Chapter 25

Inquisitor,

Lieutenant Colman informs me that your travels have been uneventful except for the foul weather you've been experiencing. I pray that unlike the Storm Coast, the rain will end soon.

Messages requesting our aid continue to arrive each day. Many from nobles who no doubt just want brag that they've met you. Our Ambassador has been able to deal with most of these herself although she has asked me to inform you that there are a couple that require your personal attention upon your return. I too will need to discuss with you the requests for our soldiers.

On a less professional matter, I do wish you had taken the boy with you. Not that he hasn't been helpful, I do appreciate the tea that appears on my desk every time I have a headache, but I know he helps you with your dreams and I don't want to be responsible for you experiencing any nightmaresterrordiscomfort problems because he isn't with you. Also, there have been more strange events around Skyhold and not many see how helpful these occurrences are. I'm not sure I fully understand them myself.

Other than a few headaches, I am feeling fine. I pray that you are as well.

[A few more scribbled out words, effectively done so]

I look forward to another game of chess when you return.

Commander Rutherford

Most of the journey to Crestwood was spent leaving the mountains. Shadow knew that if it had only been her, her chosen travel companions, and Hawke, they would've made it to the lower lands a day sooner, but Cullen had been insistent that the soldiers come with them. Not that she was complaining, she enjoyed talking with the soldiers. And traveling through the mountains may have been the longest stretch of their travel but it certainly wasn't the worst. No, that came when they were only a few days from Crestwood. The rain started and hasn't stopped since.

Thankfully, while the weather was foul, spirits weren't dampened. Hawke and Varric shared many tales and Dorian kept teasing her about Cullen, more so when his letter came, though she didn't understand what he was trying to hint at. Fortunately, he stopped when Bull began to tease him in return. Blackwall was mostly quiet, occasionally talking with the soldiers and when she bugged him enough, shared a tale or two himself.

Shadow's spirit was also higher than usual, leaving her feeling warm and more open to others. Since Solas's aid with her dreams, she had begun experiencing the most restful sleep she has ever had and she hasn't heard the horrible voice for days now. She still had the occasional nightmare, but Cole did an excellent job in keeping the demons that caused them away, even though he was back in Skyhold. She knew that she shouldn't rely on his aid forever, even if he didn't have a problem with it. No, she needed to find a more permanent solution. Perhaps meditating will be enough one day.

The day they reached Crestwood, the rain still hadn't let up and she had received word that the situation with the undead had worsened. Since they hadn't encountered any problems along the road, Shadow had sent the soldiers ahead to aid the camp and village. She knew that Cullen would no doubt give her grief over that action but she knew that between her and her companions, they could handle anything they may encounter before reaching the village. The soldiers took a shorter route to the village while Hawke led the rest along a longer one that should take them near a hiding spot that his elf friend had told him about. They passed the time with small talk, although Blackwall was as quiet as ever. Something Varric just wouldn't stand for.

The dwarf sat upon his mount and was scribbling on his pad. "The lone wanderer, searching the world. What's he trying to find? Love? Absolution?" Shadow rolled her eyes and smiled.

Blackwall wasn't as amused. "Try 'someone with a strong arm and a stronger will to fight darkspawn'," he grumbled, sitting up straight on his steed.

Varric sighed in frustration. "Yes, yes, yes. But what does that represent?"

Shadow tried to help out the Warden. "Don't you have another book to write," she asked, reminding the writer about his peace mission.

Varric shot her a grin. "Trust me Sneaky. You want me to write this all down."

"And why would I want that?"

Hawke perked up and raised a hand in the air. "I know this one!" He pointed at the dwarf. "Because he is the only one who can get it right!"

Varric rolled his eyes at the mage and waved him off. Then turned back to the Warden. "Back to you."

"We weren't done?"

"Answer the question."

Blackwall sighed. "Wanting to kill more darkspawn."

Varric shook his head. "You are just like Choir Boy."

"Who?" Dorian asked from his mount, sitting comfortably dry inside the barrier he had created around him.

Hawke answered, clearly angry. "Sebastian. Pious bastard. Wore blinding white armor."

Varric grumbled along with him. "Told me my shots veered left."

Blackwall nodded slowly. "Yes… I can see how that describes me perfectly."

Varric tried explaining, "It's just… all that niceness. He was just so…"

"Nice?" Shadow said. Hawke snorted.

"Nice. Right. I take it you didn't like this person?" Blackwall asked.

"Choir Boy would've taken that as a compliment," the dwarf said, then returned to grilling the Warden for more information. Shadow moved her horse closer to Hawke's.

"Mind if I ask you a question?"

Hawke smiled and gave her a flirtatious look. "For you, anything."

Shadow blushed. Seriously, she needed to stop doing that. "Uh yes well I uh... have a question about… Kirkwall and the night…"

Hawke's expression grew serious, though there was still a sliver of humor in his eyes. "Everything went to the Void?" Shadow nodded, hoping her question didn't offend him. He gave her a small smile and waved a hand. "Ask away, Inquisitor."

"Shadow," she corrected him before continuing, "Why did you leave that night? After that final battle, you vanished."

All amusement left his eyes as the mage face ahead, lost in thought and memory. Just when Shadow was beginning to think that he wasn't going to answer, he did. "I wanted to stay. I knew that even with Meredith defeated, things were far from resolved. I hated leaving Kirkwall, my home," there was pain in his voice when he said this, "in chaos. But it was safer to leave."

Shadow could see that he was truly pained by the memory of leaving his home but she was confused. "But Meredith was defeated and Cullen… he prevented the Templars from arresting you."

Hawke shook his head. "I wasn't worried about the Order. Well, I was, being a mage and all, but that had never been reason to run before. No, I left because of Prince Sebastian." He spat out the name.

Shadow was surprised at the amount of venom in his voice. "What? Sebastian? Why?"

Hawke glanced at her. "I thought you had read Varric's book?"

"I did." Shadow tried to remember what she had read. "But the last thing Varric wrote about him was that he was angry at what Anders did and demanded that you kill him. When you did, he left." She saw sorrow cross his eyes at the mention of the Warden mage. Then confusion replaced that sorrow.

"I hadn't realized that Varric had left out…" They both turned when they heard a mount draw closure and saw that it was the mentioned dwarf. "Why did you leave out my role in Anders actions?"

Varric tilted his head. "Because the Chantry would've used it against you like Choir Boy."

"In that instant, it would've been for good reason," Hawke said.

"You need to stop beating yourself up over that kid." Varric turned to a very confused Shadow. "A few days before Blondie blew up the Chantry, he asked Charming for help in collecting a few ingredients for a ritual. Claimed it would separate him from that spirit held up inside him."

"I also provided the distraction so he could… do whatever he did inside the Chantry," Hawke added.

"So you unintentionally helped him destroy the Chantry?" Shadow asked, disbelieving.

"Unintentionally being the key word here," Varric said. "Charming had no idea what Anders plans were. None of us did. But that doesn't stop him from taking on the blame."

A silent message seemed to pass between mage and dwarf. Hawke shrugged and grimly stared ahead. "Nor did it stop Sebastian from laying it on me. Even with Anders dead, he threatened to march on Kirkwall to make me pay."

Now she understood. "You left to protect Kirkwall." You never turned your back on the city. "You need to tell Cullen!" she said.

"Honestly, I thought he already knew. I thought that was why he hates me."

Shadow shook her head. "He thought you abandoned Kirkwall, turned your back on everyone. That is why he is upset. He's hurting." Realizing that she had an audience, she turned to glare at the three eavesdroppers behind her. "And you keep that to yourselves." Dorian opened his mouth to make a joke but saw that she was deadly serious and just nodded. She turned back to the Champion. "If he knew the truth, then he would see that you are still his friend."

Hawke stared at her for a moment, thinking. In telling Cullen the truth behind why he fled Kirkwall, he would also be revealing his hand in Anders plan. An action he still carries the guilt for. He felt that if he didn't have the ex-Templar's hatred now, he would after. But perhaps she was partly right. He needed to tell his old friend the truth, even if it severed that friendship completely.

They rode in silence for a ways, each lost in their own thoughts. Shadow hoped she hadn't overstepped any boundaries with Hawke and worried over having shared Cullen's pain with the others. She snapped out of her thoughts when Bull called for them to come to a halt. They did and listened. For a moment, they couldn't hear anything, certainly not whatever caught the attention of the Qunari's sensitive ears.

Then, a scream pierced the air.

They all surged forward down the trail, jumping from their mounts once they were clear of the trees and drawing their weapons. Shadow saw a small group of undead battling a warrior and an archer. She saw a female elf cowering by the wall, no doubt the one that had screamed. While Bull and Blackwall both ran into the thick of it and Dorian and Hawke began casting fire spells, Shadow and Varric fired their arrows and bolts, enchanted to cause its victims to burst into flames. Soon after they joined the fight, it was over. Hawke moved to check on the injured elf and Dorian went to work turning the corpses to ash. Shadow turned to face the two strangers as they approached and she heard Blackwall whisper, "Grey Wardens." She indicated that he remain silent. For now, it would be wise to not reveal he was also a Warden and that they searched for another. Thankfully, he was wearing Inquisition armor.

The warrior Warden sheathed his sword once he reached them, his face hidden behind his helmet. "Thank you for the assistance, stranger. The name is Warden Ashurst and this is Warden Sorthon." He waved at the archer who stood a few feet behind him.

Shadow nodded her head in greeting. "My name is Shadow."

"Leader of the Inquisition," Blackwall added, disapproval in his voice that she hadn't said so herself.

"Herald of Andraste," Varric contributed with humor in his voice.

"Gift from the Maker," Dorian proclaimed as he rejoined the group. When Shadow threw him a glare, he smiled and said, "Sorry, got caught up in the moment." She rolled her eyes and returned his smile.

Warden Ashurst tried to act surprised by this revelation but wasn't very convincing. "Forgive me, I did not realize." He gave a small bow. "The Grey Wardens thank you for your aid, Inquisitor."

"Happy to give it." Shadow wasn't sure how she felt about the man. She didn't trust him but wasn't sure if he was a threat. It was highly suspicious that while all Wardens (minus Blackwall) had vanished throughout Thedas, two are found in the very same area in which the one she sought was hiding out. "Are you here to help with the undead? Are there other Wardens back at the village?"

"No."

Which question? Shadow frowned at the Warden. "Then what are two Wardens doing in Crestwood?"

She couldn't see them, but she could feel Warden Ashurst's eyes studying her carefully. "Official Warden business," was all he said.

Bull stepped up next to Shadow, resting his large double-sided ax on his shoulder and glared at the man. "I was unaware that there was a Blight."

The Warden seemed to rethink his conversational skills. "We are searching for another Warden. He is wanted for questioning. We heard he might've passed through here, but the villagers knew nothing."

"Kind of them to stop fighting these wretched corpses long enough to answer your questions," said Dorian. The mage could feel rather than see the chilling glare the Warden shot him and winked at the warrior.

Shadow drew back the warrior's attention. "What can you tell me about this rogue Warden? Who is he? What has he done?" She noted that Hawke had rejoined them and that the elf was resting against the low stone wall.

Ashurst's tone remained serious. "His name is Stroud and Warden-Commander Clarel has ordered his capture. I can say no more than that."

Bull arched a brow. "Aren't Wardens supposed to be great warriors?" Shadow sensed Blackwall tensing behind her but before she could turn, she could hear Varric telling him to stay calm. Bull continued, "Seems rather odd to send only two to hunt another."

Ashurst placed a hand on his sheathed sword. "It is our hope that Ser Stroud comes with us peacefully. I trained under him for a time." The Warden seemed to lose some of his defensive stance as he reflected on memory. "He's a good man… I'm sure of that." Shadow detected a hint of confusion and doubt in his voice. The man wasn't sure of his orders.

So she pushed a little. "Is there a chance you can stay and help defend the village?" She saw Hawke shoot her a look from the corner of her eye.

The Warden stiffened and his tone returned to serious again. "My orders forbid it. Crestwood was only a detour."

Blackwall spoke up, "Is that all the aid we can offer these people?" Shadow fought the urge to turn when he made the slip and good thing too, as both Wardens didn't seem to catch it.

"If the Inquisition can help, I beg you to do what you can. The villagers have already lost too many." Warden Ashurst bowed and turned to leave, the other Warden following. Shadow waited until they reached the tree line before slipping into stealth. Ignoring Hawke's surprised tone, she quickly caught up to them and listened in.

The Warden archer had lowered his hood and she saw that he was an elf. And worried. "Ser, are you sure we can't stay and help the village?"

Ashurst shook his head. "Our orders are clear. If we cannot locate Warden Stroud, then we return to the Commander with all haste."

"Doesn't feel right."

"I agree."

Shadow turned back and returned to the group, dropping her stealth. She saw that the female elf was no longer present. "Where'd she go?"

Varric pointed down the path. "Back to the village."

"Praising the Wardens as if they were the Maker," joked Dorian. Blackwall glared at him.

"Learn anything Boss?"

Shadow shook her head. "Neither mentioned a new leader, only Clarel. I don't think they're part of Corypheus's plot."

"Or are just unaware of it," said Hawke.

Shadow nodded in acknowledgement. "Hopefully your friend will have some answers for us."

"As do I," he agreed.

Bull gave a whistle, urging their abandon mounts to come forward. "Speaking of which, we should find him soon." Shadow gave him a questioning look. "I find it difficult to believe that there are only two Wardens out here searching for him."

Blackwall protested. "We need to help the village! We can't abandon those people!"

Bull narrowed his eye at the Warden. "I don't think I suggested that."

Shadow stepped in before things escalated. "We're not going to abandon the village." She turned back to Hawke. "You find Stroud and Fenris. Send word when you do and after we've helped the village, we'll join you."

Varric spoke up. "I think I'll go with Charming. Someone's got to watch his back."

Hawke acted offended, "I can take care of my own back. Matter of fact, I have. Many times!"

Shadow smiled. "No Bull and Varric are right. We have no idea if there are other Wardens in the area nor just how many of these undead there are. Varric should go with you. Bull too."

"No."

Shadow turned to find the Qunari giving her a very serious look. "What? Why? You just said -"

"I signed on as your bodyguard remember? If I'm out in the field, it will be to watch your back."

Shadow narrowed her eyes at him but when he just lifted his brow, she rolled them. Sometimes she wondered just how much authority she actually had over the Qunari. She smiled at Hawke. "Guess it's just you and Varric then."

Hawke laughed and clapped the dwarf on the back, "It'll be like old times!"

Varric groaned. "Oh boy."

Brother

DO NOTHING! We cannot risk being discovered by anyone until the time is right. Be patient a little longer, please. I should have everything in order soon. Then I will be on my way.

W