#i finally found a scan of maleficarum!!

[xbuster]

Bonus manga from Darsktalkers/Red Earth: Maleficarum

[thewardenisonthecase]

Meaning of a Dream

Meredith Stannard x Elizabeth Hawke

Read on AO3

Summary: It wasn’t the first time that she had walked into someone’s dream - she was a somniari after all - but she avoided doing so. However, she couldn’t help her curiosity. What did Knight-Commander Meredith Stannard dream about?

aka the one in which Elizabeth does something she should have not done.

A/N: idk man i just keep rotating these two in my head. Also, don't come for me if the lore about dreamers is wrong ok, its confusing enough in my head.

Word count: 1,662

By all rights, Elizabeth should have given her a nightmare. 

It wasn’t the first time that she had walked into someone’s dream - she was a somniari after all - but she avoided doing so. Dreams were meant to be private, and Elizabeth knew she would hate if someone saw her own. 

However, she couldn’t help her curiosity. What did Knight-Commander Meredith Stannard dream about? 

Truth be told, Elizabeth expected more blood. She thought the templar would dream of the things she did in real life - searching for maleficarum where there was none, tormenting mages, killing abominations. Maker, she half-expected Meredith's dream to involve Orsino being strangled by her bare hands, much like she always seemed to be two steps from doing so. 

But instead, she found herself among a crowd of shouting people, somewhere she could not recognize. The buildings around her vaguely resembled the ones in Kirkwall but the style was much different. 

The people around her spoke in a language she could barely understand, though one word stood out. “Venhedis” someone whispered next to her, in the same tone Fenris usually did. 

Elizabeth frowned. Had the Fade tricked her? How was this Meredith’s dream?

She pushed her away deeper into the crowd, who only seemed to grow louder by the minute. She made her way to what seemed to be the center of the commotion, where the people were split, creating a passageway. 

After making her way to the very front, Elizabeth finally understood what was the commotion. 

A pair of heavily armored guards appeared and in between them there was a woman, with blond hair, blue eyes and dressed in a thin white dress. At first, she thought it was Andraste herself, but when the trio passed by her, she realized that was Meredith. 

As if dressing like the prophet wasn’t enough…

Elizabeth should have left. She had seen what she needed, and truth be told, part of her did want to see the Knight-Commander burn in the same righteous flames she always called upon. She wanted to see her screaming in agony, feeling the same pains that all the mages she hurt felt.

She frowned. If she wanted this, then why did the thought of it felt unbearable?

Elizabeth tried to ignore the sting of pain in her chest as she watched the guards tie Meredith on a wooden beam, on top of a platform with various other logs of wood. If anything, she should have turned her head and walked away, returned to her own dreams and yet, her feet moved her forward, trying to get closer. She still had to think on how she could stop the fire but this was the Fade. Anything was possible. 

. 

Meredith did not fear the flame. She held her head high as they walked her towards the pyre. If she was to die for doing what was right, then so be it.

Meredith did not look at the crowd of people around her, focusing only on the path ahead. She only faced them when they tied arms behind the wooden beam. So many people there, cheering on her death. 

It did not matter. She would go to the Maker’s side and their souls would rot in the Void, cursed to aimlessly wander for eternity, as they had refused to listen. 

Far away, a man read a list of her alleged crimes. 

“You are accused of tyranny and war mongering.” He began. “Of spreading lies and hatred, of slaughtering innocent mages, amongst other accusations of needless violence. What do you make of these charges?” He shouted. 

Meredith’s eyes scanned the crowd as she spoke. “My only crime is to have cared too much. Magic is a cancer on this land. I was oath bound to save you from your own curse. If that is my crime, then so be it.”

The people cried out in anger, and she could not help but to pity them. Her time was coming to an end and there was still much suffering. 

It was all in the Maker’s hands now. 

From the corner of her eye, she saw a man summon a ball of fire and she closed her eyes, waiting for the flames to turn her skin into ash. A moment of pain for a lifetime near the Maker’s side. It was almost worth it. 

But instead of fire, Meredith felt droplets of rain kiss her face, as the crowd went silent. She opened her eyes, only to see that everyone had stopped moving. The ropes on her wrists suddenly dropped and she frowned as she saw one lone figure move. 

Her eyes narrowed. The person had a hood covering their head, making them indistinguishable. Something in the pit of her stomach told her whatever was going on was not right, but she couldn’t understand why. 

“Who are you?” Meredith asked from where she stood.

The hooded figure had stopped right in front of the steps of the platform, but did not make a move towards her. 

A moment of hesitation. 

“A friend.” A female voice answered. 

“Liar. I have no friend on this land.” 

“That is simply not true. For I am your friend, and I stand here.”

Meredith’s frown deepened. “Why do you not show your face, then?” 

She heard a heavy sigh. “It is not in the Maker’s will for me to show my face.” The person, who Meredith assumed was a woman, said and extended a hand. “Just as it is not His will for you to die today.” 

Meredith eyed the hand suspiciously. This could be a trick and why would it not be? Give her a moment of hope before killing her. 

But despite the silence between the two, as Meredith considered her next course of action, the stranger remained there with their hand stretched out. If they had ill intentions, they would have acted on them already, wouldn’t they? A small voice in the back of her mind wondered. 

It hadn’t stopped raining and at that point, Meredith was soaked - her dress clung to her skin and her hair to the back of her neck. She felt weirdly exposed. 

Finally, she took a step forward. She did not take the stranger’s hand as she walked down the platform. She tried to look underneath the hood, only catching a glimpse of brown hair. 

“Who are you?” She asked again, more authoritatively this time. “Answer truthfully.” 

“I am not someone who should matter to you.” The person answered, looking away from her. “I have extended my welcome. I will leave.” They began to walk away. 

“Why did you help me? I doubt the Maker sent you.” Meredith shouted. 

The stranger stopped, and for a brief moment, she could see them smirking. They said nothing as they continued walking, eventually fading out of sight. Meredith looked around her, confused at what had transpired. Something inside of her told her this was not meant to end like this. 

. 

Elizabeth, for once, had woken up before the Knight-Commander, and as quickly as she could, picked up her clothes, dressed herself before exiting the Gallows. It was still dark outside, though she knew that the sun would rise soon.

She rushed towards the estate, and quickly made her up the stairs and into her room. 

Her back hit the door and she slowly slid down, clutching her head in her hands. Deep inside she knew she had done something wrong. 

She shouldn’t have intervened. She should have let that nightmare play out as intended, and know, only the Maker knew what could happen. Eliza had thought that if, perhaps, Meredith had a nice dream, she could somehow be less intense - after all, she had seen the bags under the templar’s eyes - but now, she felt that that was a stupid decision. She had never done something like it to anyone else, always just being a silent observer but this? It had to be wrong. 

She wasn’t supposed to give Knight-Commander Meredith nice dreams. 

Elizabeth felt sick to her stomach. Why had she done that? She could hear Anders' voice in her head, disapproving of her actions, telling her how she shouldn’t use her powers like this. 

A thought creeped into her head. 

Maker…she’ll think you’re a blood mage if she finds out you messed with her dreams. What have you gotten yourself into?

. 

The templar woke up frowning and much later than usual.

It wasn’t the first time she had that sort of dream, but it usually ended with her burning on the stake. In fact, whenever she dreamed of the Prophet, it was almost always a dream that unsettled her, that made her wake up in a cold sweat and with her heart stammering. 

But instead, Meredith found herself oddly calm, and more rested than usual, despite her confusion. She shouldn’t be. Numerous questions floated in her mind. Who was the hooded stranger? Why had they helped her? Was the Maker trying to send her a message? ‘Just as it’s not His will for you to die today.’

It was while she gathered her senses that Meredith realized the other side of her bed was cold. Her frown deepened. Where was Elizabeth?

She stood up from her bed, and she soon noticed a small piece of paper with something written on it. 

It was a note and it simply read: 

Dawn was coming and you hadn't kicked me out yet. Made sure no one saw me as I left. - Elizabeth 

Meredith sighed as she read the note, rubbing her forehead. She couldn’t spend the day dwelling on this, and she already lost too much time sleeping. But her thoughts once again drifted to the stranger. The hair, the voice, the smirk…it all seemed too familiar.

She looked at the note again and for a moment she wondered…

Meredith shook her head, folding the note. She was the Knight-Commander and she had too many duties to attend to then waste her time meditating on the meanings of a dream.

.

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