I grimace glancing to the side unaware of a pair of pained amethyst glancing at me.
"We'll find Ameridan. You don't have to wait here anymore." Earnestly, Eve promises the spirit.
"You have done all she could have asked of you. Be free…" Softly, Solas assures the spirit.
"Thank you it was hard. I…she…went a long time ago. I stayed because she asked. Her things are there. She wanted them found…" The voice exclaims to us as it disperses, the green glow fading as we leave heading back to camp to report in our discovery, well for Eve to do that.
"The inquisition soldier Brandon…" Pained, Eve whispers looking at the bloodied battlefield.
"Harding will inform the family of the death if not the details." Stoically, Cassandra says.
"These were Hakka knights?" Surprised, Eve frowns.
"Something doesn't feel right…" Dorian mutters as I kneel down looking at the body.
"And that's an inquisition dagger. Harding did say that scout may try something stupid." Frowning, Varric whispers as I show him the bloodied blade.
"Although it looks messy, he's lucky it was swift." Delicately, I offer.
"You can tell?" Surprised, Eve asks me.
"Yes, although the blood makes it look messy, the dagger impaled hit his heart, at least he didn't bleed out, it was a…quicker death, a mercy death almost. So, he didn't suffer tell Harding to tell his parents that at least, it will give them some form of comfort." Gently, I whisper as we continue the search for this scout, that Harding had mentioned went missing.
"Fen if I can ask…" Cassandra begins.
"Go ahead." I shrug. It hasn't stopped her before.
"How do you know so much on bodies, one look and you just seem to know." Amazed, Cassandra points out.
"Experience besides I think it's pretty clear when seeing a blade impaled into their chest." Bluntly, I deadpan.
"I know I just…" Cassandra begins.
"I know what you mean and like I said the fog warriors taught me a lot. For example, torturing techniques." I exclaim.
"Torture techniques?" Unnerved, Cassandra furrows her brow.
"Yes, I can pinpoint the best place to stab someone if they want to die or if I were to interrogate a Tevinter magister and was fearful of spilling their blood for them to use. I could use certain pressure points to either kill them or make them think they were on the verge of death until well…they spilled I suppose." Calmly, I explain to her.
"That's…" Horrified, Cassandra whispers.
"I was also taught how to give someone a mercy death when I was a child." I inform her.
"Wait you remember…?" Dorian raises a brow surprised.
"Bits and pieces. I recall often if an elf had disobeyed, they would be beaten and sometimes left to bleed out or just…it wasn't pretty sight so I was taught alongside a few others on how to end someone's suffering." Smirking, I explain to him.
"I never knew being a slave could be so grim…" Softly, Cassandra whispers pained.
"If you can't perform your job you don't deserve to live that was the code back home." Bluntly, I deadpan at the memory as we continue on our search.
"So, you were Ben-Hassrath, eh? The spies of the Qunari." Varric smirks.
"Oh, you've heard of us?" Iron Bull raises a brow.
"We spent some time in Kirkwall." Varric glances at me as I nod.
"That must have been fun." Iron Bull exclaims.
"You could say that." Varric hints.
"How does it smell sad?" Scowling, Sera furrows her brow as her nose twitches at the air as we pass by the house, Telana was occupying.
"The spirits gathered here were drawn to tragedy they radiated as fire does heat." Sombrely, Solas reveals to Sera.
"Make them stop it's my head demons you're not invited!" Angrily, Sera screams at herself.
"Sera it's alright…" Gently, I whisper to her trying to calm her down noting her anxious features. I softly place my hands on her shoulders as she breathes in deeply lowly, frantically only to falter calming down when seeing my stern features.
"You're getting it to, aren't you?" Panicked, she questions me as I silently nod understanding her pain, the smells flowing through my nostrils, bringing back memories I rather lay to rest then rediscover.
"What are you smelling Fen?" Curious, Dorian asks me.
"Nothing" Quickly, I lie grimacing at the stench of iron a lot of it and some sweet dry stench, alcohol, Vint 9 Rowan's rose if I had to identify it, his favourite urgh, and now I'm smelling rust, great and…urgh I would rather not go on." Pained, I grimace when seeing flickers of images of me serving him, pouring the wine into his goblet only to find another one of me chained. The rusted sharp blades of the chains dig deep into my wrist, causing veins of ruby red to come pouring down as he mockingly swirls his goblet teasingly tauntingly me only then to toss it into my face, hearing the heavy ring of metal alongside freezing from the harsh splash of alcohol, soaking my frail scarred, bloodied and now stinging body from the open cut wounds sucking in the remnants of alcohol all over me.
"Then make them go away!" Tear eyed, Sera bows her head, her voice filled to the brim with pain as I hear her tone quiver.
"Sera I can't do that…" Tenderly, I whisper gently prying her fingertips from her blonde roots, not wishing to see ruby red hues in her nails.
"Urgh I hate it! I hate it!" Angrily, she yells pounding her head.
"Tugging at your hair won't help it Sera." Sternly, I repeat prying her hands noting them shaking as I manage to calm her down.
"Hey Fox…I've been thinking…" Varric begins making me arch a brow.
"What about?" I ask him, trying to change topic as we leave the place hoping not to smell sadness.
"Back at the fade thing with Hawke would you really have taken Hawke's place?" Curious, Varric questions me making me groan.
"Varric…" Annoyed, I begin, he knows the answer so why question it.
"Would you?" Sternly, he cuts me off making me groan.
"Yes." Easily, I answer as his eyes soften.
"Truly?" Hurt, he whispers making me sigh.
"Hawke has a child; they have a family with my brother and my niece." Sternly, I state the facts, it's a logical question it's like if I had to sacrifice one person for a whole kingdom then so be it.
"Yeah but so do you…?" Frowning, Varric argues making me scoff.
"They will live a full life. Not everyone has that luxury" Firmly, I remind him, bringing a sense of nostalgia, only this time we aren't sharing drinks, together getting smashed at the hanged man.
"I…" Varric begins.
"You knew I was going to say that so why bother asking?" Curtly, I demand from him irritation flowing through my veins.
"I just…I had hoped you wouldn't answer it like that." Disappointed, Varric bows his head.
"But you knew I would." Annoyed, I argue.
"I knew you would I just wish you didn't…." Solemnly, he whispers making me huff shaking my head as we continue on.
"Looks like he survived the fighting with the Hakka knights won't get far on his own though…" Frowning, Bull analyses the battlefield. I nod my head agreeing with him noting the heavy scattered blood trail, looking fresh alongside the scattered limbs of the knights, my nose twitching at the heavy scent of iron in the air as we follow after the trail.
"That means they are desperate meaning trouble." Gravely, I whisper standing up from kneeling.
"Someone's cut their way through these Hakkon warriors I can't understand if this is impressive or disconcerting…" Dorian confesses to us.
"How about both?" Lightly, I offer trying to ease the tension.
"More dead Hakkon warriors could one man accomplish this?" Concerned, Cassandra furrows her brow.
"He can but the real question is how he managed to accomplish this?" I propose perplexed.
"Something doesn't feel right…" Dorian whispers unnerved.
"Hm what is it Varric?" Frowning, I spot Varric's odd silence unnerving me.
"What do you mean?" Confused, he furrows his brow.
"You have that, I want to say something look not the normal narrating look." Teasingly, I point out noting his rather tense features.
"Am I that so easy to read? Seems I'm losing my edge." Tiredly, he sighs.
"Surprisingly yes. Yes, you are." Bluntly, I answer.
"Since Kirkwall you haven't been hunted down more have you since…?" Sheepishly, Varric begins making me groan.
"Varric we've spoken about this. You know the answer why ask a question that will only distress you? Even if you do pay off those men in Kirkwall doesn't mean you can pay them all off, no one can. I will always be a target Varric you have to accept that people want me dead." Bluntly, I state the fact to him, I know he cares I do I just wish he wouldn't be such a mother hen. I thought Aveline was bad but astonishingly the laid-back guy of the group can be quite the nagging entity.
"I just don't want what happened to us to make it harder for you and Fenris." Varric reasons.
"Varric it has always been like this. I have been hunted down my entire life and so has my brother. We are used to it." Calmly, I assert.
"But you have the right to settle to find peace, I saw your room it was just like in Kirkwall before you barely had anything in their…" Frowning, Varric compares.
"And what did I tell you back then?" Frowning, I remind him.
"You didn't expect to stay long…Fen I just…" Varric begins.
"Don't blame yourself for this Varric I will admit I have had some close calls. But I can take care of myself." I assure him.
"But for how long Fen? You're bound to get tired eventually." Scowling, Varric disputes.
"I…For a time I was kidnapped by the Qun." Honestly, I confess to him it was just after I left Kirkwall to just wander, think for myself but after that. I decided to go back, they never suspect me to go back to Kirkwall it's too obvious of a place for me to return too.
"Wha…what?" Startled, Varric blinks taken aback.
"They tried to interrogate me tried to see if my marks could give them a one-up to Tevinter." Casually, I explain to him.
"Fennic I didn't! My book it didn't mean too…" Panicked, Varric begins surprising me.
"Crap…don't tell me you were…" Worried, Bull exclaims.
"Well at first they tried to indoctrinate me." I begin frowning at the memory.
"What happened?" Varric wonders.
"Punched in the face." Casually, I shrug.
"You did that? You punched a…" baffled, Bull whispers as I shrug casually.
"They beat me into a bloody pulp. Managed to break a bone it felt quite nice actually, had a joint I had been dealing with for months on the run but they got it out…" Lazily, I answer the stunned bull smirking at the memory, that joint was killing me, shame I killed them all, Qunari would have made good back fixers.
"Maker…how did you escape?" Stunned, Cassandra wonders as I snicker noting her eyes gleam enraptured by my tale.
"Funny story, they gave me Cipher Spite." I start.
"Cipher you're kidding me!?" Gawking, Bull panics.
"What is it Bull?" Eve queries curious.
"That kills you! It's meant to slowly destroy you from the inside." Bull scowls.
"It can but if you're careful you can use it to stop your pulse." Cheekily, I wink.
"And fake your death…" Bull gathers.
"Bingo…" I smirk.
"I got to write this down for a book," Varric whispers.
"So long as I get half the profit," I exclaim.
"Don't worry that I guarantee," Varric promises me making me smirk pleased as we continue on with our search, my smirk faltering at the heavy putrid stench of rotting corpses from the ball of flames above, looming over us alongside the pong of iron, lingering in the air.
"Sensing. Sense-y. Definitely wobbly…" My ears perk up at Sera caressing her temple, turning to focus or something.
"Certainly not! It's much more squeaky!" Smirking, Cassandra offers.
"What? Let me check. Sensing. Sense-y. Definitely wobbly." Sera plays along as tiredly, Solas groans exhaling dealing with Sera's antics alongside the others.
"I'd say wonkier, myself. What about you Fox?" Smirking, Varric glances at me.
"Huh?" Confused, I blink snapping out of my thoughts as I furrow my brow at the tracks below me, heading towards some sort of temple.
"The fade." Smirking, Sera tells me.
"Yeah…" Perplexed, I whisper lost to their shy smirks.
"What do you think the fade is it wobbly?" Sera asks me.
"How would I know? I'm not a mage." Bluntly, I argue.
"It's a joke." Disappointed, Sera huffs.
"Right you have fun with that." Distantly, I wave her off.
"What's up?" Frowning, Bull questions me as he leers over noting the tracks.
"Tracks, I found them seems we need to head in there to find out about this Brandon guy…" Aloofly, I whisper not noticing Solas' small smirk from my reaction.
"Really?" Intrigued, Eve looks over at the tracks.
"Yeah so I suggest we get going…desperation leads to the worst of mistakes." Grimly, I exclaim.
"And by mistakes you mean…" Dorian gathers.
"Magic. More specifically, blood magic," Gravely, I whisper as we enter the temple our eyes widening when we are greeted by…
"They will not…kill more people. Not like this. I will protect them Inquisitor!"