"Yes, they are. I needed something that wouldn't restrict my movement and…is it that noticeable?" I ask.
"I would have said something, but since you didn't trust me earlier, I let it run its course. Dorian says.
"I don't know how it's possible Inquisitor, tis true you are a mage now. Be careful who you privy this information. Some people would throw you into a magi circle, and others would shun you the moment they heard you were tainted with magic." Morrigan says as she moves to whisper in my ear "I'm willing to help you with your education if you're willing to give it a try."
The next day we began training. It was decided that training needed to be in a private area, free of eyes, and flammable bodies. In the end we chose the Skyhold basement. The room was cleared of people and the doors locked before we began. Dorian put sound muffling runes on the doors to be sure we wouldn't receive any unwanted company.
"Now, we'll start with the logic behind the magic. By thinking about an element, you pull pieces of it out of the Fade. Some are easier to call upon then others, and normally one has an affinity for one or more specific elements. That is why some people have a specialty. It came to them naturally. Let's hope yours is something powerful, eh?" Dorian says as he elbows me in the ribs.
"Ok, so how do I start doing things?" I ask as I grimace and move a little further away from Dorian.
"Let's see what element your connected to first. There's an easy way to check." He rummages around inside his bag and pulls out a candlestick, drinking flask, a small purse and a hand fan.
"So, what you need to do is think about the specific element while handling the related object. Such as…holding dirt, while thinking about earth. Incredibly difficult, no? There are other aspects in magic, but we'll start with the basics and move our way up. Elves are generally good at nature-based magic, so here, take the dirt and try it out." He tosses me the small purse. Emptying its' contents into my hand, I do as he says and think about dirt. Nothing happens.
"Don't just think about dirt Inquisitor! Think about its' power, the mountains, earthquakes, and mighty forests." He says while I stand there, thinking about earth. After what seems like an hour he tells me to stop.
"Alright, forget about earth! Let's try water. Do the same thing, but with water this time. Some people need to feel it in their hands to get it to work; others prefer to keep their hands dry. Choose what feels the best."
As I hold the drinking flask in my hands, I close my eyes and think of water's power. It's ability to destroy, and to heal. I smile as I think of the time I sat under a small waterfall. The feeling I had as the water rushed over my body was exhilarating! I think about how water embraces you, keeps you warm and cool, as you need it. It was always how I needed it to be. Warm to heat my chilled bones, and cool to calm my fiery temper.
"That's it girly!" Dorian cheers. "What's it?" I ask, as I open my eyes. Immediately, I'm soaked, and the flask falls to the floor, empty. "What the hell Dorian? Why am I all wet?"
"Were you thinking about Solas? I'm sure that could be why you would be wet." He answers with a wink. "You're definitely associated with water my dear Inquisitor. The water came out of the flask and was covering you like a second skin. It was a very sexy trick. Maybe Solas would enjoy having you twice as wet as normal. Try to remember what you did, so you can show him."
"Well, great. Yay for water, and all that. What do I do about my drenched clothing now though?" I say laughing, a smile across my face. Water? Water was always associated with the healing arts, so much for "powerful".
Weeks passed as Dorian and I worked on my basic training in the healing arts. Oh, there are some offensive spells, but the majority are defensive and endurance. Technically, there couldn't be a better match with my skill set, as it will keep me alive longer. The only important thing we had to work on was my armour. If I wanted to have proper flow between the Fade, I could no longer wear plate. Varric managed to get some really nice mail armour from a Tevinter smuggler. There are some plate pieces, but mostly it is mail and cloth. It must be at least 40 pounds lighter then my other set.
Morrigan and I worked on a different set of abilities. The attunement of ones' self. We discovered a few areas in the Fade, and managed to uncover a few small mysteries from the past. It was fun. I enjoyed being there. I imagine it would have been something Solas and I would have done, if he were here…. Solas, where are you now? It's been weeks since I last dreamt of him, and even longer since we last met. According to Leliana, all of the eluvians should have been repaired by now. All that effort had gone to waste. Weeks wasted, but at least there were some benefits to my failure. Today I may not be a master of my abilities, but I've become more focused. At first, my spells were so powerful, and uncontrolled that it was hard to keep others from knowing what we were doing. One night, Morrigan and I went out onto the barracks to practice some new spells. They weren't too showy, so she thought we would be safe. Boy, was she wrong! The first few spells went well and without incident, but for the last spell. She had me stand on top of the Inn's roof, and change into a bird. She said that the reality of falling would encourage my transformation. Which would have been great, if I had transformed. Instead I simply ended up jumping off the roof and landing on my face in front of everyone in the Inn.
The Bull and Sera still have a laugh about it every time I see them. I told them that Dorian had given me some tonics to sleep, but that it ended up being a completely different type of concoction.