New update! Yes! Okay so I'm posting this early this morning because I probably won't have time to do it during the rest of the day. Please read and enjoy. Any constructive criticism is welcomed.
It was cold here, yet she knew that was just her mind playing tricks on her. There was no such thing as temperature here. She was imagining things to fill in the spaces of unfamiliarity with stuff she knew. It was dark now, was there such a thing as time here? She wasn't really sure. From all the legends and books she read in the past, the answer would seem to be no but then why were there times when it was darker than at others. Maybe that was because she kept moving. It was the only thing she did nowadays, walk, or when she was feeling competent, run.
There was a scream from somewhere. The voice was familiar but she knew there wasn't anyone really there. It was another trap to lure her in and keep her there. The fade was filled with traps set up by demons and spirits of the dead.
She continues to walk, beginning to drift off. She allows her eyes to close as she continues to move. It didn't matter if she fell asleep or stays awake. She was still here. The moments she would drift off she would use those to scout ahead to see if there was any danger nearby. When she awakes she will check to make sure her few possessions were still on her. As she always does. No one would bother to steal them but she was always afraid that something new and terrible would be clinging to them once she awoke. So far she had fought small nightmares, lust demons, and a couple of pride demons. Those were rarer thankfully. Pride and rage demons were always the more difficult ones for her to dispatch.
She was also careful of the smaller things in the fade. One week ago, or so she had decided it had been, there was a small spirit clinging to the gem that rested in the hilt of her staff. At first she thought the little spirit was cute, and allowed her guard to slip. She even traveled with it for a bit. It was a long time before she realized she was going in circles. It only took a few repetitive turns more to figure out what was the cause of it. The spirit was keeping her from finding her way so that she was trapped with it. She wasn't sure why, and she didn't really care. In mere moments she was frying the spirit alive, if you could call a spirit alive. Then she was once more on the move again.
Right now she was somewhere mountainous, it was still the fade even in her dreams. Since it was a dream she could not see the fade as clearly as she would if she was awake. She pushes herself past the illusions that the veil tries to force her to stay in. She was getting better at ignoring the fake for what was real. When the dreams got wilder it was because she was breaking them more easily. Either her own mind did not want to face the fact of where she was and what she knew or it was or the veil itself was working in favor of the fade to keep her ignorant. Both were possible and it made her smile to think of how Varric would run away with those theories and go wild with new stories of dreams and the fade since he has never experienced dreams for himself it would mostly be embellishments of her own or his other friends.
Varric. She did not want to think about him right now. As the dream begins dissolving into another mirage she forces herself awake, also a talent she had gotten good at. She makes sure everything is still on her and that she was alone. Ever since nightmare, Hawke had trouble feeling alone. At first she would hide away and wait to see what was following her, or she would walk while occasionally turning around to see what was there. Nothing ever was, and she was quick to accept the fact that she was losing her mind. Even now she understood the inevitable, that she was going to die in the fade.
She walks past an apparition of a table. Giving pause, she turns back around and sees a deck of cards lying on top of the table. She stares blankly at the table. Somehow she ended up at the table, reaching for the deck of cards. She stops her hand mere inches above the playing set. No, it was a trick. Everything here was a trick, nothing was real. It was all traps laid there by demons. She turns her back to the table and heads the way she thought she had been going before.
At times she would allow herself a break. When her hunger got the best of her and her thirst left her wishing for anything with substance. At least she could solve the later problem. Even when she could find phatom water to drink, she always made sure to boil it first. The first time she tried she was surprised to find that the water could actually boil. It reacted just like regular water reacts. The only reason she continues to call it phantom water was because it was the only catchy thing she could think to call it.
"Hawke." She ignores the voice. It wasn't real, she tells herself. Over and over again. This time the voice grew louder and continues to follow her. One of the spirits hadn't realized that she was dangerous to mess with, yet. She turns around to confront whatever it was. Her staff and her body ready to teach it a lesson.
The wardens began writing letters from a different hideout of theirs. One Solas had not mentioned in his message. They met with few friends, and even fewer of those who were not already involved in the plan.
Harding continues to work her few connections that she had absolute trust in. She was becoming the new eyes of the resistance against Solas. Since Leliana was now busy as the divine.
Varric handled Kirkwall. He continues to build the city back up, while relaying messages on occasion between two of their members. He would add extra information here and there when he had some. Sometimes he would accidently write a part of his latest book onto one of the notes and would offer an apology after being told of such mistakes. Of-course not without getting some opinions over the work. He was careful not to let anyone learn of why there were so many birds for him. Besides was it not common during these times for a leader of a city to keep in good contact with his neighboring cities.
The Inquisitor began to wake up and train again. She let go of her despair, but never her anger or determination. She was more active again and trains some under her in secret along side Cullen, who manages the occasional mercenary force they would use for odd jobs. Mainly it was the Chargers who they acquired. Sometimes they would need an outside touch. He handled those.
Dorian was slowly but surely gaining support within the magistratum and painstakingly slow minds began to change. He offers advice and counseling to the former Inquisitor. Drenis was grateful. Dorian also sent her all information he could gather on anything that may lead them to Solas, along with his promise to be there when she would confront him. "Do not think I can not offer aid from so far away. Bull is ready to spring me any time you need us." He would joke. Drenis wasn't sure if that was true or not but she appreciates the sentiment.
Soon they would have a small army. Right now however they had to recruit.
"Have you received any replies?" Drenis asks aloud.
"One." The grey warden answers.
"The one we wanted to receive the least." Alistair groans as if he had a massive headache.
"Alistair! Don't say that! He lead the armies while we handled the archdemon and he even join the grey wardens."
"And since then he seems to turn up wherever he can cause the most trouble and proceeds to drink everyone under a table. Literally."
"Quit it. He has a child now, he is more responsible then he use to be."
"A child who letters he sends for proofing. Honestly has he ever seen the boy?"
"Yes. He has seen him. He's with them right now."
"Can we please get this conversation back on track?" Drenis interrupts. "Everyone else has already reported in about how far their sides are coming along. While you two have made no direct contact with anyone but apparently a deadbeat, drunk, warden. You know all the stories I've heard about how heroic and fierce you two were. I'm seriously starting to doubt such tales."
"A little more faith would be appreciated Drenis. Besides we are setting out today to meet with someone who holds potential." Neira says.
"We agreed no one unless we trust them completely. Is this person you're leaving to meet the warden you were just discussing?"
"No, someone less of a warrior more of a rogue." Alistair answers. "I made her acquaintance a few years ago, she is not a grey warden but she has saved our lives on a number of occasions. She's a spy but she is a trustworthy one."
Drenis sighs from exhaustion. Before she had been named Inquisitor she never would have believed such a statement. By now, however, spies have proven useful, over and over again. They could be a double edge sword if not carefully examined or if they were untrustworthy in the least.
"How could she help us?" Drenis wanted a profile, such as the ones her advisors use to give her.
"She has a small network. Mainly she works for nobles or she use to. Now she freelances, and aids the grey wardens when they plan adventures into the deep roads. I do not know how she obtains so much information about the underground systems, for she is no dwarf, but I don't think I would want to know either."
"So far not encouraging." Drenis complains.
"Look we can trust her, if you don't think so then test her out a few times. Have Harding work with her, she was trained by Leliana, she could tell is Rona is trustworthy or not."
"So her name is Rona." Drenis says aloud. She thinks over the name, trying to figure out if she had ever heard it before. She doesn't remember ever having occurred it during her time as Inquisitor. That could be either good or bad. "Alright. Go meet with her. Take Harding with you. If she doesn't trust this rogue then do not bring her back, keeping everything secret from her until otherwise should be obvious."
"Yeah. It typically is." Alistair says with a smile.
Drenis smiles back before saying, "just make sure you three come back in one piece. I would hate to lose such campable fighters."
"Yes ma'am." The warden says with a cheerful tone before she grabs Alistair by the neck of his armor.
The two find Harding waiting directly outside of the house. She was speaking to Cullen who was actually laughing about something. Neira whistles and her mabari comes running from around the corner. Behind him came Cullen's mabari and Jowan who was having trouble keeping up.
"Jowan, what's wrong?" Neira asks as he slows to a stop in front of her. He was breathing heavily and his face looks paler.
"Nothing Neira. I am fine." He claims as he stands up a little straighter. "I was simply keeping track of Hark like you had asked."
"Thank you Jowan, but you really didn't have to chase him. Here," she hands him a cookie. After travelling with sten she always carries a few cookies on her at all times. Jowan eats the cookie quietly as Neira pats Hark's head. "Harding, the Inquisitor wishes for you to join us in meeting a potential ally." Harding nods in understanding.
"Alright let me finish talking with Cullen and I will meet you guys, out on the edge of the city." Harding informs them and finishes her talk with Cullen.
They had visited Kirkwall more times in the last month then they had during the rest of their lives. Neira did not like the city very much. She was happy it was nothing like Denerim, for she still had trouble entering that city again. Alistair liked the city. He had been here twice before and both times the visits was short. Lately he had been able to spend a little bit more time getting to know his way around it and the food the stalls offered.
"Leaving again so soon, grey wardens?" Varric asks as they walk past him in lowtown.
Neira watches him with a careful eye. She liked the dwarf, and the stories he told. Especially the ones about her old friend, and ally, Anders. Before he and Justice met their ends. However she could tell that he was often hiding his apprehensiveness when around them. His hands often felt stiff when they would greet each other and he was careful with the subjects he approached with them. She felt it was because of the lost of his friend, that perhaps Varric blames the wardens for the loss of Anders, as well as the last of the Hawkes. Carver was still alive but in truth he was doomed with the rest of the grey wardens.
"Yes, we should be going. When we stay here for too long, the letters begin to pile up."
"You get a lot of letters?" Varric asks.
"Whenever we stay at one place for too long." Neira answers. "Lately Harding has insisted on reading them all. I would rather it be Leliana instead. For some of them are a bit more personal than others. I would rather a friend read them then an almost total stranger."
"Harding's good people. She won't use any of it against you if there's no bad business you are trying to hide." Varric explains.
Neira smiles her typical smile. "Well then I have nothing to worry about. We'll be seeing you Mr. Tethras." She says with a wave as they walk away.
Alistair and her wait outside the city for a bit. She leans against one of the walls as he sits down, cross legged on the floor. Jowan held a treat in his hands as Hark ran around through the exercises Neira had designed for him. She ignores the people who walk in and out of the city, waiting for Harding to arrive. A few children try to run over and play with Hark. Neira gives a low whistle to remind the mabari to go easy on them. Hark was quick to leave his exercises for a chance to do something else.
Hark was careful with the children. He was still powerful but in his old age he had grown to be more cautious with those around him. Especially children. Neira was not if this was from old age or if the mabari had matured and learned from past experiences. Whatever the case she was glad none of the children were hurt while playing with him. She watches with a smile on her face as they run off again to where their parent's cart was.
She caught Alistair watching as well from the corner of her eye. Neira quickly turns her attention elsewhere trying not to think at their own failed attempts at having a child. It was better that they had not had one for those few moments of peace when they considered trying to raise one was interrupted by wardens, demons, and the politics of Ferelden, for she was still the arl of Amaranthine. She had responsibilities, so did he.
"Wardens!" Catching her attention, Neira's hands were already around the hilts of her sword and dagger.
Harding comes running over to them, practically bouncing down the steps as she hurries to meet them. "I'm ready." She heaves the pack on her back a little higher. "So where are we going?"
"Well last time I spoke to her she was heading farther into the free marches. The last thing she wanted to do was get caught up in any kind of mess that the Inquisition may cause. So that was about four years ago. She is most likely still there if she wanted to avoid the inquisition. Unless she moved on to tevinter. One of the few people who wouldn't make assumptions about vints." Alistair closes his eyes and thinks. "That may be because she always took time to dig up their secrets first."
"I can't imagine a spy staying in one area for so long." Harding says. She pulls out a map hands it to Alistair. "Where was she heading to, any mention of a town or city maybe?"
Alistair looks around and scrunches his face as he tries to recall. "I can not think of any specifically." He frowns and rubs the back of his neck with one hand while holding the map still in the other. "I would say our best bet would be to find out where the wardens are and if any of them had been in contact with her recently."
"Well it's something to go off of at least." Harding says not sure how far they would be able to go off of that.
"Now that it's settled, shall we be off?" Neira asks. She whistles for Hark and the Mabari was at her heels in moments as they set off.
Alistair smiles and follows, with her leading as usual it felt more like when he was younger. Harding tries not to laugh but smiles lopsidedly at the sight and the carefree attitudes of the wardens. She tries not to think about what may come if they do not act fast. The world may be ending but who's to say they couldn't enjoy life while they try to save it. She looks over to Jowan who carries a backpack and follows behind Alistair. This was certainly an odd group the Inquisitor had her travelling with, but odds groups were always her type of people. She runs after them, leading with Neira for she did have the map after all.
So an oc is going to be in the story soon and they aren't going to be the only ones. The story will not become just about them though they will continue to be a part of it just as the other characters are.