Translations at bottom.

I picked the name Lisell for this Inquisitor. It's not one I've used in any of my play-throughs. Basically I went to FenxShiral's name archive, chose a first letter at random, and then read until I came to a name I liked well enough and also thought I would remember how to spell. Maybe the meaning also fit? I honestly don't even remember what it means now.


Arrival

I paused in my writing as a light shone under the door, and followed shortly by an inquiring tap. "Are you awake, Fen'Harel?"

"I am," I said, rising from my table to open the door for Tamorian, a minor mage who acted as my aide.

"There has been an incident near the manor house," he said, sounding, as ever, as though his words were chosen with absolute precision. I waited without comment - he would come to the point without any intervention from me. The manor, abandoned and crumbling when I located it, had been cleaned up and put to use as living quarters for dependents and those tasked with supporting the work. It was at some remove from the worksite itself, for safety reasons, but travel between the two sites was made simple with the eluvians.

"A short time ago, a woman was seen approaching our perimeter - an elven woman, her clothing sturdy but simple and in something of a disarray. Our guards naturally thought she might be coming to join the cause and asked her to state her business." Tamorian's brows furrowed. "This is where things become jumbled. Some of the reports say she went mad, others that she flew into a rage, but all agree that she called for you under the name 'Solas,' and one guard affirms that she called for you to," he looked down at a scrap of paper in his hand, "'come look me in the eyes and kill me yourself, you slimy coward.'"

My breath froze in my lungs, but Tamorian was continuing.

"One of the younger guards, alarmed, shot her - "

The scent of lightning filled the air as I briefly lost control of my emotions. "What!"

" - the arrow striking her side," Tamorian went on doggedly. "It was only then, as she fell, that some of them noticed her empty left sleeve - "

I was already in motion, leaping toward the nearest eluvian keyed to take me to the manor. "She was still breathing as of a few minutes ago, and a healer has been summoned," Tamorian called after me, the last word cut off as I all but threw myself through the portal.

I arrived at the manor in short order, finding it lit and bustling though not in chaos. I had little reason to visit in the middle of the night, but I knew it was usually quieter than this, meaning that the intrusion had roused more than just a healer. Someone had been set to watch for me or my representative, and only a few sidelong glances betrayed the unease of those crisscrossing the room, attending to the tasks set them. "Take me to her," I demanded, avoiding all eyes.

"Yes, Fen'Harel," the waiting girl said, leading me deeper into the house. "Hahren Ailis has done what she could, but the intruder lost a deal of blood and hasn't yet awakened. And - there may be deeper troubles than any of us know how to fix."

I nodded, unwilling to snap at this young girl solely because I felt savage. I comforted myself with the knowledge I could likely set right nearly anything done to my Lisell as long as she yet breathed - but I would not be easy until I saw her for myself and confirmed both her identity and that she lived.

The house was a maze of corridors I had never quite learned, and I had to remind myself not to tread on the heels of my guide. Eventually she led me down a flight of stairs, into the kitchens, and to a pantry near the kitchen garden. The door to the garden yet stood open, implying that the Inquisitor had either been shot near the back of the house or that the garden had been raided for herbs - or perhaps both. The girl leading me pushed open the door. "Fen'Harel, hahren," she said, and then slipped around me. I heard her footsteps trip lightly across the stone floor and back up the stairs.

There was a pallet of blankets hastily assembled on the floor. Ailis sat on a stool beside it, flanked by two guards, which at first seemed excessive for a single unconscious, wounded, one-armed woman, even one with the Inquisitor's reputation. Then I realized, based on the way he winced away from my title, that the guard on the far side of Ailis had to be the boy who shot her. "Hahren," I greeted Ailis, according her the title in spite of its absurdity coming from my mouth, and then spared a glance for the nearer guard. "Cara," I added, recognizing her. Only then did I allow my gaze to go to the woman on the pallet.

Yes. There was no doubt regarding her identity. Lisell had come looking for me and, against all odds, had found me.

Why - and how - were questions for later.

It seemed the sight of her had drawn me nearer without my being conscious of it, for when I fell to my knees, I found I was beside her.

Her skin was pale under a layer of dirt marked by tear-tracks, and unnervingly cool when I brushed my fingers along her jaw.

"My doing, Fen'Harel," Ailis creaked from the opposite side of the pallet. "I have slowed all her body's rhythms, to keep the damage from growing while we waited for you. The wounds inside her have released an infection for which I have no remedy."

"Thank you," I said, my voice more fervent than I had intended. Her skill might not be as great as mine, and certainly her power was lacking, but she had done precisely what I would have asked of her, had I been given the chance.

I called on my power, and felt the lightning fill me. With a gesture, it leapt across the space to Lisell's body, her muscles going rigid as it filled her. Then, like water disappearing into desert sand, the damaged parts of her drank it in, repairing themselves, as she once more went limp. I waited a breath - two - her body used what I had given her to further repair tissues, to turn the tide against encroaching disease, and, lastly, to replenish the blood she had shed. This last process could not be hurried as much as the others, though. It might take hours, or even days, for a full restoration. She might not wake until -

No, there - her lips twitched and she made a small, unhappy sound before her lashes fluttered and her eyes opened.

Opened, yes - but her gaze was yet dazed and unfocused.

Then her eyes fixed on me, and a dazzling smile spread across her face, unshadowed by memory. Vhenan. Her lips moved and I recognized the syllables, though she didn't make a sound. I felt - there were no words for what I felt.

I told myself I must put it aside, no matter what it was, but my distress must have shown plainly on my face, for Ailis noticed. She ushered the others quietly from the room, clearing space for me to focus on my response to the Inquisitor. I would have been grateful, had I possessed the necessary attention for it. I didn't know how much of this moment Lisell would remember, and I neither wanted to force knowledge upon her that her weakened state left her unready for, nor make her feel later as though I had taken advantage.

Then her smile faltered as her eyes searched my face, snatching the decision from my hands. "I had a dream," she whispered, "that you were gone."

I touched her face, not knowing what to say. Her full faculties had not yet returned, and the sorrow in her voice made me ache. I could no more refuse to console her than I could strip myself of my own guilt.

She stared at me, and I watched the knowledge slowly creep over her that it had been no dream. "Solas - why?" It was as though I had betrayed her all over again. What answer could I give? She hadn't understood even when her mind was clear.

Memory, it seemed, was returning - and taking its toll. Her breaths became sharper, shorter.

Her physical well-being abruptly became my only concern, as all thoughts of her future responses fled. I hushed her, fingers stroking her face and hair. "I am here. I am here, fenorain. All will be well, you must simply - "

"No," she said, her brow furrowing, some of her usual decisiveness coloring the word, even though she still appeared dazed. "They came to kill me." She looked at me again, the gears of her mind straining to turn. I didn't know whether she was speaking of a recent event, or one I had witnessed alongside her. She was here, after all, which implied something extraordinary had occurred, but I could not judge how consistent her memory might be. "And here you are," she added in a whisper, still sounding puzzled. "They - you - " She struggled to sit up, and I restrained her gently with one arm, putting the fingers of my other hand to her throat. Her pulse was rapid and less regular than I would have liked. For a moment she fought me, stoking my alarm, before giving it up all at once and collapsing back onto the blankets.

For a long, silent moment she stared at the ceiling, leaving me to wonder if she had done herself harm. "Then I am dead," she said at last. "And here you are." This time it was she who brought her fingers to my face, taking advantage of my consternation as I struggled to form a constructive denial. "If I had known, vhenan - I'm sorry if I made you wait. If I had known…" Her breathing was slowing again, becoming more regular, and her heart rate with it. "If I had known," she repeated, her hand falling away, and I gave up all thought of trying to make her understand any part of the truth. In a moment, I could see, she would slip back into unconsciousness. "Maybe...I wouldn't have fought so hard," she whispered as her eyes drifted closed.

"No." I swallowed convulsively. "I fear - and have reason to be grateful - you don't know how to stop fighting, my love." The feelings behind her words were likely all too real, but it didn't follow that the thoughts that came from them were entirely like her at this moment. I hoped they weren't, in any case.

No wonder no one who saw her would speak to me of her. I had no doubt she was strong enough to hold off despair in the normal course of things, but it must nip at her heels always - and it was my doing.

I was roused from my contemplation of my sins by a knock at the door. "What?" I asked, my voice harsher than I had intended.

The door opened, and Tamorian stepped halfway inside the room. "I believe I have pieced together what happened, Fen'Harel," he said, nodding to Lisell's inert form.

I gestured him toward the stool Ailis had vacated. "Tell me."

"I will tell you in the order the knowledge came to me, and save the parts that are still speculative for last, so you will be able to accurately judge my responses," he said, settling himself and looking grave. "You may feel that I have failed you."

I glanced down at Lisell. "I may," I agreed, unable to reassure him given the magnitude of the events that must have conspired to bring her here.

"Almost ten days ago, there was...an incident. A murderer was caught, tortured, and killed without trial, though his guilt does not appear to be in question. He was an elf, something of a vagrant, and he plied multiple trades along a route that took him from Val Firmin to Velun. Some of the rage can be explained by the fact that he particularly targeted children as victims. After his killing in Val Firmin, the hahren of the alienage there made a mild complaint to the steward of the city about the lack of trial or other official proceeding, though not to the ultimate fate of the murderer. The steward shared the complaint with those in his circle, and within a day sentiment against the elves of Val Firmin was roused. They were accused of harboring the murderer, and the alienage was purged."

I nodded for him to go on - a tragic tale, but unfortunately common.

"The unrest spread, and some reports say it was fanned by the Chantry, though we have nothing concrete other than the participation of one reverend mother and several sisters in the mob violence. More to the point, the steward of Valun's niece was among those murdered, and he gave a public call for a purge of the alienage in his own town. All of this I learned from our agents as it unfolded, but it was a minor matter - far too minor for your attention."

"True," I allowed.

"Then politics intruded. Celene censured the stewards involved in the affair, and forced the noble houses who had appointed them to pay reparations, a consequence with the vocal support of the Divine. Strangely, however, rumors of Chantry involvement persisted - grew, even. At the time, I put it down to the Divine's own handling of her subordinates - all quietly ejected from the Chantry hierarchy and remanded to the appropriate authorities without public comment. It was alarming, but still manageable if - "

"And now?" I asked, interrupting. "What do you suspect now?"

He hesitated, resistant to deviating from the course he had intended the report to take, but after a moment he managed to reorganize his thoughts enough to answer me. "Briala," he summed up succinctly. "There was too much anger, and it had to go somewhere. She is more loyal to Celene than to the Chantry, and so she chose the Chantry as her scapegoat."

I nodded, and gestured for him to go on.

"There was an attack," he said, "on the Grand Cathedral. Four days ago."

He went on hurriedly, reading my expression with the ease of long familiarity, preempting everything I thought of snarling at him.

"I debated telling you, but two things stopped me. First, though better-planned and more successful than anyone would have anticipated, it still did little to upset the Chantry hierarchy. Though there were initial rumors that the Inquisitor had been killed, these were already debunked by the time word came to me. Our agents dismissed it as a foiled or misdirected attempt to leverage some kind of power within the Game.

"Second, I could not reach any of our agents placed within the Chantry in Val Royeaux. This disturbed me, but the ensuing chaos had disrupted lines of communication, and I did not wish to trouble you with an incomplete picture. Not when - "

I nodded shortly, sparing him the need to elaborate further. "The call was not an easy one," I allowed, still angered but able to see how useless the information would have seemed had matters fallen out differently.

He grunted, his lips thinning in disapproval. "I finally received word from one of our agents a few minutes ago. More a confession than a report."

"Our agents were involved," I said, not guessing.

"They passed messages and even moved small numbers of people using the eluvians," Tamorian confirmed.

"How did this go unnoticed?" I demanded.

"We are decentralized by design," he answered with a shrug. "Cells are given separate orders. Find an agent placed highly enough to support your cause - or forge orders from one - "

"Yes," I agreed, my voice flat.

"Some of them did not know your prohibition against interfering with the Chantry. Many others had filled in their own reasons for it. None knew of your...special concern...for the Inquisitor's continued good health."

No, they wouldn't. My intention had been to prevent the opening of yet another avenue from which her safety could be threatened. I had enemies, as anyone with my power would, no matter how restrained I had so far been in exercising it. Allowing it to become known that the Inquisitor was a means of striking at me could be fatal for her. As for me - well, I didn't believe I would let my plans be too seriously disrupted by threats to her, but I could not swear to it.

"The agents who took part will have to be purged," I said, feeling the heavy weight of my authority settle on me. It felt not unlike regret. "Nothing like this can ever be allowed to happen again. At least," I continued, half to myself, "we know why she came in demanding that I kill her face to face. And if she believes I set this plot in motion, Leliana likely does, as well. The record will have to be set right - and Leliana needs to know her Inquisitor still lives."

"You may also feel condolences are in order," Tamorian told me. "Little was done to upset Chantry hierarchy, but not nothing. When the would-be assassins realized they would get nowhere near the Divine, they retreated, setting fires as they went. Most were contained quickly, but one spread across a garden and into the city, where it kindled a Chantry-run orphanage. Seeker Pentaghast single-handedly saved more than a score of children, as well as several sisters, before succumbing to the smoke. She died within the hour."

"Cassandra," I murmured, feeling my shoulders slump. "Ir abelas, my friend. Any others?"

"Only one other of note - Lady Montilyet had just entered the gates of the Grand Cathedral when the attack occurred, and was surrounded only by her household guards. Several elven porters she had hired from the city saw that elves were running the attack and seemingly joined in spontaneously. Though they were subdued quickly, the lady received a blow to the head. It is unknown whether she will recover."

"Josephine." Though our paths crossed but rarely while we served together, I knew she was dear to Lisell, and I had always admired her subtlety and cleverness.

"Commander Cullen also took an arrow to the shoulder, but he was released by the healers that same night, and continues to serve." Tamorian finished.

"Were any other of my former companions in the city? Vivienne - " With her grasp of the Game, she had put together the Circle she wanted in Val Royeaux, coyly named a "college," but governed as a Circle, and remained at its head. There was little love lost between us, but Lisell had long regarded her with tolerant fondness.

"The College was a secondary target, but either news travelled quickly or they had a tip beforehand, because the tower was locked and warded when the attackers arrived. Perhaps some of the elven mages - "

"Perhaps," I cut him off, thinking rapidly. "Sera. Does she yet remain Val Royeaux?" Another of my beloved's inner circle with whom I had never seen eye-to-eye, but watching Lisell's eyes dance with mischief as they laughed together had done much to reconcile me to their friendship. In the normal course of things, Lisell carried herself with grace and confidence that a woman several times her age might envy, to say nothing of the thoughtfulness displayed in all her most consequential decisions. Though Sera's games lacked maturity, I had still been reassured by seeing Lisell act, every now and again, as a girl her age ought.

"Sera," Tamorian repeated. "The Red Jenny? There's no way to know." He shrugged. "She would see an agent coming half a continent away."

"Of course," I replied, vexed at my own foolishness. Elven servants saw what they saw precisely because those in power did not see them. Sera was not the sort of person who overlooked those whose status did not match hers. Easier, as she had never had much status to begin with, and had rejected all chances to move upward after joining the Inquisition. She stayed true to her ideals, that much I would give her - no matter how childish I found them.

"Fen'Harel," Tamorian said, recalling my attention, "I still can't say where or how the would-be assassins found the Inquisitor, but there was a body wearing her clothes. One that was, at first, mistaken for her. And she arrived, wearing clothing that would not disgrace a highly-placed servant..."

"Of course," I sighed. "Eliwys." Her maid, hand-selected by me so that I might have an agent close to her.

He nodded. "My best guess is that she gave the Inquisitor instructions on how to find the manor. Otherwise I suspect the Divine would already be on our doorstep with a small army. She should not have done it, of course…"

"As it was her primary duty to protect Lisell's life, and she seemingly gave her own in exchange to fulfill that duty, I believe we can forgive her if she panicked and directed her charge toward the one place she felt safety was certain," I replied, my tone a reprimand.

Tamorian bowed his head, acknowledging the rebuke.

"Arrange appropriate quarters for the Inquisitor, and assign a handful of people to serve her - people we trust. She can have anything she asks for, within reason, but she is not to leave. I will have to give thought to how and when we will deliver her back into Leliana's care." I did not say if we delivered her back into Leliana's care, though I thought it. "Once she is well enough to hear it, let her know of Cassandra's death, and Josephine's injury."

"One other matter, Fen'Harel. The purge of those who disobeyed. What of those who turn themselves in? Must they die, too?"

I hesitated. "I will give it thought. For now, concentrate on finding the rebels and executing those who resist. Hold those who come forward."

He bent his head. "As you say. Then - I still have your faith?"

I spent a moment in contemplation. "I will make inquiries, but if all is as you have presented it - yes. What you knew did not justify my attention, and you could not know what you did not know."

"Thank you," he said, turning to leave.

"One last thing," I said as it came to mind. "I do not want updates on the Inquisitor. Not unless my intervention is needed."

"Yes, Fen'Harel."


Elven translations, ordered by appearance:

Hahren: Elder, used as a title for leaders of alienages

Vhenan: My heart/my home

Fenorain: Treasure, but in the diminutive form. No direct translation.