"That does it!" the Inquisitor announced as he slammed his mug down on the table in frustration. "I don't care if we have to trawl the entire Hinterlands with a fine tooth comb, we are tracking down Ashaad's boy!"
"shouldn't be too hard" Solas quipped, "he is one head taller than everyone else and has horns."
"exactly! I bet he could break a templar in half and twist a rebel mage into an impressively intricate knot without pausing for breath." Lavellan finished his drink. "besides, Cole has probably already found him. Right?" he turned to the man in question with a raised eyebrow and had to squint to see the nod mostly hidden behind the brim of Cole's hat.
"He is very sad" he said, "we must help him."
"and we will" Cassandra soothed.
"Solas, pay the tab while Cass and I get Cole out with minimal fuss." Lavellan ordered as he stood up. Cole gave him a hurt look.
"I can walk."
"i know you can, but you still haven't gotten the hang on not stopping six times to help people with their problems." Cole hung his head.
"I like helping" he muttered unhappily.
"And you are wonderful at it" Cassandra hurried to comfort him. Lavellan cut in:
"It's just that people usually goes to the inn to forget their problems, not deal with them." that seemed to be the end of the discussion as Solas headed to the bar and the others went outside. They only had to pull Cole away from a stranger twice, so all in all it was a roaring success.
The journey to Redcliffe was mostly uneventful: they only ran into one rebel mage (that ended up crying about his mother all over Cole after having failed to set Solas on fire). Well, and two templars that tried to skewer Lavellan. Thankfully they had their secret weapon, Cole, and when they left the templars they were trying desperately to forget the sight of one of them bending the other over a rock formation and... well... as Cassandra put it, "men! rutting beasts, the lot of them!". they also had the fortune to run into a villager who could answer a few questions about Ashaad's boy. Apparently they could not miss him as he was as "tall as a house and as wide as a barn door". Oh, and he had horns. Must not forget the horns. No one was surprised that the Inquisitor hugged the girl in thanks or that she tried to kiss him in response. Or that the Inquisitor was completely bewildered as to why she would want to kiss him. Cassandra swore, for the hundredth time, to set the Inquisitor down soon and explain just how devastating he was and the effect that had on women. And men, to a lesser extent. But for now she satisfied herself with glaring at an utterly useless Solas and making up a wife back in haven before ushering the three men onwards towards their goal.
They had not set one foot in Redcliff village before the rain was on them.
"your timing is, as always, impeccable!" Solas yelled at the Inquisitor as they sprinted towards the nearest Inn.
"oh, shut up and run!" was the eloquent reply.
They scrambled into the inn, trying not to look too drenched as Cassandra got them rooms for the night and food.
"Well" said Lavellan as he wrung his blond hair, water going everywhere, "let's eat and then track down Ashaad."
"i suggest we wait for it to stop raining first."
"yes, Solas, thank you for stating the obvious." the bickering would probably have gone on indefinitely if not for the fact that a man just then entered the inn. Well, to call him a man would be misleading. Really, it was the biggest qunari either of them had ever seen. He hand to hunch over to avoid scratching the ceiling with his horns.
"I'll bet anything" Lavellan said smugly, "that we just found him."