An absent sigh passes over Elissa's lips, Anders had taken off with Arthur earlier in the morning without her consent. Of course he'd leave without her consent, she was no longer his Commander. Blithely Elissa continues her administrations, luckily the day was young and not many people seemed to be entering the Clinic.

Long purposeful strides of the small group, make their way to the docks. Arthur, Anders, Varric and Aveline soon arrive at the gates of the Quanari. Watching Hawke make his way towards the gates, the guard mutters recognition and slowly opens the large wooden doors, silently welcoming the four heroes. Clear nervousness evident on Arthur's face as he makes his way towards the high set of stairs, a makeshift throne for the Arishok.

He gazes at Arthur, boredom expressed deeply on his face. Clearly unimpressed with the intrusion.

"What do you want Hawke? I have no interest in adding to my distractions."

"And yet you send a delegate to the Viscount"

Befuddled Arthur manages to quip back. It seemingly incites a riot within the Arishok. His voice booming with certainty to the situation at hand.

"A brief attempt to educate, if the Dwarf had stolen the saar-qamec, it could have been used to show the price of greed. But you know the outcome of that, these fools are determined to be wrong. I won't waste the effort again."

Sighing, Arthur rubs his temple softly, diplomatically trying to find his way out of this mess. He never should have entered. Finally deciding to just tell the Arishok the news.

"I'll probably regret this, but, you should know your delegate is missing."

A low growl follows the end of Arthur's sentence, followed by menacing eyes directly on Hawke.

"Anyone else, and those words would have been their last, you're handling this, not your buffoon of a viscount?"

Relived by this Hawke allows himself a smile.
"As best I can"

It quickly disappeared,

"Then I will wait, but know this – the provocations we have suffered have worked, if this is not resolved – I can fulfil my duty to the Qun, with far less annoyance by sifting through rubble."

Exasperated and defeated, Arthur quickly leaves the Qunari compound, making his way to the Hanged Man.

"No pressure or anything Hawke."

Anders adds in for good measure.


Taking a short break from the clinic, Elissa makes her way through Lowtown. The bustle of daily shoppers constantly standing in her way, preventing her from moving forward – forcing her to move around them, oh, if only they knew who she was.

Stumbling, suffering from being tripped by one of the passers-bys, Elissa comes face to face with an elder woman. One whom looked vaguely familiar. Sharing Arthur's blue eyes, in an instant Elissa knew who was aiding her.

"Are you alright?"

A voice so much like her mothers, but she knew it wasn't. It could never be.

Nodding softly, and with the aid of Hawke's mother, Elissa returns to standing. Looking the other woman over she notices the noble stance. Considering Elissa had to give it far too many times before.

"Thank you serah, these crowds seem to be overwhelming."

A soft chuckle quickly follows suit.

"I know Kirkwall crowds all too well."

"It is a pleasure to meet you milady, My name is Elissa."

"Please, you can call me Leandra."

Holding out her hand to the elder woman, waiting for her to grab hold of it. Soon Elissa finds she is not disappointed, shaking hands, letting go, with mutual smiles they make their way through Lowtown together.

As the two spend more time together, Leandra visibly becomes nervous, stealing glances at Elissa. Curious Elissa stops, turning her new found friend towards her with her hands on each shoulder.

"You wish to ask something of me, Leandra. Please, just ask it."

Softly nodding, Leandra returns the gaze, keeping eye contact with the younger woman.

"You're a Cousland aren't you?"

In reactive shock, Elissa withdraws. Casting her gaze to the floor, before nodding, sighing, looking back to Leandra.

"You're Arthur Hawke's mother, aren't you?"

A proud, loving, knowing smile stretches among Leandra's face. Looking at Elissa in new light, oh clearly there was a woman interested in her son, and it made Leandra happy.

"Yes, Arthur's my baby. I don't know what I would do without him."

Grinning back at Leandra, Elissa nods in understanding. Before her look turns to the shadows on the floor, she had left the Clinic alone for a few hours. Soon it would be night, looking to Leandra, Elissa apologises profusely before hastily making her way back to the Clinic.

Waving as she went, watching a small scene somewhat begin to play out as she was getting further away. Stopping just in time to watch Leandra pick up the fallen man, and make their way west.

Instinctively, Elissa trails behind the two cloaking herself in shadows, to focused on Leandra to notice the blood trail on the ground following the two. A few turns, and they find themselves outside a factory. Abandoned, Elissa noted. Not trusting this she reveals herself to the two.

"Leandra? Is everything alri-"

The full force of a blood bolt hits Elissa in the chest, crumpling her to the ground, Leandra screams and yells at the man before he roughly grabs her and drags her into the factory. Unable to move, helplessly watching the strange man take Arthur's mother away. Half wishing said son would show, as a few more moments past, Elissa decides to run after them, now that she has an apprehension to the mages abilities.


Arthur, Varric, Anders and Aveline quickly make their way to Lowtown, after finding the white lily Arthur's emotions seem to be running on the high. Coming across Gamlen and an Urchin boy discussing Leandra.

"I told you already! I saw her!"

Gamlen's clear exhaustion dealing with the child, leaving him short tempered.
"Did you see where she went?"

He grinds out, trying not to yell too loudly, the child sees an opportunity before him.

"What do I get for telling you?"
Arthur walks up to the two, standing beside Gamlen, contemplating his options before deciding to just pay the kid, who has been living in poverty it appears.

"Here's a few silver, buy yourself some food, and new shoes."
Looking at the coin handed to him, inspecting it before coming to the conclusion it's real exclaims enthusiastically.

"That's real silver that is! I'm your man, through and through, tell you everything I know."
Nodding, looking over to the stall at the other side of the area from the group, the Urchin begins his brief tale.

"That lady was here, she was shopping with that other lady. When the other lady walked off, she looked like she was heading to the bridge for Hightown, but then a man came up to her, he stumbled and fell over right at her feet like he was dead, his hands were all bloodied, like he had been in a fight – The lady shook him, and I think he said 'help', she got him to his feet and he was wobbly."

The boy slightly laughs at himself to his revelation, promptly stopping when noticing the unamused look Hawke was giving him.
"Anyway, they left and that's all I saw."

Arthur turns his attention to Gamlen, falling back on blind optimism .
"It's not too late, she could still be alive"

Gamlen looks the place over, unable to comprehend the situation before him.
"Why would anyone take her? It doesn't make sense."

Interrupting their conversation, the Urchin boy points to a puddle of red.
"The man left some blood, where he fell over. You could follow it"

Gamlen nods, turning to Arthur.
"Why don't you do what the boy says? I'm going to go home in case Leandra shows up"

Aveline looks Gamlen over before turning to Arthur herself, adding in her opinion on the matter.
"For once Hawke, I'm inclined to agree with Gamlen."