Haven – Recruitment

Deidre POV

"Hey, Varric," she began, skipping over to him. She supposed she could talk to Samantha. She's all right, for a noble, and she had a great rack under the armor, but maybe Varric would be funnier. "Question."

"Oh, you're going to ask me something, Buttercup?" Varric asked in return. She scowled at the nickname, and at how he didn't quite seem to see her. Missing someone, maybe more than one. It annoyed her. "Is this you complaining about my 'narration' again?"

"No, but you should just stop that." He simply gave her a smile. "I wanted to ask about elves." He gave her an incredulous look, gesturing at himself. "Yes, I know you're a smooshy, itchy dwarf. Not what I'm asking."

"That so?" The incredulous was replaced with curiosity, and he gave her a small smile. She wondered if he's actually looking at her now. She doubted it. "Well, then what about elves?"

"Any that I'll have to deal with? Any elfy-elves?"

"Elfy… elves?" She stiffened, ready for the anger, the pity. But, instead, he simply seemed confused. "Now, are we talking elves in general or those overly focused on being elves?"

"The latter. Mostly." She recalled how the city elves pitied her. She didn't need it.

"Well, Solas seems like that." Right, annoying the piss out of that one. "Not sure how to call Deidre, though."

"Why?"

"I think she's proud to be an elf, proud to be a Dalish." Right, annoying her- "But I don't think she's exactly proud of the history." Oh? "You'll probably have to ask her personally on that one." He shrugged. "She likes pranks, though. You might get along just for that."

"What kind of pranks? Tell me."

"Well, give me a moment. I've only heard of a couple for now."

Haven was the same as always. Cold, busy, with an air of worry all over the place. And while the cold disappeared as Cassandra, Kost and I walked into the Chantry, leaving Prideful to freeze his bare feet off in the snow because he refused to wear shoes like a sane person… well, the worry didn't disappear. Not with Josephine waiting for us.

"It's good that you returned," she began as the doors shut behind us. Her manner was hesitant and her tone a bit awkward. "We've… heard of your encounter?" How?

"My spies in the city sent word ahead," Leliana explained, walking up with Cullen. I felt myself scowl at that. We could've stayed with Lucy or Samantha and Varric if they already knew this. "Though, not why you have returned earlier than Samantha, Varric, and Lucina."

"Lucina is attending a salon at the request of Madame de Fer," Cassandra answered. Josephine and Leliana looked startled by that. I didn't blame Cullen for looking confused, though. I didn't even know what a 'salon' was. "Samantha and Varric are investigating a message that was literally shot at us by an arrow." That got us incredulous looks. Couldn't blame them for that either. "But since you've gotten the reports, you know how much of a disaster the whole meeting was." Though, we did get some opportunities? Maybe? Or was I being a stupid optimist again?

"It's a shame that the templars have abandoned their senses," Cullen sighed, shaking his head. "As well as the capital." He didn't sound very surprised to me. Disappointed, but not surprised. What had he seen to make templars going crazy not be surprising?

"Some still have their heads," Kost replied, smiling reassuringly. It didn't escape me that Leliana subtly rolled her eyes, and Josephine had a worried look. "Samantha and Lucina met two of their brothers, for instance, and if there are two staying in that group, it must mean there are more." True. Stories romanticize the 'one person against the world' thing, but really, only an idiot would try it. "Regardless, we have the opening we need to approach either."

"Do we?" Cassandra mumbled. Her shoulders slumped. "Lord Seeker Lucius is not the man I used to know." I… suddenly had a song stuck in my head. Damn catchy songs.

"True," Leliana conceded. She crossed her arms, leaning against a pillar. "My reports have been… very odd." Oh, that sounded great.

"We must look into it," Cullen insisted. I saw him tense up. "Especially if not all of the templars in his clutches have gone mad."

"Or the Herald could meet the mages in Redcliffe," Josephine pointed out. "Instead." U-Um… hold on a moment. That sounded like just leaving the templars to wither and die on the vine. What. That just sounded stupid.

"You think the mage rebellion is more united?" Cullen looked very skeptical. "It could be ten times worse."

"Or better."

"I think that's enough," Kost interjected, physically stepping in between. A good thing, since Cullen half-looked ready to scream. Me? I just felt icky. Why were we being forced to pick sides? From my point of view, non-mages and non-templars should stay the fuck out of things and stop giving an opinion on anything involving the war. Rumors only gave you pieces of a whole, and that 'whole' was a mess of tangled grey threads. We had more issues than perpetuating a war, right? Stupid Chantry. Always wanting fights. "None of this is going to help. What other matters were there?" Ma serranas, Kost.

"We sent the messengers off to everyone's respective families," Leliana explained, seizing the change of subject. Josephine and Cullen went along with it with nods of their head and little smiles to show no hard feelings. "Josephine has her people to Lord Derrick, I've some elven agents to Clan Lavellan-"

"That… is a bit racist," I couldn't help but point out. She looked a little startled and I frowned as I tried to think things through. "Okay, maybe that's not the right word, but seriously, that's not something you should do with all the Dalish Clans. Sending city elves to meet Dalish, I mean. My Clan is fine with them. Mostly." I thought of some of the older ones, and how my generation had to actively work against sneering down at the 'flat ears'. Luckily, most of that generation was dead, so it was easier. But I wouldn't pretend I didn't have bad habits. "But you've a lot of Dalish who actively look down on non-Dalish, for whatever reason, and hate them as much as they hate shemlen." Leliana looked a little uncomfortable about that, but she accepted what I said easily. "So, I get what you were trying, but it's really stupid to assume that just because they're elves, a Dalish Clan would welcome them. Fen'harel's teeth, Prideful and I don't get along and we're both as elfy as you get!" More or less. "That's what I mean." I shrugged. "So, Kost's people?"

"We have patrols looking to find scattered Tal-Vashoth mercenaries," Cullen began.

Only for Kost to shake his head. "Vashoth," he corrected gently, smiling slightly. "I don't think any of the ones sent to the Conclave were Tal-Vashoth. Though none of us mind being called 'Qunari' for ease, but technically, I am Vashoth, a horned giant who has never been part of the Qun. My parents were Tal-Vashoth, those who were of the Qun and then left for whatever reason."

"Vashoth." Cullen accepted the correction just as easily as Leliana. "We're seeing who might've been lost in the wilderness. Leliana also has some people checking for those captured. Hopefully, we'll get word back on everything soon. If we're successful, is there something we can have the soldiers or agents say to get them to trust us?"

"Hmm…" Kost thought for a while before grinning. "Ask them about the Sylvan incident. They should groan and refuse, before coming along because only a Valo-Kas would know anything about that." …Sylvan incident? What did they do? Did they make the trees jealous from their frolicking? That's why you don't frolic in the forest? "Anything else?"

"Yes, there is another matter," Leliana murmured. Both Cullen and Josephine gave her skeptical looks, but she pushed on. "The Grey Wardens have suddenly disappeared. From Fereldan and Orlais." What? Why? Oh, don't tell me there was a bloody Blight. Fen'harel, stop making our lives miserable. "The timing… bothers me." She bit her lip, thinking. "I know Agrona. She would never be involved in something like this. I doubt anyone who serves under her would either." Okay? "But the rest? It's just all so curious." Wait, the Wardens were suspects? Wouldn't they be conspicuous with the armor and the Taint and rambling on Darkspawn? "It might amount to nothing…" She nodded to Cullen and Josephine, who both just smiled wryly. "But it is my job to be suspicious."

"I'm assuming this has been brought up for another reason besides giving us an even larger pool of suspects," I deadpanned. It got a little bit of laughter, if forced. "What's up?"

"My agents in the Hinterlands report signs of a Warden by the name of Blackwall." Curious name. "Maybe he knows something? Maybe he can help." Ah, so…

"Conscript him. Got it." I shrugged. "I don't mind running around Hinterlands again." It was a pretty place, and I could check on the refugees. "What else was there?"

"Oh, we also have a mercenary looking for work." Josephine sent a servant off to bring them in. "We figured it best to have Kost here to check they're who they say they are," she explained. Kost nodded, thinking that best. "The group works out of Orlais and Nevarra."

"Oh, Adaar, good to see you again." I blinked slowly at the armored shemlen who came walking up. "I was wondering why they were taking a while to let me talk," he laughed, smiling to show no hard feelings.

"Krem!" Kost laughed, returning the smile warmly. The two clasped arms. "What's going on? Chargers looking to hire on or did you finally get tired of babysitting Bull?"

"Ah, you know me. I complain, but end up cleaning the messes anyway." The man shrugged before bowing to me. "I'm Cremisius Aclassi, of the Bull's Chargers."

"It's a ragtag bunch of misfits." Well, they'd fit right in. "Led by Iron Bull, a Qunari with the biggest horns I'd ever seen." Oh? "Loyal, tough, and a damn good reputation, even in Val Royeaux. Always feel better when I see their names on the contract."

"Just as we feel better seeing Valo-Kas mercenaries." The two shared a smile. "Boss and Shokrocker get along well." Krem paused, exasperation creeping into his eyes. "Really well."

"We all had to relocated to get some sleep," Kost added. Krem groaned at that reminder and I burst into laughter as I figured out what they were implying. Creators, preserve me! I wanted to meet these people! "Didn't need to know she was kinky."

"Way more about Boss's sex life than I needed to know." I adored everything. "Anyway, there's a fight on the Storm Coast if you want to see us in action."

"Or I can just go, re-familiarize myself with how you lot fight, and think of who will do the hiring." Kost grinned. "I like Bull. He's on the front lines, treats his people well, and will actually listen when you tell him something."

"Might I come with you, Kost?" Cassandra suddenly requested. I nearly jumped at her voice; I'd forgotten she was here! "I have a feeling Cullen and I will be the ones working most closely with them, and I would like to have an idea of what to expect."

"I don't see a problem with that…" So Kost said, but he trailed off as he looked at me. "That leaves Solas traveling with Deidre." …Ah.

"Oh, don't worry about that!" I reassured with a wave of my hand. No one looked convinced. "I can be mature." Mostly. If he baited, I was going to kick his teeth in. "I promise we won't kill each other." Wish we had, maybe. But not actually go through with it. "So, we should go ahead and get going, right?" Lucy and Samantha probably weren't going to get back for a bit. "Come on! Let's get recruiting!"

Author's note: Shortish chapter. I can't say the next couple will be much longer, truthfully, since it's basically just recruitments and sidequests. The beginning of the game is really only long because of fights and getting lost in the Hinterlands repeatedly.

Next Chapter – Bull's Chargers with Kost