Ellana was rather fond of the Emerald Graves. So much of it was quiet forest; forest she would have gladly spent hours walking in. Troubled past aside, it was a beautiful place. They found themselves within a small section of elven ruins. She still remembered it from her past visit but it had been only rubble. She assumed agents, or perhaps Solas himself must have cleared it to find the Eluvian from which they had departed. In the wake of those they had left behind, the melancholic atmosphere followed them out. It seemed that no matter how practiced she became, the goodbyes never got any easier.

"Guys, I'm…um…I'm sorry you had to leave your friends. They seemed like good people and I'm…just…sorry," Shivra piped up after a long, uncomfortable silence.

Ellana was surprised by Shivra's attempt at civility and with Lis still sniffling at her side; she knew she would have to be the one to respond.

"Thanks. They are good people. We'll miss them but we have a job to do."

Her words did no justice to her feeling of loss but it seemed to be enough to placate Shivra. There was every possibility that she would see her old team once again but Ellana tried to keep away from that kind of blind hope. Disappointment after disappointment had steeled her heart to expect the worst and thus, limit the hurt. Focus on her task could offer an escape but her mind kept on wandering as they walked. It had only been a year and to the outside world, the relationships she had fostered could be seen as little more than convenience but to her, they were so much more than that. With them, she had changed irreparably and without them, she would not have seen the world the way she did now. Without them, things could have been very different.

They passed through the forest, surprisingly without incident. The group were headed for Argon's Lodge - the last place Ellana had seen Fairbanks and his men. It seemed like the most logical place to start and even after all this time she still knew the way. Reports on the region had suggested bandits now held much of the Graves. They had moved in following the Inquisition's loss of power and subsequent removal of supporting troops. Scouts held little information beyond that but Ellana hated to think of the damage that had likely been caused. The people of the Graves had been through far too much already.

The lodge was finer than she remembered. The refugees had clearly worked hard to make it a suitable home and it showed. Guards greeted them as they neared; three elves wandering the forest so close to their home must have been an unusual sight. Armed to the teeth, the guards looked to be seasoned but Ellana could tell from the movements of one that he had seen little battle. Placing a green soldier at such an important defensive point was likely an indication of just how bad the situation had gotten.

"What is your business here?" one of the guards enquired. The more senior of the two by Ellana's estimations, he spoke with a gruff tone but there was a measure of unexpected softness there.

Ellana took a cleansing breath before she spoke up for the group, "We have come to speak with Fairbanks. I trust he is still your leader?"

The guards looked at one another. Ellana needed no answer – the nature of their expressions all it took to inform her that she was correct.

"And who are you?" the other guard asked in a more rough tone, likely in compensation.

"I am Ellana Lavellan…former Inquisitor." She struggled slightly with her title. "I freed your people from the tyranny of the Freemen of the Dales."

She had decided before leaving for the Graves that deception was pointless. If Fairbanks was going to work for them then he needed to know she could be trusted and hiding her identity would do nothing to achieve that end. It was a risk; any one of his people could report her to the Inquisition; but she hoped he could prevent that from happening. Besides, if her plan failed, it was certain her identity would be freely given regardless.

The first guard spoke up again, shocked and stammering as a result of her admission, "My Lady, you have my apologies! I did not recognise you! I…I was there! You and your people fought bravely. It…it saddened me to hear you had left."

He continued gushing as he led them in to the complex. Shivra kept laughing with every new comment - Lis nudging her hard in the ribs each time.

"We've been having terrible trouble with bandits. We were hit hard this morning and Fairbanks is out fighting them off. You…you're welcome to wait here until he returns," the gushing guard explained. "It has been an honour, once again, my Lady."

With that, he left them to their own devices inside the walls of Argon's Lodge.

"My lady! Ha! You ain't no fucking lady!" Shivra exclaimed, snickering away to herself.

She only stopped when Lis's elbow met her ribs one final time.

The sun had begun to set over the trees. They had been waiting longer than Ellana would have liked. More people approached her with each passing moment – many thanking her for the role she had played in eradicating the Freemen. Much to Ellana's annoyance, Shivra still found it hilarious.

"It's just funny watching humans cooing over an elf! Have you ever seen anything so ridiculous?" she remarked with a mocking laugh. "They love you because you helped them but would any one of them even think to help one of our people? Fuck no! They're only interested in us when it benefits them. That last guy was hysterical. I thought he was going to propose any second!"

Lis laughed along with her. "Well I think the Dread Wolf might have something to say about that!" she cried, not thinking.

The laughter died when she saw Ellana's face. She stuttered - trying in vain to save herself but it was too late.

Nose wrinkled and eyes narrowed in suspicion, Shivra did not need much to question, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I just…I just meant that Ellana's married to the cause…right?" Lis tried hopefully.

"Don't fucking lie to me. I'm not anyone's fool, you hear?!" Shivra spat before turning her scowl in Ellana's direction. "Is she saying you have a thing going on with Fen'Harel?"

Her voice was beginning to attract the attention of the surrounding refugees. Ellana tried to quiet her and weasel her way out of the situation but Shivra was having none of it.

"Do not even try to fucking lie to me!" she roared, gesticulating wildly. "I know a bullshitter when I see one and you are full of it! If you don't tell me the truth then I can promise you, you will regret it!"

She made to go on but Ellana held no desire to attract yet more wandering eyes. Hands to the incensed elf's shoulders, she put a stop to it before she could start, "Okay, fine! Yes - I have a close relationship with Fen'Harel. We met before I knew who he was…in the Inquisition and things…well…things kind of went from there…" Ellana trailed off in to nothing as Shivra's sceptical eyes bored in to her.

As if out of nothing, her look softened and an amused glint flickered briefly across her features. "Yeah… I did already know that…but good to hear it from you!"

With a tuneless whistle, Shivra wandered off to explore the lodge as if nothing had happened. The remaining two exchanged stunned looks.

Ellana broke the silence, "If she already knew then what the fuck was that about?!"

"Making a point, I guess," Lis replied, staring off at the now practically skipping Shivra.

Ellana scoffed loudly. "That's just insane! What point could you possibly be making with that?!"

"Well first and, I think, most importantly – do not lie to Shivra."

"No shit," Ellana interjected, joining Lis in her watching of this certifiably insane elf.

Lis giggled nervously. "Secondly, do not doubt that she knows just as much as you do."

Ellana only had a chance to wonder silently before the couple's conversation was cut short by activity at the front gate. People were entering the lodge and being greeted by their peers. Each one that came looked battle weary and some had noticeable injuries. Fairbanks entered last. He looked just as Ellana remembered – if a bit tired and worn. A guard pulled him aside and appeared to be giving him a long explanation while pointing in their direction. Ellana rose to meet him as he came over.

"Inquisitor, it is a pleasure to see you again," Fairbanks remarked, taking her hand. "Would you be so kind as to walk with me? We seem to have gathered a crowd and I am certain whatever business you may have would be better discussed in privacy."

Ellana opted to join him alone. If Fairbanks saw fit to offer her the courtesy of privacy then she too owed him as much. Even still, Lis watched them from her position on the ground until they turned a corner.

Firm grip still heavy on her arm, Fairbanks chuckled lightly. "Your attempts at disguise are not what I would call effective. I knew it was you the second I saw you. In all my time, I have yet to see anyone with eyes like yours..."

The comment gave her an uncomfortable feeling but did make her think. She had never thought her pale grey eyes to be all that remarkable but this was not the first time someone had made this comment.

"I could hardly remove them from my head," she replied with her own laugh. "There was only so much I could do with my appearance. Keeping away from places and situations where I could be recognised was the real disguise."

Turning the final corner in to a private room, his look turned grave. "Then you should not have come here."

"I was saddened to hear you had left the Inquisition. I knew it would only be a matter of time before they would be forced to pull out of the Graves and my people would be left to fight alone," Fairbanks remarked with melancholy. "Without you…well, it was bound to happen sooner…"

Ellana's pained stare finally drew his own. "What happened after I left?" she asked - wanting to get a perspective beyond Shivra's bias.

When Ellana departed, Fairbanks had been a working agent for the Inquisition. He had a great deal of inside knowledge, even if it was somewhat outdated. He told her of quiet disarray - troops loosing heart and abandoning their cause. Many believed, like Ellana, that the Inquisition's work was done and should no longer exist. They gradually lost numbers and power because of this belief. They were forced to remove any non-essential military presence in regions throughout Thedas; including the Emerald Graves. With that decision, they lost Fairbanks too.

He gazed down at Ellana in careful contemplation. "I will not ask you why you chose to leave. Your reasons are your own but I must know what has brought you here? You have risked exposure; something you have thus far avoided. It must be of great importance to warrant such risk."

Ellana allowed herself an inward sigh of relief before she spoke. She told him of the situation – the elves trapped and accosted by her former colleagues but kept the detail to a minimum. Everything she said, she ensured was laced with indignation. With each word, she emphasised her unwillingness to stand for such treatment of her people. She avoided the full reason why. He pondered each of her statements cautiously until she explained the need for his peoples' help and he chose to break his silence.

"I understand your situation; it is…a difficult one. I broke my ties with the Inquisition some time ago. To do what you ask, I would need to re-establish those ties…"

Each word he spoke seemed carefully chosen, as if measured against her potential worth. Ellana quickly saw this for the negotiation it would become.

Hand to his chin in thought, he went on, "I feel for your people and I do not doubt we could achieve what you ask but it is a great deal… We cannot afford to give any men to your cause in the current climate. I need them here, protecting my people."

He did not say it directly but it was clear to her what he wanted. Ellana sighed internally, disliking the unnecessary pageantry that came with this sort of approach. She had expected as much, so called 'gentlemen' were seldom direct but if needed, she too could play that game.

"Because of some bandits?" she responded, making certain to emit an air of confidence. "Things are truly that dire?"

Fairbanks nodded sadly in response. "Dire would be a just assessment. We're losing at least one a week – sometimes a soldier; more often than not an innocent."

The attempt to pull at her heartstrings worked and her guard faltered, "This is one group?"

"In a manner of speaking," he remarked with a laboured sigh. "It started with many. That was…easier to deal with. Now they've become organised; all swearing allegiance to a single leader and our attempts to make any progress against them fail. We cannot spare enough men to hunt them down without endangering this haven. All we can do is hold them off but with each passing day, that task becomes more difficult. We are losing too many…"

It seemed that no matter their origin, people suffered. Even still, he refused to just come out and ask for help.

Released from her desire to maintain the upper hand by her much stronger desire to prevent harm, Ellana took the step for him, "This leader…if he were to be removed, then it would be chaos once more and your men could cope. You could build and become better able to defend what you have when another rose to take his place…and you could spare men to help us?"

Relief flashed briefly across his features. "More than likely… This is a large group, Ellana, and their leader hides in the shadows…"

Ellana cut him off, "I need you to help us. I will not abandon my people and if this is what needs to be done to achieve that, then that's what I'll do. But I need a guarantee – if we take out the bandit leader, will you help us?"

"Yes. Do this for us and your people will be freed."

"Good." She got up to leave, more than satisfied. "One more thing." He gazed at her curiously. "Could you try and keep your people from spreading around that I was here? Tell them whatever you want but I'd rather not let the Inquisition find out where I am…not yet…"

He laughed. "Easier said than done but I shall do my utmost."

Night had fallen as she spoke with Fairbanks but Ellana did not want to put their task off until the morning. She wanted a result as quickly as possible and the thought of a night with her adoring fans was not something she wanted to be a part of. She had explained their task to Shivra and Lis before leaving. Lis seemed concerned by Fairbanks's warning - a feeling that Ellana shared but Shivra was positively thrilled by the idea. It appeared, rather unsurprisingly, that she hated bandits just as much as she seemed to hate most humans.

They came up with a plan as they made their way in to the forest. Ellana had a wealth of experience with bandits but even if she did not, these large-scale groups were far from difficult to predict. They would likely have many smaller cells, kept apart from the main camp and dotted about the wilderness to harass locals and steal supplies. Their target was one of these smaller groups. Finding one could give them the information they needed to find more and with that, the leader.

It was not long before they saw the distant light of a campfire through the trees. Bandits were, after all, not known for their subtlety. As they grew closer, the noise of bawdy conversation confirmed they had found their target.

"There are six of them," Shivra reported once she returned from scouting. "Drunk out their arses so…definitely our guys. One of them is fucking huge, he could be a problem."

Ellana nodded in response and brushed the leaves from her clothing before speaking, "I'll take them."

Lis gawped at her. "Alone?" she asked, voice rising with concern. "Is that really the best idea?"

Ellana flapped her hand in a dismissive gesture. "It's been so long since I could really let my hair down - it'll be fun. Besides, you won't be far if I need help."

Ellana tried not to openly admit it but she had always found battle exhilarating. She did lament when she took life from another being but even so, she could not deny the thrill it gave her. The art of overcoming an enemy and the years it had taken to hone her skills just deepened the feeling. She had been holding herself back since she left the Inquisition, afraid her skills might give her away but now there was no need. It would be wonderful to finally let loose.

Lis tried to protest more but Ellana was already gone.

"Hello boys!"

The bandits scrambled in to action. Their shock at the sudden appearance of Ellana in the middle of their camp was an amusing sight. Despite having ample opportunity, she opted to reveal herself openly rather than attack from the shadows. She told herself that she wanted to give them a chance to avoid bloodshed.

Weapons were being raised but Ellana ignored them all, enjoyment plain in her melodic voice, "I'm looking for your leader and I wondered if you fine gentlemen could give me a helping hand?"

The group remained stock-still, rendered aghast by this foolish elf's audacity. The one in the middle was a very large and formidable man, Shivra had been right. Whilst she considered her options, a small man at the edge of the group finally piped up.

"I'll give you a fucking hand, Princess."

With surprising speed, he came forward and went to grab Ellana by the throat but he was not fast enough. She dodged his hand, placing her own on the back of his head and with the help of his forward momentum, his face met the mud with a wet thud. Swords across all directions upon her, a second bandit moved in. She spun out of reach of his blade with ease and drew her own daggers. A few steps brought her so close she could smell him. At this distance, he was unable to strike her but she had the perfect opportunity. He fell with several wounds to his chest. Another had used her distraction to approach but she ignored him, dodging his feeble attempts at her life whilst her razor-sharp focus lay with another. Standing on the periphery with a bow, he posed a much greater risk but was easily subdued by means of a thrown dagger. She abandoned her current foe and closed the distance between herself and her deserted blade. She pulled it free of the man's head just in time; narrowly dodging an attack from the huge bandit. When he swung for her a second time, he found she had disappeared.

Those bandits that still held the ability thrashed about the camp looking for her. They yelled increasingly vulgar taunts as they grew more frustrated but Ellana paid them no mind. She was leaned happily against an out of view tree, quietly counting down. She knew the value of keeping an opponent off-balance.

"…three…two…one."

She emerged from the shadows like a whirlwind. The first died effortlessly, too surprised to react. The second took more coaxing but his fright inevitably led to mistakes. With a simple manoeuvre, Ellana was able to fool him in to catching his blade in the trunk of a tree and without it, he made for an easy victim. This left only the large man. Ellana squared up to him; no doubt in her mind that he would fall but not without difficulty. Unlike the others, he wore extensive armour and penetrating it would not be a straightforward task.

"Last chance, tell me where I can find your leader or this is going to get as ugly as your dead friends," she asked hopefully.

He practically snarled with rage. "You can fuck off! I'm going to kill you, you knife-eared bitc…"

His words gave way to gurgling as the tip of an arrow penetrated his throat. He fell to the ground seconds later. The arrow had pierced his neck from behind – perfectly placed where his helmet ended and his chest plate began. Bow in hand, Shivra emerged from the trees behind wearing a smug look on her face.

"What the fuck?!" Ellana exclaimed, stomping her foot like a petulant child. "I was dealing with him! I didn't need your help!"

Shivra scoffed angrily, still wearing her smug look. "If I'd waited for you, we'd have been here all damn night! Dunno about you but I'm fucking tired and isn't this whole thing time sensitive? Were you even thinking at all? Hope you left one alive for questioning or else this really was a waste of our time!"

"That one," Ellana replied, still angry but somewhat sheepish in the wake of Shivra's words.

She pointed to the first bandit that had attacked her -still lying in the dirt but very much alive. Before anyone could react, Shivra was on top of him with her dagger drawn.

"Alright piss-bag, tell me where your leader is or I'm going to start ripping out your organs and feeding them to you!"

"Fuck yourself, knife-ear!" he exclaimed, the fear shaking his voice undeniably.

Shivra smiled wickedly. "Wrong answer." Careful to avoid causing serious damage, she cut in to his chest. "My companion may have killed all your friends but trust me, I am your worst nightmare. You'll be begging me to kill you once I'm done!"

"Okay…okay!" he managed to shout between cries of pain. "They're in the caves to the west. Follow the mountains and you can't miss it!"

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" Shivra responded with a smirk. She got up in one fluid motion, leaving him in the dirt. "Put your head down and count to one hundred. And fucker…" She swiftly kicked him in the side. "If you've given us the wrong information, I'm coming back for you."

They left him lying in the dirt - counting fearfully. None of them spoke as they travelled west.

Ellana hated caves. Not being able to see the sky gave her an uncomfortable feeling and she loathed the musty smell that always seemed to emanate from within. It reminded her too much of the smell of death.

Having gotten over the shock of Shivra's actions, the group was chatting more. Ellana welcomed the distraction. She was growing increasingly tired and the boredom of trawling through cave after cave was wearing on her. They talked about what they would do when they returned home and what they missed most being out in the field. Lis missed the people. She missed being surrounded by the people she knew and could talk to. Shivra missed them too but not in the same way. She never felt she needed friends but she could not help missing her own kind. The guard she kept up around everyone was so much more pronounced around humans and Ellana imagined it must at least be taxing for her, if not outright exhausting. Eager to lighten the mood, Shivra added that she missed alcohol - a sentiment the others happily shared. Ellana told them she missed bathing. It was a truth but a half one – she did not wish to say whom she truly missed. Giving words to it would just provoke a reaction and she held no want to deal with that. She also disliked how dependent it made her feel. It had been less than a day, hardly something to cry about but yet, here she was, missing him. Lis mercifully had not mentioned it, likely due to Shivra's presence but Ellana was pleased nonetheless. She was trying to avoid thinking about him.

Excluding their discussions, the caves were oddly quiet. Ellana started to worry that the bandit had steered them in the wrong direction. Paranoid thoughts pervaded her mind but at no point did it occur to her that he had thought to beat them here. As they rounded a corner in to a larger chamber they were met by a group of at least twenty. Bows were drawn and pointed in their direction - ready to strike and troops waited with weapons unsheathed. In the centre stood a man wearing the most complete set of armour out of the bunch. Likely stolen, a horned helm sat atop his head.

"You must be the elves that killed my men in the forest," he said, his voice echoing menacingly around the chamber. "Surrender now and we'll maybe let you live."

With a slight smile, Ellana could do little but think she would far rather die than be kept as some bandit's pet; until Shivra cut off her train of thought. She had noticed the bandit who had told them this location standing in the back row.

"You've done it now, fucker!" she exclaimed, moving towards them. She stopped dead when the bows all turned to her.

Ellana was overwhelmed. She searched her mind for a plan and found little. They could surrender and escape later but that was a risky option – the bandits would likely not treat them well. Fighting was just as risky. They were severely outnumbered and although Ellana believed in their skills, she was far from certain that they could beat these odds.

While Ellana remained deep in thought, Shivra piped up, "We have friends, dangerous friends! You don't want to fuck with us."

Ellana agreed wholeheartedly with her point but could not see where she was going with this argument. Not a one of their 'dangerous friends' was remotely nearby so the sentiment bore little relevance. She regarded Shivra with a puzzled look only to see she too had turned to her.

"Her boyfriend…" Much to Ellana's shock, Shivra pointed at her. "He's the fucking big, bad wolf. Kill us and he'll fuck you up!"

"My boyfriend?!" Ellana remarked in disbelief. She hated that word; it seemed so infantile. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"No, seriously!" Shivra went on, unperturbed by Ellana's outburst. "He's a fucking badass and he loves her! Kill her and he'll burn you lot alive!"

Losing control of her temper, Ellana had had enough, "Will you shut up?! This is not the time for your bullshit! You think they're going to let us go because you make threats?! What a load of shit!"

The bandit leader and his coterie just gawked at them. Thrown off-guard by the sudden and inappropriately timed argument that was unfolding before their eyes, many had lowered their weapons.

"What are you trying to say?!" Shivra yelled, gesturing so wildly that no one but Lis noticed her slip a small item from her pocket. "So he doesn't actually care about you?! He wouldn't murder all these fuckers if they killed you?! Guess it's a lot less than you made out!"

Ellana did little to hide her hurt. "Fuck. You." She turned to Lis, "Can you believe this shit?!"

Lis widened her eyes, desperately trying to communicate something to her but she was too far-gone.

She rounded on Shivra, "Stop talking about things you know nothing about! You act like you're all-knowing but you know bugger all! Now of all times! You are the worst fucking person I've ever had to deal with!"

Shivra's expression turned instantly neutral. "Ellana, cover your eyes for fucks sake."

Before she could react, Shivra threw a small object to the ground and smoke erupted from it, engulfing the room.

Ellana could barely see; the smoke stung her eyes but she could make out movements. Shivra and Lis were long gone, attacking the dismayed guards with fervour. Once she understood what was happening, Ellana joined them. The bandits had been distracted completely by their argument and that alone left them off-guard but the addition of the smoke engineered ample disorder. Obscuring the room had prevented all use of bows, which in turn prevented the elves' instantaneous demise. However, the smoke made seeing as much of a problem for Ellana and her team as it was for the bandits. The bandits almost immediately erupted in to complete chaos - every man for himself but the elves - they worked together with frightening efficiency. Where one could not see, another would shout what they saw - warning one another of any inbound harm. This strategy left them with only three opponents once the smoke cleared. Shivra took one out with a quick arrow to the head and Lis dispatched the remaining bandit with a well placed backstab. Ellana and Lis rounded on the last - the leader in all his horned glory. He was clearly more skilled in combat than his soldiers. The two of them together were barely keeping him busy but it was enough. Distracted with the two elves, the leader neglected to see Shivra nocking an arrow. He only thought to remember the third elf when the others ducked but by then, it was too late. All he felt was a numbing pain pulsing from his eye. He reached for it - trying to pull the arrow from his own head before slumping to the floor, dead.

The group of elves trudged through the wilderness. They had gotten lost twice trying to leave the caves and all could agree that patience was wearing thin. The sun had kindly risen during their time in the labyrinth but that brought Ellana little comfort. She walked ahead of the others, still aggrieved. Shivra had her reasons and she even apologised but she had also called Ellana the 'easiest target'. Ellana did not like being seen as a target, let alone an easy one. As she walked, the bandit leader's helm that she held periodically bashed against her thigh. At the very least, she could say they had achieved their goal. Lis ran up to join her, something clearly on her mind but Ellana barely even noticed. After everything, all she wanted was to be done with this and return to what she needed – Solas's comfort.

"So I've been thinking," Lis started tentatively. "We need more people for our make-shift crew and well…Shivra seems like…"

"You've got to be kidding me," Ellana interrupted without a thought.

Lis looked almost taken aback. "She's smart, resourceful and damn good with that bow. She saved our lives twice on this trip alone!"

"Twice?" Ellana paused until it dawned on her. "You better not mean that bandit in the woods! I was dealing with him! I didn't need saving!"

"Well you can't deny she definitely saved our skins in that cave," Lis replied with an exasperated sigh. "I had no idea how we were going to get out of that one and she just storms in like it was nothing!"

Ellana could hardly argue with that. They probably would have survived either way but Shivra's quick thinking undoubtedly got results. She still found it difficult to imagine working with Shivra in the long term but she could not deny she would be a valuable asset to the team.

"I guess I could ask her and see what she says," Ellana finally responded, avoiding any real answer.

"Yay! We'll be a proper little team! " Lis exclaimed, much too excited by the notion. "Are you going to ask her before we leave?"

Ellana sighed in resignation. "Once we've settled things with Fairbanks."

Ellana was whisked away as soon as they entered Argon's Lodge. Fairbanks was evidently pleased with the results. He agreed to do as she had asked; promising her people would be freed as soon as possible. They ironed out terms with Ellana making notes of everything that transpired. She knew he was not one to go back on his word but she wanted to ensure she had a record of their plans. With this out of the way, he started asking awkward questions – what her people were supposed to have done and why it mattered to her. She deflected him as best she could but before she could make a hasty exit, he asked her one final question.

"Rumours are a difficult beast, most of all amongst a crowd...as it was in the Inquisition," he mused, gazing at her intently. "One of your companions from before - the elven mage, Solas I believe his name was… Everyone was talking about him. Unbelievable things…terrible things… Was any of it true?"

Ellana considered for a moment before replying, "Yes. I mean, probably… I cannot know what was being said but…there was probably some truth to it."

"Is this about him? You two seemed…close," he enquired, choosing his words with care.

She could not help but look away. "I just want my people free."

She left before he had a chance to ask anything more. It thoroughly irritated her that literally everyone seemed to know her business. She thought she had always been subtle but clearly, she overestimated herself. It was becoming something of a theme.

Ellana found her teammates sitting apart from the humans. They were laughing together and it would have been a pleasant sight if Ellana were not so wound up and, quite frankly, exhausted. Lis gazed up at her with worry as she drew nearer but the glint of the amusement she had felt mere moments ago remained deep in her eyes. For some reason, that minute detail spoke volumes to Ellana.

"Success?" Lis asked, the worry becoming more pronounced.

Ellana gave two short nods of her head. "He gave me his word; our people will be out in no time."

"That's great!" Lis squealed joyfully. Her expression fell almost instantly. "Isn't it? You seem pissed?"

Shivra snorted at her side. "She's always pissed."

Ellana ignored their comments and spoke directly to Shivra, "I need to talk to you. Let's go outside."

This time, Shivra's expression was the one to fall. "Well, shit. I guess…" She got up with some apprehension to follow Ellana out of the lodge. "You're not going to take me out there and kill me are you? I think that's a bit of an overreaction."

Ellana ignored her complaints until she was satisfied they were far enough away that no one would overhear. She turned to face Shivra and said nothing. Keeping her in suspense for as long as possible was intensely gratifying if somewhat harsh.

Shivra broke first, "Look, if this is about before then I'm sorry. Again! I only did it to distract them and it worked, didn't it? Besides, I don't get what your problem is. I'd be damn pleased with myself if I was you. Having someone like that at your back must make you feel like one dangerous woman!"

Ellana had never thought of it in that way. For so long she had thought of Solas's abilities as nothing more than that of a typical elven mage. Even now, the idea of what he truly was still felt foreign to her. Thinking on it, she found herself inadvertently smiling. Despite the knowledge that it was so much more than that, she found she quite liked the idea.

She caught herself before Shivra had time to notice her reverie. "No, it's not that - I can let that go. I mean, you pissed me off but I get why…"

"That was sort of the point," Shivra annoyingly commented.

Ellana fought the building urge to descend in to yet another argument. "I wanted to ask you if you would be interested in joining our team permanently. You're a free agent now, so you have options. All I need to know is if you would be interested?"

"But…I thought you hated me?" Shivra asked, genuine surprise written across her features.

"Hate is a very strong word. You and I have our differences but you are good at what you do," Ellana replied, taking great care with her words. "You have proved very valuable and I am certain that wherever we find ourselves, you would continue to be. I can work to see past our differences if it means gaining your skills."

"Thanks, I guess," Shivra replied in a whisper. There was a pause and in spite of all the confidence she portrayed, Shivra appeared to be wrestling with her own doubts. "You know what? Fuck it! I'm game!"

Ellana had run through this conversation in her head several times and she had always ended up disappointed. Luckily for her, that was not reality and in that moment, she actually felt elated. Lis had been right - Shivra was an asset and Ellana knew she needed to see past her own feelings for the good of the cause. Shivra could be boorish but she intrigued her. In her experience, people always had reasons for the ways they behaved; there was always something more to it. Ellana was certain there was definitely more to Shivra.

A/N - This chapter was updated on 08/03/18 with a general rewrite.