Elentari felt like she was hallucinating.
How, in the name of Dirthamen, did giants come to exist?
It didn't matter, because she COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!! But they had faced one—and they had defeated it!
The day had been spent on the Storm Coast with Bull on the team, and the qunari had brought them nothing but luck: THEY'D TAKEN DOWN A FUCKING GIANT!
Right now she was exhausted, that was true… but she felt like she was hallucinating. Never—never!—had she believed she would experience something like this, much less see A FUCKING GIANT IN PERSON.
She looked up at the sky with a smile she couldn't wipe away, and her mind, unable to help itself, went straight to memories of her clan.
Would any of them have ever believed that she—she!—would live all of this?
She was sure Morneghil would feel truly proud, and that Thengal would have pushed his way in with that need to protect her, but he would feel proud too, despite his doubts. Idril would surely tell her it wasn't proper for a First to do all these things, but she was very far from feeling like First of Clan Lavellan now that she was beginning to accept she was the Herald of Andraste.
She didn't want to think about Deshanna. Her mother surely wouldn't feel admiration for her, much less if she told her she had killed a living being… no matter how much that living being was a true giant.
That thought managed to erase the smile from her face completely.
Was it wrong to kill someone just because you could? Because you had the power?
She brought her attention to her left palm. Certainly, she had the power… she had just proved it… but did that give her the right? Her lips twisted into a grimace. For her, every life mattered, but if it was a giant, then it didn't? And what if later they discovered that giants had feelings and emotions too? Why did the other races count, but he didn't? What made a person a person?
- Oh, boss… - The Iron Bull's voice yanked her out of her thoughts. She saw him drop down beside her, bare-chested, while the rain continued—though far less intense than it had been that morning. - That was awesome, right?
Elentari was soaked through and sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree near the coast. Her legs were stretched out, and she'd left her staff on the ground. The qunari had collapsed beside her. The huge sword that belonged to him now lay on the ground as well, while he held a waterskin he was drinking from.
- Yes, it was awesome. - She forced herself to feel the rush from a moment ago. But it clearly didn't work, because Bull handed her the water and grumbled.
- Well, tell your face—because you don't look thrilled.
She drank in silence, letting the rain brush her skin.
- Do you think it was right?
- What, exactly?
- Killing someone just because we can.
- By 'someone' do you mean the giant who tried to kill us first by throwing blocks of stone at our heads? - She clenched her teeth. - Uhh… yep. I think it was awesome. You don't?
- If you put it like that, you make me feel stupid… - She put on a loose tone and passed the water back.
The Iron Bull watched her and she felt heat rush through her cheeks. She hated being so transparent with her emotions, but she also hated feeling like she was being examined like an exotic animal. He smiled, took the waterskin, and drank beside her—but in silence. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable. That made her feel even stupider.
Would it always be like this? A glass vessel on the verge of shattering if someone looked at her too closely?
- Bull, what do you think giants are? - He looked at her again. - Botched magic? - She saw him grin. - A breeding accident?
- I don't know, boss. A good training opportunity? - Now she smiled. She sighed and stood up.
- Come on. On a day this rainy, Varric's going to need a bit of help keeping the fire going for dinner.
- Solas is with him. And Lady Vivienne. They're mages—aren't they good for that too?
Right.
She heard him grunt, but he got to his feet. It wasn't a complaint about going back to the team so much as his tired body protesting.
- So you're… Ben-Hassrath?
- Yeah. We're like the Qun's secret police. Basically spies. - The two of them started toward camp at a slow pace.
- I know very little about the Qun, but I'll start reading as soon as I can so I can learn.
- Why read when you've got me, boss? - The qunari stopped to let her move ahead. - I can tell you anything you want.
- That's also true.
- You're really used to being the good, studious girl, huh? - She blushed; he burst out laughing. - And shy, too. How old are you?
- Twenty-three.
- Oh, you're young.
She knew…
But she didn't say anything—what could she say? I'm twenty-three but I'm very mature! It was barely the first time she'd ever left her clan…
- Still, that thing you do with your hand is impressive. How does it work?
- The Mark? - He nodded. - Well… it's about understanding how the Veil works. - She fumbled, thinking of the lessons Solas had given her before.
Without realizing it, she started reciting his words to the qunari as if he were a mage.
- You know, the Veil is a system of energetic resonance that works like an interference field between the waking world and the world of dreams, and it can repel the forces of each, acting like a kind of filter, because it alters the energetic resonances of each world, and that lets me…
- Wait, wait, wait. I didn't understand a thing, and I'm not sure I even want to. - the grey warrior complained. Elentari blushed slightly and clenched her fists, subtly quickening her steps. The two of them looked at each other—now he was uncomfortable too.
- You don't like magic?
The qunari shifted to her side.
- Uh… it's not that, boss… it's just that anything out of control does something to me… Argh. Doesn't matter.
- But my magic is controlled…
- Yeah, but it's magic…
She pulled a face just as they reached the Inquisition's camp, where the rest of the team was packing things up and Varric was handling dinner.
- You know? - Bull straightened with proud posture, a smile on his lips. - I didn't understand any of that stuff you said about the Veil, but the Viddasala would love to talk to you.
- Viddasala?
All at once, she felt Solas cut between them with a long, decisive stride. He stopped at her side, body rigid, arms crossed, expression severe—tense to the extreme.
- Iron Bull… - he snapped, sharp and firm.
She looked at him immediately and recognized genuine anger in his face, paired with that expression Solas only wore when he placed himself in front of an enemy. A chill ran up her spine; her body reacted, flaring into instinctive alertness.
She looked around, searching for the threat that justified that tension—but then she heard him resume the argument with Bull and understood, with a conscious effort, that there was no immediate danger. It wasn't an ambush or an attack… just a verbal confrontation too charged for someone like him.
Even so, it was hard to relax her muscles and focus on the words that followed:
- Do you truly come to the Inquisition and suggest our Herald go meet your Viddasala?
The qunari blinked, as surprised as she was by the frontal strike. He took a second too long before answering, maybe looking for a way to cool the situation down.
- Uh… yeah.
Solas turned to her and pinned her with a furious look. - Under the Qun's teachings, we mages are known as saarebas. Do you know what that means? - Bull almost cut in, but Solas raised his voice. - 'Dangerous thing.' That's what we are to them… a dangerous thing. Do you know how they treat their mages? They chain them, muzzle them, and keep them held up in straps… some of them even have their lips sewn shut.
She jolted in place and stared at Bull, horrified.
Did they really do that to their mages? Why?
- That's horrible, Bull!
- Hey! Hey. Easy, elf. You're not qunari. You don't know the danger…
- I don't need to be to recognize the failures in your religious dogma—and the danger you represent to individuality and freedom.
- It's not that simple…
- It is. The complicated part is admitting it.
Solas stepped forward, closing the distance with the qunari without raising his voice. - If you mention your Viddasala to our Herald again without explaining what it implies first, you'll be crossing a serious line, Iron Bull.
She couldn't stop looking at Solas, feeling as though there was a real danger threatening her integrity—but then Bull grunted in irritation, and her attention snapped to him.
The qunari's posture said the opposite. He seemed fully willing to talk, choosing his next words carefully, likely trying to defuse the situation.
Was the Qun really as dangerous for mages as Solas claimed?
And then…
- Maker, calm yourself… - Lady Vivienne cut in. - The qunari has a valid point. Mages… are entirely dangerous.
Solas narrowed his eyes and slowly turned his face toward her. The tension he'd held with Bull didn't lessen; it simply changed targets. Vivienne, for her part, chose to ignore him as she added:
- Like a fool, you insist on denying that reality. - She paused. - But I must remind you that one of ours blew up a Chantry in Kirkwall. Murdered everyone inside and sparked a rebellion many mages never chose.
- Is that truly your stance on the conflict between mages and templars, Enchanter?
- Of course it is... - she replied without hesitation. - Or do you believe mages should live free of supervision and restrictions?
- Of course they should live in freedom. - Solas shot back, lifting his tone only slightly. - But I have never said there should be no laws. In any civic society, we should all be subject to a legal framework that protects the common good. The difference is that those laws must aspire to be just… even for minorities.
Vivienne crossed her arms and arched a brow. She let silence settle between them, and then struck again.
- Until a mage allows themself to be possessed by a demon, becomes an abomination, and massacres innocents.
- And then they must be judged. - Solas answered without wavering. - Like any other criminal. Possession does not grant impunity.
- What a shame... - the enchanter purred with dangerous sweetness - ... that we no longer have an order dedicated exclusively to detecting and eliminating those threats. They have been… displaced by the Inquisition.
- The Templar Order? - Solas let out a short laugh, though to Elentari it was obvious it held no humor. - Enchanter, this discussion won't take us anywhere. You prefer to preserve a system that benefited you personally, where you used your gifts to secure your place at the top.
Solas paused, seemed to weigh his next words, and added:
- I, on the other hand, would rather carry the title of villain if it means pushing boundaries and finding out what happens when the world changes. We won't agree.
Vivienne tilted her head, evaluating him.
- You speak with far too much certainty for someone in your position.
- I'm sorry... - he replied with a cold half-smile. - Next time I'll try to exist beneath your expectations.
He dipped his head in mocking courtesy and turned away. Before leaving, he threw one last implacable glance at The Iron Bull… and walked off.
Elentari followed him with her eyes in silence until the qunari murmured beside her:
- Boss… sorry about the misunderstanding. I never meant to make you uncomfortable about the Viddasala. But Solas is right about one thing. - She looked at him, and saw him scratch the back of his neck before continuing. - Uhh… well. That you're a mage. Maybe it wasn't a good idea from the start.
Vivienne moved to her other side, also looking in Solas's direction.
- Darling, remind me… where did the apostate come from?
- From a village around here, in Ferelden. I don't remember the name…
- Mmm.
Elentari turned her attention back toward him.
So far, the whole team had worked beautifully. Cassandra, Varric, and Solas had integrated very well. However, with the new recruits, it was clear they were going to have to start practicing tolerance, because this wasn't only different points of view—there were rooted religions and cultures here.
She sighed, exhausted.
She was going to have to read a lot of books to learn everything she didn't know.
And she had to ask Solas the name of his village. She had just realized she knew very little about him…