The debate appeared to be ongoing. Ruya gave her report. Cullen immediately began dispatching workers to get the watchtowers put up. They arranged for the Blades of Hessarian to report to him. Leliana was both pleased and wary regarding Iron Bull.

"It seems Blackall knows nothing about the disappearance of the Grey Wardens." Leliana twisted her hands. "It's a disappointment. I am, however, glad he is with us, even if he was..." She tilted her head slightly. "Not what I expected. He seems to be a good man and his experience will be an asset to the Inquisition." She sighed. "As for the other Wardens, I suppose we will have to keep looking."

Ruya nodded. "You've a history with the Wardens who ended the Blight."

A cloud came over Leliana's eyes. "Yes. I count them among my dearest friends." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Alistair and Cathiel are well on their way to kicking off Ferelden's golden age."

"They haven't gone missing with the other Wardens?"

"Officially, they are no longer part of the Order." Leliana's eyes flicked towards the Breach. "A small mercy, I suppose."

"What about the others?"

"Brosca and Lenore are in Antiva. I've received a message back. They do not know why the others have vanished. And the..." Leliana trailed off. "Jerath Tabris has been gone a long time now."

"And the Hero of Ferelden?"

"Dead. As is..." She looked away. "Brehan helped start this Inquisition. Then..." She shook her head. "The Maker brought us together. We arrived at Vigil's Keep to learn he was gone. In that instant, I felt the Maker's presence grow cold. One moment a cherished child, the next... abandoned. And then, when Justinia was killed... I was angry. I felt betrayed. But I shouldn't have let my emotions get the better of me. I'm sorry."

Ruya put a hand on her shoulder. "You don't need to apologize for grief, Leliana."

#

Cassandra stood near the gate, watching Solas and Ruya. The apostate appeared to be assisting the Herald with improving her barriers. She still wasn't entirely sure what to make of the elven man, but his assistance thus far had proved invaluable.

She caught Cullen's approach out of the corner of her eye. "Thoughts?"

"Leliana is still convinced the mages are the best choice. Josephine leans that direction, but I think she is holding out hope that we may be able to bring both under our banner."

A snort of laughter escaped Cassandra. "And next we will get on our griffins and fly across the sea." She folded her arms. "You aren't regretting throwing in with us, are you?"

He shook his head. "Not in the slightest. Our latest report from the Hinterlands shows closed rifts and safe refugees. We've people underway to get those watchtowers up."

"The Herald is..." Cassandra's gaze went back to where Solas and Ruya were now on opposite sides of a snowball fight between some of the younger recruits and some of the children of the workers, using barriers to protect their forces. She saw Cullen's eyes go in the same direction, and the man started to smile. "A pleasant surprise."

"Every time she seals a rift, we get another dozen recruits." He started to say something else, and then a runner approached with a report. He read it over, and then glanced back at Cassandra. "With those materials you recovered, we were able to put together more field tents."

She watched the runner go, tilting her head slightly. "He accompanied you from Kirkwall, did he not?"

"Kels?" Cullen glanced in the direction of the young man, and then nodded. "The Champion charged me with the protection of Kels and his brethren. I couldn't exactly leave them behind."

"Ah. He was one of Evelina's children." She nodded. "Varric mentioned that." Her eyes narrowed. "What became of Karras?"

Cullen froze just slightly before recovering. "He went to investigate a report of strange lights on the Wounded Coast. Never returned."

"I see."

#

She shook the snow out of her hair, and clapped one of the recruits on the back. The soldiers and workers walked off in high spirits, either going back to their duties or heading towards the tavern. She glanced at Solas. "You're right. Clearing the ambient energy does enhance the barrier's durability."

He nodded. "You caught on quickly."

"Think they've made a decision yet?" She turned her gaze towards the Chantry.

"It is not an easy decision to make. With things the way they are, we will be gaining both an enemy and an ally with either choice."

"And good people on both sides." She shook her head. "If they don't pick by tomorrow, I'm going to head into Redcliffe and actually talk to Fiona. At the very least, we'll have more information then."

#

Iron Bull and his company had settled in. He nodded to her as she approached, then glanced back at where the soldiers were training. "They've got good form. Cullen's putting his templar training to good use."

Ruya raised an eyebrow. "Did Cullen tell you he was a templar? He's not wearing the armor."

"He didn't have to." Iron Bull gestured. "Might not be a templar shield, but it's a templar holding it. He angles the shield just a bit down. Helps direct fire or acid away, so it doesn't spray right in your face." He demonstrated. "Qunari learn the same thing when we train to fight Tevinter mages. Your templar's doing good work."

She turned, and looked over the soldiers. Warfare wasn't quite her area of expertise, but she had to admit they all looked like they knew what they were doing. "I'm impressed by what Cullen has accomplished with the troops."

"Dam right. It takes time to build a group into a team. But he's got their loyalty." He folded his arms. "Now he just needs 'em to make a decent shield wall, and they'll be good to go. Biggest problem for the Inquisition right now isn't on the front line. It's at the top. You've got no leader. No Inquisitor."

On that, she agreed. The current group of four leaders was currently locked into a stalemate, and she didn't see that changing any time soon. "Then maybe we need one. I'd be willing."

"You?" He grunted, then gave her a considering look. "Why you?"

"Nobody else seems to be stepping forward, and since I can seal rifts, I'm here whether I like it or not." She shook her head in frustration. "If it proved necessary to have an Inquisitor, I could make a go of it."

He grunted again, and then gave her an approving nod. "For a second there, you sounded like a Qunari. My people don't pick leaders from the strongest, or the smartest, or even the most talented. We pick the ones willing to make the hard decisions..." He glanced up at the Breach. "And live with the consequences." He shook his head, and his voice became light. "Ah, who knows. Maybe you seal the Breach, the Chantry gets off its ass, and all those soldiers go home and get fat."

That would be nice. "You think?"

"It could happen. It won't. But it could."

#

"Maker, look at it. So much easier to ignore when it's far away." Blackwall was staring up at the Breach. He turned towards Ruya as she approached. "And to actually walk out of it, to be that close..."

"If I hadn't been saved by Inquisition soldiers, I don't know what would've happened." She barely knew what had actually happened. The Breach continued to hang in the sky, swirling slowly above the mountains.

"Inquisition soldiers?" He shook his head. "That's not what I've heard." He gave her the same look many of the soldiers did. That look of wonder and almost reverence. It made her decidedly uncomfortable. "The Breach, the Divine's death, the Wardens..." He sighed. "It doesn't make sense. There's so much we don't know."

"Your experience with the Wardens will certainly be useful."

He shrugged. "Mostly the treaties, I expect. Old parchments you're welcome to. What about you? How do you fit into all of this?"

That she was still working on figuring out. "I just want to help stop the war, try to put things back in order." Let her uncle rest easily.

"A worthy goal, one I'm happy to support." He punched a fist into his palm. "For me, I'll be satisfied so long as we find the bastards that killed the Divine. They owe us some answers."

#

Cullen nodded in greeting as she came to watch the soldiers. "You traveled some distance to reach Haven. You're from the Circle in Ostwick?"

"I spent the better part of my life there." Part of her still expected to wake up at any moment and discover the past couple years had just been some sort of alchemy induced dream. "It feels strange to be away."

"It does, at times. I'm still getting used to it myself. It's been..." He shrugged. "Interesting." He blinked. "I'm sorry. The Circle isn't the most pleasant topic of conversation right now. Or ever. Shall we speak of something else?"

She glanced over her shoulder at the Chantry. "What do you think of the people you work with?"

"Who do you mean?"

"Are you satisfied with the Inquisition's forces?"

Pride showed on his face as he gestured towards the recruits. "Our numbers are small, but they suit our needs for the time being. Some templars have joined us instead of following the Order. They've proven invaluable in training new recruits."

"I should get to know you better." She glanced up at him. "We're working together, after all."

"What would you like to know?"

"All right..." She considered for a moment. "Where are you from?"

"I grew up in Ferelden, near Honnleath. I was transferred to Kirkwall shortly after the Blight." He looked out over the view. "This is the first I've returned in almost ten years."

"Varric's from Kirkwall. Did you two know each other?" They must have known of each other, certainly. Cullen was mentioned in Varric's book.

"I knew he was friends with the Champion of Kirkwall, but little else. We've spoken more since I joined the Inquisition. Largely at Varric's insistence." He rolled his eyes. "Apparently I spend too much time with a serious expression on my face, and it's bad for my health."

She chuckled. "You haven't seen Ferelden in ten years. Are you glad to be back?"

"I was not sorry to leave at the time." He shook his head as if shaking away a memory. "I did not expect to return. Now - between the Divine's murder and the Breach - I've arrived to find nothing but chaos."

"What was Kirkwall like?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "While I was there, Qunari occupied and then attacked the city, the viscount's murder caused political unrest..." He gestured. "Relations between mages and templars fell apart, an apostate blew up the Chantry, and the knight-commander went mad. Other than that, it was fine."

And many of their current problems could be traced back to those very events. "What happened between Kirkwall's mages and templars?"

"You were at the Conclave. You must have heard people speak of it."

At least a hundred conflicting versions of the tale. "Yes, but you were there."

He sighed. "There was tension between mages and templars long before I arrived. Eventually, it reached a breaking point. There was fighting in the streets. Abominations began killing both sides. It was a nightmare."

"What happened then?"

"The templars should have restored order, but red lyrium had driven Knight-Commander Meredith mad. She threatened to kill Kirkwall's Champion, turned on her own men. I'm not sure how far she would have gone. Too far."

"So you opposed her?" That was what most of the stories, including Varric's had said. Knight-Captain Cullen had rallied the templars and restored order in the aftermath.

"I stood with the Champion against her. In the end." He sighed. "But I should have seen through Meredith sooner." He seemed to be directing the last comment towards himself rather than towards her.

"You were in Ferelden during the Blight. Did you fight darkspawn?"

"No. I was stationed at Ferelden's Circle Tower. The Circle had troubles of its own. I..." He hesitated. "Remained there during the Blight.

If the stories she'd heard held any truth, the Circle tower of Ferelden had almost been annulled. "What happened at the Circle Tower?"

"Few who survived the Blight have fond memories of that time. I would prefer not to speak of it."

She decided to change the subject entirely. "I'd like to know more about the templars."

"If you need insight into what the Order is doing now, I'm afraid I can't offer more than you already know. Anything else, I will answer as best I can."

"Why did you join the Order?"

"I could think of no better calling than to protect those in need. I used to beg the templars at our local chantry to teach me. At first they merely humored me, but I must have shown promise." He shrugged. "Or at least a willingness to learn. The knight-captain spoke to my parents on my behalf. They agreed to send me for training. I was thirteen when I left home."

"Thirteen - that's still so young."

"I wasn't the youngest there. Some children are promised to the Order at infancy. Still, I didn't take on full responsibilities until I was eighteen. The Order sees you trained and educated first."

She nodded. "My uncle, Gavren, was fifteen when he went to the Order. Xaver was the same."

"Xaver?"

"My cousin. It is tradition, for my family. An heir, a spare, and a tithe. The youngest serves the Chantry." She folded her arms. "In my family, that was to have been me. I suppose in a way, it still is. What about your family? Did you miss them?"

"Of course. But there were many my age who felt the same. We learned to look out for one another."

"Did you enjoy your training?"

"I wanted to learn everything." He smiled. "If I was giving my life to this, I would be the best templar I could."

"You were a model student."

He laughed. "I wanted to be. I wasn't always successful. Watching a candle burn down while reciting the Chant of Transfigurations wasn't the most exciting task. I admit, my mind sometimes wandered."

"Trust me, reciting while embroidering a pillow is even worse. You can't let your mind wander, or you'll stab your fingers." She held up a hand. "I have scars."

He caught her hand and examined the fingertips. "So you do." He laughed softly. "You were to be a Chantry sister?"

"That was what mother wanted." She shrugged. "But there was Gavren. He was quite the dashing figure in his templar armor and his stories about saving the world from demons and abominations. Mother disapproved of him teaching me the sword, but I loved it." She fidgeted. "Mother and I got into an argument one day when I was nine. I wanted to go with my eldest brother and watch the warriors practice for the Grand Tourney, and she wanted me to stay and read some poetry by some sister or another. She put her foot down..." Ruya sighed. "And then the books caught fire."

"Your magic." He gave her a sympathetic look.

"It got me to the Circle. Just..." She shrugged. "Not the way I had planned."

"Is your uncle still with the templars?"

"He was at the Conclave."

"I'm sorry." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Far too many good people lost their lives that day."

"I've written to my brothers. Otwin is reaching out to my cousins in the templars, telling them of the Inquisition. Hopefully, they'll come here." She gave him a considering look. "What do you think of mages? Are they all a threat?"

"I've seen the suffering magic can inflict. I've treated mages with distrust because of it - at times without cause." His eyes went to the staff she carried. "That was unworthy of me. I will try not to do so here. Not that I want mages moving through our base completely unchecked. We need safeguards in place to protect people - including mages - from possession, at the least."

"I know how I spent my time in the Circle, but what was a typical day for a templar?"

He laughed. "'Typical'. The last time I was in a Circle was right before it fell apart. Nothing was typical."

"Before that, then."

"Certain rituals require a full guard. A mage's Harrowing, for instance. I've attended a few. Most of the time you merely maintain a presence - on patrol or in the Circle, ready to respond if needed. Mages pretend to ignore that presence, but they are watching you just as closely."

Failing to pay attention to what the templars were doing could have dire consequences. "We would spend all day with templars, and yet they rarely spoke to us."

"A habit often mistaken for coldness, I'm sure. But we are expected to keep a certain distance from our charges. If a mage is possessed or uses blood magic, you must act quickly, without hesitation. Your judgment cannot be clouded." He rested his hands on his sword hilt. "Of course, ignoring one another does nothing to foster understanding."

"Gavren would have agreed. He made a point to treat the mages in his care with respect, and was friendly. And not just to me. He said too many templars felt it was their job to protect the world from mages, and forgot that they were also supposed to protect mages from the world."

"A wise man."

"Do templars take vows? 'I swear to the Maker to watch all the mages' - that sort of thing?"

"There's a vigil first. You're meant to be at peace during that time, but your life is about to change. When it's over, you give yourself to a life of service. That's when you're given a philter - your first draught of lyrium - and its power. As templars, we are not to seek wealth or acknowledgment. Our lives belong to the Maker and the path we have chosen."

"A life of service and sacrifice. Are templars also expected to give up... physical temptations?"

"Physical? Why" He cleared his throat. "Why would you... That's not expected. Templars can marry - although there are rules around it, and the Order must grant permission... Some may choose to give up more to prove their devotion, but it's, um, not required.

"Have you?" Oh, Maker, had she really just asked that? She could feel her cheeks starting to burn.

"Me? I... um... no, I've taken no such vows. Maker's breath - can we speak of something else?"

They spent an awkward moment not looking at each other as she fumbled to find a new subject. "So, um... about the Blades of Hessarian..."

#

"Do you need something, my dear?"

Ruya nodded. "I wanted to ask you about the Circle of Magi."

"Of course." Vivienne nodded graciously. "What do you wish to know?"

"If the Circle disbanded, how can you still belong to it?"

Vivienne looked amused by the question. "The Circle is an idea, my dear, and an idea cannot be dissolved." She gestured. "Many of the first enchanters voted for rebellion, caring little that anything short of a unanimous decision would pit mage against mage. Rather than dissolving it, Grand Enchanter Fiona's vote split the Circle in two. The rebels follow her. The loyalists follow me."

At least, the loyalists of Montismmard. She sighed. Had remaining been an option, she likely would have taken it. "If you lead all the loyalists, why are you only first enchanter and not grand enchanter?"

"Grand Enchanters are elected, and since there are no first enchanters besides myself, no vote can be held. I could name myself Grand Enchanter, but the title holds no meaning now. When the Circles are restored, that will change."

Ruya sighed, and leaned against the wall. She banged the back of her head against it in frustration. "How did we come to this state with the Circles in revolt?"

Vivienne folded her arms. "You, my dear, are far too wise to not have realized that many of our colleagues live with their eyes closed. Safe from the world inside their towers, they thought only of the templars and their own resentment." She leaned on the table she was using as a desk. "Kirkwall gave the world a reason to remember its fear of magic. A mage killed hundreds with a snap of their fingers. Across Thedas, a new, tangible fear of magic grew. Commoners and nobles alike called out to the Chantry for protection." Vivienne's eyes narrowed. "But the malcontents in the towers thought nothing of this. They cared only for themselves and for their anger at the new templar restrictions." She gestured. "When a mage attempted to assassinate Divine Justinia - again - the mages protested the investigation. The leadership chose to vote on independence based on the 'intolerable conditions imposed by the templars'. Sparing no thought to the fact that magic was more feared in the aftermath of these attacks than it had been since Tevinter's day." Despite its cultured tones, Vivienne's voice betrayed both anger and bitterness. "So long as they had their freedom, they could care little for riots, angry mobs, or about pitting mages against each other." She sighed, and took a deep breath.

She'd been protected from the abuses by her family, but others... some of the restrictions and other things really had been intolerable. "Did they have cause to rebel?"

"In the aftermath of their terrorist attacks? Was that really the most opportune time to break away?" Vivienne shook her head. "By all means, protest abuses by the templars. Just don't do it in a way that says mages support wholesale murder. By voting when they did, my colleagues all but declared war upon the ordinary people of Thedas. A war in which we are outnumbered a hundred to one."

Ruya stared out of the alcove. A runner went past, no doubt carrying vital news of some kind or another. "Mages fighting mages."

"The vote for independence was carried by only a small margin, but Fiona chose to let the motion stand. Those who opposed a rash declaration against the entire free world had little choice. By breaking from the Chantry when they did, the rebels declared themselves in support of mass murder. Anyone who did not wish to support terrorism and the slaughter of innocents was forced to take arms against the rebels. As you did."

She shook her head. "Not against the rebels. At least, not against those who simply left peacefully." Ruya sighed. "Some harbored so much anger, and in the aftermath, turned to thoughts of revenge. Or were simply too weak to..." She stared down at her feet. "Abominations and demons. We helped the templars restore order but..." She examined her hands. "Foolishness is not a trait confined to mages, I fear. When it was over, some of the templars turned on we mages who had stayed behind. They would have killed us, if the templars who knew their duty had not intervened. They ordered us to run for our own safety. We were making our way to Redcliffe when we heard of the Conclave. I volunteered to go." She looked up at Vivienne. "Had we better information, we might have made our way towards you instead."

"I wonder how many others found themselves in the same position." Vivienne sighed. "Perhaps they will follow our lead, and make their way to the Inquisition."

"We can only hope." Ruya watched the candle flame flicker back and forth in the breeze from the open door of the Chantry. "Are you familiar with Grand Enchanter Fiona?"

"We've met." Vivienne's voice was blunt with disapproval. "Before her horrendously ill-timed and selfish vote for independence, I thought her adequate at her job. In her dotage, she could not handle looking after the well-being of so many people. We would have done better to replace her years ago and to let her spend time gardening."

Ruya sighed. "I suppose it was too much to hope for that you'd say 'she's a reasonable person and if you ask her to help close the Breach she'll assist without thought of advantage'." She shook her head. "Do you know of any among the rebel mages I should speak with?"

"None come to mind, my dear."

"I'm going to head to Redcliffe in the morning with some of the others. With luck, there will be some who have come to their senses. At the very least, we can get a better view of the terrain."

Vivienne nodded. "I will accompany you."

"I appreciate that, Madam Vivienne."

#

There was another of the rifts just outside the gates to Redcliffe. Blackwall and Iron Bull moved towards a rage demon. As they did, they passed through an area that shimmered with green light, and for a moment, it looked as if both men were moving in slow motion. Then they were through. On the other side of the field, Cassandra passed through another area of green light, and came out the other side so quickly it appeared she'd almost bypassed the area entirely. Ruya shot a glance over her shoulder at Solas, but from the expression on his face he was as mystified as she was. "What... was that?"

"That rift altered the flow of time around itself. That is..." Solas bent, examining the area below where the rift had been. "Unexpected."

"There are many mages in Redcliffe. Maybe Fiona will know what's going on?" Ruya sighed.

"One can only hope, my dear." Vivienne returned her staff to its harness.

#

An Inquisition soldier rushed up to her, and bowed. "We've spread word the Inquisition was coming, but you shuold know that no one here was expecting us."

Ruya blinked. "No one? Not even Grand Enchanter Fiona?"

He nodded. "If she was, she hasn't told anyone." He gestured. "We've arranged use of the tavern for the negotiations."

She nodded and started to follow him. An elven man in strangely cut clothing approached before they'd gone more than a few paces. "Agents of the Inquisition, my apologies. Magister Alexius is in charge now, but hasn't yet arrived. He's expected shortly." He gestured. "You can speak with the former grand enchanter in the meantime."

As they walked towards the tavern, Ruya glanced over her shoulder at Vivienne and mouthed the word 'magister'. Vivienne's eyes narrowed, and her hand flicked momentarily towards her staff. She nodded. There were a fair number of Inquisition soldiers present at least. As long as they were prepared, they should be able to deal with any trouble that arose.

"The Veil is weaker here than in Haven." Solas's voice was pitched not to carry beyond her ears. "And not merely weak but altered in a way I have not seen."

"Wonderful."

#

"Welcome, agents of the Inquisition." Fiona greeted them as they entered the tavern. "First Enchanter Vivienne."

My dear Fiona." Vivienne's voice was warm, but her eyes were ice. "It's been so long since we last spoke. You look dreadful. Are you sleeping well?"

Fiona's eyes narrowed slightly before she turned her attention to Ruya. "What has brought you to Redcliffe?"

Ruya gave her a confused look. "We're here because of your invitation back in Val Royeaux."

"You must be mistaken." Fiona shook her head. "I haven't been to Val Royeaux since before the Conclave."

Ruya glanced at Cassandra, who was staring at Fiona. It certainly looked like the same woman. Even wore the same robes. "If it wasn't you who invited me here, who was it?"

"I..." Fiona frowned. "I don't know. Now that you say it, I feel strange..." She sighed. "Whoever..." She shook her head. "Or whatever brought you here, the situation has changed. The free mages have already..." She squared her shoulders. "Pledged themselves to the service of the Tevinter Imperium."

"Fiona, dear, your dementia is showing." Vivienne's voice was blunt.

Solas gestured. "I understand that you are afraid, but you deserve better than slavery to Tevinter."

"As one indentured to a magister, I no longer have the authority to negotiate with you."

From templars to Tevinter sounded like jumping out of uncomfortably warm room into the river of lava. "An alliance with Tevinter is a terrible mistake."

"What choice do we have? All hope of peace died with Justinia." Fiona's face crumbled. "This..." She waved a hand. "Bargain with Tevinter would not have been my first choice, but we had no choice. We are losing this war. I needed to save as many of my people as I could."

Before Ruya could respond, the crowd parted to reveal a man in oddly styled clothing. She could only assume this was the magister. "Welcome, my friends." He spread his hands in a cordial greeting. "I apologize for not greeting you earlier."

Fiona stepped forward, and gestured at the newcomer. "Agents of the Inquisition, allow me to introduce Magister Gereon Alexius."

He gave a small bow. "The southern mages are under my command." He focused his gaze on Ruya. "And you are the survivor, yes? The one from the Fade? Interesting."

Surely her fellow mages couldn't be this stupid. Something else had to be in play. She waited a couple heartbeats for Cassandra to speak up, and when she didn't, Ruya addressed the magister. "I'd like to know more about this alliance between the rebel mages and the Imperium."

Magister Alexius kept his face and voice friendly. "Certainly. What specifically do you wish to know?"

"The Grand Enchanter told me she was 'indentured to a magister."

"Our southern brethren have no legal status in the Imperium." The smile he gave the mages reminded her of someone looking at prized pets. "As they were not born citizens of Tevinter, they must work for a period of ten years before gaining full rights. As their protector, I shall oversee their work for the Imperium."

That didn't exactly sound like the best of all possible bargains. Had the mages really agreed to this? Or was Fiona actually suffering from dementia? "I'm not clear on when, exactly, you negotiated this arrangement with Fiona."

"When the Conclave was destroyed, these poor souls faced the brutality of the templars, who rushed to attack them." His voice remained friendly, but patronizing. "It could only be through divine providence that I arrived when I did."

"It was certainly..." Fiona tilted her head to one side. "Very timely."

Now there was a new suspicion. If this magister had known ahead of time that the event was going to occur... "What does the Imperium gain from taking the rebel mages under its wing?"

"For the moment, the southern mages are a considerable expense." He gestured. "After they are properly trained, they will join our legion."

"You said not all my people would be military." Fiona began to protest. "There are children, those not suited -"

He cut her off. "And one day, I'm sure they will all be productive citizens of the Imperium. When their debts are paid."

"I haven't seen any sigh of Redcliffe's arl or his men."

"The arl of Redcliffe left the village."

Blackwall shook his head. "Left? An arl would never voluntarily leave his seat."

"There were..." Magister Alexius shrugged carelessly. "Tensions growing. I did not want an incident."

"If you're leading the mages now, then let's talk. I'm sure we can come to an arrangement." As unhappy as she was with some of her brethren, she was not going to let them be taken to the Imperium.

"It's always a pleasure to meet a reasonable woman." He gestured towards a table, and took his own seat. "Felix, would you send for a scribe, please? Pardon my manners. My son, Felix, friends." She nodded politely to the young man. "I'm not surprised you're here," he continued. "Containing the Breach is not a feat that many could ever attempt. There is no telling how many mages would be needed for such an endeavor. Ambitious, indeed."

"Does that mean you'll lend your mages to our cause?" Surely this whole indenturing thing had no legal basis. At least, not until they were actually in the Imperium.

Felix started to return. He was only a couple feet from her when he stumbled and fell against her. She felt him tuck something inside her coat as she caught him, and his eyes met hers for a split second. She gave him the barest nod.

"Felix," Magister Alexis called. He moved to support his son.

"I'm so sorry. Please forgive my clumsiness, my lady." He accepted his father's aid, but gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Father."

"Come, I'll get your powders." Magister Alexis started to lead Felix away. "Please excuse me, friends. We will have to continue this another time. Fiona, I will require your services."

"I don't mean to trouble everyone," Felix said as he was all but dragged from the room.

"I shall send word to the Inquisition. We will conclude this business at a later date."

As soon as the Magister and his attendants were gone, she removed the piece of parchment Felix had slipped inside her coat. "Come to the Chantry. You are in danger."

"Well, aren't we secret." Sera grinned.

"There's no telling who or what will be waiting for us in that Chantry."

"Come on." Sera punched her lightly in the shoulder. "Let's do something."

#

She looked around the room, and saw a few vaguely familiar faces. One young woman sneered at her. "I remember you. You were in the Ostwick Circle. Really come up in the world, right? Marked by Andraste, ordering templars about. Must be nice."

"You'd rather bow to Tevinter than join the Inquisition?"

"Don't tell me you bought the Chantry's lies about how evil Tevinter is." She shook her head, her expression mocking. "It's just because they're ruled by mages. No one wants us to look at them and say, 'their mages are free, and the world hasn't ended.'"

Ended no. Actively practicing blood magic, slavery, human sacrifice, and demon summoning yes. "But don't magisters summon demons and practice human sacrifice?"

"The Chantry says whatever they think will scare us. What's wrong with blood magic? People don't like the idea of us controlling their thoughts, but they have no problem with us throwing fireballs in their wars." She gestured angrily. "In Tevinter, the mages police themselves. It works."

Ah. She remembered her now. What was her name? "And you are...?"

"Linnea. I'm not surprised you don't remember me. You were the perfect apprentice, and I barely passed my Harrowing. You were the one who had her own pet templars. You're the 'Chosen of Andraste.' And I'm just me."

"I never meant to make you feel bad."

"Forget it. The magister's not going to fall for you. We're with the Tevinter now. People respect every mage."

"I want to make sure we're never locked away in Circle Towers again." The Circle didn't need to be a prison.

"Right. And I'm the Empress of Orlais."

#

"Old friend?" Cassandra asked.

"We were apprentices together." Ruya glanced over her shoulder. "I mastered the basic Veil warp, and she filled my clothes with powdered rashvine." She saw a tranquil, and walked towards him.

He confirmed much of what they already knew or had guessed. The Magister had arrived only two days after the events of the Conclave, and forced the Arl out of the castle along with the others that did not have magic, keeping only the servants that were needed. The Tranquil then offered his services as an alchemist, and she accepted almost as much to get him safely out of Redcliffe as she did to gain his skills.

A bit more questioning, and it became apparent that many of the mages were indeed very unhappy about the bargain with Tevinter.

They left the tavern, and made their way towards the Chantry. She was pleased to see at least one mother had remained behind, along with several sisters. It was nice to see that the Chantry had not abandoned mages entirely.

#

They walked into the Chantry to find a mage hitting a demon in the face with a staff. He glanced towards them. "Good. You're finally here." His accent was Tevinter, like the magister they'd spoken to earlier. "Now help me close this, would you?" He gestured at the rift behind him.

It took them only a minute to dispatch the demons. As soon as the rift shimmered, she raised her hand and willed the energy in the mark to seal the rift. It shifted, convulsed, and then vanished.

"Fascinating." The mage turned towards her. "How does that work, exactly?" He laughed and spread his hands before she could answer. "You don't even know, do you? You just wiggle your fingers, and boom. Rift closes."

It would really be nice to walk into a situation and have some idea of what was going on. "Who are you?"

'Ah. Getting ahead of myself again, I see." He bowed with a flourish. "Dorian of House Pavus, most recently of Minrathous. How do you do?" He gestured. "Magister Alexius was once my mentor, so my assistance should be valuable - as I'm sure you can imagine."

Yet another magister. "I was expecting Felix to be here."

"I'm sure he's on his way. He was to give you the note, then meet us here after ditching his father." Dorian waved a hand carelessly.

"Alexius couldn't jump to Felix's side fast enough when he pretended to be faint." And she wasn't entirely certain all of it was pretending. "Is something wrong with him?"

A brief look of concern crossed Dorian's face. "He's had some lingering illness for months. Felix is an only child, and Alexius is being a mother hen, most likely."

"Are you a magister?"

He gave a long-suffering sigh. "All right. Let's say this once. I'm a mage from Tevinter, but not a member of the Magisterium." He shrugged. "I know southerners use the terms interchangeably, but that only makes you sound like barbarians."

Her eyes narrowed just slightly at the half-hearted insult. "You're betraying your mentor because...?"

"Alexius was my mentor. Meaning he's not any longer, not for some time." Dorian shook his head. "Look, you must know there's danger. That should be obvious even without the note. Let's start with Alexius claiming the allegiance of the mage rebels out from under you. As if by magic, yes?" He gestured dramatically. "Which is exactly right. To reach Redcliffe before the Inquisition, Alexius distorted time itself."

That sounded insane. And yet the rift back at the gate had altered time. She made a mental note to discuss it more thoroughly with Solas and Vivienne later. "He arranged it so he could arrive here just after the Divine died?"

"You catch on quick."

"That is fascinating, if true..." Solas came up behind her. "And almost certainly dangerous."

"The rift you closed here?" Dorian waved a hand at the residue left behind. "You saw how it twisted time around itself, sped some things up and slowed others down. Soon there will be more like it, and they'll appear further and further away from Redcliffe. The magic Alexius is using is wildly unstable, and it's unraveling the world."

She rubbed her head. "I'd like more proof than 'magical time control. Go with it.'"

"I know what I'm talking about." He stared at her. "I helped develop this magic. When I was still his apprentice, it was pure theory. Alexius could never get it to work. What I don't understand is why he's doing it? Ripping time to shreds just to gain a few hundred lackeys?"

"He didn't do it for them." Felix's voice came from a doorway. He gave them a nod as he entered.

"Took you long enough." Dorian gave the other man a worried look. "Is he getting suspicious?"

Felix shook his head. "No, but I shouldn't have played the illness card. I thought he'd be fussing over me all day." He turned towards Ruya. "My father's joined a cult. Tevinter supremacists. They call themselves 'Venatori.'" He gestured at her. "And I can tell you one thing: whatever he's done for them, he's done it to get to you."

"Alexius is your father. Why are you working against him?"

"For the same reason Dorian works against him." He met her eyes. "I love my father, and I love my country. But this? Cults? Time magic? What he's doing now is madness. For his own sake, you have to stop him."

"It would also be nice if he didn't rip a hole in time." Dorian folded his arms. "There's already a hole in the sky."

That made no sense. "Why would he rearrange time and indenture the mage rebellion just to get to me?"

"They're obsessed with you, but I don't know why. Perhaps because you survived the Temple of Sacred Ashes?" Felix gave her a considering look.

"You can close the rifts." Dorian nodded. "Maybe there's a connection? Or they see you as a threat?"

Felix nodded to Dorian. "If the Venatori are behind those rifts, or the Breach in the sky, they're even worse than I thought."

"Do you have any suggestions?" She looked from one to the other, and then glanced over her shoulder at the others. Cassandra had moved to the door and was standing guard, while at some point Blackwall had positioned himself to be practically hovering over her.

"You know you're his target." Dorian waved a hand at her. "Expecting the trap is the first step in turning it to your advantage. I can't stay in Redcliffe. Alexius doesn't know I'm here, and I want to keep it that way for now. But whenever you're ready to deal with him, I want to be there. I'll be in touch." He started to walk away, then glanced back at Felix. "And Felix? Try not to get yourself killed."

"There are worse things than dying, Dorian."

#

"'Oh, demons don't scare me, I'll fight ten at once.' Ease up, big horse." Sera was muttering as they left the chantry.

"I know, right?" Blackwall glanced back at the doors. "All this just makes my head spin."

Ruya rubbed her forehead. "We came for information. And we certainly have that." Her eyes went to the Breach. "Let's report back to Leliana, see what she can find out about these Venatori."