08

"What's her real name?" Referring to her as Stormcrown now made Talia uncomfortable. "Stormcrown is a title, first held by Talos, who'd founded the Empire."

"Savith Idren," Leliana said, and Talia nodded, recognizing it as a common name in Morrowind. "She used Stormcrown because it sounded less exotic and elvish than Idren. Dragonborn would have been the logical choice, but she said she'd gotten tired of hearing it for the past six years. She used to say that only very few called her by her name."

"And how old is she? What year was she born?"

"She was 58 when we met, so about 69 now. She was born in the Fourth Era, but I'm not sure what year," Leliana said, and Talia felt her eyebrow rise. "What is it?"

Talia shook her head, how young Akatosh's favored child was when she saved the world. If she met Leliana when she was 58, and she'd been called Dragonborn for 6 years, the dunmer had only been 52! "I did not expect her to be so young. I'm 74," she offered.

"You look a bit more mature than her," Leliana answered carefully as if afraid she would be offended by outright calling her 'old', and Talia almost snorted.

"I understand humans don't have the same lifespan as we elves do; 74 is quite old for you. Dunmer reach the age of majority at 50, and we can live up to 800, although there are some who have already surpassed that age."

"In truth, every person in this world has similar lifespans. They say the Elves used to know the secret to immortality—but it's been lost since the fall of the Dales."

Another similarity. Talia brought a hand up to her temple. "Can I get some ink and paper?" At the rate they were going, Talia was likely to die from the deluge of information before she managed to close the Breach. When Leliana procured the items, she wrote down keywords, and things she needed to do further research about. She sighed and took a sip of her tea as she organized her thoughts.

"Do you know how she was transported here?" she finally asked.

Leliana nodded. "She told us that she was captured by the Thalmor, and she was saved by her companions. When they were escaping, she stayed behind to give them a chance to run. She said she doesn't remember what happened. One moment, the world around her was burning, and the next, she was lying in a tent, being tended to by elves. The Sabrae Clan of the Dalish had found her in an old elvhen temple. One of them claimed to have seen her fall from the Eluvian when they were exploring. I'm afraid I don't know much about the Eluvian, just that they were magical mirrors used by the Ancient Elves."

Talia wrote down 'Thalmor', 'Dalish' and 'Eluvian', resolving to find out more about them.

"The previous Warden Commander was the one who found her, as well as Savith Mahariel, a hunter from the Dalish Clan." At Talia's sharp look, Leliana nodded. "The same name, yes. Duncan, the Warden, said that the Taint from the mirror passed to both of them, and the only known way to survive it lay with joining the Grey Wardens. Mahariel died on their way to Ostagar, and was never able to join the Wardens."

Talia made note of it, and beside it she wrote of Hawke's siblings, and how Varric said Savith had had no choice. With a frown she also noted down: Savith Mahariel (deceased)—Savith Stormcrown, Talia Lavellan (deceased)—Talia Indoril = coincidence?

"It was Duncan who'd suggested she never remove her mask. They played it off as something cultural, and King Cailan was the only one she'd allowed to see her without a mask. He was very accepting, but everybody else looked on in distrust."

"Her mask, I've seen it before. What is it?" Talia asked.

"It's called Krosis," Leliana answered. "It's a Dragon Priest mask. She has a few more, but they all look similar in appearance."

A dragon priest, how fascinating; Savith must have led an interesting life, Talia mulled. It was comical how quickly she'd gone from thinking of Savith as s'wit to sera, but these were strange times indeed.

"And she never removed it?"

"When we were in public, she almost never did. Most people just assumed she was human because of her height, but foreigner, based on her accent. She took it off in Orzammar, the Brecilian Forest, and during the Landsmeet, as a sign of good faith to potential allies. The dwarves and the elves had no problem with her, she'd given them her aid after all. They were curious of course, but we agreed to the half-Qunari, half-Elf story. But the nobles at the Landsmeet were horrified when they saw her." Leliana's lips twisted into a grimace. "Her credibility was ripped to shreds—simply because of what she was. They questioned her loyalty and her motivations. They called her an Abomination, the Grand Cleric was already ordering Templars to take her away—it was pandemonium."

"What happened then?"

A small smile graced Leliana's lips. "Savith spoke—and everyone listened. Her voice was pitched low, but we could hear every word, it shook us down to our very bones. I remembered how she looked then, with her mask off, her expression grim. She spoke with such conviction that they had no choice but to believe her.

"'You would risk your country over petty grievances such as my complexion, the color of my eyes and my race?' She said. 'While the darkspawn are amassing their forces, we remain here speaking of inconsequential things instead of gathering our resources and fighting back. I traipsed around Ferelden, was branded as a traitor, constantly looking over my shoulder as left and right people tried to kill me. When all I've done was unite the races of Thedas into an army that can drive back this Blight? Where were you when I solved the political strife in Orzammar and braved the Deep Roads to find their Paragon? Where were you when Kinloch had fallen? And only we had the will to save the mages and templars who'd become victims of a blood mage? Where were you when we saved Redcliffe from a horde of undead?'"

In the soft glow of the firelight, it was plain to see how much Leliana adored and admired Savith Stormcrown.

"'You have been hiding behind your Chantry walls and your stone doors. While you rest on your laurels, I and my company,' here she gestured to all of us, Morrigan was so uncomfortable with all the attention. 'Braved the wilds, defied death, risked getting Tainted just so we could give Ferelden this fighting chance. So do not speak to me of loyalty.'"

Talia felt she was getting a glimpse of both Savith's personality, as well as how Leliana acted when she was younger and freer. Her eyes lit up and her hands were animated as she told her story. Perhaps at one point, Leliana loved telling them, but as she grew older, as she faced the harshness of life, they had lost their appeal.

"And they actually changed their minds?" Talia asked.

"Yes." Leliana's smiled dimmed. "I remember thinking that this was the power of words. If these nobles could be convinced so easily, perhaps changing the minds of others would be possible. Of course, I eventually learned that it was her Voice that did all the work, and not her words."

"Her voice?"

"Her Thu'um, she called it. Unchecked, her Voice could coerce, seduce and kill others. I'm not sure if I can explain it well. You know how mages sometimes lose control of their magic when they're emotional? In the same way, Savith sometimes loses control of her Voice. When she's trying to charm or intimidate, her Voice projects this need. If she does not make a conscious effort to stop it, it comes as naturally to her as breathing."

That sounded both incredible and burdensome. If she had that power, Talia would constantly second-guess people's affections or friendships.

"Such is the power of a Dragonborn," Talia murmured. She wondered if Martin didn't have the same power. Was that why he could easily inspire their army? Or was that because he was Martin? "Is that how she convinced King Alistair to spare Loghain's life? I read about it in that book…"

Leliana grimaced. "Yes, although Alistair had gotten so furious with her that he'd agreed to marry Anora out of spite."

"Anora?" She recognized the name.

"Loghain's daughter and King Cailan's wife. She would have been Queen if Alistair never agreed to be put forth as King." Leliana said. "The woman was very cunning. She had Savith devise a rescue plan to get her out of Arl Howe's dungeons, but betrayed them when they were caught. Savith ordered the rest of the team to leave with Anora, and she was imprisoned in Fort Drakon. Although she never said it outright, every one of us knew she was tortured, but she endured it, and waited for the opportune moment to break out." She paused. "Savith despises Anora for what she did, and she swore that the woman would never sit on the throne if she could help it."

"Did she kill her then?"

"When Alistair agreed to marry Anora, Savith was…distraught, but she never showed it to the public. A few days before their wedding, Anora had killed herself. She was found hanging by the neck from the balcony. There was a suicide note written in her hand."

Talia raised an eyebrow. "And did anyone connect it to Savith?"

"Mages and healers studied her body, there'd been no signs of blood magic, physical wounds, bruises or anything that could be constituted as her being tortured. They tried to look for evidence of her being threatened, but nothing came up." Leliana shrugged. "I know it was Savith, but she never admitted to any of it. Nobody else seemed to suspect her though, and upon further investigation, they all agreed it was a suicide and not a murder."

Talia was suitably impressed. To fake a convincing suicide was quite difficult, especially with such a high-profile target. Luck was a huge factor. Perhaps she had been blessed by Nocturnal?

"Do you know if Savith serves any Daedra?"

"Well, there's your Lord Sithis, and your Night Mother…" Leliana said, and Talia stopped herself from pointing out that neither was a Daedra. "The dragon god, I'm not sure what his name was. As well as Talos, the man-god."

"Was she a member of the Thieves Guild as well?" Talia remembered Varric mentioning it.

"Yes," Leliana confirmed. "She joined after she settled the Dragon Crisis and the Civil War. She thought of it as a much-needed escape from her duties as Listener and Dragonborn. She became the Guildmaster after the previous one was revealed to be a traitor and murderer."

Guildmaster of Skyrim Thieves Guild. Talia wrote down. Beside it, she added, Nightingale—NOCTURNAL. Although Drayven had tried to keep it a secret, Talia was neither blind nor deaf, and she knew of the guild's inner circle a few months into it.

"Did she mention anyone else?"

"I think there was the god of madness…and there was the one that invited her to a drinking contest for a staff. She said she lost at least a week of her memory."

"That's Sheogorath and probably Sanguine, respectively," Talia said as she wrote them down. "Anyone else?"

"I know there are more, but I can't remember their names."

"Did she have any artifacts? If you can remember the names of the swords or staves or describe how it looked, I could speculate on who gave it."

Leliana looked contemplative. "Her sword was white and gold. At the base, there was a circular stone that glowed brightly when we fight the undead. Other than that, I don't remember anything else about her weaponry."

Undead? —Meridia?

Talia noted that she and Savith were both Champions of four Daedra—Sheogorath, Sanguine, Meridia and Nocturnal, as well as children of Sithis and the Night Mother. Yet, Talia couldn't shake the idea that Akatosh was behind all of this.

"You mentioned a Dragon Crisis?" Talia remembered.

Leliana appeared almost excited to tell the story. "It officially begins when Savith was crossing the border to Cyrodiil, but was caught in an ambush between the two warring sides in the Civil War…"

When Leliana finished her tale, Talia had to stop herself from becoming slack jawed. If it was accurate, Alduin the World-Eater appeared in Skyrim, and Savith drove him out of Nirn and into Aetherius where he met his end. The Dragonborn had physically entered Sovngarde!

A shout, Talia wrote down, composed of three words in Dragon Tongue that transported Savith back to Nirn. Perhaps it could work for them as well?

And the Blades, Talia thought grimly, almost wiped out, save for two people. Why and how, Leliana couldn't remember, only that they were all being hunted down by the Thalmor. Still, it was quite embarrassing how they decided to abandon the Dragonborn, someone they'd sworn to protect, simply because she refused to kill her Dragon mentor.

At the same time, Talia couldn't help but notice the similarities between them: being captured for a crime they didn't commit, set to be executed but saved through sheer luck.

Or Divine intervention, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Uriel Septim whispered in her mind.

"Perhaps we were both brought here because of what we've done for Nirn," she murmured, deep in thought.

"And what was it that you did for Nirn?" Leliana asked.

Talia stalled by drinking her tea. It wasn't something she liked to share—her being the Champion of Cyrodiil would get their hopes up, and there was no guarantee she would ever succeed in closing the Breach and stopping whoever was behind it.

"I was called many names," Talia said slowly. "But for propriety's sake, let me introduce myself in the overly traditional, formal, dunmer way. I'll include all my titles, even the less savory ones, as some may call it."

Leliana raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

The dunmer sighed heavily and she threaded her fingers. Best get it over with. "I am Talia, daughter of Lord Varis and Lady Helsi of the Great House Indoril, Seventh Champion of Cyrodiil, Listener to the Dark Brotherhood, Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild, Archmage of the Mages Guild, Guildmaster of the Fighter's Guild, Champion of the Daedric Princes Azura, Boethiah, Nocturnal, Meridia, Sanguine and Sheogorath, High Curate to the Tribunal; also known as the Gray Fox, Vanquisher of the Mythic Dawn, Savior of Bruma, Hero of Kvatch, Oblivion Walker and Gate Master."

Talia simply looked at Leliana, who to her credit, was trying to hide how surprised she was.

"Archmage?" she finally said.

"As you may have already guessed, I am very proficient in magic. I've been training since I was seventeen," Talia said. "Magic has always been and always will be my greatest weapon."

"I see you took my words about mages very seriously," Leliana remarked.

"And I'm glad I did. Cassandra and Cullen may have killed me on the spot if they knew exactly what I could do with my magic." At a gesture, the kettle on the hearth shot across the room and into her hands. Leliana remained silent as Talia refilled both of their cups.

"I know you've spoken to Cassandra, so you've heard that I ran away from my duties as High Curate and fled to Skyrim." At Leliana's nod, she continued, "I met one of my relatives, and he taught me how to fight, steal and sneak. After thirteen years, I moved to Cyrodiil and joined the Guild there. I won't go into specifics, but I became guildmaster after three years. As head, all homeless people, beggars, street children, at the Imperial City fall under my protection."

"I thought being a member of the Thieves Guild was about earning a profit?"

"Then that means you've never been part of an actual Thieves Guild," Talia allowed herself a wry smile. "We protect the marginalized from being oppressed by the nobles, tax collectors and the guardsmen. If taxes were levied, I stole them and gave them back. I tried my best to help them find work, but most wouldn't hire someone living in the streets. The most important rule we have was that we never killed—bad for business."

"And you did?"

Talia looked away from Leliana's assessing gaze and out the window. "It was collection day, and they were particularly hard on all the poor at the Waterfront. There was a boy, barely out of his majority, who was taking care of his grandfather. They demanded an amount of ten septims, and they knew the boy couldn't afford it. He couldn't pay…so they punished him."

Talia turned back to Leliana, her face devoid of expression.

"When the others finally got the word to me, I rushed to them. All I found was the boy sobbing, holding his grandfather's corpse." She could remember how the boy had wept into her tunic, how her blood boiled at the thought and how her vision had become tinted in red. It wasn't difficult to find out who the guardsmen were, and she'd disposed of them—but not before torturing the one who'd dared to lay a hand on the sick, old man. "You know the rest, I suppose, I killed the guardsmen, Lucien witnessed it, and decided my talent should not go to waste," she added lightly.

"What of the tax collector?" Leliana asked curiously. "Surely his was the more heinous crime? Did he not order the two to be beaten?"

"Killing him would have linked it to the Thieves Guild, and I couldn't have that." Lucien had found her at the scene of the crime, still covered in the guardsman's blood. He'd looked incredibly amused and extended an invitation to join the Brotherhood.

And if I refuse? she'd asked, and Lucien let out a cold laugh.

I don't waylay the group of guards that are on your tail.

When she'd accepted, he'd handed over the Blade of Woe and ordered her to kill Rufio at the Inn of Ill Omen. He'd given her a predatory grin before he went out and slashed the throats of a few guards and drawing them away from her position. Because of Lucien, the Dark Brotherhood was blamed for the death of those guards, rather than the Thieves Guild.

"I became a member of the Dark Brotherhood after that, and worked my way up. Then one day, I was arrested for a crime I didn't commit." She grimaced at the memory. "There was a noble, and he was harassing an Argonian who was begging for a few coins. I was nearby, and when I approached to see what was happening, he pulled out a knife. I stopped him from killing the beggar. Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough to escape when he called for the guards and demanded I be thrown into prison for accosting him in the streets. I decided to go with them rather than make a scene, one of the others would try to break me out sooner or later. And that's where all of it began, actually. In my disgusting, little cell in the Imperial Prison."

Talia thought back to that moment, when she was counting out the days she'd been in jail and wondering how long it would take for them to devise a plan to get her out.

"There was a lot of commotion going on, and then to my surprise, a group of Blades entered my cell, escorting no other than the Emperor of Tamriel himself. Lucky me, that my cell was actually the one with the door to one of the Emperor's secret escape routes." She gave Leliana an ironic smile.

"But why were you put in that cell then?" Leliana frowned. "If it was one of the Emperor's escape routes, it should have been empty."

"Yes," Talia agreed. "But there had been a mix-up. The guards at the Imperial Prison are exceptionally stupid, after all."

"A happy coincidence."

"Or fate, as Uriel would say." Talia traced the lip of her cup idly. "The Septims were said to have been blessed with the gift of foresight. When Uriel caught a glimpse of me, he grew wide-eyed, and proclaimed that he'd seen me in his dreams."

Talia remembered giving him such a look of incredulity when he recognized her. "I ended up following them and killing some of the assassins that had gone after him. Then at one point, the two of us were left alone. Baurus, the only Blade who'd survived, scouted ahead.

"Uriel turned to me and told me that his heirs were dead, and that he was going to die that night, no matter what happened. I said I would protect him with my life." She shrugged when Leliana raised an eyebrow. There was something in him that inspired loyalty, and it was not something she saw in a lot of people. "He told me that he had another son—Martin his name was. He handed me the Amulet of Kings, and instructed me that it must never fall under the hands of the enemy. He told me that I must shut the jaws of Oblivion."

I know it's much to ask. But please, keep my son safe.

She'd felt so confused and disoriented—and when the assassin appeared from behind Uriel, she'd been too slow to react. Baurus had to pry her away from the assassin's bloody form when Talia would not stop beating and stabbing him.

"Is the Amulet of Kings a symbol of their dynasty?" Leliana asked.

"Yes, but it's more than a simple trinket," Talia paused, thinking of a way to explain exactly what it was in simple terms. "It was given the by the god Akatosh to Saint Alessia, a woman who led the rebellion against their slavers. He blessed Alessia with the Dragonblood, and gave her the Amulet of Kings—so long as her bloodline ruled and they remained pure, he would keep the barrier between Oblivion the realm of Daedra, and Nirn, the realm of mortals. At the start of his term, the new Emperor would light the Dragonfires using the Amulet, and it keeps Oblivion at bay. With the death of Uriel and his heirs, the Dragonfires couldn't be lit, and Nirn had become at risk."

"But he had another child? Martin Septim."

Talia's heart clenched. "Martin was his illegitimate child. I went to Brother Jauffre, the Grandmaster of the Blades. He pointed me in the direction of Kvatch, and told me to fetch Martin, but I left the Amulet of Kings with him." Until now, Talia still didn't know if it had been the right decision.

"When I arrived at Kvatch, the town had already been overrun by Daedra. The sky turned red, corpses littered the ground and the remaining survivors locked themselves inside the Chapel of Akatosh. The entrance to the town was blocked, and nobody could get in or out while the Oblivion Gate was still there. In a rare moment of recklessness, I decided to pass through the gate and attempt to close it myself." She remembered the despair and hopelessness in Salvian Matius' eyes, how he believed that the end of days were coming. But it wasn't the countless dead or the townspeople's anguish that pushed her into entering the gate. She had never admitted it to anyone but Martin, but it was the memory of Uriel, his kind eyes filled with the utter belief that she would be able to help. The same eyes Martin had.

"That was why you reacted that way when I told you demons were pouring out of Rifts," Leliana said in sudden realization. "You've done it before…"

Talia shook her head. "Yes and no. Closing an Oblivion Gate is nothing like closing Rifts. It is anchored to Nirn by a Sigil Stone. If taken from the pedestal, the gate collapses, and anything that isn't of Oblivion is cast back to Nirn." She looked down at her hand, which glowed green every so often. "Closing a Rift is more like harnessing my magic into a conduit. The rift pulses, and when it seems as if it can take no more of it, it implodes. I don't fully understand how it works, but I plan to figure it out."

"It's essentially the same though," Leliana insisted. "Demons pouring out, and you're the only one who has the power to stop it."

Anybody could close an Oblivion Gate, but only she could close Fade Rifts.That was a very big difference. She truly wanted to help Nirn during the Oblivion Crisis, but here she felt like she was forced to do so. She'd saved the world once, why was it that she needed to do it one more time? If she hadn't appeared when she did, Lavellan would be in her place, and while Talia wouldn't wish this horrid fate on anyone, at least the elf was originally from Thedas.

What was happening was horrible, of course, but Talia was tired. She was no longer the same person who fiercely protected the people of the Waterfront, who leapt headfirst into Oblivion to save Kvatch, who eagerly awaited instructions from Martin and Jauffre and did everything in her power to save Nirn. The aftermath of the Oblivion Crisis left her with too many scars that couldn't and wouldn't fade over time.

"They say when you walk the plains of Oblivion, you should be extremely cautious. For when you enter Oblivion…Oblivion seeps into you as well," Talia murmured. "I didn't think anything changed in me when I first stepped into that gate and came back out successful. But perhaps I simply didn't know myself very well."

Leliana was quiet, but her face looked strangely sombre.

"There is no way for me to accurately describe what Oblivion—the Deadlands specifically—was like. Imagine a place with dried up land, and pools of lava everywhere—where you constantly hear the screams of the tortured but are unable to help. Imagine a place where blood runs in rivers, and every bridge your cross is made from bone. Imagine a wasteland filled with demons and horrible creatures of every kind…" Talia looked at Leliana. "That is what the Deadlands was like."

Talia breathed in deeply. "When I finally returned from Oblivion, I went to the chapel to find Martin, who was a priest there. Predictably, he wouldn't believe me when I said he was the Emperor's son."

'Why do you think the Daedra summoned a Great Gate in Kvatch? Certainly not because they simply wanted to destroy a random town in Cyrodiil! They're looking for you! And if we don't leave now, they will find us.'

"He eventually did, and I took him straight to Jauffre. Upon my arrival, the Priory was being attacked by the assassins, and though none of us were harmed, they managed to get the Amulet of Kings."

Leliana's eyes widened, and Talia could see that somewhere deep within her, she still loved a good story.

"We retreated to the Cloud Ruler Temple in Bruma, a safe haven for the Emperor and his Blades. I was tasked to do reconnaissance and infiltrate the group of assassins. But we learned they weren't simply assassins…they were a cult. And they served Mehrunes Dagon, the Daedric Prince of Destruction. Dagon has always been relentlessly invading Tamriel since the First Era, but the Dragonfires have always prevented his success.

"I infiltrated the Mythic Dawn, as their cult was called, and there I met Mankar Camoran, their leader," Talia fiddled with the Mundane Ring on her finger. "Before I could grab the Amulet he disappeared, into a place he called 'Paradise'. A small piece of Oblivion, made just for him." She remembered the Argonian prisoner, the one they sacrificed. "On the pedestal was a book, the Mysterium Xarxes…written by Mehrunes Dagon himself. When I took it, their entire sanctum collapsed. I had to fight my way out of there, and almost lost my life doing so."

It possibly wasn't the smartest thing to do, taking it in broad view of the cultists. Lucien had found her, bleeding profusely somewhere in the outskirts of Cheydinhal. He'd brought her back to the Sanctuary, and when she'd woken, she'd been subjected to his wrath. He'd expressly forbidden her from going back to Cloud Ruler temple, but for once, Talia disobeyed him and headed there even when she was injured. It was one of the few things she would argue with him about, and Lucien often questioned if her loyalty ultimately lay with Martin or with the Night Mother.

'Do you fancy yourself in love with him, Assassin? You would dare disobey a member of the Black Hand for this Martin Septim?'

'I wasn't visited by the Wrath of Sithis; perhaps the Dread Father understands that this is ultimately about duty.'

A hiss. 'Are you not loyal to Mother? Are you not loyal to me?'

His eyes dilated, in anger or in lust? Her hands grabbing his collar and dragging him down. Lips meeting, teeth gnashing, blood spilling.

'Do not forget whom you belong to.'

"Martin studied the book, and he determined the four relics we needed to open a portal to Camoran's Paradise. One was a Great Sigil Stone, and for that, we needed the enemy to open a Great Gate." Talia looked away. Although she knew she needed to do it, a small part of her resented Martin for asking her to gather their allies for him. Because of course they would want the Oblivion gates at their towns closed and of course she needed to do it. "We gathered all allies we could find from the other towns and cities. As we stood there, ready for battle, the gates opened one by one, and when the Great Gate finally opened, I entered it."

It was one of the times when the memory of Martin was only thing keeping her going. At that time, Lucien had already gone to the Void, and she had become Listener for the Brotherhood. "I was stabbed, shot, beaten, but I got the Great Sigil Stone." When the gate collapsed and she reappeared, her knees buckled, and she fell forward. Martin was there; Baurus told her the Dragonborn had refused to allow anyone else to carry her back up to Cloud Ruler temple. When she'd finally woken up, Martin was at her bedside singing a soft lullaby. Something had changed in the way he looked at her, but she could never say what it was.

"As you might have guessed, I went after Mankar Camoran in his Paradise, I killed him, and I got the Amulet of Kings. At that time, I'd thought that the worst was behind us; Martin would be crowned Emperor, he would light the Dragonfires, and we would all be fine."

"As you've already said that Martin Septim dies, I assume things didn't go according to plan?" Leliana said, and Talia realized she'd been quiet for some time.

Talia gritted her teeth. Two years and it still hurt; she could still remember every detail of their fight, from the blood stains on the floors of Temple district to the color of Martin's robes. "When we got to the Imperial City, it was overrun by Mythic Dawn and Daedra alike. I stuck close to Martin and protected him as best as I could. We were close to the Temple of the One…and then a large portal opened…and Mehrunes Dagon stepped onto Nirn for the first time in Eras."

Leliana had gone pale, and Talia could only imagine what she looked like. "He was…huge and fearsome. I truly can't describe him…if you remember my description of the deadlands…that's him personified. I only kept on going because I needed to keep Martin safe. We entered the Temple of the One, and Martin—"

Her breath hitched embarrassingly, and she coughed to hide it. "Martin told me he knew what he needed to do. He ran to the altar, just as Dagon smashed the roof open. The Amulet of Kings was crushed in his grip and he turned into a Dragon…the Avatar of Akatosh. Standing tall and proud, it bit at Dagon's neck, breathed fire at him and defeated him…expelling him back into Oblivion." Tears were threatening to pour down her eyes and she blinked them back. "Martin Septim gave up his life to save Tamriel. By becoming the Avatar of Akatosh, he solidified the barrier between our planes, and it prevents any and all Daedric Princes from stepping foot on Nirn."

He pulled her then into their first, and last kiss—stealing away her breath. But it was one filled with such bitterness and longing.

'Thank you…you've protected me with your life.' He cupped her face. 'But I must do my duty…and now it is time for me to protect you.'

"I am sorry." Leliana's words surprised Talia, and she furrowed her brow at the bard. "I had already guessed that this talk would dredge up unpleasant memories."

Talia was quiet for a moment before she answered. "This talk was long coming…I had simply delayed it."

Leliana's eyes shone with sadness, and Talia was surprised to see genuine emotion in her expression. "Still…I apologize for bringing up such memories."

Talia remained silent and the only sound was the scratching of the quill as she updated her notes. Leliana it seemed, was content to keep quiet as well, staring to the fire in deep contemplation.

"And where was Lucien during all of this?" She asked after some time, and Talia accidentally snapped the end of her quill. The dunmer stared at the black smear on her paper before grabbing a small knife and sharpening her pen.

"…Lucien died before Martin did. I ascended to the Listener just before I started recruiting allies for the battle in Bruma." Talia finally said.

"Will you tell me what happe—"

"No," came Talia's curt answer. Her knuckles were turning white at the tightness of her grip. "No, I will not," she said more calmly.

"I joined the Mages Guild and the Fighter's Guild after the end of the Oblivion Crisis, and ascended to Archmage and promoted to Guildmaster a year after," she said. "I would tell the whole story, but it's very long, and not particularly relevant to our discussion."

Leliana watched her for a moment before speaking. "Do you have any theories of how you were brought here and by whom?"

Talia relaxed marginally. At least Leliana knew when to drop the topic. "I would have thought it was Sheogorath, the god of madness. Since I entered his portal and ended up here instead of the Shivering Isles. Although, I've never known him to do anything except for his own amusement. Akatosh is the most likely suspect. As the Dragon god of Time, he's always meddled indirectly by placing certain people onto a path. Savith, as Dragonborn, is his favored child, and it would explain why he chose her. As for me," Talia sighed. "Perhaps it is because I helped save Nirn, and protected Martin Septim during the Oblivion Crisis.

"As for why he brought us here, I have no clue. We both arrived here during perilous times, so I assume we were brought to help save this world. Both of us have become the most important person for our respective crises, her for the Blight, and me for this Breach. Although I'm not sure why Akatosh would care about this world." Talia brought a hand up to her temple. "If I could speak with Savith, it would be extremely helpful. Perhaps we can help each other get back to Nirn. Do you know where she is now?"

Leliana's lips thinned. "Last I knew was that she'd left the Wardens under the command of Nathaniel Howe because she had some business in the North."

"The North?" Talia frowned, trying to remember her maps.

"Antiva? Perhaps Tevinter…even Seheron. I couldn't get any other information from Nathaniel apart from that. Even Alistair was curiously tight-lipped about it. And that was before they disappeared."

"What do you mean?" Talia frowned.

"Savith left for the trip a year ago, but never really said where she was going. Six months ago, Alistair told me the Wardens at Amaranthine had all disappeared, and he'd had to appoint someone as the new Arl. I asked him if he knew more, but he'd claimed not to know anything about it."

"You don't believe him?"

"He knows more than he lets on," Leliana said. "I'm not sure if Savith had to do something with it, but the Grey Wardens of Orlais are missing as well. I sent a message to Weisshaupt, but the First Warden hasn't replied to me yet."

Grey Wardens missing-King Alistair may know. Weisshaupt—Warden central command, First Warden - leader?

"Why didn't Savith tell you where she went? Are you not close friends?"

The dunmer would have missed it if she hadn't been observing Leliana, but the bard's shoulders tensed for a moment before resuming its relaxed state. "We…have not kept in touch for many years."

Talia cocked her head to the side as she regarded Leliana. "Does this have something to do with why she would not answer any of your letters?" Leliana stiffened visibly and gave her a frosty look, but Talia simply raised an eyebrow. "Did you have a falling out?"

Leliana clasped her hands together and pursed her lips. She looked strangely tense—very different from her usually composed self. "Of a sort."

"What sort?"

The iciness seeped out of Leliana, leaving her looking strangely defeated. "I suppose if anyone should know about it…it would be you."

Talia waited patiently as Leliana composed herself.

"Justinia and I were close long before she even became the Divine. She was the main reason I had pledged my life to the Chantry, and was willing to leave my life as a bard behind me. Of course, I'd met Savith, and I left my Chantry life behind to pick up my bow and aid her during the Blight. Afterwards, when she'd been named Divine, Justinia offered me the position of Left Hand…and I accepted it, along with everything that went with the title. Ultimately, that meant my loyalty was with Justinia…and I did anything and everything she asked."

Talia was familiar with the feeling. Lucien wasn't just her Speaker—he owned her. Her loyalty was with him first, then the Night Mother. Looking back, perhaps it was the reason Mother let him die, despite being a loyal child of Sithis.

"I have killed, spied, tortured for Justinia…but none of those elicit the same guilt in me as what I've done to Savith." Leliana said mournfully.

It was a moment before it clicked, and Talia's eyes widened at the implications of her statement. "You told Justinia?" she asked incredulously.

Leliana resolutely stared at her hands instead of the dunmer. "Justinia asked me what I knew about Savith. She asked me to tell her everything, so that she could assess if Savith was a threat to Thedas. I did not want to…I wanted to lie, but I couldn't." She raised her eyes and Talia saw it shining with emotion she couldn't identify. "I wrote her a report on everything I knew, but I pleaded with her not to share it with anybody. I at least owed Savith that. I can't be certain she never shared it with anyone, but Cassandra was never informed."

Talia was frozen in her seat. "When you say everything…"

"Everything," Leliana emphasized and Talia shot to her feet and paced the room. Was that how Leliana repaid friendship? By betrayal? The dunmer panicked as she thought of everything she'd divulged. This information would be used against her—

"Justinia is dead…and I will not do the same with you." Leliana tried to reassure her.

"Is that so? Was that what you told Savith as well before you wrote a file about her?" Talia snarled. What had she done? She couldn't believe she'd been foolish enough to tell Leliana about herself.

Leliana stood as well and she approached her angrily. "I did what I thought was right. Justinia as head of the Chantry needed to know this. And while I regret that I'd lost Savith's friendship, I do not regret following Justinia."

Talia breathed in deeply, calming herself. Justinia was dead, and Leliana did not have a Divine to report to. And if she did, well, Talia was not the Gray Fox or the Listener for nothing.

"I will need that file," Talia finally said, having effectively put her mask of indifference back on.

Leliana noticed this and composed herself as well. "What for?"

"If there is more information about her and her past, it may point to who brought us here and how we were transported."

Leliana nodded sharply. "It's in Val Royeaux, in a hidden safebox."

"Draw me a map of the place, I will procure it myself when we arrive at Val Royeaux," Talia said coolly and turned to go. "And Leliana?"

"Yes, Herald?" she replied neutrally.

"If you decide it a grand idea to betray my confidence, I will kill you," Talia looked over her shoulder and regarded Leliana coldly. The Spymaster nodded with icy understanding and bowed slightly.

With that, Talia trudged out of the Spymaster's hut, welcoming the biting cold that seeped under her clothes. She thought of everything Leliana had said, and Talia knew that the Spymaster would never have told her if she'd been planning to do the same to her. Their talk, while not very pleasant, had been filled with warm understanding and sympathy. And while betraying Savith's confidence was a horrible thing to do, Talia understood more than anyone that sometimes, there were simply orders you couldn't refuse.

And if Leliana found a stem of Andraste's Grace on her desk with a small note that said, "I understand", neither of them mentioned it. And if Varric kept giving Talia strange looks for asking him to teach her how to write down those words, nobody mentioned it either.

A/N: A step forward in the Leliana and Talia's friendship. Yaaaay. So, you've learned some things about Savith…and yes, she hates Anora. I gave the general Dragon Crisis story, I think the fuller story would be better told by Savith than anyone else.

Yes, I took liberties on Dunmer aging/maturity/lifespan, because…why not?

While I was planning to reveal a lot more about Savith this chapter, I ended up telling Talia's story instead. I think it fits better, since Leliana couldn't possibly remember every single thing about Savith. We're instead getting a glimpse of what happened during the Oblivion Crisis and her actual thoughts during those times. I also wanted to expand more about how she felt about saving the world. And the contrast between her wanting to help back in Oblivion and having no choice now with the Breach.

I've always wondered: if the Wardens disappeared, who the was left managing Amaranthine? So I decided to add a quick bit about Alistair appointing a new Arl, and feigning ignorance on whatever's happening. Well duh, he can also hear the calling, of course he knows something!

Next chapter is Val Royeaux!