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[DarthLinebacker]

Chapter 1: An Unlikely Leader

"Message for Ser Belinda Darrow! Message for Ser Belinda Darrow!" The messenger 's cry echoed throughout the dining hall.

"Here messere!" Belinda said as she stood at attention. The messenger took a moment to figure he was being recognized by a 'Marcher' title but still came swiftly.

"Ser Belinda, Knight-Commander Cullen has called for you to meet him in the Chantry with all haste." He relayed. Belinda supposed it was to be expected, Cullen had met with all the other former Templars in the past couple of days since the Conclave. Rumors were abound that he and the Nightingale were prowling around for possible spies, traitors to the Inquisition and the Chantry.

They couldn't suspect her though? Or could they? Perhaps it was best not to keep them waiting. Maker preserve me. She thought to herself as she discarded her plate and scurried off to the Haven Chantry. It wasn't far from the mess, and as the tallest building inside the walls it wasn't hard to spot either. The doors were large, carved in a artistic light that would make Andraste proud. Inside the artwork were a pair of smaller doors built inside for more practical use. A quick opening showed Belinda the Chantry was largely empty, a few guardsmen and busy bodies wandering around, but no Mothers, Laybrethren, or Templars. A void that made the place feel unnatural, as if hearing the words of a body with no mind.

With every step Belinda took forward her greaves gave away her position, echoing the sound of metal hitting the wooden floor. With such transparency it hardly came as a surprise that Knight-Commander Cullen opened the door before she could knock, beckoning her enter with a wave of his hands.

"Please, sit down." He said as one hand gestured to the chair, and the other shut the door behind them. Belinda took her place at the chair as he came behind his desk, littered with maps marked with possible supply lines and lists of troops, armaments, rations, and all manner of information.

"I'm sure you've heard the rumors Ser Belinda." He began as he took a deep breath. "And I am here to inform you that they are true. The Divine . . . she was lost at the Conclave." He said with a pause and a wince. Belinda began to let out tears as he delivered the news. She had figured with the explosion the Divine's chances were slim, but to hear it confirmed by the Knight-Commander? It hit her harder than any demon could flail.

"Then-" Belinda began to say as she thought of what other rumors circulated around the camp. "The prisoner? Sealing the rifts?"

"True. We attempted to close the Breach itself as well, but the process drained the prisoner to unconsciousness. Our healers are optimistic however, so we expect to begin closing rifts soon, and searching for a way to close the Breach entirely."

"Good, good." Belinda replied as she thought on the situation. If Cullen could only find one person could close the Breach then her purpose became clear. "Our mission is the protection of the Herald then?"

"Well, not exactly." Cullen replied as he went through a few of the reports on his desk before finding one he was satisfied with. "The Herald should awaken soon, but we must be prepared incase the healers are ineffective, or if the Herald's power was temporary. One of the new recruits has said she believes that an old Elvhan ruin might hold knowledge on what created the Breach, what power erupted at the Conclave."

"And we are to explore the Temple then?"

"No. With the Breach so close we must keep a standing force ready to combat the any possible expansion of Demon territory, and with the Arl being forced out Redcliffe we'll likely need to establish security in the Hinterlands as well. At present time we cannot dedicate a larger force to hearsay."

"But we cannot risk that the recruit is untrue." Belinda said softly as she began to reason through the situation.

"Yes. Which is why I'd like to send a small squad of soldiers to investigate, though there are many rumors of demonic activity."

"You're asking me Knight-Commander? With due respect I am not the most experienced of the Templars."

"No, but you are still a Templar, with all the power and training that holds, and unlike most of the Templars who stayed loyal to the Chantry you had only just taken your vows. Do you know what that means for us Ser Belinda?"

"That I'm inexperienced?" Belinda with a bit of a shrug to her shoulders.

"No. It means that unlike most of us you have not been addicted to Lyrium for years or decades. You won't need as much Lyrium as the rest of us to be effective, which means you can travel lighter, quicker, longer than any other Templar we have. Because of this you are essential to scouting out possible demon infestations and apostate cells."

"I." She said with a bit of a pause. "I understand Knight-Commander." She replied and saw Cullen give the faintest of smiles. "You said you'd send a small squad?"

"Yes." Cullen. "You'll be the head of a squad of three. An Archer who just joined but seems to have remarkable skill, and the woman gave us the information. A dalish apostate." His words finally let out, with enough weight to bend a blade.

"Do you trust her?" Belinda's first question came.

"She hasn't given us reason not to, and claims to merely wish to ensure the Dalish are represented in the Inquisition. That being said we cannot know how the Breach affects possession, nor if the Dalish have any hidden agendas. We did not choose a Templar to lead this squad by chance."

"Explore the Temple, research the Breach, and watch the apostate then?"

"Yes. Are you confident you can do that?" Cullen asked with a tone that signified importance, and eyes that seemed to ready to level up her response.

"I trust my training to ready me for the mission, and the Maker to guide me and give me the strength I need." Belinda responded, to which Cullen gave another small grin.

"I suppose that's all anyone can ask for these days. Prepare your things Ser Belinda, you leave in the morn."

[Aisabel]

Interesting concept. I like that your main character is showing us a different perspective of the Inquisition- one outside the Inquisitor. Nicely done. Definitely write more.

[DarthLinebacker]

@Aisabel

 

Well, Belinda's not really the main character, just the viewpoint for that chapter. I just really enjoy that the characters for the MP each have their own little backstory and thought they deserved to have their story told. If it goes as planned I'll be switching viewpoints between them and exploring all of them as they join the Inquisition. Thanks a lot for the read and comment, glad you liked it

 

 

 

Chapter 2: Not Alone in the Woods Anymore

 

The cool air of the Frostback Mountains greeted Hall as he awoke. Used to the warmer humid swamp of of the Korcari Wilds his body wasn't ready for things like snow or sleet, and as such he awoke to find himself shivering uncontrollably. Where did the Templar say the Elvhen ruins where? East, a little to the north. Which might mean it'd be even colder, and that he'd need some thicker clothes. Pulling himself up off of the cot the Inquisition had provided him he ventured out of the barracks, silent and careful as he walked. A peek outside the windows showed it was still quite dark. The quartermaster and cobbler were probably asleep, and Hall wasn't sure it was his place to wake them. The sun wouldn't show for another couple of hours, he had time for a little hunt. Checking his quiver he looked at his arrows, worn and stained from years of use and retrieval. The Inquisition had given him new equipment when he joined but the arrows and bow weren't his, not carved by his hands under the night sky, not nocked into his bow hundreds of times on the prowl. Though if he were to be fighting demons soon perhaps he should equip himself based on more than memories. 

 

Walking through the camp silent as a Chantry mouse Hall made a quick visit to the armory and took a few dozen newly made Inquisition arrows. They had offered him the same amount a few days ago, surely they wouldn't miss them if he decided to take them post-offer. With new equipment laying snugly in his quiver Hall made his way into the forest surrounding the village of Haven. Moving in the powdered snow was awkward at first, but Hall had lived most of his life in nature, and been taught to survive by a Dalish Hunter. Adapting to the new environment was swift, and before long he could make his steps nearly as swift and silent as he could in the Korcari Wilds, though not quite. His open ears and darting eyes could find squirrel, hawk, and beaver alike, but nothing big or thick enough for his tastes yet. Continuing through the woods he spot a couple of black spheres, perhaps half the width of arrowhead. He could hardly believe what he was seeing until he spotted the outline of a wolf rushing through the snow, coated in a thick hide that was the purest white he'd ever seen on an animal. It was a large specimen, swollen almost, as if it had gotten too fat and couldn't keep up with it's pack, or maybe it was an alpha that had lost it's spot to a younger faster wolf and was too proud to be someone's second. Hall nocked a new Inquisition arrow and held it to his cheek as he took careful aim at the creature, supposing it didn't matter what it was in the past.

 

"Vir Assan." Hall said to himself as the arrow loose and penetrated into the creature's heart. A Dalish proverb he'd learned from his only teacher, 'Be swift and silent. Strike true; do not waver, And let not your prey suffer.' And suffer Hall's prey did not, the wolf's body shutting down in but a few moments, the blood staining white coat only on the edge of his strike. With a small grin he headed over to the kill and picked it up, hiking it over his shoulders as he turned back to the village of Haven. He had an hour now, perhaps less to get back to camp and get ready to head to the Elvhen Ruins. Hall had never owned more than he could carry, but he did want to cut up the wolf and make himself some warmer clothing. 

 

The trek back to Haven was quiet, uneventful, but swift. A few people were awake when he got there, the blacksmith's apprentice getting ready for his teacher, the quartermaster making the day's first counts, the cook beginning to prepare the first day's meal. It wasn't glamorous work, nor often thanked work, but it was essential to the Inquisition. As Hall began to cut into the skin of the wolf he hoped to himself that at the end of the day his bow would contribute as much to the Inquisition as the smith's hammer, or the cook's ladle. 

 

"You're the archer I take it?" Hall heard a voice, female, elvish. He turned his head to find a lithe member of the people with a staff at her back. 

 

"Andaran Atish'an Keeper." He said in reply, an elvish phrase he'd learned from the hunter who'd taught him.

 

"You are no one to be speaking those words shemlen." She replied harshly, and Hall took a moment to look at her before returning to his work, cleaning the removed hide. 

 

"I apologize then. I am not used to . . . people. I'm still not sure what I'm supposed to say." Hall replied as he began to take the now clean hide and sew it into his coat.

 

"You are a strange one shemlen." She said as she watched him make his coat. "I am Neria, First of Clan Ralaferin." She said as she stood tall, with a pride that made the Dalish Hall had met seem humble.

 

"Well, I apologize for thinking you were a Keeper and not a First then." Hall said and continued sewing the wolf hide into his coat. The Keeper's First continued to watch him as his sewing continued. He just kept sewing and she just kept staring until Hall began to feel something was wrong.

 

"Is something the matter?" Hall asked a bit confused. 

 

"When two people introduce they normally give their names." Neria instructed, and though Hall couldn't see it he was sure his face was turning an awful red. 

 

"I am Hall. I hunt with a bow. " He said as he continued to sew the hide into his coat, getting the sleeves into place. Neria continued to look at him like he had a second head, before shaking her head and sitting net to him. 

 

"You'd best hurry. We'll be heading out soon." Neria said with a nod and a point towards a due of Templars, a woman who seemed like she'd only just begun her life, and a man who looked like he'd seen more than any man should. Even without the armor and heraldry, or even the age difference it was obvious to even Hall who was who. 

 

"Is that a wolf?" The first question asked by the male Templar, as he examined the carcass of the wolf, the woman looking a bit appalled but trying to hide it. 

 

"Yes. It was a bit cold so I figured I'd need a warmer fit. The Inquisition can have the meat and the bones if you like." Hall replied as he held out his hands as if to offer the beast. 

 

"Just leave it." The blonde-haired Templar spat out before turning to address them. "This is Ser Belinda Darrow, she will be leading your expedition into the Elvhen ruins. Your task is to search them for any information or artifacts that may pertain to the magic of the Breach and recover them for the Inquisition. There have been sightings of a rift nearby and demons lurking about, which is why we I have chosen a Templar to lead our forces. Make sure that whatever you do you manage to get out alive. If the so-called Herald of Andraste does not awake then whatever information you provide might be our only chance of sealing the Breach. Maker be with you." The Templar said and left them with this 'Belinda Darrow', their new leader. With curiosity, fear, and a smidgen of hope Hall followed the Templar woman into the Frostback mountains. For once in his life Hall wasn't working for his next meal, to restock his quiver, find shelter, or put some clothes on his back. Instead he was ready to fight for a cause beyond himself, to solve a problem that riddled all of Thedas. 

 

May the Maker, or the Creators, or whatever higher power might exist grant me the strength I'll need for the coming battle.