Her hands shook as she gripped the letter. She wished that she had been dreaming. She shut her eyes tight and bit her bottom lip as hard as she could and opened her eyes, she hadn't been dreaming, this wasn't a dream. She tucked her hands deep into her pockets and trembled, not from the cold but from something deep within her that made her feel so vulnerable. Alysia continued walking up the path her shoes crunched against the thick snow, she did not know where or how far she had gotten away from heaven, all she remembered was running for dear life after reading the letter.
Alysia pushed her hair backwards, away from the cold wind that was blowing on her face. She shivered from the cold, she could barely see or feel her feet now which was buried deep in snow.
I should turn back.
But where was back she did not know. She did not know if she could return back to Haven, what if they found out the contents of the letter. Leliana knew but how long could the spymaster keep her secret. Alysia cursed herself for not packing warmer clothes, she crossed her arms around her chest to try and keep warm. She noticed the sky was slowly growing dark; it's light blue now painted into a nearly sinister grey. She knew that she would undoubtedly freeze to death if she stayed out here even longer, somehow she found the idea of dying to be comforting, she should have died back then, she knew that she should have died back at the temple but the Maker was obviously playing some sick joke to keep her alive. Why was the Maker punishing her, she thought, tears forming at the side of her eyes. Alysia wiped her tears and pressed on, silently hoping that her death would be swift.
The sound of galloping could be heard in the distant, vapor forming as the mount huffed with each gallop. The stranger on the mount pulled on its hood closer to its face, obscuring their identity.
"Woah," the stranger said to the mount, instructing it to stop when they came around the bend.
The stranger got off the horse, their boots made a clanking noise when it hit the snowy ground. The stranger looked around the area as if looking for something, it knelt to the ground and grabbed a pile of snow from the ground and sifted through it, the stranger then brought the pile of snow up to its nose and sniffed it. It then wiped the snow off their hands and got on their horse again, instructing it to gallop forward; their silhouette slowly disappeared into the cold dark night.
She felt something thick against her skin and nuzzled her face closer to it, appreciating the warmth. Her body ached and her mind was blank, she tried to look up but her eyes only formed blurred images. She could feel something move under her, it was too soft to be the wood of a wagon and too hard to be of a human. Unable to determine where she was, she drifted back to sleep.
She heard people talking, half-asleep she could not understand what they were saying. She could no longer feel the movement under her, but she could feel sunlight and was fairly certain she was lying on a roll out bed. She tried to move her body but something or someone appeared and ran their fingers through her hair.
"You're safe. I promise."
Alysia tried to turn her face to see this stranger but her body would not budge.
"Go back to sleep, you're safe."
Alysia nodded silently and fell back asleep.
She shifted uncomfortably when she felt sweat pooling at the small of her back, the heat was slowly giving her lungs a bit of life, and her breathing grew steadier with each breath she took. She could finally feel her entire being, her body no longer ached nor did her fingers and feet feel numb. She felt herself again. Alysia rolled to her side and slowly opened her eyes.
She was greeted by a rather large tree, its branches stretched out as far as her eyes could see, she felt so small underneath it. She reached her hand out and started to trace the outline of the branches above her, she hummed softly as the wind blew her hair gently. The tree swayed with each passing breeze, its leaves slowly falling onto the ground, one fell onto Alysia's hair, its green contrasting against her snowy hair.
"You're still the same as ever," a voice spoke behind her.
"What can I say? I aim to please," Alysia smiled recognizing the voice.
The stranger hovered over Alysia, its head still covered by a hood. The stranger lay itself next to Alysia, slowly running its fingers through her hair.
"How did you find me?" Alysia asked, her eyes drifting to the stranger.
"I promised you, didn't I? That I'd find you at the Conclave," the stranger said as it cupped Alysia's cheeks.
"Where are we?"
"The Hinterlands. You needed to see the Revered Mother didn't you?"
"How did you know?" Alysia asked, her body jerking up.
"We have mutual friends. Come, I promised a certain dwarf that I'd get you home before supper," the stranger said while trying to stand on its feet.
Alysia nodded and smiled at the stranger.
Everyone jerked their faces up when Cassandra slammed her fist on to the wooden table in the war room. Her face was scrunched up into a look of anger, her eyes darted to the map and its crossed out bits.
"It's been two days. Two days and still nothing! She couldn't have disappeared," Cassandra yelled across the room.
Varric shifted uncomfortably at the Seeker's anger. These past two days had been a nightmare for him; he was back to being interrogated by the Seeker because of Cullen. He tried to reason with the Commander and the Seeker; he told them that he knew nothing of the Herald's disappearance. Solas came to Varric's defense when Cassandra's interrogation did not relent, Varric was thankful for what he did or else he would still be cooped up in a room with guards watching him.
Leliana had been busy since Alysia's disappearance; she had tried to find her using her spy network but no new came of Alysia or anyone resembling her nearby. Cullen had been cooped up in his room ever since, trying to keep busy by finishing the over-piling reports Josephine had given him—he wondered if there were instances of people being smothered to death by paperwork. Shuddering slightly at the thought.
Someone knocked his door and announced that Seeker Cassandra was holding a meeting in the war room. Cullen replied that he would be there soon, as soon as he heard the messenger shuffle away, he got up from his chair and walked over to his washbasin. He looked at his face in the mirror and noticed the dark circles around his eyes; he splashed his face with the cool water, letting it wake him up.
She's given me more headaches than Knight-Commander Meredith ever did.
Once he was ready, he made his way into the Chantry, he saw Josephine waving at him—how can she be so lively even in a crisis, Cullen wondered. Cullen bowed at her and made his way into the war room with her.
"How have you been feeling?" Josephine asked, a look of worry in her face.
"Better than Cassandra," Cullen joked.
"You better not let her hear that," Josephine replied while grinning.
Cassandra and Leliana were in mid-conversation when Josephine and Cullen walked into the room. Varric and Solas stood on the other end of the table, both of them clearly not wanting to be here.
Cassandra looked up at all of them, her eyes now gleaming for unknown reasons.
"We think we might have found the Herald," she announced to the room, in which they all sighed thankfully in return.
"Where did you find her," Cullen asked, his expression grave.
"Some of my spies say that they saw her in the Hinterlands," Leliana spoke as she placed her report down. She moved one of the little markers off the war table map and placed it on the far corner of the Hinterlands.
"You're sure?" Solas asked while eyeing the marker.
"Not entirely. It could be someone else but at least we have a lead now," Leliana spoke.
"How soon can we leave?" Varric asked, to which Cassandra grunted.
"Seeker, we can play this game all day long but my concern is the Herald. You have no reason to doubt me," Varric said while frowning.
"It is true Lady Seeker, I was wrong to have judged him," Cullen admitted.
Cassandra turned her gaze to the map and chewed on her lower lip.
"Mid-day. We leave tomorrow at mid-day. Be prepared."
The entire room nodded at her.
She perched her body over the steep hill, her body half-hidden by a bush. She could feel her sweat clinging her armor to her skin, her hair was now loosely braided; little stray strands clung to her face. Alysia wiped the sweat off her face and slid down the hill deftly and landed next to the stranger who was on its horse.
"Anything?" the stranger asked.
"A few banner men, Templars and mages about, but nothing besides that," Alysia replied while climbing on to the stranger's horse.
"We steer clear of the main roads until we reach the Crossroads," the stranger said while kicking its horse to pick up more speed.
Alysia clung on to the stranger's cloak as the horse galloped and nodded.
Shortly after bypassing most unsafe routes surrounded by either mages or Templars, Alysia and the stranger finally reached the Crossroads, which was now filled with refugees and mostly injured people. Alysia got off the horse and greeted a refugee who just nodded silently, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the people there, they looked haggard and in need of warm food and clothes.
"The Revered Mother should be up there," the stranger said, pointing up at a hill.
"Stay here. I don't want to have to explain to her why you're here with me instead of the Inquisition," Alysia said while quickly walking towards the hill.
The stranger nodded while handing its mount some food, to which it neighed in appreciation.
Alysia's pace slowered when she saw the amount of injured people lying on the ground, there were people moaning in pain, some limbless, some blood soaked bodies lay motionless on the ground. Alysia walked over to one of them, she was a young elf with blonde hair, whose ears were both slit. Alysia knelt beside the dead elf and pushed her blood soaked hair away from her face, she was beautiful, Alysia thought. The elf had a necklace around her neck; Alysia wondered what life she must have had, all of her memories and everything that made her who she was, was gone with her death. She was an empty shell now.
"We did all we could," a voice spoke from behind her. "Did you know her?"
Alysia got up from her knees and faced the person behind her. "No, Revered Mother. I did not." Alysia said while smiling weakly. "But, I wish I could have known all of them," she said while glancing at the pile of dead bodies.
"It's no use dwelling on the dead, my child. They are probably happy by the Maker's side," the Revered Mother said.
"Thank you Mother Giselle. For all that you have done."
Mother Giselle stared at Alysia for a long time and then spoke, "Do I know you?" she asked.
"I am Alysia Trevelyan, youngest of the Trevelyan's of the Free Marches. I'm here on behalf of the Inquisition," Alysia said while bowing.
Mother Giselle eyes grew wide, she opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it again; she walked closer to Alysia and clasped her hands over Alysia's. "I prayed to the Maker that you would come soon."
"And here I am. What can I do for you, Mother Giselle?"
"I know of the Chantry's denouncement and I am familiar of those who are behind it. Some of them are important people who want to increase their chances of being the next Divine. Some are simply terrified, slowly losing their way to this needless war."
Alysia frowned at the Mother's words and tried to make sense of it, "But don't you stand with the rest of the Chantry?"
"With no divine most of us are left to our own fate. I won't lie, some people are terrified of you—however, my conscience tells me to trust you. Go to the remaining clerics; convince them that you are no demon to be feared. They've heard only frightful tales of you. Give them something else to believe."
"You want me to appeal to them?"
"If I thought you were incapable I would not have suggested it."
"Will they listen?"
"You needn't convince them, you just need them to doubt themselves. With their unity broken by doubt, it should buy you some time to change their perception of you."
Mother Giselle stared at the people below the hill, her weary eyes filled with resolve. Alysia looked at the Mother, she clearly cared for the Maker's children but above all she believed that Alysia could be the savior that Thedas needed.
"Thank you, for all that you're doing. I know it must be difficult to go against the Chantry's wishes," Alysia said while smiling at Mother Giselle.
Mother Giselle's face warmed at Alysia's words.
"I honestly don't know if you've been touched by fate but I hope. Hope is what the people need now. They will answer to your rallying call; you could build the Inquisition into a force that could deliver us or destroy us." Mother Giselle turned to Alysia, her face now filled with determination. "I will go to Haven and provide some names to Sister Leliana to help your cause. It won't be much, but I will do all I can."
Alysia nodded at Mother Giselle. "I will return to Haven and notify the rest. Maker watch over you," Alysia said while waving at Mother Giselle, who bowed in response.
Alysia pondered at Mother Giselle's words, and wondered if she could truly give people the hope that they needed. She was no Divine nor did she believe herself to be sent by Andraste, but could she really save a land ravaged by war. The only thing she was certain of was that having Mother Giselle on her side, the Inquisition's side, would no doubt benefit them and their cause.
"Good news I presume?" the stranger asked, while looking at Alysia who was deep in thought.
"For now. Where to now?" Alysia asked while pulling on the horse's reigns.
"Haven. I promised a certain dwarf that you'd be home safe in time for dinner," the stranger replied while getting on the horse.
Cullen paced in his cabin, his body restless. No amount of lyrium could help him fall asleep, it wasn't the demons in his head that kept him awake, it was the possibility that Alysia was safe out there, somewhere.
How could she have run off to the Hinterlands without telling anyone?
He awoke just before dawn when he heard Cassandra busy preparing to leave to the Hinterlands; she was taking Varric and Solas with her to venture in to the Hinterlands to find Alysia.
He shut his eyes briefly and silently hoped that they would find her. The Inquisition needed her, he agreed to himself. Without her, the people's faith of salvation in a world ravaged by war would vanish. To him she seemed like a spoilt noblewoman with a smart-mouth, she never truly did anything extreme to warrant his dislike for her besides get on his nerves every single time she spoke. He did not know if she was truly sent by Andraste herself, but he knew that the people of Haven placed their faith in her.
Her existence mattered to the people who believed in her.
Cassandra looked over at the map of the Hinterlands again, this time with Varric and Solas beside her. She explained to them on where they would go, she said that they should speak to Corporal Vale at the Crossroads about the Herald's whereabouts, according to Leliana, he was the one who saw her.
"So what if we don't find her?" Varric asked while strapping Bianca on to his back.
"Then we search everywhere else until she is found," Cassandra said sharply.
"What if the Herald refuses to be found?" Solas asked blankly.
Cassandra looked at him directly and frowned. She did not know of an alternative option if they could not find the Herald. She looked at Harrit who was busy at work, and at Cullen's recruits who were diligently training—they were oblivious to the fact that their Herald was missing. What would happen if they found out, she wondered while packing food into her pouch.
"Knock it off, Chuckles. The Seeker has enough on her plate as it is," Varric said, turning to Solas, who ignored him. Solas seemed more distant than he used to be, he barely spoke and spent most of his time sleeping. Varric wondered why such a tiny person needed that much sleep, what makes him so tired all the time. Little did Varric know Solas was searching for Alysia too, in his own way.
Solas looked up to the gates of Haven when he heard something galloping towards them. Murmurs escapes the guards mouths when they saw a figure on a horse racing towards the gate, they peered over the watchtowers trying to determine who the hooded figure was. The figure grew closer and closer and stopped right in front of the gates of Haven and by that time half of Haven's people's attention were on the mysterious figure.
Seeker Pantaghast unsheathed her sword and raised it at the figure. "Show yourself," she demanded at the figure, whose horse stepped backwards slightly at her piercing voice. The figure gripped on the mount's reigns tighter and proceeded into the gates, ignoring Cassandra entirely. The stranger got off its mount barely a few feet away from Cassandra who was now fuming with anger; its boots dug into the snow making a crunching sound. It turned its gaze towards the Seeker, whose sword was still directed towards the stranger.
The figure caught a glimpse of a shadow running towards the spectacle—Cullen stopped near Varric who narrowed his eyes at the figure, shortly after his arrival, Leliana and Josephine came rushing down from the Chantry, pausing themselves to comprehend the situation that was unfolding before them—silence fell over the entire village who were now gawking at the spectacle.
The stranger strode towards Cassandra, shuffling its feet against the snow, it stopped right in front of the tip of Cassandra's blade, unwavering Cassandra frowned at the figure.
"You would do well to unveil yourself," Cassandra growled, which prompted Cullen and his recruits to draw their blades at the stranger who remained undaunted by their action.
"You would do well to drop your blades," the stranger spoke monotonously. To which Cassandra gripped her blade tighter and gritted her teeth at the stranger.
"One wrong move Seeker, and your life is mine," the stranger whispered to Cassandra while briefly flashing her its blade that it hid on its waistband.
Cassandra raised her eyebrow and nodded silently; she raised her right arm as if to tell everyone that the stranger meant no harm, she inched her feet backwards and lowered her sword.
"Your turn," Cassandra replied darkly.
The figure nodded and turned its back towards Cassandra and waved its hands slightly at Haven's gate, signalling; everyone's gaze followed the stranger's and wondered what it was looking at. Whispers started escaping everyone's lips when they saw another figure dressed entire in black emerging from the distant and walking towards Haven's gates. Its hair blew gently against the wind, face slightly pale but its eyes were piercing blue, it clung onto the coat it was wearing, pacing forward slowly—it sent shivers down everyone's spine. She looked like winter.
Cassandra dropped her sword in unison with the entire village's gasp. They all realized who it was; it was the Herald walking closer to them. Alysia passed through Haven's gate, wary of everyone's gaze that fell upon her. She stopped directly in front of Cassandra, whose face now was the definition of shock. Alysia held her gaze at Cullen whose chest was heaving heavily with anger, her lips trembled when she saw everyone staring at her with confusion.
Cassandra finally interrupted the silence. "Where in Maker's name have you been?" she hissed.
Alysia hung her head low, fingers slowly clenching into a ball. She remained silent at the Seeker's harsh face.
"Well? Speak," Cassandra spoke now through gritted teeth.
"What are you? Her mother?" the stranger asked, amusement in its voice.
"Don't you dare–", before Cassandra could finish her sentence Varric interjected her by coughing loudly.
"Stay out of this, dwarf," Cassandra hissed, her voice raised.
"I didn't say anything!" he exclaimed to which several chuckles escaped people's mouths.
Cassandra groaned inwardly at Varric, but her gaze never left Alysia's and the stranger's.
"So you know this person?" Leliana spoke now, walking closer towards them.
"Yes." Alysia answered, looking up at the spymaster.
"Will you tell us who they are?"
Alysia looked at the stranger who shrugged under its hood. She held the Spymaster's gaze, and briefly turned to Cullen whose hand was still on the hilt of his sword and returned her gaze to Leliana.
"Meet me in the war room."