They'd cleared the templars and mages, only for bandits to move in. They dispatched the first batch on their way to the location the scouts had provided for the Grey Warden. Solas noted the men seemed rather well coordinated and equipped for bandits, and Ruya agreed.

A trek around the pond gave them their first glimpse of their target. Or Ruya assumed the man wearing the griffin emblazoned breastplate was their target. He was drilling three other men in shield work. She glanced over her shoulder at Cassandra, who gave her a shrug. Ruya returned the shrug, and headed towards the man. "Blackwall? Warden Blackwall?"

He turned towards her, his expression startled. "You're not -" He took a few steps towards her. "How do you know my name? Who sent..." He must have caught something out of the corner of his eye, because he was able to bring up his shield in time to block the arrow that would have hit her. "That's it. Help or get out. We're dealing with this idiots first."

She could live with that. Solas put up a barrier around the trainees as Ruya used lightning to strike at the back ranks of the approaching bandits. Blackwall and Cassandra charged in, the trainees only a few steps behind them. She could hear Sera cackling as the elven woman put an arrow into the... well, that looked painful.

#

"Sorry bastards." Blackwall rose from where he'd been checking one of the dead men. He turned towards the trainees. "Good work, conscripts, even if this shouldn't have happened. They could've -" He shrugged. "Well, thieves are made, not born. Take back what they stole. Go back to your families. You saved yourselves." He waited until the trainees were disappearing into the distance before turning to face her. "You're no farmer. Why do you know my name? Who are you?"

"I know your name because I'm an agent of the Inquisition." She gestured towards the valley, where the Inquisition's camp could just barely be made out in the distance. "I'm investigating whether the disappearance of the Wardens has anything to do with the murder of the Divine."

He actually looked insulted. "Maker's balls, the Wardens and the Divine? That can't -" He shook his head. "No, you're asking, so you don't really know." He paced a length of shoreline. "First off, I didn't know they disappeared. But we do that, right? No more Blight, job done, Wardens are the first thing forgotten. But one thing I'll tell you: no Warden killed the Divine. Our purpose isn't political."

"I'm not here to accuse." She started to hold up a reassuring hand, then considered. "Not yet. I just need information. I've only found you. Where are the rest?"

"I haven't seen any Wardens for months. I travel alone, recruiting. Not much interest because the Archdemon is a decade dead, and no need to conscript because there's no Blight coming. Treaties give Wardens the right to take what we need. Who we need. These idiots forced this fight, so I 'conscripted' their victims. They had to do what I said, so I told them to stand. Next time they won't need me." His eyes became distant. "Grey Wardens can inspire, make you better than you think you are."

It sounded plausible enough. Leliana knew something of the Wardens, she could always verify the information with her later. "I wasn't aware Grey Wardens could take whatever they want."

"It's complicated. If there's a Blight, everyone has to help the effort to fight it. The treaties are ancient." He twitched a shoulder. "Outside of Blights, it's as binding as a clever tongue can make it."

That sounded a bit more reasonable. "Do you have any idea where the other Wardens could have gone?"

He considered the question, and then shook his head. "Maybe they returned to our stronghold at Weisshaupt? That's in the Anderfels, a long way north." He adjusted the strap on his shield. "I don't really know. Can't imagine why they'd all disappear at once, let alone where they'd disappear to."

She glanced over her shoulder at her companions, then back to Blackwall. "Why haven't you gone missing like the rest of them?"

"Well, maybe I was going to." He narrowed his eyes. "Or maybe there's a new directive, but a runner got lost or something. My job was to recruit on my own. Planned to stay that way for months. Years."

Leliana was likely not going to be pleased that they'd found more questions than answers. Or maybe she would be, Ruya hadn't quite figured out what to make of the woman yet. "It's been a pleasure, Warden Blackwall, but this didn't help at all."

She'd gone only a few steps when he called after her. "Inquisition... Agent, did you say? Hold a moment." He walked to catch up. "The Divine is dead, and the sky is torn. Events like these, thinking we're absent is almost as bad as thinking we're involved. If you're trying to put things right, maybe you need a Warden. Maybe you need me."

"The Inquisition needs all the support it can get, but what can one Grey Warden do?"

He drew himself up and gave her a steady look. "Save the fucking world, if pressed." He glanced over his shoulder at where the Breach was visible in the sky. "Look, maybe fighting demons from the sky isn't something I'm practiced at, but show me someone who is. And like I said, there are treaties. Maybe this isn't a Blight, but it's bloody well a disaster. Some will honor them. Being a Warden means something to a lot of people."

Valid points. And a man who cared enough to protect people from bandits seemed exactly the sort they sorely needed right now. "Warden Blackwall, the Inquisition accepts your offer."

#

Sera and Blackwall seemed to hit it off immediately. It was rather nice to have someone along who seemed to be able to follow the elven woman's chatter. With two warriors, two archers, and two mages, the bandits didn't stand a chance.

Locating Solas's artifact didn't take them long. A Dalish woman was seeking the same thing, and they joined forces. The Dalish woman was rather arrogant until Solas said something in elvish. Then she got wary. They slew some demons and activated the artifact. Ruya examined it for a few moments before realizing she had absolutely no idea what the thing really was.

Solas convinced the Dalish woman, Mihris, to hand over some trinket she'd found. For a moment, Ruya considered inviting Mihris to join the Inquisition. She glanced at Solas, and then decided against it. It was clear he didn't trust the woman, and thus far his judgment had proved sound.

The veilfire was fascinating, and uncovered an enchantment. She took notes and tucked them away in her beltpouch. Surely one of the crafters back at Haven could do something with the enchantment.

"We should let Corporal Vale know we took care of the bandits." She considered their next course of action. "Then head up to the coast and locate this 'Iron Bull' fellow."

They were halfway back to the Inquisition camp before she realized that Cassandra had simply followed her lead instead of the other way around.

#

"Your Worship. For what it's worth, welcome to the Storm Coast." Harding's normally cheerful face wore a look of concern. "I would have sent word sooner, but our efforts have been... delayed."

Ruya really hoped the title was Harding's idea of a joke and not something people were actually calling her. "How so?"

Harding pointed. "There's a group of bandits operating in the area. They know the terrain, and our small party has had trouble going up against them. Some of our soldiers went to speak with their leader." Harding tossed a worried look over her shoulder. "Haven't heard back, though."

"I'll do what I can to find our people."

"Thank you, Your Worship. That's a relief." She gestured at the map spread out on a stump. "The soldiers didn't have an exact location for the bandits, but they were starting their search farther down the beach." She sighed. "With all this fuss, we haven't been able to conduct a proper search for the Wardens, either." Her cheery smile returned. "Well, good luck, and enjoy the sea air. I hear it's good for the soul."

#

On the shore, a group was engaged in a fierce battle with a group of Tevinter. They were skilled, that much was obvious. By the time she and her companions had reached them, the fight was all but over. A booming voice carried over the shoreline. "Chargers, stand down." A massive man cleaned off the edge of an axe that probably weighed more than she did. "Krem. How'd we do?"

The young man she'd spoken to earlier replied. "Five or six wounded, chief. No dead."

"That's what I like to hear. Let the throatcutters finish up, then break out the casks." He turned, and walked towards her. "So you're with the Inquisition, huh? Glad you could make it. Come on, have a seat. Drinks are coming."

She'd seen a few Qunari around the temple, but not up close. He was almost a foot taller than she was, and probably the same in width. She'd seen dragons with smaller horns. "Iron Bull, I presume?"

He nodded. "Yeah, the horns usually give it away." He gestured as he seated himself on a piece of driftwood. "I assume you remember Cremisius Aclassi, my lieutenant."

Krem gave a small bow. "Good to see you again." He turned his attention to Iron Bull. "Throatcutters are done, chief."

"Already? Have 'em check again. I won't want any of those Tevinter bastards getting away. No offense, Krem."

"None taken." He shrugged. "Least a bastard knows who his mother was. Puts him one up on you Qunari, right?"

"Soo..." Iron Bull waited until Krem was a few paces away before looking up at her. Even seated, he didn't have to look up much. "We're expensive, but we're worth it..." He gave a pointed look at the dead Tevinter. "And I'm sure the Inquisition can afford us."

"How much is this going to cost me, exactly?" She had no real idea what the Inquisition could afford.

He shrugged. "It wouldn't cost you anything personally, unless you wanna buy drinks later. Your ambassador - what's her name - Josephine? We'd go through her and get the payments set up." He gestured lazily. "The gold will take care of itself. Don't worry about that. All that matters is we're worth it."

She looked over the band. They were chatting with each other, the lazy high spirits she recognized as friends glad to be alive. A few were already exchanging what passed for wit with Blackwall, Varric, and Sera. Cassandra's expression said she wasn't sure what to make of the group. And Solas was examining a seashell. "The Chargers seem like an excellent company."

"They are." The pride in his voice was evident. "But you're not just getting the boys. You're getting me." He gestured at himself. "You need a frontline bodyguard, I'm your man. Whatever it is - demons, dragons? The bigger the better." He rose, and took a few steps further away from the others. "And there's one more thing. Might be useful, might piss you off. Ever hear of the Ben-Hassrath?"

"They're a Qunari organization, right?" She'd read little of the Qunari. Half of what she knew came from Varric's book, and she was fairly confident he'd taken liberties. "The equivalent of their guards and city watch?"

"I'd go closer to 'spies,' but yeah, that's them." He turned towards her. "Or, well, us." He shrugged. "The Ben-Hassrath are concerned about the Breach. Magic out of control like that could cause trouble everywhere. I've been ordered to join the Inquisition, get close to the people in charge, and send reports on what's happening. But I also get reports from Ben-Hassrath agents all over Orlais. You sign me on, I'll share them with your people."

"You're a Qunari spy, and you just..." She slowly shook her head. "Told me?"

"Whatever happened at that Conclave thing, it's bad. Someone needs to get that Breach closed." He nodded to her. "So whatever I am, I'm on your side."

Just what the Inquisition needed. Their very own spy / battering ram. Still, this seemed like the kind of thing that would interest Leliana. "All right. You're in."

"Excellent." He turned, and shouted towards his lieutenant. "Krem, tell the men to finish drinking on the road. The Chargers just got hired."

#

After a brief battle, they found the bodies of the Inquisition soldiers strewn about a ruined farmhouse. From the looks of things, they'd been led into a trap. "We should see that their families are notified," Solas said.

"Agreed. Look around, see if you can find anything."

A few minutes later, they had a map to the bandit camp, and something about a crest of mercy that would enable them to challenge the bandit leader without having to fight their way through the entire camp. It took her and Solas only a few minutes to put one together.

"Our men were murdered by a group called the Blades of Hessarian." Ruya sighed. Knowing who had done it didn't make it easier. She wasn't looking forward to telling Harding.

Cassandra shook her head and glared. "Hessarian's blade is supposed to represent mercy, not random slaughter."

#

"Someone's come with a challenge?" The people on guard stepped to the side to let Ruya and her party pass.

"The others failed."

Ruya continued walking forward through the gate confidently, despite the corpses handing from the posts above her head. The camp looked well defended. If this didn't work, they might be in some trouble. As they caught sight of the crest around her neck, the bandits parted to let her continue on her way. Their leader was big enough that for a moment, she wished she'd brought Iron Bull along for this.

"So you would challenge the Blades of Hessarian?"

"You killed soldiers of the Inquisition." She was pleasantly surprised that her voice remained firm and strong. "We cannot let this stand."

"You want justice? Claim it." He howled a war cry as he started towards her.

She unleashed the spell she'd gathered, throwing him backwards into a boulder that seemed to be serving as a trophy stand. Two armor covered mabari rushed towards her, and Cassandra and Blackwall instantly took up defensive positions. As the bandit leader got to his feet, she manifested more lightning, sending it as a series of small blasts so he couldn't dodge them all. She had to use a third spell before he went down for good. He twitched, then went still.

"It's done."

"Provided no one stabs you in the back on the way out." Varric helpfully provided reassurance.

One of the men approached her. "Your worship." He bowed. "The Blades of Hessarian are at your service. If you want eyes on the coast, here we are."

"I've not heard of the Blades of Hessarian." The blade, yes, but not the blades.

"Our work is often misunderstood, but we serve Andraste - and whoever proves worthy of wielding us."

This seemed a little... well, easy wasn't exactly the word she'd use. Maybe simple? "You and your Blades are loyal to the Inquisition?"

"We're loyal to you." He shrugged. "I suppose that's the same thing, Your Worship."

"So there's no ill will over what happened with your former boss?"

He glanced at the corpse, and she saw his mouth actually twitch into a smile. "The man was a bastard. You're not the first to stand up to him. You're just the first to win, and we're happy with that." He bowed again. "Besides, I would rather swear my life to the Herald of Andraste."

And just like that, she had her own bandit army.

#

They headed back into the Hinterlands to seek out the horsemaster. What he ended up wanting was slightly more complicated. First they had to kill some wolves, and then they had to put up some watchtowers.

The horse he gave her was magnificent. Lukas would have been green with envy over the creature. She was sorry to leave it at the camp, but it wasn't fair for her to ride while her friends walked.

A rift was hanging in the air above some crops. There was no way around trampling the seedlings, but at least they managed to get it sealed. "How many does that make?" Ruya asked Varric.

"Eight, by my count."

"Based on the reports we've received, there are plenty more." Cassandra picked up a strange bit of something from where the rift had been, and tucked it into their pack for Mineave to examine.

"The farms are safer now, anyway."

#

"I am very pleased you joined us, Warden Blackwall."

"The honor is mine, Lady Seeker."

"We need strong, righteous warriors-now more than ever."

"Righteous?" Blackwall chuckled. "High praise, Cassandra. Many Wardens have hardly lived righteous lives."

"True, yet you give yourself to an Order that would die to protect others." She actually smiled. "It is never too late to do better, and become more than what you are."

"That is the hope." Blackwall smiled.

Ruya glanced at Cassandra. "Have you known many Wardens?"

"I've encountered a few over the years, but I can only really claim to have known one."

"Which one? Maybe Blackwall knows them."

Cassandra glanced at Blackwall. "Did you know Warden Constable Mahariel?"

"Heard stories, but never actually met the man." Blackwall shrugged.

"Wait... Mahariel?" Varric frowned thoughtfully. "I think I know that name. Was he Dalish?"

"Ah. That is right. You encountered his clan near Kirkwall." Cassandra frowned. "He was not pleased when he learned what had occurred."

"Nobody was, Seeker. Nobody was."

"Is he among the missing then?"

Cassandra was silent for a moment, and then she shook her head. "No. We went to Vigil's Keep before we traveling on to Kirkwall. He and several other Wardens were killed in an excursion in the Deep Roads." She sighed. "Leliana did not take it well. They were... close, once."

#

Solas's guess about a demon taking over the wolf pack appeared to have been accurate. Blackwall flanked it as Cassandra moved in. The terror demon started to dive down, and she quickly hurled a blast of energy to knock it off its feet. Both warriors immediately stepped in, and it was dead a heartbeat later.

The few wolves in their vicinity continued to attack, but it appeared the rest of the pack slunk off as soon as the demons were dead.

"With the demon dead, the farmers should be safe from the wolves." Cassandra wiped her blade clean.

"And the wolves are no doubt happy to be freed from the demon's control," Solas added.

They started back towards the farms. "A friend traveled with a wolf. A magnificently absurd beast." Cassandra's lips twitched slightly in a fond smile.

"He had a pet wolf?" Ruya raised an eyebrow.

"He found it during the Blight, only a few weeks old. Called it Vir'ghilani."

Solas nodded. "Wayfinder."

"Yes. Powerful enough to tear the throat out of an abomination, and all he ever asked in returned was a good belly rub. My first encounter with the wolf was when he took down an apostate that would otherwise have killed me." She shook her head, and then sighed as a look of sorrow came over her face. "And my last encounter was when he took down an apostate that would otherwise have killed me."

"Who was his master?" Ruya asked.

"The Warden I spoke of. Brehan Mahariel. Though he'd object to being called Vir'ghilani's master. Dogs had masters, he said, and it was best to remember the difference between a dog and a wolf." She sighed, and for a moment her eyes were distant. "A tragic mistake." She shook her head. "Come, we should report back."

#

"We will need to head back, see if we can't arrange to get people out here to build those watchtowers."

Cassandra nodded to Ruya. "And report back our findings along the storm coast."

"Hopefully, they'll have decided by now if we are going to talk to the mages or the templars.