Dawn Will Come

Chapter Seven

At first light, I awoke to witness the sunrise and as I watched the beautiful rising of hope that was the sun's light, I wondered as to what Flemeth had planned for me. I sat there as she approached and sighed, sitting beside me she gently touched my face, her eyes holding a sparkle that was almost motherly.

"Child of the Rift, Dawn, it is time,"

"Time for what?"

"You must go to Skyhold where the inquisitor waits,"

"Now?"

"No but in a few hours. You must pack your things and prepare. You will be travelling by rift,"

"But what will come of you, Flemeth?"

"Do not concern yourself with me, we shall cross paths again to this I promise you," she murmured as she kissed my forehead, "you cannot fear, you must be as strong as the mountain and learn control over the days ahead of you,"

"I don't want to go"

"But you must"

"I don't want to leave you," I murmured as my eyes welled with icy tears.

"I know child but you must. I shan't be far. We will see one another again, perhaps sooner than you think. Now pack your things and prepare," said Flemeth as she stood and left me with a small leather bag and hesitantly I grabbed my dagger and packed it as the first item before anything else followed.

***

Hours passed as I prepared myself with a map provided by Flemeth and dressed myself before she handed to me a locket with an old elven painting within it.

"So that you know that I am never far," she'd said upon giving it to me as the sun rose to the centre of the sky, "it is time for you to leave"

"I'm going to miss you," I murmured, tears spilling from my eyes for a second time as I threw my arms around her, "I don't want to leave you, not out here, not alone"

"I can protect myself, it is you who I worry for," she murmured, "now go," she continued.

Swiftly, I wiped away the tears as a sigh escaped my lips and I lifted my hand as the glowing mark grew brighter before a new rift appeared. Hesitantly, I entered the fade, remaining cautious to the dangerous hidden within as I walked, the portal closing behind me. The strange green sky above and fog surrounded me as I walked the old ruins once walked by the elven gods.

Again, I hesitated before lifting my hand once more and opening a new rift to gaze upon the bridge below.

"It's going to be one hell of a drop," I murmured as I gazed downwards as the inquisitor argued with a man I'd never seen before, his hair the colour of the sun.

"Cullen! Leave it! I won't speak of it with you any further!" Shouted the Inquisitor

"Inquisitor!" He responded, his voice growing with an unfounded annoyance, "If you won't speak of it now then when will you?"

"Here goes nothing,"

"Inquisitor!" Shouted another male just as I made my leap from the rift and fell towards the bridge as the portal closed behind me. Swiftly, I braced myself for the hard landing when I felt the warmth of two arms catching me and the cold metal of armour brushing against my cheek.

Hesitantly, I opened my eyes before gazing around me to the see the blond haired male who the inquisitor had called Cullen, holding me close. Upon his pale lips was a scar that spoke of battles I could barely imagine when suddenly, I saw it in my mind, sending an agonising stab through my temples.

There stood Cullen, only young and trapped in a field of magic, blood dripping from his mouth as the madness of demons attempted to force their way into his mind. A scream escaped my lips as I attempted to push the image from my mind, not wanting to see the hidden pain within his soul any longer.

"So much pain, trapped and afraid," I whispered as he slowly placed me upon the ground.

"You?" He murmured as the world around me began to fade into black. With all of my strength, I tried to hold onto the land of consciousness as I reached for his face, in some strange attempt to relieve him of the ghosts that haunted him from his past. "Inquisitor, how is that possible?"

"Apprehend her!"

"Bare your blade and raise it high, stand your ground, the dawn will come," I whispered softly with what remained of my strength before the darkness took hold and I lost my grip on the conscious world.