Chapter 2:
"Why here?" Ih'tal's gaze swept across the snow-covered landscape as she followed Solas up the stairs in the Haven courtyard. "Haven is familiar. It will always be important to you" he explained. "We've discussed this before," she replied, trailing him as he led her down to the dungeon where she had once awakened to unfamiliar faces, accused of involvement in the Conclave's disaster. Those same faces were now her companions and friends.
Solas continued, "I sat beside you while you slept, studying the Anchor". She looked up at him, acknowledging the company he had provided and his assurance that she hadn't been alone.
"You where a mystery" he turned to look at her "you still are. I ran every test I could imagine, searched the Fade, yet found nothing. Cassandra suspected duplicity. She threatened to have me executed as an apostate if I didn't produce results"
Ih'tal chuckled. "Cassandra treats everyone that way." Solas joined in the laughter, and in that shared moment, a connection sparked between them. Their eyes met, the unspoken exchanged, and Ih'tal sensed there was more to his choice of bringing her to Haven.
Solas then moved away, and she followed him out of the dungeon into the courtyard once more. "You were never going to wake up. How could you, a mortal sent physically through the Fade?" he questioned, taking a deep breath before turning back to her. "I was frustrated, frightened. The spirits I might have consulted had been driven away by the Breach. Although I wished to help. I had no faith in Cassandra… or she in me. I was ready to flee".
Ih'tal was struck by the vulnerability revealed in the Dread Wolf's admission. Cassandra was known for her stern demeanor, but he was Fen'Harel, an ancient being grappling with a world transformed, his powers diminished. Although Ih'tal's own magic retained its strength, she understood the sensation of being disconnected, of a part of oneself left behind. However, now wasn't the moment to share her immortality—a concept distinct from the shorter lifespans of city elves, Dalish, humans, and dwarves.
"The Breach threatened the whole world. Where did you plan to go?" she inquired. . "Someplace far away where I might research a way to repair the Breach before its effect reached me. I never said it was a good plan" he confessed, his gaze fixed on the Breach in the sky. He raised his hand towards it. "I told myself: one more attempt to seal the rifts" he slowly lowered his arm "I tried and failed. No ordinary magic would affect them. I watched the rifts expand and grow, resigned myself to flee, and then… It seems you hold the key to our salvation"
Recalling that day, when the mark's power surged from her hand, when her entire being resonated with the connection, Ih'tal's thoughts drifted to the instant relief upon closing the rift. Terrifying yet exhilarating. She glanced up at Solas, encouraging him to continue.
"You sealed it with a gesture… and right then, I felt the whole world change." he remarked, stepping closer. "Felt the world change?" she inquired playfully. "A figure of speech," he responded with a gentle smile. "I'm intrigued by the 'felt' part." A shared smile passed between them, inviting her closer. His words hung heavy with implication. "You change… everything".
They stood inches apart. An unexplainable compulsion drove her to kiss him, as essential as breathing. The kiss began hesitantly, gradually deepening. Crossing this line was necessary, for her curiosity demanded answers. Initially unresponsive, Solas eventually yielded, his hand finding her waist, igniting a fiery response within her. Logic yielded to perfection as they shared a moment, detached from Elvhen legends, Corypheus, and the Inquisition.
Slowly, they parted, reluctance evident. A lingering bubble of their shared connection enveloped them. . "We shouldn't. It isn't right. Not even here" he uttered, taking a step back. The harsh reality crashed over her, snapping the ephemeral enchantment. Conflicted emotions surged within her. She understood the boundaries, the unresolved relationship between Solas and Mythal. A pang of frustration directed at her sister Mythal—a rarity—mingled with Ih'tal's own desires. She grappled with a familiar struggle, the eternal conflict between her sister's desires and her own. Was she mirroring Mythal's jealousy by falling for Fen'Harel, or was she pursuing her own desires heedless of what truly mattered?
Solas regarded her thoughtfully, his uncertainty palpable. She chose to focus on the less precarious part of his declaration. "What do you mean by 'even here'?" she asked, eager to redirect the conversation. Solas seized the opportunity to shift the subject, offering a sly grin. "Where did you think we were?" Ih'tal scanned her surroundings before realization dawned. "This isn't real." Solas met her gaze, his expression enigmatic. "That's open to interpretation," he replied, momentarily revealing a hint of hurt before it vanished. "…Probably best discussed after you wake up".