Author's Note: My beautiful friends and anons! Thank you again for all of your support and kindness! I had absolutely not intended to write a sequel but... you guys are a convincing lot :3 I hope it meets the standards of the first iteration. It was a lot of fun to go back and revisit this! I hope it brings you some comfort as we await a Solas-centric DLC (with a happy ending)! Thanks again for you messages, reviews, kudos/favs, and well, everything!

Despite turning the thick papyrus page to continue her studies, Thalassa Lavellan disappointingly realized that she had long reached her capacity for reading that night. Thick black words, once devoured hungrily now lay limp on the leather-bound plate, her eyes attempting to pick and play, trying to fit more ideas and concepts into her brain. She sighed heavily and admitted defeat, closing the tome in her lap as the muffled slap of pages echoed in her chambers. She idly leaned her head back against the wooden footboard of her bed, her eyes closing as she titled her face upwards towards the ceiling. The cool draft from the open balcony door was a welcome balm on her throbbing forehead. The headache had started as soon as she had heard Dorian's motherly clucking in the library that afternoon.

'Reading his syllabus again, my dear? This is the fourth time, yes?' he had chided to her. Her face twitched into an irritated frown, one that was more suited to a child annoyed at their teasing sibling. At her feet was the note she had tenderly 'borrowed' from Solas' desk many months ago. It was a carefully constructed list of books, tomes and journals he had requested for the Inquisition library upon his initial arrival to Skyhold. Back then, she had relieved his desk of it eagerly, with an enthusiasm akin to girlish glee, in order to learn more about him. She had appreciated the challenge it provided her to expand her own field of knowledge. She delighted in his smile when she would propose discussions and questions relating to the texts or challenge him with her own interpretations.

When he had left, it was one of the first things she had the time to scour for clues or hints as to the nature of his abrupt disappearance. She was certain that the shattering of the orb was at the heart of it, and yet she still knew so little about it to properly connect how it would have affected him so. She had hoped that some small thread of knowledge could be pulled into light, giving her some kind of vantage point. Yet the tomes he had studied in his time at Skyhold yielded no definitive clues. Small leads, scavenged by Leliana's scouts from the cold trails that Solas had left, were devoid of answers. Even the excursion to the village Solas had claimed to have hailed from yielded only crushed ruins and faded dreams. She had tried to lay among the ruins and walk the Fade as Solas had taught her to do. Yet her newness to the art held her back, and she could only seek memories and visions from days past. She could not yet scour the years or even centuries past that may have yielded something more decidedly interesting than a flock of birds resting from their migration or a small doe relieving itself in a nearby clearing. Her floundering was frustrating. Her depth of knowledge and trusted magical skill were failing her. Her lack of progress was anguish. She clenched her fist tightly, feeling the weight of her failures bubble within her chest.

The blind frustration she felt was the Temple of Mythal all over again. That she, a Dalish, had been brought to a place so ancient and old. The majestic wonders of her heritage laid bare before her and she must have looked like an infant to him there. Stumbling and playing among shattered remnants that she knew not of and could not fully comprehend. Unable to read the ancient Elvish presented before her. Struggling to recognize the glittering mosaics that were so far removed from the vision the Keeper had painted of the Creators. She was eager to learn and to understand. She wanted to reclaim that which was lost to her. And yet the gap between her and Solas was a gulf that she could not yet cross. In knowledge, magic, and history. And somehow, also in love. If only she had more knowledge, more skill, she could have deciphered what was in the temple. The knowledge there may have helped her understand more about Solas and his goals. She would have understood more about the connection of the orb to the ancient elves. Understood why it mattered so much to Solas. She could have stopped him from leaving.

A deep exhalation of breath flared from her nostrils as she titled her head forward and opened her eyes again, looking deep into the gentle fire that crackled in her hearth. She sought relief from her train of thought in the lazy flames that lapped into the air, small embers floating aimlessly into the chimney.

"You left me with so little to work with. On purpose no doubt," she growled, shifting the closed tome from her lap and onto the carpeted floors of her chambers. She rose to her feet and crossed out to the balcony, the bright glittering stars and sweeping snowy mountainsides greeting her as she welcomed the cool night air. Her eyes fell upon the small, horribly crafted, wooden wolf that was mounted on one of the stone balcony posts. She smiled at it affectionately, the sight of it drawing some of the tension from her body.

"Ever attentive, Hahren. I am always grateful for your careful study of the night," she chuckled as she leaned on the balcony next to it, trying to ease the strain on her mind and heart. The stone statue of Fen'Harel from the Lavellan camp had been a stationary friend and confidant to her when she had no one else. When she had been brought to the clan and treated as an outcast, she had sought him out as a fellow exile and pledged herself to him as a companion.

She had hesitated to carve or bring something back in his likeness to Skyhold however, not wanting to fall back into her old, strange habits of reliance. She had promised him that she could stand alone, without his aid. That she could act on her own merit and strength, as he had done for centuries. She chuckled darkly now as she regarded the horrible, mangled carving on her balcony. She had been so desperate that night. He had given her strength and support when she had needed it most. When she could ask no other.

"Hahren, do you remember the night that I brought you here?" she asked him with a sad smile, her hand reaching out tenderly to the uneven edges of his wooden frame. The habit of speaking to him was one that she had developed as a child. That it brought her comfort even as an adult was something that she had never shared with another. She doubted that anyone would ever truly understand the connection she had developed with one many called Trickster and Dread Wolf.

"I was alone when I returned to Skyhold. When-" she paused as the memory of the night in Crestwood tried to play again in her mind. She immediately forced the memory away, unwilling to bring it to life once more.

"When I was emotionally compromised," she corrected, "I could think of no other to burden with my heartache. I didn't want anyone to see me like that. I could only turn to you," she offered sheepishly. "I borrowed tools and a discarded block of wood from the barn and carved you from desperation and misery. I'm sorry for my horrible craftsmanship, it does you no justice. I could barely see through my tears," she chuckled as she traced the uneven ears on his head. "It's mortifying to think of how I was. How pitiful I must have seemed to you. It shattered all the poise and dignity I worked so hard to maintain, Hahren. I wanted you to be proud of me. To see me as a woman capable and learned of your cunning and composure..." she trailed off, her eyes falling from Fen'Harel and onto the jagged slopes of the mountains. She pulled her fingers back from him as well, feeling embarrassed.

"And instead I begged you for comfort. Pleaded for relief from my misery... over heartache for another man..." she sighed softly. "Shameful." Thalassa shook her head in embarrassment, her cheeks flushed as she recalled herself that night. Her left arm still propped against the balcony, she reached her right hand up to her face, fingertips grazing the skin upon her reddened cheeks. The place where the vallaslin had once woven its cruel tapestry into her skin. A mistaken tradition that had once been branded upon her with misplaced pride. She recalled the warmth of the magic that had pulled the ink free from her cheeks. How pure and old it had felt.

'When he removed your vallaslin... did it hurt?' she recalled Dorian asking, his leather-bound fingers gingerly touching the skin of her cheek as he had examined her. While he had looked upon her like a physician would studying his patient, his voice had been tender, illustrating his deep compassion and concern as one of her few, trusted friends.

'Not physically, no,' she had replied simply, unwilling to offer further detail at the time.

Emotionally, yes.

Spiritually, yes.

'Ar lasa mala revas. You are free.'

And a once dull ache seared alive, the pain renewed fresh as the wound tore open, the memory flowing freely. Thalassa closed her eyes, brows furrowed together as the evening in the Crestwood grotto played again in her mind.

She had looked up at him that night imploringly. Desperately seeking his acceptance and reassurance after he had removed the cursed vallaslin. A thousand thoughts, fears and desires pouring from her as she felt more exposed than ever before in her life. She had been so far removed from her clan for so long, and he had severed the final tie she had to the Dalish. She had been freed from their misplaced and stubborn trust in twisted legends and old lies. She waited breathlessly as he regarded her with a calm, serene peace. A tender smile on his face.

'You are so beautiful,' he had told her warmly, the sincere tenderness he conveyed melted every doubt that had nettled at the fringes of her mind and brought a powerful release of comfort to her heart. His eyes that night had been so open and warm, a stirring affection within that declared more love than he could have ever kindled into his melodic, rhythmic prose.

Stop.

Her eyes sprung open, fingers digging into the stone of the balcony. Continuing on that path would only feed her sadness. She wouldn't get any closer to him dwelling on it. She couldn't heal if she continued to wallow in the memory.

"I don't need to weep like a helpless girl anymore, Hahren, " she said aloud, a defiant, darkened smile creeping across her face as she cauterized the ache with her own stubbornness. "The morning that I woke up on the balcony, crumpled like a miserable child and whimpering like a fool, I saw my options laid out before me. I could let him leave me and wallow in despair. I could try to move on from him, turn my back on the only person I have ever truly loved and trusted. Or..." and it was here that her smile grew feral, "fix whatever fool errand or misunderstanding separated us and drag my lover back into bed." She nodded then, as though trying to convince the night of her self-assurance.

"It seemed so clear at the time. Defeat Corypheus, recover the orb, and then receive the answers Solas promised. I could then mend the rift that separated us. But it's never that easy it seems..." She shook her head again, remembering his defeated posture as he sunk before the shattered orb.

'No matter what comes, I want you to know that what we had was real,' he had said sorrowfully, unable to look at her.

"The orb... the temple... the past haunts me. It haunts us. His purpose is veiled to me, and yet it must be tied to the orb. And if the orb is Elvish, then it is tied to to our very heritage... I can't decide if he's chasing the past or if it's chasing him." Her frustration and stubborn optimism began to wane as her suspicions and thoughts spiraled downward. She turned her gaze back to Fen'Harel. Careful, uneven features looking out into the night.

"When am I going to finally catch up, Hahren?" she asked, her face softening as she felt the strings binding her heart pull free again, exposing her uncertainty and fear. "When will I be worthy?" The cold, low howl of the wind was her only answer as it stirred against her body, pushing tendrils of dark hair into her eyes. She breathed deeply and felt the wind prickle against her skin as she continued to look upon the wooden statue, as though waiting for response.

"Vhenan."

It was like a bolt of lightning straight to her heart. The adrenaline flooded so suddenly, her brain could barely comprehend the sweet and familiar voice that had passed like a tickling whisper by her ears. Nerves sparked to life before thought was able to dictate her wild movements and she spun around to the sound of his voice. And as suddenly as her body was jolted to life, her blood froze inside her limbs as sight finally conquered the other senses that were demanding, pounding for answers again skin, tissue and muscle. Her eyes widened in horror. Amazement. Joy.

Her bedroom chamber was no more. Beyond the threshold of her balcony was now a forest clearing. Tender tufts of grass were fluffed by a gentle spring breeze, its warmth welcome as the chill of the night air still clung to the balcony. Familiar old friends bore their glittering green leaves as they waved aimlessly in the spring breeze. The giant oak trees she had loved as a child towered beyond, framing the familiar clearing and lining the edges high above the thick, prickly brush that had scrapped and scratched her skin so many years ago.

She fought the burn on her cheekbones, feeling the emotion begin to rise to her eyes as she took sight of the patch of purple wildflowers that bloomed below the base of a stone statue. Her trembling lips curved upwards to a knowing smile as she beheld him then. Watching stoically, seated above the flowers she had planted just for her Hahren.

Fen'Harel.

The stone statue gazed back at her with the same penetrating expression. Always listening. Always inviting. It brought something young and pure to life in her heart again, as though she were that eager youth standing before him once more.

Moisture prickled at the corners of her eyes as she tried to process everything silently. His voice. This place. Where is he? How did he know? When did she start dreaming? How does he know this place? How long has she been in the Fade? Did he hear what she said earlier? Does he know about him?

The questions darted ceaselessly as her legs moved sluggishly from the balcony, carrying her forward without her truly realizing that she was moving at all. The shock was still overwhelming as she crossed the threshold and then felt alive in this place. The smell of the wood, the feel of the soft earth beneath her feet, the soft puff of spring wind fluttering her hair. It was all the same. Brought back to her as though she were truly here almost ten years ago. She stopped her movement then, right before the statue, and took in a deep breath while closing her eyes. The adrenaline was still running in spurts through her limbs as she attempted to distance herself from the thick emotion that swam within her, beginning to cloud reason and judgment. So little had been said aloud. So few precious moments had elapsed. And yet there was an overflowing flood of realization and understanding that lay in this scene. The vision he created.

He knew.

She opened her eyes, locking her gaze upon the stone statue of Fen'Harel as she had done for many years. The word Hahren was there on her lips. Ready. Eager to offer to him. Yet she was silent in that moment, letting the desire pass through her, unanswered. There were words yet to offer another.

"Where are you?" she asked aloud, her tone much softer than she had hoped to convey. A ragged sigh left her as she desperately sought the steel and resolve she possessed earlier. "Show yourself, Solas." The silence was torture as she stood there feeling foolish. Fear and uncertainty pounded within her skull and chest. She despised how much this affected her. How out of control she felt here in this of all places. Where she had once known what little freedom she thought she had.

"I'm here, Vhenan." His voice echoed around her, and a bubbling ecstasy was driven straight to her brain, the bliss utterly intoxicating. She immediately regretted the blind, open joy that lit up her face at hearing his voice again. She didn't want to make this easy for him. And yet here she was with tears in her eyes, still beaming with the girlish enthusiasm of one that pines for a lost lover. She allowed the smile to fade from her lips as she pulled them into a more even expression, correcting her immediate and open reaction.

'Be calm,' she commanded firmly to herself. She wanted to seem collected and unperturbed, and yet she was so thirsty for him, parched from weeks without his presence. Dwelling on his voice, she realized only then that it had come from the Fen'Harel statue. As though the stone itself was speaking to her. The realization gave her pause and she wondered if he were taunting her. Her cheeks flared red, uncertain if she should be angry or embarrassed.

It was then that she felt the press on her back.

Her eyes widened and the few teetering tears spilled freely in surprise as she stood against him, back to back, there in the clearing. All at once, she could feel his frame aligned against hers from behind, so close together and yet facing opposite. She could hear the soft tinkling of his necklace against the metal fastenings of his tunic. His familiar scent flooded her and she closed her eyes, eager to be swept away by the comforting tide his presence brought. Her head fell back eagerly, her fingers sought his warmth...

She could not move them towards him.

The quick juxtaposition of emotions slammed against her again. The joys and the agonies competing without mercy as she tried to turn herself to embrace him. To see him. To just touch him. Yet she stood their stupidly, unable to respond. She could move her arms towards herself, yet she could not move them in the space behind her body, as though a barrier had been erected between them. Her frame itself felt fastened, held together in that one spot and unable to turn. A disgusted grunt escaped her lips and she could hear his taunting, deep chuckle. Feel his smug grin.

"Are you so out of practice in the Fade, Vhenan?" he toyed playfully. It was a low blow, the embarrassment punched straight to her gut and burned her cheeks with shame immediately.

"I... There are... You..." she stuttered. It was all falling apart. This was not how she envisioned seeing him again. Flustered and ill-prepared. "You disarm me," was all she could manage. He had compromised her emotionally with this setting. With his sudden intrusion. With him subduing her. Was it all forced this way for his benefit? Or presented as a challenge to her? What was this?

"You're right, my apologies. The distance is necessary, however." Silence fell between them as she waited for him to continue. Yet he just stood there, absorbing the moment perhaps as she was. So many questions competed within her, burning for release and desperate for resolution. She did not want to dissolve into tearful puddles of "I miss you" and "Please come home." She couldn't give in to the overwhelming emotion and frustration of the moment. She needed answers. Her gaze fell on the stone statue of Fen'Harel in that time. Her eyes pleaded an unvoiced prayer for patience and wisdom.

"How did you come to find this place?" she inquired. He did not answer right away. Instead he drew in a deep breath and released it gently before beginning to speak.

"I came across a curious patch of purple wildflowers in my travels from Skyhold. That they bloomed even in the chill of these autumn nights drew my interest. The Veil was thin there and I dreamed," he provided simply. "What I had not anticipated was to see you there in the Fade." Her heart plummeted out of her chest, disintegrating into dust as she let the mortification crawl up her skin. He had walked the Fade at the old Lavellan camp.

"What did you see?" she asked, her mouth dry with anticipation, wondering just how much shame could claim her.

"I saw a disenchanted Keeper's apprentice, desiring knowledge to restore what she believed lost. I saw a confident maiden, enraptured with the budding promise of love and passion in forgotten poetry and wild dreams. I saw a disenchanted young woman, pleading for rapture from a trusted friend on a snowy winter night. I saw a rambunctious girl, twirling mirthfully among the fallen leaves as fire proudly sprung to life in her fingers." He paused before continuing. "I saw a crying, lonely child, begging for companionship from a lonely beast lost to legend and time."

It was then that she tasted the trace of blood in her mouth, suddenly realizing just how hard she had been biting her lip. It was all laid bare before him. How pathetic and small she must seem to him. How foolish she must have looked to him! She had so much to demand and ask of him. So much left unanswered from their time in Skyhold and now her own past was the one that dominated the conversation-the very landscape! It was infuriating how he could know all this about her and she could have so little about him. Would she always be trailing behind him so far?

"I can't imagine what you must think of me," she whispered bitterly.

"I wept." Words hung unvoiced on her lips as her mouth lay opened, slack-jawed in surprise. "I have never loved or missed you more than when I had awoken from the Fade. To have seen you so intimately... To know that you suffered as you did. That you grew as you did. That you trusted-" He stopped abruptly. "I had to see you. I had to..." She could hear the emotion and hesitation finally in his voice. The tense tremble of uncertainty in his voice sparked something within her. He was not here to laugh at her. He did not come here to tell her how mistaken he was to love someone so grossly enraptured with what could be another mistaken Dalish legend. He did not demean her and what she cherished of Fen'Harel. It made him love her more. The revelation made her deliriously happy.

"I have so many questions for you. A thousand things to say and a thousand ways I've imagined saying it," she began gently. "I've missed you, Solas. I go to the Rotunda every day. My eyes fall to the same desk, the same shadows you used to haunt. I never stop looking for you there, hoping that one day... you'll come back. You'll have returned." He remained silent, yet she felt him stiffen against her. "I know it's not that simple though. You left for a purpose and you intend to pursue it alone. But it won't stop me from seeking you out. I'm looking for you, Solas. Not just in the shadows of Skyhold. I'm looking in Fereldan. In Orlais. The Free Marches. Tevinter. You had your reasons for leaving, I understand. But it doesn't mean I accept your decision. I don't accept being pushed out of your life."

"Vhenan-"

"Even though you left," she said quickly, firm enough to silence him. " I believe that you still love me. I think you're trying to protect me from something you want to hide. Clearly your purpose is something you feel that you have to do alone. But you must also understand how I feel about you. How deeply I care for you, Solas. I love you. And I will scour the ends of Thedas and the Fade for you whether you like it or not. No matter how much distance you put between us, I will always follow. I will never stop trying to find you. Even if it takes me to the gates of the Black City. Tell me where you are, Solas. Why you-"

"Do not throw your life away for me, Vhenan," the words tumbled from him, the emotion now entrenched within his pained voice. "You have so much promise. You have so much to offer this world and you are the hope of so many. There are others-"

"There is no other," she growled. "You know this. You know how I feel!" A tense silence passed between them. "Why did you come here, Solas?"

"Because I am weak," he responded sadly. "Because after seeing your memories in the Fade, I was drawn back to you. I hadto speak with you once more."

"Let me see you, ma lath. Let me touch you," she pleaded as she tried to lean into him.

"No. Distance is necessary. Because I must leave you again." His tone was deeper now and seemingly more detached. "I did in fact come here with purpose. I came here to tell you about me. About who I am." It was this that sparked the erratic rhythm of her heartbeat again. It seemed to dance in her throat as she processed his words.

"Who you are? I-"

"I'm certain you have already amassed considerable suspicion about me. You are an intelligent woman. It is well placed. I am in fact not entirely who I say I am." In truth she had suspected duplicity for some time. Not everything he had said about himself added up. The ruined village he claimed to have hailed from exposed that much. Her doubt over many of his deflections had accrued over time and she always knew that he was holding something back. She had never aggressively confronted him about it, however. She had been content to wait and let him volunteer the knowledge. That opportunity had never before shown itself. Until now.

"You are an ancient elf," she blurted out boldly, one of her wild theories coming to life on her lips. She had long suspected it, yet never voiced the idea aloud to anyone. How deep his wisdom ran, how old his magic was and how evasive he was with his past. It all contributed to this gnawing, ludicrous suspicion at the back of her mind. She half expected him to laugh. To wave his hand and silence her fantastic theory. He did nothing of the sort.

"That is only part of the truth." Her mind reeled, seizing greedily upon the nugget of truth given to her and trying to commit reason and belief to it. "I was not always known as Solas, Vhenan. I had another well-known identity before I entered Uthenera."

Her heartbeat was too fast. Her mind raced too much. It was all too much. Uthenera. He was an ancient Dreamer. Just how old was he then? Did he live in Arlathan? Her mind was struggling to keep her thoughts in order. Did he just say another identity?

"You are intimately familiar with him." Her eyes locked upon the impassive stone gaze facing her once more.

The eyes of the Dread Wolf.

Something insane began to needle at the edges of her mind.

"Who I am and what I saw in your memories compels me here. To tell you something that I meant to reveal to you that night in Crestwood. The truth of my identity." The sound of Solas' necklace clinked in the breeze again behind her. A wolf's jawbone, clasped with thick leather bands around his neck. Always with him.

"I am closely linked with your Hahren. More than you can imagine."

No.

"Thalassa Lavellan, I have witnessed your hardship and I have now heard your pleas for friendship. For Guidance. Deliverance. Love."

No, no, no, no, no.

"I am honored and humbled by your commitment to me. I am proud of the woman that you are and overjoyed by your long-held dedication to me. You are more than I could have ever dreamed of in a companion and lover." Tears fell from her eyes as she shook her head.

"Do not toy with me," her voice cracking, barely above a whisper.

"There are many other names I have been called by the Dalish over the years."

Her breath was too fast. She could not take in enough air.

"He Who Hunts Alone. Roamer of the Beyond. The Great Wolf."

"Impossible-"

"Thalassa, I am Fen'Harel."

Both hands came to cup her mouth as she poorly suppressed her gasp. Her body shuddered against him as the revelation was birthed into spoken words and known reality. Tears overwhelmed her vision and she could not blink them away fast enough from her eyes. She drew in whimpering breaths, her lips trembling as she attempted to stop the current of sobs. She shook her head again, ragged breath hissing in her palms as she drew in more air.

"I... I am sorry," he muttered softly.

"All this time..." she whispered hoarsely, emotion thick in her voice. "It was you? It was you all along?" She could feel his body droop behind her, shoulders sinking in disappointment. He thought her upset. He thought her disgusted with him.

"I am sorry I deceived you. Solas is not who you thought him to be. Fen'Harel for that matter is also not what you thought. I am so sorry. It was never my intention to hurt you. To crush everything you have fiercely clung to and devotedly believed in." She did not respond. She was in shock. "Yet again I disturb you with the truth. I never intended for this to escalate as it did. I tell you this to give us both peace." He hesitated slightly as he waited for her response.

Silence.

"Turn away from me, Vhenan. From Solas. From Fen'Harel. Leave me behind... Thalassa, let me go. I beg you." It was here that he truly gave pause. He gave her the time to allow all that had transpired to sink in. In particular, he hoped that she would consider his offer. That she could move on from him. From both Solas and Fen'Harel. He heard one more heavy, ragged breath leave her shaking frame... before she began to chuckle.

"I've really always loved you, haven't I? It's like a fairy tale," she said lightly as another delirious chuckle escaped her lips. "When I had no one else among the Lavellan clan, I had Fen'Harel in my imagination and dreams. When I had no other to lean on as Inquisitor, I had Solas, my lover and adviser. I always knew there was more to my Hahren. I wanted to believe it so badly... And yet I knew there was something you were hiding from me too. That it's all connected... To know that he's real and alive. That you're alive and you're the same. This is beyond any kind of clever happenstance or luck..." she trailed off wistfully, an uneven breath quivering from her again. "It's almost-"

"I am no god, Thalassa. None of this was planned or divined in any way. I did not hear your cries at the time. I was not aware of your suffering. I was not aware of your previous... affections. I am not worthy of any kind of reverence."

"I never wanted you to be a god, nor did I ever hold you in that way. Didn't you listen to me?" she asked him incredulously. "I wanted a friend, a companion... a lover." He tensed again as she smiled. Beamed. "At least I knew one thing the Dalish didn't have right. You are no villain."

"No, you are mistaken. I am exactly what your Keeper warned you and your clan against," the firmness in his voice surprised her. "It is why I always hesitated to pursue you. You should not love me, Thalassa. I am not worthy of you." These words drove straight to her heart, the impact was like a knife to her chest.

'When will I be worthy?' Her own words, spoken aloud only minutes before echoed within her again. And yet here he was, attempting to say that he was unworthy of her. The man who was everything she had ever dreamed of in her past and present. The audacity.

"I don't care about what anyone else thinks," she told him, bitterness tinging her tone.

"You should. You will. I was every bit the monster they declared me to be. I remain so."

"That's not true!" she growled defiantly. "I don't know what Fen'Harel was like a thousand years ago, but I know you Solas. And you are nothing like what those fools take you to be."

"You realize that I am responsible for the fall of the elves? For the banishment of the gods that the Dalish revere so?" She felt her stubbornness rise to her head, almost deliriously so.

"I know better than to take what the Dalish say at face value. You taught me that much." She paused here, frustration twitching a vein on her temple as she continued. "Solas, I know nothing about what happened at Arlathan, I don't know the truth about the supposed Creators, and I know nothing about their banishment. When it comes to our history, the true history of the elves... I... I am an idiot!" The admission burned on her cheeks as she wrestled with what to say.

"I am truly a fool in that respect," she admitted again. "I am blind to so much. I'll never have all of the wisdom that you do. The perspective. I'll never read ancient Elvish as well as you are able to. I'll never walk the Fade as well as you can. I will never have a natural mastery of magic like you do. I will never match you in intellectual competence. And that kills me," she hissed, tears rising to the edges of her eyes. "You rise far beyond all the things I have struggled to master all my life. The things that are precious to me. It makes me admire and love you so much more. So don't you dare ever say to me that you are unworthy of me," anger punctured her words as she felt the tears roll from her eyes again. She heard him take in breath to speak to her gently. She would not allow it. She wasn't done yet.

"While I cannot match your strides in many respects, I recognize that I am not utterly incompetent," she assured him. "I have worked hard to be as knowledgeable, resourceful, and respectful as I am today. There is more that I want for myself, and while there are areas where I am very lacking, make no mistake-I am very proud of who I am and what I have become. I am forged from the hardship of one who is an outcast. One who excels to conquer the challenges before her and not content to simply be an ordinary elf. I am not perfect, but I have worked hard to become someone that I love. Someone that you could love. Someone who is worthy of you."

"Thalassa, you know nothing of who you pledge yourself to-"

"I do know you, Solas!" she cried passionately. "I'm not in love with Fen'Harel the Dread Wolf legend. I'm not in love with Fen'Harel, my Hahren. I'm in love with Fen'Harel, who is SOLAS! You who is moved by the plight of the downtrodden and the enslaved. You who seeks wisdom and truth in all corners of the physical and spiritual worlds! Who paints magnificently! Who hates tea! Who defends mortal and spirit alike! I know and love all of the things that make you who you are! No legend, story, or person can dictate otherwise!" The emotion stirred strongly within her. And it weakened him. She felt it and seized her moment.

Passion shot through her blood as the mark on her hand crackled to life, the sound of the activated magic like that of a cracking whip. She twisted the Fade in that second, unbinding herself from her previous inaction. Before he was able to react, her hand grasped his left arm and she spun him around to finally face her. She caught sight of him briefly, surprise etched onto his face as his eyes widened. Tears were already streaming down his face.

"I will never stop loving you and nothing will keep me from you!" she growled ferociously as her right hand grasped the jawbone necklace tightly. She pulled, bending him down towards her. Her lips crushed against him desperately, his mouth limp in shock, eyes wide as he felt the leather noose break free from his neck. The straps fell from his shoulders, broken from the force of the passionate tug towards her body. She released the bone from her hand and her fingers seized the fur hem of his coat, pulling him roughly as she tried to deepen her kiss.

As the bone clattered to the ground, he came alive.

All the urgency and passion that was bottled so carefully and tightly struck free like a match, sparking to sudden life as his arms wrapped around her body desperately, lips responding zealously. His tongue darted to meet hers, aggressive and urgent as it passed along her lips and entered her mouth. Thalassa moaned against him as his trembling fingers wove into her soft hair, finding purchase and tugging firmly, her head titled back against his pull. The opportunity allowed his lips to trace downward, teeth nipping carefully on the sensitive flesh of her neck while his tongue soothed any faint marks he painted upon it.

"Ma lath..." she moaned breathlessly. Her eyes fluttered open and she titled her head downward, recapturing his lips with her own. She brought her hands to his face, fingers framing him from both sides as they continued their passionate exchange. She felt his arms slip around her then. That his right palm found its favorite resting place just on the crest of her bottom brought a small chuckle to her occupied lips.

Moments later, their kiss finally broke, both parties struggling for air as their chests heaved unabashed. As she pulled her lips away from his, her fingers still captured either side of his face, bringing him to meet her gaze.

She beamed through her tears as she truly beheld him, joy painted upon her face despite the struggling sorrow and relief that warred upon him. Steel blue eyes gazed back at her, reddened from the flow of tears, as his hands unwound from around her body and reached up to frame her own face, studying her carefully in turn. How she had missed the sharp lines of his distinguished features, the parting of his lips as he drew in breath, the cleft chin she had longed to plant another kiss upon. Her memory did him no justice. He was a truly a beautiful man.

"You undo me," he whispered fiercely, leaning forward and allowing their foreheads to touch one another affectionately. More tears parted from their eyelashes as they both closed their eyes, holding each other there for what felt like an eternity. Thalassa released his face from her grip, burying her head in his chest and wrapping her arms around him tightly. He in turn enclosed his arms around her again and buried his face in her hair, breathing in deeply. She smiled, realizing that he was capturing her scent again.

"I've never wanted anything more in my life. You are what I've been searching for all this time, Solas... my Fen'Harel. You are my greatest comfort," she whispered to him. He began to stroke her hair.

"If only you had lived in Arlathan, Thalassa. If only you had been there when it all fell apart. Together, we might have..." he hesitated, his fingers slowing suddenly. Despite a protest deep within her core, she pulled back slightly from him to meet his gaze again, her hands now gripping his upper arms.

"Tell me. What happened at the fall of Arlathan? Why are the legends of Fen'Harel so poisonous against your character? Is this all connected to why you left? Is it connected to the shattering of the orb?" Her heartbeat quickened as she watched him wrestle with her questions. Hesitating.

"Come find me and I will tell you." Her glowing joy subsided into a concerned frustration.

"You push me away yet again. Why? Why must this wait? We are here together now," she asked impatiently, her fingers digging into the sleeves of his coat.

"Because I will be better equipped to explain when we meet again. Outside of the Fade." He hesitated again, struggling with how to phrase himself further. "Thalassa, I will not be the same as before, however. I will be... something more." Her eyes widened then in fear. What was he talking about? Some type of ancient magic? A different form? Was this because of the broken orb? Was he talking about some type of possession?

"What do you mean? Solas, are you in danger?"

"Very much so, yes." That he looked so utterly resolved and defeated completely frightened her.

"Solas, don't-"

"I have no doubt that you will find me, Vhenan."

"Of course I will!" she growled angrily, gritting her teeth. "You don't get to make such cryptic, fatalistic declarations as that and expect me not to respond!" He smiled softly at her passion and unwound one of his arms from around her back, bringing his hand up to caress her face affectionately.

"Thank you, Vhenan. For everything that you are. For what you have given me. It is more than I ever deserved."

"Solas-" He then lifted a finger to her lips to silence her, his soft smile fading into sorrow once more. It was similar to the transition of emotion the night that he left her in Crestwood.

"This path is one that I must walk in solitude forever. This fate is mine alone. Indeed, I would not wish it on an enemy, much less someone that I love." Her eyes widened, the words ones that she recognized immediately. She had agonized over them after Cole had cryptically spoken them to her. And yet here he was, telling her the same. She knew if she asked more questions that he would deflect them as he had already done. She had no choice then but to convey her resolve.

"Then I will free you from it!" she declared passionately, gripping him tightly. "I promised you, don't you remember? That I will find you and restore your name. That we will then we will be together. Forever." His face relaxed into a sorrowful smile as more tears gathered at the edges of his eyes.

"I believe you, Thalassa. I truly believe you." It was all she needed to hear. He wanted to be free of his cruel fate, whatever it was. And he believed that she could succeed in not only discovering it, but succeed in freeing him from it. It was the spark that gave her hope and re-lit the fire that kindled her spirit. "Go to the eluvian, Thalassa. Find me between worlds." She could have kicked herself in that moment. The eluvian, of course! That he had evaded Leliana and her spies so easily...

"I will, Solas. I will find you!" she exclaimed. Fear pounded at her heart as she felt the Fade begin to slip from her. He was fading from view, dissipating now as the clearing dissolved into a gray mist. She was about to wake up. Despite any protest she may have, this dream was slipping from her grasp. She only had few precious moments left. "I love you just as you are! We will be together again! I swear to you!" She felt her fingers slip through him then, his body slowing fading out of existence. A tender smile still held on his face as he looked to her lovingly.

"I love you, Thalassa. I love you."

Her head snapped forward, flinging upward from the footboard of her bed as her body jolted and the heavy tome in her lap clattered to the ground loudly. She was out of the Fade and back to Skyhold in earnest. Thalassa was still trembling with emotion as she adjusted her vision back to her bedroom, the cold night air still filtering from the balcony and the fire in her hearth long subsided to brightly glowing embers. Shaking fingers wiped the few tears that remained at the corners of her eyes and she began to rise to her feet.

Her mind tried to pull out the major points she had learned from the few precious moments she had with Solas in the Fade. He was Fen'Harel. He was in danger. He would tell her his purpose, connection to the past and what his horrible fate entailed. But she had to find him first. He was waiting for her. He needed her help.

Before she knew it, she found herself running, almost tripping down the stairs leading out of her chambers. She pushed open the bedroom door, rushing down another flight and then opening the door leading out to the main hallway of Skyhold. She raced down the corridor, past a small group of soldiers sitting around a table, enjoying a break from guard duty. They all stopped their conversation and eyed her curiously as she raced by them. Varric, looking haggard and exhausted from staying up late writing what was likely his next novel, looked up at her with furrowed brows as she dashed by.

"Thal?" she heard him call out to her, but she had already crossed the threshold and was practically leaping down the stairs out to the courtyard. Her feet carried her towards the tavern where she swung the door open much louder than she had anticipated. All conversation, song and movement halted as the patrons turned to see her rush in. She offered no explanation, no insistence to continue their activities as she bounded towards the stairs. She heard some break into low whispers as she bounded up to the second floor. It was then that she saw a small head poke out from the third floor balcony, a large, floppy hat utterly engulfing him.

"Cole!" she called up to him as she rounded the staircase to the third floor. "We're leaving at daybreak! Get ready now!" He nodded wordlessly as she reached the top of the stairs and bounded to the final door. Her fist pounded against it loudly. "I'm coming in!" She did not wait for protest or response as she flung open the door to the darkened room. Two figures had already bolted up, sitting upright in bed. The bright light from the tavern made them both wince as they regarded Thalassa.

"Maker's breath, Thal, couldn't this wait until morning?" Dorian growled sleepily as he glared at her.

"What's going on, Boss?" Iron Bull asked her, his voice low and serious, utterly alert. He watched cautiously as he witnessed her lean her arm against the door frame for support, gasping deeply for air. He caught sight of the tears falling from her eyes.

"Pack your things. We leave at daybreak," she told them between gasps of air.

"And where are we going exactly?" Dorian asked, annoyance still tinging the edge of his tired voice as he rubbed his eyes. To the surprise of both men, she beamed at this. Through tears and gasping breaths she looked happier than she had in weeks.

"Gentlemen, we're going on a wolf hunt."