The Inquisitor's Choice

by Demented Insane Spirit

InquisitorxDorian; Spoilers; It would have been too much for Dorian to expect anything out of the herald of Andraste, much less a lover. Yet when flirting becomes more, love during war seems possible...although there is a worry in his heart that it may not last past the war or that either of them will survive.

7. Chapter Seven

The Inquisitor's Choice, Chapter Seven

Morrigan was lurking around the Inquisitor again. Dorian sighed a bit, inspecting his staff with a bored expression. Beside him, he could feel Cassandra radiating furious energies. When it was made apparent that Corypheus was hunting in the Arbor Wilds, Morrigan had insisted it was because of an elven artifact called an "Eluvian." Since then, Dorian had witnessed Morrigan and Solas engaging in several intellectual debates on the Eluvians and the elf had even gone on to suggest that there was something far more powerful in the temple here. He had not made it clear what, remaining ambiguous, but it was enough for Dorian to gather that Solas might know more than he was revealing to them. If he had a better relationship with the other mage, Dorian might tried to gain his confidence, but as it was, they had only just made amends and so Dorian doubted he would be able to get any information from him. As for Ashik, he had not heard the conversation and Dorian was not about to mention it to him. At the moment, there were far more pressing problems, such as the intense fighting that was happening just beyond the camp.

"What could she possibly need to talk with him about that is taking so long?" Cassandra demanded aloud at last. Solas and Dorian both looked to her and took note of her expression. They exchanged a glance and edged away from her, putting some space between them and the warrior. "How can you stand this?" She turned to Dorian in question. "Look at her!"

Dorian obliged her, turning his eyes back to the pair. Morrigan was leaning in close to the Inquisitor, her arm touching his. His head was bent down to hear whatever conspiratorial conversation she had for him. In truth, Dorian liked it very little. Even though he knew he had no reason to fear, the sight of seeing them so close together made quite a pretty picture. Morrigan was a lovely witch, with the educated language of someone who had studied their entire life. Ashik's attractive, tanned features and lithe frame made him an excellent match for her looks and his easy way of speaking, combined with a glib tongue added to the portrait. If any outsider had looked upon them, they would have thought they were lovers. For some reason, that irked Dorian more than it ought.

"Anything she does cannot tempt the Inquisitor," Solas spoke up when Dorian did not immediately say anything. "She's a woman, after all." This seemed to only further anger her and she shot such a vicious look towards the elf that he was quelled into silence. Instead, Cassandra stomped over to where Gaspard was standing, talking to one of his commanders. "I had thought that would comfort her," he said to Dorian.

"Perhaps you would do better not to remind Cassandra that she cannot tempt him, either," he suggested with a smile.

"Ah. I see your point."

"Alright, who pissed off the Seeker?" The two mages turned to see Varric coming up with Bianca the crossbow leaning against his shoulder. "She just about took a swing at me. It's hard being the one she takes her frustrations out. She really needs to get laid or something."

"For once, the honor goes to Solas," Dorian said, sweeping a bow towards the elf, who grimaced at the gallantry.

"Perfect! You can join our club, then, Chuckles – the club of 'People that piss Cassandra off just by existing.' It's a working title."

"No, I would really prefer not," Solas answered in a subdued tone. "It would only provoke her."

"And you think that not being in it will protect you? Perish the thought! She doesn't discriminate when she swings that sword of hers."

"Where are the others?"

"Changing the subject, I see. Iron Bull is out on the field with Cullen. Vivienne is with Fiona and the mages, last time I saw her. I rounded back to come meet the Inquisitor and help him get through the worst of this shit. Where is he, anyway?" Varric glanced around and spotted Ashik starting towards them, with Morrigan following closely. "Ah! There's the hero of the day. I hope you're ready to kick some red Templar ass."

"I try to make things up as I go, rather than actually prepare myself. It seems to work better," Ashik told him with a smile. "I'm glad you're here, Varric. Only because of the crossbow, though."

"Bianca's the most dependable lady in this group," Varric remarked just as Cassandra walked up. She turned a hard stare to him. "Besides Cassandra, that is. You really can't compete with a Seeker that has an attitude."

"I'll show you an attitude here in a minute, Varric," she warned. "I would watch my back if I were you."

"I always do when you're around, Seeker."

"Let's not waste any time," Solas cut in before the argument could continue. "We will need to help the others before Corypheus gets too far ahead of us. Master Tethras, I think you know the way?"

"Absolutely, Chuckles. Follow me. Your way should be mostly clear."

Varric led the way through the Arbor Wilds. Even though the forest was filled with the sounds of a battlefield, there was a beauty in the area that could not be denied. The vast trees and colourful landscape gave an idea to what the area could offer in times of peace. Dorian's inner reflections were interrupted as they came to group of red Templars assaulting some of Leliana's scouts. They had enough experiences with the red Templars by this time to know how to adequately deal with them by that point. The more difficult part was avoiding the possibility of infection from the red lyrium when some of the beasts would explode. The finishing blow for these were done by the mages and Varric, to keep them far enough away so that they would remain safe. Solas drew a shield over the group as they continued deeper into the Arbor Wilds.

"Inquisitor!" Cullen called in the midst of a battle, slicing down another red Temple. They had already hit several other blockades of the Templars and had helped the others clear them. "The temple is just ahead! Go, we'll distract them here!"

"Go ahead," Varric said, shooting down another beast. "I'll stay here with Cullen."

Ashik hesitated only a moment before hastening through the battle towards the temple. The others followed closely behind him and after they stepped through, they crept inside, past the ancient stone walls. Ashik held up a hand, halting just before exiting the arched tunnel. They could hear voices out in the courtyard below. He glanced behind him and pointed towards the stone railing before hunkering down, creeping to it, peering over it. Morrigan followed him, peeking down. Below them, Samson and his Templars were fanned out. Corypheus was facing elven warriors that were standing on the bridge, backing away from him.

"You think," he growled, "that you may keep me from the Well of Sorrows? You know little of my power." As he stepped forward, there was a sudden blinding light as he was disintegrated and a sudden blast knocked everyone from their feet. Ashik fell into Dorian, who grasped at his shoulder, steadying them both. There was sudden, horrifying silence after the blast and they all scrambled to their feet.

"Corypheus," Cassandra breathed, "is...dead. Those pillars shot out beams of light and..." She shook her head in disbelief. "It cannot be that easy."

"The elves are running further into the temple," Solas said, pointing. "It looks like Samson is following."

" 'Tis odd...," Morrigan murmured. "Why would he continue into the temple after his master's destruction?" She frowned. " 'Tis best we move forward, Inquisitor." Ashik nodded and hurried down the stairs. His steps slowed as he stepped around the dead Grey Wardens and the dust that had been Corypheus. He paused before the bridge, gazing down at it with a puzzled expression. A sudden gurgling sounded behind them and they turned in unison to see one of the Grey Wardens bodies rising up, spitting out black. "It cannot be!" Morrigan gasped and then turned her eyes to the sky.

"Run!" Ashik yelled, ushering them ahead of him. "Across the bridge!" The group fled ahead of him and he ran after them. The black Archdaemon released a roar, flying after them. Ashik was still running as Cassandra and Dorian made to shut the doors. Just as he skidded his way through the temple, the doors banged shut, sealing with their ancient magic. The shot of magic from the dragon hit the door, but did nothing more. A hushed silence fell over the group as Ashik got to his feet and they were able to look around them. "Come, we'll need to go deeper into the temple to find Samson," Ashik said a bit breathlessly.

"We saw Corypheus die," Cassandra said in a slightly shaken tone. "How is it possible that he can revive himself? How will it be possible for us to kill him if ancient magic cannot destroy him?"

"He may have some other part of him elsewhere, to keep him alive," Solas said softly. "That is the only explanation I can give."

"But he's not here for the Eluvian, as we thought, either," Dorian added with a glance to Morrigan as they stepped into a large, open chamber. Dorian gazed around and felt a strange, unearthly feeling come upon him. This place had not been touched in many years. It was clear by the serene feel of the place that very few even knew of its existence. Dorian had very little experience with elven ruins until he had joined the Inquisition. He seemed to be delving into them on a weekly basis, it seemed. This one seemed far more ethereal and sacred than any of the others they had approached before now. Unlike the others, this one felt unsullied and pure. There was a resting feeling about the place. Nature coexisted with the temple ruins and slipped through the stones, granting it a beauty that it would not have had when it had been operating. Not for the first time, Dorian felt a wave of despondence at the thought of such lush culture having been destroyed by his people.

" 'Twould appear to be a ritual, Inquisitor," Morrigan called from the dais nearby. "If we perform it, perhaps we may move through the temple further?"

"Do you think Samson really paid ritual to the temple?" Cassandra queried in an exasperated tone.

"Those elves were not here by chance, warrior," Morrigan informed her as the remainder of the group came to meet her at the dais. Ashik had stepped upon it and one of the tiles had begun to glow. He stood considering it thoughtfully, a hand on his waist as he gazed down at the tile. "They were the temple's protectors, I imagine. 'Tis wise to walk these rituals in order to show our respect for the temple. It may prove useful if we meet those elves."

"This is ridiculous!" Cassandra muttered. "We don't have time – "

There was a sudden, strange sound upon the air and they all turned, surprised, as Ashik stepped from the dais. He glanced at them before nodding to the door that had begun glowing after completing the rituals. "It seems it's opened the door. Let's keep going." Dorian stifled a smile, noticing Solas's amused smirk light his lips. Both Cassandra and Morrigan appeared offended at having been so thoroughly ignored. Nonetheless, the women followed him, albeit silently. The next area had red Templar and Grey Warden bodies littered upon the ground and two staircases leading up to the next level. "It seems not all of the Grey Wardens were at Adamant."

"And it seems they've met with the guardians of this place," Morrigan remarked as they moved up to the second level. She glanced to the side and then frowned. "Hold a moment, if you will, Inquisitor." Ashik stopped as she jogged over to a stone façade, eyeing it, running a hand over it. " 'Tis most peculiar..."

"Something wrong?"

"This stone...well, it depicts Dread Wolf, Fen'Harel. But if this is the Temple of Mythal, then why is there an image of him here?"

"Is that so strange?"

"Fen'Harel was said to have killed Mythal and to have locked away all of the elven gods. There are countless fables and tales of his terrible deeds. He is known to be deceptive to the elves and they place a statue of him facing from their camps, to remind themselves to be wary of his deceit. 'Tis quite strange, is all..."

"For all your knowledge," Solas remarked with a smile, "you know very little, Lady Morrigan. You know only what the stories tell, but not of the truth."

"Pray, what does the elven expert believe I am mistaken upon?"

"Come now," Ashik interrupted, "you two can get a room later if you want to engage in foreplay. As for now, we need to press on."

"Your jokes," Solas said, "are not always amusing, Inquisitor."

"I think they are," Dorian said with a smirk.

"You," Morrigan added flatly, "are not funny either, magister."

"Altus. How many times must I correct everyone?"

X

As soon as the sun began to turn the sky blue, Dorian was wide awake. He tried to force himself to go back asleep, but found that his mind was too riddled with thoughts and worries. After an hour of tossing and turning, attempting to find slumber, he rolled out of his bed and dressed. Pulling a cloak over him, he walked through the quiet of Skyhold, hearing small noises through the fortress, but nothing that signaled anyone else was awake yet. He prowled up a staircase to a room that had not yet been renovated and pushed open a door, stepping outside to the battlements. Outside, everything seemed to glow a dull blue. A thick fog had settled over Skyhold during the night and seemed to still the entire landscape. Pulling his mage's cloak around him a bit more securely, Dorian stepped across the battlements, gazing out at the fortress.

Ever since the events at the Temple of Mythal, Dorian's mind had been troubled by the Inquisitor's welfare. It had been two days since they had returned to Skyhold, yet Dorian had seen little of Ashik. During the travel back, he had been quiet, lost in thought, and sleeping poorly. Leaning against the battlement, Dorian closed his eyes briefly. The image of the Inquisitor stepping into the well and collapsing but a short moment afterward sent a shiver through him. Ignoring Morrigan's warning cry, Dorian had dashed into the pool and pulled Ashik into a sitting position, calling to him, before frantically cursing and threatening to kill his spirit in the Fade if he died there. The relief when Ashik had blinked blearily up at him, dazed, was nearly enough to make him sob. He had kissed him, ignoring the fact that others were watching, and Ashik had hugged him close, murmuring in his ear. Even so, Dorian could tell that whatever the well had done had bothered him greatly.

Dorian opened his eyes, passing a hand over his hair where moisture had gathered from the fog. Ashik had made yet another sacrifice for the Inquisition, one that could have cost him his life or even his sanity. It was amazing the lengths he went to for this cause, to stop Corypheus. The thought haunted him. To see Ashik work so hard, to be a leader when he never wanted it, was both inspiring and frightening. Dorian had always been aware of how people viewed his worth compared to the Inquisitor's, but now he began to feel the strain, the intense desire to do something as admirable as the acts that Ashik was performing. His dislike for the corruptive forces of the Venatori and their damage upon Tevinter was enough to inspire him, yet he knew that if he returned to Tevinter, to truly raise his homeland back to its respective state, that would require a sacrifice that Dorian was unsure he could make. Leaving Ashik here in the south with the Inquisition would be the hardest thing he had ever done in his life.

"You're up early," a brittle voice remarked. Dorian stirred from his thoughts and glanced to the side to see Cassandra stepping up to the battlements from the stone staircase.

"What is it that you say down here? 'Early bird gets the worm'?" he mused aloud.

"That's enough suspicion to make me lock you up," she said, glaring.

"For once, I'm not up to anything. Just woke early."

Cassandra eyed him with a sharp eye and then inclined her head briefly, moving next to Dorian and resting a hand against the battlement as she stared out at the Frostback Mountains. Dorian was still leaning against it, his cloak bundled around him. He was unsurprised to see Cassandra awake so early, considering the type of woman she was, but he began to wonder if she was lost in thoughts similar to his own. "Do you think," she began, "that the Inquisitor has changed since the Well?"

"Not really. He seemed a bit distant immediately afterward, but seems to have gotten a hold of whatever was bothering him. Morrigan said that when she went into the war room, he was telling the others that he was hearing voices in his head. But she was talking like a power hungry witch again, so I didn't listen too closely."

"I'm thankful the power of the Well is out of her reach," Cassandra admitted, "but at what cost?" Dorian glanced at her as she bowed her head, her mouth tightening into a thin, straight line. "I never expected him to take that type of risk."

"What did you expect?"

Cassandra removed her hand from the battlements, stepping back and folding her arms across her chest. A grim, thoughtful look crossed her face. "Ashik has been accepting of almost everyone. It's both one of his good and bad points. Nothing he has said or done has made it seem like he didn't trust Morrigan. There have been many times that he's done things to appease us...to appease you. I was certain he would let Morrigan take the power of the well."

"I wish he had," Dorian grunted.

"You trust her with that power?"

"Of course not! But now he's under the service of some elven god. Is that any better? I would rather take my chances with her."

She snorted. "Or you would prefer for him to be docile and do as you ask. It's not as if everyone can't see that he plays to your every whim, Dorian."

"And he doesn't yours? Who was it again that persuaded Varric to continue that romance series of his you were reading?"

They cast each other irritated looks and lapsed into silence. Dorian had thought she would leave, but instead she remained on the battlements with him, staring out into the fog. Even though her company was less than welcome, Dorian also had little desire to go anywhere. Part of him wanted to sneak into the Inquisitor's room and wake him, just to talk with him before others demanded his attention, just to see the lazy smile on his lips as he was roused from sleep. In truth, Dorian just wanted him in his arms. Even though he was content with his lover, at the same time he felt like his heart was breaking, one small crack at a time. It was almost too much to consider losing him, let alone to let him go at his own volition. Dorian wondered whether Ashik would let him go or not. In some things, the man was unpredictable.

"If I died," Dorian slowly said, "he would go to you."

"He would kill himself trying to save you first," Cassandra swiftly replied, turning to look at him, "and I would die trying to save him."

"How very dramatic. I'm sure Varric will enjoy putting that in a book."

"Why start a serious discussion if you're just going to make a joke out of it?"

"I'm not making a joke. I'm being honest. In all reality, though, we know that he would put the Inquisition first before me." Dorian gave a small, sad smile. "He knows where his responsibilities lie, even if you think he acts differently."

"Because he does act differently," Cassandra pointed out sharply. "Don't act as if he is perfect as the Inquisitor. In battle, he almost always is trying to protect you when you're at your weakest, just as you do the same for him. He's turned out to be a better Inquisitor than I expected – but he's not perfect. Nobody is. I haven't agreed with all of his decisions, but I have made a very dear friend when I thought I would only make an ally, at best. I lost my lover at the Conclave...I won't lose Ashik to Corypheus, but I know that if he thinks you're in too much danger, he'll die before you. That's just his personality."

"And you blame me for that?"

"No, I blame myself." She dropped her arms and looked down at her hands. "I was the one who made him Inquisitor and he has done nothing but make sacrifices for us...My heart hurts just to think about it. This...the Well...was too much." Her face crumpled abruptly and she raised a hand, covering her face, turning slightly from Dorian. Her voice muffled, she muttered, "He deserves better than this existence. Had he truly been Andraste's chosen, he never would have suffered this way..."

Dorian stared at her, shocked, realizing that she was crying by the slight shake in her shoulders. He pushed off from the battlements, grimacing slightly in discomfort. He was unsure of how to help a woman like Cassandra cope with her emotions. He dug around in his pockets and found his handkerchief. He stepped a bit closer and took her hand, placing the handkerchief in it. She started in surprise, whipping around to look at him and then at what he had placed in her hand. She pursed her lips and then sniffed, wiping her face roughly. "Everyone has made sacrifices for this," he told her quietly and then moved to the other side of the battlements.

He peered through the fog and then smiled faintly at seeing two figures stepping down the steps from the main hall. Leliana raised a hand to the lean figure before she headed towards the stables. Dorian could have recognized Ashik's figure in a snowstorm. The man stepped into the clearing and Dorian could tell by the way his shoulders were set that he, too, was having a rough morning. A sound somewhere between a sob and a scoff escaped Cassandra's lips. Dorian looked beside him to see that she had drawn close. He caught the sight of tears spilling down her cheeks before he averted his gaze. "It's not the sacrifice that bothers me," she told him, "but that I forced him to do this..."

"He would have done it anyway," Dorian assured her, his lips curved in a smile as he watched Ashik walk towards the armory building. "He can act like an indifferent ass all he wants, but he's more genuine and loyal than anyone else in the Inquisition. It's the reason we've made so many allies in such a short span of time. He is what attracts people to the Inquisition. They wouldn't have been as interested with a different Inquisitor."

"No...I suppose you're right." Cassandra wiped her face again, sniffling, and cast a puzzled look towards him. "You're rather insightful, Dorian."

"Not really, my dear." Dorian watched as Ashik paused outside the armory and look around before he perceived the pair watching him from the battlements. He raised a hand and waved it in greeting. Dorian returned the wave and Ashik seemed to look at them for a moment longer before he disappeared inside the armory. Turning to Cassandra, Dorian smiled. "Surely you know the feeling of your thoughts and entire spirit seeming to revolve around one person? When all you can do is focus on them, you see things about that person that others don't."

TBC