#and NO solas doesn’t count cause we knew before launch he would do that as thee literal betrayer god

[yappacadaver]

I wish we had a betrayerrrrr

[theboredanduseless]

Fanfic: Lavellan 5

*This is fan fiction written by someone with relatively little knowledge of the world of Thedas and no connection to Bioware. As such, it is non-canonical and should not be assumed to actually represent Bioware’s products, including and especially Dragon Age: Inquisition or related titles. 

“Inquisitor--Ellana, this is a terrible idea,” Cassandra said emphatically as they returned to the war room. “I understand you can at least defend yourself now, but to seek out danger? To actively search for Solas when you are known to have been...Well, to know that you are important to him? This is madness!”

Ellana twinged at the implication of her relationship with Solas. She considered Cassandra, then answered, “I know. I agree it is foolish to seek him out directly, especially since I won’t be able to entirely conceal myself from him, but I can’t stay here anymore. I can’t keep waiting around for assassins to come kill me because they see my weakness. I can’t keep desperately reading reports from our friends, hoping for some answers. Our friends have the right to retire; Cullen started a sanctuary for templars, he’s not looking for Solas. This is my fight now, and whoever will join me from here.”

Leliana and Cassandra looked at each other. Leliana mocked, “So what will be your new identity? Shall you turn human? Or do you think that Solas won’t have his agents look for an elven assassin with white hair and one arm?”

Ellana grimaced, “I admit the arm is a problem, but I was hoping we could gently start reminding people that the Inquisitor lost her right arm, whereas I have lost my left.” Leliana looked skeptical. “I know it won’t fool Solas, but nothing I do will, and I don’t think any of his more trusted agents would be the ones to spot me. Many seem to have retreated to his haven in the eluvians.” She paused, gauging their reactions. “As for the hair, I’m going to cut it.” She unbound her braids, continuing, “It’s unrealistic to keep trying to put it up like this with one arm, anyway. I should like your help, though,” Ellana said, handing a small knife to Cassandra.

“Are you sure about this?” Cassandra asked, “There is still much that can go wrong. You can’t fix him.”

“I don’t need to fix him,” Ellana snapped. She softened, remembering that Cassandra is the one who stayed with her, not him. “I’m sorry. I don’t need to fix him, I just need to stall him long enough to see what he is doing.” Ellana nodded, “If anyone can change his mind, it would be me.” She tried to sound more confident than she was in that statement. He had already left her once, but he’d saved her life twice, yet deceived her, kissed her, nearly destroyed the world, removed her vallaslin, provided everything the Inquisition had needed, but was again attempting to destroy the world. Whatever was between them, it couldn’t be summed up in a single statement of certainty.

Ellana felt her plan unravelling. She had been counting on Leliana and Cassandra’s support. Giving up, she dropped the attempt to convince them. “Look, I’m leaving. Do you want to hear my full plan or not?” Cassandra and Leliana adopted stony expressions.

“Fine,” Leliana snapped. “Explain it to us in full.”

“Okay,” Ellana launched into her rehearsed plan. Skyhold would be granted to Sutherland, as his company continued to grow in power and was becoming a full blown mercenary company. She knew he could be trusted to hold the fort until she returned. He would be told the same as all their other friends: a coded “do not believe”, but she would not tell them any more than that, for their own protection. Then, Ellana would have to transform into her new identity. She would cut her hair, spread the rumors of the wrong arm missing, and start going by Reva’Asha, or Reva for short.  

“Does that mean something?” Cassandra asked.

“The closest I can think,” Ellana paused, “It’s sort of like ‘Free Woman’.”

“An interesting choice, considering that you have bound yourself to two causes, now,” Cassandra observed.

“It’s because of the vallaslin,” she explained. “My face tattoos. Before we went to Mythal’s altar to tame the dragon, he told me that they were slave marks. The Dalish had forgotten, and thought they were meant to honor the elven gods. It turns out that the gods were just mages anyway, but we forgot.” Ellana sadly touched her face. “At any rate, he offered to remove them because they’re slave markings. It’s the same as what he did when he first started the elven rebellion before creating the Veil. I thought about seeing if we could get a Keeper to give me new vallaslin, but I couldn’t bear the thought of marking myself a slave again. Hence, the ‘Free Woman’.”

Leliana looked shocked at the revelations that Ellana had spoken.

“So, you were quite...intimate, then?” Cassandra raised her eyebrows.

“N-no...we didn’t...that’s not, I mean,” Ellana blushed. “That’s really not the point.” Ellana continued to explain her plan. Dorian would be the first of their friends to know that she was not truly dead.

“Why?” Cassandra asked.

“Two reasons: Tevinter and blood magic,” Ellana responded, quickly trying to stifle Cassandra outrage. “Only to change my hair color.” Cassandra frowned. “What, you think Dorian doesn’t know a mage with a spell to change your hair color?” Continuing, Ellana explained that she and Harding would meet Dorian and seek some of his connections, then heading to the village of Solas, whatever was waiting there.

“Are you with me, Harding?” Ellana asked. Harding nodded. Pulling out the message crystal, Ellana asked, “Dorian?”

“Oh, what a surprise. Lady Ellana,” Dorian drawled. They could almost hear the smirk on his face.

“Dorian, I need you to welcome Harding and a new recruit named Reva for me in three weeks. Could you do that?”

“What? No details? So mysterious,” Dorian waited a moment. “Really? Fine, I shall greet them most graciously on my doorstep.” The crystal went dark.

“Wonderful. Now, Cassandra, my hair, if you please.”