Chapter 3 is up now. Sorry it's a day late. Went to a school party last night and was exhausted.

Aveline was in her new office. As soon as Varric became viscount he had offered her and Donnic their jobs back. They accepted of course, and Carver had even tagged along. With a heavy sigh Aveline sets down a stack of books she was suppose to go through. That was one side of the job she hadn't missed, but it was also the most relaxing part of it as well. Despite what Hawke may have been convinced up being the captain of the guard wasn't all patrols or fighting. As she looks around the new office, she had to give credit to Varric. He made it look a lot like her old office, with some improvements. More space was a perk, and she had a better view of the city. Her office had been moved more towards the front of the building then it's original place against the back wall. The windows allowed her to see past many of the buildings in uptown and even a little bit of lowtown in the distance.

"How are you settling in?" She knew it was the dwarf before she even turns around.

"Yes actually. Thank you Varric." She wasn't completely indifferent after her time on the run with Carver and Donnic. She had kept her promise to Hawke for as long as she could, and kept Carver away from the free marches and all the trouble happening in them. Eventually they did come back, after Varric had wrote them all news of Hawke, Carver was insufferable. He would switch from anger to sadness, cursing Hawke's name one moment then silently shedding his tears by himself the next where he thought Donnic and herself couldn't hear. At first she was caught off guard. Through all of her years of knowing Hawke she had never imagine that the mage would be dumb enough to go off and get herself killed.

"I'm glad. I thought the extra space would be necessary for when our games of wicked grace will be played."

Aveline gave him a look before leaning back against her desk. She crosses her arms over her chest as she always did. "Who said my office could be used for a game night? Last time I checked this was a place for the captain of the guards to command her officers, not for a few of your friends to come on and play."

"Well I said so of course."

"Of course." Aveline says with a snort. "No."

"No what?" Varric asks, with a smile on his face. He clearly had already expected this.

"No we will not be using my room as a place for you and your friends to play your games." Aveline states. No matter what, she wouldn't budge. Even if he was her new boss technically.

"Now, red, be reasonable."

"No. You have your new bar, The Hanged Man II. You don't need to use another."

"Ah, but this place would be for special friends only. Those I trust and/or want to impress." Varric says as he walks over to the windows across the hall. He moves the curtains aside with the comment, "You should keep these open more Aveline. It makes the place a lot more cheerful."

"The answer is still no Varric." They both knew that if he wanted to he could abuse his power to win this fight. Aveline was sure that he wouldn't go that far. Using it to give the key of the city away, and other lavish gifts to friends, now that he would use it for, commanding one of those said friends, never. Especially since said friend has the whole guard on her and her husband's side already. None of them would dare face her wrath for the dwarf.

Varric sighs, a large, overdramatic sigh. He didn't truly care for the defeat however. That grin of his never left his face and he quick to move onto the next subject. The game hadn't been his reason for visiting afterall. "How is Donnic doing?"

"He is fine. Still recovering from the fight between the young mage and carta rogue the other day but he'll be back to work as soon as I clear him for duty."

"So he's being held captive in bed is he?"

Aveline rolls her eyes. "I hardly doubt my husband's health is the reason for your visit."

"You always catch on so quick Red."

"You know I hate that nickname."

Varric laughs. He ignores her comment saying instead, "I haven't seen Junior in awhile."

Aveline watches to see if Varric was trying to still play some game of his. Once she thought that he was indeed not she answers him. "He left a couple of days ago."

"I'm surprised he stayed for as long as he had." Varric says before shaking his head.

"It didn't help that you gave the inquisitor the house that was being built over the ashes of Hawke's family mansion." Aveline mentions.

"We all decided burning it down was the right thing to do. I only gave that place to the inquisitor because she lost the inquisition and Carver didn't want it." Varric defends his point. "Did he go back to the grey wardens?"

"I don't know Varric. I'm not his babysitter." Varric gives Aveline his signature smile, but right now it was just a cover up. His eyes gave away his concern.

"You could have fooled me." Varric teases. He looks back out the window. Aveline was returning back to her work, deciding that the dwarf would leave eventually when he grew bored enough.

"I guess the grey wardens get around."

"What?" Aveline gives him a questioning gaze, her eyebrow arched. Varric was still looking out the window. Watching something else that had now caught his interests. Whatever he saw it most likely meant more trouble for her.

They arrived early in the mourning after having left late the night before. They were lucky they had a friend in the free marches who could take them to Kirkwall. Zevran and Alistair did not want to walk all the way to Kirkwall. They paid the couch fifty sovereigns so it would not stop until they had reached Kirkwall. Occasionally Hark and Neira would hop off of the cart and run alongside it for a few minutes. The two never liked, not being able to stretch their legs over long periods of time. They had voted to walk all the way there but with Jowan as the tie breaker they had lost. Jowan's reason for choosing to take the couch was the fact that he thought it would help them save energy and they would get there sooner. So they ran, and ran, and ran, until they would almost lose track of the couch and fall to far behind. When that happened, Neira would use her magic to help speed them up or float them back onto the cart.

When they arrived at Kirkwall Zevran left them to go and find someone. He hadn't said who or when he would be back, but that was nothing new with Zevran. So Alistair and Neira was now walking around Kirkwall in the twilight hours of the dawn. Hark was walking between them, his tail wagging at a furious speed as he trots with them through the rebuilding city. Neira's eyes kept wandering around, looking for any signs of trouble. In cities like this one she always had trouble with feeling comfortable. Especially when such a city has a history of mistreating it's mages in its circle.

"Relax. You look as if you're about to be chased out." Alistair jokes.

"That's not entirely impossible, considering how recently the war between templars and mages ended."

"Ended by the same person we're going to meet. Who is also a mage." Alistair adds.

"So the blight and the war were ended by mages, and the rebellion in Kirkwall was caused by one." Neira says sadly.

"She didn't cause it." Alistair says defensively. "She was dragged into it by people who could've thrown her whole family out of town."

"I know Alistair. I wish I had met her, and she had handled the situation as best as she could've. However that is not how some of the people see it. They need a person to blame for it all. So those who do not know all of the details have a tendency to blame Hawke and her friends, who were associated with a mage who had blown up a chantry. Personally if I was going to blame anyone it would be Meredith, Orsino, Anders, or maybe even myself. I made him a grey warden. I am the reason he met Justice. I allowed him to leave, even though I knew he had accepted Justice and they had joined. I gave them each other and allowed them to come to this city. In short, it's a wonder no one outside a few wardens and others who had been there blame me for this mess."

Alistair watches as Neira begins to walk ahead of them a little. He watches her with sad, attentive eyes. Hark whines and Alistair turns towards him. He scratches the large mabari behind his ears. "I know boy. I know." He answers. Neira had been acting different ever since she got back from looking for a cure. She said she had gotten close but for some reason the trail had gone cold. After receiving that letter Alistair had put Stroud in charge and took some time off. That was almost a month ago, and Alistair had notice a few changes in her. She no longer held that positive outlook on things. She was always smiling during the time they had in between fights and politics when they had been fighting the blight. She also seemed to have stopped believing that everyone could be save, a lesson she had had trouble swallowing even when she couldn't convince Alistair that Loghain deserved to live. After that she had been sullen up until the final fight. She really wanted to give people second chances, and trust that everyone could do good, but those were the beliefs of a protected innocent and not of someone who had experienced the world. She was a season fighter, a world-renowned mage, a legendary figure, and one of the smartest people he knew. He hated seeing her this way.

"Neira if you want to find the inquisitor I'm sure we can do so sooner if we pay a visit to the viscount." Alistair suggests but Neira shakes her head. She points ahead of them towards a large blond man with a mabari hound he was playing with outside.

"If my eyes don't fool me, I do believe that is Cullen." She says jokingly with a small smile forming on her lips.

"They were close." Alistair agrees as they walk over towards the former templar.

"Cullen." Neira says loud enough for Cullen to hear them without putting him into attack mode. Neira knew better than to sneak up on any templar, former or otherwise. They were always ready for a fight if they felt one was necessary. Plus he had a mabari with him. She did not want to test its temper either.

Cullen turns around and it was clear he had been caught off-guard. At first he squints at them, and holds a scowl on his face, as if he did not recognize them. Slowly though, his eyes widen and his scowl turns into a look of confusion. His mabari stops playing when he notices Cullen's hesitation. It looks over at the group and it growls at them.

"Down, it's alright. They're friendly. I hope." He adds that last part but Alistair and Neira felt it was completely unnecessary. However she could tell by the way Cullen took a gulp that he recognizes her and knew her memory had probably lasted as long as the years had.

"Don't worry Cullen, we were just hoping to have a few words Lavellan." Neira explains with her sweet voice. She was trying to make friends, not enemies. She didn't agree with what he had done, but she had forgiven him. He was ill at the time, still he wasn't fully excused. He never would be.

"Why?" Cullen asks as his mabari walks over to the group slowly. Hark met him before the other mabari could even get near Neira and the others. He looks down at the slightly smaller mabari as it sniffs him.

"We talked yesterday, and we must do so again. Solas has sent me a very concerning letter I want to talk to her about."

"Where's the letter?" Cullen asks eyeing them.

"Ask Solas. It broke apart in my hands after I read it. He used a spell of sort to hold it together allowing it to break apart as it was read." Neira answers as she looks back down at her hand. She would've burnt it if it hadn't fallen apart and evaporated anyways.

Cullen looks back at the front door of the house behind him. It was one story, not very tall at all, but very wide. Neira glances down to see the obvious signs of burning. There had been another building standing there long before the current one. Large enough to burn hot enough to even char bits of the street nearest to it. Looking around it was the only small house in the district. All of it's neighbors were large and tall, doing their best to reach the sky. It wouldn't surprise her if the house that had stood there before this one was as tall as the rest of them, if not larger. This was the upper district after all, or it at least use to be. From what she heard about the new viscount he was trying to help rebuild the city so it was a better place for everyone. Maybe they would get equality. She was hopeful even if it was unlikely that everyone's lives would improve. The house that stood behind Cullen was clearly still under work. The roof wasn't on fully, Neira could spot the small holes from here. She was sure they would fix them soon, no doubt distracted by other things.

Hark barks one loud, clear bark to gain the attention of the ex-templar once more. Neira walks towards hark and the other mabari and smiles. She pats Hark's head before rubbing his ears with the promise of a treat later. The smaller mabari reacted playfully. It barks back before backing down with a smile and a wag of it's tale. Hark ignores the mabari as it attempts to gain his attention to play.

"It's alright." Neira tells him and Alistair smiles as the stoic mabari quickly grew playful as fast as the smaller one had. The two mabari ran back and forth around the entirety of the street, chasing each other, and practicing their fighting skills.

Cullen smiles a little at the sight before looking back at the wardens, Surana and Alistair. "I don't know if she's up, but if you want you two can wait inside." Cullen says, more at ease then Neira had expected. Cullen use to be so jittery and nervous back when they had been at the circle. She was glad to see he was more relaxed now and that he did not still hold the same rage against mages that he use too.

Cullens opens the door and ignores the squeaking sound the new hinges made. "That must get annoying." Alistair jokes.

"Maybe, but when we were rebuilding skyhold the squeaky hinges were everywhere. I've gotten use to tuning such noises out. They still stand out in the middle of the night however." Cullen responds as he moves some papers from around the room and onto a shelf that was already filled beyond what should've been it's normal capacity of books and papers.

"Of course." Neira says with an understanding smile that reaches her eyes. She had always been good at giving those.

Cullen nods his head as he move to check something in the backroom. Looking around Neira and Alistair could see that the house was much larger on the inside then the initial impression it gave them. The holes in the ceiling also gave it a somewhat more natural look.

Cullen came back with a broad smile on his face. It reminded Neira of the ones he sometimes wore at the circle when Gregor would compliment him or when he was talking with his fellow templars. "She's still asleep, as I thought. Have you, uh, ate yet?" He asks awkwardly not sure if he should offer them anything or not. He rubs the back of his neck.

"We're good. Do you mind if we sit to wait?" Alistair asks resting a hand on Neira's shoulder.

"No, go ahead. She'll probably be up soon, until then can you begin telling me about this letter? Any information concerning Solas is vital at the moment. We don't have many people working for us anymore." Cullen admits as he sits across from them. His gaze rose back up to stop on Jowan who chose to stand rather than sit.

"I know you don't I?" Cullen asks trying to place him.

"Yes." Was all Jowan said to answer.

"That's Jowan, Cullen. You two use to talk, sometimes though rarely the three of us would discuss the occasional topic."

"Oh yes, the blood mage who ran away from the tower the same day the wardens took you away." Cullen says, frowning deeply at the memory or maybe he was frowning at Jowan.

"Yes."

"Man, that seems like ages ago." Alistair adds. He runs his hand through his hair and leans his head back. "You know, when our only concern was an arch-demon and not the combatting of elven gods, and destruction of our world." He says before smiling fondly on those times.

"The world was in danger of being destroyed back then as well. By an army of darkspawn led by an arch-demon. How do you forget the army?" Neira questions.

"Because half-the time they were hurlocks and grunts who were easy, plus we had Shale and Sten back then. It wasn't like we were outmatched or anything." Alistair adds as Neria rolls her eyes.

"If I may interrupt, why is he with you?" Cullen asks as he directs their looks back towards the tranquil mage. He had already spotted the marks of a tranquil but he couldn't recall when the mage had been made tranquil.

"I like to tell people that I came across him when the circles were falling apart, but the truth is I had a chantry sister who was a friend of mine watch out for him. When the circles were truly beginning to fall apart from the indecision and disagreements, I asked her is she could get him to safety. Everyone always forgets about the tranquil. She managed to send him away to help a group of dwarves who were bringing lyrium to the circle. He was suppose to help the dwarves carry them up but then I had a very brusque dwarf I know take him away. They later met with me, but it took them quite some time to catch up. I wasn't even in Thedas by then." Neira explains with a fond smile. "So in short he's with me because he is my friend and I want to keep him safe."

"Being near us isn't always the safest place." Alistair adds with a sad laugh.

"Exactly why I leave Hark in charge of him in such cases dear." Neira retorts playfully, with a smirk.

"Can't he still use blood magic?" Cullen questions. His hand was kneading the palm of his sword. Even when he wasn't in charge of commanding or training others the man was always armed. Could he not even relax in his own home. Then again Neira wasn't one to judge. She would probably sleeping with a blade on her if she didn't have confidence her her magic. Then again, not everyone has magic.

"Maybe, however, since he has been made tranquil he hasn't performed any magical feats." Neira explains. "Even his cooking is as bad as ours." Neira adds jokingly.

Cullen didn't smile at the joke as Neira had expected. "Uh-huh." He looks back to the wardens while keeping an eye on Jowan. The tranquil would barely move and Cullen would move all his focus back onto the mage.

Alistair sat at the table with one arm around Neira's shoulders and the other was tapping a melody against the top of the table. Cullen listens but could not place the unrythmic melody that he was tapping, maybe it was just a random thing he was tapping along with that his mind had concocted. Alistair was watching Cullen, occasionally moving his gaze to Neria or to the door where the former inquisitor was supposedly sleeping.

"So can we talk about the elephant in the room yet?" Alistair blurts untactfully. He saw that it made the former commander jump somewhat and Neira had darted her eyes towards a creaking sound from anothe rpart of the house.

"Is that a no?"

"Wh-what would that be?" Cullen questions. "The elephant?"

"It's not as much of an elephant as it is an elf. Shouldn't we be discussing plans to deal with him?" Alistair asks not enjoying the silence at all.

"I thought we would wait for Lavellan." Neira replies.

"We could start without her." Cullen states.

"Why? She listening in anyways." Neira comments then gestures toward the back door. Drenis's feet were just slightly peeking out from under the door. It opens slowly right after Neira voiced that she had seen Drenis.

"How could you tell? Did you sense me? Or heard my floor creaking from my weight?" Drenis asks sarcastically.

"No." Neira answers clearly confused. "I did hear the floor creak but it had never crossed my mind that it was you. Was it?"

"Then how did you know I was listening?"

"You're feet were sticking out from under the door."

Drenis sighs and walks over to sit besides Cullen. She rests her head sleeply against his shoulder. It was true that she had been listening, hoping to hear something without having to talk to the grey warden again. Hadn't once been enough? Drenis shoves her face deeper into Cullen's neck to block out the light from the window behind the two grey wardens. "Come to give me more cryptic messages?"

"Actually this one was given to me. Supposedly from Solas though it was probably one of his servants who wrote it and sent it for him."

Drenis felt herself wake up a little more. She moves so that she was now looking at the Grey Wardens, she regretted it because of that blasted light. "Where is it?"

"I don't know. It fell apart in my hands and all traces of disappeared." Neira explains.

Drenis felt her spirits fall. She had never been much of a morning person so she always had low ones at the beginning of the day anyways. Drenis runs a hand over her face to get the bits of sand from her eyes. Then she covers her mouth as she yawns before asking, "So what did it say?"

"The direct words of the letter were these; I know what you are doing Grey Warden. I recommend you stay this course and actions you are planning to take. We know of your allies and your power, however you may not know as much about us or the fade as you think you do. It would be terrible if your small shack in the mountains outside of ferelden would burn up as well as all that research of yours. I hope you enjoy yourself, and I would advise that you stay away from the former inquisition." She left out the part where he wished her a happy last few years. She doubted she even had that long.

Cullen looks to Lavellan who sighs and rubs her eyes again. "I can't tell if that was actually Solas or one of his lackeys taking the initiative."

"Whoever it was I am not comfortable with them sending my friends with messages that are threats to me." Neira says her temper peeking out through her words.

"I am sure you do not. This is a situation none of us enjoy Grey Warden. We are trying to find him."

"We know you are, Drenis." Alistair says. "However we would like to help. We may not be in the best of shape anymore but we can aid in stopping an elf bent on destroying our realm."

"Speak for yourself. I am in fine shape."

"I was speaking of the dog dear."

"Hark is in great shape as well." Neira pouts as she quietly replies. THe mabari was getting up there in years but Neira still only saw the warrior dog she had seen when she first met and cured the poor mabari.

"How could you help us exactly Alistair? What are you thinking of?"

"Well we have a few connections of our own and even though we aren't much in the spotlight anymore we can still rally a small militia together if the need ever arises. Also, I may know a few powerful mages that can get us into the fade. My wife here included."

"You've been to the fade? Physically?" Cullen asks completely surprised. He rubs his temples and tries to imagine what had happened to the young mage he had known in the circle. She was acting the same she had always done but he could tell she had changed. The air around her was different and her eyes held an even greater source of wisdom then what had use to be there when they were younger. He could only imagine what she must've done.

"Yes. A few times. Each one very different from the last."

"I thought no one had been to the fade physically until,"

"Your fight at adamant, Lavellan. No, there are a few people who've been but we don't really advertise such feats. Trouble and such tends to follow. If not in the form of templars then in the form of rogues, bandits, mages who would abuse such finds, and of course demons that may follow us either to or fro. Being in the fade physically isn't so bad, but it is in no way a fun either."

"I know someone who would disagree." Lavellan mutters.

"Could it be that you're talking about the elf that is now our greatest enemy?" Neira says with her soft tone and innocent smile. The insult was not lost in her smile however. Drenis knew that the warden had just challenged her. She was hardly one to back down.

"Yes I do. I also mean other fade mages including myself as well. If there is something you want to say warden, say it. I can't stand the games people play as if the world itself was Orlais."

"I do not play the games of the game of Orlais, a smile can be a weapon as well as a shield Lavellan. You can hardly call me Orlesian for using it." Neira defends before sighing out of exasperation.

"Okay, I can see where this is going. I'm glad I showed up before the party ended in big bang. The street has enough scorched marks, don't you think?" Neira looks over to spot a dwarf in a red vest, standing in the doorway. He wore a friendly look of concern on his face but it was soon replaced with a smile.

"Varric?" Drenis says somewhat confused as to why the dwarf was here.

"Hey Dre. I was just coming over to check up on you. Since you seemed so determined to be alone yesterday."

"Varric, now might not be the best time." Cullen says but Alistair was already waving at the dwarf.

"Varric, nice to see you again." They had only talked a few times but Alistair enjoys the storyteller's company. At Skyhold he had quite a few tales that he would share over the occasional game. Alistair didn't play often but when he did he would get distracted and lose because of Varric stories. The dwarf was smart.

Varric give a slight nod of acknowledgement in response. He then walks over to Cullen and whispers something before turning around to greet the warden. He looks her up and down before offering her a smile. "So you must be the beautiful elf that saved us all from the blight. I can see that rumors can be accurate after all."

"Mr. Tethras. I admire your stories and what you've done for your home. You're not quite as vexatious as I have heard."

"I don't suppose you know Carver then."

"Not well. He has been under my charge time to time. He's not much of a fan."

Varric laughs. He looks down and says, "Yeah that sounds like him" before he turns back to Drenis who was tumbling with the sleeve of her missing arm.

"We'll be there Varric." The former inquisitor promises with a genuine smile.

"See you there then. Your friends can come too of they're staying." Varric adds before he leaves. Now who else was coming tonight? He wonders as he gives the mabari a large berth between himself and them.

I hope you'e enjoyed. They are finally starting to get somewhere at least. Any advice & constructive criticism is always welcomed.