To Save the World

“Also, Lady Morrigan requested a meeting.  At the Cobbled Swan in Minrathous,” Harding’s words echoed in Rook’s head as she made her way through the destruction of Minrathous.  The moment her team had stepped out of the Elluvian, they were met with a fight.  The Shadow Dragon safehouse was a disaster, Venatori skulking around and gathering Shadow Dragons.  It was hard ignoring the bodies around them.  Hard ignoring the innocents who hung from the gallows.  This destruction was because she had chosen Treviso. 

“This is awful,” Harding whispered. 

“Parading the dead,” Bellara gaped.  Rook bit her tongue as they continued to the Cobbled Swan.  There wasn’t much they could do.  Not now.  Morrigan needed to meet, and she didn’t want to keep the woman waiting. 

As they got closer to the Cobbled Swan, Rook noted how it was emptier than usual. 

“Why did Morrigan want to meet in Minrathous?  Isn’t she helping the Veil Jumpers in Arlathan?” Harding questioned.  They walked into the swan and Morrigan smiled in greeting.

“Indeed.  But today, we have a guest, and she needed the anonymity that only a city provides,” Morrigan spoke, turning to look toward the bar.  Rook’s eyes widened when the figure lowered their hood.  Blonde hair was neatly tied into a bun and warm, blue eyes stared at her lovingly. 

“Well, look who it is!” Harding exclaimed.  Ellana looked down at the dwarf, inclining her head in greeting.

“It’s good to see you, Lace.”

“Rook, you remember how Varric and I served in the Inquisition?  Well, this is the woman who led us all.  This is—”

“Ellana Lavellan,” Rook interrupted.  Harding scratched the back of her head and avoided her gaze.  She hadn’t known Ellana was going to be here, but Rook knew she felt guilty about the reunion.

Ellana gave her a sad smile.  “Must you say my name that way, lethallan?”

Bellara gasped at that, and Rook scowled.  She really didn’t want this information being shared with the others.  Harding and Varric kept it a secret, but now, that secret was out.  At least to Bellara.  Rook crossed her arms over her chest plate with a huff.

“What’re you doing here?” Rook questioned.  Ellana gestured to a blue wolf statue on the counter.

“I brought this.  It appeared when Solas was pulled into the Fade.  I hoped it’d help you—”

“Fix your mess?  Why didn’t you stop Solas before this all started?”

“You think I didn’t try?” Ellana huffed, clenching her fists.  Rook heard the metallic ding to it and saw the way it caught the light.  Her elder sister raised her left hand, showing the metal that replaced flesh.  “I tried to reason with him.  Lost an arm in the process.”

“I’ll cut off his hand too,” Rook growled.  As much as they argued, no one touched her sister.  Not even the Dread Wolf.

“Please don’t.  He did keep me from dying,” Ellana sighed.  She strode closer and Rook kept still as the elf reached up, cupping her face.  Her touch was soft, even as her eyes filled with remorse.  Their last interaction had been an unpleasant one.  Rook had left Fereldan, leaving behind her family.  Ellana blamed her for them falling apart, but Rook couldn’t stay.  She wanted to explore the world.  Not be confined to their Clan.  “You’ve grown your hair.”

Rook chuckled and placed her hands on Ellana’s.  “I like having it somewhat long.”

“You look like mother,” Ellana hummed.  She stepped back and looked at Harding.  “I’ll trust you to be my eyes and ears here.  I’ll keep the South safe while you all focus here.”

“Of course,” Harding nodded. 

“One more thing.  Lethallan?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve brought some help for you,” Ellana spoke.  She looked behind her and another figure emerged, this one smaller.  They pulled their hood back, revealing short black hair and curious amber eyes. 

“Fuck no,” Rook cursed, giving Ellana an unimpressed look.  Her sister raised an eyebrow at her exclamation.  “I am not taking her with me.  It’s too dangerous here.”

“It’s dangerous in Fereldan as well.  She’s not safe anywhere.”

“She’s safer by your side.”

“Perhaps, but she was adamant about coming here to help you,” Ellana argued.  Kavain hesitantly stepped closer, and Rook clenched her jaw.  This was a stupid idea.  “If you don’t want to—”

“If she comes with me, she does everything I say.  If it becomes too much, I will be sending her back to you.”

“That’s…alright,” Ellana sighed.  She turned to Kavain and patted her shoulder.  “Listen to our sister.”

“Yes, lethallan.”

“Rook?  It was good seeing you,” Ellana smiled.  Rook grunted and looked at the smaller elf, gesturing for her to follow.  They quickly exited the Cobbled Swan and she stewed as they did.  This wasn’t a good idea.  Having Kavain here would prove troublesome.  Kavain Levallan was a loose cannon.  Unpredictable and quite frankly, unstable.  She always got them into trouble growing up and Rook lost track of the number of times she had to rescue her.  Kavain had been one of the main reasons she had left.

“Umm…Calmaran—”

“It’s Rook,” Rook snapped, glaring back at her sister.  “I go by Rook.”

“I-sorry,” Kavain apologized.  Harding cleared her throat and playfully nudged Kavain.

“Rook, you’ll be impressed by her skills!  She learned from the best in the Inquisition!” Harding beamed.  Rook knew she was trying to lighten the mood.  Kavain adjusted her bow and Rook saw the uneasiness in her posture. 

“Did you teach her to shoot?”

“I did.”

“Then she can stay in the back and lay cover fire,” Rook sighed, looking forward.  She didn’t want Kavain here.  Explaining this entire situation to the team would be interesting. 

When they returned to the Lighthouse, Rook called a meeting.  She didn’t want to, but she had a feeling the team would be curious about their new member.  It would be a good time to introduce Kavain to the team as well.  Kavain sat near the wall, keeping a careful eye on the others as Rook took a seat at her chair. 

“So…you likely see the new member of the team,” Rook spoke.  The team glanced behind her and Taash lifted her head.

“She smells like you,” Taash pointed out.  Right.  Dragon smelling.  Rook glanced back at Kavain and inclined her head.  Her sister stood and bowed slightly to them.

“I’m Kavain,” Kavain introduced.  She met Rook’s gaze and she gestured for her to continue.  “I am Rook’s little sister.”

The team went quiet as they took in the information.  Rook was grateful that Kavain hadn’t used her full name in the introduction.  Their connection to Ellana would at least stay a secret. 

“You’re small…even for an elf,” Taash pointed out.  Kavain squared her shoulders and looked at the dragon hunter.

“And you’re small for a qunari.  I’ve seen bigger,” Kavain countered.  Harding giggled at that and Davrin chuckled.  The others smiled as well, except for Neve, who was eyeing the elf curiously.  Taash grinned and stood, clearing the distance between them in two steps. 

“I think you’ll fit right in.  Name’s Taash.  The team’s dragon hunting expert,” Taash introduced, holding out her hand.  Kavain took it and shook it.

“I’ve fought a few dragons in Fereldan.  Are they a lot different here?”

“Every dragon is different.”

The others introduced themselves and Rook saw Assan approaching Kavain.  She moved to the edge of her seat as the griffon moved around her sister.

“A griffon?” Kavain gaped. 

“Assan…be gentle,” Davrin cautioned. Kavain knelt and allowed the griffon to inspect her.  Assan chirped and butted his head against her stomach, effectively knocking her to the ground as he did.  She giggled and the griffon playfully jumped around her. “Safe to say, Assan likes her.”

“Means we can trust her,” Taash shrugged.  Rook huffed and stood, making Kavain look up at her.

“Come on.  I’ll show you to your room,” Rook spoke.  She headed for the courtyard.  A new building had appeared.  A small one between Bellara and Neve’s place.  She pushed open the door and stepped aside to allow Kavain inside.  It was sparse, with a fortress-like theme to it.  There was a room towards the back where Rook assumed was the bathroom and there was a distinct lack of any furniture.  “I’ll ask the caretaker to get you a bed and some furniture.”

“You don’t have to.  I can sleep on the ground.”

“You are not sleeping on the ground,” Rook huffed.  Kavain looked around the room with a sigh.  “The Lighthouse will provide.  If you don’t like the room, it will change it.”

“I like it.  Reminds me of Skyhold,” Kavain spoke.  She gestured to the skylight above her.  “Though, looking up into the Fade is a bit weird.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Rook hummed, leaning against the doorframe.  “Do you have any other belongings?”

“No.  I only brought my bow, quiver, and swords.”

Rook nodded and turned to leave.  “I’ll get you some clothes to borrow until we have a chance to buy you some.  Dinner is in a bit.  Just listen for the bell to toll.”

“Rook?” Kavain softly spoke.  Rook stopped but kept looking forward.  “Thank you, for letting me stay.”

Rook chose to leave without saying anything and closed the door behind her.  She rubbed at her temple with a sigh.

“You look stressed,” Taash pointed out.  Rook glanced up at the qunari, seeing her standing with her arms crossed. 

“Kavain does that to me.”

“You aren’t happy that she’s here?”

Rook shook her head and headed for the kitchen, knowing that it was her turn to set the table.  “It’s hard enough fighting Gods.  Now I have to make sure she doesn’t get herself killed.”

“Ah, so you are happy she’s here.   You’re just worried.”

“Sure.  Let’s go with that.”

“If you’re worried about her, then just have her stay here at the Lighthouse.”

“She’ll just sneak out.”

“…you’re being pessimistic.”

“I’m being realistic, thank you very much.”

Rook did keep a careful eye on Kavain as her sister settled in.  She tended to gravitate towards Harding when left to her own devices and Rook was thankful for that.  It made it easier for her to focus on helping their allies.  Herself, Davrin, and Lucanis helped Antoine gather Blight samples which had been a nasty thing.  Her armor would smell for weeks after that.  While they were there, the First Warden had berated her and ordered the Wardens to return to Weishaupt.  That would be their next destination…after Rook was certain Kavain was ready. 

Rook watched as Kavain tightened the straps of her bracers as they readied themselves for the Hall of Valor.  The best way for the team to learn Kavain’s fighting style was to see her in action.  What better way than a tournament? 

“Do we know who our first opponent is?” Davrin asked. 

“Isabella said something about Darkspawn or demons,” Taash answered. 

“I hope it’s demons.  They’ll be cleaner,” Lucanis grunted. 

“We’ll make it work, regardless of who we fight,” Rook spoke, looking around at her team.  “We can’t have all of us.  There’s a limit to the amount of people that can go in at a time.”

“Right.  I’ll go with you.  Bring the fire,” Taash smiled. 

Kavain pointed at Neve.  “Can we take the mage with us?”

Neve raised an eyebrow at her.  “Think you can keep up with me?”

“Maybe…but we won’t know unless we try.”

Neve smirked and adjusted her fascinator.  “Let’s see what you can do.”

“That’s fine by me.  Taash and I will lead.  You and Neve will support us,” Rook ordered.  Kavain nodded and she gave her a pointed look.  “Don’t do anything crazy.”

“I won’t,” Kavain assured.  Rook wasn’t certain about that.  She headed for the gate and nodded to the guard.  As he opened it, Rook drew her sword and shield, hearing the others draw their own weapons. 

“Greetings!  We have a wonderful setup for all of you!  Show us what you can do!” Isabella announced.  Mercenaries readied themselves and Taash cursed.

“Those are not demons or Darkspawn,” Taash grumbled.  Rook readied her shield and got into her fighting stance.

“No matter.  We’ll be fine,” Rook growled.  The gong signaled the start of the fight, and the mercenaries charged.  She met the first one with her shield as Taash slammed into a shield bearer.  Neve’s magic flew and froze one before he could strike them.  Rook slashed at the man before her, nicking behind his knee and making him fall.  Before he could move, she struck him down.  Taash’s axes cleaved through the mercenary she had been fighting and the air around them felt heavier.  Magic flew at them and Rook brought up her shield, blocking the blast that had been aimed at her.  “Take out that mage!”

Kavain appeared behind the mage and her swords struck him down.  As he fell, the other mercenaries around her turned their attention to her and her body blurred.  She shot between them with her weapons, easily taking down the rest of the mercenaries.  Electricity sparked around her, along with what looked like bits of fire.

“Venhedis, what was that?” Neve questioned.  Rook lowered her shield as Kavain flicked the blood from her swords.  She sheathed her weapons and hurried to their side. 

“Are you a mage?” Taash questioned.  Kavain shrugged and Rook caught the uneasiness in her amber eyes.  The uncertainty. 

“She’s got enchantments on her gear.  Helps her fight,” Rook lied.  Kavain smiled in thanks, Taash grunted in acceptance, and Neve looked at the elf in disbelief.  The detective wasn’t going to fall for that lie.  “I suppose this was too easy for you.”

“It was hard enough,” Kavain argued.  Rook led them out of the arena where the team met them.  Bellara excitedly asked Kavain a series of questions while the smaller elf hesitantly answered her.  Emmrich seemed impressed, as well as Davrin and Taash.  While they spoke, Rook went to Harding and Lucanis, hearing Neve close behind her.

“Harding, what were they teaching her in the Inquisition?” Rook questioned.  Harding sighed and leaned against the pole. 

“What didn’t they teach her?”

“Her movements were precise, even as she moved with that magic,” Lucanis pointed out. 

“Those are not enchantments,” Neve added.  Rook crossed her arms and glanced around them, making sure no one was listening.  She could explain everything to the rest of the team when they returned to the Lighthouse.  For now, she’d just tell the ones who were close to her.  She lowered her voice to explain the situation.

“She’s a mage.  Didn’t train to be one, but she is.”

“All of that power is from being untrained?”

“She’s not entirely untrained,” Harding argued.  The dwarf looked to Kavain with a mix of emotions in her eyes.  “The Inquisitor and Dorian trained her.  Even Solas had pointers for her here and there.  After they figured out she really didn’t enjoy their teachings, they backed off a bit…well, at least until Lady Leliana decided to train her.”

“The Nightingale?” Lucanis questioned.  Harding nodded and the Crow cursed.  “Merida, if the Nightingale trained her, then that explains why she moved the way she did.”

“Leliana trained her?  Why did the Inquisitor allow that?”

Harding shook her head.  “It wasn’t like she wanted it to happen.  Kavain was caught stealing from Leliana.  She actually made it into her office but set off one of her traps.  Leliana decided to train her after that.  She was impressed by her.”

“That doesn’t explain why she dislikes honing her magic,” Neve argued.  Rook glanced back at her sister, seeing her smiling at something Taash had said.  Flashes of their childhood made her clench her arms. 

“You don’t need to know why.  She doesn’t talk about it for a reason,” Rook stated.  Kavain turned, meeting her gaze and she motioned for her to approach.  Her sister eagerly walked over, and she used her index finger, stopping her by pressing it against her forehead.  “I told you to stay in the backline.”

“I uh…I thought it’d be faster to attack while they were distracted.”

Rook huffed and ruffled Kavain’s hair.  “Don’t do that again.”

“Right,” Kavain mumbled.  She looked at Neve and her demeanor changed.  “What do you think, detective?  Fast enough for you?”

“Oh, you are a troublesome one, aren’t you?” Neve smirked.  Were they…flirting?  What in the world?  That was information she’d have to look into. 

Weishaupt

Rook panted as she ran through the destruction of Weishaupt.  This was madness.  Wardens were falling all around them and the Darkspawn were moments away from overtaking the fortress.  They couldn’t hold them off, especially with that Archdemon flying around.  They had to get inside and fast.  Taash sliced through several Darkspawn as Neve froze three more.  Kavain laid cover fire around Rook, keeping most of the Darkspawn off her.

“Davrin!  We need to get inside, now!” Rook shouted.  Davrin slammed his shield into a Darkspawn and cursed.

“Keep running!”

“Rook!” Kavain shouted in alarm.  Rook turned, seeing the ogre that was barreling towards her.  She readied herself to leap aside right as the ogre got to her.  That’d be the safest option.  If she moved too early, the ogre would just changed directions.  Kavain’s arrows flew, striking the ogre with fire and electricity.  It howled in pain and anger, turning its attention to her.

“Get out of there!” Rook shouted.  Kavain jumped from the scaffolding she’d been using as the ogre destroyed it.  The creature roared and swung its club at her sister.  It hit her with a crunch and she was sent flying back.  “Taash!”

“On it! Taash shouted.  The two of them charged at the ogre, slashing and hacking at the Darkspawn.  An icicle impaled it through the head, and it collapsed to the ground.  Neve ran by them, heading for the debris where Kavain had been thrown. 

“Guard us!” Rook ordered as she followed the mage.  Neve was digging through the debris and Rook started to help her, seeing the brown of Kavain’s leather armor.  She pulled the last bit of debris away and sighed in relief when she saw the elf.  Kavain was holding her hand against her head, but she looked unscathed.  “How—"

“Shield.  I used my magic to make one right before it hit me,” Kavain grunted.  She got to her feet and gasped, grabbing her side in pain.  “Okay, a little more hurt than I thought.”

Rook shook her head as Neve started healing her ribs.  “That ogre could’ve killed you.”

“But it didn’t,” Kavain argued.  She gave her a sheepish smile and Rook handed her a healing potion. 

“Drink and then we need to move,” Rook spoke.  Kavain nodded and she looked at Neve.  “How bad?”

“She definitely broke a rib or two.  I’m not an expert at healing.  I’ll numb the pain enough for Bellara or Emmrich to look at her,” Neve answered.  She stopped her healing and Rook hoisted Kavain to her feet.  The elf stumbled slightly, making her hold a steadying hand on her shoulder.

“I need you to keep up.  Can you do that?” Rook asked. 

“Course I can,” Kavain assured.  Rook started running once more as Taash and Davrin led the way.  She stayed close to Kavain and Neve, striking down any Darkspawn that got too close.  They could make it.  They could do this.  They ran for what she assumed was their destination, seeing the others fighting back Darkspawn. 

“Rook!  The door is locked!” Bellara shouted. 

“I can get it open!  Just give me a few seconds!” Kavain shouted.  She ran for the wall and started using the banner that hung there.  Rook threw her shield, richostwing it off the Darkspawn.  Her sword sliced through them as she stuck close to the team.  “I got it!”

“Move your asses!” Taash yelled, running for the door. The others ran after the Qunari and Neve used her magic to cover them.  The moment they were through the door, the pushed, closing it with a loud thunk.  “This thing going to hold?!”

“If it doesn’t, we won’t get to the trap!” Davrin yelled.  The door jolted as Darkspawn threw themselves against it.

“Will the trap even work?!” Rook exclaimed.

“The trap will work,” a voice grunted.  The sound of something heavy hitting a chain was all the warning they got before a beam fell into place across the door.  “Take it from a blacksmith.”

They let out a collective sigh of relief and Rook looked to the blacksmith.

“I hope my daughter wasn’t too much.”

“Not at all.  Can we hire her?”

“You couldn’t afford it,” Mila teased.  Rook chuckled and saw Kavain move to a secluded corner. 

“The real problem is getting that dragon to land,” Holden pointed out.

“Lucanis?  The dagger?” Rook spoke, holding out her hand.  The dagger felt heavy in her hand.  “I guarantee this will get Ghilan’nain attention.  The Archdemon will come after me, Davrin will kill it, and then Lucanis will take down Ghilan’nain.”

“That doesn’t seem like a good idea,” Taash argued.  Rook smiled up at the qunari.

“I’ll be fine.  I know my team will have my back,” Rook argued.  Taash shook her head and glanced behind her.  She frowned and Rook followed her line of sight.

“I smell blood,” Taash whispered.  Rook quickly went to Kavain’s side as her sister slid to the ground.  She was pressing her hand against her thigh with a grimace on her face. 

“Let me see,” Rook spoke, kneeling as she did.  There was a gash on her thigh that bled steadily.  “Where’d you get this?”

“It wasn’t the Darkspawn.  When I climbed through the window, I slashed it on the broken glass,” Kavain grumbled.  Emmrich knelt and inspected the wound. 

“Let me take a look at this.  I will have you fixed in a moment,” Emmrich assured.  Rook stood and looked at Harding.

“You stay here with Kavain and Emmrich. Keep them safe.”

“Rook—"

“No arguing, Kavain.  You’ll get yourself killed if you can’t move,” Rook snapped.   She looked down at the smaller elf, seeing the pain in her amber eyes.  “Stay with the Professor and Harding.”

Kavain looked away with a look that made Rook’s chest tighten.  She didn’t want to leave her here.  Ideally, she’d take her with her to fight.  But Kavain could get hurt more and she wasn’t willing to take that risk.   

“Let’s kill an Archdemon.”

Point of View Change, Neve

Neve’s mana was waning thin as they continued to fight the Archdemon.  Rook had taken the dragon down with the trap, only for Ghilan’nain to change the game.  The serpent like creature was fast, dodging them and striking at them when they got careless.  They had struck it down twice now and the monster now had three heads.  Everyone was starting to slow.  Davrin was having a hard time moving in his armor, Lucanis was hardly dancing around the Darkspawn that had been summoned, and Bellara was running low on arrows.  Rook’s shield looked heavy as she blocked one attack after another.  Even Taash looked winded. 

Neve ducked under a Hurlock and stabbed it with her scepter, seeing the wave of them that rose from the water.  If she could just freeze it, then they could fix two problems at once.  Stop the Archdemon from moving and stop the Darkspawn from, well, spawning.  Strands of Bellara’s hair seemed to be sticking up and Neve noticed the static around her.  The current of energy.  Electricity surged around them, taking down the Darkspawn and creating a protective circle around their companions.  As the Darkspawn fell, the Archdemon screeched in pain.  Neve looked to the creatures, seeing how one of the heads fell.  A flash of brown shot to the second head, impaling it through the eye and then engulfing it in fire.  Kavain.  The last head roared and swiped at her, sending her flying at them.  Neve instinctively moved and caught the elf with a grunt, falling onto her back as she did. 

“Watch out!” Davrin shouted.  The Archdemon gathered its corrosive acid and Rook leaped in front of them, using her shield to protect them.  The acid bounced off a shield, but not Rook’s.  Magic surrounded them and Neve looked down, seeing Kavain holding her hand out.  Her face was scrunched in concentration as she focused on protecting them.

“Strike it down!” Kavain yelled.  Their allies attacked, striking down the preoccupied head.  It fell to the ground and Davrin ran to it, stabbing his sword into its head.  When he yanked his weapon free, red tendrils spiraled out and to Ghilan’nain.  The Goddess shrieked in pain and Lucanis shot at her like an arrow from a bow.  His attack grazed the Goddess’s face, and he landed beside them.  Ghilan’nain touched her now bleeding cheek and angrily screeched.  Blight erupted around them and Neve pulled Kavain to her feet.

“We need to move!  Back to the Eluvian!” Rook yelled.  Their team ran, trying to escape the Blight and Ghilan’nain’s clutches.  The fortress around them shuddered and cracked.  The sounds of screaming Wardens drowned out the panting of their allies as they ran.  Kavain cursed and Neve turned, seeing that the elf had fallen.  “I’ve got her!  Go!”

Neve reluctantly continued running and she jumped through the Eluvian.  She watched Davrin appear, then Lucanis, Emmrich, Harding, and Bellara.  Holden and Mila came next, along with Taash.  Rook was last with Kavain in her arms.  The Eluvian went dark.  They weren’t going back to Weishaupt. 

“How’d we end up back at the Lighthouse?” Harding questioned.  Neve hadn’t even noticed that they were in the Lighthouse. 

“I’ll take Holden and Mila to find the Wardens.  I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Davrin grunted.

“Emmrich?  I need you to look at this wound,” Rook spoke. 

“I’m fine,” Kavain huffed.  Rook chose to ignore her, and Neve followed the siblings to the infirmary.  She placed her on the cot before stepping back with a frown.

“I need to talk to Solas.  I’ll come back when I’m done,” Rook murmured.  She brushed by Neve and left the room. 

Emmrich cleared his throat before sliding off his dirty gloves to replace them with a clean pair.“Well, let’s finish fixing up that wound, shall we?”

“Maybe look at her head too.  She likely has a concussion,” Neve suggested, taking a seat beside the cot.  Kavain gave her an unimpressed look, but didn’t complain when Emmrich started working on her wounds.  “That little electricity stunt was impressive.”

“Wow, was that a compliment?”

“Perhaps…but it was idiotic.  You could’ve gotten eaten by one of those heads.”

“And there’s the feisty detective,” Kavain grinned.  Neve rolled her eyes and Emmrich finished healing the wound on her leg.  He moved to her head.

“You are lucky that healing potion had healed much of your wounds,” Emmrich spoke.  Neve reached forward, pressing a prodding finger against Kavain’s torso.  The elf yelped at the action, making Emmrich raise an eyebrow.  “Or not.  Please remove your armor so I can look at your ribs.”

“That was mean,” Kavain grumbled.  Neve smirked and stood, earning a pout from the injured elf.  “Where are you going?”

“I am going to change out of my attire and grab a few lyrium potions.  Maybe a coffee too.”

“Oh…”

“I’ll brew you some,” Neve sighed.  Kavain smiled up at her and she turned, trying to push aside the fluttering feeling in her stomach.  Catching feelings wasn’t a good idea.  She couldn’t have that distraction.  Minrathous was still in shambles from that dragon attack.  Add that to the Gods and her life would be so much harder.  She hurried to her room and changed from her dirty robes and into her leisure clothes.  The memory of Kavain’s shocked look when she had first seen her attire made her chuckle.  It was amusing seeing her flustered.  Neve shook her head and headed for the kitchen. 

“If you’re looking for coffee, I have some ready,” Lucanis spoke.  Neve hummed and grabbed the pot, pouring two mugs.

“Don’t trust me in making any?”

“Not after your last endeavor,” Lucanis groaned.  Neve glanced at him, seeing the frown on his face.  The darkness in his eyes as he stared at the fire. 

“Thanks, for the coffee…it’ll be much better than the coffee I brew.”

Lucanis chuckled at that.  “I am happy to assist.”

Neve walked out of the kitchen and headed for the Lighthouse, up the stairs to the infirmary.  She pushed open the door and saw Rook sitting beside the cot.  The elf was brushing a stray piece of hair out of Kavain’s face as the younger woman slept.  “She fell asleep?”

“Emmrich slipped something into the healing potion he gave her.  Said it’d help her relax and heal.”

Neve hummed and sat, holding out the mug to Rook.  “Then you can drink this.  It was for her, but since she’s practically drooling right now, I doubt she’ll want this.”

“Thanks,” Rook thanked, taking the mug.  She sipped at it while she looked at Kavain.  “I should send her back with our sister.  That was a part of the deal.”

“I don’t think she’ll willingly go back.”

“No.  She’d be kicking and screaming,” Rook chuckled.  A sad look crossed her face, and she shook her head.  “I would prefer not seeing that again.”

“You two have a strained relationship?”

“You could say that…I left to find adventure and left her with our sister.  I hoped it’d be good for them…all it did was make it harder when I saw them again,” Rook openly answered.  Neve was surprised by that.  Rook was fairly reclusive and secretive about her past.  Hearing this tidbit of information showed that Kavain’s presence was changing her. 

“When Bellara asked Kavain about her relationship with you, she made it sound like you were her hero.”

Rook scoffed at that. “Maybe a long time ago.  I haven’t seen her in, what, ten years?  I’ve missed almost half of her life.”

“For the half that you were there, she thought the world of you,” Neve shrugged.  Rook sighed and Neve could see the far off look in her eyes.  The regret.  “Do you have a favorite story about her?”

“Heh, there was this time when we were growing up that she swore she could ride a Drufallo.”

“That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.”

“Oh, it was.  She somehow got on his back and then got thrown.  Thing chased her around the field for ten minutes before we decided to help her.”

“And that’s your favorite story?”

“One of them…but it’s not my favorite memory of her.”

“Ah…what is your favorite memory?”

Rook smiled fondly down at Kavain.  “My favorite memory is when she learned how to use magic for the first time.  Her eyes had sparkled in a way I had never seen before.  She was ecstatic….that was the best and worst day of our lives.”

“Why’s that?” Neve questioned.  Rook shook her head and stood, draping a blanket over Kavain.

“I’m going to check on the others.  We’ll need to talk about what happened with Weishaupt.  I’ll send for you when we are ready.”

“…alright,” Neve spoke.  She watched Rook leave the room and pondered why that had been the worst day of their lives.  The elf would likely not share that with her.  She’d pried too much. 

“She still blames me for that,” Kavain sighed.  Neve looked at the elf on the cot, noting the mistiness in her eyes.  She’d been awake for the end of that conversation. Kavain covered her eyes with her hands and cursed softly.  “I knew she still blamed me for that day.  Not like I’ve stopped blaming myself for everything that’s happened.”

Neve sat there in silence, waiting for Kavain to continue.  She didn’t want to make her talk.  This was obviously something personal that didn’t need to be shared if Kavain didn’t want to.  Kavain peeked at her from between her fingers.

“You aren’t going to pry, detective?”

“Not for this,” Neve softly spoke.  Kavain dropped her hands and stared at the ceiling.

“Thank you.” Kavain thanked.  Neve hummed in response and sipped at her coffee.  “You know, Rook talks to Varric like he’s still here.”

“We all cope differently.”

“True…by the way, where’s my coffee?”

“I gave it to Rook.”

“What?!  No fair!” Kavain whined.  Neve rolled her eyes and playfully flicked her head.

“You don’t need coffee.  You need rest.”

“Kill Joy,” Kavain mumbled.  There was a small smile on her face.  One that made her stomach flutter. 

“I’ll come get you when Rook calls for that meeting.”

“Sounds great.  Thanks.”

An Hour Later

“Evka sent word.  Last of the civilians made it to Lavendel.  Janos and his people held the line long enough for them to escape Weisshaupt.  And the Wardens are in Lavendel too,” Harding explained. 

“What’s left of them you mean.  Over a thousand…that’s how many fellow Wardens I had.  And now…” Davrin trailed off, staring at the table.  He clenched his fists before continuing.  “One God.  One Archdemon.  That’s all it took to nearly wipe out our entire Order.”

“I promise you Davrin.  We’ll make Ghilan’nain pay,” Rook swore, meeting Davrin’s gaze. “For every Warden she killed.  Every child left alone.  There will be a reckoning.”

“How?  We all saw what she did.  That’s beyond—”

“We killed her Archdemon though.  That’s something, right?” Bellara interjected. 

“Yeah, after it turned into a snake-monster with too many heads!  Are all blighted dragons gonna do that?  I don’t know how to fight that!” Taash argued.

“Well, at least we made Ghilan’nain mortal,” Emmrich pointed out.  Neve sighed and rested her hands against the table.  This meeting was going to be difficult.  Everyone was on edge.

“Mortal or immortal doesn’t matter if we can’t get close enough.  We had our shot at her and we missed.”

“Say what you mean, Davrin.  I missed,” Lucanis sighed. 

“Nobody blames you for that, Lucanis,” Harding argued.

“Yeah?  Maybe I do.  This Crow has a demon inside him, right?” Davrin seethed.

“Now that’s not—”

“How do we know we can trust him?  Maybe the demon pulled his punches.”

Lucanis leaned over with a growl.  “And you, Warden?  What about the Blight that runs through your veins?  The same Blight that Ghilan’nain commands so effortlessly.”

Davrin growled and stood, placing his hands on the table.  “It ain’t my fault that you missed.”

“No?  Spite didn’t stop me.  He hates the Gods as much as I do.”

“Then why’d you miss?!”

“That’s enough!” Rook exclaimed.  The room went silent, and they looked to their leader.  Her posture was rigid.  Tense.  “Arguing like children will get us nowhere.”

“Rook is right,” Kavain spoke.  Neve looked to the younger elf, seeing how she had her arms wrapped around herself.  “Arguing will get us nowhere.  We’re a team.  We have to work together to make things work.”

“Team?  You’ve been on this team for a shorter amount than even I have,” Davrin argued.  He held Kavain’s glare with his own, goading her.  “You act like you know what it means to fight, but from what I saw, you sure stayed in the backline.  That magic you used could’ve been helpful much earlier.”

“Davrin…” Harding cautioned.  Davrin ignored her and even Rook looked ready to move.

“Harding says you were trained by the best…maybe she was spinning a false tale or maybe, the Inquisitor and the rest of the Inquisition aren’t as strong as everyone says they are,” Davrin finished.  Magic sparked from Kavain’s fingers, electricity and fire mixing to create a cacophony of elements that threatened to burn the Warden alive. 

“Speak how you will about me, but do not sully the Inquisition’s name,” Kavain growled.  She stood, placing her hands on the table, burning it as she did.  “Have you ever fought a Fear Demon?  How about a Pride Demon?  Have you faced down an army of Templars who were led by a Warden turned Darkspawn who could break the veil with a flick of his wrist?  How about a Lyrium Dragon?  We’ve even fought an army of qunari and their mage who could make an entire mountain tremble.  We have fought more battles than you ever could, Warden.”

Davrin held her glare and Kavain pressed on.

“The Inquisition has fought tooth and nail to protect the world.  You might be protecting it from the Blight and Darkspawn, but you know nothing.”

“I know that Solas used to be one of yours.”

“Solas tricked us all…he’ll pay for that.  But one thing that I’ve learned during my time with the Inquisition was that every member of the order was important.  Every member had a role.  Pieces on a chessboard that work in tandem to take down their enemy.  Every piece matters,” Kavain spoke.  She glared at Davrin and shook her head.  “This team is supposed to work together to win.  If one piece fails, then they all fail.”

Davrin averted his gaze and her glanced at Lucanis.  “Sorry.  I-I just—”

“I can’t blame you for being upset, Warden.  I am upset with myself,” Lucanis sighed. 

“We should all get some rest.  Take the time to handle our own issues before trying to save the world,” Rook spoke.  She kept her eyes on Kavain as the younger elf took a steadying breath.  Her magic fizzled out and she stuffed her hands into her pockets.

“I’ll leave first then, since evidently, I’m not a part of this team as much as everyone says I am.”

“Kavain—”

“I’ll be in the training room,” Kavain grunted.  She stormed out of the room and the door slammed behind her as she left. 

“That was low, Davrin,” Harding chastised.  Neve looked to the dwarf, seeing her anger.  “You don’t know what she went through in the Inquisition.  You don’t know how hard she tried.  How much she blamed herself whenever things went wrong.  You don’t know what she cho—”

Harding stopped herself and shook her head.  She pushed away from the table with a huff.  “I’ll go talk to her.”

“No.  I’ll go,” Rook sighed, pushing away from the table.  She glared at Davrin as she headed for the door.  “You and I will talk later.”

Rook left and Taash kicked Davrin’s chair, making him fall backwards.  He grunted as he hit the ground, but didn’t stand up.

“You’re an ass,” Taash growled.

“I’ll make us something to eat.  If she vents anything like Rook does, she’ll be hungry,” Lucanis huffed.  Neve went after the siblings, seeing that Taash was doing the same.  They said nothing to one another as they went to the training room.  The sound of arrows striking training mannequins was prominent, along with the twang of a bow.  Taash pushed open the door, revealing the destruction that Kavain had caused.  The ground was singed from her magic and arrows were sticking out of every training mannequin and target.

“Not really safe for you two to be in here,” Rook pointed out.  The elf was leaning against the wall, watching Kavain train. 

“She smells dangerous,” Taash observed.  She looked at Rook, raising an eyebrow at her.  “Have you talked to her?”

“No.  She tried to shoot me in the head, so I backed off,” Rook answered.  She scratched the back of her head in thought.  “When we were younger, she used to storm off a lot.  I’d follow close behind, but I normally let her do her own thing.”

“What about after she got her magic?” Neve questioned.  Kavain growled in frustration, magic circling around her in an unrestrained manner. 

“Our sister kept her under wraps.  Helped her control what she could.  Whatever she couldn’t…” Rook trailed off as Kavain’s fire licked at their feet.  “She would douse and make sure no one got hurt.”

Neve stepped towards Kavain, magic trickling at her fingertips.  “May I?”

“Go for it.  Just, be careful.  She might seem in control, but she’s not.  There’s a reason she’s named ‘Kavain’,” Rook cautioned.  Neve nodded and used her magic, freezing the fire in front of her.  She cautiously approached the elf as she angrily shot an arrow at her target. 

“You know, there are other ways to vent your frustration,” Neve spoke.  Kavain glanced at her before knocking another arrow.

“Like what, detective?”

“A good smoke always helps me think,” Neve answered.  Kavain chuckled at that, and Neve placed her hands on her hips.  “How about it?”

“I…I don’t think I want a smoke right now.”

“That’s alright.  Do you want to take a break from killing poor mannequins?”

Kavain sighed and lowered her bow, magic dying out as she did.  “Fine.”

“You’re going to just back down for Neve?!” Rook exclaimed.  Kavain rolled her eyes and took a seat on the bench. 

“Stop being dramatic.”

“You tried to shoot me in the head!”

“You dodged it!”

Neve chuckled and flicked her wrist, putting out the last embers of Kavain’s magic.  “Probably not the best idea to shoot at your sister.”

“Nah, she’s just dramatic,” Kavain shrugged.  Taash plopped down beside her with a grin.

“Rook is just jealous that you listened to the detective and not her.  She’ll get over it,” Taash teased.  Rook glared at the qunari and sat on Kavain’s other side.

“You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“I would be, but I’m with sparkles on this one.  You’re dramatic,” Taash smiled.  Kavain looked at Taash with wide eyes.

“Sparkles?”

“Yeah?  You’re magic reminds me of sparkles.  You know, like glittery.”

“…I don’t know how I feel about that.”

“I think the nickname suits you,” Neve smirked.  Kavain lifted her gaze, quirking an eyebrow at her.  “It’s not as good as trouble, but it fits you.”

Kavain’s eyes glittered in excitement as she stared up at her.  “Oh, I’m the troublesome one?  Aren’t you the one who slides into danger and leaps around enemies?”

“From what I recall, you do the same.”

“Hmm, I just don’t make it look as elegant as you.”

“You both look dorky,” Rook grumbled.  Taash reached over Kavain’s shoulder, shoving Rook off the bench.  She fell in an ungraceful heap on the floor.  “Hey!”

“Be nice!”