Into the Chaos

Chapter Eighty-One

Hmm. It's been a lot longer than I wanted it to be. Oh well. Senioritis and college applications and graduating in a few months will do that, I guess. I wrote this months ago, I think. Maybe there are minimal errors.

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Back at Skyhold almost three weeks after we left, Solas has made a lot of progress on the mural. He also missed us. A lot. I should have Sent something. That was needlessly cruel and inconsiderate of me. I'll do better next time.

I almost expected Decius to beat me back. I wonder where he is.

I cast Sending when Solas leaves the rotunda for a few minutes. I count the words on my fingers " I feel bad. I didn't Send Solas anything while we were gone. When will you be back? We miss you."

"Don't worry. We're coming up the mountain now. We'll have to make it up to him this weekend... I miss you too. Two more days."

Maybe their ship got caught in a storm? I close my eyes and focus on Decius. I don't expect anything to come of it, but there he is. Faintly. I stop the swaying I was doing abruptly. My surprise increases as Decius pokes back. Concerned.

I cast Sending again. " I'll talk to Solas about it. I should not be able to do this. You should be too far."

"Good idea. Consider asking you-know-who also? He brought us here."

Solas had returned when Decius was replying. He had stopped mid-step. "Your eyes are glowing again, 'ma'lath."

My eyebrows raise, "really? Hm." I look to the floor by my feet and take a breath to talk but end up just shutting my mouth. That should not be happening either.

I don't notice Solas getting closer until he pulls my bottom lip from between my teeth. "What's wrong?"

Instead of saying anything, I watch my fingers shake as I place them at the base of his collarbones. It takes less effort this time to let him read my emotional atate. "You remember what happened in the fade?" He takes my fingers away from his neck, kneels, and nods. "It should not have happened. Now, Decius is two days from here and I can feel him. And he poked me back . My eyes should not have been glowing either. I was just talking to Decius. They've never done it for that."

He laces his fingers with mine. "I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation. Breathe, please?"

I do as he asks. "Solas. I don't have magic."

"Are you so sure? You can walk in the fade. You grasp at the veil like it is a simple curtain blocking the sun. You said the smite should not have taken such a toll. Perhaps you are not used to your new connection to the fade. It is here," he pokes at my sternum. "Find it in your own time."

I pull Solas up from the floor until he is sitting on me. "Could you please cush my soul back into my body?"

He hesitates for a moment before he hugs me.

"More."

He snaps with a wave of magic before his arms tighten. I don't really care what spell he cast.

~~

Solas's voice startles me from the half sleep I was in. "How were you talking to Decius?" Solas and I had moved from the rotunda to my bedroom. I thought he finally fell asleep when his arms loosened

"Sorry, I meant to talk to you. I forgot. I have a spell that allows me to send a 25 word message to anyone on the same plane as I am. We'll make it up to you."