Though it was early in the day, the temperature was suffocating. Her lungs felt miserable sucking in the burning air. She had started to sweat not only from the heat, but from her nerves. They had made their way to the Qunari camp, but Sicilia stopped to take a deep, calming breath. My nerves will not best me! She gathered her wits and continued.

"What business do you have here, Basra?" The Qunari who guarded the front entrance only shifted his eyes in her direction as he spoke.

"I need to speak with the Arishok. It's about," she paused for dramatic effect, "the tome." That got his attention. Jerking his head towards her, he narrowed his eyes. He turned his head to catch the attention of an Ashaad nearby; unspoken words passed between the two.

"You may enter."

The Ashaad left them in front of the same chair from before as he went to tell the Arishok that he had…guests. Haiden never said a word, but his protective energy behind her helped a great deal. An intimidating creature stood before her.

"Shanedan, Arishok," she smiled.

"Why have you returned?" This time, he did not sit, but stood tall.

A taunt no doubt, she thought to herself. "I see you have not made progress? I told you that I would return if I heard anything."

"Obviously."

"The woman you search for isn't playing a part anymore."

"I do not see how this is your business," he said sitting. This act made her feel more at ease.

Perhaps, he figured as much. They still haven't found her so he must've guessed. "She sold your tome. And now you have bigger problems."

"I do not see how bas can be so conceited to think that everyone needs your help?"

This pushed at her; annoyed her to the core. "I find it funny that you are so conceited to think that I do this to help you." Something about this Qunari always caused her to say careless things. Her annoyance overshadowed her nerves. He stood, rushed to her, and stopped a mere step away. She did not flinch, even when every guard brought up their spears to his startling action.

"You test my patience, Basra. If you continue, the woman I hunt next will be you."

"I did not come to argue with you, Arishok." Her manner changed with the threat. The last thing she wanted was to piss him off, but something about him made want her to battle, with wit. She was drawn to him, but fearful at the same time. "I came to warn you. Your tome was sold to a man named Torren. I believe him to have contact with the Tevinter Imperium. To answer your question, I'm not doing this for your benefit. My mother, a seer, sent me here without telling me the reason. I believe this is it; I'm also trying to help a friend in the process. So, whether you want to let me help or not, is irrelevant. I hope to find this Torren soon and when I do, you'll be the first to know." Sicilia turned on her heel and walked away. "Panahedan, Arishok!" she called back to him.

Once around the corner from the camp, she stopped, leaning against the stone wall. "Phew! That scared me for a minute." She looked at Haiden and saw his eyes wide.

"Scared you? It looked like you were ready to pounce!"

She laughed. "I only do that when I'm intimidated. When I feel like that, threatened, I turn off any tact that is in me and just blurt out whatever. It's a curse, really, one that's gotten me into a lot of trouble before." Only Gwen and her brother had ever bore witness to it. Her mouth was one reason that her brother taught her to fight. In his mind, he would feel better knowing that her bite was a hard as her bark.

"You've got more guts than I."

"I came to warn you…I believe him to have contact with the Tevinter Imperium." Her voice echoed in his mind. Those words had silenced him, the Arishok! No basra had ever accomplished that. He had thought her to be just another selfish bas who reveled in sticking her nose in other's business, but something, now, told him otherwise.

After watching her leave, her companion only steps behind, he had retreated to his tent, clenching his teeth the whole way. It infuriated him to no end that she would continue in this. He had hoped, after their first encounter, she would forget about it. No, this basra believes this to be her purpose. She does not seem the kind to let it go unfinished.

It didn't take him long to call in the Beresaad to give them further orders. The situation had changed for the worse and he wasn't about to let it get out of his control. "Find this Torren by any means necessary. Follow any Tevinter in town and any who come into town. Continue to do so without anyone knowing."

Sleep that night, would not come to the Arishok; his mind was in turmoil over the information he'd received and over her. Why does she plague me? It was a question even he could not answer. Was it her determination or the fact that she did not cower in his presence? No, Hawke did not cower in my presence. She had the same determination as well. He thought about these things into the early morning hours.

The coast was as peaceful as it was every evening. Sicilia waited as she watching the sun's light on her toes before she buried them into the sand. It had been almost a week since her meeting with the Arishok. Markl's contacts were working hard to find some trace of the man named Torren. Haiden's contacts, as he thought, had no dealings with Tevinter and knew of no one named Torren.

It quickly became apparent that this Torren knew how to stay well hidden. The three of them met every evening to discuss new findings, but also to just relax and talk about their lives. Markl and Haiden spoke well of their fathers while Sicilia remained silent. She was so young when her father died that she never got to know what sort of person he was. Things were the complete opposite for their mothers. Markl's mother died in childbirth and his father had never met another like her.

Sparring had become another routine for them. Markl's strength was something she always found hard to counter or dodge. She had only brought him down once. Watching Haiden and Markl was probably the funniest thing she'd ever seen. Neither took the other seriously and they would trick each other into some compromising position or another.

Sicilia laughed as she remembered the night before. Haiden had flipped clear over Markl head before sending a kick to his rear. Markl simply smiled; as he started swing towards his legs, Haiden had jumped to dodge. The half-Qunari ducked his head and charged forward, which put either of Haiden's legs over Markl's shoulders and his face promptly into the man's backside. Sis was sure they did this for her amusement; they always seemed to smile when she couldn't catch her breath for laughing so much, Haiden more so than Markl.

Sicilia turned as she heard footsteps close behind her. "We've got some news!" Her eyes lit up as those words came from Haiden's mouth.

"I don't know if it's the right person or not, but it's worth looking into," Markl said as he took a seat next to her.

"Any information is better than none," she replied.

"One of the men I did work for previously told me about this trader." His eyes narrowed as he spoke. "He supposedly does a lot of work traveling back and forth between the Imperium and here. He didn't know his name, but I think we need to give it a shot. There's only one thing; he just left town to get supplies or something, but he should be back in a week."

"Well, it's all we've got so I guess we can just keep our ears open until then. I do need to find work though or I'm going to have to find somewhere else to stay," she said remembering how her money had been running low. She had only completed a couple jobs, but they were petty and so was the pay.

"I know how you feel," Haiden piped up. "This town is full of mercenaries so the work is spread thin for all of us. If you ever need a place to stay, you're more than welcome at my place. It's small, but it's a roof. I'll even let you have the bed."

"Same here," Markl agreed.

"You guys are too nice. I don't know if my friend would want to split up or not. I imagine she'd have no problem finding a place to stay if she had to," she said implying the obvious. "I'm glad to have met you guys. I never thought I'd make such good friends."

"Us halflings and misfits have to stick together," Markl said laughing.

Sis snorted. "I mean it. I owe you two so much already for helping me. I don't know how I'll repay you."

"No need. It quells my boredom and if all this works out, Markl will be able to enter the Qun."