#BiCassAndALesbianTalVashothArishokAndCo.

Three days.

Three days of dark, inky... nothing. Vague images of the Fade, the Divine and a trail of death flashed by but with no meaning other than she knew she did nothing.

Consciousness was hard to come to, but her body refused to respond properly. Her limbs felt as if they had boulders laid out on them, and her eyes simply did not want to open. Her left arm tingled with numbness; it felt as she were still feeling the lingering shock from a fight from an apostate mage. She was aware of the sounds; birds chirped although quiet. People talked outside, but she could not make out any words. The faint sound of metal hitting metal echoed. With a grunt, she had forced herself into sitting up, muscles straining and aching to relax and lay again. The protest from her body went ignored as much as the hard mattress called out to her. How ever uncomfortable it was, it remained as more comfortable than anything she's laid in in weeks. Opening her bright green eyes, she turned her head to lock eyes with an obviously nervous elf.

"I...I am so sorry. I was...just sent to check on you. No one knew when you were going to wake up, but you have been unconscious for three days now." She stammered, obviously nervous about the presence of the qunari in front of her. Said qunari, Raset Adaar, blinked several times before glancing out the window. Right... they had made an attempt to close what they had referred to as the Breach, a massive Fade rift in the sky that had threatened to consume the world. It appeared stable now, but the hole in the heavens was still glaringly obvious. Glancing back to the elf, the Tal-Vashoth frowned. "Thank you, but...er...you're excused, I suppose. I can look after myself now." She said, although not making any moves to get up. The elf bowed her head lightly, turning to leave the small building. "W-When you do get up, they want to see you in the Chantry." Quickly than she had entered, the skittish elf left out the door. Watching the door close, the qunari slowly rose to her feet, taking note that they, whoever 'they' were, left her maul by the door.

The door swung open to several guards and a crowd of people that seemed to silence immediately upon taking notice of the woman leaving the small house. She said nothing, closing the door behind her. Before leaving, a set of armor was left for her as well, more suited than the simple mercenary armor she arrived to the Conclave in. It fit her well enough and it was even a miracle there was anything for someone of her...stature. For a woman of the qunari, she was probably more comparable to a male of her race. Even her horns were abnormal; a second pair rested below the primary and it only added to an intimidating appearance. Her strength reflected that even when she was young, slated for arishok practically since she could hold a weapon. She was confident her appearance could have frightened off the entire village by now, but their silence wasn't one of pure fear. It was one of...awe, confusion, maybe a dash of fear. Inhaling sharply, Raset made her way through the crowd of people, now hearing the voices more clearly. More than once did she hear herself being called the Herald of Andraste. She held back the disbelief. Even she, being of Andrastian faith herself, found that... a little hard to believe. Even after a hole was ripped through the sky.

The sounds of the bustling village seemed to die out slowly as she passed through to make it to the Chantry, pairs of eyes being pulled away from their work to watch the qunari pass through. It was hard to ignore as the silence seemed almost suffocating. She barely remembered being slated as a murderer just three days before and she couldn't tell if the silence that seemed to keep building was one of accusation or awe still.

The Chantry seemed a sanctuary now, Raset pushing the doors open as she arrived and closing them behind her. It was a peaceful silence in the building, something more welcomed to her. She walked slowly to the room at the end, taking in the familiarity of the interior. Every Chantry seemed to be built and modeled similarly, with only vague differences on regions. She would have taken it in more to relax her mind, but raised voices from the room at the end of the hall caught her attention. She took quicker steps to make her way down, pushing the door open. And perhaps she came to regret that decision.

"There! Her! I want her on a carriage to Val Royeaux immediately! She needs to face trial in the capital for her crimes!"

"Do not be ridiculous chancellor, she still sleeps and yet you insist to, what, drag her from the coverlets?" The words bounced off of the stone cold walls of the chantry, only light from the sconces lit the three faces in the room.  The chancellor's face reddened his eyes narrowed at the two woman opposite "The divine is yet even cold in her grave and the two of you have taken extreme and frankly blasphemous measures"
Cassandra's eyes narrowed, her lip twitched in irritation as she pushed herself away from the table, a passing glance to the other woman, who solomnly shook her head. This man's view were as narrowed as they came, though even she had a hard time believing the events that had taken place over the past few days, they had lost their divine, the very heavens itself had opened up, and someone had walked straight out of the fade..who possesses the power enough to close the breach. She had seen her fair share of anomalies but this had by far taken the top.

"And have you heard what they are calling that..criminal, the Herald of Andraste! The nerve to think that our Lady would..would bless....that..that qunari!" The man raved bringing a hand to his face in clear distress "this must be stopped at once, the word cannot spread further" Cassandra didn't face him again, having a hand run the back of her neck to try to focus her anger elsewhere.  "And what will you have us do chancellor?" She asked, attempting to not spit her words. There was a sway from the third figure in the room, as she rounded the table to stand next to Cassandra "Perhaps lining them up and cutting out their tongues would put you at ease?" The second woman in the room spoke calmly, the suggestion caused a small smirk from Cassandra, though the chancellor's face turning a pasty white at the suggestion turned smirk to smile before she managed to wipe it from her face entirely.

The first silence in what seemed like eternity settled between the three of them, Roderick stood opposite of the Right and Left hand, face red as he grabbed along his chantry robes for a cloth to wipe his brow, which had become damp with sweat. Cassandra glanced to the door, thinking for a moment she had heard the muffled sound of the chantry doors opening but she merely shook her head. "Leliana, perhaps you should see the Chancellor out for some fresh air." she suggested, making brief contact with the eyes that laid under hood and shadow. Before the other woman could respond a loud huff from the man halted all answer,  he shook his head abruptly "I will not leave this room until we have reached some resolved, I will not sit ideally by while these people chant for a false herald" before either could answer, and as if called for by the chancellors words the door to the room slowly opened. The chancellor waited no time to point accusingly at the Qunari who entered, the one who had weakened the breach with a literal flick of the wrist, and he would see this woman imprisoned or even executed.

Cassandra glanced behind the horned woman, to the guards who had poked their heads in, ready to follow the chancellors orders if need be, though neither looked to eager to attempt to arrest the Qunari. "Disregard those orders, return to your stations" Cassandra spoke sharply, neither of the two guards hesitated in doing so and quickly closed the door behind themselves. "you continue to push your boundaries Seeker" Roderick warned, his eyes narrowing at Cassandra who now glanced from him to the one they had been calling Herald. "This woman stabilized the breach, you may be willing to dismiss that, but I will not, nor will I ignore the threat that punctures our skys"

She froze in the doorway, hardly able to close the door before accusations were thrown her way. Nothing was said from her though, her eyes going from one of the woman to the other. The qunari barely remembered their names...barely. The dark-haired one was Cassandra and the hooded one was Leliana. She glanced back at the templars that were dismissed, looking forward once again to hear the door close. She frowned slightly; she wasn't willing to go, per se, but if it would have smoothed anything over it may have been the best option. But still Raset felt as if the women had no reason to defend her either. Just three days before, namely Cassandra, had threatened the same thing. That she must stand trial for her supposed crimes and be taken to Val Royeaux.

Or why didn't they just kill her right then and there. Raset sighed. She wasn't going to let them speak for her, though. "Is my innocence given so suddenly simply because I can close a hole in the sky?" She inquired, looking at the chancellor who seemed elated that even the qunari agreed. "Even the qunari wants to face her crimes in Val Ro-" He was cut short when the qunari gave him a harsher look than before. "I never said that. I know I'm innocent, but just three days ago I stood guilty of anything you could have thrown at me." Her attention was turned to the other two women now. "But a change of heart because I possess the ability to close the Breach?" She looked at her left hand now and stepped closer to the table, almost causing the chancellor to reel back. "I don't buy it." The former arishok almost sneered, crossing her arms over her chest.

The chancellor blinked between the qunari and Cassandra, frowning deeply. "I will find a way to bring in this brute for questioning. You were the only one to survive the Conclave, and now any chance of peace between anyone is gone with everyone else. But she comes out unscathed by it all. There is simply no she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I can only imagine it was some conspiracy of the qunari to infiltrate the Conclave." Those comments only served to make Raset's blood boil, if only slightly. But she wasn't one to get violent. She couldnt afford anything drastic to ruin her chances of playing off innocent.

Which she still was.

"I was hired as a third party to keep the peace between your mages and templars. I am Tal-Vashoth, I left Par Vollen. I am no longer a qunari. Stop referring to me as if the terms are interchangable." Raset held her tongue; she could have kept going against the chancellor. The...prejudice anywhere against Tal-Vashoth was astronomical, sometimes comparable or worse to the elves of the region.

The room took on a stillness after her words, though Cassandra had doubted they held any weight with the chancellor though it was not out of his mouth that accusing words came, it was the Qunari that had entered, the supposed Herald of Andraste. She spoke, eyes silently accusing everyone in the room which did not settle well with Cassandra, she had spent the early half of the day defending this woman against Roderick and his radical accusations, though Cassandra herself was nay too quick to believe what the Qunari was capable of when their soldiers brought her in from walking out of a rift, but she had seen what she had done...and Cassandra believed in the possibilities it would bring to one day close the breach before their very world is swallowed.

The seeker stood straight, eyes narrowed at the horned woman in front of her as she continued to speak spiteful words.
"There is no doubt what you did at the breach, I seen it with my own eyes" Cassandra took in a breath before she continued, her eyes never leaving the Heralds "we have reasons to believe that mark you carry on your hand will be able to close the breach entirely." She glanced at the hooded woman to her side, who merely observed the conversation for now, before returning her attention to the Herald, though another frown quickly found its way onto the Seeker's face "you don't buy...you stabilized something that seemed...seemed untouchable, demons pouring out of the fade...and you don't accept our gratitude....their gratitude" Cassandra's lip twitched with irritation as she silently sized up the Qunari, hand tightly clenching the hilt of her sword "you were the only one to survive the explosion out of the conclave, the most holy lost and a hole in the sky, yet you still blame us for our suspicions, you walk before us now do you not, unchained and free to speak." Cassandra fumed on the side opposite of the Herald, eyes still locked steely and full of bubbling anger still.

The chancellor sighed, again taking a cloth to his face "ah and now the brutes argue, typical. Will Haven be the next to fall now that this criminal continues to roam free, corrupting the people's minds." He gave a haughty sniff at his own suggestion, concealing away the cloth only to look back at the seeker giving him a cold stare, making the man jump slightly.
A solid thunk, which shook the hard wooden table slightly gained both Cassandra's and the Chancellor's attention, Leliana stood at the far end of the table, a single finger danced along the hilt of a dagger which was now wedged into the table as she waited patiently for everyone's attention "if I may speak, Chancellor Roderick, Herald of Andraste, Seeker Penteghast" giving each a glance.

Her full attention was brought to the dark-haired woman, already able to tell this was a woman who didn't even seem capable of keeping her own anger under check. She never tried to quickly judge a person, already used to people doing the same in her direction. But it wasn't easy to not judge a bunch like this. Although she still had no opinion on the hooded one... she seemed to be the more diplomatic one of the bunch. It still remained to be seen, though. Looks can be deceiving but she didn't deceive anything about the brash one. Already she could tell it was going to be a long day.

Her own frown creased her brow, Raset shaking her head towards the woman. "Give me reason to accept gratitude from people who would have seen me hanged." Raset seethed, clenching and unclenching a hidden fist. "You." She pointed at the woman. "You would have seen that was the case. Do you only keep me around now for convenience to close the Breach?" She unfolded her arms, instead letting her hands rest on the table. She was quiet for a moment, inhaling and exhaling slowly. "Had you a choice, I think you would still see me in chains." Raset muttered, more to herself than to anyone else in the room. Was it true? She had no idea. It wasn't to say she was completely angry over her situation. Sure... maybe she was. Angry that these people changed their mind because this mark on her hand was able to help them. It was true the hole in the sky threatened everyone, but it just seemed convenient.

Attention shifted to the chancellor at his next...idiotic sentence. Raset shifted, standing up straight again to give a cold look before the hooded one spoke again. She glanced to the other two in the room, not having much more to say in the matter. "And what will you say, Left Hand? Do you think words will placate this demon you have allowed into the Chantry?" The chancellor spouted, but his next speech was cut short by a swift punch to his jaw. The qunari snorted, rubbing her fist lightly before glancing back at the other women. "Ah...continue, please. I...please." Raset muttered, casting a glare in the direction of the chancellor.

The air around the room was still thick with tension, Cassandra was not done saying her peace...though the words she had in mind for the horned woman were far from peace. The Seeker was not one to easily be swayed away from an argument especially not one she felt she had started. Though arguing with the woman who had just saved them some unknown amount of time, as....ungrateful she may seem to Cassandra, was probably not a good idea.

Leliana stood still at the head of the table, waiting motionless for the room to settle, the chancellor clearly had other plans with letting the full attention of everyone shift to the left hand. Cassandra felt her body tense with irritation once more when the man spewed another accusing sentence at the Qunari. Cassandra was about to turn to him herself, direct her earlier frustrations on the ignorant chancellor and his ramblings of accusing that of which he does not understand, claiming to be demons or otherwise...it was ridiculous to Cassandra. Though she stopped short, eyes widening slightly at a strong fist making contact with the chancellor's face.

The man stumbled back, hands fumbling grasp at his jaw and eyes as wide as saucers as the man looked on at the Herald
"You- you dare lay a hand on a member of the faith! You are no Herald of Andraste! A true demon and she makes her strike now don't either of you see!" He looked on to Leliana and then to Cassandra, who was still glancing from the horned woman then back to him. Clearly not having any favor with the two other women and still infuriated he turned and stormed out of the room, clearly avoiding the Qunari as best he could.
Followed by a door slam of the exiting chancellor, the flames within the sconces  in the room flickered to the swing of the door. The room was silent once more as leliana cleared her throat "well that was one way to handle him but shall we begin what we planned to discuss" she offered, gripping the handle of the dagger she had driven into the table and swiftly pulling it out. Cassandra still stared at the Herald, lips parted in the slightest. Leliana cleared her throat once more, this time directed towards the seeker
"Cassandra?"

The dark haired woman quickly looked over and nodded "ah yes, please continue we have..much to discuss" she offered, glancing back over to the horned woman "though you did what we all were thinking" she spoke lowly, shifting to move away from the table and quietly clearing her throat. Leliana looked between the two of them before continuing "tensions were high, with what happened at the conclave and the breach still fresh in our minds and the hole in the sky still very real...we were all quick to accuse." The hooded woman lowered her gaze to the table "this does not make our actions against you acceptable  but perhaps explains them, despite how the people out there felt about you before they are in awe of you now, what you did they all have seen and the few that didn't have been told. You are a Herald of our lady to them." she paused, glancing over to Cassandra who had made her way to the far side of the room, gently picking up a large and heavily bound book. The Seeker carried it over to the table, letting it drop heavily against the solid wood. "Despite how you may feel towards me, or Leliana...or anyone else here it is very clear that we need your assistance in stopping this threat" Cassandra looked up towards Leliana, who nodded slightly. The Seeker then turned her gaze to the Herald "will you help us?"

The Vashoth rolled her eyes at the outburst from the chancellor. "Member of faith..." She snorted again, shaking her head. Frankly, she had enough of the little man. He was a bother to everyone in the room and he was likely a bother to the entire village and it was probably best she put him back down one spot. Watching him leave the room, she turned to face the other two woman but barely caught the stare of Cassandra. She tried to pretend she didn't see it, hoping she was staring at her in shock; she didn't really stop to see what kind of expression was being given. It was probably best it went ignored. Maybe. Her full attention shifted to Leliana when she started to speak, taking every word into account.

She listened carefully to what she said, taking in a deep breath before letting out it. No, she wasn't fond of her situation. It wasn't to say she absolutely hated it and she wished everything went back to the way it was before the Conclave. But no one could predict... whatever happened. The woman did wish she could give a full account on what happened in the Temple but she had told the truth several days before: she simply did not remember. It would have helped and given, quite frankly everyone, a better perspective of what they were dealing with and all they knew there was a hole in the sky, the Divine was dead, and all hope of peace between mages and templars was lost with that Conclave. Maybe the Maker did set her on this path, no one knew for sure but they certainly believed it. And maybe the one thing that bothered her about the recent events was that she couldn't help by giving a story to give these people a better view on things and maybe that's why she acted out against them.

She watched Cassandra leave the table to the other side of the room, returning with a heavy book that dropped on the table. Her eyes didn't leave the book until she was asked if she would help them. She said nothing for a few moments before bringing her gaze back up to the two women. "I had left Par Vollen years ago because I couldn't help anyone there like I had wanted. Dealing with unknowns, it was probably best that you put me under lock and chain. Being the only survivor of the Conclave and...well, qunari, as you would put it, you dealt with many unkowns." She adjusted her armor, glancing between the two. "Believe me when I say I have no recollection of what happened at the Conclave. If I had remembered anything, you would have had it all on paper by the time I entered this room. I do regret not remembering, as it would probably put this... hole in the sky into perspective...maybe. But I did not leave Par Vollen to not help. If you need me, you have my help." She finished, giving a small nod. She didn't know what she was getting herself into, not in the slightest. But really, she could only hope this is what they needed.

The large book layed atop the table a blatant truth as to what was about to come. Cassandra looked down at it while she awaited the answer of the Herald, she could easily reject their plea and then what would they be left with, back to the same confused and helpless position they were in before the Qunari had walked out of the Rift. Cassandra hated to feel so helpless, if it were someone in need of justice, something physical she could cut down but this she could do nothing but hope the horned woman before them would feel compassion for their cause.

When the Herald spoke, she had both the left and right's attention, Cassandra felt the tension in her shoulders start to ease, the woman offered her help and that is what they needed most now. "Thank you, we would not be able to move forward without you, the mark on your hand is our only hope"  Leliana was the first to speak, her words were honest as she nodded towards the Herald. Cassandra paused for a moment, laying a hand on the lether bound book in front of her "these pages contain what Divine Justinia had planned, what she...had not lived to see come to pass" Cassandra looked up for a moment to see Leliana's eyes soften at the book, but it was only for a fleeting moment. Cassandra glanced back over to the Qunari "it is noble of you to agree to this, we are all going to be working very closely...it is best to clear the air now" the seeker patted the book and then looked towards the both of them with determination alit in her eyes "I declare the inquisition of old reborn, to aquire knowledge and understanding of the unknown, using that knowledge to lead Thedas  to peace."

Leliana watched Cassandra for a moment before turning her attention back to the Herald "you should familiarize yourself with Haven, this is where the inquisition will call home for now...I do not feel the chantry  will be thrilled with this decision" she paused to give both women a nod "if you wish to speak Herald I will be in the tent outside, I have a few messages to send." Leliana left quietly and Cassandra was not necessarily pleased she had left her with a woman who was more then likely not fond of the her. The dark haired woman sighed "I do not believe I have ever formally introduced myself, I am Seeker Cassandra Penteghast, and that was sister Leliana you will have a chance to meet her again soon, we plan to hold a council within the next day" Cassandra stepped away from the table, leaving the book where it laid for later use "If I may, I suggest you do take Leliana's advice, Haven should have everything you may need"  she walked towards the door, hand lightly resting on the hilt of her sword as she focused ahead, though she stopped almost as an after thought "if I am needed I will be with the soldiers just outside the gates" she glanced at the horned woman once more briefly before swiftly turning on her heels and marching out.

The small flames from the sconces almost had their own sound as she finished her small speech, glancing to Leliana for a quick moment before her eyes went to her left hand. No one knew what the mark really was; all anyone knew was that it had the ability to close both Fade rifts and the Breach itself. Although that little elf man seemed to know more about it, but it didn't seem like he would lead on to what he knew. And it remained to be seen if he would reveal anything. Looking back up to Cassandra, Raset sighed. One part of her mind didn't know what she was getting into. The Inquisition? She did feel as though she was obligated to help them; she could just write to her mercenary group, tell her she'll be out helping people close a giant hole in the sky. No big deal, right?

The Tal-Vashoth looked at Leliana, nodding slightly. "Thank you.. I can't imagine they will be either." She watched as the woman left the room, turning again to look at Cassandra. It was...awkward. They didn't start off on the right foot at all, and with Raset's previous outburst just moments before, she did nothing to fix that. Hopefully now, or later, that would be remedied. If she's going to be working with them more often and on a near-daily basis, bad practice would entail grudges being held for no reason. She cleared her throat. "It's nice to officially meet you, then. I am Raset Adaar... Adaar will be fine though." She stole a quick glance at the book, looking back to Cassandra as she made to leave the room. Again she nodded with a small sigh. Depending on how long it would take them to close the Breach, this could be a long few weeks.


She still didn't leave the Chantry for a good couple of hours. It appeared no one had needed her though. Come to think of it, who would even go to her for anything right now? Definitely no one. The qunari only took a little extra time to go through that large book that could have broken anyone's arm if dropped on. It was a thorough book, even if she had only skimmed some of the pages. Now she seemed at an impasse. She was told to familiarize herself with Haven... but with what? Her total time in Haven was spent in chains... unconscious... and then in bed... unconscious. People were familiar with her, but she wasn't familiar with them. As of now, she only knew Cassandra and Leliana... and the little elf man, Solas, and the even littler man, Varric. She could get lost trying to find anyone, despite the small village. Pursing her lips for a moment, Raset looked towards one of the tents and from the Chantry she could spot Leliana in one of them. Apologizing to those two and getting it out of the way would be smart, so she would.

Walking towards the tent, she poked her head in, blinking slowly. "Leliana? I hope I'm not interrupting anything... sorry, I am Raset Adaar, just Adaar will be fine." Raset tugged on one of the belts on her armor, glancing around. "I wanted to... apologize for snapping at you and Cassandra. I had no real reason to do so, and it was out of place." She finished her relatively short apology, again glancing around the tent before looking back to Leliana.

....that worries me and I do not know if she will be able to close the breach, she is Qunari like Sten  had been, but she does not remind me of him. She is quite a sight and I wish you could see her, they are starting to call her the Herald of Andraste. The breach had grown everyday until she stabilized it with her very hand, the threat has gone down if only slightly. We intend to find a way to close it, but do not worry for me dearest, I understand your concerns but I must do what is needed of me here. Please know my thoughts are always of you and when we be with each-...

The quill had stopped abruptly against the parchment, skilled hands gently moved other papers atop the one she had just been writing on as she watched the newly proclaimed Herald of Andraste approach her tent. Leliana stood slowly from her desk her eyes examined the Heralds posture from a distance, there didn't seem to be any edge about her, only perhaps confusion but that much could be found on her face. As the woman approached Leliana listened only to slowly shake her head "oh no you are not interrupting a thing, in fact I was just finishing messages and reports to send out, the distraction is welcome"  she stepped back away from the entrance of her tent, ushering the large Qunari woman in, glancing only for a moment at the roof of her tent in fear of the very large horns poking a hole.

"The snow is picking up again, no need to stand out in it." She turned back towards the papers on her small wooden desk and straightened them into a neat pile. "One of the perks of being in the mountains, no?" She sighed then, turning to give her full attention to the Herald, whom she now at least had a name to go with the title. Leliana sighed at Raset's next words "there is no need to apologize, we were all fearful of the unknown that you presented. You had been through so much and yet you are still willing to help us. That alone is something to marvel at" Leliana turned to stand just under the tent cover, observing the snow as it began to fall "everyone here has made great sacrifices to stand where we are, you I know will be no different. Do not for a moment think this will be an easy task, Adaar" Leliana turned to face Raset, lightly shaking her head "perhaps I am speaking too gravely, did you have anything else you needed of me?" She asked, eyes watching the Qunari woman carefully.

Barely noticing the snowfall increasing, Raset blinked when Leliana offered for her to stand in the tent. She nodded and leaned down, mindful of her own horns; there had been plenty occasions where she has ruined entire tents due to their unnatural size. It likely wouldn't be as bad if her horns weren't topped in metal. After she had left Par Vollen, she had broken one of the horns in a brawl with a prisoner of the qunari, sent as an assassin as to not waste their own. It ended bad for the assassin, and Raset and her mother hadn't seen anyone out for their lives anymore after that. Whether it was for the qunari to not waste more resources or potential fear, she didn't know. Crossing her arms, she took a glance over the surroundings in front of her before looking down at Leliana.

"You may not find it necessary, but I understand it can be a little...imposing. I don't want to come off in such a way." Raset sighed slightly; that was hard even for her. For someone of her stature to not come off as imposing was nearly impossible. All she wanted to do was help, but near everyone screamed monster or demon in her direction. She believed who she had met recently reacted as appropriately as anyone else normally would have, and she couldn't blame any one of them for it since it was normal for her. And still she felt as if she had to apologize. Shuffling for a second, she glanced towards the Chantry again before looking back at Leliana. "You are not being grave. I recognize this won't be an easy task, but I do hope I can be the Herald you are all talking about." Raset gave a little sheepish smile before looking forward again. "But I won't bother you any longer, I just was here to apologize." Raset ducked out of the tent, glancing back at Leliana before making her way to the outer village.

The snow fell softly at first, slowly picking up within the course of a few minutes. Some bustled in their cottages or the small tavern or even the Chantry until the weather cleared. Cassandra sighed, looking up at the fluttery white flakes she wondered briefly if their sky's would ever be normal, if these people's efforts would not be wasted. Though she tried to refrain herself from thinking such thoughts, to focus only that the maker had a plan for them all and one that she would follow. Of course this had to be his will, he sent the Herald to nearly fall into their laps when they needed her most surely this was the path he intended. The loud scrape of steel on stone brought her attention back to the wooden roof she stood under and the warm fires of the forges. The blacksmith sat on a small stool, grinding her favored sword against smooth stone, sharpening it with every swipe. Cassandra watched the smithy work his care until the man stood, examining his handy work and feeling down the edge, pulling his hand back after receiving a small cut. He turned to Cassandra, offering her sword with a grunt and she took it quickly, examining the blade herself "are you sure you have sharpened it enough....this side looks a bit dull" she spoke bluntly holding up sword again "I'm not touchin' that sword again seeker, had me slaving over that sodding blade for half tha day with you over me shoulder tellin' me its not good enough, find someone else" he barked, turning back to the other weapons stacked up.Cassandra grunted, her lips twitching slightly as she roughly returned the sword to its sheath, she could say more but her image was already muddled enough, and with another displeased grunt she turned quickly walking down the small hill and to the training yard of the soldiers.

The air from the frozen lake made the whole grounds colder then that closer to the forges, Cassandra missed the fleeting warmth they offered. The soldiers sparred hard with one another, perhaps what happened at the breached had fueled them more then the days passed..it also seemed that the grounds looked more full with new promising recruits and with the shouting coming from Commander Cullen just beyond the tents proved Cassandra's guess to be true, fresh new recruits who barely knew how to hold a sword. Each willing to give themselves at the chance to seal the evil that swirled in their skies. Cassandra let out a breathy sigh as she reached the slumping, stuffed training dummies, she liked to keep her body always at the ready so spending hours attacking them a day kept her in the form she preferred. The seeker twisted the sheath around her waist off, laying it gently against a box near the dummies along with her sword. She would be using a duller training sword, not wanting to blunt the blade she had just spent the day trying to sharpen. Raising an arm as if she had her shield and her sword at the ready Cassandra took a mighty swing at the unrealistic face drawn on the dummy, letting her mind wander to the events of the day, releasing her pent up anger swing after mighty swing, it was a marvel the dummies didn't come apart at the seams. It was on her tenth swing, just starting to feel energy surge in her arms and firmness in her legs, Cassandra glanced up, seeing the imposing figure of the newly claimed Herald coming her way. The sight was enough to fumble the dark haired woman, training sword fumbling from her hands and into the snow with a heavy thunk. Cassandra drew a blank for a moment, staring at the woman approaching her before kneeling to pick up the fallen sword. She only had a short amount of time to wonder why the horned woman would want to talk to her, their interactions thus far were anything less then antagonistic. Though once the Herald was close enough Cassandra spoke "I did not expect to see you down here Herald, is there something you needed?"

The snow falling gave a sort of silence to Haven, despite the sounds of metal hitting metal and people talking. It seemed the conversations continued instead of cutting off if she had walked by, although a small amount did stop to glance in her direction. Some seemed like they wanted to say something to her, but were likely too afraid. It never helped that Raset always carried her maul with her, which was effectively a dragon's horn mounted on a large handle and hilt. She could see how it would be intimidating, but she didn't feel safe without her signature weapon, one that had seen near everything she had seen. Walking through the main gates, she idly wondered how well fortified the small village would be against an attack. It wasn't to say one would happen any time soon, but it was just that: a village. Most villages didn't necesarily stand in attacks and she had seen several fall in her time as arishok. If they had stood against an attack, it was with a great many casualties. The Tal-Vashoth put the thoughts in the back of her mind; negativity was the last thing she needed right now.

Looking forward, she spotted Cassandra smacking away at some training dummies. She sighed; they hadn't gotten off on the right foot at all. Their first meeting definitely wasn't a good one. Raset was in chains and the dark-haired woman was ready to send her for execution. Their second went no better. The tall woman threw accusations and anger towards both Leliana and Cassandra and that definitely didn't serve to make relations better. She had every intention of apologizing, though. She owed them that much. She kept going towards Cassandra, stopping short when she was noticed but looked down at the sound of a sword hitting the ground. She glanced between the sword and Cassandra before it was picked up again, the former qunari looking towards the seeker. She almost flinched being called the Herald; she wasn't accustomed to the title, especially after she had requested she be called Adaar over that. It was unusual to be called the Herald of Andraste after what she stood accused of just days before. "Yes... I just wanted to apologize for my anger towards you and Leliana. You were all confused and... with what happened at the Conclave and me being an unknown at the time, you had your reasons. It was wrong of me to get mad in a place I had no reason to, especially after you let me go free after stabilizing the Breach." She had no idea how Cassandra would react, but she couldn't imagine it would be negative. Maybe surprised, seeing as even Leliana didn't expect one.

The seeker didn't know if it was the windchill coming off the lake or the shock of Raset's words but she felt a chill run up her spine regardless as she looked on at the large horned woman before her. Not often was she the one being apologized too, and even more rare was it to happen when Cassandra had been in the wrong. The dark haired woman knew she had a temper, one that if she was not careful would erupt into a rage she fought so hard to keep down. Cassandra knew she acted too harshly towards Raset when they had captured her, chained her, and forced her down for questioning.

Though Cassandra pulled herself out of her thoughts, standing straighter as she looked up to the much taller woman "This apology catches me at a surprise Adaar, and it is also unnecessary" she spoke, turning back towards the training dummies to firmly stick the training sword into the ground "I acted too harshly when you were discovered, ignoring my better judgement and marking you as a criminal" she paused, letting herself sigh "my eagerness to discovered what had happened to the Divine blinded me, I had needed someone to blame and you had became that someone" The seeker stood straight once more, just as anyone Cassandra did not like openly admitting her faults but if this woman before her was to be their only chance in sealing the breach and the Rifts that follow, they must clear the air. "I know we have not had the...best introduction and if we are to work together I do not wish for you to find me similar to that glorified cleric. You had mentioned you are not Qunari before, I am not familiar with Par Vollen, or the customs of the Qun. I have not come in to contact with many who practice it" Cassandra nodded slowly, not wanting to step on an unknown nerve "I would like to know more about you, so that I do not offend you with my lack of knowledge"

Raset gave a small smile at her response; she knew the woman would say her apology was unnecessary. But still she found it to be the case. Perhaps she did have no reason to apologize towards them; technically she did have none. They were the ones to lock her up, but still she felt she needed to get on better ground with them if they were to be working together. She sighed next, shaking her head. "I know you find it unnecessary for me to give an apology. I already did the same for Leliana." Raset glanced to the soldiers training before glancing back to Cassandra. "But I don't think we should be on hostile ground if we are to be working together." She felt a small chill but ignored it; the snow stayed at the same steady fall without picking up, which was likely fortunate for everyone.

The former qunari snorted slightly, shaking her head. "I never found you similar in any aspect to him. I am aware of the Chantry's view on someone like me, so his reaction was expected. I probably shouldn't have punched him... but at the time, he deserved it." She gave a small laugh. Shock then ran across her face; she did not expect Cassandra...or anyone at all to ask about Par Vollen. She was expecting the subject of her homeland to never be brought up again, but in an odd way she did appreciate someone wishing to know more. "Yes, that would be correct. I am not qunari. I know the Chantry uses qunari to refer to the entire race, but qunari refers to those of my race that follow Koslun's teachings - the way of the Qun." Raset started, knowing she would be able to go on for awhile about the Qun. "I am Tal-Vashoth, someone that has abandoned the teachings of the Qun. I abandoned that life four years before the Blight in Ferelden began, with my mother. Before I did, I was arishok. The closest word I can think for that is either a general or military leader." Raset paused and glanced around, stopping when she saw a little dock jutting out into the lake. Looking back down at Cassandra, she motioned to the dock before starting her way over there. "When you're born into the Qun, you're not raised by your own parents. Those who join the way of the Qun are referred to as Viddathari, so if you or anyone else here were to choose to follow that life, that would be who they are." Raset paused, sitting down at the edge of the dock before glancing at Cassandra. "Any questions so far?' She asked, an almost-joking tone to her voice. The way of the Qun can be confusing to those who have had no prior knowledge of them before. But if Cassandra was curious, she couldn't not tell her.

A sigh of relief passed Cassandra's lips once she learned that she had not been associated with the very angry chancellor "oh no I do not think that hit was out of line at all, he was being disrespectful, he should have expected as much" she nodded assuredly, letting both her hands fall slightly in front of her, it was an old habit that she picked up when she was trying to concentrate, fingers fidgeting together she thought it made herself look like an impatient child but a familiar habit is hard to break. The seeker listened intently to the horned woman's next few words, learning of the Qun was something that interested her, she was so firm in her beliefs of the maker it was often hard to understand there were different beliefs to take into consideration.

Cassandra listened carefully, attempting to understand what Raset had been explaining eyebrows raising at learning that she had been something akin to high military standing. Though Cassandra could believe such a thing, the horned woman before her was large, Cassandra had to look up to speak to her and felt dwarfed beside her. The horns atop her head were stunning to say the least, reminding the seeker of a dragon, in all the portrayals of Qunari she had seen, or the few she had seen from afar on the rare occasion only ever had two horns but Raset had two pairs. Though Cassandra attempted not to stare at the horns, or examine the other woman much at all, not wanting to seem rude. Something else Raset had said then caught her attention, she did not follow the teachings of the Qun and the way she described she had not for some time now since the time of the fifth blight. This brought on many questions for Cassandra, if this woman did not practice the ways of the Qun then perhaps did she believe in the maker and his bride Andraste? Why had she had left such a powerful position? perhaps those questions would find answers in time. The dark haired woman caught Raset's glance to the dock, watching her for a moment as she began to walk over then quickly realizing she was meant to follow. Cassandra walked quickly to catch up, the much taller woman seemed to have a longer stride. The chill in the air was colder the closer they had gotten to the lake, though Cassandra hardly minded as she sat down carefully beside Raset "you seem to have lived quite a life before this, you had a strong position then among the Qunari people it seems." The though came to Cassandra's mind before she spoke, leaving the pull of a smile on her lips "you are certainly of impressive stature, you make the tallest man here look up to you, I am not surprised to learn you held a position of power" she finished, glancing over to Raset again, thinking for a moment before speaking "if you do not mind my asking, you had said Qunari are not raised by their own parents, but you mentioned your mother...is she your birth mother?" Cassandra glanced down at her legs draped over the side of the dock, snow had fallen on the lake's solid ice surface but bits of ice under it could still be seen "The chantry tends to avoid talk of the Qun, calling it blasphemous and selfish of the Qunari to lead people astray from the Maker's eye" Cassandra rocked her legs slightly before stopping herself and clearing her throat "it is interesting to see a different perspective for once."

Raset turned slightly, removing her maul from its holster to lay it on its side next to her. She gave a glance down to Cassandra, smiling slightly before looking back out over the frozen lake. "A strong position would be an understatement. The arishok is part of the governing body of the Qunari, called the Salasari or...Triumvirate. It may seem odd that I would abandon such a position, but I have no regrets in doing so." She sighed; sometimes she thought on how different her life would be if she hadn't left Par Vollen but in the end she was glad she did. There were more freedoms outside of her homeland, not finding them restrictive in comparison to Par Vollen or Seheron.

The former qunari sighed and relaxed, slumping forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "It would be odd for me to say that I myself am Andrastian. No Chantry really allows in a couple of Tal-Vashoth though." She paused for a second, folding her hands together. No Tal-Vashoth or qunari for that mattered practiced the Andrastian faith around Thedas. It was simply unheard of and whether others of her race simply had no interest or didn't wish to believe in anything, she didn't know. Andrastian faith gave her something other than nothing to believe in. "Yes, she is my birth mother. When you follow the Qun, the father's job is done after intercourse and the mother's job is done after the child has been born. Both go back to their previous lives as normal. My mother had told me she had expected to go back to life as normal, but she instead fought to raise me instead. She was taken by the Ben-Hassrath for correction and re-educating." She glanced to Cassandra for a second. "She didn't meet me again until roughly 14 years ago, when we left Par Vollen. My mother worked as a blacksmith and I had needed to see one about weapons for my soldiers. Sure enough she had come to me and recognized me immediately. After carefully communicating, we left Par Vollen." Raset sat up straighter, one hand staying on her leg. "She gave me my name after we were safe, but she has a small home up in the Free Marches where my mercenary band and I worked out of. Most of the coin I got from jobs goes to her so she can make a living." Raset looked out over the lake again; she would have to write to her mother again, to tell her she might not be home for quite some time.

Cassandra listened to the woman speak, eyes following briefly as she set down a large maul she had been carrying on her back since they had sat down. It was large and very clearly a two handed weapon which Cassandra was not surprised of, the woman sitting next to her was very clearly strong and capable to wield such a massive weapon, perhaps she Cassandra would have a chance to inquire about it later. The seeker looked up again, studying her face for a moment as she spoke though as soon as Raset led onto she was Andrastian she sat up instantly "you...you're Andrastian? So you do believe in the Maker?" her eyebrows were raised slightly as she slowly settled back down, her face falling to thought "it is just..very comforting to know that you do" the wind blew suddenly, a cold chill from down the mountains, Cassandra watched as it blew small snow flurries across the lake before it later settled in the middle of the ice.

She listened then to Raset tell of her mother and of how the Qun treated the process of reproduction. "it is a miracle that the two of you found one another again, after so many years" Cassandra nodded. She clasped her hands together over her knees"I had been raised by my uncle for a short time before the maker's path had led me to the way of a Seeker of the Chantry, though it is hard to imagine a life where a mother would be denied her own offspring, even if it had been a tradition of the Qun" Cassandra never felt maternally toward....anything but she could only imagine the grief a woman must feel when her child is taken away from her. "A mercenary? any noble with enough coin I am sure would be delighted to see you would be the one protecting him" she chuckled, eyes falling to the maul again at Raset's side "I have been curious about your weapon its size is impressive, but at it's head, Correct me if I am wrong but is that a dragon horn?" Cassandra leaned to give the maul a better look before turning her attention to Raset.

The wind chill from the mountains and lake seemed to seep through her armor while sitting on the docks, but it didn't bother her as much as she thought. Raset was used to the mountain air by now having worked out of them for so long in the Free Marches. She would be able to withstand it for quite awhile. Glancing down at Cassandra, she gave a nod. "Yes and yes. Most find it...odd that a Tal-Vashoth would believe in the Maker. Many times I have sent the humans in my group to get things from the Chantries for me, since I'm not a welcome sight in their halls." She gave a small laugh, looking forward at the flurries of snow dancing across the ice.

Curiosity piqued her interest; she wondered how long Cassandra had been a Seeker exactly. She had heard stories of them, although she still maintains little knowledge on the true agents of the Chantry. Maybe later she would be able to ask about the woman being a Seeker. "Delighted, although still unnecessarily terrified that I would break his head open. The horns usually make them scared into paying more coin. Try telling them it's unnecessary and I swear they would soil their breeches." Raset laughed, shaking her head at the thought. It wasn't much of an understatement; most nobles were terrified of her and her mercenary company. Although they were majority Tal-Vashoth, ones she had picked up in an effort to make less violent, which helped surprisingly, her group also had a couple of humans and dwarves. It was a ragtag group, but they always got the job done. Her attention went to the maul Cassandra brought her own to, Raset picking it up with ease. "It is a dragon's horn." She confirmed, resting it on her lap. "Dragons may be the only thing qunari hold sacred. They are not revered by any definition by qunari, although I would not put it passed any soldier or warrior there to fight one." Raset chuckled. "I was one of them, at a time. There were some dragons in Par Vollen nesting, so naturally I went to challenge and fight one. It was a long fight, with a beast much larger than me, but I came out victorious. I had to hack its skull with my old battleaxe to get the horn off. Once I did, I had it made into a maul. Much better than an axe." Raset smiled, glancing down at Cassandra.

Cassandra watched with interest as the other woman picked up the large weapon with ease and placed it in her lap, it was even more impressive as Cassandra gota better look at the maul. "Maker, it is large, and that is your weapon of choice?" she listened as Raset told her of the Qunari and how they seemed to revere dragons in such a way though her full attention was captured away from the maul when she began telling of a time she had fought a dragon herself, single handed. The seeker could only imagine the sight of the large horned woman taking on the likes of a dragon, and then yet winning, taking the horn off in victory. Cassandra found her mouth ajar once more, though she quickly shut it as Raset turned to look at her. "I should have known such a weapon would come from an impressive story." she sighed, adjusting in the spot she was seated on the cold wooden dock. "I have heard tales of dragons my whole life, I have almost been forced to take a minor interests in the beasts" Cassandra adjusted the thick glove on her hand before looking over to Raset, she debated for a moment on telling the other woman but she pushed the thought aside, the Herald had already revealed so much about herself it only seemed fair.

"I don't suppose you are familiar with the Penteghasts, they riddle Nevarra as the darkspawn riddle the deep roads, my blood is shared with nobles too focused on their wealth to realize the rest of Thedas still moves" Cassandra smiled inwardly at the irony this might pose but she continued "despite what some may be now I come from a long line of dragon slayers, the Penteghasts hunted them for sport or some to protect, regardless the reason it is in our blood" she waited for a moment, allowing the information to sink in before looking out across the lake "I do not share this often, though its not often I have it in common with anyone but I too have been forced to take action against a dragon." her eyebrows furrowed at the memory, the large scaled beast, her blood boiling at the sight of it, the challenge in its reptilian eyes. "it is a lengthy tale but I will save you the details and many have muddled the story with more extravagant tellings" she took a deep breath "blood mages had intended to attack the Divine at the time, disputes with the circle and the chantry had led them to this, the seekers had been under this investigation for quite some time though despite our efforts the attack was still initiated" Cassandra frowned at the memory, it was not a fond one she enjoyed to look back on as some might think "Four of the beasts were sent against me during the fight, I was spent after a previous duel, but it was my duty to protect the divine..I was not going to falter" the seeker rubbed her wrist in thought as she continued "they were welps compared to the high dragon, she was summoned falsly with the help of magic, she was enraged and delirious, her one goal had been to attack Divine Beatrix. I had already slain two of the smaller beasts...the only idea that had come to mind at the time was to use the smaller one and ram the high dragon." Cassandra glanced at Raset for a moment "...so I did" the dark haired woman looked back across the lake with another heavy sigh "she fell hard, the wall had collapsed around her, finishing my job...at least to that end." Cassandra finished, leaning back on the dock and letting one arm rest in her lap "the rest is hardly anything to speak of" she finished, glancing back to Raset once again.

Raset gave Cassandra a smile with a small nod. "Of course, I wouldn't be anywhere without this. It's good for bashing heads in." She put the weapon back to her side, giving it another glance before looking back at Cassandra. The former qunari gave a small laugh, shaking her head. "It was honestly nothing impressive to behold back in Par Vollen; that much was almost expected from a soldier or warrior there. I guess it's something impressive here in Ferelden and Orlais, then." Another laugh was given before looking back at Cassandra when she started talking.

She listened with interest, furrowing her brow before smiling slightly. "You would be right, I have no familiarity with the Pentaghasts. I had no idea I was sitting down with a noble whose family had a penchant for hunting and slaying dragons. But you don't sound like you associate yourself with nobility anymore." Raset chuckled; Cassandra looked nothing like she would expect from a noble. The mercenary had seen her fair share of noble women in her time, being hired for protection for nobles multiple times, and they paled in comparison to Cassandra. She cursed herself for the thought, clearing her throat. "Continue." She muttered, looking at Cassandra to listen to her story. Listening intently to what she had to tell, she seemed to get more interested as the story continued, if that were even possible. Her mouth practically fell open at the mention of four dragons; sure, they weren't high dragons, but still taking on that many dragons at once was still practically unheard of. She didn't believe this tale could get much better until it was revealed Cassandra had literally rode a dragon into a collision with an enraged high dragon. Raset didn't know why, but the air seemed...warmer for a split second. She swallowed, shaking her head at the other woman. "You are saying that is not impressive? Cassandra, you put my story to shame and it now pales in comparison." Raset looked forward for a moment, glancing at her maul again. "I have never heard of anyone taking another dragon and riding it into a high dragon. I would have never thought of that." She shook her head again before looking back at Cass.

The wind had died down considerably, now it was only the wind from the lake that kept the chill against Cassandra. She looked up when Raset spoke of the story she just told, glancing down with the smallest of smiles pulling at the corner of her mouth "ah but it is nothing, I see what must be done and I do it. The divine had needed me and I was there to serve no matter the cost" pausing for a moment she thought, how the story itself got so large to commoner to noble was speaking of it, spinning their own tales "for some time I had a problem with...those stretching the truth about the tale, making my duties seem greater then they had been." she allowed herself to chuckle at the thought of one noble woman she had over heard on her tour of Orlais "A noble woman had been telling her friend that I had done it all with merely my fists. It was a ridiculous statement, I obviously had my sword and shield" Cassandra looked back up at Raset, the small smile still on her face.

"oh no, fighting a dragon in single combat will always have its worth no matter the added dangers, your story still holds much merit. I am still impressed" the seeker glanced down at the maul again then back to Raset "I am glad we had this chance to speak...I had a wrong impression of you and I am ashamed of that and I hope we can continue" she nodded,  turning to stare back out at the lake for a moment when a sudden thought stuck her, she turned back to the horned woman at her side "...we may not have time for this but I would still like to offer it" Cassandra cleared her throat "I had hoped perhaps we could spar, as I said those training dummies are a pitiful excuse and I have not yet found another to share blows with" the dark haired woman frowned suddenly, glancing over to where the soldiers trained up by the tents, where the blonde commander stood watching over "Cullen no longer wishes to, we did once..he says I am too aggressive" Cassandra turned back with a full scowl now on her face "I only broke four training swords, we had plenty to replace them" with a heavy sigh the seeker shook her head "but...if that interests you..I am always here..when we have time of course" she nodded, the idea of sparring with the much larger woman was such a tempting one, she was two handed against her sword and shield. Cassandra could only imagine now the muscle this woman must have if she looked hard enough she could see an outline of toned skin under the thin fabric they gave the Herald to wear, being that Haven was not quite equipped for a woman of Raset's stature. Her very impressive stature. Cassandra caught herself staring at the woman's forearms, face heating slightly as she quickly turned her head to look back at the soldiers again, in hopes Raset had not seen. "yes so because of Cullen  no other soldier will spar with me...I think he tells them I am a brute" Cassandra muttered, allowing her feet to swing slightly over the side of the dock.

Raset focused on the snow still drifting ever so slightly across the lake, even the snow seemed to let up to a light flurry now. The snow effected the activities of no one, however. "Not many have a story on fighting dragons, but I can see why it can be stretched." Raset frowned slightly. "But some in Par Vollen have said I ripped the horn off of the dragon with my bare hands. I am upset because that is not the case." She shook her head, glancing to Cassandra and laughing. "Punching out a couple of dragons would be very impressive. I wish I had thought of that fighting mine as well." She chuckled again.

Reaching up to tweak at the metal ends on her horns, her attention turned back to Cassandra. "I can say I had the wrong impression of you as well. I have not had a conversation like this in...quite some time. It's a welcoming change." She smiled, her eyes drawn to the soldiers for the second they were mentioned in. Some seemed to know exactly what they were doing and were paired accordingly. Others... barely knew the weight of a sword, and maybe a farming tool at best. "A decent amount of soldiers here and no one to spar with." The Tal-Vashoth gave them a look before turning back to Cassandra. Probably... no one decent to spar with, however. She remembered the commander from a few days before, but nothing besides his name and now that he thought Cassandra too aggressive to spar with. She snorted, but the idea was sound. Raset never sparred too often either; part of being the biggest and likely strongest of her mercenary group, none of them tended to want to spar with her. Then, they never had training weapons... so maybe it was just never a good idea to begin with. "If we find time, I'll have to take you up on that offer." Raset confirmed. "I never sparred too much with my mercenary band either. Same...reasons, very obviously. And we never had proper weapons." She sighed, glancing back to the soldiers before looking at Cassandra. "And what is the point of sparring if it's not realistic to the real thing? You can't prepare by being gentle."

Still watching the soldiers for a moment, Cassandra looked back over at Raset as she began to speak, head nodding slightly in agreement "I feel the same, when I plan to spar with someone I expect them to be prepared to handle my full strength" looking back over the lake as she spoke, another nod followed "we are not going to ask our enemies to 'Not be as rough or 'Seeker you nearly broke my arm, we need to stop' it simply is not done" Cassandra grunted, eyebrows furrowing at the memory of her spar with the Commander. Glancing down she watched her feet dangle over the edge of the dock as she thought for a moment "I did not have time to see how you wield your maul when you had stabilized the breach...I look forward to your fighting technique." the seeker thought back to that fight for a moment, a pride demon ripping out of the fade itself to fight them, how hard they all had fought...how hard Raset had fought despite being imprisoned and practically forced into it all. Cassandra frowned inwardly, the guilt of that still lingered from when Raset had originally apologized earlier, She had nothing to apologize for.

The doors to the chantry swung open despite the snow on the ground, the sudden movement caused two sisters to jump, both leaning to see who had caused the disturbance. Leliana stepped out, trained and narrowed eyes scanned the small village of haven for a moment before she sighed deeply. Neither Cassandra nor the Herald had showed for their meeting, the commander and Ambassador the Herald was to meet formally waited in the back room of the chantry but neither showed. Leliana stepped lightly through the freshly fallen snow, people scurrying out of the Nightingales gaze as she made her way down through the small town and out of the main gates. She half expected to find the two in an argument again, pulling apart an angry Qunari and an equally angry seeker was going to be no easy task for her if that was the case. Leliana paused again, looking over to the soldiers who had seemed to be taking a break while the commander was gone, over to the training dummies where...The seeker usually spent her time. Leliana sighed again, she was about to turn back into the village when two figures sitting on the dock caught her attention. The Herald was not a hard one to spot, the large horns were a giveaway..but with her was...Cassandra?
As Leliana approached the two, she could have sworn they had been laughing the world truly was coming to the end if someone was laughing with Seeker Penteghast. Leliana cleared her throat as she approached, gaining the attention of Cassandra "S-sister Leliana" she spoke, her voice cracked in shock as she quickly stood up on the docks "...what brings you here" she asked, her voice leveling to its usually stormy tone. Leliana allowed herself a smirk, glancing back to the town "I don't wish to interrupt but the Herald is due to meet the commander and our ambassador, have you forgotten? It was your idea after all, Seeker Penteghast" Cassandra frowned at the tone Leliana had as she glanced back down at Raset, then quickly away.

Watching the leaves flutter in the wind across the lake, Raset smiled at what Cassandra said and looked down at her. "It is true, though. There's no preparation for anything if you train gentle and complain your spar partner is hitting too hard." The qunari woman chuckled. "Although I suppose real swords aren't used for a reason." Despite what she had said, using a real sword to spar would truly be idiotic. Training swords, however, were made for a reason: to usually be as rough as a normal weapon with only the risk of bruises and maybe a sore muscle or two. Shrugging slightly and with a sigh, Raset shook her head. "Most would be surprised at the technique it takes to carry a maul. Most of the weight is distributed on one end; you need to compensate for that accordingly." She stretched slightly with her eyes still on Cassandra. "You could test the weight of it, if you like."

She turned to pick up the maul, but paused when she heard Leliana walk up and Cassandra bolt up immediately. Pursing her lips, she grabbed the maul and stood, glancing between the two. "I was part of the distraction, Leliana, I apologize." She paused for a moment, confusion crossing her features causing her brow to crease. She glanced to where the soldiers were sparring before looking back at the two women. "Your commander... Cullen, was it? He was standing over there not a couple of minutes ago. I'm sure he saw us...sitting here..." Raset pointed out, frowning slightly at her realization.


Several weeks have passed now since Raset had been an agent in this 'Inquisition'. She still faced borderline derision from the chancellor, but that appeared to be her only problem now. The qunari had also written to her mother the moment she had some time to herself, just to let her be aware that she was safe after the explosion at the Conclave. The rest of her free time was spent trying to maybe get to know more of the people they had been recruiting, and of course conversations with a very unexpected friend, Cassandra.

She still wasn't sure what to make of Solas; every time she talked to him he seemed to frown at everything she said. Something was odd about him and she could only wonder what. Varric, the only dwarf in this company, was almost off-putting with his charisma but she enjoyed talking with him regardless. She was also surprised that he was the author of Hard in Hightown. They had found a grey warden, Blackwall, and recruited them into their ranks. The qunari had never met one before; they weren't common in the Free Marches. But something about him also put her off, something she couldn't quite place.

Sera was an interesting character. She seemed to jump around in conversations and she was pretty sure Sera had eyed her up when they first met, but she would trust Sera to watch her ass in battle over Solas. It wasn't said out loud, but Vivienne's opinions on mages made no sense...for someone who was a mage. Raset was a firm believer that the mages deserved freedom, after seeing what happened to the Saarebas in Par Vollen and after hearing about the Circles in Ferelden and Orlais, even the Free Marches. And lastly, Iron Bull. She was nervous about him when they first met, seeing as he was from the Ben-Hassrath. The term put a sick feeling in her stomach; it only made her think of what her mother must have been through for even daring to want to raise her own daughter. But even the male qunari seemed surprised by Raset... it may have been her unusual stature for a female of her race, and she was thankful he seemed more concerned about the task he had been given by Par Vollen.

All in all, she had probably met a larger variety of people in the time period of these few weeks alone in comparison to her 14 years in the Free Marches.

She exited the Chantry, a sigh escaping her lips. Preparations still needed to be made, but they had made the decision to recruit the mages to help in closing the Breach. They hoped their magic would augment the mark on Raset's hand, but no one knew if it would truly work or not. It was still just theory now, but only execution of the idea would give them an answer. She glanced down at her left hand; the mark never bothered her anymore. It tingled shortly after closing a Fade rift, but that was the worst it had felt since she had received it by a means she still doesn't remember. But now was the first time in awhile she really had a full couple of days to herself, something she was unbelievably thankful for now.