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Description
Forgiven not forgotten chapter 14
Author: Coo-ci
Game: Dragon Age inquisition
Disclaimer: All recognizable content belongs to Bioware
beware spoilers below

-------------------------------------------------

The falcon tilted head as it observed the battlefield from an old torn standard. The bird’s big amber eyes flickered quickly from one side to the other takings in the slaughter below. With a ear ripping cry the bird caught the up going wind as it spread its wings, and was lifted in to the air. Raising up to the other creatures in the air, crows and ravens waiting for their feast to begin, the falcon concluded her search. Adamant fortress held many more wardens then what the scouts reports had warned, fare bound twice the number. The agile bird of prey made a abrupt manoeuvre as it turned around chancing it's cause. Only a moment ago she had seen Cullen send off the inquisitor and her party, off to fight inside the stonewalls of the ancient fortress, now he was back with the rest of the officers at the war table. Pieces on the table was moved or taken away as reports went in, from the theatre of war where the inquisition soldiers was tested against an army of demons and wardens.
The falcon landed besides Cullen, but now in the form of a woman dressed in mage robes.
“anything new, Soa?” Cullen requested after his the last order was given. The mage straighten her sleeves as well along with the rest of her robe, they always got ruffled when she kept them on when shape shifting. It was so much easier just to shift when naked.
“I have good and bad news. The bad news is that the warden forces is more then 3 timer than Leliana's reports estimated for the worst case scenario. The good news are..” there wasn't any good news. The gate had just been breached and the inquisitor and her party was fighting their way through to stop Clarel and her wardens. Only the inquisitor was heading to her doom. The good news, Solona tried to twist and turn they situation to create something good from all the crap happing behind them. Sure they would win the battle but they would lose the inquisitor, and that meant losing the war.
“there aren’t any good news” the commander stated with a grave whisper starring at his boots. When he raised his again and his eyes meet Solona, they were pleading begging her for hope, any sign that the inquisitor was okay.

With the blade in hand Cullen suddenly leaped at he,r like a corned wild beast going for the kill. Had Solona come up with the idea that she had to stay alert around Cullen, who more or the les was the only person alive, she would truly call friend, then she might have stood a chance, but she had nothing prepaid. Completely paralyzed she observed her attacker fly though the air as he roared a battle cry. She braced herself from the impact hoping, his blade would be merciful and grand her a quick death, when the impact finally came it was from the wrong angle. A metal gloved hand yanked her aside, throwing Soa face first at the muddy ground outside Kinloch hold. The mage fought to get up wiping the dirt from her mouth and eyes. When the worst mud was gone and she opened her eyes, she saw the silhouettes of two warrior wrestling. One of the silhouettes was holding back on his attack, to put it right, he was restraining the other one, who fought back with every bit of strength there was left in him. The battle was unjust from the beginning and the victor had the energy enough to send a quick glance back at Solona. She caught Alistair's eyes, they were pleading begging for a hope, any sign that she was okay. Her own glance became a stare when she turned her attention to the battles loser Cullen. His skin a sickly pale grey, the light fuzz on his chin, the first marking of a young man growing a beard, hadn't been attended for days and made him look like a savage. But his bloodshot eyes was the worst, the topaz honey colour was wrapped in dark circles, but it was the hate, the despise that beamed out of them that caused a lump in her throat, it was all caused by her. And everything made perfect sense. Before her departure with the grey warden Duncan , before Jowans tricked her helping him escape, before all that she had ruined her friendship with the best friend she could ever hope to have. All this, because she was sorry for Cullen, sorry since he had never kissed a girl before. And today Cullen had some how managed to confess his “improper and impure obsession with her” only hours ago when they rescued him at the top of the tower. Today they might have won a great victory gaining the mages support, but Soa had lost her friend and her innocent childish view of her life back a Kinloch hold. Nothing back here had been innocent; it had never been fun and games, and this blight was no game, she had to evolve with the task that was given her or she would perish. It was clear to everyone that Alistair wasn't the one who would lead them, Morrigan wasn't interested and Steen wasn't even a warden. Soa rose up and dusted dirt of her robe, she might have spend the last weeks a grey warden, but now the words finally appealed to her, in dead sacrifice, and with at long resolute gaze a Cullen as he struggled in Alistair's grip, Solona breathed deeply and took in all his hatred, his spite, his rage, his fear and every disdained word he cried at her, she was dead to him, she knew that. And with all this she build a stonewall inside steeling away the young hopeful girl. She gave Alistair a short nod and turned on her heel walked away from the scene, without a word or gesture of comfort for Cullen to clinch at. With every pace Solona's strides became prouder more secure, this war need a leader and it had to be her, and thus Solona left Soa the mage apprentice one the shore of Calenhad lake.

The warden commander smiled at the memory, the young mage was gone but her nickname had returned to her with Anders at Amaranthine, and today she knew that Cullen had a crush on her long before they shared the kiss back in the hidden closet. Cullen however didn’t' understand her sudden amusement.
“so there is good news?” he inquired with a raised brow.
“indeed Archangel there is. Follow me I need your help.” Soa said and signed him on to follow her “Shale, Varric, Blackwall gear up we are needed in the assault”
Soa had reached her satchel with all her stash and began searching for items more than twice the satchel size.
“Soa! Stop this is madness. You said it yourself its suicide to go inside the fortress!” Cullen protested a slight note of desperation his voice, jet she kept searching there was no time for her to explain, it was easier to show him.
“one man can't make a difference in there, not anymore.” and with a soft whisper Cullen added “ I will not lose you”
“Cullen you won’t lose neither her nor me, not today.” finally her hands found the old metal equipment that she hadn't trounced in only Maker knows how long, and with a hard pull she yanked the old breast plate out into the open. As the metal caught light from a touch Soa glanced back to observer Cullen's reaction, as he recognised her old gold and black armour, the one from the blight, the very one she wore in every painting or story from the war 10 years ago.
“well, one man might unable to stop the wardens, but maybe the Hero of Ferelden will make them think twice.”

----------------------------------------------------------

Astrid glanced at her party. A short nod from The Bull, Dorian with a lyrium potion in hand, and Cole, Cole didn't give her much of an reply but that was as it should be, before a fight he always tented to look more like a confused bird then a killer. Hawke had caught up shortly after the battlements had been secured. Astrid thought it mesmerising to watch the Champion fight, dance was a more correct term, as a silk scarf caught in the wind the rouge twirled and jumped in the air, never staying at the same place for more than a few seconds.
They were ready, they were prepared, this was the moment they had been waiting for. Astrid walked up to the heavy wooden doors and opened them. The inquisitor had to pull in all her weight to open the heavy doors. The dry wood and old hinges made an enormous cracking sound as the party entered the inner courtyard of Adamant fortress. Astrid gazed around Good, now we have their attention the ritual is delayed she thought. Slowly as she looked around warden by warden, she realised Leliana's last reports had been incorrect. The wardens were in fare greater number then she had prepaid for they were well over 500 not including the other wardens fighting outside. However she had to do something at least try or it was all for naught.
“Clarel, stop this you are only doing exactly as Erimond want, don't be his puppet.”
the old warden-commander of Orlais stood on a platform high above her soldiers in the courtyard, turned and faced the inquisitor. Astrid could see that she had made the mage interested but her words had not had the alarming effect she had hoped for. With the echo of her own voice ringer between the walls, Astrid understood why it had failed, her voice was thin and crisp like a child, insecure, that was all her words had carried.
“hah, puppet you say, you are the only one playing puppet master, trying to confuse everyone for you own gain. But I won’t allow it, I will not let you destroy the wardens sacrifice, only they understand the severity of this matter.” the vint Erimond interrupted.
“you have only come to bind the wardens to Corypheus”. That was even worse, now she was stuttering, only a little but stuttering had no place at this discussing.
“but Corypheus , he is dead. This cant be true.” finally the Clarel seemed alarmed
“and it isn't. You don’t have any prove inquisitor, and of cause you play on my tevinter background I am not the evil magister you claim me to be.”
“i'm sorry inquisitor, but it's your word angst a man who have supported us before your inquisition ever existed. As a leader I hope you understand.” with those words Clarel turn to the ritual once more.
“boss, what do we d now?”
Astrid didn't know. She had expected 50 wardens observing the ritual, they was prepared for 50, hoping that some might be convinced of the wrong. She could feel the panic spread through her body, but tried to hid it, she needed to come up with something, and fast.
“maybe we can distract them” she whispered “that might enable Hawke and Cole to...”
“enough!” the command came from some where above them, a new coming voice to the debate across the courtyard. The voice sounded familiar but then again not, it was melodic and contained brute force at the same time, it was a voice that had spoken to large crowds before and the voice was good at it. When she turned her head to see their maybe saviour she saw, a warrior in golden armour standing regally on the stairs, leading from the battle down to the courtyard where the rest was gathered. A central place to be seen and very exposed place, the same reason Astrid had chosen a other route. The light from torches and the moon made the gold warrior glow, she began to walk down the stars as the wind caught her long red hair, and the golden warrior wasn’t alone. When Astrid saw the stone golem, following the warrior she knew it was one of their own, but Amell coming to their aid, wasn't not the first one who fell to mind, and thus it was a big surprise to see the warden walking towards her, never taking her eyes of the crowd.
“what about me Clarel? Am I too young too for you to accept as an authority since you never sought my counsel regarding this “plan” of yours? I can inform you that it is doomed to fail, once before have wardens sought to kill the old gods before the darkspawn could taint them, and all it did was start the fifth blight. A new blight or multiple blights that is all you'll achieve.”
The wardens had an audience now, she turned to the private warden with no rank at all and continued “ my name is Solona Amell Commander of the greys in Ferelden, many of you might know me, some have even fought alongside me during the Thaw of the fifth blight cleaning darkspawn out of Ferelden and Orlais, our homelands! However some of you are newcomers merely recruits rushed through the joining only to gain numbers. All of you hear me this, this calling you all hear it is hollow, trust the inquisitor when she sais Corypheus is behind it, for her words carries the truth and that is why the wardens of Ferelden is within her ranks, she has no other agenda then sawing Thedas, sawing us, and that is why I would willingly give my life to see she succeeds, no matter which former friend stands in my way, for you have been mislead.”
the warden walked up to Astrid with a sly smile and her confident steps, and Astrid could have sworn that the warden was transparent and a dim blue light floated around her.
“now Princess, they are all yours don't disappoint me.”
“sure that I haven’t done that already?”
“phish posh sweet thing, focus on Clarel and the vint, my team will take care of these sodding excuses for grey wardens”. And with one of her charming smirks she teased “now show me what you are made of.”

Description
Forgiven not forgotten chapter 14
Author: Coo-ci
Game: Dragon Age inquisition
Disclaimer: All recognizable content belongs to Bioware
beware spoilers below

-------------------------------------------------

The falcon tilted head as it observed the battlefield from an old torn standard. The bird’s big amber eyes flickered quickly from one side to the other takings in the slaughter below. With a ear ripping cry the bird caught the up going wind as it spread its wings, and was lifted in to the air. Raising up to the other creatures in the air, crows and ravens waiting for their feast to begin, the falcon concluded her search. Adamant fortress held many more wardens then what the scouts reports had warned, fare bound twice the number. The agile bird of prey made a abrupt manoeuvre as it turned around chancing it's cause. Only a moment ago she had seen Cullen send off the inquisitor and her party, off to fight inside the stonewalls of the ancient fortress, now he was back with the rest of the officers at the war table. Pieces on the table was moved or taken away as reports went in, from the theatre of war where the inquisition soldiers was tested against an army of demons and wardens.
The falcon landed besides Cullen, but now in the form of a woman dressed in mage robes.
“anything new, Soa?” Cullen requested after his the last order was given. The mage straighten her sleeves as well along with the rest of her robe, they always got ruffled when she kept them on when shape shifting. It was so much easier just to shift when naked.
“I have good and bad news. The bad news is that the warden forces is more then 3 timer than Leliana's reports estimated for the worst case scenario. The good news are..” there wasn't any good news. The gate had just been breached and the inquisitor and her party was fighting their way through to stop Clarel and her wardens. Only the inquisitor was heading to her doom. The good news, Solona tried to twist and turn they situation to create something good from all the crap happing behind them. Sure they would win the battle but they would lose the inquisitor, and that meant losing the war.
“there aren’t any good news” the commander stated with a grave whisper starring at his boots. When he raised his again and his eyes meet Solona, they were pleading begging her for hope, any sign that the inquisitor was okay.

With the blade in hand Cullen suddenly leaped at he,r like a corned wild beast going for the kill. Had Solona come up with the idea that she had to stay alert around Cullen, who more or the les was the only person alive, she would truly call friend, then she might have stood a chance, but she had nothing prepaid. Completely paralyzed she observed her attacker fly though the air as he roared a battle cry. She braced herself from the impact hoping, his blade would be merciful and grand her a quick death, when the impact finally came it was from the wrong angle. A metal gloved hand yanked her aside, throwing Soa face first at the muddy ground outside Kinloch hold. The mage fought to get up wiping the dirt from her mouth and eyes. When the worst mud was gone and she opened her eyes, she saw the silhouettes of two warrior wrestling. One of the silhouettes was holding back on his attack, to put it right, he was restraining the other one, who fought back with every bit of strength there was left in him. The battle was unjust from the beginning and the victor had the energy enough to send a quick glance back at Solona. She caught Alistair's eyes, they were pleading begging for a hope, any sign that she was okay. Her own glance became a stare when she turned her attention to the battles loser Cullen. His skin a sickly pale grey, the light fuzz on his chin, the first marking of a young man growing a beard, hadn't been attended for days and made him look like a savage. But his bloodshot eyes was the worst, the topaz honey colour was wrapped in dark circles, but it was the hate, the despise that beamed out of them that caused a lump in her throat, it was all caused by her. And everything made perfect sense. Before her departure with the grey warden Duncan , before Jowans tricked her helping him escape, before all that she had ruined her friendship with the best friend she could ever hope to have. All this, because she was sorry for Cullen, sorry since he had never kissed a girl before. And today Cullen had some how managed to confess his “improper and impure obsession with her” only hours ago when they rescued him at the top of the tower. Today they might have won a great victory gaining the mages support, but Soa had lost her friend and her innocent childish view of her life back a Kinloch hold. Nothing back here had been innocent; it had never been fun and games, and this blight was no game, she had to evolve with the task that was given her or she would perish. It was clear to everyone that Alistair wasn't the one who would lead them, Morrigan wasn't interested and Steen wasn't even a warden. Soa rose up and dusted dirt of her robe, she might have spend the last weeks a grey warden, but now the words finally appealed to her, in dead sacrifice, and with at long resolute gaze a Cullen as he struggled in Alistair's grip, Solona breathed deeply and took in all his hatred, his spite, his rage, his fear and every disdained word he cried at her, she was dead to him, she knew that. And with all this she build a stonewall inside steeling away the young hopeful girl. She gave Alistair a short nod and turned on her heel walked away from the scene, without a word or gesture of comfort for Cullen to clinch at. With every pace Solona's strides became prouder more secure, this war need a leader and it had to be her, and thus Solona left Soa the mage apprentice one the shore of Calenhad lake.

The warden commander smiled at the memory, the young mage was gone but her nickname had returned to her with Anders at Amaranthine, and today she knew that Cullen had a crush on her long before they shared the kiss back in the hidden closet. Cullen however didn’t' understand her sudden amusement.
“so there is good news?” he inquired with a raised brow.
“indeed Archangel there is. Follow me I need your help.” Soa said and signed him on to follow her “Shale, Varric, Blackwall gear up we are needed in the assault”
Soa had reached her satchel with all her stash and began searching for items more than twice the satchel size.
“Soa! Stop this is madness. You said it yourself its suicide to go inside the fortress!” Cullen protested a slight note of desperation his voice, jet she kept searching there was no time for her to explain, it was easier to show him.
“one man can't make a difference in there, not anymore.” and with a soft whisper Cullen added “ I will not lose you”
“Cullen you won’t lose neither her nor me, not today.” finally her hands found the old metal equipment that she hadn't trounced in only Maker knows how long, and with a hard pull she yanked the old breast plate out into the open. As the metal caught light from a touch Soa glanced back to observer Cullen's reaction, as he recognised her old gold and black armour, the one from the blight, the very one she wore in every painting or story from the war 10 years ago.
“well, one man might unable to stop the wardens, but maybe the Hero of Ferelden will make them think twice.”

----------------------------------------------------------

Astrid glanced at her party. A short nod from The Bull, Dorian with a lyrium potion in hand, and Cole, Cole didn't give her much of an reply but that was as it should be, before a fight he always tented to look more like a confused bird then a killer. Hawke had caught up shortly after the battlements had been secured. Astrid thought it mesmerising to watch the Champion fight, dance was a more correct term, as a silk scarf caught in the wind the rouge twirled and jumped in the air, never staying at the same place for more than a few seconds.
They were ready, they were prepared, this was the moment they had been waiting for. Astrid walked up to the heavy wooden doors and opened them. The inquisitor had to pull in all her weight to open the heavy doors. The dry wood and old hinges made an enormous cracking sound as the party entered the inner courtyard of Adamant fortress. Astrid gazed around Good, now we have their attention the ritual is delayed she thought. Slowly as she looked around warden by warden, she realised Leliana's last reports had been incorrect. The wardens were in fare greater number then she had prepaid for they were well over 500 not including the other wardens fighting outside. However she had to do something at least try or it was all for naught.
“Clarel, stop this you are only doing exactly as Erimond want, don't be his puppet.”
the old warden-commander of Orlais stood on a platform high above her soldiers in the courtyard, turned and faced the inquisitor. Astrid could see that she had made the mage interested but her words had not had the alarming effect she had hoped for. With the echo of her own voice ringer between the walls, Astrid understood why it had failed, her voice was thin and crisp like a child, insecure, that was all her words had carried.
“hah, puppet you say, you are the only one playing puppet master, trying to confuse everyone for you own gain. But I won’t allow it, I will not let you destroy the wardens sacrifice, only they understand the severity of this matter.” the vint Erimond interrupted.
“you have only come to bind the wardens to Corypheus”. That was even worse, now she was stuttering, only a little but stuttering had no place at this discussing.
“but Corypheus , he is dead. This cant be true.” finally the Clarel seemed alarmed
“and it isn't. You don’t have any prove inquisitor, and of cause you play on my tevinter background I am not the evil magister you claim me to be.”
“i'm sorry inquisitor, but it's your word angst a man who have supported us before your inquisition ever existed. As a leader I hope you understand.” with those words Clarel turn to the ritual once more.
“boss, what do we d now?”
Astrid didn't know. She had expected 50 wardens observing the ritual, they was prepared for 50, hoping that some might be convinced of the wrong. She could feel the panic spread through her body, but tried to hid it, she needed to come up with something, and fast.
“maybe we can distract them” she whispered “that might enable Hawke and Cole to...”
“enough!” the command came from some where above them, a new coming voice to the debate across the courtyard. The voice sounded familiar but then again not, it was melodic and contained brute force at the same time, it was a voice that had spoken to large crowds before and the voice was good at it. When she turned her head to see their maybe saviour she saw, a warrior in golden armour standing regally on the stairs, leading from the battle down to the courtyard where the rest was gathered. A central place to be seen and very exposed place, the same reason Astrid had chosen a other route. The light from torches and the moon made the gold warrior glow, she began to walk down the stars as the wind caught her long red hair, and the golden warrior wasn’t alone. When Astrid saw the stone golem, following the warrior she knew it was one of their own, but Amell coming to their aid, wasn't not the first one who fell to mind, and thus it was a big surprise to see the warden walking towards her, never taking her eyes of the crowd.
“what about me Clarel? Am I too young too for you to accept as an authority since you never sought my counsel regarding this “plan” of yours? I can inform you that it is doomed to fail, once before have wardens sought to kill the old gods before the darkspawn could taint them, and all it did was start the fifth blight. A new blight or multiple blights that is all you'll achieve.”
The wardens had an audience now, she turned to the private warden with no rank at all and continued “ my name is Solona Amell Commander of the greys in Ferelden, many of you might know me, some have even fought alongside me during the Thaw of the fifth blight cleaning darkspawn out of Ferelden and Orlais, our homelands! However some of you are newcomers merely recruits rushed through the joining only to gain numbers. All of you hear me this, this calling you all hear it is hollow, trust the inquisitor when she sais Corypheus is behind it, for her words carries the truth and that is why the wardens of Ferelden is within her ranks, she has no other agenda then sawing Thedas, sawing us, and that is why I would willingly give my life to see she succeeds, no matter which former friend stands in my way, for you have been mislead.”
the warden walked up to Astrid with a sly smile and her confident steps, and Astrid could have sworn that the warden was transparent and a dim blue light floated around her.
“now Princess, they are all yours don't disappoint me.”
“sure that I haven’t done that already?”
“phish posh sweet thing, focus on Clarel and the vint, my team will take care of these sodding excuses for grey wardens”. And with one of her charming smirks she teased “now show me what you are made of.”