Chapter 39! Wow! Right?!
It's actually just 3 chapters left after this one! So we're getting closer to the end!
Disclaimer: Ain't mine, yo!
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Chapter 39 – Impending Doom Upon All The World
Two days later, they left Skyhold – 'they' being the Inquisitor, Iron Bull, Sera, Solas, and Hermione – and it didn't take them long to reach the Hinterlands.
Except for the fact that Sera and Solas did not get along, the journey was just fine.
The two elves just couldn't stop bickering.
When Hermione heard Solas speak elven, and Sera answer with a rude sound, Hermione had had enough, and she stopped and turned to them.
"Honestly, could you just stop? It's driving me insane."
Solas gave her a dark look. "I don't-"
"Yes, you do," Hermione interrupted, resulting in a smirk from Sera. "You as well, Sera." She crossed her arms over her chest and gave them a strict look. "Solas, stop being a stereotypical elf. Sera, stop being so bloody racist."
Sera gave her a look of outrage. "I'm not!"
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Really, Sera? How are you not being racist? You trash talk elves all the time."
"I'm just so sick of the whole 'oooh, look at me, I'm an elf, I'm better than you'."
"Really, Sera? Really? You do realise you are describing yourself as well with that statement?"
"What? No! I don't care what race people are! People are just people!"
Hermione flung her hands in the air. "Except for elves. You automatically don't like them. If the Inquisitor had been an elf, do you know what your greeting would be? 'So, you're the Herald-thingy. Aaaand, you're an elf'. The latter with a disgusted face. How is that not racist?"
Sera looked slightly panicked. "But – no – that's not right! And this one," she said, gesturing at Solas, "doesn't like me because I'm not the 'right' type of elf."
Hermione just looked at Sera for a moment. "I'm completely sure that whether you are the 'right' type of elf has nothing to do with it. I would think it had something to do with the fact that you have been nothing but rude to him ever since the first time you saw him. And why have you been rude? Because he's an elf. That sounds rather racist to me."
"But he's just as rude!"
Hermione nodded. "True. And I have no idea why you would think it was a good idea to speak elven to Sera. I have no idea why the two of you keep bickering. What are you trying to accomplish? You are going nowhere, fast. We are the bloody inner circle of the Inquisition. We have to get along. So if you could just try to tolerate each other, and try being polite every once in a while, that would be nice. Now, let's focus on what's important, shall we?"
She didn't give them time to answer; she just spun on her heel and walked back to Iron Bull.
The bickering actually got better after that, and Sera seemed to be rather lost in thought. Hopefully, she thought about what Hermione had said. Sera was being racist, she just didn't realise it. She thought it was justified.
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"So, fearless leader," Evelyn said with an amused smile as Hermione pulled out her dagger from the back of a bandit, "where to next?"
Hermione gave Evelyn a jaded look. "Well, oh, mighty Herald of Andraste, there is a rift on the other side of that hill there, so perhaps you could be so kind as to bring your oh-mighty-Herald-hand and do something about it?"
The Mighty Herald of Andraste just chuckled as they began walking again.
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"So, Solas, tell us about this elven artefact nearby."
"There is a," Solas began before giving Hermione a startled look, "elven artefact nearby," he finished lamely.
"That should be disturbing," Iron Bull said, amused, "but it's just funny."
"Yes, thank you, Lethallan."
Hermione gave Solas an amused smile when she saw his jaded expression. "Sorry. Couldn't help myself."
-o-
"Was she right?" Hermione heard Sera whisper to Iron Bull later that night. "Am I racist?"
Hermione – in the process of casting wards – pretended to not hear them, but was almost holding her breath, listening intently for Bull's reply.
"Yes," he simply answered, and Sera cursed under her breath.
Thank you, Bull, Hermione thought, still pretending to not hear anything.
Sera went into the tent a few minutes later, and Hermione cast a silence spell as she sat down next to Bull. "Did you mean it?"
Iron Bull smirked. "So you were listening, huh? Thought so. Yeah, yeah I meant it. You were right in everything you said."
Hermione sighed in relief. "Thanks, Bull."
"No problem, Kadan."
Hermione gave Bull a warm smile, gave him a peck on the cheek, and went into the tent.
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"I apologise."
Hermione gave Solas a puzzled look as she climbed into bed. "What? Why?"
"You were right. About Sera and I."
"So you're not annoyed with me?"
"I am not."
"Good. Why, though? Why speak elven? You knew she would be annoyed."
Solas shrugged. "Mainly because I knew it would annoy her. But, in part, because I hope to find a different side of her hidden somewhere. It is as you said; we are the inner circle of the Inquisition, we need to get along."
Hermione curled up to her lovely elf. "Well, I think she is reconsidering her point of view as we speak. She asked Bull about it, and he just confirmed what I said. Very blunt even." She paused for a moment. "Why are you wearing clothes?"
Solas chuckled. "I could ask you the same."
"I have no idea. Let's do something about it, shall we?"
"Gladly, vhenan," Solas said in that utterly erotic tone of his, making Hermione's skin tingle.
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They returned to Skyhold a few days later, and although it was good to be home, Hermione had slightly mixed feelings.
Skyhold meant they were back to waiting.
Doom Upon All the World, she thought, what an apt quest name.
The feeling of impending doom – the feeling she liked to call 'impending doom upon the world' had her constantly on edge.
She wondered how long they would have to wait.