Hi everyone! I'm back! Thanks to everyone that's kept reading in my absence. Hopefully this chapter and the ones to follow satisfy!

Much thanks to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorited so far. Means the world to a lil ol' writer like me.

Onward!

The Herald and her three companions made it Redcliffe. She never thought there would come a day that she would admit something like this, but she really rather enjoyed the company of a Tevinter mage. He wasn't like the vast majority of them, not by a long shot. Sure, he was confident and vain, but he abhorred what the Imperium stood for now, the corruption that took place and the secrecy that festered. He also had one of the strongest hates for blood magic she had ever seen, especially from a mage. Aside from his steadfast values regarding magic and his homeland, he was ridiculously fun company, Ellie concluded. He always made her laugh, was quick to throw in a clever remark and he flirted constantly. Not just with Ellie either. It didn't bother her at all, he wasn't exactly her type in that sense, but it made for good entertainment. Especially when he tried making a pass at Solas once.

Along with Dorian, Ellie decided to bring Iron Bull for his brute strength and Solas. She concluded that if they would be dealing with mages, magisters and whatever creatures from the Fade that brought, it was best to fight fire with fire.

When they had reached the castle, she had only brought Solas and Iron Bull with her. They couldn't know that Dorian was with them just yet. They tried refusing the rest of her party entrance. That idealistic expectation of theirs died rather quickly and the three of them were escorted to Alexius.

The throne room of the fortress gave Ellie chills. It was near empty except for a few guards and Alexius sitting on his throne with his son at his side. There was a fireplace behind the magister, the only source of light in the room, and it cast a shadow on the whole of Alexius' figure which only added to creepiness.

The Venatori cultist smoothly said that he would make an arrangement for the mages that would benefit everyone. Ellie had to hold back a laugh. Fiona had entered the room before she good, a fierce look on her face, all but demanding that she has a say in the fate of her people.

Ellie told the magister blankly that the Grand Enchanter deserved to have a voice in their negotiations.

"The Inquisition needs mages to close the Breach and I have them. So what shall you offer in exchange?" Alexius asked proudly, as if he had the upper hand.

Ellie replied with a devilish grin, "Why, absolutely nothing, of course."

Stunned by her response, the magister didn't have time to formulate a reply before his son Felix addressed him, "They know everything, Father."

"Felix," boomed the dark voice of Alexius, "What have you done?"

Ellie grimaced. She hated solving family disputes, but she conceded this once, "Your son is concerned that you're involved in something terrible."

The magister scoffed, "So speaks the thief! Do you think that you can turn my son against me? You walk into my stronghold with your stolen mark, a gift you don't even understand, and think you're in control? You're nothing but a mistake!"

This man was seriously starting to piss Ellie off and she did not bother hiding behind a straight face or sugar-coated words any longer. "If you know so much, why don't you enlighten me? Tell me what this mark on my hand is for."

"It belongs to your betters, you wouldn't even begin to understand its purpose."

Felix pleaded with his Father to reconsider his path, to back down. Alexius would have none of that, judging by his facial expression.

"He sounds exactly like every sort of villainous cliché everyone expects us to be," Dorian spat as he strode into the room, glaring daggers at his former mentor.

The magister sounded thoroughly surprised at Dorian's arrival, and of his apparent stand in all of this. Alexius spoke of the part he had offered Dorian in his extremist views and actions, saying something about an 'Elder One' and bring Tevinter back to its former glory.

Ellie looked incredulous at his ignorance, "That's who you serve, the one who killed the Divine? Is he a mage?"

"Soon he will become a god! He will make the world bow to mages once more!" His words and tone were becoming more and more fanatical and unhinged with every syllable he spoke. Ellie's mind was racing both in confusion and determination.

"You can't involve my people in this!" cried Fiona.

Dorian stepped in along with Felix, imploring Alexius fervently once more to not carry on with this madness. The way they pleaded with him made Ellie's heart ache. To have to all but get on your hands and knees and beg someone you cared for to stop toying with danger was sobering to watch. Alexius confessed that he had the best of intentions, saving his son's life, when signing a deal with the devil, but he was not about to turn back from his decision now, despite Felix trying to persuade him otherwise.

"Seize them, Venatori! The Elder One demands this woman's life."

As his command rang through the hall, they were met with the distinct gurgling sound of men having their throats slit. The Inquisition's agent had apparently made through the secret pass and killed the Venatori guards in sync. The look on Alexius' face was priceless.

"Your men are dead, Alexius," Ellie growled through clenched teeth.

The magister replied with whispers of her being a mistake and, with a mysterious amulet in his hand, started conjuring a rift. Dorian was quick to act and spun his own magic to disrupt his fellow Tevinter's actions. The amulet flew out of Alexius' hand and opened up some kind of portal to the left of the room. It didn't look the the rift Ellie was used to dealing with but it still held that eerie green aura around it.

She couldn't comprehend much else after that because then the world around her went black.

They were back, thank the Maker, they were actually back!

When they landed back in the Redcliffe Castle, in the correct year this time, Ellie was so happy and relieved she could have kissed someone, anyone, even Solas. She scrunched her nose at the thought.

Okay, maybe not Solas...

The portal Alexius opened had sent her and Dorian forward through time. One year ahead, to be exact. And the future that awaited them if Alexius' plan has been followed through was terrifying. Beyond terrifying. She couldn't let it happen if there was some way to prevent it.

After some harrowing discoveries and grisly battles, her and her new favorite sidekick managed to reverse what the amulet had done and sent them back from the future, enabling them also to take Alexius as a prisoner.

She still didn't even know who this Elder One really was and yet Ellie had never been more determined to stop someone.

They had arrived back in Haven and Ellie had been unusually quiet the whole way there. Iron Bull and Dorian offered some reassuring words to her, and even Solas gave her a nod of approval, but she still felt this sickening feeling in her stomach. One that wouldn't go away no matter how hard she tried.

The convoy of the Inquisition, now with the addition of the rebel mages, brought relief to Ellie's comrades. They got what they went for and came back alive. When she passed Cullen on his way to the War Room for a briefing, he beamed at her upon knowing she was back and in one piece. But when he caught sight of the hollowness in her silver eyes, though she gave a failed attempt to match his joyful expression, his smile faltered considerably as he disappeared into the Chantry. Ellie had already advised her cohorts she would need a minute before she could join them.

She slipped into her house, breath shaky as she fought back tears. Ellie was not an emotional person and she cursed herself for becoming increasingly less calloused. The horror of what the world's future could become was more than she could handle, and the fact that a large portion of preventing that outcome fell mainly on her shoulders was a burden she didn't know she could bare.

But I must try, if only for my own sake, I must try.

Her face was buried in her hands when she heard the door creak open. She didn't even bother looking. Yet she felt a warm hand on her shoulder and the comforting words of a voice she had come to recognize instantly.

"That future will not come to pass, Ellie," Dorian assured her, "I know, if anyone can see to that, it's you. Do not doubt yourself."

She inhaled deeply and tilted her face to be able to see Dorian behind her. His eyes held a caring that she hadn't seen in him before. She extended an appreciative look to him and placed her dainty hand atop his.

He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, "Come, let's go talk to the rest of the council. They deserve to hear what happened from us."

He released her shoulder and instead, offered his arm which she accepted gladly, linking hers with his. Dorian's affirmation of her abilities gave her the inner strength she needed to pull herself together and continue on.

The two kindred spirits walked arm in arm to the Chantry but just before they got to the front steps, she noticed Dorian's attention wane out of the corner of her eye.

"I'll meet you inside in a moment, darling. Alright?"

She simply nodded and they broke apart. When she entered the doors of the stone structure, her three advisors were in the middle of a heated argument. Again. This time in the Chantry's main hall.

"It's not a matter for debate," she heard the Commander's firm, infuriated voice, "There will be abominations among the mages and we must be prepared."

Ellie walked to take her place among the council just as Josephine began speaking. "If we rescind the offer of an alliance, it makes the Inquisition appear incompetent at best and tyrannical at worst."

Cullen turned his temper towards the Herald, "What were you thinking, turning mages loose with no oversight? The Veil is torn open!"

Ellie was taken aback by the Commander's vitriolic criticism, but was swift to stifle any appearance of her reaction. "Give them their freedom for now. If they prove later they can't handle it, then impose restrictions."

Apparently that answer was not sufficient to the former Templar, "And how many lives will be lost if they fail? With the Veil broken, the threat of possession is…"

"Look," Ellie interrupted with a fire in her eyes and speech that the Commander had not yet seen. She had put up with enough today. "For generations mages have been allowed no freedom or tolerance. Yes, they are dangerous and can become worse at any time. But have you thought that maybe, just maybe, if mages were viewed as equals with equal rights as the rest of us and given a noble, honest purpose without having a Templar breathing down their necks, they might actually be grateful enough to respectfully cooperate and behave." The Commander was clearly not expecting her fervor and appeared to be thrown off, especially when she practically growled the word 'Templar' at him. "I know things may not play out this way, but can please, just this once give the mages a chance to prove they are not all the monsters that everyone wants them to be?"

Her conviction made everyone fall quiet for a moment, thinking about the grand scheme of things, not just the worst case scenario.

Cassandra was the first to break the silence, "While I may not completely agree with the decision, I support it. The sole purpose of the Herald's mission was to gain the mages aid, and that was accomplished."

"The voice of pragmatism speaks," Dorian mused as he made his presence known, much to Ellie's relief, "And here I was just beginning to enjoy the circular arguments."

"Closing the Breach is all that matters," Cassandra concluded.

Ellie nodded, "I agree. We should do that as soon as we can."

"We should also look the things you saw in this dark future. The assassination of Empress Celene? A demon army?" Leliana suggested thoughtfully.

"Sounds like something a Tevinter cult might do. Orlais falls, the Imperium rises, chaos for everyone," Dorian quipped with amusement, shooting the Herald a charming grin.

She actually managed to quirk the corners of her lips back at him, the first time she'd genuinely smiled all day.

Something that didn't go unnoticed by the Commander. He sighed, "One battle at a time. It's going to take time to organize our troops and the mage recruits. Let's take this to the War Room. Join us, none of this means anything without your mark after all," he addressed the Herald, softer this time with a warm smile on his face.

She appreciated the friendliness but she still was not sure he would hold the same sincerity if it weren't for the glowing mark on her hand. Still, trying not to speak through gritted teeth, she acquiesced, "I'd be more than happy to."

"I'll skip the war council," the mage chimed in, quaintly assuming he was actually invited, "But I would like to see this Breach up close, if you don't mind?"

Ellie's eyes widened, her face beaming at the implication, "So then you're staying?"

Dorian raised an eyebrow, "Oh, didn't I mention? The south is so charming and rustic. I adore it to little pieces."

"There is no one I'd rather be stranded in time with, future or present," Ellie confessed, albeit in a sarcastic light, but there was a reality to her words.

He chuckled and shot her a wink, "Excellent choice! But let's not get stranded again any time soon, yes?"

There was an audible exhale to Ellie's right, she turned to the source who announced he would begin making preparations to march to the summit.

The group broke apart, busying themselves with their news tasks. Ellie made to leave the Chantry but a masculine voice stopped her in her tracks.

"May I have a word, Herald?"

Ellie stiffened at the use of her title as opposed to her name from the man whom she specifically requested to call her Ellie. It made her feel a mixture of being an object rather than a person and like feeling she was a child about to be scolded by her mother. Neither of which made her look forward to a one on one with the Commander.

He gestured to a small, empty room near the front of the Chantry. She silently obliged and entered the room, which was filled simply with some bookshelves and a sofa. She reluctantly sat, as he gently closed the door behind them.

Truthfully, Ellie had been trying to diminish whatever she had been feeling towards the Commander. Ever since the first time he let it be known that he was more concerned about the mark and what it could be used for, she'd given up on trying to flirt with him or pay him anymore attention than was necessary. But now, being in a room just with him as he sat on the sofa beside her, less than an inch of space between them, her hard work seemed to be for nothing.

She sat straight while the Commander leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped together. "It would seem," he uttered delicately, uncertainty in his tone, "There has been a misunderstanding between us and it's causing some tension."

Ellie blinked. "Oh?" Was all she managed to reply.

He moved his head to face her and sighed. "When I was a Templar, I was blinded by my hatred towards all mages. I didn't think of them as people, just walking time bombs and I treated them like that," he paused rubbing the back of his neck, "When I left the Order, I knew that belief, that stigma, had to change within me. I do think I've made progress in that regard, but I still struggle with it."

He stopped to observe her, drinking in the features of her face and searching for her reaction. Honestly, she was surprised by his candor. "I appreciate you telling me that, Cullen."

He gave her a faint version of his lop-sided smile before hanging his head back down, "The choice you've made to ally ourselves with the mages is not one I would have made. I don't think that's being bias, it's being necessarily cautious. But forgive me if I've made it sound like I'm taking it out solely on you."

Ellie bit her lip. She didn't want to lash out on him even though he definitely did make it seem like he was taking it out on her. Two wrongs didn't make a right, after all. "I do understand your cause for concern. And I know that with you're background as a Templar, accepting this decision is probably very difficult for you. But please, Cullen," she gingerly placed her hand on his arm, "Trust me on this one."

At her plea, he glanced at the feminine hand that she held on him then met her eyes. The moment seemed to suspend itself in time as they gazed at each other, not moving. Ellie felt like she couldn't breath and she silently cursed the beauty of his golden eyes.

"As you wish, Ellie," the words came out as a whisper. Then suddenly he broke away and stood up, opening the door just a bit before turning back to her, "Thank you for hearing me out and clearing the air. I will support your decision."

"I'll do my best to not let you down," the Commander nodded in reply and was about to leave but Ellie's voice halted him, "Oh and one more thing. If you call me anything but Ellie again, I will have your head on a pike."

He laughed at the joking threat as she smiled sweetly at him. He exited, leaving Ellie still sitting in the room by herself, drowned in confused thoughts about the man and where exactly she stood with him and where he stood with her. She knew what she secretly hoped, but still refused to become vulnerable.

Not again, she resolved adamantly as she got up and left the building.