Arlathan forest was a vast and dense place, with large roots that covered the ground wherever you walked. Large enough that climbing was required to get through. Much time was spent on travelling through to their destination, earnest to get there fast enough that Solas alternated resting for travel despite it being late into the night.

Some of his men were left behind, including Athras, most likely not wanting to risk bloodshed once they rendezvoused with Abelas and his party. Moro would undoubtedly be none to be happy with the arrangement.

Solas' pace was brisk and effortless through the jungle-like landscape of the forest. He was very much the image of a general or leader, but the determinate stride to his steps as intimidating as the stories told to little dalish children of the Dread Wolf. Ramia tried to ignore the ache in her feet and trying to keep up, his men didn't care a wit for her and every one of her actions felt scrutinised. Almost certain they were waiting for an excuse to be rid of her.

"Wait."

Everyone came to halt as Solas lifted his arm, commanding them to cease their movements. Drynne dashed to his side, attempting to summon her spectral blade. Solas laid a gentle hand to her, discouraging the use of her magic. "What is it?" She whispered, eyes darting while his open peered from side to side at a slower more calculating pace.

"We are not alone."
"Inquisition?"
"No…"

It had only just occurred to Ramia that the sounds of the forest's wildlife had all but vanished. Fen'an stood beside her, his staff at the ready and his posture signalling that he was ready for battle. Her body had recovered quickly but not enough to defend herself should they be attacked. Fen'an was aware, gesturing for her to come closer and stay by his side should the undesirable occur.

"They're waiting…" Ramia crouched as slowly as she could, huddling Laisa as close to her as she could.

"Who is Laisa?" A whimper was her only answer as her sister clung to her, hiding beneath her cloak. A snapping branch was the last thing heard before a dozen human hunters came charging out from hiding, swords and battle cries in the air around them.

"Slavers." Drynne summoned her blade, whistling to Fen'an to bring the two girls over to her direction. "Do not waste yourself on these shemlen sir, take Fen'an and the girls to the temple. I'll hold them off." Solas approved. Giving a curt nod and curtailing arrows from Fen'an's path as he dashed through the chaos around them.
Heat from the sprint travel throughout Ramia's body, the sound of her pulse beating loud over the muffled sounds of the fighting they were running from. Solas carried Laisa in his arms while Fen'an stayed close by Ramia. When she began to slow down, he pulled her by the wrist to run faster ignoring her protests.

"We're almost there Ramia, hold out a bit longer!"

Her sudden yelp of pain and tumble brought sprint chase to a halt. Solas was by her side immediately, tutting at the arrow that was lodged into her ankle.

"Get them boys but don't kill em! No good dead."

There were six of them in total swords and arrows trained on them. Solas paid them no mind as he tended to Ramia's wound. Ramia inched closer to Solas, voice still shaky with shock from the attack.

"Warn them, or bribe them." Solas' hand glowed as he healed her ankle, face in grimace at Ramia's plea.
"I will not bargain with brutes." At such close proximity she could feel the magic Solas was pooling into his centre, old and cold as his eyes glowed when he turned his attention to the slavers. Within moments they're bodies turned to stone, moving.

Ramia released a sigh of relief. Her hair was big tangle mess of a mane, over heating her. Solas pulled it back to inspect her, letting out a worried grunt at how pale her face had become. Ramia darted her eyes frantically.

"Where's Laisa?" Solas searched and found her by Fen'an side, safe despite her distraught expression at what had transpired.
"She is safe." Fen'an approached Solas awaiting orders. "Set up camp Fen'an." Ramia attempted to protest, trying to rise on her feet which Solas refuted at he strengthened his grip on her.

"No healing will fix the stress your body has been through. You need to rest." She would have protest further if small hands didn't cling to her, sharp blue eyes full of worry pleading at her.

"Ramia please sleep, I don't want you hurting anymore…" Ramia, bit at her bottom lip, gaze turning from Solas to Fen'an.
"I want to speak to Laisa. Alone."

"This is stupid! My lord enough of this!" Fen'an's mouth was agape at his master obeying her command. He looked back and forth from the two girls to Solas before grumbling and joining Solas as he began a fire. "My lord why do you insist on doing what that child says?!" Solas smirked, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"You can get a lot more out of people if you cooperate with them. Her demand is not entirely unreasonable."

When they were no longer within earshot Ramia turned her attention back to her sister. Laisa still clung to her. "I'm sorry Laisa, you shouldn't have to see all this. I didn't want any of this to happen…" She inhaled deeply to settle her breathing. "You know mother would never have kept you a secret from him if she didn't have to." Laisa nodded, but understanding a situation and liking it were two different things, and Ramia could see the hurt in her eyes.

"Mamae still loves babae and babae still loves mamae. But they keeping fighting."
"It's complicated for them…"
"You don't think it is."

Ramia rolled her eyes playfully. "I don't find anything complicated." This got her small giggle out of Laisa, short lived as it was. Laisa looked over to her father, his hands clenched together in front of his as he gazed at the fire, brows downward deep in thought. Ramia followed her gaze, Laisa needed to be with her mother. Absolute was her mind in this, she was too young to be ripped away from her. Turning again to Laisa, she nudged her pay attention.

"Laisa…Do you want to go with him? Do you want to go with your father?"

Laisa looked between her father and Ramia, a whine escaping her. Ramia hushed her and hugged her close, the tell-tale whine a habit of Laisa's when she didn't like a topic of discussion or was indecisive to the point of frustration. Laisa buried her face into Ramia's shoulder, small sniffles escaping as she clung tightly to her.

"Sssh, don't cry! It's alright. You don't have to decide, not now. I'm sorry for upsetting you."
"I want to stay with you. I don't care about the other stuff."
"I know."
"Please sleep…" Ramia staggered to her feet, joining the other two elves by the fire. Solas jumped up immediately at the sight of her, gesturing to a makeshift bedroll. She suddenly became much more aware of how exhausted she was, sinking down and sleep already settling over her.

When Ramia opened her eyes she was in the fade, more specifically Skyhold. The control she took over her magic the more real the places her mind conjured felt. Her toes wriggled the grass below her feet and she welcomed the cold mountain air into her lungs. The courtyard was empty.

Few horses remained and even the tavern above released no cheers or rowdy shouts. This couldn't be blamed on the fade. Skyhold had been quiet long before Ramia had been sent off on her quest. Many of her mother's companions going their separate ways after she disbanded the Inquisition. They would have left themselves, but aside from duty Ramia and Moro had no home or clan to return to, so at Skyhold they remained.

She climbed the stone steps till she came to entrance of the great hall, a few elves were scattered around, keeping the entire castle in a liveable state. Elves who had not defected to the Dread wolf's cause had stayed behind at Skyhold. There was a sense of unease across the entire south, like chaos was always just around the corner as the former Inquisitor continued to fight against Solas while also trying to save him. The elves didn't acknowledge her however, she may as well have been a part of the furniture. Nonplussed by the predicament she continued through till she came to the entrance of the Rotunda.

Most of Skyhold remained unchanged, this space included. Ramia spent more time here and in the library more than anybody her eyes ghosting across the tapestries that told the story of her mother's rise to power.

"I see she has not disturbed the part of Skyhold."

Ramia jumped and twisted around to the sound of the voice, Solas stood by one of the murals. He no longer donned the robes reminiscent of the sentinels who followed him. His attire was that of his old sweater, clothes more familiar to his time spent with the Inquisition. It hurt to look at him like this. Like this he was Solas, her hahren. It was easier to hate and fear him when he was decorated in armour and furs.

"No she hasn't…" Ramia held her chin up high, her expression cold and bitter. "She doesn't come to library much. It upsets her."

Solas smiled wistfully as a finger traced over a miniscule mistake in the mural, too small to be noticed but he remembered. A sneeze too loud that jolted him during his work, it was the first time he'd ever seen his vhenan feel so guilty about anything that seemed so trivial now. Forlorn, his hand slowly fell from the mural, turning his attention to Ramia.

"Of course…Always so swept by your emotions vhenan…" Ramia kissed her teeth, nose scrunching up at his consistent use of that endearment for her mother.
"If you miss her so much go bother her dreams instead of mine." Solas averted his gaze from the painting, arms folded behind him as he approached her.

"It is you I wish to speak with, your physical body needs rest" He took a seat at his desk, adjusting as if he had never left it in the first place. His entire posture was relaxed, leg crossed over the other as his hands rested in his lap. Ramia had to remember the fade was his domain. Her dream or not, he held the strings that kept the fabrics of the dreaming world together. "But there are things we need to discuss."

"What was said between me and Laisa is none of your business. I won't discuss it." Within the blink of an eye a chair was conjured next to his. Solas extends his hand for her to sit which she does, reluctantly all while trying to keep a decent enough distance. "That is not what I wished to speak about." Ramia folded her arms, closed off and grunting at him to say his piece.

"While of course you are an incredibly stubborn child-…" Ramia's eyes narrowed dangerously as she cleared her throat. Solas coughed holding back his tongue to rephrase.

"Young woman." A forced smile stretched across his face.
"You may continue."
"Thank you. Now, as I was saying Ramia, you are incredibly stubborn but…" His eyes glassed over as his mind reverted to memories of her mother. "It pales in comparison to your mother."

"So….?"

"I want you to understand Laisa's situation. While I emphasise with what you are doing. You cannot stop the restoration of Elvhenan. No matter what any of us wants….it must be done. Would you really see her grow and have a life amongst you only to lose you both?" Ramia frowned and pulled her seat closer.

"When you speak, do you listen to what you say? Honestly like…Do you?" Solas glared at the young girl, exhaling heavily through his nose. "She's not a baby Solas, the attachment is already there you can't change that." Her eyes and voice suddenly took a mark darker tone as she stared him dead in the eyes.

"Or will you make her forget? Like you did to Cole."

Skyhold shattered like glass around them and the raw fade surrounded them. Ramia leapt to her feet, her heartbeat amplified as fear grew in place of her cockiness. Solas abandoned his attempts at co-operation. Hurt and anger flooded him, raw and hot.

"Do not push me Ramia, I am not the monster you convince yourself I am." She didn't dare answer back, shaking hands betraying her attempts to appear unafraid of the man before her. "You are both involving yourself in matters you do not understand."

"What's at that temple Solas? What's there that you don't want us to find?"

Her only reply was snapping awake. Solas, Fen'an were up and reading themselves for travel. Laisa nudged Ramia to rise, taking hold of her hand and pulling her to follow as they continued towards their destination.