Chapter 78: A Friend's Return
Strange.
It was a simple thought, but it stopped Ana in her tracks, where moments before she was moving quickly from the war room in Skyhold, she now found herself pausing in the hallway.
The Inquisitor blinked, and glanced around her. Nothing seemed amiss, the hall, the sound of wind whistling softly through the remaining cracks in the fortress' ancient walls.
Nope everything looked normal, but that did not change the fact that it wasn't…
Something…was not quite right.
She took a breath and tried to think. She had been coming from the war room, she remembered that much, and was on her way to meet with Cullen who was even now waiting for her in her apartment. She…she was…
Ana pursed her lips, another thought occurred to her.
How did she know that Cullen was waiting in her apartment? She could not remember speaking to him about such a thing. In fact, when she truly thought about it, she had no memory of why she had been in the war room. What had been discussed? Why had the council been meeting today? What choices had they made…?
None of it made sense.
In fact, now that she was thinking about it, she had no memory of returning to Skyhold, none at all. Her last memory had been leaving Val Royeaux, on her way to the Emerald Graves to assist a possible ally there. She remembered sending Vivienne and Andreas back with a message, to inform the war council that she would not be returning right away.
Ana shook her head.
She remembered all those things now, so how was it that she had now suddenly returned to Skyhold? None of it made any sense.
She made her way down the hall, intent on getting some answers. She entered the throne room and found it empty, no courtiers present, no guards, or merchants hoping for an audience with her…
The place was just empty, which was not only odd, but impossible.
Skyhold had not been this empty since they had first discovered it months ago.
Ana thought about drawing her sword, her hand went to her belt and found it waiting there, which was also odd, because she had not remembered wearing it a few moments ago. She was dressed simply in a plain skirt and blouse, she did not wear her weapons when she was dressed so, except perhaps for a dagger on her belt, just in case.
She looked down at the blade, thinking.
Swords could not just appear, nothing could just simply appear, unless…unless…
A hint of a smile came to her lips, it had taken a bit, but she thought she had figured it out. It was the little things that gave it all away; colors seemed too crisp, the worn stones of the keep did not look so worn. In fact they almost looked pristine, despite their age.
She felt a slight tingle on the back of her neck, a sensation that was familiar, though still a little bit…odd.
She suddenly had a desire to go out into the courtyard. It was not a compulsion, just a sense that that was where she needed to be, that something was coming that she either needed or wanted to see.
She did not resist that feeling; she went with it, going with the flow so to speak.
She was rewarded for her decision.
The courtyard was empty of course, just like the rest of Skyhold. No guards walked the towers; no traders unloaded their goods while soldiers trained in the background.
That did not stop the great portcullis from rising however, admitting a single person, slowly picking his way over the cobbles.
Ana's smile widened. She felt a sense of relief despite all the strangeness she had felt up to now.
All of the confusion had finally passed; she now understood what was going on, and where she was.
It had taken a bit of doing, but she had finally woken up, so to speak.
I'm dreaming, she realized, and the fact that she was dreaming, and could now recognize it meant only one thing.
She could finally stop worrying about an absent friend, he was finally back.
She made her way down the steps.
Solas…had returned.
IOI
"We really should stop meeting like this," she said with amusement, "tongues might start to wag."
The elf paused and chuckled. He was dressed much as he had been the last time they had spoken on the Exalted Plains. He seemed calmer now however, more at peace now that he had had a chance to get away and mourn his friend as was proper.
He glanced up at her, his ears twitching with amusement.
"I don't think we have much to worry on that point, Inquisitor," he replied, "The spirits have other things to do then simply spreading idle gossip."
Ana smirked.
"I take it this means you are on your way back?" she inquired.
"Yes," he said with a nod, "I'm sorry for leaving so quickly, but…but after my friend…I…I…"
He shook his head.
"I needed some time to think."
Ana nodded, she knew people mourned in their own way, and despite the fact that Solas' friend had been a spirit did not change the fact that her friend had lost a friend…
…Such things should not be discounted.
"Where did you go?" she asked.
He sighed.
"I found a quiet spot and went to sleep. I visited the spot in the fade where my friend once dwelled. It…it is empty now, but energies do remain, in time, they may spring into something new. A new denizen to take over what my friend once held."
Ana blinked.
"So your friend, she…it…might return to life?"
Solas' ears lowered slightly.
"No," he answered, "What my friend was will likely give birth to something, but it will not be her. It will be something new. Its qualities may be similar, but that will be it."
The elf shook his head.
"What emerges there may not even remember me, it may not even have the same type of personality, but at least that section of the fade will not be empty. It will take time, but new things will come to pass."
The inquisitor considered her friend's words. Solas' world was far different from anything she had experienced herself. It was a world she did not really understand, and likely never would.
She smiled again.
She was grateful to have the elf in her life. He had not only saved her life when she had first gotten the anchor, he had also taught her that the world was not simply a black and white place. It was not as simple as the chantry liked to believe it was. Magic, the fade, even history was by far more fluid that her simple imagination could ever comprehend. The world was…a place of degrees, and not so easily comprehended. Solas had awakened her curiosity about that world, he encouraged her to ask questions, and was not above answering, even if she occasionally missed the point he was trying to teach her.
She could be frustrating, she knew that. Solas did not try to correct her, however, he was content to let her find her own path, only intervening when she was so lost that she could not find her way out on her own.
Yet, at the same time, the elf remained a bit of an enigma to her. He was an apostate, that much was clear, but at the same time, he remained extremely protective of his past. Where was he from? Did his family still live there? How had they reacted when he discovered he had magic? Did they know he was still alive, did they think him lost?
Did they care?
His views on the elves also puzzled her. The few times she had managed the Dalish, he had reacted with disdain. He did not hold them in the same high regard that most elves outside their clan did. He cared for the plight of the city elves, but did not seem to have opinion on how they should help themselves, or at least he chose to keep that opinion hidden. He tried to teach Sera about her heritage, while at the same time finding at least some amusement in her condemnation of their people.
It was confusing.
After the events at the Winter Palace, she had tried to talk to Solas about Briala and his people. He had admitted he respected the Ambassador, but at the same time said he felt little kinship for her or the downtrodden elves of Thedas.
Who are your people, Solas, she had asked him.
He had of course danced around the question, turning it back to his respect for Briala. She had let the matter drop, but that did not mean that she had forgotten about it.
Ana shook her head.
Her friend and advisor had his secrets, that much was clear, but at the same time, he had never let them get in the way of his work, and he obeyed she asked something of him. In short she had no reason to push him on something he was not willing to share.
Solas had his secrets, she accepted that. One day he would perhaps trust her enough to tell her the truth, but until that time…
She was content to simply be his friend.
He shifted slightly, leaning hard against his staff, his eyes regarding her closely.
She suddenly felt a little uncomfortable under that gaze.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing," he replied, "It is just…hmmm."
He took a step to the right, she moved to follow him, and discovered they were no longer in the courtyard. They were now standing on the balcony of her apartment above the throne room.
She blinked, fighting back a wave of vertigo.
It amazed her how he could transition in the fade so quickly and not even be phased by it.
It was just another unanswered question she supposed, though not as important as others.
She walked up beside him, the two of them staring down at the white capped mountains.
Solas' ears twitched, his brow furrowed in thought.
"You have grown, Ana," he said, "You are not the same girl I tended to in Haven all those months ago."
The inquisitor shrugged.
"We have been through a lot," she said, "That changes a person."
Solas nodded.
"That is a part of it; I'm sure, but not the only one."
He turned to face her.
"What were you like before, before the anchor?"
Ana blinked.
"I'm not sure I understand the question?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Do you feel different; has it changed you in anyway? Do you think it has changed the way you think, the way you feel?"
He gave her a concerned look.
"Has the anchor changed you?"
Ana paused, trying to think of the best answer.
Had the anchor changed her? Most definitely, but not in the way that Solas suggested, at least she did not think it had.
She blinked and looked away.
"I'm still me," she said, "But everything I have seen, everything I have heard, it has changed me."
She gave him a wan smile.
"Anastasia Aliza Trevelyan, the girl that wore that name died at the Conclave with her relatives."
She held up her hand, the anchor sparked.
"She was so lost," Ana continued, "She did not want to go into the chantry, but at the same time, she did not know exactly what she wanted."
The Inquisitor chuckled.
She lowered her hand.
"I don't think that the anchor changed me, not in the way you mean," she said, "I'm…I'm not Anastasia Aliza Trevelyan, not the one who left Ostwick, anyway."
She brightened.
"I'm Inquisitor Ana Trevelyan," she said proudly, "and I'm pleased with that."
Solas thought about that for a moment, then, he chuckled slightly.
"Interesting," he said, "I cannot lie Ana, you have…impressed me. You can be infuriating at times, but…but you also show a sense of wisdom and compassion I have not seen since…"
Solas pursed his lips, his ears lowered slightly, in sadness, perhaps, shame…
…or…loneliness?
He shook his head.
"Compassion and wisdom I have not seen in a long time," he finally said.
He held out his hand.
"I'm pleased to have met you Inquisitor Ana Trevelyan."
She smirked and took it.
"Even when I infuriate you?" she asked.
He smiled slightly.
"Even then," he said.
He looked back upon the mountains.
"I shall join you and the others by midday today," he promised, "We shall face the Emerald Graves together."
She nodded.
"Welcome back Solas," she said, "I'm glad to see you are feeling better."
He gave her a sad smile.
"Thank you, Inquisitor," he said.
Ana heard one final thing before she woke up in her tent, a whisper in her ears. It was a little piece of evidence to let her know that this had not been just another dream, a promise of sorts.
One final word from one of her most trusted friends, like a warm hand on her shoulder, friendly, and hopeful.
It was such a little thing, but it mattered.
She awoke with a smile.
"It is good to be back."