Nobody Expects the Andrastian Inquisition
"Your Grace, an agent from the- the Inquisition has arrived." The steward announced in a bit of a stutter. "They request an audience."
A murmur of what could have been intrigue or concern echoed around the hall.
"Is that so?" The Queen leant back in her throne a little, taking a moment to consider.
"The Inquisition?" Eleanor murmured to her side, perking up in interest. The princess was sat on her father's throne, her legs dangled off the edge of the seat she was still too small to fit in.
Anora gave her daughter a pointed look, one intended to simply keep the Princess in check. Just as she had been enamoured with tales of the Grey Wardens when younger, Eleanor had latched onto the already growing legend of the Inquisition with gusto. It was understandable Anora supposed, it was an exciting enough prospect for even the most jaded of souls after all: a ragtag bunch of faithful warriors, fighting a bitter struggle against the evil demonic hordes.
The Queen nodded to the steward. "Very well, see them in."
The attendant bowed his head low and quickly retreated to the great doors at the far end of the hall, giving Anora a moment to consider. She had expected to have some sort of interaction with the so called Inquisition at some point, though she had presumed the first contact to be via letter, or a messenger at the most. An 'agent' implied someone within the organisation itself, perhaps one who may well have some say and influence on the Inquisition's course in the future.
That future was just another problem to consider. The whole of Thedas seemed to be divided as to whether the sudden – and rapidly growing – forces of the Inquisition were a force for good against the threat of the demons, or whether they would prove to be a destabilising catalyst to shake up the status quo in the world. Anora had them on her very doorstep in the West of her lands, so she instinctually veered towards identifying with the latter.
But she had once thought the Grey Warden's to be a threat to her too, and Anora wasn't keen to make such a mistake once again.
The steward soon returned with a hooded figure in tow.
Anora realised she was scowling faintly at the figure. She blinked the expression away to something more neutral.
"Your Grace, may I present the agent of the Inquisition." The steward announced.
Anora could tell by his almost grimace that the steward had apparently failed to get a name out of this 'agent'. That probably meant that they were a particularly stubborn sort. Anora's servants knew better than to ambush her with unknowns. Still, it hadn't been the first time Anora had been required to deal with a potentially delicate situation at the drop of a hat, and it would probably not be the last.
"Well, 'Agent of the Inquisition', who might you be?" The Queen murmured, gazing down at the hooded figure with wary, narrowed eyes.
The figure reached up, slowly, clearly wise enough to register the presence of alert and poised armed guards all around. The hood came down, revealing two pointed ears and a short mane of red hair.
There was another wave of murmuring throughout the hall. Elves were rarely employed as emissaries, ambassadors or even 'agents', if they were at all. Though of course, the Inquisition had already been making waves for breaking all sorts of common conventions, having elves and qunari among their ranks was hardly the most striking point of difference.
The elf looked up to regard the Queen with sharp, intelligent eyes.
"My name is Charter, your Majesty, of the Inquisition." She bowed her head again. "Please forgive my unannounced arrival, current matters have forced us to forgo the usual courtesies."
So, they're under pressure to get things done quickly, Anora noted automatically. "Indeed. Well then, Charter of the Inquisition, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"
"Your Majesty, I come to ask for your aid. As I'm sure you're aware, the Inquisition has been battling demons in the West of your lands. This is taking a considerable amount of our manpower, and we require assistance to help drive the demons out for good."
Anora took a moment to regard the elf most carefully. Then, she let out a bitter chuckle. "I must admit, I admire your sheer nerve."
To her credit, Charter didn't as much as blink. "Have I caused offence, Your Grace?"
The Queen shook her head softly, her gaze hardening. "You seize fortifications and chunks of Ferelden for your little crusade, and then you have the audacity to come to my door and make demands of me?"
"We make no demands, your Majesty."
"Oh don't you?" Anora raised an eyebrow. "As you say, I'm well aware of your activities in my kingdom. You and your Inquisition have commandeered Haven and are now using it as your base of operations, not to mention the fortresses in and around the Hinterlands that your forces have occupied and are now squatting in."
"Your Grace, all of that was necessary to-"
"Not to mention the fact that your ranks have swelled quite handsomely from the scores of soldiers that have abandoned their Queen to join you in your crusade." Anora cut across the elf. "And now you have the gall to ask me for more?" The Queen spat with venom.
"Please Your Grace, the Breach is a disaster unlike anything the world has seen before." Charter stared back, resolute. "If we do not fight it, if we do not overcome it, then we will all surely fall."
Anora took a moment to consider, even well aware as she was of the disquiet murmurs rippling through her court.
As much as Anora bristled at the Inquisition's seizure of Ferelden territory, she knew that the lands and structures taken by them had little to no practical or strategic value to her. The most significant loss was that of Haven as the recently rediscovered final resting place of Andraste. The spiritual significance of the site was undeniable, and though it was no longer in Anora's hands, it was at the very least still in the hands of self-proclaimed Andrastians. As such, it was a tolerable loss for the time being. Her pride as a Ferelden was bruised, but nothing more insidious than that.
She also knew well that she was in a poor position to force the issue either way. Her own forces were scattered about the kingdom in their attempts to maintain some semblance of order. She would have to abandon attempts to keep back the tides of demons if she were to mount a serious challenge to the Inquisition's dominion in Haven.
Not only that, but as she'd said as much to this Charter, the Inquisition was quickly gathering a loyal and dedicated following of peoples from across Thedas. Indeed, plenty of her own guards, soldiers and people had abandoned their posts to join up with the so called 'faithful' at Haven. Though even the Chantry still maintained an ambivalent – and perhaps even militant – position on the Inquisition's righteousness, it appeared to Anora that the wind was blowing in only one direction, and the Queen wasn't at all keen to push against it, lest it become a hurricane.
Still, as she sat in her throne and thought on all that, she was also keenly aware of her own nobles and vassals gathered in the room with her and the Inquisition agent, watching for the Queen's next words closely. All peoples in all kingdoms were terrified of violent change, and terrified people could be driven to drastic measures, even if those measures were detrimental to themselves. Anora had known that for years, and that her own people were certainly no exception to that. Which was why, as violent and terrible as the demon incursion was, she knew she had to tread carefully.
"Mother." Eleanor piped up quietly to her side, putting a hand to her mother's arm. "We need to help them, right?"
The Queen looked to her daughter and almost smiled at that spark of concern she saw there. Yet alongside that spark – dwarfing it even – was the stubbornness of a determined young woman who had just made her own mind up. It was almost frightening to see just how fast her daughter was growing up, emotionally and intellectually.
Anora gave Eleanor a brief quirk of her lips and patted her hand. She was keenly aware of all the eyes in the room upon them both still. That was something Eleanor still had to grow into, but she'd get there, Anora was certain of it. Then, she turned back to regard the Inquisition's agent.
"The demons are indeed a threat, and Ferelden is already fully at war with them, just as the Inquisition is." Anora murmured finally, clear and loud enough for all to hear. "As we have a common enemy, we might see how we could work together against this insidious threat. However, you come to us for aid, yet you have already taken much, too much. Withdraw your troops from Fort Connor, in the Hinterlands, so that we can secure our homelands in the West, and then we will be better able to fight the demons at our fullest."
Charter blinked, the first sign of unease in the elf. "Your Majesty, that decision is not in my power to make."
"Then get the people who have that power to make it. My troops will be occupying that fort again either way." Anora's eyes were stern, and carried the message she didn't say out loud: Give me this, and then I can help you.
In truth she wasn't certain that regaining the fort would be all that much help to her forces. She missed her husband's military mind more than she did the man himself in that brief moment. Regardless however, Anora chafed at the mere notion that even such a small part of her lands was under occupation. She knew at least that she couldn't expel the Inquisition from Ferelden outright, not without leaving her kingdom vulnerable elsewhere, but for now she could claw back this one small piece.
She saw that the elf understood. "I will see it be done, your Grace."
Anora nodded stoutly. "See that you do. With regards to your request, I cannot possibly entrust the lives of my men to your care, but I will dispatch emissaries to your Inquisition. Once Fort Connor has been returned to us, perhaps then we might see how we can combat this threat together."
Charter bowed her head low. "Thank you, your Grace. Any aid you can offer will be of great help."
Anora allowed herself to lean back a little. She surreptitiously kept her eye on her surrounding nobles, pleased that they seemed satisfied. On the face of it, they would likely assume something of a victory for Ferelden and her pride had just been gained. Anora saw it as little more than a deal being bartered. One fortress in the middle of the Hinterlands held little value to the Inquisition now that the surrounding area had mostly been pacified of demons, and though Anora had only promised ambassadors to travel to Haven, she could well envisage that her soldiers might well be directed to battlefields learned of from Inquisition mouths in the not too distant future.
Perhaps the greatest indicator that her parlay had been a success was that Eleanor seemed pleased with the result.
"I'm sure the Herald in particular will be most grateful for your support." Charter murmured.
"The Herald?" Eleanor's face lit up at the mere mention and she leaned forward eagerly. "You mean the Herald of Andraste?"
That piqued Anora's interest as well. She'd heard many a tale about the so called Herald of Andraste. The most fanciful of which told that they were supposedly ten feet tall, shot lasers from their eyes and could crush a pride demon's neck with but a snap of their fingers.
"The very same, Princess." Charter nodded with a smile towards Eleanor.
"Truly? And where is the fabled Herald now, might I ask?" Anora asked with an arched eyebrow. The implication was implicit enough to not need spoken words: why was the Herald not there dealing with the Queen in person?
Charter's gaze though, didn't falter under Anora's scrutiny. "The Herald is out in the field, your Grace, fighting to restore order as we speak."
xxx
Aedan sighed heavily, though the sound was lost immediately to the heavy rain that poured down upon him, drenching the cloak he had wrapped close around himself. At least it seemed to be serving its purpose in keeping him moderately dry.
The Prince-Consort peered up ahead. The hilltop he was currently climbing appeared to reach a peak a little ways ahead, and after a bit more hiking, he managed to reach the summit. A grand valley stretched out before him on the other side, its grassy peaks rolling and cascading with each other amongst the rocky ridges that circled this stretch of Ferelden. It might have been a glorious view, were the weather not so foul.
Chancing a glance up at the sky, Aedan sighed once more. The rains didn't look like abating anytime soon. He was glad that he hadn't needed to spend too much time in this part of Ferelden during the Blight at least, when he spent his weeks and months wandering the roads and fields of the land, sleeping out under the stars. One night spent here and he'd be at risk of drowning.
Almost absentmindedly, he reached up to feel the old warden amulet that hung around his neck. Its cold familiarity was something bordering a comfort. Although, he reckoned that he would feel more comforted were it a locket with his wife's and child's images inside, not droplets of evil blood.
Aedan blinked. It suddenly struck him that he had no real token or memento from Anora. Not so much as a handkerchief or a lock of her golden hair.
"Why'd the rifts choose to open up here of all places?" Sigrun chuckled humourlessly from his side.
Freed from his thoughts, Aedan looked over with a sly smile. Like he, the dwarf was covered in a thick travelling cloak that was putting quite the shift in in keeping her dry.
A little ways behind the dwarf, Nathaniel was doing his best to shake a boot clear of water under the unamused glare of Velanna and the humoured chuckling of Oghren. The archer had stumbled on an unsecure rock formation and had taken a tumble into a thick pool of rainwater. He was unharmed thankfully, if now drenched.
Perhaps the archer's uncharacteristic fall had something to do with the unfamiliar armour he and the other wardens now wore, or maybe it was something more insidious. Aedan's gaze darkened a moment as he thought to the phantom Calling that he and his wardens appeared to be suffering from. After only a little debate between them, the wardens of Ferelden had concurred that foul play was likely at fault for the sinister call from their blood. The timing and the circumstance was just too suspicious to be mere coincidence, that they would all undergo the Calling at the exact same time, right when the land was beset by demons.
The exact how and why of it remained a mystery. So, as a precaution, Aedan had ordered that his wardens shed their distinctive blue and silver armours and hide their identities as best they could while they worked to make the land safe again and resolve this crisis. If the wardens were being targeted – which certainly seemed to be the case – then they would just have to go on the defensive until they knew what they were dealing with.
He didn't much like the subterfuge. He was a warrior after all, trained to deal with threats head on, but these were peculiar times.
"The Maker loves to play games with us." Aedan mused as he turned back out to survey the valley before them. He wasn't sure himself if it was in answer to Sigrun's or to his own thoughts.
"Doesn't He know any better games, like Wicked Grace?" Sigrun smirked. "I know how to play that one."
"It'd be a damn sight better than this load of nug crap." Oghren harrumphed as he joined the other two on the summit. "You don't get any of this soaking piss underground, let me tell you."
"No, you just get lava falls, great ravines dissecting your caverns and hordes of darkspawn." Velanna muttered as she and Nathaniel joined the group.
Oghren grunted noncommittedly. "At least we're dry."
"I don't see any rifts from here." Nathaniel murmured with narrowed eyes surveying all the way to the horizon through the downpour.
"They'll be here." Aedan nodded, resolute. "The demons have to have come from somewhere."
In the weeks and months since the demon incursions first began, it became clear that the bulk of the fade portals being torn into existence were located in the West of the country, near to where the great green tear in the sky had first burst into existence. That made it easier for Ferelden's leadership to act against. While there were certainly still tales of demon strikes all across the kingdom, Ferelden's forces had been focussed in the West so that they could counter the demonic attacks where they were concentrated most. They didn't have to spread the army equally across the whole of Ferelden in wary anticipation of a strike on the capital in the East.
Even with the bulk of their forces deployed in the West, Aedan hadn't left the capital unguarded in his absence. Anora didn't really have the talent for commanding armies on a battlefield herself, so Aedan's brother Fergus had taken up the role as commander of the realm in Aedan's stead. Fergus had had to march quick time from a battle near Highever once he'd received word of Aedan's plan to ensure that Denerim wasn't left under manned for long. Poor Fergus hadn't even been able to enjoy so much as a second of his honeymoon.
This new war was putting familiar strains on all of them, both in terms of strength and time.
"Come on." Aedan murmured to the others. "We'd best be going."
"Right behind you." Oghren smirked a little through his beard, hefting his axe atop his shoulder with clear desire to use it.
Aedan idly mused that while the wardens where trying to hide their true nature, any passers-by would still surely eye their little party with curiosity or suspicion. A pair of humans, two dwarves and an elf – all heavily armed, mind – were an unusual group even in the best of times. He was banking that they wouldn't draw any unwanted attention because of the upheaval that had struck the land though. Travelling the roads was a more dangerous endeavour these days after all, and there was safety in numbers no matter what those numbers were.
He'd felt vindicated to see some similarly diverse groups of townsfolk and villagers pass them by during their expedition across the country. The vast majority were human refugees, but occasionally an elf or dwarf could be spotted amongst them.
The soggy fields and hills they found themselves in around Crestwood were mostly lifeless however, perhaps because most of the locals had already fled for safety.
It made their travel easier at least, that the wardens didn't have to worry about many people to keep safe. Aedan might have even directed their efforts elsewhere, but Crestwood itself was still inhabited by his countrymen and women, and he was loathe to leave them alone to the wrath of the demons.
His thoughts were cut short again by an ethereal droning through his body. He could hardly put it into words, yet he almost shuddered at the unpleasant sensation.
A quick glance about his wardens told him they all experienced something similar. It was an ever present thing, the so called 'Calling', yet every now and then it seemed to flare up unpleasantly, just to make sure it wasn't forgotten.
"Maker, that never gets any better, does it?" Nathaniel muttered.
"It doesn't seem like it" Aedan sighed.
"It's only getting worse." Velanna scowled, her eyes fixed on nothing in particular up ahead and her voice flat.
xxx
Soon enough, the wardens found their quarry as a sickly green glow emanated from just over a hill rise. They crept up stealthily to get a better vantage before moving in.
"There it is." Nathaniel murmured. His head crouched low with his gaze just peering out above the rocks between the wardens and their goal.
"You know, the more I see those things the less I like 'em." Sigrun smirked.
"Well, they do say absence makes the heart grow fonder." Nathaniel mused faintly.
Aedan's thoughts drifted to his wife and child back in Denerim. When would he next get the chance to see them again?
"There doesn't look to be too many." Nathaniel continued. "Though that pair of rage demons over there could be troublesome."
The archer didn't need to point them out. Even through the rain and the darkness, the two mounds of moving lava were clear for all to see for miles around.
"Those two are mine." Oghren declared with a growl, he was almost giggling at the thought of battle.
"Don't be stupid, dwarf." Velanna snapped. "They'll eat you alive if you go up against them on your own."
Oghren chuckled. "Don't be so worried for me, sweet cheeks. Old Oghren doesn't die so easy."
"No you don't, do you?" Velanna sighed in something like disappointment.
"Alright, enough chitchat everyone." Aedan put in before Oghren could retort. "We've dealt with worse odds before, just watch each other's backs and fight like I know you can. Everyone ready?"
Aedan was greeted with a chorus of agreement.
"Alright, let's get to it then."
Aedan pushed himself up and out of cover, already charging forwards. Oghren and Sigrun were hot on their Commander's heels.
When the nearest demon noticed the grey warden's approach, they were almost instantaneously felled by arrows and magic fire as Nathaniel and Velanna hung back to provide ranged support.
Not hesitating for even a moment, Aedan swivelled his attention to the next demon and brought his sword down hard. The demon caught the blow in a spindly hand that should have been severed, but somehow it held strong. It was about to swipe at Aedan with its other hand when Sigrun appeared behind it and sliced up it's back with quick swipes of her daggers.
The demon wailed, more in anger than pain, but it gave Aedan the moment he needed to free his blade and strike at the neck, ending another one.
It soon became bitter work, and before long Aedan had hot ichor staining his cheek and armour along with the cold rainfall. He tried to keep a bearing on his fellow wardens during the melee, but between the rain and the fury of the demons, it was all he could to stay focussed on his own battle.
He swore as the rage demon he was fighting managed to swipe a tentacle across his chest. Even through strong metal and thicker clothing beneath, he could feel the intense heat of its lava-like body burning him.
"Watch out!"
Aedan blinked at the unfamiliar voice. His view of the rage demon was suddenly obstructed by a huge silhouette, black against the demon's red glow. Great sword in hand, the unknown figure swiped at the demon, sending it reeling with an awful wail.
He would have moved in to assist the stranger, but Aedan's path was immediately cut off by a second figure, this one smaller than the first, carrying sword and shield. They both looked to be female, but he couldn't make much else out in the flurry of action.
The giantess lifted her sword high, and with a cry of anger, she brought it down to bisect the rage demon in two. The lava body folded away from itself like a rapidly wilting flower.
"You ok?" The stranger with the great sword turned to Aedan.
Aedan blinked again, realising belatedly that this woman was a qunari. The horns that swept back from the top of her head and up towards the sky in a neat curve were unmistakable, even if the rest of her features were lost in the glare of the demonic glow behind her.
The woman with the sword and shield turned to look at Aedan as well, and though Aedan couldn't make anything out of her face either, she was assuredly a human.
Aedan huffed a chuckle. "Don't worry about me."
"There's still a couple left!" Another new voice called from somewhere behind Aedan.
He turned to see a whole group of people he didn't recognise mixed into the fight. Without the glare of a rage demon in contrast, he could make out more details of these figures: A sandy haired dwarf wielding a strange, four armed crossbow, and a moustachioed mage in fancy looking robes flinging spell after spell at the demons. His wardens were still fighting on as well, though surely as confused as he was by the sudden assistance.
"On it!" Yet another newcomer shouted, face a smirking snarl as she charged. This one was another woman, one who had a great sword like the qunari, but that was where the similarities ended. She was human, with short, spiky black hair to match her similarly spiky, obsidian-like armour.
She flung herself directly at the last rage demon, and before Aedan had chance to shout out a warning, her great sword flashed through burning flesh and had cut deep into where it's neck would have been.
A keening wail filled the air as the demon recoiled back. It didn't have long to suffer though, as crossbow bolt and magical strike sought it out, before that third woman threw her blade at it again to finish it off, skewering it's torso up to the hilt.
The qunari and the first human woman who had been beside Aedan took off to go deal with the last demon standing.
Aedan stopped entirely as he stared. The strangers fought with a fire and fury that he'd seen in seldom few others. The two human warrior women were each a maelstrom all on their own. The fancily dressed mage was throwing fire and ice with such fluid preciseness that would surely give Velanna a run for her money. Even the dwarf at the back, firing his strange, four armed crossbow, was laying into the demons with a singular relish.
Yet above them all it was the qunari woman who stood out to Aedan the most. Even without the novelty of a female horned giant so far South in Thedas, she demanded attention simply through her fighting. Her great sword seemed to flow of its own accord in her hands, slicing into demons at will and sending them reeling at an awesome pace. The sheer power behind each and every blow she delivered was unreal.
A part of Aedan was glad that they shared the same side in that battle, for while he'd never doubt that his wardens could overcome any and all opponents, he didn't much fancy taking on the unknown qunari and her peers.
In no time at all, the last of the demons were cut down to nothing.
"Horns, you're up!" The unknown dwarf shouted to the qunari.
"Right!" The qunari jumped up towards the rift.
For a second, Aedan was tempted to reach out and pull her back, fearing she was about to jump in or do something equally as stupid, but then he saw the bright green glow that was seared into the hand she held outstretched towards the rift. Green lightning shot between rift and hand and back again. They strange sounds of the cosmos twisting and shunting seemed to echo all around them.
Then, the qunari snapped her hand shut.
The rift caved in on itself with a bang, and finally the portal shut itself into nothing. The vivid green wisps of ethereal lightning snapped and flickered about for a moment before vanishing into thin air.
Maker's breath, Aedan stood there, stunned. She actually closed it.
"There." The qunari murmured in a sigh, wiping her brow. "It's done."
"Nice work as always, Horns." The unknown dwarf chuckled, already sheathing his crossbow.
The qunari gave him a smile, before turning to Aedan. In the calm after the fight, he finally got a good look at her. Her skin was grey and almost alien. Two horns, darkening from the grey of her skin to black crowned her head. White hair pulled back to a short ponytail that nestled between and around those horns. Even if he hadn't have just witnessed her fight with blade in hand, there was no mistaking her as a warrior. Her figure was lean and well-muscled, and the giant sword she sheathed to her back was hardly a mage's staff.
"Are you alright?" The qunari asked. Her voice was almost surprisingly gentle.
"Who are you?" Oghren asked suddenly with narrowed eyes, striding up to Aedan's side with a suspicious look at the strangers.
The qunari was unperturbed by Oghren's demeanour. She smiled in fact, and although it seemed to belong quite happily on the horned woman's face, it was still a strange thing for Aedan to witness, his only other experience with qunari being the ever dour Sten.
"My name is Herah, and yours?"
Aedan didn't miss a beat. "Bryce."
As part of their broad plan to hide their warden identity, Aedan had decided that they use fake names for the time being. He didn't get the feeling that this Herah and her comrades meant them any ill, they did help the wardens fight off the demons after all, but it never hurt to be careful.
"Pleasure to meet you." Herah smiled offering her hand.
'Bryce' took it, noting the strength in her grip. "Thanks for your help. You're not from the town guard, are you?" He phrased it in an almost joking manner.
"No, no, I'm with the Inquisition." The qunari smiled.
"'With the Inquisition', she says." The unknown dwarf with the crossbow seemed to snicker. He jerked a thumb at the qunari. "She's only the damn Herald herself."
"The Herald of Andraste?" Aedan raised an eyebrow. He'd heard rumours that the Herald was a qunari, they all had, but to find her in the backend of Ferelden was a shock.
"Err, yeah, that's right, but please, just call me Herah." The qunari smiled a tad bashfully.
Aedan hadn't been sure what he'd been expecting the Herald of Andraste to be like in person, but an awfully 'human' seeming qunari was not it.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you too, Herah." Aedan nodded amicably.
"Likewise, and this here is Varric." Herah gestured to the crossbow wielding dwarf.
"Charmed." Varric mimed tipping his non-existent hat with a smile.
"Lady Cassandra." Herah indicated one of the women with black hair.
"It's just Cassandra." Just-Cassandra drawled in a heavy accent Aedan didn't recognise.
"Dorian." Herah gestured to the mage.
"Delighted make your acquaintances." The moustachioed mage sketched a theatrical bow.
"And … Hawke." The qunari indicated the final woman at last, a slight pause that seemed strained somehow.
"Hey." The woman called Hawke gave half a nod Aedan's way. Her spiky black hair seemed to match her demeanour, she seemed bored of the meet and greet and eager to get a move on.
"Wait, Hawke?" Nathaniel murmured, moving up to Aedan's side. "As in, 'the Champion of Kirkwall', Hawke?"
"The one and only." Hawke smirked just a little, there was a hint of a weariness about the gesture. "And before you ask: No, I don't do autographs. If you see any of them out there, they're all fake, and it's all this one's doing." She reached over to ruffle Varric's hair.
Nathaniel smirked back. "You're a long way from Kirkwall."
The Champion shrugged. "I go where the fights are, I guess."
"Sorry, I didn't catch your name, messare?" Herah put in, looking at Nathaniel with a raised eyebrow.
"Sorry, where are my manners." Nathaniel smiled graciously. "Rodolphe, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The archer turned to Sigrun at his side. "And this is-"
"Lady Delilah Fairfax-Rothschild." Sigrun smiled courteously, she even curtseyed a little. "At your service."
Aedan somehow resisted the urge to give the dwarf a side-eyed glance.
"Anson Kasch." Oghren muttered gruffly.
"Laraya." Velanna nodded curtly.
"Well, pleasure to meet you all." Herah smiled genuinely. "Glad to see you're all alright."
"We can take care of ourselves." 'Anson' huffed.
"Certainly looks that way." Hawke murmured. She seemed to be giving each of the wardens a curious look.
"How did you do that?" Sigrun asked Herah suddenly. "That thing with your hand I mean, where you closed the portal."
The qunari raised her hand a little and turned it over. It looked like a regular hand to Aedan, that green shimmer of light he saw there earlier had vanished.
"That … is a long story." Herah smiled, though it was almost a grimace at the same time.
"Can you teach us how to do that?" Sigrun smiled up at the giantess.
Herah almost chuckled. "Would that I could."
"That thing with her hand is why she's our dear Herald you know." The mage Dorian piped up as he straightened his robes out and generally preened himself.
"It is not something we are able to duplicate, unfortunately." Cassandra murmured. She seemed impatient as she turned to the qunari. "Now, we really should be moving."
"Right, yes. Well, we best be getting on." Herah said to Aedan with a smile. "More demons to fight, portals to close, you know how it is."
More than you could possibly know, Aedan mused to himself. "Yes, we should be making tracks ourselves. Thanks again for your aid."
"Anytime." The qunari smiled genuine. "Well, best of luck in your travels, Bryce, everyone. Stay safe."
"Same to you, Herah." 'Bryce' nodded back. "Maker watch over you all."
Then, the Herald and her companions were moving away, leaving the wardens to themselves.
"Lady Delilah Fairfax-Rothschild?" Velanna's drawl was thick with disdain as she glared at Sigrun.
"What?" The dwarf shrugged innocently. "It was in a book I read at the keep once."
"Creator's preserve us." The elf sighed, shaking her head.
"What? Don't you elves like reading books?" Sigrun chuckled. Then her expression became awfully sad. "Wait, can you even read?"
"Of course I can read!" Velanna snapped.
"Enough, you two." Aedan sighed before the bickering could escalate. He looked to all his wardens. "Now, did you all see what I just saw?"
"Uh huh, a right proper mountain of a woman." Oghren smirked gleefully.
"Urgh." Velanna drawled in disdain.
"That 'mountain' closed the demon portal." Nathaniel reminded the dwarf, his lips turning into something like a smile. "Meaning that we actually have a chance at winning this."
"Great, all we need is a load more of those green hand things." Sigrun rolled her eyes. "There are a whole lot of those portals out there, you know? That's a lot of work for one person."
The archer sighed. "That would help." He conceded.
"Somehow I doubt that'll happen anytime soon though." Aedan murmured. "You heard them. It's not something that can just be duplicated."
"So, we know that the portals can be shut, and we know that we can't do it, so … now what?" Sigrun asked.
Aedan considered for a long moment. He hadn't expected to stumble upon the answer to their problems so easily, nor that it was already being put into action by someone else. Still, even if they couldn't close the rifts themselves, the demons were a constant threat, and the Herald was just one woman.
"We buy that Herah as much time as we can." Aedan murmured. "We fight the demons wherever we find them to keep Ferelden safe, until she can close all these damn rifts."
"Not like you to give up on playing the hero, Hero." Oghren chuckled.
"Well, if you know a way that we can close the rifts ourselves, I'm all ears, Oghren." Aedan gave the dwarf a pointed look.
Oghren merely shrugged with a huff.
"Nor do I." Aedan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "We're Grey Wardens after all. We're not really made to be fighting demons and creatures from the fade."
"Though that's exactly what we've been doing these last few weeks now." Velanna muttered under her breath.
"And we'll continue to do so." Aedan turned a glare the elf's way. "Just because we don't have the means to end this threat ourselves, doesn't mean that we'll shy away from it. We protect the people, however we can."
"I wasn't suggesting we go hide ourselves away somewhere, and sit about drinking tea while the world burns down around us." Velanna frowned back, her words characteristically waspish.
"Even though that does sound slightly more appealing." Nathaniel quipped with a hint of a smirk.
Velanna rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the ribs.
"Hang on, what about the Calling?" Sigrun asked. "Or the 'Not-Calling', or whatever. Are we just ignoring that?"
"I'm not sure we have a choice." Aedan sighed. "I'd love to get to the bottom of it, believe me, but the only way I can think of getting any sort of answer is to head to Weisshaupt."
Oghren let out a low whistle. "That's a mighty long way."
"Well, it would take an awfully long time to travel there." Sigrun conceded with a shake of her head. "What would happen here in the meantime?"
"Exactly, the Commander's right." Nathaniel nodded. "If we were to go in search of help for ourselves, we'd be abandoning Ferelden to its fate."
"And if it really is the Calling, then we might as well be abandoning these lands if we're not going to take steps to make sure there are any Grey Wardens around in a couple of months!" Velanna shot back with venom.
"Velanna …" Nathaniel began in a soft tone.
"Don't you 'Velanna' me!" The elf spat before turning and marching away.
Aedan watched her go cautiously. "Will she be alright?" He asked Nathaniel.
The archer sighed. "I'll make sure she's fine. It's just … a stressful situation, that's all."
Aedan nodded vaguely. He had a suspicion that there was more to it than that, but he trusted in his second in command. Perhaps it was a personal matter between the two of them, one best left untouched.
"Right, well we better think about moving on ourselves." Aedan turned to look out over the rain sodden valley below. "These demons won't kill themselves you know."
"That'd be pretty damn helpful if they did." Sigrun chuckled.