Then we find people he doesn’t know - a DA ficlet
Based on this post by @blood-magic featuring my own OCs
The ravens had been sent; across Thedas they were black marks in the sky, silent and foreboding.
Somewhere, in Antiva; a Crow picked up the message. The raven cawed at him like an old friend, and he opened the window to let the raven rest at the table after such a long journey. He recognised the Inquisition’s seal as he broke open the letter.
He turned to his wife, recently returned from her own travels. She was braiding their daughter’s hair as she sat obediently at the table, feeding the raven a piece of biscuit. He wordlessly passed the letter to her.
Lori looked at the letter long and hard. She glanced up, at the Warden’s armour hanging on the wall, the armour of the Crows Guildmaster hanging beside it. She locked her jaw in position firmly, a gesture Zevran was intimately familiar with; determination. The same face she’d made before she picked up the sword to slay the Archdemon so many years ago.
“Rin, pack your things sweetie. We’re travelling somewhere.” Lori said.
The young girl sprang up, excitement in her eyes. “Okay mama! Where are we going?”
Lori smiled. “You’ll see. Go and get your things now,”
As Rin ran off to her room, Lori quickly scribbled a return message for the raven to take back. The raven received it gratefully, and flew out the window to make the return journey, to Skyhold. Lori stood at the widow beside Zevran, watching the raven fly off.
“Thedas doesn’t seem to be able to go a decade without some world-threatening event happening, does it?” she commented.
Zevran hummed in agreement. “No mi amor, it would seem not. And into the fire we go once again.”
Lori grinned, and turned back to their armour on the wall. “Well then, let’s get going, shall we? I think the world has missed us, don’t you?”
Zevran chuckled. “Ah my dear Warden, I do believe you are right.”
The Keep was strangely silent in the cold hours of the early morning, most of the inhabitants were still abed, but the Warden-Commander was up, relieving Velanna of her post. Sigrun saw the bird before anyone else; her eyes were often trained towards the sky.
A cry rang out at the sight of the messenger bird, and the Warden-Commander turned. She held up her arm, and let the raven land on it. She and Velanna shared a look, before Faralyn removed the letter from the bird.
Her eyes scanned the contents briefly, before she sighed and rolled her eyes.
“And I just got home.” She muttered. “The world just does love keeping me busy doesn’t it?”
“What is it Commander?” Sigrun asked.
“Wake up Nate Sigrun, and get Oghren. We’ve got some travelling to do.” Lyn replied.
“And just where are we going Commander?” Velanna asked, her eyebrow raised.
“Apparently, to save the world.” Lyn took the Warden’s seal and tied it to the bird’s foot before releasing it back into the sky. “It appears we’re needed.”
Marianne had her eyes trained to notice sudden movements by now; one had to when one lived on the run, even after she’d settled down it remained hard for her instinct to calm down.
Little Bethany noticed the bird too, and she pointed up from where she sat on her mother’s hip. Marianne had to put her down to receive the bird, and grew wary at the Inquisition’s seal. If this ended up being anything like the last time, she’d have to ‘accidentally’ lose the message in a river.
“What is it?” Fenris emerged from the house, still carrying a sleeping Malcolm. The red ribbon he’d once worn around his wrist now served to tie his hair back; it had grown longer in the past few years and Mari certainly didn’t mind the benefits of that.
“Skyhold.” Was all she said to turn Fenris’ face into a scowl.
“Tell them no. You’ve given them enough,”
“I don’t think it’s as simple as that this time.” Mari replied, going over the letter again. “This is big Fenris. Really big.”
“Put it this way. We’re gonna have to call in the old gang.” Mari said dryly.
Fenris gave a half-hearted groan that made Mari smile.
“We’ll swing by Kirkwall on our way, yeah? I’m sure Varric won’t be missed too much, and it’ll be good to see Merrill again.”
“You know when I said that you led me to strange places Marianne, it wasn’t a challenge to lead me to more.”
Mari laughed, and accepted the paper and quill Fenris brought out to her. She dashed off a couple of notes to old friends, and gave them to the bird.
“Bethany love, we’re going on a holiday.” She said to her little girl, the spitting image of herself.
“Really? Where?” Bethany cried.
“To where I was born. You’re going to see Fereldan. Go and pack something warm, it’s cold in Fereldan.”
“Okay!” Bethany ran inside in excitement, and Fenris shook his head.
“Here we go again.” He sighed.
“Come now Fenris, did you ever see us settling down completely?” Mari smirked. “We’d get bored.”
Fenris chuckled. “I suppose you’re right.”
The skies were grey and stormy when Skyhold received its guests. The Inquisitor stood at her war table, glancing around at her advisors when the bird flew in and landed on Leliana’s arm. She nodded.
“They’ve gathered Inquisitor.” She said.
Halani nodded. “Show them in.”
“Maker save us.” Cullen muttered.
