Pride, Wolf and Rebellion

Impasse

Fen'Asha opened her eyes to find herself in an expansive space that seemed to exist in a prism. The colours glistened vibrantly, as if she'd stepped inside one of Solas' paintings. She looked around, discovering that she was utterly alone but for other dark, looming objects. She sifted her way through the mist of light, noticing other mirrors and unnatural trees serving as adornments to the strange locale.

"If this place had a name, it has been lost," said a voice. It was Morrigan and she stood at Fen'Asha's side, appearing as suddenly as she'd disappeared through the eluvian.

"I've never seen colours like this," said Fen'Asha as she ran her fingers through the gathering mist, the colours swirled and changed under her fingertips.

"Colours? Could it be your elven eyes see it differently?" Morrigan tilted her head. "All I see is grey."

Fen'Asha looked at her quizzically.

"I call this place the Crossroads," continued Morrigan. "Hardly an innovative appellation, but certainly appropriate. This seems to be where all the eluvians join."

"How?" asked Fen'Asha.

"Who knows?" said Morrigan with an uncharacteristic shrug. "Your people left no roads, no maps, no helpful hints. There are only ruins, pushed away in the distant crooks of this world."

"And this is how they travelled between them..."

Morrigan nodded.

"This place feels...different," said Fen'Asha. "Unnatural."

"But it crumbles, even now," said Morrigan. "Eventually, it will cave in on itself and the Crossroads will be lost."

"What then?"

Morrigan shrugged again. "For now it stands and so it is valuable," she said. "That is why Corypheus seeks the eluvian in the Arbor Wilds."

Fen'Asha nodded. "These other mirrors..."

"Most of them remain dark, broken," said Morrigan. "Perhaps they are corrupted or worse. Only a few can be opened from this side and not all of them lead back to our world."

"Where do they lead?"

"Places...between," said Morrigan.

"And we can open some of them from here?"

Morrigan shook her head. "There are barriers."

"But if Corypheus...with his power?" asked Fen'Asha.

"Someone with enough power could theoretically tear down the barriers, yes."

"Then he could enter the Fade," said Fen'Asha.

Morrigan nodded. "But he is scrambling because of you," she said. "He can be stopped."

Fen'Asha continued to sift through the refracted light, watching the dark mirrors. She wondered where they went, where they didn't go, who was on the other side. She wondered if they led to the Fade or even beyond. The possibilities were staggering in their endlessness.

"Come," said Morrigan. "We must go."

They returned to Skyhold the way they came and Fen'Asha took a moment to peruse the edges of the eluvian. There was no telling what stalked the forgotten lands beyond. There was no telling what was watching or lurking on the other side of the glass. Anyone with power could...

As they returned to the coolness of the garden, Fen'Asha noted the appearance of real trees. They rose, green and proud, and touched the sky. Whatever "grew" in the Crossroads was soiled and forgotten, but there was power there nevertheless.