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“Herald?” Josephine called as she entered the large tent, “I hope I am not disturbing you. I made you some—”
She paused when she saw no one was there. The Herald should have been resting and recovering after her heroics at Haven, but qunari mage’s cot sat empty. Josephine put down the hot drink she had prepared to get a better look at her surroundings. Quickly, she noticed Adaar’s boots and staff were gone and wondered if somehow, she was feeling well. It would be a miracle yet performing miracles had become a regular occurrence for the qunari woman. Then, Josephine saw something else: fresh droplets of blood on the ground leading out of tent. A deathly chill of fear instantly seizes her.
Josephine rushed back out of the tent into a white, bitter reminder of their crisis: the biting and unrelenting cold, the thick snow for miles, and now a merciless wind had started. The whole of what remained of the Inquisition had just made it to this mountain clearing, and it had been even less time since the Herald’s miraculous return. Josephine remembered the state the qunari woman still suffered, thinking of Adaar’s still battered and half-broken body and all the injuries unseen, and now she was in this deadly frost! The sadness of those thoughts along with the fear of all the possibilities escalated into a full panic for the Antivan ambassador.
Josephine could hear her own screams were fraught, but cold and crisis had taken any care for appearance away from her. “Seeker Pentaghast!! Commander Cullen!!”
Cassandra rushed to her side, with Cullen and Leliana close behind her. “Ambassador? What’s wrong?”
“It’s the Herald! She’s gone, and I don’t know to where. I went to her tent and she…”
The three others recoiled at the news, before Cassandra interjected, “Gone?! How could that be?! Could she … have been taken?”
“I-I don’t think so. Her boots and her staff were gone as well as … a cloak, I believe?”
Leliana nodded. “Then, she must have left of her own volition. So, she couldn’t have gotten far.”
Cullen was thoroughly bemused now. “She’s braving this weather by choice?! With her injuries?! Maker, what could she be doing?!”
-X-
On the outskirts of the makeshift settlement, the families settled here were growing dangerously cold. One family was just running out of supplies when the weather had started to turn. Now, their fire was dying down as it was buffeted by the crosswind. With their chances dwindling to nothing and the cold draining their lives slowly away, the mother and father did one thing they could and huddled in the tent around their three children, trying to keep them warm.
Suddenly, out of the white haze, a cloaked figure appeared while heading toward them, shakily walking with the aid of a long staff. The family flinched backward in fear when they realized the figure was quite tall and panting. It stopped in front of them, revealing it was a qunari woman peering at them with red-ringed golden eyes. It took another moment before they recognized her…
“Lady Herald?!” The mother let out in shock, “Herald of Andraste?!?!”
Even closer inspection revealed Adrestia Adaar was in terrible condition. The ‘panting’ was her painful, labored breathing. Her body visibly trembled. Despite the frost, a sheen of sweat gathered on her brow. She leaned her weight on her staff as her leg looked ready to give. Even with the cold and her natural gray skin tone, she was noticeably pale…
The father quickly offered, “My Lady Herald, you don’t have to do this. You must care for—”
Adrestia waved him down without a word. She took several deep breaths as she forced herself to stand up straight and stay still and firm. Adrestia reached her hand forward toward the flame and used her magic to steadily build their fire back up until it was once again a roaring flame. Keeping herself steady, she lifted her hands and staff as she went into another spell; the ground shifted, and a small dome of rock raised around the flame against the wind. As renewed heat flowed into the tent and over the family, they could only look in awe of the thought and compassion for them in her display. Adrestia relaxed, but her condition again punished her as she stumbled and began to cough. The father started to get up to go to her, but Adaar held him back…
“My Lady Herald, please allow to help you. We could never repay you for this. The least I can do is—”
Adrestia slowly but decisively shook her head. Speaking was a struggle, but she said firmly, “Stay … with your … family… Keep them … warm.”
She punctuated with a resolute look, and the father, seeing her decision, simply nodded, and sat back down to again huddle with this family. Adrestia then gathered her strength again and started off into the wind once more. Watching Adaar disappear again, the family whispered prayers for her as she struggled.
-x-
Adrestia wasn’t sure how much longer she could continue. The cold remained merciless, with no signs of slowing. She was not recovered in the slightest, her injuries all still fresh and agonizing. Her throat, chest, and lungs were still charred raw from her overuse of her fire-breathing magic to keep herself warm during her walk through the mountains after Haven. That overuse meant she couldn’t use now to keep warm. Still, she looked ahead and saw other families and tents struggling, and so she determined not to let herself leave them…
A teenage girl struggled and fumbled with a flint to keep her dying flame going, trying to keep the warmth on her family of her elderly grandmother and small group of seven other, much-younger girls. Adrestia approached them, and the girl recoiled in shock upon noticing her getting close…
“There she is!” A voice rang out through the storm. “Herald?!”
Adrestia stopped at the unexpected call, using a lot of energy and effort to turn and look in the direction but was caught off-guard when she saw a small party of people coming toward her: leading them was Ambassador Montilyet, of all people, and behind her was Cassandra, Leliana, Cullen, several soldiers, and a pair of mages.
“It is you.” Cassandra said as they gathered around, “Thank the Maker.”
“Thank goodness we found you,” Josephine said, her worry mixing with indignation, “We were worried sick. What on Earth are you doing out here in your state?! How could you be so reckless--?”
Adrestia held up a hand to halt them and looked back to the freezing girls. Cullen started to protest but Adaar again held up a hand to rebuke it, adding a stern look for emphasis… Adrestia again took deep breaths as she forced herself upright and gently rebuilt the dying fire to full flame. She then saw another dying flame in front of another suffering family a few yards away, and so she reached out and regrew their fire as well. A groan of pain escaped her due to the exertion, but she held firm and forced herself to stay up firm. Breathing through the pain and building herself up once more, Adrestia again energized and shifted the ground to raise two new stone domes around to protect the flames.
The group was struck as they saw what Adrestia had done and realized what she had been doing, while the teenage girl lit up in awe at the offering of kindness. Adrestia however couldn’t hold any longer and collapsed to her knees against the stone barrier. The group immediately rushed to her aid with Cassandra and Cullen lifting her arms over their shoulders to lift her, gasps and groans of pain escaping Adaar at the movement.
Adrestia pointed to the fires in the distance and fought to speak. “Help… Them…”
Cullen replied, “We will. But first, we need to take care of you.”
Adrestia grabbed the back of Cullen’s neck and turned his head toward her. She didn’t have enough strength to threaten anyone, but her seriousness was unmistakable. “Now.”
Leliana took point and turned to the soldiers with them. “You heard her. Get those fires alive again.”
The soldiers nodded in acceptance when one of the mages volunteered, “We can raise the stone barriers, ma’am.”
“Good. Make it so.”
With that, the soldiers and mages went about relighting and protecting the fires, and then, Adrestia relaxed into her support. Finally, the group started to take Adaar back to resume her recovery…
The group got back to the medical tent as Adrestia’s pain caught up to her. As her adrenaline wore off, her injuries continued to scream, with each movement sending waves and bolts of torment coursing through her entire body. Cassandra and Cullen laid her back down on her cot, Leliana taking and laying her staff to the side, and Josephine sat at Adaar’s side as they began checking her injuries. They took off her boots and saw the splint and brace on her right ankle and lower leg were intact. The leg was no longer swollen but was still a painful shade of bruised purple. The emerging red stains on her shirt hinted at the underlying damage. Josephine lifted Adrestia’s shirt to the wicked wound along Adrestia’s side. Several stitches had come loose, and the wound was weeping small rivulets of blood. Josephine automatically grabbed a nearby cloth and began dabbing the wound clean…
The force was gone from Josephine’s voice, but her empathy filled her voice with sadness. “That was noble and kind of you, Herald, but you should not have put yourself in such pain to do it. What even possessed you to think of getting up, let alone venturing out there?!”
Through the pain in her body, her strained lungs, and her scorched throat, speaking was its own torture for Adrestia. “Went … to get … Cullen… Saw people … in trouble… Had to … help them.”
Cassandra said as much as she could with tenderness, “You still should have told someone rather than go yourself. You must take care of yourself. All of this would be for naught if you don’t survive.”
Adrestia tried to shake her head but couldn’t muster much movement. “No… No… People lived … through Haven… Can’t let them … just freeze … out here … instead.”
Josephine pulled the furs over Adaar up to her neck, switched to a clean cloth, and started dabbing the sweat away from Adaar’s brow. The others looked around and finally noticed a missing presence…
Leliana asked, “Where is Mother Giselle?”
“Went … to give … last rites. A young family: the parents … will make it … but …” With her pain and her empathy stripping her of any pretense and protection, Adrestia began to cry, tears streaming down the corners of her eyes. “Their children… little ones… Youngest … not even walking… I … I had to… Have to help… Have to…”
Josephine gently wiped her tears away as Adrestia closed her eyes and relaxed into the touch. Cassandra and Leliana looked out and saw the line of covered fires leading into the camp and back out the edge, marveling at how far and how many she made, especially in her condition. All four advisors looked to each other as they absorbed Adaar’s thoughts, deeds, and the contents of her heart. They had heard stories of acts like this; some of those stories were even about Cassandra and Leliana. They were spoken in chantry lore, proclaimed in storytelling traditions, and recounted in the field to inspire and give hope. Now, they had somehow found a person who created such stories with their efforts in Adrestia. The four advisors had been arguing from over the fate and future of the Inquisition since Haven and realized all at once that those arguments now had focus.
“We should let her rest.” Leliana suggested.
Josephine replied, “I will stay with her until a healer or Mother Giselle returns.”
“You will?” Leliana asked with a raised eyebrow.
Josephine hesitated until she turned with nod. “I would like to, yes… I’ll rejoin you as soon as I am able.”
Leliana looked to her friend, searching her for a long time, her friend’s attention and care piquing her own attention. Josephine was caring and compassionate by nature, but this attention was different, almost doting. Leliana eventually relented with a nod, and the other three advisors departed, Josephine remaining as she said. Adrestia’s eyes fluttered until just barely open and saw Josephine…
She spoke with a whisper and gave a faint smile, “Thank you … Lady Montilyet… You are … a blessing.”
Adrestia finally rested fully, her eyes fluttering closed as she drifted into relaxation. Alone and at her side, Josephine thought on Adrestia: this brave and determined woman had faced an unfathomable enemy and saved so many lives, yet her kindness and consideration remained focused on others. She was still paying for that sacrifice with her own agony, yet she was saddened by the pain of those around her. This exceptional woman had almost given everything for people who would’ve cursed her weeks before, a few of whom still would if they didn’t know her, and yet she was weeping because she physically couldn’t give more.
Josephine didn’t know when or where she put the cloth down. She was now caressing Adrestia’s face and trailing her thumb tenderly over her cheek … and Adrestia was absently leaning into the touch! Warmth bloomed in Josephine’s chest at the acceptance of the gesture, and a sudden overwhelming desire to protect her. In her mind, she realized that the idea is silly considering Adaar is a nigh 7-foot/214cm tall qunari mage. The facts did nothing the assuage her feelings: she wanted to make Adaar’s fight and her struggles easier. She wanted to stand beside her and do anything to help her. Meanwhile, she also couldn’t help noticing how peaceful and gentle Adaar looked asleep and the softness of her skin…
All at once, Josephine realized what she was doing and pulled her hand back. She was thankful no one saw the display but remained mortified at herself. She was fantasizing about their several-times-over savior and Andraste’s Herald! ‘Maker, help me,’ she thought to herself as the embarrassment washed over her and turned her face rosy. Just then, someone else entered the tent…
“Ambassador?” Solas asked, “I was not expecting you here.”
A sense of relief replaced Josephine’s other feelings upon seeing a healer. “Ah, Master Solas. I was just tending to the Herald for the moment… Have you had any success on a healing potion?”
“Slowly, yes. It is in-progress. However, with our limited supplies and tools in this wilderness, making one with the potency Lady Adaar needs will take more time. I have started, but the brewing process will take at least another day.”
“Very well, good. At least she will get help soon. Thank you … for us all. I will let you tend to her.”
Josephine rose to her feet, and as Solas took the place next to Adrestia, finally stepped back outside. Josephine looked back one more time as she pulled her coat tighter around herself, thinking of Adaar would be well again … and how she would react upon getting to speak to her again.