We hadn't separated long, meeting back up at The Hanged Man the next day. Time I used very wisely, if I may say so myself, meandering my way through the streets of Kirkwall. Learning where everything was, where all the shops were and what they sold.

After letting the barkeep know to send a blonde man who would ask after me to the room I'd just rented, I retreated to said room. Ready to collapse. It had been so long since the one other time I'd deliberately sent myself back in time, let alone bringing someone with me for the first time. I felt like I could sleep for an entire week.

Just as I'd sat in the chair at the table in the center of the room, setting down the goblet of water from the bar, I saw someone rush past the doorway. And then double back, everything about the man screaming "frantic."

"Hey, could you hide me?"

I was a child, in a tavern, and he thought I'd just-

"Sure." Waving for him to go around the corner..

The room was set up so oddly, with a sitting/dining room just beyond the door and the bedroom tucked away around the corner, hidden from anyone who looked in from the hallway.

He wasted no time in running out of sight. Good thing, too, because a moment later-

"Varric, where the hell are you?!" A man's voice, a very angry man's voice, shouted from the main tavern area. "I'm going to wring your neck!"

Heavy footsteps came down the way, heading toward my room. Pounding fists on doors could be heard. Until he finally reached us.

The dwarf almost walked right in, pulling up short when he saw me sitting there. "Have you seen a dwarf with a crossbow around here, little lady?"

"I did." I nodded. "He asked if I could hide him."

He took a step closer. "Where is he?"

"I'm ten." Scoffing in disgust, I gave him a frown. Along with some bad information. "I told him to sod off before I screamed for help, and he kept going down the-" Pausing, I made a show of looking beyond him, like I'd seen something. Sure enough, he whipped around and bolted back the way he'd come, shouting his head off that he'd kill the other man once he got his hands on him.

"Cost is clear." I said, hearing the slam of a door. It sounded like one of the front ones.

"Heh. Thanks, kid." He came strolling in from around the wall, fiddling with his right cuff. "Was worried there for a second."

A cheshire smile. "Just going off what he was shouting, you probably deserved it."

"Oh, I definitely did. I wouldn't have been mad, if you'd have sold me out, to be honest."

"What'd you do?"

"Oh, he found his coin purse missing." A sly look in my direction, gaging my reaction probably.

"Meh. I didn't like him." I shrugged and sipped from my water. "I wouldn't have sold out the Archdemon to him."

At that, he raised an eyebrow. There was no way he could know who I was, not yet. The blight had just ended, and no one's information net was that quick... was it?

Not even a flicker of recognition passed through his eyes, which set me at ease. I wanted to be anonymous for even just a few more hours. Until I was ready to show up at the Carta's door with my treaties. Well, more than just their door. I had to get back in touch with the Red Jenny's, and I wanted to bring the other crime syndicates up to speed. If they had a problem, which they hadn't before, then they'd deal with me. Darktown would bend, I would make sure of it.

"By the way, name's Varric. Varric Tethras." A hand extended toward me, an expectant look on his face.

Reaching out, I grasped his hand firmly. "Anastasia Snow."

Still no sign he knew who he was talking to. But... his name... it sounded awfully familiar. I just couldn't place my finger on why, from where.

"Thanks for hiding me, Red. I better get going, before he retraces his steps and discovers I never left."

As he headed toward the hall, I felt a flash of... something. "If I were you, I'd take a gander at what's to the left, once you leave the building. Might find it easier."

Stopping, hand on the door-frame, he glanced over his shoulder at me. Sizing me up. "Thanks."

A few minutes later, Anders showed up. Early. Probably ready to get a room for the night, not wanting to be out all night.

"This place is crazy. There's a dwarf outside," A gesture toward the right side of the building, the city. "shouting about how he's going to kill someone. Stopping everyone to ask if they've seen a dwarf-"

"With a crossbow, yeah." I cut him off, smiling. Picked up my cup again for another gulp. "He was just in here."

The mage sat with an "oof" on the couch, sprawling out. Looking tired.

"Did you get in?"

"No. It'll be harder than I thought to even think about getting clearance in there. The place is a damn fortress."

"I'll keep an eye on things in the future," We shared a chuckle at my wording. "and we'll play it day by day. I know it's not ideally what you wanna do, but you've gotta be patient. You can't just make a man disappear on an island crawling with magic muters."

A crooked grin at my term for Templar, and then he let his head fall back. "I'll try to be patient."

A flash of blue. "As will I."

Good. I'd hate to have a rampaging, possessed mage on the loose.