Now that is just cheating.
Shartan stood off to the side of the bustle in the great hall, as Elves flowed in and out of the mirrors transporting the treasures of the temple to a temple of Shartan's soulmate hidden deep in the free marches. To his left stood his daughter and on his right stood his soulmate. The feeling of having his oldest and most beloved child with him again was great, even with the threat hanging over their heads.
"Should we not be focusing on moving the well?" Cassandra asked, looking at the calm yet rapid pace the ancient elves had set.
"We are mother, the vessel is being readied as we speak. She must be cleansed before she can bear the well." Nehra explained, looking at her father to back her up.
"You are both right, if it was not for the time we save by arriving through the mirrors we would have had to simply grab the well and run. However, with the time we have it is better to do things as properly as possible, the great treasures of the elven gods are not something to take lightly." Shartan said, walking the line of not agreeing with either or disagreeing with either.
"What is the treasure for me?" Cassandra asked, Shartan glanced at Nehra with an eyebrow raised.
"It is the horn of beasts!" Nehra gushed, studying her mother's magics and her fathers tools and enchantments had been her hobby for years. "The Horn was made from one of the horns of your halla form that fell in spring, Father hollowed it out and carved it into the Horn. Then together you and Father made the banding for it and imbued it with the power to control all beasts that heard its call!"
"That is right, the Horn was made to serve me if we ever entered war again. The sound allowed me and my forces to call armies of beasts to ravage our enemies. When I waged war after your death, I used it to control High dragons and burn entire armies and temples to the ground." Shartan explained, before Cassandra could comment the doors outside the main antechamber opened and Morrigan appeared.
Before anyone could move a boom echoed through the chamber, shaking everyone, and knocking several stacks of boxes over. The elves leapt into action the speed of the moving picking up, while warriors flowed seamlessly out of the lines to pick up their weapons and began jogging towards the entrance. The Inner circle was led out of a room by a pair of old elves, everyone looking grim with weapons drawn and ready. Shartan felt a flicker of pride for his circle before he turned and led the way to the entrance.
Outside Abelas and several other elves were chanting and weaving signs in the air with a row of shield bears behind to guard them, as Corypheus and his forces approached, the group drew level and one of the shield bearers nodded his greeting to them.
"How did he get here so fast with no one noticing?" Shartan demanded, slipping into his war leader mindset with ease.
"One of the scouts snuck in just after they arrived, it was a large-scale cloaking spell. By the number of shem bodies they found and the reek of the tainted lyrium we are guessing a lot of blood/corrupted lyrium magic fueling the orb and weaving the dread wolf's foci's cloaking spells." Shartan cursed, a cold laugh filled the air as Corypheus advanced.
"Foolish knife ears! Your pathetic spells will not stop me!" The darkspawn mocked, Shartan yelled right back in the same mocking tone. "Really, you needed our spells and tools to get this far! How could you think that elven artifacts of the dread wolf may breach this temple without the permission of Mythal?"
As if Abelas had been waiting for that, the team of casting elves clapped their hands above their heads in a deafening sound. The Foci in the darkspawn's hand pulsed with blue and green lights before erupting with blinding light. With the light faded half of the invading force was gone their master included. Around the temple's gates rose the same light, now forming a barrier to keep the all elven magics besides the ones of Mythal out.
"That won't keep him down for long and we still need to move the well and everyone else, Abelas sound the retreat and have them lay traps along the way." Shartan ordered, turning to the others he gestured for them to follow him.
"While you do that I will get the well moved and ward the mirror of Mythal, focus on getting everyone out besides the well all the books and most important treasures have been moved." Shartan called over his shoulder.
###
Nehra followed her father closely, doors that had been shut for centuries stirring to life and throwing themselves open as they felt the touch of the old power. The Shemlen inner circle followed closely as well, Nehra glanced at them as they rounded a bend, she still did not expect much from them. The aura swirling around one of them, the elven girl was very similar to her own, Nehra had been told that was her niece. With how the girl looked at everything and reacted to any elven spoken near her, Nehra wept for the state of world if that was what happened to her in the Shemlen world.
"Prongs you know where your going, right?" The Dwarf asked, Nehra frowned at her father being called such a name.
"Varric this is one of the oldest temples there is, it was from here that I waged war on Mythal's behalf for over three hundred years. Also, I got married in this temple." Her father explained never breaking stride, the dwarf pulled out a note book and made notes in it also not breaking stride.
"To think my mother ruled this, does seem a tad rich for her taste." Morrigan remarked looking at the finery with distaste, Nehra smirked barking out a short laugh.
"Aunt Mythal hated this temple's décor, she knew the value of showing wealth and power… Though I think she assigned me to this one because I annoyed her with my constant wanderings, sent me to be babysat by Abelas just to annoy me." Nehra explained, smiling when Morrigan laughed. "Tis very likely she sent me to journey with grey wardens, and I would guess that it was to annoy me for annoying her as much as for her plots."
"Anyone else concerned that those two are getting along? What is next the vint going to start joining in?" The large Qunari asked, she could tell he was only half joking.
"It is good for my daughter to have friends, and they can bond over the woman who raised them. Besides I think Dorian would get along just fine, at least with him I don't have to worry about him sleeping with my daughter." Her father tossed back, as they approached the floating steps to the well, steps which had started to float the moment her father and the dread wolf entered the room.
"Glad to know a ancient elf approves of me being around his daughter with worrying about me corrupting her purity." The human male mage snarked, Nehra rolled her eyes while smirking.
"You speak as if I am a virgin." Nehra muttered, the Dwarf and female elf and male human mage all choked at the same time.
"I am well aware of your 'activities', I do admit hearing that you managed to host an orgy in the temple of June 'I don't have sex and nor should my priest' god of crafts was impressive. But right now, we have more important matters to attend to, Morrigan it is time." Shartan countered, making everyone choke or laugh, expect for Morrigan and Nehra as they approached the edge of the well.