Chapter 5: Daughters of the Storm
Talise, followed by Valissia, burst out of the Herald's Rest, flinging the door open with a thwack against the side of the building, the sound of wood meeting stone echoing across the courtyard. Both women ran across the courtyard, ducking in and out of soldiers, merchants, servants, any and all who stood between them and the main gates of Skyhold.
Valissia stopped first, just a step ahead of Talise, skidding in the mud, the hem of her gown soaking up the dirty quickly, but she paid it no mind, her hands pressed to her chest and her storm gray eyes wide. Talise stopped as well, grabbing ahold of the fiery-haired mage's shoulders, her cerulean gaze equally wide.
In front of them, standing confidently in the sunshine, was a woman. Long hair, as long as both of theirs, hung down to her waist in a spill of golden curls, bright emeraldine eyes shone with humor and mischief, surrounded by thick lashes, and her sun-kissed skin fairly glowed as her full lips curled up in a wide smile. A long leather vest brushed the tops of her booted feet, underneath she wore a shirt untied, revealing golden tinted skin, and a pair of leather breeches that clung to her thighs. An instant later, the three of them were wrapped in each other's arms, shouting and laughing and nearly bouncing up and down, almost falling over in the slick mud they stood in.
Down the steps of the keep Cullen walked, at his side the former chevalier, Michel de Chavin, and behind them Varric, the three of them talking about events at Recliffe, and the impact siding with the mages would have. They came to a stop at the sight before them, the women giggling and talking amongst themselves.
"Varric, I assume, since you know Talise and Valissia, you know who that is as well?" Cullen turns to the rogue, an eyebrow lifting at the scene before him.
Varric grins broadly, nodding his head up and down, "Oh yes. This story just got a little more interesting."
"Who is she?" Michel's accented words echoed Cullen's confusion, but his gaze never left the women before him.
Varric slipped between the two warriors, watching as the women clung to each other, even through their laughter, "That is Amelia Bennet. The Daughters of the Storm have reunited."
"Daughters of the Storm?" Cullen and Michal spoke at the same time, their puzzled gazes meeting and then turning to Varric.
"You know Talise is the daughter of Hale Montgomery. His mercenary band was called the Storm Raiders", Varric smiled as the women parted, and then clung to each other once more, "Valissia is the daughter of their healer. And Amelia is the daughter of Hale's lieutenant. The girls grew up together, and by the time I met them, they were calling themselves that."
"And they are all beautiful." Michel cannot help the sigh that escapes him, but he turns to Cullen, bowing slightly, "My apologies Commander."
"If I spent every waking moment of the day angry at men who found Talise beautiful, I would be angry all day long", Cullen nods back at Michel, waving away any insult.
"What is she like, Varric?" The Orlesian chevalier turned back to Varric, although his steely blue gaze was focused on the blonde in front of him, watching as she clung to the other woman with her.
"If Talise is quiet, calm, watching from the shadows, and Valissia is intense and focused upon her work… then Amelia is the wild one. Impetuous, bold, you could say a little rash", Varric stepped in between the two warriors, walking down the stairs, "And if you will excuse me, I'm going to say hello."
"Varric!" Amelia was nearly bouncing up and down as she saw the dwarf, running to him, her boots making splashes in the mud as she did, until she nearly bowled him over. He leaned into her hug, squeezing her until she squeaked. When he leaned back, she looked over his head and her bright spring gaze widened as she saw Cullen and Michel, "Did the Inquisition invite the most attractive men in all of Thedas here?"
Varric laughs, waving up at Cullen and Michael, "The one with the fur is Cullen."
"Ahhhh.. Talise's Cullen." Amelia nods with a knowing look at the tall, armor-clad commander, "I see the attraction."
Varric snorted at her words, nodding in agreement, "Yes, although she will insist he isn't her anything."
"And the one on the right?" she leaned back enough to look down at Varric, lifting an eyebrow at him, curiousity and a sudden rush of attraction gleaming in her eyes.
"Michel de Chevin."
"Oh Maker. He's Orlesian?" Amelia sighed,
"He is. A former chevalier. There was some… trouble in Orlais." Varric nodded, taking the storm mage in. Her hair was longer, hanging well past the middle of her back, her skin was sun-kissed, but the sparkle in her eyes, the longing for life itself, was still there.
That sparkling gaze had not moved from Michel, she stared at him openly, not hiding behind the fan of her lashes, like so many women would have done, "Isn't there always. And am I to understand that the Herald of Andraste has been charmed by Valissia?"
"Yes, that is moving slightly faster than Talise and Cullen." The golden-haired dwarf nods with a grin, winking at Valissia as he speaks.
"Well of course. Talise is reckless with her work, but never with her heart." With a snort, Amelia nods, finally taking her eyes off Michel and looking back towards Talise, who has turned bright pink at Amelia's words.
"More accurate words have never been stated, my dear."
Christopher stepped from the main doors of the keep, assuring Josephine that he would speak to the ambassadors from Orlais in the afternoon, as soon as he talked to Cullen about the soldiers. He frowned as he saw Cullen, along with Michel, standing on the steps, their backs to him. He walked down the steps to them, joining the two warriors, a brow arching at the scene before him.
Valissia was mud-spattered. His impeccably dressed, fiery mage, was splattered with mud. Talise had come out of the shadows, and was grinning, and Varric had his arm wrapped around the waist of a blonde. She was the tallest of the three, but not much more than half a head taller than Talise. And judging from how Valissia had her head propped on the blonde's shoulder, they knew each other.
"Who is that?" His eyes were wide with wonder, somehow the woman standing with Talise and Valissia had brought out a side to both of them he had never seen.
"Apparently the three most beautiful women in Thedas all know each other" Michel replied, his eyes ever never leaving the Amelia, she seemed to almost sparkle in the sunshine, "That is one of their friends. Amelia."
"That is Amelia? Valissia has mentioned writing a friend from home, but I expected", Christopher lifted one shoulder in a shrug, looking over at Cullen, "I don't know… taller."
Cullen nodded, when he had spoken to Talise of her family and friends, she had mentioned Amelia, "Talise speaks of her as a force of nature."
"So that means she must be tall? Michel frowned in confusion, gesturing down to the women, "Talise is tiny, everyone is tall to her."
Cullen and Christopher laughed in agreement. Varric pulled away from the girls, turning towards the men on the stairs to the keep in a sweeping gesture, "Shall we introduce Amelia?"
"Oh yes please. I want to meet this chevalier. I hear the Orlesians do this wicked thing with their tongue", Amelia grinned, linking her arms with Valissia, and then Talise, giggling as both of the women blushed red. They walked up the gray stone steps, neatly repaired, until they stood in a wide circle of stone, more stairs going up to the main doors of the keep.
"Gentlemen, may I present, Amelia Bennett. The trifecta is completed", Varric chuckled, as he walked up the steps, stopping in front of the three men, his gaze on Michel. The Orlesian chevalier was staring at Amelia as she came up the steps, his cool, almost icy blue gaze wide, "Amelia, this is Christopher Trevelyan, Herald and Inquisitor, Cullen Rutherford, our Commander, and this is Michel de Chavin,"
Talise and Valissia both hung back slightly, and Amelia tugged them forward as she came up the steps, grinning wickedly at her friends. Once in front of the group of men on the steps, she bowed slightly, "It is an honor Your Worship. Commander Rutherford, Talise has spoken highly of you in her letters. And Michel, your prowess in battle is legendary."
Talise visibly relaxed, her fear of being embarrassed gone, and Valissia sighed in relief as Amelia made a nearly perfect introduction. Michel moved first, holding out his hand, and Amelia let go of Valissia, expecting to shake his hand; instead he turned her hand, leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. Amelia blinked several times in rapid succession, her cheekbones darkening in a blush as she looked at the chevalier.
"It is an honor Amelia. You've brought a sudden sparkle to the Inquisition", he smiled at her, over the back of her hand, into her wide, green eyes, his Orleasian accent thickening his words.
"Th—Thank you." Uncharacteristically at a loss for words, she merely stared up at Michel, until Valissia, still standing beside her, elbowed her in the ribs. Still casting glances at Michel, she shook hands with Cullen, and had her knuckles kissed by Christopher. The group talked for a few moments, before the three warriors were pulled away by various tasks. Talise cast a longing look at Cullen's broad shoulders and back as he retreated to his quarters above the portcullis; Valissia hung onto Christopher's fingers for as long as she could, and Amelia watched Michel retreat to the training yards, a smirk lifting the corners of her lips.
Later, the Daughters of the Storm stood in the nearly rebuilt war room. A few windows needed to be repaired, but the table had been installed, maps spread out over it. Markers were spread out over it, a few daggers were thrust into it in places. Amelia stood over the table, looking down at the map, idly spinning a marker in her nimble fingers as her emeraldine gaze studied the markers.
"So, this Corypheus, we know next to nothing about him." She began, lifting her gaze to Talise for a moment, "Nothing from your contacts?"
Talise shook her head no, her eyes locked onto Kirkwall on the map, "Nothing. He seems to have crawled up out of the ground overnight. What about you?"
"Nothing. I heard nothing until word reached us the explosion at the Conclave and the loss of Haven. Which that got to me simultaneously." Amelia set the marker down, and then picked it back up, twirling it between her fingers as an outlet for her energy.
"What are we going to do?" Valissia's voice broke, tears welling in her storm gray eyes.
"Shhh.. it's going to be alright", Talise curled an arm around her, pulling the redhead to one shoulder.
"We're not going to cry. Listen, when this is over and this demon thing is cold and dead, and whatever else is going on is done, we will sit down and cry. We'll cry for hours. But right now… right now…" Amelia took a deep trembling breath, her fear getting the best of her for a moment, "Right now, we're going to figure this out."
"We need to plan", Talise spoke the words quietly, motioning to the maps, "Leiliana, the spymaster, has my contacts and agents, she can use them to gain whatever knowledge they have."
"There is a Tevinter here, he practices magic that I'm not… used to" Valissia wiped the tears from her eyes, making a valiant effort to straight her shoulders, "But I know you've been all over the world, and you're not a healer. I think the two of you could come up with a plan. There's also an elf mage and the leader of Val Royeaux's circle is here as well."
"I think I'll take my chances with either the Tevinter or the elf. It's been too long since I played the game, and I was always bad at it." Amelia's nose wrinkles at the mention of Val Royeaux.
The other two laugh at her words, nodding in agreement.
"Not to change the subject, but we need to talk Talise", Amelia set the marker she was holding down firmly on the table, "What is this nonsense about you presenting yourself for Judgment to the Herald?"
In all the time she had been here, no one had openly spoken about the events that took place the morning Talise joined the Inquisition. Her grief over her brother's death had left a scar on her, darkening her eyes with pain, and no one seemed to want to make it worse. Amelia's question brought all her emotions to the surface, and Talise shifted, unable to look at the storm mage.
"I've done a lot of bad things in my life Amelia." The words were spoken to the map on the table, Talise's gaze veiled through her lashes.
"HmmMmm. Many of us have." Amelia nodded, leaning against the war table and folding her arms over her chest, her concerned gaze focused on Talise.
"And… and… Jordan's death was my fault." Her summer bright gaze dropped to the war table, and trembling fingers reached out, touching the dagger stuck through the Haven on the map.
"How exactly? Did you blow up the Conclave and not tell anyone?" as she spoke, Amelia lifted her gaze to Valissia, arching an eyebrow at the spirit mage.
The answer was small, quietly whispered, and the assassin did not move as she spoke the words to the war table, "No."
"Did you set this darkspawn loose in the world?"
"No".
"Then how exactly is his death any of your fault?"
"He paid the price for all of what I've done."
"No. Oh no Talise, you stop believing that bullshit right this instant." Amelia flicks her gaze, dark with anger, to Valissia, "And have you talked to her about this?"
"She didn't want to talk about it." Valissia shrugged, suddenly unable to meet Amelia's gaze. The note of anger creeping into the storm mage's voice was also shining in her eyes.
"She never wants to talk about anything. Talise is a walking, talking, breathing secret. You have to force information out of her." She had to grit her teeth, grinding them together until her jaw ached, to keep from yelling suddenly. Anger at herself, at her friends, at the entire world, rose, threatening to swamp her emotions.
"He left the royal guard because he could not take lying to Alistair anymore. After I left the proof of the rebellion among the nobles with Alistair…" still Talise stared at the map, her gaze locked onto Haven. Where her world had exploded.
"You did a good thing. You saw to it that the one man who needed the information got it. How is that a bad thing?" Amelia reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose with her fingers, thick lashes obscuring her gaze, while she kept her breathing slow and measured.
The answer hung in the air for moments, Talise's emotions slowly being tugged out of the shadows. She blinked back a rush of tears, keeping them out of her shining cerulean gaze, but just barely, "Because he didn't tell Alistair who I was."
"Did Alistair ever come out and ask Jordan if he knew you were the Ghost of Ferelden?", Amelia frowned, trying to keep her anger at bay, while at the same time trying to understand Talise's feelings.
"No".
"Then Jordan wasn't lying. And if it was his guilt at this supposed lie to Alistair that drove him to Haven, that was his burden to bear. Not yours."
"I…"
"Unless you're going to say 'I was wrong, you are right' do not say anything."
"I know you're right. But…"
Amelia stalks back to Talise, gripping her by the shoulders and leaning down until she is nose to nose with the shorter woman, "Listen to me. You can grieve for your brother. I grieve for your brother. But do not take his burdens on. You were born to be who you are, right this instant. And that includes a famous assassin. If you weren't good at it, you'd be dead."
"That is a very strange thing to say." Talise meets her gaze, blue and green colliding in a clash of color and emotions, her voice stronger now, although it wobbles still a bit.
"It's the truth though. Your skills have kept you alive. Helped you become who you are, and you are going to help topple a darkpawn the likes of which we have never seen." Her anger dissipating as quickly as it had come, Amelia pulled Talise to her, curling her arms around Talise's thin back.
"You believe that?" the words were muffled against Amelia's shoulder, as Talise buried her face, sniffling back tears.
Amelia sighed, gritting her teeth in frustration, her emeraldine eyes dark with anger, "We don't have time for your crisis. We don't have time for Valissia to be worrying about her hair or how muddy her clothes are going to get either. We need to get a plan together. A solid plan of how we are, separately and together, going to help the Inquisition. Because if we don't, the whole world will fall."
"You're right" Valissia sighs, leaning against Talise's back.
"So start with this… our skills, our contacts, our knowledge, everything we have we have to give to the Inquisition. It is going to take everything to defeat this monster", Amelia squared her shoulders, before moving to the doors of the war room, and tugging them open with enough force for one to crash into the wall, "But we're going to save this world. Or die trying."