CHAPTER EIGHT: THE FIRST STEP
Sparrow took the bundle from Harritt, the armorer. "Thank you, Harritt," she said, smiling. "I'll make sure the Herald uses it well."
"May it protect her well," Harritt replied. "When you go into the Hinterlands, try to gather better metal and leather, will you? So I can make her better armor."
Sparrow nodded. "I will."
"Will yours be enough, as well?" Harritt's critical eye appraised her halla leather armor.
Sparrow shrugged. "So far, it hasn't given up on me yet. I'll be fine." She gave a nod. "Farewell." She walked past the stables, and entered the gates to Haven. She waved at the dwarf, Varric, who looked up from calibrating his crossbow Bianca. She walked up to him when he waved back.
"Anything I can do to help?" Sparrow smiled as she watched the dwarf work on the peculiar crossbow.
Varric shook his head. "Nothing," he replied. "I'm almost done anyway." He set down the crossbow and looked up at her. "This must be normal for you, isn't it? To prepare to leave at a moment's notice to somewhere you don't know."
Sparrow nodded. "That's what a scout is trained for, Master Tethras. In order to discover things that need to be known, we have to always be prepared to leave everything we have ever known."
Varric grinned. "That's a good one," he said. "I'll try to write that in my next book."
Sparrow grinned back. "That's precisely why I said it to you." She peeked inside the dwarf's tent, where clothes were strewn all over an opened bag. "Don't forget to pack thick clothes," she reminded him.
"Whatever for?" the dwarf whined.
Chuckling and shaking her head in disbelief, Sparrow bid him goodbye and turned aside to the cottage where the Herald was.
Sparrow knocked on the door. "Herald? Are you up?" she called out.
"Yes... barely," came Vanessa's voice from inside. "Come in."
Sparrow smiled as she entered. "I'm glad you were able to wake up early," she said as she looked at Vanessa double-checking her bags.
"I couldn't sleep well, nervous as I am with the journey," Vanessa said.
"You ought to be more nervous when we actually arrive at the Hinterlands," Sparrow said. She put her bundle on the worktable. "Would you like a bath? It might be the last you will have for a long time."
"Yes please," Vanessa smiled wider. Sparrow nodded and turned to leave.
"Vanessa, whatever it is, it won't fit," Sparrow called out, smirking when she heard Vanessa groan. She chuckled to herself and called to another servant to bring hot water for the Herald's bath. She strode past soldiers marching towards the training grounds, and other scouts hurrying to and fro with messages. At the Chantry, a service was starting, and she walked past it to Sister Leliana's tent.
She found the spymaster poring over a map of the Hinterlands. She looked up when she saw Sparrow approaching.
"I've marked some spots where you can meet up with other scouts and establish camps," Leliana said as soon as Sparrow went near her. She folded up the map she was looking at, and handed it over to Sparrow. "A company of soldiers are already there as well, contacting and working with local folk, especially those caught up in the war. As the Commander said, spread the word about the Inquisition by getting into the good graces of the Fereldans of the Hinterlands."
"We will, Sister," Sparrow replied, tucking the map safely in the pouch at her belt.
"I've sent some forward scouts already to clear your path, or at least send word about potential threats," Leliana continued, moving out of the tent. "I've told them to contact you or Cassandra should anything need your attention, so you can be prepared."
"Thank you, Sister," Sparrow said.
"When you get to these spots," Leliana said, pointing at areas on the map, "there will be camps set up, or at least scouts standing by to set up your camp. Ask the requisition officer for supplies there, or for anything that we might need you to gather while you travel around with the Herald."
"Yes, Sister." By this time, Sparrow couldn't help the grin lighting up her face. Looking up at her, Leliana noticed, and grinned back.
"I sound too worried, don't I?" Leliana asked. Sparrow nodded, and Leliana sighed. "I am really worried about this. So many things can go wrong, and I'm afraid."
"Rest easy, Sister," Sparrow said, laying a reassuring hand on Leliana's shoulder. "I will keep you informed about anything and everything that happens to us. We will keep the Herald safe, and help her gain reputation enough to make Val Royeaux pay attention to her."
Leliana turned to Sparrow. "Above all, keep safe, my friend," she said, throwing her arms around the scout. "Maker keep you, Sparrow."
"And you, Sister." Nodding farewell, she next sought out the apothecary for healing potions. Outside Leliana's tent, however, she met Cassandra walking purposefully towards her.
"Sparrow, is the Herald ready yet?" Cassandra asked, without preamble.
Sparrow shook her head. "No, Seeker, but she's getting ready."
"Inform me when she's ready. There are some things I want to go over with her before we leave," Cassandra said.
"Yes, Seeker," Sparrow replied. With a curt nod, Cassandra walked past her towards Leliana's tent.
Sparrow continued walking towards the apothecary. She found Solas already awake and stretching his limbs outside his cottage. He caught her gaze as she came near.
"Sparrow," Solas said by way of greeting.
"Messere Solas," Sparrow responded in kind. "I hope you are ready?"
Solas nodded. "Whenever you call," he said, a small smile turning up the corner of his mouth. When Sparrow didn't move, and instead continued to scrutinize him with a gaze that was difficult to read, Solas added, "All I will be doing is assisting this Inquisition's cause, nothing more."
"May that be the only cause we will share," Sparrow said, bowing stiffly. Without waiting for him to respond, she moved past him to proceed to the apothecary's hut.
Sparrow found Adan hunched over a bunch of papers that she recognized as Master Teigen's notes. "I see you're making very good use of those notes," she said, smiling when the apothecary didn't even raise his head to acknowledge her presence.
Without looking at her, Adan pointed at a bag on one of the tables. "I've packed the essentials for you, scout. Healing potions, regeneration potions, and some lyrium potions for the mages," he rattled off the contents as Sparrow opened the bag and looked in it. "Just send word through the Nightingale if you need more. I hope you're happy with that."
"Perfectly," Sparrow said, slinging the bag on her shoulder. "Thank you, Adan."
Adan finally looked up. "You take care out there, you hear?" he said in his gruff tone.
"I will," Sparrow said. "Is there anything you'd like me to do or get for you in the Hinterlands?"
Adan grunted and went back to studying Teigen's notes. "I've left the list with Quartermaster Threnn. Get it from her, won't you?"
"I'll see what I can do," Sparrow said. As she heard nothing else from Adan, she closed the door softly behind her to leave the apothecary studying in peace. With a short nod at Solas, who was still outside his cabin, she retraced her steps back to the Herald's cottage, where, thankfully she was already done bathing.
"Good. Put this on," Sparrow said, depositing the potions bag on the worktable and unraveling the bundle Vanessa apparently did not touch.
"What is it?" Vanessa asked, but was promptly surprised when Sparrow raised up a light halla leather armor fashioned like a Circle mage's robes. "How did you –"
"My clan sent me more halla leather than I needed," Sparrow said. "I had Harritt fashion armor for you, though he said he could have done better if he had better materials."
"Your clan?" Vanessa asked. "I didn't know you belonged to one..."
Sparrow smiled. "I may not bear their vallaslin, but the Dalish clan I've lived with has been accepting enough of who I am."
Vanessa smiled back. "You have to tell me about them sometime," she said. "For now, this is enough. Please tell your clan my thanks. And thank you too."
"I just figured you'd need more than Andraste's blessing in the Hinterlands," Sparrow shrugged.
"I do, don't I?" Vanessa agreed, and she and Sparrow laughed.
Sparrow looked over at the staff that miraculously survived the Temple, and remarked, "I'm afraid you have to make do with that staff for a while. Let's see if we can commission a better staff when we get to Val Royeaux."
"It'll do," Vanessa said.
After helping Vanessa with the armor, and getting her accustomed to the leather armor, Sparrow picked up the potions bag again. "The Seeker is getting impatient, so get ready quick." Vanessa nodded, and Sparrow left her cottage towards the stables.
Sparrow smiled when the black horse whinnied as she saw her. "I missed you too, my friend," she said, walking up to the horse and holding out an apple. The horse gobbled it up greedily, and sniffed her hand for more. Sparrow laughed and picked out another apple for the horse.
"Sparrow, a word?"
Sparrow looked over to see Kirk leading a fine chestnut Fereldan forder. "What is it, Kirk?"
"Commander Cullen wants you to have this," Kirk said, grinning.
"But I already have a horse..." Sparrow said. Kirk shrugged, put the reins of the horse in her hands, and walked away. She looked over at Cullen down at the training grounds, busy ordering soldiers around, and who suspiciously looked as if he was trying to avoid her gaze.
A wet snout pushed at her hand. Sparrow looked into the dark eyes of her black horse, who was still searching for apples, then at the haughty look at the forder. She sighed, opened one of the empty stalls and led the forder in. An elven boy came and helped her prepare the horses the party was going to use, and they were in the midst of brushing the horses when Vanessa walked in.
Sparrow smiled. "The armor looks good on you," she said.
Vanessa twirled for her, as if the armor were a dress she was showing off. Sparrow laughed. She took a brush from her and said, "Let me help you with the horses."
Sparrow shrugged. "It's all right, we're almost done here," she said. "Saddle this one up." She pointed at the Fereldan forder.
Vanessa lit up at the sight of the horse. "Isn't it Commander Cullen's?" she asked, eagerly patting the horse's neck and handing out an apple for the horse.
Sparrow smiled inwardly, her suspicions confirmed by the Herald's remark. "The Commander thought it's better for you to ride a horse befitting the Herald," she said, handing over the accompanying saddle to Vanessa.
"He did?" Vanessa asked wonderingly, her eyes turning towards the Commander. "I'll have to thank him later." She quickly hid her smile behind the horse, though not fast enough for Sparrow to miss it.
"It's quite a spirited mare, so be careful with it," Sparrow cautioned.
Vanessa nodded, smiling at the horse. "Don't worry, I can handle it."
A young girl walked in the stables while they were chatting. "My lady Herald, Scout Sparrow, Sister Leliana and the Seeker awaits you at the Chantry."
Sparrow nodded. "You go ahead, Herald," she said to Vanessa. "I'll finish up here, and join you soon."
"All right," Vanessa said, and followed the girl. Sparrow turned to the servant and gave him a few instructions before following Vanessa out of the stables.
Leliana looked over the five people in front of her, assembled in the Chantry's inner room. "The Inquisition's mission is to bring order out of chaos," she began. "This is the last command of the Divine Justinia, and we shall see it through. Your first task is to help out those who are caught in the battle between the mages and templars in the Hinterlands. According to my scouts, the fighting is heaviest there, so you must do all you can to seek out the rebel Templars and mages' hideouts and put an end to their fighting once and for all. Perhaps this way we can garner the recognition Val Royeaux apparently requires." She looked over at Cassandra. "If you could look for Master Dennet, Redcliffe's former horsemaster, and ask him for better mounts for the Inquisition, that would be wonderful." Cassandra nodded.
Leliana turned to the Herald. "To demonstrate the power of the mark you are given, another of your tasks will be to close Fade rifts. I gave Sparrow a map marking the places they are reported to be seen, but there may yet be others that are not on the map. Seek them out and close them, and perhaps with that display of your Maker-given power, the Chantry, if not the people, may pay more attention to you."
"Basically, we need to do good everywhere, and be good, so we can be noticed. Did I get it right?" Varric said, smirking.
"Yes, Messere Tethras," Leliana said. She looked over at everyone in the room. "Maker go with you."
"And you, Sister," Vanessa replied. Sparrow, Solas, and Varric all nodded, rose from their seats and proceeded out of the Chantry. Sparrow went with the other scouts to get the party's mounts, while the others stayed behind to discuss other matters with Leliana, though she did spot the Herald approaching the Commander. She smiled, and walked to the stables, where she found the other scouts saddling the horses and slinging the packs on the horses' backs.
As she approached the stables, Sparrow met Kirk's disapproving gaze. Looking around, all the other scouts either looked at her with exasperation, or annoyance. "What?" she asked, perplexed.
"You know what you did, Sparrow," Kirk said. "He's not going to be pleased."
"Who won't?" Sparrow asked, when a shadow crossed hers. The bulky frame of the shadow, and the sudden attention the scouts gave to their tasks gave her a hint about who was behind her. She turned, and it was indeed Commander Cullen.
"Commander," Sparrow saluted the Commander, keeping her eyes averted from his face.
"May I have a word, Sparrow?" the Commander said. Sparrow raised her eyes to his, and met his somber gaze.
"As you wish, Commander," Sparrow said, and they walked slightly away from the stables.
Cullen's eyes glanced sideways, meeting Kirk's, who was at the first stall near the door of the stables, and who shrugged as he continued to secure the straps on another horse, hiding his face from view. "Did Kirk not say that the horse he brought was for you?" Cullen asked.
"I decided the horse was more fit to be used by the Herald, Commander," Sparrow answered. "Besides, my horse is more than enough to bring me to the Hinterlands and back."
"Sparrow..." Cullen sounded exasperated. "Your horse looked too tired for another mission, so I wanted to give you a fresh one to use. I won't be using mine for quite some time, so I told Kirk you can use her."
"I thank you for your concern, Commander, but a mare as majestic as yours ought to be carrying another as prestigious as you," Sparrow replied. "My horse will do just fine."
"But it's you I want to help, Sparrow," Cullen said. "And you underestimate yourself."
"Commander..." Sparrow lowered her head. "I thank you for your kind consideration of me, but I truly have to decline. Your horse is much suitable for the Herald, who is of noble blood and who has to work hard to garner the influence our organization needs."
Cullen vigorously rubbed at his neck again and gave a pained smile. "I'm not going to win this argument, am I?"
Sparrow shook her head, still keeping her gaze lowered. Cullen sighed, and with shoulders hunched, walked away, back to the training grounds. Sparrow looked away from his retreating back to meet a group of narrowed eyes. "What?"
"You're being too mean to the poor Commander, Sparrow," Kirk said, now straightening from his previous stooped position.
"What do you mean?" Sparrow asked defensively.
"It's no secret that the poor Commander has a crush on you," Skittles chimed in from the back.
Sparrow sighed. "Stop that," she said. "The "poor Commander" has other things to occupy his mind." She started leading out the Seeker's and the Herald's horses, and the other scouts followed suit.
"But the poor Commander can afford to spare a thought or two for you, if you'd only allow it," Skittles called out. Sparrow just sighed and shook her head vigorously.
Kirk walked near her, as much as the horses would allow. "There's nothing wrong with a little workplace romance, you know," he said. "The Commander is a nice man –"
"—who doesn't need to think about other things aside from training and leading the troops, now that this Inquisition is starting," Sparrow finished for him. "So should we." She walked faster to reach the party, who had just walked down the steps through the main gate of Haven.
Sparrow watched as a throng of common people followed the Herald through the gates, and even the soldiers at the training grounds stopped their sparring and gravitated towards the party. Looking at Vanessa, she knew the woman was aware of the attention she was getting, but if she was feeling any apprehension about it, she hid it with grace and confidence in her bearing. It was easily apparent that she came from a noble family, but no noble has been thrust into this kind of situation, revered as if she was truly the vessel of the Maker's Bride. Vanessa looked at the Seeker as if to ask for permission, which Cassandra gave with a small nod. She then turned to the people, who immediately fell silent as she looked at them.
"People of Haven," she began in a soft voice. "I thank you for the hospitality that you have shown me, and this Inquisition that was formed by the Hands of the Divine. You have suffered so much loss, and yet you still endeavor to help and shelter us. We go now to fulfill the wish of our beloved Divine Justinia, to restore order from the chaos of war and the unknown forces that caused this Breach. We hope that when we come back, we can give you a way to return to the life you had before all this chaos happened."
The short speech, which she had begun with a small, unsure voice, rang clear across the grounds, and entered the hearts of all those who listened. At the end of it, the common people, elves, dwarves, templar and mages alike shouted, "Herald of Andraste" in loud and stirring cheers. Sparrow smiled as she looked at the inspired faces of all those who looked up at the Herald, and she herself felt reassured that the Inquisition's fate, no, even Thedas' fate, is in good and capable hands.
Sparrow led the horses to the Seeker and the Herald. In the guise of helping Sparrow check if the straps of the saddle were tightened, Vanessa whispered, "Did I do well?"
Sparrow smiled at the uncertainty in Vanessa's face. It reminded her that the Herald remained human, despite the divinity that was bestowed to her by the faith of the common people. "Yes, Herald, you did well," she reassured Vanessa, who immediately lit up at her compliment. She helped Vanessa up the horse, slightly feeling Cullen's gaze on her. She felt justified, however, in deciding that this horse be used by the Herald, and she said so with the look she gave the Commander when she met his glance. She saw the Seeker, Solas, and Varric get on their horses, so she quickly walked over to her horse, and got on it.
"Maker watch over you all," Leliana intoned. "All our hopes are on you now." Beside her, Lady Montilyet smiled, and Commander Cullen stood in attention, hand on the hilt of his sword that hung by his side. The people that have gathered, common folk, templars and mages, Chantry brothers and sisters, all looked up to them with hope in their eyes.
Sparrow looked around at Haven one last time. For a while, it had been home to her. She forged in her memory the cool wind that caressed her face, the heavenly smell of food and wine from the tavern, the tang of metal from Harritt's workshop and the sharp sounds of sword against another sword from the training soldiers. She'd get back to Haven time and again, as it is apparently going to be the Inquisition's base of operations, until such a time that it gains influence enough to secure a more permanent fortress, but for now, she was walking away from another home, as she had done on so many homes she had walked away from, in the hopes that she could come back to it once more.
Sparrow smiled at Sister Leliana, and bowed to Lady Montilyet and Commander Cullen. Then with a spur of her horse, she galloped towards Vanessa, Cassandra, Solas, and Varric, towards the Hinterlands.
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