The Enchanter and The Lion

Chapter 30 - Skyhold

Maeve had stared in awe as they finally crested the slope and beheld the fortress of Skyhold earlier that day. It sat on a rise surrounded on three sides by a half-frozen and half-churning river that was fed by a waterfall cascading down the peak behind it. A massive stone bridge spanned the chasm between the road and the fortress leading to an equally massive gate. 

She exited from the room that had been set up as the infirmary late in the afternoon with a clean bandage over her still healing abdominal wound under her dark green tunic and surveyed the bustling lower courtyard. Her eyes fell on Cullen, Cassandra, Leliana, and Josephine huddled in animated discussion. Cassandra motioned her over as the group split up.

She fell in beside her as they started walking up the stairs toward the upper courtyard. "Word has likely reached Corypheus of your survival. We have the walls to stand a chance here, but this threat is far beyond what we anticipated," the Seeker said gravely.

"You mean you didn't see a thousand-year-old darkspawn and his dragon coming? How in the world did you miss that?" she asked sarcastically. 

Cassandra chuckled. "At least now we know what allowed you to stand against him, what drew him to you," she replied. 

"He came for the mark, this Anchor. Except I've rendered it useless to him, so now he wants me dead. And it puts the Inquisition at risk because I'm with you," she said examining the offending thing in question.

"That may be true, but it's not why you're still standing here," Cassandra continued walking, "Your decisions let us heal the sky. Your determination brought us out of Haven. You are the creature's rival, not because of the mark on your hand, but because of what you did. And we all know it." 

They started climbing the stairs toward the main keep and as they approached the landing between flights Leliana came into view holding a sword across her hands.

"The Inquisition requires a leader. The one who has already been leading it - you," Cassandra said with a soft smile. Maeve's eyes widened as she looked between the two women. 

She heard the murmur of voices and looked back down to the lower courtyard where a large crowd of people and soldiers had gathered. She saw Josephine and Cullen among them, the former with a large and open smile, the latter with the barest hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth and a touch of worry in his eyes.

"Wait, you all agreed to me, a mage, leading you?" she asked in disbelief. 

"Handing this power to anyone would be troubling, but I truly believe this was meant to be. Andraste sent you to us and there would be no Inquisition without you. But what it means, how the Inquisition will serve and how you lead us, that will be up to you," Cassandra replied. Maeve got the sense there was a 'don't make me regret this' clause hanging in the air after that.

Her gaze went back to the sword still proffered in Leliana's hands. It had an ornate dragon head as the hilt with a dark red stone for the eye and the blade issuing from the dragon's open mouth. She tentatively reached out and placed her right hand around the grip. Leliana's hands fell away and she felt a brief moment of panic as the unfamiliar weight in her hand was matched by that she felt settling on her shoulders. They all truly believed she could lead them? 

She took a deep breath and looked at Cassandra and Leliana again, who were both looking at her expectantly. "Then the Inquisition will stand together against Corypheus. We will fight for all of Thedas," she said with quiet determination. Maker help me, what am I doing? she thought.

"Ambassador, have our people been told?" Cassandra called down to Josephine. 

"They have. And soon the world!"