The reports stated the rubble had finally cleared, the cave-in had been repaired and the walls reinforced, a proper period of mourning for the fallen men had passed, and his initial suspicions were confirmed: the entrance was to an ancient temple, seemingly one undisturbed by looters. Evelyn stood beside him at the War Table as he reviewed the sketches sent by the initial scouting party.

"And you're certain," Josephine finally piped up. "A cache of weapons-grade veridium? Fade-infused?"

"Of course I'm certain," he sounded offended by the question. "This is why I encouraged the excavation months ago. It has until now lain untouched, undiscovered. You could outfit armies six times yours for centuries."

"We could send more scouts," Leliana gave Josephine a sideways glance. "Enough to explore the lower reaches. Ensure that it is as he says."

"Oh, by all means," he scoffed in reply. "And have your footprints and campfires tell every Freeman in the Dales that there is something worth looking for."

The three shifted uneasily, looking to Evelyn for guidance. She turned to him. "You would advise?"

"Let us go in, accompanied by soldiers with wagons and weapons and claim it by force." Solas looked from one to the other and then exploded, "Are you truly going to gently coax enough ore out of the earth to win this war? Or are you going to take it? Which do you think will actually yield results?"

Cullen flushed scarlet red, his hand finding the back of his neck to rub in that anxious way he had. Fortunately, he did not look at Josephine who looked similarly flustered. Taken aback, Solas realized the scene his words had evoked for each of them.

"Inquisitor," he stiffly bowed at Evelyn, then mercifully took his leave of the room.

"Was it something I said?" he heard Leliana ask before the doors closed behind him.

Thankfully, none of her inner circle followed them to the Graves, delaying the conversation he could tell Evelyn dreaded. When they made camp that first night, he attempted to broach the subject lightheartedly. "At least Leliana has yet to discover..."

"So much for the spymaster," Evelyn said wryly. "It seems the rest of the Inquisition, however, has placed bets."

"Bets?"

"Oh," she paused and tugged off her boots. "It ranges from 'will they marry' to 'who is on top?'"

"I see. Perhaps I should join the wager."

"There are still empty cells at Skyhold, elf." Evelyn pushed him down onto his back, unlacing the ties on his breeches.

"Lady Trevelyan, you're going to feed the rumor fires with this kind of behavior."

"Then we best give them plenty to talk about."

"Does it make you sad, Solas?"

Solas looked up from where he crouched to see Dorian positively grinning down at him, framed by the ancient trees. He heaved a heavy sigh as he rose back to his full height. "Fine, I will bite. Does what make me sad?"

"Tromping around on the undergrowth, knowing every root sprung from a fallen ancestor."

"Oh... that." He spoke as they walked, shoving branches out of the way. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Dorian, but I feel no greater connection to the elves who fell on these soils that I would any other fallen knight. If I am expected to wallow in sorrow every time we traipse over a place where a man or woman with similar features to my own was felled unjustly, I daresay I'd have to sob and crawl my way through the entirety of Thedas. I wonder, is this the question I'm to endure every time we pass through these woods? Perhaps we'd like to round up the others, make sure everyone has the opportunity to make this observation."

Solas noted the pointed look Evelyn threw back over her shoulder. "I apologize for my tone, Inquisitor. I have much on my mind this morning. Besides, there are some questions which should just not be asked."

If Dorian inferred anything from his statement, he didn't show it. "Oooh, is it the Fade? We do so love hearing about the Fade. Please do go on."

Cole, then, quiet and on the outskirts of the group. "It was not the Fade. She didn't let him sleep."

Sera made a loud "snerk" noise, muffling her giggles behind her hand.

Solas flushed slightly. "Thank you, Cole. Remind me to have a talk with you later about appropriate interjections in conversation."

"We have already discussed that."

"Apparently it bears repeating."

"You're angry," Cole stopped walking.

"I'm not angry, Cole. I already said I am distracted. It makes me short."

"Yes, and I said you were distracted because-"

"Yes, thank you, Cole. Let's move on."

Blue eyes peered from under his hat. "But we were moving."

Sera was absolutely beside herself, using a tree to support her as she heaved in laughter spasms.

Relief, then, as he glimpsed the crumbling walls in the distance. "Inquisitor, I believe the entrance I mentioned is ahead, just past that wall. I was hoping we could-"

"He would like to change the subject," Cole stated simply.

Solas pushed ahead, leaving the confused Cole standing alone. Sera pushed herself back up. "Oh, I take it back. This wasn't half as boring as I worried."