Alistair (
bringspeopletogether) wrote2018-06-23 09:32 pm
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
[sandbox]
The letter he finally sends is maybe a little more impolitic than it ought to be, but if he doesn't send something now, he'll still be writing when his Calling arrives.
Fiona,
Ivette Cousland is looking for you. The name might ring a bell. Hero of Ferelden? Slayed the Archdemon some years ago?
Anyway. She's not having any luck, so I thought I'd try my hand at getting in touch.
Cousland's been searching for a cure for the Calling these past five years or so; she even retired as Warden-Commander of Vigil's Keep so she could pursue her research better. She knows your leaving the Wardens wasn't like mine. You didn't just walk away from Weisshaupt: you managed to un-Join somehow, with no ill effects. You're our last, best lead on the matter, so you can understand why she's rather eager to speak to you. It's very likely she doesn't have much time left, what with it being almost a decade and a half since her Joining and living through a Blight.
Frankly, I don't expect I have much time left, either.
Cullen and I are in South Reach these days. I'll always know where to find Cousland, if you'd rather speak with her directly. For all our sakes, I hope you'll be in touch.
--Alistair
Two weeks later, a raven knocks its beak against their window frame.
This is a matter best discussed in person, says the note attached to its leg. I can be to South Reach by the end of the month.
It's signed only with the letter F. Alistair spends the next few hours talking up a nervous storm, hands digging in his hair, half anxious, half furious. (This is exactly what he didn't want: for her to read this as an overture. For her to think she could have any claim to Alistair's time, Alistair's space, outside of giving him and Cousland the information they needed.)
Then he writes a letter to Cousland and sends the raven on its way.
Fiona,
Ivette Cousland is looking for you. The name might ring a bell. Hero of Ferelden? Slayed the Archdemon some years ago?
Anyway. She's not having any luck, so I thought I'd try my hand at getting in touch.
Cousland's been searching for a cure for the Calling these past five years or so; she even retired as Warden-Commander of Vigil's Keep so she could pursue her research better. She knows your leaving the Wardens wasn't like mine. You didn't just walk away from Weisshaupt: you managed to un-Join somehow, with no ill effects. You're our last, best lead on the matter, so you can understand why she's rather eager to speak to you. It's very likely she doesn't have much time left, what with it being almost a decade and a half since her Joining and living through a Blight.
Frankly, I don't expect I have much time left, either.
Cullen and I are in South Reach these days. I'll always know where to find Cousland, if you'd rather speak with her directly. For all our sakes, I hope you'll be in touch.
--Alistair
Two weeks later, a raven knocks its beak against their window frame.
This is a matter best discussed in person, says the note attached to its leg. I can be to South Reach by the end of the month.
It's signed only with the letter F. Alistair spends the next few hours talking up a nervous storm, hands digging in his hair, half anxious, half furious. (This is exactly what he didn't want: for her to read this as an overture. For her to think she could have any claim to Alistair's time, Alistair's space, outside of giving him and Cousland the information they needed.)
Then he writes a letter to Cousland and sends the raven on its way.
no subject
no subject
Low. A little weak, already knowing this is a bad dodge.
"She saw him and me together at Skyhold, she probably saw the resemblance, I'm sure she put two and two together -- "
no subject
no subject
"She can't tell anyone else." Barely audible over the storm. "She has to swear it. It doesn't leave this house. And I don't want to be the one to tell it over."
If only one more person knows -- he can tolerate that. Maybe. Even if it's Fiona.
(After this is over he is going to eat an entire cake and wash it down with a bottle of whiskey, he swears to Andraste.)
no subject
no subject
"I'll -- stay out here for a bit, then." Quiet. "Get some fresh air."
A beat.
"Thank you."
no subject
"I'll send Cullen out, shall I?"
no subject
"Yes, please. That would be perfect."
(Cullen might have some thoughts best discussed out of Fiona's earshot himself.)
no subject
Cullen emerges with two cups of tea, steaming in the cold air.
He holds one out to Alistair. Murmured: "She's telling Fiona about Kieran, isn't she."
no subject
Those words come out on a long, long sigh, as Alistair accepts the proffered cup.
"All the fun specifics that make me want to hurl myself into the ocean."
no subject
And curls his arm around Alistair's waist, pulling him in close.
no subject
"I'm so glad you're here," he mumbles after a moment.
no subject
He puts his tea down on a barrel top an brings his other arm around Alistair. "I'm here."
no subject
It's -- a lot. Fiona's story, Fiona's presence; the weight of a tangible lead, the fear it'll amount to little more than a fluke. (And he doesn't even know how to begin thinking about Duncan being there alongside Maric and Fiona. Did he know? How much? It has no bearing whatsoever on the important bits, and yet -- )
no subject
no subject
Hard to say whether that's muffled by Cullen's shoulder or by the lump in Alistair's throat. Probably a little of both.
He finally pulls away -- not very far -- and leans against Cullen, wrapping both hands around his tea to keep them warm. "What do you think so far?"
no subject
He does not say I think you should have listened to me when I said that Dagna should know about Kieran.
(He does think it, though.)
"I think we need to contact Morrigan," he says, finally. "What's needed is someone who is versed in Blight magic. She's the closest thing we've got, without doing a lot of additional searching."
no subject
"I was thinking that as well," he says. "If anyone knows the weirder and creepier corners of magic things, it's her. And if she doesn't know it outright she'll know where to start looking better than we will."
no subject
Then, carefully:
"There's also Dagna. I might write to Leliana and ask her to keep a raven on standby."
If Alistair had just let him do this three years ago --
no subject
"I'd still...prefer you frame it as a theoretical to Dagna." Subdued. (Chastened, almost.) "But if you can't..."
He shuts his eyes.
"Well. She'll have to put some effort into plucking my hair or badgering Kieran about it, I guess. Can't just run up to our tower anymore."
no subject
Cullen touches his lips to the hollow of Alistair's temple. "And I won't let her badger you."
no subject
"All right." Very quiet.
no subject
"Might also write Dorian," Cullen muses. "He might know who to ask."
no subject
"Please don't say Dorian needs to know about Kieran too."
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...