Edited: June 2024
18
"Dear Maker, how much further do we have to go?" Felix muttered.
Talia looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "I did tell you we'd be scouring the Frostbacks for this place."
The man looked truly miserable, knee-deep in snow and shivering. The weather in the Frostback Mountains was horrible. Both were already swathed in furs that put Cullen's coat to shame, and yet the cold air still seeped to their bones. In truth, Talia was surprised that it was the first complaint she'd ever heard from Felix. They'd been trudging around the mountains for days, looking for Fen'Harel's mysterious fortress. Talia would have been complaining too...had it not been her idea in the first place.
After her talk with Harding, Talia and Felix had spent a few days in the Hinterlands planning what to do and familiarizing themselves with each other's fighting style. Felix heavily favored defensive magic, and was particularly skilled in healing. While Talia, still mindfully not using her magic around the scouts, stuck with her daggers and throwing knives.
In the brief time they'd spent together, Talia discovered that Felix was a font of information. They had spent majority of the time talking, not just about their plans, but mundane things as well—his fondness for fruits, her humble alchemy shack in Imperial City, curse words in Tevene and Dunmeri, the list went on. He was well-versed in politics as well, something Talia hadn't expected of him. When he apprised her of political happenings in Orlais and Tevinter, Talia had raised her eyebrows in surprise, and he had looked back at her in amusement.
"I'm the heir to my father's seat in the Magisterium," he had reminded her.
Scout Harding had been incredibly supportive of her too. She'd provided whatever Talia needed—be it provisions or information. The young woman carried out her requests enthusiastically. Before they'd left, she handed over the letter to be given to Leliana, and had nervously wished her luck on her journey.
Felix sighed. "I know. I'm hoping we come across it soon."
"Do you want to rest for a moment?" Talia frowned as she looked over the mage. He did look pale, and the dark circles under his eyes seemed more pronounced, but she had assumed it was because of the cold.
"I'm all right," he said stubbornly. "I can rest when we get to Skyhold." He started climbing up the slope they were on and Talia shook her head at him as he passed her. She cast a rejuvenation spell on him, and followed after. As he reached the peak, he paused in his steps and Talia only just managed to stop herself from falling backwards at his sudden stop.
"Felix?" she asked in worry.
"I know you said it was a fortress, but I didn't expect this." He sounded incredulous, and Talia leaned to the side to get a better view of what he was looking at.
Balanced on a leveled mountain ridge sat a large keep, bounded by high stone walls. There seemed to be only one long bridge connecting the main mountain pass and the keep, and Talia wondered how on Nirn they were able to build such a place. Magic was involved, surely.
The two found the least steep slope and slid down. Talia gracefully landed on her feet at the bottom; Felix, on the other hand, slipped and lost his footing mid-way and ended up rolling down. When his head popped out of the snow, Talia had to bite her lip to prevent herself from smirking. The man scowled at her as he stood and dusted himself off.
"Not a word," he said in warning, and Talia raised her hands.
As they approached the long stone bridge leading to the fortress, Talia observed the structure to determine its sturdiness, while Felix passed his hands over the stones lightly.
"Strange," he muttered from where he was crouched.
"Something wrong?"
"The magic in these stones feels...old, ancient even."
Talia wasn't attuned to Fade magic as her own world's, but she felt the familiar thrumming of protective magic emanating from the structure.
"We can study it at a later date." Talia turned and started walking towards the entrance. "The bridge doesn't seem like it's going to collapse with our additional weight. Let's move on."
The metal gate was closed, but being centuries old, it had weathered enough for Talia to disintegrate a section of it and step inside.
The keep was not in good shape.
The ground was overgrown with foliage, and vines crept along the stone parapets. The outer walls had, thankfully, survived the elements, but the same couldn't be said about most of Skyhold. She and Felix cautiously climbed the steps that led to a large hall, and everywhere they looked, there were piles of rubble. Three of the four towers were impassable, as large sections of the stairs were destroyed. They climbed the fourth one, and Felix almost ended up falling to his death when they opened the door at the top and the floor beneath him gave way as he stepped out.
The two decided to stick to exploring the lower sections of Skyhold.
The six doors in the main hall led to different areas of the keep, and they spent most of the time trying to decide what to do with which area. The first room they entered seemed to be the study of whichever lord or lady last used the keep. There was a large desk and a dusty plush chair in the middle of the room, and the sides were lined with derelict bookshelves. The fireplace looked like it hadn't been used since the First Era.
"The amount of dust in here is overwhelming." Felix coughed as he opened the window and used whatever knowledge he had of elemental magic to summon wind and siphon most of the dust out of the room.
Talia examined the shelves. Most of the books crumbled at touch, but the few that didn't disintegrate held journals about warding and protective magic.
"Any hint as to whom this keep used to belong?" Felix asked as Talia went through the desk's drawers.
"Definitely a mage," Talia said with certainty as she examined some of the documents left behind. One of them was filled with sketches of runes, most of which, Felix noted, were for enchanting staves. They decided to put off reading the journals and documents until they found an archivist to bind them.
As they moved on to other sections of Skyhold, Felix jotted down their ideas for each area—the kitchens, barracks, smithy, stables, dungeons and so on. They came across the rotunda, which housed the old library. Sadly, most of the books were waterlogged and unreadable. They would need someone to go through all of them to see if there were any that were salvageable.
At the end of the day, the two returned to the study and lit the fireplace. Talia and Felix combined their magical knowledge and placed several wards throughout Skyhold to warn them of any intruders.
"I doubt anybody's going to actually come barging in," Felix said wryly. "Considering this place has been abandoned for hundreds of years, at least."
"You can never be too careful," Talia replied, but was thinking of Fen'Harel, the elf who had brought them here in the first place. She ended up not telling him the truth of how she discovered Skyhold, only saying that Solas suggested it. She wasn't certain how receptive he would be to her saying, 'An ancient elven god decided to give me the fortress and allude to my role in some greater scheme'. While she enjoyed his company, their fledgling friendship wasn't quite there yet.
She handed Felix some of the cured meat that Harding had prepared for them as she started preparing a simple soup to warm them both. While she wasn't a very good cook, Talia knew at least a few dishes to ensure her survival in the odd event that she be stranded in the wild.
Felix, however, was another story. Like most nobles, he knew next to nothing about surviving the wilderness. Talia personally blamed his father's protectiveness. Although, she knew that had she not left Morrowind, she would likely know nothing about it as well.
Talia stirred the soup and took a sip. When she was satisfied that it tasted passable, she ladled some into the bowls they'd brought with them and handed one to Felix.
"Thank you, this is perfect for the horrid weather," he said as he reached for the bowl. "So, what are your thoughts on Skyhold so far?"
Talia spooned some soup in her mouth as she contemplated her answer. "In some ways, it's perfect for the Inquisition. It's isolated, defensible and protected by magic."
"But you were hoping for something more intact?" he guessed.
"It's going to take a lot of time and resources to rebuild Skyhold. Something we don't have. Not yet at least."
Felix made a noncommittal sound. "Are we heading for Haven next?"
Sighing, Talia nodded. "I need to speak to Leliana about the situation. As I've mentioned, she's the one least likely to kill me out of all of them."
"Perhaps you should consider informing your ambassador. Josephine was it?" he paused, as if waiting for Talia's approval, and when she glanced up at him from her food, he continued. "From what I understand, Josephine has the means to gather donations and sponsorships from various nobles. She handles everything dealing with partnerships, finances and goodwill. We would need her if we're considering clearing out the rubble and restoring Skyhold."
"The idea has merit," Talia said slowly. She hadn't thought of informing Josephine, since she'd thought telling Leliana was bad enough, and they didn't need another complication. But Felix was right. She couldn't very well go around and look for architects, engineers and workers; she wouldn't even know where to begin, let alone cut a good deal from them.
"And from what little you've told me, Josephine is quite reasonable?" he asked more than said.
"More reasonable than Cassandra or Cullen," she amended.
"She won't kill you at least," he commented drily, and Talia's lips twitched in amusement.
"You never know," she quipped, and Felix huffed in amusement.
Comfortable silence settled in between them, and Talia took the opportunity to contemplate her situation. While she would likely never say it out loud, she was grateful for Felix's presence; she wouldn't know what she would have done if she'd time-travelled alone. She observed him as he stared into the fire, the warm glow illuminating his face.
It was strange how easy it was to be around him. He was curious about her and Nirn, but he never prodded or pushed when she was uncomfortable with a topic. There was a kindness in him as well, the type that came to him naturally. He wasn't even sunny and cheerful; instead, there was quiet contentment in his features, as if he were at peace with himself. Despite the unfortunate circumstances befalling him, the man simply accepted reality and moved on. And, in spite of herself, Talia admired him for that, which is why she'd included finding a cure to his sickness a priority on her to-do list.
She reached for her pack and pulled out her journal, and the sound of crinkling paper seemed to jerk Felix out of his reverie. When they'd started planning, Felix had suggested they write everything down to keep track of their goals. Of course, he'd ended up writing it, when she remembered she couldn't write in their language.
On the top of their list was 'Find Skyhold' and she took out her quill and ink and crossed that out.
"So what's next on our agenda?" Felix leaned forward to get a better look at their list.
They wrote down their priorities in no particular order, but Talia thought the most pressing matters were recruiting more allies to combat the templars, and finding Savith Stormcrown.
Looking for allies was likely easier; the Dragonborn had proved elusive. If Leliana, with all her resources couldn't find the dunmer, how would Talia?
"Do you have any ideas where we'd be able to find the Warden? Leliana told me the King hinted that she had some business North, likely in Tevinter."
Felix shook his head. "Your guess is as good as mine. But I suppose if she's in Tevinter, she's looking for information on the Old Gods."
"Perhaps finding a way to prevent the last two Blights..." Talia said thoughtfully. She remembered reading there were only two more Old Gods left. "If she's in Tevinter, then it isn't likely that I'll be able to get in touch with her. She'd want to know that people from Nirn are looking for her."
Talia had told Felix about what happened when they were in the Fade. He seemed rather disappointed he'd been unconscious for the entire thing. Felix had readily agreed to aid her in researching a way back to Nirn, but had said that it would be best to put it off until the Breach was sealed, and the Inquisition had a better base. He also pointed out that Dorian would be more than happy to help, and reluctantly, he also suggested his father.
"My family has contacts across Thedas, not as much as Dorian's, but I can ask them to keep an eye out for the Warden."
"Can you also ask them for resource materials regarding the First Blight? Or any accounts about the seven mages that entered the Fade."
"Of course."
"Do you think any members of the Magisterium would ally with the Inquisition?"
Felix shook his head. "Highly unlikely. At least not until the Inquisition has proven itself. I assure you that if you manage to seal the Breach, they'll be begging for your attention."
"Wonderful. Now, all we have to do is figure out how to tell Leliana about our...unfortunate circumstances," she said wryly.
"I'm not sure how to go about it," he shook his head forlornly. "Dorian's much better at things like this than I am."
Talia tried to imagine how Dorian would go about it. They'd probably end up burned at the stake.
"He would probably start with an annoying diatribe about Ferelden hospitality if the reception was less than favorable," Felix continued. "And when asked who he is he'd act all affronted that they don't know his name, puff up his chest and introduce himself in the most obnoxious way possible."
That pulled a chuckle out of Talia. "That's almost exactly what happened when he came to Haven."
Felix's smiled dimmed. "Father must have been truly desperate to have asked Dorian for help."
"Did they have a falling out? Dorian told me he used to be your father's apprentice?" Talia asked curiously.
Felix rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable with the question.
"You don't have to answer that question. I'm sorry if I brought up unpleasant memories."
"No, it's all right." he sighed. "After mother died, and I was Tainted, Father...changed." He stared at the fireplace as he spoke. "He dropped all of his research and paid no attention to anything but me. Dorian was working on his Mastery in Necromancy, and he and Father were researching ways to use ambient spiritual energy in enchantments. But Father focused all his attention in looking for ways to cure the Blight. He didn't even notice when Dorian finished the research by himself. I think the last straw was the invitation to the Venatori. I wasn't ever sure what words were exchanged, Dorian never told me, but I knew Father hurt him."
"You blame yourself," Talia said more than asked.
Felix gave a rueful laugh but shook his head. "Part of the blame rests on me, as I wasn't careful enough during that fight. Seeing mother go down made me...reckless," he admitted. "But it wasn't anyone's fault but the darkspawn. I wish Father could see it that way."
"He's probably still blaming himself for being unable to protect you. He's your father; he believes it his job to do so."
"It doesn't seem to matter that I'm a grown man, and can make decisions for myself."
"I suppose there's little that parents wouldn't do for their children," Talia commented.
"Was it like that with you as well?"
"With what?"
"With your parents?"
Felix raised his head to glance at her when she was quiet for too long. Before he could apologize, Talia waved away his concerns.
"It's no problem, I just haven't thought about them in a while." She paused as she thought of what to say. Her parents weren't particularly warm people, and Talia had always believed that they viewed her more of as an investment or offering to the Tribunal than anything else. They never hated her, and she didn't resent them, but she never felt the kind of familial love she did with the Brotherhood.
"I ran away from my home and my duties when I was younger. I never cared for the religion, and House Indoril was too steeped in dogmatic beliefs that I felt stifled." She propped an elbow on her thigh and hooked her hand under her chin. "So, I ran. I dropped my House name, and changed my first name to make it harder for them to trace me. After a few years, I realized no one was coming to get me. Perhaps a part of me always wanted them to come look for me, to matter I suppose. To see how much I meant to them."
"I'm sorry," Felix said sympathetically.
Talia shook her head. "The thing is, they never disowned me. That was a sign that I was free to come back, should I wish it. I think not sending someone after me was their blessing to go off and do whatever I want with my life."
"Do you regret it?" Felix asked quietly.
"Running away?" Talia thought of her siblings' cold glares and her parents' disapproval, in contrast to Ocheeva's warm eyes, Gogron's bear hugs, and Vicente's patient smile. "Never."
The fierceness in her response seemed to surprise Felix, but he recovered quickly and offered a soft smile. "I suppose you found happiness in...Cyrodiil was it?"
Once she started thinking about her Family, it was a slippery slope, and Talia had to close her eyes at the onslaught of memories.
"Yes," and despite her efforts to make her response sound natural, Felix still picked up on the tension.
"Are you all right?"
"You bring me such pride, dear Sister."
A warm hand pats her cheek. Eyes crinkling in happiness.
"Talia!"
"That thing you did with Phillida, a work of art, truly!"
A thump on her back. His huge grin splitting his face.
"You...ah. Purification."
His eyes held nothing but understanding.
"Talia!"
Crimson-stained robes.
Blood on her hands.
"Talia!"
A hand grasped her shoulder and snapped her out of her memories. She only just managed to stop herself from lashing out at Felix, who looked at her in a mix of shock and concern.
"I...perhaps we should rest. We have much to do," Talia quickly looked away and busied herself with setting aside her paper and ink.
Felix, thankfully, dropped the topic and silently helped with putting away their things.
"Talia..." he started when they had both settled in their bedrolls.
"Good night, Felix." Talia determinedly looked away from him.
There was a pause before he spoke softly. "Good night, Talia."
Talia lay on her back, staring at the ceiling as her mind swirled with memories. It was difficult not to step into the trap of blame and guilt, and she tried to busy her mind with something else besides...that.
It had been a while since she thought of Lukas and everybody she'd left behind in Nirn. How long had it been for them? Were they looking for her? Or did they find someone to replace her? Modryn would probably have already sent out a search team, as well as Raminus.
With a pang of sadness, Talia realized that she missed them. She missed Modryn's dry wit, Raminus' fatherly advice, and—Sithis help her—she even missed Ocato's pestering.
But most of all, she missed Lukas.
He was the only person she trusted implicitly, and she was always certain of his loyalties. He knew everything about her, she could be herself around him. There was a feeling of safety and security when she was with him.
She never felt safe in this world. Not with Leliana, Varric, not even with Felix.
But she could...if she allowed herself to. Except that it was a horrible idea.
It was bad enough that she started getting attached to Varric, but Felix was slowly worming his way into her heart as well. When she first arrived in this world, she promised herself that if she were ever given a chance to head back to Nirn even before the Breach was closed, she'd take the chance and abandon them all to their fate.
Now, she wasn't too sure.
Talia wasn't sure how long she'd spent staring at the ceiling, before succumbing to sleep.
"Many believe that the branch of Illusion is useless, pointless, a waste of magical talent." Talia allowed her voice to carry across the room, and watched as the wide-eyed apprentices clung to her every word. Raminus had insisted that she hold lectures about Illusion magic for the newly inducted members of the University. While she had more important things to do, she did agree that she was one of the few that were qualified to do so.
"Most only see the first layer of Illusion—invisibility, silencing, manipulation—and deem it less important. And yet—there is subtlety in Illusion that is absent in other schools of magic." Talia continued describing the uses of Illusion magic, as well as the research she produced for her Mastery.
"Does anybody have any questions..." Talia had barely finished her question when almost all hands shot up in the air. And in a wry tone, she continued, "Not related to the Oblivion Crisis?"
Almost all hands dropped, and the apprentices looked rather disappointed. Talia only just stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Children.
"I have a question," spoke a familiar voice from the back of the room. When Talia turned to the person speaking, she had to groan.
She was in theFade. Again.
The world around them dissolved as Talia realized where she was, and the elf slowly approached her.
"How fascinating," he said as he observed her. The usual wolf mask was on his face, leaving only his lips visible, but he was wearing robes today instead of his tarnished armor. As he walked towards her, the Fade shifted into a serene courtyard with soft grass and beautiful blooming trees.
"What is it you want this time?" Talia asked tightly.
She couldn't see his face, but she was certain he was raising an eyebrow at her. "Curious."
Sithis spare me from gods who love their vague nonsense. Talia rubbed her forehead in annoyance. "If you do not have anything else to say, Fen'Harel, it would be greatly appreciated if thy greatness would extricate himself from my dreams, thank you."
He stopped in his steps as he observed her, and Talia raised her chin as she stared right back at him.
"How curious for you to say that. You allude to a time when we had spoken before. And yet...I have no memory of ever meeting you."
Talia paused. Of course. Fen'Harel hadn't met her, yet. However, if his powers didn't transcend time, did that mean he wasn't actually a god, but a mortal pretending to be one?
"What was your question?"
He tilted his head to the side as he watched her curiously. "I wish to know how you found Tarasy'lan Te'las, and what it is you are doing there."
"Oh, so you don't know? How, unfortunate," Talia replied silkily, and her lip twitched when his eyes narrowed.
"I would hazard a guess and say that it was I who revealed this to you."
"What makes you say that?"
"I am likely the only one who knows of its existence," he replied, and Talia looked at him sharply but didn't correct him. Was he unaware of Solas?
"Indeed," she confirmed and said nothing else even as Fen'Harel stared her down. Did he think himself intimidating?
"And? How is it that I remember nothing of this encounter?"
"Forgive my ignorance, but are you not the god? If anybody should have answers, it should be you, not me."
Fen'Harel was making an effort to keep his face blank, Talia could tell.
"Ah, perhaps it is also the reason you are in Skyhold, and yet also in the Hinterlands?"
Now, it was Talia's turn to frown. Why was he always so knowledgeable about both the mark and her movements?
"Is it more of your illusion magic, then?"
She glanced away instead of answering his question and something caught her eye. There was a raven perched on the branch in the tree above them, and after a while, another joined it, and Talia had to raise an eyebrow at how out of place they seemed.
"The world where you're from seems to be a vastly different place." He was fishing for information. Talia knew that he would keep entering her dreams and learning about Nirn, and unless she found a way to guard her mind, she was extremely vulnerable.
Two more ravens settled on the tree branch and Talia had a strange feeling that they were watching them.
"Do you have a fascination with ravens?" Talia looked away from them to ask him, and Fen'Harel looked thrown for a moment.
"Ravens?" he looked up, and the slight parting of his lips indicated that he was surprised. When Talia looked back up, she started as well. There were dozens of ravens now, all looking down at them expectantly.
"Something is..." he paused, and the ravens flew down from their perch and extended their talons to attack him. His eyes widened, and he disappeared.
When he did, the world was plunged into darkness. It wasn't oppressive, and it felt rather familiar. It wasn't the Void, but rather, an amalgamation of shadows.
"Gray Fox," came the curt greeting, and Talia turned around to face the Daedric Prince of Shadows. While she knew they had no gender, Nocturnal appeared in a vision of a woman, swathed in fine, dark robes.
"Lady Nocturnal." Talia bent on one knee. "Thank you for interceding." She always knew that it paid to be reverent and polite to the Princes.
"It seems even outside of Nirn, mortals still have the arrogance to masquerade as gods." She wondered if she imagined the disgust in Nocturnal's voice.
"Mortal?" Talia asked. So it was true, this Fen'Harel was no god.
"You have been remiss in your duties," Nocturnal said instead, her calculating eyes watching her.
Talia inclined her head. "I apologize, my Lady. But I have no way of returning to Nirn as of the moment. If there is anything I can do here in this world to gain your favor—,"
"You are already mine, Talia Indoril."
Nocturnal already knew that while Talia was pledged to her service as her champion, Sithis had a larger claim to her soul, but she stayed silent instead of pointing it out.
"But, I do have a task for you. If you are still my champion?"
Ah, there it was. Why the Daedric Princes could never be straightforward, Talia would never know. Nocturnal's words sounded mocking, but she answered anyway. "Always, my Lady."
"I require you to recover something of mine that has gone...missing."
Talia blinked in surprise. "You have...lost an artifact on this world, my Lady?"
"Not an artifact. A soul pledged to my service."
"The Dragonborn." Talia suddenly remembered that the dunmer was a Nightingale. "But, my Lady, the Fade connects all. You may be able to contact her in the same way as you did me."
"Do you believe me foolish, Gray Fox?" Noctural responded coldly, and Talia had to inwardly cringe at her misstep. "There is something festering in my Nightingale, and I cannot reach her mind."
"And what is it you wish me to do, my lady?" Talia asked cautiously.
"Find her, and discover a way to rid her of this illness. The Evergloam awaits her arrival."
Talia wondered what it was like to be so popular with the Princes. She was almost certain most of them had made a bid for the Dragonborn's soul.
"Would you know her location, my Lady?"
"Speak to the dwarven people in the Mountains. She is in the roads beneath the earth."
Finally, a lead. Talia thought in excitement.
She had so many questions: how did she enter the Fade? Why is she only contacting her now? But Nocturnal wasn't known for her patience, and so Talia stilled her tongue.
"It will be done, my Lady." Talia bowed her head.
"He is here as well."
Talia frowned at the Prince's words. He? He who?
"My Lady?"
Nocturnal met her eyes, and Talia felt cowed. "He has made it his goal to obtain your soul."
A chill settled in her gut. "My soul will go to the Void." She answered instead.
"You would make an adequate Nightingale." Nocturnal stared down at her.
So that was what this was about; she was trying to find a way to snatch Talia's soul from Sithis. Being a Nightingale was more hassle than it was worth, protecting the Ebonmere and the Twilight Sepulcher, in life and in death. Plus, her family was in the Void. She would not risk Mother's ire by agreeing to this deal.
However, she would be a fool to antagonize Nocturnal.
So she bowed her head. "Thank you for your generous offer, Lady Nocturnal. However, nothing can be done until I am able to return to Nirn."
Nocturnal scrutinized her for a moment before speaking. "Sheogorath was right in sending you to this world."
"What?" Talia said dumbly.
"Go, Gray Fox. You will find the Shadows working in your favor."
When Talia opened her eyes, she was back in their room in Skyhold. Felix was still in his bedroll, tossing and turning. She rubbed her temples in confusion.
What was that? At first, Talia was certain that Nocturnal was trying to get a hold of her soul. There was also the entire business with the Dragonborn. A task to locate her and cure the Blight? It was strange, even for Nocturnal. And then she'd mentioned Sheogorath... As she sat up, something slid from her chest. With no small amount of curiosity, she examined it.
The Gray Cowl.
And beneath it, The Skeleton Key.
First Sheogorath, then Nocturnal. What in Oblivion did they want with her?
A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long! I started my Master's classes, and it's been pretty hard. So, you liked it? Hated it? Don't know? Tell me what you think!
Response to reviews:
BananaKing08: I'm considering it xD
GothicPotatoes: I like them as friends too! I think they're good for each other. Thanks! I'm glad you like them.
Guest, Lord Mortem: Thank you!
Jarjaxle: Thanks so much! I appreciate your reviews. Talia will be building an army away from Haven. So in a sense, she wasn't lying to the Lord Seeker? With regards to the Solas bit, Talia isn't stupid, so she's likely to notice something soon. :-)
METALHELLSPWN, Drgyen: Thanks! Still working out the details on how to integrate the Templars, but it will happen. :)
ShadowPegasus: Thanks so much! I appreciate it!