Chapter 58: Mabaris

"Inquisitor, darling, may I have a moment of your time.""Of course, Vivienne," the Inquisitor replied with a hint of tiredness in her voice. Inquisition business did not wait for Evelyn to recuperate upon her return home. That very evening she was buttoned into a gown and thrown into a sea of nobles by Josephine to mingle, taking advantage of The Herald being home after a month away. Forcing Sorin along with her, she sent him off to find something stronger than wine to help them cope with the evening festivities."I've just welcomed one of my close friends from the Circle of Montsimmard to Skyhold. Apparently, she had assisted you while you were in the Emprise du Lion, and wishes to join the Inquisition officially! She is a Senior Enchanter of great breeding, and unmatched in her healing abilities.""Can't have too many of those, but I already know who you speak of."Vivienne looked disappointed at having been robbed of the opportunity, "Oh?" She gestured at someone amongst the crowd in the Great Hall.It was then that Sorin reappeared with two questionable tankards, settling comfortably by her side. "Cabot sends his regards. Quick, before the Lady Ambassador sees," he whispered over to her. They clanked mugs and tried to down it before Josie caught them.When they finished chugging it down, a familiar face poked through the throng of nobles milling about. "Well, then you already know Lady Miriam de Montfort, Senior Enchanter."Her fellow Knight-Enchanter gurgled his sip, giving her a sideways glare as he spoke into his tankard, "She's still here?""Sorin," her tone was one of chastisement, "Miri will be staying on with us. She's joining the Inquisition." Evelyn smiled looking at Sorin for his reaction. The raven-haired mage froze, then tipped his cup up as he walked away. Miriam stood rigid watching him with anticipation, but her lower pink lip slowly drooped down. "It's not you, Miri, he's mad at me for dragging him to this dinner."Having regained his composure, the broody hybrid returned with a glimmer in his pale eyes. Evelyn looked at him curiously knowing he was up to something, when through the raven locks spilling on his forehead she saw his eyes narrow. "E, your hair. How did you mess it up already?"Her eyes widened, whispering harshly, "What's wrong with it?!" Her hands quickly patted her usual half-up style, checking for any stray pieces. As the two went back and forth over it, he eventually pulled a lock that made one of her braids bunch and frizz. When Sorin began laughing having succeeded in his trick to mess her hair up, a glance at a reflective tray nearby confirmed it was ruined. She should've known that if something had been wrong Vivienne would fixed it. With flaring nostrils and glowing eyes, she spoke through her teeth, "I'm going to fucking kill you in your sleep next time we are on the road." He smiled smugly back at her like a troublesome child, unfazed by the threat."Language!" Both of the Montsimmard Circle mages scolded.Uncaring of the scolding, Evelyn was more irritated by her best friend's enjoyment. His subtle chuckling made a rare smile appear which Miriam caught, immediately making her descend into a hiccup fit.Looking at her Orlesian friend with a bit of undignified horror, Vivienne gracefully hooked arms with the Inquisitor for a side conversation. "Excuse us a moment, dears." Out of earshot, she imparted, "Now, she may appear demure and comely, as I'm sure you are aware of, but aside from her talent in the healing arts, there is no better player of The Game. We would do well to have her on our side."Evelyn stared at her skeptically, her rage abating for confusion. "Miriam? That Miriam? Is an expert player?""Yes," the mage's gray eyes conveyed the weight of truth in her words, "make no mistake, her whole façade of innocence is a move in The Game. Who her patron is, no one yet knows, but they must be incredibly powerful to be able to afford one of her lineage and... skill.""Leliana has not found anything tying her to a patron or any dubious activity, and I've been with her for a few weeks now, surly if she was up to something I would've caught it." That was a bit of a lie, for the only thing the girl seemed interested in was her unreciprocated crush on Sorin."That only proves her exceptional abilities, dear. The De Montforts are second to none when it comes to the Game. Every move is calculated, every word measured," she murmured with a kind of resigned admiration.From behind, Miriam's voice floated over, as she was speaking to another noble having been abandoned by Sorin. "It's true, I did assist Her Worship in Emprise du Lion. She is very skilled in the Inferno school. One would think they'd call her a firebird!"The Ferelden noble speaking with her, blinked blankly at her a few times, "They do. She's called the Phoenix of Ostwick."Vivienne's eyes glinted with satisfaction as she nodded. "You see, now everyone will think she is dull and naïve, not taking her seriously. They'll let slip important bits of information in her presence... As I was saying, a true master of the Game."Evelyn, her skepticism still lingering, raised an eyebrow but held her tongue. Arguing with Vivienne, the undisputed expert in such matters, seemed futile. Perhaps there were subtleties at play that she could not grasp. Yet, she felt like their recent trials had brought them to work closely enough that she could say for certain she was harmless.As they turned to rejoin the gathering, a scene unfolded before them. Miriam, with an air of desperation, attempted to catch Sorin's attention. The young Knight-Enchanter, however, was determined to look anywhere but at the healer. In her frantic attempts, the Orlesian collided with a woman holding a glass of wine. The red liquid spilled across the elegant dress, and a chorus of fussing and complaints followed. Miriam's face turned pale with mortification as she stumbled over apologies.Vivienne leaned in close to the pyromancer, her voice a soft, conspiratorial whisper. "Another excellent move. She has just arrived, and already she has made an impact. The woman she bumped into is Lady Monu, notorious for her stinginess with donations to the Inquisition. Lady De Montfort has put her in her place with a single, bold stroke. Lady Monu cannot spend days here building connections and enjoying our wine while neglecting her contributions. This 'accidental' spill will be the talk among the nobles in Skyhold for days."The Inquisitor simply hummed unsure of what in the Void was going on. Needing to tell Sorin, she called him over much to the dismay of Miriam. "Vivienne just told me Miri supposedly has a wealthy patron and is an expert player of The Game."His nose scrunched up at her as if she were daft. "No.""Yes.""No." They glared at each other. "E, there is no way she is playing The Game. Did you not just see her spill wine over that lady?""I did, and was informed by Madame de Fer that it was an effective move."He turned his back to the mage and the gathering muttering as he walked away. "Oh for fuck's sake. This is getting ridiculous. Where's the Commander? I'm sick of escorting you to these dinners. At least he was good for something."Her heart sank at his mention. Cullen was not having an easy time after his exposure to red lyrium. Though he did show improvement on their journey home, no one knew when the effects would wear off. Unlike his two furry friends who were sharing his sickbed, he hadn't taken the lyrium, so his recovery was expected, whereas the Mabari brothers' fate was still unknown. The Commander was taking their struggle personally, sympathizing with their ups and downs as reflected in his own health.Evelyn punched his arm, eliciting an 'ow' from the Storm mage. "Speaking of, cover for me while I go check on him.""Go on, ruin my night further." Sorin rolled his eyes, "And if the Ambassador asks where you've gone?""Dorian and I accidentally went back to the future; I opened a rift and hopped in; I was stolen by Avvar; I don't care, just don't tell her I went to see him, she'll hunt me down. I'll be back... maybe. Use this time to go talk to your beau." She couldn't help but bite back a laugh, giving him a wink."She's not my--" The Inquisitor fade-stepped away before he could finish.Making her way invisibly into the Commander's tower, when she materialized in his office she hesitated before climbing the ladder. From above her, she could hear his hoarse voice reading to the pups, giving them lessons out of his technical guides to battle. A small smile spread on her lips listening to him and his blunt commentary on the author's methods. Now and then his two companions barked or whined back in agreement, making her heart melt when he praised them back."Are you well enough for a visitor?" She called up, listening to the Mabaris attempt to growl at the sound of her voice.He shushed them before answering hoarsely, "As if you have to ask!"Climbing the ladder, noting the new pulley system for the dogs, she snorted a laugh, "Will your pets let me?""Of course, they're in training. They'll get used to you, if not, you'll have to go."Popping her head up over the floor, she frowned, "You better be kidding, Rutherford. I took a crystal to the chest for you, surely that put me above two mutts." She laughed just to be sure he took it as a joke and not to rehash anything about Ryker."We Fereldens take our dogs seriously. They are an excellent judge of character." The gray pup growled again at her, "Enough, Calenhad." He gave him a stern look and the Mabari quieted. Granted, the poor thing was still sick, so he wasn't as vicious as he could be.The brown one was much more curious, belly crawling over to sniff her foot. "And what do you call this one?""That's Scout. He's more adventurous while his brother here is more guarded."She bent and gently petted Scout who sat languidly wagging his tail. "Poor love, are you feeling any better yet?" The Mabari's eyes were still bloodshot in the corners. He looked up at her with a pitiful whine and she couldn't resist the descent into babbling at him like he was a baby.Cullen groaned, "Don't talk to him like that! He's a fierce warrior, not a lapdog!" She ignored him to nuzzle Scout's nose. "Today was one of the better days, but I fear it's not passed through them completely yet." Cullen patted Calenhad's thick head.Evelyn broke her attention away from the dog to get closer to her Commander. "And what about you? I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner, but you know how out of hand things get when I get home.""I know, no need to apologize. I'm in good company." Scout and Calenhad scooted over to flank him on either side atop the bed. She sat in front of the gray Mabari, who growled a short burst before watching her."Can I touch you without pain finally?" Reaching up timidly, her hand reached for the short beard he had grown after being bedridden. The dark blonde and almost brown hair of his face only served to make him more handsome – if it was possible. As her fingers brushed against it, she was ready to pull away at the slightest sign of discomfort, but it didn't come. With sighs of relief, they embraced in full.The feel of his arms around her felt like she was home. It was a hard sensation to pin down; it was longing, warmth, safety, and love. The wider his hands spread about her form, the tighter she curled into him. It was like its own form of healing as she listened to the beating of his heart and the pulls of his breath. The ache that sat like a rock in her chest ever since Evelyn never thought she could feel so connected to another's soul the way theirs was. Wherever he was, was where she wanted to be too.Turning her head outwards, Evelyn caught the eye of Calenhad staring her down. "Um, I'd venture a kiss, but your guard dog here looks none too pleased I'm touching you."He chuckled with a slight cough, "He won't hurt you.""Remember that when he's chewing on my face–" Cullen cut her off, turning her face to meet his lips. Though she held her breath at first, when the large pup hopped off the bed she felt more at ease to melt into him. Evelyn could've lived in the moment forever. She treasured every kiss, every embrace, not knowing what lay ahead for them in the future. Not being able to touch him because of her mana had been gut-wrenching. Her thoughts began spilling into his lips, "I just want you better, I don't like seeing you like this."Parting, she was happy to see some vibrancy return to his rare eyes, "If it's any consolation, I don't like being like this." His eyes trailed down her front, "By the way, where did you just come from? You know your hair is– I mean, it... looks nice."She huffed angrily having forgotten about Sorin's trick until now. Quickly unraveling it all until it fell loose, she sat rebraiding it. "I magically escaped one of Josie's dinners," a cheeky smile graced her face. "Sorin is covering for me."He laughed lowly, "I'm sure he's just thrilled that you abandoned him. As you can see, I'm well-attended. I suggest you go back and rescue him because he's probably cursing the both of us.""He's a big boy... no–""I'm fine, truly, Eve. No need to babysit me.""I worry yes, but it's not that, it's," she nodded toward the short train of her gown that had a wet stain on it, "Calenhad just peed on my dress."