Dragon Age Inquisition: The Legacy of Dorian Pavus

60: Carriages

Dorian

He woke to the sound of horses and the bump and rattle of a carriage moving fast over rough terrain. His head felt heavy and he sat up slowly as a wave of dizziness washed over him. Groaning in pain, he cradled his head in his hands while he waited for the nausea to pass.

After a moment, his thoughts cleared and he looked around trying to remember how he'd come to be in a carriage. Where in the Maker's name was he? Why did his head hurt? And why did it feel as though his heart had been shattered into a million pieces?

Answers, he decided. He needed answers. Moving slowly he put a hand to the carriage curtain and pulled it back to stare out at the passing landscape. The first thing he noticed was the lack of snow, but for the life of him he couldn't understand why that would be important. The second was that as the bright green colour that blurred past, he felt dizzy and dropped the curtain for fear he was about to be ill.

Green? He shook his head to clear the fog from his thoughts. He felt as though he was forgetting something very important, yet every time he got close to catching it, it raced away only to be replaced with an overwhelming feeling of nausea.

Taking a few deep breaths, he stared around at the small space he was in, attempting to start small in trying to piece together how he'd gotten here. He was in a carriage pulled by horses. Yes, his mind snapped irritably, very astute. From the brief glance outside he had gathered they were on a northward course. Yet why did that send a chill coursing through him? Where was he? Where had he come from and more importantly, who was steering this thing?

He remembered something about snow and mountains and... his heart stopped as his breath caught in his throat. And... Nathaniel? Why did that name make him feel both panic and relief? Was he on the run from this man? If that were the case, why did the thought of him make his heart constrict?

The carriage came to a halt, drawing him from his thoughts. He held his breath at the sound of approaching footsteps. The door swung open, the bright light of the sun temporarily blinding him. When he could see, Solas was there, a concerned look on his face.

"Ah. You're awake." He said, flashing him a faint smile. "I was afraid you were going to sleep all the way to Tevinter."

"Solas?" Dorian said, frowning. "What's going on? Why are we going to Tevinter?"

Solas frowned, stepping close to place a comforting hand on Dorian's arm. "Don't you remember?"

Dorian frowned, his eyes going to Solas' hand on his arm. "I..." He faltered, returning his gaze to Solas where for a brief moment he could have sworn the man's eyes flashed with blue fire. "I..." He repeated as Solas stepped back.

"Of course I remember." He smiled, unaware of the change that had fallen over him. "We're going to save my homeland together. Help my people move into a new way of thinking."

"That's right." Solas nodded. "Of course I will have to disguise myself before we go any further."

"Right." Dorian nodded. "Yes, of course. Wouldn't want anyone suspecting you're anything more than a slave before we reach the border."

"No. That would most assuredly defeat our purpose." Solas agreed, his voice hard.

"Right then." Dorian said, stepping out of the carriage into the heat of the afternoon sun. "Do whatever you need to Solas. I think I'll take a moment to enjoy the sunshine."

"As you wish." Solas nodded, letting him pass. "Give me a moment to ready myself. We're about a day's journey from the Tevinter border."

"I must say it will be good to be home again." Dorian said cheerfully. "I've missed the heat something terrible."