Daughter of Tethras

Disclaimer: Don't own Dragon Age

A/N: I do hope that you haven't forgotten this story because updates have slowed, come and finish it with me. Enjoy it and do let me know what you think as it goes along.

Chapter 34 (Morrigan's Wisdom)

Finally having some time to focus on the initial task at hand, Bianca found herself swept off by Morrigan to see what the woman was calling an Eluvian. At first glance it only appeared to be an old mirror with a white tablecloth on it.

Once Morrigan used her magic, the glass lit up and the mage stepped inside, leaving Bianca to follow. What came next took her breath from her lungs; it was a world of broken mirrors and pathways, and oddly shaped trees that had treetops shaped like balls.

"This place once had a name, but it's long forgotten now." Morrigan folded her arms and smiled as Bianca studied the area in awe of the strange and intoxicating wonder. "Each Eluvian connects to a different location, this place serves as a connection to each. All part of ancient magic."

"Corypheus wants this?" Everything seemed to be coming up to the ancient elves lately, as if they were responsible for everything that happens in Thedas and they were the sole answer to every question and action that shaped the continent. She found it intriguing, and somewhat annoying. "What use could it be to him?"

"I did mention that you can get almost anywhere within Thedas through these mirrors. Though, a great majority of them are broken, but there is one still intact within the Arbor Wilds. We must go there and reach the Eluvian before Corypheus does."

They spoke a little more of the Eluvian while walking the grounds, but soon business became conversation. She was happy to hear Morrigan's thoughts on many things going on, and truly pleased to hear the advice the woman had to offer her.

"I didn't know you had a son," Bianca said when they reentered Skyhold's garden. Morrigan's son was a short child of nine or ten years of age, he had light brown hair and shimmering blue eyes. The boy was speaking currently with Mother Giselle. "He must have been born around the time of the blight."

"Afterwards. He is…very important to me." Morrigan closed her hands before her abdomen and cast a tender, proud gaze onto her son. "Leliana spoke of how I saved her beloved Warden's life?"

"She did. She didn't say much aside from her owing you his life." She looked to the boy and realization struck her like lightning. "It involves your son? Don't tell me his father-"

"Yes, he is David's child." She closed her eyes and leaned her shoulder and left temple against a nearby stone pillar. "But it was not an affair. It was part of a ritual, one which I knew would bear me a child that would turn the energy of the Archdemon onto me, thereby preventing the warden for sacrificing his life in order to end the blight."

"I see. I was a little concerned at first."

"I have been told you don't seem to hold him in high regard as you do some of the others. Why is that?"

"Because he's not here." She stood up and spread her arms out while shrugging. "He's left Leliana behind. I know she's still in contact, but why isn't he here with her?"

"Sometimes those we wish to be with the most are the very reason we are not near them. David seeks to end the calling, to cure himself of the taint so he may live a full life with his love."

Suddenly she felt like an idiot for assuming David was just skipping out. It made sense that he would be doing this now, and that if he had been here, he might have ended up being pulled into the mess with the Wardens.

"Maybe you're right Morrigan, maybe it is for the better. I'm sure it would have been more than Leliana could take if he'd been caught up in all the mess the Wardens were dealing with."

"She is a strong woman, but even she has her breaking points. We all do. Whether it's Leliana, myself, or even your father. Or perhaps, even your companions….have you spoken much to them lately?"

"Yeah, we're always together." Even when she would leave Skyhold, those that went with her varied. Most of the time she travelled with Solas and Cassandra in tow, but she'd change them out from time to time. Varric always insisted on being there, and she preferred it.

"But besides Cassandra, how many have you spoken to about leaving Thedas?" She jerked her head back, astonished that Morrigan knew about that. Morrigan looked knowingly at her and pulled back the left corner of her lips. "Have you not seen the way they look at you, the way they look at your father? They're trying to understand, to know if it is because of them that you wish to leave."

"No, it's not like that at all. How-"

"The walls have ears, and people do talk. You and Varric haven't been secretive about your plan. Not to mention, I did receive an invitation to go along." As they walked the garden, Morrigan moved her hands behind her back and looked up towards the sky. "We are quickly closing in on Corypheus. You and your father wish to leave Thedas behind once you are through with them, and you have spent so little time with your friends…to face Corypheus and rush off."

"I just wanted to be rid of him as quickly as possible. I never meant to ignore them. I'm always out with Cole and Sera, but that's because I feel closer to them."

"They are closer to you in age, so that is understandable. Have you spoken to them about this journey that is being planned?"

"No…I didn't mean to leave them out or anything." She wasn't used to companionship, that was all, so she wasn't sure how to tell any of them about the plan to leave. "I wasn't going to not talk to them about it, and I didn't mean to avoid any of them."

"I know. Maybe the hardest part for you is you've made friends, perhaps for the first time in your life, and already you're ready to leave on a new adventure that some of them won't be able to go on. Am I correct? I understood the invitation, I understand that mages may not be able to get past this 'ancient barrier'." She bowed her head and gently ran her hand over her neck, sighing with uncertainty.

"I'm not saying don't go, because you and your father deserve to spend your life getting to know each other, not trying to survive one chaos after another."

"I've never been one for goodbyes, I know that. I want Sera to come with us, but I don't know how she'd be treated in this new land. I want Cole too, but I don't know if he can even leave Thedas or not."

"He may be able to. He is but a spirit that now grows more and more human with each passing day."

"Yeah…I want Cassandra to come along also, but she and Leliana both have this thing to work out with the Divine. Cassandra also wants to work to rebuild the Seekers."

Bianca was also thinking about placing Cassandra in charge of the Inquisition. There were a few possibilities. Cullen's new girlfriend, Trina Trevelyan came the closest to leadership that Bianca was seeing.

"Besides Cassandra, I've been thinking about who I want to name the next Inquisitor. There are a few potentials, but I need to get to know them…" She tapped her chin and paced a bit to the right. "Jade, she's a Dalish elf we met recently. But she hasn't shown any interest in taking on the role, and Sera's kind of starting to take a liking to her…so if I could take Sera, if she could get past the barrier, Jade might want to come with us."

"Okay. Who else?"

"The Trevelyan siblings. Trina and Leon, both of them have taken leadership roles back where they come from." Morrigan chuckled softly, but remained silent as Bianca continued to ponder the choices. "Trina is kindhearted, has a solid conscience and is strong-minded, as is her brother, so both of them are high on my list."

"I see. They may then be able listen to their heart and conscience as you do, and perhaps they would be a good fit for structure. Cassandra seems a good choice, but she may have her hands full with what roles she must fill now."

"Yeah, that's a good point."

"Is there anybody else you have considered thus far?"

"There's this Qunari, who has actually led her own group much like Bull has. Megan. She's smart, she's got a great head on her shoulders as well…I think she would be a solid and strong leader."

At the end of the day, she couldn't tell whether or not the Inquisition would be needed once Corypheus was done. The Inquisition was started to help create order during a time of chaos; and since the mages and Templars quashed their war, there was no more fighting.

"As for my friends? I don't know. Any one of them could lead, if their heart was in it…but I mean, my heart wasn't in it at first. I'll be honest." Morrigan's eyebrow rose and a curious hum escaped her lips. Bianca's eyes darted over and her shoulders rose sharply. "I joined the Inquisition because I was at the conclave, because I thought my dad was going to be here. When I found out he was, I wanted to be close to him-that was all I cared about. I stayed, I didn't run, because I wanted to be with my father and nothing else."

"And now?"

"I still just want to be with my dad." She dropped her hands and blew out heavily. "But I acknowledge the danger there is now with Corypheus, that's why I know I have to stop him before we leave Thedas. I'm not leaving Thedas behind with that madman on the loose…but once he's gone, that's the end of it."

"I understand."

"Is it bad that I feel that way, though?" She frowned and looked out at the people in the garden. Her gaze softened and she felt a tremor in her heart. "I don't want it to seem like I don't care."

She felt Morrigan's gentle hand on her shoulder and looked back at the woman's pride-filled eyes. "That you would even think of them shows that you do care, I think. Still, you are in your full right to do and be where you are happiest." Morrigan's head tilted to the right and her warm smile soothed the trembling in Bianca.

"When we found you in the deep roads, there was a fear to you that remained long after we took you to safety. There was a sorrow that never left you, even when home again. What I understand, that sorrow never left until you were connected with your true father. You have the chance to finally make a life for yourself, to be happy, and so does he. You were thrust into something you say you did not want, though you may be the best thing for Thedas right now, that doesn't mean you will always be the best thing for this country. Heroes come and go, but they are always remembered. Certainly, you must realize this."

"I do."

"Then if you want to go be with your father, and you want to explore this new land that his friends have discovered, you should. You should do what your heart says to be happy. Once Corypheus is long gone, would you still be happy sitting on the Inquisition throne, trying to solve every small and large problem that comes the way of Thedas?"

She chuckled nervously and her cheeks started to burn. "Not really." She hated admitting it, but the second those words left her mouth, they took a large weight with them. "I've never liked being the center of attention before. I hate all the politics and mess, and while I feel a duty to get rid of Corypheus…I just don't want to stay here any longer than that."

"An unhappy ruler makes a terrible leader, would you agree?"

"So do what makes me happy?" Bianca raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "That's not selfish at all?" Morrigan laughed.

"Bianca. Since you've stepped up to lead the Inquisition, all your efforts have been for the best of Thedas. While there exists a selfishness in all of us, there is a difference between being selfish and being happy." She unfolded her arms and looked down at the grass around her feet.

She didn't know if it was selfishness or a desire to be happy, but she was well aware of what Morrigan was saying and how true to word it was. She wouldn't be happy taking such a big responsibility on as leading the Inquisition for years to come, not when she never had the chance to enjoy her life.

"I'd make a horrible leader afterwards. I just know I would."

The resentment towards Thedas could nearly be felt, though she had little of it. It could grow, and she could come to blame Thedas as well as the Inquisition for her never being able to live once she finally escaped the clutches of both the Cadash family and the Carta.

Morrigan's hand curled beneath her chin and Bianca let the woman tilt her head up towards her. "Bianca, there are times the two cross paths, and there are times when it is difficult to discern between them, an individual must realize that in order to do best in everything you do, you must place yourself first." Her voice was soft and endearing, and there was a mother-like quality that slightly resembled Leliana's. She smiled gently and her eyebrows started to curl together.

"You have to be happy, if you want anyone else to be. You have to be strong if you want others to be. Do you understand? To every person, to every individual no matter how great or small, they must always place themselves first before they can aid anyone else."

"I suppose."

"Besides. You are young, fragile and already you've seen far too much the evils that lay in the hearts of mankind." Morrigan took a deep breath and stood upright while gesturing with her head to the garden. "Go. Be with your friends, be with your father. Choose a leader you think will be able to aid Thedas the best once Corypheus is dealt with, and once that's done, you will be able to leave with your father onto a new journey in a new land. Thedas will be fine no matter what you do, I am certain of it."

"Thank you, Morrigan."

What do you think, do you agree with Morrigan? Do you think that if she stayed ruling the Inquisition afterwards, that she would come to resent the place? Also, how do you feel the rest of the companions are thinking with her desire to leave Thedas. We know Varric is also leaving something behind, as is Hawke, but all three of them will have to put faith and trust in whatever successor they select. Once they leave on this new journey, they may never be able to return, and that is the price to be paid. I want all of you to know that I appreciate your input, by the way, and I hope that once this tale ends you'll read its sequel...because where this story ends a new one begins. That is, however, up to you if you would enjoy seeing it done.