Doom Upon All The World

Chapter 13: Presentiment

      There was an iciness to Leliana's words as she spoke. Tom told all the children to go upstairs and they did so gladly. Then all of them gathered at the table, Leliana at the head as she had much to say. There were no words to describe the feeling of utter dread that crept into Maeve's soul as she listened to what the spymaster had to say. She explained the message she got from her scouts. Maeve was terrified. Something was going to happen and it was going to happen tonight. She felt Solas' hand on hers as her teeth pinched her bottom lip in worry. She did not look at him. She stared at the table. She couldn't bear to let him see the fear in eyes. "We need to leave. Now." Leliana told them.

     "If we go now, before they get here, we might have a chance of making it to Skyhold before they find us on the road." She continued. Bull shook his head. "What makes you think someone is after us? How do you know it's us this note speaks of?" He asked her with a hopeful shrug. He didn't want it to be true. "I know it us. You just have to trust me." Leliana responded. Bull just shook his head again and pinched the bridge of his nose as Dorian rocked on his heels in the corner trying to soothe his crying baby. "What aren't you telling us, Leliana?" Josie questioned suspiciously. Even Josephine knew she was hiding something. Leliana sighed.

     She hadn't wanted to do this here. She was in a hurry. She needed desperately to get them all to safety. "There have been a series of events that my scouts have been investigating. I kept an eye on it as they were all linked to the Inquisition and this note turned up." She elaborated but it did not satisfy their need to know more. "What sort of events?" Cullen asked but it was Cassandra that answered. She read the expression on Leliana's face. It said it all. "Murders." Cassandra said with a deep heavy tiredness in her voice. She was tired, tired of needing to fight. Maeve's head shot up and her eyes locked with Leliana's dark blue ones. "Who?" Maeve questioned in a small raspy voice.

     To some measure she felt responsible. Leliana shook her head. "That doesn't matter now. We need to leave." She tried to persuade her but she didn't budge. "Who?" She repeated in the same voice. Solas looked to Leliana nodding, telling her she needed to know. "Dagna." The nightingale said quietly. Their heads all whipped up at once. Dagna's relationship with Sera was public knowhow. They'd been living together. If Dagna was dead, what did that mean for Sera? "Is Sera," Bull began but Leliana didn't let him finish. "I don't know. Her body was not found at the scene. I assume she is still alive and on the run somewhere." Leliana's thick Orlesian accent bled through every word making it sharp and merciless.

     "Who else?" Maeve whispered. She didn't want to know but she needed to. "Grand Enchanter Fiona and Scout Harding. Morrigan was also attacked but she managed to get away with Kieran. They should arrive at Skyhold tonight." She finished. Maeve held her face in her palms. She couldn't do it. Couldn't hold it in though she knew she should've. She slumped forward and leaned into Solas' arms, sobbing into his chest in front of everyone. She thought it was over. She thought she could have a normal life. She was wrong. "Leliana's right." Cassandra said. "We have to leave. We can't go home. That's the first place they'll look for us." She deducted as she looked to Cullen.

     His hand cradled the side of her face gingerly as she spoke.  He just looked into her hazel nut eyes and admired their beautiful brown quality as he kept her close. He want to kiss her, but wouldn't as he knew she would not approve. Not in front of all of these people. Hawke looked up from the table and to the red haired woman. "Are we in danger?" She asked. There was no way of knowing but she felt she needed to ask. "Anyone that assisted the Inquisition in anyway is in danger. Fenris will also be included as he follows you. They're going after remnants of the Inquisition in particular. You are all targets." Leliana estimated. Maeve held to Solas tightly. "Get the horses. I'll get Nicolynn and Mythalus. We'll go but I can't lead again. I can't do this again." She whispered as tears streamed down her cheeks.

     The words were for him only and they travelled only to his ears. He could feel her pain like a brick in his chest. It weighed on him more than anything ever had. They were so happy and now everything was beginning to crumble. He kissed the top of her head and hugged her tightly. "We'll go with you, Leliana." Solas agreed and Leliana nodded with a sigh of relief. The rest of them considered it. Cassandra was about to speak when a crashing noise rang out in the room. A large rock landed in the middle of the table and shattered glass splayed everywhere. Maeve lifted her head just before it happened. An instant after, before any of them could react, an arrow soared in through the broken window and stuck in the wall beside her. It was clear to see it was wrapped and dipped in oil then set aflame. The arrow was followed by others engulfed in flames and as it met it's mark it began to feast on the walls of the house.