There was a deep urge to roll her eyes; religious talk was tricky and for the most part it only served to annoy Vel, as all of the business with her being the ‘Herald’ had proven. But she resisted that urge the best she could out of pure respect for the spymaster. What the gods truly believed, whether they did love all or a select few, she would never know, but Vel knew that many humans believed that elves in particular were not included. It brought a small smirk to her lips just thinking of it actually. The Herald… a Dalish elf. She bet some people were reeling over that.
“I suppose you’re right. It could be useful for recruiting… especially when dealing with Orlais, I imagine. I can’t say. I never spent much time there before all of this.” She leaned back in her seat with a deep sigh and smiled toward Leliana.
“I guess I’ll need to brush up on my acting then. I was never much of a liar. That’s… that’s why I’m finding it difficult… to go along with this Herald stuff. Coming face to face with people who genuinely believe I’m some sort of prophet? It’s unnerving to say the least… and wrong at worst. I… what I’m trying to say is I just don’t want to disappoint all of those people.” A pause and Vel busied herself with her fingers picking idly at the table before her. “Did you believe it? To begin with, that is. Did you think I was really the Herald?”
Leliana definitely agreed with Cassandra on one thing: Vel had been what they needed when they needed someone the most. Whether or not she was the Herald could not be determined, but she was exactly what they needed. What hurt the most was that the Divine, a close friend of hers, had to die for this to happen. “You're not the first elf that the Maker has sent. People have forgotten that the Maker doesn’t see the people in species, they are all his children. Even if he sees fit to see us all die,” She said, the bitter tone on the end of her voice revealing the conflict with her faith at the moment.
“I can aid you in the needs with Orlais. I did live there for most of my life and Josephine is here in case you need help with negotiations. She is as skilled with her words as I am with my daggers.” She spoke and then looked at Vel. “Lie?” She said, curious as to why that was her first expectation.
“You don’t have to lie, Herald,” Leliana spoke as she took a step toward her. “Be yourself. Even if you don’t believe that you were sent by Andraste herself, the truth is you are what we needed when we needed someone the most. Tell people your truth. My faith is mine as is with everyone else. Not everyone will believe you were sent by andraste but no one can deny you aren’t what we needed. No one else has the capability to close the breach as you do,”
Leliana paused in her words as she looked away and glanced up toward the sky. “I believe you were sent to us by the Maker and Andraste, yes. What I don’t understand is why everyone had to die. Is that what the Maker wants to teach us? That we are nothing, that our lives are simply to be live and die at his hand? That those most caring and compassionate have no hope because, in the end, our blood will stain the ground,” She combated with her faith as she shook her head. “I don’t know what the Maker wants, but I have to believe that you hear to help us in some way.”
