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Her Destiny Lies Elsewhere	By : TheStarvingArtist Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 7181 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DRAGON AGE. This is a work of fiction, and I make no money from it. This fic contains dialogue from the game.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Author's Note:
I'm not going to lie, I spent a long time on this chapter, longer than I thought I should since it's about half the length of the last one, but it was hard to work out how to do things (and finally I just said whatever and jumped into it). Sorry, not to the no-pants parts yet... And I thank everyone who is sticking with it through this, I promise it will be SO worth it!
EDIT: I had censored the language in this chapter when I was writing back and forth between work, and I realize now that I kind of didn't change it back. Fixing that now!
Enjoy!

**This fic contains many quotes and much dialogue straight from the game. Don't remember if this chapter has any actual quotes, but enjoy nonetheless!**

Chapter Five
A History of Rio

Rio wasn't surprised at all when the Inquisition continued to grow. It seemed each day, more people came from all over, seeking shelter and, more often than not, to help. Rio recruited the Friends of Red Jenny, the archer Sera taking up residence happily at the tavern as their numbers grew. Their influence seemed to know no bounds, reaching even to the lone Grey Warden they found near the Hinterlands. Blackwall was a grim and grizzly man, but he quickly warmed, first to Bull, then to Rio, who asked all manner of questions about the legends of Grey Wardens.
As the days wore on and Rio learned more and more about Thedas, she found herself missing Earth... but not as much as she thought she should. She missed the familiar things of her life: her tiny apartment, her bed with the many blankets, even the humdrum of her waitressing job. But the more she was in Thedas, the more she found herself imagining what it might be like to stay. Here she had friends, a purpose, and most importantly, she had her freedom here. She could have an opinion without worrying about how the others would feel about her. The more she learned about it, the more she understood about the mage and Templar conflicts, the more guilt she felt for not missing Earth more. While at first it seemed little could compare to the joy of a hot bath at her fingertips, Rio found new life in herself as she tried to come to terms with a decision that weighed heavily on her.
Slowly, she started to distance herself from the others. It was barely noticeable at first, heading to bed early instead of listening to the tales of the Fade late into the night, or ducking out of lessons with feigned exhaustion. She waved off the curious looks, forcing an exaggerated yawn or letting herself slump tiredly. Soon it became more obvious, even to her, as she started to take meals in her hut or tent by herself, barely listening as her friends chatted away around her, even when they nudged her into the conversation, only smiling enough to convince them she was fine before she pulled into herself again.
Once in a while, she slipped away from camp. She never went very far, just enough to be away from the fire, looking up at the sky. The first time Varric noticed it, he was on watch and followed. She always sat herself on the ground and watched the sky in silence. At first, he thought she might be praying, but she never spoke a word, just let her eyes watch the stars, searching... He tried to look too, to see what she was searching for, but whatever secrets she might've been looking for, she kept them to herself. The last time Varric caught her, he could have sworn he saw tears in her eyes, but not wanting to be caught spying, he kept his silence as she hid herself away again.
He wanted to say something, though, just something to assure her they would get her home, but he wasn't even sure about that. He sighed as he took up the next watch, stoking the fire. They needed to settle this quickly, seal the Breach, and get Rio back home where she belonged...
***
Bull had just returned from a quick wash in the nearby stream when Blackwall looked up from the simmering pot over the campfire. “Hey, did you see Rio on your way back?” he asked, frowning when he realized the Herald wasn't with him. “Supper's almost ready, and I've a sneaking suspicion she didn't actually eat lunch earlier...”
Bull frowned, shaking his head as Varric sighed, getting to his feet. Night had fallen, and he didn't like the idea that Rio was unaccounted for. His one good eye watched as Varric turned to head out from camp, narrowing a little. Of course the Dwarf seemed to know where she went—he seemed to know without even really looking. His offer to come with was waved off as Varric stepped through the brush and the night swallowed him.
Bull wasn't worried, of course. Rio was decent enough to stall in a fight and shout for help, and she wasn't ashamed to do it either. Some people he knew had too much pride, they wouldn't ask for help unless they were lying in a ditch and dying, and half of them would still insist they were doing fine. Not Rio.
But then, he had realized early on, she knew her limits, such as they were, and she was rather keen on surviving.
Still, he didn't like this. She had grown quiet, and everyone had been taking notice. It didn't take years of Ben Hassrath training to realize something was bothering the Herald, and she didn't think she could say it. Looking at Blackwall, he saw the worry there and resolved himself to wait. If she needed them, she would speak up, and they would be there to listen.
***
As he walked, Varric couldn't quite say what it was that told him where she was, but he was right nonetheless, finding her some distance away in a small clearing just up the path. There she sat, leaning against a large rock, her favorite traveling hat resting in her lap as she sat cross-legged in the grass. Her coat hung open, sash loosened around her waist, hair falling messily around her. Her staff was propped against her shoulder, the dark wood a contrast to her pale skin. She looked positively relaxed, save for the way her eyes were fixed on the sky, searching...
He cleared his throat as he approached, watching as she turned her head, but only just slightly before looking back at the sky. As he stopped to stand beside her, leaning on the rock, he wanted to say something, but she beat him to it as she murmured quietly, “Must be dinner time...” She didn't even turn to acknowledge him as he nodded. “I'll be there in a bit... Just...” Her voice trailed off as her shoulders lifted and fell for a moment. “Just needed a minute...”
Varric's chuckle drew her out of it as he shifted to sit next to her, leaning Bianca against the stone as he looked up at the sky with her. He was almost amazed at how she seemed to always find these nooks and crannies wherever they were camped, just somewhere to sit off by herself for a while. His soft eyes roamed the sky for a moment, eying the full moon and lightly tracing the few constellations he knew.
He didn't know what she was looking for, if it was a way home or some kind of cosmic guidance, but the longer he looked, the more at peace he felt.
Her voice pulled him out of his reverie as she said quietly, “Wish I knew what I was doing here...”
Varric's sigh was deep as he nodded, looking over at her with a small smile. “You, me, and most the world, Squeaks... A lot of people would feel better knowing, I'm sure...” His eyes followed her hand as she idly thumbed the grip of her staff. He'd seen some mages do it, as if it was a comfort to them, and he wondered what was going on in that head of hers. She'd had so many questions before, and so many ideas that she couldn't even keep them to herself, but now she was quiet, bottling them up and burying them deep inside. Bottling up tensions like that wasn't good for anyone, but it was especially bad for a mage that didn't yet have control of themselves.
Smiling a little to himself, he managed to nudge her shoulder a little, drawing her attention again. “So, I'm curious,” he said, chuckling at the tiny smile and brow quirk it got him, “who exactly is Rhys?”
The change in Rio was so immediate, he was almost startled by it, even though he had kind of known she would. Her smile disappeared, a stony expression sliding into place as she looked away from him. He expected only awkward silence, a brow raising when she said very quietly, “It was a long time ago, Varric...” Taking her staff in hand, she turned herself away, keeping her head bowed as she pushed herself to her feet. “Another time, on another world,” she added softly, starting to pull her coat closed.
“You know, Squeaks,” Varric said, watching as she stilled, facing away from him, “running away and pretending it isn't there doesn't really count as healing...” When she still didn't say anything, he started to get up, sighing, “I know we haven't been friends for very long... but we are your friends, and we can tell something's wrong...”
She was quiet for so long, he almost tried again when she quickly stepped away from the boulder. He started to go after her when she said gently, “I'll be a bit late for dinner, Varric... I need to clear my head...”
***
“What the fuck do you mean, she's taking a walk?!” Bull almost bellowed when Varric returned alone and told them where Rio had gone. Varric held up his hands as he tried to calm the unhappy Qunari, but it only got him a frown and scowl in response. “It’s night, and we’re in the middle of bandit country! What if she gets hurt on this little walk, huh?” he asked, reaching for his Warhammer.
Varric sighed, shaking his head a little, “She’s fine, Bull. She just wanted some time to herself.” The Qunari would have none of it, growling a little as he stepped around him as Blackwall stood and reached for his sword and shield, ready to follow after him. Varric folded his arms over his chest, frowning up at them as he said, “You need to give her some space, or you’ll just make her mad that you’re chasing her down again!”
Ignoring Varric, they only made it about a dozen paces down the path before she stepped around the bend, looking no worse for the wear, bundle of herbs in one arm as she carried some kindling for the fire tucked under her other arm. She looked up at them, and in the moonlight, her eyes shone like some feral cat. Blackwall tensed for a second, though Bull’s stance didn’t change, simply frowning down at her.
“Where have you been?” Bull asked as she nodded a little at them as she quietly stepped around them, ducking Bull’s question as she stepped quietly around them. She didn’t say so much as a word as she made her way back to camp, dropping the kindling with the rest before turning towards her tent. She jumped a little when she almost ran into Bull again, looking up at him with a slight frown as he folded his arms and stood in her way. She only gave him a tired expression, holding up the herbs.
“Went to replenish my supplies. Stayed well away from the bandits, didn’t activate any rifts, didn’t fight any demons, just got some air and did some star-watching.” Quirking a brow defiantly, she said, “Happy, mother?”
His frown deepened, but he stepped to the side, letting her slip into her tent to tuck the herbs into her pack and change out of her heavier gear for the night. He watched the tent flap settle back down again in silence before he turned away. Something was bothering her; that much was clear. He wouldn’t force the issue if she didn’t want to talk about it, but it seemed almost like she was always on the verge of saying before she seemed to withdraw into herself again.
Taking his seat by the fire, Blackwall quietly joined, Varric declaring that the stew was finished and starting to serve it up in wooden bowls. Taking his own bowl, Bull started to eat heartily before glancing up again as Rio slipped back out of her tent, tossing her hairbrush back on her bedroll as a hand ran through her long hair. It had been growing out rather quickly and the raven black was being chased away by soft white-blonde. Blackwall had hold her once that it looked quite nice, the pale locks fading into the dark strands, but she simply blushed a deeper red and tried to shove it into a hat as she mumbled that Johnny didn’t like the color, that it made her look old. When Bull heard about it, he almost told her that this Johnny could take his opinions about her looks and shove them where the sun doesn’t shine, but the look on her face as she hid her hair for the rest of the week made him hold his tongue.
Tonight, though, the large hat was gone, her hair left to fall over her shoulders as she sat on her own seat by the fire. Gone as well were her sash and coat, even her gloves discarded as she sat, dressed only in her boots, leggings, and a loose shirt of soft linen. She kept her gaze fixed on the ground as she loosely braided her hair, quickly tying it off with a strip of leather before she took the bowl of ram stew that Varric held out to her. She thanked him quietly for it, taking a few bites as she stared into the fire.
She didn't say anything else for a long time, blue-gold eyes simply watching the flames in tense silence before she finally drew herself up a little, clearing her throat. She pretended not to notice how everyone's eyes jumped to her, resolving herself quietly before she said gently, “I'm sorry I don't... talk much about what happened to me before I came here...” Her eyes darted up for a moment, Varric offering as gentle a smile as he could to reassure her. Clearing her throat a little, she murmured, “I didn't want to say anything before, 'cus I thought I was gonna be gone pretty quickly... no sense in getting attached, ya know?”
She sniffled a little, giving a sad little smile as she looked down at her feet again. Varric gently placed a hand on her knee, offering her as much encouragement as he could, looking into those blue-gold eyes. She managed just the barest of smiles, tears welling up there as she sighed quietly and shrugged a little.
“My real name is Rowan... Rowan Lenora Maxwell... I was... found abandoned as an infant, and I got adopted a few months later... Rhys was born a few years later... He was my little brother, always liked books and stories, especially about stuff like magic and adventure and stuff...” She smiled a little at the memory, tucking her hair behind one ear. “I always thought he would be some writer or something... When he was seven, he went to a dance recital I had, and said he wanted to write something that I could perform for people...”
Bull watched her face as she stirred her bowl of food, his own dinner forgotten as he said, “Dance recital?”
Rio blushed at that, clearing her throat as she nodded just a tiny bit. “Yeah... I always wanted to be a ballerina, work for a professional company...” She sighed heavily, waving her hand as if brushing the dream aside again. “But that was... a long time ago...”
Varric smiled a little, nudging her a little, “What's with the name change, then? Rowan's a perfectly good name...”
She smiled a little at that, “Oh, I didn't change it... Mom used to have trouble keeping our names straight, and it kinda warped into 'Rio' after a while, and then Rhys called me that when he was two or three, and it just kind of... stuck. Rowan was a little too grown-up when I was a kid, and there's no way I was having someone call me Lenora, so... I became 'Rio'.” She ran a hand through her hair, pushing the pale strands out of her face as she sighed, “Later, I just kept it, because it was a reminder of my family and everything...”
Knowing looks were exchanged before Varric said quietly, “Rio...” He waited until she looked up, those blue-gold eyes watching him as he asked, “... What happened?”
Her gaze turned away at that, a hand reaching up to lightly touch the scars on her shoulder, biting her lip as she gathered her strength to answer. Bull watched her face, the flicker of emotion there as she gazed intently into the flames. When she did speak, her voice shook as she kept her eyes on the fire.
“When I was fifteen... there was a house fire... The smoke alarm in my room woke me up... By then, the fire was everywhere... I ran down the hall, trying to find my parents and Rhys... their doors were jammed shut, and I tried... so hard to open them... I don't remember collapsing, just waking up in the hospital... They said some of the roof caved in, and I was buried in the debris...”
She sniffled a little again when the tears spilled over her cheeks, taking the handkerchief that Varric quietly handed to her and furiously wiping at her eyes. Blackwall looked to Bull, who frowned at this new knowledge. He'd seen the burns. Nearly everyone had at some point, but she never talked about them. For most people, scars were nothing new, just a feature. For this young woman, they stood as a permanent reminder of what was likely the most terrifying night of her life.
Well, he thought to himself, remembering the look on her face as she sprinted away from a giant spider, one of the most terrifying.
She slowly composed herself again as she murmured, “My family... didn't make it... The house burned to the ground, and I was the only one they managed to save... My remaining family blamed me for the fire, saying that I set it on purpose, so I was thrown into the foster care system...” She gave a dry laugh before she said, “I was in and out of different homes until I turned eighteen and they tossed me out on my own. That was about two years ago... Then one day, I'm going to pick up an extra shift at the diner, 'cus one of the girls had gotten herself knocked up and she said she couldn't lift the trays or something, and I went down a back alley because Johnny wanted me to drop by his place really quick, and there was a light...” She shrugged as if it was nothing, “Then I woke up at Haven, and everyone else knows the rest of the story.”
Varric listened, seeing the sad look in her eyes as she pushed it aside, stirring her stew quietly. She spent a long time in silence as she chose her words carefully, setting her bowl down as she gave up eating, murmuring softly, “... I...” Her eyes glanced up, shifting between the three around the fire before she murmured softly, “I kind of... want to stay... in Thedas, I mean...”
Looks were exchanged at that, frowning a little at each other, Rio's ears drooping a little as she noticed the cautious glances, her own frown deepening a little before she got to her feet, turning to slip into her tent with a soft, “It was a stupid thought... Forget I said anything...”
“Rio, wait,” Blackwall said, getting up to stop her as she stood with her back to them, shoulders slumped, looking defeated before she even turned. When she did, she looked up at him, then to Varric and finally Bull, tears in her eyes.
“I don't have anything to go back to,” she said softly. “I honestly don't! I don't have a family, I'm not going to have a job waiting for me, and there's no way in hell that my apartment is still there! If anything, there's probably a missing person's report and a bajillion questions that I won't be able to answer!” She looked almost angry, the tears falling down her face as she frowned, her voice raising as she snapped, “And that's on the upside! I'll have no money, no friends, no help if I go back there! I at least have a chance in Thedas!”
When they still didn't answer, she frowned, shaking her head a little before she said, “I know... it was stupid... But I'd rather stay and do what good I can than go where I'm nothing.”
Varric sighed softly, shaking his head a little, “You realize what this means, though?” he said, looking at her as she sniffled a little and wiped at her tears. “It means actually attending your lessons, not just learning enough to get by...” He watched her as she nodded, her bright eyes red-rimmed but determined as she folded her arms over her chest. “It means you might not see your world again... Are you really okay with giving that up?”
She hesitated for a moment, thinking for a second about how angry Johnny might be, how upset her boss probably was that she disappeared, the sweet old man that she rented her apartment from and his wife, who made too much food sometimes and brought it to her door... Rio hesitated for just a few more seconds before she nodded at that, “Yeah... I'm ready to stay.”
The tension in camp dispersed at once as she was pulled back towards the fire and plopped back into her seat. The mead was sweet as she drank with them, finally relaxing again after the longest time, her worry chased away as she cheered with them. All at once, as she looked up at the sky, she felt more free than she had since that terrible night, swapping stories well into the night. She didn't remember getting up and going to bed, remembering only strong arms that picked her up and carried her to her cot as she drifted off to sleep with only a small murmur of thanks.

***

Less than a week later, Rio was reconsidering her decision as her party was slowly pushed back towards a cliff. She'd sent Blackwall and Varric ahead to Redcliffe as they swung by for a quick side-mission. There had been bandits reported in a further-off area, and Solas had agreed that it was a good chance to get some more practice in. Her barriers and ice spells had grown stronger, though her skill with fire suffered, and she needed to strengthen herself and especially her resolve against them.
They had no idea how quickly they would be outnumbered, the some fifteen or sixteen bandits turned out to be closer to a hundred mercenaries that descended upon them. Hurriedly casting a barrier spell over them, Rio realized just how bad the situation was, barely managing to finish the spell before another warrior lunged forward, blade drawn. She flinched, scrambling back and nearly slipping off the cliff before Solas caught her cloak, holding her still as she regained her footing. She could see it in his eyes as she nodded her thanks—they didn't stand a chance at this rate. The enemy closed in on them, a sheer drop at their backs, and no back-up coming in time.
Blue-gold eyes looked over the drop, and then back to the enemy before she swallowed heavily, “I have an idea!” Solas quirked a brow at that as she shrugged a little, “Just... trust me!”
Bull and Cassandra exchanged looks in silence, looking at the approaching enemy and weighing their options. They could probably make it through them if they charged, and Solas could probably force through with them, but Rio didn't have that kind of training—she wouldn't make it far before they pushed her back, if they didn't strike her down before that. Bull nodded grimly—they needed to try something or this would be it. Cassandra turned and said, “What would you have us do, Herald?”
Rio swallowed again, glancing back over her shoulder again before she cried, “Jump!” More looks were exchanged, Cassandra starting to argue as Rio grabbed a buzzing ampoule from her belt, a gift from the Friends of Red Jenny, flinging it at the mercenaries before she shouted, “Just jump!”
Whatever argument they might've had died as she turned and leapt off the cliff, Bull and Solas following right after, Cassandra gritting her teeth as she jumped with them, breathing a prayer as they started to fall...

***

Rio's eyes closed tightly as she tumbled off the cliff, and instantly regretted her plan. It was a really bad plan. She didn't know why she went through with it, to be quite honest—it was dangerous and stupid, and they were definitely gonna die. Why didn't I just stay home? Rio thought to herself as they fell.
A sharp crackling sound made her open her eyes, a flash of green blinding her for a moment as she felt the world jerk upright, then upside down, as she tumbled into and then back out of a rift, rolling several feet across a cement floor to crash into an old metal shelf. She didn't have time to react as Bull came skidding through next, smacking into her hard as she groaned, trying to sit up. Solas was right behind, though he managed to gain his feet and keep from crashing into them. The same couldn't be said for the Seeker, who collided hard with Solas and knocked him to the ground.
After a few moments of everyone untangling themselves from everyone else, Rio squinted, trying to make out where they had ended up. Frowning, she asked softly, “Everyone made it okay? Nothing broken?” She looked down at her now-empty potion belt, groaning. “Hope not, cus we're out of everything until we hit camp next...”
It took Rio a few long minutes after everyone confirmed they were okay before she realized that she was standing on a poured-concrete floor. She turned, frowning as she idly tapped her feet on the floor, feeling the solid surface under her feet, bouncing a little onto the balls of her feet as her eyes adjusted to the dark around them.
Bull noticed first that Rio was quiet, looking over to see her examining the floor closely. When she lifted her head again, he watched her take off jogging, slipping into the darkness. There was a crash and a slam before faint orange light cut the darkness, framing Rio's silhouette as she stood in silence.
She wasn't quiet for long before she gave an excited shout, turning to motion for everyone to follow. Hesitantly making their way forward, Rio held the door open for them as she motioned to the horizon where she pointed out the bright skyline of the city. “Look, look!” she cried, obviously excited as she smiled at them, “We made it! I wished to go to Earth and we're here! We're actually here!”
Solas frowned, looking around before he said, “... Well... Not to be the bearer of bad news... but where exactly is here?”
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Her Destiny Lies Elsewhere