One week later
Rush noticed the strange duo the moment she returned from the market. A tall, dark-haired woman in a custom-made Seeker armor and a beardless dwarf in a duster that revealed his very, very hairy chest. Their equipment looked expensive, and well kept, their posture was straight and purposeful, even if both were obviously uncomfortable to be there.
They didn't look like your usual tavern patrons, nor like people who would seek out the Chargers to help deal with some kind of issue. These two looked like they'd be able to deal with any issues on their own.
So what were they doing here?
She took another step inside, and the seeker lifter her head. Their eyes met, and Rush had the strange feeling that they were waiting for her.
She was not wrong. The seeker's eyes narrowed and she walked up to Rush with full confidence of someone used to giving orders… and for those orders to be obeyed.
"Knight-Enchanter Trevelyan, I presume?" the seeker started without preamble.
Rush froze on spot. Chantry people here, asking for her by name? Did they finally catch up with her? Was she to face a trial… or will they skip right to the execution? Damn. And most of the Chargers were either on a mission or out on personal business. The only one around at this time was usually Bull, back in his room to write his reports… unless he was out to gather more information, in which case she was royally screwed.
Her hand closed in a fist, but she fought to keep her tone pleasant and calm. She briefly considered lying, but she had a feeling that wouldn't help her. These people obviously knew who she was, and were waiting for her at the place she spent most of her time at. This was no accident. "Yes. That's me. May I help you?"
The woman nodded her head in approval of her manners and introduced herself, "I am Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast, the Right Hand of Divine Justinia. There are matters we must discuss with you, privately."
Rush had to fight down her instinct to flee. Right Hand of the Divine herself? Whoever was after her, they sure weren't messing around.
She decided to stall, instead and turned to the dwarf. "And you are…?"
He smirked and gave her a little bow, "Varric Tethras. Rogue, businessman, storyteller… and occasionally, an unwilling prisoner."
At that, the Seeker felt the need to defend herself for some reason. "I have told you, you are not a prisoner, Dwarf. You are a guest, invited to tell your story of the Champion to the Divine herself."
"If I'm not a prisoner, does that mean I can leave?" he looked up at the human with a lifted eyebrow, but obviously didn't have high hopes of success.
"No."
Varric only shook his head sadly, "Are you sure you know what 'keeping a prisoner' means, Seeker? Guests are usually allowed to leave, you know."
Cassandra only grunted in disgust.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Rush felt her lips twitch in a smile, which the dwarf immediately noticed as he threw a mischievous wink her way.
Cassandra decided not to bother with the dwarf anymore and turned back to Rush, "Do you have any place we can talk privately?"
Well, so much for stalling. Rush hesitated for a second, then nodded and led them up the stairs to her room. Or better said, their room, the place she shared with Bull. With any luck, he'll be inside and help her out, should things turn rotten.
When she opened the door, she realized with dismay that Bull was out. Just her luck. She was now to 'discuss private affairs' with two strangers, one of them high up in Chantry hierarchy, alone in a room with no way to call for help.
And her day started so well, too.
Rush watched them sit at the table, while she decided to stand. Just in case. The dwarf noticed her reticence immediately, but decided to keep his mouth shut. The only thing he did was give her a commiserating smirk that the Seeker thankfully didn't notice.
Cassandra leaned in and put her hands on the table with confidence. Somehow, her presence filled the room the same way Bull's did when he spoke as their Chief. This woman as dangerous, Rush thought and gulped.
The Seeker pierced her with a hard look, "I want you to come with me to the Conclave at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, and serve as the Mages' representative for the new peace treaties. You will also present the proposition for your Mage Integration program."
That was not what Rush expected. "…What?"
The Seeker frowned. "Chancellor Roderick told us that it was you who proposed the creation of the employment contract for mages. Since you are the emerging mage leader who single-handedly ended the Mage-Templar war by integrating Mages into common people's lives, you will be essential to the Conclave's success. I want you to come with us, and present your proposition to our beloved Divine Justinia, and later to both the mage and templar current leaders." She gave Rush a small smile, "I suggest you gather your best arguments. The templars won't make it easy. But I believe that this Mage Integration program is the best chance for peaceful resolution both sides have. All that your opposition talks about is whether or not to re-instate the Circles. There aren't many who thought on what to do beyond that."
That was really not what Rush expected. Her mind reeled. She took a moment to find her balance.
Looked like Roderick did tell the templars where she was after all, yet they weren't interested in arresting her. And that the Chancellor pretended that the contract was her idea, and not Bull's. But then, she supposed it would be more acceptable to pretend it was the idea of a mage, even an apostate, rather than accept that the war was ended by a Qunari. That would have some very uncomfortable repercussions for the Divine. Better to pretend it was done by her.
Rush had no problem representing the mages, and trying to get some better deal for the Tranquil. That was not a problem. But… why weren't they dragging her off to face her trial?
"I will go to this Conclave and present the… Mage Integration, of course," Rush nodded to Cassandra. She had a feeling Bull would be glad to have some first-hand information about this development, too. But first, she needed to ask. She took a deep breath, "But what about the price on my head? Won't both the Templars and Mages protest, when their representative is a hunted apostate?"
Cassandra's eyes widened. "You didn't know? Your name was cleared months ago." When she saw that Rush wasn't able to speak from shock, Cassandra continued much more gently, "Lord Seeker Lucius found the diaries and records of our previous Lord Seeker, Lambert. In it, Lambert wrote down his plan to get rid of you to stop your proposition to research the Rite of Tranquility, along with his plan to send a Templar to murder Pharamond, the Tranquil mage who was tasked by the Divine to find a cure for Tranquility. The records also implicated a templar, Rylan, who was to… accuse you of possession and then execute you." Cassandra looked away and Rush felt that Lambert described his plan in much more detail. But no matter, Rylan was dead and she didn't feel the need to revisit old wounds.
Cassandra continued, "Once the plan was revealed, Rylan lost his position in the Templar order, and left for parts unknown."
Rush just shook her head and laughed breathlessly, "Why didn't I hear about my pardon before, then?"
The Seeker looked almost embarrassed. "After Templar Rylan left, we have realized that he has also taken your phylactery. And you have proved to be… a bit too good at hiding. We… couldn't find you."
The dwarf, Varric, couldn't stand it any longer and snorted, then turned his face away to hide his laughter - but his shaking shoulders betrayed him.
It was as if a dam broke. Rush leaned against the wall and laughed and laughed until her sides hurt, ignoring the huffing Seeker with her hands crossed over her chest or the dwarf who joined in her laughter. To think, all these months she had been free, but no one could tell her that, because her rules kept her hidden, despite their simplicity or how often she broke them.
'Wait until Bull hears about this… Maybe he'll stop making fun of me for always breaking my own rules.' Rush thought. 'Also. Roderick - you dick. You could have mentioned I've been pardoned. Just wait until I see you next.'
-rushing-ahead-rushing-ahead-rushing-ahead-
When Bull heard about strange Chantry folk looking for a mage in his tavern, the first thought that flashed through his mind was that Roderick talked after all.
He hurried back as fast as he could without arousing suspicion - if his hunch was wrong, he didn't want to give anyone who might be watching a cause to suspect anything. Besides, Rush was a big girl and could take care of herself. Most of the time. But in this case, she might need support if she decided to turn herself in and await her trial… or she might need help hiding the bodies.
Bull could help either way.
The 'Chantry folk' were easy to spot. At least the woman in Seeker armor was. Bull was briefly confused by the dwarf who looked more like a rich and fancy smuggler rather than a Chantry type.
He only hoped the Chantry didn't figure out how to train and deploy actually sneaky spies like the Ben Hassrath. That would be bad for everyone.
None of the newcomers paid him any attention. At least, no attention beyond the usual 'horns-battleaxe-scars' checkup most warriors and fighters gave him when they first saw him. This actually calmed Bull down a bit. They were neither dead, nor smugly drunk, which meant that either Rush wasn't here yet… or this might concern a different matter altogether and she wasn't involved.
He decided to check his room, just in case she was up there and didn't know about the intruders.
His Rush was inside… packing. His heart jumped into his throat. "Rush." Why did he have a feeling she rushed into something dangerous again?
She lifted her head in shock, then smiled at him in welcome, "Hello, love." She looked back at the small bag on the bed, and sighed, "I guess you saw our Chantry guests downstairs?"
"You bet your ass I did. What's going on?" He walked up to her and took her by the shoulders.
One corner of her mouth lifted in a sardonic grin, "Turns out my name has been cleared for months. Nobody just bothered to inform me of that fact. Funny, isn't it?"
It didn't ease his worries one bit, "So what are they doing here?"
Rush sighed again, "They… or better said, the Seeker wants me to go with her to the Conclave. You know, the meeting between the Mages and the Templars at the Temple of Sacred Ashes? Roderick told the Seeker that I was the one who had the idea to create the contract… And since it changed the Mage's situation completely, and I'm somehow the one to blame, they want me at the negotiations to set the terms."
"And you're going." It was not a question.
"The Seeker didn't exactly ask. I decided to agree before she could force me. At least this way, I have some control in how I get there. I'd rather be the Chantry people's friend than enemy." She lowered her eyes. "I have until tomorrow morning. Then I have to go."
Bull closed his eye and pulled her into a hug. "Do you actually want to go in there?"
"You know what? I guess I actually do," she muttered into his chest. Bull felt her take a deep breath, inhaling his scent and tightened his hold of her.
She continued calmly, "I can do a lot of good in there. We can set up a system, make everything official. We can put some safeguards in place so mages won't feel pressured to become abominations, nor motivated to try and use Blood Magic. Besides," she added and moved away from his arms, "I have a place there, remember? I'm Knight-Enchanter Evelyn Trevelyan, Senior Enchanter of the Ostwick Circle of Magi. My titles kind of make me a big deal, with or without the contract. And I might also plan to open the topic of the alternate Tranquility cure. No matter what anyone says, Pharamond's plan to stick spirits or demons into Tranquil's skulls is not a good idea. I hope to give them a better option… and to find someone who can finally research it in detail. I need to go… but I will return here as soon as my business there is over."
Bull thought about her reasons for a moment. They all seemed valid and reasonable. He just… didn't want to let her go. Whether she wanted it or not, she was a trouble magnet. And that place will contain way too many mages and templars. That was a lot of angry people in one place. He had a bad feeling about it.
Suddenly, he realized how much he changed since he accepted her among his Chargers. This worrying… it wasn't him. He used to be so certain of everything. But looking into her eyes, he knew he didn't want his old life back. Things were much more… interesting every since he met her.
If only there was some way he could persuade everyone that having Rush near him… no, with the Chargers, was the best option. Or maybe he could send someone with her, for her protection and his peace of mind. Or maybe he wanted to…
'Oh, to hell with it', he thought as he looked her in the eyes. "I love you. Come back soon." What was it humans said? If you love them, let them go, right?
Her eyes gentled. She caressed his cheek and looked into his single eye, "I love you, too. Don't worry, everything will be all right."
A/N: Btw, Rush learned about the Asunder 'cure for Tranquility' from her new friends in the Mages Collective. ;) She's been busy these last couple months, and so were they.