"I've made some inquiries into the Imperial Court." Josephine rose from behind her desk. "The sooner we deal with the threat to the empress, the better. The political situation in the empire is dangerously unstable. It will complicate matters."

Cullen stepped down into her office. "Everything in the empire complicates matters. It's the Orlesian national pastime."

Leliana just rolled her eyes at him. "Turn up your nose at the Grand Game if you like, Commander, but we play for the highest stakes, and to the death."

Josephine looked over at Ruya. "The court's disapproval can be as great a threat as the Venatori. We must be vigilant, to avert disaster."

Ruya smiled at her ambassador. "Don't worry, Josephine. We'll protect the empress, no matter what."

"I pray you're right." Josephine sat back down. "If your vision of the future comes to pass..." She folded her hands primly. "The death of the empress heralds the destruction of everything. Orlais hold Tevinter at bay. All of Thedas could be lost if the empire falls to Corypheus. The Grand Masquerade is a perfect place for an assassin to hide."

#

She sat with Cole, watching the people in the tavern below. He told her some of his past. Of his friends Rhys and Evangeline.

"If you like, I could use the resources of the Inquisition to locate your friend."

Cole shook his head in his jerky, awkward way. "No. If they are alive and safe, they should stay away. The last time he saw me, he didn't want to look at me. He saw a monster. Let him forget."

Ruya found herself placing an arm around Cole's shoulders. Comforting, like her brothers had done so often for her. She spoke to him softly, letting him tell her more about the way he thought, and the things he'd done around Skyhold to help. She patted his arm after a while, and turned to go.

"Roderick was sorry before he died."

Ruya blinked. It had been a while since she'd thought of the man. He'd been a hero when it mattered. "Did he tell you why he was sorry?"

"Blood everywhere, monsters, madness, dying, we're all dying. The Herald stands against it, and heads turn. Desperate and simple. Pure. Voices in the Chantry. Years since I'd sung the song and felt it flowing through me, but this is real. This is real. So long since I'd felt it, falling, flying. Faith. And I fought her. Maker forgive me. I hope I did enough."

She felt tears prick her eyes, and a lump rise in her throat. Roderick had saved them all as much as she had. "He did. Thank you Cole."

#

"Tell me about Velanna."

"A Dalish elf, First of her clan until she was exiled for inciting violence against humans." Brehan leaned back against one of the wooden supports. "According to Oghren, they met her in the Wending Wood. She'd been slaughtering merchants and bandits alike, out of the belief that they'd abducted her sister."

"But it was this Architect who took her?" Ruya frowned.

"Took may be too strong a word. According to Oghren and Sigrun, Seranni went with the Architect willingly. She was a ghoul by then, so it's possible the Architect was controlling her in some way."

"If she was killing people, why would Jerath recruit her?"

"A very good question. Oghren couldn't answer it, and he was there when it happened. Oghren was apparently hurt badly, as was Keenan, and Velanna healed them. My best guess is when she asked to Join, Jerath felt indebted to her for healing his wardens." Brehan shifted his weight. "Velanna was apparently in love with Jerath."

"Could that have been why he recruited her?" Leliana narrowed her eyes. "I mean, considering the last woman he..."

"It's possible, but Sigrun fell out of her chair laughing when I asked her the same question."

Leliana shook her head. "And there was another Grey Warden with the Architect, yes?"

"A dwarf. One who didn't speak. They didn't know who she was, but I did some backtracking. I think she may have been Utha, one of the Grey Wardens who first met with King Maric."

"Can you tell us any more about Utha?"

"No, but I can tell you who can. Fiona was a member of the same group."

"Fiona..." Ruya folded her arms. "Knew this architect?"

"And if my suspicions are correct, he is the reason she is now immune to the taint." Brehan sighed. "Duncan was there as well."

"Duncan?" Leliana's head came up sharply.

Ruya glanced from one to the other. "Should I know that name?"

"He was the Commander of the Grey at the beginning of the Blight. The one that recruited me and the others. He died at Ostagar."

"He never told you any of this?" Ruya raised an eyebrow.

"He and I were never confidants." Brehan shook his head. "Loghain told Jerath. Jerath told some of it to Cathiel, enough that I was able to trace the rest."

"Loghain knew..." Leliana sighed. "Bloody hell, he would have, wouldn't he? Maric's best friend."

"What about the Messenger?" Ruya asked. "You said he fought alongside the Wardens in Amarathine, and then later was the one that sent word about the apostate in the Wilds. Which tells me Jerath let him go."

"I'm afraid I don't have any information there."

"What about Jerath's reports?"

"Jerath's reports were rarely more detailed than 'found darkspawn, killed them'. Most of the record-keeping was done by Seneschal Varel or Loghain himself, and frankly they weren't a lot better. Captain Garavel told me that Jerath took the Messenger with him when they left to deal with the darkspawn in the dragonbone wastes, but Varel says the creature was no longer with them when they arrived back at the Vigil."

"Thank you." Ruya started to rise.

Brehan sighed. "There is more." He took a deep breath. "Dirthamen lasa ghilan. According to Cathiel, Loghain told Jerath that..." He looked down at his feet. "That courtesy of former Warden-Commander Bregan, the Architect knows the location of the remaining Old Gods and..." Brehan rubbed the back of his head. "And that the Architect is the one that woke Urthemiel and began the last Blight."

Ruya collapsed back into the chair. Leliana sank slowly into another chair. "Maker's breath, Brehan." She shook her head. "I take it this is one of those things you were oath-bound not to tell us."

"I swear to you, Leliana, I didn't know most of this until after..." He shook his head. "Until after I left Orlais."

"So the Wardens know where the remaining Old Gods are." Ruya ran a hand through her hair. "No wonder Clarel thought she had a chance of success with that..." She looked up at Brehan. "Mark the map."

"I can't. I don't have the locations. It's information reserved for the highest ranks within the Order, and..." Brehan sighed. "Given my allegiances, it's not information they would have provided me despite my official rank. What's more, it's not information they provided Saitada either."

"Did Jerath know?"

"Given that he..." Brehan gave a small smile. "May have threatened the First Warden on at least three separate occasions, I don't believe they provided him with the information. But that is no guarantee he did not uncover the information by other means."

Ruya blinked. "Why would he threaten the First Warden?"

"The first time was when Weisshaupt attempted to transfer Loghain to Orlais, and Jerath told the First Warden that if any further attempts were made to interfere with his staffing decisions he would object strenuously. The second time was..." Brehan shrugged. "Jerath was not technically in command of the Vigil when Anders was possessed. Jerath had left Nathaniel in charge, and a Senior Warden from Weisshaupt relieved Nathaniel of that command. After, Jerath sent a letter reminding the First Warden of just who, exactly, had put down two Blights in as many years and to let him alone to do his job. The last involved Vinmark and the attempt by Warden Janeka to requisition Carver Hawke. That one..." Brehan shook his head. "That one stated that the next person to fuck with one of his Wardens would be sent back to Weisshaupt in no fewer than four boxes."

Ruya was silent for a moment. "Okay. Next question. What is the Architect?"

"I've never been in the vicinity to sense it. Ir abelas, Inquisitor. I simply don't know."

"Find out."

#

She joined Cullen for a training exercise in which she helped him demonstrate the importance of shield work when dealing with enemy mages. She splattered the first line of recruits with a very weak spray of ice. Those that hadn't been paying attention had their teeth chattering by the time the drill was completed.

Ruya reached up and brushed a bit of ice out of Cullen's hair. "Got you a bit that time."

He laughed, and then fell into step beside her as they walked the path back up to the hold. Thanks to Horsemaster Dennet, the Inquisition now had a small calvary in addition to the skirmishers. A brief attempt at having mages that fought from horseback had been made and promptly aborted, with significant causalities to the dignity of the participants. Several small contests of arms had sprung up, and Cullen was pleased to note that the mages were as quick to cheer on their templars as the templars were to cheer on their mages. There had been no instances of possession since the closing of the Breech.

"I heard about Eril."

"I sent a letter. His daughter..." Ruya sighed. "She's only eight. Last time I saw her was three years ago. I doubt she even remembers me. I just hope..." She shook her head. "I just hope she remembers him as he used to be. A good man, who would do anything to keep her safe."

"Many of them were."

"And that's the problem, isn't it?" Ruya looked down at her hands. "Both sides so utterly convinced they were right that they never took a moment to actually listen to each other." She walked to the window and looked out over the camp below. "Do you think it will last? This? Mages and templars as comrades and friends?"

"We can only pray."

#

The amulet was larger than she expected, almost the size of her hand. She turned it this way and that as she walked towards the tavern. Cole was in his usual location. He looked up when she approached. "It started out helping, taking the fear away. I won't take too much. I am not that."

Ruya nodded to him. "I found the amulet that Solas told us about. Would you like to try it on?"

He smiled eagerly, like a puppy being offered a new toy. "Yes. But not here. I like it here. We need someplace that can go away if it becomes sharp."

She considered a moment, and then decided to take him to Solas.

#

Cole was fiddling with the amulet as they walked into the round room. "What do I do with it?"

Solas rose and walked towards them. "You found one of the amulets. Excellent. May I?" Cole handed it to him. "It is simple enough. You put it on, I charge it with magic, and you should be protected."

Ruya put her hand on Cole's shoulder. "Are you ready, Cole?"

"They can't make me a monster."

She stepped away, and nodded to Solas. He closed his eyes and held out his hand, sending energy into the amulet. A moment later, there was a spark, and Cole cried out. Varric rushed in at the sound. "What was that?" He blinked. "Oh for..." He walked over to Cole and stood protectively. "What are you doing to the kid?"

Cole turned to face Varric. "Stopping blood mages from binding me like the demons at Adamant. But it didn't work."

"Something is interfering with the enchantment." Solas gave Cole a considering look.

Varric shook his head. "Something like Cole not being a demon?"

"I'm not certain exactly what Cole is," Ruya said.

"Regardless of Cole's special circumstances, he remains a spirit." Solas gestured.

"Yes, a spirit who is strangely like a person." Varric folded his arms.

"I don't matter." Cole turned this way and that, and Ruya stepped forward to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Just lock away the parts of me that someone else could knot together to make me follow."

"Focus on the amulet." Solas stepped to Cole's other side. "Tell me what you feel."

He lowered his head and closed his eyes. "Warm, soft blanket covering, but it catches, tears, I'm the wrong shape, there's something..." He turned, and pointed vaguely southeast. "There. That way."

"We'll find whatever is preventing the amulet from working, and we'll make it right." Ruya nodded to her friend.

"All right, kid." Varric gestured at Cole. "Get Cullen and work with him on the map to figure out where you're sensing something wrong."

"Will you come with me?" He lifted his head again, peering out at them from under his hat. "All of you?"

They all quickly assured him they would.

#

Varric turned to Solas. "All right. I get it. You like spirits. But he came into this world to be a person. Let him be one."

It was the Inquisitor who spoke first. "Cole is a demon..." She glanced at the door Cole had just exited. "Or a spirit. He has magical abilities and magical vulnerabilities. We cannot ignore that."

She was right. And he could tell she was just as worried about the kid as he was. "Fair enough." He looked at the two mages. "But that ritual of theirs only works on demons, right?"

Solas clasped his hands behind his back. "This is not some fanciful story, child of the Stone. We cannot change our nature by wishing."

"You don't think?" Varric looked up at the other man. For a moment, he thought he saw doubt in Solas's eyes.

"However we deal with the problem, our next step is to track down whatever is interfering with the enchantment."

Ruya nodded. "We'll keep Cole safe.

#

Cullen looked up when the warroom door opened. It took him a second to realize who was standing there. "Cole."

Brehan immediately took a step backwards, putting the table between himself and the spirit.

"I need to find the pull on the map," Cole said.

"Um..." Cullen glanced down at the map. "Of course."

"If you'll excuse me." Brehan gave Cullen a brief nod, then left the room, giving Cole a wide berth as he did so.

Cole watched him go. "I'm not the one he sees when he looks at me. Fractured reflections in a broken mirror."

"You were, um..." Cullen gestured at the map.

Cole pointed south east again. "That way." After a moment, Cullen nodded. He set a stylus on the map, orienting the point to be in the same direction Cole was pointing. Then he started to trace his finger in the direction the stylus was pointing. Cole brightened. "There."

"Redcliffe," Cullen said, tapping the map.

"Redcliffe," Cole repeated.

#

The four of them joined one of the units being sent to the crossroads. Most of them couldn't even see Cole, and even when they did, they forgot about him again almost immediately. Ruya smiled as she watched Varric try to teach Cole how to tell a knock-knock joke. Despite the dwarf's best efforts, Cole just couldn't seem to get the hang of it. It struck her as odd. Though the soldiers didn't seem to see Cole, none of them behaved as though Varric were talking to himself.

She and Solas discussed the phenomenon, and he claimed that the soldiers were seeing Cole, but the conversation he and Varric were having simply never caught their attention enough for them to actually notice anything. Her thoughts had gone along similar lines. "Is our remembering him his choice, or our choice?"

"Both, I imagine," Solas replied.

#

Blackwell felt a small trickle of fear when he looked up to see the Dalish Warden enter the barn. "Brehan."

"Blackwall." He went to one of the stalls, and the hart inside stuck it's head out to sniff at the man. Brehan stroked its nose, and actually sniffed it back. He chuckled. "Just close enough to halla to make me nostalgic." He turned to face Blackwall, a friendly smile on his face. "How long have you been a Warden?"

"More years than I care to consider." He carved a bit more on the toy, working to shape the lines of the beak.

"Conscripted or recruited?"

"Recruited. You?"

"Dragged kicking and screaming." Brehan twitched a shoulder. "You knew Duncan, yes? I think I heard him mention your name once."

"A good man." Or so the stories said.

"He was. Glad to see you are keeping the squirrel on the chin tradition alive for him."

He almost hit his thumb with the hammer as the mental image hit him. "Please, whatever you do, don't call it that in front of Sera."

"Shouldn't be hard. I think she's avoiding me. Something about being too elfy." Brehan shrugged. "Daveth recruited you, right? Think he recruited Duncan too." He fed the hart a handful of grain. "And Riordan. Come to think of it, he might have recruited Clarel too."

"He had an eye for people, I suppose."

"Ir abelas, I did have a reason for coming down here. Nathaniel recruited a dwarf named Temmerin. I never actually met him. Was wondering if you had and could tell me anything."

"Can't say I've met him either."

"Yeah, I was afraid of that. Frankly, I'm not convinced the man ever actually set foot in the Vigil. Ma serannas." Brehan nodded, and then left.

He picked up the tools again, but it took him a moment to get his hands steady.

#

There was some kind of business deal going down near the memorial of the Fifth Blight. Their approach caught the attention of one of the parties. He started walking towards them. "Greetings. Can I help you?"

Ruya was about to reply when Cole's head came up sharply. "You." She blinked, and turned towards him. She'd never heard such fury in his voice. He moved towards the man, so quickly he seemed to disappear and reappear from view. A heartbeat later he was standing over the man, the man's hair in one hand and a dagger in the other. "You killed me."

She ran, Solas and Varric on her heels. The man was staring up at Cole from where he'd fallen to his knees. "What, I don't..." He held up his hands. "I don't even know you."

Rage dripped from Cole's voice. "You forgot. You locked me in the dungeon in the Spire, and you forgot, and I died in the dark."

"The Spire?"

Her eyes widened when she saw recognition on the man's face. Maker, he knew what Cole was talking about. "Cole, stop." Solas's voice rang out just as Ruya reached Cole. She caught his arm, and the man started to scramble away.

"Just take it easy, kid." Varric came up beside her.

The man managed to get back to his feet and fled. Cole turned back to them. "He killed me. He killed me. That's why it doesn't work. He killed me, and I have to kill him back."

"Before anyone gets killed, I need to know what's going on." Ruya stepped in front of Cole, blocking his attempt at forward motion.

"Cole, this man cannot have killed you." Solas's voice was gentle. "You are a spirit. You have not even possessed a body."

"A broken body, bloody, banged on the stone cell, guts gripping in the dark dank, a captured apostate. They threw him into the dungeon in The Spire at Val Royeaux. They forgot about him. He starved to death." Her blood went cold. There were stories... enough that she knew some had to have been true. That poor boy. "I came through to help... and I couldn't. So I became him. Cole."

Behind her, Varric spoke. "If Cole was an apostate, that'd make the guy we just saw a templar. Must've been buying lyrium."

"Let me kill him. I need to..." Cole began to walk in the direction the templar had gone. "I need to."

Ruya let him pass. "Solas?"

He spoke quickly and sharply. "We cannot let Cole kill the man."

Varric shook his head. "I don't think anyone was going to suggest that, Chuckles."

Solas narrowed his eyes, then looked from Varric to Ruya. "Cole is a spirit. The death of the real Cole wounded him, perverted him from his purpose. To regain that part of himself, he must forgive."

"Come on." Varric gestured. "You don't just forgive someone killing you."

"You don't. A spirit can."

Ruya turned to look at Varric. "Varric?"

"The kid's angry. He needs to work through it."

"A spirit does not work through emotions. It embodies them."

Varric looked up at Solas. "But he isn't a spirit, is he? He made himself human, and humans change. They get hurt, and they heal. He needs to work it out like a person."

"You would alter the essence of what he is."

"He did that to himself when he left the Fade. I'm just helping him survive it."

She sighed. Solas was one of the wisest men she'd ever met. And yet... She couldn't help but wonder what Cole wanted. And what he could become, if given the chance. Varric called him kid. A child, seeking to understand the world. "Cole will never grow into a real person until he comes to terms with what happened."

"Leave it to me." Varric started walking after Cole.

#

She stood with Solas, watching. She could tell he disapproved, but he did not interfere. Varric rigged Bianca not to fire, handing her off to Cole. Cole tried to fire, and it didn't work. Varric gently tried to explain that there was no way to just make it all go away, then stopped Cole from making the templar forget.

"No. He needs to remember. You, too." Gentle, Varric led Cole back to them. "We're done here."

Solas fell into step with Cole, but she found herself standing there a moment longer. The templar, watching Cole leave, caught her gaze. He met her eyes, then swallowed as his face paled. He turned away, shame written on his features. She turned, and followed her companions.

#

They made it back to Skyhold before Solas gave vent to his frustration. "For all we know, the amulet will now never function. Cole remains vulnerable to binding."

"No, he isn't." Varric gestured. "The amulet didn't work because he's too human, right?" He folded his arms. "Maybe now the kid's also too human for that binding magic to work on him."

Solas sighed. "I hope you're right."

Cole followed them into the room. "It still hurts. When do I stop hurting?"

Maker, she wished she had an answer for him. She reached out and took one of his hands. "Being with your friends can make you feel better." She squeezed his hand once before letting go.

Varric gestured. "Come on, kid. Let's go for a walk. It'll clear your head."

"The left hand misses a friend with two different names. She's hurting, sad, halves not whole, but..." He looked up at the rookery. "Everyone can see me now. They remember. How do I put honey in Leliana's wine without her noticing?"

"I can help with that." Varric led him out of the room.

Ruya was so lost in her thoughts, watching them, that she nearly jumped when Solas spoke. "It is good that he is not entirely changed, however human he becomes."

#

Ruya saw Lysette talking to another of the templars, then scanned a bit further. Brehan was talking quietly with Iron Bull as both men watched the recruits. She tilted her head, then went to join them. "Gentlemen."

"Boss."

"Inquisitor."

She followed their gaze. "The new recruits are coming along nicely." She frowned when neither responded. "Something wrong?"

The two men exchanged a look. "Got spies, Boss. Other than me."

A sigh escaped her. "Yeah, Cassandra mentioned Leliana thought there might be spies among the new recruits."

"I've got the human man with the braid, the elven man with the red trimmed sheath, and the woman with the templar shield."

"Can't believe you missed the big guy by the armor rack."

"Please. Cullen already reported him to Leliana." Brehan shook his head. "Remind me to send a note to Cathiel that she should leave the spying to the professionals."

Iron Bull caught Ruya's surprised look, and nodded. "Lady with the shield is definitely Venatori."

"The elven guy is a crow."

"And the guy with the braid?" Ruya said.

"Oh, he's a spy," Iron Bull said. "Just not sure yet who he is spying for."

"Footwork says chevalier."

"But that doesn't narrow it down as much as we'd like."

She looked from one to the other, and then laughed softly. "I'll leave you to it."