Chapter Text
Chapter 1: The Breach
She awoke to the sensation of an unfamiliar kind of pain radiating throughout her body. Looking down at her hand, which seemed to be the source of her recent discomfort, she noticed a strange mark that hadn't been there before. Raising her head from the cold, heavy metal shackles that bound her wrists, she surveyed her surroundings. The elf was in the center of a damp and dimly lit cell, and while she couldn't see them she could feel the presence of guards. How did I get here? And where is 'here' for that matter?
Two women entered the room and approached her, hints of anger, loss, and distrust in their faces. I am going to die in here... "Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now. The conclave is destroyed, everyone is dead...except for you." said the women with the short dark hair. The sharp angles of her face made the seriousness of her tone all the more menacing. They're definitely going to kill me.
"And you think I did it?" she answered with incredulity in her voice. Of course the shems would immediately assume I'm guilty, they've blamed elves for far less and with even less reason, why am I surprised?
The women reached for her cuffed hand, "Explain this."
She must mean this mark on my hand. "I - I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?"
"I don't know what that is, or how it got there."
"You're lying!" Certain she was about to be on the receiving end of this woman's anger, the elf braced herself for a blow that never came.
The red-haired woman with porcelain skin finally spoke. Her face had a gentleness about it that the other woman's lacked, but its expression was no less serious. "We need her, Cassandra."
"I don't understand."
The hooded woman addressed her again with less harshness in her tone. "Do you remember what happened? How this began?”
Think Willa, think...what was the last thing you remember? “I remember running, things were chasing me..." she recalled. A flash of her memory depicted the nasty creatures chasing her, biting at her heels. She shuddered, of all the things to remember I had to remember that. "...there was...a woman.“ She continued, almost as if asking a question.
"A woman?" There was a look of surprise and intrigue on the red head's face.
Yes, there was that figure of a woman who looked like she was made of light, she seemed to be helping me. "She..... reached out to me... but then...." Nothing. That was all that was left of her memory of what had happened. Who was that woman of light, did she do this to my hand?
With resignation in her voice, Cassandra sighed, "Go to the forward camp Leliana, I will take her to the rift."
Still lost in her confusion, Willa asked the woman, who was now releasing her from the shackles bounding her wrists, "What did happen?"
Noticing the earnest look on the elf's face, Cassandra replied more calmly. "It will be easier to show you."
The brightness of outside was a drastic contrast to where she had been. She shielded her eyes to allow them time to adjust and when they did she turned to look up at the sky. Is that a hole in the sky? She was filled with shock and awe at the horrifying, and strangely beautiful sight before her. 'The Breach' Cassandra had called it.
A crackle and flash of green light snapped her back into reality. She dropped to her knees as searing pain spread over her. The pain was deafening, it was cold, but it burned and somehow felt empty. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced, far worse than the pain of receiving her vallaslin which marked her cheeks and her chest. She only heard bits and pieces of what Cassandra had been saying but she caught enough to know that the mark on her hand was somehow connected to the hole in the sky, when the breach grew her mark spread, and it was killing her.
Cassandra seemed to think the mark would be able to close the breach. "If I do this, will I live through it?" It was clear from the look upon Cassandra's face that she could not say one way or the other, and she said as much. Going through with this was her best chance at surviving and freeing herself from her captors.
As they walked along Willa could feel the accusatory stares of shems on either side of her. As if sensing her discomfort and confusion Cassandra explained, "They have decided your guilt, they need it. The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia, head of the chantry. The conclave was hers. It was a chance for peace between mages and templars. She brought their leaders together. Now, they are dead."
She had been sent to spy on the proceedings by her Keeper. The Dalish may not have been involved with the ongoing war between the mages and templars, but they would nevertheless feel its effects. Thus, Willa had been sent to the conclave to observe the talks and send word back in case the talks didn't go well, in which case the clan would be able to act quickly to avoid any ramifications.
They stopped walking after passing through a large gate. Cassandra turned to her and pulled out a knife. Her breath hitched as a she felt a twinge of fear, unsure what this woman intended to do with the knife. She was relieved to find it was being used to cut the ropes around her wrists. Rubbing her sore wrists, they continued to walk.
"Where are you taking me?"
"Your mark must be tested, on something far smaller than the Breach." Cassandra stated matter-of-factly.
Walking along the dirt path Willa passed several burning carts and more than one soldier with a eyes clouded with fear. She was filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt; she had survived some unthinkable horror and had no memory of it. Her guilt was short-lived and was replaced by another rush of pain as her hand flared green and brought her to her knees. I don't know how much more of this I can take. Cassandra helped her to her feet again with what looked like pity in her eyes. Does she believe I'm innocent? Please let her believe, someone has to believe me.
The bridge beneath their feet crumbled from the impact of a rock that fell from the sky. The collapse caused them both to tumble down alongside the rubble until they landed with a thud on the hard ice below. As soon as they hit the ground, a glowing green ball shot down in front of them. Cassandra already had her sword and shield in hand as she moved forward, ready to fight. "Stay behind me!" she shouted as she made her way to the shade that had just appeared. A moment later a second shade emerged behind the warrior's back, eyes locking onto the unarmed elf in front of it.
Willa looked around quickly for anything that might aid her and reached for the staff laying to her left. Thank the Creators for my luck. While it was unnecessary for her to have a staff to be deadly, having one did make her far more effective in battle. After making short work of the demon, she walked towards Cassandra feeling accomplished and was met with a sword pointed at her. "Drop your weapon, now!", Cassandra's voice boomed.
"Do you really think I need a staff to be dangerous?", Willa replied. That probably wasn't the best response.
"Is that supposed to reassure me?"
"I haven't used my magic on you yet," the mage said in an effort to gain some trust with Cassandra
With a heavy sigh Cassandra sheathed her weapon, "You are right. I cannot protect you, and I cannot expect you to be defenseless. I suppose I must trust you if we are to work together. I should remember you agreed to come willingly."
They continued on, battling demons along the way until they reached a landing where fighting could clearly be heard. "We must help them!"
"Help who?" Willa asked.
"You'll see."