The cold winds of the Frostbacks swirled around Skyhold's towering battlements. Ih'tal stood alone, staring out into the dark, her thoughts lost in the vast expanse of the night sky. It had been months since the last time she allowed herself to think of him, to remember the warmth of his voice or the fire in his gaze. But tonight, she could feel him. As though the Fade itself was whispering to her, pulling him closer.
It wasn't a surprise when she heard his soft footsteps behind her.
"You always did prefer to stand alone," came Solas's voice, gentle but filled with unspoken weight.
She turned slowly to face him, her heart tightening at the sight of him after all this time. His features were cast in shadow, his expression unreadable. For a brief moment, the air between them was charged with the unspoken history they shared.
"You always did know where to find me," she responded, her voice guarded.
He took a step closer. "I've come to speak with you, Ih'tal. There is a path forward, but the choice is yours."
She shook her head, her arms folding across her chest. "Is it really a choice when all your roads lead to the same end? You want me to follow you, but I know where that leads."
Solas's brow furrowed, but his determination didn't waver. "You know what we were. You know what our people were meant to be. This world, Ih'tal, it was never supposed to exist. The Veil must come down. Only then can the Elvhen truly be free again."
Her expression hardened, her eyes narrowing. "Free?" She scoffed. "This isn't about freedom, Solas. It's about you—trying to atone for something you'll never forgive yourself for."
Solas flinched ever so slightly but didn't deny it. "I cannot change the past, but I can fix it. And Mythal, she sees the same truth. She knows it can be done."
Ih'tal's heart clenched, but she forced herself to hold her ground. "You speak of restoring the Elvhen Empire as if it's a noble cause. But it isn't. This is about undoing what you regret. What you destroyed."
Solas flinched, barely visible, but it was there. The truth of her words hit him hard. "Yes," he admitted, his voice low, "I bear the weight of those choices. The Dread Wolf… I tore it all apart to save my people from their own arrogance. And for that, I am cursed."
"And now you want to tear apart this world to make up for it?" Ih'tal's voice cut through the cold night air, sharp as a blade. "You say this is about restoration, but we both know it's about your guilt."
Solas's jaw tightened, but he didn't turn away. "It is both," he admitted, the conflict clear in his voice. "I seek to right my wrongs, yes. But I also seek to return the world to what it should be. Mythal and I—"
"No," Ih'tal interrupted, her voice laced with anger. "Mythal isn't interested in saving anyone. This isn't about justice for her. She wants power. That's all she's ever wanted."
Solas straightened, visibly bristling at the accusation. "Mythal was betrayed by her fellow gods. She seeks balance, justice for what was taken from her. She fights for the world as it should have been."
"She fights for control," Ih'tal countered, stepping closer, her tone growing fiercer. "You're so blinded by your guilt that you refuse to see what's right in front of you. My sister is using you, Solas. She's always been about reclaiming her throne. And when this is all over, when you've broken this world apart, she'll take it for herself, and leave you with nothing."
Solas clenched his fists, his eyes filled with internal conflict. "You misunderstand her," he said softly.
Ih'tal shook her head. "No. You misunderstand her." She stepped even closer, her voice thick with pain. "I know Mythal. I've known her my entire life. She was always the one with plans, always the one with an agenda. Every time I trusted her, every time I followed her lead, it was for her own gain."
Her voice grew more emotional as she recalled a memory that had haunted her for centuries. "Once, I tried to free a group of slaves, children, Solas, held by a cruel master who used them to fuel his own rise to power. I planned their escape, I wanted to save them… but Mythal stopped me."
Solas's eyes widened slightly, his gaze locking with hers. The bitterness in her tone was unmistakable.
"She stopped them because the master knew of her connection to me. Not because of any real threat, not because of her plans, but because she feared for her image. She feared the consequences of being associated with me. And for that, every one of those slaves died. Innocent children… killed by her hand, all because she didn't want to risk her reputation. She cared for nothing but herself."
The silence between them was suffocating. Solas looked away, his expression pained as her words cut deep. He didn't speak for a long moment, as though he were struggling with the weight of this new revelation.
"Ih'tal," he said at last, his voice barely above a whisper. "I… I'm sorry for your pain, but I cannot abandon this path. I cannot turn back. I have sworn to see the Elvhen restored, no matter the cost. The Veil, it is a wound. Without it, the world can flourish again. I believe in this, even if it means losing everything."
"And what of the people who live here now?" Ih'tal's voice trembled with anger. "The humans, the qunari, the dwarves… what happens to them? To me? This world may be flawed, but it's our world. You would destroy it—destroy us—just to bring back an empire that fell because of its own arrogance."
Her heart broke all over again as she looked at him. "If you continue down this path, Solas… know that I will oppose you. I won't stand by while you tear this world apart. I will fight to defend what we've built, what exists now, not some dream of a past that's long gone.
Solas's gaze darkened with sorrow, but beneath it, she saw a flicker of tenderness, a glimmer of the man who had once loved her. "Then we are enemies," he whispered, stepping closer to her. "But know this, vhenan. What we had… it was real. My love for you, it is real. Despite everything, despite what I must do."
Her breath hitched as his words reached her. For a moment, all the battles, all the betrayals, melted away. She looked into his eyes and saw the man she had loved, the man who still loved her.
Before she could think, she closed the distance between them, his hand finding her cheek as their lips met in a kiss. It was soft at first, filled with hesitation, but quickly deepened into something far more desperate. For a moment, they were just Ih'tal and Solas. No gods, no Veil, no war—just the two of them.
Solas kissed her back with a tenderness that shattered her heart. His hand slipped to the back of her neck, pulling her closer, as though trying to memorize the feeling of her in his arms. But it ended too soon. It had to.
When they parted, they stood there for a moment, foreheads resting together, eyes closed, hearts heavy.
"I wish… things could be different," Solas whispered, his voice laced with regret.
"So do I," Ih'tal replied, barely able to keep her voice steady.
They stood in silence, letting the weight of their choices settle between them. Solas took a step back, his form slowly fading into the shadows. "When the time comes," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion, "I will do what I must."
"And I'll be there to stop you," Ih'tal whispered, her eyes never leaving his.
He gave her one final, sorrowful smile. "I know. But until then, vhenan… I will look forward to seeing you."
For a long moment, they stood there, letting the weight of their choices settle between them. Solas took a step back, the shadows around him obscuring him from sight, preparing to take him away once more.
Then, as swiftly as he had come, he disappeared into the night, leaving Ih'tal standing alone on the battlements once more.
They were on opposite sides now, and when the time came, she would stand against him. But tonight, in the stillness of the sky, she could allow herself to grieve for what was lost, and for the man she loved.
