Returning to the Skyhold eluvian would take several hours, and Felassan immediately took the opportunity to badger Solas about turning the Qunari to stone.
“You could have killed yourself,” he fretted, speaking in Common for anyone who might happen to overhear. “Or Lavellan. More likely her—but it's not like you are exactly up to doing things like that, either!”
Solas glared at him. “Yet, here I am, perfectly well, as is she,” he said.
“Only because you're lucky,” Felassan insisted. Iron Bull overheard them and came over, listening intently.
“Lavellan wished for me to assist her, and we had no time,” Solas said. “I could not endanger those who fought by our side.”
Felassan growled to himself. “You talk some sense into him,” he told Iron Bull. “I am clearly not to be listened to.”
“Felassan--” Solas sighed.
“I am going to see if Lavellan is well,” he said pointedly. “Now that I'm sure you won't keel over.”
Felassan stalked off, leaving Bull and Solas alone.
“So...” Bull said. “You can turn people to stone.”
“Only under specific circumstances.”
“Is that so?”
Solas looked up at Bull. “Yes,” he said. He was still a bit pale, and he cast a worried glance to Arethin every once in a while. “Lavellan lent me strength. Felassan is correct—we could have hurt each other had all not gone well.”
Bull shook his head. “It's that kind of crap that makes magic seem really, really dangerous,” he said.
“How is it more dangerous than the Qun's gaatlock, or their dreadnoughts?” Solas asked. “I cannot built a dreadnought. You cannot kill gaatlock, or any of the other chemicals that the Qunari use, but I can be killed.”
“Those things aren't part of you,” Bull pointed out.
“Would you have preferred a long fight with the Qunari, and perhaps more of us hurt or killed?”
Bull scowled and shook his head. “That's not what I'm worried about.”
“Then what is your concern?”
“Look—stuff like that—how do you know you can keep control over it?” Bull asked. “And what about people who aren't on our side—we have enough problems with normal mages...”
“Loss of control where magic is concerned is most dangerous in a young, untrained mage,” Solas said. “And even so, accidental spells are much less powerful than those that are intentional and focused.”
Bull didn't say anything, simply looked at him, his eye narrowed.
“Magic is part of me,” Solas said. “It cannot be made separate, nor safe, just as I cannot be made safe. Nor you.”
“Maybe if this had happened earlier,” Bull said. “I wouldn't be able to deal with it.”
“And now?”
“I know it isn't separated from you, and it can't be. And it's you that I--” he cut himself off. He wrapped an arm around Solas and pulled him close.
“Are you alright, Bull?” Solas asked.
Bull snorted. “Fine,” he said. "Just fine.”
“Are you sure?” Solas frowned to himself. “We have spoken of my actions, but the Viddasala asked you to join her cause again.”
Bull smiled, and put a hand on Solas' shoulder. “There isn't anything she could say to me that would do anything, kadan,” he promised quietly.
Solas covered Bull's hand with his own. “I am glad to hear that, vhenan.”
Felassan went to hover by Arethin's elbow, looking her over with a critical expression in his violet eyes.
“Are you alright?”
Arethin glanced at Felassan, surprised. “Yes,” she said. “Just tired.”
Felassan shook his head with a frown.
“What is the problem?” Cassandra asked.
“You really could have been hurt,” Felassan said. “You aren't made to carry that much power, and Solas still isn't in a shape to channel it. If you'd tried such a spell by yourself, you'd have blown your arm off at best.”
“Well, then it is good that we both did it, instead of doing it alone,” Arethin said.
Felassan sighed. “Void take you both,” he said. “Simply because you are fine now--!”
“Felassan,” Arethin stopped him with a look. “Why is this so worrying to you now?”
“Do you know how much energy that takes?” Felassan demanded. “A mage might—oh, freeze an enemy, or stop her with rock, but that is not changing the totality of that enemy.”
“What of shapeshifting?” Arethin demanded. “You have no problem with that.”
“That turns one being of flesh and blood into another,” Felassan said. “A person is like a bird, or a bear, or a wolf—they have blood, they have bones, they are made up of similar things. But a person is not a rock, is not water or wood. And so many--” he shook his head.
“And what would you have us do instead?” Arethin wanted to know.
“There were other ways,” Felassan insisted. “Blood magic could have puppeteered them long enough for us to get away--”
“None of us are blood mages, we don't have that kind of control.”
“Nor do you have control over the mark!” Felassan burst out. “You are not learned enough, and Solas is not strong enough.” he sighed.
“Evidently, we are both things, as we were successful.”
“But if you try something like that again--”
“We shall not, except under dire circumstances,” Arethin said. “Does that satisfy you? I know the danger of the mark.”
Felassan gave her one last glare, then sighed. “Very well,” he said. “But be careful.” he gave a halfhearted smile. “Where would we be if we lost the Dread Wolf and the Mediator?”
“Nowhere good,” Cassandra agreed.
They learned later, after they returned to Skyhold, that the battle in the Wilds had been bloody.
Corypheus himself had quit the field after the Well had been taken, but that did not stop the furious Venatori ravaging the Alliance's forces. When Arethin and her company returned to Skyhold, the Alliance forces began to retreat as well, but a great deal of damage was done to the temple and the surrounding ruins.
Some of the Alliance had come across the remaining Sentinels, stragglers who had survived the attack but had not come through the eluvian. Most of them were confused, especially by Abelas' absence and the large and varied number of enemies. There were some accidents and at least two Sentinels had been killed by Alliance forces, after attacking them in the first place.
Abelas assured Arethin that this was a normal outcome, as the Sentinels were all extremely on-edge under the best of circumstances, but neither of them particularly liked it.
“So,” Arethin said. “What are we to do next?”
Everyone was gathered in the meeting room (many people frequently shooting furtive looks at Abelas, who was still twitchy and pale from the Well).
“The Qunari are cut off from the eluvian network,” Bull said. “So, that probably won't make them happy.”
“But they will have a harder time traveling,” Arethin pointed out. “How will the loss of the Viddasala affect them?”
Bull considered that. “She was the expert on magic,” he said. “Without her, they'll only have her apprentices and writings to try and counter it. She was in charge of a pretty large number of saarebas, too, and without her they'll have to do something about them. It'll take time.”
“So, we shall have more time to plan for their retaliation?”
“Exactly. You should start after Corypheus and the Venatori next.”
“Corypheus was kept from the Well,” Leliana said. “So he will likely be furious. We have defeated him twice before now—he will want to either strike back at us directly, or take a more underhanded approach to reach his goal.”
“It would make more sense to take an underhanded approach,” Cassandra said with a grimace. “Since we have shown we are a match for him.”
“Of course, there is the possibility that he will try to surprise us as he did at Haven,” Josephine pointed out.
“The Venatori have largely pulled back,” Barris said, his brow knit in worry. “After the Wilds, most of them retreated. The Templars as well.”
“That bodes poorly,” Cassandra said. “If he is no longer focusing his efforts on attacking, then he must be consolidating his forces for something else.”
“We need to find out what his next step is, and quickly,” arethin said.
Leliana would send out her scouts, as would the Dalish and the dwarves. Briala's people and Sera's Red Jennies would also try and find information.
In the meantime, there was the question of what to do with the Sentinels.
Since the people of Elvhenan were now a minority of fifty rather than a minority of two, the question of who exactly was to represent them came into play. At first, it was suggested that Solas and Felassan would do, as they had been doing, but that soon proved to be an issue of contention.
“The wolf does not represent us,” Abelas hissed when the question was brought up. He glared at Solas, who glared right back.
“I would not wish to impose,” Solas said, his tone icy.
“Of course not. That is not in your nature, is it? But I suppose turning from the All-mother and starting wars is a bit more than a mere imposition...”
“That is not what occurred and you are well aware of that.”
Abelas snapped something in Elvhen, and Solas retorted in kind. Arethin only caught a few words, but their heated tones made their discussion quite clear.
“Enough,” Arethin said. “Clearly this is going to be a problem.”
“We have made our alliance,” Abelas said. “That will not change.”
“That's not exactly what I meant.”
“The Alliance already has a somewhat dubious reputation, especially considering that we have someone who we claim is an Elvhen god sitting at our table,” Josephine said. “Adding your people to the mix all of a sudden might be...volatile.”
“I don't know,” Ambassador Yara piped up. “It might actually help the Dalish opinion. Anyone who wasn't swayed before will be now.”
“Perhaps, but even with Empress Giuseppina, our reputation with the Orlesian people is tenuous, at best, even more so now that the Dales are out of their control,” Leliana said.
Bann Teagan nodded. “I have already begun to hear rumors of dark magics,” he said. “Nothing well-founded, and with the Grand Enchanter and the Warden-Commander both being heroes of the Blight, our people are more than comfortable with magic, but the fact remains that your people look strange to most others,” he nodded at Abelas.
Abelas frowned and folded his arms.
“Perhaps,” he said. “Yours seem just as strange to us.” he looked at Arethin. “We could ally with you in secret,” he said. “We need make no outward move to join with you. Surely the shemlen cannot tell one elf from another, they never could before.”
“But our people must know that you are here,” Yara sat up. “Many of the Dalish do not trust the word of Fen'harel, of course, and so many of the city elves are not certain that we will succeed.”
“But what of the others?” Barris said. “The Chantry is still quarreling over its involvement, this will only worsen it.”
Cassandra nodded. “Many of the Grand Clerics still argue over the next Divine. No one has even come forward with any suggestions, and this might well cut us off entirely.”
“At this point, does the Chantry's opinion truly matter?” Vhelan asked. 'I don't mean to be harsh, but your Inquisition is the only true power left in the Chantry, and you are a part of the Alliance. What can the Grand Clerics do, apart from ague a great deal? They orchestrated their own collapse.”
“There is the possibility that they will organize against us,” Cassandra said. “If the Inquisition cannot rebuild the Chantry in the correct manner--”
“What does your shemlen church matter?” Abelas demanded. “The poisoned creature is your truest problem.”
“We must consider what comes after we defeat Corypheus,” Cassandra said, scowling at him.
Abelas sighed. “If you wish, I shall be here to inform you of the interests of the other Sentinels,” he said. “I need not have any other involvement. Your world is too alien for our people to become involved with.” he shot another glare at Solas.
“Very well,” Arethin said. “Regardless of the status of the Chantry, I believe we have more pressing things to consider. We shall find Corypheus as soon as we can. What of the Veil?”
“Its deterioration has not stopped since the last time we spoke,” Solas said, eyebrows raised.
Everyone except for Arethin looked uncomfortable.
“The Veil? What do you mean to do to it?” Abelas asked, now looking more intrigued than angry.
“We are meaning to remove it,” Arethin stared around at the others, as if daring them to contradict her.
“A wise idea,” Abelas said. “Unusual, considering the source. The Veil cannot stand.”
“Can we not repair it?” Cassandra asked. “Is there truly no way?”
“I would not advise it.”
“The Veil was only able to be constructed in the world before its existence,” Solas said. “There is simply not enough access to magic to repair it on a wide scale, and I would advise against it.”
Abelas nodded. “That thing destroys as thoroughly as a disease,” he said, lip curled in disgust.
“While you are claiming this, my dear, what would the world without the Veil even look like?” Vivienne drawled.
“Real,” Abelas said. “This world is one of shadows and smoke. It is not real.”
“And how are you so very certain of that?”
“I was born in a world that was real,” Abelas said, his pale eyes flicking to her face. “This imitation is less than a dream.”
“Keep in mind, we need to be careful about removing the Veil,” Arethin said, looking at Solas. “Destroying it without knowing what we were doing would make the situation even worse.”
“You are the one who has the ability to change the Veil,” Solas said, gesturing to the anchor on her hand. “Ultimately, the choice is yours.”
“I suggest you make your choice soon,” Abelas said, folding his arms. “That magic is eating you.”
“I already knew about that,” Arethin assured him. “That's the other reason I'd want to take the Veil down.”
Abelas nodded in agreement.