"Inquisitor, there is something that has come to my attention that I think will interest you greatly."
The Inquisitor looked up from her desk, relieved to see Leliana standing at the head of the stairs. The promise of intriguing news was something the Inquisitor desperately desired, if only to escape from the mounds of tedious paperwork and delicate diplomatic discussion needed after her meeting with the Comte du Ghislain.
"Is that so?" The Inquisitor stood, gesturing for the spymaster to take a seat and join her. Leliana bowed her head with a gracious smile and accepted the chair. Despite their closeness in both work and friendship, Leliana always retained a cautiously polite air. Whether this manner of acting was an aftereffect of her little episode back in Haven or simply habitual from the discreet subtlety her line of work required, the Inquisitor could not tell. She did not care to ask, either. "Well, do continue, please. I'll take anything over these convoluted politics. It's like the Winter Palace all over again."
Leliana laughed lightly. "Why, I think you handled the Game admirably that night. The Empress has pledged her support and her armies to us, Corypheus' nefarious plot has been stalled, and Florianne now serves as jester to our court. I do not see how it could have gone better."
"Fair enough," the Inquisitor mused, settled back into her chair. She toyed with the quill on her desk pensively, before glancing back up at her spymaster. "But I digress; what news do you bring?"
"It involves the mage and Templar we rescued several weeks back; Rhys and Evangeline. They have been working diligently with Cullen's forces near Val Firmin for the past while, and they've recently come up with something... curious." Leliana paused, staring at the Inquisitor quizzically. The Vashoth woman returned her gaze with a furrowed brow.
"Rhys? Cole's old friend?"
"It would appear so. There has been nothing out of the usual in that area for quite some time, aside from periodical attacks from Corypheus' forces. But once we sent the two of them to the field, it was revealed there is far more going on in Val Firmin than we thought." Leliana leaned forward in her chair, frowning. "Are you aware that Rhys is a medium? He is far more in-tune with spirits and other inhabitants of the Fade than most mages. That is how he came to befriend Cole, so I understand, when he still occupied the White Spire. When he and Evangeline arrived at Val Firmin, he discovered that the area is teeming with spiritual activity. By himself, he's not able to further investigations effectively. For his own safety, along with that of the people of Val Firmin, he requires mage and Templar assistance to properly conduct the necessary rituals to uncover the reasons behind all this."
"I see." Vexed, the Inquisitor considered the report. "I will set off for Val Firmin presently. Consult with Ser Barris, to procure some available Templars for the job, and round up a few mages as well. I'm sure Vivienne will be happy to assist in that regard. I need some time to prepare."
"Of course, Your Worship." Leliana nodded in approval, before making to carry out the orders. And although she remained perfectly stoic, she had an idea of what sort of "preparations" the Inquisitor might make.
Cole hung over the wooden railing curiously, staring down into the lively bar below. The tavern attic was the perfect place for him. Cool, dark, uninhabited, but just close enough to people of all sorts. It was a fantastic place to watch and listen.
His attention was, at that moment, locked on Sera. The archer rarely left the tavern unless the Inquisitor summoned her to the party, or a playful prank had planted itself inside her head. Cole liked Sera, even if the feeling wasn't mutual, and he was utterly fascinated by her. Particularly just then, because she had recently crossed paths with yet another target of Cole's interest; Farion.
Lately, he had spotted the two of them sharing drinks and discussing something, oftentimes with Sera appearing uncharacteristically serious about it. The profound change in her mannerisms when she wasn't aware of his scrutiny solidified his belief that there was far more to her than her raunchy, loud-mouthed persona.
As for Farion... Cole was perplexed that he was still at Skyhold. After the Inquisitor's icy reception of Farion's presence, Cole had fully expected the mage to go back to the Valo-Kas mercenaries. Instead, he stayed. Cole anxiously kept an eye on him, dreading what might happen if he decided to confront the Inquisitor, who was now blissfully unaware of his very existence.
"What are you looking at, Cole?"
Cole reeled back from the railing as if the dark wood had struck him with lightning. He whirled around to see the Inquisitor standing in the threshold to the ramparts with wide eyes.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she said sheepishly, still rooted to the spot. "It's just, you seemed so intent, I was curious."
"It is... nothing, Inquisitor," he lied breathlessly, eyes flickering to anywhere that wasn't her face.
She frowned, clearly aware that it was not nothing, but did not question him further, to his relief. "We're heading to Val Firmin very soon on very important business. Would you do me a favor and tell Solas and Blackwall this? I want to leave as soon as possible." Cole could still not get a reading on her, the Mark proving yet again to be far too blinding. Regardless, he nodded his assent.
"Yes, Inquisitor. I'll go tell them now."
The road to Val Firmin was long, and the accompanying troupe of mages and Templars called for wagons rather than traveling by foot.
The lead cart, drawn by Master Dennet's sturdiest steeds, carried none other than the Inquisitor and her party, along with a scrawny boy in his late teenage years to hold the reins. It was an experience much different than the hours of walking to which the members of the Inner Circle were used accustomed, to be sure.
"You've been rather quiet about this little excursion, Inquisitor. Care to share what's going on?" The silence had finally been broken by Blackwall. "Must be big to require such a large procession, and I don't like being in the dark."
"I would have to agree," Solas conceded, looking to the Inquisitor. "It would not hurt to know our surroundings before setting foot in the darkness, yes?"
The Inquisitor sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She could not remember the last time she had gotten a decent moment of rest, so she was sorely thankful for not having to march to Val Firmin. "A couple of our... agents... caught wind of some trouble in the area. Well, not so much 'caught wind of' as they did discover the mess. There is a high concentration of spirits in Val Firmin, which was previously a rather quiet area, so we're going to get to the bottom of what in the Maker's name is going on over there."
"Agents, eh? How come they were able to find what none of our other men could?" Blackwall frowned.
The Inquisitor hesitated, glancing at Cole. The spirit seemed to be paying them no attention whatsoever, gazing out at the passing scenery silently. According to a letter from Rhys, he and Cole did not depart on the best of terms, though apparently there was no lingering resentment between the two, as far as she could tell. She couldn't help but wonder how their reunion would go.
"Well... you'll see when we get to Val Firmin."
It was going to be a long journey indeed.