Following the path they were on only brought them to a dead end; a sandy cliff face not stable enough to climb, and not tall enough to cast a shadow they could rest in, so the Inquisition turned back in the other direction once more. By the time they came across the tree-shrouded entrance to the Tevinter ruins, it was agreed that a quick stop to rest would at least give them the energy to find a more suitable place to camp for the evening, perhaps another cave. Having already used a fair amount of their potion stores, they patched themselves up as best they could with minimal magical healing to conserve the mana of their mages as well.
When they returned to their new path, they soon found themselves following another man-made road, as evidenced by sections of rope barriers still standing to prevent fatal missteps into the ravine below.
"Another chantry trail marker," Cassandra pointed as she passed by on horseback. "Perhaps we are going in the right direction to find shelter, if this sacred site is nearby."
"We travel along Valemont Pass," Ser Jean called back to her. "I have crossed it before, but I know not of any pilgrimage sites. Careful, boy!"
One of the Orlesian soldiers grunted as he tried to calm his horse, which was desperately trying to skitter away from an exposed section of the cliff's edge. "Apologies, ser! She's slipped on the-aaaaaaargh!" The soldier's horse reared up in its attempt to rebalance, and the soldier fell, skidding down the eroded wall of the ravine.
Ellethir threw out her marked hand, and a wiry tree root shot out from the shrubbery at the ravine floor to wrap around the soldier's middle and slow down his fall. He rolled to a stop, groaning.
"Are you alright?!" Ellethir yelled down to him, and he called something back in Orlesian. The root unwrapped itself and slid up the cliff to Ellethir. The Inquisitor sat down to allow the root to wrap itself around her.
Fae realised the Inquisitor's intention a second too late. "Inquisitor don't-!" The root pulled Ellethir down, allowing her to descend at a steady rate.
"We can't all ride tree roots, Inquisitor," Dorian called, his voice echoing over the ravine.
"You can say that again."
Fae and Cassandra both made a disgusted noise at Bull's comment. "Ugh."
The rest of the ravine floor was submerged in a lake, which curved around the bend and out of sight.
"Is that water shallow, Inquisitor?" Vivienne asked, her voice carrying effortlessly without even needing to raise it.
Ellethir stood back up from healing the soldier to test the water's depth. "It is."
"Good. I see a wooden walkway further ahead, we will go the long away around and meet you in the middle, you might ferry our injured friend over when you are finished healing," Vivienne declared, taking the lead.
To their delight, the Inquisition found that this oasis' shore also contained a cave, as well as plenty of vegetation to shield them from the sun still blazing above them, even though it had to at least be early in the evening already. Solas, Varric and Cassandra ventured inside to set up camp in the cave, while the others conveyed the decision to Ellethir and the chevalier, the former gesturing her acknowledgement with one hand as the other supported him. The two gradually made their way through the water, slowing down even further when they realised the water was getting deeper rather than shallower as they neared the shore.
"Bathtime!" Sera exclaimed, delighted to find the water was still cold even as everything around it was scorched, their group included. "I'm sweating my tits off here."
She started stripping down to her smalls without further ado. "Come on! You joining us, Madame de Frostbite?"
Vivienne sat down with her legs folded gracefully at the trunk of a low-hanging tree. "I know this is difficult for you to comprehend, darling, but we are in polite company," she nodded to their Orlesian army companions, who all suddenly made an effort to turn their eyes away from an almost-nude Sera as she threw herself into the water with a splash and a shriek. Fae pulled her own sweat-stained shirt off as well, and Vivienne fixed her with a stare.
Fae shrugged. "Then I guess it's polite company's lucky day." She shrugged her breeches off as well and winked at Bull, who imitated a perfectly grand Orlesian bow in response.
"You alright there, soldier? Need a hand?" The Iron Bull pulled his boots off at the shoreline and held out a hand. The chevalier carefully transferred his weight from Ellethir to the Iron Bull, hopping over on one foot. "My thanks, ser."
"Glad to see we've all made it in one piece," Blackwall leaned back against the wall of the cliff. He'd barely finished speaking when there was a yelp followed by a splash. "Inquisitor!"
Fae and Sera pushed their way through the water to Ellethir, who was flailing desperately to find the lake's floor. The two other elves took one arm each and helped her right herself, trying and failing not to laugh. "I'm sorry, Inquisitor, are you ok? What happened?"
"We nearly lost her!"
"I'm fine, I just slipped, couldn't get myself back up," Ellethir mumbled, pulling herself up onto the shore. "I've never been much good at swimming," she admitted.
"We won't tell a soul," Fae promised.
Sera snorted. "Speak for yourself, that's bloody hilarious. I'm saving that for the next time someone is moping in my presence. 'Did you know the Inquisitor can defeat ancient demons but can also be taken out by a watering hole?'"
"They've found something," Cole said, and Sera startled. "ANDRASTE'S SACRED NIPS! Cole!" She splashed at him, and he pouted, rustling specks of water from his hat. "In the cave. We can sleep there. It's big. Solas said we should show you what we found first, Ellethir."
The Inquisitor nodded, all her previous sheepishness already gone. "Show us, Cole."
Fae followed suit, giving Solas a small smile as they passed him by on his way out, not missing the light squeeze he gave Ellethir's shoulder which made the tips of her ears burn red.
Sera shrugged and lay back in the water, hands swishing lazily at her sides.
"You get along well with the Seer, Sera, even more so than the Inquisitor, though they are both elves with magic, both which you dislike, by your own admission," Solas observed.
"The magic stuff's scary but it's not like they can help it, and they actually make the effort to keep it away from me," Sera explained. "Besides, hard not to like our Inky, she doesn't get too big for her britches, unlike some of us," Sera poked her tongue out in Vivienne's direction, which the First Enchanter pointedly ignored. "And Fae doesn't ask nosy questions. Probably because most of the time other people ask her nosy questions. Besides, we both came from the same place but we made friends. Little people who got big. Except for her cousin who got really big, I 'spose. But that's not Fae's fault."
Solas sat down by the river's shore. "Ah yes, the alienage in Denerim. Do you remember each other from home? You are about the same age, I gather."
Sera snorted. "Home's a strong word. But no. We might've played together at some point, but we would have to have been really little at the time. Both of us were still little when we left."
"Yes. Fae tells me she was not present during the Purge of Denerim's alienage, but she saw its aftermath. Were you there as well?"
Sera shrugged. "Nope. This is what I mean about nosy questions, old man," she glared, and then she ducked her head back into the water, ending the conversation effectively.
"Cassandra," Fae stood at the mouth of the cave, her expression tight. "You should see this."
Cassandra's brows knitted and her lips pursed as they did whenever she was bracing herself for bad news. "I'm coming."
She followed Fae down a long, winding tunnel lined with clusters of glowing deep mushrooms, stepping over the occasional rotted animal carcass- the prey of whatever lived here last. The tunnel eventually opened up into a wide cavern, where a few old barrels and boxes of ruined scrolls lay scattered around a low stone table. There were a few much larger scrolls on it, as well as a large bound tome, expensive-looking; too expensive to have been left here by mistake. But the most striking item on the table by far was a tall stone pillar, its carvings depicting the capture of Andraste and her armies by Tevinter.
Ellethir wordlessly picked up the tome and handed it to Cassandra, the pages already open. Cassandra read, and frowned. "They speak of the chantry trail markers. We are back on the right track to see where they lead, then."
"Keep reading," Fae said softly, and Cassandra glanced up for a moment, surprised by the loss of the edge Fae's voice usually carried when speaking with her. She continued reading, and her mouth opened a little in spite of herself. "'We know they found a way to reverse Tranquillity?' That's impossible."
"Is it?" Ellethir asked.
"I was the Right Hand of the Divine for almost twenty years, and a Seeker even longer," Cassandra said firmly. "If there was any truth to this, I would know, believe me."
"You are a Seeker of Truth," Fae crossed her arms. "How can you know the truth for sure without seeing proof? If what this person wrote is true, if Tranquillity could be reversed, it could—" she swallowed. "It could change everything. We could save them- the Tranquil. We owe it to them, don't we?" Her pleading eyes became stony when Cassandra remained evidently unconvinced. "Your Chantry owes it to them."
Ellethir put a hand on Fae's shoulder. "I agree, but if the Venatori are holding slaves somewhere out in this desert, we have to find them first. The Tranquil are safe for now at Skyhold. The slaves aren't safe until they're not slaves any longer. Cassandra?"
"Hm?" Cassandra snapped out of her thoughts. "Of course, Inquisitor. Fae—you are right as well. If there are answers at the end of this chantry trail, we will find them, I promise. Such a thing would inevitably be… complicated, naturally, but as the Divine would say we cannot move forward with our eyes closed. For now, the Venatori must be our priority."
Fae nodded, resigned. "I know. We can't save everyone at once. Let's get the others, figure out our sleeping arrangements. It'll be dark soon." She turned on her heel and marched back through the tunnel.
"Tranquillity was never meant to be abused the way it has been," Cassandra admitted quietly.
"The concept alone is awful," Ellethir shuddered. "The way Fae describes it, it's a fate worse than death. It's evil."
"I…" Cassandra hesitated. "I cannot say whether or not I believe it is that simple. The events of the last year have shaken us all. I do believe that we are here for a reason, however. If the Maker has sent us a trail to follow, and we find it, then we should follow it. After that, the rest is up to us."
The desert at night was always colder than could be thought possible after a blazing hot day, but the cave at least protected the party from the elements, even though the stench of rot was enough to make some of the more delicate stomachs roil. Fae volunteered to take up a night watch, but Ellethir wouldn't hear of it, making sure the Seer was curled up asleep behind Varric before Solas was allowed to invite her under his blankets. She'd expected Fae to set herself up by the Iron Bull, but Dorian had already claimed that spot. Maybe the Inquisitor really was that tired, or was she actually losing track of which of those in her inner circle had become romantically involved?
Ellethir woke up the following morning already sweating with the early morning heat drifting inside.
Fae was already sitting up, leaning against the cave wall and absentmindedly twirling a twig over in her fingers.
"Morning, Fae."
"Hm? Oh, morning, Inquisitor. First ones up, as usual. We've accidentally made a habit of it."
Ellethir picked her way over the still sleeping bodies to join Fae. "Can I ask you something?" she whispered.
"'Course," Fae whispered back.
"Have you and the Iron Bull…parted ways? Did something happen between you two?"
"What? No? I mean, we're still, uh, friends. Good friends. I think we're good. Why, did he say something?"
"No, no. That's good, it's just that I noticed…" Fae's gaze followed Ellethir's over to where the Iron Bull and Dorian lay sleeping side by side.
Fae clapped a hand on Ellethir's knee. "I know!" she whispered conspirationally.
Ellethir put a finger to her lips to remind them both to quieten down again. "You already knew?"
"No! I thought they didn't even like each other, Qunari versus Tevinter and everything."
"I heard them talking before, when everyone else had fallen asleep," Ellethir confessed. "They do not hate each other."
Fae's jaw dropped. "Oh."
"We can hear you talking now," Dorian sang out quietly.
Fae and Ellethir nearly died on the spot. "No you didn't," Fae whisper-shouted. "Go back to sleep!"
To their added horror, they heard the Iron Bull snicker too. Both elves decided to remain silent until everyone else began to wake up as well.
Back on the path again, the Inquisitor's party soon found another trail marker, and then another, and then another. Ellethir tried to convince Fae to allow her to mark the locations on their map for the scouts to follow up on, but the Seer wouldn't hear of it, now that they had already picked up the trail. Past some old stone ruins, Fae found what she was looking for; an abandoned camp, set up right next to a cave with a tattered flag of the Eye of Visus- the sign of the Seekers of Truth, hanging from the cave's mouth. Resolved, Ellethir strode inside immediately. When the chevaliers attempted to follow, Fae held an arm out to stop them. "No. This is not for you," she said firmly.
"Excusez-moi?" One of them sneered.
Blackwall clapped a hand on the soldier's shoulder. "This is Inquisition business, lad. Mage business. Trust me, you don't want to get involved. Go on, Seer." Fae nodded curtly and followed the others inside, apart from Sera who was already busy pawing through the abandoned campsite for goodies.
The set-up inside the cavern was an odd sight. There were a couple of large metal wardrobes to one side, and a wooden table with half-burnt candles, scrolls and books, and another with several kinds of potions. One immediately concerning feature was a circular raised dais, a brazier still burning with natural flames at its centre. Two large chains hung from the ceiling above with thick metal handcuffs at the ends, and there was even a set of wooden stocks behind the dais.
"Looks like a ritual chamber of some sort," Dorian observed.
Varric shrugged. "Or a torture chamber. I imagine the two somewhat blend together in Tevinter."
"Oh yes, very funny, dwarf."
Ellethir was already intently reading one of the books they found, while the others inspected everything else. Fae picked up a book too. Memoirs, around seventy years old.
"Anything interesting?" Varric asked.
Fae shrugged half-heartedly. "Memoirs of an old enchanter. Talking about creating some poor kid's phylactery after bringing him to the White Spire Circle."
Cole materialised, grasping Fae's spare hand with both of his. "The White Spire was a dark place, but the fear in the book is old, it's gone now, you're hurting but it can't hurt you. It's going to be alright," he said vehemently.
Fae didn't respond aloud, but she squeezed Cole's hands back silently all the same.
"This is it," Ellethir called out, holding up her book. "It mentions the Tranquil." She passed it to Cassandra.
"It's a chantry logbook," the Seeker said immediately, noting the cover. "'We so far cannot confirm that Pharamond has had any luck attracting spirits at all. It may not be possible for spirits in the Fade to even see someone who has so long been Tranquil. He wishes to continue the experiments. We will stay and observe until he is ready to leave," she read aloud.
"Do you know this man, Pharamond?" Ellethir asked.
Cassandra shook her head. "I do not. Nor do I fully understand what this means. I take it that Pharamond was one of the Tranquil, attempting to contact spirits despite his division from the Fade."
"To me, it seems that Pharamond was once Tranquil, and now he and his companions are attempting to test his state of mind now that he is no longer Tranquil," Vivienne hummed. "Tranquil mages do not wish for anything, it is not within their capability to experience desire."
"And how much time has the almighty First Enchanter Vivienne spent chatting with Tranquil mages while flitting between the Circle, the Orlesian Court and Duke Bastien's estate?" Dorian quipped lightly. Vivienne ignored him.
"If Pharamond is no longer Tranquil, they haven't mentioned how or why," Ellethir mused. "Perhaps they've only attempted to cure him, and whatever this is was part of trying to see if it's worked, that he's himself again?"
"Either way, it seems this is as far as the trail leads," Cassandra sighed. "But the Eye of Visus tells us the Seekers know about it. I have been struggling to hear word of any of the Seekers since our confrontation in Val Royeaux, but I will certainly get to the bottom of this when I do."
Ellethir nodded. "Let's bring what we can carry back to Skyhold, then. Leliana or Josephine might know what to do with it."
Varric began to pass bundles of scrolls along for everyone to carry. "Where to now, then, Inquisitor?"
She hummed. "Let's head back up north to Griffon Wing Keep. We can resupply, have our people take these materials back to Skyhold, and see if the scouts have turned up anything about the Venatori's whereabouts, especially this Servis."
The trek back to Griffon Wing Keep was long, sandy, and windy, but it was well worth the effort to be able to eat food that was made fresh(ish), and to sleep in cots instead of bedrolls. A squadron of Inquisition soldiers made plans to return to Skyhold with their disguised wagon of secret Seeker documents. The scouts had news that Venatori agents had been sighted near the northernmost border of the Western Approach, where the ruins of an infamous ancient Tevinter prison called Coracavus still stood. Presumably, the Venatori were searching for information or other resources there, and if Servis was trying to get his hands on it, the Inquisition would either need to get it first or take it back from them.