Author's Note: Hello everyone! Oh man! I am so bad at fanfiction. I was in college and then I moved across the country and then I was depressed and then I was uninspired... blah blah blah. Like for real. I am doing MUCH better in life and am actually managing to make time for myself to write a little everyday so I should get this one finished relatively quickly. I've got the whole plot mapped already (although I might change some bits in the middle there) and everything!

As always, I would totally love any and all advice. I've always been a big fan of the Dragon Age series, but I never felt inspired to write about it until I came up with this idea. My Beta is going to work with me on keeping characters as true to themselves as the fan-fiction will allow. If I horrendously break a character, please call me on it. I'm not about that life. So PLEASE feel free to read and review and leave me lots of happy love notes. Or regular notes. NO hate notes. If you feel strongly enough to say HATE, just stop reading. OKKKKKK?

Here's a quick summary for ya if you've made it this far in my ramblings: Elena Trevelyan is the youngest daughter of House Trevelyan. A member of a family that has a certain level of influence in the Chantry, she has always felt like her life was mapped out for her before she was even born. Being willful and admiring her elder brother, Erik, to a fault, she strove to break these chains all her life, much to chagrin of her dear parents. Well, they aren't that dear. Her desire to break tradition leads her to Inquisition. As she settles into her roles there and gets comfortable with her routines, things start to change. Sometimes they change slowly, like the seasons, and sometimes they change rapidly, like a giant avalanche filling an entire valley with snow. Elena comes to realize, that maybe joining the Inquisition on an anger-fueled-whim wasn't such a great idea, but maybe it was also the best thing to ever happen to her.

Lyrium Dreams

A Dragon Age Inquisition Fan-Fic

By: Dannah Carabin

Chapter 1

Elena Trevelyan stared at her sword, considering the edge she'd just put on it. She ran a finger down the shimmering length experimentally. Sunlight reflected brightly back at her from the polished surface, distracted by the golden dot blazing into her eye, her finger caught on the edge, nicking the skin and causing a bead of blood to smear the surface. She grimaced as she wiped the crimson droplet away and immediately placed the injured digit into her mouth. She sucked on it, wondering about her brother who was off in Ferelden seeing to matters at the Temple of Sacred Ashes.

Erik, the second son of House Trevelyan, always got sent on the exciting errands. Their elder brother, Adrian had to remain at home to learn how to manage the household as their father aged. She, on the other hand, got relegated to simple household duties. Usually she spent her days in the kitchens and servants quarters and study keeping track of accounts, grievances, and training among other assorted menial tasks. Once a week, though, she got a day to do whatever she wanted. Today, she had gone to the local Circle to practice sword play with the Templars. She normally went to the Circle to visit the Templars on her day off. They were better company than Father and Adrian lately.

Her mother… Elena preferred to stay away from Lady Trevelyan as she personally rather disliked her mother's presence. She was always finding Elena wanting. Nothing she did was ever good enough for her mother. Becoming an accomplished warrior? Not ladylike. Learning how to manage a household? She took too long about it and wasn't hard enough with the servants. And how was Lady Trevelyan to ever find a suitable husband for her when Elena spent all of her free time messing around with a sword and shield! Lady Trevelyan viewed Elena as an impossible burden, and could not begin to fathom why such a lovely, well-educated girl would even want to consider doing anything other than marrying for advantage? To avoid arguments and disapproving frowns, Elena kept her distance. It kept the house peaceful.

Elena pushed open the front doors of her father's house and went inside. She looked to her left and saw Erik's face staring seriously at her from the small collection of portraits her mother kept at the household shrine. He hadn't written yet. He'd been gone for two weeks. It wasn't like him to neglect to keep her abreast of his adventures beyond Ostwick. She sighed and sucked on her injured finger again, absently. She was worried.

"Ah! Elena!" Adrian exclaimed from behind her, causing her to jump.

"Maker's Breath, Adrian!"

Adrian clapped his sister on the back, laughing "Father wishes to speak to both of us in his study immediately."

"What about?" Elena asked, reaching up to fix her brother's dark hair and shirt collar, "Word from Erik?"

"He just said it was news from Ferelden, I would assume it has something to do with Erik." Adrian placed a hand on her shoulder and tried to turn her around, "We certainly won't find out standing here speculating."

Elena rolled her eyes, "Adrian, really, you think so? I think if we stand here longer we will be struck with Divine insight and know all!"

Adrian grimaced down at her, "You really shouldn't say things like that. Father doesn't approve of your views on the Chantry as it is."

"What? That it's a bunch of stuck-up people prancing around pretending they're better than everyone just because they wear a stupid hat?"

"Just because you're mad that Father didn't send you to the Temple of Sacred Ashes doesn't mean that you get to act like a spoiled brat. You know he didn't send you because…" He stopped short. "Well, you know why!"

"He didn't send me because I am a girl." Elena crossed her arms over her chest, "We all know that's why only you and Erik get to do the fun things. I'm surprised he even lets me have a sword at all."

Adrian motioned for her to walk; she did so "He can't keep you from your interests. Knowing how to fight is useful, especially in this day and age. He stood up to Mother for you about it."

"Then why doesn't he even let me go to the coast to pick up our supplies? I manage that for Mother!"

Adrian sighed, "Because he is worried you will hop on a ship and never return. You're his only daughter. He loves you."

Elena gave an obstinate sigh and stopped just before the entrance to the study, "If he loves me, he'll have to let me leave sometime. I'm already twenty one! By Mother's count I am a spinster already."

Adrian rubbed a hand across his face, "You are always like this when you come back from the Circle. What do those Templars tell you?" Elena stared at him silently. She never told anyone anything the Templars told her. She didn't plan on starting it now. "I will speak to him about letting you have more freedom outside of Ostwick when we are done here. Will that appease you, Lane?"

She considered this. Adrian had never offered to help her before. He had always staunchly supported their parents' decisions regarding her life. Deciding to trust this new side of her brother, she nodded, "Yes, but only if you speak in favor of me leaving Ostwick. Otherwise, keep your big trap shut! He doesn't need you giving him more 'reasons' to keep me within a couple miles of this house."

"Fine, but you will owe me a favor with the housekeeper in return."

"What do you need this time?"

"I don't need anything! Well, at least not yet anyway." He stuck out his hand, "A bargain?"

Elena took it, "Isolde isn't going to like me very much if you keep destroying family heirlooms and asking her to replace them, but a bargain." She grabbed his hand and shook it firmly. "Don't make me regret this."

"Me? Never!" He returned the shake, "Honestly, I'm more worried about you making me regret this."

"Me? Never!" She mimicked as Adrian opened the study door.

Lord Bann Trevelyan stood with his back to them, staring out of the window. He had a piece of paper in one hand. His desk was strewn with bits of parchment, quills, ink bottles, sealing wax and the like. He was an impressive man standing at around six feet in height. He had once been quite burly, but years of tending to House Trevelyan had taken some of that away. His black hair was streaked heavily with gray. The sons of Trevelyan bore a striking resemblance to their father, if softened only a little by their mother around the eyes. Lord Trevelyan had eyes as hard as emeralds that could see straight through a person to their very core. He had become a powerful man in his time in Ostwick. He was highly respected in the Chantry and Circles, giving him a nice position within Free Marcher society. Elena swallowed nervously as he cast his stony eyes on her, taking in the sword strapped to her waist with a slight, down turn of his lips. She immediately unbuckled the sword and leaned it against the wall by the door.

"Father!" Adrian greeted the man enthusiastically, walking forward and clasping the man's arm. "I have missed you of late. How was the Chantry?"

"In utter turmoil." Lord Trevelyan replied solemnly. "It seems the Conclave was a literal disaster. The Temple of Sacred Ashes is no more."

Elena rushed forward, "But Father! That can't be so! A temple of that size doesn't simply cease to exist!"

Lord Trevelyan looked at his daughter calmly, "It is as I have said. Something terrible happened there, an explosion of such magnitude that it removed the mountaintop entirely; surely you have heard the rumors of the Breach if you have been unable to see it for yourself?"

Elena shook her head, "I had heard something, but… The rumors were so outrageous!"

"Father, what of Erik? Was he present at the time of the calamity? Is he still living?" Adrian interjected, bringing the conversation back.

Lord Trevelyan opened his mouth to reply but Elena cut him off, "Don't be stupid Adrian! If he was he would be dead along with everyone else!"

"If you would but hold your tongue, impudent girl!" Lord Trevelyan smacked his paper down on the desk, "I would tell you all!" He smoothed his shirt front and exhaled loudly, "Your brother was there. He fell out of the Fade. It is a mystery how he entered the Fade, much less survived and returned from it. However, it is to my knowledge that he is responsible for both the ruin of the Conclave and stabilizing the Breach. Some are even accusing him of murdering the Divine herself! As if a son from my house would be capable of such a thing, much less do it!" He had begun to pace like a caged tiger, Elena could feel the anger rolling off of him. "And now! Now people are claiming he is the Herald of Andraste herself! Claiming that She is the one who sent him from the Fade to seal the Breach and save us all! And yet what does the Chantry do for this, a loyal son and Andrastian? What do they do? Accuse him of murder and call him a heretic! They deny him any support in this Divine effort!" He stopped abruptly, Elena felt all of the anger and confusion go out of him like a popped bubble, "And I am left torn between duty to my family and to my faith."

After a minute of silence, Adrian spoke up, "But Father, this is easy enough. We stick to the Faith! Andraste could not have chosen Erik. Why would she choose a man to represent her? She is a woman!"

"Of this, I am aware, my son. However, that does not make it any easier for me or the family."

"What does Mother say?"

"She believes the same as you and I. Erik is not the Herald of Andraste, though, he is still our family. We cannot simply ignore him and his Inquisition."

"So what do we do now?" Elena asked quietly, "Do we help Erik or do we cast ourselves amongst those of the Chantry?"

Her father and brother looked at her, matching pairs of green eyes filled with matching disbelief as they chimed in unison, "We go with the Chantry." Her father continued, "It is the right thing to do. If the Chantry changes their minds, we will be able to do more for him. In the meantime, I have my House to think about. I cannot simply ignore the calling of so many for the calling of one."

Elena spoke carefully, trying to keep the hard chill from her voice and body. It had been building up since they had made their decision. "I do not see the point of continuing this circular conversation. You have already made up your mind. Why call us in here in the first place? To simply tell us that, though our brother lives, we may not have any contact with him? To tell us that while he can help us and all of Thedas, we cannot help him? To tell us that we should forget him until the Chantry says we may remember who our family is?" She shook her head, "I am sorry, Father. I cannot accept this. He's my brother." She spun on her heel, yanked her sword up from its resting place, and stormed from the room.

"What am I going to do with that girl?" Lord Trevelyan asked Adrian as the door slammed behind her, "I thought giving her a sword would help. It seems to have only made her more willful."

"I do not know, Father. Perhaps she simply needs to leave Ostwick for a while? She has only ever known this place. She is young and restless." Adrian offered gently.

"Perhaps… perhaps you are right." Lord Trevelyan mused, rubbing his chin.

Elena stared through her window. Her room was cast in a comfortable silver glow from the stars and full moon outside. They were quite beautiful. She had looked at these stars all her life. Tonight, she was going to find new ones. She took a breath, shouldered her rucksack and walked on silent feet from her room. She slid a note under Adrian's door and slipped out through the servants' entrance in the back of the house. Her horse whickered to her as she entered the quiet stables. The familiar scent of hay and grain and horse sweat enveloped her like a blanket. She breathed it in deeply as she picked out plain tack for the journey. No need to be flashy. Quickly, she readied her mount and left. Casting one last glance back at her home, she was on her way.

Her horse carried her swiftly and surely to the sea port. She sold him for enough money for passage across the Waking Sea to Highever. From there, she walked to Crestwood. It was by no means an easy or uneventful journey, but she managed it with wits, cunning, and sword. Once in Crestwood, she rested. The village was plagued by undead, making rest very hard to find. However, after a day or so of being holed up in an old smuggler's den, she headed back down the road. Just as her supplies were getting low, she ran into a group of travelers headed to Haven. She gave them the last of her gold and a silver ring to stay with their group. They shared their supplies and provided company and safety in return.

They reached Haven quicker than she had anticipated. Nervously, she left her small band of companions and headed for the Chantry. Surely, someone there must know her brother. She had kept quiet about her reasons to journey to Haven all throughout her trip. She had not wanted anyone to know who she was or where she came from for fear of them sending her back home to Ostwick. The only person she could trust was Erik. She sent a small prayer to the Maker that he would be inside.

She paused at the doors, one hand reaching out to touch the wood, the other clasping her shirt front just above her heart. She took a breath, and entered the candle-lit interior. This was a perfectly regular Chantry. A long space stretched before her leading to a door in the back. Two large alcoves opened on either side of her, cut off by rooms closer to the back. A Mother stood in quiet conversation with a Dwarf. As she walked further in, she could hear some bickering coming from the room at the back. Hesitantly, suddenly unsure of herself, she knocked on the door. Nothing happened. The Mother didn't even stop her conversation to look up. The bickering continued. Elena steeled herself and knocked louder, with more force this time.

The bickering stopped. The door opened, and she was looking at a younger version of her father standing with his back to three people. His blue eyes widened in shock, and then his whole face split into a welcoming grin as he ran the few steps towards her.

"ELENA!" He cried joyfully, wrapping her in his arms and spinning around, "Dear sister! How I have missed you!"

"Erik!" She choked out, "Put me down!"

He stopped spinning her and placed her on her feet. He reached out and straightened her coat, "Sorry, Lane. I couldn't help myself." He ruffled her hair and pulled her against his side, "You have to meet everyone!" He turned her to face the three people she had noticed briefly, "May I present the Lady Elenea Trevelyan!" He said grandly, shoving her forward. "This is Lady Leiliana, our Spymaster, and Lady Josephine Montilyet, our Ambassador, and Commander Cullen Rutherford, our commander."

"We are enchanted to make your acquaintance, Lady Elena." Josephine said, giving a slight bow of her head. She had black hair and olive skin. Judging from that, her accent, and the manner of her dress, Elena assumed she was from Antiva. Josephine held a clipboard with a stac of parchment, ink bottle, and candle on it. She was busy taking notes.

"Indeed, I was not aware that the Herald had any siblings at all." Leiliana stated coolly. Leiliana had the stoic demeanor of a member of the Chantry, and as Elena recalled, she should. After all, wasn't Leiliana the Left Hand of Divine Justinia? She was clad in chain mail with a cowl covering her red hair. She stood with careful authority and confidence. This woman was truly the most unusual member of the Chantry Elite that Elena had ever encountered.

"The pleasure is all ours, I am sure." Cullen added with a gentle nod. Elena was struck by this man. He was handsome. She had never thought a man handsome in all her days. He had blonde hair and golden-brown eyes. A small scar ran down the right ride of his upper lip. A striking cowl encircled his armored shoulders. The armor he wore was indicative of a Templar, and yet she had never heard any Templars speak of him. He stood with one hand resting on a sword hilt, the other touching the large wooden table in front of him. He gave her a small smile and resumed pondering the map on the table.

"I'm certain the pleasure is all mine." Elena replied in her most-mannerly voice, giving the gathered people an award-winning curtsy. "Though, I'm afraid I've interrupted an important discussion in my haste to see my brother again. I'm terribly sorry. I'll take my leave." She tried to exit the room, but Erik looped an arm around her shoulders.

"Not so fast, Lane. Does Father know you are here?" He gave her a stern look.

Elena shifted uncomfortably on her feet, now came the moment of truth and it came tumbling from her mouth like a dam had broken inside of her throat, "No. He doesn't. He didn't want to help you because of the Chantry. I couldn't just sit by and not do anything when I could be helpful! You're doing the right thing, but Father won't even so much as entertain the idea of being of assistance to you as long as the Chantry calls you heretic!" She looked away, embarrassed by her outburst in front of these important people, and fearful of how he might react to her, she whispered "So… I ran away."

"How did you manage to do that?" Erik hissed.

"I… I sold my horse and that ring mother gave me when I turned of age." Her voice was barely an audible breath. She realized she had been a fool to believe Erik would just go against years of their father's teachings about how she was to be treated as a daughter of House Trevelyan.

Erik ran a hand through his hair and looked at the gathered people, he cleared his throat, "I'm afraid something has come up. Shall we continue this discussion after supper?" There was an utterance of mutual acceptance and then Erik was whisking her from the room. "What in the name of Andraste herself were you thinking!? You sold your horse and just thought 'Oh! I'll go see Erik since I don't agree with Father!'" He pulled her into a small bedroom and closed the door, "Of all the half-baked mad things you have ever conceived to do in your life, this is by far the maddest of them all!" He paced around the room quickly, refusing to look at her, "And here I was thinking 'Gee, maybe Father has some sense in him. He sent Elena! She must have brought something with her. I'm so glad he's moved beyond that whole Chantry nonsense!'" He stopped and stared at her, "What, Elena, tell me, what were you thinking!?"

"I already told you! I was thinking that if Father was too far up the Chantry's arse to do the right thing and help you the least I could do was come and help you myself!" She sat down on the bed and turned away from him moodily, "Everyone thinks that just because I'm a girl I can't do anything. Or I shouldn't do anything. I should just stay at home, get married, and have lots of babies. That's all anyone thinks I can do!"

Erik groaned loudly, "You don't join the Inquisition to prove you're a capable human, Elena! It's dangerous to be a part of this!"

"That's not what I meant! I can help you! I'm a good fighter; I beat Ostwick's best Templar in a practice duel the last time I went! I'm obviously able to take care of myself. I got from Ostwick to Highever to Crestwood to half-way here to Haven on my own! With my own sword, my own money, and my own things! Erik, I want to join the Inquisition! I thought it was all just a crazy rumor, but then Father told us it was all true…" She heaved a sigh and pushed her knuckles into her burning eyes, "Erik. You don't understand what it's like to be stuck somewhere, knowing you can do something for the good of the world, and not being able to do anything about it." She took a deep breath, "I just thought, that if I was ever going to get a chance to do something like this, well, this was the only one I was going to get. I want to help you save the world."

"You're not going to prove anything by getting yourself killed, Elena. You've got to go home." Erik told her sternly, but she could see his resolve was cracking.

"If you send me away, I'm not going to go home. I'll make my own way. Maybe I'll go to Redcliffe, or back to Highever, or even Crestwood, but I won't go back to Ostwick!" She stood up and stalked over to him, "So the only way you'll know if I'm safe and alive and be able to avoid Father's wrath is to let me stay here and join the Inquisition. It's the right thing to do. You know it. I know it. Even Father knows it. So stop arguing with me and tell me where my tent is."

Erik stared into her eyes, "I'm not going to be able to send you home? Even if I send you with an escort?"

She shook her head, "No. I'll kill the escort if I need to."

Erik blinked, taken aback, "You're really serious about that, aren't you?"

Elena stared blankly at him, "Do I look like I'm joking?" She sighed "I'm twenty one and I've never been outside of Ostwick. I'm not going back. So your choices are, once again, I can stay here and work with you where you can keep an eye on me, or I can murder an escort and be lost to the wilds of Ferelden forever."

Erik considered this, "When you put it that way…. You can join. You room with me. This is our room. I'll have a cot brought in for you. Put your things there. First thing tomorrow morning, you report to Cullen for orders." He headed for the door.

"What do I do until then, Herald?"

He stopped in the open door and said over his shoulder, "You've had a long journey. Stay here and rest up. I'll send a person around to help you with whatever you need. After today, my Lady Elena, you will be a full soldier. Enjoy your last day as a noble." Erik closed the door behind him with a finalizing click.

"Well… that went… better than I expected. Good job thinking on your feet there Elena. Real good job." She flopped down on the bed and was asleep in minutes.