A/N: You wanted Inquisition? You got it. Note that plot will be different from the game. Oh, and there'll be more Aedan. Because I wanted the Warden in Inquisition. And it's my fic. So there.

Chapter 67

It was only her training that was keeping her sane. Leliana knew this well. If you practised enough, you could even recreate a speech with flawless precision. She'd developed her faculties of quick thinking and cool headedness to such a degree that nothing ruffled her anymore.

Even when they should.

Cassandra was silent as they walked, her jaw clenched tight and her arms swinging in sync with her steps. She too, Leliana knew, had fallen back on her training. Between the two of them, they had tackled many a problem. Gambled with the futures of nations, as it were. The Right and Left Hands, always working in tandem to protect the Divine in any way, shape or form.

But this... this was bigger than anything either of them had encountered, and Leliana did not know whether they were equipped to handle it.

As they approached the cell, Cassandra nodded at the guard and he held open the gate for them. The cell was dimly lit, and in the centre sat their only suspect, surrounded by four armed guards. She was an elven woman with long brown hair and the ceremonial elven facial tattoos on her cheeks and forehead. She sat quietly, chin sunk on her chest, but looked up slowly when they entered.

She seemed young. And confused. Other than that, Leliana couldn't tell much. It didn't stop Cassandra from doing what she had to do.

"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now," said Cassandra, her voice a barely contained tempest. "The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead." She pushed her finger before the elf's face. "Everyone except for you."

The woman blinked up at her, her bottom lip quivering. "I... you think I'm responsible?"

"Explain this," retorted Cassandra as she grabbed the elf's left wrist and raised it. A green spark shot out of her hand and the elf winced.

"I... can't."

"What do you mean, you can't?"

"I don't know what that is!" cried the elf. "Or how it got there!"

Cassandra snarled and grabbed her by the collars. "You're lying!"

Only then did Leliana see it fit to interrupt the interrogation. She pulled Cassandra away by the forearm saying, "We need her. She's not faking."

"I don't understand," muttered the woman. Leliana turned to find her rubbing her forehead. She sounded confused more than anything.

"D'you remember what happened?" Leliana asked instead. Now was not the time to be taking it easy on anybody. "How this started?"

"I remember running." The woman's eyes focused past them to the upper right. She was trying to remember. She was compliant. Genuine. "Things were chasing me, and then..." She looked at her, as if Leliana would ease her dazedness. "I saw... a woman?"

"A... a woman?" Leliana asked instinctively. Could it be Dorothea?

She never got to voice that question as the elven woman went on speaking.

"She reached out to me. But then..."

What lay beyond, Leliana never found out. The elf shook her head and fell silent, eyes downcast. Whatever hope had formed in her chest, Leliana stamped out as Cassandra pulled her away.

"Go to the forward camp, Leliana," she said, sighing tiredly. "I will take her to the Rift."

It was a good tactical move. Cassandra would only end up punching Chancellor Roderick's face in. Her tact would be more useful; she nodded curtly.

The cell door had been kept open, and Leliana walked out quickly. They were operating on borrowed time already, and any delays would be ill-advised.

So when someone suddenly pulled her behind a column, Leliana was about to engage when she caught a sight of her assailant's face.

It had been a long time – years, really – since she'd seen it last, but she placed it immediately. The jet black hair was as short as she remembered and the green eyes were as bright as ever, but the heavy toll of the years had left a mark for all to see.

"Mon Dieu-"

"Put the knife away and listen," Aedan Cousland said in an urgent whisper. "You've got the wrong person."

That the Hero of Ferelden was not only there but was volunteering information was too much for even Leliana to handle. After about two seconds of gawking, her wits caught up with her.

"What do you mean? She was-"

"No, she wasn't," Aedan said with a shake of his head. "I was there. I saw it all."

"What? What happened?" There were too many questions. "You're sure she didn't-"

"She didn't kill the Divine," Aedan answered calmly, his voice steady. "I did."

A/N: I told you there'd be differences.