I prepare another jug of Arl Grey for Sister Nightingale, readying my mental reports. Brr. I shouldn't have eaten too much breakfast.
"No one has seen you go up here, Ellie?" Sister Nightingale asks. The sun has barely risen, but I know I may have made a mistake—not everybody wakes up as late as Lady Evie.
"Uh… I'm not so sure, milady," I say, slipping back into "milady" because I suddenly feel like a doltish servant. Maker's breath. I should learn subtlety.
"We shall discuss later how you'll be delivering your reports, Ellie," the Spymaster says. "I'm more concerned now with what you'll tell me."
"Right, Sister," I say, readying myself. "You have noticed the way Wardens eat voraciously, like there's no tomorrow?"
"Ellie," Sister Nightingale says, "I have travelled with two Wardens before they became King and Queen. Tell me something I don't know before I reconsider my decision about you."
"One of them does not eat like there's no tomorrow," I report. "Blackwall. He doesn't talk to them either. I noticed that the Wardens don't really talk to others, but at least they occasionally converse with each other. But Blackwall, he avoids them. He avoids the tavern when he knows they're there."
"This is interesting. Ellie, I want you to take half a roast boar and some yams as a present to Blackwall," Sister Leliana orders. "Put it in a nice box, like the ones Lady Trevelyan uses to give rewards. Make it appear as if it's come from her. Observe how long it takes him to eat it. Report to the War Room under the pretext of serving tea for the advisers' meeting."
"Yes, Sister," I answer.
"How's the Commander?"
"He hasn't been eating properly. I serve him mostly bread, jam, cheese and some ham for breakfast, with some coffee or tea. For lunch and dinner, he prefers heavy stews. But he hasn't been finishing his meals very often."
"I hear you helped him the other night when he collapsed."
"Yes, Sister Nightingale," I say, "I was there when he collapsed. Took quite some effort to help him. But that day, he had not eaten breakfast or lunch."
"Do you tell Lady Trevelyan of the Commander's problems?" the Spymaster asks.
"I mean to," I answer, "but whenever she's here there seems to be other things to talk about. She must have noticed his problems, as she's always asked me to look after him every time she goes away."
"Lady Trevelyan has not confided in you what she thinks is the Commander's problem?"
"No, Spymaster," I answer, and Sister Nightingale dismisses me.
As I leave the rookery, I hear the trumpets heralding Lady Evie's return. I glance at the window, and see her standard silhouetted against the dawn. Glorious, as ever, my Lady Evie. Her first order of business must be to tidy up, maybe a nice bath, before joining the others for breakfast. Around midmorning she'd be going to my kitchen for her treats, so I must finish Sister Leliana's orders by then.
Roast boar. Hmm. I've seen three Wardens eat an entire boar in one sitting. Wonder how long Blackwall will eat his half. Probably a week if my observation of him is accurate. I go to the main kitchen, thankful that they're already started cooking roast boar and yams for lunch. Then again, Sister Leliana must have known what's on the menu beforehand. I proceed to my kitchen to wrap it up.
"Roast boar," I hear Lady Evie's voice from the doorway. "I must say, Ellie, that's not my idea of a midmorning snack."
"No, Lady Evie," I say apologetically. "Sister Leliana's orders. I'm sorry."
"So you took up Leliana's task," she says amusingly. "I knew it was only a matter of time. What's your assignment?"
"I mustn't say, Your Worship," I answer meekly.
"Oh well," she says, amusement still in her voice. "You won't call me 'Your Worship' if you haven't done anything funny, Ellie. Not as if I don't know the general idea, but I'll ask her the details later. I've managed to seal all the Rifts in the Emerald Dales, gotten new recruits and some interesting samples, and it's all done wonders for the Inquisition's influence. And I don't think Leliana's ordered you yet to do the impossible. I'll just have to trust her judgment on this."
"Very well, Lady Evie," I say.
She glances at my package. "I don't think Leliana's ordered you to poison Blackwall on my apparent orders?" Lady Evie enquires.
"Of course not, Lady Evie!" I say, aghast.
"Very well then, Ellie," she says. "I've been meaning to thank Blackwall for his services and friendship. We'll be hitting two birds with one stone here—provided Leliana's not asked you to poison Blackwall in my name. You'll be serving tea in the War Room?" she asks with a glint in her eye.
"Of course, Lady Evie," I say.
"Ellie," Lady Evie says, suddenly serious. Hmm. Has she been sweetening me up so that she could take me at unawares with this question? "How is the Commander? Do you watch him when he trains?" she asks me.
"At time, yes," I say, remembering that the Commander personally overlooks the soldiers' training, like he's doing right now. "Before the noon bell, he usually goes up to do paperwork. But what he does with the paperwork, I don't know."
"I heard on my way here that you helped him the night he collapsed," she enquired. "The mages have not told you anything?"
"No, Lady Evie, but I don't need the mages to know that he's ill," I say, and quickly deliberate if I should tell her my conclusions as well as my mere observations. I quickly decide on the latter. "He barely eats, he always seems tired and complains of headaches. He doesn't seem to be getting enough sleep. But he gets up just like any other soldier, I often bring him breakfast in his tower when I don't see him going down, and afterwards I take out his food tray."
"My poor man," she says. "Ellie, after you're done, can you help me bake some Ferelden rolls? Scratch that, do what Leliana's asked you, that's important too. Just tell me where the flour bins are, and the cheese, and your recipe book."
I point at the right cupboards, and Lady Evie sends me away. So it's not even midmorning that I reach the stables where Blackwall likes to hang out, but I notice he's not there. I ask Master Dennett, but he says he hasn't seen the Warden. So I take a look around—
And I see it. A griffon with a letter addressed to the Inquisitor: "Inquisitor, you've been a friend and an inspiration. You've given me the wisdom to know what is right from wrong, and more importantly, the courage to uphold the former. It's been my honor to serve you."
If this isn't a reason to alert Lady Evie and convene the War Council, I'm a nug.
A/N: Two chapters to make up for the time I haven't been posting anything! I've also taken a few liberties with the timing of the events here, basing on my first play through of Inquisition: I did the Crestwood part of the Hawke/Warden quest, then proceeded to Halamshiral, returned to finish Adamant, strolled in the Emerald Graves, and then discovered Blackwall's letter. Hope you're not too confused with my timeline. I'd be happy to answer any questions regarding it.
