Notes: The actual landings and Battle of Dairsmuid will be in the next chapter.
Song: Dimmu Borgir – "Cataclysm Children"
Chapter 87: Rise and Demand Our Due
Caitlyn and Anders went to bed that night holding each other gently but tightly. There seemed to be little more that they could say. The horror of the Annulments, the weight of history, and their dread of the coming loss of what little moral innocence they still had—for Caitlyn knew, deep in her soul, that they would end up using Anders' chemical rockets before this war ended—weighed too heavily on them for speech. All that they could do was hold tight and take comfort in their love.
It was the revitalization that they needed, however. They awakened the next morning in a warm tangle of limbs. But Anders had slept well, his dreams untroubled by the darkspawn magister. Caitlyn had known throughout her dream that in the material world, she and Anders were holding each other as they slept, and her Fade-form could take comfort in that knowledge. Their sleep rested them rather than plaguing them with additional stress.
As it turned out, they needed it. They had barely finished their breakfast with Mal and Jo when people began beating at the doors.
"What in the Void is it now?" Caitlyn grumbled, rising from the table in the family dining room. Scowling, she pulled the door open.
Facing her were Varric, Fenris, Isabela, and—escorted by Ser Donnic, since he was not a longtime family friend—Ser Brycen, the Templar from Hasmal.
She heaved an exasperated sigh. "What's gone wrong now?" she asked.
Isabela spoke first. "I can't answer for Varric or the Templar, but the news Fenris and I have is actually good. We can have a fleet again."
Caitlyn blinked. She had set Varric and Isabela in charge of this, Varric to dole out the funds and Isabela to apply her expertise about ships. But the suddenness was surprising. "How... did that happen?" she managed.
"Captain Revaud is deadly serious about vengeance for his daughter. Over the years, the Felicisima Armada has captured several enemy ships, both warships and merchantmen. The captain offered them for sale to Kirkwall. It's an incredible bargain."
Caitlyn turned to Varric and Fenris. "What strings are attached to this purchase? Even if this man is grieving, he is a pirate."
"We would be obligated to make an attack on Dairsmuid," Fenris said. "Nothing more. We brought his offer for you to look at, but we obviously wanted your approval before acting. Kirkwall has not made the purchase yet."
Caitlyn breathed heavily. "I meant to attack Dairsmuid anyway. I'll want to look at the contract indeed, but if the offer is that good, and these really are just ships that belonged to the schism, I can't see us making any new enemies by purchasing them—stolen property or not." She considered. "And if Revaud formally allies the Armada with us, they're rightful spoils of war anyway."
Isabela nodded. "Exactly. It's a good offer."
She turned to Varric and Ser Brycen. "I assume you have other news?"
"Yes," the Templar said. He looked very angry. "It relates to Hasmal."
"And so does my news," Varric added. "Might even be the same thing."
"War news," Caitlyn concluded. "All right. I need to call a War Council meeting anyway to discuss Revaud's offer and our plans to end the war. None of you are official members of that council, but you're invited as guests."
The War Council was summoned, and the first order of business was to look at the sale offer from the pirate captain.
Astonishingly, it was straightforward. During the course of the war, the Armada had captured nineteen vessels that formerly bore Orthodox Chantry colors, including eight warships. The obligation of Kirkwall was indeed just to attack Dairsmuid and make a good-faith effort to liberate it, and Revaud promised that every ship in the Felicisima Armada would be neutral to the Kirkwall-Free Mage fleet at worst. Some would actually aid the attack.
"This is excellent news," Caitlyn said. "We will need a stout fleet to liberate Dairsmuid."
"And sail down the Minanter?" Aveline guessed.
"Perhaps. I'm still considering how best to do the assault on the enemy stronghold. But possibly." She turned to the other guests. The Templar looked far more anxious to speak than Varric. "Brycen, you look close to bursting. What news from Hasmal?"
"Your Grace," Brycen said, indignation filling him, "you may remember that I mentioned about a third of the loyal Hasmal Templars remained in the city to foment rebellion. They have kept in contact with me... and their last letter was desperate. Viscountess Hawke, Hasmal has fallen under sustained attack." His gaze hardened. "From Tevinter."
That stunned the War Council. As people broke into murmurs and shocked chatter, Caitlyn realized what her first thought was: "Good."
What did she care if a city that had capitulated to the enemy was now under attack by Tevinter? She had the germ of an idea for more unity in the Free Marches, but for now, they were at war. She owed Hasmal no support yet, and she certainly had no urge to declare war on Tevinter when she was already at war with the Orthodox Chantry. This simply opened an additional front for the enemy to defend, and a front that she did not have to fight on.
Then it hit her. Why would Tevinter suddenly make war on a southern city? They haven't done that in ages. Why now?
Varric finally managed to make his voice heard over the din. "It wasn't actually Tevinter," he said. He noticed Brycen's angry glower and shook his head. "Sorry, Ser," he said, "but truth's truth. It's a rogue faction, acting on their own. The High Archon and Senate don't support the attack."
"And how do you know that?" Brycen growled.
"I have a contact in Tevinter. A magister, actually. She's a good sort," he reassured the Council as their eyes widened. "Name of Maevaris Tilani. I heard the same news in a letter from her this morning, in fact. The band that's attacking Hasmal is part of a radical movement called the Venatori."
Fenris growled. "That is the movement that Danarius was part of."
"Yes." He looked oddly solemn in respect for Fenris's past before continuing. "They have magisters, but the ones doing this are lower-level. Mae doesn't know who actually ordered it. She wrote to me that the known Venatori magisters also claim to oppose the attack, but they're probably lying."
"She's made a study of them, I gather?"
"She's openly against them and the other radical revanchists in the Magisterium. But she's seen an uptick in activity lately and is watching them."
Caitlyn then noticed that Anders suddenly looked ghastly pale, as if something horrifying had occurred to him. She turned to him discreetly with a raised eyebrow, but he shook his head silently, equally discreetly. Very well, then. They would discuss whatever was troubling him in private.
Petra spoke up, glowering. "I have to ask: Has Fiona been spotted there? Or the band of deserters she led, who included mage supremacists?"
"Mage supremacists who were known to have been corresponding with Tevinter nationals before the siege," Aveline added.
"Maevaris doesn't know what Fiona looks like," Varric said. "She did say that one of the lieutenants was reported to be a female elven mage, which was... unusual... for Tevinter, to say the least. The elf part, anyway. I'd guess that's Fiona. It's too coincidental otherwise."
Caitlyn glowered at the tabletop. So Fiona had actually accomplished something. That "something" entailed making an alliance with Tevinter radicals, but still, Fiona was part of an attack on an enemy-held city, while she herself was not—yet. Even with the Tevinter connection, which most of the Free Mages wouldn't approve of, the army still might suffer in morale after hearing this. Fiona's argument with Caitlyn had only been before the Senior Enchanters and other mage leaders, but she clearly must have been talking to the army rank and file too. The mages who had rejected her call to desert might soon be considering her claims in a new light.
Aveline spoke the words that Caitlyn was thinking. "We need to march on Dairsmuid, and soon. We can't let radical Tevinters take over our war."
"We need to defend Hasmal!" Brycen exclaimed.
Caitlyn gave him a hard look. "Why? Hasmal is not my ally, and if we got involved, we'd be attacked by the Venatori and the schism—because I guarantee you, they would not count us as allies no matter what."
"That's true," he granted, "but there are loyal Templars inside who didn't join the schism! They stayed to stir up rebellion against it! They need help!"
Anders could not take that without objection. "You would have the Free Mage army fight Tevinter radicals and schismatics in order to defend Templars? There's not a chance in the Void that the mages would go for that."
Caitlyn made a decision then. She had suspected that Brycen was in contact with Justinia, or at least Justinia's agents. Now she might get confirmation. "Ser Brycen," she said, "am I correct that you send intelligence to Divine Justinia's people?"
The Templar was surprised, and struck silent, but only for a moment. Then his face fell. He sighed. "I suppose it's no use to dissemble. Yes, Your Grace."
Caitlyn nodded. "I thought so. I've allowed it because Justinia is largely on our side, and I've been in contact with her Left and Right Hand myself. That said, I agree with Anders on this. This isn't the responsibility of the Free Mages. Those Templars who remained in Hasmal are loyal to Divine Justinia. It's her responsibility to support them, and since you communicate with her, I believe you know what to do. Ask her to send aid to them."
He looked unhappy, but he could not argue with this logic. Caitlyn then turned to the rest of the Council. "None of this discussion means that, long-term, I would be all right with a band of Tevinter extremists holding a Free Marcher city. I wouldn't be... and I am already considering what the postwar order for our region needs to be. The Free Marches need better defenses against all sorts of threats, as this attack proves. But... for now... until the loyal Templars stand a fighting chance, this attack is useful for us because it provides an additional front for the Orthodox Chantry to have to defend. We have an opportunity to strike back, to liberate Dairsmuid and make an assault at last on Starkhaven and Tantervale. And we're going to do that very soon."
Caitlyn took Anders aside after the meeting when they were alone. "You looked horrified when Varric mentioned the Venatori. What's wrong, love?"
Anders grimaced, then looked at her with wide eyes. "That darkspawn that has been in and out of my dreams," he began. "The Warden-Commander's willpower potion has helped a lot, first of all. Justice isn't having to fight quite so hard anymore. But I'm still able to understand its pushes, more or less. I'm just better at resisting them with my own strength." He gazed intensely at her. "It's interested in the Venatori for some reason."
A chill shot down Caitlyn's back. "I see why you didn't want to reveal that at the meeting," she said quietly.
"I don't know what it means, or if there is any contact," he continued. "I just know that the darkspawn is interested in them."
She made her decision instantly. "We're not going to tell anyone. Even if these are Tevinter radicals, mage supremacists, and deserters, if they're in league with a Magister Sidereal, that does not need to be known. The cause, the innocent Free Mages, will be attacked by association."
"And by the fact that we are mages."
"Exactly. No one will know about this. It's our secret."
Caitlyn's thoughts about the Venatori attack on Hasmal were complicated. She liked that it forced an additional front upon the enemy, but every other consideration was troubling. She did not want Tevinter supremacists to take over the mages' war, as Aveline had said. She did not want Fiona getting credit for "taking action" while Caitlyn herself was accused of sloth due to planning rather than blundering ahead unprepared. She really did not like that the mystery darkspawn was interested in the Venatori. And she did not want a Tevinter foothold—even if these were rogue actors—in the Free Marches.
It proved her right about something that she had thought of when she first learned about the rockets. She and Anders had talked about it then: the fact that Orlais, the Qunari, and others had repeatedly attacked Kirkwall over the ages, and none of the other Marcher cities had come to its aid. The rockets would be a strong deterrent, the chemical rockets even more so. But Kirkwall was far from the only vulnerable Marcher city. The Venatori attack on Hasmal proved that. The war itself proved that. Hercinia had lost its army and fallen to an internal coup. Hasmal had capitulated to a threatening force. Kirkwall had been besieged.
The Free Marches as a whole are very vulnerable, Caitlyn realized, and it's because we are not united. We're individual city-states, so we're easy targets.
At the moment, I don't care about Hasmal. But that's because we're at war and it's enemy-held territory. The war is not going to last forever. I suspect it is going to end a lot sooner than anyone in the Orthodox Chantry thinks. We need to consider what kind of Free Marches we want to rebuild. Hasmal won't be an enemy then. Even Starkhaven and Tantervale won't be. In fact, they will be important bulwarks for Kirkwall—and Thedas as a whole—against Qunari and Tevinter aggression. If someone managed to get a foothold there, or anywhere, Kirkwall would be threatened.
The Marcher creed is that we will have no kings and queens. That doesn't just mean that a local ruler, like me, must not claim that title. It means that the individual Marcher cities are determined to remain sovereign and independent. So be it. That doesn't mean that we can't defend ourselves better than we currently do. It doesn't mean we can't have a different kind of unity.
I think I know what we need. I think I know what we must build in this vulnerable region when the war is over. We need a binding mutual defense treaty, an all-Marcher one, preferably. Kirkwall should lead, since we have the ability now to be a military powerhouse. The others could pay dues to us, defend their own borders, keep their militias sharp, and in return, if anyone attacks a dues-paying city, Kirkwall will retaliate with full force. And the same would be true if anyone attacked Kirkwall. They would retaliate.
And any potential aggressor would know it. The Qunari would. Tevinter would. Orlais. And any other bully that might arise in the future.
As she settled on the idea, the unwelcome image of Starkhaven and Tantervale Templars slaughtering innocent mage children reentered her mind. The terror of the Siege of Kirkwall returned to her thoughts. For a dark moment, she revolted against the idea of including them in such a treaty, or, for that matter, even letting them continue to exist.
We could do it now. We could reduce them to boulders.
In that moment, she understood Anders' violent, dark rage better than ever. She could not even think of judging him for his desire to use his chemical weapons on this enemy.
But then the image of a Venatori-controlled Hasmal came back. Or a Qunari-controlled Kirkwall. The schism cities are the enemy for now, but they won't always be. They have fallen sway to religious radicalism, but Tevinter is a slave power, and the Qunari are a totalitarian police state. No—I cannot destroy these Marcher cities. It's the wrong thing to do morally, but also pragmatically. I can punish them in other ways. I could ban them from ever having their own arsenal. It could be in the defense treaty.
Someday, other nations will have these same weapons, she realized. And if we win mage freedom, they will all have mage soldiers too. The Chantry won't have battlemages; nations will. Someday, others will have what Kirkwall has.
She recognized at once what it meant. And in that world, the only way to deter an attack is to make sure every aggressor knows that it will be met with overwhelming force. To make the cost of an attack too great to bear. To assure aggressors that if they attack us—or our allies—we will destroy them.
When Caitlyn found Anders to share her idea with him, she could not help but notice that every bit of the swagger and pride that had been evident in his face after the siege was gone now. His gaze was heavy, dark, angry, and sad.
"Anders," she said gently, "we couldn't have stopped the Annulments." He looked up with a pained glance, but he did not dispute her. "But we can avenge our mage brothers and sisters and end the war definitively in favor of mage freedom. Make their deaths not be in vain."
He nodded. "And then... we wait for others to develop the same weapons." A sigh escaped him. "It was necessary, and I think innovations are inevitable... so I'm glad we got there first... but what does the future hold, now that the new face of war is much deadlier than the old? What's to stop a future tyrant from developing this same weapon and using it against a free nation?"
"I have been pondering that very question," Caitlyn acknowledged. "Especially with the emergence of this aggressive Tevinter faction, the Venatori. They attacked Hasmal. It's enemy territory now, but it won't be forever. It's a Marcher city, and that attack was additional proof of our vulnerability."
He nodded. "And although I don't want the schism to hold it, I don't want Tevinter extremists to hold it either. It's too close for comfort."
"Before the Annulments, when the rockets were still under development, we talked about their possible deterrent effect against the Qunari. I've since been thinking bigger."
He looked up in interest. "Oh?"
"We have to think about reconstruction of the Free Marches," she said. "We don't have victory yet, of course, but unless something goes terribly wrong, we will. And we need to have a plan for what we want built back."
Anders' gaze hardened. "Part of me thinks we shouldn't rebuild Tantervale or Starkhaven."
"I have had that thought too," she said darkly, "but we have to. We can't just obliterate cities and salt the earth."
"They should pay a price for what they have done."
"I agree completely. A permanent price. I have an idea about that." Caitlyn took a breath and tried to focus her thoughts. "I've thought a lot about how vulnerable the Free Marches are. We've been attacked, occupied, and conquered repeatedly. And perhaps this history has produced that vaunted 'Marcher independence,' but the fact that we're individual sovereign city-states has also made us targets for every imperialist bully in Thedas."
"The Free Marches are not going to unite into a single nation," Anders cautioned. "It won't happen."
"I know. I was thinking of something else: an agreement among all the Marcher cities, a real one, a signed treaty of mutual defense if an outside power attacks." She lowered her voice. "We think about Orlais, the Qunari, and Tevinter, but I would not sleep on Nevarra either. Nevarra was once a Marcher city-state. It expanded and became a land-hungry nation with a king. Why wouldn't it look east someday?"
"Good point," he considered. "And that might be true even for Ferelden."
"I think Ferelden should look west," Caitlyn said, "rather than north. But yes. Long-term, who knows? There might be a future aggressor that doesn't even exist yet. And yes, we need to punish Starkhaven and Tantervale... but the fact also remains that they are a bulwark against Tevinter. If they fell to Tevinter, or the Qunari for that matter, things suddenly look very menacing. We do not want either of those having a foothold on the Minanter."
"True," he agreed. "So... a defense treaty among all Marcher cities?"
"Exactly. A solid treaty, not a vague sense of 'we're all Free Marchers.' That belief has been worthless," she snarled. "So after the war, if it goes as I think and hope it will, I'm going to propose a Marcher mutual defense treaty. Everyone will have sovereignty—no city will answer to any other's ruler—but we will come to each other's defense. It would be sealed with dues, like nations pay to the Grey Wardens, rather than arranged marriages. I think they'd line up to join after we use our weapons and our mage army."
"So if, say, Gaspard de Chalons wins the Orlesian war and then decides that he likes the look of Ostwick, Kirkwall bombs Val Royeaux?"
"If Ostwick signed the treaty—that's a potential retaliatory measure, yes. And he'd know it, and it would hopefully deter him from doing it."
"I don't think you should share the rockets, maybe not the bombs either," he advised, "even among our longtime allies like Markham. And certainly not with the Marcher cities that are currently our enemies."
"No," she agreed, "I wouldn't. I would, in fact, have a clause for Tantervale and Starkhaven stating that they are banned from ever owning these weapons."
Anders nodded, his face hard. "That's the price they'd pay? Good."
"And no, I don't want any rival military powers in the Free Marcher Treaty Organization—or whatever it becomes—either," she agreed. "Kirkwall will have exclusive rights to build rockets and blasting powder bombs. I'll have to think about whether it's advisable to sell them to our longtime allies. But Kirkwall can and should be the military power. The point of the treaty would be that an attack on one city-state will be considered an attack on all."
Anders considered that. "That's a great idea. Really. A fantastic idea."
She turned to him with a warm smile. "I only thought of it because of you."
He smiled back. "We're partners."
"In every sense of the word," she agreed.
They sat for a moment until the smile faded from Anders' face. He sighed. "I hate to break the moment by mentioning this, but... what if someone else does develop similar weapons? It could happen."
Caitlyn sighed too. "I've thought of that. Frankly, I think we should plan with the assumption that someone will. There's not really a good answer, except to get all the Marcher cities into a defense pact, paying dues to Kirkwall, and we use that coin on the army and the weapons. Even if Tevinter, the Qunari, Orlais, or whoever could someday match us, they'd still know that attacking would ensure we'd destroy their cities too."
Anders shivered. "That's grim, but I see the logic."
"War was already a grim business and it's going to be even more so. It can't be helped. As you said," she concluded, giving him a sad look, "it was necessary and probably inevitable. At least we'll be a leader in the new order."
The workers at Ironbark Ridge were hard at work assembling the rockets and bombs. Caitlyn authorized Varric to buy Revaud's ships, and Isabela sailed to Rialto Bay with a small force to lead them back. The mages and militia resumed their training, and for the mages, it held a special urgency. They really, really wanted to take revenge on the people who had murdered so many mages, and they knew the next battles could mean victory—and freedom.
But then, merely two weeks after Brycen and Varric had reported the attack on Hasmal, word came that the situation had deteriorated badly.
"The Venatori—and presumably the Free Mage deserters—attacked the Chantry in Hasmal, killing all inside," Brycen said, his face taut and restless as he reported to Caitlyn, Anders, Varric, and Aveline. "I don't mourn them, since they were murderous heretics. But things took a turn for the worse after that. They didn't try to install anyone to lead. They simply left the city."
Caitlyn gaped at him. "The Venatori group killed all the Orthodox Chantry members and then just—left?"
Brycen nodded. "Yes, Your Grace. No provisions, not even for one of themselves to rule. I didn't think I'd ever say this, but even that would have been better than what has followed."
Caitlyn, Anders, and the others exchanged uneasy, dreading looks.
"The rulers, the secular authorities, turned up dead. But nobody among my Templar associates has any idea who killed them. It might have been the Venatori, but the thing is... the rule of law has utterly broken down in Hasmal, they tell me. Angry mobs and gangs rule in all but name. A gang controls the Keep of Hasmal itself, they wrote. Anyone could have killed the rulers."
"This happened in two weeks?" Anders exclaimed.
"The rule of law can break down extremely quickly," Aveline said grimly. "Lawlessness, anarchy, and mob rule descend rather fast."
Caitlyn thought she knew where this was going. "I suppose your Templar associates are attempting to step into the void."
"They are, Your Grace. Trying to organize some of the less objectionable gangs and mobs into a peacekeeping force, to give them a proper outlet for their energy and anger. But it's an uphill battle, and everyone is worried that the schism will send a force to regain control. My friends are trying to train these people to fight that too, if it comes, but they're having to fight local gangs and criminals now, and also keep their own people's behavior in check."
"What about support from Divine Justinia?"
"She hasn't sent anyone yet. It's only been a fortnight, but I don't know if she can spare anyone. Ninety percent of the Seekers and Templars rebelled."
"Well," Anders remarked with a bit of snideness, "I'm actually sort of glad that these Templars are seeing firsthand that violence, lawlessness, and thuggery can come from anyone, not just mages. And it sounds like they would prefer even a mage ruler to what they are having to deal with instead."
"Your Grace, that may be, but the fact remains that the Venatori and Free Mage deserters created the situation by slaughtering the occupying force and then just leaving."
"I'd say that the occupying force created the situation by, you know, occupying Hasmal," Anders retorted. "And are the people not responsible for their own choice to form mobs and gangs instead of choosing a leader in a civilized manner? We have to blame the absent mages for that too?"
Caitlyn interjected. "Anders, I agree with you, but he has a point. It's not a good look for the cause if it should get out that deserters from the Free Mage army teamed up with Tevinter supremacists, toppled a government, and then just left the city in chaos. We're not responsible for them, since they are deserters, and we should disown them utterly if anyone accuses us... but this situation needs to be resolved. I didn't want to get involved when the schism and Venatori were fighting, but we need to now." She turned to Brycen. "I am still not sure if the Free Mages will want to get involved. Especially if the Orthodox Chantry doesn't have a presence there anymore. I don't think they will see it as their fight to help Templars and locals fight gangs. But Kirkwall has other allies, and I will send a request to Markham and to Ferelden to send aid to your Templar associates. Including soldiers to restore order and train the people that your friends are organizing."
"Thank you, Your Grace," Brycen said gratefully.
"It shouldn't actually take that many," Aveline remarked. "These kinds of mobs are unlikely to challenge soldiers. They're more likely to slink away."
"Which is good for the war, because we need every soldier possible," Caitlyn said briskly. "In the long term, we'll need to put someone friendly in charge. I have no idea who any of the Hasmal nobles, merchants, or other leaders are—or if they're even alive and in the city anymore—but some sort of provisional council government can be established until we pick someone."
Caitlyn dismissed the impromptu meeting after that, taking Anders' arm and retreating into the family quarters.
"What a mess!" he exclaimed when they were alone. "We need to focus on Dairsmuid, and on ending the war. Attacking Starkhaven and Tantervale. We didn't need this, and it annoys me that we have to ask our allies to send anyone at all to take care of it." He sighed. "But you were right. We do."
"Because Divine Justinia is absolutely useless," Caitlyn said. "Those are her Templars; she ought to be the one supporting them. But I suppose she doesn't have much of an army anymore... and she's tied up with Celene and Gaspard's asinine war."
"True. But at least this gives us an opportunity to look good... and to lead."
That was true, Caitlyn reflected. The deterioration in Hasmal was one more opportunity to realize her vision of a Free Marches that looked to Kirkwall.
She also wondered where the Venatori and Fiona's force had gone—and why they had left—and she voiced that thought to him at once.
"I highly doubt it could be for a good reason," she added darkly after broaching that issue. "And the fact that all they achieved was to send a city into violent lawless chaos suggests to me that Fiona is not in charge of anything."
"Just as we predicted," Anders muttered.
"For all her faults, she did care about mages. She would have wanted to fight in a city where an Annulment had actually occurred. She at least would have wanted to place leaders in Hasmal after eliminating the schism presence. Since this is what 'her' force did, it means she's not the one making decisions."
"And it's rather disturbing that this is what these Venatori wanted to do," Anders commented. "Who benefits from a sovereign city being lawless and leaderless? If this were Tevinter itself, I could see it. Hasmal is close to Tevinter. It could be an opportunity for annexation, to 'restore order' and look benevolent rather than just making a violent conquest. But these people aren't acting for Tevinter... supposedly." He considered, frowning. "Or are they? Maybe that is the goal, and they are the ones who did the dirty work."
"But if Varric's magister contact is to be trusted—and is right—then they are rogues," Caitlyn pointed out. "For now, without evidence to the contrary, I'll trust that a Tevinter magister opposed to this faction knows what she's talking about." A dark thought had entered her mind as she recalled Anders' warning earlier about his dreams. She resisted even voicing it, but it had occurred to her, so she could not keep it from him. "Anders... you know how the Architect and Corypheus commanded others to carry out their agendas. Do you think the darkspawn in your dreams, the one that is interested in them, could have commanded them to do this? For some purpose of its own?"
He shivered, not wanting to face it either. "It's possible," he admitted. He scowled deeply as he continued. "I have been fighting off its influence, its awful voice, but if you are that alarmed about this, I could let my guard down in the Fade and try to find out—"
"No!" she exclaimed hotly. "Don't even think about it!"
He smiled sheepishly. "Thank you, love. I didn't actually want to."
She wrapped her arms around him, pressing against his chest, burying her face beside his cheek and neck, breathing in his scent: elfroot, oiled leather, and sandalwood. It calmed her sudden panic. "If this becomes enough of a problem, we'll find out some other way," she insisted. "You are not risking yourself for the sake of this. And we're going to deal with Hasmal anyway, thwarting whoever it is that wants chaos or just doesn't care. Just like we're going to deal with Dairsmuid, then Starkhaven and Tantervale at long last."
As they resumed their walk to the family rooms where their children would be waiting for them, she reflected on that. Time just kept flying. The White Spire Revolt had occurred in Bloomingtide, the Seeker revolt breaking the Nevarran Accord on the twenty-third of that month. The large force of mages had not arrived in Kirkwall until the end of Justinian. The Annulments had occurred in Solace, though Kirkwall had not learned of them until the end of the month. It was now the middle of August.
We have a fleet again, Caitlyn thought. We have an arsenal. We have an army. The time has come. When I send word to Ferelden requesting aid for Hasmal, I will also invoke the treaty we signed over five years ago and ask for soldiers to accompany the part of my army that goes to Dairsmuid. Ferelden can send them by sea, and they can join my force that way, an allied fleet sailing together into Rialto Bay.
The time has also come to let certain people into the secret of the rockets, she realized. Not everyone. Not the whole army. They will be told when they are on the march. But it's time to tell the War Council and Mages' Council.
Caitlyn sent her formal request to Ferelden and Markham for a small peacekeeping force for Hasmal, to coordinate with Ser Brycen for logistics. She sent an additional request to Ferelden invoking the treaty of alliance and stating that she would need a significant force of soldiers to liberate Dairsmuid, to join her fleet en route.
It was a solid commitment, she realized. It was momentous. Ferelden would need a bit of time to muster its forces, even if—as she suspected—they would be pulled largely from the north. But invoking the treaty and requesting their aid was a point of no return. She had to plan her own attack now.
One point in her favor was that Divine Justinia's condemnation of the schism's Annulments had spread across Thedas, outraging nearly everyone in the Orlesian Chantry's sphere of influence. The account of the Tantervale massacre that the Templar defector had provided, which Justinia had not hesitated to share in graphic detail, had sickened even those priests and rulers who had been skeptical or opposed to mage rights.
The despoiling of the Dairsmuid Chantry and hostile occupation of Dairsmuid was also a scandal. Not everyone had supported the Rivaini policy of religious tolerance, but the specific targeting of loyal Andrastians—who had been noncombatant even if the Circle in their country had allied with Kirkwall and the Free Mages—had offended and frightened quite a lot of priests, and the idea of the Queen of Rivain as a prisoner in her own capital concerned rulers.
Caitlyn heard back from Ferelden very quickly. Her ally would send the requested two thousand soldiers, calling them up from across the north and sending them by ship from Highever and Amaranthine. Caitlyn was pleased with that; these soldiers would likely be loyal to the Couslands even though they were in Ferelden's national army instead of the militia of Highever or Amaranthine. The Couslands had been friends to her family and her cause.
She and Anders took the War Council and Mages' Council leaders to Ironbark Ridge, preparing them for what the Glavonaks and Anders had developed there. Some had an easier time grasping the concept than others. Thrask, Merrill, and Alain struggled with it, whereas Sketch and Petra comprehended it faster than anyone—even Aveline. But she and Anders managed to make them understand how the rockets worked by the time they reached the weapons development site.
"And of course, we can apply magic to them—force magic—to increase their range," Anders added. "The Glavonaks' calculations don't take that into account, though, because it will depend on the mage's power and the number of mages applying force spells. It'll be a guess, if we decide to use force magic that way. But it's an option."
He did not tell them about his own project, the chemical bombs. Caitlyn wondered at that but did not betray his secret. It was probably best to keep that to themselves for now. Some Council members, like Aveline and Thrask—and possibly Alain too—would object strenuously to the mere existence of such a horrible poison, and it could prove a distraction. They needed to focus on the blasting powder rockets now. Caitlyn did not want to use the chemical weapons unless they really had to, in any case.
But I strongly suspect we will really have to, before this is over.
She didn't want to think of that, though. Until they were actually in the field in a position that warranted their use, she could still choose to hope.
The Glavonaks did not have any more rockets to spare for tests. They had assembled all hundred twenty-four and were loading them into specialized carts. Each cart had a multi-tier rack of storage shelves, and each rocket fit into its own individual spot. The carts' secret cargo could be covered with heavy waxed tarps or bolted metal covers, protecting it from an early reveal to enemy scouts when the army made its final march north.
"Well," Aveline remarked when the team was ready to return to Kirkwall, "that was overwhelming. I knew that war had changed forever the minute we blew up the Vengeance and sent the loose bombs into the enemy lines by trebuchet. But this changes it again. This matches—or exceeds—what the Qunari have, I'd say." She gave Caitlyn and Anders a look of concern. "As soon as you use these, other powers in Thedas will sit up and take notice, and many will try to build their own."
Caitlyn and Anders nodded. "We know. We've thought about that," she replied. "Obviously we want to keep the schematics secret for as long as possible, but someone could still figure out the same design independently, and Anders and I have planned for the likelihood that someone eventually will. That said, I would like to keep the Glavonaks' team on long-term contract, not because I distrust the cousins themselves, but you just never know who can be bought off or blackmailed, and there are a lot of workers in the know. And also because a big part of my plan for dealing with the long-term threat is to have Kirkwall build up such an arsenal—and have so many mages still around—that anyone who develops their own would still think twice about attacking us."
"Assured destruction," Anders said.
Aveline considered it. "That's grim, but I think it's the only answer. Tevinter and the Qunari essentially practice it already. War has changed, and it's going to change even more after we use these. We can't hide from it. As dark and ugly as it is, we have to accept the new reality."
Anders nodded, his gaze heavy and gloomy. Caitlyn knew what he was thinking. This means his weapons too. And he's probably right.
Caitlyn and Anders stayed up late into the night making plans and discussing contingencies. She thought she knew what she had to do, and when she discussed it with him, he agreed with her ideas and suggested some of his own. But she wanted input from her War Council and the mages' leaders. To that end, she called another meeting, summoning the War Council and the Mages' Council to her war room soon after breakfast the following day.
"We have three issues to consider," she said, hands spread across the war map. She gazed at the figures representing each side's forces. "First, liberating Dairsmuid, avenging our fallen brothers and sisters, and saving anyone we can. Second, we have to remember what befell Hercinia when its Margravine left it vulnerable."
This made an impression. The mages especially wanted vengeance for the fallen Circles, but the idea of losing their own home base was disturbing. Several of them shuffled nervously.
Caitlyn noticed their distress. "Granted, I think the enemy will be wary of attacking Kirkwall after the way the siege ended. They know we have a terrifying explosive and they know we have trebuchets that could deploy it. They do not know about our new weapons and I do not intend them to find out until battle begins," she said grimly. "But it is... possible... that the attack on Dairsmuid was partly a diversion to get us to abandon Kirkwall in blind vengeful rage. I choose to decline their offer."
"Hear hear," said Sketch.
"And third, mark my words," Caitlyn said, her tones dark and angry, "I intend to end this war. When we leave Kirkwall, I intend us to return as undisputed victors, having crushed this schism and liberated all southern mages. They have killed dragonlings and they are going to face the dragon."
Anders placed a hand supportively around her waist. His face was set.
"We have over five thousand trained, battle-ready mages and three thousand warriors. We have almost two hundred and fifty rockets and bombs. We have trebuchets, ballistae, and ships. We have new allies in the Felicisima Armada. We can end this war soon if we use them smartly."
"What's the plan, then? Your Grace?" Sketch asked.
"As I said, I am skeptical that the enemy will be foolish enough to attack Kirkwall directly right now. Since the Seeker revolt, the doubling of the mage army's size, and the harbor explosion, their strategy seems to have shifted. Their goal now seems to be to take as many cities as they can except Kirkwall and simply whittle away the original Chantry's influence by replacing it with their own. Hasmal, Dairsmuid... if I were in Ansburg, Bastion, or Wycome, I'd be very nervous indeed. They seem to want to isolate us, or get us to fight on more fronts than we can control."
They contemplated that, shifting uneasily.
"Kirkwall stands for now," Caitlyn said, "but can we stand if they take over everything north of the Waking Sea and kill Justinia? If all the Templars are Red Templars, and all the Seekers serve them? And I promise you, they will have people trying to duplicate Anders' explosive to use against us, by independent discovery or by espionage. So we put a stop to their plans now." She moved some pieces of the map. "General Aveline will take Alain, Lysas, and Petra to Dairsmuid, carrying about half of the army by sea," she said. "Captain Isabela will accompany them and direct maritime matters. Our Fereldan allies will join them at sea, sailing from Highever and Amaranthine. I've been promised two thousand hardened Fereldan soldiers. Meanwhile, our soldiers, magical and common, will spread out over the fleet, taking most of the ships. The force will be formidable, but it will look even larger."
Aveline nodded, understanding her intent.
"The ships will also be armed with some of the round bombs and smaller trebuchets. Dairsmuid is an occupied city, not an enemy stronghold, so I'd rather they weren't used in town unless it's necessary to eke out a victory. Aveline will have a few rockets, but will not use them there. I don't want the enemy to learn about them that soon. They're for something else." She moved the markers representing the fleet into Rialto Bay.
Anders squeezed her hand, then took it up from there. "You will pick up some non-mage forces at Markham and Hercinia," he said. "And as Isabela has said, the Felicisima Armada will permit your passage through Rialto Bay unhindered." His expression hardened with sorrow and anger. "Some will even join you."
Lysas was frowning in contemplation as he studied the map. "Is this a feint, Your Grace?"
"No. The force will liberate Dairsmuid, but the reason I want its apparent size exaggerated is to draw some of the enemy force there."
"Where it will be broken in the explosions of blasting powder and vengeful magic," Anders added darkly.
"Yes," Caitlyn said, squeezing his hand. "Aveline's operation is not a feint. It has two purposes, to liberate our friends in Rivain and to get the enemy to spend forces there. If any of the pirates do join us, so much the better. Meanwhile..." She picked up the rest of the figures around Kirkwall and dropped them into the Wildervale. "The remaining half of the army will wait here under my leadership. Aveline's Dairsmuid force will have ravens to send messages to Kirkwall. When the message contains the phrase 'Highland Ravager,' a type of High Dragon, that will be the code for the rest of the army to march under my command—minus a small force and a handful of rockets and war machines to defend Kirkwall if needed."
The factional leaders studied the map. "They apparently traveled by way of the Deep Roads to besiege us," Sketch said. He glanced at Anders. "Are we doing the same?"
Anders shook his head. "They must have had a map from a Tantervale Warden. Warden-Commander Cousland gave me mine, and the Deep Roads depicted on them didn't extend that far north." He scowled.
"It's probably to prevent one Warden-Commander from 'imposing' on another by leading a mission in someone else's 'territory,'" Caitlyn said sourly.
"Or it might just be that extensive, accurate maps of the Deep Roads are hard to find for areas far from Orzammar, and the Wardens haven't shared their knowledge across command posts," Aveline pointed out. "Bureaucracy."
Anders considered. "It could be. Cousland has been very dissatisfied with some of her fellow Warden-Commanders, and with Order policy."
"Maybe so, then," Caitlyn said. "Whatever the reason, it makes the Deep Roads option an unacceptable risk for us."
"But won't the enemy see a march coming over land?" Petra asked.
"They will," Caitlyn said. "The positions of Tantervale and Starkhaven are simply too good. The enemy would see a force coming across the Wildervale for miles. That," she emphasized, "is why I mean to feint."
"Ah," Petra said.
"I will feint toward Starkhaven." Caitlyn picked up the pieces representing her forces. "It will seem credible because the fleet will be heading for Starkhaven on the Minanter. The ships will arrive first. There Aveline's army may choose to deploy the rockets on land and bomb the city with the spherical bombs. The enemy's naval power is still limited, thanks to Anders."
She smiled at him. He smiled back, but it was mixed with sadness. "Thank you, love," he said quietly.
"With battlemages aboard, and armed with explosives and war machines, our ships will be comparatively safe," she continued. "The enemy will think that it all depends on holding Starkhaven—that the city will undergo a two-front siege. They'll throw everything into holding us off at Starkhaven. By the time the enemy has committed forces there, then I will shift my force toward its real target: Tantervale." Her tone was harsh, her words dark and angry.
The mages studied the map again, considering the plan.
Petra had a question. "We need to have a foothold on the Minanter, a blockade, or else they'll be able to use it to escape. It's said to be a mile wide in places. How are you going to cross it?"
"We are an army of thousands of mages. We're going to freeze it at Tantervale and march across."
The mages gaped for a second, then burst into cheers and hoots. "That," Sketch said, "is brilliant, and I can't wait."
Anders smirked. "Neither can I," he said. He had suggested this to Caitlyn the night before. "So before we march, we need several hundred of the best winter elementalists identified and prepared for the task."
"Understood."
Alain had a question too. "I hate to even ask this, but... what if the fleet can't take Dairsmuid?"
"If I don't receive a message by a time I will set with Aveline, I'll assume as much," Caitlyn said grimly, "and I'll march anyway. The plan will change then—no Starkhaven feint. I'll march directly on Tantervale. Thousands of soldiers, half or more of them mages, and enough weaponry to blow their army to the Void."
"Then why go to Dairsmuid? Why not take the whole army to Tantervale, especially since you were concerned about being spread over too many fronts?"
"It's not at that point yet. We can still fight them on multiple fronts if we're smart about it, and I don't want to give them a chance to raise up new leaders anywhere else. I want to crush them for what they've done."
She took an angry breath and felt the comforting pressure of Anders' hand squeezing hers again. The pair exchanged looks of mutual sympathy, grief, and fury. In his eyes, Caitlyn thought she saw a momentary blue flash. It was oddly comforting to see the reminder of Justice. We are an army of justice too.
Strength renewed, she continued. "I am taking most of the rockets with me. The enemy may think we can't loft bombs far into their cities. They may think they can put up a line of Red Templars to keep us from getting close enough to climb. They have no idea what's coming. I mean to end this war." She said it through clenched teeth, and her eyes were wide with anger and resolve.
Beside her, Anders took her hands again. He gazed back at her, sharing that look. It energized her... but it also broke her heart.
All we wanted was to be together, have a family, and live our lives in peace, she thought as she gazed into his eyes. And this is what has been necessary.
Kirkwall was ready for war by the beginning of Kingsway. Isabela returned with the ships in tow, led by the Siren's Kiss. She was pleased with her assignment when Caitlyn told her about it, and had advice for Aveline and the other leaders about exactly when to land at Dairsmuid.
"That area is often cloudy. The tropics are like that in the warm season. In fact, we might run into a storm... but I know what those are like, and if there is one, I can steer us away from it before we get caught in it. We'll want a full moon when we land, for good visibility."
"We have magic," Petra said. "A couple thousand mages, in fact."
"And they have Templars, including the 'Red' kind. We want illumination that doesn't depend on magic. Otherwise they'll have the advantage when we scramble up the beach. And that leads me to the second thing we'll need. It's better to come ashore at high tide, so that the scramble up the beach is as brief as possible. They'd be absolute fools not to have lines patrolling the area, and we're easy targets while we're on that strip of sand. No cover at all."
"Other than what we can provide ourselves with shields and magic," Aveline said.
Isabela nodded. Caitlyn was surprised to see these two women getting on, but when it came to war planning, they could put their differences aside.
"The other thing is that the beach could be booby-trapped," Isabela said. "I can spot traps pretty well, but it might not be a bad idea to bombard it before we come ashore to trigger as many traps as we can."
"You could use magic for that," Caitlyn suggested. "Firestorms. That way you'd still have the explosives."
Petra nodded, seeing it and approving of the plan.
"I'm pretty familiar with that area," Isabela continued, "and I think we should come ashore at multiple points. Directly west of Dairsmuid is a strip of beach with hills—bluffs, really. If I were the enemy, I'd have archers and Red Templars up there. It's going to be difficult, and that's why I think we should attack from the north and south of that point as well. Encircle Dairsmuid."
"We'll still have to send a force at that point, though," Aveline said grimly. She took a deep breath. "I will volunteer to lead it."
Caitlyn gave her a pained look, dreading the thought of her close friend endangering herself so—but Aveline knew her duty. And there was no one Caitlyn trusted more to take on a challenging military task.
Caitlyn received word from the Crown of Ferelden, Teyrn of Highever, and Arlessa of Amaranthine that the ships had been dispatched. Kirkwall's fleet would rendezvous with them at a maritime point about fifty miles northeast of Highever. The day had finally come for the navy to set forth.
Caitlyn felt a lump in her throat as she bade Aveline, Isabela, and the Free Mage leaders farewell. Fenris had also decided to go on this mission. Caitlyn did not pray often, but she sent a prayer to the Maker to protect her army and her friends—dear friends, some of whom had begun just as boon companions, friends with whom she'd had many disagreements, but over the course of nine years, or ten in Aveline's case, had become a second family to her. She did not want to lose these three. Not now. Not after everything they had been through.
"I'll see you soon," she said huskily to them. She swallowed hard as Anders, who stood loyally by her side with Jo and Mal, gave her a supporting and sympathetic look. "The next time we meet, we'll be victors."
Rialto Bay, a week and a half later.
Aveline felt an instinctive resistance to ceding power to the pirate woman, but the fact was that Isabela knew ships far better than Aveline did. She also knew the Felicisima Armada. It was... better... for Isabela to be in command when they were at sea.
They had a very large fleet behind them, between the transports and the warships. It comforted Aveline. The pirate armada had further increased the size of the attacking force, with Captain Revaud's ship and several others joining the Free Mages' fleet as they passed through the bay. Aveline would not admit it to Isabela, but she was surprised that the pirates had actually kept their word. Clearly, Revaud was far angrier than she had known.
I can't blame him, of course, she thought. If she survived this war, she would insist to Donnic that it was time to have a child while she still could. He wanted one too, but it just hadn't ever seemed the right time. Kirkwall was a dangerous mess, and then the war had begun. But time was running out. The idea of a child of hers being harmed triggered a protective instinct in Aveline that she supposed must be what Caitlyn and Anders had always felt for their children—and what had now been turned into an urge for vengeance in Revaud.
Isabela's expertise had also been useful when the flagship started to encounter sustained winds as they approached Dairsmuid. It was a storm of the kind that only occurred in the warm tropics, she had confirmed. Its fringes would likely swipe the coast, but Isabela judged its path from her own past experience and the direction that the winds were flowing. She guessed that the storm's deadly core would stay offshore. She skillfully steered the ships out of harm's way, though the sky overhead remained cloudy. Aveline and the others had followed Isabela's lead.
That said, she had a lunar calendar to mark when the larger of Thedas's moons would be full. That moon was so large that it provided some indication of its phase even through the cloud cover. The fleet stayed on schedule, heading toward its landing site as the moon waxed behind clouds.
Before setting sail, they had plotted the specifics of the assault, because it would be split into four units, and the commanders were now split up among different ships. The strips of beach did not have official names that anyone knew of, so they had used code names based on the four seasons. "Winter beach" was the southernmost site. Petra would lead that attack. Next was "Spring beach," where Aveline herself would come ashore—the most dangerous part, where bluffs loomed in the distance, probably packed with enemy combatants. North of that were "Summer beach" and "Autumn beach," and the attacks there would be led by Alain and Isabela respectively. If all went well, they would regroup at a central point and march for Dairsmuid.
The next night.
Aveline gazed through her Antivan spyglass as the Rivaini coast came in sight at last. The storms still had not cleared, and the sea was choppy. Aveline was quite sure that some of the coast must have flooded, as well. But there was nothing to be done. In fact... a flood might be to their advantage.
The other three parts of the fleet had already sailed off to their destinations, and were out of sight. Aveline's convoy spread out to make their landing, a line of warships paralleling the coast. The currents were rough and treacherous, and Aveline greatly missed Isabela's expertise in sailing. As it was, she had to command the landing—and in conditions like this. Wind whipped her face, humidity plastered her hair to her skin inside her helmet, and she gritted her teeth against the pull of the currents. I'm not going to come ashore exactly where I wanted to, she thought sourly. I'll have to make the best of it.
As she carefully brought the flagship in, the beach—and bluffs—became clearer through her spyglass. It was then that she saw what she had feared. Razor wire, sharp stakes, and traps were laid out on the beach. And waiting atop the hills were enemy forces, including Red Templars.
Notes: Readers with knowledge of, um, major World War II events will know what I am doing for Dairsmuid... more or less.
Caitlyn is basically considering NATO for the Free Marches with Kirkwall as the leader, and yes, she refers to the theory of Mutually Assured Destruction. I think that if they aren't going to become a single nation, they really ought to do this. And I do not accept the claim in the DA2 Official Guide that there is Marcher unity and they'd fight for each other. Nobody came to Kirkwall's aid in three years of Qunari presence, a state that had once tyrannically ruled the city. Nobody defended it from Orlesian aggression that actually toppled Viscount Threnhold. Admittedly this is not relevant to this AU, but no Marcher city defended Kirkwall against Starkhaven's attack in the "Anders lives" DA:I canon... or defended Starkhaven from the Inquisition, for that matter. (And yes, Caitlyn's comment about an aggressor that doesn't yet exist reflects my view of what the Inquisition becomes.) It's another example of the series telling us one thing and showing us something else, and Caitlyn is responding to what is shown.