Review and Update 3/2/15
Bethany felt exceedingly groggy as she awoke. She went through her normal mental check-up, trying to determine her state. Something had dropped her into unconsciousness, she knew that much, and her hand pained her terribly. Catching her breath, the young Hawke girl forced her eyes open and her body upright.
"Leliana. She's up."
The voice was thick, heavy with the Nevarran accent. "Seeker Pentaghast." Bethany considered the woman, whose face was drawn in a frown. "What happened?"
Cassandra stood stock still as Leliana entered the room, her eyes colder than Bethany had seen them before. The expression changed as soon as she laid eyes on the young mage. "Bethy. At least you survived."
"What do you mean by at least me? What is going on, Leliana?" Bethany was much more familiar with the 'former' bard, having been introduced both by Nathaniel and an overly excited Leandra the previous year. Yet even she wass hesitantly quiet, considering. It was disconcerting to have someone she actually knew she her with this kind of discernment. "I deserve to know what is going on." The mage injected as much command as she dared in the circumstance. She was simply glad not to be in irons.
"This makes no sense, Cassandra. I know Bethany Hawke. Her sister is the Hero of Fereldan! Her brother was the Champion of Kirkwall! She would no more be a part of this than you or I."
"I know." Cassandra sighed, looking at the mage and finally coming up to grab her hand and thrust it in her face. "Can you explain this?"
Bethany looked with horror at the brilliant green mark on her hand. That would explain the pain. "I..." She racked her memory for something, anything to explain, but she barely remembered anything after arriving in the Frostbacks. "...can't. The last thing I remember is hurrying into the Conclave because I was running late. What...what happened?"
"That makes things complicated." Cassandra was looking at Bethany, but her words were obviously meant for Leliana. "The people around here believe the survivor, whoever it might be, did it. It won't be easy to change minds."
Leliana nodded. "There has to be another way to explain this."
Cassandra offered a hand to pull Bethany into standing. "Helping me will go a long way towards proving you are innocent."
"What do they think I did? What is happening?"
"It's easier if we show you," Leliana offered, leading Bethany out into the cold air of the Frostback mountains. The chill only increased as she saw the rip in the sky.
It was Cassandra who took Bethany by the shoulder then, explaining the Breach and Bethany's connection to it. The mage shuddered, afraid of something so powerful- something killing her- stuck in the palm of her hand. The only comfort was Cassandra's willingness to keep her upright and carefully explain what was happenng to the best of her ability. The cold rationale calmed Bethany somehow, though she dearly wished it was Leliana at her side between the two. Then, topping a hill, she heard a familiar voice below and broke into a run.
The instant the demons were defeated, Bethany dropped the staff she'd found along the road and grabbed onto the thankfully familiar face. "Varric!"
"Sunshine! Good to see you awake!" He hugged back vigorously, to the point of forgetting to even introduce the elven apostate behind him. Not that it mattered. He was just another mage, though he genuinely seemed inclined to lend aide. Bethany took the break to reach into herself, feeling for the spirit she had bonded to in Kirkwall to help with healing. Only to find a major problem.
The spirit Orsino had helped her treat with was silent.
Bethany frowned, working to cast a basic heal on Cassandra after her last injury and finding it stunted. "Strange,"'she whispered, her mind racing. Was this a side-effect of the mark in her hand, or had Compassion abandoned her friendship? Either way it was unusual. She would have to think about this later.
"We have to hurry," Bethany suggested as she looked ahead. "That Breach isn't sealing itself."