Upon arriving in Cumberland by mid-afternoon, their situation did not improve.

Alistair couldn't get off the ship fast enough, doubled over with stomach cramps. "Maker," he wheezed, falling to his knees once he was on solid ground again. "I vote we walk back."

The docks in Nevarra weren't that different from the docks of Amaranthine, with the exceptional difference of size. The shipyards were huge, bustling with activity, with hundreds of ships dotted along the coast, loading and unloading cargo. People of every race, wearing clothing of every imaginable style shouted to one another in every language of Thedas.

"Easily ten times the size of Denerim," Nathaniel murmured, rising up onto his toes to take it all in. "And this is only the shipyard." He danced to one side to avoid a sailor darting past him.

The city itself was as colorful as its occupants. Each of the buildings was painted a different bright color, with small windows and flat roofs. The buildings were all very tall, several stories at least, and the faces that turned towards the sea were cluttered with countless balconies. Businesses were on the ground floor of the structures, with apartments above. From the docks, Elissa could spot everything from tattoo parlors to haberdasheries.

Finding one woman in this city seemed next to impossible. Elissa hauled Alistair to his feet, and glanced over at Paien. "Where do we meet your contacts?"

"There is an inn near here, the Tawdry Bell." Paien squinted as he scanned the docks. "We are to meet a pair of elves, Earnest and Bertram. They were supposed to be keeping track of her." He slung his pack over his shoulder, "Run and find the clinic, see if you can convince a healer to join us. We'll meet you at the inn."

Alistair straightened and sucked in a deep breath, hand over his stomach. "Ugh. I think I want to see a healer more than a barman for once."

"I'll tag along with you," Lindise said to Elissa, then waved to Paien. "The Tawdry Bell Inn. We'll be there before it gets dark."

Quizzing the locals that actually spoke Fereldish gave them a name: Vash. He was the healer they wanted. They were also given directions, away from the docks, and weaving down into the slums. Right at the whore house, left at the orphanage. Look for the red diamond on the door.

Deeper in, the city of Cumberland became more compact. The streets were narrow, forcing them to walk single file. The houses had been built top of one another, and some of them leaned over into the streets as if they were peering down nosily at what was happening below.

"So this Vash person, he might only know how to dress wounds and bring down fevers," Alistair mused.

"And stop the flow of blood." Lindise leaned to one side, looking at him. "That is what we need him for. Paien says Sabinia might be able to cut you open by looking at you. Drain you dry from across the room."

"I've never heard of a blood mage doing that," Elissa glanced over her shoulder at them.

"She's a very accomplished blood mage. She did blood magic for the Wardens for many many years."

"There it is!" Alistair pointed. "Red diamond."

Vash's clinic was tiny. Had Alistair not spotted it, Elissa would have passed it by. The door painted with the symbol was small, both she and Alistair would need to stoop to get inside. There was a single little window, but the outside of it was so caked with dirt that seeing inside was impossible. Elissa gripped the handle and tugged. The door didn't give. "Locked."

Alistair shook his head and stepped past her, banging on the wooden door with his gauntleted fist. "Hello! We're looking for a healer! We were told to ask for Vash!"

Footsteps could be heard from the other side. Large, heavy footfalls on an earthen floor. The painted door opened slowly, and a large, gray figure crouched and turned sideways to squeeze his massive girth from the tiny frame.

The three Wardens stepped back in alarm. "Maker's breath," Alistair stammered, "it's a Qunari."

"No." The kossith stood back to his full height once outside, rolled his broad shoulders, and stared down at them. His face was square with a narrow white beard, and the two horns that would have curved over the back of his skull were trimmed short. He was dressed simply in leather pants and white cotton shirt, and his voice both sounded and felt like distant thunder. "I am Vashoth."

Lindise backed away, eyes wide. "You're the healer?"

The Vashoth's gaze found the small elf, and he nodded. "I am. And you all look perfectly healthy. Why are you here?"

"A Qunari healer," Alistair mumbled, dumbstruck.

"No," Vash repeated, yellow eyes narrowing on him. "I am not Qunari. I am Vashoth. Perhaps it is your ears in need of medical aid?"

"When they abandon the Qun, they are no longer Qunari," Lindise said. She was now plastered against the opposite wall, staring at the huge man. "The Tal Vashoth are... mercenaries. They... they aren't supposed to be trustworthy."

Vash's sharp gaze refocused on Lindise. After a long, stony pause, he shrugged, and turned to stuff himself back through the tiny doorway.

"Wait!" Elissa said, stepping forward, "Wait. Vashoth. My name is Elissa Cousland of the Grey Wardens. We are in need of a healer for an important quest."

Vash stopped and looked back at her. "Grey Wardens." He glanced back at Lindise, then Alistair, and slowly turned his big body back to them. "You need a healer for an important quest. How important?"

"Important enough to need a Tal Vashoth healer, apparently," Alistair answered.

"I am not Tal Vashosth. I am simply Vashoth." His head turned to gaze down at Alistair. "The people have taken to calling me Vash."

"One of our own has gone rogue and may have become dangerous. We need to find her," Elissa explained.

He lifted a clawed hand to stroke his beard. "Dangerous to the Wardens or to the people?" he asked, motioning down the dark, dirty alley with a hand.

"To whomever she meets," Lindise offered, stepping forward. "She is a mage, she's not in her right mind."

"A mage!" Vash almost smiled, and leaned back against the wall of his clinic. "That is very interesting. I see why you come to me and not the Circle to find a magical healer. Does this important quest pay well?"

"Yes," Elissa answered automatically. "Though I do not know how long this journey may be."

Vashoth turned his gaze back to Elissa, and his eyes were like two glittering gold coins. "Will you be able to trust me, Elissa Cousland of the Grey Wardens? Will you not fear my cutting your throat while you sleep? Stealing away all your gold and Warden secrets?"

Her brows pulled together. "No. You are a healer. One does not take up the profession for gold and glory."

"What makes you think I have chosen this path? Do not my people accept what roles are given to them?" He tilted his horned head as he regarded her with curiosity.

"The Vashoth choose their own path," Elissa said. "This is the role you wish to play."

Again, there was that almost smile on his face. Elissa had managed to work only one or two out of Sten in all the time she knew him. "Very well, Elissa Cousland of the Grey Wardens," he said at last. "My services are at your disposal."

Lindise let out a long breath. "Let's go and see if Paien found those two elves at the inn. I don't know what he's going to make of this."

Vash had turned to squeeze back into his clinic, but at Lindise's words, he froze. "What two elves?"

Alistair blinked at Vash's reaction. "What were their names? Bertram and..."

"Earnest," Vash finished. "Those men are dead."

Elissa gritted her teeth. Shit. "What happened?"

"A guardsman found them in the early morning, two days ago at the city gates. One was dead, the other was brought to me. But it was too late to help him." Vash's eyes narrowed. "They were drained of blood."

Lindise groaned and spun in an agitated circle. "This isn't good, Cousland!"

Vash's gaze flicked back to Elissa. "You are hunting a blood mage."

With a sigh, Elissa nodded to him.

Vash's gray face took on an expression of deep thought. Finally, he nodded, and turned back to his clinic once again, "Allow me to collect my things, and we shall depart."

"If... if you have any ginger root? Or horehound? Something for the stomach?" Alistair called after him. "I'd be in your debt."

"Dead?" Paien repeated, staring at Lindise with wide-eyed disbelief. "She killed them?"

The Tawdry Bell Inn was unremarkable in that it was much like any other tavern. Like much of Cumberland's establishments, it was small, with chairs and tables crammed into every possible place. It seemed that Nevarrians didn't much value of concept of personal space. The tavern was mostly empty this early in the day, but more and more people began to trickle in as afternoon began to give way to evening. It seemed to be a popular place with repeat business. Every time another local marched in, he was greeted with shouts of delight and pats on the back.

"They were bled dry," Lindise answered. "So I think that is a safe thing to assume."

Paien buried his face in his hands, "Maker, give me strength."

"Two days ago," Nathaniel said. "We aren't that far behind. We may yet be able to track her."

"Does this mage have a name?"

The Wardens fell silent and looked up at the kossith standing over them.

"And this is our healer," Paien muttered.

"Her name is Sabinia," Elissa answered. "She wasn't in Cumberland for very long, but if you know anything about her…"

Vash was silent, his chin resting against his chest. "I do not," he said at last.

Alistair shook his head, rolling a ginger candy about in his mouth, "So she knows we are following her, or at least that the elves were. She might think she's safe now that they are dead."

"Or she will be more careful now that she knows someone was following her," Nathaniel countered. "The fact that they were found outside the city can only mean she has left Cumberland." He got to his feet and slung his bow across his back, "Vashoth, if you could show me where the bodies were found, I may be able to uncover some clue as to where she was headed."

"The sun may be too low to see much by the time we arrive at the gates," Vash murmured.

Paien's face was still buried in his hands. "At first light," he finally said, "we will retake the hunt. They were found at the northern gate, so Sabinia is pushing north, as we suspected." He dropped his hands back into his lap. "If she is out of Cumberland, then she is further away from large groups of innocents. We are closer than we were yesterday. We will find her."