Chapter 6: Revenge

Today was an odd day.

The halls which were normally filled with guards were eerily barren and the only light that could have been seen was that from the windows. Something was wrong. She had no idea if the Anchor's return could have caused this but Ellana wasted no time in bursting through the armory doors.

An Elven woman sat cross-legged on Abelas's desk. She was dressed in the same fashioned emerald green dress she wore during their first meeting in Halamshiral. A plump red apple was being tossed up and down in right hand as the woman hummed silently to herself despite Ellana's flustered state.

"Briala," Ellana grumbled.

At one point the two of them fought side to side. They helped stopped Gaspard coup to destroy Celene's reputation as well as an assassination attempt that would put him in line as the next ruler for the throne. That bond quickly dissolved when the war was over as Celene was put to death upon withdrawing her support against the Elder One. Many claimed she was being controlled by an Envy demon but Ellana didn't buy it – choosing to end the woman's life instead.

In the upcoming weeks, something inside Briala changed dramatically. She became ruthless and instead of fighting for the humans and the Elves to live peacefully she sought revenge on the Inquisition. Fighting for Fen'Harel's sake. Even if it meant the humanity's end – to her the only one that mattered was gone.

Briala took a deep breath as if withholding a hungry urge attack and continued to hum silently. The woman cast her eyes upon Ellana, and with it, her brow arched quickly into confusion. The humming stopped and a laugh appeared in its stead.

"What is that supposed to be?" She wondered as she eyed Ellana's cloak that hung around her body.

It was twice her size – and thankfully it shielded arms from view. "You think the Dread Wolf would have his woman dress accordingly."

Ellana rolled her eyes.

"When did you arrive? Shouldn't you be elsewhere?"

Fen'Harel did grant Briala land after serving him so well. She was after all his number one appointed spymaster. During the assault, the two strode beside each other. Briala would cut down anyone who dared to try to lay hand on her master and Fen'Harel would grin and commend her on every dispatched personnel.

"Skyhold is so boring though." Briala said nonchalantly, "With all your friend's being dead, it just doesn't seem so lively anymore."

Under her coat, Ellana felt her fists tightening. Her face twisting too – but even then Briala took a bite of her apple and smiled grandly at the woman. She wasn't afraid to lose her life after all. She had been trying for years now.

"Briala – where is everyone? Where is – Fen'Harel?"

Briala scoffed at her wording and it was then that Ellana's heart began to tighten.

"Don't you mean where is Abelas?" Briala questioned, causing Ellana to waver. The spymaster's eyes glittered with mischief. "I've seen the way he looks at you." She comments as she holds the half-eaten apple in front of her. "His longing for you to be in his arms. I've seen it. He loves you clearly – dear Inquisitor."

"You're mistaken." Ellana cuts short. "Abelas only protects me because Fen'Harel wishes it. He is merely a bodyguard." She explains even though each word she breathes is a lie.

Briala hums at this. She tilts the apple on its side and spins it. With her left hand, she reaches down to pull a knife from sheath along the leg. Ellana watches the way Briala can make ends meet with a flick of the wrist to make apple become nothing more than a mere cork.

It is a display of her power as a rogue. Fast, quick-witted, and straight to the point. She knows something and is not afraid to show it off. Ellana's heart skips, and a memory of someone slipping away into the darkness causes her to slide into a defensive stance.

She has been caught. "You know."

There was no need to explain it. The rouge smiles and tosses cork over her right shoulder. "What have you done?"

Ellana's eyes are sharp but Briala's eyes are sharper.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Ellana rolled her eyes.

She had no time for these games. Ellana spin to leave, but a dagger is thrown – cuts side of the cheek. Ellana doubles back gaze only to have fist slam into her jaw. The blow itself caused her body to be thrown back onto the marble floor.

Ellana finds it is hard to move in cloaked form – and Briala cracks her right fists knuckles as she approaches Ellana – grinning all the more. Ellana groans and shakes head clear from the dizzy spell of three different Briala's hovering over her.

"You hit me," Ellana says in disbelief.

The Wolf would have her head for that.

"Had it coming," Briala commented as she towered over Ellana. "Liar's deserve divine punishment."

Ellana squanders - a now loosened right-hand escapes cloak and Briala is quick to stop it with her own right hand– twisting it – earning a wailing cry of pain from the Inquisitor's lips.

"S-stop this." Ellana tries to command. "I –am – the – queen."

Briala's eyes flash dangerously.

"The only queen that matters - my queen – my Celene –is dead because of you!"

Ellana is then met with a fierce backhand to the face. Briala pulls Ellana up from the floor with her right hand tugging at Ellana's collar. With shaking left hand the screams of Celene's name could be heard reverberating off walls as she brings that very hand down on Ellana's face in retaliation.

After a while, the screams stop and Briala is hovering over Ellana's bruised face shaking. Tears drip down her eyes and land onto Ellana's widened ones. "She was innocent...Celene loved her people more than anyone. She would have never supported the Elder One. I thought – I thought you knew that."

"I'm sorry." Ellana drew out and Briala shook her head laughing despite the tears.

"You ought to be, you will be." She bit out harder. "You know Inquisitor, Abelas and I are similar. Practically one and the same." She added sorrowfully. "We both can't seem to catch a break and achieve the happiness we both want. Always on the sidelines...Even in death."

"I won't let that happen." Ellana struggling to stand, she manages to use her right hand to slap Briala back and then proceed to slam her forehead against Briala's sending the woman stumbling back. Ellana rose back to feet, unhooking laced cloak. It falls to her feet and her left-hand flairs its green glow once more.

The counterattack begins now.