Chapter Text
Chapter 5.
Ajuemah- aan - About to create big
Elystaa woke with a groan, the pain in her head pounded in time with her heartbeat and to make it worse her mouth felt as if she had eaten a bucket of sand with only something decisively sour to wash it down. It took Ely a few minutes to remember why she would be in such a sorry state, then her painful eyes landed on the three bottles of wine her and a certain crow had spent the evening emptying. ‘That was the end of my favorite vintage, I wish, I could remember actually finishing it.’ she grumped silently to herself.
Despite the pain that infused her head Ely pushed herself up with her able hand and quickly looked around for her avian themed friend. She couldn't think of anything else to call the rather striking outfit he had worn the previous evening. Minus the pompom tufted ear mits it had been rather intimidating. The large metal beak like face shield and helm had obviously been created to invoke the dangerous reputation of the Antivian crows without the wearer needing to announce his affiliation.
Elystaa remembered everything up until they had collapsed giggling drunkenly upon the couch across from her bed. Of course that was after breaking into skyholds larder , sans the chaplains key of course. Not that Lady Naome would not have obliged her if Ely had awoken her in the middle of the night rather as Zevran said it is far sweeter if you steal it. Though as Elystaa stood and began to stretch in the same rumpled and wrinkled gown she had been wearing the previous evening. she had to contemplate if it was really stealing when it was her wine to begin with.
Pulling the gown away from her chest she brought it up to her nose and sniffed it, making a scrunched up face of disgust as she dropped it back to hang limply around her form. “Ughhhh, first a bath.”
Once again Elystaa was more then a little grateful of the people who originally built the castle not to mention Dagna, the ever talented artificer who figured out how to make the nearly crumbling piping working once again. It required a small amount of pumping on a hand pump but it made the possibility of getting a bath unaided actually possible for her now. Carrying one bucket at a time up the dizzying staircase to her chambers was far too much work for even the hardiest of servant none the less a woman with one hand.
Giving the laces on each side of her body a few quick tuggs Elystaa had loosened them enough to pull her gown off over her head leaving her scared body bare as she walked over to the small door next to the railing that went down to the next level of the tower. Out of the corner of one eye Ely caught her reflection in the mirror and stopped to stare at herself. She hadnt done much mirror gazing lately and with good reason.
The well fed curves she had acquired as Lady Inquisitor had nearly disappeared. All elves are on the thinner side but most were overly so due to how harsh life and the shemlens have treated them not by natural means. She could remember being able to count each rib and how biting the wind had been when she first arrived in Haven. With proper food and plenty of exercise courtesy of one Cassandra Pentagast she had quickly gained weight in both fat and muscle. More so then she knew an elf could to be truthful. Elystaa was nowhere near as thin as she had been during her life with the clan but the difference from a few months ago was still clearly evident.
‘No wonder Varric was on me about eating’ Thoughts of Varric plus having her scars on stark display against her pale skin inevitably led to her sliding her fingertips over the gash she had received from the fear demon when pushing Hawke through the portal back to Adamant. She went from just skating her fingertips along it to rubbing her whole palm from just under her left breast to just atop her hip she scowled at the reflection as it mimicked her. The healers had done their best of course but the scar was still red angry and the biggest of all she had collected in the few short years as Inquisitor.
It has also been one of the most traumatic not because of the violence or fear but rather its lasting damages and what it meant for her future. In the clans one of the largest duties any adult females was to increase the size of the clan. After she had healed for several days within a medical tent on the sands outside Adament a healer had come to her with words that broke whatever lasting hope she had of returning to her people. The elven women stood there her own vallaslin bold on her face as she slowly explained that the healers had done all the could but that the scarring which was bad on the outside was worse within. That without the gods direct intervention she may never carry a babe into life, though the woman had tried to sound hopeful by adding that it was not impossible the truth was a hard lump in the pit of her stomach. It had nearly broken Elystaa. She, with her careful politics and some direct application of the Inquisitions might had saved her clan but now would ever be apart from it.
Ripping her hand and gaze away from the viewing glass, Elystaa shook herself mentally from the past, she had a plan and from that plan she hoped to create a mission one that would help her more than sitting around a freezing cold castle licking her wounds. Clenching her fist and letting out a deep breath she swung open the bathroom door.
The large wooden bath had a backrest built into it one that was on an hinge. The hinge allowed her to snag the heating rune off the shelf near the door and drop it behind the slatted backrest. With a sigh of delight she then picked up a small satchel of herbs and dropped it whole into the same space. The herbs were a combination of special sea salts from the Wastes and embrium. It helped soothe aching muscles and calmed the mind exactly what she needed at this moment. Flipping the backest into its working position she leaned over the bath and began to forcefully jiggle the water pump handle up and down. At first nothing happened but after a few more repetitions a stead steam of water began to flow into the tub. Once the tub was nearly half full Elystaa waved her hand over the rune , keeping her will intent on turning it on within her mind. Mages and some others could turn the runes on with just a look but recently Elystaa had found her will lacking enough that she needed the motion to focus herself. She supposed a repetition of the word heat would do the same thing but had quickly found it tedious. The rune flicked red and began to quickly accumulate heat , soon the water was all but steaming.
She could still remember clearly when Solas, no Fenharel had first given her the rune and showed her how to activate it. It hadnt been long after they had returned from the frostbacks, her curiosity about the finished pipework and new tub had been nearly palatable with how she had bounced on her toes with her hands clasped behind her back. Solas has guided her into the watercloset with his hands over her eyes then dropped the rune into the already prepared water with a soft plop. That day was a rare day of rest they spent making love and bathing over and over, luxuriating in the decadence of a warm bath.
Stepping into the bath Elystaa tried not to bare her teeth at the memory. It was too bittersweet for her right now, maybe later she could indulge in her memories without pain but not now. So rather than dwell she swiftly grabbed the small satchel off the low shelf next to the pump handle, it contained bits and pieces of soap and began to harshly scrub at her skin. She was more gentle around the still healing stump of her forearm but that was the only consideration she gave the dirt that had accumulated on her skin. Once she was flushed pink from her ministrations she dunked herself to rinse the soap and stood. Water streamed over her body before she snagged the hanging towel off its peg and wrapped herself in it.
Unbidden a memory surfaced from the night before, Zevran once he had discovered the water closet had offered to very thoroughly clean her … once they had finished making eachother dirty that is. Snorting the sound reverberated slightly in the confined space as she stepped out of the room and into her main living space. Her wet feet made slapping sounds on the cold stone as she quickly rounded the end of the bed to her very large and rather gaudy armour. It had been a gift from Josie so Elystaa had accepted it with a grateful heart despite it being more the ambassador's taste then her own. As quickly as she could she rubbed down her body with the towel then hung it over the oen armour door.
Not truly caring what gown she wore other than avoiding the ‘court’ gowns Josephine had insisted she simply MUST have, Elystaa grabbed the first thing that would work. It was a burgundy dress of the same dailish make as her others . It was easy to slip over her head and shimmy it down around her legs. The ties on both sides created a more fitted design as she tugged on the strings first one side then the other. Selecting a pair of black slippers Ely dropped them to the floor then stepped into them . Giving the toes a quick tap against the grey stone floor to settle them on her feet, she nodded to herself.
Elystaa’s first step in ‘the plan’ was to finally take Dagna up on what the bubbly dwarf was calling a prosthetic arm. She evidently even had some ideas about how to incorporate a small crossbow into it with such cleverness that even Zevran had been impressed when he heard of it the night before.
With that in mind Elystaa all but flew out of her suite and down the long tower of stairs. Why a room for the most powerful person, should be on the top most level, still escaped her, wouldn't it make more sense for it to have been on the first level and thus more convenient? At her pace this morning it was unlikely that there was breakfast still being served in the great hall but she was more than certain with just a word a servant would happily bring her whatever was left over, with that in mind she crossed over into the hall and looked around for someone in her liveralry. Spotting an older grey haired servant leaning down to place something that looked like a missive in front of Varric on his table, Elystaa waved to get her attention.
With a small smile to the red headed Dwarf, Ely waited for the servant to rush to her side. It was one of the few perks of being the Herald of Andraste , service was always swift. With a quick bob like curtsy the old woman respectfully intoned
“How may I be of service your holyship?”
Giving the eager servant a genuine smile, Ely pursed her lips for a moment as she thought about what might have been served today. It was the dead of winter and that meant fruit was highly unlikely but Ely did prefer a lighter meal for breakfast.
“Would you mind bringing me whatever is left over from breakfast, just the light food though. Perhaps some tea and a couple of pastries?”
Varric obviously was eavesdropping on the conversation from where he sat across the hall because at her question he mimicked a small clap before returning to his writing.
Giving the servant another smile Elystaa quickly added “If you can bring it to the undercroft you can find me there, thank you.”
With a feeling of accomplishment Elystaa turned and walked around the base of the dias’ to the large paneled wooden door that led to the undercroft. For such a heavy door it opened at the first push, its hinges well oiled to not make a sound and thus not disturb the genius that could be taking place behind it. And , evidently by the sounds of hammering and humming coming from the small female dwarf beyond it , there likely was some sort of truly inspired work happening.
“Hello Dagna, I hope this is a convenient time to interrupt?” Elystaa asked as she climbed down the six or so steps into the belly of the undercroft.
Whipping her head around the bubbly strawberry blond squeeked “ Of course it is lady Herald. I am always happy to help!” the dwarven woman set aside whatever she had been tinkering with so happily and beamed at Ely
“ I see you are feeling better, are you finally going to let me fit you for the arm? I have so many ideas! Like if I made a softer sort of rubber band that ran around your bicep perhaps it would help you release the catch inside it and allow you to instantly have a bolt ready to fire I think i may even be able to make you a hand that looks as if its just a glove I consulted with a sculpture who thinks he can make one that can even hold a goblet! Isn't that just grand?” The enthusiasm for the young dwarf was clearly bleeding through in how she ran on her sentences jumping from one thing to the next, it made Elystaa smile and just nod.
“ I am ready if you are.”
The arcanist squealed with excitement once more and began rushing around the undercroft gathering bits of things from one box then another.