CHAPTER FOUR: The Herald of Andraste

Their little band of soldiers marched forward, towards the Breach that loomed bigger over them all.

"It's much more terrifying to see it up close," Vanessa whispered.

"You haven't seen it close enough then," Cassandra said grimly.

Varric sighed. "You're such a bright ray of sunshine, you know that Seeker?"

"Have you learned anything about what caused it, Solas?" Cassandra turned to the elven mage.

"No," Solas replied. "The spirits I wanted to consult had all been driven away by the Breach. They fear it as much as we do."

A templar marched up to Cassandra. "Commander Cullen is up ahead, Seeker."

"Then we'd best hurry. They might be overrun," Cassandra said.

The path to the Temple was littered with corpses and demons. What small group of soldiers that they brought originally tapered off to a few people as some soldiers stayed behind to fight the shades and wraiths in the field.

Cassandra shook her head when Vanessa wanted to stay behind and fight. "You need to conserve your energy for the rifts. These soldiers know that they have to buy you some time. Do not waste their sacrifice."

They finally came to what was once the gates leading to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. In the once glorious courtyard, there were clear signs of fighting – scorch marks, broken blades, and corpses – but they followed the sounds of fighting until they finally saw the Commander and his men.

Immediately, without being told, all scrambled into action in fighting off the shades and wraiths.

"There's a rift up there," Solas shouted at Vanessa in between freezing a shade and hitting another with his staff when it got too close.

"Gotcha," Vanessa said, and with another soldier following her to defend her, she ran up near the rift.

"Seal it now, before more come through!" Cassandra shouted while beating back another wraith.

Taking a deep breath, Vanessa opened her palm again and let the magic of the mark flow out once more, like releasing water onto a burning pyre. This rift was a little more difficult to close as it tried to repel the mark's energy, and she cried out in pain again as the rift itself shot out a bolt of energy through their connection. She unconsciously closed her fist, which caused the rift to widen and crackle more threateningly.

"Oh no," Vanessa whimpered as she saw two terror demons walk out of the rift.

"What are you doing over there?" she heard Cassandra yell. "Close the rift!"

"I'm trying!" Vanessa called out, but got distracted as a white light came out of the ground before her. Seconds later, she and the soldier beside her were thrown back as one of the terror demons came through from the ground.

"Vanessa!" Cassandra shouted, and ran towards her. She needn't have bothered, as Vanessa froze the demon, and the soldier thrust in his sword that burst the demon into pieces.

"Nice job," Vanessa told the soldier, who simply nodded and fended off another attack from a wraith. Focusing on the rift now, she willed the energy to close it, which it finally did a few minutes later.

Vanessa closed her palm and cut off the magic from the rift. Sparrow was right, it did help to release some of the energy from the mark, she thought as she flexed her fingers, which now did not hurt as much. She saw Solas walking up to her. "Sealed it again," he said, a hint of admiration in his voice. "You are becoming more proficient at this." She smiled, then turned to help their other companions finish off the remaining demons.

Being adept at healing spells, she started healing the wounded soldiers as best she can after the fight. "You sure come full of surprises, Little Healer," Varric remarked as he watched her cast a minor healing spell for a templar's wounded arm.

Vanessa laughed. "This is an offshoot of a very clumsy personality," she said.

"You ought not to exhaust your mana," Solas chided mildly. "You're going to use everything you have to close the Breach."

Vanessa winked at Solas cheekily. "I'll always have some to spare, don't you worry." Despite himself, Solas chuckled. Varric's eyes went wide as saucers.

"You managed to close the rift, Lady Cassandra," a man's voice rang out into the area. "Well done."

Cassandra shook her head. "Don't thank me, Commander," she said. She gestured towards Vanessa, who noticed their gaze on her and stood up to meet them. "This is the prisoner's doing; her name is Vanessa Trevelyan." Vanessa smiled at the late acknowledgement from the Seeker.

"Oh, is it?" the Commander replied, turning to Vanessa, who slightly flushed at his gaze. "I hope you know what you're doing then. We've lost a lot of people trying to get you here."

"I'll do my best," Vanessa replied simply.

"That's all we can hope for, I suppose," the Commander retorted. He turned to Cassandra. "The way forward to the Temple should be clear."

"Then we should go now then," Cassandra said. "Guard our backs, Cullen. Oh, and Sparrow might need some help. She's up on the mountain path, trying to look for the missing scouts alone."

"Is she? That path was riddled with wraiths last anyone checked!" Cullen said. "I'll go to her now." He looked back at Vanessa. "Maker watch over you."

Vanessa wanted to return the blessing, but he had already turned his back. "Come," Cassandra called out. "Let's get to the Breach."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Up in the mountains, Sparrow followed the small paths of the abandoned mining complex, dispatching the shades and wraiths that occupied it. She hoped that this wasn't going to be a futile journey, that she could find the scouts fast and catch up with the prisoner –Vanessa—'s group. That last pleading look from Vanessa's eyes struck her, making her feel guilty for leaving her behind. At that moment, she was quite torn between securing the missing scouts, or coming to the aid of the human woman who had quite surprisingly made her feel protective of. Either way, she was running out of time for both tasks.

Through the winding paths, she ran, until she came to the other end of the mine.

"Cleaver…" she whispered as she bent down to look at the corpse that lay at the base of the stairs, one of the scouts that she was looking for. Two other corpses lay facedown in the snow. Making a mental note to come back for them later, she ran, following the path.

The sounds of clashing steel surrounded her. Some were distant, but some were quite close, which gave her hope. She almost sighed in relief as she rounded a corner and saw a few of the scouts she was looking for, but she couldn't relax just yet as they were battling wraiths and shades that came out of a rift.

"Sparrow!" one of the scouts called out to her. "Thank the Maker!"

"Fletcher, you're alive!" she said almost simultaneously as the other scout. She quickly drew her daggers and sneaked up on a shade, which dissolved into nothing when she sank her daggers into it.

"Any longer and they're going to finish us off! We're exhausted!" he cried out.

"I've cleared the path behind me! Gather all the wounded and get back to camp. I'll cover you," Sparrow commanded.

"You alone? Are you mad?"

"Sister Nightingale called others," Sparrow lied. "I'll be fine, go!" She started moving faster, slashing everywhere to cover the retreating backs of the scouts.

"Sparrow, let me stay here and help you," the scout said, drawing his bow and releasing an arrow at an incoming shade.

"You're injured too, Fletcher, go and guard their backs," Sparrow said, slashing the neck of a shade, which dissolved into thin air.

"Sparrow!" Fletcher whined.

"Go!" Sparrow was insistent.

With a last uncertain glance, Fletcher released another arrow, which went through another shade. "Maker help you, Sparrow," he said, and quickly followed the retreating scouts.

After the last wraith had been dispatched, Sparrow pulled out a regeneration potion vial and hastily gulped its contents down. Looking at the rippling rift, she knew that at any time it would open again, so she readied her daggers for another onslaught.

She knew it was foolhardy to go through the mountain path alone, but the Hands couldn't spare any more fighters if they had to close the Breach. Besides, these scouts didn't deserve to die without anyone knowing. By saving them, she hoped she borrowed enough time for the Hands to close the Breach with the help of the woman –Vanessa, Sparrow amended; that was her name – who proved herself adept at handling the renegade magic in her hand. Once she closes the Breach, all these little rifts should weaken. Or so Sparrow hoped. Because definitely I won't last long if this keeps up.

The rift rippled unsteadily. Sparrow steeled herself for another wave of demons, but was surprised as she heard the crunch of heavy boots and scratching steel.

"What are you doing here Commander?" Sparrow cried out as the first of the wraiths came pouring out of the opened rift.

"I should ask the same of you!" Cullen answered as he unsheathed his sword to stab at a corporeal wraith that came at him. "What were you thinking of, fighting demons alone?"

"Is Vanessa all right?" Sparrow asked as she leapt to stab another wraith at the back.

"Don't change the subject!"

"I'm fine, Sparrow!" Vanessa answered as she twirled her staff to conjure up a lightning barrage. She raised her marked hand to release the magic that would close the rift. "Not here again!" she cried out in dismay as two terror demons made their way out of the rift before she could close it.

"What are you doing here?" Sparrow asked again, amazed as the group she'd left behind – the Seeker, the dwarf, and the elven mage – caught up with Cullen and Vanessa to help finish off the demons.

"We had to come back for you! Besides, nothing else can close the rifts like this hand here," Vanessa replied as she concentrated once again in closing the rift. With a sharp jerk of her arm, the rift finally closed. She grinned at Sparrow.

Sparrow blinked in surprise, then slowly returned Vanessa's grin. "You've gotten better in using that hand," she said, grinning. She turned to the Seeker. "You needn't have returned for me, Seeker."

"The prisoner, I mean, Vanessa wanted to. Apparently, everyone's grown fond of each other in the last hour," Cassandra remarked dryly.

"Aww, Seeker, we like you too," Varric said, patting Cassandra in the arm.

"All sorted out here then? Let's go," Cullen said curtly, sheathing his sword and leading the way towards the Temple.

"You really didn't have to come here, I would have handled them on my own," Sparrow said as they started walking.

"Do you hear how foolish you sound?" Cullen cut in angrily in front of them. "We can't afford to lose anybody else, especially an able fighter like you."

"The scouts needed to be saved, Commander," Sparrow answered.

"Then call for back up!" Cullen flared up. "Don't go to dangerous places alone with no one to help you, or even know if you're alive or not!"

"I'll… bear that in mind next time, Commander," Sparrow replied softly, head hanging down at the chastising she got from Cullen. Vanessa saw, and moved closer to her.

"Don't be too harsh on her, Commander," Vanessa called out at Cullen's back, which remained resolutely turned towards them all.

"I agree with the Commander with this, though," Cassandra said. "We can't afford anyone to be reckless."

"Without Sparrow's initiative, however, the scouts would have been lost, and you would have a lesser force for this fight," Solas said in defense of Sparrow, which surprised her.

"Chuckles is right, Seeker," Varric echoed in agreement.

Cassandra shook her head, admitting defeat. "Let's go back to the Temple fast. Leliana might be there already," she said.

"We're just worried about you," Vanessa said, hanging back to talk to Sparrow.

"You shouldn't," Sparrow replied. "Closing the Breach is the more important task right now."

"Isn't it about saving lives?" Vanessa asked. "Wasn't that what you're doing?"

Sparrow felt caught. "Oh, well, there's that, but you should focus on what is important, which is to close the Breach."

"What makes me different from you?" Vanessa persisted.

"That hand," Sparrow answered, pointing at Vanessa's marked left hand. She looked directly at Vanessa. "You are meant to do greater things than worry about scouts like me. Focus on the Breach." She turned to Solas. "Could she close it without any trouble?"

"Possibly," answered Solas, without looking at Sparrow. "There is, however… a risk…"

Sparrow waited for Solas to continue, but his ominous silence was disturbing. "What risk?"

Before Solas could answer, Vanessa sighed. "I'm not going to close it without dying, am I right?" she said wryly. She raised her hand. "I can feel it here that I'm not going to be able to use it in a large scale like the Breach without anything in exchange."

Sparrow stopped in her tracks and glanced at Solas, who nodded slightly in agreement. "She is much more perceptive than you think," Solas remarked quietly.

"Have you… does the Seeker know about this?" Sparrow unknowingly held on to Vanessa's arm.

Varric and Solas stopped walking as well and turned to Sparrow and Vanessa. At a distance, Cassandra noticed their absence and turned back to look at them. "What are you doing back there?"

"You can't possibly be sending…" Sparrow glared at Solas, but Vanessa pulled on her hand.

"I know the risks, Sparrow," Vanessa said. "They're never going to let me go; I'm a suspect, remember? Better to die like this, doing something important rather than waiting in a filthy jail to be executed."

"But…" Sparrow began to say, but Cassandra came near them. "What are you doing? We don't have any time to lose," she said.

"You're right. Let's go," Vanessa said, giving a tight grip and a meaningful glance at Sparrow. She walked past them and walked alone behind the Commander's soldiers. Cassandra and Varric soon followed.

"The life of one… or the life of many, Sparrow," Solas said softly as he followed Vanessa with his gaze.

"That has always been the question, isn't it?" Sparrow replied, looking at Vanessa as well. Hardening her expression, she started walking towards the group. "That has always been the question that should never be asked."

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Maker." Vanessa didn't notice she'd said that out loud as she gazed at the ruins of the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Shadows on the wall, charred bodies, and pockets of fire littered their path.

"The Temple of Sacred Ashes," Solas breathed out.

"What's left of it," Varric muttered darkly as he tightened his grip on Bianca.

"Be on your guard. There might still be demons around," Cassandra ordered as they approached the Breach. She walked up to Leliana and the group of soldiers behind her to issue some orders, while Vanessa, Varric, and Solas readied their weapons.

"It truly is much more terrifying up close," Vanessa whispered as she gazed up at the Breach.

Behind her, Solas softly explained, "This rift was the first." Vanessa turned to him, who met her eyes. "Seal it, and perhaps we could seal the Breach." Vanessa could only nod.

Walking further into the Temple, a red-hued crystal jutting out of the Temple walls caught Vanessa's attention. "Isn't this lyrium?" Vanessa asked. Seeing her outstretched hand about to touch the crystal, Varric quickly ran over to her and slapped her hand away.

"That's red lyrium!" Varric cried out, panicking. He turned to Cassandra. "You know this is red lyrium, Seeker?"

"I see that, Varric," Cassandra replied curtly.

"What's it doing here?" Varric demanded. Looking around them, crystals of red lyrium protruded not only on the walls, but beneath ground as well. "What are they doing here?"

Solas answered for Cassandra. "It seems that the lyrium beneath the Temple somehow became corrupted."

"Red lyrium is corrupted lyrium?" Vanessa asked. "What does it do?"

Varric shook his head. "It makes you do crazy stuff," he answered. "Whatever you do, don't touch it, is that clear?" Vanessa nodded.

Meanwhile, Sparrow went near Leliana. "I would like to stay close to the prisoner, Sister," she said. Leliana considered for a moment.

"She has Cassandra with her, wouldn't that be enough?" Leliana asked.

"It would be better if I defend her at a closer distance. She's quite adept at a few combative spells, but she leaves herself too open for close combat," Sparrow explained. "While she closes the Breach, she would need someone to guard her back."

Leliana looked over at Vanessa, then at Sparrow. "All right," she consented.

"Thank you, Sister," Sparrow said, fully aware of Leliana's critical eyes on her. She quickly rejoined Vanessa's group.

"This is your chance to end this," Cassandra said to Vanessa. "Are you ready?"

"I'll try," Vanessa replied with determination. "So how exactly do we do this?"

"This rift is the first, and it has not been sealed. It is closed, albeit temporarily," Solas explained. "I believe that with the mark, the rift can be opened, and then sealed properly and safely." He turned to Cassandra. "This means, however, that she will attract the attention of the other side."

Cassandra nodded. "That means demons. Let's get ready."

"I'll keep close to you and guard your back," Sparrow whispered to Vanessa, whose eyes glistened with gratitude. "Focus on the Breach."

As everyone took their positions, a deep, booming voice startled them all.

"Now is the hour of our victory." A tall shadow, with eyes that seemed like balls of fire, issued forth from the rift and seemed to walk forward towards them. "Bring forth the sacrifice."

"Who was that?" Cassandra asked, quickly going closer to Vanessa. "What are we seeing?"

"Echoes from the Fade," Solas answered. "I believe we are hearing memories from what last transpired in this place."

"So that voice—"

"—must be from the perpetrators," Solas supplied.

"Someone, help me!"

"That is the Divine's voice!" Cassandra cried out. She turned to Sparrow, who looked as surprised as her. Everyone was riveted at the image of the Divine in front of them, in front of the shadow. Her arms were outstretched, forcefully so, as if she was strung up on a beam. "What is happening here?" she demanded of Vanessa.

"I don't…" Vanessa began to say, but it was her voice that next came out.

"What's going on here?"

Instantly, all eyes, as well as tips of swords and arrows, were pointed at Vanessa. "That was your voice!" Cassandra cried out. "Most Holy called out to you -" She stopped talking when the Divine's voice issued out again from the rift.

"Run while you can! Warn them!" the Divine cried out.

"We have an intruder," the deep voice called out coldly. "Kill her."

A bright light shot out from the rift, temporarily blinding them all. When their sights returned, there was no more sound except for the ripples of the Breach.

"You were there," Cassandra said grimly, tightening her grip on her unsheathed sword. "Who attacked? And the Divine, is she –Was this vision true?"

"I don't remember anything!" Vanessa cried out, looking around at all the eyes on her. Even Sparrow had an inscrutable expression on her face. She stepped forward towards Sparrow. "Please believe me!"

"Seeker!" Solas yelled in alarm as the Breach rippled threateningly, shooting out sparks of lightning.

With a grunt of frustration, Cassandra faced the rift. "Ready!" she signaled the soldiers, and the archers on higher ground nocked their arrows. Despite their preparations, however, everyone was still caught by surprise at the sight of the gray scaled, horned, giant pride demon that came roaring out of the opened rift.

"We'll hold off the demon! You close the Breach!" Cassandra shouted at Vanessa, running towards the pride demon to catch its sight.

"All right!" Vanessa replied, sending out a lightning barrage towards the demon. It fell on one of its knees at the lightning blast. She ducked arrows that flew towards the demon, and extended her hand again towards the Breach.

She was right, the large rift indeed pulled differently at the magic in her marked hand. She gritted her teeth and planted her staff firmly on the ground to stop herself from being pulled into the rift. She was too focused on closing the rift that she barely heard Sparrow shout, "Duck!" An arrow whistled above her head, and she heard it hit something in front of her. A shade pitched forward through the swirling fog of the rift.

"Thanks, Sparrow!" Vanessa called out, focusing on channeling the magic in her marked hand.

"Don't worry about the wraiths and the demons. I've got your back," Sparrow said as she nocked an arrow to her bow and firing it just as instantly at a nearby shade.

Vanessa smiled. "I know." She took another deep breath and sent a stronger wave of magic towards the Breach. It pulsed angrily, as if it knew that it was being closed against its will. The pride demon turned its eyes towards her, at the same time that she turned hers to it.

You dare challenge us, mortal?

Vanessa heard its menacing voice clearly in her head. She saw Solas' ice magic hit the demon to no avail. The arrows bounced harmlessly off its scaled back. Even Cassandra's strong sword strike did nothing to slow down its strides. With one swing of its arm, it hit two of the soldiers and sent them flying towards the ruined walls. They slumped down and remained motionless. The demon released a whip of electricity and hit a few soldiers, who got caught in the whip and thrown like dolls against the rocks. Solas barely managed to put up a barrier around himself, Varric dropped to his stomach, and Cassandra held her shield firmly in front of her as the whip lashed around anything that was moving.

You are nothing.

Behind her, Sparrow threw one of her small knives unerringly in the middle of a wraith's face, which disintegrated just to have another shade take its place. Vanessa herself had to stop closing the Breach first to throw an ice barrage at incoming shades.

You cannot defeat us. We will prevail.

Evading a shade's arm and throwing another ice ball at it, Vanessa opened her palm again towards the Breach. She didn't know if the demon could hear her, but she had to say something to it.

You will not. I will send you back to the nothingness you belong.

The energy from her marked hand pulsed like the rift, pulling at the magic in her hand more furiously than before. Vanessa felt Solas' wards crumble, and the unknown magic pour out of her, and in her. She gasped at the amount of energy that it was taking from her, and could barely hear Sparrow's voice calling to her.

You will not prevail. I will not let that happen.

She couldn't help but scream at the pain in her arm now. She had to let go of her staff and hold on to her left arm as she continued sending out the magic towards the Breach. As she felt her strength waning, she began to wistfully wish that she could have more time. It had been a short while, but she was grateful to have met these people. She didn't understand what happened to her, nobody could – well, maybe Solas, he seemed knowledgeable enough—but what she did know is if this could stop the madness, then she ought to use it.

Amidst the light, Vanessa turned her head and met Sparrow's eyes. She noticed how green they were, and she smiled. Beautiful eyes. I'm happy they're the last thing I'm ever going to see.

Across her, the pride demon started walking towards her. No! it screamed, but it was too wounded to move any faster.

She whimpered at the burst of pain from her hand again, but she managed to give it a wide, defiant grin as she pushed out the biggest wave of magic from her marked hand, feeling the large, gaping hole finally begin to close, feeling every bit of her mana starting to be pulled in as well. "Go back to the Fade, demons!" she shouted.

The green light of the Fade enveloped her once again as she painstakingly, painfully, pulled close the large gaping hole that she could feel the Breach was with the magic in her marked hand. The pride demon before her started to disintegrate, as well as the rest of the shades that came with it.

Vanessa could feel her mana depleting, but the energy in her hand kept pulling. Let me finish this, Maker please! she thought desperately, gritting her teeth at the pain and the energy that was being taken from her.

Just as Vanessa felt herself faltering, another hand grabbed the wrist of her marked hand. The touch sent out a stronger wave of magic swirling around her, and then shooting up into the Breach.

"Close it!" a voice beside her cried out, but before Vanessa could register who it was, her marked hand was pulled away, and with it a last wave of magic that finally closed the Breach. The impact threw Vanessa backwards, right into solid stone, and everything blissfully turned black.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: Thanks for the favs, reviews, and follows for this story! And Judy(Guest): I see you! Thanks for the comments!

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