Kala Lavellan has always thought she could muster or finagle her way through almost any problem. Until now.
Solas has gone missing.
Of all the people who'd have gone missing, he was the last one she'd expect to disappear. He'd always seemed wiser than his years, and she had the sneaking suspicion that despite his peaceful appearance, he'd fought formally in battles before coming to the Inquisition, although he'd never confirm or deny that with her.
He hadn't even said goodbye. Had he really felt abandoned by her and the rest of the Inquisition when the Orb had been destroyed? Or had he been kidnapped or killed?
"No matter what happens, I want you to know what we had was real." Solas's words echoed in her head. Why had he said that? It was as if he knew something awful was about to happen. As if he knew they couldn't stay together.
Trying not to cry, Kala leaned against the wall of her room in Skyhold Fortress, thinking of what to do. She couldn't send all of her scouts out to look for him. They needed all the people they could get to protect Ferelden and Orlais. Corypheus had been defeated and the Breach - the hole in the sky that allowed demons into their world - had been sealed. But that didn't mean the Breach would remain sealed or that Corypheus's allies would never return.
A crow settled on her balcony.
A crow. Of course. Leliana used crows to deliver messages. Perhaps she'd know what had happened to Solas.
Kala strode out of her room and headed towards Leliana's office. She knocked quietly. "Hello, Leliana? It's me, Kala."
"Come in," Leliana called.
Kala headed in.
Inside, Leliana rose to greet her. She looked wan and pale, but more rested since their battle against Corypheus. Kala felt a wave of affection. She wished she could protect all her friends from this strife with Corypheus, but knew they had to continue as best they could.
"Leliana, I'm sorry to bother you, but I think Solas has gone missing. I haven't heard from him. Has he contacted you or anyone else?"
Leliana looked worried. "I haven't heard from him either. I assumed he'd be with you, or that he'd tell you where he was. It's only been a few hours since battle. Perhaps he's meditating and he'll return."
"His room is empty. I don't see any of his belongings there anymore." Kala tried not to think of the worst case scenario. She didn't want to think of him being captured or killed by their enemies.
Leliana looked grim. Her mouth thinned in concentration, and her eyes narrowed in thought. "Then either he was kidnapped, or he left without us to do something important." She looked as if she'd made up her mind. "I'll send out some scouts to look for him, to make sure he's safe. But if he doesn't want to contact us, we should respect that."
"Of course." Kala tried to stay calm, but felt like she was unraveling.
Leliana took Kala's hand in platonic affection. "Keep busy to avoid falling into a pit of despair. I know you do best when you do that. Look after yourself. We'll do our best to find him. One of my best scouts has returned today. He can help with finding Solas."
Kala squeezed Leliana's hand back. "Thank you." She meant it more than she could say.
**
Leliana stopped by to greet Kala. "A moment, my lady." She pulled Kala aside. "My agents still haven't found Solas. If he doesn't want to be found, there's nothing we can do."
If he didn't want to be found? Why? What could happen that would make him feel this way? Kala wasn't sure she wanted to know.
"Maybe he needed to go. He might come back," Leliana said reassuringly.
Kala nodded. "Maybe." She tried not to show how worried she was. Leliana already had more than enough to deal with.
They headed into Skyhold Fortress. Torchlight shone softly in the darkness, lending warmth. Josie stood with Vivian, while Sera, Blackwall, Cole and Varric sat near one of the wooden benches. Iron Bull had his arms wrapped around Dorian, while Cullen stood to one side, laughing at something Cassandra was telling him.
Some of them caught her eye and smiled, and she smiled back. Her heart lifted a little, easing some of the pain. It was wonderful that they'd won and that nearly all of them were here. She just wished Solas could be here too. He'd helped them win. He deserved to be here.
She gave a small wave in return to Bull's wave, and couldn't help feeling that Skyhold was emptier and smaller without Solas in it.
Heading back to her room, she tried not to think too hard about it.
When morning came, she stood at the balcony, taking in the strong sunlight, soft mist and sharp mountains in the distance. The crisp air invigorated her, making her feel more alert.
Solas used to hold her while they were on the balcony, while talking about his journeys in the Fade, and she felt closer to him somehow, standing there. Somehow, she couldn't help feeling that he was out there somewhere, and that he'd return.
Her eyes narrowed in determination. She couldn't stand here waiting for him. She'd do everything to find him and make sure he was safe. If he didn't want to see her anymore, she'd respect that. But if their enemies had captured him, she was going to find him and free him. There was no way she'd leave him to be killed, defenseless and alone.