* GREY /

“    MORRIGAN    ?    I’d  say  I’m  surprised  but...    no,    I’m  really not.    Ever  since  you  told  me  about  that  mirror  you  stole  as  a  child  I  couldn’t  help  but  think  that  one  day  I  would  find  you  at  the  Winter  Palace  as  a  hole  in  the  sky  rips  apart  the  world  and  spews  out  demons.    ”    He  had  searched  half  of  Ferelden  for  her  once  and  then  she’d  disappeared  through  a  magic  mirror.    Admittedly,    he  wasn’t  sure  where  their  friendship  stood.    Did  she  even  want  to  see  him    ?    “    I’m  glad  to  see  I  was  right    !    ”

  “i mean, you might have a point if i was actually her herald, but i’m not… so…” he trailed off with a little shift of his eyes. if he had a gold coin someone thought he or Eilruana were Andraste’s Herald, he would be able to fund the Inquisition all by himself and then some. maybe even retire to the countryside with a nice house that always has a fire going in the winter. snapping himself out of his thoughts, he looked back at the Warden before putting his finger up to the man’s mouth to shush him. “ssh, just call me Zahir. Thedas needs a break from everything while you also need a break from saying herald every five minutes.” 

“   HEY,    IS  THERE  A  RIGHT  WAY    to  ask  someone  whether  or  not  returning  to  the  home  that  betrayed  them  and  supporting  the  rival  of  their  only  living  family  member  is  bothering  them    ?    ”    The  words  are  spoken  with  shaken  breath,    almost  uncertain  as  they  leave  his  lips,    soft  without  confidence.    What  might  he  have  felt  if  their  situations  had  been  reversed    ?    Likely,    he  would  be  little  more  than  a  ghost  in  a  human  shell,    forcing  himself  not  to  feel  in  case  he  felt  too  much.    “    I’m  asking  for  a  friend...    about  another  friend.    ”

      “ FUNNY YOU SAY THAT, because it played out almost exactly like a shag you don’t want to remember! – so. there we were, completely nude. i had touched things i never thought touchable. he looked at me with his luscious, dead, deteriorating eyes and asked to be inside of me. the rest? history. ” 

EVIDENTLY, the story changes every time it’s told, each scenario more ridiculous than the last; it’s becoming increasingly clear that he’s never spared any particularly accurate details.

regardless of this, anders flashes him a smile full of warmth. “ maker, who do i owe the pleasure of seeing you? how long will you be staying? and how obvious is it that i’m basically giddy? ”

“    AH,    THAT’S  EXACTLY  WHAT    I  expected  must  have  happened.    I  feel  somewhat  responsible  for  this,    Anders.    I  realize  now  that  the  Circle  must  have  explained  how  to  deal  with  terrible  demons  offering  to  take  over  your  body  but  spirits  like  Justice    ?    Wolves  dressed  as  sheeps.    Well,    it’s  useless  trying  to  have  a  talk  with  you  about  it  now.    You’re  already  living  with  the  horrible  consequences.    ”

“    DID  YOU  KNOW    I  hate  darkspawn    ?    ”    A  grimace  twists  battle-worn  features  and,    with  exertion,    the  lifeless,    tainted  corpse  of  a  hurlock  is  nudged  into  the  ravine.    Could  they  take  one  step  in  any  direction  without  being  forced  to  fight  for  their  lives    ?    “    One  of  them  was  a  biter.    I’m  pretty  sure  not  even  the  blacksmiths  in  Denerim  could  get  out  these  teeth  marks    !    ”