Ruya followed Cullen into the warroom to find Brehan and Leliana already there, a map rolled out in front of them. They were moving markers around, and occasionally making notes. She watched them for a moment. Brehan looked oddly familiar to her. Suddenly it clicked. The dead elf in the room where they'd held Leliana, back in that strange future. She pushed the memory away. "What are you two doing?"

"Recreating events," Leliana replied. "Unfortunately from memory." She looked at Brehan. "The Blades of Hessarian have reported stragglers on the Storm Coast, but not any groups larger than a half-dozen."

"And that makes no sense. One of the last reports we received put a nest in the mines here. With so many refugees in the area, there should have been sightings. Attacks."

"Perhaps there were, and it was assumed to be demons?"

"Possible, but there are enough veterans in the area you'd think someone would have noticed the difference." He tapped the map. "Here."

"I agree." She looked up at Ruya. "Inquisitor, with your permission, I'd like to dispatch a team to this area here."

Ruya slowly nodded. "What's there?"

Brehan looked up at her. "Just over a year ago, we received a report from Lothering. A talking darkspawn requesting Warden aid. Senior Warden Skyhunter was dispatched to..."

Ruya held up a hand. "Stop right there. Talking darkspawn?"

"Right. I should start at the beginning. How familiar are you with the events in Amaranthine, just after the death of the Archdemon?"

"What I heard ranges from the remains of the horde to another Blight with entirely new darkspawn."

"I'm afraid the latter is far closer to the truth." He told her of the Architect and the Mother, and the creation of the childer.

"Let me..." Ruya shook her head, and then slammed both of her hands down on the table. "You mean to tell me there was another creature like Corypheus out there and the Warden-Commander just let it walk away? What the hell is wrong with you people?"

"I don't know his reasons, Inquisitor. I can only tell you his actions. And the result. At the time..." Brehan shook his head. "The horde broke when the Archdemon died, but it did not vanish. Some returned to the Deep Roads to threaten the dwarves. The rest..." He sighed. "Within a month of the events of Amaranthine, more than three-quarters of the remaining darkspawn had withdrawn. And not just into the Deep Roads. The Ferelden forces aiding the dwarves were able to reclaim territory further than any dwarven city has held since possibly the first Blight. As for the rest..." He glanced back at the map. "Jerath and his people tracked nest after nest, like they knew exactly where to find them. They scoured Ferelden. We didn't find a nest again until almost a year after he'd disappeared."

She narrowed her eyes. "Where were you when this was happening?"

"He was in Orlais, with me," Leliana answered.

Her eyes went back to the spot on the map. "Alright. Finish. What's there?"

"The talking darkspawn, the one that called itself the Messenger, sent a request for Warden aid. Senior Warden Skyhunter was dispatched with her team to investigate. They met the Messenger in the Korcari Wilds, where he told them of an apostate summoning demons. Skyhunter and her people accompanied him -"

"They followed a darkspawn into the wilds."

"Skyhunter knew him, Inquisitor. The Messenger was apparently at Amaranthine, fighting alongside the Wardens."

"I..." She shook her head. "We'll go back to that later. Continue."

"Skyhunter and the Messenger were the only survivors of what occurred. Skyhunter's report stated that the apostate, an elf, used an orb to amplify her magic."

"An orb."

Leliana nodded. "That got our attention as well."

Brehan nodded. "Senior Warden Keenan de Blanc gave his life to bury the apostate and whatever she'd been trying to summon in the ruins. It's possible that Corypheus recovered the orb from those ruins, but if not..."

"Then one is still there. Leliana, dispatch your team. And let Solas know." She turned back to Brehan. "Skyhunter..."

"Died in the Deep." He shook his head. "From werewolf to Warden, shiral'halam."

Ruya nodded slowly. "All right. I've got several hundred more questions."

"Inquisitor, there are oaths that bind me to..."

"Warden secrets just got a lot of people killed. Many of them were Wardens."

"I understand. And..." He looked past her at where Cassandra stood. "Leliana tells me that you, and the Divine, sent missives."

"You..." Cassandra's eyes widened. "You did not receive them?"

He leaned on the table, his head bowed. "She..." He shook his head. "It was Wardens. I..." He looked up at Ruya. "Leliana and Cassandra trust you, Inquisitor. My knowledge is yours. Ask your questions."

#

Saitada was not as forthcoming as Brehan had been. According to Iron Bull, it had only been the fact the Chargers had a healer that brought her in at all. Ruya found the Warden Commander in the infirmary, sitting between two wounded men. Gray streaked the dwarven woman's crimson hair, but her face was unlined. She rose when Ruya entered, and met her at the healer's desk.

"He's going to lose the arm," she said quietly, looking back at one of the wounded men.

"I can speak with one of the mages."

"Already did. Might have made a difference a week ago. Too far gone now. Another day and it would have killed him." She folded her arms. "Bad enough one of our own did this, but Clarel..." Her eyes closed, and she drew a deep breath.

"There are some questions that need to be answered."

Bitter laughter came from the dwarven woman. "Oh, Inquisitor, you have no idea. I'll give you a good one to start. Jerath Tabris received Carver's report on Corypheus. A month later, he was at the Ferelden Circle of magic, where he stole a book on ancient artifacts and linguist who spoke a variety of old dialects. What did he know that we don't?"

Ruya blinked. "That is a good question."

"You want my suggestion?" Saitada looked up at her. "Find Carver Hawke. I'll give you a writ if you need, adding my authority as Warden-Commander to your own. Locating Nathaniel Howe would likely also be a wise move, and I imagine if you find one the other will be close by."

"I'll get Leliana on it immediately."

Saitada's eyes went back to where the healer was working. "Velanna disappeared a few days in. Just up and vanished. She was our healer. If she hadn't..." Saitada clenched her fists. "At least now I have an inkling as to why." She took a slightly ragged breath. "So what now, Inquisitor? Are we your prisoners?"

The woman standing next to her was not just the Warden-Commander. She was a dwarven Paragon, head of the foremost noble house in Kal'Hirol and sister to the High King of Orzammar. She was the Hero of Ferelden, friend and adviser to the king and queen. She was basalit'an, one no less than the Arishok had followed willingly into battle. Iron Bull had put it rather bluntly. This was not a woman to be fucked with. "No."

"Then it's back to the Vigil. We'll aid your Inquisition as best as we can. With the Wardens gone..." She shrugged. "Send whatever soldiers you want trained in darkspawn tactics to the Vigil, I'll teach them all I can. And tell your diplomat I've got a few carrots and some really big sticks she can borrow if she needs them."

#

"She's agreed to allow Inquisition soldiers to be stationed at the Vigil. Officially, she and Sigrun are training them in darkspawn fighting and Deep Roads tactics in the event we end up with a horde on our hands."

Cullen nodded to Ruya. "I'll assemble some recruits and veterans." He actually smiled. "It is not an opportunity I intend to waste. Her treatise on the use of shield walls is apparently now required reading among the chevaliers."

"Effectively, she's now an agent for us in Ferelden." Ruya glanced at Leliana. "She's agreed to allow Brehan to remain here. I'll agree as well, as long as he remains under guard." She saw Leliana start to object, and held up a hand. "Saitada pointed out that initially Brehan wasn't part of the expedition, and came along only because their contact repeatedly insisted there were elven ruins and Velanna wasn't a sufficient expert."

"They wanted him dead specifically."

"Any thoughts as to why?"

Leliana nodded. "Several. In many ways, Brehan was as much the Left Hand of the Divine as I was. Either he or Saitada could have stopped Clarel. Additionally, Brehan is somewhat unique among the Wardens. Most can sense darkspawn only within a few hundred feet. Brehan's range is closer to two miles, and he can not only track the spawn, but other Wardens, even tell them apart."

Meaning Brehan would know immediately about the presence of any other Wardens, and would have known they were at the Conclave. "Will he agree?"

A smile crossed Leliana's face. "He already did."

"One more thing. Saitada suggested, and frankly, I agree, that we need to locate Carver Hawke and Nathaniel Howe." Ruya folded her arms. "She's given the Inquisition official sanction to take both prisoner, along with any working directly with them."

"I'll see it done, Inquisitor."

#

"What do you mean he's not Blackwall?" Leliana folded her arms.

"I mean that at this very moment, there are only two here besides myself that have undertaken the Joining. Saitada, and Sigrun. And if he hasn't taken the Joining..."

"Then he can't be Warden-Constable Blackwall." She shook her head. "So who is he?" Her eyes widened. "Maker, we used the treaties on his word."

"I'll back the treaty use." Brehan sat on the edge of the desk. "It's the other part that concerns me." He frowned. "I actually knew Gordon Blackwall. There is a passing resemblance with the..." He gestured to indicate a beard. "But that's not the same man."

"Whoever he is..." Leliana considered a moment. "Whoever he is, he's risked his life repeatedly for the Inquisition. The Inquisitor would likely have been killed at Haven if he hadn't been with her."

"I'll mark some caches on the map. Hopefully at least one will be intact. Have one of your people bring back the contents, discreetly, and I'll arrange to have him put through the Joining." He shrugged. "Anyone asks, I'll say I recruited him a few years back."

"And if Saitada questions you?"

"She knows I recruited a few people. Warden-Constable confers me rights as field-commander. I'm allowed to put people through the Joining." He smiled. "If she didn't want me to abuse the rank she shouldn't have insisted on giving it to me."

Leliana laughed, and then sighed. "I..." She trailed off, and just stared at the wall.

He looked down at his feet. "Yeah. Me too."

#

It was nice to spend the afternoon sitting with Josephine, sharing outrageous stories of various nobles. Not to mention her tales of Leliana. And it was wonderful to see the ambassador relaxing for a few minutes. Minaeve joined them, laughing merrily. The elven mage had quickly become invaluable to Ruya, assisting with various bits of research and helping keep track of everything. She'd managed to get her hands on a copy of a book found by one of the Wardens detailing the techniques of the Arcane Warriors.

The three parted ways somewhat reluctantly, agreeing to having such a meeting once a week just to keep them all sane.

#

Varric was talking to dwarven woman. Whispering conspiratorially might have been a better description. Ruya decided to investigate.

"I appreciate the warning, but you shouldn't have come yourself. What if the guild found out? Or Whatshisname?"

The dwarven woman's voice held notes of laughter. "Are you worrying for me or for yourself?"

"A little of column A, a little of column B. I am the expendable one, after all."

"Awww." The dwarven woman placed a flirtatious hand on Varric's chest. "Don't worry. I'll protect you. We'll just have to -" She caught sight of Ruya. "Well, this is a surprise. You're the Inquisitor, right? Bianca Davri, at your service."

Well now. "Your name is Bianca?"

"It's a common name. Half the girls in the Merchants guild are named Bianca. The other half are named 'Helga.' I lucked out."

"I take it you're a friend of Varric's?" More than a friend, if she was any judge.

"Who isn't a friend of Varric's? You have met him before, right?" Bianca's voice was warm, and she smiled fondly at Varric as she spoke.

"Any friend of Varric's is welcome here."

"Be careful saying things like that. Some of his friends you don't want to meet." Bianca laughed. "Well, maybe you do. Who am I to judge?"

Varric jerked a thumb at Bianca. "Bianca's got a lead on where Corypheus got his red lyrium."

"The site of Bartrand's Folly, the thaig Varric found, has been leaked. There's a Deep Roads entrance crawling with strange humans carting out red lyrium by the handful."

Ruya nodded. "How do we know they're not using multiple entrances to get to the thaig?"

"Navigating the Deep Roads isn't like the surface." Bianca shrugged. "There are no accurate maps of the whole system, and there are cave-ins, darkspawn, lava floods..." She gestured. "If you find a route that gets where you're going, you don't deviate. Trying to find another way could be deadly."

That would explain why the Wardens had been trapped so long. "Who could have given away the thaig's location?"

"There were a few people who knew." Varric scratched his head. "Hirelings from the expedition. A couple close friends."

"How they found out isn't important." Bianca looked from Varric to Ruya. "What matters is we know where they are now."

"We need to deal with this. As long as he has this source, Corypheus is that much more powerful." And if they were lucky, they'd find information that could lead them to Samson as well.

"I couldn't agree more," Varric said.

Bianca nodded. "I'll keep an eye on their operation. If you're interested in shutting it down, you've got my help." She grinned at Varric, and her voice became flirtatious. "Try not to leave me waiting too long, Varric. I've got my own work to do, you know."

Ruya watched Bianca leave, and then turned back to Varric. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Right. That's not going to be trouble at all. Let me know when you want to head to the entrance."

She nodded to him. "We'll leave in the morning."

#

She parried Cullen's swing, and moved through the counterstrike. He countered, then used his larger size to start pushing her backwards. She sidestepped, then lowered her next blow and tagged him lightly on the leg. He stepped back and smiled. "Much better."

"Another week and I'll be ready for the grand melee." She shook out her shoulders, then reset.

He moved her through another series of strikes and parries, occasionally correcting her footwork. The Inquisition's military was growing, and they'd received still more recruits in the wake of the battle of Adamant. Lord Beirand had decided to honor the memory of his beloved by bringing his entire retinue into the Inquisition. "Iron Bull sent six of his chargers with the recruits I sent to Vigil's Keep, and plans to rotate them out until all his people have received the additional people. Saitada declined our offer of stationing additional troops and has recalled the Order of Vigilance to the keep. Considering they are perhaps the best military unit in Ferelden, we don't exactly have a counter-argument."

Ruya sighed. "I'll talk to Leliana, see if she can't station a few people in covertly."

They spared another match, and then set the blades down. He walked her back to the keep, and they stood awkwardly a few moments before going their separate ways. Ruya caught an amused look on Dorian's face, and matched it with a glare. The other mage just smiled wider in response.

#

The entrance Bianca gave them was behind a waterfall. It was actually rather lovely. Except for the half-dozen Carta dwarves guarding it.

They hadn't gone far inside when Bianca's voice made all of them jump. "Finally. I started to think you weren't coming."

Varric gestured at their surroundings. "Nobody said you had to hang out in the creepy cave while you waited."

"Well, I did wait, so let's make this quick. These idiots are carrying the red lyrium out in unprotected containers." Bianca glanced over her shoulder. "We don't want to stick around long enough for it to start 'talking' to us."

Ruya asked Bianca a few questions, and got them answered as much by Varric as Bianca herself. She gave the dwarven woman an appraising look. "If you're coming with us, I hope you can handle a fight."

"No. I thought I'd cower helplessly while you do all the work." Bianca rolled her eyes.

"She's a decent shot." The words sounded like they were being dragged out of Varric.

"Decent?"

"You want me to admit you're better than me in front of the Inquisitor?"

"Let's not waste any more time, shall we?"

#

Bianca and Varric kept up a fairly steady stream of bickering as they moved through the old dwarven outpost. Ruya was starting to wonder how long the two of them had been married.

The presence of darkspawn made her glad she'd brought Blackwall along. She focused her barrier on the frontline warriors and stayed back with the archers. It would have been nice to have Dorian's gift for fire. It seemed just a bit more effective on darkspawn than her own lightning and ice. "How many can we expect to encounter? Blackwall?"

"It's..." Blackwall knocked one off the ledge with his shield. "Hard to say. Keep your guard up."

She poured more strength into the barrier, and they managed to fight their way to the tunnel that seemed to be the source of the darkspawn. A deep breath, and then she focused her magic, collapsing the tunnel to fill it with rocks and debris, sealing it off.

#

Varric and Bianca were actually laughing and joking with each other as the party fought its way through the Carta's smugglers. Ruya was surprised to learn that while Bianca was indeed married, it wasn't to Varric.

Bianca led them to a door. "I built these doors. They probably shut this one from the other side when they heard the ruckus we were making." She fiddled with the door for a moment, and it suddenly slid open. "Ta-da."

A suspicion began to grow. Ruya tried to cover her growing unease with a joke. "Admit it, you've been waiting to do that since we arrived."

"Of course I was." Bianca gestured. "After you."

Ruya glanced up at Iron Bull as she passed the big man. He gave her the smallest nod. He'd caught it too.

#

Watching Iron Bull fight Carta with his massive axe reminded her briefly of her mother playing croquet. Iron Bull would probably not appreciate the comparison. Her mother had been terrible at the game.

No sooner had the last of the smugglers fallen than Bianca was riffling through a desk. "There you are." She picked up a key, then went to the door. A couple moments of fiddling with the lock, and then she stood up triumphantly. "They won't be able to use this entrance again."

Ruya saw comprehension dawn on Varric's face. "Bianca..." Disappointment filled his voice. Bianca went still at the sound.

"You want to say something, Varric?" Ruya raised her eyebrow at her friend.

"Andraste's ass, Bianca. You're the leak?"

"When I got the location, I went and had a look for myself. And I found the red lyrium, and I..." Bianca turned to face them. "Studied it."

"You know what it does to people."

"I was doing you a favor. You want to help your brother, don't you? I just..." Bianca's shoulders slumped. "Wanted to figure it out."

"Did you figure it out?" Ruya asked.

"Actually..." Bianca looked up at her. "Yes. I figured out that red lyrium..." She looked back at Varric. "It has the Blight, Varric. Do you know what that means?"

Varric threw up his hands. "What? That two deadly things combine to form something super-awful?"

"Lyrium is alive. Or..." Bianca gestured. "Something like it. Blight doesn't infect minerals. Only animals. And I found this guy, Larius. He seemed really interested in helping my research. So I gave him a key."

"Larius? He was the Grey Warden we met in Corypheus's..." Varric's eyes widened and rocked backwards. "Oh, shit. I knew something seemed off."

Bianca turned the key over and over in her hands. "I didn't realize until you said you found red lyrium at Haven. I came here and..." She glanced at the door. "Well..." She swallowed. "Then I went to you."

"That name means something to you, Varric?" Ruya raised an eyebrow.

"He was at the Grey Warden prison where we found Corypheus. And he definitely wasn't a mage before."

Ruya nodded, and then turned back to Bianca. "You had to know we'd figure out what happened, Bianca. Why did you insist on coming with us?"

"Varric told me what people were doing with the red lyrium. I..." Bianca sighed. "Had to help make this right."

From the sound of things, no one else had made the link either. "You couldn't have known what would happen."

"Maferath's balls, she couldn't." Varric gestured angrily. "I told her exactly how bad this shit was. I told her to keep away from it."

"I know I screwed up, but we did fix it. It's as right as I can make it."

"This isn't one of your machines. You can't just replace a part and make everything right."

"No, but I can try, can't I? Or am I supposed to wallow in my mistakes forever, kicking myself, telling stories of what I should have done?"

"As if I would tell stories about my own mistakes."

Ruya stepped between them. "Oh, for pity's sake, would you two just get a room?"

"Sorry Inquisitor." Varric sighed. "We've done all we can here. Bianca, you'd better get home before someone misses you."

"Varric?"

Varric sighed, and then waved a hand before turning and walking away. Ruya gestured for Blackwall and Iron Bull to follow him, then turned back to Bianca. The woman's face looked like someone had just killed her puppy. After a moment, she looked up at Ruya through tear-filled eyes. "Get him killed, and I'll feed you your own eyeballs, Inquisitor."

Ruya nodded, and gestured for Bianca to come along.

#

Blackwall and Varric were picking through a vault when Bianca reached out and caught Ruya's hand. She turned to look down at the dwarf. "Inquisitor, I don't know if this is important, but..."

"But?"

"My last trip down there..." Bianca took a breath. "I had in mind seeing if I could find the thaig's shaperate."

"And?"

"I did. But... sometime between my last trip and that time, someone else must have been there. They found the shaperate, and, well..."

"Well?"

"They blew it up. I couldn't recover any memories from what remained."

Slowly, Ruya nodded. "And idea who?"

"All I can tell you is I didn't recognize the explosives they used. Lyrium based, but nothing I've seen before."

"Thank you, Bianca."

#

Ruya entered the war room to find her advisers and Brehan. Leliana's expression was frustrated, and Cullen and Brehan were examining the map. "What happened?"

"We received word from one of my agents in the Anderfels. Half of the exiled Wardens are on their way to the Free Marches." Leliana gestured at where Cullen and Brehan were working on the map.

"Why?"

"Darkspawn sightings," Brehan said without looking up. "House Brosca verified the reports. Large numbers, with a talking darkspawn leading them. The Wardens are on the move to deal with the problem."

She slowly nodded. "And you believe there is something more to this?"

Leliana nodded. "According to Hawke, they were met on the road by none other than his brother, who told them what was happening. Inquisitor, Carver's meeting with the Wardens took place the same day as the first sighting, over two hundred miles away."

"Do they have Carver in custody?"

"No." Leliana sighed. "He was gone again before my agents in the area had received word to take him in. They tracked him about a mile from where he parted with Hawke, and the trail vanished."

"Swiftrunner is one of the best trackers in the world," Brehan said. "If he lost the trail..." He looked up. "There is more. Carver made a point to remind Hawke that Fireba...Lenore Amell, their cousin, is a Warden mage and may be in danger. Hawke and Fenris went immediately to House Brosca instead of continuing on to Weisshaupt."

"Carver knew exactly where to find his brother, knew about attacks hundreds of miles away before they even occurred, and then vanished into the wind?" Ruya shook her head. "What about this Nathaniel Howe, was he with Carver?"

"Our last sighting of Nathaniel Howe puts him in the Free Marches." Leliana frowned. "We know, thanks to Varric, that Nathaniel and Carver had an additional companion, a dwarf named Temmerin Glavonak. He was recently seen on a ship to Seheron. Iron Bull is attempting to locate him there."

"Alright." She looked up at Brehan. "Tell me about this Nathaniel Howe."

"He arrived at Vigil's Keep with the intention of killing Jerath in revenge for the death of his father, Rendon Howe and..."

"Hold up." Ruya took a deep breath. "Okay. Continue."

"According to Seneschal Varel, it took four Wardens to capture and subdue him. He was in the cells when the darkspawn attack came. Jerath was told of his presence and the circumstances, and promptly conscripted him. Nathaniel then joined Jerath and..." Brehan hesitated a moment, then continued, "Anders and Oghren in clearing the rest of the darkspawn out of the keep."

"Anders."

"From what we can tell, templars caught Anders in Amaranthine, and had the bad luck of stopping in at the Vigil for shelter the night of the Darkspawn attack. The templars were killed, and Anders apparently aided in the retaking of the keep. When the templars demanded Anders be handed over, Jerath conscripted him."

Leliana sighed. "And we know from what Anders eventually told Varric that the templars second attempt to reclaim him ended in the deaths of the templars."

"Maker's Breath." Ruya shook her head. "He recruited a man who'd come to the Vigil specifically to kill him?"

"He was also the one who conscripted Loghain, who'd tried several times to kill all of us." Brehan shrugged. "After cutting him to ribbons in front of the entire Landsmeet."

"So what you are telling me is that Warden-Commander Jerath was a lunatic." Leliana and Brehan exchanged a look, then shrugged and nodded to her. "Alright. Tell me the rest."