Guardians

"He was... big for a human." Julisa said through Edris as the elf continued to sleep. Neither of the listeners moved as the dragon sustained her monologue. "His armor was silver and polished. His helmet had a pair of wings, but... not wings like mine. Not leathery, feathered perhaps? I don't know what they were." She paused as Leliana coughed quietly.

"Yeah. They were probably griffon wings." Leliana's eyes were far away. "And then?"

"He was very angry." Julisa sounded scared now. "He drew a hammer that was almost as large as he was and it crushed one of the staff before they could even move. He was between them and the exit, and Edris was still moving. Then he spoke, but... I don't know what he said. It wasn't any language I know. Marilius said that it might have been ancient Almarri, but that wasn't a language he knew either. Whatever it was froze Edris in her tracks."

"Andraste was Almarri." Evelyn said softly.

"I know." Julisa said weakly. "But... I don't... It didn't make sense. He killed the staff, then he walked to where Edris had frozen in place. He spoke to her in the same tongue, but she didn't seem to hear him and I couldn't understand him. The door burst open and the Templars came rushing in, only to freeze on seeing Edris and the man. He looked at them, and when he spoke again, I could understand him. He said 'You have been deceived, warriors.' He looked at the mages and both Marilius and Varanla cowered away from him. But instead of anger, he sounded sad when he spoke again. 'Choose wisely, mages. You stand on the edge of the precipice and only faith will lead you past the pit to salvation.' Then he looked at me." The naked fear in Julisa's voice had both listeners jerking.

"Julisa, it is over." Evelyn said urgently. "It is done. You are safe now."

"No I am not." Julisa said weakly. "No, I am not. I don't know what he meant! I don't know what to do! He... it didn't make any sense!" She was babbling but broke off as Leliana strode to the bed and sat beside Edris' form.

"It is all right, Julisa." Leliana said softly. "Can you feel touch through Edris?"

"Yes?" Julisa drew the query out to multiple syllables that trailed off in a squeak as Leliana gathered Edris' still form up and held her close, crooning. "I..."

"You have a right to your fear, Julisa. And you were commanded not to speak of it, for good reason. The last thing we need right now is another Exalted March called. Especially for something like this." Evelyn did not move, did not want to disturb Leliana giving comfort. Such an action would have been unthinkable for the hardened spymaster she had met for the first time while imprisoned at Haven. But now? Leliana was better. "Has anyone but Edris ever given you comfort?"

"The others...tried to help." Julisa said weakly. "But... After it all... I can't... I don't... She was sick. I had to be strong. I..."

"Shhh..." Leliana started to sing softly and both others stilled as the woman's beautiful voice soared through the room.

Shadows fall
And hope has fled
Steel your heart
The dawn will come

The night is long
And the path is dark
Look to the sky
For one day soon
The dawn will come

The Shepherd's lost
And his home is far
Keep to the stars
The dawn will come

The night is long
And the path is dark
Look to the sky
For one day soon
The dawn will come

Bare your blade
And raise it high
Stand your ground
The dawn will come

The night is long
And the path is dark
Look to the sky
For one day soon
The dawn will come

Evelyn stared as the words to 'The Dawn Will Come' sounded through the one time bard. It was as powerful as when Mother Gisselle had started singing it after the escape from the ruins of Haven. After Evelyn had staggered up more than half dead to the caravan of refugees who mere hours before had been celebrating closing the Breach. After Evelyn had denounced herself to the cleric as a fraud, the Mother had done her best to restore the Herald's faith in Andraste and the Maker. The Revered Mother's best was pretty darn good! Evelyn knew her own voice was not up to adding anything to the song, -singing was definitely not one of her better talents- so she just moved to the bed and took Edris' other limp hand, holding it as the dragon listened to Leliana's beautiful voice through Edris. The tune ended and silence reigned supreme as Leliana gave the limp elf a hug and set her down.

"I..." Julisa's voice was hushed, awed. "I have no words."

"I was a bard once." Leliana retreated to the wall where she stood, but she was smiling.

"You are still a bard." Julisa said firmly through Edris. "No one can take that from you. Maybe not the Orleasian bards I heard a little about. But a singer? You didn't have to do that." She said weakly. "I don't feel worthy."

"Yes I did." Leliana said quietly. "You see... I think I know the being you call 'The Guardian'." Edris' head turned to Leliana and Evelyn stroked her hand. "I met him. Before. During the Fifth Blight. He was guarding the Urn of Sacred Ashes." Even now, her head bowed, but Evelyn knew the spymaster was fighting tears.

"You... wait..." Julisa's voice turned awed. "Leliana! The hero of Ferelden's companion? I..." She paused as Leliana looked away, desolation on her face. The dragon's voice changed to shock and sadness. "Oh, he fell slaying the Archdemon, didn't he? Oh no. Andraste, I am so sorry!"

"It is what Grey Wardens do." Leliana said softly. She dashed her hand across her face. "'In War, Victory. In Peace, Vigilance. In Death, Sacrifice.'" She gave herself a shake. "It is what they do."

"That does not make it right!" Julisa snapped.

"No." Leliana agreed. "No, it doesn't. It hurts. I think it always will until I am called to the Maker's side myself. But he wouldn't want me moping." She shook herself again. "My past is not your fault, Julisa. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes." The dragon sounded calmer. "Thank you, Bard Leliana."

"Just Leliana, Julisa." The spymaster said quietly. "I have other responsibilities now."

"Tell me you still sing." Julisa pleaded. Evelyn smiled from her to Leliana who flushed a bit. "That... You have a powerful gift."

"One that was misused." Leliana agreed. "Another story for another day. I do not sing very often, but if you want me to sing, I will for you."

"I would be honored." Julisa said in a fervent tone. Then she sighed. "Anyway... The strange armored man was talking to Edris. She stood there, flames crawling all over her. None of us knew what he was saying. The staff were all dead. The Templars had frozen in place. Knight Lieutenant Voss later said it was a mix of fear and reverence. I mean... Edris was on fire but she was alive. Her mind was asleep. I think." The dragon qualified. "I could not hear her and I usually could even when she slept. She was more than normally asleep, but walking."

"That would have shocked just about anyone, let alone warriors of the faith." Evelyn said with a shrug. "Could you tell if she was in pain?"

"No." Julisa said sadly. "I didn't feel any of that. I knew that feeling." That was sour. "She wasn't hurting. Her mind felt asleep. There was... something else..." She mused. "But I cannot define it. It wasn't a mind like I had sensed in Edris and the others. It wasn't a presence." She made a noise of worry. "I thought it might be a demon, but the man smiled at me and spoke. He said 'Have no fear. You are chosen'. Then he stepped away from Edris and brought his hammer down on the machine that I was connected to. Trapped in. It shattered. Not bits of it. All of it at once."

"I imagine you were very upset." Evelyn said in tone of profound understatement.

"I was terrified." Julisa countered. "I didn't know anything but what I had absorbed from the others. Bits and pieces all jumbled up. Qunari sayings, Chantry sayings, Fereldan, Antivan, Nevarran, some Orlesaian stuff that I still can't make heads or tails out of... And now, this strange armored man had killed everyone I had known. I hated them, true. But he.. He just... I called to Edris and she did not respond. I begged for her to respond and she did not. I was curling up on the floor, too scared to move. Then the man reached down and patted my right front claw. He wasn't afraid of me. I remember that. He said... 'She sleeps. She will wake confused. But before she does, one final gift, Chosen'. Then Edris stepped close and touched me. She hugged me tight and the red all over me... vanished. Only little bits remained and the others pried them out later. The fire went out and he disappeared as Edris collapsed. Everyone said they saw the red on Edris vanish at the same time. I didn't."

Evelyn and Leliana looked at each other but neither spoke and after a moment, Julisa continued.

"I don't know what he meant!" The dragon was not -quite- crying. "It makes no sense. Why would he choose me for whatever? I am not human! I am... not really anything."

"Stop that." Evelyn said firmly before Leliana could speak. "I barely know you and I know better than that. You are yourself. Let no one say otherwise, Julisa. You are not a beast. You are a thinking being. Stop denigrating yourself."

"But..." Julisa protested, only to pause as the Herald growled at her. "Um..."

"I would do what she says, Julisa." Leliana was covering her mouth with a hand to hid her smile. "She gets awfully testy when people do not do what she says. Especially when she is right." Evelyn shot her a sour look and Leliana shrugged. "Tell me I am wrong."

"You two are nothing like I expected Inquisition people to be." Julisa complained whimsically. Evelyn and Leliana had identical looks of 'Who me?' on their faces as they looked at the slumbering elf and Julisa sighed. "I didn't know what to expect. I knew that Edris had been Venatori, but I didn't know what that was until she explained. We thought you would kill her when you figured it out."

"We have fought and killed many Venatori." Evelyn said with a shrug. "But Edris is not a threat at the moment. Is she?"

"Well, she can't move very fast and she cannot muster her power as she once did." Julisa said with a gulp. "I um... I shouldn't say. Begging your pardons, Herald, Miss Leliana... But I barely know you."

"Fair enough." Evelyn agreed. "Trust must be earned. The Imperial Chantry hunt you and her. You are both in danger. Will you accept our aid?"

"I want to." Julisa said softly. "I truly want to. But... I don't know. Edris is the smart one. Me? I just try to muddle through. I make mistakes."

"Everyone makes mistakes, Julisa." Evelyn said quietly. "We need to get Edris somewhere safer. This Chantry isn't safe. They tracked her blood here."

"The Templars were worried that some of her blood or mine might be used for that." Julisa mused through Edris. "They explained and the staff of that horrid place took a lot of blood from both of us."

"Then they can likely find you anywhere you go." Evelyn said softly. Edris' slumbering face contorted in fear and the human warrior sighed. "I do not want to pressure you, Julisa. You and Edris are both marvels. But I do want to protect you."

"I... I don't know." Julisa waffled.

"Would you trust Tamar?" Leliana asked after a moment's thought. Evelyn shot her a glance and Leliana nodded. "She is sworn to our service, but she knows what you are and wishes to protect you both."

"I... guess...?" Julisa sounded worried. But not for herself. "She seems...broken. I am not sure how I know what she is or what happened to her. I am not sure I want to know how I know."

"She is...not like most humans." Evelyn said delicately. "But she wants to help you."

"Help me or help herself?" Julisa asked after a moment.

"I don't know." Evelyn shrugged. "I don't think she does at the moment."

"Okay... I-" Whatever else the dragon was going to say was cut off in a horrible rasping scream. Edris' body jerked once and then lay still.

"Julisa!" Evelyn and Leliana both exclaimed. Both stepped towards the bed, but froze as the door slammed open. Cassandra stood there, her eyes angry.

"Thornton just sent up a flare!" The Seeker snapped. "He needs help!"

Evelyn and Leliana looked at one another. Without a word, Leliana moved to sit by the bed and Evelyn moved to the door.

"Where?" Evelyn's voice was a terrible thing as Cassandra moved to match her strides.

"About a league from Redcliffe, near the top of a mountain." Cassandra led the way to where a pair of horses were waiting with a platoon of mounted Inquisition troops. One was her armored charger. "I sent the rest of his team already."

"Right." Evelyn swung herself into the saddle with the ease of long practice and nudged her horse into a walk, then a canter. "They will not take her."

"Inquisition..." The Inquisitor called as she urged her horse into a trot. Then a run. Then a gallop! "CHARGE!"

7 leagues away form Redcliffe

This was bad. This was very, very bad.

Thornton had seen a lot of bad stuff in his life. More battles than he could remember, the aftermaths haunting his dreams. He had thought that he had fought enemies of every description before joining the Inquisition. But as an agent of the Inquisition, he had fought the stuff of nightmares. Demons, Venatori, Red Templars, Darkspawn. You name it, he had seen it and fought it. That he was still alive was a miracle.

If he made it through this... It would be another miracle. He was frozen in place. Some kind of magic. Regular men could not fight magic. He didn't have a chance. The huge circle of magic had snapped into place and he had barely had time to send up the flare before it had clasped tight around him, freezing every muscle. He couldn't move.

"What have we here?" The worried female voice wasn't anyone that Thornton knew.

"Do not alter your focus!" Another voice snapped. "Keep the beast contained or we die!"

"This human sent up the flare." The first voice said sharply. "He called for help. Why?" Rough hands were searching Thornton now. "Maker's Breath! No!"

"What?" The other snapped. "Get back in the circle!"

"He is Inquisition!" The female voice was scared now. "He called the Inquisition! We cannot fight the Inquisition! You know that!"

"Maker... no..." The other sounded shaken as well. "Is he...?" The hands on Thornton were very gentle now.

"Stunned, but no more." The voice close at hand sounded scared and earnest. "Agent, I am sorry. We didn't know you were in the spell's radius. It is a stun effect. No more. We need to slay this beast and then we can talk."

No... Thornton begged, but he was unable to move as the hands eased him to the ground. Something touched his mind and he quailed, but whatever it was... it was gentle.

"Why must you slay the dragon?" Thornton heard gasps from all around as his mouth opened, but it wasn't his voice that came out of it. "She has done nothing to you and you are hurting her."

It wasn't his voice! It wasn't him speaking! He felt fear the likes of which he had never felt before but whatever was holding him was too powerful. Something wafted through him, something...gentle? Comforting?

"Who are we speaking to?" The first voice sounded wary now.

"My name is Julisa." The other said softly. "You hurt this one. He is frightened. He thinks you will kill him with the dragon."

"We won't." The female voice said sternly. "And whoever you are, you are interfering in something you cannot understand."

"I understand just fine." Julisa said through Thornton. "You find a beast, you have to slay the beast. What for? Alchemical supplies? Gold? Why?"

"Redcliffe has been hurt enough!"The female voice snapped. "We came to make restitution."

"Resti- " Julisa sounded confused for a moment and then she sighed. "Oh. I see. You were rebel mages."

Thornton stopped struggling against whatever held him. It wasn't common knowledge, but all of the Inquisition's agents knew that not all of the rebel mages had been in Redcliffe when the Inquisition had come. Not all of them had sworn allegiance to the Inquisition. Some had gone completely rogue, others had vanished. Many had perished.

"What concern it that of yours?" The female demanded.

"I am trying to keep you from making a very big mistake." Julisa said through Thornton. "You are. I cannot stop you, I can only try to convince you. What has the dragon done to earn your wrath?"

"It is a dragon!" The male voice was angry now. "Carla! The circle!"

"Yes, I know." Julisa said softly. "Four legs, two wings, long tail, breathes fire or whatever. A dragon. But what has it done?" There was no answer and Julisa continued. "One goat was taken and the herder saw a dragon. Has anything else been taken? Has any other damage been done?"

"I... no." Carla said, her tone thoughtful.

"Carla!" The male was very upset now.

"Mikol, wait..." Carla said sharply. "Why was this Inquisition agent just watching? That means... they were watching. They know about the dragon, they have to. So... why didn't they attack and kill it?" She made a noise of consternation. "This may be our only chance to show our good faith and... we have hurt one of their agents. They won't take us now." Thornton felt amazement. These mages were seeking to join? Now? This way?

"You want to... Oh." Julisa's tone turned gentle. "They might. They are not evil, Mage Carla. From what I have seen, they are not even amoral. It would probably be easier on them if they were. But the Inquisitor seems a good sort and her people are well trained. Give them a reason to trust and they will."

Thornton was amazed. Was this...odd being speaking through him talking the group out of a fight?

"I... don't know." Carla admitted. "This made far more sense when we planned it."

"Enough, Carla!" The male snapped. "If you won't, I will!"

"Mikol, no! Not that!" The female mage screamed and other voices cried out in terror.

Suddenly, Thornton was free. He rolled to his feet, bow coming to his hand as he stared at...the circle of small forms that surrounded the dragon. Kids! Apprentices! The female mage who stood by him looked eldest and she couldn't have been more than fourteen, maybe fifteen! Her face was terrified as she stared at... the form of another whose body was swelling. Changing. Thornton felt his guts turn to ice. He knew what that meant. Dumb kid had summoned a demon and it had taken control of him. Mikol was no more. Now? An abomination was loose.

"Get away!" Thornton shouted as he nocked an arrow. "Get to safety!"

"Mikol!" Carla was sobbing as she darted away, the others running from the dragon's still form as the abomination that had been one of their number rose to its full height and charged the archer.

Thornton didn't flinch.