Chapter Text
Skyhold was busier than ever after the Inquisition forces had returned. The whole ordeal in Orlais had made them the talk of every social gathering - between the thwarted assassination attempt by the duch*ess, to the political move that caused three of Orlais most powerful leaders to work together - the masses were singing high praise. Such praise led to an outpour of support that the Inquisition had been sorely needing. Tradesmen and troops alike were flocking to their banner, which meant a lot of work between Josephine and Cullen to assign them to projects and locations to assist with building efforts and securing far reaching holds. This being on top of all monetary support from high houses and organizations - all looking to better their own names and standing.
Ryan took note of the changes from the balcony of his room. It was morning, the sun not even breaking the horizon yet, the Frostback Mountains were dark against the skyline. Yet, it was peaceful. The Hold had not yet awakened fully, only a handful of night guards doing their last rotations before they were to be relieved of duty by the morning shift. Cooks and crafters were making their ways back and forth, preparing breakfast and getting their stalls ready for another busy day. Ryan was taking in the peace of the morning, his night shirt open and feet bare. It wasn't usual for him to be awake this early, but he'd had a fitful night of sleep and the cold mountain air helped keep him alert.
After the night spent together in Orlais the two of them had taken to sharing a bed at night. Cullen had less nightmares and Ryan stayed warmer; it was an arrangement that worked for both of them. Yet lately Cullen had been busier and sneaking away into each other's rooms had become near impossible. The simple solution would have been to just not worry about sneaking around, but Ryan just... couldn't. No matter the assurances from Evelyn that no one would think differently about the two men being together, Ryan just couldn't see it. There would be talk - rumors - as there always was. The worst ones came to mind when he thought about coming clean. The Commander, Maker bless him, was understanding of Ryan's fears even if he himself did not share them. So, they stayed apart and slept in different beds, causing Ryan to sleep horrendously.
As the sky began to turn a lighter shade Ryan slunk back into his room and started to prepare for the day. Filling his basin with water he wiped himself down and started his morning cleaning routine. Then came the donning of clothes and the application of light makeup to hide some of the darkness under his eyes. Nobles from all over were still visiting and he wanted to give them no reason to think ill of the Trevelyan line. "I wonder if this is how Dorian and Vivienne feel in the morning." He spoke into the mirror. "Maker knows we'd never find either of them with a single flaw."
Deeming himself ready to face the day, Ryan strapped his sword to his hip and made his way down the stairs to the main hall. The sun has just broken above the farthest mountain, but it was still early enough that only the morning drills were happening. Most of the visiting dignitaries were still sleeping, which was a blessing since Ryan did not feel like making any small talk. Stepping onto the front steps he cast a roving eye over the soldiers drilling. Blackwall and Bull were leading the drills - a new change since Cullen had to remove himself to make time for his reports. The leader of the Chargers had not been thrilled with the idea of the responsibly. It was that or help work through the paperwork and Bull had quickly picked his duty.
"A lame horse could run faster than you lot!" Blackwall shouted as the recruits ran their morning warm up. "If this is how fast you can charge than the enemy will have enough time to build a fortress."
"Extend your legs!" Bull advised. "Doesn't matter how many times your foot hits the ground, it won't matter if you aren't extending your legs!"
Ryan smiled to himself as he wedged his way between the two older warriors. "How are we looking?"
"Ah, the boys are doing fine, but if we get too slack they're likely to start getting dull. Best to keep them on their toes." Blackwall chuckled softly. "This batch is actually better than most we've gotten. A lot of potential."
"They could do with better stamina." Bull fussed, his one eye roving over the lines. "Could be worse." He sniffed - the closest he would get tom complimenting them this early in the morning.
"Good. That's what we like to hear." Ryan mused. "I need to get to other things, holler if either of you need a reprieve." He slapped Bull on the back with a smile before dodging out of hitting range. The Qunari man gave him a fond glare before he ducked below the main hold into the kitchen area.
The kitchens were one of Ryan's favorite places to be. Not because of the food, per say, but rather the old women who cooked the food. If ever he needed an ego boost or a pep talk, they were his go-to most days. There was just something so homely about the ladies. Maybe it had to do with their smiling faces, creased with age but also with smile lines, or maybe to do with their hands which were small but strong from years of prepping breads and meats. Any morning he could he would go to them to pick up his breakfast instead of waiting for it to be catered out to the main hall. It let him wish them good morning... and if he got hugs that left him feeling a bit lighter than before, well that was a bonus.
"Good morning, Catharine." Ryan greeted the eldest woman. She was wrinkled with age but her gray hair was thick and her eyes still a bright vibrant green with a mischievous glint. She was his favorite of all the cooks. Her mind sharp enough to read between the lines and know exactly what the young Trevelyan needed at any given time.
"Well good morning to you, youngin'." She wrapped one arm around his waist and gave him a squeeze as the other hand continued to stir a pot of gravy. "Come to get the best scraps, eh?" She needled.
"Always. Can't let the others get the best parts, they aren't the ones who come and keep you company."
"Well make your plate and be on your way. Can't have you distracting the lasses down here." Catharine let go of him and went back to her tasks. "The Commander hasn't been eating much fruit and veggies lately. Plate some extra for him."
Ryan was in the middle of shoveling eggs onto two plates when he turned to stare at her. "I didn't say I was getting the Commander's plate..." How did she know he was brining Cullen his food? He didn't do it that often. Right? The cook turned and gave him an unimpressed look.
"I'm old, not blind. Now, plate some extra fruit and be on your way. The girls are already starin'." Sure enough, when Ryan whipped his head around the younger girls working the kitchen quickly snapped their heads back to their work. With a deep flush Ryan quickly plated the rest of his food (and extra fruit for Cullen) before beating a hasty retreat to the ramparts.
Scouts and troops were scurrying between the towers and main hall, running information and reports between the leaders and squadrons. Holding a plate in each hand he flagged down a soldier leaving Cullen's office.
"Sir Trevelyan." The soldier greeted.
"I've a favor to ask. Please inform the troops to give the Commander half a bell to eat without interruptions." The soldier nodded and took off to inform the others as Ryan used his hip to push the door open to the Commander's office. Cullen standing behind his desk shifting through papers, not even bothering to look up.
"Do you have that report from the Hinterlands, yet?"
"No, but I have food."
Cullen's eyes immediately snapped up and some of the tension eased out of his face. "The Maker must have sent you; I swear." Ryan set the plates down on the desk after Cullen shifted some papers aside to make room.
"Actually, Catharine sent me. With extra fruit, she says your neglecting yourself again." Ryan hummed as he dragged a chair to the desk to eat with the Commander. "I've told the troops to give you a half bell to eat and work through some reports."
"I'm not neglecting." Cullen grumbled before spearing a piece of orange and shoving it into his mouth. "I just haven't been hungry." His words rang hallow as he slowly devoured everything in front of him. Ryan even slipped a few bacon strips onto his plate without him noticing.
"You'd work yourself to death if the sun didn't set and your candles didn't burn out." Ryan sighed, resting his head on his hand as he scrapped the remains of his eggs onto the last bite of bread.
"I know when to rest." He sniffed, finishing off his plate and leaning back in his chair with a content sigh. His eyes roved over the younger warrior for a moment. "How are you sleeping? You seem tired."
"The bed's cold without you." Ryan told him truthfully. "I got used to you being beside me that I turn in the night looking for you." He sighed and pushed his plate away. "Nothing to be done about it though. I can't have you waiting to midnight to sneak into my room, only for you to leave before day breaks." As soon as the words left his mouth Ryan hated how they tasted, how the sounded. Maker, when spoken aloud it felt like Cullen was some dirty secret.
"Someday." Cullen assured him gently as he stacked their plates. It was said to sooth him, Ryan knew, but instead all it did was make him feel worse.
"Yeah, someday."
It was midday when one of Leliana's scouts found him in the stables working with Blackwall and Dennet. They come to inform him and the Warden that they were needed for an impromptu meeting. Such meetings were never a good sign, so he and Blackwall quickly finished up shoeing their respective horses before making their way to the War Room. By the time they got there the only two missing were Sera and Bull. As they waited for the last two of their members Ryan took a look at the map. To this day he still did not understand what all the markers meant, and he had no reason to ask for explanation. He learned early on that if he needed to know something, then he'd be told.
The door opened and Sera and Bull entered. Both of them not at all surprised to be the last ones to show up. It always took some time to yank Sera out of her room, and sometimes Bull had to get his Chargers under control before leaving the tavern to their tender mercies.
"Let's get started shall we." Evelyn said, taking her place at the head of the war table with her advisors at her side. "I wouldn't have called everyone if it wasn't urgent, so let's get to the point. A few of you know that I planned to travel to the Forbidden Oasis, word has come back that the Venatori have been setting up camps all along the area. From reports we have found in their encampments it looks like they have reason to believe that the shards we are collecting can unlock a treasure of some sort, meant to boost the one who finds it. I'm not sure what it is or what it does, but I'd rather our enemy not have it, and if it can benefit us, all the better."
"We can't let Corypheus have an advantage." Leliana stressed.
"Exactly. He's already so far ahead of us, we need to close the gap, which is why I am going to be leading a party into the Oasis to grab it from under them. I, Solas, Cole, and Blackwall will be making the trip. Solas, you know more than anyone about ancient relics and hidden vaults, your time in the fade will prove useful in this. Cole, I need you to have our backs, use the shadows and don't let anything get the drop on us. Blackwall you'll help smash through anything and anyone standing in our way."
"Sounds like a solid plan." Blackwall mused as he carded his fingers through his beard in thought. "This all seems standard, why the whole meeting?"
"We've haven't gotten any reports coming from the Fallow Mire in weeks. We've sent a number of troops to the area to scout, and none have returned." Cullen supplied.
"Normally the Inquisitor would take this matter personally, but we can't ignore the shards or the threat that Corypheus could pose if he gets what he is looking for." Josephine added.
Ryan caught his sister looking at him from across the table. The gears were turning in her head and Ryan had a feeling he knew where this was going.
"You want me to spearhead a search into the Mire." It wasn't a question, but rather a statement, and from the look that Evie was giving him, it was an accurate one.
"You've been wanting to get out of the hold, now is your chance if you want it." She shrugged. "I trust everyone in this room to be able to lead, but the world sees you all as my inner circle or my advisors. Except for you." She explained, never looking away from her brother. "Ryan, you are my brother, not an advisor and not just a member of my circle. There is a perception that you can lead when I am not able to, a perception held by the Inquisition and by the outside populace. No one would blink if you were to lead expeditions, and being able to be in more than one place at a time would be beneficial."
The room went silent as Evelyn's words sunk in. The younger Trevelyan stared intently at the map. The Fallow Mire was south, deep in Ferelden. They could cut through the Hinterlands to get there, but it would be about 3 days of riding to get there, and there was no telling what they would find. Were their troops even alive?
"I'll do it." Ryan looked up at his sister. "We can leave as early as tomorrow morning. I'll gather a party of my own and take my knights, we'll find out what happened in the Mire, and I'll find our troops."
Evelyn's sharp smile cut across the room. "Any ideas on who you're taking."
"I'll take Sera, Varric, and Dorian. Along with Arthur and Jordan. I figure our rouges and mage can hammer our foe from a distance and melt their defense while me and my knights cut down anything that gets within melee range." Ryan explained casually.
"Ah yea! I can fill 'em with arrows. Fer sure." Sera whooped, making a motion of shooting Ryan with an invisible arrow.
"You just had to drag me to a swamp." Dorian fake cried. "A swamp!"
"You'll live Sparkler. We leave in the morning?" Varric asked for confirmation.
"Yes, early. So get some rest, all of you." Ryan pointed a threatening finger to his three party members.
Once the parties were settled everyone slowly filtered out of the War Room aside from Ryan and Leliana. The spymaster informed him of what little information she had on the area. If Ryan found any rifts, he was to make note of it on a map and steer clear until the Inquisitor could make time to close them, and if he were to encounter any big forces he was to fall back and call for one of their main contingencies to assist.
After finishing up Ryan swiftly made his way to the ramparts where he knew his knights liked to linger and overlook the bridge entering into Skyhold. Upon finding them he wasted no time in launching into the details of their upcoming expedition. Both of his knights were eager to finally get some action in the field.
"It's about time we got utilized." Jordan sighed as the three warriors made their way down the ramparts together. There was much that needed to be done in order for them to be ready to head out in the morning. Horses to shoe, provisions to pack, tasks to get done before their departure, the list went on. "My sword has been collecting nothing but dust since we reached Ferelden."
"Your sword better be in good condition. Even without getting into battle you surely kept it in good condition, no?" Arthur asked, his tone close to scolding without actually seeming to be.
"Yes! Obviously, I'd have kept my blade honed and ready." Jordan snipped back.
"Be ready before sunrise. We'll be leaving as soon as the sun crests the mountains." Ryan told them firmly. "Your blades will be ready, horses' saddled, and affairs settled."
"Yes sir." Both nodded, and upon seeing the clear dismissal, left to do as they were instructed.
Morning came quickly. Ryan tossed and turned through the night, his mind racing with thought of their troops, of what he might find. At some point he gave up and threw the covers off of himself. He wasn't going to be getting any more rest than he already had, so he might as well get dressed and start getting his horse ready. It was about a bell and a half before daybreak. The troops were just starting to stir in their barracks, he could hear the scrapping of boots and armor as he made his way to the stables. Neither his party nor Evelyn's had made it to the stables yet.
Good, it would allow Ryan some peace as he readied himself. He coaxed his mare from her stall and started to get her saddled when the stable doors creaked open just a bit. Cullen was the last person Ryan was expecting to see slink in, but there he was, red fur cape and all. He didn't have on his gear, just plain woolen clothes and his sword strapped to his hip.
"What are you doing up so early?" Ryan asked, finishing the buckles under his mare and giving her a quick pat down.
"Nightmare." Cullen admitted softly. "Couldn't get back to sleep so I waited up. Wanted to make sure I was able to see you all off. I didn't expect you to be up so early." The Commander closed the stable door behind himself before walking over to Ryan.
"You're sweeter than candy, you know that?" The younger warrior sighed as Cullen wrapped around his back.
"Promise me you'll be safe." Cullen pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. "Tell me you'll come back." There was a fear beneath the words. Ryan barely heard it, but it was there.
"Cullen." Ryan turned and looked the other man. "I will come back. I'm not going to do anything stupid; I promise. If it is something I cannot handle we will gather as much information as we can before reporting back and waiting for support." Ryan carded his fingers through the other man's hair and Cullen let his eyes fall shut at the sensation. "Our men need us. I won't leave them to fates hands, and I know you understand that."
"I do." Cullen pressed his lips to Ryan's temple and let out a long breath that he'd been holding. "I really do."
After that they separated. Cullen informed him that he'd be waiting at the gate to see them off before leaving the stables. It wasn't long until other members of the expeditions were filtering in, bleary eyed and shaking off the remnants of sleep. As promised Ryan's group was saddled up and making their way to the gates as the sun started to rise along the mountain skyline. Cullen and Cassandra were waiting at the gate and wished them well as they started across the bridge. Arthur and Jordan lead the team, behind them Varric and Sera, and Ryan and Dorian taking the rear. If Dorian saw Ryan cast a look back at their Commander, he was wise enough to not give any indication.
It was a three-and-a-half-day trek from the Frostback Mountains to the Fallow Mire. By the time they arrived Ryan was sure that Dorian and Sera were all out of complaints, but instead they continued to surprise him.
"I mean, at least Tevinter doesn't have swamps. The only good thing about a swamp is... well, I can't think of one. Shocker!" Dorian crowed.
"Alright." Ryan butted in before Sera could tack on. "We have half a day to find a suitable place to set camp. Tomorrow, we focus on finding our troops, but it would be best during the daytime. We're already in unfamiliar territory, I'd rather not be fighting in the pitch black. Jordan and Varric scout ahead. Arthur take the horses, see if you can find something for them to graze on, Sera you go with him. Dorian, you and I are going to check some of these shacks. I'm not seeing any people and I want to figure out why."
The teams split off to their respective tasks and it wasn't until he and Dorian were a fair bit away before Dorian opened his mouth.
"I wasn't aware you could be so commanding." There was a smile playing at the corner of the mage's lips that worried Ryan.
"Oh, and why is that?"
"Well, I figured that was more Cullen's job." The way Dorian phrased it bothered Ryan, but he couldn't place why.
"Cullen is the Commander of our forces, of course he will be commanding." The warrior supplied easily.
"That isn't what I meant, and I think you know it. He has this presence about him. I bet he commands more than just behind a desk - would you know anything about that?"
"Dorian!" Ryan's face flamed hot. "I'm not going to engage in gossip with you about our Commander!"
"Shame." Dorian sighed as they approached the first shack. By the grace of the Maker, he dropped the topic in favor of getting on task.
Together the two of them filtered through house after house in search of answers. They found letters to family members detailing illness that had spread, rumors of dead rising from the water, rips in the sky, sightings of demons, and more. With each house Ryan's stomach turned more and more heavier. There was no sign of Inquisition troops, no notes on anyone having even seen them. It looks like the Mire had been abandoned about two weeks ago, but when the people left, they took everything. It looks like there was no intention of them coming back. Ryan couldn't blame them either. A sickness that swept through like this killing so many, and then demons from the rift bringing back loved ones to terrorize them. It sounded like hell itself.
"We should regroup with the others and share our findings." Ryan said as he dropped another letter detailing a burial onto the table. "We've found all that we are going to find today."
"Agreed." Dorian's face was tight as he studied a picture, obviously drawn by a child, that had what appeared to be a blood stain on it. There was no telling if it belonged to that same child. Ryan didn't want to know.
They found the rest of their party huddled around a fire with camp already set up. Jordan and Varric were getting food on the fire and Ryan could see Arther showing Sera the proper way to tie off the horses to a nearby tree. Ryan felt a small part of him settle back into place at the sight of his team being in one piece. He could only pray the other members of the Inquisition were in the same state.
As everyone settled in for the night Ryan and Dorian shared their findings. So far, they'd found no one from the Mire, only letters and disturbing recounts of demons and undead. There was also no collection of the Inquisition, which in itself was disturbing. Troops had been sent to the area long before the people left the Mire. Someone should have seen something.
"We'll pick it up in the morning. Tonight, everyone try and get some rest." Ryan advised before slinking into his own tent. He shucked off his boots and curled up around his furs. Even in the swampy environment he felt cold. And he knew it had nothing to do with the temperature outside. He heard the shuffling of his party as everyone laid up for the night. Eventually he heard the soft breathing of Sera, followed by the not-too-loud snoring from Varric, Dorian and his knights made no sounds, but he was almost certain they were sleeping based on the fact they were not shuffling around. Eventually Ryan's eyes closed, and he drifted.
When he opened his eyes again it was still dark, but he could feel it was getting close to daytime. The mire just had a dark atmosphere as the mist and fog clung to the area. Arthur roused everyone as Ryan got food going on the fire. After eating everyone grabbed their gear and they pushed further into the area.
They found that if they disturbed the water than dead would rise and attack them, from then on they did their best to avoid stepping in the water any time they could. Sometimes it was not possible, they had to cross in order to make it to the next section of land, but at least when they had to they were ready for the fight. Ryan made note of any rifts they came across and gave it wide berth. They cut down any wraiths and demons that they could, but it was futile in staying and trying to contain it, more would eventually spawn, but at least they thinned the numbers. When they came across pillars with runes on them, Dorian activated the veilfire and they cut through the waves of enemies as they spawned. Ryan commanded his team well. The rouges each took up a position near the pillar and fired down volleys of arrows and darts coated in acids that weakened the enemy. Dorian casted a mix of fire and lightening to cut down the large swaths of lower creatures, and that left Ryan and his warriors to clean up anything that got missed in the volley attacks.
They explored further in and found signs of a rouge apostate. When they came upon his camp, he would not listen to Ryan as the warrior tried to explain they were not his enemy. The mage's paranoid had sunken in too deep. There were flashes of lighting, and the warriors formed a line to protect the rouges as Dorian casted his own spells in counter. Eventually Jordan was able to get close enough to cut the mage down. Ryan watched as the body sunk into the mire's water, and he wondered if the mage would rise with the undead later. They did not linger long in the camp, only taking the notes to be looked at later, and Ryan made it a point on his map in the event the spymaster wanted to look into it herself.
It was getting close to nighttime when they stumbled across and man. A very large man.
"Greetings." Ryan stepped forward. "May I have a moment of your time?" The giant man turned and observed him with open curiosity.
"I have a moment. I await my lady's call."
"Your lady?" Ryan asked, moving a tab bit closer. "Is she close? It isn't safe in the mire with the demons and the undead."
The man laughed softly. "My lady resides in the sky. She sees all, and tells me her will through the bones." Ryan co*cked his head to the side, not sure what to make of that. "I am Amund, the Skywatcher. I am a Shaman for the Lady of the Skies, one of our goddesses. She is trying to speak to us, the tear in the sky is proof of that." Amund supplied. Something in the back of Ryan's mind lit up.
"You are Avvar?"
"Yes. I am from Korth's stronghold, but I do not agree with him, so I left. Now I watch." Amund looked back to the sky.
"I see. By chance, have you seen any other Inquisition soldiers in the area?" Ryan eyed the road ahead, he could see the green tint of a rift nearby, and while he wanted answers, he also didn't think he could handle another round of demons today.
"Korth has them locked in the stronghold. He has been waiting for the Inquisitor to show, but she has not yet. He wishes to challenge her hold for glory."
"What?" Ryan's eyes grew wide. "He is holding our troops hostage. For a... battle?"
"Yes, he wishes to challenge her Hold. He will not release them without a fight. He will not fight you."
Ryan was seething. Thier troops were being held for some grudge match by an Avvar leader, for no other reason than he wanted to issue a challenge. "He will answer for this. I will see to it myself. I am Evelyn's younger brother, surely, I can challenge him, if not it won't stop me from cutting my way to my troops. And I'll cut through him if needed." Amund turned his eyes from the sky back to Ryan.
"You are her brother? Then you are of her Hold. He will have to honor it."
"Where is this stronghold located?"
"To the North, past the last pillar. Be warned there are many undead swarming the gates. You will need to get through them to make it to the Stronghold." The Avvar man pointed North. "Take the west road, it will be the clearest for you. I wish you victory, Korth is not worthy of leadership."
"Thank you." Ryan nodded his head and motioned for his party to follow.
"We should rest before assaulting a compound like that." Arthur advised, pulling himself to walk side by side with Ryan.
"We need to get to our troops. Maker knows how they are being treated." Ryan seethed.
"I understand you are angry, but going into that fight as we are would be a death sentence. We need to get through the undead first and then do an assault on a stronghold with a number of enemies we do not even know." Arthur explained. He put his hand on Ryan's shoulders and stopped him from pushing forward. "We need to recoup, the men have survived this long, one more night will not decide their fate."
Ryan glanced back. He could see Varric and Sera visibly flagging. Dorian was toying with his staff but there was a shaking to his fingers that he couldn't hide completely. Ryan's blood was boiling but he could admit that his muscles were tired, his shield arm was getting heavy. Arthur was right - going into a fight like this was not in their favor.
"Okay, we make camp, and tomorrow we're going to tear that hold to pieces."
"Yes sir."
The next day Ryan's party was staring down the stronghold that Amund had pointed them to. The walking dead had yet to notice them, and their number was plenty. It would be a hard fight just to reach the gates and Ryan was trying his best to come up with a plan of attack. None of them were great, but they didn't have many options. He could send word back to Skyhold, request assistance, but he was scared of how long it would take to mobilize a force big enough to cut through all of this. There was no assurance this his men were even alive at this point. Were they being fed? Did they have wounds? No, Ryan was determined to see them free.
"We are going to have to split forces." Ryan breathed out. "There is no other way."
"Are you insane! Whatcha mean we have to split?" Sera hissed. "You see all of them dead peoples?" She pointed a finger at the hoard.
"Yes, Sera. I do. We don't actually have to fight them; we just need to get their attention away from the gate. You, Dorian, and Jordan are going to create a racket and lead them back down the path. Drop as many as you can but fall back as far as you need to keep safe distance. Varric and Arthur will come with me and confront this Korth."
"That might actually work." Varric mused, his hand patting his crossbow.
"I'm not just a pretty boy." Ryan sassed.
"No but being pretty does help." Dorian chimed. "Let's do this. Sooner we start, the sooner we get back to a place that has an actual bath."
The two teams split. Jordan's team launched into action with Dorian spitting sparks and light from his fingertips and Sera volleying screeching arrows. Neither attack would do much damage, but it sure did get the hoards attention. Well enough that Ryan's team was able to slip past without too much hassle. They made it to the gate with only a handful of undead following them. As soon as they breached the main gate they raced up the stairway further into the encampment. Ryan couldn't see any sign of his troops, which made him very uneasy, but he did his best to not let it show.
They found Korth sitting on a stone throne.
"You are not the Herald of Andraste. Is the Herald too afraid to face me herself? The woman who talks for a false God!" The Avvar man roared down at them. His people shifting in unease.
"I am Ryan Trevelyan. Younger brother to Evelyn, the Herald. I've come in her place as she has other matters to attend to. I've come to demand you release our troops." Ryan gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. "Refusal to do so will be met with force."
Korth laughed, his whole body shook with the booms. Ryan could feel his blood heat within his body. "You dare challenge me? Threaten me?"
"Your laugh hides your fear, Korth. Was it not you who challenged my sister's Hold? Am I not her brother, her Hold?" Ryan goaded. "Are you too scared to fight me man to man?"
The Avvar man seethed visibly, grabbing his weapon and descending the stairs. Ryan waved Varric and Arthur back, readying himself for the first strike.
Korth did not bother using any words before swinging. Ryan leapt back, avoiding the hammer cracking down upon the stone bricks. He unsheathed his own weapon and brandished his shield before him. The Avvar was upset his first swing didn't connect and he lifted the hammer to swing again. It was sloppy work, easily dodged, but even with his bad technique Ryan knew that one hit would spell disaster. The power behind that hammer was tremendous, enough to kill him with one well-placed hit.
"I'll crush you into dust. Then maybe your sister will see I'm a worthy foe." Korth snarled. "I'll show her what pretenders deserve."
"Still talking I see." Ryan snarked back. "Perhaps if you talk long enough, I'll drop dead from age."
The next swing was faster, Ryan had to deflect the blow with his shield. His arm felt like it had been smashed into and broken, a hiss escaping between his teeth, but Korth was off balance long enough for Ryan to land a blow to his right leg. He left a slash from knee to mid-calf. Not deep enough to be life threatening, but enough to slow him down and make him favor his left. After that it seemed Korth only got angrier. He continued to smash blow after blow upon Ryan, most of which he was able to dodge, some he had to parry with either sword or shield. Nights of restless sleep and days of fighting were catching up, but he held firm. Whenever the Avvar man unbalanced himself or got too overconfident Ryan would add another blow upon him. Soon the stones were slick with blood, none of it Ryan's.
"Stop this, Korth." Ryan pleaded to him. Although he wanted his troops back, the last thing he wanted was to kill the leader of an Avvar stronghold. "This is madness, you can't expect to win."
"My name comes from our strongest God. Korth The Moutain-Father. I cannot lose to you. I am the son of Chieftan Movran. He tasked me with destroying our enemies."
"The Inquisition is not your enemy." Ryan reasoned. "We have no fight with the Avvar."
"You worship a false god! That is enough!" He lunged again and Ryan was not prepared. He was able to raise his shield, but the ground was slick, and his footing faltered. His back met stone and he let out a pained gasp. The Avvar man stomped down on Ryan's chest, knocking the wind from his lungs and leaving his ribs screaming. The young warrior grabbed a handful of rock dust and flung it into the Avvar's eyes, causing his to scream and back up a few feet. Enough for Ryan to get his breath back as the other man wiped his eyes and advanced. Korth swung down his hammer, but Ryan twisted aside enough to feel the air rush past as the hammer made contact with ground. With a tight hand around the hilt of his sword Ryan ran his weapon under Korth's ribs. There was sound of the sword slicing through skin, a choked gasp, and then Korth fell.
All he heard after was silence. The other Avvar stood where they had been upon them entering the hold. Varric and Arthur were staring at him with worry, but were too afraid to move, thinking if they did then the whole stronghold would descend upon them. Ryan sucked in a breath, it was painful, but he didn't taste blood on his tongue, and he could do it. No broken ribs. No pierced lung. Good. Heaving himself to his feet he looked to the nearest Avvar.
"Where are my troops?"
They pointed to a door on the side. Arthur moved first since he was closest, and Varric wasn't far behind him. Together they took stock of the soldiers while Ryan approached the Avvar.
"I'm sorry for what I had to do. This wasn't what we came here for."
"Do not worry, warrior. Korth was the Chieftan's son, but he was not a leader. He held a voice, but it was not our voice. We will not take any more soldiers." They explained. Ryan thanked them before moving to see his troops himself. Some were injured, but not badly.
"You came for us." A young recruit breathed out shakily.
"Inquisition never leaved their own." Varric assured. "Pretty Boy won't allow it." Ryan shook his head and motioned for them to leave.
It was time to get his party and head home.
It was almost a week later they were walking through the gates. It was nighttime, most of the population was asleep, but he could see a light burning in Cullen's tower.
"I, uh, need to see to something. Can you take my horse to the stable?" Ryan asked Jordan. The knight nodded and took the reigns as Ryan slid off the saddle.
"Going to see your Commander?" Dorian teased.
"Who said I was going to see him?" Ryan eyed Dorian critically, which left the mage to shake his head.
"A blind man could see you two, you know. You don't have to deny it." Pavas rolled his eyes but took a breath afterwards. His face becoming oddly serene. "In a moment of pure honesty, I'll say this once. I'm happy for you two." A feeling of shock ran through the young warrior. Dorian locked eyes with him. "Coming from a man who always had to be a secret... know that it never ends well like that."
Before Ryan could think of anything to defend himself Dorian was spurring his horse forward. Leaving Ryan to stand at the foot of the ramparts with nothing but the Frostback Winds and his thoughts.
