In this episode, Theo makes the rounds as any older protective brother might. Cassandra remains unamused, and the Inquisition prepares for a final assault on a huge fortress filled with demons.
"How do we know that you're who you say you are?" Leliana asked the visitor coolly. She, the Seeker, and the elven mage claiming to be the Inquisitor's brother sat in a dark room below the main level of Skyhold. The newcomers had been welcomed under guard until they agreed to relinquish their weapons, and then with much warmer arms. Josephine did her best to do damage control in Cassandra's wake, but both the warrior and the spymaster had insisted on an extended interrogation of the one claiming to be Ash's brother. Leliana had once informed them that a brother existed, but suspicions were high these days, so cautions were extra.
"Aside from that I'm told we bear a striking resemblance to each other, I'm sure you received my missive. And who else would I be?" the mage had a smug, self-assured manner that grated on the Seeker. Leliana had taken it all in stride.
"Any number of impersonators sent by our enemies," Cassandra announced firmly. The golden eyes snapped to her. His dusky mouth quirked in an amused smile.
"I see," his gaze swept back to Leliana, "When will she be back?"
Leliana and Cassandra looked at each other.
"No one said she was gone," the Seeker snapped.
"This would be much easier if she were here," he stretched back in the chair and set his feet up on the table. Cassandra scowled, reached out, and pushed his feet off. The elf sat up and slowly lowered his legs, keeping that same self-satisfied smirk on his face. "I'm sure your Inquisitor is well informed of goings-on here, and so she would not hesitate to greet me. Well. She would hesitate. But briefly."
"If you are who you say, then you won't object to being put under house arrest until the Inquisitor wishes to meet with you," the Seeker declared. His laugh was musical.
"I'm not sure Ashiril would agree," he stood and smoothed his robes. Cassandra stood with him. "But I will gladly acquiesce, if it pleases you." He stared at the dour warrior before giving a slight bow, then was led out by Leliana's guards.
"I don't like him," Cassandra announced. Leliana looked sideways at her as she stood and moved toward the door.
"Have you ever liked anyone the first day you met them?"
She snorted in answer.
House arrest lasted all but thirty seconds, or as long as it took the guards to lock the door and Theo to climb out the window and onto the roof. He walked along as casually as if he were in a marketplace. He could see a courtyard below, bustling with people. He'd already seen a decent amount of the small market and training grounds out front. His sister was doing well for herself. He frowned. Or so he hoped.
He leapt agilely down to stairs below and followed them for a time, nodding politely at people he passed. Ashiril had sent him a few letters over the past strange months. He imagined he might recognize some of her companions on sight now. Cassandra was easy enough. Ash had written, 'Me, if I were a very serious, responsible human who liked to stab things.'
He was genuinely interested to meet the dwarf, Varric. Theo was no small fan, proudly so, especially of the Champion's tales. He was an oddity to his clan in that regard, in part thanks to both he and Ashiril's frequent travels away from home.
Theo entered a room with walls that climbed for stories, adorned with intriguing geometric designs. A table at the center was stacked with books and papers.
He leafed through the books on the table. Accounts of the Fade, stories of ancient history, and fresher accounts… a mage's journal?
"And who are you?"
Theolan straightened and turned to the speaker. A slender, bald elf in nondescript clothes stood in one doorway. His eyes showed more curiosity than suspicion.
"I'm sorry, are these your things?" he backed away from the table politely. "I'm a fan of history as well."
The other elf didn't respond immediately. He approached slowly as he looked the other up and down. His light eyes lingered on Theolan's face.
"You're Ashiril's brother," he said suddenly. He sounded both amused and surprised. Theo's eyebrows shot up.
"A bold assumption. I take it you know Ashiril, then?"
"Aren't you supposed to be under house arrest?" he dodged the question.
"Only so long as your people don't believe I'm Ashiril's brother," he clasped his hands behind his back. Solas lowered his eyes to the table and scooped up some journals.
"You are in for a rude awakening if you think my opinions hold much sway here."
Theo's mouth twitched in a secretive smile.
"That is quite the opposite of my impression."
"Impressions have a reputation for being unreliable."
"Even when they come from the Inquisitor herself?" Theo tilted his head to the side. Solas paused his arranging of items on his table. He looked up and searched the other elf's face.
"How do you mean?"
"My sister has been writing me since the beginning of all this," he gestured to the walls around them. "'Sorry you haven't heard from me for awhile, brother,' I recall from her first letter, 'but I've been a prisoner until very recently.' She described everything, everyone in detail. She's thorough that way."
"Do you even know who I am?" he sounded uncertain.
Theo nodded once.
"The one who nursed her back to health. The first she spoke of as a friend. And still the only one whose advice she frequently references in her letters," he said. "You are Solas, are you not? Or you are very much as she described him."
"I am. And that is… unexpected," Solas felt a tightening in his chest. "I would have thought… Well, your sister is quite close with others here, aside from myself."
"How do you mean?" the taller elf did not miss the tenseness in Solas's shoulders. "Cassandra? The dwarven storyteller? No… the one that she enjoys flirting with…"
The bald mage snorted.
"Did she put it that way?"
"I do have him on my list to interrogate. But his being from Tevinter was reason enough."
"Oh. No, not Dorian. I meant... Ah, well," Solas shrugged. Theo's eyes narrowed. "It is no secret. You will find out soon enough."
"If you insist," Theo approached stiffly. He pulled out a chair and sat down in it. "Regardless, you understand that I might have a few questions for you." Solas blinked.
"Oh?" This seemed irregular. Theo gave a terse nod.
"I already know some things. You have no clan. You are a mage of some repute," he began. "But I would know, what do you think of Ashiril? Is my sister growing into the leadership role?" The other elf considered.
"If you are so curious, alright…" Solas looked down at the table and tapped his nails on the hard wood as he thought. "The obvious is her skill in battle. And thank the Fade for that. She's completely reckless." The red-haired elf laughed. "But in these past months of knowing her, I have discovered her to be one of the most thoughtful people I have met." Theo's eyebrows rose.
"I have never heard anyone call her that."
"Well. Perhaps she has changed," Solas sat down on the same side of the table, facing Theolan. "I would also call her one of the most compassionate people I've known. Sometimes too much so."
"Hm," Theo's expression gave away little of his thoughts. Solas paused. He waited for the other to fill the silence, but the newcomer didn't take the bait.
"You do not seem like other Dalish I have met," Solas mused aloud after several minutes.
"No? You make that sound almost like a compliment." The bald mage didn't deny it. Theo chuckled. "I have made it a point to travel and act as something of a liaison to other cultures for many years now. In fact, I was away on one of my trips when my dear sister decided to volunteer to visit the Conclave."
"Ah. She left without your knowing?" he got the distinct impression that the Inquisitor's brother would have had choice words, had he been there.
"She most certainly did."
Ash craned her neck back and caught a glimpse of Blackwall in the back of the caravan. He was staring off into the distance. Pensive, but not quite as broody as usual. He wasn't exactly avoiding her so much as he was allowing her to avoid him. She still didn't know what to say to him. So, she was opting for time to figure some of it out.
"She ran off with the Qun's relic? She basically incited the entire attack?" Dorian was incredulous at one of Varric's stories.
"It was apparently her plan all along. Left us high and dry. So, Hawke was staring down the biggest Qunari I've ever met," the dwarf recounted with a far-off glint in his eye, "and Aveline and I are doing our best to make sure Fenris doesn't fly into a blind rage if things go south and get all the rest of us killed."
The bridge spanning from the mountains and into Skyhold appeared ahead.
"I can't believe I haven't heard this version," the mage shook his head.
"Well, Isabela didn't want us really spreading it around. Makes her seem soft," Varric shrugged.
"So she did come back."
"At the last minute! For dramatic effect, she told me later," the dwarf threw an arm wide, causing his horse to perk a cautious ear. He patted her mane. "Sorry, girl. Anyway, the rest is as you know it. The Arishok wanted Isabela, Hawke refused, and they dueled. Let me tell you, that was one of the more harrowing experiences of my life."
"Well, if we come across any Ogres, I'll be sure to send Hawke first," Dorian smirked.
"INQUISITOR!"
All eyes turned forward. Cassandra was jogging out to meet the party. Ash clicked her tongue at her horse and trotted to the front of the caravan, dismounted, and met the tense warrior at the gates.
"Is something wrong?" she asked as a stablehand rushed forward to take her steed. The warrior's stormy face was more irked than usual.
"A man, an elven mage, claiming to be your brother," she answered stiffly, "arrived recently with a contingent."
Ash's eyes grew so wide that the whites shone starkly. She quickened her step. The others dismounted behind her and looked at each other with confusion.
"Where is he?"
"While I know you have a brother, I did not trust him at his word," Cassandra drew back her shoulders as she escorted the Inquisitor toward the main stairs. "I placed him under house arrest until you could arrive to confirm his story."
"Ashiril!"
Both warriors' eyes lifted at the bright call from the top of the stairs.
"What?" Cassandra was breathless with annoyance. Ash's stomach felt like it was falling from a great height.
A tall, red-haired elf strode down the steps toward the pair. His face lit up with a smile.
"Theo?" the Inquisitor was incredulous and wary. She took a step back as the mage stopped a foot from her.
"Surprised to see me?" from close up, the smile was markedly more mischievous. Cassandra put her hand on the hilt of her sword.
From an outsider perspective, the whole exchange was fairly sinister. It set Blackwall's hair on edge as he walked up next to the Inquisitor, took in her cautious expression, Cassandra's aggressive stance, and the smugness of the stranger. He scowled.
"Declare yourself," he barked as he stepped partly in front of Ash. The elf's golden eyes snapped to him and moved up and down in quick assessment.
"Protective of you, is he?" he quipped to Ash. She frowned and shook her head.
"He's just doing his job. Hold, Blackwall," she began, moving past the burly Warden.
The tall elf's hand shot out and grabbed her arm. She yelped in surprise as Theo pulled her hard toward him. Blackwall exploded into action and intercepted, breaking the hold on Ash as he put the man's wrist in a vice-like grip. A flash of white burst between Blackwall and the newcomer. The Warden gritted his teeth against a burst of freezing pain in his hand and forearm.
Ash stumbled a few steps and whirled back toward the pair. Her eyes widened. They stood nose to nose, Blackwall half a head shorter than Theo, with the elf pulling his fist to his chest and the human holding tight to his wrist. Blackwall's arm was encased in frost from the elbow down. His teeth chattered against the pain.
"Theo, stop this at once!" she snapped. "Blackwall, stand down!" The elven mage held the angry stare of the burly warrior a moment longer, then let go. The frost flaked away and the Warden stepped back. His hand went to the hilt of his sword. "Blackwall, I said stop."
"This man attacked you," he growled. The elf stranger didn't look away from the angry human as he held out a hand to the side, palm up, toward Ash. She sighed and put her hand in his.
"No. He was just testing you, like an ass," she sighed. She stepped next to the newcomer and squeezed his hand. She looked from Blackwall to the elven mage. "And now that that's gone as badly as it could, let me introduce you. This is my brother, Theolan. Theo, this is the Grey Warden Blackwall."
"It's been memorable," the elf said dryly. The human warrior looked between the two of them in shock.
"I… am sorry. I didn't realize."
"No thanks to you," she chided her brother. Theo shrugged.
"I was curious how he'd react," he eyed the Warden, who was now turning a shade darker. "As I said. Protective."
"Are we quite done here?" Cassandra interjected. They turned to her. "While I see now you were telling the truth, it would be best if we took this inside. I suggest the War Table. We have much to discuss."
"Of course," Ash nodded. She looked back at Varric and Dorian. "Varric, I'll let you know as soon as I hear from Hawke. You two get some rest in the meantime." She turned back to Cassandra. The warrior was glaring at her brother, who was staring back with amusement. "Lead on. I've news for you all."
Cullen, Leliana, Josephine, Cassandra, Ashiril, and Theolan gathered around the War Table a short while later. It took a few minutes for the Inquisitor to introduce her brother and subsequently convince those gathered that he was trustworthy. Beyond that, Theo explained his intentions to bring a force to support the Inquisition. However much Ash disliked the surprise, she was glad to see her brother. They had some catching up to do. But, first things first.
"We confirmed that Corypheus is indeed manipulating the Grey Wardens," Ash explained, "and we've traced them to Adamant."
"The Fortress?" Cullen was incredulous.
"Adamant Fortress has stood against the darkspawn since the time of the Second Blight," Leliana recounted.
"Then it was built before the age of modern siege equipment," the Commander nodded. "That is fortunate. A good trebuchet will do major damage to those ancient walls."
"Which, I have secured a good number from the Lady Seryl of Jader," Josephine added.
"That is the good news," Leliana said ominously.
"Alright," Ash nodded. "That leaves the huge demon army to contend with."
"That is the bad news," the spymaster nodded.
"We can breach the gate," Cullen added, "but if the Wardens already have their demons…"
"I found records of Adamant's construction, and I believe we can win this if we utilize key chokepoints," Leliana laid some maps out on the table. The human Commander leaned over them.
"Very good. If we can cut off reinforcements, we can carve the Inquisitor a path to Warden-Commander Clarel," he traced his finger along the battlement paths.
"So your plan is to lay siege to a legendary fortress filled with demons?" Theo asked. He crossed his arms and looked between the advisors and his sisters.
"No one said it would be easy," Cullen said firmly. "But we'll get that gate open."
"And do not forget," Josephine chimed in, "some Wardens may yet be sympathetic to our cause."
"They didn't seem amenable at the Tevinter tower," Ash recalled. The spymaster nodded.
"The mages are lost to us. But some of the warriors might still be reasoned with," Leliana confirmed.
"Then… we have a plan," Ash leaned forward over the thick wooden slab of the War Table. And maybe they could turn some Wardens to their cause. Maybe if she brought Blackwall, he could reason with them. She felt a warm hand squeeze her shoulder. She looked back and up into the expressionless face of her older brother.
"You realize I'll be coming with you," he said lightly.
"Theo, please don't," she frowned. "I don't want to risk you too."
"Would you not serve as a distraction?" Cassandra interjected. "Being so close to the Inquisitor?"
"I know my sister well," Theo locked eyes with the stubborn warrior. "And she will risk herself to a fault. I have skills that complement her recklessness well. Do I not?"
Ash sighed. Theo was an excellent support and healer mage. The best she had yet to fight next to, and that had even been years ago.
"It's… regrettably true. Alright," she pointed a finger at him, "but I'm putting you under Cassandra's command. You do as she says."
"What? He already doesn't listen to me."
"He will," she glared at Theo. "Won't you?" The elven mage shrugged.
"I have accomplished my task. I'm here to help you. So, yes, I shall do what you deem best," he acquiesced.
"Good," she turned back to the expectant advisors. "Then let's get everything ready. We head out as soon as possible."