Early the next morning, Evelyn buckled on her armor quietly to keep from waking up Sirena. As soon as she got all her armor on, she walked out of the cabin and shut the door behind her. Her steps crunched into the snow as she quickly made her way towards the big wooden doors that led to the training area. That was the agreed upon spot for everyone to meet up at.
When she got to the gate, a grin spread across her features as she looked at her companions who looked tired as hell. Varric looked like he was dragging on his feet, his eyes half closed.
“Who is ready to help some people in need?” Evelyn asked enthusiastically. Cassandra, who was pale and had short black hair, let out a sigh but also grinned a bit due to seeing the dwarf with the massive chest hair being miserable since he was tired and most likely cold as well. The seeker was quite used to waking up early for drills.
“We should get going; the sooner the better.” She said with a thick Nevarrian accent. Varric grunted softly at what the warrior said. The tall bald lanky elf named Solas, remained silent.
The Herald led the way out of Haven even over and across the stone bridges and past the raised metal gate. Evelyn remembered the bridge and gate quite clearly. She was brought through there as a prisoner originally since the seeker and spymaster thought she was the one who blew up the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Sadly, she couldn’t remember what happened there, every time she tried to remember, her head would start to hurt in a splitting headache. Shaking her head slightly to get rid of the images from her head, she continued to make her way out of Haven.
“We really do need horses. This is going to take at least three or four days on our feet.” Varric complained while adjusting his crossbow, Bianca, on his back.
“It just means more camping time. It will be fun.” Solas let out a little chuckle from Evelyn’s response.
“It is always best to enjoy the times before and after battle.” The elf said with serious wisdom like he knew more than he was letting on.
After more than a half the day passed, Evelyn and her companions had to set up camp since it was getting late and they had to rest somewhere. A fire was built to make food and keep them warm due to the cool chill in the air. They ate their food in silence as they were in thought, wondering what they were going to see in the Hinterlands when someone finally spoke up.
“I wonder what damage there is in the Hinterlands…” Evelyn asked before she took a bite of her ham sandwich.
“It could be anything or anyone at this point.” Cassandra answered as she stoked the fire, already finished her food. The other two companions remained silent.
It took five days to get to the Hinterlands which looked very green. There was elfroot everywhere as well as trees and grass. It was a lot nicer than seeing a bunch of snow everywhere. One could even hear the birds sing. Varric was off by a day in his predictions of when they would make it into the Fereldon territory. By the time they made it to the Inquisition camp, it was midday. A woman dwarf with brown hair pulled up into a pony tail walked up to the Herald.
“Holy Andraste! I’ve heard of the stories, everyone has. We know what you did at the breach. It’s an honor to meet you, my lady.” The scout gave her a little bow. “Inquisition Scout Harding, at your service. I will… All of us here will do whatever we can to help.” Harding introduced herself with respect and formality.
“Scout Harding, huh?” Varric said with amusement. “Ever been to Kirkwall’s Hightown?” He asked with a smile on his face.
“I can’t say I have. Why?”
“You’d be harding in a… No.” he said with a little laugh. “Never mind.” Cassandra glared at the male dwarf.
“Ugh!” She said with disgust while shaking her head. The seeker was getting sick of all the jokes he told. Nothing was ever really serious with him. Evelyn ignored the two as she looked at Scout Harding with a soft smile.
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” She said formally to the Scout.
“We should get to business.” Harding said walking a little distance away from the Heralds companions so she could talk without interruption. “The situation is pretty… dire. We came to secure horses from Redcliffe’s old horse master. I grew up here, and people always said Dennet’s herds were the strongest and the fastest, the side of the frostbacks, bit with the mage and Templar fighting getting worse, we couldn’t get to Dennet. Maker only knows if he’s still alive. Mother Giselle is at the crossroads helping the refugees and the wounded. Our latest reports say that the war spread there too.” Harding paused and finally let herself breathe before she continued to give Evelyn the reports she received. “Corporal Vale and our men are doing what they can to protect the people, but they won’t be able to hold out very long. You best get going, no time to lose.” Harding said before she walked away from the Herald. Varric was close enough to hear everything despite them moving and he shook his head. With a sigh, Evelyn made her way down the hill which had a path of dirt for her and her companions to walk on. She walked with her little group for a couple of miles when they all saw nothing but destruction, carts were tipped over and broken and the houses abandoned and burning with fire.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Evelyn saw movement as well as a shine. She turned her head and saw a Templar running towards their direction. Cassandra pulled her shield out from the straps on her back while also unsheathing her steel sword. The Templar continued to run towards them with his sword and shield out, making it full aware that he didn’t want to talk; he wanted to fight whoever was going to end up in his path. Making her choice, the warrior started to run towards the Templar. As she ran at him, three more men in armor came out of hiding to attack the Inquisition group.
Cassandra bashed into the Templar, making him fall on his back on the ground. Dropping both his shield and sword from the shock of getting bashed into, the man was weaponless. Taking her chance, the seeker held her sword up then lowered it down onto his and through his stomach, stabbing him causing the warm thick crimson red liquid to splatter on her face and armor. As she killed the Templar, Varric pulled out Bianca and shot arrows at the archer who was aiming for the Herald. Since Evelyn was a rogue, she pulled out her duo daggers and also ran towards the archer, doing a flip on the ground to avoid getting hit by one of his arrows. His armor was the lightest since he was a distance fighter; the rogue slashed her dagger into his side and turned to face him after her flip and stabbed him in the back with her other dagger. All the while, Solas created a barrier around Cassandra and the Herald since they were melee fighters. Together, the companions brought down the last Templar in the group. Arrows were sticking out of him; he was glowing slightly from the magicka that was used; there were also slash and stab wounds on the man. After he had fallen, the companions all looked at each other.
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“I suspect the mages or apostates to be nearby since we were just attacked by the Templars…” Evelyn said as she looked over the corpses. “The mage and Templar war seems to have gotten worse…”
“It can’t properly be called a war any longer. It is a free-for-all. Mages against Templars against everyone.” Cassandra responded to their leader’s statement. The mage elf shook his head with disappointment.
“The mages and Templars have chosen a poor location for working out their differences.” Varric snorted at Solas’s sarcastic remark in a sort of agreement.
“We should keep going.” The Herald said while putting her blades back in their scabbards before she continued to walk north towards the crossroads. Her companions followed suit, putting away their weapons and continued their trek behind Evelyn. They passed by more destroyed carts with unopened sacks. After walking another couple of miles, they saw some flashes of red and blue as well as green. With a sigh, Evelyn pulled out her daggers, they were still far away enough to not be seen by the mages.
“Be prepared for more battle this time with mages. Varric since you’re an archer, take the high ground. Cassandra will go in first and I’ll flank. Solas, put a barrier around us, also attack them when you can with your spells.” Everyone acknowledged their part in the battle plan before they went to their assigned places. Varric climbed on a broken tower and pulled out his crossbow and waited while the bald elf also found high ground as well since he knew he’d be at an advantage from a distance.
Cassandra ran at a mage while holding her shield to block any attacks as Evelyn went around towards the same mage. When the two got close to her, a big blue circle encompasses both the warrior and the duo dagger rogue. Cassandra bashed into the mage, and then Evelyn stabbed the mage with both daggers in the woman’s stomach as blood sprayed on hers and her companion’s faces. Varric and Solas attacked the other two mages.
One mage had a bunch of arrows sticking out his body; Cassandra pummeled him to death with her shield while Evelyn went for the last mage and slit her throat causing the blood to spray everywhere. Varric and Solas climbed down from their spots.
“Such an irresponsible use of magic” Solas said with a sigh as he walked up to the two women. “The mages here are little more than animals.”
“It really is…” The Herald said as she wiped the blood off her blades before sheathing them again. “We need to get to the crossroads to talk to Mother Giselle.” Everyone was in an agreement and made their way again to the area where the refugees went to for safety.
The little group made it to the Crossroads without another hitch. It looked like a small town, with merchants selling goods, huts where people live in, as well as the needs. Looking around the area, one of the companions tapped Evelyn on the shoulder and pointed out a woman who seemed to be helping a person who was wounded. Varric looked around as well seeing many people hurt and bandaged.
“Mages and Templars and innocent people caught in the middle. Some things just never change.” He mumbled with a shake of his head. Everyone’s faces showed the same thought but did not voice their opinions like Varric did. Taking a deep breath, Evelyn walked up the older woman.
“Are you Mother Giselle?” She asked behind the woman. The woman with her hair up in a tight bun looked up at the Herald with no surprise on her face, like she was expecting her.
“Yes, I am Mother Giselle. You must be the Herald of Andraste.” Evelyn nodded her head. “The question is do you believe?” The woman in her mid-twenties eyes widened from the randomness of the question that was suddenly asked out of nowhere. At least that’s what she thought.
“I don’t really know what to believe. All I know is that I got a green mark on my hand that glows and sparks when there is a rift. Also people say they saw Andraste pushed me out of the fade.” The mother nodded her head slowly, knowing the story and what people said fairly well.
“The people look up to you Herald, they need a leader and it seems they chose you.” The mother said as she glanced at Evelyn’s companions’ direction. The Herald sighed softly not at all ready to hear the news so she decided to change the subject and get the attention off herself.
“What brings you away from the Chantry, Mother?”
“The refugees come here to get away from the mage and Templar war and some came wounded so I am doing all I can to help the people in need.”
“Speaking of helping…I was told you wanted to speak with me…” Evelyn said while trying to get Giselle to get to the point of her wanting to see her.
“Ah yes, I know of the Chantry’s denouncement. I’m familiar with those behind it.” Giselle said as she walked away from prying ears. The Herald followed her so she was able to listen to her without interruption. “I won’t lie to you; some of them are grand standing or trying to increase their chances of becoming the new Divine. Some are simply terrified. So many good people sensely taken from us.” Evelyn frowned slightly as she heard the last statement from the older woman.
“It was indeed a tragedy; one I wished never happened.”
“With no Divine, we are all left to our own conscience and mine tells me this… Go to them; convince the remaining clerics that you are no demon to be feared. They heard only frightful tales of you. Give them something else to believe.” Mother Giselle said passionately and with conviction in her thick Orlesian accent. There was hope sparkling in her eyes as she looked at the Herald of Andraste.
“You want me to appeal to them?” Evelyn asked with a raised brow.
“If I thought you were incapable, I wouldn’t have suggested it.” The mother said with a mischievous smile on her face.
“Will they even listen to me?”
“Let me put it this way… You needn’t convince them all; just need some doubt. The power is the unified voice, take that from them and you’ll receive the time you need.” Mother Giselle said, explaining the plan to Evelyn to help her.
“It’s good of you to do this.” The Herald said gratefully to the mother.
“I honestly don’t know if you’ve been touched by fate or sent to help us, but, I hope; hope is what we need now. The people will listen to your rallying call as they will listen to no other.” Evelyn stiffened a bit as she listened to Giselle while thinking to herself “she stated as much earlier…” She let the woman continue to talk as the attention was put back on her. “You could build the Inquisition into a force that will deliver us or destroy us. I will go to Haven and provide Sister Liliana the names of those in the Chantry who will be mineable in the gathering. It is not much, but I will do whatever I can.” The woman said with determination before she walked away. The Herald watched the woman leave with a dumbfounded expression as she muttered to herself.
“Well that was unexpected…” Evelyn walked back over to her companions who looked over at her curiously, wonder what Giselle had to say.
“I’m going to guess that this was no social visit.” Varric said trying to lighten the mood which caused Cassandra to roll her eyes.
“No, she gave us a task to do, which should be discussed with the advisors.” Evelyn stated with a serious expression on her face. As she sighed, she spoke again. “Let’s go find the horse master Dennet, shall we?”