Title: Sweet Responsibility
Pairing: Leliana/F!Amell
Rating: G
Summary: Leliana has her first solo mission for Marjolaine – stealing papers from the circle tower in Fereldan.
Notes: Part 2 of some. Maybe three or four parts. An AU meeting between Leliana and the Warden.
It was another three months before Leliana returned to Ferelden. Another month before she and Marjolaine left Denerim for Redcliffe to meet an Arl there, something Howe, Leliana wasn’t sure of the name. She went where Marjolaine went regardless.
She had thought about the mage Solona often. The guilt was awful which confused her because she had killed people without hesitation, without mercy but the young mage had stuck in her mind. Perhaps because she had often heard that being Tranquil was worse than death. Perhaps because Solona had helped her, selflessly so and it had been a long time since she’d meet anyone truly selfless. Perhaps because Solona had been so sweet and petty.
As soon as Marjolaine as with the Arl – the older woman occupied for the day and night but the way the man had pressed himself into her mentor’s personal space and the lascivious smile on her crooked face – Leliana slipped away and made the journey to the tower.
It was just as imposing as before; the fading daylight made it harsher, higher, but the young bard wasn’t put off. She knew it’s secrets now – both those of the building and the people inside. She felt no trepidation going in only concern for Solona. The thought that she would’ve been punished for helping her, possibly made tranquil, made her sick and she tried not to dwell on it as the sun went down and the lights in the tower started to go out.
Despite her earlier break-in security was no tighter and she was able to steal the same boat and row across the as the sun finished setting and the moon appeared, full and high. She didn’t crash on the rocks this time, expecting them and landing on the grass. She did the same as before, taking a moment to rest, her arms stronger now but the way rowing stretched her muscles was different to using the bow and she still had a tower to climb yet.
The tunnels didn’t lead outside, this much she had ascertained but could find little on the origin of them. Not that it mattered she supposed, pulling herself up and finding the next hand hold. More brick fell away forcing her into a quicker pace as she scaled the tower, trying to remember where she had climbed before but not pausing for too long just in case she too went falling to the ground.
She would never be able to explain the injuries to Marjolaine and she knew the older woman would scoff and scold her for being so sensitive, sentimental…soft. Marjolaine was none of these things, even with Leliana. The young bard did wonder more and more as to how the older woman felt about her. Once, once she had been sure it was love, that it was love that went both ways, but now she was unsure about Marjolaine’s feelings, and doubting her own.
When she reached the library she was a little hasty, lost in thought and worrying a little, slipping through the window without stopping to listen for anyone inside. It was dark, no lit lanterns and as she walked across to the where she had found Solona the first time, by the fireplace, she realised the mage wasn’t there.
Part of her had expected her to be there, had took Solona for the type to regularly be up reading when she was supposed to be sleeping, supposed to be a good little mage. Part of her had hoped her to be because if she was in the library, breaking the rules, she wasn’t somewhere worse, wasn’t Tranquil.
An empty library could mean anything and she felt the panic rise and the guilt deepen as she opened up the fireplace entrance to the secret tunnel. She crawled into the darkness and let the wall swing shut behind her, leaning against the wall for a moment as her eyes adjusted. She followed the tunnel down then, one hand in front of her, the other on the wall, moving slowly and hoping to find the lever before walking into it. She almost tripped when she did feel it then, steadying herself for a moment.
She was more cautious in opening this entrance, hesitating and unable to hear anything through the brick. She was tempted to wait, see if Solona made her own way into the tunnels but she knew that if the girl had been sent away or made Tranquil she’d be waiting all night.
Waiting for nothing.
She pulled the lever and jumped out the way as the section of wall swung towards her. She looked out into the dormitory, a few torches lighting up the large room. It was early still, a few mages in bed reading, a couple of younger ones already asleep in the quiet of the room. Leliana could Solona’s bunk from where she was crouched in the tunnel, the bed unmade and a couple of books sitting on top of the heap. It gave her a little hope, surely someone without emotions would be much tidier. The Tranquil she had met seemed quite organised at least.
She took a chance when one mage turned over, slipping into the room and crawling as quick as she could over to the bunk and slipping beneath it. She lay still for a long moment, just listening but no one spoke, no one moved. No one had noticed. No one was coming to look for her. She took a deep silent breath, lying on her front so she could see better, trying see the main door of the dormitory from where she was.
Leliana had almost dozed off under the bed when there was a sharp creak above her, and feet swinging in front of her – the dark ruddy skin of Solona’s legs hanging over the edge. She reached out and touched the warm skin, wrapping a pale hard around her calf. Solona’s jumped, crying out and dropping to her knees on the floor, looking under.
“What the?” she hissed before seeing Leliana and closing her mouth.
“Solona?” a voice called from across the room, “what’s wrong?”
“Nothing – I, I thought I saw a spider.”
“Spider!” Another mage squeaked.
“No, it’s okay, it was wool, just wool.” Solona said, smiling at Leliana and moving to lie on her bunk. Leliana waited for a moment, listening to the rustling above her, the quick movements of paper and scratching before a folded piece of parchment dropped to the floor before her. She snapped out a hand to grab it and opened it up.
Tunnels, ten minutes.
Leliana smiled and settled in to wait a little longer.
After ten minutes an older mage and a Templar came in to douse the torches, one checking on the younger mages on one side, the Templar watching as she did so. Leliana could see him heading towards them and she tried to remain still in the darkness beneath the bunk. She walked by, doing a quick lap of Solona’s bunk, the young mage in the bed wishing her a polite goodnight as she passed. She left the room, the older mage following, and in the total darkness Leliana waited for a sign from Solona as her eyes adjusted.
“Quick.”
Solona was out of bed and on her feet, scampering through the dorm towards the fireplace entrance to the tunnels. Leliana scrambled from beneath the bunk and followed, much quieter than the mage was, quicker too joining her at the entrance and smiling. Solona was grinning at her as she pressed the button to open the secret entrance, ducking down and slipping into the tunnel, waiting for Leliana to follow. She closed the entrance again, and it was dark for mere moments before Solona conjured up the ball of light. She was smiling at Leliana still, eyes wide.
“What are you doing here?” she hissed, “Come on?”
She grabbed Leliana’s hand and led her down instead of up, the tunnel winding down the tower further and she was surprised they weren’t going up to the library. She thought she should be worried, she hardly knew this girl but let Solona lead her all the same.
“I came to see if you were okay,” she said, and Solona stopped.
“Why?” she asked.
They had come to another lever and, Solona pulled it, a section of brick swinging towards them to reveal a small room. There were a couple of chairs and an old desk, a full bookshelf and a fireplace. Solona went in and started a small fire.
“What is this place?” Leliana asked, following her in and coming to stand next to the growing fire. Solona smiled.
“Some sort of secret Seeker office,” she said, pulling the chairs closer to the fire. She pushed Leliana down into one, making the bard chuckle and Solona dropped down into her own.
“Seeker?”
“The seekers? They have authority over the Templars,” Solona explained. “I think this is from when the tower was first built. Some of the books are so old hey fell apart in my hands.”
Leliana was suitably impressed and tempted to take some of the books with her to read. Or spend all evening reading.
“Why are you here?” Solona asked again. She crossed her legs on the chair and Leliana pulled her own up against her chest, smiling.
“I was worried about you,” Leliana repeated. “That Templar was so angry and I’ve heard some terrible stories about mages being mistreated and being turned Tranquil.”
“They don’t turn you Tranquil for being in library instead of bed. Thankfully.”
“I’m glad. You saved me and you don’t even know me. You don’t even know my name.”
Solona smiled and held out her hand.
“Solona, nice to meet you.”
“Leliana,” she said, shaking the mage’s hand.
“What a pretty name. Is it Orlesian too? Like you are?”
“Yes, my mother was Ferelden though.”
“What’s it like there? I’d love to go.”
Leliana smiled, as Solona leaned forward towards her in the chair, enraptured.
“There are some beautiful places, Val Royeaux is beyond compare. The Emerald Graves is lush and almost endless. But there are some very desolate places too. Some covered in ice and snow and very cold.”
“As cold as the Korachi Wilds?”
“I don’t know where they are,” she said, “though I have heard mention of them since being in Ferelden.”
“It’s far south of here,” Solona said with a sigh, “where the Chasind live.”
“Are you Chasind?”
Solona nodded, no longer smiling, looking away from Leliana. The bard tried to chase her eyes, but the mage looked into the fire.
“Yes,” she muttered, then louder, “I’m not supposed to be here.”
“What happened?” Leliana asked, moving her chair a little closer to the young mage.
“I was with a hunting party, on the outskirts of a village, Lothering I think, and I used some magic to stun an animal so an archer could shoot it and some children saw us, saw me, ran off screaming,” she paused, glancing at Leliana for a moment, then looking back at the fire. “The Templars came pretty quickly and used their abilities on me, silencing me…no one had ever silences me before. It was horrible. That first time.”
She shrugged.
“Used to it now,” she added, with a grim smile.
“Why don’t you escape? Run away and go home?”
A blush spread over Solona’s face.
“I cannot swim,” she admitted, “Nor do I know how far north I am and if I could reach the Wilds before they found me again. They have my blood now.”
She huffed and Leliana frowned.
“Your phylactery,” she said. Solona nodded.
“It’s barbaric,” she growled and Leliana smiled, reaching out for her, and taking her hand.
“I could help you.”
“Help me?”
“Escape. I’ve been in and out of here, twice now no? I could get you out.”
“Why?”
Leliana hesitated for a moment, not sure of the answer herself and Solona pulled her hand away, rubbing her palms on her her robes and sighing.
“You helped me. And I like you,” she said, smiling at her. The mage didn’t reply, sitting quietly for a moment and staring at Leliana with wide brown eyes that made Leliana feel sad for a moment.
“You would do that? Help me escape.”
“Yes,” Leliana said, with a short nod. “We would have to plan for it. We would need supplies and maps.”
The more she spoke about it, the more she was seriously considering it, helping this mage escape and make the long journey south. It seemed like a good thing to do, amongst all the bad things she did. Plus she would get to spend time with Solona who was funny and interesting and sweet.
“Why?”
“Because it’s a long journey and I don’t know where I’m taking you,” Leliana said, before realising what the mage was really asking.
“Leliana, you don’t know me at all.”
“You didn’t know me but you let that Templar hurt you so I could escape.”
Solona shrugged.
“We shouldn’t linger here too long, they’ve started checking my bunk at night.”
“Then I will write to you and we will plan.”
“No, no,” Solona said, “no one writes to me.”
“Not even your family.”
“I’m not sure they even know how to write. I only learnt when I was brought here.”
“Then, I will come back, soon.”
Solona frowned.
“I promise mon amie,” Leliana said, taking the girls hand again.
“Is that Orlesian?” Solona said.
“Yes, and when I help you escape I will teach you more,” she said, with a smile. “I will be back in a week, yes?”
“A week.”
“I will meet you here, and we will plan to get you out of here.”
Solona nodded, still holding Leliana’s hand, staring up at her when she stood.
“A week,” she repeated.
“Yes, now come, you should return to bed and I should return to Redcliffe.”
“Is that far?” Solona asked, finally standing and smiling.
“Not too far.”
She squeezed the young mages hand one last time and they made their way back up the tower.
“Goodnight Leliana,” Solona said, before she headed into the dormitory. “I hope I see you again.”
“You will,” the bard insisted.
Solona nodded, a small smile on her face. On a whim Leliana kissed her on the cheek, the young mage gasped, blushing red.
“I promise mon amie.”
Solona gave her one last smiled before disappearing into
On her way back to Redcliffe, Leliana considered what she had just agreed to do, what she was willing to do. Break into the tower for the third time and this time take a mage with her, a mage that could be tracked right across Thedas and into these Korachi Wilds.
It was reckless and dangerous and everything Marjolaine had been training her to avoid.
She found she didn’t care. She and her mentor had been drifting apart of late and Leliana knew this was the right thing to do, the good thing to do. For once. And Solona was sweet and didn’t deserve to be locked up. None of those mages did.
When she got back to Redcliffe, the sun was coming up already bright and warming her slowly but she pulled the curtains closed to it and crawled into bed. If it were a foolish mistake, it wouldn’t feel so right she decided before she fell to sleep.