Chapter 43; Approaching the target;
Characters of the chapter
Iledia Agent of the Inquisition, mage advisor in matters of the arcane in the court of Queen Daenerys
Isabela Captain of the Siren'sCall II, admiral of the Felicisima armada (self-appointed)
Jaqen H'gar A faceless man
Lyanna Mormont, Lady of Bear Island
Meera Reed Lady of Greywater Watch
Ser Caleb Threestones, Knight of Westeros,Second to Lyanna Mormont
Tallis Ben Hassrath operative
The Iron Bull Leader of the Bull's Chargers mercenary group, former Ben Hassrath operative, Agent of the Inquisition
Varric Tethras Viscount of Kirkwall, businessman, author
"So, here we are finally. Vint country." Isabela said as Siren's Call II dropped anchor near the shore. It was the middle of the night, the perfect moment to sneak ashore unnoticed.
"From this point on you lot are on your own." Isabela continued.
"Yes. As we agreed. Thank you for helping us get this far." Iledia replied, the two shaking hands.
"Sure. And for what it's worth, I hope you get this done. It sounds like very bad news if the Vints get to keep this weapon you keep mentioning. And they'd put my kind out of business for sure. Not much fondness in them for pirates. Not that most people around do though." Isabela said.
"By the way, how will I know when and where to pick you up again?" She then asked.
"With this." Iledia said, handing the other woman an item.
"A compass?" Isabela said, examining it.
"Yes. But not the ordinary kind. Its needle doesn't point north you see. It's one of a pair. I have the other one. When you see the needle star glowing you know it has been activated. At that point these compasses will direct themselves to their opposite pair. You to us, and us to you." Iledia explained.
"Oh, that's neat. One thing I like about you mages is that you always seem to have some trick up your sleeve." Isabela said.
"When we put our minds to it. The good thing about magic is that it allows for a great deal." Iledia said.
"…Of course, the reverse of that is… that magic allows for a great deal." She then admitted.
"Heh. True enough. It really does work both ways. Seen that too." Isabela said.
"Once again, please do stay around these parts for the time being. Most likely our target is in one of the cities nearby. And once we've taken care of it we might have to leave in a rush." Iledia said.
"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten your instructions. I'll stick around as best I can. At least until I figure you are all dead. And I promise to take a good long while before I decide that's what's happened. Not the least because Varric is with you. Him at least I want to bring back home safely. Old friends and all that. So you had better do your part in making sure nothing happens to him." Isabela said.
"I'll of course do everything I can. For every one of us. But understand that it's impossible for me to promise anything. It's not that kind of mission." Iledia said.
"Right. I presume if you need to go elsewhere you'll be using the compass to guide me there?" Isabela asked.
"Exactly. I'll make sure all of us know how to use the compass, so any of us can signal you." Iledia replied.
"Then I think there is nothing else that I need to know." Isabela said. "Right then. Off you go. And good luck to you once again. Oh, and say hi to Fenris for me if you find him. Haven't heard from him in a long while."
Iledia's team disembarked and disappeared into the night. Even at this early stage they spotted torches from Imperial troops on patrol. To those they gave a wide berth. Not that Iledia thought they could not manage a few imperial soldiers. But troops that went missing would undoubtedly attract attention. That was the last thing they needed at this early stage. The further they got without their enemy knowing they were here, the better. Besides, there was always the off chance a lucky blow would just manage to kill one of them. No point in taking a risk of that happening. And of course she was secretly grateful she did not have to kill her countrymen just yet. There would be blood enough in the days to come, and she would do her part when the time came. But until then she appreciated an excuse to delay doing so.
There had been some tensions amongst their group before they had come here. In some ways that was still true. She could sense it beneath the surface. But to their credit they had seemed to take her words to heart and were doing their best to put those differences behind them. They were acting with professionalism, focusing on the task at hand. If this continued, she was optimistic they would be alright.
"So how would you change your country?" Tallis suddenly asked as she and Iledia were scouting ahead of the rest, checking that the path ahead was clear for others to follow.
"What?" Iledia asked, caught off guard by the question.
"When last we spoke you mentioned wanting to change your country for the better. To make it the country it isn't at the moment. I think I'd like to hear a little bit more about how you'd go on doing that. What would you do differently if you were in charge?" Tallis explained.
"And you want to ask me about that… now?" Iledia wondered.
Tallis shrugged. "I'm feeling curious. And a little bit bored. Come on now, it's not as if we're so busy that you can't answer a question or two. And you were chatty enough the last time we talked."
"I suppose I should be flattered I've managed to pique her interest a little. A bit surprising she is willing to." Iledia thought.
"I'd… seek to undo the corruption thereabouts for one thing. No more of constant bribery or the kind of backstabbing politicking practiced by the nobles that ultimately leads nowhere as the country withers. The focus should be on taking care of the nation, its wellbeing and betterment inside its borders and outside of them, rather than the advancement of any single individual and family. The purpose of those at the top is to lead, to direct and offer guidance, and to coordinate our efforts. That is their role, and they must fulfill it if their existence is to be justified. I would make sure they do so, by allowing only those who genuinely make that effort to reach the top, rather than let the undeserving leech from what the blood and sweat of others has won while pretending to be leaders." She said aloud.
"I would also allow everyone to search for and reach their full potential from slave to magister. All of us are different, but each of us have something to contribute. No role is less to any other, merely different. We should each be allowed to find out what we have to give and provide that to the rest of us. No one's potential should be stifled or marginalized because of an accident of birth. Conversely no one should be in a role they are ill suited for simply because they happen to be a member of the ruling elite. Talent should define, not birth." She continued.
"Well, well, well. How very Qunari of you. Those do sound very much like the things we are saying." Tallis said with a mischievous smile.
Iledia looked surprised at first, then returned the smile. "You really want me to say it, don't you? Fine, I'll say it: The Qunari do have some good ideas. Notions of equality and striving together for something better I find outright admirable. Those aren't the reasons I oppose the Qun."
"Then why?" Asked Tallis.
"Because the Qun would destroy my country. I cannot permit that to happen. And I won't allow you to impose your order to on us through force. As far as I'm concerned you've no more right to do so than any other country. We will choose our own way, and unless we choose your Qun you've no right to intervene."
"And because I think the Qun goes too far in some respects. Like I said in our earlier conversation, they'd rather be a beehive than a nation. I would still wish to respect my people's freedom, their individuality. I oppose the current order in Tevinter because no one is allowed to be other than what they're born to be, even if they've the potential for it. The Qun would be just as rigid, though on different grounds. I wish to allow the people their potential, not dictate it for them. If they do not know their potential, my Tevinter would help them look and guide them to their proper place. To those without a place, I would gladly find one. But I would not force them. I would leave them the freedom to seek. Of those who seek a particular role, those with the greatest merit will be chosen. That way fairness would be maintained and all would end up where they are meant to be. Nothing more would be needed. And I certainly would not wish to breed people for specific tasks like they were some animals."
"And also because there is no future for people like me under the Qun. Mages to you are monsters, to be collared, controlled and abused. I refuse to be subjected to that because of powers I'm born with." She finished.
"I'm not sure you have the right to complain about that. Your country has others they do those very things to." Tallis countered.
"It's true. And if it's not right to do such things to slaves, why would it be right to do to so to someone like me? Two wrongs don't make a right, and switching around abusers and the abused accomplishes nothing. Besides, the Qunari condemn all mages, regardless of their actions. They do not collar us for any crimes, merely for the fact we are mages." Iledia argued.
"I suppose that sounds a bit hollow. And I do get your point. I understand what slaves in Tevinter go through…" She then began to say.
"No. Quite frankly you don't. And don't ever think that you do." Tallis said, her voice suddenly icy.
"The path ahead looks safe enough to me. I'll go tell the others so we can get a move on." She said turning and leaving briskly. Watching the elf walk away, Iledia looked somewhat irked, but held her tongue.
For the remainder of their trip that night Tallis acted aloof towards the mage, keeping her words terse and strictly on business. Iledia found that rather unfortunate. Just as they struck up a conversation she managed to ruin it with careless words. Forunately it looked that Tallis was starting to get over whatever was bothering her as the night approached its end.
She also found it rather curious she cared about this at all. Tallis had been brought into the mission as nothing more than a tool, to improve their chances of success. Iledia had expected to feel indifferent towards her so long as she fulfilled her role. Why then did it matter what the elf's feelings were? For that matter why was she now becoming aware she had been hoping to speak with Tallis a second time after that first conversation on Isabela's ship. Considering the amount of hostitilty there had been between them then, it was the last thing she expected. So why? As they journeyed onward she convinced herself she was merely looking after mission integrity by ensuring Tallis remained cooperative. Simply business.
They continued travelling as before through the night, only taking short breaks every now and then. As dawn began to arrive the risk of being spotted increased, so they began to seek shelter. They found for themselves a cave, where they settled to get some sleep and wait for the arrival of the next night.
During her sleep she got a brief update from Lord Brandon. There were some very concerning news about the darkspawn. He had seen through the eyes of the Wardens and had been able to verify the danger they faced. Not a Blight, but a comparable threat nevertheless. One of the magisters of old who had done the impossible and had breached the Black City, bringing back with them the horror of the Blights. The mere thought sent involuntary shivers down Iledia's spine, bringing back memories of a past time. How many of those Magisters had returned to the world after their disastrous expedition, and how many might yet survive today? And why had this one chosen to encroach on Westeros like this? What did he… it…want?
The threat of the darkspawn made it all the more imperative to finish this business with the orb quickly and return to Westeros to help. There was also the fact of Tevinter forces drawing steadily closer to the city of Braavos. If (and to her mind *when*) that city fell, no doubt Westeros would be the next major conquest in the Imperium's sights. Not only that, but there was no telling when the Imperium might choose have the orb moved for use against that city. One more indicator that the window of opportunity for this mission was very limited.
Unfortunately there had been something of an accident with Lord Brandon. When observing their enemy through the Grey Wardens, he had somehow ended up too close to the darkspawn minds. It had… scarred him somehow. Not physically, but the damage done was no less severe. Lord Brandon was sure he would recover, but it would take some time. And he would not be able to use his abilities in the meantime. So no further updates from him for the time being. An unfortunate setback for her team. She had hoped he could help better guide them here, but it seemed they would have to rely solely on their own talents after all. Fortunately she still had contacts in all three cities of Slaver's Bay. But even there complications had arisen. Recently her agents had informed her of Loyalist spies stepping up their own information gathering and counterintelligence operations. Their enemy might have become aware of the information being provided to the Second Son's. Or it might be indicative of something completely different, she couldn't be certain. Either way, many of her agents had gone to ground to avoid discovery. It was unlikely they would be able to assist with the mission directly. For now the best they had been able to do was confirm that the orb was in Bellidarius, something Brandon had been able to corroborate through discovering the field keeping the orb from his sight had not moved. But if it did move now, she would likely only hear about it after the fact.
She had informed her travelling companions that there had been a complication, that her information on the whereabouts of the orb's location might not be as up to date as before. But beyond that she had chosen not to go into details, as ever.
Lord Brandon had been able to tell her of a snippet of conversation he had intercepted, regarding an attempt to claim the orb by a group of elves and defenses the Imperium had put around the orb. The most concerning piece of news there was the anti-mage measures that had foiled the efforts of the elven team. She would have to make sure her group would not be unmade in the same fashion. Unfortunately he had been unable to provide details on what precisely had caused this outcome. Kind of hard to prepare when you lacked proper knowledge of what you were trying to prepare for. Another problem would be the defenses potentially added to the city's sewers. But that was an issue she would think about later. She had not decided on the best approach to infiltrate the city, so she did not yet know if the defenses in the sewer would even come into play. For now she was silently pleased the diligence of the Loyalists had prevented this second team from stealing the artefact. No doubt those elves were servants of the Dread Wolf. Had they succeeded it would have been a disaster greater than the Venatori Loyalists and the darkspawn combined.
Brandon had also been able to provide a more precise location for where the Second Sons were located. So the plan for the moment was the same as before: Go to the Second Sons, see what help they had to offer, then proceed with the mission.
Their meeting in the Fade concluded, Lord Brandon let her sleep in truth for a time. She was just waking from that sleep, opening her eyes, when she noticed Tallis standing right next to her, a dagger in hand. Startled fully out of her slumber she tried to call up the first spell that came to mind, but Tallis planted her foot on the mage's hand, putting an end to that attempt. Then the dagger flew. But it did not strike Iledia, instead embedding itself in the ground next to her. More importantly it skewered an emerald green insect about the size of Iledia's palm, leaving it writhing on the ground, its tail striking the metal of the blade repeatedly. Iledia was able to recognize the creature. Her local agents had described it to her in passing, in particular the gold-colored, almost face like pattern on its tail.
"A… a manticore…?" She breathed, staring at the dead creature with wide eyes.
"Oh, that's what that creature is called? I just thought it looked a bit like a scorpion, so I figured it might be dangerous." Tallis said.
"It is… very. If it had stung me I'd have been dead for sure." Iledia replied.
"Good thing I got to sting it first then. And a good thing I managed to stop you from setting me on fire or anything. Apologies for not trying to wake you and startling you like that. It was a bit too close for comfort when I spotted it. Had to think fast and act faster." Tallis said.
"It's alright. Better than the alternative." Iledia said, then turned her eyes to the elf. "You… you saved my life…" She said, the realization starting to sink in.
Tallis chuckled. "Don't go reading too much into that. I just can't have you dying on me just yet. We've got work that needs doing first. And with Vints involved we more than likely need a mage of our own. And for sure I can't let you drop dead before I've had a chance to settle the s-oop!" She began to say before Iledia suddenly darted forward and caught the elf in a tight embrace. Tallis was left too stunned to even react.
"What the… uh, I'm not interrupting anything I hope?" Came the voice of Lyanna, leading to Iledia releasing Tallis from her grasp.
"It… er… we simply…" Tallis mumbled, stumbling over her words as she tried to process what had happened.
Iledia on the other hand regained her composure much more quickly. "There was a manticore. Tallis here protected me from it, much to my surprise. I was merely grateful to her for that." She explained.
"Oh. Okay. I guess that explains it. It was just very weird scene to walk in on, considering your attitudes to each other. Felt like I had been reading a book and accidentally skipped a chapter." Lyanna explained.
"You read books?" Iledia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Shut it." Lyanna said dryly. "Either way, I came to tell you it's your watch, mageling. I suggest you go wake Meera and relieve Jaqen as soon as you can. I don't fancy leaving that creep alone out there any longer than necessary." She continued.
"Did you say manticore?" She then asked.
"Yeah." Iledia replied.
"Hmm. I'd better check the rest of the cave before turning in, then. For all we know there could be more of the damn critters around here. We need to make sure no one gets stung. Tallis, since you are already up you can help me with this." Lyanna said.
"Right." The elf said, nodding.
Iledia stood her watch with Meera. Upon their return they were told two more manticores had been found and killed. Iledia made a mental note to have their surroundings more thoroughly checked before setting up camp in the future. When night finally fell again, they resumed their journey. A few days passed uneventfully, as before. But the third day after the incident in the cave their luck ran out. It was Varric and Caleb's turn to be scouting ahead, and the first indication something was the matter was when Caleb returned to them unexpectedly, sliding down a steep hill.
"We've run into a bit of a complication. You'd best come take a look." He told them.
They climbed the hill, finding Varric lurking behind a large rock, his crossbow at the ready.
"Be careful. There are bad guys right below us." He warned, keeping his voice low.
Below them was what Iledia believed was the main road between Bellidarius and Meereen. Along it a long line of wagons had been drawn to the side for the nights. There were several fires as well, illuminating darks silhouettes of people and horses. The scents of cooking evening meals drifted into their nostrils. And as Varric had said, the closest fires were close enough to see the people clearly and hear snippets of conversations, both in Tevene and local languages. But the line of wagons stretched much longer than that, far into the distance.
"Woah. What is all this? Troops on the march?" Meera asked.
"No, I don't think so." Iledia said, shaking her head. "Too few troops and too many wagons. And army units would set up a camp with a defensible perimeter. You'll never catch professional soldiers camping in a long, thin line like this.
"In my lands they might. But I suppose those are the exception." Meera said. "But if not troops, then what do you suppose we are looking at?"
"If I had to guess? A supply convoy or a merchant caravan I'd say. There is bound to be a lot of that kind of traffic between the cities in these parts." Iledia said.
"Unfortunately my latest information would place the Second Sons somewhere on the far side of this road, past that convoy." She added with a grimace.
"We could just wait until this group goes on its way." Varric suggested.
"And how long do you suppose that might take? They are unlikely to go anywhere before dawn. We could lose several hours of our time, perhaps more. And we're already on a pretty tight schedule. Plus its risky staying put. I'm willing to bet this caravan has patrols out even at this late hour, looking for potential attackers. If any of them find us we'd be screwed, whether or not we won. We're too close to them to pick a fight." She countered.
"Hmm. And if we try to go around them we face the exact same problems." She then mused.
"Then… what would you have us do?" Caleb asked.
Iledia thought for a moment. "Jaqen… I believe we need your special talents for this. Find a safe route past this caravan. Avoid detection and if at all possible don't kill anyone. Dead bodies bring search parties. And those we could do without." She said then.
"Special talents? Does the Mage mean to say the Man is allowed to wear other faces for this?" He asked.
Another pause. "…This once, if that is what you need. Just be careful if that's what you end up doing. Wouldn't want us to mistake you for an enemy after all."
"The Man promises to exercise caution." He promised.
"Good. Then get going. We need to keep ourselves moving." She said.
"Wait." Tallis said quietly just as Jaqen was about to leave, looking suddenly nauseous. "Those wagons… they're cages. There… there are people in them…"
"Oh damn…" Iron Bull cursed, the first to understand. The others followed suite soon enough, and other than Jaqen none of them looked at all pleased about the implications.
"So… this isn't just any group of merchants on the road. It's a caravan of slavers." Iledia said. Tallis raised an eyebrow when she noted a hint of loathing in the mage's voice.
"Slavers. Damn these Tevi scum!" Lyanna seethed in the meanwhile.
"Hmm. Bear witness then, to one of the worst acts of the Imperium and her allies." Iledia said, bowing her head. Then her expression became stern. "But we still need to go. Jaqen, you're up."
"Hold! Hold just a minute! We can't just…" Tallis began to protest far too loudly, only stopping herself when the others shushed her. "We can't just leave these people in the hands of the slaver bastards. I won't stand for that. We need to do something." She continued more quietly.
There was a momentary pause as the others processed their surprise. "Come on. Didn't we just go over this? As much as I'd like to, we can't start anything here. For all we know this caravan could have hundreds of guards. Too many for us to take on." Lyanna said then.
"You'd want to do this if these were your people." Tallis argued.
"Damn straight I would. But if there is one thing your masters taught me, it's to pick my fights carefully if I want to save anyone. What you're suggesting would be suicide. And how does it help these people if we die heroically trying to save them?" Lyanna countered.
"And even if we manage to liberate a few of them, what then? They'd be a bunch of escaped slaves without supplies, without a plan, on a continent full of people who want them right back in chains. This caravan could have hunters running out running them down in short orders. If not them, then others for sure. We couldn't do anything further for them because we have our own mission." Iron Bull joined in.
"You know, I'm kinda with Tallis on this one. I doesn't sit right with me to just walk away from this. I'd like to free at least a few people if we can. I'm sure we'd manage if we put our minds to it." Meera piped up.
Iledia bit her lip, turning her attention to the long line of wagons. "It would be an enormous risk, and entirely outside our mission. And I'm not sure what kind of meaningful results we stand to gain given what Bull just said. But… okay, we'll put this to a vote. Based on what the majority want to do we'll proceed."
"I say we act to help these people." Tallis spoke up at once.
"Count me in too." Meera said.
"Right. That's two in favor of action. What do the rest of you think?"
"It should not even be a topic of discussion. These slaves have no bearing on our mission. Their fate is not our concern and we should not trouble ourselves with them." Jaqen said, earning a poisonous look from Tallis.
"I wish there were something we could do for these people, I really do. I don't approve of slavery. But this is out of our hands. We're outmatched. If we get involved we'll just get killed. We'll end up having helped no one and fucking up our own mission in the process." Lyanna said.
"I agree with Lyanna. It's too big of a risk for us to take." Caleb said.
"Well of course you'd say that. You do everything she tells you to." Tallis said to him.
"Not quite. I'd remind you of what I did to get on this mission. But I'm sworn to her service and besides she's right this time. We need to face facts here. This would be a really bad move for us to do." He countered.
"So two in favor of action and three opposed. Varric, what's your vote?" Iledia asked.
Varric pondered for a moment, then gave out a frustrated growl and turned away, saying nothing.
"…I'd interpret it to mean that Varric abstains." Iledia said. "Bull?"
Another moment of silence. "If there were more of us here and we had some kind of solid plan I'd be all up for cracking some Vint skulls. We don't have either. We've got our own job to do that we need to focus on. And if that job fails it'll be lot worse for all of us, those slaves included. I'm going to have to vote no too." Bull finally said.
Iledia nodded slowly. "So, it does sound like the Nay's have it."
"You didn't vote yet though." Meera pointed out.
"No, I did not. But the tally as it stands is four opposed to attacking the caravan, two in favor and one abstention. My vote isn't going to change the outcome, no matter how I vote. To be honest I don't know what I'd want to do here. So this one time I choose to be glad you chose for me and keep my thoughts to myself." Iledia explained.
"Now we have talked away enough time. Get going Jaqen. Find us as safe route and guide us through it." She then commanded.
As Jaqen left Tallis walked to the mage, taking her arm. "Please, don't tell me leave these people behind. Don't do this to me. To them. I'm asking you." She pleaded.
Iledia sighed. "The others have already decided..."
"You put this whole group together. We wouldn't be here if not for you. And it's you who have been giving the orders these past few days. You could still choose to reverse this decision, if you chose to." Tallis interjected.
"And on those grounds I should abuse that authority and make a unilateral decision in your favor, even though only one other expressed support for you? To overrule the others, when I myself am uncertain about this?" Iledia said pointedly.
"What you proposed was extremely dangerous. I grant you it was for a good cause. But your request was prompted by emotion instead of reason. Even so I allowed all of us to have a fair say on whether or not to pursue this course. Had they agreed with you I would have done my best to see it through. So I think I've done more than enough to accommodate you. Now I have no interest in countermanding a decision already made. You'll just have to accept the will of the majority." She said with finality.
Tallis's expression hardened. "When last we spoke you said some rather pretty words. About things you wished to change where you are from. The thing is, words are cheap. And I guess now we know what your words are worth."
After that Tallis crossed her arms and walked to the edge of their little group.
"Tallis…" Iledia said, but the elf did not seem to be listening at all. Iledia might have tried to reason with her further, but decided it was better to leave her be for now. She would take up the topic with her again when Tallis had had a chance to calm down and they were well clear of this caravan.
"Blast." She nevertheless muttered to herself as they waited.
Jaqen returned soon enough, motioning for them to follow. One by one he led them past a point where there was an unusually large gap between wagons. Another mistake by civilian guards that proper imperial troops would not have made. It was a dangerous crossing even so, so close to their enemy. But thanks to Jaqen's expertise they made it through. What followed after was an alternation of sneaking forward and hiding. As predicted, there were enemy patrols along the way, for the most part light cavalry sweeping the area for potential enemies or runaway slaves. The most frightening moment was when they had to hide behind rocks as a whole squad of riders had stopped only a few meters from them. She had been so sure they would be discovered at that point, readying herself to act if needed. But through some dumb luck they managed to avoid detection altogether, finally putting enough distance to the road Iledia was fairly certain they were beyond enemy patrols.
Throughout all this Tallis continued to sulk, refusing to speak with anyone other than Meera, glaring at them constantly. She still followed orders at the moment, but there was a passive-aggressiveness about it, how she did only as she had been told and not a thing more. Clearly the fate of those slaves was of great concern to her, like that wasn't already obvious enough. If only their circumstances had been less dire, so there might have been a chance to accommodate her request. Not only was that something she might have wished to do herself despite the risks and the limited gains, but it would have been a good way to repay Tallis for saving her life. She thought about telling Tallis as much but she had a feeling the elf was not interested in hearing anything she had to say at the moment. And even later, would she believe anything Iledia said, given her prior comments? Iledia eventually put the matter out of her mind, promising to return to the subject later.
In the process of their journey Iledia failed to notice how Tallis slowly drifted towards the back of their group. Only several hours after they had left the road behind did she realize she had not seen the elf for some time.
"Hey… hold up! Where the fuck is Tallis?" She asked when she finally noted the elf's absence.
"Huh? What the…? Seriously? On top of everything else she managed to get herself lost?" Lyanna asked angrily, looking around herself.
"That does not seem like her…" Jaqen commented.
"Yeah, pretty sure that's not what's going on." Bull echoed.
"Meera, do you remember when you saw her last?" Iledia asked.
"Uh, I-I think we exchanged a few words… maybe an hour ago?" Meera replied.
Iledia rolled her eyes. "An hour? Really? And you did not think to say anything?"
"Hey now! I wasn't exactly keeping an eye on her. No more than the rest of you at least. You didn't tell me to guard her or anything like that. How was I supposed to know she was planning to vanish like that?" Meera protested.
"Great. So she's gone and we have no idea where. Even if we double back how are we supposed to find her?" Caleb asked.
"That should not be too difficult. Don't forget the magical marks we carry. We can use those to locate her." Iledia said, raising the arm bearing the mark.
She closed her eyes, focusing her mind on locating Tallis, the others following suite. After a few moments she opened her eyes again, an exasperated look on her face.
"Dammit! Should've figured. She's going straight back to where we left, trying to help the slaves on her own. Of course she's not willing to let it go. I should have put her under guard." She said.
"Right then, come on. We need to hurry now." She told the others, turning around and heading back the way they had come.
"That stupid bitch, taking a risk like this when we had already told her no. I'm going to kick her bloody teeth in when I find her…" She muttered.
"Wait. Where are we going? Jaqen asked.
"To fetch her right back, what else?" She replied, puzzled that she even needed to explain herself.
"Why? Why should we take a risk because of her foolishness? This is her own problem now. We should simply keep going. If what you have said about these marks is true, they will attend to her folly." He said.
"You're suggesting we leave her behind?" She said, narrowing her eyes at the Faceless Man.
"She made her choice, and we have our own task to accomplish, as has already been made clear." He replied.
"As annoyed as I am of her pulling a stunt like this, it seems cold to just leave her in the dust. Plus isn't that risky? The Tevi's might not just kill her. If they catch her and choose to interrogate her, they could learn about us, about our plans." Caleb joined in.
"Not terribly likely. Not easy to do that to a Ben Hassrath. I would know." Iron Bull said.
"True. But they could still manage it if they bring in a mage versed in blood magic. Unfortunately that is something Tevinters have plenty of. Just about every mage of the Imperium knows at least the basics." Iledia said.
"We do have the other functionalities of these marks to make use of in that case. With them we can remove any risk she poses to us." Jaqen suggested.
"You mean kill her? Just for running off?" Lyanna asked.
"To protect the mission. To make sure we achieve our goal unimpeded. As the mage has said, this is more important than any of our lives. If she is caught and successfully interrogated she will become a risk to our efforts. I bear her no I'll will, but to the Man this is enough to take action. What do the rest of you think?" He said.
"I'm not going to kill her. Shivs may be acting a bit rashly here, but she's an old ally and a friend. I won't do this to her. Not when I know why she wants to do this." Varric said at once.
Iledia shook her head. "I'm not willing to ditch a team member at this time either. Not while other choices are still open. I mad as hell at her right now, but not that angry. Plus even without sentimental reasons to not use the marks she is still a fighter whose aid we could use."
"I'm going to go and try to get her back. You're welcome to come along. If you don't wish to come, find a safe location instead and wait for our return. We will come find you afterwards. We should still be close enough to the road so there won't be a risk of the marks going unstable." She told the others.
"Then a Man will seek a good position and secure it." Jaqen said.
"Understood." Iledia said with a nod. "What about the rest of you? Are you coming with or staying?"
"I'm coming with. We should leave no one behind." Meera said.
"Count me in." Varric said.
"I'll come along. Sounds like you could use the help if you're doing this." Bull said.
"Lyanna, Caleb, I'd like you to stay as well. If we don't come back, do your best to finish the mission with him." Iledia then said.
"Are you sure about this? It could get pretty hairy where you're going. You might have need of our blades." Lyanna asked.
"I'm sure I might. But Jaqen has a point. The mission must be completed, no matter what. We cannot lose sight of that." Iledia replied.
"Right. True enough. I suppose we'll stay then. Don't have strong feelings about that either way. Just bring her back if you can." Lyanna said with a nod.
Iledia handed the magical compass to the other woman. "In case the worst comes to pass and you need to get home without us once the mission is done." She said.
"Once the mission is done." She repeated with emphasis.
"Got it. Thank you. Hope you get to come back though." Lyanna said.
Iledia nodded, then turned to the others. "Let's get going. We need to catch up to her quick."
And so Iledia, Varric, Meera and Iron Bull went into the night, moving as fast as they could while still keeping quiet.