Josephine started to knock, and then sighed and simply opened the door and entered. Leliana sat, staring out the window. A bottle of wine sat next to her, but it was still mostly full, and the glass she held looked almost untouched. "Leliana?"

A hundred heartbeats passed before Leliana responded. "You should have seen Cathiel at the wedding. She was something out of a fairy tale, graceful and beautiful. Poised. And then, after the feast, when the guests were leaving she suddenly got this shocked look on her face. Fergus asked her what was wrong, and she said..." A sad smile came to Leliana's face. "Maferath's Balls, I'm the Queen of Ferelden."

She walked forward and sat down across from Leliana. "I am so sorry."

"Ferelden has taken a heavy blow. To lose both their queen and their Hero in a single evening..." Leliana nodded. "We must take steps to ensure Corypheus does not benefit from this. Alistair giving us the Silver Order will work to our advantage. Ferelden will rally against the Venatori in honor of their -"

"Leliana."

"- Queen. She was a Cousland before she was Queen. And we may be able to draw additional strength from the -"

"Leliana."

"- dwarves. Saitada was their Paragon and sister to the queen, not to mention the leader of Kal'Hirol's noble -"

"Leliana." Josephine leaned forward and put her hand atop Leliana's.

"- house and I can't right now Josie. I..." Leliana's voice shook. "Why would the Maker give him back to me just to...?"

Josephine shifted to sit next to Leliana. She wrapped her arms around the other woman as Leliana began to cry.

#

Merrill and Valya were sobbing in each other's arms. Hawke just sat by the fire, his face numb. In the aerie, the griffins had fallen silent, as if they knew what had happened.

Nathaniel turned toward where Jerath stood some distance from the others, staring out over the view of the ocean. He'd have said the man was taking the news calmly enough, were it not for the fact he could sense the turmoil beneath the surface. He started to stand up and walk over to his friend, and felt Jerath's response to the motion. Not now.

There was nothing you could have done.

I know.

You couldn't have known the Inquisition would...

I know.

You had no choice.

Not. Now.

The sense of his friend closed off as if a wall had come down. For a moment, his thoughts seemed to echo in his own mind. Nathaniel sighed. Maybe if they'd still had Vigilance, they could have done something to help in Redcliffe or been forewarned of the Inquisition planting the charges. But Vigilance had died to save Hawke in the Fade.

Loghain, Carver, Caronel, and Temmerin. Nearly half their number, gone. And even knowing that Brehan, Cathiel, and Saitada would have thanked him for it didn't make what Jerath had to do in Redcliffe any easier. From what little information he'd been able to get, the Venatori had actually managed to turn Cathiel and Saitada against Alistair himself, and used them to capture the king. That much had leaked through the edges. Jerath was refusing to talk about it at all.

He swallowed, then shook his head. Someone was going to have to tell Dagna.

#

Turana opened the door for Kels, and then followed him up the stairs. She knocked lightly on the door of Cullen's office, then opened the door. The Commander sat at his desk. It was a few moments before he looked up. "Lady Lavellan, I am very..."

"Busy, we know." She nodded, then glanced up at Kels.

"You missed breakfast, ser." Kels set the tray he was carrying on Cullen's desk. "We thought we'd save you the trouble of going to the kitchens for lunch."

Cullen narrowed his eyes and started to say something, then caught himself. He took a couple deep breaths. "Thank you both."

She opened her mouth, and Kels touched her shoulder. She shut it again. Kels nodded to the Commander. "Ser, the quartermaster is waiting the numbers for outfitting the newest recruits."

"Yes, yes of course." Cullen nodded, his expression going back to businesslike once more. He picked up parchment from his desk and handed it to Kels, then added a second piece. "And when you are done taking that, run the Crestwood report to Josephine." He frowned. "And where is my report from Knight-Captain Rylen?"

"I'll fetch it at once, ser." Kels nodded as he took the parchments. He caught Turana's hand, and she followed him back out of the room.

#

Vathran walked down the stairs. Solas and Cole were arguing about... He blinked. Blood magic and binding. Cole, it seemed, was afraid of being bound like the demons at Adamant. The possibility sent an abrupt chill through him. Given recent events... "If the Venatori used that ritual to bind you, you could turn on us." Arl Teagan had claimed the Venatori had managed to turn the queen on the king. "We'd be safer if you left."

"It may not come to that." Solas stepped forward. "I recall stories of amulets used by Rivaini seers to protect spirits they summoned from rival mages. A spirit wearing an Amulet of the Unbound was immune to blood magic and binding. It should protect Cole as well." Solas clasped his hands behind his back. "The resources of the Inquisition could be used to find such a talisman."

"Good." Cole started stalking away. "They will not take me."

He frowned as he watched the creature go. After seeing how bad an influence the Chargers could be, he'd forbade Turana from spending time in the tavern. Perhaps he needed to reinforce that edict.

#

"Why?" Turana folded her arms.

Solas blinked and turned around. "Why?"

She hopped up to sit on his desk. "Papae says I have to stay away from Cole because he's dangerous and you can't stop him from being dangerous."

"That is not..." Solas sighed. "Precisely how the conversation went." Solas shook his head. "Cole is concerned that he could be bound and turned against his friends by mages like the ones at Adamant."

Turana frowned. "If Papae doesn't trust you for it, you could teach me and I'll bind him."

"What?" Kels turned around from where he was examining a mural.

"I don't want anyone to hurt Cole." Turana shook her head.

"Your heart is in the right place, da'len, but the question is academic." Solas nodded to her. "I do not practice blood magic."

"What makes blood magic so..." Turana tilted her head. "So bad? Even Dorian doesn't like it, and he's from Tevinter."

"It's evil." Kels shook his head.

"It is a magic like any other, and can be used for both good and ill." Solas clasped his hands behind his back.

"That's not what the Chantry teaches." Kels frowned.

"The Chantry likes to teach that Dalish elves are savages that eat babies." Turana wrinkled her nose, then raised an eyebrow at Kels. "Have you seen me eat any babies?"

"There are mornings I'm not sure I would put it past you." Kels rolled his eyes at her, but smiled.

"And I bet Solas has never eaten a baby either." She turned toward him. "Have you eaten any babies?"

"No, da'len." Solas's lips twitched. "I have not eaten any babies."

"See?" She glanced at Kels, then leaned toward Solas. "You'll have to excuse him, he used to be a templar."

"Ah." Solas nodded gravely. "Then perhaps we should be inquiring as to how many infants he has consumed."

"Templars don't..." Kels just sighed.

"But Cole isn't a demon, so we don't really have to worry, right?"

"Cole's concern is not without merit. It would be in his best interest if we were to acquire the amulet."

"What amulet?" Turana sat up straighter.

"A Rivaini Amulet of the Unbound."

"But Cole's nice. How could he be a demon?" She shook her head. "Madam de Fart won't teach me anything about demons."

"The Circle teaches that demons hate the natural world and seek to bring their chaos and destruction to the living." Solas gestured for Kels to sit in one of the chairs before taking his own seat and looking up at Turana. "But such simplistic labels misconstrue their motivations and, in so doing, do all a great disservice. Spirits wish to join the living, and a demon is that wish gone wrong."

"But Cole is living. Isn't he?"

"Cole is unique in many ways."

"We fight demons. Is there a way we could make peace with them instead?"

"Not in the world we know today. The Veil creates a barrier that makes such true understanding most unlikely." Solas smiled. "But the question is a good one, and it matters that you thought to ask."

"But..." Kels shook his head. "You make friends with spirits, don't you? I mean, that's why Cullen..." He trailed off, and turned a bit red.

"Placed himself in a location where he can respond quickly should I become possessed?" Solas smiled.

"But how do you make friends with spirits?" Turana tilted her head.

"Anyone who can dream has the potential. Few ever try. My friends comforted me in grief and shared my joy." Solas frowned. "Yet because they exist without form as we understand it, the Chantry declares that spirits are not truly people. Is Cassandra defined by her cheekbones and not her faith? Varric by his chest hair and not his wit?"

"That's..." Kels leaned back in his chair. "I never thought about it like that before."

"He's right though." Turana nodded to Kels.

Solas gave them a slightly surprised look. "Thank you. Few are willing to entertain such a notion."

"Okay. Back to the blood magic thing..."

"You realize if your father catches me letting you talk to Solas about blood magic I'm going to be on latrine duty for the rest of my life?" Kels rubbed his forehead.

#

Vathran followed Josephine out to the courtyard. The Silver Order was already on the move, positioned at Cullen's direction to deal with the demons still plaguing Ferelden. Yet the runner had informed them additional Ferelden reinforcements had arrived.

He nearly stopped in his tracks when he saw nearly a hundred elves gathered, armed and armored. A third wore Dalish style armor and carried bows and spears, but the rest wore armor similar to that worn by Ferelden soldiers. All wore an armband of green, and there were at least two dozen mabari hounds accompanying them. A Dalish man walked toward him, and saluted with a fist over his heart. "Inquisitor Lavellan."

"Yes." Vathran walked toward the man. "Ir abelas, I was not expecting..." He looked again over the group of elves.

The elven man nodded. "I am Fenarel of Clan Sabrae. We..." He took a deep breath. "My clansman was murdered by these Venatori, and it is one of the People who stands against them." He gestured to the elves. "The Emerald Knights have come to join the fight."

"Andaran atish'an." Vathran smiled.

#

"Do you know when the amulet will get here?"

Vathran looked across the table at Turana. She was pushing her food around her plate and had mostly just been letting him and Josephine do the talking. "Amulet?"

"For Cole."

He frowned, then his eyes widened. "You've been talking to Solas again."

"He was telling Kels and me about watching the battle of Ostagar through the Fade." Turana hunched her shoulder's defensively. "Kels' Papae died there."

"Oh." Vathran swallowed some of his annoyance. "I see." He shook his head. "The Inquisition's resources are stretched thin enough without chasing one of Solas's stories." He turned his attention back to Josephine. "I am told Kal'Hirol is sending us additional resources?"

"Silverite and lyrium, and two additional smiths." Josephine nodded. She began listing a few of the other advantages.

"May I be excused?" Turana interrupted.

"You haven't finished your supper." Vathran gave her a warning look. Her manners had suffered a bit lately.

"I'm not hungry."

For a moment, he considered telling her to remain anyway. And yet, the opportunity for a quiet dinner with Josephine seemed too much to pass up. "Very well."

Turana dutifully kissed his cheek, and to his surprise did the same to Josephine before leaving the room. Josephine looked incredibly touched at the small gesture before collecting herself once more. "Well, then, where were we?"

#

"You're friends with the runner who works for the quartermaster, aren't you?"

Kels jumped, then turned around. He wiped at his face, then glared at the bit of red from where he'd cut himself with the shaving razor. "What are you doing in the men's barracks?"

Turana rolled her eyes. "Looking for you." Her fingers glowed white as she reached up to heal the cut. "Are you?"

"Eben?" Kels nodded. "Yes." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why?"

"We need to get one of those amulet thingies."

"I thought your father was..."

"He thinks it's Solas being silly." Turana shook her head.

"Has he met Solas before?" Kels raised an eyebrow.

"Papae doesn't like him and is mad I was talking to him at all. Eben needs to requisition one of the amulet thingies."

"Do you realize how much trouble he could get into submitting a fake requisition?" Kels frowned at her.

"It's not fake. I'm really requesting it." She folded her arms. "Kels, it's Cole. He shouldn't be in danger for wanting to help."

"I can't believe I'm..." He took a deep breath. "Fine. But we're leaving Eben out of this. I'll submit the requisition." He turned at the sound of footsteps. "Now get out of here before you get us both in trouble."

#

Vathran shook his head at Dorian. "If you don't wish contact with your family, why should we bother to go to Redcliffe at all? I can send a runner with a message for this retainer."

"Well, that would be..."

"It would prevent the possibility of you being knocked in the head." And of him passing information without Leliana being able to see.

"Very well, Inquisitor." Dorian nodded.

#

"The stone is cracked, split, jagged. The hawk would have been safe if it had stayed, but that isn't what hawks do."

"Varric's still pretty sad." Turana nodded. She elbowed Kels, and he held out the item. "We got you one of the amulets, but we need to take you to Solas cause I don't know how it works."

Cole almost literally seemed to brighten as he followed them out of the tavern.

#

Turana's eyes widened as the amulet seemed to spark. "Cole, are you okay?" She rushed forward to check on him.

"What was that?" Varric came in from the next room. "Oh for..." He shot a look at Solas. "What are you doing to the kid?"

"We're trying to protect him from the bad guys." Turana glared at Varric.

"Stopping blood mages from binding me like the demons at Adamant. But it didn't work.," Cole added.

"Something is interfering with the enchantment." Solas frowned.

"Something like Cole not being a demon?" Varric raised an eyebrow.

"It's for spirits. Cole is a spirit." Turana folded her arms.

"Yes, a spirit who is strangely like a person." Varric nodded to her.

"All spirits are people." Turana shook her head and glanced up at Kels. "Right?"

"Why are you asking me?" Kels blinked at her.

"I don't matter." Cole shifted his weight from foot to foot and Turana reached out to take his hand. "Just lock away the parts of me that someone else could knot together to make me follow."

"Focus on the amulet." Solas nodded to Cole. "Tell me what you feel."

"Warm, soft blanket covering, but it catches, tears, I'm the wrong shape, there's something..." He turned and pointed. "There. That way."

"I'll get a map, maybe we can figure out where and..." Kels frowned. "Do..." He shrugged. "Something?"

"Will you come with me?" Cole looked around "All of you?

"Yes." Solas nodded.

"Sure, kid." Varric smiled.

"Yep." Turana grinned.

Kels turned to stare at her. "No. No, you won't. Your father will kill me. Then Cullen will kill me. And Lady Montilyet will probably kill me too."

"I really can't picture Josephine killing anyone..." Turana tilted her head. "Papae just left to go do something with Cassandra about the Seekers, and Cullen is busy inspecting troops and we'll be with Varric and he's a responsible adult."

"I doubt he could make such a claim with a straight face." Solas clasped his hands behind his back.

"You might have a point there, Chuckles."

#

"He isn't afraid of Cullen hurting him. He's afraid of Cullen being disappointed in him."

Turana glanced at Kels, who was still muttering about how much trouble he was going to get into. "I think we all knew that already." She looked back up at Cole. "Is my Papae going to marry Josephine?"

"He thinks about it sometimes, but worries it would cause trouble for her."

"Cause he's an elf." She kicked at a rock, sending it bouncing. "Where's your wife, Solas?"

He blinked. "What makes you presume I've ever been married?"

"You're old." She shrugged. "Old people get married."

"Varric is unwed."

"But he's a dwarf."

"And dwarves are not people?"

"They have to arrange their own marriages though and..." Turana blinked. "Oh. You don't have a clan to do it for you."

"No, da'len. I do not."

"I'd suggest Minaeve, but Kels is sweet on her." She frowned thoughtfully. "Most of the ladies in my clan are matched already."

"I do not require assistance in this matter."

"I'm going to be a Keeper, and it's a Keeper's job to help with arranging matches." Turana nodded, then scratched her chin. "Skinner's a little bit scary, but Dalish is nice. And she's a ma... archer." She turned to look over her shoulder. "Do you have any suggestions, Varric?"

"Or even better, a change of subject?" Solas just shook his head.

#

Turana recoiled from Cole. Until that moment, she'd never actually realized that he could be dangerous. And now he was talking about killing some guy who'd just run for the hills. "What's going on?"

"Cole, this man cannot have killed you." Solas moved to block Cole's movement. "You are a spirit. You have not even possessed a body."

"A broken body, bloody, banged on the stone cell, guts gripping in the dark dank, a captured apostate. They threw him into the dungeon in The Spire at Val Royeaux. They forgot about him. He starved to death." Turana shivered at Cole's words. "I came through to help... and I couldn't. So I became him. Cole."

"Then..." Kels shook his head, and then glared in the direction the man had fled. "That guy was a templar."

"Must've been buying lyrium." Varric nodded.

"Let me kill him. I need to..." Cole started walking again. "I need to."

"We can't let Cole kill him like that!" Turana looked up at Solas. "Revenge is twisting."

"Yes, da'len." Solas nodded. "The death of the real Cole wounded him, perverted him from his purpose. To regain that part of himself, he must forgive."

"What?" Kels blinked.

"Come on." Varric shook his head. "You don't just forgive someone killing you."

"You don't." Solas waved a hand. "A spirit can."

"Solas, can you help him?" Turana stared up at him.

"I believe I can." Solas gestured for them to wait, then followed Cole.

#

Vathran frowned. Normally, Turana was rushing out to greet him at this point, but there was no sign of the girl. He turned to say something to Cassandra, but it was clear from her expression that she was still lost in thought. She was carrying the book they'd taken from the Lord Seeker. Vathran shrugged, and left her to it, walking up toward the hall. Josephine met him at the door, greeting him with a kiss. "Where is Turana?"

"She went with Varric to pay respect at the shrine to the Hero of Ferelden, in Redcliffe." Josephine nodded. "Giving the circumstances, I told her it was alright."

"A lovely gesture." Vathran nodded. The Dalish had lost one of their greatest heroes. It wasn't a surprise that Turana had wanted to do something. After all, the man's death had resulted in the rebirth of the Emerald Knights. "Walk with me? I'll fill you in on what happened."

She took his hand and smiled.

#

"The amulet is all working right now?" Turana gave Cole a concerned look.

"Cole is immune to blood magic and binding." Solas nodded.

"Pity we can't have Dagna make one of those for everyone." Kels leaned against a tree. "I wonder if it would work on the Wardens?"

"Dagna's been a little weird lately." Turana frowned. "She actually snapped at me when I went down into the undercroft to look at things."

"That's because you keep touching the machines." Kels shook his head at her.

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"No I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"Not."

"Do."

"Not."

"Do."

"Children." Solas gave them both a level look.

"Sorry, Solas."

"Ir abelas, hahren."

Varric just chuckled.

#

"What's going on here?" Vathran folded his arms.

Dorian looked up. "I was just telling Turana about the fireworks displays in Minrathous."

"You." Vathran pointed at the runner, whose eyes were slightly wide. "Take my daughter back to our quarters, then report to Commander Cullen."

"Yes, Your Worship." The young man saluted before grabbing Turana's hand. Turana looked for a moment as if she was about to argue, then followed.

Vathran turned his attention back to Dorian. "I do not need you influencing my daughter."

"Influencing?" Dorian blinked. "And in what manner am I supposedly influencing her? Perhaps you dread that she will acquire better grooming habits?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Vathran took a step toward Dorian.

He held up his hands in a placating gesture. "I mean the girl no harm. She saw a drawing in a book and inquired as to its accuracy."

"Lord Pavus..." Vathran narrowed his eyes. "Your presence here is allowed. But you will refrain from speaking with my daughter. I do not need you filling her head with notions regarding Tevinter."

"Of course, Your Worship." Dorian glared at him before walking off in a huff.

#

"...enough the number of words you've picked up from the Chargers." Vathran shook his head at Turana.

"You act like Dorian's going to kidnap me if I talk to him." Turana stomped her foot.

"He is from Tevinter." Vathran folded his arms. "And you can stop pestering Krem as well. She has -"

"He."

Vathran took a deep breath. "She has -"

Turana narrowed her eyes. "He."

"Turana Lavellan, I know the difference between a man and a woman." Vathran stared at the girl. "She is from Tevinter, and has duties she to be concerned about that do not involve teaching you drinking songs."

She glared at him, then turned and started walking up the stairs. "Venhedis. Penshra. Defransdim. Fenedhis. Kaffas. Vashedan. Fasta vass." Each step in the staircase was a different curse word.

He stared, slightly dumbstruck, as she made it all the way to their quarters without repeating herself once.