#summersummoner

“That’s a heavy sigh there. The walk getting to you?” Varric’s voice caught the elf’s attention and he glanced down to where the dwarf had fallen in beside him. Bianca tapped against his back, her mechanisms clicking gently with his gate.

“No… Not so much the walk as just- You know.” Lapen gave a vague gesture with his free hand towards the west before letting it fall to his side.

“Ya.. That is a lot to take in. At least the sun is shining, those clouds over Haven really get to you after a while. Let's enjoy it while we can.”

“I think I can handle that.” The elf offered the other a weary smile only to look over his shoulder as Cassandra cleared her throat to draw their attention, Katia pulling her attention away from her own conversation with Solas.

“We should be approaching the outskirts of the village now. According to the report there should be a path coming up, the hut was in the woods just southeast.”

The troupe turned off the main road and began to follow the less traveled path that lead into a sparse forest. It was a little cooler amongst the trees and Lapen found himself relaxing easier in their shadows. This place was out of the way and for once he didn’t feel as though they would be leapt at from every shrub.

It was quiet. They all fell into a silence of listening beyond the sounds of their footsteps for any sign of the source of their search. The further they walked, the more aware the mage became of something different about the area. Something that made his hand ache against his staff. No sooner did the thought cross his mind did Solas speak up from behind him.

“The veil is thinner here. Be careful, there may be a rift nearby.”

“You don’t think those villagers mistook demons from a rift for a mage, do you?” Katia asked tentatively from the rear, glancing about as she fingered her bow.

“If they did, I hope the people out here are alright.” Lapen’s voice was grimmer than he’d meant it to be. He could feel his magic dancing near his fingertips in anticipation of a fight he hoped wouldn’t come.

It wasn’t much longer until the path pushed out into a clearing in the trees. Stumps nearby told of a recent presence. Tall grasses were still pressed to the earth from the fallen trees being dragged across them. Further along a hut stood against the continuing forest. Smoke rose lazily from a short chimney as out front a figure moved about behind a simple fence. The group paused in the shadow of the trees to observe.

“What do you think?” Katia murmured, squinting into the sunlight to try and get a better look at the figure out front,” There’s just one I can see, but it’s pretty open up to the fence.”

“We could go around back and get a better look before we’re spotted,” Cassandra offered only to frown as Varric shook his head with his arms crossed.

“Or we could walk up and talk to them first. Say we got lost, turned down the wrong path. If we feel threatened we do something about it.”

“And be ambushed instead? If these are apostates they will have defenses-”

“Now, Seeker. If what we heard was true these people have been living here just fine for- What? The better part of a couple of years? If they were so worried about attack they would have up and left by now. I’m sure they’re on edge but who isn’t right now?”

“I am inclined to agree,”Solas spoke up, looking about the group before continuing,” I would much rather know that these people attacked first and we defended ourselves, than for us to approach with hostility and earn their ire.”

“Who could we send? Katia and I might not be best. Those in villages don’t tend to think highly of the Dalish.”

“I vote the seeker out.”

“Varric.”

“You’re wearing your order’s colors. If they are apostates they’ll either be out the back door or attacking you before you could even get close enough to speak.”

“Actually, that does raise a question I had.” The group turned to Katia as she looked about at them with worry furrowing her brow. “What exactly are we going to do with them if they are mages?”

A hush covered the group as the question hung in the air. Cassandra looked torn as she stared out into the clearing towards the cabin. The elves shared a glance, the paler’s mouth a thin line. There were no circles now to send them to. Only the rebel mages and Haven were safe for them now. But what would they do to convince them to join the inquisition? Or even the mages? If they stayed on their own, mages or not, the fighting could still reach them here or the village could take drastic action against them on their own.

Before any of them could make a decision however, the seeker straightened and cleared her throat as she nodded towards the path. The figure that had been working out front had begun to move through the tall grass off the path towards a wood pile just right of them. Though they hadn’t noticed them yet. Their head was bowed to watch a mabari trotting along side, panting happily up as they made their way. Though the cheerful mood was wiped from the animal’s face as it stopped and it’s head snapped towards them standing at attention. The person with it stopped as well and followed the gaze towards the path. The stranger froze in place as a low growl of warning just reached them.

Lapen quickly grabbed Cassandra’s hand when she started to reach for her blade and the sudden movement set the two in the field in motion. The hound let out a howl as the person turned and bolted towards the hut. The warrior made to follow, stepping out into the field only to plant her feet with her sword and shield drawn as the mabari leapt onto the path. Sharp teeth bared at the group, growls only broken by sharp barks. Beyond it, they could just make out the door of the building swinging open and another person stepping out. They ushered in the first inside before shutting the door and marching down the path towards them.

“Well so much for diplomacy,” Varric sighed, his hand ready to pull out Bianca should the situation call for it.

“Call off the dog,” Cassandra ordered once the person was in ear shot. They stopped just a few feet behind the animal, letting Lapen get a good look at her.

She was tall. Taller than any of them were. Thick black hair cut short near her chin and dark eyes thin as they stared out from tanned skin. A slender hand gripped a sheathed sword at her side as she looked over the group, lingering on the staves two of them carried.

“I’ll call him off once you tell me why you’re here,” The strange woman retorted, moving the sword to where she could grab it’s hilt quicker.

“We’re a part of the Inquisition,” Lapen spoke up, giving a pleading look to the seeker when she shot him a warning look over her shoulder. Though she said nothing as he slowly stepped forward into the light with his hands raised. “Our scouts were given information that the village nearby wanted us to investigate.”

“And?”

“They were worried about some people living in the woods. They thought mages were hiding here.” He could feel his muscles tense as a sneer curled the woman’s lips and her hand moved to grip the hilt of her sword.

“Please, we mean you no harm. If anything we want to help you.” The taller elf glanced over to see Katia step up beside him, her bow slung over her shoulders and her hands lifted as well.

“Help me?” the woman scoffed, glaring daggers at the elves as the dog growled a little louder with her tone. “How do you expect to help me? From what I’ve heard the Inquisition’s been condemned by the Chantry. You’ve as much power as those fools from the circles and those jar headed templars hunting everyone down.”

“We can protect you from the war between those two. There are mages being protected in Haven just like everyone else. You’d be safer there than out  here in the wild. We don’t know where the fighting will go. But we have defenses there, and soldiers willing to protect anyone and everyone they can. We’re all working together to seal the breach.”

The woman was quiet for a moment. Her hands on the sword relaxed slightly as her gaze swept across the tense group again before settling back on Katia. Lapen could hear his heart drumming in his ears. The sound of Cassandra’s armor shifting with her movements as she prepared to defend herself. Finally he let out the breath he’d been holding as the woman gave a short whistle. The mabari relaxed and turned to trot to her side.

“I heard of the Dalish elves everyone said were sealing the rifts. I’m guessing that’s you two?”

“Yes. My name is Lapen, and this is Katia. We’ve been sealing those we can while we find a way to seal the breach for good.”

“... I’m Cansu. This is Willow,” The woman nodded down at the hound panting happily at her side, her gaze flickering to the seeker as she sheathed her sword. “I have some questions for you lot before I agree or not. You’re welcome to come to the cabin. We have mead and bread.”

The cabin was small. It’s four windows let in the beaming sun to light the interior. At one end a wall of stone held a wide fireplace and the other a door lead to another room. When the group had first entered it’d been closed, but when Cansu called out a young man had opened it a crack to peer out at them. Once sure that they were no threat to him, he slipped out and moved to stand beside the dark skinned woman where she leaned against a table. He was pale and freckled with shaggy tan hair falling about his face and ears. The boy remained silent as the group settled where they could in the small space. Each took a moment to answer the questions she had for them. Mostly reasons why she should join a group pronounced heretics by the Chantry.

After some discussion, and some refreshments and baked bread, the woman stood with her arms crossed staring into the hearth. Oliver, as the quiet boy had been introduced as, sat on the floor with Willow settled down beside him. Lapen stood behind Katia where she sat picking nervously at a piece of bread. He glanced over as Cassandra shifted impatiently in her place near the door. The woman’s brow was furrowed and he could tell she was doing her best to not rush the woman’s choice. Though she had admitted to being an apostate, and the boy apparently had magic of his own, she had been polite enough to allow them inside her home and showed no further hostility beyond what had happened out in the field. The least she could do was allow her time to deliberate.

Just as the elven mage thought the seeker was about to break the silence, he turned as Cansu stood properly and uncrossed her arms. A decision had been made judging by the look on her face. However, before she could announce it, the mabari sat up and stared towards the door. Oliver did the same before looking sharply at the woman beside him with wide eyes. Without a word the mage darted to the window as Cassandra did the same with another.

“Templars,” the warrior announced, looking back into the room as those sitting stood up quickly.

“Cansu, I promise this isn’t-” Katia started only to quiet when the taller woman held up a hand to her.

“I know it isn’t. I doubt your scouts were the only ones the villagers told about us. They would trust templars before you lot.”

“Is there a way out the back? We could distract them as you both escape.”

“No. The only way out is through the front.” Lapen watched in dismay as the dark woman moved to grab a wooden staff from beside the door before turning to look at where Oliver still sat staring beside the growling hound. “It’s time, Oliver. You know what to do.”

The group looked over in mixed surprise to find the terror turned to grim determination on the teen’s face. Several things happened then. The boy touched a stone on Willow’s collar, paint racing from it down it’s flanks in pale blue lines that Lapen recognized as magic runes. The hound lept to all four paws and let out a blistering howl as Cansu stamped her staff against the floor and the door flew open. Outside shouts from the approaching templars reached them and several arrows loosed through the doorway as those at the table scattered towards the walls with weapons drawn. With a sharp whistle from Oliver the mabari raced from the doorway with another howl of battle.

Moving to look out the window, the elf watched in awe as the hound raced down the path. It’s markings flashed as it passed through the fence and a barrier rose around the home. Loud barks and the clang of metal echoed in the clearing as he moved back to look towards Cansu where she stood looking around at them.