"Inquisitor… meet Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall. She had fought Corypheus before and I think she could help us."

Alex watched as the woman came down the stairs, her short, red hair getting messed by the winds of the mountains. She had green eyes as she did, but hers were darker, and slightly harsher in look than her own. She was taller than her, with slightly squarer features, a staff on her back and wearing a strange looking armor with fur around the collar. A smear of what looked like blood was slashed across her nose on her pale skin. She looked down at her as she stepped off the last stair, "Though I do not use that title anymore."

Varric stood beside her as he raised a hand up to Alex, "Hawke, this is…"

"My cousin, Alexandra Amell… or rather Trevelyan." Marianna Hawke said, bowing a little at her. "Varric has told me much about you, Cousin Alex."

Alex's eyebrow rose, before she looked down at the dwarf, who once again looked guilty, "Funny, he didn't tell me much about you."

Marian shrugged before leaning against the battlement, "You would have to forgive me for that. I had him swear to secrecy to keep my friends and I safe, as we're investigating something ourselves, and the Kirkwall Chantry hasn't quite forgiven us yet."

"But the Knight-Commander of Kirkwall is here with us." Alex said as she followed her cousin, crossing her arms.

"Yes, I've heard Cullen is here with you." Marian said, looking at Skyhold's courtyard, "He may have left Kirkwall, but the people still haven't forgiven us. As we speak, the templars there are gathering intelligence on us." She looked up at her, "My friends are trying their best to keep a low profile. I am risking their safety just by talking to you."

"Where are they… your friends?"Alex asked as Varric opened a bottle of wine and gave it to her, and she took a swig.

"Merrill is in hiding with her fellow elves. With the chaos after the Chantry explosion, I had her make the elves of Free Marches leave the area. Isabela is off somewhere being a pirate again, and Fenris is in Maker knows where, stopping slave traders. My friend Aveline is still Guard Captain of Kirkwall, but I had her remove my brother, Carver, towards the north." She mentioned at the dwarf beside Alex, "And of course, this lovely dwarf is here with you." She said, smirking down at Varric, who bowed regally.

"You haven't told me about him… the mage." Alex said, and instantly Marian's eyes grew darker, a mixture of regret, anger and sadness entered her features. "Varric's book said… you killed him."

"I did. And I would again." Marian said as she turned to her, "Anders… was a good man. But the spirit inside him… Justice… it got twisted and turned into a demon of Vengeance. He caused the explosion at Kirkwall, and the deaths of so many, including Grand Cleric Elthina." Her eyes hardened, "I loved him, and it hurt to kill him. But I had to. His quest for revenge made him blind, so much so that he didn't even see me… or the love I had for him."

Alex stared at her cousin, and she felt a little guilty when Marian's eyes watered a bit from the memories of her fallen lover. Varric reached over to his friend, holding her hand comfortingly, and the woman looked down at him and smiled a little, before looking back up at her, "But I believe you are not here to question me about Anders. Varric told me that you encountered Corypheus."

She nodded, "Yes. He said that you fought with him."

"Fought and killed. I didn't believe it when Varric told me of what happened in Haven, but if he says that Corypheus is still alive, then I believe him. He was there when we fought him." Marian said, looking down at the dwarf, who looked at the ground, "We were tricked into entering a Grey Warden dungeon by the Carta, we found him there. Apparently the Wardens couldn't kill him, and they decided to trap him… using my father's blood. He had the ability to manipulate the Wardens."

Varric nodded and continued, "He said he was a magister in the service of Dumat, a Tevinter Old God and that he was one of those who entered the Fade and assaulted the Black City, if you believe the Chantry Tale. We thought he would be too dangerous, so we killed him."

Alex blinked in surprise, "A magister that entered the Black City? How is that possible? And he's still alive?"

Marian shrugged, "Believe us, we KILLED him. When we were done with him, he was so full of stab wounds, burn marks and Bianca's bolts that he looked like a pin cushion. But I have another theory… though I don't know if it makes sense."

The Inquisitor nodded, "I'm willing to listen to your theory."

"When I was in Kirkwall, we found a different kind of lyrium… it was red." Her cousin said, and Alex shivered, remembering the red lyrium in her vision of the future Redcliffe. "And recently, I've heard that there was corruption in the Warden ranks. A Warden friend of mine is currently investigating it, and he's willing to share what he's found. He said he would meet us in Crestwood. He thinks it's related." Her gaze hardened, "My brother, Carver, is a Grey Warden. And if this 'corruption' would find its way to him, I need to find a way to stop it."

"Corypheus would certainly be considered a corruption in the ranks. I say it's worth looking at." Varric said, looking up at Alex as she put a hand under her chin to think. She looked down at the dwarf, "We still need to deal with Empress Celene's assassin, Varric. Do you suppose this could wait?"

The dwarf looked up at Marian, who nodded, "Of course, Cousin. Alistair is still traveling to Crestwood. He's my friend in the Wardens."

Alex blinked in surprise again, her mouth opening in shock, "Alistair?! The Alistair?"

Marian smiled a little, "Yes. That Alistair. One of the Hero of Ferelden's companions who stopped the Blight… your sister's husband."