27. The Importance of Symmetry

AN. Welcome to Chapter 27.

Last chapter had less plot than I expected, but I let it flow where it wanted to and that's where it went. Hopefully, we get some more plot and some more questions answered today. For a change, I actually enjoyed writing Kieran here, btw. Post Writing A.N. - Well, you got some, but probably not enough. Hang in there.

As a side note, I have put both elvish origins and human origins with Morrigan in the past. Kieran in Inquisition is so tall for ten and so square featured, I'm going to have to jump on board the human train. Since I'm making Kieran quite gifted (if you haven't already noticed you will in a minute) then to me it makes more sense if he is the son of Amell. Who was apparently a spirit healer and arcane warrior. Yeah, it was cooler when you could have TWO specialties. But harder to make use of them. Amell followed Morrigan through the Eluvian; they loved each other ya know. And he's off searching for a cure for the Calling and he was either stupid or desperate enough to leave the Architect alive.

Oh, and this chapter is dedicated to Ickypicky892, assuming they are still reading. You finally get your wish! In triplicate!

Previously on Yada Yada Fade Rift (I like that, I'll stick with it):

"Mythal looked back at Ellana. "At any rate, thank you. Once I learned what had happened to Shal'Misu and why, I genuinely feared for my boy's sanity. Now I believe he will survive this with you by his side. Your idea to journey to the resting place and honor him properly is a good one. Do that soon. It isn't far by Eluvian. And now we will leave you to your sleep."

Ellana yawned again and blinked. "Thank you, ladies." But there was no one there."

And now, the continuing story of Yada Yada Fade Rift:

27.

The Importance of Symmetry

Solas opened the door to his bedroom with a smile on his face and a breakfast tray for two in one hand. This morning he felt… he felt rejuvenated in a way that defied description. Too exhausted to explore the Fade for her answers last night, when he found Ellana there he simply conjured them a bed and wrapped her in his arms. One beautiful pastoral setting and one casting of wards later and they were both asleep. He woke before her; in fact, his shower and getting dressed didn't even budge her. So he wanted to do one of the few things he was able to do for her at the moment, which was bring her breakfast in bed.

When he entered the room, he found Ellana awake and trying to get out of bed on her own. He set the tray down on the table by the door and hurried to her side. "What's wrong?"

"I HAVE to go to the washroom, I couldn't wait for you to come back any longer."

"Alright. How can I help?"

She was standing on her good right foot, grabbing a bedpost and had been preparing to jump towards the dresser in front of her. "You can't pick me up yet, right?"

"I fear not, no." How he would love to be able to do what everyone else at Skyhold seemed to be doing. When he was able, he'd make a practice of doing it just because he could whenever they were alone. She'd make fun of him for it, but oh well. Such was love.

"Right then. Hold my right arm across your shoulder and hold my right hand in your right hand. Then put your left hand around my waist or rib cage, whatever feels more comfortable. And then we hop carefully to the washroom." It took a few tries, but they quickly got it together. I won't go further with the description but I will say that no apostates or Inquisitors were harmed during the execution of the operation.

After breakfast was enjoyed, they enjoyed some activities together again. Including the taking of a shower together with him promising a) her wyvern bite needed some air anyway, b) he would do a professional rewrapping job of both injuries afterwards, c) he wouldn't let the ankle touch anything d) he would not let her fall and e) he wouldn't try anything inappropriate since she couldn't stand on her own. He kept his word, though in the end, they did do a lot of kissing.

Once they reached the bedroom again, dressing took a lot longer than it should have but neither complained. There was joy in his room this morning and it being such a rare fragrance, they just soaked it and each other in.

When everything was finished, they sat on his bed next to each other, neither wanting to say the words that they knew should come next. They held hands instead. Finally, Solas sighed and started. "I believe today is the day that I confess my sins to you and then to your team and then to everybody else."

Ellana leaned against him. "It is. And then we tell you about the things we have found and what little we know, the questions we have. And we hope you have some answers."

Solas felt her hand squeeze his tighter and increased his own pressure. "It will be alright."

"Then why am I so scared?"

"You fear the unknown, as do we all. Yet against all expectations you allowed me to return to you and I have promised never to end our relationship again. That promise gives me a courage I have never known before. I can withstand anything so long as I know I am always coming back to you."

Ellana reached up to him and pulled his face down to hers for a long and tender kiss. "Ar lath ma, Solas."

"Ar lath ma, Ellana."

They leaned against each other in silence a few moments more before Ellana asked, "Should we get started?"

He sighed. "There is something I must talk to Morrigan about before I talk to you, my heart. It concerns her mother and it cannot wait any longer. It is part of what I must tell you; her answer will affect my telling. Will you wait here? I should not be overly long."

Ellana looked disappointed, but agreed. His room had no bell pull for the servants; she couldn't leave without his help anyway. He helped her to lie back down, kissed the frown between her eyebrows and then her lips and then he was gone. After her thoughts went round and round for a bit and then seeing nothing of interest in the room, Ellana fell into a light doze out of boredom and the soldier's habit of catching sleep whenever you can.

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Before long, Solas was standing at the door of the small fully equipped apartment that was Morrigan and her son Kieran's. Kieran, oddly enough wearing a swordsman's jerkin, trews and boots while carrying the upturned helmet with gloves in it under one arm, opened the door even as Solas raised his hand to knock.

"Good morning, Solas." He said in a low tone, his finger before his lips in the universal 'keep your voice down' gesture. "It is a pleasure to see you. Please do come in and sit down. I'm afraid mother is not yet awake." He shut the door behind Solas as the elf in question found his way to a comfortable looking chair near the door and, conveniently, the room's mirror. "She is not much of a morning person, my mother. But I do have time to wake her if it is important."

Solas took a good look at him for the first time and gasped in horror. "Why are you wearing that horrible collar?"

"This?" Kieran touched it as if he'd forgotten and blue sparks flew to his fingers. He shook his hand. "Ouch. Forgot. Sorry. I'm wearing this voluntarily and very temporarily. Every morning I go to sword fighting practice. And while my control over my magic is generally good, sword fighting is very exciting and I do not want an accident to happen and hurt or kill one of my friends and get me barred from the arena, not to mention, made tranquil or executed. Mother knows a Templar stands ready to Silence me if something should happen to the collar."

Solas frowned. "There are spells that your mother could put on you that would be just as effective and far less painful."

"As she said. But she also said that it was my choice. And I remember my father saying to her in the past that a skill learned by pushing through pain was not so quickly forgotten as one learned in ease and comfort. I chose my path, Solas. I will walk it." Kieran smiled at him and then tilted his head in confusion and frowned. Then an enormous smile erupted across his face and he turned to the hall mirror. "Good morning, Grandmother! Good morning, Lady Mythal! What a pleasure it is to see you! I'm so sorry I cannot stay and visit."

They came as if summoned, with bright smiles on their own faces. Flemeth had a look of happiness and pleasure Solas had never seen on her face before. "A bright young lad, didn't I tell you, Mythal! What fine manners, my boy, and what an unexpected pleasure it is to see you, too. We heard your explanation to Solas, of course, but what in the world are you doing taking up swordsmanship when you have such strong magical abilities?"

Mythal crossed her arms and smiled. "Kieran, fine young lad that he is, wants to be an Arcane Warrior like his father, no doubt. A worthy order, young man, well worth restoring and how clever of you to get a head start on the swordsmanship. Every mage I ever knew that chose this path struggled so with the blade as an adult. They'll never see you coming."

Kieran bowed (correctly even, all that practice at the Imperial Palace no doubt) at Mythal. "You are entirely correct, Lady Mythal, about my choosing to be an Arcane Warrior and my reasoning for such early education. Father had more than one ugly scar from sword practice with King Alistair. Not to mention the nicks from all the rogues." Kieran's countenance turned quite somber. "At any rate, while I cannot quite guess the exact reason behind Solas's visit with my mother now, I am afraid I can indeed guess the main one. Grandmother, does this mean that your physical form has passed?"

Flemeth kept her expression neutral. "It does, my love."

Kieran struggled to maintain his composure. "I know that this happens to everyone eventually but I've had so little time to get to know you. And you saved me from those dreams Urthemiel kept sending me. They were… terrible to live with. I am sure the discussion you must have with mother must be private and I must go to practice anyway but," Kieran walked up to the mirror and put his hand on it, "can you promise me… will you promise me… that you will not leave Solas before I may have a chance to talk to you one last time? Please?"

Flemeth knelt in the mirror space until she was face to face with Kieran and matched her hand print to his. "I absolutely do." A tear ran down her face.

Mythal, her voice a bit thick, tried to reassure Kieran. "We are not as others, Kieran. Our options are a bit broader than be born, live, die. All is not yet lost. Do not lose hope. We have not quite done so."

Kieran looked at her and smiled. "Then do not, please, Lady Mythal. Let me go and wake Mother for you and then I must be off."

Morrigan's cleared her throat from the hallway and then called out, "Mother is awake, Kieran. You may go. And do have fun and be careful."

"Thank you, Mother, I will!" Quickly, Kieran bowed his head to touch the mirror where his grandmother's hand still touched his. And then he was gone.

Morrigan came out into the living area in a warm, fuzzy robe and nothing else, obviously having just gotten out of bed. Also having cried a few tears herself though whether for Kieran or her mother or both was yet unknown.

Solas stood. "Lady Morrigan. Forgive the hour of the intrusion, I just left the infirmary late last night and felt I should speak to you about this as soon as possible. May I make you something to drink? Tea perhaps?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Ah, thank you, Solas, but no. I believe I can make my own drink in my own home. I'll be back in a moment."

Solas took no offense. "As you will." He sat back down.

Mythal looked at Flemeth as Morrigan left. "So, Kieran's manners come from his father's side of the family?"

Flemeth nodded. "Such a polite young man. I genuinely like him. It was such a pity they could only have the one. The taint you know. She's a much better mother than I was."

They heard a few things crashing together in the kitchen at that and after Solas glared at them they decided to maintain a respectful silence until Morrigan returned.

Minutes later, Morrigan returned with a large, obviously hand thrown mug of what he presumed was hot tea. Solas assumed it was tea because there was a thin chain and a handle hanging out the side. Solas assumed the mug was hand thrown because it had things like flowers and butterflies on it the quality of which only a child would have created that only a mother would have kept and found beautiful. She set it on a side table next to the sofa she then sat herself on and waited for the tea to steep, having obviously heated the water herself with magic.

Morrigan leaned on the sofa arm, tucked her legs up underneath her and covered them with her robe. Then she addressed the room as if she were Empress Celene herself. Obviously she'd paid attention while she'd lived there. "Well. Why don't we start by the three of you telling me why you are here and what it is you want of me so that we can get straight to the part where I throw you out of my house and tell you not to come back?"

Seeing as so much of this was a family affair, Solas simply gestured to the mirror and leaned back, crossing his hands over his stomach. Then he waited.

Mythal, too, stepped out of frame.

Flemeth bowed her head. "Girl, I owe…. Morrigan. Morrigan, I owe you an apology. I was not a good mother to you. I'm not sure whether it was because I was exhausted by the long years of waiting for these events to come to pass or simply because you and I are so much alike at our core."

"I am NOTHING like you."

Flemeth smiled. "Fundamentally, dear, fundamentally, you are everything like me. Our differences come from the way I raised you. My rage, my anger, my abuse of you; that is where you get your bitterness and distrust and for that I apologize. I made so many mistakes raising you but many were made out of necessity, like living in the Kocari Wilds to await Urthemiel's Blight. Yes, I knew it was coming. I knew we had to be there but not exactly why or when or much else, foresight is a tricky, bitchy gift, you know. But your inner strength, your capacity to love the way you do, even the way you've learned to be happy. Those are entirely your own and I'm so proud of you for that. I looked in on you and Daylen and Kieran just once or twice over the years, honestly, just waiting for Urthemiel to begin to manifest so he could be retrieved before he harmed Kieran. And you were all so HAPPY. That was all I ever wanted for you." She looked so sincere, a less jaded woman would have believed her.

Morrigan smiled. Prettily, she smiled. And she sipped from her tea calmly and put it back down. "A very pretty speech and of course we do share some of those qualities or I never would have survived you. I believe that you looked in on us to check on the state of Urthemiel. Obviously I was mistaken even at the time you took the soul as to the reason you wanted him so I thank you for not harming Kieran. Though a prior explanation would have been nice, once he started having the nightmares. Oh, right, I had successfully hidden from you for several years by that point. But let me tell you what I know. I've read two of your grimoires. I've had years with access to the Imperial Library. And what I have learned is that people who abuse their loved ones physically and emotionally do so for the very specific purpose of breaking down their will. Teaching them that the abuser is in control of their Every. Single. Thought. And. Action.

"I know that what Daylen found after he slew your dragon form—and yes, he told me you offered to just give him the grimoire and suggest he lie to me about killing you but by then we loved each other—was not just the grimoire but the set of robes you had made me for my successful return from defeating the Blight, the letter attached to them said. Wynne, the old bat, said that had I worn the robes, my willpower would have been drained down to that of a thrall inside a week. I would have no will of my own. I would have happily said yes to being your meat sack. So yes, I do believe I had quite a bit to fear from you. I imagine you didn't realize I knew any of that. What will you say to that, you old bitch?"

Solas cringed internally, not actually wanting to call attention to himself. He'd had no idea how Flemeth had maintained her unnaturally long life span. If what Morrigan was saying was true, then it wasn't something ethical that he could support. It would have to be finding one of the lost amulets or giving Morrigan the godhead and saying goodbye to his friends. He sighed internally. Or keeping them with him forever. Or diverting what time he could to finding yet another alternative.

An ugly look crossed Flemeth's face. "Do you think I liked having to raise so many girls just to lose them and become them over and over and over and over? I've lost count through the centuries. After the first few magical times, motherhood loses its shimmer and you have to stop letting the blade cut your heart or you'll bleed to death at some point. We, Mythal and I, have a purpose for being. And the amulets that we can create to bring us back when we die can't be created every life span. It takes too much energy. But that purpose, Morrigan, that purpose is finally here, here and now and if we aren't able to be here, if her powers aren't at play on the battlefield the entire world will end. Not 'battle with Corypheus' end. Not 'Blight' end. 'Every Blight ever' combined with 'every Blight remaining' combined with 'more old gods than anyone, even the ancient elves, remember having a Blight'. We are not here today to ask you to let me and hence Mythal become you, Morrigan. It's far, far too late for that. I'll step back and let Mythal or Solas do the talking now, they should be less likely to upset you."

Solas cleared his throat, indicating that he would take the floor first. "First, Lady Morrigan, let me apologize. I had no idea under what circumstances Flemeth had been extending her life during these years and had I known I would have helped her and Mythal find a more ethical way." They glared at him and he glared right back. Morrigan softened in her seat, just a bit. "Having been the one to almost die in the attempts we've been making at the first plan, I'm going to bring up the second plan first. Though it would be the most painful emotionally to the three of us. Flemeth and Mythal would agree to move on through the Fade to the next plane, whatever that is; and Mythal's godhead would pass to you. You would become a god and become obligated to fight in the war to come. You, Ellana and I would meet in the Fade regularly for a short while so that the Well may teach you what you need to know about your new powers."

"Really? Me, a god?" Morrigan sounded unbelievably sardonic, as if someone had just offered to sell the entirety of Orlais to her for a single sovereign.

Mythal spoke up. "You have my word."

Solas did as well. "And mine."

Morrigan tapped her finger on her upper lip. "And if I say no, who is this miraculous offer going to be given to next? A ten year old boy with no idea how to handle such a thing?"

Solas shook his head. "NO. Even should they want such a thing to happen, I would not. And they reside in me at the moment. I would not allow it."

Morrigan stared in silence at Solas for a moment. "Not very dread are you, Wolf."

He sighed. "There is much in elvhen history that is entirely inaccurate, as you well know."

However, the two women in the mirror were glaring unhappily. Mythal spoke. "While we believe that Kieran COULD in fact handle the power just fine, that is not where his destiny lies and we would not change it. But do not presume to dictate to me, Fen'Harel."

Power rolled off Solas until it made Morrigan shiver. Of course the women in the mirror could not feel a thing. "Do not presume that you can hide such abhorrent practices from me with no consequences. I DO have the power to lock you away until you are once again needed. I love you but I am furious at learning how Flemeth has lengthened her life span. Do not push me at this moment."

Solas closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he turned to Morrigan. "Such an offer requires time to consider. There is not MUCH time, I am afraid, but perhaps until tomorrow morning? Of course, sooner, if you reach one. That was their second choice, of course, as it means they both truly die and cease to exist as we know it. I could guess your feelings on the matter of Flemeth but would beg you to consider my feelings on the matter of Mythal. She raised me as a mother should, with love and affection and it would pain me greatly to lose her. Your consideration of that is all I ask; if you do choose that option, please don't gloat about it in my hearing.

"The first option is finding one of the lost amulets. We have been traveling to every location that they can remember hiding one of these amulets. One where they have stored a piece of Flemeth's life force that would restore her to a full and younger existence just as she was when she made the amulet. The problem is, they have all either been looted or she has forgotten the exact location of where she put them. The cabin in the Kocari Wilds did not survive the Blight and that was where she had left the list. She was sure she had placed an unused amulet from another age in the Grey Warden tower but we searched it top to bottom and could not locate it." Solas noticed that Morrigan's lips twitched at that but that she said nothing. "I'm not quite well enough to begin that quest again, but we'll have to leave soon if you don't pick option two."

Morrigan relaxed farther back into the sofa arm, something in her demeanor having changed. She knew something and suddenly felt that all the power in the situation was in her hands. "Is there a third option?"

Solas shrugged. "The third option is to go about as we are, I suppose, three minds in one until I lose mine. I love Mythal and Flemeth has always been a dear friend, albeit one I am very upset with at the moment. I will risk my sanity for them while we search for a solution."

Morrigan nodded. "How very NOBLE of you. I wonder if either would do the same for you." She looked at the mirror. "Tell me, Mother. This amulet from the Grey Warden Tower. What did it look like?"

Mythal dipped her eyebrows at her daughter in suspicion. "Why?"

"Oh, just indulge my curiosity." Morrigan looked like the cat who not only ate the cream, she stole the whole damn cow.

"It was a simple scarf pin, made out of pure obsidian with breast feathers from a raven on it." Flemeth looked at her daughter and waited for some sort of response. What she got wasn't what she suspected.

Morrigan burst into laughter, the kind that comes straight up from the belly, bends you over, cramps your abdominal muscles and makes your face ache from smiling because you laugh so long you just can't stop. Solas, Mythal and Flemeth just looked at one another and back to Morrigan, confused and waiting for the manic episode to end.

When it finally did, Morrigan was out of breath. "Oh, oh, oh. That's delightful. Deliciously ironic. I couldn't have planned that in a million years of trying to get back at you."

"Get back at me? What the hell are you talking about, girl?"

"Mother, do you remember a beautiful little gold and jeweled hand mirror that I foolishly stole from a noble woman as a small child when I was playing too close to town? You took it from me and broke it into a thousand pieces, then threw it away as a lesson about staying far away from people."

"I remember. It was a stupid thing for you to do. I would do it again." Flemeth rolled her eyes.

"No doubt you would. And it certainly was very effective. I did indeed stay away from town. But the lesson left its mark in other ways. A few days later, I was approaching the cabin with an armful of firewood when I noticed you leaving in a direction you normally never took. I thought it would be a fine chance to practice my skills as a denizen of the forest to follow you and try to avoid detection. Your destination was the Grey Warden tower. Imagine my surprise when not only was I successful but that you left something there for me to find. Well, not me precisely; it was obviously left for someone else to find. But it was a fine chance for revenge at the time and I. Did. Take. It. Imagine my surprise and delight to learn that all these years later, the petty, spontaneous revenge I took as a child is now the very item upon which hinges your entire existence." Morrigan started laughing again and got up to go to the kitchen and make herself some more tea.

Solas had been leaning forward in his chair and suddenly decided that he needed the support of the back of it. Mythal and Flemeth looked, well, gobsmacked would probably suffice. The three just looked at each other.

Flemeth said in a low tone, "She will not make this easy."

Mythal snorted, "Or cheap, I expect."

Solas frowned at both of them, "From the sound of things, she suffered a lifetime of abuse at your hands, Flemeth. Why would she be inclined to do either? Frankly, I'm very upset with both of you about the things I've learned here today."

Flemeth scoffed. "Oh, grow up, Fen'Harel. Every war has it's collateral damage, it's innocents lost. Sometimes they're just a little closer to home than others."

There was a brief pause as Solas stared at someone he'd long considered a close friend. "That attitude is repugnant."

Before either Flemeth or Mythal could say anything in response—and they were both about to do so—Morrigan was back. "Pardon my manners as a hostess, Solas, as your visit did catch me quite by surprise. May I offer you something to drink?"

"I thank you for your courtesy, Lady Morrigan, but no. I fear my stomach could not handle anything at the moment." He looked at the two women in the mirror, who had both looked at Morrigan in surprise. Choosing to show him her favor this early in what would now obviously be fierce negotiations was a surprise. Instead of three against one they were now apparently evenly matched due in no small part to Solas's sympathy towards Morrigan for her abusive childhood.

Morrigan nodded her understanding to Solas and took her seat once again. She set her mug next to her to wait for it to cool and looked to the mirror for the ladies to make their return volley.

Mythal spoke for them. "So, you are saying you still have the amulet."

Morrigan replied casually, "I do still have the amulet. In fact, much fuss was made over it during more than one ball during my stay with Empress Celene."

Flemeth was furious, "Hand it over immediately, you ungrateful little bitch! You may not like the way I raised you but you would not be the woman you are today if I had not! The wor—mmph" Her sentence ended abruptly with an apologetic look from Mythal.

Morrigan smiled. "Ah, Mother. You never change. Talk to me like that again and negotiations will be over. Your chances will have to be taken elsewhere." She sipped at her tea delicately, as happy as if she were at an Imperial soiree.

Mythal spoke again, her mind a bit more ordered at the moment than Flemeth's. "May we see the amulet to verify its authenticity?"

"I would be willing to allow that however the amulet is not located at Skyhold at this time. If we are able to reach an amicable agreement for the amulet, I will retrieve it for you. I give you my personal guarantee of its authenticity and I can assure you of its safety in its present location." Morrigan was quite calm, as if they were discussing the lunch menu.

Mythal looked to Solas. "Fen'Harel, you worked with her some during your time here. Do you have reason to doubt her word?"

Solas shook his head. "I do not. When questioned, her answers were always honest though frequently layered with multiple meanings, her personal interests obvious. But she was always honest about it. If she says she has the amulet, I believe her."

Morrigan rolled her eyes. "Thank you for that backhanded compliment, Solas."

He shrugged.

Mythal called the attention back to business. "Morrigan, Solas has proven himself allied to you in some respects. Are you willing to consider him a neutral party in respect to the negotiations. Insofar as recording our agreements goes?"

Morrigan nodded. "If he himself agrees, it will not trouble me. I can read for myself, after all."

Mythal smiled. "Then by all means, get the boy paper and pen and let us begin."

Five minutes later Solas was seated on the floor in front of the coffee table in much the same position as he imagined Kieran would be when he did his homework. He sighed. This meeting was taking much longer than he had hoped. Ellana was bound to be bored. Or gone, if she had thought to call for Cole. Venehedis.

Mythal began the negotiations. Flemeth was still muffled and looking even more angry. "Please, Morrigan. Tell us what it is you want."

Morrigan smiled. "Why, I want to know how much you value this amulet."

"What value can be placed on virtually immortal life?" Mythal gestured from her elbow casually.

Morrigan shrugged just as casually. "It is your virtually immortal existence. Why don't you tell me?"

Solas slammed his hand down on the coffee table. "Enough! We'll be here all day at this rate and I have things to do. I'm apologize Morrigan, I do, but remember that Kieran will be back soon. I doubt you want him involved in this. If we need to return to the table at another time, we can do that, but we don't have time for these sorts of tactics right now."

Morrigan sighed. "You're right, Solas. Kieran will be back in about…" she looked at the clock "ten minutes. I got carried away and in doing so got distracted. May we resume this discussion at your convenience? I keep my schedule fairly free doing private studies at the moment."

"Ah. I'm sure I would enjoy hearing about them at some point. At any rate, I can promise that my day today is completely booked. Tomorrow might be as well but I will try for meeting with you again tomorrow. Perhaps if we can meet somewhere other than your apartment or if Kieran could have a play date somewhere to give us more time, then we could get more accomplished. And it will not hurt your position any to have more time to think about what it is you want." He smiled.

Mythal coughed. "You are supposed to be a neutral party, Fen'Harel."

"Oh, of course. My apologies." He nodded to her and then winked at Morrigan. "I'll let myself out then, shall I?"

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Solas was happily walking back to his room through the courtyard, intent on meeting Ellana and beginning his difficult explanations to her. First, he hoped to move them upstairs to her quarters as planned. Then he saw the Iron Bull headed towards him. He smiled. "Good morning, Bull! I trust all is well now with Dorian?"

But as Bull drew nearer he could see the Qunari was furious about something. "Tal-Vashoth Warrior to Arrogant Elvhen Asshole!" and he had almost no time to ponder that statement before Bull's uppercut hit him in the jaw and send him flying across the courtyard to land rather painfully on his back and those barely healed wounds. It knocked the breath out of him so he couldn't even ask what was going on. Perhaps it was the punishment Bull had promised but even so, Bull had said it would be delivered unemotionally and he was FAR from stoic.

The Iron Bull reached Solas at that moment and bent down, picked Solas up by the scruff of his collar, twisted that collar into the hand that held it and lifted him until he dangled the elf a few feet off the ground. Then he proceeded to punch Solas with the precision of a surgeon for the maximum effective placement of a punch intended to produce the perfect black eye. "THAT," he growled, "was for the months she suffered when you left her without a word before, as we previously discussed. And it is FAR from enough." He said that with a shake sharp enough to give him a concussion. He rotated the angle at which he held the elf and repeated the same fine black eye producing procedure on the other eye. "THAT was merely for the purposes of symmetry. I can't stand looking at a single black eye, it would bother me for weeks. You are not allowed to heal any of these injuries or I will give them to you again." He put Solas gently back down on the ground by the simple expedient of merely letting go of the collar he was holding.

Solas fell and landed with a total lack of the grace elves are traditionally known for. When he could breathe again, he asked, "What was the uppercut for?" He fingered it gently; it was already beginning to bruise and swell.

"Ah, I'm glad you asked, really. Do you notice a particular lack of people in the courtyard at this time?" Bull was patient, as if talking to a child.

"I do, yes. What of it?" Solas was beginning to desperately feel the urge to lie down, even if it meant doing so back in the infirmary. Or on the grass.

"It means, Solas, that it is lunchtime. Time for lunch. Which means of course, that you LEFT ELLANA ALONE IN A ROOM WITHOUT A BELL PULL FOR FOUR HOURS. She can't walk. Her position as Inquisitor means she couldn't call for help from a strange room from anyone but Cole. I suppose you wouldn't know this but today is the day that he and Varric take Robin and go 'hunting,' which really means hiking around in the woods for half the day. So she couldn't reach him.

"Ellana had the staff keep dusting your room after your sorry ass took off and so a maid found her just a little while ago. Ellana sent her to find us, Solas. Ellana had ended up falling while trying to reach the washroom. She told Dorian she'd peed on herself and the floor by accident, dried it up with a towel while crying her eyes out and then dragged herself into a tub that she filled with soapy hot water where she stayed for the two hours it took for the maid to find her. Soaking and crying. With a bloody bump on her head that she didn't know she had so now the maid thinks you beat her up. I really don't believe I have ever met a bigger idiot than you when it comes to women."

"Would you believe that in all my years I have actually never had a girlfriend before?"

"Yes. Yes, I would. It would not, in fact, surprise me at all."

"Please, is Ellana alright? Where is she? May I see her?" His remorse was genuine. No matter how hard he tried, Solas felt he kept screwing things up with her. Maybe Morrigan would be willing to talk to him about that after he got her mother and Mythal out of his head. He'd keep that in mind.

"You can. She's in her room, snuggled up in bed with Dorian. I swear, if he weren't totally gay and she weren't totally into you, we'd have a lot to worry about." Bull chuffed.

Solas nodded, relieved. "I need to go by my room and get our things. I was supposed to move into her room with her after I left the infirmary. I'm afraid if I can't go up there under the assumption that we are still doing that I may not be able to function at all. Honestly. It's been a… well, she told me about Shal'Misu last night. He was as a brother to me. One of my projects since I woke has been looking for his resting place to go and wake him. I feel completely off balance right now." Solas dropped his head. "I need to see her, just as badly as I need to see her and apologize for my thoughtlessness."

Bull put his hand on Solas's shoulder. "We were all sorry to have that turn up in the paper, man. That was rough. A happy ending on his story would have been well deserved. Tough break that it didn't happen."

Solas nodded, but couldn't speak of his friend yet. "At any rate, if we could just stop by there a moment."

"Sure."

A mere fifteen minutes later, they were standing outside Ellana's doorway. The two guards at the bottom door had been unusual but had let them pass without any questions. Solas had never kept many items in his room and had taken them with him when he'd gone so all there was to gather were the same things he'd unpacked last night. For the first time, Solas was nervous. He'd hurt her before, but he'd never put her in a position where her personal dignity had taken a blow. Bull had never answered his question about whether she wanted to see him or not. Solas imagined that was deliberate and he wouldn't now, either. So, he merely knocked on the door.

The answer came immediately, in a stuffy nose that sounded like it had a cold. "Go away. I said no visitors today." His head fell and his heart hit his feet. He wasn't going to be given a chance to fix this.

Bull called out loudly, "Nah, it's us, Warrior Girl. Me and one incredibly apologetic elf who is terrified you're never going to speak to him again or let him apologize or explain or anything."

There was, to Solas, a pause that lasted half the day but in reality only took a few minutes. Her watery but to him beautiful voice called out again. "Alright. Come in." Solas sagged in relief and barely managed to open the door, his and shook so much.

When he entered the room, he saw Dorian and Ellana in bed together as expected. Dorian was sitting against the headboard, Ellana wrapped in his arms against his bare chest, tears still running down her face. She had obviously been crying for a long time. Solas dropped his bag where he stood, went to the side of the bed she was closest to and knelt where he could see her face. The small knot and gash at the corner of her head had stopped bleeding, but it pained him as if it were major head trauma.

"My heart, I am so, so sorry. I did not expect the situation to occur that… well, I'll explain everything, I promise, right now." He reached a hand up to touch her face, to wipe her tears.

Her tears simply flowed harder. "Solas, what happened to your face? Your poor eyes? Your jaw? Ma vehnan, why haven't you healed this yourself? Are you alright?" She reached for him with both arms and he met her in a careful, grateful hug.

Dorian sighed. "I'm feeling a bit extraneous here. Good Lord, Bull, I asked you to go fetch the man. Nowhere in there did I say 'please dismantle him'."

Bull crossed his arms in front of him. "We had previous business to attend to, Dorian."

"Oh, well, I guess that's fine then." Dorian rolled his eyes. He looked at Solas and Ellana who were now kissing gently in front of him, in deference to Solas's injured jaw, "Listen, you two, would you mind letting me out from under the pile here before you go any further? I'm allergic to straight sex. It gives me hives, you know, and they really don't go with my complexion."

They pulled back from one another and Ellana turned to Dorian. "I'm sorry. Thank you so much for being there for me this afternoon. I've never been so embarrassed in my life."

Dorian smiled and touched the tip of her nose with a finger. "I've told you before. I always want you to let me in on the most embarrassing moments of your life. It's what I'm here for." He accepted the hug and the kiss on the cheek that she gave him. Dorian got out of bed and Solas would never admit it but he was relieved that the man was wearing trousers underneath the bed covers. Clearly they'd already been dressed for the day when they'd gotten the call about Ellana. Solas stood himself so Dorian would have room to walk by.

Solas stopped Dorian before he did, though, and shook his hand. "Thank you for being there, while I was being a thoughtless ass. All of this is so new to me and apparently I am going to make every mistake it is possible to make before I get it right."

Dorian kept his hand, put his other arm on Solas's upper arm and said with a grin, "I understand that flowers and chocolates are the key to forgiveness for a multitude of minor sins, my friend. Oh, and the answer to my situation is yes, so whenever you are ready."

They released each other. Solas smiled. "Wonderful. I had intended that the whenever be immediately but under the circumstances, let's say if she feels up to it today, if not, tomorrow sometime? There are still two meetings to get through today, unless they get put off. I think."

Dorian shrugged. "I don't know, it's all very confusing. I just show up when I'm called."

Bull called out, "Hey, lover! We're going to miss all the good stuff if we don't go now."

Dorian grinned. "See?"

Solas reached out when Dorian turned to leave and grabbed his arm to turn him back. He took Dorian's head in both his hands and kissed him thoroughly on the lips. A rather stunned Dorian (and for that matter Bull and Ellana) looked in surprise at the rather smug expression on Solas's face when he said, "You have to be sure to immediately counter any after effects of exposure to straight sex if you want to avoid possible allergic reactions. That was purely professional, you understand."

After a moment of silence, Ellana started giggling, then Dorian started laughing and finally, Bull joined in. Dorian clapped Solas on the shoulder. "Good man." And with that, they were gone.

Solas turned to Ellana with some nervousness having returned now that they were alone. "Have you eaten? Should I put in an order for us?"

She sniffed. "Please. I'm really hungry for some reason. Oh, and since you've been gone we actually started using the dumbwaiter. I got lazy. And that was hilarious by the way."

Solas laughed. "Thank you. And it's not lazy. It's to allow you to keep doing paperwork. Or have some actual time to relax. Do you know what they are serving or should I ask for a menu."

"They can send a menu?"

"They should be able to for you."

"Alright, let's do that. Would you then please just come, um… come, uh… hold me until the menu gets here like there's not a big elephant in the room we need to talk about and I can continue to pretend nothing's wrong."

Solas returned to her side to kneel before her again and kiss her gently. "Oh, my heart, there is nothing wrong between us other than that I am a thoughtless fool who lost track of time. Let me request a menu and I will hold you while I explain. It will not upset you I promise, other than perhaps on Morrigan's behalf as it did me. I know you are friends with her."

Solas jotted a note out requesting the menu for the Inquisitor, put it in the dumbwaiter with a clean ashtray as a paperweight and sent it down. Then he returned to her bed and took her in to his arms. "By the way, I am not allowed to heal these or the injuries will simply be repeated. I agreed to take them like a man, as it were, and so I will. But I will also make prodigious use of cooling magic, as Dorian did on your ankle." And so saying, he did, and sighed with relief. "May I heal the injury to your poor head and any other injuries you picked up in your fall?"

She shook her head. "Dorian said yes, correct? Might as well save them for him since they aren't bothering me much. We'll just make it a priority, like later today or tomorrow morning or such."

"I cannot apologize enough for failing to think of the lack of a bell pull. I'm so sorry." He gently touched his forehead to hers, holding her gently to him, wondering again what this magnificent woman saw in him. "Something about being with you makes me a dunderheaded fool; I keep making mistakes."

She laughed. "You don't, not really. But they do say that love makes fools of us all. I make mistakes, too. I mean, think about it. A smart woman would have gotten out of bed onto her good foot, dropped to all fours and crawled quickly to the washroom with no problems. But not me. Noooo, I was too worried about why you were spending so much time with the lovely Morrigan. Oh, quick, there goes the dumbwaiter. Feed me, feed me!"

Solas stopped, stunned, on his way to the dumbwaiter. "You were jealous of me speaking with Morrigan?"

"Well, not until you'd been gone for an hour when you said it wouldn't take long. But the menu, get the menu. We'll talk after we order."

He smiled and saluted. "Yes, Inquisitor. Right away, Inquisitor."

She blew a raspberry at him.

He called out over his shoulder as he got the menu. "You've obviously been spending too much time with Sera while I've been away."

"She's a lot more fun than some people I know."

"Probably. But," and he brandished the menu and a pencil as he hopped back on the bed, "I'll bet she doesn't feed you."

"Not usually, no. But she makes amazing apology cookies."

"Hmmm. I'll bet there's a story behind those and it's one that I will not be at all interested in hearing."

They made their selections and Solas returned the menu to the dumbwaiter. He returned to the bed and to Ellana's arms. Now came the hard part.

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Solas first explained how Flemeth and Mythal came to be residing in his head, that Flemeth had finally 'aged out' so to speak and passed the essence of herself and Mythal to him so that they didn't die in truth. He had originally planned to use the orb to restore her to a more youthful state yet again. He'd been friends with Flemeth for ages because of his relationship with Mythal. And so the reason they had been in the temple was they had traveled the land looking for these amulets like the one Dorian had triggered. Several had been placed as backups throughout the ages and either lost or stolen.

But Morrigan apparently had one. He had been shocked to discover that the normal way his friends extended their lifespan was to simply take over the body of the daughter they bore each generation. He was appalled and disgusted and didn't know what to do with that information at the moment. They were, after all, stuck in his head. So, the three entered into negotiations for the amulet with Solas as scribe and stopped when Kieran was due back from sword practice. Solas was saddened when Morrigan had said she had an abusive childhood and that not only did they not deny it, they admitted it.

Now Ellana felt she'd lost her appetite. "I'm in service to these women? Ugh. Okay, I give you permission to tell me 'I told you so', but the information we have so far indicates that it was destined to be me regardless, sorry. Poor Morrigan. She's such an amazing woman now though, really. I hope she stays and you get to know her. She's another one who you are probably the only one here on her intellectual level. The Eluvian that's here is hers, she brought it with her."

"She genuinely managed to hide from her mother for several years and that is quite the accomplishment." Solas had been impressed when he'd heard that. "Should we survive whatever is coming, should Mythal and Flemeth survive whatever is coming, I WILL find an ethical way for them to lengthen their lifespan. This cannot continue. I am the better mage, the better researcher. If they had only come to me in the first place. Venehedis."

Ellana put her arm around him and squeezed. "You can't save everyone. And you can't control everyone, either. You just do your best with what you've got."

"There is one last thing I must tell you, Ellana. And I hope you'll let me finish saying everything I have to say about it so you understand it fully before you throw me in the prison, judge me guilty and have me executed."

"That does not sound promising."

"I don't suppose it does, no. When Mythal woke me from my uthenera, oh, about five years ago now, I was as weak as a newborn kitten. I had been asleep for about two thousand years, maybe three, I can't recall. It takes so much time to build your strength back up to its normal level, particularly your magical strength. My magical strength is still not back up to its normal levels though my physical strength, before the accident, was virtually at its peak. Do you remember what I told you about the orb Corypheus was using, that it was elvhen, that it was used as a foci to channel power? And also that it required enormous amounts of power to activate and that I was shocked that a human mage had been able to activate one?"

"I do, yes." Ellana was quiet and calm, waiting for the other shoe to drop and crush her newfound happiness.

"Flemeth had woken me specifically because Morrigan had refused to become her vessel, had managed to slip away from being tricked into it thanks to the Hero of Ferelden and had then disappeared. Flemeth was aging rapidly and she was desperate. It was not time to wake me but she did it anyway, fearful that if she did not there would be no one left to wake me when it WAS time. I still do not know how it is they knew one another and she will not say but she brought him with her when she woke me. I had to unlock the door to give them access to it, you see. The plan to restore Flemeth to her youthful self with an orb was designed by Flemeth for someone she claimed was her friend named Corypheus to carry out and the orb they were there to use..."

Ellana sighed and leaned her head into his neck and squeezed his hand. "Was yours."

"Was mine. He told me he would save her life and I believed him. So though I doubted his ability to activate the orb at all, I believed his intentions were to save her life and nothing more. I allowed him to take it. I would not have gained my strength back in time to save her myself, after all." Solas lifted her chin and looked her directly in the eye. "I knew nothing of any plot to murder Divine Justinia. Mythal says that they did not know anything of his plans and I believe her, but..." He slid his hand around to her shoulder to hug her to him. "Ma Vhenan, I am thousands of years old and I suddenly feel that the people I know best and the people I can trust I have known for less than a year. That the people who I've known for centuries are not who I thought they were at all. And it is breaking my heart."

Ellana wrapped her arms around him gently, mindful of still healing wounds and held him as he mourned.