Thank you for reading ! Additional translations at the end of the chapter.

She opened her eyes with difficulties. She blinked several times to adjust to the weak light of the room. She felt a wetness under her bare back. She tilted her head up to look at the ground she was supine on. Her hand brushed the dark, wet cobblestone with disbelief. What the –

Her thought got interrupted by the sight of her own hand. It was glowing. Glowing of an eerie green. Her eyes widened of awe as she examined her palm, split by the odd mark. She blinked again, barely noticing she was handcuffed.

She started when the door opened, letting a too bright light in. She covered her eyes with her hand and take it off as soon as she did, the weird mark tingling on her face…Magic? What kind of magic does that…? She looked at the people who entered at the same time as the sudden light. She only then noticed the four soldiers pointing their swords to her throat. Hopefully, the incomers seemed to be their cue to put them back in their sheath.

For what she could see of the form, there were two. Two women. The first one approached her with a frightening stance. She instinctively tried to back up when she saw the Chantry pattern on her armor. A Templar. Shit.

The woman did not stop and grabbed her shoulder fiercely.

"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now." The second woman was looking at her with just as much loathing as the first. She shoved her backwards and began to walk menacingly around her. "The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you."

The elf held her gaze with just as much strength as she processed her words, slowly. The Conclave. Yes, that she recalled. She was there to spy. But then…Everything was an awful blur. But she would not let see her own confusion to this damn chantry-folk. She took the barely implied accusation without shifting. The woman looked at her with disdain and grabbed her marked hand.

"Explain this."

She looked at the mark too and her thoughts rushed in her head. She finally decided herself on a slight north accent – the important part right now was no Dalish emphasis – before answering shortly with a firm voice.

"I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?!" The anger was palpable, and even the second, calmer, woman came closer, examining her. If what the first one said was true, if the whole Conclave was destroyed…The elf had to admit their anger, even if ill-placed, was legitimate. She kept her voice strong and neutral.

"I don't know what that is, nor how it got there." She did not move when the templar grabbed with even more hatred and irritation her shoulders.

"YOU ARE LYING!" She held once more the brown eyes with her green-blue lagoon ones, considering quickly what she could do with handcuffs, no weapons and six armed-people in front of her. The second woman, at her surprise, forced the first to step back.

"We need her, Cassandra."

The elf suppressed a smirk. Good to know. No idea why, but that assured her survival for the next hour. Better than she hoped until now. And an hour was more than she needed to find an escape. She put on her best compassionate mask.

"I can't believe it…The whole Conclave, all those people…" That did not work as well as she hoped. Even not at all. Both women turned to her, the named Cassandra with barely less anger than before and the second with a stern face and an eyebrow very slightly raised in a Cut the act demonstration of disbelief.

"Do you remember what happened? How this began?"

She opened her mouth but shut it right away. No…Barely. This revelation confused her enough for it to show on her face as she spoke, more to herself than to them.

"I remember running…Things were chasing me. And then…a woman?" The end sound pretty much like a question as she looked up to her audience. She suppressed a curse which almost crossed her lips in elvhen. Nope. They think you destroyed the Conclave and truth be told, you don't even know if you did. So, curse as you want but not in elvhen, that would do no good.

"A woman?"

"She reached out to me. But then…"

She ended her sentence with a vague gesture, indicating her memories stopped there. And it was true. The women took few steps away and Cassandra, apparently a bit subsided, spoke up.

"Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take her to the rift."

The red-haired nodded, not without a last suspicious look to their prisoner and took her leave. Cassandra walked back to her. For a moment, the elf was unsure if she was or not going to hit her – she obviously wanted to. But she simply freed the handcuffs from their tie on the ground. The elf stretched her neck and fixed the position of her antaam-saar, wincing a bit as she was unable to reach her back to take away the wetness. Hopefully, her war-paints were waterproof. Cassandra did not care about her comfort and dragged her outside by her handcuffs. Her voice was back to firm and neutral when she asked the woman.

"What did happen?"

"It…Will be easier to show you." She heard the slightest inflection of pain in the warrior voice and took silently note. Now that she had a clearest view, she doubted the templar part. From the Chantry, that was obvious but no, no templar…

Cassandra was looking suspiciously at her outfit as they went through a corridor of empty cells. Why they felt like putting their only prisoner in the last one was a good question. She suppressed once more a smirk, definitely happy to be wearing a Qunari light armor. Her nose wrinkled a bit. The unit of Ben-Hassrath she had been working with was probably as dead as the rest of the Conclave. Fenedhis. Well, not like they would have helped her. The whole point to work with a bas had been to not implicate Par Vollen if something went to shit. So, forget the Qunari. Good thing she had been here for more than one faction…But the Dalish weren't around, not more than Oran or Magister Eventus…Okay, so, no help for now. She decided to address the woman once more, feeling like a lucky guess could destabilize her – and she was still giving her weird look anyway.

"Something you want to ask…Seeker?" Cassandra barely flinched but she still noticed a slight surprise on her face. She composed herself before answering with no little amount of disdain.

"What are you wearing?" The elf snorted.

"'Tis called an antaam-saar." This time Cassandra stopped, her hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to unsheathe.

"You are with the Qun?!" She was not impressed and remained still, looking with condescendence to her sword. She gave her an arrogant smirk and answered with a slightly more Orlesian accent.

"If you wielded a darkspawn sword, would that make of you a darkspawn?"

The seeker's nose wrinkled and she let out an exasperate sound. She did not add anything but eyed her with even more confusion after that. Because of her word, the way she handled the threat or the change in her accent, she could not guess. Anyway, she wanted her unnerved and she got it. An unnerved foe does mistakes and, right now, mistakes and luck were what she needed.

She blinked as they reached the outside, the daylight reverberating on the snow blinding her for few seconds. The sky quickly drew her attention and her eyes widened with horror. In her peripheric vision, she could see that the seeker was not unpleased to see her insufferable condescendence leave her face. But she had other concerns. There was a hole in the sky. A. Freaking. Hole. In. The. Sky. How was that even possible?! And why…Why was it the same color as the damn thing on her hand?!

"We call it the Breach. It's a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It's not the only such rift, just the largest. All were caused by the explosion of the Conclave."

"An explosion can do that?!"

"This one did. Unless we act, the Breach may grow until it swallows the World."

She was about to answer when a sharp pain stopped her. Coming from her hand, it choked her as a dagger in her lungs would. She fell on her knees, taken aback. She took her left hand instinctively in her right, hoping to somehow smoothen the pain. But she had always been a poor healer. Cassandra kneeled in front of her with the slightest sparkle of compassion in her eyes.

"Each time the Breach expand, your mark spreads. And it is killing you. It might be the key to stopping this, but there isn't much time."

"And you think I did that? To myself?"

"Not intentionally. Something clearly went wrong."

"No kidding…"

She looked up at the Breach. Evanuris halani em…In the possibilities of things going wrong, that was something. She shook her head and looked back at her palm. I'm going to die anyway, might as well trying to save some souls before. She glanced at the seeker and nodded with determination, her face grim. She was not in the mood to play the woman anymore

"Meravas." She paused "So, shall it be." added she, considering the lack of understanding in the seeker's gaze.

"Then…?" The features of Cassandra softened with hope.

"I'll do what I can. Whatever it takes."

She could guess the faintest curve on the edge of Cassandra's lips as she helped her up, a little bit less roughly than before.

They crossed the hamlet they were in – probably Haven, considering – and she figured quickly the only thing preventing the people to throw rocks on her was the presence of the seeker by her side. She was almost grateful to be with her captor. As they walked, Cassandra explained further the situation: the death of divine Justinia, of the leader of both mages and templars. The situation was bad. Awfully bad for the South. She could not help but feel a knot in her belly. She had spent most of her clan-life in Ferelden, and came back briefly after leaving. Knowing the country was yet again facing such disaster was painful, even for someone like her.

When they reached the doors of the town, Cassandra turned to her with her sword. This time, she instinctively stepped back a bit, surprised by her re-found hostility. She, actually, cut her handcuffs.

"There will be a trial. I can promise no more."

She nodded and discreetly scanned the area. She could actually flee. She was not sure what the seeker knew about her. Her guess was she ignored she was a mage or she would not have freed her hands. But, more than a mage, she was an arcane warrior – well, arcane rogue to be precise, considering her dirty fight. She could sneak out just like that with a fade-cloak, and, if the seeker tried to suppress her magic, she could still surprise her with her agility…Still, she was not convinced there was a point in fleeing. The…thing on her hand was killing her anyway, and the Breach was threatening…likely all of Thedas. She started as Cassandra interrupted her thoughts.

"Come, it is not far."

"Where are you taking me?"

"Your mark must be tested on something smaller than the Breach."

"This does not answer the where." Cassandra gave her an unreadable face.

"Not more than your answer answered my question earlier."

At the surprise of the seeker, the elf gave her what looked like an appreciative look with a lopsided smile. She replied with a humble bow and a thick Orlesian accent.

"Touché."

Cassandra considered her few seconds, her interest growing. Who was this woman? Or what was she? Dressed as a Qunari agent with war-paint, the manners of an Orlesian bard…Whatever, Leliana will know soon enough. She took the lead with a quick pace and broke into a jog after the gates. She slowed down to indicate her to go first. She didn't want her to think she was not watching.

After less than half a mile, the elf fell on her knees with a muttered shout of pain. She choked again as the mark on her hand pulsed fiercely with glowing green. She looked at it with gritted teeth. That was more painful than before. And the damn thing did not seem to be on the mood to give a warning, just so she doesn't fall on her knees with blurry eyes as a little girl. She took graciously the hand offered by the Seeker. Cassandra help her up.

"The pulses are coming faster now." She composed her voice, not wanting the pain to show more than it had already.

"Indeed. Thank you, by the way." She glanced to her hand and mumbled with a bitter snort "Festis bei umo canavarum. Literally." The Seeker's eyes widened once more to the sudden use of Tevene.

"Who are you?"

"Is that really important right now?"

"I suppose you are right. Better discussed later." Cassandra admitted reluctantly. The elf smiled a very Grand-Game-kind-of-smile.

"If there is a later. Na via lerno victoria. Let's go. Quickly. If we are to have a chance at this."

The seeker could only agree but remained surprise at how naturally she suddenly used we. Her prisoner was apparently doomed to surprise her more than she wanted. They resumed their jog, discussing a bit more, Cassandra going on with her tale of what they knew happened. Considering their running state, the seeker could not examine the reactions on her face. For the few lines they had exchanged, she was, however, certain it would not have helped her much.

They reached another bridge. As they were on the middle, a blast from the Breach touched it and the structure collapsed, with them, on the frozen lake behind. The prisoner jumped on her feet as the same time as Cassandra, only to see a threatening shadow right in front of them.

"Stay behind me!"

The seeker did not let her protest as she charged the demon. The elf was about to lend a hand with a winter grasp when a second shadow raised between her and the seeker. She could take it without weapon but still she looked around quickly. Her eyes laid on a double-dagger resting on a crate nearby. As good as anything.

She took it in one hand and began to make it turn nimbly between her finger. She leaped and attacked the shadow from the rear. She buried one side of the blade in it and gave it a powerful spin. The shadow faded right away, without even a chance to reach its foe. She turned around to help Cassandra only to see her enemy falling as well. She shrugged and looked at her newfound weapon. She raised her eyes not without skepticism when the end of a blade came under her nose.

"Having second thoughts already, Seeker?" The woman seemed irritated by her obvious disregard of the threat she wielded to her face and grunted.

"Drop your weapon. Now." She shrugged again and handed the double-dagger to the Seeker.

"If you want. If I may give an advice however, sharpened, it would be valuable. You should keep it for later."

Cassandra's eyes widened with disbelief, not sure if it was for the hand-willingly-my-weapon-part or for the comment about the potential price of the thing. She shook her hand and sighed.

"Keep it. I cannot protect you." She pulled her sword back in her sheathe "And I cannot expect you to be defenseless. I should remember you came willingly."

The elf did not add a word but nodded her appreciation with what appeared like a genuine small smile. She kept herself from commenting she was only willing to disarm because she was not more defenseless with or without it. That was confirming the seeker didn't know she was a mage. Could not hurt to keep that for herself for now. Just in case. The woman handed her few healing potions, once more just in case. They resumed their jog. Further, they encountered more demons. They were clearly becoming more numerous as they were getting close to the Temple. They were still a good bunch of miles and the number of foes here did not presage anything good for later. Still, for now, the combats were easy enough.

They sped up as the sounds of battle from above became louder. The elf leapt in the middle of the fight, ignoring as much as she could the frantic pulses in her left hand. I bet the weird glowing green thing right here is what she was calling a rift. The pain was sharp but she could handle it. She put the double dagger in her other hand however, not trusting her left to not drop it without warning. As she landed, she took down a first shadow easily. She did not give much thoughts to the people around. The difference was easy: claws and fangs equal foe, the other, friends – for now. She spun around, her blades dancing. She felt too late a presence in her back but a bolt stopped the shadow from reaching her. She gave a small nod and a smirk to the dwarf responsible for saving her skin. She suddenly spotted an anger demon, ready to flank the bald elven mage. She did not think twice and, with a swift gesture of her wrist, she froze the demon. The said mage turned, a bit too obviously startled for her taste. She charged the frozen form with her blade and it exploded.

"Ma serannas, lethallan." The mage told her as she was now next to him. She nodded but added quickly.

"If asked, you froze it."

She had no time to answer the questioning look as a last shadow popped on her left side. This time, it was indeed the mage who froze it before her blades burst it. He quickly grabbed her left hand and forced the palm open towards the rift.

"Quickly, before more came through!"

Her mark suddenly glowed and she could discern wave of magic linking it to the rift. Weirdly, it was not painful. It was only an odd feeling. Very odd. Still, she looked at the bald elf startled and took back her hand as soon as the rift flashed closed, not really comfortable of the way he used so easily a magic thing on her hand. What, does the damn thing answered to the will of anyone?! She swallowed hard to keep her composure and prevent herself from yelling at him.

"What did you do?"

"I did nothing." He gave a small superior smile. "The credit is yours."

She raised an eyebrow at him, his obvious fake modesty, and the mark. She smiled with the same amount of superiority.

"Care to elaborate?" She cut herself before she let the flat-ear threatening to cross her lips out, the use of it way too dalish. Hopefully, war-paint were still covering her vallaslin…

"Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed that mark on your hand. I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breach's wake." He finished with no small self-contentment. "And it seems I was correct." Cassandra intervened.

"Meaning it could also close the Breach itself."

"Possibly." He turned back to the elf. She noticed the genuine curving threatening his lips as he added "it seems you hold the key to our salvation." She took note silently So, smiling with self-sufficiency is alright but genuinely is not, flat-ear? Interesting. The dwarf, until then aside, spoke up.

"Good to know! Here I thought we'd be ass-deep in demons forever." He came closer and she turned to face him "Varric Tethras: Rogue, Storyteller and occasionally unwelcomed tag-along." He winked to Cassandra on the last part. The Seeker wrinkled her nose with a disgusted grunt. The elf smirked and crossed her arms, looking from the dwarf to the Seeker before asking with no small amount of disbelief.

"So, you are with the Chantry, or…?" The bald elf laughed.

"Was that a serious question?" She looked back at him with a lopsided smile.

"I had to ask, that would have been sublime. Picture it: Varric Tethras, best friend of the fabled Champion of Kirkwall and famous author of our age, has been ordained." The elf nodded with a look saying Granted, the Seeker rolled her eyes and the dwarf laughed.

"I see my reputation reached…" He looked at her from head to toe, gathering, as the seeker before, contradictory information. He finally waved the thought "wherever you come from. Technically I'm a prisoner, just like you." She bowed with a smirk, taking back a thick Orlesian accent.

"Oh, isn't that charming? Maybe we can come up with a secret prisoner handshake, don't you think? Preferably, one including this remarquable crossbow you have there." He grinned, amused.

"Ah, isn't she? Bianca and I have been through a lot together. She'll be great company in the valley." Cassandra almost jumped.

"Absolutely not. Your help is appreciated Varric, but – "

"Have you been in the valley lately Seeker? Your soldiers aren't in control anymore. You need me." Cassandra held his gaze few seconds before spinning on her heels with a disgusted noise, defeated. The bald elf spoke again.

"My name is Solas if there are to be introduction." She suppressed a laughter, remaining impassive. Is that so? Wonder of wonder, why would it be? "I am pleased to see you still live."

"He means I kept that mark from killing you while you slept." She nodded her gratefulness as she pointed out, intrigued.

"You seem to know a great deal about it all." Cassandra spoke before he had a chance.

"Solas is an apostate, well-versed in such matters."

"Technically, all mages are now apostate, Cassandra." He gave the most imperceptible questioning glance to the other elf before resuming, addressing her "My travels have allowed me to learn much of the Fade, far beyond the experience of any circle mage. I came to offer whatever help I can give with the Breach. If it is not closed, we are all doomed, regardless our origins." The elf smirked with an appreciative look.

"Practical. But, what about when this is over?" He sensed the hidden bit of answer to his questioning glances of earlier.

"One hopes those in power will remember who helped and who did not." Knowing she had her back towards both Cassandra and Varric, she let him see she respected his gamble but was not certain it was the wisest choice. His glance lingered, examining the untold answer, before he turned back to Cassandra "Cassandra, you should know: the magic involved here is unlike any I have seen. I find it difficult to imagine anyone, mage or not, having such power."

She kept a perfectly neutral face, not letting show her gratefulness for his vague enough statement.

"Understood. We must get to the forward camp, quickly." Varric held a hand.

"Wait just a second Seeker, I'm thinking a name could be a nice idea, no? Just so I don't have to use a temporary bad nickname like elfy for the time-being." He kept his eyes on Cassandra but she turned to the elf. He laughed without mirth. "You did not even ask, did you?" He spun to the white-haired elf. She smiled and replied.

"If you must, you can call me El'las'in."

The great secret. Solas raised an eyebrow but did not comment. The dwarf and the Seeker, satisfied enough considering their lack of understanding of elvhen, took the lead with a quick pace. Waiting for them to be far enough, Solas kept his voice low.

"Inventive." She shrugged.

"Work well enough for most."

"Why the act, lethallan?" She raised an eyebrow of disbelief. Did she need to state the obvious?

"The humans think I kill their Divine and exploded their Conclave. Do you believe they would stop once I'm dead?"

"They can just as well go after the elves as a generality. Would not be a first."

"Maraas kata, bas saarebas. Rethsaam." He looked at her with quite the amount of disdain.

"Are you from the Qun?" She smirked, satisfied. She spoke with her slight north accent, easier for her to maintain.

"You are the second asking me that today…I should be more careful, shouldn't I? What a disaster for my people it would be if this conclusion spread."

She did not wait for any answer and broke in a jog to catch up with Cassandra and Varric. Solas frowned but soon followed. Odd woman. He was not himself sure what she was at the end. Obviously, someone used to be undercover, considering her talent for swinging with the accent. She was or, at least, had been Dalish at some point, he could tell as much. She fought as a hunter. Was she trying to give Par Vollen as a scapegoat? It seemed as such, but, her knowledge and – for all he knew – satisfying accent in Qunlat made him think she could as well truly be from the Qun and just make sure it is understood as it is before the backfire fell on the Alienage…Considerations unlike a Qunari, but, if she was a convert, she could still have the will to protect her true People. Or, she wanted to blur the tracks, giving a bit of Orlesian, a bit of Qunari, maybe later a bit of other things…

He, however, had to give her one thing, her caution and want to protect the People were commendable. Now that he thought of it, he should have asked for a translation of her sentence in Qunlat.

Qunlat

Maraas kata: nothing is ended (here, more like decided)

Bas saarebas: mage (bas is to specify non-Qunari)

Rethsaam: we all protect

Tevene

Na via lerno victoria: only the livings know victory

Festis bei umo canavarum: you'll be the death of me

Elvhen (big thanks to FenxShiral for the wonderful Project Elvhen!)

Evanuris halani em: Creators help me

Orlesian

Remarquable: wonderful