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midnightwind · 7 days ago

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Clipped Wings

Summary: Stopping Solas from tearing apart the Veil was supposed to be the end of her contract. Instead, Renn now has to figure out how to stop two more elven gods and that will require many more allies than she currently has.

Word Count: 5284

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Chapter Three: You Weren't Enough

Renn scrubbed a hand over her face, a heavy sigh causing her shoulders to sag. The library was empty, a lone stage for her to quietly tremble on. Varric was asleep in the infirmary, covered in bandages and braces. She had made the call to let him talk Solas down and now they were down a leader instead. Neve was hurt, but working anyway in her room surrounded by wisps. She had made the call for the mage to follow her and it had put the woman in the worst of the magical blast. She had decided to drop a statue on Solas, and now two more elven gods were on the loose. Every action the Evanuris took was her fault. She collapsed in an armchair, hunching forward to rest her elbows on her thighs.

Recruiting Bellara had gone fine enough, at least. Bringing the Veil Jumper on board got them the faction’s support, scattered as they were at the moment. Plus, she was a wonder with artifacts and they really needed that mirror working. So that had gone alright, unlike D’Meta’s Crossing. The little town had been a horror. Seeing the blight up close like that, to walk amongst the corrupting bile and see how it had twisted the land and people… that was a unique nightmare she wished she could forget. Then the mayor had been a disappointing find. Killing for coin, that made sense to her. Killing a whole village and then blaming it on the gods? Excessive and cowardly. There was no message to be sent there except that of a weak man.

She had wanted to slit his throat herself, but Bellara and Harding had been incensed. Killing him quickly would have been too easy. Leaving him to either succumb to the Blight or be gutted by the wildlife wouldn’t bring the villagers back, but it was something. If the weasel managed to slip free, Maker bless him not to cross paths with her again. She wouldn’t be so kind next time. And yet, even that call had seemed poor. Neve hadn’t agreed with it and she made a valid point: if the gods could prey upon the weakest parts of you, slip into your thoughts and take over, then the mayor wouldn’t be the last to fall to them. The whole team could be a liability. Should she have freed the man? Or would mercy now make it harder to draw the knife when they had no choice?

It made her want to scream. She wasn’t the leader! Varric had recruited her, she was just supposed to be a knife for him like she was for Viago. People told her the job and she would do it. Making morality calls was above her pay grade, quite literally. And yet here she was, stuck doing exactly that. Part of her was angry at Varric all over again for giving her this job, at Viago for forcing her to take it, at herself for mucking it up so badly. She let the sour feeling fester for a long moment before she heaved a shaking breath. Sitting around and moping didn’t get the job done and she had so much more work to do now.

Varric was right, they needed more allies for this to work. If his Inquisition couldn’t help, then they’d need to look elsewhere. Which meant checking in with Neve. As she stood, she pulled the circular hilt of the lyrium dagger from her belt, spinning the odd ring on her finger. It was an easier motion than using a normal knife for the nervous tick, and as the dagger itself snicked out it gave her a satisfying weight to twirl. If nothing else, Solas made some nice blades. The dagger was spinning faster and faster as she approached the detective’s room before it spun one final arc into her hand. She sheathed it as she closed her eyes, painting a soft and slightly crooked grin on her face as she knocked. When she peeked inside, Neve was standing in front of her cork board, a sheaf of paper in each hand.

“Well hey, Rook. Did you need something?” She asked brightly, an eyebrow quirked in question.

“Sort of!” She tried to match the cheer in the other woman’s voice. “Wanted to ask if you had any ideas for more people we could recruit. Taking down gods is going to need a lot of hands.”

Neve tilted her head, discarding the pages on the desktop. “Fair point. I have some friends in Minrathous I could check in with, set up a meeting for you.”

She crossed her arms, leaning forwards. “If they’re your friends, this is bound to be interesting!”

The detective laughed, walking around the desk so she could sit against its edge to face the assassin. “I’ll take that as a compliment. In the meantime, what about your Crows?”

Sucking a breath through her teeth, she offered up a rueful smile. “I’m still on shaky terms with them after my previous job.”

“Current circumstances wouldn’t sway them otherwise?”

She shrugged loosely. “Maybe, but they could also say a Crow is already on the job and dismiss us. I’d need something more concrete to convince them.”

Neve hummed in thought, tapping her lips with a finger. “Maybe we can’t get the whole order initially, but what about a specialist? The elven gods are just ancient mages, so why not ask for the Mage Killer?”

A sharp laugh escaped Renn before she could catch it, holding a hand up in apology at the sudden noise. “Sorry, it’s just… Varric came to Antiva to recruit the Demon of Vyrantium and got me instead. It’s a little funny.” She shook her head, grinning. “But he’s a legend, I’ve always wanted to work with him.”

“There we go. You can tell home about a job well done with Solas and then ask for help with the resultant problems said job caused.” The steadily familiar smirk was creeping to Neve’s lips. “They can be cross with you when the world isn’t in danger.”

Her laugh this time was tinged with nerves. “Asking for a meeting with the First Talon is going to be… terrifying.”

“Best make it a really good letter then.” Neve grinned. “We can go to Minrathous first if you want to put off your trip home.”

“Tempting, but… I should probably deal with the fallout of this contract sooner than later.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I’ll take Bell with me, if the mirror is working. You can work on setting up your network here and Harding can… deal with having magic I guess?”

“Interesting times?” The mage offered up.

“Something like that. Time to test just how effectively this place delivers letters.” She gave a little half wave as she turned for the door before she paused. “And Neve, I… I am sorry about-”

“Rook, don’t worry about it. I know what I signed up for. So take that apology and the pity and hand it out to someone else.”

“Right. Still sorry.” And she slipped out the door before the detective could complain. She had a letter to write and a set of leathers to finally wear again.

~◇~

The Lighthouse, it turned out, was quite adept at delivering letters. Or at least, the Caretaker was. One moment she was exploring the Crossroads with Bellara and Harding, the next she was turning around to find a letter balanced delicately on a rock behind her. That felt almost absurd, but it did mean the mirror to Treviso was functioning. It was a short missive in Teia’s sweeping hand and it brought a warm smile to her lips.

Little Wren!

I have no idea how you got that letter to me without being noticed and without the use of a raven. Your year away has either gifted you with new skills or concerning new friends. You are more than welcome back in Treviso and if Viago complains, I’ll shut him up for you. It's my House, after all. Assuming the swift letter means you can appear just as quickly, I’ll be waiting at our usual spot. I look forward to seeing you again.

~Teia

Following a quick chat, she sent Harding back to the Lighthouse to appraise Neve of the situation. Hiring a Crow should be a short business given the circumstances and if she was truly welcomed back with open arms, she could show her missing companions Antiva another time. It’d be nice to get a feel for the state of the city before taking them sightseeing anyways. She was almost vibrating with equal parts excitement and nerves as she followed the scattered directions from the Caretaker. The idea of a vast network of mirrors leading wherever they needed still didn’t sound real, but if it got her home in the next few minutes she wasn’t going to question it. When they did finally reach the correct mirror, their guiding spirit waited for them.

“Dweller. The connection may be a bit unstable. It has been some time since this route was last used.” Their gently echoing voice explained.

Renn let out a nervous laugh. “What exactly does unstable mean?”

“Oh,” Bellara piped up, “we’ll probably be dropped in the general area instead of walking through the other mirror if it’s anything like the portals in Arlathan. You never end up where you think you will.”

The Caretaker bobbed in agreement. “Once you find the other mirror, the path should work properly again.”

“If we get dropped in a canal, I’m going to be very cross.” She muttered.

The Jumper let out a poorly muffled laugh at that and she just sighed. With only a little hesitation, she stepped through the eluvian. The sensation was much the same as when she had entered the Crossroads, but part way through she felt a lurching motion. Sure enough, instead of stepping out perfectly fine through another mirror, she tumbled clumsily to the streets of Treviso. Thankfully, they were in an alley and not along the waterways or bridges. Bellara stumbled behind her a few breaths later, arms wheeling in the air to keep her balance.

“Well, welcome to Treviso.” She grinned before taking in their surroundings. “Ah, excellent. We’re only a few blocks away from where Teia is waiting.”

Without waiting for Bellara’s reply, she was speeding through the streets. She wasn’t quite running, but her pace was quick and merciless. As much as her heart ached to be home, her eyes couldn’t seem to settle on any of the familiar sights. She just wanted to see her family again. There was a desperation to her motions as they approached the bridge where she had met the Talon so many times before. They would wait for each other there whenever they wanted to gossip or go shopping or visit a cafe. She’d spent hours draped over the railing of that bridge, laughing and smiling. And oh, when she saw the familiar figure waiting for her she almost burst into tears.

“Teia!” She was running now, Bellara left behind.

“Little Wren!” The Talon smiled back, arms open as Renn ran into her. The embrace took her a step backwards. “Or should I call you Rook now?”

“I’ll always be your little bird.” She laughed, squeezing the woman a bit tighter before stepping back. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“It’d take more than a little occupation to keep me down.” Teia grinned wickedly. “You seem to be in one piece this time. Usually I have to stitch you up in some way when you come home.”

“Plenty of time for something to go wrong, still.” She offered up a lopsided smile before half turning to see Bellara finally catch up. “Introductions! T, this is Bellara. She’s a deft hand with ancient elven artifacts and a bow. Bell, meet Andarateia Cantori, Seventh Talon of the Crows. There’s no sweeter assassin in all of Antiva.”

Teia waved a hand dismissively. “Please, Teia to friends and if you’ve been keeping Renn out of trouble, I’ll happily count you among them.”

Bellara seemed close to bursting with excitement at that. “Oh, wow! That’s- thank you! It’s nice to meet you!”

“Oh, she’s adorable.” The Talon nudged Renn gently. “But we shouldn’t linger. Viago is gathering the others for your meeting. He’s happy you’re home.”

Renn let out a scoff at that. “And yet his letter was all complaints about me.”

“He complains more when you aren’t around.” Teia’s smile was all teasing affection as she led them into the winding blockades. “Trust me, he missed you plenty.”

She did a poor job of hiding just how happy that made her, the warmth bubbling in her chest causing a wide grin. That high carried her just a handful of steps before it steadily fizzled. The Antaam were everywhere. They were stopping civilians, demanding papers, walking them away like criminals, and standing watch like they were the city guard. It made her hand itch to unsheath a dagger. Teia didn't miss the little twitch of her fingers, resting a hand on her arm gently.

“They've gotten worse, T.” She muttered, teeth grit.

Teia fell back a step properly, looping her arm through the crook of Renn’s sword arm and pulling her along the street. “I’m quite aware, Little Wren.” Her voice dropped low though she painted a radiant smile on her lips and leaned closer as if they were simply friends gossiping. “It will not last. The Crows remain and I will one day see a knife through every would-be tyrant’s throat.”

She let out a quiet laugh, holding a hand in front of her mouth like she had just been told a most scandalous tidbit. “So long as my knife is one of them, I can wait a little longer.”

That earned her an approving pat on the arm before Teia cast a glance behind to their plus one. “You know, the best way to see the city is from the rooftops. Are you up for a climb, Bellara?”

The elf brightened at that. “Like a Crow does?”

“Yeah, Bell,” Renn laughed, “pretty much everything that’s about to happen will be ‘like a Crow’ so buckle up. I hope you like ziplines!”

There was a gleeful squeak of excitement behind her at that notion and she tried to smother the wide smile it caused. She liked bringing the Veil Jumper along because everything was just… brighter through her eyes. It was refreshing. And as they approached the first trellis that marked the journey home, she needed that borrowed joy. The last time she had climbed that wall, she was a battered and bruised mess. She’d made things so much worse for her House and maybe Treviso at large. It felt like a lifetime ago. She had hoped the return would be on better terms, but now she might have mucked things up on a much larger scale. At least the climb was easier this time around.

She distracted herself with helping Bellara on the ziplines, making sure the other elf knew how to hold herself and when to let go before it flung her off at the end. The first attempt was understandably clumsy, but she wasn’t sent careening into a bush or wall so that was promising. Teia watched it all with a quiet smile, offering the Jumper a steadying arm each time she landed. Renn had actually hoped it would take her longer to figure out how to traverse the rooftops, but it turned out that raiding ruins translated pretty quickly to city shenanigans. Your landing zone not randomly changing or warping away probably helped, too. But instead of lingering in the lighthearted romp, the daunting meeting loomed ever closer and it caused a lump to form in her throat. When her feet rested on the smooth brickwork of the Cantori Diamond, she rather felt like throwing herself to the street below than climbing the inviting stairs. Her mind was a whirlwind of doubt and nerves.

Teia patted her on the back before gently pushing her forward. “You ready?”

She gave her a wobbling smile. “Not in the slightest, but oh well.”

And, Maker bless her, Bellara paused next to the Crows in a little cloud of her own wonder. “This is not what I was expecting for your base.”

It brought a little cheer to mingle with her unease. “The Cantori Diamond! Gambling den for the mundane, place of refuge for the Crows. More or less.”

“Let’s hope we land on the ‘more’ side tonight, for you sake.” Teia beamed.

It felt like her stomach dropped out at that. “Thanks, T.”

She pulled in a long steadying breath, hands clenching and unclenching before she forged into the golden light spilling out into the night. The Diamond hadn’t changed a bit in her year away. It was still dazzling, the casino below bathing the interior in a warm light that steadily lost the battle with the deep shadow of night as the day dragged on. Crows and fledglings gathered in pockets of hushed murmurs, voices all carried easily by the queer acoustics of the dome if one knew where to stand. The long table Teia and Viago favored, and where her fateful contract had been penned, was still stoically tucked away in the large alcove, though it was empty at the moment. She had expected the Talons to be gathered there, waiting to rule her request a waste of time, but no. Viago stood next to an imperious armchair, bent slightly to exchange words with the elderly woman perched straight backed in the seat. A lean shadow lurked behind the duo, but despite her every instinct screaming at her to identify who or what that was, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the Fifth Talon.

A year, a whole year since she had last seen him and it was like nothing had happened. That same anger from the night where everything went wrong seemed to flare in her chest, but it was vastly overshadowed by the sheer frustration she felt. She wanted to yell at him for making her worry for the whole adventure. He couldn't write a single Maker damned letter until right before she finished the contract? She spent every day without any word so sick with fear that something awful had happened to him or Treviso itself and she would find out far too late to do anything about it. She wouldn't have even made it home in time for the funeral. It made her want to pluck his ridiculous twin headed snake cane out of his hand and start smacking him with it.

She settled instead for watching him suddenly stand bolt upright when he noticed her, relishing how his brows knit together in relief. It was a slight twitch in his usual half stern half scowling face, but she’d known it for most of her life. Teia had been right, he had missed her. If she weren’t about to plead for her life, she’d have tackled him with a hug as revenge for everything he put her through. Given the current audience, she’d be dead the second she was in range of the tip of his cane. Sometimes she lamented the abnormal state of her life when compared to other people in times like these. Squashing down her soft hearted whims, she squared her shoulders and entered the killing floor.

Viago inclined his head with the slightest of tilts. “I take this to mean you finished your contract on the Dread Wolf?”

She had to bite her tongue to prevent a curse from slipping free. He just had to waste no time. “It’s complicated-”

“No, it isn’t.” He snapped, hand tightening on his cane. “If you didn’t finish the job, you were not supposed to come back.”

Grinding her teeth, she dipped her head. “The client didn’t specify death. Fen’harel is currently locked away. Complications arose when that happened. I felt it best to consult with my Talon and ask for assistance, if approved.”

His eyes narrowed, displeasure radiating from him before he extended a hand to the woman seated next to him. “Mirenna, this is Caterina Dellamorte.”

She couldn’t quite hide the shiver that crawled down her spine at the name. It was hard to forget a woman like Caterina. She had never once spoken to the Talon before this, but she’d seen her from a distance in meetings. It was more harrowing to be this close. She placed a hand to her chest, bowing. A second later, she wondered if a curtsy would have been more proper, but then no, she wasn’t in a dress or skirt. A bow was probably correct.

“First Talon. It’s an honor.” The shadow from before finally stepped just enough into the light for her to discern it to be another man. A bit young to be a Talon, too similar to the First Talon to be a coincidence, but she didn’t know him. She cast him a questioning glance, unsure how to greet him or if he was supposed to be there at all.

“Illario Dellamorte.” He supplied with an easy smile, giving her a slight bow of his own. “Her grandson. But you had important business here, I believe.”

Offering up her own half smile at the almost normal greeting, she turned back to the Talons. Teia had settled at Viago’s side easily, an encouraging face to balance out the two rather serious stares fixed on her. “Right. When my client and I interrupted the Dread Wolf’s ritual to tear down the Veil, he was trapped in the Fade. However, two other elven gods escaped at the same time. While tracking down Fen’harel, I have learned that they are more simply ancient blighted mages. While they were not part of the original contract, it feels… irresponsible to leave them running free.” Viago’s mouth tightened into a thin line and she knew he wanted to yell at her for this outcome, but he bit his tongue thankfully. She pulled in a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut for a half second too long. “I need our best. The man who brought blood mages and Venatori to their knees.”

“You want Lucanis.” Caterina said simply, her voice quiet but severe. “My grandson, the Demon of Vyrantium.”

“I like the sound of sending a demon after a god.” Her attempt at humor fizzled in the face of two frigid looks, though Illario for his part quirked a fragile smile.

“A fool’s notion, Mirenna, and pointless.” Viago shook his head, barely suppressing a sigh before his eyes were suddenly downcast. “Lucanis Dellamorte is dead.”

She felt her breath escape her without warning, a pit opening in her stomach. So much suddenly made sense: Viago hesitating to pass Varric’s job off, the lack of news about the Mage Killer, the quiet absence of Dellamorte assassins in the month before she left. The entire time she had been gone… She hadn’t even known the man, but it was a blow to the Crows. All legends had to come to an end, but this felt too soon. Not when Antiva needed every blade it had. She turned distraught eyes from Viago to Caterina, an apology for dredging up such a tragedy on her tongue, but the First Talon seemed deep in thought. Her fingers drummed against the sharp crow’s head of her cane.

“What I say doesn’t leave this room.” She started, voice pure ice. “The body they brought back was not my grandson. It was dressed in his clothes, but the face had been altered with blood magic.”

Illario stepped forward in disbelief, voice wavering. “My cousin is still alive? Why didn’t you tell me? I mourned him-”

Viago cut in, preventing the other Crow from spiraling further. “His ship was attacked. We knew someone had sold him out… so you kept it to yourself.” It sounded like he was finishing his own puzzle.

A single bubble of hope sprang to life in Renn’s chest. “But if you’re mentioning it now..?”

Caterina’s lips curled in an almost rueful smile. “I’ve been watching the Venatori since. They wanted your Dread Wolf, too, but whatever happened with his ritual threw them into disarray. Now, thanks to their mistakes, I have a location. The Ossuary. That is where the Demon of Vyrantium is being kept.” She leveled the cane at Renn, the crow’s beak tapping firmly against her chest. “Infiltrate the Ossuary. Free Lucanis. You’ll have your god-killer and I’ll have my grandson.”

It rather felt like she had a knife to her throat instead of a simple cane to her chest. Her eyes flicked to Viago. He nodded once. “A fair contract, First Talon. House de Riva would be honored to fulfill it.”

Caterina’s chin rose, a sharp look taking her in from head to toe, before she tilted her head to the side. “Illario will escort you to the boat. One of my mages knows the way. She will be waiting for you.”

At that, Renn glanced at Teia. She was examining her nails, but a smile was perched on her lips. If the Seventh Talon had gleaned the exact request Renn would have through their year of correspondence and greased the wheels ahead of time, who was she to complain? It did make her want to pout at the woman for making her believe she had to do all the heavy lifting. She settled for a faintly hurt furrowing of her brow, but her teasing was interrupted by Viago grabbing her arm and dragging her aside and oh wasn’t that a familiar feeling. She glanced behind her as he pulled her away, worried the First Talon would be insulted by the sudden exit, but she was turned now to face Illario. The man’s hands were in sharp motion as they talked in low voices. Seems she wasn’t the only one about to get scolded if the older woman’s steadily stiffening posture was any indication.

“Explain.” Viago hissed, tugging her closer.

She blinked demurely up at him. “I had a lovely trip, thank you for asking. Sadly with how often and quickly we had to break camp, I didn’t get you any souvenirs. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me-”

“Mirenna de Riva,” his voice was acidic now, “stop being a petulant child and explain how you set two elven gods free.”

A scowl jumped to her lips before she could stop it. “I didn’t do anything but stop Solas from ending the fucking world, which no one seems to want to say ‘thank you’ for. He tore open the prison that locked them away, not me.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment before glaring down at her. “How bad is it?”

That caused her annoyance to snuff instantly, hunching into herself. “I…” She bit her lip, gaze skittering to the side. “It’s not great. Lord of Tyranny and Mother of Monsters is a pretty bad combo. They want to unleash more of the blight on the world and they can control what’s here already.” With a quick flick of her hand, she unsheathed the lyrium dagger and held it up to her Talon. “They can’t do it without Solas’ dagger at least, but that won’t stop them forever.”

He crossed his arms, his usual frown deepening. “A year away has not made you any less troublesome.”

“But I am more worldly!” She offered brightly before sobering. “I didn’t mean to put you in this situation, Vi, but I can’t take on two gods alone. I need the Crows. I need you.”

“It was a de Riva contract that started this and it is a de Riva Crow who will finish it.” He snapped, looming over her. “Bring back your Demon, but do not die in that pit. Your contract is still open and our House does not fail their contracts.”

She sighed heavily. “I know, Vi. Quick and quiet, with our full regards. As usual.”

All that earned her was a slight tilt of his head. As close to a dismissal as she was ever going to get, she turned back to see Bellara rocking back and forth on her heels. She had her hands tucked behind her back and her gaze fixed firmly on her feet. It almost caused Renn to laugh. She was doing her best to mind her business in a nest of assassins. Best not to leave her alone much longer.

Teia slipped an arm through hers as she tried to walk past, spinning her in place once and whispering. “Do you remember all the tricks I taught you for dealing with men, little bird?”

She furrowed her brows in confusion. “Of course, I had the best teacher after all.”

A devilishly charming grin spread along the Seventh Talon's lips. “He's been locked up a whole year, maybe remind our dear Demon about the world he's missed, hm? I think you'll find the reaction amusing.”

And then she was wrapped in a tight hug before Teia gently pushed her back towards Bellara. With a weak smile, the mage joined her as they waited for their escort. It took the man just a moment longer to finish whatever discussion he was having with the First Talon before he approached them. He looked just as distraught as she had initially upon hearing the Mage Killer was dead and it caused a lance of sympathy in her heart. To mourn someone you loved for a whole year, just to learn that it might’ve been a waste? To have sat at home doing nothing when they might’ve needed help? She didn’t envy him that torrent of emotion.

Illario led Renn and Bellara back outside into the crisp night air, seemingly at war with himself. He was trying to offer up a genial smile, but it was a hollow thing. “Come, the sooner we get you to that prison, the sooner my cousin can come home.”

“Must be a special prison to need a mage and a boat.” She offered up brightly, hoping to make up the difference in mood for him.

He scoffed a little as he took the zipline. “Only the extraordinary could hold the Demon of Vyrantium. The Ossuary lies beneath the sea. A fact I was only just now told.”

When she alighted on the building behind him, she bit her lip. “I’m sorry.” She hesitated before adding more softly, “That you didn’t know. I can’t imagine…”

His words had more bite to them this time, anger flaring. “Lucanis is family. Maybe Caterina was scared she would lose me as well if I knew. I would have gone after him the second she told me. But now… we might be too late.”

She wasn’t sure what she could offer up to that, glancing back sorrowfully at Bellara. The Jumper just mirrored her worry. A year was a long time. Crows were strong, patient, but that didn’t mean the captors were. Anything could have happened in that time, and none of it good. They traveled in heavy silence before the boat was finally in sight.

“There,” Illario gestured morosely, “that’s your ride. You go play hero, save my cousin, and I’ll make sure we weren’t followed by Antaam or Venatori.”

And then he was gone before either of them could say anything, just another shadow on the streets of Treviso. Renn shrugged helplessly. “Well… alright then. Let’s go break into an underwater prison full of blood cultists and bring a man back from the dead. Sounds about as easy as any of our other jobs.”

Requested Tags: @weaponizedvirtue

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