The Left Hand and Right Hand of the Divine (Javorcek X Clearsight)

The Fifth Blight was over.

The Archdemon had fallen. The darkspawn had retreated back to the Deep Roads. Thedas was safe once again.

So now what?

Leliana wasn’t sure what one did when the fighting was over. Neither was anyone else it seemed. It almost felt as though it wasn’t real, that it was all too could to be true. The Blight was over and somehow they were all still standing. And so for awhile the Hero of Ferelden and his followers still traveled together, as if still en guard just incase. They took comfort in the makeshift family they had created while ridding the world of the last few darkspawn that lingered, righting various wrongs, and tying up all the loose ends. But danger never resurfaced, the Blight was indeed over, and now it was time to part ways. One by one the members of their group disbanded, on to do bigger and better things.

There were so many choices for her. Should she go back to the Chantry? The life of a lay sister was pleasant though quiet, so quiet that she had finally been able to hear the voice of the Maker. Could I go back to such silence? Traveling with the Hero…it had reminded her of her previous life, the life of a bard. Part of her missed the sweet dance that was the Game, missed the adventure and the excitement. But during that time she had unscrupulously killed so many. Is that what I still do now? No, it was not. The Warden had shown her that death was not the only option.

Still…her arrows were not clean.

Repentance would be the best way. The Maker had guided her to join the Hero of Ferelden’s party while she had been praying for forgiveness. Perhaps He would speak to her again when she was needed.

---

For three years, Leliana dutifully served in the Valence Chantry in Orlais. She mentored under the Revered Mother Dorothea, a woman who once, had been one of the finest players of The Grand Game. The stories that the Revered Mother could tell broke up the monotony of Chantry life, and so Leliana paid close attention, setting out to become more like her. Here was a woman who had willingly chose a life in the Chantry and found fulfillment and happiness. Perhaps by mentoring under the Revered Mother, Leliana would find that same sort of intrinsic reward. Although her her day to day routine could be quite boring at times, the outside world did not beckon her, not like it had when the Hero of Ferelden had come.

---

“I would be honored if you would come with me, Leliana.” The words of the Revered Mother still bounced around in her head even an hour later as Leliana quickly packed her bags. Her! The Revered Mother wanted her to come to the ceremony! The bard was practically bursting with excitement. Maybe it was bad to be so happy while so many of them were still mourning the loss of Divine Beatrix III. But Leliana couldn’t help herself! The Maker and the clerics had chosen Dorothea to become the next Divine. And she was going too! To the Grand Cathedral to do…to do…

…What was she going to do once she was there?

As if the Maker sensed her confusion, there was a knock at her door. Leliana bounded over her bed to answer it…and then tripped over her robes and landed face flat on the floor. “Oof!”

“Leliana? Are you alright, child?” The Revered Mother quickly opened the door to see what was wrong once she had heard the commotion on the other side.

“Oh…yes Revered Mother, I mean, Divine, I mean, um…”

“It is still Revered Mother. At least until the end of the week.” Dorothea chuckled and offered her hand to help Leliana up. The older woman looked around, a little horrified that the usually very clean, tidy room of a lay sister looked like a rampaging Qunari had just swept through it. “I do hope you plan on cleaning up before we leave. Let it not be said that Sister Leliana left a mess of her room as her legacy to the Valence Chantry.”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Leliana blushed a little bit. “I was just trying to decide what to bring and what to leave behind or donate…”

“Ah, well, I am glad that I stopped by then. You may leave behind your Chantry robes.” The Revered Mother held up a hand to signal that Leliana wait a moment before asking the question on her lips. She then called out to the hallway and two other sisters came in, hauling a small trunk with them. “Open it, it is for you.”

Still confused, Leliana knelt down to open the trunk. What she saw inside surprised her. Inside was a hooded uniform, one that included armor. “I don’t…I don’t believe I understand...”

“Every Divine needs a Right and Left Hand.” Dorothea smiled. “You will be my Left Hand, Leliana. I entrust my soul to the Maker. But I entrust the safety of my earthly body to you. When diplomacy might fall, you will step in to protect the Chantry.”

“I will not let you down, Revered Mother.” Leliana nodded solemnly. She understood the burdens of the Left Hand and she would gladly accept them if they meant keeping her mentor’s life safe.

“Good.” Dorothea smiled and embraced Leliana. “Now, we leave in a few more hours. That should be plenty of time for you to clean up this mess and say your farewells.”

Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena Pentaghast. She hated what that name represented, the life she was born in to. Her entire life had become a journey dedicated to faith and justice, but also to escaping her namesake. There was nothing about being royalty that Cassandra really missed and as a testament to that she had constantly worked and made herself the complete opposite of what royalty usually was. She was not some spoiled woman relying on wealth and aristocratic authority, and she was certainly no weak fool who put her own desires above those of others. It was just the opposite. She instead chose to follow a more dignified path and became a servant of the Chantry. It was the noblest of callings and one she felt drawn to.

Cassandra wasn't simply a servant though, she was a Seeker, and rooting out the corruption that undermined the holy order was her duty. She had joined the organization to do good, to protect the faith and revered name of Andraste, and do her part. For some time that had worked out, and the Seeker believed that she had attached herself to a truly righteous organization. While she did have some curiosities her faith prevailed and she followed the path laid out before her. She used the ultimate authority granted to her by the chantry to watch for dangerous magic, and it was satisfying.

Often times things changed however, and even the Seekers were soon seen to have fault. The organization charged with keeping the Chantry safe and stopping the spread of corruption abandoned its duties, leaving Cassandra mortified. She believed in their charge and the responsibility granted to them never to turn a blind eye to the Chantry and keep faith no matter the situation. Her brethren in the order had different opinions. Instead of guarding the Chantry they turned their back and went off to serve themselves right at the start of the mage rebellion, right when the holy order of Andraste needed them most. It was unfathomable for the warrior, and where they left she stayed, more dedicated and ready to do her duties than ever.

Still, alone Cassandra could do little. To the Chantry her order could be seen as traitors, and to her order... Well she was no longer following them and that was enough to earn her a multitude of labels no doubt. Her faith was once again rewarded however, and perhaps in a more meaningful way than ever before. One woman still had faith in her and had seen Cassandra's faith and persistence in the pursuit of justice and wanted her, the Revered Mother. They had met a few times but never anything substantial, however it seemed she had made an impression and one that guided her forward just as Andraste had so many times.

She could still remember the conversation. The Revered Mother had called for her, the last loyal Seeker. It had simply started different from many of the conversations she had after staying where the rest had left. There had been no awkward questions, no hesitance about her loyalty, it had simply been a conversation. The Revered Mother had asked her about things from her upbringing to her faith, and of course about the Seekers, and what made it different was that she had simply listened. There hadn't been that look of expectation and it didn't seem like she was being tested, it was merely a conversation. Of course she had been told much by the Revered Mother as well, stories that almost didn't suit someone as holy and benevolent as the Revered Mother but at the same time made her seem so much more approachable and trustworthy.

By the end of their first conversation, and subsequent conversations, Cassandra felt a sense of belonging. She spent more time with the Revered Mother when she could and eventually she was asked a single question. "Would you honor me with the same passion and commitment you have given to the Chantry?" With that one question Cassandra had felt on the right path once more.

Her answer to the Revered Mother's question hadn't been rushed, even if she had known from its asking that she would be saying yes. She pondered it, talked with the Revered Mother, and only then accepted, but with a resolution that would never falter. The weight of serving the next Divine was welcomed by the Seeker and more than that it fulfilled the sense of purpose she had been longing for.

Cassandra had not been alerted of the magnitude of her duties immediately however and thus when the Revered Mother called her several days later she had been quite shocked. She had planned on serving in any way she could, making sure her skills were of use, but she had never imagined she would be given such a vital role... Never did she expect to be the Right Hand of the Divine. It was flooring. "I would be honored Revered Mother." It was all Cassandra could bring herself to say, and the rest of that day had been filled with the warrior trying her best to prepare for their departure with as calm and composed a demeanor as she always tried to keep.

Truthfully Cassandra had her moments of clumsiness, she could become flustered and nervous like anyone else. Not on the battlefield or in the face of danger, but oddly enough in the situations most people found simplistic and easy. Like packing. She didn't have much so it wasn't terribly difficult but she seemed to have a problem with efficient packing. A few times she had huffed after failing to stuck something alongside her things, being forced to take it all out and start over. She didn't want to have more chests than she needed, it would look ridiculous.

Even with her troubles Cassandra finished early. Her overachieving personality, or hard-working depending on who you asked, had her dressed in her new armor and ready to leave long before departure. She couldn't simply sit still, it wasn't in her nature. If she wasn't busy working she would spar or practice her swordsmanship. A few exceptions existed but mainly she was involved in something. Training was ill-advised considering the reason for their departure, she needed to be presentable and not exhausted or dirty, and thus instead she went to find the Revered Mother, who had something she had wanted to say to her earlier but hadn't gotten around to it, becoming the Divine keeping the woman quite busy.

Finding her had been easier said than done though, the Revered Mother not in her office or room. Only after some time did she find her and she was in front of a room Cassandra had yet to be to before, talking to someone who didn't sound familiar at all. "Revered Mother." Cassandra walked inside the room after a knock to the door and stood before her. The Revered Mother smiled, "Ah wonderful, perfect timing Cassandra, perfect." She looked to the armored warrior and then to Leliana, apparently pleased at the two women gathered. "I would like to introduce you to Leliana. She is a servant of the Chantry such as yourself and will be serving as my Left Hand." She motioned to Cassandra, "And Leliana, this Cassandra. She will be serving as my Right Hand." She gave yet another smile before heading towards the door, "Remember, there are still a few hours." And with that she was gone, an unspoken desire for introductions. Cassandra could only really stand and look at the redhead, evaluating her from the start.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Cassandra.” Leliana’s words were delicate and polite, flowing gracefully in an accent that was more Orlesian than Ferelden. As far as first impressions went, it might have gone well…if only she hadn’t been standing infront of an open doorway that lead to a room full of disaster. Well, that and the fact that her Chantry robes did very little to make her look like an intimidating opponent. The Left Hand of the Divine was supposed to go where the Divine could not! The Left Hand was to silence the voices that threatened the Divine, either with political ruin or actual death! Yet here she stood, slender and pale as though she had never done a hard day’s work outside. There were no scars on her body, no calluses on her hands, no indication whatsoever at all that she had ever seen war.

Leliana was excrutiatingly aware of her appearance, and already she knew that she would have to show the battle hardened Seeker that she was not just some frail girl from Orlais.

“Forgive the mess. I am still in the process of packing. And actually I have some more things I must take care of before we depart…” It may be rude to shoo away Cassandra so prematurely, but Leliana did indeed have many things to do. Not only did she still need to pack, but she would have to say goodbye to the other sisters, change into her new uniform, and hope that there would be time left over after that to send out some messages to her old contacts. “We can get better acquainted on the road.” Intelligent blue eyes swept over Cassandra’s form for a moment, as though trying to gather information about her already.

----

It had been a long time since Leliana had donned any sort of armor. The most dangerous thing she had had to deal with after the Blight had been a pack of stray Mabari tearing into the chantry hen house last winter. Peace had made her soft, but thankfully her fingers still remembered how to tighten and secure all the pesky clasps of her armor. The weight was alien to her…but while others might find the feeling of being covered so completely stifling, she found it quite reassuring. Her hands still knew the familiar weight of her bow, she had had much practice shooting down crows and other pests in the gardens. But as she fastened her daggers to her belt, she realized that she might have to practice her hand to hand combat skills. There were so many things she needed to do in order to be ready to truly serve in the field!

The first day of their march was absolutely exhausting. Leliana could remember a time when she would easily splash through creeks and climb up trees, scouting areas for the Warden and then scrambling back to report in without so much as a drop of sweat forming at her brow. Now she struggled to keep pace on a well-maintained road. Maker, give me strength… She did not complain, and refused to let her body give out. She did not want to appear weak infront of the other soldiers that guarded the caravan…though it may have been evident that she wasn’t quite up to par physically when she just about collapsed during a break for food and water.

First impressions meant a great deal. That was one of the few things Cassandra had taken away from her early life as part of Nevarran royalty. It wasn't strictly a high society belief but it meant something different to those of higher class. Not that Cassandra took it to the extreme but it did mean a good deal to her, especially considering who this woman was going to be. She was one of the hands for the Revered Mother, a woman who would be relied on to protect her as she became the Divine, and responsibility was not something to be taken lightly. It was hard to take away a good first impression, though Cassandra wanted to she could only see what was before her. Sure Leliana seemed very nice, and she was certainly polite, but those were not the qualities the warrior looked for. She had expected organization, a sense of togetherness from the person to serve as The Left Hand. Hell even some sort of cunning would have been nice, anything to reassure her that the person she would be serving with had the qualifications to fulfill the duty placed on them. It was not to be taken lightly.

She noticed none of that at first glance and felt an immediate sense of dread, though Cassandra's face betrayed no emotion. Cassandra was well known, she had qualifications that earned her praise and a rightful spot, and more than that she was not one to brag or boast. She had been chosen because she had proven herself not only to be capable but faithful. She hoped Leliana would be similar, capable but simply not known, which truth be told was a possibility that could make sense. If someone was skilled enough to be The Left Hand and yet had no reputation that would make them all the more perfect, as reputations were generally earned by being known, which was not the goal of a shadow. Still, she would investigate, her lack of knowledge an unsound reason to condemn, even if it was hard for her to imagine the pale redhead standing in a disaster of a room was such a woman. "I see. I will speak with you after we depart." She never minced words and simply gave a small nod before leaving the room, though not before noticing a previously unseen edge in Leliana's eyes.

---

Cassandra would have been considered an elite soldier under the most minimal of descriptions, and a hero under others. She had the fortitude and experience only constant training accounted for, and despite her rare display of it she was quite intelligent. She had been chosen as The Right Hand for a reason. It wasn't some stun to show off a faithful and well known servant of Andraste, though in some crowds it would certainly provide such a bolster in popularity. No, she was chosen for the proper reasons, and she was showing that from the very first day of the journey. While most seemed to find the trek difficult, or at the very least troublesome, Cassandra showed none of that. She moved effortlessly in her armor and was always alert. Even as they finally stopped for a break she looked fresh and ready to continue. It was proof of her effort, of the time she spent training even when she wasn't using her abilities in the field. For Cassandra being a warrior was her life.

Still, when they took a break even she had things on her mind aside from keeping an eye out and guarding. There were people assigned to that. She had yet to have a chance to speak with, and further evaluate Leliana. So as everyone else settled down to rest weary limbs, she went to find the redhead. It wasn't a terribly difficult task, the woman stood out, but she didn't approach her immediately after she picked her out. She instead watched her, observed how exhausted she appeared to be. That made it even harder to believe the things she had heard from the few people she had asked who knew of Leliana, some of her time before the march and during spent gathering tidbits of information. She hadn't learned much, but she had gathered that Leliana had worked with The Warden during the blight and played a role in the ending of it. It was an outstanding feat, one she would have admired, but also one she was hard pressed to buy.

Perhaps she was simply biased. Her own beliefs would never let her stop training and perfecting herself, Leliana didn't have to be like her. She could have devoted herself to other pursuits and neglected her skills. It seemed foolish to Cassandra but it was her warrior spirit saying that.

Finally she approached Leliana, walking up in front of her and sitting down across from the weary woman. "You look quite beat. Has it been some time since you've made a journey?" Starting with an innocent question seemed best, mainly because she didn't wish to offend. Some people found her usual manner of speech accusatory or inquisitive, which didn't always sit well. Truthfully she could be blunt, but it was who she was and rarely did she do so to anger someone. When she was mad or wanted answers she used more than words. Still, best be safe. She needed to get to know Leliana, which would be more difficult and troublesome for the Revered Mother, if they became uncivil.

Leliana could not remember a time that her feet had ever ached as much as they did now. Not even that night spent dancing in a pair of beautiful, though a half size too small, green, high-heeled Antivan boots to celebrate the end of the Fifth Blight, had been so bad. Her heels felt as though someone were striking them with small hammers and her toes had the sensation of nails being driven into them. The pain radiated upwards into her calves and made it all the way to her knees, somehow magically skipped her thighs, and then dug firmly into her back. But still, she did not complain, she did not whine. She barely made a face of discomfort…though that may have just been because she was so tired the muscles in her face would not contort to show the pain she felt. The exhausted bard just contended herself to take a few sips of some refreshing water from her canteen. She enjoyed the soft whispers of a faint but very welcome breeze, and relaxed under the shade of one of the nearby trees.

As much as it was killing her body, she had missed this life. The Chantry was safe, protecting her from both the outside elements and outside dangers. But there was no close camaraderie there…the polite friendship between sisters was not the same as the sense of family that soldiers often had. Already she was excited for later tonight, when they set up camp and would exchange stories. It would be good to see whom among the new recruits had the potential to be spies, hopefully their masters would not be too upset with her for stealing them. Though, knowing the usual personality of a spy, she would probably be doing their commanding officer a favor. Her thoughts were soon distracted by the sound of footsteps. There were many soldiers still milling about, but Leliana had the keen ear to detect when people were approaching her specifically. She turned, noticing the Seeker and offered the other woman a friendly smile.

“Am I that easy to read?” Leliana chuckled because she knew exactly what Cassandra was trying to do: the other woman was trying to figure out why on earth had the Revered Mother chosen her to be the Left Hand. Cassandra hadn’t asked a question that would give insight to her personality, she had asked a question that revolved around her physical attributes. She found being questioned by the Seeker rather amusing, mostly because because it seemed to cause her great effort. Cassandra definitely looked to be more suited to detaining threats rather than interrogating them. “It has been three years and four months since the last time I have left the Chantry. A very long time indeed to not have traveled far for…” Leliana stretched her legs a little bit, wriggling her toes inside of her boots to help loosen up the knot in her arch. “But you need not worry, Lady Seeker. I will not slow us down on this journey.”

“Though, if you truly are afraid that I may collapse from exhaustion, I would not object to being carried about by a strapping soldier like yourself.” Leliana’s voice had taken on a sultry tone, but she also threw in a wink to let Cassandra know that she was just playing.. Honestly she probably wouldn’t mind being wrapped in the strong arms that were hiding under all that armor. Leliana had never been firm in her preference for one gender over the other, so a strong woman like Cassandra gave her the best of both worlds. But she was aware that it was not always the best choice to mix work and pleasure…as incredibly tempting as it may be.

“Do you have any other questions for me, Seeker? Or have I satisfied your curiosity.”

Leliana wasn't exactly easy to read, but part of that stemmed from Cassandra's expectation for there to be more to the woman than met the eye. She wanted to believe that The Left Hand was someone more suited and prepared for the task at hand. Her exhaustion was impossible to miss however, and her shallow question was due to the fact that she could only be certain of that which could be taken completely at face value. Unfortunately Cassandra had never been skilled at the cunning side of interrogation. When she interrogated someone she got answers through perseverance and if need be force. So being subtle for her skirt the line of asking irrelevant questions. She wouldn't back down, if nothing else some conversation between them would please the Revered Mother, who undoubtedly wanted them to get to know one another. Luckily for her Leliana decided to answer the question and reveal a bit about herself, not guarding everything even if she didn't say more than she needed to.

It did come as a surprise that Leliana had been sedentary for so long. It explained her being tired, and while it didn't comfort the soldier much, it at least made her curious to see how long it would take Leliana to get back to a state where she could best serve as The Left Hand. Still, one additional piece of information Cassandra gleamed was that she missed an adventurous life. She couldn't be sure, but someone who knew the exact amount of time since her last trip away from the chantry must have missed it. It helped inspire some confidence with the warrior that the redhead wanted to strike out, even if she wasn't prepared. That counted for something. Sometimes spirit and desire could outdo training, for soldiers at least. To a certain point at least, she still would like to see the capabilities of the woman.

Her thoughts were smashed as Leliana's voice and words changed from normal conversation to something more suggestive. Cassandra looked over, her face betraying how baffled she was and embarrassment obvious. Strapping soldier? Her? C-Carry? She looked almost stunned, and instead of taking the wink as a hint of jest her mind twisted it right back to flirtation. She took the wink to be a further seduction attempt. Leliana's question snapped her back but she was flustered, and as tough as she was Cassandra had a low tolerance for honeyed words. "N-No, I have no questions for you!" She wasn't yelling but she rushed through the sentence, forgetting the word more as if she had forgotten she initiated the conversation. "I will go see how long we plan on stopping." She hurriedly spoke as she rose and darted off, a touch of embarrassment rising to her cheeks before she had her chance to make an escape.

That was not what she had expected from Leliana, and the unexpected nature of what happened had her more flustered than she normally would be. She was never strong towards flirtation, and it wasn't common, but on average she could remain calm and simply move past it dryly. Stuttering and running off was a weak response.

By the time Cassandra calmed down a few minutes had passed, and their break was soon to be coming to an end without her asking. Everyone had a drink, people and horses, and weary limbs had a short rest. They could have stayed longer but it would only make people more tired. Muscles would cool and it would become more difficult. Thus they had to keep moving, and if they stopped it would be for the night, where muscles cooling down was not important and followed by sleep.

---

When the trek started once more Cassandra stuck to the opposite side as Leliana, averting her eyes whenever she noticed the woman and did her best to forget what had happened between them. Most of the embarrassment had past, and she wouldn't be holding on to it forever, but with Leliana being The Left Hand it made it a tad more difficult to quickly drop it like she would for another, because the woman was going to be a constant, and for better or for worse was an equal. Not to mention the rather flawless manner in which Leliana had pulled off the unexpected come on wouldn't leave her mind, from the tone of voice to the words themselves, it was all troublesome.

Leliana’s delicate browse worse in surprise as Cassandra quickly grew flustered over such an innocent bit of flirtation. The Bard smiled, making a mental note that the Seeker was very, very pretty when she was blushing.

Without complaint, Leliana rose to her feet when the call that they would be moving went out again.