Thanks to everyone who has read up to this point. Your support is what keeps me going!
My apologies that this chapter is fairly game-content heavy. Again, it was a necessay evil.
Enjoy! :)
Most of the time, Ellie was more than thrilled to be right about one of her predictions. Whether it was about a particular situation or a person's true colours or even just what the weather would be like that day, Ellie, like most people, found a great deal of satisfaction when she was accurate.
Today, however, she cursed the fact that she was indeed right about a prediction she had had the night before. She would've bet a significant amount of sovereigns on the fact that the amount she had to drink the previous evening, coupled with the long horseback ride through the Frostbacks and into the north part of Ferelden the following morning would be a disastrous combination.
Ellie was absolutely, unequivocally right. And she hated it.
The ride itself proved to be uneventful, at least. Just a few painful hours on top of her horse, Zephyr, trying to find the exact amount she needed to keep her eyelids open. The light of day was pure agony but she didn't want to keep her eyes completely closed while they were travelling in case they ran into trouble.
Luckily, her three companions must have felt very similar to her because they were all uncharacteristically quiet. Naturally, she had to bring Dorian along with her, lest he get his smalls in a knot. She also brought Varric, seeing as he was itching to spend as much time with his old friend as possible. The third and final spot of her party was filled with Cassandra. Though she wouldn't admit it openly, the Seeker was still rather star-struck with the Champion of Kirkwall so Ellie took the opportunity to indulge her and bring her along.
The two males had drank as much if not more than Ellie had the night before. While they could both hold their liquor well, Dorian's eyes were noticeably bloodshot and Varric was the most silent Ellie had ever seen him. Cassandra hadn't drank much but, being the astute woman she was, opted against offering more dialogue than necessary to her hungover comrades.
That she saw, no one had vomit but certainly no one had an appetite when they made a brief rest in their journey to feed and water their horses. By this point Ellie, as well as the rest of her crew she was sure, just wanted to get this whole excursion over with. The hangover was by no means permanent and she knew eventually her and her friends would be back to normal but while she was seated on the back of her horse, head throbbing and stomach lurching with every step, Ellie thought being trampled by a heard of druffalo would be a better fate at this point.
When they had finally arrived in Crestwood it was nightfall and while some of the pain and nausea had subsided, thanks to the swaying movement of horseback riding it wasn't gone completely. Unfortunately, they weren't able to get straight to the business of finding the cave that Hawke, Fenris and their Warden friend had been holed up in due to the massive rift that was coming from the middle of the lake, causing untold amounts of soggy corpses to hobble out of the water and attack the town.
Seeing the terror of the townsfolk who had been devastated by the Blight not all that long ago was more than enough to move them all to want to help, despite their less than ideal physical shape. The battle to get underneath the lake and close the rift was long and wet but not entirely fruitless, seeing as they were able to capture Caer Bronach and turn it into something of a stronghold for the Inquisition. The keep wasn't as big as Skyhold but it was still impressive and, because it had been occupied, the building was relatively well maintained.
So instead of pressing forward to find Hawke, the group unanimously agreed to stay at Bronach for the night and get some well-deserved rest. While part of Ellie just wanted to find Hawke and get it over with, considering Crestwood was apparently littered with bandits, other rifts they hadn't gotten to yet and reports of Red Templar activity in the area, she knew that waiting until the morning to venture forward would be the wisest course.
The companions said little to each other before they headed off to their own tents, though Dorian still managed to shoot her a friendly smile before turning in. Ellie followed suit, closing the flap of her tent behind her, wasting no time in stripping her leather armor and dampened underclothes and crawling into her cot. She was thankful that, being in a secure fortress, she didn't have to worry about waking up for watch duty like she normally would when they set up camp. Ellie could sleep peacefully and uninterrupted, something she had lacked for nearly a week.
Her thoughts began to meander to Cullen and how long he must've went without having a good night's sleep, yet he still functioned normally and treated Ellie with patience and kindness. How he managed, the Herald had no idea. But she was barely able to think about the man that left her constantly amazed further because as soon as her head hit the pillow, the world went black around her and she drifted instantly to sleep.
Ellie and her three companions set out the next morning feeling decidedly better with a good night's rest. Varric was back to his wry, chatty self, Dorian had his charm back and Cassandra, knowing the coast was clear, offered her pragmatic opinions when she felt it was necessary. The Herald was also now feeling more mentally prepared to deal who would be waiting in that cave with Hawke and his Warden cohort.
While the locals of Crestwood were much more at ease with the rift in the lake closed, the highwaymen seemed a little less impressed with the Inquisition's presence because they had less helpless people to prey on. Because of that, between Bronach and the cave, they ran into more trouble they had anticipated originally. Though the bandits were pesky, they were almost a welcomed break from fighting demons and corpses.
With the general location of the cave marked on the map in her hand, Ellie rounded a corner to see what looked like an opening hidden by the shadow of the rocky mountainside. Taking a few tentative steps towards it, almost certain this was the spot Hawke had mentioned, she spotted the man himself come out of the cavern with his arms crossed and a blank look on his face that almost read of impatience.
"There he is!" Varric exclaimed, clearly happy to see his old friend again.
In response, the Champion nodded his head in the dwarf's direction and offered him the faintest of smiles.
"It's good to finally meet you, Champion," Cassandra greeted, keeping her voice surprisingly neutral.
Respectfully, Garrett extended his hand towards the Seeker to introduce himself formally. But when he caught sight of the Dorian, Hawke had to visibly hold back a sneer. "You brought him?"
"Is there a problem?" Ellie replied, taking a defensive stance next to her friend. She didn't want to have to go through this drama again but she certainly wasn't going to leave the very talented and capable mage behind just because of some prejudice.
The man's lips were pressed into a hard line for a moment while he assessed the situation, his icy eyes darting between her and the Tevinter. Out of the corner of her eye, Ellie could see Dorian's lip quiver as he was undoubtedly trying to hold back a cocky smirk. While in most circumstances the Herald loved her friend's confident, sarcastic air, she appreciated that for the sake of the Inquisition he was keeping that in check at the moment.
"There's no problem," Hawke announced finally, "Let's get inside. We've been waiting long enough for you."
Ellie was about to apologize to him, genuinely sorry that they had been delayed as she knew what it was like to be the one waiting. But Varric beat her to the punch, and though he embellished the story a little more than Ellie would have, she didn't correct him. Surely even Hawke didn't believe everything that came out of the storytelling dwarf's mouth.
Ellie winded through the narrow, mushroom-filled cavern until they finally reached the end, the walls expanding to create a more open space. In the space was a few desks and various books and papers scattered everywhere. In the centre of the room was a statue that looked like it had seen better days.
But to her surprise, no one else seemed to be in there. Putting her stealth training to use, she focused on her other senses, trying to detect anyone else that might be in there. She listened intently for the slightest noise, she breathed deeply through her nose trying to pick up a scent that wasn't typical of a damp cave, and she tried to be more sensitive to the air flow around her to pick up on any kind of movement that could change the circulation of air.
She could swear she heard a faint shuffle of cloth against metal behind her, but it was hard to tell for sure since she could hear Hawke and her companions coming down the walkway. Hesitantly, she turned her head to the left, hoping to pick up on the sound again. Instead, she was met with the unmistakable sound of a sword being drawn. Fully pivoting around, she was met, not only with a sword pointed at her head but also with the sight of a man clad in telltale blue armor with a griffon etched on the chest-plate that only belonged to the Grey Wardens. His hair was black and he had a rather impressive handle-bar moustache, but the defensive coldness in his eyes told Ellie that he wasn't messing around.
Right at that moment, Hawke stepped into the room with her friends trailing closely behind. In her peripheral she could see her companions had automatically reached for the weapons upon beholding the scene in front of them. While she didn't feel that she was in any immediate danger from the Warden, she was inwardly thankful for her companions constant loyalty.
"It's just us," Garrett interrupted, gazing directly at the Warden, "I brought the Inquisitor."
The man in blue eyed Ellie for a minute longer as if combing over her every feature, not in a flirtatious way, but rather in a critical, untrusting manner. "My name is Stroud," he introduced with a distinct Orlesian accent, slowly lowering his weapon, "And I am at your service, Inquisitor."
Exhaling in mild relief now that she didn't have a sharp, metal object pointed at her face, she offered the man a polite smile, "I'll take all the help I can get at this point. I know Warden's have their own set of challenges and responsibilities so if you're still willing to offer your assistance, it's greatly appreciated."
Ellie truly meant her words; she had met a number of their secretive Order in her travels but she knew enough about them to know they probably had enough on their plate without aiding the Inquisition. And considering one of the few facts she did know about the Wardens was that they were to stay out of any kind of political affairs, helping their cause could directly violate that. If he was still willing to help despite that, Ellie would bet that the Wardens knew something about who they were fighting, especially if was truly a darkspawn.
"I wonder, though," Ellie began, curious her theory was accurate, "Might those troubles have anything to do with Corypheus?"
Stroud nodded his head, "I fear it is so. When my friend Hawke slew Corypheus, Weisshaupt was happy to put the matter to rest. But an archdemon can survive wounds that seem fatal, and I feared Corypheus might posses the same power," the Warden began pacing as he spoke and Ellie could feel a sickening chill run down her spine at the implication of his words. "My investigation uncovered clues but no proof. Then, not long after, every Warden in Orlais began to hear the Calling."
Ellie's eyes widened, though she didn't know exactly what the Calling was, she knew it wasn't a good thing for the Wardens.
"I don't recall you telling me about this," Garrett piped in, not sounding too pleased that the detail had been omitted until now.
Stroud's back was to Ellie and Hawke now as he replied, "It was a Grey Warden matter. I was bound by an oath of secrecy."
Wanting some more clarity on the issue, Ellie began asking questions about the Calling, what it was exactly and what it meant for the Wardens now that they were all hearing it. When Stroud started to explain, the eerie feeling spread throughout Ellie's body and she had to fight a violent shiver that wanted to erupt. Knowing that it was very possible for her ancient enemy to have caused this, to know that the Wardens, the only ones who could stop the Blight, were in such serious danger all at once made her want to vomit. Even if the Calling they were hearing now was false, the vast majority of the Wardens believed it was real and they were acting in fear and desperation. They were playing right into Corypheus' hand.
"Warden-Commander Clarel spoke of a blood magic ritual to prevent future Blights before we all perished. When I protested the plan was madness, my own comrades turned on me," Stroud informed, giving what insight he could on what the Wardens were up to now as he turned towards a map that was on the table, "Grey Wardens are gathering here, in the Western Approach. It is an ancient Tevinter ritual tower, meet me there, and we will find answers."
With that, the renegade Warden exited the cave and left Ellie alone with Hawke and her companions. Ellie ran a hand through her hair, letting out a frustrated huff, "This just keeps getting more and more insane."
For the first time since she met him, Garrett gave her a look that wasn't neutral or a judgemental scowl. It almost seemed sympathetic and his low voice emphasized it, "The Warden's fate on top of the rest of Thedas' is a hefty burden. We'll all do what we can to help."
It was a rare moment, Ellie thought, for her to see a kinder version of the Champion she had known thus far. It was a welcomed change, and she was grateful for his and Stroud's help in addition to the rest of the Inquisition. But the small change of tone alerted Ellie to a key missing component that she had been anticipating today.
"No Fenris?" Ellie asked, truly surprised by his absence. She wasn't necessarily disappointed, all things considered, but she was taken aback that the elf wasn't with Hawke.
Just like that, Hawke's demeanour changed back to the gruff, frigid stance she was used to. "What does it matter to you?"
Though his words were no doubt meant to sting, they didn't phase the Inquisitor. She had thicker skin than that and she had since somewhat adjusted to the fact that her ex-lover had reappeared in her life. She wouldn't let someone, who presumably didn't know the full scope of the situation, make her feel guilty or uneasy. "Just curious," she replied in a cheerfully innocent tone.
Hawke blinked, his stormy gaze still hard when he reopened his eyes, "He went to take care of something… Personal. He'll be joining me again once he's done."
Ellie was beyond suspicious of Garrett's vague response. The fact that he offered any explanation at all was foreboding enough, but to only feed her enough to suggest that it wasn't any of her business gave her a gut feeling that it somehow was very much her business too. But she wasn't about to press the issue with him, especially since his patience with her was clearly already razor thin.
Instead she simply nodded in understanding and bid the Champion farewell, signalling for her companions to follow her out of the cave. When they were safely out of earshot, Ellie felt a familiar hand on her shoulder.
"Well that was certainly enlightening, hmm?" Dorian mused and Ellie knew he had meant more than just the information about the Wardens. In return she merely mumbled an affirmative-sounding response.
"I suggest we get back to Skyhold," a feminine Nevarran voice called, "We need to figure out what the Wardens are doing at this ritual tower."
"I agree," Ellie concurred, leading them west, towards their stronghold, "We'll head back now, I'll consult with Leliana, Josie, and Cullen and make arrangements to head to the Western Approach right away. I don't think we can afford procrastinating with this one."
A tense silence fell over them as they headed back to Skyhold. This time, it wasn't because they were hungover. The four were all trying to process the weight of what they had just been informed and what it could mean for the whole of Thedas if they were to fail.