"You must be jesting," Leliana said with a clipped tone. "During my travels I had many mages that were my allies and closest of friends. Or did you forget the Hero of Ferelden?" Her piercing blue eyes drifted towards the angry golden hues.
"I did not forget. However, I was in that tower when it collapsed. Long before you and your group arrived. They turned against each other. Those wishing to escape were cut down by their own comrades then turned to blood magic. The rest were not strong enough to hold their own against the demons and became abominations." Cullen responded. You could hear the anger in his words.
"She is 10 years. Her magic has just developed with the sky torn asunder! Every mission, every trip, we risk our men to her because she has no control!"
Leliana and Josephine shook their heads. Cassandra was lost in her own world, trying to ponder what was the best move to help the young Herald.
Her thick accent cut the tension in the room in half. "We need her, otherwise more demons will come from the rifts. We have no other option but to find a master for her to study with. She is the only one with the mark that can control those things. I have seen her even weaken demons if she concentrates enough."
"Indeed. Besides, the circles are gone, Cullen. We can't just send her there." Leliana added.
Cullen sighed angrily. This was a risk he wasn't wanting to take, but it seems he was outnumbered by his comrades. Perhaps Solas would be the best for her, considering she has had him on every mission and the seemed to be spending more time together. It would be a good fit.
"Fine," Cullen spat out as he lifted his upper body from the war table. "She will study with Solas and be under watch in the event something happens. The last thing Haven need is a mage with no control with demons lurking about." He paused at the door and placed a hand upon the wood. "For your sakes… I hope you know what you are doing." Cullen growled as he threw open the door and allowed it to slam behind him.
"That went well." Leliana sighed. Cassandra and Josephine both sighed in unison.
-
They only stared at each other. She was able to capture glimpses of what would have been the spirits eye. "Mama told me about spirits like you. Solas too." Eva said softly, the howling wind whipped around them both. "He has friends in the fade… Spirits. They say they help him, that he can sit down and have a conversation with them.
There was the uplift smirk the spirit made; it did not go unnoticed by her. "Your mother and friend are correct. You have something special in you, in your power. Your power will only continue to grow as you age. You must learn to control it, seek a mentor."
Eva scooted back just a smidge as the spirit lightened some. "I don't know." She frowned as a sigh escaped her. "My advisors are mad at me. Something happened on our last trip…," she paused for a moment allowing a small sniffle to escape. "I hurt my friend. He was training me to be a rogue, along with Lady Leliana. I lost control…" She could feel small droplets forming in her eyes. "They won't trust me. I don't blame them. Those stupid rifts keep spitting out demons that are so large. I don't know if I can help them…"
Eva hugged her legs together while burying her head in her knees. She remembered coming back to Haven. Cullen immediately when after her, demanding to know what she had done to Iron Bull. She had never seen him so angry with her before. She felt lonely enough, was she going to lose Cullen too?
The spirit said nothing at first as he watched her curl into herself. "This is why he allowed me to pass." He had spoken to his friend about this girl. But that was it, she was just a girl with no idea as to what she had fallen into. This was going to be no easy task, especially for a ten-year-old elf. Justice's aurora brightened significantly as he approached the girl. He seemed unnoticed as he drew nearer.
"Eva." The voice was firm yet gentle. "When you fall, I will be there." That seemed to snap her out of her depression. Her head shot up and looked up urgently.
"Fall?" She asked sounding exasperated, you could see the panic in her eyes. "Am I going to die?"
"It is unforeseen as of now. But you can speak with me, which means you are a medium of spirits. They will seek you out, and not all of them are going to be nice. If you give one spirit a chance to trick you, they will consume you."
"B-But you said WHEN I fall! I don't want to die! I scared enough with everything going on!" Her voice cracked as tears began to drift down her cheeks. Justice shot out its energy, engulfing Eva in its warmth and light. Justice watched as she began to calm down.
"I promised an old friend to watch over your adventures. Rest assured, young one. You are safe and you are protected. You must master your abilities and train harder than before; for this adventure should have not been tasked with a child. They all look to you for guidance and they will continue to do so until this tear in the sky is put to rest."
Eva began to fiddle with her hair, a puff of frustration escaped from her lips. "My mom is dead, and I just turned 10. My clan isn't here, and I am sure no one knows what happened." She paused for moment; and just for a split second her green hues had a faraway look to them. "They aren't coming… Are they? And I can't leave here either…"
The spirit said did not reply, Justice only observed the swirling emotions cycling through her heart and mind. It was abundantly clear that she needed Solas as a mentor. She needed guidance as she slowly came into her mana. And most importantly; she needed Justice.
"Solas," the elf could feel the tension rising out of the ex-templar.
"Commander." Solas said curtly. His book snapped shut as a point that the man's presence wasn't welcomed. It didn't go unnoticed by Cullen as his molten eyes narrowed at the piercing blue ones.
"We—Rather, my comrades have come to a decision about Eva and this," Cullen's hand flung around in the air before it gently touched his forehead. He sighed heavily. "Her becoming a mage was unforeseen." Cullen's head snapped up immediately when he heard a chuckle emit from Solas.
"Come now, Commander; you honestly cannot tell me you are surprised magic runs in her blood. Her mother was a mage, and we have little information about her clan and her father as it is." The elf stood as he set aside the book. "It is possible her father was a mage as well. I know of clans when they born of magic, the one touched with the gift is sent out of the clan to prevent too many mages from building up."
Cullen scoffed, his eyes focusing on the small fire within the cabin. "Gift, huh?" I saw firsthand what your gifts can do. I saw a tower nearly slaughtered and lost to abominations and blood mages." He paused, bringing back his attention to Solas, who was leaning against the frame of the door. "I stood against my Knight Commander in favor of the mages, only to see them yet again turn on one another. What is stopping Eva from losing it again? You already saw Bull's eye…"
He sighed once more, running rugged hands along his face till he reached the curls of his hair.
"There is one difference for Eva verses those lost at Kirkwall." Solas said promptly. "She has me."
"Which brings me to my next order," Cullen said tensely. "You will be her charge. You will train her; you will watch her on any mission we send her out on. You are responsible for any blood that may be shed because she is too young to control it on her own. The towers were guidance for those mages." He paused before releasing a heavy sigh. "Ensure her safety and those around her, she is the only one who has this," he paused as he waved his hand around in annoyance. "She is the only one who can close those rifts and the only one to mend the sky before more demons come through. If they corrupt her and she becomes an abomination; I swear this to you. I will cut her down and we will find another way to restore order."
Solas watched the Commander in silence. His melt down would be his undoing. "Just keep a sharp eye, Solas. She's training with Leliana as well. She's dangerous, do not let this happen again."
Cullen snapped before turning to the door to leave. Solas gently stepped aside, though there was a small smirk forming along his lips.
"Well, Commander." Solas said promptly. "It seems we have a guest." Cullen's head whipped around to see Eva standing there. He could already see the tears welling, gently drifting down her red cheeks. Both hands were held against her chest, clutching one another as if she had done something horribly wrong. The tension between Cullen and her spiked when they both found out she was a mage and injured Iron Bull. As If she didn't feel terrible enough.
"I—I'm dangerous?" Her words barely reached their ears from the wind whipping about outside. "I'm sorry." She quickly said before running from Solas's hut.
Solas calmly approached Cullen and placed his hand on his armored shoulder. "Good job, Commander."
Eva had taken off quickly. Bypassing all those who looked down on her or in this case, feared her. Justice was right. She had to take control of this situation. She heard Cullen say that Solas would be her mentor, is that was Justice meant? She left footprints in the snow, using a minor spell that Solas taught her to stay warm when they traveled to the mountains. Was Cullen really going to kill her if she failed?
"Justice! Justice!" She called out various times, only to find no spirit waiting for her. With a small sniffle she resumed her position near her mother's grave. "I have so many questions… But right now, I need the warmest hug from you, mama." She wiped away the tears with her arm, and yet they kept coming.
"They don't trust me, mama. Cull-Commander Cullen was my friend, and now he hates me." She collapsed onto the grave, using a small amount of mana to keep her body warm. "I think-I think I am going to stay here with you tonight, mama." Another sniffle. "I have training tomorrow, but I don't want to be around anyone right now, not even in my cabin. Solas will know where to find me…" She mumbled softly over the howling wind.
A strike of green light struck the lake before them. She could hear the men at the stations shouting in urgency. Eva gently popped her head up. She instantly tensed at the sight before her. A rift tore open and a very large demon stepped out. Its deep and manically laughter completely froze her in position.
"My, what do we have here? A crying soul hoping to reach into the fade to see their beloved?" The demon asked. Eva didn't move, not even when the guards came to fight it back until she could reach the rift.
"What are you doing?!" The familiar voice made her jump. She turned to see Cullen starting directly at her, with a most twisted face. "You. Did you do this!?" He snapped. His attention went to his soldiers that were flying back from the demon's rage.
"NO!" Eva snapped back viciously. "I was staying with mama before it opened! I used a small bit of magic to keep me from freezing to death! Anything, anything would be better than staying with people who hate me!" She yelled. His eyes widen just a bit at her words. He watched her get up and dust the snow off her clothes. She looked at the pride demon with anger and hatred. "I never wanted this. I want my mama and my clan. I never asked for this." She had reached her limit.
"Here" she said sternly. Cullen watched her tear off his lucky charm that she had been wearing since her birthday. "You're just as dangerous. I don't want this. Stay away from me;" and that was the last thing she said before jumping down the rocks to the rift. Cullen stood in shock as he watched her go. He looked down to his lucky charm he had given her, gingerly picking it up from the snow. What had he done?
"Where is she?" Solas has appeared beside him. Though he needed no answer. He had gathered Iron Bull, the chargers, Leliana, and himself to fight against the demon. Eva was already doing her part by trying to hide and break the beast's barrier. The soldiers that went before her were now disfigured and no longer with them.
"Grab your sword and shield, Commander! Otherwise Haven will be lost! NOW!" Solas snapped as he slid down the rocks to Eva's direction.
"SOLAS! HELP ME!" Eva screamed loudly. The pride demon had located the source of his shield weakening and he was headed right for her. Solas quickly made a wall of ice before blasting the demon with fire. Leliana was far but her arrows struck the demon each time. The chargers held their own, as well as Iron Bull.
"SOLAS!" She screamed again; and that's when she felt it. Sharp blazing pain smacked her right in the face, followed by a lighting bolt. She had been exposed as her body flew back into a rock. With blurry vision she tried again, holding up her hand to weaken the demon. This was all she could remember before her world was engulfed in darkness. She heard her name once, and knew it was Solas that called out to her.