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Avira took the steps up to the tower two at a time. She rushed to her weekly meeting with the inner circle even though she was a few minutes early. Everyone else was already there when she arrived, staring at her as she caught her breath.
“Have there been any reports on Fen’harel’s whereabouts?” She asked, still panting slightly.
The spymaster, Sinira, stepped forward. “There has been no news. As we told you a week ago, he just vanished, and we were unable to track him. It is apparent that he does not wish to be followed on this mission.”
Avira sighed, obviously disappointed. “So, what other business do we need to attend to?”
Pontus, the military commander, handed Avira a report. “We caught two recruits sending messages to the enemy.” He said. “They’re sending more and more spies as time goes on. They know where we are, I don’t understand why they haven’t tried to attack us.”
Avira hid her smile in her hand. She knew that anyone who let themselves be caught so easily was bait, getting caught on purpose to take attention away from the real spies. She also knew this wasn’t the type of war that would be won with large-scale battles, something the commander had yet to realize. Just because there hadn’t been any major offensives didn’t mean they weren’t being attacked. This war would be won with information.
“Maybe they’re just waiting for the right time to strike?” A familiar accent came from the corner of the room, though she couldn’t place it right away. Avira turned to see a small figure she had overlooked earlier in her haste. The elf stepped out of the shadows.
“Hello, I’m Merrill, formerly of Clan Sabrae.” She said, the location of her accent suddenly clicking in Avira’s head. “I’m the new, erm, advisor.”
Avira stared at Merrill for a moment. She never would have imagined that the powerful blood-mage who’d helped Hawke take down Meredith would be the tiny, sweet-looking elf with the wide eyes and unique vallaslin standing in front of her. Sure, Varric had called her “Daisy”, but Avira thought it was a joke, like how he called Bull “Tiny.” She regained her composure and reached out to take the smaller elf’s hand.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Avira said. “When I’d heard we were getting an advisor on Dalish culture, I had no idea it would be you.”
Merrill chuckled nervously. “Oh, you mean because I’m technically not Dalish anymore? Or because you thought I’d be with Hawke? Or because you didn’t think they would let a blood mage join?” She asked, her words rushing together.
“No, no, no. I simply thought you would be too busy to join an organization like this.” Avira gave her a comforting smile. Despite Merrill’s foolishness and lack of realism when it came to her use of dangerous magic, she admired the mage’s commitment to preserving Elvhen culture.
Merrill grinned back, her bubbly attitude restored. “I heard about this group from a woman in the Alienage and I almost couldn’t believe it! I had to come see for myself.”
She twisted her hands over each other, looking up at Avira with those impossibly wide eyes. “When I arrived I almost fainted from the shock. Can you imagine? The Dread Wolf, here, alive, walking among us? Well, of course you can imagine, you’ve seen him.”
Avira tried not to roll her eyes. She’d seen more of Solas than this little elf could ever hope to dream.
“When Fen’Harel heard I was here, he sent for me. He told me he was going to restore Elvhen culture back to the way it was in the time of Arlathan! He said he needed my help! Me! A lowly little elf, not even with a clan anymore, and the Dread Wolf needed my help! Of course I said yes, how could you not say yes to Fen’Harel?” Avira wasn’t sure how Merrill was able to breathe, the little mage talked so quickly, and without stopping.
“Right, well, I believe that concludes our business for this meeting.” Sinira said after clearing her throat loudly.
Merrill mouthed “Sorry!” before stepping back towards the corner and gazing down at the floor.
Sinira turned her attention to Avira. “Dinha,” She called Avira by her assumed name, “Your team will search for more spies. These ones were caught too easily; they’re likely decoys for the real operatives.”
Avira groaned inwardly. Sinira always gave her tasks that put her in conflict with the other undercover agents, and she’d already gotten herself in too deep. She’d had to actually do some work for Solas’ cause to maintain her cover, and with her skills it was hard not to do a better job than she needed to. With her steady climb in rank came more attention, more responsibilities, and a constantly increasing chance of being discovered. But she had come so far, gotten so close to her goal, she couldn’t allow herself to give up now, no matter the risk.
She nodded to Sinira and the other advisors, turning on her heel and rushing out of the tower as quickly as she had come. She hurried back towards her quarters, needing the guidance of one of her own advisors. Avira had been lucky enough to have a small tower to herself at the edge of the base. Even as she rushed towards her tower, she couldn’t help but be as amazed by the architecture around her.
The base that Solas had acquired was incredible. Hidden away on an otherwise uninhabited island northeast of Tevinter, it looked like the ancient Elvhen ruins Avira had traveled to, only these weren’t ruins. The stone and marble shone brightly in the sun. The statues gleamed, every minute detail visible as if they had just been carved yesterday. The walls were decorated with colorful mosaics and enormous murals, at least a few of which she was sure Solas had painted himself.
It had been easy enough to infiltrate the base. A bit of insider information from her spies, some inventive magic to disguise her face and prosthetic, and one well-crafted backstory--with a few charming smiles sprinkled here and there--was all it took for Avira to work her way into the upper ranks of Solas’ operation. Actually finding Solas, however, proved to be much more difficult.
When she first arrived, she was told that Solas didn’t meet with new recruits, which was understandable. As she moved up in rank, she kept hearing that he was too busy, that he had stopped meeting with all agents save for his inner circle. When she herself finally started meeting with the inner circle, they told her Solas was away on a mission and they didn’t know when he would return.
After a week with Solas still away on his mission, Avira was at an impasse. She entered her tower, locking the door behind her and setting up noise blocking barriers. She then used the amulet Dorian had given her to contact Fenris. While she wanted to see this through, she realized her personal feelings were clouding her judgement. The other elf always spoke his mind, and she could count on him to tell her when it was time to pull out.
“Remind me what it is you are trying to accomplish?” Fenris asked.
Avira paused. What was she trying to accomplish? She needed to tell Solas about the possible alternatives her team had found for tearing down the Veil--alternatives that didn’t end up destroying the world in the process. She believed she could convince Solas to change his plans if she could just speak to him face-to-face. She’d been close, so close to convincing him the last time she’d seen him--she’d practically heard his resolve breaking before he’d stepped back into the Eluvian. His eyes had shone with regret and a hint of amusement when he told her he hoped she would prove him wrong.
If she was being honest with herself, a part of her would be happy just to see him again, though she didn’t tell Fenris that. He could sense it in the way her voice wavered when she spoke about leaving.
“If this is something that you need to do, then do it. You must at least try.” Fenris’ calm response lifted her heart.
She quickly hid the amulet away, tearing down the barriers and unlocking her door just in time to hear a knock from outside. Cautiously, she opened the door, worrying that whomever it was might sense the magic still crackling in the air. She gave a sigh of relief when she saw it was one of her own scouts, Verdan, quickly ushering him in and locking the door behind him.
“Please tell me you’ve found something.” She whispered.
Verdan reached into his pocket and held up a key hanging from a long chain.
“Is that..what I think it is?” She asked, reaching for the key.
He nodded. He handed her a map, a hidden room highlighted on the parchment.
“And the...object?” Avira asked.
“As you described it.” Verdan replied.
Avira jumped forward and wrapped Verdan in a hug, causing him to gasp in shock. She pulled back quickly. “Sorry! I just got...a little excited. Thank you so much for all of your hard work.”
Verdan saluted and left Avira’s tower. She sat down on the bed, holding the key and map in front of her face. Now all I need to do is wait.
-----
Long after night had fallen, Avira packed her few belongings and threw on her cloak, making sure to keep herself covered. If she was right about where this key would take her, she wouldn’t be coming back. She hurried across the compound, taking care not to be seen. Taking the hidden stairs marked on the map, she descended towards a single room. Her hand shook slightly as she pulled out the key, and she took a deep breath before unlocking the door. She cast a magelight in front of her and the air quickly escaped from her lungs as she stepped into the room.
It looked just like his rotunda in Skyhold. The desk covered in books, papers, and various artifacts; the walls covered in paintings; even a white sofa in the corner. There was one new thing, however, and her heart thundered in her chest as she approached it. Her palm was sweating as she ran her fingers along the golden frame of the Eluvian. It emitted a bright glow at her touch. If Briala was right, this Eluvian didn’t have a set destination--the user could choose to travel to any working Eluvian that they wanted. Not only that, but the Eluvian would stay open to that location until the user chose a new one. Whatever lay beyond this Eluvian, Solas would be there.
Avira felt like her chest might explode; her heart was thundering, her breaths coming in short, quick bursts. Anxiety crackled like lightning under her skin. She slowly pressed her hand against the surface of the Eluvian and jumped back in shock when her hand went through the portal. It was really real now, the Eluvian was working and she was about to go through it. Her knees shook so hard she could barely walk as she stepped back towards the mirror. She held her breath, steeling herself for what she might find, and jumped through the Eluvian.
Avira nearly tripped on a chair when she came out the other side. She was in a dark room, and her eyes had not yet adjusted from the bright light inside the Eluvian. She cast a small magelight in her hand, looking around warily in case she was not alone here. A quick glance at her surroundings and Avira’s heart rose to her throat. This was...her room? She made the magelight bigger, taking in the place she had been staying for the past several months. She scanned the room, taking stock and making sure everything was where it should be.
Avira couldn’t help her shocked scream when her gaze fell onto the bed, which was currently occupied. She drew a spell into her hand as she walked across the room. Her scream had apparently awoken the intruder and they had gotten up, drawing a lightning spell into their own hand and turning to face Avira. They were wearing a hood that obscured their face, though there was something familiar about them.
“Vhenan?” The intruder asked, dropping his spell and staring at Avira. There was no mistaking that voice. “What are you doing here? Why have you disguised yourself?”
She wasn’t surprised that he could see through her magical disguise; it wasn’t him she had been hiding from after all, just his agents.
“Excuse me?” Avira asked, stepping towards him and dropping her own magic. “You’re in my room, in the estate that’s serving as my base of operations. What are you doing here?”
Solas stared at her, slowly bringing his hand to touch her cheek. In an instant, she felt the magic that concealed her identity dissolve.
“Vhenan, I...missed you.” He said quietly, looking into her eyes, his hand still gently cupping her cheek.
“So you snuck into my room?” Avira asked, unconsciously leaning into his touch. “Your advisors said you’ve been gone for over a week. Have you been here this whole time?”
“My advisors?” Solas asked, giving her a confused look, then quickly shaking it off. “I disguised myself as a servant and tried to find out where you had gone.” He raised a hand to pull off his hood, revealing thick black tendrils of hair. “No one pays any attention to the servants, and none of your agents here know what I look like.”
He lowered his gaze. “When I couldn’t find you or learn your whereabouts, I decided to await your return. I...have been sleeping here. There are many memories of you in the Fade.”
It was then that Solas noticed the Eluvian glowing softly across the room. “You came through the Eluvian?” He asked, his eyes meeting hers again, pupils wide with surprise. “You were...in my chambers?” His voice held the slightest hint of excitement, a tiny smile forming on his lips.
Avira couldn’t help but smile back, her hand reaching up to stroke Solas’ hair. He closed his eyes for a moment, reveling in her touch.
“I...missed you too.” She said, a blush forming on her cheeks. “I needed to see you--to talk to you. I joined your organization to get close to you, but by the time I’d worked my way up through the ranks, you had already left...to come here.” She let out a weak laugh at the irony of it all.
“Solas, I--” Before she could even get the words out, Solas pressed his lips against hers, softly at first, then with more fervor. After several moments he pulled away, leaving Avira shocked and breathless.
“My apologies, vhenan.” Solas’ tone was sincere, but there was a glimmer in his eye that said he wasn’t sorry at all. “I will listen to what you have to say, but please let me speak first, as this may be my only chance.”
Avira just nodded, stunned into silence.
Solas took both of Avira’s hands into his. His expression became clouded as he looked down at her prosthetic, his fingers gently caressing the foreign material.
“‘Ma sa’lath,” he said softly. “I have visited the Fade countless times to replay our last meeting. Your words have haunted me, and I can longer deny that you are right. The consequences of tearing down the Veil in such a manner are too great.” He pressed his forehead to hers, inhaling deeply as if to breathe her in.
Avira closed her eyes, feeling hot tears drip down her cheeks. This isn’t happening. This is a dream. I’m in the Fade and I will wake up and everything will be the same. This isn’t real.
“Ir abelas sul’garahnen, vhenan. Sathan em lanasta. I am willing to destroy the entire world, sacrifice everything to bring back the Elvhenan; everything but you. My love for you is more important than this plan.” He said, gazing at her in earnest. He squeezed her hands. “I am not giving up on my cause, but I believe you when you say that we can find another way.”
Avira had to bite her lip to keep it from quivering.
“In fact, I’m certain that you’ve already come up with a possible plan.”
Solas pulled back slightly, letting go of Avira’s hands to wipe away her tears. “Will you join me, vhenan’ara? Will you help me find a way to tear down the Veil without destroying the world?” His hands lingered on her cheeks, tilting her head up towards his.
Avira nodded, smiling so widely her cheeks hurt. Solas moved one hand behind her neck, the other tangling in her hair as he brought her close for a kiss. It was chaste at first, soft and sweet. Solas pulled back slightly, mouth parted, and lightly grazed Avira’s lips with his own, savoring the feel of her before deepening the kiss. His lips seared Avira’s and she wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself, carding her fingers through the length of his hair. He hummed as he pressed his body against hers.
Avira’s forgotten magelight dimmed before going out, leaving the room in darkness. Even the Eluvian had ceased its glowing. With nothing but faint moonlight filtering in through the window, they broke their kiss to walk over to the bed. Avira removed her clothes and shoes, all but her thin tunic and breeches, and set down her bag. She climbed into the familiar bed, feeling the warmth of Solas’ body heat in the sheets. He pulled the blankets up over her, then crawled under the covers on the other side of the bed. She turned on her side to face him, his features barely visible in the dim light. He did the same, wrapping one arm around her waist and threading the other carefully under her pillow. She moved closer to him, pressing her forehead to his chest, where she felt his heart beating steadily.
“Ar lath ‘ma vhenan.” Solas whispered. He kissed the top of Avira’s head, holding her close. “Sathan, uth’ea emma?” He asked. Avira heard him hold his breath.
“Ar tas lath ma.” Avira replied softly. “Solas...Vin. Ar uth’nea sar.”
Solas looked down at her, his eyes shining and wide with joy. He pulled her up to him and placed a flurry of kisses all over her face, her hair, her ears, and down to her neck. Avira giggled, returning the gesture. Soon they were tickling each other, both wrestling for dominance as they rolled all over the bed. In the end Avira surrendered, and they sprawled out on their backs, holding hands as they tried to catch their breath from laughing so hard. Tomorrow they would have to devise a plan, and carrying it out would be the hardest thing either of them had ever faced. But tonight they had this moment, this bubble in time, filled with kisses, laughter, and the simple pleasure of knowing you belong to someone.