Holli stood on the stairs beside Cassandra and Leliana as they watched people file in through the front gates.
"They arrive daily from every settlement in the region," Cassandra told her. "Skyhold is becoming a pilgrimage. And word of your miraculous healing abilities has reached far."
It still blew her mind she'd figured out how to do something no other mage had. Well, she hadn't figured anything out. She'd just done it. If someone asked her to teach them, she'd have no idea how.
She had noticed some unfamiliar faces about recently but hadn't paid it much mind. She mostly spent time training with Solas and whoever else he'd invited to join them or flitted between the others and the infirmary to see if anyone needed anything—the place was empty thanks to her. Adan grumbled about it, her putting him out of the job, but he was pleased to have more time for his own research. She had seen him working with Stitches as well, the pair of them working on advancing the medical field or whatever it was they got up to. Sometimes she helped out, offered a different perspective, and was able to figure out calculations that stumped them.
Any other free time was spent practicing magic. Just playing with it. She was working on illusions, creating magical decoys and disguises to see if she could.
"I know you prefer healing people; it's not gone unnoticed how you've kept the infirmary empty," Cassandra continued. "But we have need of you out there as well. There are still rifts to close, demons still coming through to terrorise the surrounding areas."
Holli nodded. "Are we leaving soon?"
She had grown kind of attached to this place. It wasn't as bone-chilling as Haven had been; there was a cosiness to it, which felt ridiculous to say about a castle. The atmosphere here was different from Haven as well, nicer, even for those few hours after she had closed the Breach. Maybe it was how repairing this place and making it liveable had brought people together. Or maybe it was the fact there was grass and the place wasn't just rock and snow.
Holli didn't really want to leave.
"We haven't decided when just yet. There are matters that need to be decided."
"Like what?"
"A leader for the Inquisition," Cassandra replied.
"Between Cullen, Josephine, and myself, we have been managing," Leliana said. "But it would be best to have an appointed leader. It would take some of the load off the three of us. Someone with the authority to act in our interests out there."
Holli looked to Cassandra. "I thought that's what you did."
"In the interim, I have been doing what I can. But the Inquisition needs a better leader than I can be."
"So who'll be the leader?" She asked.
"We're not sure yet," Leliana replied. "But once that person is found, I suspect you'll be working closely with them to further the Inquisition's aims."
"Why?" Holli asked.
She didn't see how she was supposed to help the Inquisition leader.
"You are still the Herald of Andraste, an integral figure of the Inquisition, and currently, the face of it, if not the leadership. When people think of it, they think of you; they think of how you closed the Breach."
"And soon, they will think of how you performed miracles."
"What miracles?"
"Healing cripples, regrowing lost limbs. Those were feats considered impossible."
"But I've proven it's not impossible. Isn't it more likely that people just hadn't figured it out yet rather than it being a miracle?" She shot them a look. "Or does that not fit the narrative you're aiming for?"
"It does benefit us to let people believe you've been touched by Divinity and can now perform miracles," Leliana admitted. "And having you out in the world performing those miracles will help even more."
"All about the optics... Fine. I want the practice anyway. I need to figure out how to make it not hurt people."
She did warn patients that it hurt before she did it, and so far everyone had still gone forward with the healing. She had learnt a few things, though—if it was a broken bone, it was better to set it first, then heal. It caused more pain and more damage to heal if she didn't. Same with a dislocation—set it first, then heal. Adan was teaching her a lot about nonmagical healing. She had also learnt she could not cure illness, at least not those caused by viruses, which was all she'd encountered so far. Colds and flus. Bonus points if she could figure out how to not leave a scar too.
"So how are you going to find a leader?" She asked. "Hold interviews? A recruitment expo?"
"I know you're being sarcastic," Cassandra said, crossing her arms over her chest. "But likely recruitment."
"And you never asked me? I'm hurt. Inquisitor Holli. Inquisitor Whitlock. Has a nice ring," she shot them a cheeky grin.
Cassandra rolled her eyes.
"Given how beloved you've become after the Breach, and Haven, it could work," Leliana said. "And the others are fond enough of you they might listen when you give orders."
Holli's heart shot into her throat, her eyes widening on the redhead. A slow smirk spread across Leliana's face, and Holli realised she had been joking. The relief flooded in.
"Not funny," Holli muttered.
"The look on your face was," Leliana chuckled.
Below, she could see Bull walking with one of his Chargers; they must have just come back from sparring or training, maybe. They both had their weapons slung over their shoulders.
"Right. I'll see you guys later then. Good luck on your leader hunt. Bull, catch me!"
Holli jumped off the steps; they should probably put a railing in. It was maybe about a storey drop. Just enough time for Bull to quickly drop his axe and catch her.
"Cutting that a bit close," he told her as he set her down.
She looked up to see Cassandra and Leliana peering over the edge to make sure she hadn't broken herself on the ground below.
"I had faith in you," she told him.
He snorted his amusement, slinging his axe back over his shoulder and walking off with his friend. Holli headed off in the opposite direction. She had to meet Varric. Then the infirmary. Given all these new people who had arrived, some of them might go right to the infirmary. Before she could get there, however, she bumped into Dorian. She quite liked the lippy mage. He had attended one of her training sessions at Solas's behest. Solas liked to mix it up: different people, different styles, keep her on her toes.
"'Sup, Dorian?" She asked, falling into step beside him.
"'Sup?" He replied, very prim about it. "What do you lot do with all the time you save on these nonsense words?"
"Make up more nonsense words, of course. You should hear some of the shit the young ones come up with."
He looked at her like she'd just said the stupidest thing he'd ever heard. "You are one of the young ones."
"The younger ones," she said with a roll of her eyes.
She didn't know if their slang would ever catch on here, but she was kind of curious to find out. Some of the stupid slang she had picked up had only been because she'd been saying it ironically. Then it just stuck. And Dorian seemed to be doing the same.
"You looked like you were having a rather serious discussion with Seeker Pentagast and Sister Leliana," he noted.
"They asked me to be the Inquisitor," she told him.
The laugh that bubbled up out of him was a fairly good indicator he didn't believe her in the slightest.
"Rude," she huffed, no real heat behind it.
"Apologies, my dear Holiday. Where are my manners? Or should I be addressing you as Inquisitor Whitlock?" His grin was wide, a teasing glint in his eyes.
"Apology accepted," she replied haughtily. "But no, you shouldn't. I had to turn them down. It's just not the right fit for me. It's Queen of the World or nothing."
"Nothing wrong with a bit of ambition. Are you sure you're aiming high enough?"
"Yeah, don't want to be unrealistic."
"I suppose not. Where are you off to?"
"Varric wanted to talk to me. Laters, Dorian."
"Yes, laters," he gave a little wave as they parted ways. He looked like the word left a sour taste in his mouth.
She laughed to herself. That was how calling people bruvs, and blud had started for her. She had only started using it to mock Curtis when he did it. Then it stuck.
She'd have Dorian doing it soon too.
-
"Holli, meet Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall," Varric introduced. "And Fenris."
Holli watched the armoured bearded man make his way down the stairs. Holli had read Varric's book about him. And he looked just as Varric had described.
"Though I don't use that title much anymore," Hawke said, joining them at the bottom of the stairs.
"I don't much like mine either," Holli shrugged.
"Too bad we don't get to choose our own titles."
"Hawke, Fenris; Herald Holli," Varric shot Holli a smirk at the hated name. "Figured you might have some friendly advice about Corypheus. You've both fought him after all."
"I didn't fight anyone," Holli said. "He just flung me around like a ragdoll."
And she'd said as much the first time she'd told everyone what went down in Haven after she'd taken off. Fenris looked her up and down like that wasn't so hard to believe.
"You did drop half a mountain on the bastard," Hawke said. "I'm sure anything I can tell you pales in comparison."
"I'm not sure why you're telling me at all," Holli looked questioningly to Varric. "Shouldn't he be speaking to Cassandra or Cullen? Leliana maybe."
"Ah, good old Cullen," Hawke said, leaning against the battlements. "He still got that stick up his arse?"
"Probably closer to a tree trunk now. But he wears it well," Varric replied. "And as for Cassandra, it's for the best these two don't meet," Varric told Holli.
Holli grinned. "What'd you do to piss her off?"
"Well, I have been credited with starting the whole mage rebellion."
Holli sat up on the battlements beside him. "Did you really though? How much of Varric's book is accurate?"
"Can't say I've read it."
"I gave you a signed copy," Varric said, feigning offence.
"I didn't intend to start the rebellion," Hawke said, ignoring Varric. "Just sort of a wrong place, wrong time type of situation."
Holli nodded, understanding. "I hear that."
"Really? You weren't the chosen of Andraste, picked for your morality, and your purity, and your youthful innocence—"
"Fucking hell, is that what people are saying?" She asked.
"Among other things," Hawke smirked, amused at her displeasure. "Quite a foul mouth for someone so touched by the Maker."
"We're getting off topic. Corypheus?" Varric reminded them.
"What is he?" Holli asked.
"A darkspawn of some kind. An ancient one," Hawke replied. "The Grey Wardens were holding him, and he somehow used his connection to the darkspawn to influence them."
"Corypheus got into their heads. Messed with their minds. Turned them against each other," Varric said.
"If the Wardens have disappeared, they could have fallen under his control again," Hawke pointed out.
Blackwall hadn't known what had happened to the Wardens, and Leliana was still looking for what information she could.
"Could they be freed from that control?" Holli asked.
"It's possible. But we need to know more first. I've got a friend in the Wardens. He was investigating something unrelated for me. His name is Stroud. The last time we spoke, he was worried about corruption in the Warden ranks. Since then, nothing."
"Corypheus would certainly qualify as corruption in the ranks," Varric said. "Did your friend disappear with them?"
"No. He told me he'd be hiding in an old smuggler's cave near Crestwood. I'll see what I can find out."
The door nearby suddenly slammed open, and there stood an irate Cassandra. "It is true!"
They all tensed, and Holli saw Fenris's hand go to the hilt of the sword on his back.
"Cassandra! Perfect timing!" Holli said brightly, slipping off the battlements and putting herself between Cassandra and the others. "Varric solved your Inquisitor problem."
Holli exaggeratedly unveiled Hawke like Cassandra didn't already know he was there. Cassandra fixed her blazing glare on Holli.
"He helped the mages, so he's got their support. And the Templars sided with him against Meredith, so they'd probably respect him too." Holli really hoped Varric's book was at least accurate about that as she spewed the first shit that came to mind. "And he's the Champion of Kirkwall; he's got leadership experience. And, bonus! He has history with Corypheus and wants him dead too."
The silence that hung over them all was suffocating. Cassandra still looked livid and about ready to murder Varric. Holli didn't know if it was a good thing or not that none of it seemed directed at Hawke.
Leliana suddenly appeared behind Cassandra, a placid smile on her face.
"Hawke," Leliana greeted. "A pleasure to see you again."
"Sister Nightingale," he greeted, more formal than he had been with Holli.
"Holli, Cole was looking for you. It sounded urgent," Leliana told her.
Holli stiffened up. "Where was he?"
She was reluctant to leave them like this, but Leliana was here and seemed more level-headed than Cassandra right now. Not that Holli knew how to defuse the situation, but she could erect a wall of fire to keep them apart.
"In the gardens last I saw."
Holli nodded, scurrying away from the tense situation, tossing out a quick 'no violence' as she passed Cassandra. It earned her a glare, and Holli just smiled back.
She hurried down to the garden, hoping Cole was still there. She wasn't sure what she expected to find. Had he been injured? What else could he deem urgent? As she rounded the corner, she smacked right into someone, losing her balance and ending up sprawled on the floor.
"Holli."
Cole's voice sounded a bit off, but otherwise he looked fine. He offered his hand down to help her up.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"Not your fault, I'm the egg running through the hallways," she replied, taking his hand and letting him pull her up. "Leliana said you were looking for me."
He nodded. "You said... I could talk to you."
"Of course, any time." Was he... feeling not real? She didn't really know how that worked. "What's up?"
He glanced upwards a moment before realising what she meant. She had explained it to him before. The others had picked it up by context; Cole hadn't quite managed that.
"There are people here," he said.
"New arrivals?"
He nodded. "There is a man; he cannot walk. He's come for healing from you. He thinks... he thinks if you can't fix him, he would rather die than keep going as he is."
"He said it, or you 'heard' it?"
"'Heard' it," he replied. "Is that something you can fix, or do I end his misery?"
"Um... well, even if I can't fix it, you probably shouldn't 'end his misery' right away. Let's just see what can be done before we get all drastic with it, yeah? Is he in the infirmary?"
That was where most new arrivals who wanted healing came to. Cole nodded. She knew he had gotten a bit of a lesson about euthanising people from some of the others. While he hadn't understood it, he had agreed to seek advice before making that final decision himself at least.
"Is he very miserable?" She asked.
She wasn't sure how disability worked here or what supports were in place. But even in her world, it wasn't perfect. In some places, just downright atrocious. Then there were some places that just actively made it harder.
"He never asks for help, not in words; he doesn't want to be a burden. But his body... it's still, like a tree that can't stretch to the sky anymore. The feeling of being trapped in his own skin, of knowing his body is not his own anymore, and that no one can take it back for him." Cole looked at her then, his light blue eyes wide and guileless. "Until he heard of you. The girl who can make broken things whole again."
Holli regretted asking. Sounded like a lot of pressure.
What if she couldn't do it?