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Chapter Text

The water of Lake Calenhad shimmered as the wind crossed from Redcliffe castle to the docks. Andy looked up from the documents in her hands to the air. She missed the storms of the Waking Sea. The wind here was empty of the chaos of the sea. She took a deep breath missing the smell of seaweed and salt. She looked over at Dominic who was taking notes for the Collective as Andy scanned the reports out of Denerim. The argument they had been ignoring grew louder behind them. Andy took a deep breath and organized her notes back into their book and locked it tight. She rose from the dock and looked at the two people as they approached. It had been eight months since they arrived at Redcliffe and it seemed that Diana could not stop getting involved in mage politics. All she wanted was to keep the tranquil network running and safe. 

“Perhaps you should hold on to this, Dominic.” Andy suggested, “I can tell I’m about to get dragged into another debate.” 

Dominic followed her gaze, “I would rather complete these right away.” 

Andy nodded her understanding without dropping her gaze from Diana and Irving, “I will  finish them in the inn then.” She glanced over at Dominic as he gathered the papers, “Do you regret it? Coming here, helping me with the Tranquil Network?”

Dominic didn’t answer at first, “No,” he said after a pause, “I find organizing the Tranquil Network very fulfilling work. It is nice to have purpose even in an unfamiliar place.”

Andy nodded, “I’m glad you’re here. We will finish this later. If you will excuse me.” She bowed her goodbye to Dominic and made her way to Diana. Irving shook his head and turned away. 

“The Divine has called for a Conclave. Peace talks to end this stupid war.” Diana said in a way of her greeting, “Fiona wants representatives to be there from all circles.” She waved a document in front of Andy. Andy glanced down at it but didn’t take it. She looked over at Irving, she could already guess where this discussion was going and she knew his position on it as well. 

“My day is going great,” Andy stalled, “How’s yours? Great? Wonderful! I love these little chats.”

“Enough.” Diana snapped, “We need you at this conclave.”

Irving growled, “It is a risk to recognize the Tranquil Network at the Conclave.”

“No, it is not.” Diana argued, “The network has evolved enough to be useful here, by using the Collective, it also opens that door as well. They are a gateway into the world of free mages. And besides, Andy isn’t going as the leader of the Tranquil Network. She is going as a Trevelyan.”

Andy groaned, “Now, I’m not going.” 

Diana spun on her heel, “Yes.” she said firmly, “You are. There are only rumors tying you to the network, and in case this doesn’t work, it’s best to keep it that way. However as a noble mage and the ruling family of Ostwick--”

“My family doesn’t rule Ostwick.”

“--Your name will hopefully sway any templars and mages of the free marches.” 

Andy sighed in defeat, she knew Diana was right, she glanced over at Irving, “Is there any way to change her mind?”

Irving shook his head, “Fiona asked that we bring forth our best and brightest...and those with the most influence.” 

Andy shook her head, she knew there was no room for argument. The decision had already been made for her, “I will go as a Trevelyan. But there you will not use the Network for your own goals, Diana.” 

Diana’s face changed color. She searched the ground for a moment, “I wouldn’t dream of using the Network--”

“Yes, you are.” Andy cut her off, “I don’t care what you tell people with that silver tongue of yours. It doesn’t work on me. I don’t know who you are talking to, mages or otherwise, but the Network isn’t something you can use to sweeten the deal. They’re people Diana.”

Diana’s eyes flashed, “You’re right, they are.” She studied Andy for a long moment, “And they have a right to have their voice heard. Someone must represent them.”

Andy felt her face change color now. She had wondered if Diana had figured out Andy’s vote at Ostwick. It seemed she wasn’t as sneaky as she thought. 

“When is this Conclave?” Andy asked, recognizing her defeat. She would have to send word. Perhaps there would be someone willing to represent the numerous voices in the Network. Maybe Dominic? 

“Next month.” 

A vision of the last ball at her Aunt’s house danced in her mind. Andy sighed and looked up at the sky, when would she go to an actual ball and get to dance?

Chapter Text

The air around her was acidic and thick. She coughed as she came back to consciousness. The world around her spun as she got to her knees. Everything hurt, her hand felt broken, it burned as if she cut it deep with a blade. With a groan,  she tried to stand but stumbled and vomited. Once her stomach had emptied itself, she slowly stood up again. The world swam around her. It was green and smoky, she couldn’t see anything around her, shadows seemed to grow and change shapes around her. Andy searched the green haze, trying to understand where she was. Andy wasn’t sure if she saw the woman or if the figure had called out to her. Andy could see a hill with a glowing woman standing on the edge. There was something about the figure, something familiar. 

Andy wasn’t sure if she had called back, but suddenly the air swirled faster around her. She looked around her, when she closed her eyes to focus, she swore she could hear the sound of pincers clicking and they were getting closer. She tilted her head, there was something else...what was it? Absolute terror crawled up from her stomach. It knew. 

 Andy didn’t hesitate, she opened her eyes and took off at a sprint toward the glowing woman. As soon as she took off, the sounds of creatures grew louder, they came from all around, hungry for her. She couldn’t get a good look at the beasts that followed her, she could catch glimpses of huge scaled spider-like creatures that would disappear back into the mist. A roar erupted behind the creatures. Panic caught in her throat, she couldn’t even scream. How could it be here? How did it find her?

 The woman was still impossible far away, on a mountain, beckoning frantically for Andy to reach her. Andy sprinted up the hill, the world around her was still spinning, so rapidly that for a solid minute Andy felt as if she was running straight upward. The creatures were almost on top of her, their screams matched her gasps of helplessness. She reached for the woman, as the woman reached for Andy’s hand burned, the pain caused her to scream but she realized she made no sound. 

NOOOOO!!!!!

The shock of cold air hit her face, and the world no longer spun. Andriya cried out with relief. A sharp pain erupted from her hand, causing her entire body to shake with pain. For a second, she was sure her arm was going to fall off, and she fell into blackness. 

She could hear voices speak around her,  someone mentioned that the prisoner would wake soon. Later, or in response, someone else said to bind her. Another voice said something about the apostates working together. A sharp shock brought her to reality. 

Andy looked around her. She was in a cell, a dungeon without light beside the torches on old beams. Her legs were asleep beneath her, her arms felt heavy, and her left hand burned. She looked down and Andy realized why her arms were heavy; they were bound in a large heavy metal band. She studied her hand and twisted her wrist through the shackles, surprised to see no signs of swelling, she had never broken a bone but it felt like her hand should be broken. As she flexed her fingers, she tensed for the movement to trigger a response from the damaged nerves but instead, her hand flashed green. Andy gasped as a large cut across her palm revealed itself in bright green light, shimmered around her fingers then disappeared, it stung but nothing like it had felt in her dream. Andy frowned staring now at her now normal hand, had it been a dream?

Andy looked up, her eyes adjusting to the darkness, it was then she realized she wasn’t alone. Four soldiers surrounded her, swords drawn, steady against her. Andy swallowed afraid to move, what were they waiting for. She tried to study them, looking for the familiar sword across their chest plates but all was hidden by the shadows. What the hell was going on? Andy asked herself. Maybe she had done something in her sleep. It had happened before, the templars could deal with it well enough; perhaps she had fallen asleep in the conclave? 

Andy’s mind raced as she struggled to remember what might have led to her arrest. Where was Diana? Where was everyone else? Without warning, her hand exploded with a flash of green, she doubled over as lightning flooded her veins and up her arm. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she curled up small to fight the pain. Through her watery eyes, Andy gasped in shock, the green cut under her skin grew larger, it was the full width of her palm now. Before she could get over the surprise the door to her dungeon swung open and slammed loudly against the stone wall. Andy flinched and half expected the knight commander, but this wasn’t Ostwick, and there were no Circles anymore. The door shut behind them. Andy waited for her eyes to readjust back to the dark, she watched one of the figures motion to the soldiers to leave, and the door opened again as the soldiers marched out. Andy got a better glance at the new arrivals. Two women, both with an air of control about them, led Andy to conclude that whatever she had done was far worse than a spell cast in her sleep. They were both tall, one was slim, hooded, and clever enough to use the shadows to keep herself hidden. The other was a larger build, she towered over Andy, her hand on her sword ready to use it. 

The door shut again, and Andy was left half-blind again, the larger woman spoke before Andy could see. 

“Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you now. The temple is destroyed, the divine is dead, and the conclave has failed.”

Andy didn’t even respond, she looked up at the woman, her eyes finally able to see the woman’s face. The woman had an accent that Andy couldn’t place, a deep scar across her cheek, a fresh scab on the other side of her face, and cheekbones sharp enough to cut someone. The woman’s dark brown eyes confirmed that she was serious. But that was impossible, Andy thought, she was still at the temple, wasn’t she? Andy’s eyes searched the area around her, she had to be still in the temple, her heart began pounding in her chest. The temple couldn’t be destroyed. And the Divine...dead? That had to be impossible.

“That’s impossible,” Andy heard herself whisper. 

“What’s impossible?” the woman demanded, now Andy recognized the accent.  A woman from Nevarra? How did she end up here?

Andy stared up at the woman, “Everything, we are at the temple.”

“You are in Haven.” The woman snarled, “the only survivor.”

“The only survivor?” Andy repeated, “What are you talking about?” she heard herself scream.

“An explosion,” the other woman said she also had an accent, one that was harder to detect perhaps from somewhere in Orlais, “a blast that leveled the temple killing everyone. Everyone but you.”

The Nevarran had been circling her; like a predator about to leap onto its prey, lifted Andy’s left hand, and on cue, it sparked to life again, “Explain this!”

“I can’t!” Andy yelped through the pain of her grip and the foreign magic in her hand, “What do you mean you can’t?” demanded the woman, she leaned in close, just desperate for a reason to kill her.

“I mean I don’t know what it is or how it got there!”

“You’re lying!” she drew her hand back to slap Andy but the other woman darted forward and stopped her hand. The torch-lit her face, Andy could see her red hair, and clear eyes, “We need her Cassandra.”

Andy started at them, she couldn’t speak, there was no way this was real. This had to be the fade. This had to be a Harrowing, this had to be the demon. She closed her eyes, it had to be any of these things, but if this was true, it was so much worse than any nightmare. 

“Do you remember what happened?” the Orlesian woman asked, she got closer to Andy, her face was round and gentle, a face that she could trust. 

Andy only shook her head, she looked down at her bound hands, “No,” the women both waited and Andy felt the need to fill the silence, “I thought it was a dream,” she whispered to her hands. How many people were dead? She wondered, how many? What about Diana, and Victor? What about Kris, or Ander, or Kinder, and everyone. She couldn’t be the only survivor, it couldn’t be true, “I was running…from creatures…and there was a woman.” 

“A woman?” the Orlesian said in surprise, she drew back but Andy missed the exchanged looks between the two of them. 

Andy shook her head, “What did happen? How could this have happened?” when she looked up at them, she could have sworn there was pity in their eyes. 

“Go to the forward camp Leliana. We will meet you there.”

The Orelsian nodded and turned, leaving Andy with Cassandra. The woman placed her sword back in its sheath and picked Andy up by the elbow. Andy’s legs turned to pins and needles as she struggled to walk on them, “It will be easier to show you.” 

Andy leaned on the woman as she led them down a hallway, they were silent for a time, Andriya's legs waking up as they went up some stairs.

The Nevarran opened a large door, the wooden blanks and columns behind it caused Andy to gasp as the cold air burst in, and a few snowflakes fluttered into the chantry. The glare from the sun on the snow blinded Andy for a moment, she lifted her hands to shield her eyes, turning toward the mountain she gasped, a maelstrom in the sky, green light glowing from the fade. It had to be the fade, she realized, the way boulders were floating, visible from here, lightning and thunder circling the hole into nothingness. She stared blankly, trying to understand.

“We call it the Breach, a tear in the Veil that grows with each passing hour. It isn’t the only such rift, but it is the largest. But all of them were caused by the explosion at the conclave.” Cassandra said, her attention on the breach rather than on her prisoner. Andy stared up at it and shook her head, fade magic wasn’t something she had been interested in at the Circle, the few books she had read or lectures she had listened to did little to help here. Not in any of her studies did something like this occur, “An explosion can do that?” she asked, searching her mind for a memory that might help. 

Cassandra turned to her, “This one did,” she stated matter of factly, “And unless we act, The Breach will grow until it swallows the world.”

 Once again, on que a flash of light erupted from the Breach, turning the sky a sickly greenish-white, the rift expanded, and rock rumbled as more of the mountainside was lifted into the sky. Andy missed all of that, because the moment the breach grew, her hand flashed green in response. She cried out in pain, falling to her knees and rocking slightly to recover from the pain. She looked up to see the woman kneeling next to her, “Every time the rift expands, so does the mark on your hand, it will kill you. It may be the key to stopping all of this, but there isn’t much time

 “This may be the key, the key to what?” she asked looking at the woman, seeing hope in her eyes. 

Cassandra only shook her head, “The key to closing the Breach, whether that’s possible is something we will discover shortly. 

Andy sighed, she closed her eyes, this was magic she had never seen before, nothing she had read could prepare her for this. But the growth of the Breach and the growing in her hand were obviously connected. If she closed the mark on her hand would it close the Breach or vice versa? She opened her eyes and nodded, “Alright.”

Cassandra rocked on her heels, a look of surprise on her face, “You mean?”

Andy struggled to her feet, “Yes, I’ll do it.”

Andy nodded, she could feel everyone watching them, whispers followed them, people cursed her, and spat at her feet. Andy shivered and wondered if they would try anything. But that thought faded fast as another flame of green lightning danced across the sky. What had she learned in school that would help her with this? Spirits would naturally push against the fade, mages dreaming entered the fade but neither would actually cause the Veil to tear. This had to be a power directly linked to dividing the veil. The most obvious answer would be a form of blood magic. Andy dug into her memory, theoretically, a sacrifice would cause the veil to spread so an act of dividing the Veil could work, but something this size would take a lot of sacrifices and even more power. She stumbled with the thought, what if everyone inside the temple had been sacrificed? How did she get spared? 

Andy looked up to see Cassandra staring at her. Andy realized that Cassandra was waiting for a response, she had obviously been talking but Andy had been so lost in thought she had completely missed it, “Sorry, what were you saying?”

Cassandra’s face went from concern, to shock, to disgust, “I was saying there will be a trial, but i can’t promise anything else.” She quickly stepped closer and cut the binds from Andy’s wrists. 

Andy rubbed her wrists and examined her mark more closely. She looked up at Cassandra who watched her carefully now. “Sorry, I was thinking,” Andy explained. 

Apparently, that wasn’t the right answer. Cassandra made a noise and turned to the soldiers at the gate of the bridge, “Open the gate.” she told them, she turned back to Andy, “We need to try your mark on something smaller than the Breach. We will go further into the valley.” 

Andy nodded her reply and slowly she and Cassandra followed the ruined road to the remains of the temple. Cassandra didn’t speak, and Andy’s mind returned to her lack of knowledge about the veil. What had happened? She closed her eyes and realized; she didn’t remember. In her mind, where the memories should be was a blank space. Andy stumbled in thought, suddenly she couldn’t focus her mind on any but the fact she couldn’t remember. There had to be a clue with that; dreams could be forgotten because it was the fade; time and images were created by the dreamer and spirits, but being at the temple hadn’t been a dream. Andy started the day over in her head, she remembered going through the Qunari mercenaries to get into the temple. Diana had been with her…

A large rumble of thunder with a blinding flash of green light distracted her. Andy watched as the maelstrom spun faster and expanded with a ripple that moved the clouds around it. Before she could react, her hand erupted in burning pain. she had accidentally been struck by lightning when she was learning how to use it. It felt like that, the shock and pain went through every nerve in her body, sending her to the ground the pain too great for her to scream. Cassandra appeared next to her and helped Andy back to standing, “The pulses are coming faster now.”

Andy quickly translated that meant she was running out of time. If they didn’t hurry, the mark on Andy’s hand would kill her, then the world would be swallowed up by the breach. Andy turned to Cassandra, “What did happen?”

Cassandra only shook her head, “They say you fell out of a rift. A woman was behind you. No one knew who she was. That was three days ago.”

Andy looked back up to the breach, still no answers to what happened just more questions. She was in the fade...physically. That wasn’t possible, was it? The last time that happened, Darkspawn were created and it was, again, because of blood magic. Andy realized Cassandra was staring at her again. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, “Sorry, I was--”

“Thinking.” Finished Cassandra, she rolled her eyes. 

They followed a group of soldiers past the first checkpoint to the temple. Almost halfway across the bridge, the sky erupted again. Andy prepared herself for the shock, as she watched in horror as a comet of Fade energy crashed down in front of them. Andy threw up a shield as fast as she could, the bridge exploded around them. The ground disappeared beneath Andy; she and Cassandra hit the frozen ice below. 

The ice barked and settled but did not break. Andy’s shield had worked, several stones missed their heads. Cassandra rose to her feet, looking like a warrior queen. Andy slowly rose to her feet, she saw what had the warrior’s attention. The fade comet wasn’t just energy, it was a demon. “Stay behind me!” commanded Cassandra, she charged at the monster with a battle cry. 

Andy swallowed as the woman raced into battle, she was not a warrior, she did not do that. She watched the fight and then realized she was hearing the ice crack near her feet. Andy looked down, the ice was bubbling...a faint green light growing from below. Another demon, she opened her mouth to call for help, but Cassandra was busy. She had to fight this on her own. 

Andy searched the debris around her, the first checkpoint should have weapons...those who gave them willingly. Sure enough, she saw a staff buried by rock and a templar shield. She pulled it from the debris and twirled it, she wouldn’t have time to attune to it, but it would do for now. Directed power was better than wild magic any day. The Shade rose up, it howled victoriously now that it had arrived in the world. Andy screamed back. 

The creature swung its claws at her but froze as Andy directed ice to surround the beast. Spinning she thrust her staff, sending lighting to burn the demon.

It screamed as it broke free, and then shrieked in terror as Andy set it on fire. The creature turned and fled, straight into Cassandra’s sword. Still screaming the demon sunk into the ground, turning to shadow and then gone. Andy searched the ice, “I think that’s all of them.” she breathed, trying to remember the last time she fought a demon. She looked up with a half-smile at Cassandra but was shocked to see her sword still pointed at her. 

“Drop the staff, now!” commanded Cassandra. 

Andy snorted, she shook her head at the stupidity of it, “Do you really think I need a staff to be dangerous?” she challenged. She threw it down, furious. 

“Is that supposed to reassure me?” Cassandra said, the sword still ready for use. Andy almost wished she would try it. 

Andy froze for a moment. She had forgotten, that just because she could save people, she was still a mage. To everyone, she was an animal. A beast that couldn’t control itself. “Yes.” Andy breathed softly, “It is. I haven’t used my magic on you.” Andy nodded to the warrior’s sword, “Are you going to use your sword?”  

Cassandra hesitated and then sighed, her face turned red as her sword point dropped to the ground, “You’re right.” She admitted. Cassandra motioned for her to pick up the staff, “I cannot protect you. And I should remember you came along willingly.” 

Andy cautiously picked up the staff, half expecting Cassandra to suddenly chop off her head as she bent down. She could see the shame in her eyes, Cassandra must be someone who had hoped not to judge mages so quickly. Andy had called her bluff. 

“Who are you?” Andy asked her, “I mean how did you learn to fight demons?”

The Nevarran dug through the crates around them, “I am Cassandra Pentagast, Seeker of the Chantry, and the Right Hand of the Divine.”

Andy blinked, wondering if she had zoned out again. One of the most powerful people in Thedas had her sword pointed at Andy’s neck. Not only was she the Right Hand, but she was also a Seeker. The greatest of all the Templars. Andy shook her head, “Perfect,” she breathed to herself, “I thought I had half a moment to convince you I wasn’t a wild animal.” Andy sighed heavily, “So much for that.” 

Cassandra smirked and raised an eyebrow. She said nothing as she handed Andy several red potions. The two set off along the mountain road silently. 

Andy recognized the hillside as they climbed up the stairs, they were nearing the second checkpoint. She felt a wave of power, another mage. She gripped the staff in her hand tighter, reaching into her will and preparing her spells. Cassandra raced up ahead of her, she must have sensed it as well, her sword at the ready, “You can hear the fighting!” she called back to Andy.

“Yeah, but who’s fighting?” Andy asked herself but not loud enough for the Seeker to hear. 

Andy caught sight of several soldiers, a mage, and what looked like a crossbow firing arrows faster than anything she had ever seen. But that wasn’t what caused her to stumble. A tear in the Veil, green smoke from the fade circled the air. She could hear snarls and wind that wasn’t from this world. The Seeker brushed past Andy, and Andy turned her attention to the battle. 

Three shades cornered the mage, Andy didn’t hesitate. She brought her staff down hard into the earth as she leaped from the ruined steps, lightning followed her motion; the three shades were stunned. The bald mage spun with his staff, ice erupted from the snow, and impaled the shades. Arrows erupted from a shade that Andy had missed, it screamed and turned to ash. Andy began to direct her will into her staff, when the bald mage grabbed her wrist, “Quickly! Before more come through!” He thrust her hand at the tear. 

Something pulled inside of Andy, she stumbled at the sudden movement of will. For a wild second, she knew it wasn’t her magic, it was something else but before she could focus on what it was, the magic reacted to the rift. The energy had no direction, it was a magnet that reacted to iron. She had to tell it what to do. Andy imagined pulling the sides of the Veil together, a seam that split, a few stitches and it should be good as new. With a sound like a cannon, the tear closed, Andy stared at the empty space where dreams had been moments before. She turned to the mage. He was handsome, tall for an elf, with a hero’s chin and dark brown eyes. He had a proud smile on his face but it was strange to see such a proud smile on the face of someone dressed in such simple earthy gear. 

“What did you do?” Andy asked him, she studied her hands, the mark on her hand was the same side, but it felt different as if she had put ice on a burn. 

“I did nothing,” He answered, “The credit is yours.”

Andy shook her head, “No,” She looked carefully at her hand, “This, that wasn’t me.” 

A smug look crossed the elf’s face, or maybe more of an excited look, “I theorized that the mark on your hand could have an effect on such tear. As far as I can tell the magic that created the breach also created the mark on your hand.”

Andy nodded, “I guessed as much,” she tried again to reach for the will within the mark. It hadn’t pulled from her reserves, so where was it coming from.

 “Does this mean your original theory still stands?” Cassandra interrupted, “It could close the breach itself.” 

“It’s possible.” Andy and the elf said together. She looked up at him surprised they were on the same wavelength. Andy opened her mouth to question the mage but a gruff cough stopped her. 

“It seems you hold the key to our salvation,” Solas said with a smile of relief on his face. 

“Good to know,” a blonde dwarf pushed down the edges of his crossbow, “I thought we would be ass deep in demons forever.” 

Andy stared at him, there was something interesting about him. He had a broken nose that hadn’t healed very well, warm brown eyes, and a large gold chain on his neck. He took a step closer to her as he shifted the crossbow to his back. 

He gave a small grin as he approached, “Varric Tethras: rogue, storyteller, and occasionally unwelcome tagalong.”

Andy stared at Varric for a moment, she couldn’t have heard him right, she studied him again closer, noticing his hair, his smirk, “The Varric Tethras?” Andy heard herself speak, “From Kirkwall? Don’t you know...didn’t you…” She looked around noticing the laughter on the elf’s face. Andy swallowed hard, she knew she was blushing now, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I have so many--”

“You may reconsider that stance, in time.” warned the Elf. 

Varric wiped the sweat from his forehead, he gave the smallest shake of his head, “Aw, come on now Chuckles, I’m sure we’ll become great friends in the valley.” 

“Chuckles?” Andy glanced over. 

“My name is Solas since we’ve decided to do introductions. I am pleased to see you still live.” 

Andy gave a small nod as she weighed what he said. She glanced back down at the mark and then to Varric. Varric nodded, “He means, I kept that mark from killing you while you slept.” 

Andy turned to Solas, for a moment she was at a loss for words. She wasn’t sure what to say at first. She closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down, “Thank you Solas,” she glanced around swiftly, she wasn’t sure it was the right thing, “How did you---how did you do that?”

Solas shifted his weight, he almost looked embarrassed, “Healing magic and minor wards, but I fear that your mark has passed the point where those will help.” 

Andy nodded, she stared at her hand deep in thought as memories about wards rose into her mind. If whatever had caused the breach put the mark on her hand, then the wards would either repeal it from her hand, or keep it there. Or it was Solas’s attempt at keeping it this size. Perhaps it was a rift? But why would it have an inverse reaction around rifts? She had to close another, and find where the power was coming from. Andy looked up and realized they were staring at her. Someone must have spoken and she had missed it, “I’m sorry, what?”

Cassandra groaned, “Solas is an apostate, unlike you.” 

Andy shifted her weight, “Not to put too fine a point on it, but all mages are apostates now.” She turned back to Solas, “So that’s how you know so much about this?”

“My travels have allowed me to learn much of the Fade, far beyond the experience of any Circle mage.” He sighed, “If the Breach is not closed, we are all doomed. I came to offer what little help I could.” 

Andy flexed her fingers and studied the mark, “Let’s say this works, and it closes the breach. What will you do then?”

“I hope that whoever is in charge remembers who helped and who did not.” 

“Well, that's what Bianca and I do.” Varric smiled. Andy couldn’t help but smile back. She was standing in front of a hero. What was she supposed to say?

“Absolutely not!” Cassandra barked as she towered over Varric, “Your help is appreciated Varric--” She spat out his name as if it left a foul taste in her mouth.

“Have you been in the valley Seeker?” Varric interrupted, “Your soldiers aren’t in control anymore. You need me.” He winked. 

Cassandra groaned and marched away, grumbling to herself in her native language. 

With a sigh Solas followed, Andy turned to Varric unsure of what to do next. He gave her a small smile, “Well, Bianca’s excited.”

Andy’s heart swelled, “That’s Bianca?” She couldn’t help but get excited, this was as close to meeting Garret Hawke as she ever would get to. 

“Oh yes. And she will make for great company in the valley.”

“This way!” Cassandra yelled from a broken fence, “The road is blocked, we should go through here!”

The ragtag team followed the trail in silence. Andy wanted to talk to Solas privately but with the Seeker in earshot, she couldn’t trust what was discussed to be understood. It would only be a few words that would make Cassandra scream ‘blood mage’ and slaughter them both. So instead Andy tried to magically poke at the mark on her hand, find where the power was coming from, how it worked. The magic of the mark was separated from her own, that much she could deduce but how it reacted to the rifts was still a mystery. And why did it need her will to direct it? 

“Hey! Lightning Girl!” 

Andy jumped and looked around, “Sorry, what?”

Cassandra made another disgusted noise in her throat while Varric shook his head, “Where are you from?”

“Oh, right. I am Andy--Andriya Trevelyan.”

“Finally, a name!” Varric shook his head, “And where are you from?”

Andy stopped in her tracks and she studied Varric for a moment, she just thought everyone knew, Cassandra didn’t ask anything about her. So why was Varric? The seeker had made it apparent that Varric didn’t work for her, but she would still get information. 

“It’s your accent. Ansburg? Ostwick? This is going to bother me.” 

“I don’t have an accent!” Andy instantly replied, she looked around at everyone’s faces, “Or...I do?”

“Uh-huh,” Varric rolled his eyes, “Soooo, why’d you do it?”

Andy spun around, “I didn’t!” She didn’t mean to scream, she glanced around, “I don’t remember. But if I did, this--” she waved the mark, “obviously proves I didn’t.” 

“Or something went wrong.” Cassandra said softly, “Let’s focus on making our way to the forward camp, and then we can discuss what happens after.” 

Varric shook his head, “Should have spun a story,” he looked over at Andy. 

“That’s what you would have done,” Cassandra stepped between them as if she figured they would plot out a lie. 

“It’s more believable!” Varric argued with the Seeker, “And..less prone to result in premature execution.”

The truth hung in the air. Varric and Cassandra jogged past Andy as the realization hit her. She was going to be executed. Andy sighed in defeat, no one would believe her, and if they found out she was part of the Tranquil Network, it was a death sentence. She tried to remember as they walked up the forest path, that she had never planned for an attack, she had never wanted a war. She may not remember what happened at the Conclave but she would remember planning for something like this. Wouldn’t she?

“Another rift!” Cassandra shouted. Almost as if the mark had a mind of its own, it flared from her palm. The energy tore through her hand up her arm, she nearly fell over it hurt so much.  Andy stumbled against the pain, she tried to push it away but it felt as if her will was being dumped into a bottomless pit of magic. Nothing she could do would stop it. Solas was next to her, she watched him try a repulsion ward. She gritted her teeth and tried a paralysis one. Anything to numb the pain. 

“Andriya,” Solas searched her face, the fear evident in his face. There was nothing he could do now.

Andy blinked back the pain and struggled to her feet, “It doesn’t hurt as bad when I use it.” She explained through gritted teeth. 

Solas nodded and spread out his fingers, Andy felt an arcane shield drift over her. She turned her attention to the demons crawling from the rift. 

Demons fell before Andy as she stepped closer to the rift. She lifted her hand and released her will. The power of the mark flowed from her hand, but this time she followed the power through her mark; she needed to find its source. The magic seemed to be coming from somewhere else, it was as if it was coming from inside the rift. Maybe it was pulling a seam together, Andy closed her eyes as the rift closed. Her trace spell collapsed with the rift. Whatever was causing the power of the mark, was still active but Andy had no idea where it was.  The access to power didn’t end with the rift being closed. 

“Well done,” Solas said as the guards allowed them into the forward camp. Andy shook her head, “The way to the forward camp is clear.” 

Cassandra sheathed her sword, “I hope Liliana made it through all this.” 

“She’s resourceful, Seeker.“ Varric consoled. Cassandra didn’t listen, she jogged ahead to the gate. Varric sauntered after the seeker. Andy watched them for a moment but caught Solas’s hand before he passed. 

“No,” She confessed now that Cassandra was out of range, “I only direct the power, I have no control over it. It doesn’t belong to me. It’s trying to leave.” Andy dared to look into Solas' eyes, his eyes almost looked sad, “If we don’t control this soon, it will kill me.” 

Solas studied Andy for a moment, she could see his mind searching for a reply but there wasn’t one to give, “We should hurry.” 

Andy nodded her agreement. 

Chapter Text

The forward camp was established at the third checkpoint. What remained of the Tal-Vashoth mercenaries' supplies had been distributed among the surviving soldiers. Some crates and a wagon had been piled up on the other end to give archers cover in case demons made it this far from the temple. Andy studied the soldiers as she walked passed them, they didn’t seem to realize who she was. At least they weren’t glaring at her, they seemed too interested in the breach itself. Andy followed their gaze, from here, the breach seemed to cover the entire sky. The world around them had a strange green tint, for a moment Andy felt like she was back in her dream. She took a deep breath, half expecting to taste the acidic air that she had tasted before. 

Varric’s arm caught her from taking another step, he gave a small nod ahead of them. Before them, a small tent had been constructed. Two tables, one with a leg missing, were covered in papers. Andy watched as Liliana, leaned on the table to argue with a man in Chantry robes. Cassandra marched up but Andy could hear them easily. 

“The prisoner must get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. It is our only chance!” Liliana snarled. 

The man pointed a finger at her, “You have already caused enough trouble without resorting to this exercise in futility!”

“I have caused trouble?” Liliana leaned back as if he pushed her. 

“You!” The man waved his hands to the sky, “Cassandra, the Most Holy --- Haven’t you done enough already?”

Liliana’s voice turned dark, “You are not in command here.”

The man looked over at Cassandra, he seemed to swell with rage, “Enough, I will not have it!” He turned to see Andy, his face turned pale as she approached, “Here they come.” He growled at her. 

“Oh boy,” Varric murmured under his breath. 

Liliana looked relieved, “Thank the Maker,” she told Cassandra, “you made it.” She turned to face the Chancellor, “Chancellor Roderick, this is --”

“I know who this is!” He growled at her. 

Andy leaned back as if his words hurt, he was a red-faced man, his face covered with sweat, his beard untrimmed and growing unevenly. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. His robes were wrinkled, but Andy glanced around to compare, cleaner than the rest of the soldiers. He rose to his full height but he didn’t seem as imposing as Cassandra did when she stood tall. 

He jabbed his finger at Andy, “As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry, I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution!” 

Cassandra rose over him, “Order me?” she snorted her disdain, “You are a glorified clerk! A bureaucrat!” 

“And you are a thug!” he snarled back, “But a thug who supposedly serves the Chantry.” 

Liliana stepped between them, “We serve The Most Holy,” she glared a little harder at Cassandra, “As you well know.” 

Andy didn’t realize Cassandra’s hand was on her sword until she dropped it under Liliana’s gaze. 

Roderick threw his hands in the air, “Justinia is dead!” He yelled at the sky, he turned back to Liliana, “We must elect a replacement and obey her orders on the matter.” 

Andy watched the three of them argue, she looked up at the breach and back to Solas and Varric. Electing a new Divine would take weeks, and everyone would rather deal in bureaucracy than the dangers at hand? She stepped forward, “Are you telling me that no one is in charge here?”

Roderick spun to her, he jabbed his finger at her, “You killed everyone who was in charge!”

“There is a hole in the sky! I think the breach is a more pressing issue than who is the next Divine!” 

Andy leaned back as the Chancellor took a step towards her, she thought he might sprout fangs he was so angry, “You brought this on us in the first place!” 

“I didn’t do this!” Andy screamed, she could feel energy dance across her arm hairs. She moved toward the chancellor but Cassandra stepped in front of her. She gave the smallest shake of her head to Andy. 

The fight seemed to go out of the Chancellor, “Call a retreat Seeker. Our position here is hopeless.”

“We can stop this before it’s too late,” Cassandra said, there was almost a kindness in her voice that Andy had never expected from her. 

“How?” Roderick leaned against tables, he looked as though he had aged suddenly, “You won’t survive long enough to reach the temple, even with all your soldiers.”

Cassandra pointed at the map, “We must get to the temple. Charge with the soldiers. It’s the quickest way.” 

Liliana was at her shoulder, “But not the safest,” she argued. she pointed at the map and then motioned to the mountainside, “Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains.”

Cassandra opened her mouth to argue. Andy missed what she said because as she spoke, the breach rumbled again, and as it grew the mark tore into Andy’s flesh. She fell to her knees, crying through the pain she subconsciously tried to make a ward to push it back. The magic of the mark ate through the ward without any relief. Solas pulled her arm from her core, he tried several healing spells but the pain did not subside. Andy reached for the elfroot potion Cassandra had given her. 

“It’s no use.” Solas caught it before she poured over the wound, “It’s not physical.” 

“Then lyrium?” Andy suggested, she felt sick as the pain thrummed into her stomach. For a wild moment, she considered asking Cassandra to cut off her arm to stop the pain. Anything would do. 

Solas shook his head, together they tried several more wards to dull the pain, but they couldn’t stop the spread of the mark. She looked up to see everyone staring at her. 

Cassandra towered over her, Solas helped Andy stand but the seeker was still a head taller than her, “How do you think we should proceed?” 

“What?”

Solas nodded, “You do have the mark.” He agreed with Cassandra. 

Andy blinked back her tears, “I’m not going to survive this, am I?”

No one met her eyes, not even the Chancellor. 

She never planned on dying like this, “Then there’s no time to waste.” She tried to smile, perhaps this was the sacrifice Anders should have made. Maybe if he had died saving everyone people would honor mages. If only Andraste had been a mage, “We charge. I will stop the breach. I don’t think I’m going to make it to my execution anyways.” 

Cassandra nodded, she turned to Liliana who was staring hard at Andy as if she could see exactly what she was thinking, “Bring everyone left in the valley. I mean everyone.” 

Slowly they marched past Rodrick, who was glaring down at his makeshift desk, “On your head be the consequences seeker.” 

Andy mimicked the seeker, she stared straight ahead and pretended to ignore him. The consequences were on her head. She made the decision. She swallowed hard, she couldn’t help but believe she made the wrong one. 

“Varric,” She whispered as they jogged up the path.

“Yeah, kiddo?”

Andy paused to let the others get ahead of them, “If...if…” she shook her head, she couldn’t face this with the threat of death. “Is this what Hawke would do?”

Varric snorted, “You do not want to know what Hawke would do. But you can bet Cassandra would not be happy about it.” 

The road switchbacked its way to the temple. They followed along silently, Andy layered spell after spell over the mark and her hand. She couldn’t risk another eruption to slow her down. All of her training told her it was useless, but she had to do something, anything to keep her on her feet. Solas watched in silence, she knew that he was too tired to correct her. The road was getting more crowded, soldiers lined the walls, several soldiers were gathered around a tent, joking as they ate, and several more were huddled further away, with swords out while they smoked. Andy studied them all. 

“How long have you all been fighting?”

“Three days.” Cassandra answered after a long moment of silence, she turned to Andy her eyes hard and unreadable, “We haven’t had a way to close the rifts until you woke up.” 

Varric made a noncommittal grunt, “Whatever that thing is on your hand; it sure is useful.” 

Andy glanced down at her hand and back towards the road. He wasn’t wrong. 

Nothing remained of the courtyard of the temple. Just more soldiers, medics, and mages doing what they could to heal the men, bodies of those they couldn’t heal lined a far wall. Debris littered the area, Andy couldn’t begin to guess what the layout of the area used to be with the destruction around her. Somehow an arch was still standing, Andy stared at it, a statue of Andraste stood without the shield or head, it seemed to represent the spiritual destruction more than the physical. Andy heard someone scream from behind the arch. The battle was in front of her. She reached for her will, drawing it into every part of her being. She could hear thunder above her head, she looked upward to see lightning move across the sky. She stood still, reaching for the elements. The imbalance of energy. It was hers to control now. 

Andy marched through the arch, she knew what she had to do now. The demons didn’t have a chance, lightning flowed from the sky, striking each one. She twisted her staff around her, sending her will through it, ice slowed a demon of despair before Varric’s arrows peppered it to nothing. She hammered her staff to the ground, more lightning following her motions. She caught a glimpse of Solas watching her. His eyes were wide with the directness of her attacks. 

A scream echoed across the battlefield. Andy pushed her hair out of her eyes, terror demons crawled out of the rift. Two of them. Their long claws cut into the stone as they towered over the soldiers. Andy watched as one soldier charged the monster. It screamed again, the man stumbled from the sound, and his sword fell to the ground. 

Andy twirled her staff, directing her will through it to freeze the demon as it rose over the soldier. With a roar it twisted from the ice, its claws grew longer as it reached for the man. Andy realized she didn’t know what to do, she couldn’t reach the man in time. He would be killed. 

“No!” She didn’t realize she had screamed. She raced toward the soldier, she could see him look up at the demon’s arm. She was too late.

The creature roared in pain as its claws cut into a shield. A tall blonde man with broad shoulders was suddenly between the fallen soldier and the terror demon. He twisted his shield, the demon’s chest became exposed, and with a swift motion, he thrust his sword, black green ash fell from the demon. The howls of the monster echoed across the battle, Andy willed the lyrium through the staff, lightning struck the remaining terror demon and the despair demon that had cornered Varric. 

The dwarf rolled out of the way, unloading more arrows than possible for a normal crossbow. The blonde man crossed to Varric in several easy steps. He twisted out of the terror demon's reach, his shield caught a second swipe, and he pushed the creature back with two quick bashes from his shield. The monster stumbled and his sword cut through its chest. The creature stumbled into black ash. 

“Andriya, the rift!” Solas called. Andy nodded, she lifted her hand toward the hole in the sky. This time she was ready to follow the source of power, but it hadn’t gone towards the rift...it had reached for something else, and then the rift. Whatever it had reached for wasn’t in the fade. It was in this plane of existence. And there was something different now, if she had to guess, it was as if the source of power had twisted itself deeper into her will...she had more control over the direction of the power now. Was it demonic in nature? Would it overcome her will and possess her. The rift slammed closed, Andy struggled to identify the mark. It felt almost parasitic. She looked over at Solas for confirmation. He lifted his staff and she felt his will scan the area, “Sealed,” he smiled and turned to her, “As before. You are becoming quite proficient at this.” 

Varric reloaded Bianca, “Let’s hope it works on the big one.” 

Andy nodded, she looked back down at the mark, the wards and shields she had placed earlier were gone. She took a breath, she needed to save her magic, and use it for the hole in the sky. She looked up and watched the boulders swirl around them. She squinted and for a moment she thought she could see the black city. 

“Commander!” Cassandra pushed past her to the blonde man. Andy shook her head to clear her thoughts, she turned to the fallen soldier and helped him up. 

“Lady Cassandra.” the commander waved, “Thank the Maker you arrived when you did.” 

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, ash and blood stained his arm, he studied all of them for a moment and then turned his attention back to where the rift used to be, “You managed to close the rift? Well done.” 

Cassandra took a breath, “Do not congratulate me, Commander.  This is the prisoner’s doing.” Cassandra turned to Andy, “Andriya Trevellyan, this is Commander Cullen Rutherford.” 

Andy nodded her greeting, “Commander.”

He searched her face, his eyes were dark, his jaws tight, a long scar on his upper lip, “Is it?” He studied her, Andy resisted flinching when she saw his eyes land on her staff. He took a step closer to her, “I hope they’re right about you. We’ve lost a lot of people getting you here.” 

Andy swallowed, he was right. They had three days of fighting, and now they had to push against the demons that couldn’t stop before, “You’re not the only one hoping that.” Andy realized the words were out of her mouth before she meant it, “I mean...umm...I’ll try my best.” 

The Commander nodded, “We’ll see soon enough, won’t we.” She wasn’t sure which statement he was answering. He turned to Cassandra while Varric chuckled softly to himself. 

“What?” Andy challenged. 

“Oh, I’m sure you will figure it out.” 

Andy tried to read Varric’s face but she couldn’t figure out what he was talking about, she shook her head and looked up to see Cassandra and Rutherford watching her. 

“Give us time, Commander.” Cassandra finished. 

Rutherford nodded, “Maker watch over you.” He glanced back at Andy. For a moment she was sure he wanted her dead. He must be like the rest, thinking it was her fault, “For all our sakes.” 

Andy turned to the soldier, who was still using her for balance, “Are you going to be alright?”

The blue-eyed man gave a nod. He limped back toward the camp, Rutherford caught him and helped him the rest of the way. Andy watched for a moment before she turned her attention back to the remains of the temple. Andy nodded to the rest and made her way closer to the temple. 

No one would recognize this as the Temple of Scared Ashes now. The arch in the courtyard was all that remained, the rest was shattered brick and stone. Some of them had melted under the heat of the explosion, now rock faces that jutted out into the sky. Andy looked around again if there had been any art, sculptures, or statues; they were long gone now. At least the ashes had already been removed. 

A wave of doubt crept into her heart, what if she had done this? What if she had made a deal with a demon, and she had forgotten? What if someone had used a spell on her? There was nothing in her mind that told her what had happened. She forced herself to take a breath, she wouldn’t do something like this, she knew that about herself.

That’s the wrong question Andriya. What won’t you do to survive?

She took a deep breath again and jumped down into the ravine. The rest followed. Andy took a minute to realize what she smelled, burned flesh. She looked around again, the small fires she saw were the remains of some bodies, she looked around again, she couldn’t tell anyone apart they were so burned. How many people had died? How could she be the only survivor? Where were Diana and Victor? The two mages from Ferelden Circle...they had to be here? How could she find them? She knelt next to some remains, looking for anything that might tell her who it was. 

“The Temple of Sacred Ashes,” Solas whispered as if this place still had reverence. 

“What’s left of it.” Varric shook his head. 

“They knew.” Andy whispered, she stood up, looking at a few more bodies, “He’s covering his face, that one tried to hide, that one held up their shield. Maker, they knew.” She wrapped her arms around herself as she imagined their last moments. She looked around again, she couldn’t understand how this blast had happened and the terror they must have felt right before. 

Cassandra motioned further ahead, “That is where you walked out of the Fade and our soldiers found you. They say a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was.” 

Andy shivered harder, she tried to remember, give the woman a face but there was nothing. Just a glowing figure in her mind, “I don’t remember.” She whispered as much to herself as to Cassandra. Desperate to stop the conversation she started down what looked like an old hallway, not sure what she was running from or to. She paused as she saw two bodies huddled in the corner. 

With her hands in fists, Andy turned and gasped at the rift in front of her. It was huge, three times the size of the rifts she had already closed. This one looked different, green crystals and rocks twisted from its center, growing and shrinking as they rotated. She could hear voices from the other side, at one point she thought she saw a large clawed hand try to reach through. Four long claw marks were left on one of the crystal formations. A greenish light escaped from the rift, almost like an upside-down waterfall, it seemed to go up to the breach. Andy looked up to the sky, a blinding flash of green light escaped the rift, and more streams of the fade swept upward to the breach. For a moment, as she stared upward, she thought she could see the black city. 

“The Breach is a long way up.” Varric whistled beside her. 

She blinked herself back to the present, as she realized that he had stated the obvious problem. Andy looked at the mark in her hand, how was she supposed to reach that. She wasn’t even sure how the mark worked, why should it work on that? Andy felt panic rise in her throat, she turned to Solas before she realized people were behind them. 

Andy reached for her will but dropped it when she heard Liliana. 

“You’re here! Thank the Maker.” Liliana jogged to Cassandra. 

The Seeker turned to her, “Liliana, have your men take positions around the temple.” 

Andy watched her for a moment, the strange green lighting making her cheekbones sharp as knives. Cassandra looked different now, harder...more of a leader than a guide. This was the Right Hand of the Divine. 

Liliana nodded and turned back to the dozen archers she brought. Andy turned away, she studied the rift again, why was it so different from the rest? Why couldn’t the demons get out of it? Her attention turned to the broken statue behind it. Would the Maker really allow this holy place to turn into this? Why?

Andy looked at Cassandra, she swallowed hard, she could tell that Cassandra had been speaking to her but she had missed it. 

“Are you ready?” Cassandra repeated. 

Andy nodded, “I’ll try. But I don’t know how this all works!” Andy threw her hands in the air, “Let alone how to get up there!”

“No,” Solas finally spoke, “This rift is the first, it is the key.” He looked back at them, his knuckles white against the rail, “Seal it and perhaps we seal the breach.”

Andy shook her head to argue, “Perhaps--”

Cassandra cut her off, “Then let’s find a way down. And be careful.”

Andy reluctantly followed Cassandra as they walked around the rift, she had no idea where they were going, she couldn’t remember the temple at all. She watched the green light flicker in the melted glass of the temple, she wanted to scream at them. There were too many what-ifs...too many unknowns. If they were wrong, about any part of it, more people would die.

BRING FORTH THE SACRIFICE

Andy stumbled as the voice rumbled through the ruins. Her staff flickered with electricity as she spun around. It had to be a demon. Everyone else searched the area. 

“What are we hearing?” Cassandra asked as they all calmed down after a moment. 

Solas frowned, he studied the rift again, “At a guess:” he hesitated, “The person who created the breach.”

Andy spun to face him, “What?”

“The Fade is bleeding into this place,” he explained motioning to the rift. 

Cassandra stepped between them, “Think Trevelyan! Do you know that voice?”

Andy shook her head as the voice repeated itself, “I’ve never heard that voice before.” 

The seeker growled as if she didn’t believe her but didn’t question her further, slowly the continued around the destruction, Andy flinched every time the voice rang out. She didn’t know why. 

Around the corner, Andy realized what might be causing her nerves to fry. Red lyrium jutted from the edge of the cliffs, littering the path they walked. 

“Red lyrium,” Varric hissed, “Don’t touch it! It’s evil!” he ordered. 

“That’s what drove the Knight Commander mad?” Andy asked, she could hear another voice now. She wasn’t sure if it was from the corrupted lyrium or from the fade. Either way, it was the one voice she didn’t want to hear. 

“Yes.” Varric growled, “What is it doing here?”

“Magic could have drawn on lyrium beneath the temple, corrupted it?” Solas suggested. 

“No.” Andy disagreed, “Magic cannot corrupt lyrium at this magnitude. Otherwise, it would be everywhere.” 

Solas opened his mouth to debate but another voice spoke over him. 

KEEP THE SACRIFICE STILL. 

SOMEONE HELP ME!

Andy gasped, that voice sounded familiar. She had heard before but from who?

“That is Divine Justinia’s voice!” Cassandra pushed Andy out of the way, she searched the area as if she expected to see the Divine somewhere. Andy shivered, finally she remembered something. She tried to focus on the voice and remember why she had heard it. Her mind remained black. Andy took a deep breath and rubbed her head. 

“This way, down here!” Varric called out to them. Andy sighed and followed, she needed to remember. Why couldn’t she remember?

Andy leaped down the ledge, and she and Varric helped Solas down as Cassandra slowly approached the rift. Andy stared at it, the voices were louder now, shaking her chest when they spoke. She followed Cassandra, part of her wanted to tell the seeker to stop and get away from the rift but she kept silent. It wasn’t her place to tell the seeker what to do. 

SOMEONE HELP ME!

WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?

It was Andy’s turn to gasp. It was her! She spun around half expecting to see a shadow of herself, did she say that? When did she say that? Was it in response to the Divine’s cry for help? Andy didn’t realize she had stepped closer to the rift, the mark on her hand flashed. Instinctually Andy lifted it up, the light from the rift seemed to grow brighter and brighter, and with a flash, a shadow appeared. It towered over them, with long shadowy claws and eyes that burned with red flames. Andy reached for lightning, a deeper terror than surprise cut into her chest, she turned, preparing for the attack from the black demon when she saw Divine Justinia. 

A spell held her, red flames held her in the air. Andy blinked as she realized that they were all shadows. It wasn’t real. She heard a door open and she watched as a shadow of herself appeared with another flash, “What’s going on here?” Shadow Andy said. 

Andy could see herself absorb the situation, she watched as her eyes narrowed, she could see spells begin to build in the vision. The shadow Justinia turned, “Run while you can! Warn them!”

The shadow demon turned, “We have an intruder. Kill her. Now!” Its long black claw pointed at the shadow version of herself. 

The vision ended with another blinding flash. Andy stared at where it had taken place. Cassandra grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, “You were there! Who attacked? And the Divine, is she…?”

“I don’t know!” Andy twisted from her grasp. She needed a minute to gather her thoughts. 

“Was this vision true?”

“I don’t know!”

“What are we seeing?”

“I don’t know!” Andy screamed back, she didn’t realize that Cassandra had backed her into a wall, “I don’t remember!” 

“These are echos.” Solas said softly, the women turned to him, “I told you; the Fade bleeds into this place.” 

He waved his staff, Andy could feel a different kind of spell push against the rift. For a moment she tensed, waiting for her mark to react but nothing happened. 

Solas tapped his fingers on his staff, “This rift is not sealed, but it is closed…” he turned back to them, “albeit temporarily. I believe that with the mark, the rift can be opened, and then sealed properly and safely.” 

Andy glanced down at her hand, she had no control over this thing, she wasn’t sure it could obey her. How much power was left wherever it was drawing it from? She opened her mouth to argue but Solas held up a hand to stop her, “However,” he continued, “Opening the rift will likely attract attention from the other side.” 

Cassandra turned to the archers standing along the high walls, “That means demons! Stand ready!”

A dozen soldiers repositioned themselves, their blades drawn as they moved across the chosen battlefield. Andy watched them prepare. She had to as well. She took a deep breath, anything a demon could use; her fear, her anger, her confusion, she pushed into the furthest reaches of her mind. She couldn’t give them anything to hold on to. 

Andy looked back to Cassandra, who only gave a nod. Andy nodded to herself and faced the rift, she reached for her mark and told it what she wanted it to do. For a split second, nothing happened, but she felt something shift in her will. Andy gasped, it was parasitic. It was latching onto her spirit. She lifted her hand and directed her will to opening the rift, pulling it apart, the energy from her hand exploded outward. 

A cannon went off, and out of the opened rift, a demon stormed out. Andy only knew it from drawings. Pride. It looked like an armor-plated orge; except with horns and electricity dancing between its plates. Andy took an unconscious step back. She didn’t know what to do, let alone how to fight one of these. Wasn’t she supposed to think humbling thoughts? 

“Now!” ordered Cassandra. 

Arrows thudded against the monster’s shoulders, it roared but Andy recognized that as annoyance rather than pain. It roared, Andy watched as light shimmered off the rift and around the demon. 

“We must strip its defenses!” Cassandra called out. She motioned for the archers to reload. The creature laughed. 

Andy shook her head, she studied the rift again, if that’s where it was getting its power...then she had to cut off the power supply. She reached up for the rift.

“Andriya! What are you doing?”

The rift flashed, and the pride demon fell to its knees. Andy kicked her staff and thrust it toward the creature, flames erupted from it. Pride roared in pain. 

“It’s vulnerable! Now!”

More arrows thudded down on it. 

The demon rose and roared again, “Bitch!” it screamed, it searched the area, found Andriya, and lifted a claw. Andy realized too late this motion was a spell. Lightning cut into her body and burned its way through her veins. Andy redirected the strike, sending it into the sky. She rolled out of the way, forming a glyph in her mind. She brought her hands together, imagining the glyph between her fingers, and drew her hands apart. Bolts of fire rained down on the monster. 

Again and again, she fired wave after wave of spells at the beast, but nothing seemed to slow it down. And then it fell to its knees, gasping for air. Black blood dripped to the ground, then turned to smoke around it. 

“Now!” Cassandra ordered, “Close the rift!”

Andy nodded and gathered her will. She looked up at the rift, it suddenly seemed much bigger than before. She held up the mark and sent the power of the mark to the rift. 

Instantly she knew something was wrong. Andy heard the Seeker call out to her, but she wasn’t listening, she took a breath to steady herself, reaching for the mark on her hand, finding its bond with the rift in front of her. She reached out letting the alien energy use her will to bring the tear together, heal she whispered in her mind, willing the rift in the Veil to mend. Unlike the smaller tears, she faced on the mountain pass or as they faced in the battle, this tear didn’t respond well, it fought her, the rift pulling apart like the similar sides of magnets. No, I said, close she screamed in her mind, trying to guide the power of the mark with her will. It wasn’t working. 

Andy hesitated for a moment, she had no choice. She redirected the mark’s magic, through her own will and then to the rift. Suddenly it was as if a vacuum opened up, all of her magic was being dragged toward the rift.  Andy's arm started to shake at the magic springing from her, the rift fought harder, for a moment she caught sight of Solas leaning forward as he urged the tear closed himself. She couldn’t allow herself to be distracted, Andy closed her eyes, using more of herself to close it. Green light flooded past her eyelids, Andy dropped to her knees, using her right hand to hold her mark steady, She needed more will, more magic to close the gate she realized with sickening fear. She wasn’t strong enough. Andy let a small part of her mind concentrate on, feeling for the lightning around her, the imbalance of energy between the earth and sky…

It worked, giving her some reserve, but as Andy threw all of that energy through the mark, she knew it still wouldn’t be enough. Andy adjusted her focus, she didn’t have much more will left, she needed lyrium, but her vials had been taken from her, and time was running out. People were shouting around her, she could hear Seeker Pentagahst say something but Andy couldn’t devote any energy to listen. Stop , she willed, whatever magic she had left, whatever last reserves she had, Andy released.

Chapter Text

Andy woke sick with the flu, every single inch of her body ached, and she was even too tired to open her eyes. She just laid in the cot and waited to fall back asleep but she couldn’t. There was a feeling in her chest that told her something was wrong.  Andy groaned and opened her eyes, half expecting to see one of the healing apprentices near her. Except when she opened her eyes, there were rafters above her head, not the stone of the tower. She was in a cabin…Andy glanced out the window, it was snowing. Then the memories came flooding back to her, the Conclave, the woman in her dream, her mark, the rift. 

The door to the cabin swung open, it revealed a mousy elf girl, hardly older than thirteen balancing a box of herbs and water. The brown-haired girl had not been expecting her to be awake, because as soon as she made eye contact with Andy, she screamed and dropped the box, ‘You’re awake!”

The sound shocked Andy, and she sat up…the world spun around her, she had moved too quickly. Her stomach rolled but there was nothing in it to come up, Andy rested her pounding head in one hand using the other to close her mouth in case stomach acid escaped her swallowing, “It’s alright,” She forced herself to say, “I just woke up.”

The girl searched the room, her hands twisted in knots around themselves as she looked nervously around. Andy watched her for a moment, she needed her strength, something must have happened, “Is something wrong? Did something happen?” 

The girl shook her head violently and suddenly bowed to her knees, Andy remembered servants doing that to her mother as a small child; but it was so strange to see it now; if she wasn’t so sick it would be funny. No one bowed to mages like that, “I ask your humble blessing my lady. It’s been three days since you stopped the rift from growing…”

“Three days?” Andy exclaimed, her head spun, she had moved too fast again, Groaning Andy leaned forward, preparing to dry heave, she took a deep breath, “the Breach?”

“It’s still there milady, but you stopped it from growing, like that mark on your hand.” The girl said to the floor her entire body trembling. 

Andy watched her for a moment, her mind reeling with this new information, “So they’re happy, with me?” 

“That’s only what I’ve heard.”

Andy didn’t dare shake her head in case her head fell off, her entire body felt heavy, and she doubted sleep would heal this ache in her body. She had only heard of mages using too much magic, most never did; subconsciously using blood magic instead. Her body was dangerously low on Lyrium, she couldn’t light a candle if she wanted to. She looked back at the girl, “It’s been three days.” She whispered. Perhaps she should just be grateful to be alive. 

“Lady Cassandra will want to see you now that you’re awake. She said right away.” The girl got up and was slowly backing away from Andy. Andy lifted up her hand, trying to give an encouraging smile, “You don’t have to be afr—” 

“She said right away,” the girl darted out the door leaving Andy weak and alone. 

Andy sighed, she would need help to go see Cassandra, she was too weak to get there in a reasonable amount of time. It would take time and small steps before she could find the Seeker. First, she would have to stand up. And looked around herself, maybe that would be the second step. It took Andy several attempts with many stops for rest to get dressed and stand up. Walking slowly to the door with the world in vertigo around her she opened the door to invite the rest of Haven in. 

The elf girl told more than just Cassandra Andy had finally woken up, she told the entire town. The streets were filled with onlookers. They lined the streets staring at her, whispering to those nearest them. Andy stared back, what little blood she had in her face drained to her stomach. Would she be crucified if she walked out in the walkway? The soldiers were there, keeping the path to the Chantry clear but could they really stop a mob? For a moment Andy considered just shutting the door and staying hidden instead she took a step into the mud-stained snow. 

With each step she expected the crowd to charge, she expected dirt and mud to be thrown, she expected shouts of ‘apostate,’ or ‘monster’ she expected the crowd to overwhelm her and murder her. But nothing happened. Some people jumped in place trying to get a better look at her, others seemed to try and catch her attention, and someone even waved at her. Maybe this was the fade? 

“That’s her,” she heard someone say, “The Herald of Andraste.” 

Andy nearly stopped in her tracks. What had he called her? Her hands were trembling now, she balled them into fists and swallowed the lump in her throat. Forcing herself to take a deep breath she continued up from the market to the tents of the pilgrims. There were even more people in this area, whispers followed her, someone accusing her of not being able to close the breach, another defending her for finally doing something, and someone else pointed out the obvious, why would Andraste choose a mage to protect her people. 

Andy forced herself not to look at those whispering, she didn’t want them to see what she was thinking, she couldn’t hide the panic in her eyes. Every fiber of her being wanted to run, but just like at Ostwick Circle she walked to the chantry ready for the punishment it would provide. 

The old stone Chantry towered over the town, the thick oak doors stood closed, and the giant carved sun shimmered in the sunlight. Four templars pushed it open and then shut it behind her, Andy was alone in the small chapel. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the change in lighting. The darkness helped her headache. She was so tired. She could hear Chancellor Roderick arguing. Her headache restarted. Andy rested her forehead against one of the pillars, the cold wood cooling her mind. 

She needed to go in there, she needed to face the Chancellor and the Seeker. Wouldn’t it be easier if they came out here? And what about what everyone said out in Haven. Some of them thought she was ‘the Herald of Andraste’. That was crazy. Why would they say that?

“Have you gone completely mad?” Chancellor’s Roderick’s voice roared from behind a closed door. Andy kept her head against the cool wood and glanced over to the closed door at the back of the chantry. They must be in the Mother’s office. It was so far, she groaned and slowly made her way to the door. For a moment she waited, with her hand on the handle gathering what little strength she had left before she faced the chancellor. 

“--failed, Seeker.” Roderick was saying, “The breach is still in the sky. For all you know, she intended it that way.”

“I do not believe that,” Cassandra responded. 

Andy frowned, slowly she dropped the handle and leaned against the wall in the alcove. She knew in her heart that she did not plan the breach but her memory of the conclave was still blank. Andy thought back to the giant shadow with the red eyes and the rest of the vision at the temple. There had to be more, there had to be something, her headache turned into a strange grinding in her ears. She was tired of no one believing her. 

It’s because you lie.

Andy didn’t bother wasting energy responding. There were other ways to deal with demons than magic. With all the strength she could muster, she pulled the door open. Andy wasn’t expecting it to be so light, it bounced off the wall. Andy winced at the sound. 

“---As is yours.” Cassandra stayed glaring at Roderick as Andy entered. She was leaning over a large table, Chancellor Roderick stood at the end. At the far end stood Le1liana, her face half-hidden from her hood. 

Roderick motioned to the two templars standing at the door, “Chain her.” He looked annoyed, “I want her prepared for travel to the capital for trial.”

Cassandra stared down at the table, “Disregard that, and leave us.” 

The templars saluted and marched out of the room. Their armor ringing in Andy’s ears. Her headache rumbled with the new information. It seemed that Chancellor Roderick had no power after all. All the threats he had issued at the forward camp meant nothing. Andy studied them all again, Cassandra and Leliana held the real power here. That was some relief. 

“I’m still the bad guy?” Andy asked tiredly, “Even after everything we just did?”

Roderick sneered, “You absolutely are.”

“No, she is not.” Cassandra sighed, “And we are not wasting time to send to Val Royal for a trial that won’t happen.” 

Andy struggled to comprehend, “I’m not?” she looked over at the seeker, “You changed your mind about me?”

Cassandra didn’t answer.

Roderick seemed to realize that whatever power he thought he had was gone, he turned and stared down Cassandra, “You walk a dangerous line, Seeker.” he growled. 

The seeker crossed the room and was nose to nose with him, “The breach is stable, but it is still a threat.” She snarled, “I will not ignore it. I will not wait for things to get worse.”

“I tried my best,” Andy sighed, “I did everything I could.” Andy slowly sat down, “It should have killed me.” She wasn’t sure if she was telling them or herself.

“Yet you live. A convenient result, insofar as you’re concerned.” Roderick spun to her, “You can’t remember what happened, you are the only survivor, and you stabilize the breach without closing it? End this charade now!” He slammed his hand on the table. 

Andy flinched, she didn’t mean to. Her temper sparked but there wasn’t enough of it to make her reply.

“Someone was behind the explosion at the Conclave. Someone Most Holy did not expect.” Leliana circled the table. Andy had a vision of a predator about to pounce on its prey, “Perhaps they died with the others. Or have allies who yet live.” 

The Chancellor leaned away from her, his eyes searched the room, and then grew, “Wait, I am a suspect?” He snorted with laughter but Lelianaand Cassandra nearly cornered him against the fireplace. 

“You.” Leliana confirmed, “And many others.” 

Roderick pointed openly at Andy, “But not the prisoner?”

Andy looked up surprised as well, Cassandra hesitated before she spoke, “I heard the voices in the temple. I saw the vision from the fade. The Divine called for help and Andriya answered. Whoever did this, ordered Andriya’s death.”

“And she survived!” Roderick threw his hands in the air, “You think her survival, that thing on her hand--- all a coincidence?”

Andy had to agree with Roderick, this all seemed too far-fetched to be a coincidence. How was this lucky?

“Providence,” Cassandra answered firmly, “The Maker sent her to us in our darkest hour.” 

Andy’s elbow slipped from the table, “Woah, Woah, Woah!” She stood up as the room spun, “You cannot honestly believe that?” She searched Cassandra and Leliana's faces, “Three days ago you wanted me dead! Now I’ve been sent from the Maker?”

Cassandra did not seem pleased Andy was arguing with her, “You were chosen--”

“I am a mage!” Andy snarled, “Or have you forgotten?”

The question hung in the air for a moment. Andy knew exactly what they were thinking. A mage, the least of the Maker’s children. He would never choose her as his herald. All of this being accidental was starting to make more sense. 

“I have not forgotten.” Cassandra said softly, “No matter what you, or what you believe, you are exactly what we needed when we needed it.” 

Andy’s jaw was still open as Cassandra turned away, Leliana studied her friend and then everyone else in the room. Her eyes rested on Andy, “The breach remains,” She said softly but firmly, “and your mark is still our only hope of closing it.”

Andy studied her hand. How was this supposed to close it? It didn’t work the last time they had tried. Would it really take her life? Would it require blood magic?

“That is not for you to decide!” snapped Chancellor Roderick. 

Cassandra slammed a large book down on the table. Andy groaned as her headache started to travel down her spine. Andy studied the book as the room swayed; it had the Chantry’s sun on the cover, she glanced up at the seeker who was eyeing Roderick, “You know what this is, Chancellor. A writ from the Divine, granting us the authority to act. As of this moment, I declare the Inquisition reborn.”

Andy squinted at them. She felt that she had read about the Inquisition before but she couldn’t remember any details, “So it is for you to decide?”

No one responded to her, Cassandra towered over Chancellor Roderick, “We will close the breach, we will find those responsible, and we will restore order. With or without your approval.”

Andy could almost hear Diana interrupt, but we will ask for it . But Diana wasn’t here. She could smooth the discussion, instead the room was silent. The chancellor glared daggers at the Hands of the Divine before he turned and stormed out of the room. The door slammed, the room swam, and the room was silent for a moment. 

Cassandra seemed to realize what she had done. She flew her hands in the air and then rested her face in them. Leliana sighed, “This is the Divine’s directive: rebuild the Inquisition of old. Find those who will stand against the chaos.” She shook her head and looked up at Cassandra, “We aren’t ready. We have no leaders, no numbers, and now…” She made a small disapproving motion with her head, “no Chantry support.” 

“But we have no choice!” Cassandra defended herself, “We must act now. With you at our side.”

The two women turned to Andy and waited. Andy realized they wanted her to say something. Andy shook her head, they had to be crazy. Days ago they were ready to kill her.  Before that, Cassandra’s own order had declared Andy and anyone like her animals to be put down by the sword and now they wanted her to join them. 

Andy shook her head, “No.” she looked at them for a moment, “I’m a mage. I don’t know what caused the breach but everyone is going to blame magic. And that means they are going to blame me. You are trying to start a holy war against mages. This is an exalted march by another name.” 

“No.” Leliana shook her head, “The Inquisition predates the Chantry. It was a group of people who banded together to restore order in a world gone mad. Afterward, they laid down their banners and formed the templar order.”

“The Templars have lost their way,” Cassandra continued, “We need those who can do what must be done, united under a single banner once more.” Cassandra shifted her weight, “You think we want to start a holy war? We are already at war, you are already involved.” She motioned to Andy’s hand, “Its mark is already upon you.” 

“You can go if you wish.” Leliana offered, “Go back to Redcliffe and hunker down with the mages.”

“You should know that while many believe you are chosen, many still think you are guilty. The Inquisition can only protect you if you are with us.”

“Oh great.” Andy sighed sarcastically, she rested her head in her hands. She was trapped. 

“We can also help you.” Leliana pointed out but Cassandra waved her off. 

“It will not be easy if you stay, but you cannot pretend this has not changed you.” 

Andy shook her head, “How are you not just another arm of the Chantry?”

Cassandra snorted, “Is that what you see?” she motioned to remind Andy that Chancellor Roderick had just stormed out of the room. 

“The Chantry will take time to find a new Divine, and then it will wait for her direction.”

“But we cannot wait,” Cassandra agreed, “So many clerics died at the Conclave...no, we are on our own.” Cassandra leaned on the table and stared at the writ for a moment, “Perhaps forever.” 

Andy studied her hands while she thought. The mark flashed and shimmered as if it was also thinking. Cassandra was right, it had changed her. There was a hole in the sky and the Chantry wanted to go back to the chapels and pray? The templars were busy hunting mages and the mages were busy building up walls? This was a problem, and if no one did anything, it would only get bigger. But joining a cause...another cause. Andy studied them for a moment. They didn’t know, they could predict how this would change. They might start by fighting the chaos and hunting the shadow creature, but how would the Inquisition end? With a new branch of templars? A new prison for mages? 

“I have to,” Andy whispered, “Don’t I? Because of this?” she waved her mark, “But also because…” Andy looked up at both of them, “You are a Seeker.” She motioned to Cassandra then to Leliana, “You were part of the Chantry. It doesn’t matter what you say, it will always be a part of you. You need someone--not one of those things.”

Andy shook her head and stood up, the room swam around her but she just held the table tighter, “When I woke up I certainly didn’t expect this outcome.” she admitted.

Cassandra gave a dry smile and held out her hand for Andy to shake. Andy took it nervously, unsure what she had just signed up for.  

Leliana didn’t even give a fake smile, she stared at Andy with a hard eye, “Neither did we.” 

Cassandra’s grip rocked her hand, almost causing her to spin more. She stumbled after the handshake and sat down on a chair. The Seeker moved to help her, “I don’t think I can make it back to my room.” Andy confessed. 

A sadness crossed over Leliana’s eyes, “It’s alright. Rest here. We have much to do.” She held Cassandra’s gaze for a long time.

 Andy obeyed, she rested her head in her hands, with her elbows planted on the table. She wasn’t sure she could sleep this one off. 

The door opened, and Andy wasn’t sure if she had fallen asleep or passed out. She looked up to see a woman enter, with thick black hair woven around her head. Her hair didn’t seem to want to obey its braid, small wisps floated around her face. Rather than deter from her looks, it seemed to give her an almost angelic glow around her face. Her dark eyes were hidden by dark eyebrows that were thick but well-groomed. Her face had small beauty marks. She had a beautiful exotic look that she didn’t seem aware of.  She gasped when she saw Andy, nearly dropping her scribe book. 

Andy leaped forward to help catch but instead got caught on the table. 

“Are you alright?” They asked each other at the same time. At the same time, “I’m fine, really.” 

The woman gave a small smile, she looked over to Leliana who was at the head of the table with a quill in her hand, “Ah Joccie.” She motioned to Andy, “This is Andriya Trevelyan of Ostwick Circle. Andy, this is Lady Josephine Montilyet. She has agreed to be the Inquisition’s ambassador and chief diplomat.” 

For a wild moment, Andy wondered how long she had been asleep, how could the inquisition get a diplomat so quickly?

“I’ve heard much about you. It’s a pleasure to meet you at last.” 

An Antivian diplomat? Was this the fade? It couldn’t be. And if someone from Antiva was here...the inquisition had a commander?

“The pleasure is mine,” Andy said automatically. She turned back to Leliana, “Was this the plan, all along?” She struggled to stand up, she must have fallen asleep, “The Conclave, the end result was this. Divine Justinia was always going to create the Inquisition? What was the point?”

Leliana stood up slowly, “The Conclave was our last chance for peace.”

Andy waved her off, “Don’t give me that speech. The Inquisition is not even a day old and you have a commander for your armed forces, you have armed forces, and a diplomat? Not just any diplomat but someone who’s been a diplomat for Antiva for years!” Andy shook her head, rage fueling her motions, “The Conclave was never going to work, was it. This was just an excuse. She couldn’t keep her Inquisition secret any longer, so she used this to reveal it.” 

Andy ignored vertigo as she started to pace. She couldn’t believe it; she fell for it. She fell for this idea. She should go back to Ostwick, she should flee back to Redcliffe and bucker down with the mages, she was an idiot. She thought she could make a difference, maybe show this Inquisition how human mages were but instead they had already decided. 

Leliana and Josephine exchanged looks. Lady Montilyet stepped forward, a concerned look in her eyes. Andy stepped back instinctually and shook her head again, “Don’t start with me. I’ve been dealing with the war for a year, so don’t feed me any of those lines. To think for one wild moment that---”

“That people within the Chantry were willing to listen to the grievances of the mages?” Lady Montelyet finished for her, “Or that the training the templar suffer is worth the dissolving of the circles?”

Josephine waited with her wide for Andy to respond. There was almost an eagerness to her eyes as if she truly wanted to hear Andy’s thoughts. When Andy didn’t say anything she continued, her voice softer than before, “The Mage-Templar conflict is spreading past borders into all of Thedas. It is to everyone’s benefit if we stop it from spreading further. There is such unrest in Thedas, and the Inquisition seems a promising method to stop it.” Josephine motioned for Andy to sit as she continued, “The full impact of the Mage Rebellion has yet to be felt. And that was before the death of the Divine. The Inquisition is in a unique position to curb the violence before it evolves into a full-scale war.”

Andy swallowed hard, Josephine did have a point, “So the idea of stability brought you here,” she glared at Leliana, “I feel like such an idiot.”

“You had hope.” Josephine corrected, “As do we all. If the Inquisition is able to fix this breach into the fade; people may turn to us for other things. Protection, council, justice…the inquisition offered those once, to those in need. We may have more influence than we first planned.”

Andy sighed, she hated to admit it but Josephine had a point. She gave a defeated smile, “Well, I see why the Inquisition needs you.” she gave a weak grin, “Specifically.”

Josephine smiled, “Thank you. I hope to be of service.” 

Andy rubbed her head and sighed, “Maker,” she breathed, but she didn’t speak her actual thoughts. The Inquisition had an ambassador, a commander, a spymaster, and a leader…what was her role in all of this?

Chapter Text

Andy couldn’t hold back her rage any longer, her knuckles were white as she dug her nails into the arms of the chair. She didn’t dare make eye contact with Leliana because she was certain she wouldn’t be able to control her temper. Her mind ached with the questions and she was embarrassed that she couldn’t answer. 

“Walk me through your arrival at Haven,” Leliana said, she stood up from her chair and began to pace the far wall of the room. 

Andy rubbed her forehead, her brain scratched against her skull, “I already told you.”

“Tell us again,” Leliana responded. 

Andy sighed and rested her face in her hands, she couldn’t see Rutherford rub the back of his head in frustration or Seeker Cassandra roll her eyes but she knew that was how they reacted. 

“We went to the Temple--” Andy sighed.

“Walk me through it all.” Leliana said as she leaned on the table across from Andy, “Tell me about the morning, what happened when you woke up? Where did you sleep?”

Andy groaned as she struggled to remember, “We arrived the morning of the Conclave, we made camp just off the Hinterlands. First Enchanter Irving wanted to make sure none of the rogue templars would stop us, so we traveled most of the night from Redcliffe. We slept for a few hours before we arrived at Haven.”

“Did you sleep?” Cassandra asked, “Was there a guard? Did anything happen?”

Andy shook her head, “No, it was quiet. Most of the mages were already in Haven. Victor took a watch, but--”

“Victor the templar who stayed with the Circle?” Rutherford confirmed from his notes.

“Yes, we left at dawn and made it to Haven by early morning.”

“Any trouble on the road? Did you see anything that was strange to you? Something that made you pause?” Leliana asked. 

Andy shook her head again, “No, we thought we were going to be late. Once we got to Haven we went straight to the Temple.”

“You didn’t go into Haven?” Cassandra asked.

Andy shook her head and opened her mouth to remind Cassandra she had already told her that but Leliana peppered her with questions before she could respond, “Did anything happen during the walk to the first checkpoint. How many people did you see? Did you recognize anyone?”

Andy rubbered her temple, what was the point of speaking if they would interrupt, “We had to get to the Temple, there were three checkpoints, people were already making their way up the path. We didn’t have time to see anyone. At the first checkpoint, we had to leave our staves. We refused at first, but Irving made us.”

“Why?” the Commander asked.

“Why did we refuse?”

“Why did you refuse and why did Irving make you?”

Andy tried to remember the fight, “I was scared, there weren’t enough staves. Irving told us we didn’t have a choice. I said...I told him that our vote wasn’t a choice either but here we were. Diana got mad at me, she threw her staff down, and her potions. She told us we had to show trust if we wanted this to get better. Lydia agreed.”

“Did you leave your staff?” Rutherford asked.

Andy closed her eyes, “Yes...no? No, I did. Diana told me...she pulled me aside and convinced me to leave it, just this once. She said I didn’t need it after all.”

“Why?” Leliana asked, “Why did she say that?”

Andy snorted and looked at all of them, she clapped her hands together and drew them apart with ice between her fingers, “Because we are mages.” Andy dropped the spell annoyed. 

“What happened next?” Leliana asked, “As you were going up the hill?”

Andy struggled to remember, it felt like she had to remember a half-read page from someone else’s description, “At the second checkpoint...something happened. Something about Victor.”

“What?” Rutherford asked, he leaned forward.

Andy squeezed her eyes tight and captured her head in her hands, she reached for the memories, “He had taken Lyrium. His eyes were glowing? Maybe? The Qunari wasn’t going to let him through. Victor argued against it. He didn’t trust the mages. Diana didn’t trust the Templars? No,” And shook her head, “No, that’s not right. Diana had asked him too, she didn’t trust the mages. She told the guardsmen that a Templar with the mages would be good for the Conclave. A Templar siding with the mages ready to protect the templar order. If he could see the good on both sides, then everyone else could too.”

Andy could see Diana stand up to the Qunari, motion up to the templar, her face earnest as she explained the seriousness of the situation. Andy had been shocked when the guard nodded and let them through. She had turned to Diana with her mouth opened. What had Diana said after that? Andy could see her mouth moving in her mind’s eye, but she couldn’t remember. 

“Then?”

Andy searched her mind, “I don’t remember.”

Commander Rutherford sighed heavily, rubbed his hair, and stood up. He looked ready to throw a chair; while Cassandra did throw her chair back to the table. 

Leliana rested her face in her hand as she studied Andy, “Tell me how you felt when you saw the temple.”

Andy looked at her confused, “I felt…” Andy struggled to remember as they left the second checkpoint, she had turned from Diana and she remembered when they got up the stairs and then… “I can’t believe it took us so long to find this.”

The room went silent as Andy continued, “Victor had said something, Diana laughed but Irving told us to hurry? I couldn’t stop staring at the towers...Diana? Maybe Victor...took my arm. We had to get inside before it started?” 

Andy stood up, she tried to follow her memory but it was chasing a shadow in the dark, “I lost my temper. Why...” Andy whispered to the floor, she sat back down. Why had she lost her temper? What had caused it? She remembered the temple, the towers growing as they walked closer. 

“Come on Andy. We have to meet with the others.” Diana said. 

“How do you think…” She wanted to know how they built it.

Someone grabbed her elbow and dragged her to the entryway. She was nervous, now she was inside. Guards directed mages and templars, people talking all over; whispering, fighting, laughing to cover up their nerves. She was overwhelmed for a moment. How was she supposed to help this mess? Would anyone listen to them? What good would the Trevelyan name do here? Andy searched the hallway, blue eyes met hers.

A chill went down Andy’s spine, for a moment she almost lost control. She could feel the demons shift in the fade, they would reach for her. They could feel her fury burn all reason from her mind and they would use that to make their way into the world. Just like at the Temple, Andy closed her eyes and instantly forced them back. She could feel them hammer against the walls of her mind. The rage still burned in her heart. Her entire body tensed, ready to unleash itself on him. 

Slowly Andy spoke, “We went in the Temple, and I saw him.”

“Who?” Leliana asked, Andy could see the Knight Commander standing now, he had his hand on his sword. 

“Clark,” Andy answered swiftly, she glared at Rutherford now, she wished it was Redrick, she wished she could scream out everything that she had wanted to say the first time. But she hadn’t screamed then, she hadn’t done anything then. She was Lady Trevelyan; there was nothing she could do. 

“Who?” Leliana repeated, her clear eyes quickly studying Andy.

Andy willed herself to calm down but her mind didn’t listen, “He attacked multiple Tranquil in Ostwick. They did nothing.” She didn’t dare go into detail, she wouldn’t be able to control herself if she did. It was one of those moments that she had understood why Anders had blown up the chantry. 

“What happened when you saw him?” Leliana asked, she had stopped her pacing, she leaned against the table eager to hear the rest. 

“I lost my temper.” Andy repeated, “I moved toward him, Diana stopped me.” Andy closed her eyes, “She told me I had to calm down, that my actions would make things worse. We fought.” Andy shivered, her anger went out and now she was cold and alone. Her best friend, the last words she said to Diana were in anger. Why was she like this? Andy wanted to cry. She squeezed her eyes hard, determined to stop the tears, “She pointed down a hallway. She told me to walk it off.”

“Where did you go?” Leliana pushed.

Andy shook her head. She remembered the hurt in Diana’s eyes, the frustration, the fear, her friend had pointed down the hallway, Walk it off. Blue eyes watched her move, She could feel them. She had wanted him to follow. Even now she could feel his breath on her neck, she felt the helplessness wash over her. His voice snaked in her mind, “I will do to her what I am going to do to you .”

“Herald?”

Andy couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t move, she couldn’t fight back, she had screamed with everything she had, and it had been blocked by his hand. She had fought like she had been told but it hadn’t been enough. “ Most tranquils don’t make a noise. She did. She moaned. Do you think she enjoyed it? I do.”

“Trevelyan!” 

Andy looked up at the Commander. His hand was resting on his sword hilt, his eyes intent on hers. She realized she was shaking, her hands were in fist at her sides, lightning dancing between her arms and core. Andy took a deep breath, she willed herself to push it all back. But the damage was done, Andy could see all of them react to her now. The Knight Commander was ready to strike her down, his eyes blue with the faint lyrium in his veins. But it was Josephine’s expression of open fear in her brown eyes that stopped Andy in her tracks. She blinked and realized that Leliana had stepped in front of Josephine.

To protect her. Andy hung her head in disgust, she was still an animal. Still a monster. That’s why he had done it. She wasn’t even human; it didn’t count if they were tranquil or mages. It was supposed to. That’s how she had been raised, that was what she had been taught in the circle. She mattered, she was a person; the tranquil were people. Until they weren’t. And when she rose up and tried to prove it, tried to protect them, what had she done? Even now, these people who swore they would treat mages and tranquil as equal still looked at her like an animal. They wouldn’t understand. They wouldn’t care. She could feel him again, inside of her, she was alone. No one would save her, no one would protect her. No one could explain to them that she was a person. It was up to her. 

She dropped the spell, and hugged herself; she pushed away all of her feelings and pulled the training her great aunt had given her; the ability to hide your true feelings when in poor company.  She took several deep breaths before she dared to look at them. Andy studied their faces again, whatever care for her they had was gone. 

“I don’t remember.” She said to them and walked out of the room. No-one stopped her. The air cut into her lungs as she stepped outside, but Andy kept pace. She could feel everyone move around her, but her mind had control over her vision. 

She stopped on the dock of the frozen lake. Haven was before her, she didn’t realize she had walked so far. Andy stared at Haven, relieved to be so far from everything. She understood the Isoliatists now. She could just walk away. Keep walking until she was completely alone. 

The wind cut across the ice, it burned her cheeks and made her eyes water. At least she didn’t have to explain her tears to anyone. Now that she was alone her thoughts went wild, her memories fought for control and tears flowed easily down her face.

 First, her Harrowing and Sloth as the hammer rang closer and closer to her head, then it was her mother’s eyes across the ballroom and the shame that overwhelmed her. Then Markus’s warrior frame collapsing and the smell of burnt flesh. Her lips burned as she thought of Van’s kiss, and the shocked look on his face as he died. The smell of copper and the power in the air as Professor Edwards began a spell with blood magic. Then the memories she hated the most began; Clark breathing on her neck, his hands as he pushed away her robes, his friends and their power making her helpless. Rhonda wet with blood staining her legs, learning what Clark had done to her. And then what he had done to the others. And for some reason, she was ashamed again as Redrick and Lydia screamed at her as Betsey rode away with Rhonda. 

“Andryia.” 

Andy gasped and turned, she hadn’t realized that someone was behind her. How long had they been there? Was it an apostate? A demon?  Rutherford’s brown eyes studied her for a moment before he took a step closer to her. Why would he follow her? Maybe he was here to tell her that she wouldn’t fit in the Inquisition after all. She turned back to the ice, Clark still in control of her thoughts. Rutherford stood next to her, he glanced over at her but she ignored him. The child in her wanted to yell at him, tell him to leave her alone; but Andy stared out into the ice, “I can go.” Andy offered, “Just another apostate. Just another--” she closed her eyes, she wasn’t sure if she was crying from the wind or from the pain in her chest. 

She glanced back at Rutherford, his face softened, his hand dropped from his sword, “You know that’s what the Chantry wants.” 

“Well, they’re right.” Andy snarled, “They’ve always been right. We can’t...we aren’t normal. We’re just monsters...beasts...less than Mabari.” 

Andy sighed and turned back to the water, she tried to breathe. She couldn’t allow herself to fall into despair. She fought those demons before. With a shake of her head, “I’m sorry.” she confessed, “I didn’t mean that. I’m upset.”

The next gust cut into Andy’s skin, she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, she sensed the Commander shift but Andy twitched away, she shook her head at her own reaction. 

“What happened?” 

Andy stared at the planks of wood at her feet. She was silent for several minutes. The last Knight Commander she had told had done nothing, what good would this one be. She felt him shift his weight, she gritted her teeth. She had to tell him, she had to explain, then maybe…

“I get nightmares,” Andy whispered to the snow. Rutherford stepped closer to hear. Andy shifted her weight, she almost took a step away but stopped herself, “From my Harrowing and…” She shook her head, he didn’t need to know all that. 

“I can’t sleep after, so I will go watch the storms of the Waking Sea or take a shower….try to wash it from…” Andy shiver again,  but this time not from the wind, “It was probably three in the morning. No one was around, no one was awake. I went to the bathroom. Rhonda was there.”

Andy looked up at Rutherford, his eyes studied her sharply, how could she explain everything, “She was,” Andy shook her head, “She is my best friend.” She corrected herself, “She was made tranquil at the same time I became a mage.”

“I went in, and she was cleaning herself really intensely.” Andy closed her eyes, she couldn’t look at him while she relieved this memory, “I asked her what she was doing and she told me that he told her to clean herself up.” 

Andy fought her tears as she looked up at the Knight Commander, “Rhonda was gay before...she would never…” The horror in Rutherford’s face couldn’t be disguised. 

“And...tranquil don’t have those desires...so I knew. I knew what had happened. I made her tell me. She didn’t want to...but I demanded the truth from her...He had hurt her. She was bleeding, so I took her to the infirmary. Rhonda told me the name. It was Clark. Clark the Templar.”

Andy wiped the tears from her cheeks, “I told the First Enchanter, I told the Knight Commander. They questioned Clark and the other templars, who denied everything. But when they questioned Rhonda...the way they asked the questions...it was as if they didn’t care. They said she was fine, she would recover.”

Andy held herself tighter, she had wanted to scream at them. Slap sense into them but the Knight-Commander had only glanced over at the Tranquil in the room to silently remind Andy what her fate could be. 

She could hear her teeth grind and she started to pace. She felt like a filly being trained, circling a corral with no way out, “He cleaned the stables for a month. Fucking punishment. What type...who thinks? And Rhonda wasn’t fine. How could she be fine? I found out others...he had hurt them too. And when I tried to get something to happen. When I brought them forward. Knight Commander Redrick did nothing. There was no evidence to support these claims. The victims were fine.” Andy shook her head, “They weren’t fine. No one was listening to them. Just because the Tranquil couldn’t express...being uncomfortable as a Tranquil, it means it is a living hell. A living hell. ”

Andy glared at Rutherford, “Clark cornered me, pinned me to a desk, put a dagger on my neck.. He told me everything he was going to do to Rhonda, and what he was going to do to me. And if I fought back, he could make me tranquil so I would enjoy it.”

Rutherford jerked up tall, his eyes narrowed with fury but Andy shook her head, “He didn’t do anything then. I grew up with three older brothers. Do you know how many times I had been pinned with my face close to horse manure? I broke his nose and two fingers in his hand.”

A look that Andy couldn’t read crossed Rutherford’s face so she ignored it, “It got worse after that. Maybe if I hadn’t fought---maybe then. We were told not to go anywhere alone. Don’t stay out late, don’t wear anything provocative.”

Andy shook her head, and the things she had wanted to say back then fell out of her mouth, “They would tell us this was our home, and we weren’t even safe in our home. And you know what they told the Tranquil? Nothing. They didn’t even treat them like victims. They were just...they treated them like empty shells. I was so angry. I was so scared.” Andy looked up at Rutherford, “I wrote to my Great Aunt. Her daughter was made Tranquil at Ostwick, then died giving birth before I was born. I smuggled the letter to her. She brought an army, mercenaries that would tear the Tower down. First Enchanter Lydia was furious, she called me into her office. I brought Rhonda. Clark was there watching. I thought he was going to kill me. In the end, Rhonda and three others left. Clark was confined to quarters following a review.”

Andy continued, voicing her thoughts a part of her had forgotten Rutherford was there, “They told me the lighthouse was my home. How could it be home if no one would listen? I told them! I was supposed to tell them! Templars are supposed to protect us! And no one did anything until a normal person came and demanded action. A stranger they believed over a mage, someone they had watched grow up. Someone who had been begging for someone to listen. They will listen to the sword before they would give a tranquil mage a chance to explain.”

Andy studied Commander Rutherford for a moment before she turned her attention back to the snow, for a wild moment she thought she could tell him the rest. Only Victor knew the extent of what happened after and he had kept his promise to her to tell no one. Not even Diana. Andy had hoped that by keeping it a secret it would go away, disappear into the memories that haunted it. The feeling of Clark slapping her face with his armed hand. The two templars held her down, their eyes shining blue as they suppressed her power. She had fought as hard as she could. But teeth couldn’t mark gauntlets. Andy had kicked, and twisted but it had done nothing. She remembered Clark’s hands as he tore off her robes, and took off his armor. His blue eyes victorious. 

And then Victor was there. He had thrown Clark against the wall and beat another to unconsciousness. He had carried her to the infirmary where she begged him not to tell Diana. She couldn’t let her friend know that she was weak. That she hadn’t been powerful enough to fight back. 

She shook her head and looked over at Rutherford. Andy studied the Knight Commander as he turned away from her to absorb the story. She could see the horror across his face as he stared across the lake.

“When I saw him, at the Temple...everything came back. And he was there, in uniform. How many more? How many more victims had he claimed? Victor told them! He told the Knight Commander what happened! And Clark was right there! In uniform!” Andy crossed the dock to face Rutherford, she wanted to hit him. She only came up to his chin. She glared at him for a moment and blinked a few times. He wasn’t Clark. He didn’t have blue eyes. He didn’t have a ponytail. Not everyone was Clark. Not everyone was Redrick. Andy took a step back and stared down at her fist, “I told Diana and she turned pale. I think she realized it too. Victor went for his sword, he had forgotten he left it at the checkpoint. I wanted to leave. I knew it wasn’t going to work. I wanted to go back to Ostwick. I wanted to use my family fortune and hire every sellsword in the free marches. I wanted to march them to the Templars and force them to turn Clark over. I wanted the Templars to agree to protect us. To stop abusing us. But Diana slapped me. She told me I was being a child.”

Andy wiped the tears off her face, “She told me to stand in the corner and wave when they said my name. She said the only reason I was here was that I was a Trevelyan. So we fought. We argued and for a moment it looked like we were going to end the Conclave with our spat. Victor got between us. He calmed Diana down. She told me to walk it off. That she would handle this.”

Andy looked back down at the edge of the dock. She was tired, she wanted to sleep. Just close her eyes and wake up far away from here. Far away from these memories, "I left the hall, I wanted Clark to follow. I wanted him to attack me so I could hurt him. I wanted him helpless. I wanted him to regret everything. I wanted him to be as scared as I was.” 

Andy shook her head, “I don’t remember what happened next. I could feel their eyes on me as the door closed behind me. But the next...it was smoke and acid in my lungs. Spiders and a woman. I don’t know who it was.” 

Andy fell to her knees, she had to tell someone, “I didn’t want anyone to die! I just wanted Clark to be scared. That’s all! I wanted to expose him at the Conclave. I wanted him to confess to everything! I wanted to see him be afraid of me! I wanted him locked up forever, driven mad without lyrium! What if I did this? What if---?”

“Trevelyan.” Rutherford's voice was hoarse and soft. Andy knew she didn’t deserve something so gentle. Andy looked up at Rutherford. His eyes wet, he opened his mouth to speak but shut it quickly. He looked across the lake and was silent for a few minutes. There was something in the way he stood that made Andy wonder if he had guessed at her untold story. Of course, he was a templar, who knows how many rapes he covered up. 

Andy gathered herself, she slowly stood up and took a deep breath, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you.”

“No!” Rutherford said quickly, he clasped Andy’s hand quickly, forcing her to face him, “Do not apologize. You have nothing to apologize for.” 

Andy looked at him in surprise. He was a templar, why would he say that? None of the templars had cared, they never did. 

His eyes burned into hers, “The templars failed you, the circle failed you. You did everything right.” 

Andy tried to smile, “Thank you, Commander, maybe if you had been there things would have ended differently.” 

She was surprised by the pain in his eyes, he suddenly slouched and turned away, “No.” He admitted softly, “I don’t believe so.” He looked back at her, his eyes wet again, “I…” he swallowed, “I mean, I don’t know.” He looked back at her, his eyes still wet, “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think Clark would have survived under my watch, but would I have listened to the Tranquil about being uncomfortable? Would I have believed a mage?” He looked across the water again and didn’t answer his questions. 

Andy felt her heartache, she understood what his silence was. Compliance. 

“When I became a templar, I took my oath very seriously.” He said to the pier, “I truly wanted to protect mages from people, from themselves, from demons.” Rutherford gave a weak smile, “I was very naive.”

She shivered again as the wind cut into the silence. Rutherford took an instinctual step towards her, he shrugged the lion furs and put them over her shoulders before she could protest. His brown eyes were red with tears, and she could see unspoken stories in them as well. 

“I saw some very bad things and lost…” he looked down at his feet, “lost my way. From then on I hid behind my fear and pretended that mages were not people.” He rubbed the back of his head and snarled at his feet, “I have never been more fucking wrong in my whole life. My regret, is the thing that haunts me. That. And I will never again.” 

Andy watched him fight his emotions for a moment. Finally, he turned back to her, “I was wrong.” the Commander said firmly.  Andy looked up surprised at the intensity of his gaze, “I have never been more wrong. And I fight every day to make it right.” 

“It’s a long fight Commander.” 

Rutherford nodded, he blinked several times, his face softened and his eyes grew tired. Andy would guess he was as tired as she was. She looked back towards Haven and then back to Rutherford, “I should apologize to Josephine,” She said, “What are you going to do?”

Rutherford looked confused by the sudden change of subject then realized what she was asking, “You’re still an agent of the Inquisition unless you want to be hunted by the remains of the Chantry?”

Andy hesitated for a moment, “No. I will,” she swallowed, “help. I will be your Herald. And I can give Leliana some contacts from the Tranquil Network. Some of them might want to help.” 

The Commander stumbled, he searched Andy’s face, “The Tranquil Network?” He repeated. 

As tired as she was, Andy couldn’t help but smile, she didn’t think she had it in her, “Yes. When Great Aunt Betsey marched on Ostwick and four tranquils were taken away. I got letters from all over Thedas. Tranquil, mages, and even Templars asking for help. Asking for sanctuary.”

Rutherford rubbed the back of his head, “I don’t believe it.” he said to himself, “You--Kirkwall?” He seemed to realize that he actually hadn’t given a question, “I mean, the mage underground in Kirkwall?”

Andy nodded her understanding, “The Network changed in Kirkwall. It started with us, but the Network’s goal was to keep tranquils safe. At best, in other circles, or jobs in local areas. Kirkwall’s underground became...something else, an underground railroad with no safety net. We tried to reform them back but..." 

They walked in silence, Rutherford was deep in thought, she caught him giving her sideways glances as they walked, “Did you know?” 

Andy sighed, that was always the question. Did you know what Anders was planning? Everyone asked her and she always answered the same, “No.” she said simply, "His manifesto appeared a few times within the network but no one thought more than that of it." 

He nodded content with her answer, they passed the old alchemist cabin and turned on the road, approaching the camps outside the town’s walls. Andy stopped and watched the Commander for a moment. She shrugged off the lion skin and passed it back to him, “I--.”

He seemed to know what she was trying to say, “I will speak with Leliana.”

Andy nodded, “Commander?” she called after him, “Please don’t tell her about---I don’t want---.” She searched the ice at her feet, “I don’t want to be treated differently.” 

The Commander paused at the gate, he studied her for a moment, he took two steps back to her, “I won’t,” He promised, “ I will tell her the truth. That you’re not possessed, you don’t remember what happened…” he gave a small smile, “And that you run the Tranquil Network.”

Andy felt some of that tension release in her shoulders, “Thank you.”

Rutherford chuckled, “Two years ago, I would have arrested you.” He laughed and shook his head, “Crazy times we live in.”

Chapter Text

Solas leaned against the house as Andy sat crossed-legged near him. Her tea steamed around her face as she thought about what he had said. Now that the mark was no longer trying to kill her and the breach was stable the two mages could talk about other things. Those things always turned to the Fade.
Since her harrowing, Andy feared going into the fade. Even if she dared to enter, it would only be a matter of time before Sloth found her and tore her to pieces. Solas' stories and the visions he had seen made it seem almost worth the risk.
“I am surprised that you don’t even summon wisps,” Solas confessed as they spoke of spirits.
“I used to.” Andy said with a sip of tea, “I always enjoyed their curiosity and willingness to add in pranks.” She couldn’t hide her smile and Solas returned one of his own.
“I’m glad to see their mentality does not change depending on which side of the veil they are on.”
Solas studied her for a moment, she could see him start to connect the dots about her summoning practices. He cleared his throat and turned back to the breach, “I am curious to know why lightning. Clearly, you are a mage of no small talent. With your training, your indomitable focus, and your ability to withstand possession I feel that primal spell would seem...well primal.”
Andy watched a flicker of light cross the sky, she smiled that was one thing she was good at. Primal spells, “Energy.” she stated simply, “It’s about moving energy. Everything in this world is seeking balance. Warm air rises, cold air sinks; lightning is a single piece of looking for that balance. And once it finds it--” The sky lit up with a finger of lightning, the rumble shook her chest, “All mages like the flash and bang, but if you manipulate it just right, you can decide where that balance is.”
Solas made an understanding noise, she felt his will reach to the sky, looking for the storm. She smiled and guided it to a new strand of negative energy. The two sides reached for each other and the sky erupted in light. Solas smiled and turned back to her, “I see.”
Andy smiled and leaned back, “I used to read about battlemages, mages who controlled the energy on the battlefield, after the blight...when word got across the Waking Sea to tell us about the Battle of Denerim, I wanted to help in case something like that ever happened again.”
“Very noble.”
“Or foolish for a thirteen-year-old girl.”
They chuckled together and drifted into silence. Andy closed her eyes and enjoyed the sun on her face. A shadow interrupted the warmth. Andy frowned up at Cassandra, the only time she and the seeker spoke was in regards to the Inquisition. Other than that, they had nothing in common.
Cassandra's eyes softened as she looked into Andy’s eyes, “Liliana has information. She will see us in the Chantry.”
Andy stared at Cassandra for a long minute. She must have misheard, “You want me to go to the War Room?”
Cassandra nodded, “Yes.”
Andy wanted to laugh, “Commander Rutherford told me I am an agent of the Inquisition. I don’t see you inviting every other agent.”
The Nevarran growled, “You are the Herald.”
Andy signed in defeat, “Please don’t.” She whispered, “I can’t be the Herald. I am a mage!” Andy stood slowly, “Would Andraste ever choose a mage?”
Cassandra groaned and walked with Andy toward the Chantry, “I do not want to have this fight again. I have already told you my view.”
They walked in silence, Andy glanced down at the mark. She couldn’t be chosen. If only she could remember what happened. Then she could explain and tell Cassandra the truth. This nonsense could stop and everything would return to normal.
“Does it bother you?”
Andy looked up, surprised by the concern in the seeker’s eyes. She followed her gaze back to the mark, “It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Andy confessed, “But what is it? How did I get it? How do I get rid of it?”
Cassandra shrugged, “Those answers may come with time, or we may never know. But the breach is still present. It would be unwise to lose it now.”
Andy shook her head, “Well, in that case, it’s fine. I find it helpful for walking around at night.” She wished she could tell someone about her fears. She had changed the nature of the mark, she wasn’t even sure it could close the breach now. And even with it stable now, that didn’t mean it would be always. It didn’t belong in her, one day either her body would reject it or it would reject her body. And she had no idea when that day would come.
Andy winced inwardly, she realized now that Cassandra was talking. She had missed the entire first half of what the seeker was saying.
“---provided the mark has as much power as it did when it created the breach.”
Andy rolled her eyes, she didn’t need Cassandra to repeat it, “Oh great. What could possibly go wrong putting power into a mark we barely understand?”
“Hold on to that sense of humor.” A smile crossed the seeker’s face that changed it completely.
“Maker,” Andy suddenly realized what the meeting was about, “You have a plan. How can you have a plan?”
Cassandra gave a cryptic smile and led them into the back room of the Chantry. Liliana, Rutherford, and Josephine were already there. “Good.” Liliana said as a greeting, “You’re here.”
Andy hesitated and gave a nod to everyone, she felt like she should say something but she shivered and bit the inside of her tongue.
No one spoke for a moment, Andy searched the room. The truth hit her stomach, they weren’t sure what to do next. She remembered painfully the first letter she received after she moved Rhonda to Ostwick. A tranquil in Starkhaven who had requested a workplace that was less uncomfortable. She hadn’t known what to do either. She studied them all for a moment, they were all waiting for someone to take the lead. Someone had to say something. She realized she was trembling. Andy cleared her throat, “Cassandra said I needed to try again to close the breach.”
That was all they needed, suddenly they were in motion.
“Yes.” Cassandra moved forward, “Solas believes another attempt should seal the breach. Provided it has the same amount of power that was used to create the breach in the first place.”
“Which means we must approach the mages for help.” Liliana agreed.
“I still disagree.” The Commander said, his hand rested casually on his sword as he turned to face Liliana, “The templars could serve just as well.”
“We need power Commander. Enough magic poured into the mark--”
“Could destroy us all,” He interrupted, “Templars could suppress the breach. Weaken it so--”
“We don’t know what we’re dealing with here.” Andy stopped them as Cassandra opened her mouth to respond. She glanced at both of them, “The breach is a tear in the veil. If we weaken that, we might make it worse. Besides, the mark---it’s different now.”
“Different?” Liliana stepped closer, “How so?”
Andy shivered by her intensity, she felt as if she was being interrogated again, “I have more control over it. It uses...it uses parts of my own power now. I can’t be sure...but that might be why it no longer is trying to kill me.”
“Which is more reason not to throw more magic through it. I was a templar, I know what they’re capable of.”
Josephine held up a hand, “Unfortunately neither group will speak to us.” That ended the argument. She looked down at her notes, “The Chantry has denounced the Inquisition--and you, specifically.”
Andy groaned, and rubbed her forehead, “That didn’t take long.”
Cassandra snorted in disgust, “Chancellor Roderick’s doing, no doubt.”
Commander Rutherford shook his head, “Shouldn’t they be arguing over who is going to become Divine?”
Josephine gave a weak smile, “Andriya, some are calling you--a mage-- the “Herald of Andraste.” That frightens the Chantry.”
Andy sighed, she hated that title. She had heard it whispered around Haven. Even Cassandra called her that from time to time. It drove her crazy, “Spell this out for me. How am I the “Herald of Andraste”?”
Cassandra spoke for the group, “People saw what you did at the temple. They saw how you stopped the breach from growing. And,” she hesitated, “They have also heard about the woman in the rift when we first found you. They believe that was Andraste.”
Andy felt her temper flair; it was all rumor, speculations, stories, and how much of it was true, “We don’t know that.”
“That story has reached the Chantry.” Josephine explained smoothly.
“--Perhaps maybe if we stopped that view from spreading--” Cassandra glanced over at Liliana.
“Which we will not.” Liliana stated as the Hands of the Divine faced off for a moment, she turned to Andy, “The point is everyone is talking about you.”
“Quite an impressive title.” Rutherford smirked, “How do you feel about it?”
Andy felt the power of those words hit her shoulders. The flicker of annoyance went out as she stumbled and realized it would be best if she sat down. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or scream, “They’re wrong.” She whispered, “I can’t be---Andraste wouldn’t---” She struggled to get her thoughts in order, “She changed Thedas. She changed the world with the Maker at her side. I’m just---I” She realized she wasn’t making any sense, “It’s unnerving.”
The Commander chuckled, “The Chantry has chosen it for you. But I suppose they would be elated to know you share their feelings.” His eyes turned slightly softer, there was still a sparkle in them.
“The point is--” Josephine cleared her throat to get everyone back on track, “The remaining clerics have declared it blasphemy, and we, the Inquisition, heretics for harboring you. Needless to say, that limits our options. Approaching the mages or the templars for help with the breach is currently out of the question.”
Liliana shook her head, “People are desperate for a sign of hope. For some, you are that sign.”
“And for others, a symbol of everything that’s gone wrong.” Josephine reminded them all grimly.
Andy rested her head in her hands. She had feared this, she hadn’t told anyone, but that made sense why no one from Redcliffe had reached out to her. They couldn’t risk being associated with her. If they showed even the slightest hint of support, the Chantry would turn to Ferelden and demand the mages be brought to their knees. It wasn’t even fair. She hadn’t wanted the circles to end...just change, “So if I wasn’t here…”
“Let’s be honest,” Rutherford said with a shrug, he rested his hands on his hips, “They would have censured us no matter what.”
“But if they attack?”
Rutherford actually chuckled, “With what? They only have words at their disposal.”
“But they can bury us with them.” Josephine said softly, she looked over at Andy for a long moment.
Everyone got quiet. It seemed the Inquisition would go down before its first fight.
“But there might be something we--you can do.” Liliana offered, “A Chantry cleric by the name of Mother Giselle has asked to speak with you. She is not far, and knows those involved far better than I. Her assistance could be invaluable.”
“Close by?”
“She is tending to the wounded in the Hinterlands. Near Redcliffe.”
Andy studied everyone in the room for a moment, Rutherford had the same look on his face that she did, “This doesn’t sound like a trap to you?” Andy finally asked, “Why would a Mother of the Chantry want to speak with me.”
Both Cassandra and the Commander exchanged glances. They both agreed with her but Josephine shook her head in disagreement. Liliana stepped from the shadows, “I understand she is a reasonable sort. My agents tell me she is a kind soul. Not the sort to involve herself in violence.
Andy could tell that she was going to have to go back to the Hinterlands, “The fighting would have gotten worse after...everything.”
“It has,” agreed Josephine, “But we might be able to help with that.”
“Yes!” Rutherford agreed eagerly, “expand the Inquisition’s reach. Help the refugees if at all possible.”
Andy nodded her agreement even though inwardly she didn’t see the point. She knew that she had to go. She was the ‘Herald’ after all. She was a huge player in this now. She couldn’t hide behind the mages now. She would have to make choices, represent this...inquisition.
“I have scouts in the area, look for Harding. She can fill you in.” Liliana explained as she saw Andy’s acceptance in her eyes.
Andy nodded and stood up, “Well, this should be fun.”
Cassandra smirked and followed her out of the war room, “I will go with you. I’ve been trying to reach Horse Master Dennet. The Inquisition needs horses.”
Andy frowned as they stepped outside, “And you didn’t think to ask me? Trevelyan?”
Cassandra blushed, “I feared that you would see it as giving more to the Inquisition than you already have. And besides, it would take months for the horses to arrive here from Ostwick.”
Andy had to agree, that it would be nice to see her family again, to ride her horse; Ostwick was too far. It would cost a fortune to get the horses here and a complete loss of investment if any of them died on the way. She gave a heavy sigh, “Where is Harding?”
Liliana and Rutherford showed Andy everything she needed to know on the map while Cassandra prepared for their journey. It was mildly overwhelming to have them both speaking to her rapidly. They both seemed to have forgotten she was in Redcliffe and dealing with the rebel mages and templars before the Conclave started.
“What about here, near the pass?” Andy motioned to the southern area of the map, “There was a religious sect out here.”
Liliana winced, “Ah, yes. They are still there, growing in number….although their views of…” she searched the room for the word, “their views have changed due to recent events.”
“So no help to us then?”
“They might offer help to the refugees?” Rutherford offered tiredly, “But they will not be easy to convince.” He shook his head, “Will you two be alright here, there are things I must attend to.”
Andy watched him leave, three recruits met him at the door, how he was able to keep everything organized was beyond her. She shook her head and studied the map, “The rebels are somewhere in Witchwood,” She told Liliana, “They would try and recruit at Redcliffe.”
“Do you know where?”
Andy shook her head and rubbed her forehead, she could feel a headache start. Liliana watched her for a moment and glanced around the empty war room before she spoke, “There is one other matter--”
“Of course there is.”
“A few months ago I reached out to the Hero of Ferelden. She is gone. Along with all the other Grey Wardens in Ferelden. And Orlais.”
Andy couldn’t keep up with Liliana’s train of thought, “Gone? Back north...to their keep?”
“Who can say? But I find it odd that they would all disappear and now an attack at the Conclave?”
Andy’s headache doubled, “You think they’re connected?”
Liliana stared down at the map quietly for a moment, “It’s possible, or not? The others do not share my feelings. But finally, an agent has sent word. They have reason to believe there is a grey warden in the Hinterlands. Where? I am not sure. If you could find him...perhaps he could put my mind at ease.”
Andy groaned, “Liliana...aren’t you grasping at straws? What could the Grey Wardens have to do with this?”
“I don’t know.” She said tiredly, “I hope I am wrong.”
Andy didn’t say it but she agreed. The two of them walked out of the chantry, Solas and Varric waved Andy to them as they all turned to catch up with the Seeker. It was nice to be doing something that wouldn’t end in a giant explosion for once.

Chapter Text

Cassandra and Solas went to speak with Commander Valen to help organize the movement of the more grievously wounded to Redcliffe while Varric talked to some of the traders nearby. Andy watched them from a stone wall, she replayed the battle in her mind. She admired them, Cassandra, Varric, and Solas. Although they all had different styles and different views, they all fought together well. A team united to face a greater evil. Once complete then they could go back to what made them so different. Andy took a breath and allowed her mind to be quiet, not organizing the Network, not trying to present the Inquisition as a saving grace, not being a member of the Trevelyan family. She hunched her shoulders and let herself relax. She could just…be.
“Well done.”
Andy flinched inwardly, for a moment she thought it was her great aunt about to tell her to sit up straight and behave like a lady. She slid off the wall and straighten up, “Pardon?” she looked around. A farmer was watching her, a piece of straw in his mouth and a hoe over his shoulder. His bald head was tanned from days in the sun, and his arms were covered in dirt.
“Took care of those apostates. Doing more for us than the Chantry ever did.”
“You’re welcome, sir. Just the Inquisition---”
He ignored her and motioned to the west, “Of course, the templars will run rampant now. Blame all these folks for their troubles.”
Andy nodded, he wasn’t wrong. “That’s the plan I think,” she looked west, “We got lucky finding the leaders of the Apostates, but we aren’t sure where the templar’s hold is located.”
“Near the bridge.” He told her simply.
He said it with such certainty that it took her by surprise.“Really? Are you sure?” she heard herself ask him. It was more of a gut response than an actual question; he was just so calm about it that it seemed unreal.
“As sure as shootin’” he chewed on the straw of hay in his mouth, “Needed some supplies from Dennet, had to go across the old fort,” he motioned up to the ridge, “cross over straight into bear country. But avoided the templars so--”
Andy studied the old man, he must be a local to know all this. Not only that, how could no one in the inquisition realize how valuable he was, “Really?” Andy sighed with relief, perhaps dealing with the templars would help the surviving members of the chantry to, what had Mother Giselle said, doubt.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name.”
“Gilas,” he answered, “Got a little plot of land up on the ridge there. Been cleaning out my storage for these poor folks since that damn hole in the sky drove the templars and mages mad.”
Andy made a sound of agreement, “If you don’t mind, can you tell my friends everything you just told me?” She motioned for Cassandra and the others to come over.
Only Varric didn’t seem surprised by Gilas’s knowledge. Unlike the rest, he knew that locals were more knowledgeable than any spy or scout. Gilas was happy to help, using his hoe to sketch hidden paths in the dirt as he told them where to find the templars. Cassandra shook his head, grateful for his help and humbled by his kindness. They all shook his hand and Cassandra led the agents back toward the main camp to follow the dirt map.
Andy hesitated before she went down the road. It was a long shot but Gilas seemed to know more than anyone else. She waited a moment to make sure the others were out of earshot before she asked “By chance, have you heard anything about a Gray Warden out here?”
She shouldn’t have been surprised but she was as Gilas nodded, “Blackwall? Yeah, he’s been recruiting some farmhands out of Dennet’s place. Bandits and mercenaries are all held up in the summer castle there. You’d think between mages and templars that would be enough, but no. Maker has to put more on their plate.”
Andy smiled sincerely at him, “I’ll take care of it.”
Gilas studied her for a moment, “You know, I believe you will. Blackwall's up at the cabin, Lake Luthias. There's some ruins on the lake, he's next to them."

They stood over the Knight-Captian remains, Cassandra was trembling with exhaustion. She had stumbled to a stump and dropped her sword from her hand. Her shoulders shook, but Andy wasn’t sure if she was tired or crying.
Solas looked across the empty templar camp and back to Andy, “Surely we have done enough. The Clerics at Val Royal must listen to us.”
Andy slowly turned her attention back to Solas. He couldn’t be serious? She shook her head, “What do you see Solas?”
Solas was quiet for a moment, “Relief. An end to the suffering. ”
Andy snorted, “I see a vacuum. An area without control. And with no control, do you know what happens? Do you know who comes? mercenaries, thieves, murders. If we go to the crossroads, if we travel to Val Royal, when we return, it will be ash and bone.”
Solas opened his mouth and then shut it. He gave a small nod and repositioned his staff. Andy studied everyone for a moment, Cassandra wiped her face, if she had been crying, Andy couldn’t tell. She took a deep breath, “There is something I haven’t told you. Liliana wanted me to look for someone. A Gray Warden.”
Cassandra snorted, “They’re gone. North to their stronghold until another blight. That’s what they do, isn’t it? Ignore everything but the blight.”
Andy frowned, “Because the last time they invested energy into something other than the blight they were massacred and cast out of Ferelden!”
Varric looked at Andy surprised, she shrugged, “I read.”
“So do I,” Varric snorted, “And that sounds like a story.”
Andy hesitated. She could tell him about the wardens of Ferelden. It was a lost history discovered by the hero of Ferelden during her time gathering an army. Andy had read the unedited reports from the scholars out of the tower of Ferelden. If what was true, it wouldn’t be a surprise that Gray Wardens kept out of politics no matter how dangerous the forces were. “Tell you over a beer sometime.”
Varric smiled, she could see his mind already writing a book about it.
Andy turned her attention back to Cassandra, “This way, we’ll go up to Lake Luthias, Gilas said there was a cabin up there, apparently, that’s where Warden Blackwall is.”
Cassandra rolled her eyes but stood and stretched. She gave a cold nod to Andy. The seeker recognized the same thing that Andy did, the Inquisitons’ work was never done.

Varric frowned at the bubbles off the dock. He watched them dissipate with narrow eyes before he turned his attention back to Andy. It was only then she realized she had her staff in her hand and was holding her power ready to release.
“Just a clam kiddo.” he tried to smile.
He was probably right, she knew that, but there was a strange energy on the dock of the lake. She expected something to jump out and grab the dwarf before responding. Solas and Cassandra were watching her, she could feel their eyes judging her. If Solas wasn’t reacting to it, it was probably nothing but still. Andy slowly put her staff back but didn’t release her power. Her eyes studied the still water, she would be ready…whatever was down there.
“We should keep going.” Andy’s voice felt thick in her throat. She cleared the fear from her throat and motioned with her head for Cassandra and Varric to lead the way. Solas watched her and reluctantly followed, she felt his magic reach to the water, searching for what she felt but gently released when he noticed it too. He gave her a warning look and shook his head to tell her to stop magically poking at it. Andy gave one last look to the waters and followed them across the bridge.
Four stable boys stood awkwardly with swords and small round shields in their hands. She could see their sweat from the bridge. They were terrified. A tall broad-shouldered man paced in front of them, he was halfway through a speech. Whatever he was saying she could see the postures of the boys change. They stood taller and griped their swords tighter. She had never seen that before, even with the templars at Ostwick. This man, whoever he was, gave these boys something the templars never had. Conviction.
She studied him as she walked closer, he was taller than her, his arms heavily muscled, to the point she wasn’t sure how he got his shirt on. His chest plate held the Griffen from books, he was indeed a Gray Warden. His beard was thick and tangled, as was the hair that hung past his neck. His bushy eyebrows hug over his brow so she couldn’t see the color of his eyes. He moved with purpose and the grace of a swordsman.
“Blackwall?” she called out as she stepped off the wooden beams, “Are you, Warden Blackwall?”
He spun, she knew he had noticed their approach but had obviously not considered them important until now. His eyes grew wide and with a few strides, he was in front of her. He studied her swiftly, taking in more information than she could in that half second, a warrior whose second nature was to identify threats.
“You’re not--” he started then changed his mind, “How do you know my name? Who sent--”
Suddenly he pushed her back into a tree. She could smell hay, pine, sweet sweat, and stale beer as he stood between her with his shield up. An arrowhead had cut through the simple wood, Andy knew from the angle it would have hit her. His dark brown eyes stared into her for a moment before he turned to the stable boys, and then to the direction the arrow had come from. Andy glanced past the shield as well. She recognized the mismatched armor. The mercenaries from the east. At least a dozen, maybe 14 if there were archers further back.
She turned her face back to Blackwall, the shield still blocking their faces from the approaching renegades. A dark look crossed Blackwall’s face, “Fuck ‘em.” he murmured to himself and then met Andy’s eyes, “That’s it.” he snarled at her, he seemed to grow taller and larger, “Help or get out.” he ordered, his voice told her there was no time for talk, “Whatever you have to say can wait. I have to deal with these idiots first.”
It felt like a challenge. The Trevelyan in her responded, “We have these idiots to deal with.” she corrected and spun out from his shield. The power she had kept within reach exploded over the charging mercenaries. Lightning wrapped around the charging men and dragged them back, burning into their leathers. “Solas, protect the lads!” She ordered.
Solas nodded, he murmured a few words and drew his staff in a slow overhead arc. The spell drifted lazily over the charging boys behind Blackwall. “Conscripts! This is it! What you’ve been training for! Attack!” Blackwall led the charge.
Varric dropped two snipers before Blackwall and his trainees met the mercenaries. One of them struggled under the attack, his small shield cracking under the heavy bastard sword from a mercenary. He fell to a knee until Cassandra charged up and shoved the attacker into a tree. Her sword went through the leathers before she pulled the stablehand up.
Andy opened her arms, calling fire into her heart and spitting it out of her hands. Flame erupted from her fingers arching into the sky and landing on the heads and shoulders of six mercenaries. Two fell, and the smell of burned hair and flesh told them they were dead. The four others were completely distracted and couldn’t defend themselves against Blackwall’s new soldiers.
Whatever the mercenaries had hoped to accomplish had no merits. With the majority of them dead, the surviving two dropped their weapons and ran. Andy watched them disappear into the undergrowth before she turned her attention back to Blackwall. Sweat coated his face, he gave her a small nod of thanks and knelt next to the body of one she had killed. He shook his head and stood up, “Sorry bastards.” She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to hear that.
Blackwall looked at her then stood up and faced the conscripts again, “Good work,” he paused, “men.”
The boys grinned at each other. Andy recognized the look. They had passed their trial by fire.
Blackwall continued, “Even though this shouldn’t have happened.” His eyes burned into the four lads, “Remember, thieves are made, not born. It is our choices. They--” he paused, “They could’ve chosen different.”
He motioned to the bodies, “Take back what they stole. Go back to your families. You have saved yourself. With luck, this will never happen again.” his voice trailed off as the young men exchanged looks and then rushed off. Dropping the weapons as if they burned.
Andy frowned, there was a sadness in Blackwall as he spoke, and a warning burned in her mind. From what she read, wardens didn’t let their conscripts go…that was how the Hero of Ferelden got involved in all of this. If Duncan had done that, the world would be destroyed.
Blackwall gave a heavy sigh and turned to Andy. She felt him study her again, gather the information that she was sure no one else could find in that amount of time.
“Well,” he said after a moment, “You’re no farmer.”
She wanted to laugh at the obvious statement, instead, she bit back her smile. It didn’t work, a sparkle went off in Blackwall’s eyes. He knew she wanted to laugh.
“No,” she answered when she was sure she wouldn’t laugh, “No, we’re not farmers. We are agents of the Inquisition.”
The humor in his eyes went out, “The Inquisition.” he repeated and started to pace, she could see his mind twisting to understand.
Andy stepped closer, “We are trying to see if there is a link between the disappearance of the Wardens and the death of the Divine.
Blackwall laughed, “Maker’s balls. You can’t be serious!” he studied them and the laughter fell from his face, “Shit, you are. That’s why you're asking, isn’t it? You don’t know.”
“Figured that out all by yourself, did you?” Varric sighed as he finished reloading Bianca. Andy sighed.
“About a month ago, all the wardens disappeared--”
Blackwall held up his hand, “You think the Wardens had something to do with this?”
Andy bit the inside of her cheek, “That’s what we’re trying to figure out. We’re not accusing you, or any of the wardens. We’re just,” she hesitated and then changed her mind, “I’ve only found you. Where are the rest of your compatriots?”
Blackwall continued to pace, he shook his head to himself before he stopped and turned to her, “First of all,” he cleared his throat, “I didn’t know the rest had disappeared. But that shouldn't be a surprise. We do that. “ he held up his hands as if they were holding weights. He dropped one, “No more blight,” he dropped the other one, “no more need for Wardens.” He took a step toward Andy, leaving hardly any room between them, “We’re the first thing to go.”
There was sadness in his voice. As if saying that cold reality hurt. Andy didn’t drop her gaze. Perhaps that was how the common folk held the wardens, but not her. She knew the value of these warriors, of the last line of defense against the mistakes of mages. Sure it was before time, but the Wardens stopped the greatest mistake made: the mages' mistake of entering the Black City.
He took a step back, “I haven’t seen any wardens for months.” He confessed, “I travel alone, recruiting.” He gave a small shrug, “Not much interest because the archdemon is a decade dead, and no need to conscript because there’s no blight coming.”
Varric snorted, “Oh really, then what was all this?”
Blackwall glared at him and then saw the same look on Andy’s face. He studied the Solas and Cassandra before confessing, “This was different. I was in the area, recruiting, killing a few demons, and then I heard about the mercenaries and the stealing. The lads just needed some guidance. Our treaties give us the right to take what we need. Who we need.” He motioned to the dead, “These idiots forced the fight, so I “conscripted’ a few of their victims.”
Andy exchanged looks with Cassandra and Varric. They couldn’t blame him. After all, wasn’t that was Commander Velen was doing? Andy sighed heavily and turned back to Blackwall.
“Gray Wardens can inspire,” He said softly, “make you better than you think you are.”
Andy suddenly saw Blackwall for who he used to be. Everyone knew those who joined the Gray Wardens usually had a dark past. Murderers, thieves, bastards, men or women who made mistakes they couldn’t outrun. Whatever Blackwall had left behind, still haunted him.
Andy realized he was talking again. She blinked herself back to reality. “Our purpose isn’t political.” He finished, his eyes burning with passion. He spoke with such authority and conviction that even Cassandra dropped her gaze.
Andy sighed, “Any idea where the rest of the wardens have gone?
Blackwall motioned, “North, to our stronghold at Weisshaupt. Far north.”
Andy rolled her eyes, “And why haven’t you disappeared?”
Blackwall smirked, “Well, maybe I was about to.” There was something in his eyes that she couldn’t name or place. Determination, or a firm belief in something.
Andy sighed and studied Cassandra, no wonder Liliana didn’t want to bring this up to the right hand of the divine. She turned her attention back to Blackwall, a dead end. Just like she thought, “Well, thank you Warden Blackwall.” she said as eloquently as she could, “So where does this leave us?”
A look crossed his face and Andy smiled. She could tell he was biting back a comment, something that would be considered crass. Then it struck her. The way he was talking, the way he held himself. He wasn’t treating her like the Herald, he wasn’t treating her like a mage. He had just watched her burn a dozen mercenaries, instead, he was treating her no different than Cassandra. She felt her face flush. No one had ever treated her like this, like a…person. She forced herself to give a Ferelden bow and motioned for the rest to follow.
“Well, I suppose we should get used to dead ends.” Cassandra grumbled to herself, “I don’t know why Leliana would have thought the Gray Wardens were involved. I mean her best friend--” She swallowed the rest of her thoughts. Andy nodded, she had read the books, Leliana had traveled with the Queen of Ferelden, and had been close friends with her and her husband, Alaister.
“Inquisition…what did you say, Agent!” Blackwall called after them. He jogged up to Andy and looked her over again, “Hold a moment.” He searched her face and then the land around them before he spoke again, “The Divine is dead and the sky is torn. Events like these--” he paused, “--Thinking we are absent is almost as bad as thinking we’re involved.” He shifted his weight, “If you are trying to put things right. Maybe you need a warden. Maybe you need me.”
Andy tilted her head, there seemed to be more to that statement and she wasn’t sure what it was. She held up her hand and turned to Cassandra. The two of them stepped aside, and Solas and Varric followed. It was nice to see them not follow orders.
“Absolutely not.” Cassandra sighed, “He’s a warrior but once the order comes from Weisshaupt, he’s gone.”
“Wardens' duty is greater than politics, even their own,” Solas motioned, “He will stay even if the Wardens aren’t involved.”
“He still might be of use.” Andy countered, “You saw him training those farmhands. Perhaps he could help Commander Rutherford. Or help us scout local areas. He’s right, we do need him.”
Varric suddenly chuckled and shook his head. Andy studied him for a moment but he only grinned, “Oh don’t worry about it kid. You’ll figure it out soon enough.”
Andy had a suspicion about what Varric was hinting at but she doubted anything would come of it. But she had to admit, there was something about him. She stepped back to Blackwall. She took a deep breath, “Warden Blackwall, the Inquisition accepts your offer.”
He took a step up to her, “We both need to know what’s going on.” His voice got softer, “Perhaps I’ve been keeping to myself for too long.” He suddenly drew his sword and dropped to one knee, thrusting the blade into the dirt, “This warden walks with the Inquisition.” he vowed.
Andy took a deep breath, “Rise Warden Blackwall,” she could hear her great-grandmother in her voice, “The Inquisition is honored by your presence.” The air seemed to grow warm around her as he looked up at her under his heavy brow. She hadn’t noticed it earlier, but there was green in his eyes.
Cassandra gave a small groan and stepped up, “He should join us. We need to head back to Haven anyways.”
Andy rose to her full height, “What? No!” she motioned west, “We still need to find Master Dennet. I’m sorry Cassandra,’ she gave a swift bow to Solas, “and Solas. But I’ve told you before, that we cannot ignore these mercenaries. If the inquisition forces step back, they will march in here with an iron fist. We need to wipe them out and wipe them out now. We go west.” She turned to Blackwall, “If you go to the crossroads, Commander Velen will show you the way to Haven. Speak with Sister Liliana.”
His eyes seemed to sparkle again, “As you wish my lady.”
He held her gaze a moment too long to be official. She didn’t mind, a warmth spread through her stomach. For once she actually felt like a lady.