When Country Meets Thedas

The Temple

"The Temple of Sacred Ashes," he said with a reverent tone.

"What's left of it," Varric said looking around at the decimated area littered with burnt bodies.

Reagan glanced around and saw the multiple skeletons still on fire and swallowed the bile back down her throat. 'War is ugly, brutal, and completely disgusting, and sometimes very necessary, girl', she remembered her granddaddy telling her about World War II and what he was expected to do.

Cassandra pointed to an area and looked at her. "That is where they say you walked out of the Fade, and our soldiers found you. They said a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was."

Reagan had no idea what the 'fade' was, but she was quickly learning about the rifts and the thought of falling out of one didn't sound very good. She walked behind Cassandra through the devastated area and came upon two bodies still burning in a kneeling position that looked to be praying by the way their bony fingers were laced in front of them and stopped. She had seen many things in her time, but the sight of burning, praying skeletons turned her stomach and instantly made her want to wretch.

"Beg your pardon," she whispered with a tight voice.

Grabbing at the somewhat decimated rock wall quickly, she stared down at the ground and had an internal conversation with herself as her mouth watered warningly.
People die everyday girl... sad... unfortunate... but it happens because there are bad people out there. Now push your shoulders back, take a deep breath and walk, make me proud, girl. She could still hear her granddaddy's words as clear as the day he'd said them to her when she came across a mutilated cow and wiped at her face. Pulling herself together, she stood back up and squared her shoulders.

He really is quite attractive, don't have a snowball's chance in hell, but he is attractive, she thought and nodded her head at him while clearing her throat.

"I am, thank you," she replied and left the small corridor.

Reagan reached an area that overlooked a huge blown out area with one of those rift thingies hanging over it and stared at it.

"The Breach sure is a long way up," Varric said gazing upward standing next to her.

Reagan couldn't imagine how the hell she was going to close it. Turning towards the sound of rocks crunching under boots, she recognized the cloaked redhead with a group of soldiers following her.

"You're here! Thank the Maker," she said in greeting as she approached them.

Cassandra glanced at her and pointed to areas around the rubble as she spoke quickly to her.

"Leliana, have your men take up positions around the Temple."

Reagan looked back at the inverted tornado in the sky still in a place of shock. How in the hell did I get roped into this shit storm?

Reagan held the woman's brown gaze steadily and nodded her head.

"I'll try; don't know how I am going to reach it though, it's a ways up."

"You must try, this rift was the first and it is the key. Seal it, and perhaps we seal the Breach," Solas told her quickly.

Reagan glanced at him and nodded her head in understanding. Taking a deep breath, she looked around the area full of rubble.

"Best find a good way down where we don't break our necks then, I reckon," she replied.

Leliana followed behind them. Taking a few steps they heard a booming voice echo through the area. Reagan pulled her bow and looked around for where the voice was coming from as it spoke.