Promises of the Grey

celestia193's Author's Note: We have more people for you! There was some interest in having more people beyond the Uchihas appear, and so, that wish has been granted. Enter, the Antivan Crows and one bubbly Templar.

Chapter 7

Within the ancient library underneath the citadel of Skyhold, Fiona plucks an ancient treatise on the use of magic from one of the shelves. This was a quiet place, far removed from the daily hustle and bustle of the rest of the castle. She liked the quiet places for study, it made it far easier to think.

But there was a part of her that missed the adventuring of her youth. A part of her that missed the special bonds of camaraderie that she had felt as a Grey Warden. But something had decided that it was not to be, just had decided that her rebellion was not to be. Not in the way that she'd envisioned, in any case.

Still, she did what she could to aid all mages in distress. Even if she did not have the reach that she once held, Fiona was determined to do as much for them as she could. There was something in the spirit of a Grey Warden that, even without the Taint, was impossible to destroy.

Hinata enters the library with quiet steps. Just loud enough to alert the other woman of her presence. It likely wouldn't bode well for anyone to sneak up on a Grey Warden whether or not they were on active duty, but being loud felt like it would be disrespectful. "Lady Fiona, do you have a few moments. I should like to speak with you about an important matter."

The former Grand Enchanter peers back over her shoulder and nods, closing up the tome in her hands. "Of course, Hinata. Feel free to speak your mind. If there is any way in which I can help, you have but to ask."

"I'm afraid the topic might make you uncomfortable, but I feel as though speaking of it might do a great deal of good." Hinata bites her lower lip. The other woman was so kind, it almost felt like a crime to revisit what were undoubtedly unpleasant memories for her. Still, it was a necessary evil. "You survived the Blight and I would like to help...find a cure for the Calling. Surely, the two are connected."

"You wish to cure the Calling?" Fiona frowns slightly. "Such a thing…would saves the lives of many Wardens if the cause of the Calling itself could be halted. But records of attempts are few enough, and what happened to me was an accident of which I do not know the nature. What I do know is that I have been left without that which made me a Warden, without the touch of the Blight, and without the power to complete the duties of a Warden."

"Well, perhaps there is a way to do something similar to those who first hear The Call and they could...retire." Hinata's mind swirls with an infinite sea of possibilities. "That would be better than them marching towards their deaths at least. If only there was a way to figure out how it happened to you...surely, it could be replicated."

"I have sought to discover what happened to me for many years now, nearly three decades." And Fiona remembered the moment that the taint lifted, and the peculiar conditions that led to it. "The Taint was stripped from me after an expedition down into the Deep Roads. I had accompanied three other Wardens there and a…guest. When I emerged from the Deep Roads with my Warden friend and our companion, I could no longer hear the call of the darkspawn. My Warden friend was untouched by whatever power removed the taint from me, and I do not know if this was connected, but some months later, I gave birth to a son."

Hinata blinks as she absorbs that. "Perhaps it was your pregnancy that led to your...situation." She wanted to say recovery, but the Hyuga woman didn't want to risk offending Fiona. She might still wish to be a Grey Warden for all Hinata really knew. "If so, that means...the male Grey Wardens couldn't possibly replicate such a scenario." Though it would offer a flicker of hope for the women.

"Perhaps, but there was no precedent, and no way to be certain. Grey Wardens have had children in the past. Not many, but some." And Fiona considered herself to be one of the lucky few who had produced a healthy child as a Warden. "However, the only other account that I have heard of that describes a Warden living well past their Calling is of a mage who was able to extend his own life with magic. What sort of magic, I can only guess, but that delves into secrets that the Wardens tell none but their own."

"Then it likely wasn't the pregnancy itself." There had been other female Wardens who had children. A slim minority to be sure, but they should have been cured by that logic. "Did the father of the child have magic?" Perhaps it was the combination of warden and mage that would result in a cancellation factor?

"No, he was not a mage. His bloodline did not carry a predisposition towards magic." Though Fiona knew that it was for the best. Alistair had a difficult enough life as it was, but if his father had passed magic to him…such a life would have been all the harder.

Hinata nods and bites back a sigh. It seemed hopeless. "Perhaps if your magic were to be studied?"

"Perhaps. I made many notes on the workings of magic. I left them behind in the Circle Tower at Montsimmard when we rebelled against the Chantry." Fiona did hope that they had not been destroyed when the Templars also rebelled. "If you wish to find a way to halt or cure the Wardens of their Calling, then I believe you should speak to their mages as well. There is magic to be found in all Wardens, and that may prove to be important in finding their salvation. Merely…without the demons, this time."

"Yes, it would definitely be preferable not to involve demons." Hinata nods in agreement. "Your notes might be of great help to this quest. Would you go with me?"

"I…" Fiona sighs and shakes her head. "I cannot. Our people here have need of me, and thanks to my dealings with Tevinter, I am no longer a welcome sight in Orlais." Perhaps one day, when this crusade ended, she might be again. But for now, going with the young enchanter would only incite conflict. It was difficult to determine whether that was better or worse than her outright exile from Ferelden.

The young mage could only frown, but nod in understanding. "Of course. It was foolish of me to presume you could leave your post, but you're quite right." She'd just have to find a way to do it. "Thank you for your help. I know that such things cannot be easy for you to speak of."

"If speaking of them can help you to aid others where I cannot, then I pray that my musings will help to lead you to the answers that you seek." Fiona smiles softly. "There is a young Templar from the Ostwick Circle that you might consider taking with you on your journey. He is a…bright young man and eager to aid all who ask him for help. Even if they are a mage." It was strange, for she had grown used to Templars who were far less kind to those that they were meant to protect. "He's often found in the parring yard, if you'd like to meet him for yourself."

"I trust your judgement, Lady Fiona, but I must confess that asking a Templar for anything makes me rather uneasy." Was it possible the Templar had simply tricked the gentle spirited woman into believing he had the best of intentions?

"As do I, but he is almost…naively well-intentioned." Fiona knew well that such kind-spirited Templars were few and far between. "It would be safest for you to travel with a Templar, lest you be mistaken for an apostate. And were it not for the fact that I have witnessed him fight, I would almost say he is entirely harmless. Though he does tend to…converse a great deal."

"Well, I generally prefer those who talk too much than not enough on long journeys." It did go against her instincts, but Lady Fiona had never lead her astray before. "I shall speak with him on the matter."

Fiona nods with tentative approval. "I believe that he will likely be wandering around the courtyard or sparring. All you need do is look for the young man with hair as golden as the sun."

Hinata curtsies. "Then he should be easy enough to find. Thank you, Lady Fiona." With that being said, the bluenette goes in search of the friendly Templar.

A sword slices cleanly through the air under the midday sun and scaled armor sparkles in the bright sunlight as a single warrior does mock battle in the sparring ring with a plethora of invisible opponents. A smile as bright as his hair graces his tanned face, and he darts about with agile, though haphazard and creatively chaotic movements.

Hinata cautiously approaches him. He looked so happy. It was hard to believe he was actually a Templar. "Sir?" Still, she knew better than to march up to him while he was training with a sword. That sort of strategy likely wouldn't end well.

"Huh?" He spins around and pulls his sword in close to his body, watching curiously as the mage approached him. Most of them ran away from him as soon as they recognized what he was. But she was actually coming to see him! "Oh, hello there! Can I help you with anything?"

"Yes, Lady Fiona said that you might be agreeable to go on a journey with me." She watches him carefully. She'd never seen anyone this bubbly in her entire life and that was saying something considering she was from Orlais. "My name is Hinata. I'm a First Enchanter and it is my intention to travel to Montsimmard where I might find a cure for the Calling."

"Uh…sure?" He blinks bemusedly, but he was always up for an adventure. The golden-haired Templar smiles brightly and nods. "Alright, I can ride with you to Mantsamurd…that place." He hated trying to pronounce Orlesian stuff, they always made it so long and hard. "You can call me Naruto."

"Thank you. I am grateful for your assistance." She smiles at him. "We'll have to pack for the journey. You can bring your own funds if you wish, but I intend to cover the cost of the journey seeing as I was the one who asked you to join me."

"I can handle my own food and stuff." Naruto had had everything provided for him as a Templar, but his wages here were good, and he could definitely afford room and board for a while if he didn't hunt his own food or rough it in the woods. He'd done that a lot as a kid. "Are you planning to travel the Imperial Highway, or do you wanna trek through the Dales?" The highway would be faster, but going off the beaten path would make hunting an option.

She tilts her head. Hinata hadn't thought of that. "You seem like an experienced traveler, I'll defer to your judgment on this matter. Both ways have their merits."

"Well, how fast do you wanna get there?" Naruto was fine either way, so it really depended on what the mission was. "Do you want sightseeing or speed?"

"Speed would be best." Who knew how many Wardens would perish between now and then?

"Then the highway it is." Naruto sheathes his sword, his grin taking on a hard edge. The highway meant potential bandits and more towns, but a more direct path towards the Orlesian cities. "I can be ready to leave in half an hour. I'll ready the horses while you grab your stuff."

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you." Hinata smiles and curtsies to him before darting off to prepare for their journey. Finally, they were taking the first real step towards finding a cure.

Sasuke sighs frustratedly as he stares at the crimson fabric above his head. He'd slept in worse places than a tent before, and these tents were actually rather nice, compared to some of the other tents he'd slept in. But no, his resting place was not the source of his frustration.

His frustration was two-fold. First, that the nightmares hadn't stopped. Not that he had expected them to when they were so close to a place where the Deep Roads very nearly met the surface of the world. But the second source of his frustration was that he was being made to lay down and rest…and rest…and rest… Had Itachi missed the fact that, even after he'd been injured, Sasuke was still perfectly capable of moving about and fighting? Probably. The moment his brother saw blood, it was straight into mother hen mode for him.

But if he expected Sasuke to just sit around and rest while there was obviously a lot going on, then Itachi was clearly going mad. There were Wardens and other mages here versed in healing spells, and Sasuke's wound had closed up completely earlier that morning. To Sasuke, that gave him the freedom to finally get out of bed and do as he pleased. Though he doubted that Itachi would see it that way.

He sits up, tosses off the blankets, and reaches for his clothes and armor, freshly washed by the staff who kept the forward camp running. As he pulls on his boots and straps on his armor, Sasuke reminds himself to thank the cooks and launderers and messengers later. After all, trying to win a war with brute force alone was a logistical nightmare.

Sasuke reaches for his staff and straps it to his back, before then remaking the bed. His mother always chastised him when he was a child for leaving his bed a mess. Yes, the servants changed the linens, but it was up to Sasuke to keep it tidy. That was just one of the many things he remembered from before the Blight took everything from him.

He pushes the flap of the tent open and steps out into the sunlight, blinking the spots from his eyes as they readjust after a few days resting in a comfortably darkened tent. When they adjust, he notes that there are fewer tents and fewer Wardens milling about than there were before. Had they been called back to Skyhold or sent out to other places in the Dales after this first incursion? He would personally bet on the latter, but he knew that there was one person sure to be in camp who would know.

While keeping an eye out for Itachi, the meddlesome mother hen, Sasuke walks towards the command tent, his steady stride betraying no hint of his previous injuries. His hand reaches for the flap of the command tent and he pushes it aside, spotting his cousin immediately. "Shisui, have the other Wardens been called back or redeployed? The camp is less crowded than it was yesterday…" Shit. Sasuke bites his tongue with renewed frustration when not one, but two sets of dark eyes fall on him.

Itachi doesn't bother to conceal the groan that billows forth from his throat when he sees Sasuke come striding towards Shisui. Honestly, one had to wonder if his foolish little brother actually had a death wish. Was it really so difficult to rest after receiving an injury? Apparently, it was.

"You may as well tell him before I cart his infuriating arse back to that damn tent." Itachi rolls his eyes, not bothering to hide his annoyance this time. "Maker knows that he'll keep sneaking out until he's been fully briefed. How I wish his mage was here to keep him distracted. It seems she's the only one who can talk any sense into him." Though Itachi knew there was more than just talking going on between those two, he did approve. As much as he could approve of anyone seducing his baby brother given their vocations.

Sasuke returns the glare with equal vigor. But he'd chew Itachi out for the mother henning later. "What's going on, Shisui?"

Shisui glances between his two cousins and barely resists the urge to roll his own eyes. Honestly, these two… "I've given orders for the Wardens here to establish a number of forward camps. Skyhold sent us a number of dwarven historians immediately after the battle. They're guiding our teams towards the places where the Deep Roads most closely rise towards the surface. We're looking to plug any more holes and bury them under whatever we can pile on them to ensure that no more darkspawn manage to dig their way out."

"And you're sure that we've plugged the hole here?" Sasuke steps towards the map and scrutinizes the many markers on it.

"Oh yeah, you've definitely plugged it." And Shisui couldn't be prouder of his cousins and their brute strength. "You and Itachi dropped enough rock onto it that even the dwarven engineer we've got assisting had trouble getting to the bottom to confirm it."

"Indeed, we did." Itachi nods, pleased that something had gone right at least. "Now back to the tent with you, Sasuke. I'm well aware of what you're going to say. Yes, the healers are skilled, but there is no need to tempt fate."

"I'm fully healed, Itachi. I don't need to stay in bed for a week." Just because they weren't on the road and Itachi actually COULD make him stay in bed, it didn't mean that Sasuke wanted to be there. He preferred it when he had to heal while traveling, because the only thing he hated almost as much as darkspawn was being confined to bed. "I want to go and scout out the village." Just in case there was something that the rangers might have missed that a Warden wouldn't.

"Shisui, will you please attempt to talk some sense into him?" Itachi bristles. Why did Sasuke always want to leap out of the frying pan and into the fire? "Clearly, I'm unable to do so any longer. His injuries have healed, so of course in his mind the most logical thing is to go off on a scouting mission and obtain fresh ones."

Shisui's lips curl slightly. "And what was the first thing that you did once you were assured that Sasuke was asleep and being cared for?" Itachi was the pot calling the kettle black, to be sure.

Itachi glowers at Shisui. "I scouted because it was necessary and I was able to do so. Are you saying that you would have preferred me not to assist you in that regard?"

"Of course I appreciated your help. But you were sporting a few minor injuries of your own." Not that Shisui wanted to make this into any sort of competition. "It's not as though Sasuke is likely to run into any more darkspawn out there, so-"

"Agh!" A strangled yelp accompanies a scuffle, cutting off the conversation. Moments later, the dead body of what appeared to be an Inquisition scout tumbles through the flaps of the tents, and a man with wild silver hair enters just behind him, cleaning off a dagger without a care in the world.

Commanding officer or not, Itachi was about to tell Shisui just what he thought of the other man's 'betrayal' when the scream hit and he immediately readies his staff. That could wait till later. A man had just been killed by someone who was treating the matter entirely too casually for Itachi's liking. "Who are you and why did you kill him? Speak quickly. As skilled as you are, you're outnumbered."

"You've made a lot of enemies, haven't you?" The man finishes cleaning off his dagger, then spins it about and returns it to a hidden sheath in his boot. "When Sister Nightingale hired us to deal with the threat to some Grey Wardens, I hadn't expected for my companions and I to have to deal with six assassins merely on our way here."

Shisui shifts slightly, his gaze flickering from this man to the scout dead on the floor. "The spymaster sent you, then?" He'd received a coded letter to watch his back, but he hadn't expected reinforcements on that front.

"Indeed." The silver-haired man bows almost extravagantly to the Wardens. "You may call me Kakashi. I am a member of the Antivan Crows."

A woman with auburn hair and purple warpaint steps into the tent behind him, followed by another man, this one with black hair. "You'll have to forgive Kakashi." Rin smiles at them sweetly as she rolls her eyes halfheartedly at the man with the dagger. "He's always been a bit over-dramatic at times, but we love him all the same."

Obito shakes his head. "You get used to it, but he's not lying about the six assassins. As for the password it is apostate."

The lightning crackling around his fingertips that Sasuke had been hiding behind his back dies out, but he continues to watch them warily. "Who are the assassins, and who's the target?"

"Venatori, according to Sister Nightingale." Kakashi plucks a roll of parchment from a pouch on his hip and hands it to Shisui. "It seems that they're not too fond of the Wardens anymore and are attempting to wipe out the main chain of command."

"Damn it." Itachi's eyes narrow as he watches Shisui read the parchment. "Is it as he says, Shisui?" If it was, that didn't bode well for them. Dealing with darkspawn was unpleasant enough, but having a second enemy would make their circumstances even more dire.

Shisui's gazes focuses in on the seal at the bottom of the parchment, then he lights his hands aflame and the parchment crumbles to ashes in his grip. "It is. It seems that the Venatori are now dividing their efforts between attempting to assassinate the Inquisitor and sowing disorder in our ranks by assassinating whomever takes command."

In other words… "You." Sasuke's fists clench tightly. His gaze drops to the dead man on the floor, the one who was allegedly a Venatori assassin. "This one was here to kill Shisui."

"He's fortunate that the gray haired one got to him first." Itachi glares in disgust at the corpse. "His death should have been far more painful, but it seems that they've done us a great service." He tries to compose himself. "Shisui, what shall we do about this?"

The eldest of the three Wardens scrutinizes the three Crows carefully. "…We let them do their job. It seems that they're already quite proficient at it." Six assassins, and yet only one of them had gotten within striking distance of him. Even if assassins were not high on his list of people he liked, he couldn't deny their effectiveness. "And we will continue to do ours." They were hardly the first allies of the Inquisition to be targeted by Corypheus' forces, and Shisui was certain that they wouldn't be the last.

Shisui smiles wryly, morbidly amused by this turn of events. Targeted by assassins, only to have three more appear to protect him. "Welcome to the Grey Wardens' forward camp here in the Dales. I am Shisui Uchiha, Constable of the Grey of Ferelden. Try not to mind the darkspawn."