Edited: Nov 2020 / June 2024
06
They had left Haven a few days ago, and the dunmer was pleased to find that not all of Ferelden was a desolate snowbank. The temperature slowly rose as they journeyed away from the Frostback mountains and Talia took the time to study the map she was given. They had given her a beautiful grey horse for their journey, and she felt a pang of sadness as she thought of Shadowmere, once Lucien's loyal steed, passed on to her.
As they rode on, Talia observed the lush greenery surrounding them, and picked whatever herbs and flowers she could to test later. She still found it strange that some things existed in both Nirn and this world, but some didn't. Horses were still the usual mounts, and deer, cows, chicken and rabbits were prepared and eaten as food. But there were no goblins, imps, or even the usual wisp; at least none that she'd seen yet. Certain herbs and flowers could be found in both worlds as well. Roses and sunflowers were there, and to her great surprise, nightshade.
Varric made it no secret that Talia's interest in flowers and herbs amused him greatly.
"You're like the stereotypical elf, Glowy. Lovers of everything green and natural. Next thing we know, you'll be hugging trees and rolling around in grass." He grinned as she stopped to pick a white flower that caught her eye.
"Glowy?" she asked in bemusement. "I thought I was Red-Eye?"
"Eh." He waved her away. "It's a work in progress. I'll find something that sticks."
She shook her head and observed the flower in her hand. It wasn't one that she recognized from Adan's notes. "What is it?" She turned to Solas.
"It is called Andraste's Grace," Cassandra answered from behind her.
Talia craned her neck to look at the Seeker. "I didn't think you were particularly interested in herbalism."
"This particular flower does not have any properties useful in potion-making." Solas peered at it from where he was perched on his horse. "It is purely ornamental."
"Oh shit, Seeker." Varric hid a grin behind his hand. "Didn't peg you for a flowers type of girl. I would have given you some at Kirkwall if it would've made you go easier on me."
Cassandra flushed. "It is—I am not—I simply know it because it is Leliana's favorite flower."
It was the first time Talia saw Cassandra look so flustered. A hopeless romantic, then?
"So what's your favorite flower then?" Varric grinned.
Cassandra scowled at him, still red, but reigning in her embarrassment. "I refuse to continue such a ridiculous line of conversation." she said and urged her horse to gallop ahead of them.
Varric snickered. "I'm willing to bet that it's her favorite flower,"
Talia looked at the flower in her hand. Leliana's favorite flower hm? She tucked it safely in her pack as they moved on.
They were met by Scout Harding at the camp. Talia was glad for the woman's professionalism, as she simply saluted and gave her a rundown of what was happening and didn't gawk at her as her other comrades did. Mother Giselle was at the Crossroads, aiding refugees caught up in the Mage-Templar War. Talia could hear the clash of blades and the sound of explosions from the camp.
Normally, she would have kept away from the fighting, but she realized it would be impossible to do at that point.
It was pandemonium. As they reached the bottom of the hill, Talia could see people in full plate armor engaging those in robes. No matter where she looked, there were flashes of spells and glints of swords and shields.
When they joined the fray, templars and mages alike were confused as to which side they were on, after all, they had both a Seeker and a Mage in the party. Cassandra tried to shout out that they weren't apostates, and Solas attempted to parlay by saying that they weren't templars, but neither side listened. Talia and Varric solved the problem by killing them indiscriminately.
Killing without magic was messy work, Talia grimaced as she tried to wipe the blood off her. Her use of daggers made it almost impossible for her not to be splattered with gore.
The Crossroads was littered with refugees who stared at them unabashedly as they passed.
"Isn't that—?"
"The Warden Commander! She's come to help us!"
"You idiot! That's the Herald of Andraste!"
"Say, if this Revered Mother actually wanted to help us, why didn't she just go to Haven?" Varric muttered.
"Perhaps she cannot leave until the refugees are more stable," Cassandra suggested as she looked around.
"Or," Solas said quietly. "She wished to bring the Inquisition to her as a sign of power."
Talia mulled over Solas' words, and silently agreed. From what she'd seen of the Chantry types, they never did seem to do anything selflessly. Then again, she'd only ever interacted with Roderick.
As they approached Mother Giselle, Varric paused in his steps, making Talia look at him in question.
"If it's all the same to you, Your Worshipfulness, I'd rather not have anything to do with these Chantry people, no offense to you of course, Seeker," Varric commented flippantly and Cassandra scowled at him. "I'll go talk to the refugees and see what help they need around here."
"I believe it best to go and assist with healing the wounded," Solas announced, and at Talia's nod, he too walked away.
"Is there something about Mother Giselle that scares them?" Cassandra scoffed as they continued walking.
"I think it's their general aversion to the Chantry," Talia said. If she didn't know they needed the priestess' help, she would rather not be there either. "I know Solas isn't Andrastian, and he is an apostate. And maybe Varric has grown to dislike them."
"Do not mince words, Herald," Cassandra bit out. "I know it is because of my interrogation."
Talia simply shrugged. "I honestly don't know, Cassandra. But you can't think they would blindly trust a Chantry cleric after all that's happened." Mother Giselle spotted them and gave them a nod. She spoke to the mage tending to the injured soldier and rose to approach them.
Cassandra's lip curled. "Chancellor Roderick is not the representation of the entire Chantry."
"The remaining ones did denounce the Inquisition. But I agree, I cannot judge anyone, even a Chantry cleric, based on the actions of others," she said diplomatically, and ensured her expression was calm and approachable as the Revered Mother approached.
"The Herald of Andraste, I presume?" Giselle had the look of kindly old woman with her warm eyes and soft cadence. Appearances could be deceiving, however, and Talia knew this best.
"That is what some call me, but I would not presume to be blessed by our Lady. I am a child of the Maker, same as anyone." The dunmer inclined her head, wondering if she overdid it. Based on Cassandra's frown, she did.
If Mother Giselle noticed, she didn't let it show. "I can understand why the Maker has chosen you to do his bidding," she said. "And you are Seeker Pentaghast?"
"It is good to meet you, Mother Giselle," Cassandra nodded.
Mother Giselle gestured to the side. "Walk with me?" As the two acquiesced, they strolled through the crossroads as the cleric spoke of the situations with the refugees. They had no food, no supplies, no medicine. If the fighting didn't let up soon, the Hinterlands would be nothing but broken bodies strewn across the countryside.
"Tell me then, Herald of Andraste," Mother Giselle said after some time. "Why are you here? What is your purpose?"
Talia blinked at her and one look at Cassandra told her she was just as confused. "Forgive me, Mother. But I believe you asked for me?"
"Indeed I did," she nodded. "But is that the only reason you are here?"
Talia heard the undertones in the Mother's voice. Why did the Maker bring you here? What is your higher purpose? She suppressed the urge to sneer at her and managed to compose a ridiculously idealistic speech.
"Through luck or through divine intervention, I had become the sole survivor of a horrible incident. I cannot say yet what the Maker's purpose was for letting me live, but I can tell you what I intend to do." She turned to Mother Giselle and let her see the resolve in her eyes.
"I intend to close the Breach, end the madness that has been taking this world. I wish to bring to justice the monster who killed the Divine and hundreds of innocents. I want to restore peace and order to the world—to end the senseless fighting, and in turn, spare the lives of the innocents who have been affected by this war."
Mother Giselle looked at her for a moment before bowing her head. "I do not know if you have truly been touched by the Maker, but you inspire a great deal of hope, Herald. And hope is what these people need right now," she said.
Talia avoided Cassandra's eye. Let them think she was slightly embarrassed at her impassioned speech. Blushing on command was not something she'd yet mastered, so she merely ducked her head in fake-mortification.
"I heard about the Chantry's denouncement," the cleric finally said. "And I am familiar with those behind it."
They left Mother Giselle after gaining the list of the cleric's names and asking a scout to pass it on to Harding. Talia had also promised that the Inquisition would help the refugees in any way they could. After all, what better way to paint the Inquisition in good light than aiding war victims? Plus, if they could find a way to end the conflict between mages and templars in the Hinterlands, Talia was sure more than a few nobles would be thankful.
The rest of their day was devoted to hunting ram for those refugees and looking for supply caches. Solas had suggested heading to Redcliffe Village, to look for healers to help those in the Crossroads, but Varric pointed out that they might die on their way if the fighting between mages and templars wasn't stopped first.
When night fell, they set up camp at one of the locations marked on the map. Camping was not something she'd done in a long time—and Solas gave her an amused look when she unsuccessfully pitched her tent. Varric took pity on her and helped her with it, but not before grinning and promising that her lack of camping skills wouldn't be included in his book.
Talia let Cassandra set up watch schedules, and was not particularly surprised when they were partnered for the first one. She settled herself in front of the fire, opened up one of the books she brought with her and waited until Cassandra approached her to talk.
After Solas had mentioned the darkspawn, Grey Wardens and the Blight, Talia had started reading through the books Leliana and the others had given her. If the stories were to be believed, then her fellow dunmer had managed to end the Fereldan Civil War, unite the elves, dwarves and humans under one banner, defeat an army of darkspawn and killed the dragon Archdemon who commanded the horde. The books never mentioned her being from another world, and as it was written by a Chantry sister, Talia was quite sure they would have included it if they knew.
She needed more information about the Hero of Ferelden—where did she come from? What were the circumstances surrounding her arrival in Thedas? Did she also enter a portal to Oblivion? How did she get roped into becoming a Grey Warden? Leliana would be a good choice to ask, as she was one of the Hero's companions during that time. But her asking would open her to more probing from the bard's part, something Talia wasn't sure she was ready for.
When it seemed Cassandra had run out of things to arrange around the camp, she sighed loudly and plopped down across her.
"Did you need anything, Cassandra?" Talia asked when the woman simply stared at her and offered no words.
"I—I simply wish to tell you that what you told to Mother Giselle was…inspired."
Surprised, Talia put down the book she was reading.
"Oh, well, thank you?"
"Everything you have said—it is every goal I wish the Inquisition could achieve," Cassandra admitted. "I am glad to know that our objectives…coincide. Or was that speech simply for Mother Giselle's benefit?"
From the brief time they've spent together, Talia found Cassandra to be a very straightforward person, and now was no exception.
"Partly," Talia said. "I wanted Mother Giselle to know that the Inquisition isn't a joke—and that we were truly there to help and that it was not a grab of power from my part. But I cannot deny that I do want close the Breach and find the one behind all of this." If only to gain a better understanding of what magic he used and how it could have been connected to her appearance in Thedas. The atrocity committed was real, but she felt removed from the situation. It was not her world, it was not her fight; her only wish was to leave the wretched place and find a way back to Nirn.
"I am glad then." She paused. "It occurs to me that I have yet to apologize for how I treated you back at Haven." Cassandra fidgeted, and Talia thought the woman wasn't used to apologizing to anyone. "You were a stranger caught up in an event that must have been incredibly confusing to you, and in my anger, I pinned the blame unto you. When in fact, the Maker sent you to us at our darkest hour and given us hope."
Talia managed a small smile instead of the grimace threatening to form on her face.
"If you would allow me," the woman continued. "I would wish to get to know you better." Cassandra gave her a tentative smile, and it was strange sight on the normally stoic woman's face. "I—it has simply occurred to me that we have asked a great deal from you, and yet we barely know anything about you."
"All right." Talia stretched and cast a subtle muffling charm at both of them. Cassandra narrowed her eyes, and realized she'd noticed the spell. "A simple muffling charm, nothing more."
"This is the first spell you've cast since our meeting with Cullen," Cassandra said. Talia nodded, it only confirmed what she already knew: that the warrior was watching her. "How is it that you have stopped casting the translation spell you often use?"
Well, they were bound to notice anyway. "I'm sure Leliana has been keeping tabs on my every move." And when Cassandra's expression shifted to slightly guilty, Talia smiled. "I made an amulet of speech. I'm not sure I can explain the entire process with terms people from this world would understand," she said apologetically, but she most definitely did not want to explain the blood and magic involved in doing it. "But I carved runes on it, they're in another language so you can't really understand it." She slipped the amulet off and showed it to the Seeker.
"I thought you weren't much of a mage?" Cassandra said as Talia put it back on.
"Enchanting is a whole different branch of study, you don't truly use any of your own magicka to enchant objects. If you know your runes, and have the right tools, you can enchant most anything." The explanation was a simple lie; Talia wasn't sure Thedas was ready for the idea of Soul Gems, if they were squeamish about using blood. If it were Solas, Talia knew he would pry, but Cassandra simply nodded, not understanding, but seemingly pleased that she was being open about it.
"What other spells can you cast?" she asked.
Talia tapped a finger on her lips as she thought of what to say. "Some novice level spells. Dunmer have an affinity to fire, so basic flames spells. And I also know a magelight spell."
"You didn't wish to study more magic?"
"My parents cared more about our knowledge of tradition and rituals than anything else," she said truthfully.
Another awkward silence.
"May I ask…more?" Cassandra didn't seem to know how to hold a conversation either, and Talia couldn't help but feel a bit amused.
"Very well. What was it you wished to know about me?" she prompted.
The Seeker shifted uncomfortably; it seemed as if the woman was unused to social niceties. "I—well, I am not sure. Where are you from?"
"I was born in the country called Morrowind in the city of Mournhold, where dunmer, Dark Elves like me, are native to." she paused, unsure what else to say. "I was born on the 20th of Sun's Height, on the 361st year of the Third Era. I was the third child of Lord Varis and Lady Helsi of the Great House Indoril."
Cassandra stopped her. "Sun's Height…is that a month? And how you say your years, it is quite different."
"I did notice that from some of the books I've read," she said, recalling 9:30 Dragon, which oddly sounded like hours, not years.
"Standard ages started with the establishment of the Chantry. Each age is composed of one hundred years, and whoever is Divine chooses the name of the next age during the 99th year," Cassandra explained.
"So, why is this one called Dragon?"
"The appearance of a High Dragon documented just before the Battle of River Dane. It was the legendary battle that led to the freedom of Ferelden from Orlesian rule."
"Interesting," Talia muttered. She really did need to get on with studying those books. "Historically, it still remains unclear when an era starts and ends. In recent times, however, they started to equate the end of an era with the end of a dynasty. The second era was ended when Tiber Septim formed the Empire of Tamriel, that's the name of our continent, and the third era ended when—when the last of his descendants died." Hopefully, Cassandra didn't notice the hitch in her voice. Martin's death was still fresh in her mind.
"I see. You also mentioned a Great House?" Cassandra asked. "Is that a kind of royalty?"
"Nobility, perhaps," Talia allowed, although considering that her House had gone to an all-time low after majority of them committed suicide instead of surrendering to the Empire, they could hardly be called as such. "Great House Indoril rules over certain areas in mainland Morrowind. Our House is deeply intertwined with local religion. Most if not all of the members of the temple authority are from House Indoril."
"What is your religion like then? I know you have read some if not the entire Chant of Light, and you already have a basic understanding of how the Chantry functions."
Talia thought Cassandra sounded accusing, of what, she had no idea. "There are many different religions in Tamriel, though dunmer generally worship the Tribunal. The triumvirate is composed of Lady Almalexia, Mother of Mercy and Champion of the poor; Lord Sotha Sil, Father of Magic and Knowledge; and Lord Vivec, Protector of the Land and Patron of Artists. As a child of House Indoril, I was expected to take up a position either as a Curate, a priestess of the Tribunal, or as an Ordinator, their law enforcers."
"You were dedicated to your faith, I suppose?"
Talia almost snorted. "Hardly." She remembered her parents' disappointment, the withering looks of her fellow acolytes, her siblings' exasperation… "My family is entirely dedicated to the Tribunal, but I never truly understood it. I pretended for a time," she admitted. "that there was no greater joy to me than serving the Tribunal. But pretending had never been my strong suit."
"May I ask why?" Cassandra sounded genuinely interested.
"It was hard to explain then, but I did not believe they were true gods. Yes, they protected Morrowind, but they simply came across immortality and were not, truly divine." She answered carefully, making sure not to mention her general distaste for religion. She'd eventually realized how it served to chain the minds of the masses, and how much she disliked blind following.
After the Oblivion Crisis, Talia had heard that the Tribunal had fallen, and reverted back to Daedra worship. Almalexia had assassinated Sotha Sil, and the Nerevarine had needed to kill her. Most of the members of House Indoril blindly followed Almalexia during her mad scheme. She heard that the Great House was in ruins, but she'd never bothered to send a message to them to check.
"We were deeply rooted in tradition. Social hierarchies and various rituals were simply things that couldn't be changed." Talia grimaced at the thought of her homeland, her House's practice and defense of slavery. "Suffice to say, the way other races are treated across Morrowind was abhorrent."
At Cassandra's intrigued expression, she launched into a discussion about the different races in Tamriel. When she'd explained the existence of Khajit and Argonians, the Seeker wouldn't believe her.
"You must think me very gullible," she said flatly.
"I am not joking, nor do I think you are a fool," Talia said. "I suppose it is difficult to believe when your world only has four races."
"Hmph, I still don't believe you." Cassandra said, though she sounded less sure.
"If you don't mind my asking," she suddenly remembered. "What race are Varric and Harding?"
"Dwarves," Cassandra said matter-of-factly. When Talia merely stared at her, she elaborated, "Most of their race live underground, in places like Orzammar. Their architecture and technology surpass that of humans or elves."
"But…Varric doesn't have any pointy ears," she argued.
Cassandra lifted an eyebrow. "Your point?"
"Well, dwarves are mer, elves! They were the most advanced in architecture, technology, crafting, forging, and most of all magic."
Their conversation drew an amused look from Cassandra. "I assure you, they are not elves. The dwarves of Thedas are cut-off from the Fade, meaning they have absolutely no access to magic."
Talia couldn't even begin to imagine a life without magic. How drastically different their worlds seemed to be. Based on statues around Vvardenfell, dwemer looked nothing like the dwarves of Thedas.
Speaking of Varric… "I noticed that Varric's incredibly nosy when he senses a story."
"Is there a point to this question?"
"I only wanted to know why he hasn't probed me about anything related to my world," she said. It was true; neither Solas nor Varric have asked her anything about Nirn.
Cassandra shifted uncomfortably. "That is because we have not mentioned anything about it to them."
"What? Why?" she asked in confusion.
"We believed it was your secret to keep. Just because we know it, does not simply mean others needed to know about it too. It was actually Leliana's idea."
"Leliana?"
"She said spreading it to the masses would cause alarm that the Inquisition was not ready to curtail. She also told us she remembered how much the Hero of Ferelden wished to keep her true heritage a secret. As it is no one's business but yours, we have decided to keep quiet about your origins. It is entirely up to you if you wish to tell it to them or not."
Talia was taken aback at the thoughtful gesture. It was not something she expected from them. "Thank you," she said sincerely. She would likely end up telling the two, they all spent too much time together for them not to realize something was up. Solas was especially intuitive.
"It was the least we could do." Cassandra looked down. "You've agreed to help the Inquisition so willingly, even after the way we initially treated you."
Talia looked over at Cassandra, who looked genuinely contrite, and she gave her a smile. "Well, I believe you have to return the favor?"
"What?" the Seeker asked in confusion.
"Tell me: who is Cassandra Pentaghast?"
Cassandra didn't seem to want to share much about herself, but she did anyway. It seemed the Seeker came from the Royal House of Nevarra, a country somewhere north of Orlais, and was seventy-eighth in line for its throne. She and her brother were orphans, as their parents had tried and failed to oust the King and were executed for it. Cassandra had run away from her life of being a noble and went to join the Seekers of Truth.
Talia asked how she ended up being the Right Hand of the Divine, and Cassandra flushed.
"It is refreshing to meet someone who does not know the story, as it has been greatly exaggerated, I assure you. I simply rescued the previous Divine, and my reward was to serve as her Right Hand."
"That seems to be the painfully short version," Talia said, and Cassandra sighed.
"To hear people tell it, I alone saved Divine Beatrix—Justinia's predecessor—from a horde of rampaging High Dragons," she said wryly.
"And what really happened?"
"I stumbled upon a conspiracy to kill the Divine—with a Templar Knight-Commander at its heart. And there was a dragon battle at the Grand Cathedral, but I had a lot of help from loyal mages who rallied to the cause. They were the ones who freed the dragon from control; without their help, both the Divine and I would have died. And yet I became the Hero of Orlais, and they were forgotten."
Talia knew Cassandra felt guilty about it, but she knew that people tended to elevate one focal person during times of crises.
"The masses are quick to elevate any one person who seems to be at the heart of the fighting. They forget that battles aren't won by leaders, but by those who follow them," Talia agreed. Did the songs ever mention Baurus, who lived his entire life trying to atone for his imagined crime of letting Uriel die on his watch? What of Caius, Jena, and Steffan? Blades who had died protecting the Imperial City, protecting Martin; did the people ever remember them? No, only she and Martin were forever immortalized in songs and books.
They were silent for a moment before Cassandra spoke again.
"How did you come to be a mercenary?"
Talia pursed her lips. This line of questioning was making her a bit suspicious. No doubt, Leliana had asked Cassandra to gain more information on her. For a moment Talia was silent, trying to think of a way to explain it. Half-lies were best of course, it would be easier to keep track of it than made up stories.
"After I left Morrowind, I stayed in Skyrim for a few years. I met my estranged uncle Drayven." Uncle was a mild term. Perhaps Great Grand Uncle? Ancestor? Talia thought back to the day they met, in Skyrim. She had the misfortune of attempting to pickpocket him, and of course he'd caught her. It was hilarious and awkward, both of them just finding out that they were actually related.
"Since I was adamant on leaving my old life behind, he offered to train me." And train her he did, in fighting, sneaking, stealing, and lying. But she'd coupled it with constantly studying magic, and as Drayven said, it made her twice as deadly.
"We parted ways after that, and I moved to Cyrodiil, determined to start my new life." She'd joined the Thieves Guild first, and a few years after becoming the Gray Fox, she committed her first murder and was recruited into the Brotherhood. "I acted as a hired mercenary at first, but most usually paid for my services as a bodyguard.
"I got so well-known that the elite guard spoke to me one day and offered me a sum of money to protect the Emperor. They were pretty desperate, the assassins had already killed all his heirs." Somehow, Talia didn't think it would be a good idea to tell Cassandra she was actually imprisoned, and was accidentally roped into protecting Uriel.
She frowned as she remembered the Emperor, how he pressed the Amulet of Kings into her hands and asked her to find his heir. "Emperor Uriel Septim VII died on my watch..." she said quietly.
Cassandra looked stricken, but she didn't interrupt Talia as she continued speaking.
"But he had another heir, a bastard who never knew his father. A priest at one of the local temples." She half-smiled at the memory of Martin's bemusement, disbelief and then acceptance of his role. "I was charged with his safety as well."
Talia took a deep breath as she spoke Martin's name. The pain that came with the recollection of his death would never truly go away.
"I fought through the depths of Oblivion for him," she said. "But it wasn't enough. He sacrificed himself to save his people—the very people who doubted the legitimacy of his claim. He willingly died for them, for me, when it should have been the other way around."
There was a pause as Talia gathered herself, trying to hide what little of herself she'd shown Cassandra. "Sometimes, I wonder, what good is fighting the dark if the dawn was never going to come?"
The warrior looked at her sympathetically, but the pain Talia felt wasn't even faked. Thinking of Martin, of their easy friendship, of the things that could have been—it hurt.
"Perhaps it was meant to be. Perhaps that was his purpose in life, to save your people," Cassandra said quietly, and Talia was sure her words were meant to have been comforting, but it stung anyway.
What kind of god would have his loyal follower suffer through so much, only to have it end with him dying anyway? Akatosh was twisted if he truly had all that power, but refused to intervene. However, she couldn't deny that he interceded on everyone's behalf and banished Dagon from Nirn.
She could already feel the panic, the hysteria, rising up her chest, and she would not let Cassandra see her in such a state. Composing herself, Talia stood.
"Herald…"
"I'm feeling a bit tired, Cassandra. I think I'll retire to my tent. Good night." Without waiting for a reply, the dunmer escaped into the safety of her tent. And when she'd cast the appropriate muffling and silencing wards, she hugged herself, trying to calm her shaking fists, and whirling thoughts.
A/N: Bonding with Cassandra…yaaaay.
Sorry if I got Morrowind facts wrong, I never really finished that game.
Thanks to everyone who reads this. I appreciate it. :-)
Questioner: Yes. Her being Dragonborn is essential to the story, and not something I can change. :-)