Chapter Text
Another day of scouting the Emerald Graves and keeping Thedas safe had just finished. The Inquisitor strolled from the stables, where she had left her mount, to the tavern. There was a slight spring in her step as the sun descended behind the mountains. A couple of the gardeners and cleaners turned their heads as the great Tamsin-Jeanne Adaar, The Inquisitor, continued to walk towards her destination.
The Inquisition had gotten over the fact that TJ was a Qunari. They had gotten used to her charming demeanour, and completely supported her relationship with Lady Montilyet. However, they were aware of her…enthusiasm at the tavern.
TJ was a party girl. She could drink and dance until the next age, and she was also willing to try any substance that was passed towards her. When she was out on business, she would only drink, and try to smuggle some crystal grace when the business was finished. They knew of her mercenary group dealing in supplies for herbs, and her connections with other Tal Vashoth who would practically thrive off any grass they could get their large hands on. It was at the point in time now that the Inquisitor was a festive blonde who enjoyed alcohol and anything that could up her nose or inhaled. The scouts and gardeners were also aware of what happened to TJ once she left the Herald’s Rest…
Four hours later, TJ downed her umpteenth drink and shook her head to keep It in her stomach. Many other tavernfolk cheered her on as she let out a bark of laughter.
“I don’t know how you do it, TJ,” Dorian smiled, twirling a glass of wine next to TJ at the bar. The blonde shook her head and grinned lopsidedly at her fellow mage.
“Ah, it takes time. And if you couldn’t hold your liquor in the Marches, you’d be dead,” her voice was slurring slightly, and Cabot grumbled as he took the pint away.
“Inquisitor, you’re really pushing it tonight,” he grunted as TJ looked at him with her large, emerald eyes that were currently hazy.
“Me? The great Inquisitor? Saviour of Thedas?” TJ batted her eyelashes and puckered her lips as Dorian chuckled. The bartender grunted again, then turned to serve Blackwall.
“Grumpy git,” TJ muttered, dropping the sweet mockery the second Cabot was out of earshot. Dorian smirked and sipped his wine. TJ was charming, no doubt, but the woman’s sharp tongue could be deadly when need be.
The blonde Qunari turned to the mage, a glint in her eye as she tapped the pocket of her trousers.
“I’m stepping outside for some herbs. Would you like some Crystal Grace?” she asked Dorian. The mage bit his lip, he knew of TJ’s love for the herb, but he always felt uncomfortable by its presence. He had inhaled some of it a few years ago, and never cared for it. TJ, however, stated that it was good for clearing the mind and reliving stress. Dorian had certainly felt less stressed when he inhaled it, that’s for sure, but it the other herbs TJ enjoyed that caused even more problems…
Dorian accompanied TJ, anyway, just to keep an eye on her under the war council’s orders. They knew of TJ’s habits, but they could not stop the mage from gathering the herbs. Dorian twiddled his thumbs as TJ ripped a page from a small parchment role she had taken from Josephine’s office, and sprinkled the crystal grace inside it.
“The Emerald Graves is a good looking place, don’t you think?” TJ smiled as she clicked her finger to get a flame. Dorian nodded in agreement as the girl held the parchment between her lips and breathed in the herbs. “It’s a lovely place, I agree. Nice to get some of that Orlesian air in the lungs from time to time,” Dorian started, then his eyes lingered on the burning parchment. He raised an eyebrow.
“Does Lady Montilyet really approve of this, Inquisitor?”
TJ opened her eyes, and Dorian noticed the pupils had dilated. She tilted her head, blonde hair falling over her shoulder as she have a relaxed smile. The mage breathed out the smoke before answering.
“Josephine doesn’t have a problem, as long as it’s not inside. The smell only gives her a few qualms,” TJ answered as Dorian listened. This was true. TJ had first been discovered inhaling Crystal Grace at the cross-roads camp in The Hinterlands. Cassandra was instantly repulsed, but TJ did state that she would always inhale the substance in her downtime or away from the camp.
“Is our dearest Josephine aware of the witherstalk and ghoul’s beard?” Dorian asked calmly as TJ inhaled the parchment sharply.
Her brow furrowed and her eyes scrunched up. The mage took the herbs out of her mouth and turned to snap at Dorian.
“It’s none of your business. It’s for my leisure, which I so rarely get these days!”
“Alright then,” Dorian placed his hands up slightly, indicating that he would stop. TJ sighed and finished off the parchment with one final intake. She burnt the end of the parchment to a crisp as she exhaled the fumes through her nose. With a slight cough, TJ ran a hand through her hair and scratched at her horns.
“Are you finished? It’s getting a bit chilly,” Dorian noted the crisp evening air and the full moon hanging above them. TJ shot another glare at him; her eyes were slightly hazy and drooping as she shook her head. “I’m not, but you’re more than welcome to go back inside.”
Dorian raised an eyebrow as TJ fumbled for something in her pocket. She withdrew a leaner, crisper herb, and Dorian visually tensed up.
It was Witherstalk.
“Tamsin-Jeanne…” Dorian started, easily, and TJ reared her head.
“Problem, Dorian?”
“Do you think we could perhaps go back inside? I’m sure there’s a bottle of wine we could enjoy, or maybe Sera has a cider fr-”
Dorian didn’t finish his alternative suggestions to the herb, because TJ shoved right pass him and headed up the stairs to Skyhold’s higher levels.
“One line, in peace, then I’ll join you,” TJ snapped from the stairwell, her voice echoing off the stone as she continued ascending. Dorian let out a groan, and turned on his heel. He would need backup for what was about to happen.
Josephine knew many sides of her lover, TJ. She knew of the heroic lightning mage, the charismatic and charming party girl, the passionate and sensual lover, the level headed Inquisitor…But she did not know this side of the blonde Qunari.
TJ sat on top of the rampart, cross-legged with a piece of parchment laid out in front of her. She was currently rolling up another sheet, eyeing the chopped up herbs in front of her in a single, neat line. TJ was blinking more than usual from the Crystal Grace, but her pupil remained dilated.
“Fuck Dorian,” she thought to herself as she rolled the parchment tightly with both hands, that were twitching slightly. It needed to fit up her nose. “I never get down time anymore. Never. He’s not my father, he can go stuff that fire staff right up his –” TJ didn’t finished her thought, because her makeshift nozzle was ready for use. Bending over the parchment, TJ placed one end of the nozzle up to her nose, and the other at the start of the Witherstalk line. With one quick, easy sniff, she ran the nozzle along the line, and flicked it up at the end once the herbs were inside her nasal cavity. It felt so good. The rush of Witherstalk inside her as TJ let out a groan of pleasure, then gritted her teeth to sniffle down any access herbs. It gave just an extra spark, like gulping down water after a long ride across the Oasis. TJ closed her eyes as she let the herbs flow into her system.
“Adaar,” A deep, familiar voice came from behind her, making TJ’s eye snap open. The Iron Bull was standing there. Arms folded and eye narrowed. TJ smiled turned her head to face him, but her left eye was twitching slightly. “Shanedan, Bull. It’s a nice evening, no?”
“It’d be nicer without Crystal grace stinking up the yard…” Bull commented in a low tone as he unfolded his arms. He had dealt with herb inhalers before, and knew about TJ’s crystal grace addiction,
“Didn’t know you liked Witherstalk, too.” This was the first time he had seen her with the herb, and saw that it’s effect was taking a toll already. TJ’s eye continued to twitch, and she was fiddling with her nails.
“One line every now and then doesn’t hurt,” She responded in an unusual tone, a mixture of bitterness and drowsiness. It made sense, Crystal grace before Witherstalk. Bull noticed how close The Inquisitor was to the edge of the rampart, and he needed to her away from there as soon as possible, or she might cause even more damage to herself.
“Adaar, it’s cold out here. Why don’t we go back down to the Tavern?” Bull was careful with his words, knowing the effects of Witherstalk. TJ turned around completely, yet fumbled her left hand around for the parchment and grasped her pocket to make sure that the remaining herbs were still there. Bull took note of the pocket as TJ scratched the back of her head. “I’ll be down in a minute, just let me get some air.”
“I think you’ve had plenty of air, Missy,” Bull took a cautious step forward as he darkened in tone of voice. TJ’s mind racked with the possibilities of what Bull was trying to do. “He wants to kill you.” She took a step back, now teetering against the sculpted stone- the only thing keeping her away from falling to her death. Bull kept his eye on her as he spoke again, his hands by his side. “Adaar, get away from the wall, or you’ll become a Qunari puddle.”
“He’s trying to hurt you. Don’t let him.”
TJ put one hand behind her back and clenched it. She hadn’t lost all control if she could conjure up some lightning.
“Adaar, get aware from there!”
He stepped forward.
“He wants to kill you!”
The voice in TJ’s head told her that this was enough. She threw her hand out and blasted some bolts at Bull, who moved out of the way, but was too late and his left arm got hit at the edge. TJ screamed something at him and bolted off along the ramparts. Bull swore loudly and went after her, Bull’s Edge in his hand.
“Adaar! Get back here!” He yelled, and Cullen stuck his head out of the door to his office. “Bull, what in The Maker’s name is-”
“Adaar’s on Witherstalk!” The Qunari snapped back as TJ kept running.
“Bull will kill you and take away your herbs. Keep running!!”
“Inquisitor!!” Cullen yelled as he joined Bull in the chase.
TJ’s head was throbbing, her mouth gaping open for air and her throat and nose dry. These men were trying to kill her. They wanted her dead, to take the herbs away from her. Like hell she was going to let that happen. TJ continued to run away as fast as her blistered feet would go. She kept one hand on her pocket of herbs as she headed around the ramparts. The Qunari knew eventually she would run out of a road. What if she jumped? What if she was amble to cast a barrier around her to protect her fall? Then maybe she could run into the Fereldan Mountains, away from the men who wanted to make her life horrible- to replicate that nightmare of the fade. TJ’s mind was a blur as she sped across the top rampart, pushing people out of her way, fear clouding her vision ant her mind.
“They hate you. They want you dead.”
The qunari’s mind flashed back to Calpernia, standing with Corypheus. Then there was an image of her mercenary group, sniffling up the Witherstalk. They turned to face her, growling and wishing her to perish. Another flash back to the streets of the Free Marches – Josephine was standing there, kicking TJ as a child, spitting on her...Wanting her to die…
TJ let out a howl of anguish as she rounded another corner. The stone wall approached her. TJ bent her knees, ready to jump off, through, into, above the wall, just some way to get around it-
But a large, glowing sword in the chest hit her.
The Inquisitor was whacked onto the ground, her horns smacking against the cold stone surface. She was knocked out cold by Vivienne’s spirit blade.
“Thanks, ma’am,” Bull panted as he caught up to the herb induced Qunari and Orlesian mage. Vivienne sighed and vanquished her blade, staring down at The Inquisitor.
“I think Josephine should be notified about this.”