She opened her eyes and blinked several times. Her head was spinning, her vision blurry. She made a first attempt to sit, resting on her elbow and failed gloriously. Her left arm was numb. She blinked again and take her hand closer to her eyes. The glowing dazzled her. She grunted without femininity. Still there, hum? She looked around from her supine position. It looked like the inside of a cottage…Not at all the Fade…Alive then. She stretched her marked hand. Well, not half as painful as before and it did not choke her…The thing seemed more entwined with her own magic. Maybe the links stabilized the thing?
She finally straightened to a sitting position. She started to the row of something falling loudly on the ground. She looked up to the elven servant. She half understood her babblings. Her face dropped with disbelief when the young woman suddenly fell on her knees, in a praising position. By the Void, what the –
"Lady Cassandra will want to know you are awake! She said at once!"
"Wait a – "
"At once!"
She looked the servant who literally flee the cottage. That was odd. But her thoughts turned quickly to the last part: Cassandra. Arrh, here it comes, the trial. Fenedhis. Would have been better to die earlier, finally. Maybe there was still a way to flee…She tested her mana pool. The thing was incredibly low. She would never be able to maintain a fade cloak long enough. Well, let's go for an old-fashion stealth…
She examined her outfit. It had obviously been changed…Shit. The responsible for it had likely clean the Qunari war-paints covering her numerous tattoos. Damn, if he saw all of them…The vallaslin on her face, the Dalish one covering her back, the Antivan on the left side of her neck, the Qunari on her left shoulder and the Tevinter on her arm…Fuck. She touched her face. No, no war-paint anymore. She searched the crate the servant had left on the ground. Elfroot and other medical herbs…Not like it would help her right now.
She spotted her antaam-saar on a chair nearby. The leathers ropes were made of dragonling scales, dark red. The bands of fabric were black with some silver highlights. Well, they had seen the tattoos obviously, maybe better to act bold now and pray what she let visible would be convincing enough…She put it back on, happy to see they had be nice enough to fix the holes left by the claws of the demon.
She grabbed a little bowl and the dagger which was resting next to the armor. Her nose wrinkled slightly as she cut in her palm. She would have been happier with something else that blood to do the war-paint. She drew quickly a simple pattern on top of her Ghilan'nain vallaslin. She spurted what was left on the blood on her back and closed her eyes, focusing on the liquid to make it move properly with her magic. Once she was certain the war-paint was covering enough of the Dalish pattern, she looked at her left arm as she put a thick black leather bracelet on her wrist.
The Tevinter dragon winding from her biceps to the top of her hand, Par Vollen banner on her shoulder and the subtle double curved lines of the Crows on the side of her neck…Well, should confuse the reader enough.
She searched the antaam-saar for its hidden pocket and was happy to find the necklace of Kadan the Ben-Hassrath gave her a year ago. It was a miniature replica of the traditional dragon tooth, the Qunari considering her frame way too petite to carry a true tooth. Not like that was not true. The replica had been made of Ironbark. She had smiled genuinely at the obvious Dalish crafting of the pendant. Still, Dalish crafting or not, it was a Qunari item. She tied the silver chain together with the thick leather ropes around her shoulder, in such way it was falling on the Par Vollen banner as the decoration of a shoulder pad. Good. She gathered her long white hair in a fast braid she let fall on the opposite side, making sure all symbols as well as ear – and its very Tevinter black dragon earring winding around it – were visible on the left.
She hesitated between the rings in her pocket. She finally went for a thick signet ring of silver and onyx, without particular affiliation but definitely Tevinter-style, and put it on her ring finger. She had also what looked more like a finger-armor, forming a true claw on the finger wearing it, but it had the heraldry of Magister Eventus. No need to put a target on his back – for now. The last ring she had was a signet ring of the Crows but she did not want to be affiliated to the assassin guild too much, it would do her no good. Considering its environment, the tattoo of the Guild was not going to be the most acknowledged one anyway, and it could as well simply be Antivan.
She was still wearing her usual necklace of a bow and arrow. She considered it a second and put it under the collar of her outfit. She did not want to take it off and it was hidden enough. She could not see herself but she imagined easily enough what she looked like and smiled. That should unnerve more than one. And, at the very least, if she could not avoid being hang, she would do it with class and, without incriminating her People. She cleaned with a quick gesture the blood coaxing in her black eyebrows and stretched her arms and neck. Here we go.
Her expression unreadable, she considered the sight offered in front of the cottage. Not what she was expecting. The whole town was bowing in front of her. More disturbing, the eyes of the whole town were on her…She was not going to be able to escape very far with that. Still, she looked up to the sky and frowned slightly. The Breach was still there, but it seemed…Calm, somehow. Not closed, but not threatening to swallow the world anymore. Well, that was something. Not enough, but something. She considered the situation. If it was not closed, she was probably still needed…Yes, that was likely, why would they have healed her otherwise? Healing her to send her to the gallows would be…Very Orlesian actually. No, she was not safe yet…But the world was not either. She sighed on the inside. She could not flee, not yet. She had to hear what the Seeker had to tell her…The woman did not handcuff her, nor send soldiers to escort her, nor made her Tranquil. She might still be prisoner but she was not treated like the enem –
The whispers around her interrupted her thoughts. Herald of - WHAT?! Are they talking about – Fen'harel halani em, what kind of mess am I into…She sped her pace to the Chantry, expecting it as the most likely place to find the Seeker. And the crowd seemed to direct her there. That had to count for something.
She crossed the main hall of the building with a determined stance. She heard the shouts behind the last door and recognized the voice of the Grand Chancellor. Qalaba is still here. Charming. Not like she was afraid of a vain cleric of the shem religion. She nothing but slammed the door, startling the people inside. She wielded her best Grand-Game smile and bowed with exaggeration.
"My ladies. Kabethari. What a delight to see you again." The provocation to the Chancellor, along with her appearance, worked instantly. He turned crimson with rage.
"Chain this heretic! I want her prepare to travel to the Capital for trial!" Cassandra dismissed with a gesture to the guards.
"Disregard that. And leave us."
The elf suppressed a smirk and crossed her arms with nonchalance. She leaned against the wall, letting the Seeker and Leliana dealing with Roderick, listening with interest. She intervened, addressing the Chancellor with a condescending lopsided smile.
"Still don't like me, basra? What a shame." He nothing but spat his answer.
"You killed the Divine! Do you think joking will do you any good?"
"She is no suspect."
The firm declaration of Cassandra drove back the attention of the cleric. The elf went back to her silence state for a time, laughing in the inside at the repeated outraged reaction of the cleric. However, when she heard Cassandra declaring she had been sent by the Maker, she almost chocked. She had heard a lot of thing in her life, but that…She composed her features and voice to comment with perfect neutrality.
"Of all things, I expected from this meeting, you managed to surprise me Seeker, I will give you that. If I may, what are you expecting from me pragmatically?"
She emphasized the last word to make clear she had no wish to hear her Andrastian bullshit. She was no chosen one, and even less chosen by a God who was not hers. Not open for debate. Cassandra considered her with mixed feelings, maybe her faith a bit hurt by her reaction. Leliana explained further the situation with the Breach. Cassandra finally took a thick leather-covered book with a Chantry logo on it. She listened carefully to the words of the Seeker as she nothing but chase the Chancellor from the room. The Inquisition reborn. Wow…This day…Week? Is becoming weirder within minute. She exchanged an unreadable look with Leliana, who remained still and as impassible as her. She finally got to classify the redhead in the case Orlesian bard, even if it was not her main concern for the time-being.
Once the chancellor was out, Leliana spoke, tone neutral as always. Cassandra considered her points but her decision was obviously made. When she turned back to her, the elf moved from the wall she was leaning against to come closer to the seeker. She extended her left arm to brush the Chantry logo of the book. An innocent gesture giving a best sight of the tattoos and jewels on the said arm. She knew Cassandra and Leliana were studying them and waited few seconds to let them process the meanings before answering.
"You are asking me to take part in your holy war?"
"We are already at war. You are already involved. Its mark is upon you. As to either the war is holy or not, that depends on what we discover."
"Your Inquisition will remain Chantry-related." Cassandra snorted.
"Is that what you see?"
"The Chantry will take time to find a new Divine." took over Leliana. "And then it will wait for her direction."
"But we cannot wait. So many Grand clerics died at the Conclave. No, we are on our own. Maybe forever." The elf nodded and thought a bit. The mark was needed, restoring order was commendable…
"If you want to stop this mess…"
"It is our purpose." A sparkle of hope was seeable in Cassandra eyes as she spoke, her features slightly softened.
"Then, I'm ready to help." She paused "However, I shall not take part in anything looking like an Exalted March. As you might have guessed."
She finished with a small confident smile. Cassandra and Leliana both nodded with a glance to her arm. The Seeker stretched her hand to give her a handshake, purposefully giving her the left. How diplomatic. She was about to take the said hand but stopped to add.
"You are aware my presence among your rank will not make it easy on you?" Cassandra's hand closed by itself the few inches separating their hands and looked into her bright lagoon eyes with determination.
"Your presence is most needed. Whatever people will think."
The elf nodded, appreciative of the determination of the Seeker. When she released her hand, Leliana intervened, detached.
"What will the Qun think of their Ben-Hassrath working with a bas organization?" The elf gave her a smirk and answered with her Orlesian accent.
"You wished it would have been that simple, don't you, my Lady bard?" The redhead did not flinch but the elf knew she had seen right.
"One must try the easy road sometimes." She paused "However, maybe will you be nice enough to give me your name?" Cassandra turned to her.
"She gave us her name. Ellasin." Leliana kept her eyes on the white-hair.
"It is no name, Cassandra."
"Wonder of wonder, why do you think I cannot be named El'las'in while another one is named Pride?"
"Let's call it a hunch." She held her gaze and move to a Tevinter accent.
"A name has power and one can have many." She paused before a smirk took her lips. She knew who she was…A well-known and feared name in Orlais. "Or do you think otherwise, Soeur Rossignol?" Sister Nightingale.
Leliana's nose wrinkled for less than a full sec but she was satisfied to have break such perfect mask for as long. The eyes of the Nightingale glanced at her arm once more, clearly not that happy with her clairvoyance. Not like the redhead was not famous, but she did not like being outmatched and truth was, she had no idea who/what the elf was. The white-hair finished in Orlesian before turning to the door.
"Le jeu ne s'arrête jamais, Rossignol." The game never ends, Nightingale.
She heard the voices of Leliana and Cassandra whispering once she crossed the doorstep but went on. She had done her part here. She had other issues to attend. It might be good to do the right thing, still, she knew she was going into deep troubles. Gossips spread fast and, when they heard of the white-hair elf who survived the Conclave and apparently, had the lovely nickname of Herald of whatever shem prophet, a bunch of people were going to come after her. And, more than her, the Inquisition…It would be easier if someone else, with less enemies, had the damn mark.
Sensing how it was entwined with her magic, she, however, had more than little doubt about the possibility of transferring it. Shit. She called after a random person in the street. She winced a bit when the said person babbled some Herald and bowed but eventually ignored.
"Tell me Sere, when exactly did we stabilize the Breach?"
"You saved us three days ago, Herald." Damn it, three days of black out! Half of Thedas probably knows too much already!
"Thank you for the insight. Good day, Sere."
She did not give much attention to his answer and walk to the cottage she had been apparently assigned. She bit her lip. She was deep in this mess…No doubt Crows were already on their way. For the others…Par Vollen, the Imperium, the Dalish...No, the problems were the Crows. The House of Repose didn't make a move since she destroyed the contract, so, that was in the clear for now.
She growled on the inside. Damn Orlesians, sending two Guild of Assassins after her. And damn Crows, accepting the contract while they had worked together for more than three years. Well, the part where she had killed one of them before fleeing in the north did not help. What will Minrathous and Par Vollen do, by the way? She was not sure if she was to expect assassins, concerns or disregard from them both. She had to send a letter to the Clans, that was for sure. They had to know what happened…The best thing for them was to cast her out officially the fastest possible before anyone pieces together the last seven years of her life and decides to go after the Dalish as payback. And she had to contact Oran. They had to keep the rumors under control, if it was still manageable.
Keeper Istimaethoriel,
I fear this report is late written, considering the news likely reached the Free Marches already. The Divine Conclave turned the worst way possible, the Temple exploded, creating the lovely green Breach in the sky, seeable, I'm certain, from where you are. For all I gathered until now, this is an opening in the Veil, on to the Fade.
I cannot say how I survive. It does not matter. The important point is I did and I'm now caught in the middle of this because of a mark who ended up – Mythal knows how – on my hand, able to close the rifts, and hopefully, at some point, the Breach itself.
The attention on me will likely do the People no good. I'm protecting the Dalish the best I can, but my recommendation is for you to send me the official act of banishment. Yes, I know you have had one prepared for some time now, let's cut the crap, would we? I have too much enemies who won't be satisfied with only my death.
I'm, as always, at the service of the People.
If this letter is to be my last report, please allow me the personal digression. Father, it has been an honor, hahren. I hope you and my sisters are well. Embrace Analen and Linril for me.
May the Creators watch over you all
Mahariel
She finished the coded message and wiped with irritation the tears threatening to fall over it. You are no kid, you idiot. You left the clan seven years ago, what does it truly change to be banished? This is the best thing to do. You won't be able to protect them, you will hardly be able to protect yourself! She grabbed the pendant who had escaped from under her collar. Not like she had such great relationship with her People. A lot of them where already seeing her as an harellan. She knew well enough what the Dalish whispered about her. That she had turned her back on them, working with shemlens, Qunari, learning their languages, their cultures.
It did not prevent them to take gladly the reports she sent them and to use the information she gave them. For free, by the way. They had no idea how valuable these pieces of information were. Her former Keeper and Clan were not as close-minded and were grateful. It did not matter that much, but a part of her was still happy to know her family did not suffer from her deeds. They would have in another Clan. Well, no time to be nostalgic. How did some elves call her again? Oh yes, tuast harellan. And she had indeed a bunch of people to deceive.
She stood and get out of the cottage. She whistled and held her hand. The melody was simple but always worked. Useful trick, courtesy of her ranger of a father. A crow landed on her wrist and she tied the letter to its thin leg. She whispered.
"Keeper Istimaethoriel, Clan Lavellan, Free Marches. Sylviras, da'ean." Fly, little bird.
The bird nodded with obedience and took its leave. She watched it a time, making sure it was not about to stop to Leliana's tent. No big chances she would break the code, still, better if she did not get to try. A lot of birds were taking their leave, anyway. The Nightingale was pretty busy with sending letters on behalf of the new Inquisition. Mahariel yawned. She might have been already out for three days but she still felt exhausted. She went back to the cottage and wrote quickly the letter for Oran. Once sent, she slept until the next morning.
When she woke up, she was happy to see a fat breakfast waiting for her on the desk. She did not eat in way too long. She enjoyed it gratefully before doing the same morning ritual as the previous day. She did not see any Qunari around. A pity, war-paint did not need to be done every day if done with proper paint. With blood, it was another story. Maybe could she ask Leliana and Cassandra about it?
She was surprised to hear sound of swords outside. She considered them, her hand already on the hilt of her dagger. No, no attack. Soldiers, training. Her hand dropped back on her thigh. She stretched with a wince. Going back to training could be a good idea. She decided to go see who exactly was training, not having better to do for all she knew.
She stopped when she spotted Varric. Hum, the seeker indeed had the most unlikely kind of prisoners, staying around willingly. He spotted her at the same time and smiled. She gave him a nod. He waved her to come closer. She shrugged, why not?
"Grey, happy to see you are on your feet!" She raised an amused eyebrow.
"Why Grey?" He pointed her from head to toe with a loose gesture.
"Don't know, there is something…Grey about you. A lot of secrets, uncertainty. A feeling of grey moral ground maybe? Well, whatever, hope you like it, I won't change it anyway. Suits you too well!" She nodded with a smirk.
"I do like it actually. Simple, elegant, that's all me." She gave him a graceful bow with a lopsided smile.
"So, heard you did hell of an impression to Nightingale and Seeker? They have no idea what to do with you, you know."
"So, they asked the friendly dwarf to investigate?" He laughed light-heartedly.
"I said no, on my behalf. Not that I'm not intrigued by the stories our Herald might have. How do you feel, by the way? Sure, the Seeker did not ask you."
"Radiant, thank you. What about you, Master Tethras?"
"I am not the one who passed from most wanted criminal to blessed Herald of Andraste within a day." Her nose wrinkled.
"Blessed Herald of Andraste? That's all? I'm almost offended." He shook his head, more serious.
"For days now we have been staring at the Breach, watching demons and Maker knows what fall out of it. Bad for moral would be an understatement. I still can't believe anyone was in there and lived."
"Considering this lovely sum-up, why did you stay?"
"I like to think I'm as selfish and irresponsible as the next guy. But this? Thousands of people died on that mountain. I was almost one of them. And now, there is a hole in the sky. Even I can't just walk away and leave that to solve itself out."
She slightly glanced to the Ironbark necklace of Kadan on her shoulder and shook her head.
"I doubt I really processed it all yet."
"If this is all just the Maker winding us up, I hope there is a damn good punchline coming." She snorted.
"If it is, this Maker is a hell of a good Hissrad, I'll grant him that." She saw his questioning look and translated "Keeper of Illusion. Usual name for a spy."
"Is that your rank?" She smirked.
"I thought you said no to investigation duty?" He held his hands in innocence.
"I did, don't mean I can't be curious. I met a Ben-Hassrath elf once. Hell of a mess as well. Better be prepared." He paused "Anyway, you might wanna consider running at the first opportunity. I've written enough tragedy to know where this is going. Heroes are everywhere, I've seen that. But the hole in the sky…That's beyond heroes. We are going to need a miracle." She smiled reassuringly.
"Good thing I'm no hero material then." He laughed faintly.
"As you say, Grey."
"Unrelated, do you know where I can find Solas? My guess is, I owe him to be still alive. Kind of thing worth some thanks."
"Adan and him, indeed. You will find them both this way, after some stairs. You can follow the elfroot smell."
She nodded her thanks and followed the direction he pointed her.