Dragon Age: Inquisition: Behind the Scenes

Of Wardens Past

It's funny how easy it is to lose track of time when Dorian's around.

Uh...let me explain that better. He's a very passionate guy. Fun to talk to, to trade ideas around as easily as the glass in the bar. Fun guy. He was the member of our crew who kept reminding me to smile every once in a while, which was good. I needed more encouragement with that sort of things these days. Not to say Cullen couldn't do that, by any stretch, but Dorian just had this unique charm to him. No one could ever hope to recreate that.

That was where the day found me, sitting in the library, in a chair across from the Tevinter mage, chatting way about my recent trip to the Hinterlands with Blackwall.

"You're pulling my leg," he said finally, trying desperately to keep his laughter as quiet as possible.

"No, it's true. It was the craziest thing ever."

"This sounds like an amusing tale," said the newcomer.

I turned around in my chair to see Leliana, gazing down at us with an amused expression.

"Do you want to hear it?" I inquired.

"By all means."

I straightened myself.

"So, I'm walking out of Redcliffe with Blackwall, right? The meeting was over, everyone was mostly happy, and we're heading back to the camp, when we come across this immense field of flowers. I think one of the villagers called them...Andraste's Grace or something similar."

The spymaster's eyes lit up like fireworks.

"Oh, I love those!"

"Really?" asked an amused Dorian.

"Of course! They have always been my favorite."

"Well," I continued, "we stopped to look at the flowers for a bit, since we had the time, and we saw this...rabbit. It hopped its way into the field like it was on a mission."

"And this was odd because...?"

I held up a finger.

"I'm getting to that." I ignored Dorian's squirming in his chair as he waited for the punchline. "So, suddenly the rabbit just stops, in the middle of the flower field, right? I start getting a little concerned, right? I was afraid he was going to start eating them or something. But no, instead, he looks around, as if worried someone was going to see him--"

"Hiding from his brethren..." Dorian muttered.

"--and starts pulling some of the flowers out of the ground."

"Did rabbits become gardeners when I wasn't looking?" she asked, giggling along with us.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "He took about three or four, I think, bundled them up in his hands, and started bouncing away into the trees. It was strangely amusing, in a way."

"Do you think he was gathering them for someone?"

I chuckled.

"Most rabbits I know don't do that, but who knows? Maybe they were for you!"

The three of us laughed at that one, but Leliana's laughter was short. I noticed the change in her expression. It meant she was thinking hard.

"What are you thinking?"

She hesitated before responding.

"No. No, it's nothing. My mind was wandering, is all."

Before I got the chance to inquire further, the screeching cry of one of her crows rang throughout the library, signalling a message for our spymaster. Leliana made to walk over to the pedestal where the birds would normally land to rest, but this crow was very determined. He flew straight towards her, landing directly on top of her right shoulder.

"You're looking feisty today," she noted playfully, extending her arm out so he could walk his way down it, towards her outstretched hand. It obeyed, short-hopping the length of her arm.When it reached her hand, the bird turned around to face her, and the three of us got to have a good look at what it was carrying in his mouth. In its beak were four, pure-white flowers, each one with a soft red center: Andraste's Grace.

I don't believe I had ever seen our spymaster's eyebrows shoot quite so high in my life.

"Who sent you this?" she asked the bird. "There's no letter..." Her speech trailed off without warning, her eyes looking very closely at the bird's. Then, it happened. Her breath caught, her eyes huge.

"Is it really you? You said... Does that mean you...? Did you find it, then? Or did you...?"

Dorian and I were completely lost. Whatever significance Leliana was placing in this crow was beyond our understanding, but the bird kept staring at her, and I've never seen her this jumbled up and confused. No, that wasn't it. It was confusion...and total joy.

"Have you really...come back for me...?"

I could've sworn the crow's head nodded ever so subtly. As quickly as I imagined that, however, it gave a loud caw, and took off from her hand, flying right out the window again, leaving the spymaster with her hand held out, holding the flowers the bird gave her. She was on the verge of tears, almost. She gave the two of us a sideways glance, but couldn't seem to find the words to explain what the hell just happened. Instead, she clutched her new presents tightly, pressing them against her chest like a small child, and took the stairs back down, reveling in what amazing discovery she had uncovered. We would have to wait for an explanation later that night.