On my way to the apothecary Varric waved me over, I went over to the campfire where we've all been cooking our meals. He looked at me eyeing my new injuries from the fight. Shaking his head he looked back at the campfire before speaking.

"So," he said, finally looking at me. "Now that Cassandra's out of earshot, are you holding up alright," he stood up looking over me, concern was in his eyes despite the smile he was trying to keep in place. "I mean, you go from being the most wanted criminal in Thedas to joining the armies of the faithful. Most people would have spread that out over more than one day. What's wrong?"

"I don't want to think about the lives we lost in all this," I said after a moment, thinking of my lost apprentice and all the other innocent lives, not to mention the soldiers that died acting as a distraction.

"A lot of good men and women didn't make it out of there," he nodded in agreement before looking at the sky. "For days now, we've been staring at the Breach watching demons and Maker knows what falls out of it. "Bad for morale" would be an understatement. I still can't believe anyone was in there and lived. If I didn't see you and hear so many witnesses I wouldn't believe it of you."

"If it was that bad why did you stay," I asked tilting my head again, I really needed to get rid of that habit though it helped my enemies underestimate me because they assumed I was innocent, downside is it also didn't allow my allies to take me seriously either. "Cassandra said you were free to go. Why not go back to Kirkwall and continue doing, whatever it was you were doing."

"I like to think I'm as selfish and irresponsible as the next guy," he said looking at me again. "But this...thousands of people died on that mountain. I was almost one of them. And now there's a hole in the sky. Even I can't walk away and leave that to sort itself out. And I am not going to leave you alone to sort it out either."

"I'm still not really sure I believe this is happening," I said looking around. "It feels like something from a dream."

"If this is all just the Maker winding us up, I hope there's a damn good punchline coming."

"I don't think this is a joke, Varric," I said sadly looking at him. "I think something similar happened before. Question is, what did they do to make sure the world didn't end?"

"You might want to consider running at the first opportunity," Verric said to me sadly. "I've written enough tragedies to recognize where this is going. Heroes are everywhere. I've seen that. But the hole in the sky? That's beyond heroes. We're going to need a miracle."

"No," I replied looking at the sky. "Just careful planning and a little bit of luck. Maybe some olde magic."

I walked away before he could ask me any questions. I headed to the apothecary and waited for the alchemist. I was looking at the potions station with interest when I heard a voice behind me.

"Well look who's back from the dead again," he said. I stood up and looked at the man before me. He looked tired but still willing to work hard.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, not wanting to disappoint anyone. "I don't recall meeting you before."

The man chuckled before answering, "I'd be surprised if you did, you weren't particularly coherent. Someone had to patch you up after you came from Maker knows where, so you're welcome."

"Thank you," I said smiling at him. "I didn't realize you had helped. I greatly appreciate it."

"Yeah, well, you can pay me back by fixing the world," my gratitude seemed to throw him but he was nice enough and if I ever got my journal back from my clan he and I could exchange recipes.

"Name's Adan," he continued. "I'm in charge of keeping our little band here stocked with potions and elixirs. Not that Seeker Pentagast cares whether or not we have the supplies to actually do those things."

"For a healer you don't seem particularly nurturing."

"That's because I'm not a healer, I'm an alchemist who is forced to play Motherhen. If you want something to burst into flame on contact with the air, done gladly. Patching up wounded soldiers is a waste of my time and talent. But there are few around who can actually do that."

"How are your people holding up, is there anything I can do?"

"If I had Master Teagan's notes, I know the old dodger was working on something."

"Do you mean these," I asked, pulling out some papers and handing them to Adan.

"What," Adan looked at the papers and started to laugh. "Well I'll be, I would never have thought to use lyrium that way."

I smiled at him and let him use one of his health potions to fix me up, as I was walking out I saw Solas staring at me. It seemed he was just as curious about me as I was about him. Time for another round of our silent game. I wasn't worried at all about him getting any information about me, can't give him what I don't know after all.

I walked over to him and he gave me a smile.

"The Chosen of Andraste," he said to me, only quoting what everyone else was saying. I felt like my response would be a test. "A blessed hero sent to save us all."

"Sounds dashing," I say with a smirk. "Am I riding in on a shining steed?"

"I would have suggested a griffon, but sadly they're extinct" he said, catching on to what I was doing. "Joke as you will, posturing is necessary."

He walked a few feet away and stared out to the mountains deep in thought.

"I have journeyed deep into the Fade, in ancient ruins and battlefields to see the dreams of lost civilizations. I've watched as hosts of spirits clash to reenact the bloody past of wars both famous and forgotten," he turned to face me. "Every great war has its heroes. I'm just curious what kind you'll be."

"You study ancient ruins." I asked, he confirmed what I thought but I needed to know how deep into the fade he's gotten. It is a large place after all. "What do you mean, ruins and battlefields?"

"Any building strong enough to withstand the rigors of time has a history. Every battlefield is steeped in death. Both attract spirits, they press against the Veil, weakening the barrier between our worlds. When I dream in such places, I go deep into the Fade. I can find memories no other living being has ever seen."

"That's valuable," I said it was hard to contain my excitement. "I imagine you find some amazing things...alongside all the demons."

I didn't want him to think I knew anything nice about spirits. It was one of my clan's secrets that we train our mages to be fade walkers like him.

"Exactly," he said, was there a little bit of pride in his voice. "It is occasionally dangerous, but more often it's just sad to see what has been lost. The thrill of finding remnants of a thousand-year-old dream? I would not trade it for anything. I will stay then, at least until the Breach has been closed."

"Was there any doubt," I asked, wondering what his real motivation for staying was.

"I am an apostate surrounded by Chantry forces in the middle of a mage rebellion. Cassandra has been accommodating, but you understand my caution."

"You can trust me," I said, but I knew if I had to choose between the world and him I would choose the world. It would hurt but it was the right thing, I don't know him or what he's capable of. "You came here to help, Solas. I won't let them use that against you."

"How would you stop them?"

"How ever I had to," I looked at him with determination. "I am not one to let the innocent suffer."

I caught him by surprise I could tell. "Thank you, for now, let us hope either the mages or the templars have the power to seal the Breach."

We talked for a few more minutes before he finally asked the question I've been waiting for everyone else to ask. "Why did you color your hair and wear that make up? It...it isn't you?"

"Because it isn't me that I did it," I said leaning. "You know I had a glamour when we first met, you know I was sent to watch in secret and that it was already planned by the Divine to have me shadow her and protect her. I just arrived a day too late, but the man I'm hunting...the elf I'm hunting is no normal elf. He is...old, older than Arlathan. Before Arlathan actually. Not the cause of it, every time the stories were brought up he scoffed at them before pulling me away. But we wouldn't tell me where he was from, he remained secret about that, he didn't want anyone to know he was an ancient elf."

"How did you find out?"

"We stopped to camp in some ancient ruins, we found a motif, it looked exactly like him, though by that time he was gone for a long time. I was...fifteen or sixteen at the time. Dashanna had me go over every detail of my experience with him."

"Why you? I don't understand."

"I don't know either to be honest. I know he thought I was going to be a mage, but no magic showed up. When my sister showed her magic he left, apparently he was under the belief that only one woman a generation would have magic in my bloodline, he wasn't wrong. There's plenty of evidence showing just that. My grandmother was a keeper, her mother before that and her mother before that."

"You're mother," he looked at me, starting to see the pattern.

"I don't know who she is," I said. "I'm not supposed to, my father, who is my grandmother's only child for the record. He said that it's safer if I don't know, meaning my sister and I are forbidden children. You see one of the agreements we have with the templars and chantry is that powerful mage bloodlines, like descendants of Shartan. There is a theory that my bloodline is from Mythal or a close relative of hers that she kept hidden from her enemies. If those two lines ever crossed, the mages from that crossing would be one of the most powerful since ancient days, and that would be bad, especially if they were taught by someone with bad intentions for the rest of the world. I was supposed to be a mage like that apparently, groomed to be the perfect puppet...until he left, his molding incomplete. I found a new teacher and became something better. Now I hunt him down. But I stopped to help The Divine, now this so I'm not going to let him know what I'm doing hence the disguise, among other things but that's all you're getting out of me. And I'm only telling you as a warning to stay away from him. He's power mad and smart, not a good combination."

I smiled at him walking away looking around when I saw Leliana bringing a shrine of Andraste to the main tent. I followed her and watched as she prayed.

"'Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just. Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow. In their blood the Maker's will is written.' Is that what you want from us? Blood? To die so that your will is done? Is death your only blessing," Leliana then noticed me. "You speak for Andraste, no? What does the Maker's prophet have to say about all of this? What's His game?"

"Don't ask me," I exclaimed, feeling like I was attacked. "I'm just as confused as you are?"

"You probably don't even worship the Maker. Lucky. He asks a lot," she stood up to face me and have an actual conversation. "The Chantry teaches that the Maker abandoned us. He demands repentance for our sins. He demands it all. Our lives. Our deaths. Justinia gave Him everything she had, and He let her die?"

"My sympathies," I said, giving her a hug. "I'm sorry, her death has clearly hit you hard."

"Not just me. All of us. She was the Divine. She led the faithful. She was their heart! If the Maker doesn't intervene to save the best of His servants, what good is He? I used to believe I was chosen just as you are. I thought I was fulfilling His purpose for me, working with the Divine, helping people. But now she's dead. It was all for nothing. Serving the Maker meant nothing."

"Maybe you have another purpose," I said thinking carefully. "I could help."

"No, this is my burden," she told me, walking back to her reports. "I regret that I even let you see me like this. It was a moment of weakness, it won't happen again. Come, to work then, we will speak later."

I was about to walk away when I was almost run over by a scout. I stayed behind leaning against the support pole listening and watching.

"So it's true," Leliana looked heartbroken. "Butler has turned on us. I hoped my hunch was wrong."

"You knew him well," the agent asked.

"Not as well as I thought, show me the reports," she looked through the files very carefully and came to a decision quickly. "There were so many questions surrounding Farrier's death. Did he think we wouldn't notice? He's killed Farrier, one of my best agents. And he knows where the others are. You know what must be done. Make it clean, painless, if you can. We were friends once."

My instincts were screaming at me, he needed to live, something important was tied to him.

"Wait," I cried out, stopping the agent from moving. "What are you doing?"

"He betrayed us," Leliana shouted at me like I was an ignorant child. "He murdered my agent."

"And you'd kill him," I asked, getting in her face. "Just like that."

"You find fault with my decision?"

"Killing isn't the answer Leliana, we can't solve our problems with murder."

"And what would you suggest?! Leave him be? Butler's betrayal put our agents in danger. I condemn one man to save dozens. I may not like what I do, but it must be done. I cannot afford the luxury of ideals at a time like this."

"NOW IS PRECISELY THE TIME FOR IDEALS," I shouted at her. "You don't have all the facts. There is something missing, and you're not looking for it because you're scared."

"You feel very strongly about this."

"I do, my instincts are never wrong, he needs to stay alive even if it's only for a little while."

Leliana sighed and leaned against the table. "Very well, I will think of another way to deal with this man." Leliana then turned to her agent. "Apprehend butler, but see that he lives. Now," she spoke to me not hiding her annoyance and anger. "If you're happy, I have more work to do."

I nodded and went to pack up my bag so we could head out at first light like planned to find Mother Giselle.