Chapter 30: The Deep Breath
Late into the next evening, Solas paced before the fire in his office, re-reading reports he'd scanned a dozen times. A knock came at the door and he turned to see his partner there, peeking into the room to be certain he was not busy.
Seeing that he was alone, she slipped in, though not as nimbly as she would have liked with her stomach so round. "Solas? Are you coming to bed at all tonight?"
He paused and crossed to her, an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry, vhenan. There is much to be done in these last few days. And it seems some Dalish scouts were spotted not far from here. I've sent Abelas with a party to discover who they are and what they want. They're taking longer than I've anticipated."
She put a hand on his shoulder. "It will be alright. It's Abelas. If any Dalish person is a threat to him, it's me. Because I swear, if he shoves one more tray of food at me and starts in with his clucking again, I'll stab him with every tiny Orlesian fork I can find in this place."
Solas smiled in amusement and shook his head, though it did little to ease the nervous knot in his back. "I'm sure you're right. Still, I cannot afford to have anything happen to him. Not when we are so close to removing the Veil and reestablishing the connections between this world and the Fade. It's here. The time has finally come." He gave a great sigh, his chest caving in as he said it, as if he had been holding his breath this whole time, praying.
"It is. And it will work. We have all the pieces ready to go. Now it's just the finishing touches and we'll put the world back as it was meant to be. But perhaps it might be a good idea to sleep beforehand," she suggested.
"Ah, I wish that I could, vhenan. But if Abelas and our scouts do not return soon, I will need to attend to the matter."
She groaned and leaned against the desk, rubbing at her back. "Well, can I wait with you then? I can't sleep."
"Is it the baby?" Solas asked, a fresh jolt sparking through him.
She waved her hand dismissively. "No. It's you. Fretting about. I thought my nerves were bad, but all I can sense is how jittery you are down here. Besides, when it is the baby, you'll know. There will probably be a lot more screaming. And swearing."
"My apologies, vhenan. I do not wish to be a source of stress upon you. Or the baby. Though I do enjoy learning those colorful Dalish curses you are so fond of."
"Good. I intend to provide you with a thorough education when the baby comes. Please don't be offended at how many take the name Fen'Harel in vain. Or maybe do. This may be one of the few times I can blame Fen'Harel for my suffering." She smiled sweetly at him and he kissed her forehead.
"And I'm sure I will deserve each and every one. I will even let you hold my hand and squeeze it as hard as you like throughout."
"Careful. I might take you up on that and use my left hand," she said, holding it up and wiggling her wooden fingers.
"So long as I get to be there with you," he said, tucking her hair behind her cheek.
"Yes. But we still have the midwife and healer nearby in case you pass out," she teased.
The look Solas gave her was less than amused. "I will not faint at the sight of birth, ma vhenan."
"Many a fool has said that before and fallen stiff as a board to the ground. I've seen the toughest warriors faint at the sight before. It's different when the person screaming is the person you love. Trust me, you may be better off waiting outside."
"I think you will find I can endure more than most," he said, offering her his hand.
"Careful. Those are fighting words to any woman who has given birth. Or been this pregnant."
With another groan (as a heavily pregnant woman, most movement required a groan) she let Solas help her back to her feet. "Come. You can lie on the couch and rest while I finish going over these reports," he said, leading her to the couch beneath a window on the western wall.
Her hand suddenly gripped his arm and he glanced up at her, worried she had felt a contraction or cramp. Following her gaze out the window, he saw what had stunned her: smoke and fire blazing in the distance.
"What's that?" she asked, pointing in the distance where movement caught her eye. Then she cursed under her breath, stepping closer to the window.
"A dragon," Solas whispered, barely daring to believe it.
Lavellan's eyes narrowed and her heart sank. "No. Not a dragon. Morrigan."
Solas turned back to see a fireball explode in midair as it collided with the protective enchantments surrounding the grounds.
A horn sounded in the distance. "Abelas," Solas breathed.
"We have to help!" Lavellan said, pulling his arm as she made for the door. His fist clenched around her wrist.
"No! No, vhenan." He looked down at her, imploringly, his grip still tight around her wrist. "You must stay. I will go."
"But I can help-"
"No!" The word burst out of him, and he tried to calm himself, but the thought of what happened the last time she came into contact with Morrigan was still all too fresh in his mind. "Please, vhenan. Not this time. You have to be safe. You and the baby."
She opened her mouth to argue, but when she saw the pained look in his eyes she knew he was right. No matter how much she wished to help, she could not. Not this time. Biting her lip, she nodded her head. "Okay. But be safe. Please. You have to come back."
"I will, vhenan," he said, dipping his head to kiss her, one hand lingering on her stomach. His eyes searched hers for a brief moment before he pulled himself away and summoned his staff. "Go to our room. If anything happens, return to Skyhold through the eluvian. I will meet you there."
She nodded, feeling helpless as he ran off to aid others. "Be safe!" she called out after him, but by then he was already gone and she was alone in the room.
Another fireball exploded outside, causing the ground and the floor beneath her feet to shake. She stumbled, catching herself on the couch as the room rattled. Taking a deep breath, she got to her feet and hurried out of the room. Closing the doors behind her, she sealed the room with a spell and turned to her guards, who stood vigilant. "Sen'vir, Alleena, come with me," she said, waving to them as she ushered them alone. Many attendants, guards, Sentinels, and other residents of the palace were running about in a panic.
"Hamin!" she shouted, spotting the Sentinel as he led a group of nobles through the lower halls. He paused and looked up at her. "Take the nobles to their rooms. Make sure they stay put and bar the doors. Have the staff gather in the banquet hall. They'll be safer there. Stay clear of anything that might fall. We're under attack."
Hamin nodded and did as she instructed, leading them to safety. Hating the gnawing feeling in her gut, she turned and hurried up the stairs, clinging to the railing as the ground shook once more. When she reached the hallway to her room she froze.
Blood spattered the wall and two guards lay dead at the base, their throats slit. "What is this?" She swore under her breath, pulling back her cloak to free her arms in case of an attack. With her Sentinels at her side, they approached cautiously. Then a figure opened the door to her quarters and she conjured a spear of ice, ready to attack whoever it was when she recognized the person who stepped out. "Elgar?" she sighed inwardly, relieved it was only one of her guards. "Elgar, what are you doing?"
He looked up from under his hood, slipping something into his pocket. "What must be done," he said simply, pulling a dagger from his belt. He nodded and Sen'vir buried his knife in Allena's back. Blood spurted from her mouth and she dropped like a stone.
Lavellan barely had time to react, sending her icy spear at Elgar and erecting a barrier charm just in time to stop Sen'vir's sword. The icy spear shattered against the wall as Elgar dodged. Once he landed on his feet, he threw his dagger at her. It glanced off the barrier, chipping the magical shield. Pooling her magic, she yanked her fist down in a swift stroke and purple lightning shocked both of the attackers, knocking them to the ground. Her next lightning spell struck through their hearts, killing them both instantly. She turned back to help Allena, but she was already gone. Kneeling down beside Elgar's body, she pulled back his cloak and removed what he had stolen from her quarters: the orb. Unactivated, the gold glinted in the candlelight as she weighed it in her hand.
If this was what Elgar had been after, then that meant Morrigan was searching for a course of power. Stowing it away in her own pocket, Lavellan hurried to the door to her quarters, ready to flee to Skyhold when another thought occurred to her that made her blood run cold. If Morrigan was after a source of power, the orb was not the only powerful item hidden in the castle. Down in the dungeons, another source of power lay in rest. One that would be even more dangerous if Morrigan got ahold of it. With her hand still pressed to the door, Lavellan hesitated, warring between her promise to Solas and the thought of what might happen in Morrigan was able to get her hands on the red lyrium idol.
Steeling herself, she turned around and ran back through the castle, heading towards the dungeons.
Solas reached Abelas at the stables, where the commander was directing his men to defend the outer gate.
"What is happening?!" Solas shouted, hurrying forward.
Abelas turned, staff in hand, ready to fight should the dragon swoop down again. "Guerilla fighters. Definitely Dalish. They started fires throughout the forest as a diversion. They're trying to take the gates, but we've been able to hold them off. Someone arrived just before to warn us of the attack," he said, gesturing over his shoulder to where Cullen was tied and bound to a post. He struggled against his bonds and the gag in his mouth.
Solas glowered at the man. "And you trusted him at his word?"
Abelas scoffed. "By then we had already spotted the Dalish scouts and it was too late to mount a defense without further information on their position and numbers. I fear more are already on the way." Together they ascended the tower with the gate controls until they reached the top of the battlements.
Solas closed his eyes, extending his sense through the ripples of Fade energy within the area. "Their numbers are few. They use guerilla tactics to make it appear they have a larger force than they do."
"How many of them are there then?"
"Perhaps three dozen along the main road and outlying forest."
"What fun. The dragon seems to be the main problem then. It disappeared behind the cloud cover."
"It is not a dragon, but a witch: Morrigan." Abelas and Solas exchanged a glance.
"You did say she would return," Abelas drawled unhappily, peering through a spyglass. "Any idea what she's after?"
"No. But it is of little consequence, I suspect. She cannot get close to me. I can control her if she does. And she will not risk that."
"She may be attempting to delay us then. If those fires burn too close to the wards though, we risk-Wait. What is that?"
"What do you see?" Solas asked, following the line of sight of the telescope up the road where a hint of movement came from up the road.
"A catapult. Almost in range."
Holding up his hand, Solas reinforced the protective barrier in front of the gate. "It is no matter."
The catapult clicked and groaned as it was winched back. A cry went out and a projectile flew through the air. The wooden shell shattered and stones rained down on the road outside of the barrier.
Solas tilted his head, trying to see what the enemy's next move was when Abelas cursed in the ancient tongue. "What is it?" he asked.
Abelas shoved the spyglass into his hands, something working behind his mind as he glanced about in the trees and surrounding area. "Look!"
He did, peering through the spyglass at the rocks and broken boards upon the ground where Abelas pointed. But they were not rocks. They were stone hands and paws. Taken and smashed off of statues. Some had shattered on impact, but not all. Solas recognized the paws from the statues of Fen'Harel. He had received a similar gift from the Dalish before: one in particular from Haladavar of Clan Lavellan. "No," he whispered, his blood running cold.
Abelas was already barking orders to his men, telling some to return to the keep. Solas kept on his heels as they descended the tower steps as fast as they could. "This is the same as before! Varitan, he used similar tactics. Set a fire as a distraction to lure people away and then strike at an unsuspecting opponent. I should've seen it the moment we saw smoke." Abelas swore again and Solas's fear crept up his spine.
"What does this mean? Is Haladavar going to attack?"
"It means they're already inside the castle," Abelas hissed, grinding his teeth and marching over to where Cullen was tied to a post, putting his hand around his throat. "And someone knew it was going to happen. Isn't that right, shemlen? If she dies, it will be upon your head," he growled, releasing his throat as if he had touched something vile and sprinting back to the castle.
A roar sounded from overhead and a fireball crashed against the barrier, shaking the ground underneath their feet. Abelas came to a halt and put a hand on Solas's chest. "Go back to the battlements! If she breaks through the barrier, you are the only one who can keep these people safe!"
Righteous fury blazed in Solas's heart. "The woman I love and our unborn child are in danger. I must protect them-"
"-You are Fen'Harel. You must protect the people. I will find her," Abelas promised.
Solas made to shove past him, but Abelas put up a barrier between them and shook his head. "I will do this. You must trust me."
Solas ground his teeth together as another fireball rattled the protective barrier above their heads. The last thing he wanted to do was turn around. What was duty compared to his family? He looked up at the castle, fear pounding in his heart. Then he looked at Abelas. "Save them," he heard himself say. "Save my family."
Abelas nodded and turned back, sprinting across the bridge and shouting orders to the guards ahead of him.
Lavellan's heart hammered like a drum as she rounded the corner. Three guards lay dead at the foot of the stairs. Blood poured from holes in their chests onto the marble floor. A scream sounded from somewhere nearby and she followed the sound, picking up her dress as she ran faster. Stopping just outside the room where the sound was coming from, she froze when she heard a voice she recognized.
"I just want to find her. Where is she?"
There could be no doubt in her mind. That was her father's voice. If he was looking for someone, it was undoubtedly her.
Steeling herself, she took a breath and forced open the door, blasting it off its hinges. It hit whoever was standing behind it and knocked them into a table. The clatter drew the attention of the others in the room, including her father and the frightened serving boy he had his blade pressed to, and the three other Dalish warriors. A single ice spear cut through one of them, knocking aside another from the sheer force of the blow. "Let him go," she snarled at her father, conjuring another icy spear in her hand. The tip centered straight on him.
Haladavar leveled his gaze with hers, nostrils flaring as he took in the sight of her pregnant belly. "So the rumors are true. Of all the Dalish to fall prey to the Dread Wolf, I never thought it would be you, da'len. Yet here you are." He shook his head, sickened. To her surprise, tears appeared in the corners of his eyes.
"Haladavar," the other Dalish warrior hissed, his sword in hand. "We have our orders."
Her father shook his head, fighting some internal battle as he looked at his daughter. "Not like this. Not like your mother. Please, da'len. Lay down your arms and surrender and I promise I will let the boy go," he said quietly.
Swallowing her fear, recalling all too well what had happened the last time she fought her father, she looked between the two Dalish warriors, wondering if they would keep their word and let the boy go. Wary, she nodded, letting the spear fall and shatter to the floor. Haladavar lowered his weapon and the boy scuttled out from behind the warriors and ran, fleeing the room.
The other Dalish warrior reached for the throwing knife at his belt.
"You so much as think about using that knife against her and I'll strangle you with your own guts," Haladavar growled, taking a length of rope from his belt instead. "Now da'len, put your hands behind your back. We're not here to hurt you."
She sneered. "Really? I seem to recall you had no problem with that the last time we fought. You tried to kill me," she said darkly, conjuring fire around her hand, ready to defend herself.
Haladavar shook his head. "I had no choice, da'len. I didn't know there was another way. But the witch promised me she could save you. She can take away the Dread Wolf's taint."
She recoiled. "There is no taint. Whatever Morrigan promised you, she lied. I am me. I have always been me."
He looked at her sadly. "You can't see it, da'len. Whatever he has done to your mind, she promised it could be undone. But…" he paused, his gaze returning to her stomach. "By Mythal's Grace, I pray we are not too late."
He raised a bloodied hand and a knife sailed through the air. She dodged, but the wooden arm reacted too, deflecting the knife. It clattered to the ground as Haladavar let out a fearsome roar, slashing his sword at the man beside him. Blood splattered the wall and she fled from the room. She heard her father's shouts behind her, but the blood pounding in her ears drowned out his words as she ran as fast as she could, hurrying down the hallway, scrambling up the stairs as the sound of footsteps gaining on her sent her further into a panic. Lavellan turned as she got to the top of the stairs, down the hallway that led to Solas's office when she nearly crashed into a pair of arms. "Abelas?" she breathed, looking up into his face in surprise. Behind him, the door to the nursery was still ajar.
"My lady. You are unhurt?" he asked, glancing over her shoulder just in time to see her father turn at the top of the landing. Abelas threw up a barrier and pulled her up the servant's stairway at the end of the hall. "We need to get you out of here."
They emerged out on the top floor and Abelas pulled her along towards her quarters.
"Stop! Abelas, we have to get down to the dungeons. They're after the idol."
"Right this moment, all that matters is getting you somewhere safe." Abelas grabbed her and pulled her up the stairs, covering their escape route with a barrier spell to slow their pursuer. "I have to get you someplace safe," Abelas argued when she dug in her heels, trying to pry herself from his grip.
The anger in his voice surprised her, but she was all too quick to return her own. "They tried to steal the orb. If they're after the idol we need to head to the dungeons."
"No," he sneered, slowing to peer around the corner. "My priority is to keep you safe."
"Where are you taking me?" she hissed angrily.
"To the eluvian in your quarters."
She pulled back again. "No! Not that way. I just came from there. Two of your Sentinels attacked me!"
Abelas froze, whipping his head around to look at her. "What? Who?"
"Elgar and Sen'vir. Elgar tried to steal the orb and I caught him. They killed Allena."
Abelas shook his head in disbelief, then cursed under his breath. "We'll still have to try for the elu-"
A glowing lyrium-infused arrow sprouted from the wall inches from where his head would have been, had she not ripped him back with her wooden hand.
Haladavar pulled another glowing arrow from his quiver, aiming straight for them. Before he released his arrow, Lavellan threw up a barrier spell to protect them. At the same time, Abelas shielded her with his own body. The glowing arrow ripped through the barrier spell like it was made of mist, embedding itself in Abelas's shoulder. Without hesitating, he swallowed the pain with a growl and shoved her down the hall; keeping himself between her and her father as they neared the entryway before her quarters. "What was that?!" she asked, panicked.
"Lyrium arrow," he grunted.
They ducked to the side as another whizzed past her ear.
"Lyrium? What? How?" She resisted the urge to look down the hallway to see how close her father was. Terrified after her other shield charm failed, she put up another one, front loading as much energy as she could into it in the hopes that it might repel an arrow made of lyrium.
Abelas glared at the dead bodies before them; the same Sentinels who he had vetted and whom she had been forced to kill when they turned on her. His eyes darted to the door to her quarters: it lay directly in the line of fire. He couldn't risk moving her without putting her in danger. There was no other choice. They would have to fight if they had any hope of reaching the door safely.
Lavellan's heart pounded in her chest as her father's heavy footsteps drew closer. Gesturing with her hands, she set ice mine runes on the ground before her: she didn't want to kill her father if she didn't have to. If she could slow him down, perhaps she could subdue him without risking mortal injury. As an added measure, Abelas summoned flames that blocked the entrance. The footsteps slowed. A sound came from behind and the light of the fire vanished.
"That's not possible," Lavellan murmured. Her eyes widened in horror as she watched her father perform a ripping movement that shattered her barrier spell. "Only templars can-"
"No!" Abelas pulled her back towards the door to her quarters, conjuring a cage of lightning around her father. Purple static roamed over the dead bodies that fell in the circle of magic. Haladavar fell to one knee, but then he grunted, burying his fist in the ground and dispersing the magical energy.
"Go!" Abelas shouted at her, spinning his staff around and holding the blade-edge at the ready. He grit his teeth against the pain of his wounded shoulder. Without it, he was at a clear disadvantage. But that didn't matter. He didn't need to best Haladavar. He only needed to delay him long enough for her to escape.
Haladavar swung his blade down into the floor, sending his daughter backwards into the wall from the force of it. Abelas attacked, swinging the blade of his staff in a downward slice that Haladavar dodged. The Dalish warrior deflected the next blow and with a mighty bellow of rage, kicked Abelas in the stomach, sending him flying back into the wall where he crumpled to the floor.
"No! Stop!" Lavellan turned her back on the door and leapt in front of Abelas, throwing an ice spear in front of her father as he raised his sword to deliver the killing blow. He staggered back and she came at him, blasting him back with a forceful wave of magical energy. The sword flew from his hand. Her father sneered and made the same ripping gesture as before. The ambient magical energy in the room dissipated, rendering her magic practically useless. "Stop!" she shouted again, turning sideways and raising her hands up: the left remained open and ready to grab or block and the right balled into a fist.
Haladavar stared at his daughter, with something torn between pride and pity in his gaze. "I taught you that stance, da'len."
"Please, papae. Please don't make me fight you." She narrowed her eyes at him. This time, she would fight him if it came to that.
"Da'len," he said softly, shaking his head at her, his expression pained as he stepped closer to her, pulling a length of rope from his belt. "You can still be saved. There is still time."
He took another step forward and she stepped back, keeping herself in front of Abelas, despite the fact that her father towered over her like a giant. "Don't come any closer!"
"Come quietly, da'len. Please," he said quietly, his voice strained as he looked down at her stomach. He hesitated; any wrong move could cause her additional harm in her condition.
There were few times in her life when she had seen her father truly afraid and she knew why he was afraid to attack: she looked just as her mother had before her death. Though the circumstances were different, she had always taken after her mother in form and coloring and he still carried the trauma of her mother's death. "Morrigan lied to you, papae. It was her, wasn't it, who told you I could be cured? But there's nothing wrong with me."
Pulling an arrow from the quiver, he held it close to the tip, ready to use it like a dirk if he needed to. "Da'len, surrender and kneel. It is over. Your magic will not help you here."
"I know," she said, shifting her weight as he came closer to her. "But a Dalish never stands down, papae. Remember?" He was the one who drilled that into her.
"A Dalish does not follow the Dread Wolf, da'len. It is that simple. Kneel. Or I will hurt you." His voice was clear and determined. There was no doubt in her mind that he would do as he said if she did not obey.
If it was any other time in her life, she would have fought back tooth and nail like a cornered cat. But just then a sudden pain clenched in her lower belly, causing her to wince. Her hand went to her stomach and she looked back up at her father, towering over her just as he had all those months ago, with that same cold-hearted expression he had worn before he almost plunged a blade into her heart.
She dropped to one knee, holding her belly and gritting her teeth as the pain ebbed away. Sucking in her breath, she looked up into the icy, indomitable gaze as he unwound the rope in his hands. Her heart sank like a stone into a fathomless depth. "You cannot see it now, da'len, but this is for the best."
Blood spattered her face. A dagger hilt stuck out from her father's throat. The rope in his hands fell to the floor as his hand fumbled for the hilt. His knees dropped out from under him like a marionette cut from its strings. Wide-eyed he looked at his daughter and opened his mouth to speak, but only blood and a strangled gurgle came from his lips instead. She reached for him as the light faded from his eyes and he fell down to the floor, dead.
Her hand shook, frozen in the air as she watched his stil body lying in a growing pool of blood. "Papae…"
But it was too late. He was gone. There was nothing that could be done now.
She looked back over her shoulder and saw Abelas, left hand still extended from throwing the knife, panting for breath as he clutched at broken ribs. "You killed him. You killed my father," she breathed.
Abelas's hand glowed as he healed his ribs, but he said nothing. With a heave, he pushed himself up and crossed to her. "There is no time for grief now. Come," he said, grabbing her arm, but she pulled it away. Irritated and gritting his teeth, he grabbed her by the scruff of her cape instead. If he had to drag her to safety, he would.
As he pulled, her hand shot out and clenched around his arm in a crushing grip. Her other hand went to her stomach and she bit back a cry as a sharp pain came again, lower in her belly and cutting into her back. Breathing through the pain, she looked up at Abelas with fear in her eyes. "Abelas…" It did not matter that she couldn't bring herself to say it. His hand went to her stomach to confirm what they both already knew.
He cursed in an ancient elvish phrase she did not understand. "You're in labor," he grumbled. He swore again and knelt down, taking one of her arms over his shoulder. "We have to get you out of here." With a suppressed groan, he helped pull her to her feet.
"No. No." She shook her head. It was too soon. Not yet.
"Hurry. We have to get you to Skyhold." He helped her along, counting the seconds in his mind, praying the contractions were not close together.
The sound of footsteps came from behind the door. They froze. Lavellan recognized the familiar stride and click of heels. She pulled back on Abelas's arm.
The door blasted open. The glow from the eluvian illuminated the figure of none other than Madame de Fer. Lavellan couldn't believe her eyes: her former ally now looked at her the way a snake looks at a cornered rat. Her lips pulled into a victorious smirk. "Hello, darling," she said, a sinister edge to her voice. With a graceful wave of her hand bonds appeared from out of nowhere, binding them each. Abelas cried out in pain as Vivienne sent a shock of lightning throughout his body. "What do we have here?" she said, raising a perfectly trimmed brow. "Not Solas, I see. Pity. Not to worry. All good things in time, as it were. And here you are, my darling Inquisitor." Her eyes flashed down to Lavellan's stomach. "Hm. I see you decided to keep the baby after all. What a bold choice." Vivienne was quiet for a moment then as something unreadable crossed her mind.
"Viv? Why-"
"-Madame de Fer. Let us not make the mistake of slipping into the commoners' fashion of using given names when we have worked so hard to earn our titles. Though perhaps there is something else I should be calling you now. It has been so long since we last spoke. Tell me, what do they call you now? I've heard so many variations. The Dread Wolf's Whore is the one used most often though." Another careless wave and ripples of electricity passed through Abelas. He collapsed to the ground, motionless.
Lavellan looked into those cold, calculating eyes of the person she used to trust to guard her back. "We used to be friends. You're with Morrigan now?" She shook her head in disbelief. Vivienne had hated Morrigan for stealing away her position of power at court.
"I am where I aim to be: at the top. The world is changing. Or haven't you noticed?" She smirked, looking her up and down with pity. "The how of it doesn't really matter to me. In the end, when the dust has settled, I will take what I deserve. Morrigan is but a means to such an end. But that will be of little consideration to you soon enough, I'm afraid." She glanced up the hallway at the sound of approaching footsteps.
Lavellan's eyes widened. The approaching figure was none other than the same white-haired, scowling elf she had met in Kirkwall. "Fenris?"
One arm carried a small red box that glowed faintly with a sinister energy and Lavellan knew at once what was in it and felt her heart sink: he had the red lyrium idol. Blood dripped from his clawed greaves. In his other hand he carried a heavy sword, wet with blood. When he saw her his eyes narrowed into a cold, icy glare.
"Do you have it then?" Vivienne asked, looking at Fenris expectantly.
"Obviously. Let's go."
Vivenne's levitation spell pulled Lavellan into the air, dragging her behind as if she were a bird on a string as she turned back to the eluvian. "We have what we came for. And now the Dread Wolf will have a proper message." With that, she activated the eluvian and together they all disappeared into the unknown destination beyond.