The Daughter of Tethras
Disclaimer: Don't own Dragon Age
A/N:
Chapter 3 (Start of the Inquisition)
Bianca awoke with a startled gasp and a heavy sweat, her heart was racing and her hands trembled violently. The last thing she remembered was assaulting the breach with Varric, Solas and Cassandra at her side.
Now, not only was she shocked to discover that she could actually dream, she was having a nightmare regarding Lantos and her Carta clan.
As heavy breaths fell from her lips, a crash pulled her attention forward. A small elven girl was kneeling down with her hands over her head and her body shaking. "I-I'm so sorry," the girl stammered. Bianca held her breath and closed her eyes while breathing in through her nose.
She separated her lips to release the breath, then turned her eyes onto the elf. "Why are you so scared? What happened?" The girl continued to tremble, whimpering as she stood up.
"It's been three days. Posthaste. Lady Cassandra said posthaste." The girl took off, leaving her alone in the strange house. Her chest expanded slowly and she raised her hands to her eyes, rubbing them with a gentle motion. She didn't understand whether the girl meant she'd been sleeping for three entire days, but now wasn't the time for sleep.
"Is he still out there?" She muttered to herself. She threw her legs over the edge of the bed and dropped her hands onto the edge where they firmly clutched the mattress and sheets. "If he survived the Conclave-can he still come after me?"
A sudden knocking caused her to flinch and shout in surprise. When she turned, she saw Varric standing in the doorway with his knuckles tapping the frame. "Hey kid, I thought I'd check on you." A gentle smile spread across his face and his soft eyes soothed her frayed nerves. "That servant girl just ran through the camp shouting that you were awake."
"I'm fine." She jumped off the bed and ran the back of her hand over her forehead, wiping away the sweat. "Hey…dwarves don't have nightmares, do they?" Varric's smile faded away and he shook his head.
"We don't dream, much less have nightmares."
"That's what I thought. It's just-it's weird."
"Solas may know." Varric approached her and leaned against the foot of the bed. "It might have something to do with that mark of yours." She groaned as flashes of the vivid nightmare struck her.
"Great…" Varric's shoulders dropped and he raised his hand to the back of his neck, rubbing it while letting out a heavy sigh. "I don't want to dream. I don't want this mark. I don't want any of this."
"I know it won't help, but Cassandra said you mentioned someone by the name of Dasher?" She slowly looked towards him and nodded, but remained silent out of uncertainty on just how much he knew. Varric swayed sideways and furrowed his brow. "I know several leaders of various Carta clans through my workings in the merchant's guild…You got saddled with Dasher's clan?"
"Yes."
"I…" A look of sorrow and pain flashed in his eyes. He closed his eyes and bowed his head. "I am so sorry. Of all the clans, I know how rough theirs is." He crossed his arms and opened his eyelids partway. "Far as I know, Dasher's trying to change things. I can't figure out if it's his lieutenant or something else that isn't letting it happen."
"As long as Dasher's alive, things are fine. I really don't care to talk about them." Varric's hands started to close, and his jaw locked in place. "If you know how that clan is, then you know why I don't want to go back there."
She could see in his eyes that he was well aware of the events that took place in that clan, but she didn't understand his anger. "Does the carta member have a name?"
"Lantos."
"I see. Then, before I came in, you said something about someone looking for you? Is that the guy?" She nodded her reply. Varric's muscles appeared to tense, and his brow furrowed. He motioned his head to the left. "Go to the chantry. Cassandra's waiting for you there…"
"Thanks." She started for the door. Varric called out to her so she stopped and looked back with a smile. "Yes?" His foot tapped the ground and his arms uncrossed to hang at his sides.
"You shouldn't have to worry about your clan coming after you. If a problem arises, talk to Cullen or Leliana about it. I assure you, if this Lantos guy does show up, he will have to get past my crossbow first."
"I've dealt with him before, I can handle him fairly well. I'd just rather not have to deal with him."
"I understand. We dwarves have to look out for each other though." She smiled at him, studying him for the moment. She took a breath, then left. She wasn't sure exactly where the chantry was, but the people standing around were able to point her in the right direction.
"Thank you." She appreciated the protective concern, but in more of a way than he probably meant it. The thought of having a father looking after her was something she enjoyed, especially since her adoptive one never looked after her in the way he did his other children.
"Before I head over there, I have a question." Varric looked back at her and motioned for her to ask. "Apparently I've been out for three days…so what all happened?" She leaned her shoulder against the frame and folded her arms over her stomach.
"You didn't miss much." He chuckled once and swayed his hands out sideways. "I mean, between Cassandra fighting tooth and nail with Roderick and Solas trying to keep you alive, there wasn't much happening."
"And the Breach?'
"It's still in the sky, but calmer." Her lip pouted for a second and she turned her gaze over her shoulder. A powerful sense of defeat hit her, since she'd hoped to have closed it and then she could get on with her life.
"What about you, then?" He raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
"I had Leliana check on something for me, but other than that, nothing." A frown flickered on her face and she dropped her shoulders. While she wasn't sure what she hoped he might say, she was grateful that everyone made it out of that final battle.
"Now. The chantry is going to be just up the hill; follow the path. You won't get lost either, a bunch of soldiers are standing at attention out there, basically pointing the way."
She had no doubt that she could find the Chantry on her own, but she wanted to have this moment to spend some time with her father, even if he didn't know it. "You could show me." She looked on with a hopeful smile and raised her shoulders. "What else do you have to do?"
"I-" Varric fell quiet and looked into her eyes. He breathed in and the tension in his body subsided. "Alright, come with me." Her heart skipped and she followed him outside.
The first thing she saw was a line of soldiers and villagers standing with their hands over their chests in salute. She was taken aback by this. "Why are they saluting me?"
"Because you silenced the breach and closed a few rifts. In short, saved a bunch of lives." As they walked along the path, Bianca looked up at the sky. The hole in the sky was still present, but it wasn't swirling as violently as before.
The mark was still present on her hand, but it wasn't painful anymore. It was still horrifying, and she wanted it gone.
Bianca did what she could to ignore both things in the moment and focused on the man walking alongside her. "So Varric, I didn't get a chance to ask…your crossbow. I can't help but notice the similar name. Did you know a Bianca once?"
"Once," he replied, "A promise. It is still the one story I will not tell." She furrowed her brow and nodded, understanding his stance. The fact that he knew a girl named Bianca was curious, but prying might upset him, and she wanted to get to know him rather than push him away.
As they approached the chantry, she noticed an oddity in the line of soldiers and villagers. Between two soldiers was a dwarf with his head bowed and his arms folded across his chest.
His face was shrouded by his jet black coat and hood. He wore dark colored pants as well, and was an inch or two taller than she was.
As they passed, the man didn't raise his head and made no movements. Between them was Varric, who was focused on the building several feet away. There was something ominous about the man that drove her to move a bit closer to her father upon reflex. She didn't have her sword on her, so if anyone were to take a swing at her now, she would only have her hands to fight with.
Varric raised his hand to his chin and his eyes drifted over to her. "Cassandra told me what you said to her during the fighting." She raised an eyebrow and curled her fingers inward. "Asking her to kill you."
Her eyes dropped to the ground. Varric scratched the back of his head and exhaled sharply. "For what it's worth, I am glad you survived." She stifled a gasp and raised her gaze back to him. "You should know that no one gave up on you during the last three days."
He dropped his hand and smirked. "Cassandra seems to want you to be a part of this merry band she's forming."
"Oh?"
"Yep. The Inquisition. She wants you to be a part of it, especially since that mark on your hand can close the breach. It's only a matter of figuring out how." This wasn't something she wanted to get involved with. Sure it was the right thing to do, and she did want to help if at all possible, but it wasn't her choice. The breach ensured that it wasn't her choice.
"Will you be a part of the Inquisition, Varric?" He stopped before the large doors of the chantry and curled his hand around the brass handle.
"Oh yeah." He pulled open the door and motioned for her to enter. "I'm here for the long haul. Though Seeker may not like it." She walked inside, fighting down the grin that was attempting to widen on her lips.
If he was staying, then she could do this. As long as her father was here, she didn't need him to know her as his daughter in order for her to spend some time with the guy. "Good. I'm glad."
She looked outside at the dwarf still standing with his head bowed and concealed, and a sense of danger hit her. "Varric, maybe you should come inside?" He laughed and shook his head.
"This is as far into the chantry as I'd like to get." Varric peered beyond her and she twisted around looking at the large wooden doors at the end of the hall. Cassandra's voice could be heard echoing from the room, and joining hers was a man who she could only assume was this Roderick Varric spoke of. "Plus, I've had enough of shouting for the past few days, it's making my head pound."
"Why are they fighting anyway? They've been at each other's throat since the Conclave." She hadn't forgot about Roderick wanting her chained up and sent to Val Royeaux for judgment, but surely he wasn't still arguing that. "Or are they still fighting about me?"
"Yep. They are. I'll be at the campfire outside if you need anything." He pat her on the back, then waved as he started to head outside.
Her eyes darted to the dark clothed dwarf and she called out urgently. "Varric." He stopped and turned around with a sigh. "Be careful. There's someone out there that's giving me a bad vibe."
"The one dwarf, right?" She jerked her head back and he smirked. "I notice things that are out of place, you don't become a writer without being observant."
She breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't worry, I've got 'Bianca' here." He pat his crossbow and flashed a smirk. "Now hurry up, I don't know how much longer Seeker can go without lobbing off the guy's head. Let me know if you're joining her Inquisition."
"Okay." She watched with a lingering gaze as Varric walked away. Her eyelids were moist, and the sunlight glinted off the mist in her eyes. She turned away and looked up to the doors, whispering aloud. "I'm definitely staying here, father…"
So the Inquisition begins. Bear in mind again that while the events in the game are concrete, there are differences. Such as you've seen this chapter, Varric walking with her to the chantry. There are also various things that happen in the game that are assumed to happen here but we won't see it because it's frivolous. Anyway, what are your thoughts on this chapter?
Please do say something, I want to hear your reactions to the events in chapter, but I won't beg. Do you suspect Lantos may be up to something? Varric said he had Leliana check on something, what do you think he might have had her look for?