"Thank you, Your Holiness. Now, Lord Eamon, as to your concerns..."

"The Inquisition established an armed presence in Ferelden territory. You outright seized Caer Bronach in Crestwood."

Her hand actually ached worse than her head. "Our goal was to keep more Ferelden citizens from dying, not to seize power."

Eamon glared. "Your help was appreciated two years ago, Inquisitor. Now order has been restored, yet you remain." Eamon gestured. "Invading under pretext of restoring order is exactly what the Grey Wardens did to us centuries ago, and we exiled them."

She refrained from pointing out that Ferelden's throne was currently occupied by Grey Wardens. Cyril Montfort spoke before she could. "That was Ferelden's mistake, just as exiling the Wardens at Adamant Fortress was, regrettably, the Inquisition's mistake."

"Of course Orlais tolerates this interference. The Inquisition is the only reason Celene retains her throne."

"Rest assured, Eamon, the empire of Orlais will not stand idle if the Inquisition oversteps its bounds." Cyril's voice remained measured. "Unlike Ferelden, however, Orlais understands that these were the well-intentioned mistakes of a young organization."

"An organization in need of a guiding hand. Yours, no doubt."

Her thoughts went idly to the days when she thought mages actually could turn people into nugs. What she wouldn't give to be able to do that right now. An Inquisition runner touched her shoulder lightly. "Pardon me, Inquisitor. Divine Victoria wishes to speak with you in private."

Ruya looked up and caught Leliana's eye. "My apologies. An urgent matter has come to my attention. Ambassador Montilyet, can you handle this for a short while?"

"I..." Josephine nodded. "Of course, Inquisitor."

"This is highly irregular."

Leliana stepped in before Eamon could finish working himself up. "Perhaps it would be best if we took a short recess."

#

"The guard said we both should see this. I believe she was correct."

What was it Iron Bull had said so long ago? If you see a member of the Beresaad in full armor, you run. Because it means war. "A Quinari warrior in full armor. How did he get into the Winter Palace?" She looked at the man lying in a pool of red. "Would the Iron Bull know anything about this?"

"I asked, and he is as surprised as we are." Brehan's voice came from behind her. "Since becoming Tal-Vashoth, he has had no contact with his people. He seems frustrated at not knowing more."

Ruya glanced from her current spymaster to her former one, and back. "So, what would the Left Hands of the Divine see when they looked at this?"

"This is a warrior, not a spy. Part of the Antaam, the Qunari military."

"Most of his wounds come from a fight against someone using magic, but at least a few are from a blade."

"He was badly hurt, separated from his allies, and made it here before he died. But how?"

She nodded. "We need to find out what's going on." She ran a hand through her hair. The day had started out so well. "Can Josephine manage the diplomats while I look around?"

"She will be fine. It's all speeches and posturing for the first few days, anyway." Leliana sighed. "I will extend the recess as long as possible."

"I'll let our friends know there may be trouble." Brehan nodded to Ruya before slipping from the room.

"You think that's likely?" Ruya asked Leliana.

"I think the Exalted Council may be more exciting than we expected."

Well.

Shit.

#

Once again, Ruya found herself climbing railings in an Orlesian palace. It occurred to her there was a time she would have found the notion scandalous rather than just a part of her life. The blood trail led back to a storage room. She opened the door and slipped inside, a barrier around her. There was a soft glow coming from... "An active eluvian? If I'm going through it, I'm not going alone."

#

She thought about waiting for them to come to her. No, there was still much to do tonight. And it would be better if there were no witnesses. In the form of a crow, she flew to the hidden camp. If she could smile in this form, she would have. They'd sent fifty to deal with her husband and his band. Their leader probably considered sending that many to be an honor of some kind. He really should have known better. He had fought at her husband's side, once.

Morrigan left her perch and took back to the sky. When she'd reached sufficient height, she turned and dove, shifting in midair. Fire exploded in the midst of the camp. The survivors of the first pass scrambled for their weapons at the sight of the dragon. She landed, shifting as she did, and tore the Veil. Trees moved in response to her will.

When she left the glade, there were only pieces of the enemy remaining, decorating the trees.

#

She asked Sera to help Brehan scout for any sign of more qunari. After a second thought, she asked Thom to accompany Sera, just in case she did find some. Ruya asked Varric to get a letter to Jerath back at Skyhold, and headed back to the storage room with Cole, Iron Bull, Dorian, and Cassandra. "This is the Crossroads. Morrigan brought me here while showing me the eluvians." She pointed at the trail as they headed towards an inactive mirror. "Judging by the bloodstains, he tried to get through here." She touched the mirror, but it didn't open.

"What's wrong? That one doesn't like you?" Iron Bull was looking around warily.

"The mirror doesn't look broken, but it's inactive. Maybe there's a way to unlock it."

They continued following the trail. Dorian and Iron Bull had clearly missed each other. Iron Bull seemed to enjoy teasing his lover, but Dorian didn't appear quite as embarrassed about it as he had before. At least, until Iron Bull started talking about pet names. Ruya just rolled her eyes fondly.

"The blood trail leads to this mirror." Ruya gestured at an active eluvian.

"Right." Iron Bull put a hand on his axe. "Let's see where this guy came from."

#

"Elven ruins. I'm not sure we're even in Orlais anymore." Ruya continued following the blood trail. Maybe she should have brought Brehan, he might know more about the ruins. No. With everything going on, Josephine was going to need his eyes more than she did. She saw another body at the base of a staircase. "Another Qunari, dressed like the one in the Winter Palace." She glanced over her shoulder at Iron Bull.

He nodded. "He's a karashok. A foot soldier. Must've been in the same squad."

They continued through the ruins. Iron Bull was smiling. "Oh, this is gonna be fun. The old team together again to kick some ass."

"Kicking doesn't work as well as daggers, the Iron Bull." Cole followed, watching everything from under the brim of his hat.

"I missed you, too, Cole."

#

The young man sat cross legged before the campfire. He called forth his magic, and then found those oath-sworn. His eyes closed as he began to cast his spell. There was an answering touch when he found his father. A proud hand upon his shoulder. Kieran smiled.

#

An active eluvian. And surrounding it, petrified qunari. The amount of power needed to... "A spell killed these Qunari. Someone cast it not even an hour ago." She turned to her companions. "We need to find out why these Qunari were here and who did this to them."

#

"Over there, Qunari." Ruya pointed. There was no way across except perhaps swimming, and they were all wearing full armor. A look around found some kind of bridge control, but the key was missing.

Another active eluvian. Maybe there was another way across.

#

He felt the touch of magic to him, lending him additional strength. Caronel drew his own magic to him, forming a barrier. The blade of his sword began to glow. He kicked down the door and sent a blast of ice ahead of him. The enemy shouted and went for their weapons as he fell upon them.

#

"Atish'all vallem, Fen'Harel elathadra." The spectral thing held the ghost of a rather large hammer over its shoulder.

"I don't understand." She should have brought Brehan. Or had him teach her elvish. He'd managed to teach Sera a few words over the years. Mostly rude ones.

"Nuvenas mana helanin, dirth bellasa ma."

Bellasa was live? Ma... she was pretty sure that was me. Or you. "We're visitors. We didn't mean to disturb you."

"Virthar ma. Na din'an sahlin."

That she was pretty sure was bad. She put a barrier around herself and her comrades as the spectral guardians attacked.

#

"I think that spirit considered us intruders."

"We are intruders." Cole gestured. "We aren't ancient elves."

"It must have been set to guard something."

She was able to pass the blue flames by activating the mark. Something nagged at the back of her mind. Ruya looked down at her hand, then back at the strange mosaic. She activated the mark again, and the way forward opened. An image crept into her head as she did so. Words she felt in her bones. 'Fen'Harel bids you welcome. Rest, knowing the Dread Wolf guards you and his people guard this valley. In this place, you are free. In trusting us, you will never be bound again.'

Ruya turned to the others. "That was like veilfire. It claimed..." Fen'Harel? "This was a refuge for elven slaves."

"Yes. I can feel their pain. They came here hurt, hungry. This was help, a new home." Cole touched the stone wall with the tip of his fingers.

"This whole valley was a sanctuary 'created by the Dread Wolf, Fen'Harel.'"

The stares that greeted her words were not comforting. Brehan had entertained them all more than once with tales of Fen'Harel. And then there was Jerath's claim. Fen'Harel had given the orb to Corypheus.

#

Valya reached for her magic the moment she felt the touch. It was stronger, buoyed by other power. She wreathed herself in fire as she used the staff to blow the door open. Shouts and screams echoed as the enemy burned.

#

Iron Bull gestured at a dead qunari soldier. "Cuts all over the back. He was killed by surprise."

Ruya nodded. "This can't have happened too long ago. The blood's not even dry."

They found... She wasn't sure what they'd found. Bits and pieces, a puzzle whose parts were warped by time. And another mosaic. 'Fen'Harel has been falsely named a god, but is as mortal as any of you. He takes no divine mantle, and asks that none be bestowed upon him. He leads only those who would help willingly. Let none be beholden but by choice.'

"This is..." She shook her head. "Fen'Harel helping former slaves as a mortal. Not a god."

Cassandra nodded. "He took great pains to renounce his supposed divinity."

"Worship makes you more. He just wanted to help." Cole's voice was sad.

#

Another mosaic. 'The gods, our Evanuris, claim divinity, yet they are naught but mortals powerful in magic who can die as you can. In this place, we teach those who join us to unravel their lies.' She was glad now, that she had not brought Brehan. "This claims the elven 'gods' were just 'Evanuris' - powerful but completely mortal mages."

Cassandra frowned. "Was this the start of an uprising? Freed elven slaves against their former masters?"

"If that's true, Fen'Harel was teaching these freed slaves the truth about these 'false gods'." She needed to talk to Morrigan. How much of what they had believed was simply wrong? A thought itched at her mind again, but she couldn't make it form.

Another battle, and a small statuette of a wolf. One that looked to fit into the pedestal by the broken bridge.

#

Merrill stepped into the small clearing. The enemy forces stared at her. She smiled, and unleashed the magic she had gathered. Those closest fell, clawing and ripping at their own eyes and faces as they screamed in terror. Others managed to dive for their weapons. She twirled her staff and slammed the butt into the ground as the forest came alive for her.

#

They fought another band of qunari. Despite Ruya's attempts at diplomacy, the qunari had simply attacked. "Why did those Qunari attack 'the Inquisition' on sight?"

"No idea." Iron Bull examined one of the corpses. "They weren't Tal-Vashoth, though. This might be a rogue group, but they think they're following the Qun."

Ruya continued up the stairs, and found frescoes decorating the walls and a statue of a wolf. Veilfire sconces lined the walls. A puzzle. She could almost hear Jerath complaining about Amell mages. She walked towards one of the frescoes. "That's Fen'Harel. Removing the face markings from a Dalish elf?" Brehan had entertained the dinner table with stories of his people many times over the past few years, but he was light on stories of Fen'Harel. She was certain though, if there were tales of Fen'Harel removing vallaslin, he'd have mentioned at least one. Nothing they'd found thus far matched the stories.

She lit the correct sconce on the first try. Amell blood or no Amell blood, she was a Trevelyan.

#

'The brand of the Evanuris can be lifted from you, that all may know you oppose their cruelties. None here are slaves. All are under our protection. All may choose to fight.' Ruya thought back to when they'd walked through the temple of Mythal. Solas and Morrigan had argued over the legends. Morrigan. She needed to send for Morrigan, and the power of the Well. They continued their exploration.

Cassandra's voice reached her ears. "It has been too long since we have traveled together. I have missed it."

"It's nice to help people with you," Cole told her. "You're quiet, except when you clank."

She found notes, messages from the Qunari to each other. She showed one. "A note about an 'unknown intruder' coming through an eluvian. They 'turned spirits against us,' then fled." Ruya shook her head. "Two parties, then: the Qunari and a mystery agent determined to stop them." Ruya turned to the others. "Let's head back, see what we can find."

#

A light brush at his mind. Carver grinned. He kicked the door open and strode inside. The mages started to turn towards him, and he released energy of his own, negating their magic before they could bring it to bear. Then it was time for the blade.

#

"One dead Qunari was bad enough. Now we have more, and they're hostile."

"This makes no sense. The Qunari may not be friendly to the Inquisition, but they have no reason to attack us." Josephine stabbed the air with her pen.

"They also have no reason to be here - or using eluvians - at all."

"I've had the mirror placed under guard for now, Your Holiness."

"Cullen, please just call me Leliana."

"Yes, Your..." Cullen caught himself. "Leliana."

Ruya leaned on the table. "I just wanted the Exalted Council to go smoothly." A few stupid political meetings. Visit old friends. Sneak off with her husband like some randy apprentice. The world, it seemed, had other ideas.

"We must ensure that the Qunari do not disrupt the negotiations." Worry filled Josephine's voice. "The Exalted Council is in a very delicate state."

"I'm certain you can soothe the nobles' ruffled feathers while we solve the real problem."

Josephine pointed her pen at Cullen. "Not when the Inquisitor insults everyone present by walking out in the middle of the talks." She turned towards Ruya. "Our only advantage is that Orlais and Ferelden are divided in goal and grievance. If they unite against us, Divine Victoria will have no choice but to support their claims. We could lose everything."

"I know we're asking a lot of you, ambassador. I promise, we won't make this any harder for you than necessary." What was the world coming to, when picking everything up and moving to Kirkwall of all places was starting to sound like a good idea?

"My apologies, I will attend to the Exalted Council."

Brehan nodded. "And while Josie does that, we will investigate."

"I'll head back to the Crossroads. We will need to find out what the Qunari are doing, and why they attacked. Brehan, send a message to Jerath. Let him know the situation. I could use information from Merrill and Morrigan on the eluvians. And the Evanuris."

"Yes, Inquisitor."

Cullen nodded. "And I'll have a quiet word with our honor guard."

#

"Everything going all right so far?" Ruya asked Varric. "Any word from Hawke?"

"I'm hoping to convince him to come back to Kirkwall with me. Shouldn't be too hard. I think the Queen was a little annoyed at just how much structural damage Fireball and Hawke can cause when dealing with an issue."

Having seen both mages in action, Ruya could understand the queen's feelings. "I don't understand how you could just become a viscount."

"When the rule of a Marcher state dies and there's no heir, the nobles of the city pick a new ruler. Only none of Kirkwall's nobles actually want the throne. Most of them think it's cursed, actually. They can't leave it empty, though, or some other state like Starkhaven or Ansburg will probably invade. I complained about the empty office when it interfered with my reconstruction efforts. They took that as volunteering." He chuckled. "They almost stuck Hawke with the job once. I can just imagine how that would have ended."

"I have this mental image of Hawke walking away from Kirkwall as it sinks into the ocean."

"Sounds about right."

"So Bran used to be viscount, and now he just..." Ruya glanced at the man who was again doing a poor job of pretending he wasn't listening to their every word. "Follows you around?"

"Provisional viscount."

"Pretty much." Varric shrugged.

"With a permanent appointee finally in the viscount's office, I am free to return to my post as seneschal."

"He means: 'My true calling is arrogantly telling people they can't talk to the viscount.' He's good at it, too."

Ruya sighed. "I need a seneschal."

#

The darkness wrapped around him almost of its own accord. Nathaniel loosed the four shafts rapidly. The fire immediately began to spread, and the enemy started to respond to the threat. Stay and burn, or face the archer. He began loosing the rest of the arrows almost leisurely.

#

"Need me for anything?" Blackwall asked, looking up from where he was sharpening his sword.

"What do you think's going to happen at the Exalted Council?" Ruya looked up at the palace. She realized she was looking for entry points. Maker, she really had been at war too long.

"Maker, I have no idea. Politics always makes my head spin." He stood. "The Inquisition shouldn't have to give in whenever some prissy noble gets their knickers wedged somewhere."

She laid a hand on his arm. "You're more comfortable being called by your real name now?" It was still hard thinking of him as someone other than Blackwall.

"Comfortable? Not quite yet. I didn't want to be Rainier for such a long time. To be quite frank, he was an ass. But he's - I've changed. And reclaiming my name has allowed me to reconnect with people I haven't seen in years. Family. It wouldn't have happened without you."

"You're part of my family, Rainier. It's nice having everyone back in the same place again." Possibly for the last time.

He chuckled. "I have to admit, I missed it." He shook his head. "What does it mean when we need a huge diplomatic talk or the world ending just to bring us together? I got the chance to have a few drinks with Sera. Missed that girl. It's still a little awkward talking to Cassandra. But the commander appears to have forgiven me, finally."

#

Cassandra had a flummoxed expression on her face. Ruya expected it to be about the Qunari. She couldn't help but smile when Cassandra revealed her actual concern. "How did Varric, of all people, become the viscount of Kirkwall? A mystery for the ages."

"I hear you've been rebuilding the Seekers."

"Slowly, but yes. I managed to find a few of my former comrades who'd scattered to the winds. Some of them were unsuitable, and I did not ask them to return. Others felt as I did, once they read the Lord Seeker's tome. We've since recruited a few candidates who are going through training now - with full disclosure. What comes after this, I cannot be certain. I am making it up as I go along."

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Cassandra."

"I need to be better than 'fine.' I want to build something that is worthy of lasting."

#

Reimas went down the stairs. She kicked the door open and tossed in one of Temmerin's toys. Cries of pain followed the blast, and then she was among them, sword and shield both on the offensive.

#

"Are you all right?"

"It became clear years ago that much of what I'd grown up believing was wrong." Brehan leaned on the railing, looking out over the countryside. "It's the nature of stories, isn't it? They change on the teller, and we are left with only bits and pieces of truth, trying to put together a puzzle warped by age and missing half the parts."

Ruya put a hand on his shoulder. "You aren't the only one. If..." Her eyes went to the statue of Andraste. "Half the Chant is mistaken."

"I don't think it matters." His voice was quiet.

She turned towards him. "How do you figure that?"

"Who we are. What we do. How many times has faith guided your hand? Maybe the Maker was always there. Maybe he's a spirit we all dreamed into being." He folded his arms. "I've journeyed far, Inquisitor. This is not the first trip I've been on where the map has been mistaken. Learn more, find the right path, keep walking."

For a moment, she just stared at him. Then she hugged him. "I think I needed to hear that."

#

She found Cole feeding scraps to his raccoon. Somewhere, he'd found a scrap of cloth, and the raccoon now wore a formal sash as well. The sight made Ruya smile. "Cole?"

"She taught the dragon to fly. The water showed her how."

#

Anders used a blast of fire to open the door, and then a second to let them know he'd arrived. He stepped in to see the enemy forces scrambling. He smiled. And let Justice out to play.

#

"Hello and shhhhhush. I'm trying to figure out why everyone is acting so weird. I mean, besides because Qunari assassins and..." Sera narrowed her eyes. "Everything. You see it, right? There's something going with the elf servants. Makes sense after that ruin, right?"

"When you start going on about elves, it's hard to tell if it's about them or you."

"Yes, yes. "You're so clever. Arse." Sera shook her head. "Point is, the servants have no complains. No asking for a Jenny. They serve this lot, but don't want them done for anything?"

"So..." Ruya raised an eyebrow. "The nobles are nice, and the servants are happy?"

"Two things that have never been true. Mark that I said it, we're fighting Qunari, but something else is on the up."

"Have you taken your suspicion to Brehan?"

"Did. He turned raven for a bit, came back and confirmed nobles are as git as ever. His birds are watching." She cackled. "Said after this is done, might be a cache waiting for whoever gets Eamon. No love lost there."

"I suppose you've a lot to say about that elven ruin. About the Creators." Ruya sat on the table next to Sera.

"They're not even demons, just big magey nobs punching down. And yes, the shits who used them to make me feel broken can still eat it. But..." Sera shrugged. "Always waiting for that fight is way too much work. It's like, doing half the hurt for them. Maybe we're old now, but I'm tired of it. We've new fights to look forward to. We always do, seems like."

#

"Wish I hadn't burned all my contacts with the Ben-Hassrath. Be nice to have some idea what they're doing right now."

Krem slid a drink towards Iron Bull. "Yeah, but then you'd be on their side, chief."

He caught the drink. "Yes, but I'd know things. I like knowing things."

Ruya shook her head fondly. "The Chargers have been with the Inquisition for a while now. Is everyone still happy?"

"No complaints, Your Worship. The Inquisition's been good to us." Krem nodded. "We'd disband and join the Inquisition officially, but the chief gets this sad-dog look when we suggest it."

"The loyalty is touching, Krem." Iron Bull gave his lieutenant a playful glare.

It occurred to her if the Exalted Council got their heads firmly lodged up their asses, she could always just disband the Inquisition and have them all join the Chargers. No-pants Friday was a cause, after all.

#

They sat on the rocky shoreline, leaning on each other in front of the campfire, a bottle of wine between them. Temmerin and Talsaad looked at each other as soon as they felt the signal. Talsaad casually removed the rune from her vest, and tossed it into the fire. It cracked, and the ground trembled a moment.

"Hiding in the Deep Roads was not one of their better ideas." Talsaad stretched.

"Attacking was not one of their better ideas." Temmerin took a drink from the bottle, then offered it to Talsaad. "But if they want to go play in the Deep Roads, least we can do is introduce them to the darkspawn."

"What do you think, an hour and then go mop up?"

"Sounds good to me."

#

"Maker, you're a lovely sight." Cullen drew her away from prying eyes, and gave her a kiss that got her toes curling.

After she fixed her hair again, and corrected the buttons on his tunic, she bent to pet the mabari who'd helpfully stood guard. "Is there any news from Ferelden? How is your family?"

"My sister Mia keeps me informed. As I understand, she's training my nephew to best me at chess."

"I sense a threat to my commander's chess superiority. I'm sure the defeat will be distressing."

"I..." Cullen glared. "He's four. You could at least pretend I'd throw the game."

She laughed. "All good news, then?"

"Not all. But most of it is, and that's good enough. Mia is eager to see you again. When there's time, of course."

Time would be made. Cullen's sister would have a huge fuss again. Maker, she was going to have to tell Lukas she got married. And talk him out of challenging Cullen to a duel when he learned they'd got married without inviting him. They could deal with that later. "Have you had a chance to speak with Leliana? Away from work, I mean."

"Some, yes. Leliana has kept in contact - unofficially, of course - but it's good to see her again." He smiled. "Arguing with her in person is far more satisfying."

Ruya leaned into him. "Do you remember the first time we came to the Winter Palace?"

"All too well. I've already answered a half-dozen questions about my personal life." He sighed. "The reason we're here is because we made a difference. That's worth enduring the political small talk."

"But you're still glad I'm here to rescue you."

He laughed. "Very much so."

#

There were a thousand things she wanted to say to Leliana. Instead, they talked about nugs. It seemed being given a pet nug by the Divine was currently one of the highest honors that could be bestowed. Which made as much sense as anything else in the world.

Vivienne was still at odds with the College of Enchanters. No surprise there. It was good to see the woman again. With Dorian gone so often and Solas... It was just nice to have another experienced mage to talk to. Minaeve was a dear friend, but her talents lay elsewhere.

Dorian was his usual pessimistic self, save where Iron Bull was concerned. She really hoped they did find a way to make their relationship work. Watching them together was beautiful. She couldn't resist a bit of teasing though. As often as Dorian entertained himself by making her and Cullen blush, he deserved just a bit of fun at his expense.

The Imperium had no love for the Inquisition, which was no surprise at all. But she trusted Dorian. He'd come through for them. He always did.

#

With her companions at her side, she headed back into the mirror. More qunari attacked, but they were far more prepared this time. "Songs screaming far away. It wants to wake up but can't remember how. No one should be here." Cole looked around nervously.

"We need to find out what these Qunari were up to." Ruya led them further into the ruins. They were in the Deep Roads. She should have brought Jerath. "Looks like there was a bad cave-in."

Her hand ached. Blackwall touched her shoulder. "Your mark is glowing again."

She clenched her fist, but it continued. And it was aching. Ruya kept walking.

#

Rather than use the door, he phased through it. The first four of the enemy were dead before they even realized he was upon them. As the first mage turned towards him, Loghain became Vigilance, stepping into the Fade and then shifting back to drive his blade into the creature's spine. He let the spells of the second roll off him as he wrapped the fade around him. "For Ferelden..." he whispered, as the enemy died.

#

"Stay back. I- wait..." The man stood. "Your hand..." His eyes suddenly became hopeful. "Are you the Inquisitor?"

"Odd to find a human down in the Deep Roads at all, let along surrounded by Qunari." Ruya prepared a spell, just in case.

"We don't have much time. Please, what the Viddasala is doing..." He wrung his hands. "You have to stop her."

"The Viddasala?"

"She's the leader of the Qunari here. She hates magic. Her job was to study it and stop it. At all costs." He gestured. "Not anymore. I don't care whether you serve Fen'Harel or not. Someone has to stop her."

Well, that was an interesting twist. "Why do the Qunari think that the Inquisition serves Fen'Harel?"

"I don't know. The Viddasala said it, and the Qunari here accept it as fact." He looked over his shoulder. "We've had agents of Fen'Harel causing trouble all over the Crossroads. Sabotage, making spirits attack us..." He looked back at her. "I assumed that the Inquisition was their army, that you came her because Fen'Harel told you to."

That was ridiculous. Beyond ridiculous. "Who are you, exactly?"

"My name is Jerran. Ser Jerran, once. I was a templar in Kirkwall. Until I joined the Qun."

Kirkwall. Hadn't the Qunari tried destroying that place? "You're Qunari?"

"Kirkwall was..." He fidgeted. "Madness. Chaos. The Qunari were like the eye of a storm. I stand for order and discipline, protecting the innocent from magic, but this plan..." He sighed. "It's as mad as Meredith ever was."

"What is it you want me to stop?"

He pointed. "This place is a lyrium mining and processing center. The Qunari need it for..." He turned back to her. "Have you ever heard of saarebas?" Qunari mages. 'Dangerous things', as Iron Bull translated the term. "It's a mage. Except Qunari mages are..." His eyes went to her staff. "Much more dangerous than those among humans or elves. Even as a templar, I'd never seen anything like the power saarebas can unleash. And now Viddasala is giving them lyrium. A lot of lyrium. It's part of something she calls 'Dragon's Breath.' There's more to it than that, but I couldn't find out what. The Qunari don't like it when you ask too many questions."

Of course they didn't. Questions led to complex answers, and the Qunari preferred simple ones. "Where are we? Why are there elven mirrors in the Deep Roads?"

"This place is close to..." He shrugged. "Something like a lyrium spring. The more we mine, the more there seems to be. As for the mirrors..." He fidgeted again. "I don't know. Maybe the elves were mining here too."

A Titan. The ancient elves may well have known about such creatures. "What are you doing down here?"

"The Qunari wanted me to teach them..." He looked over his shoulder again. "Everything I knew about lyrium. Where it comes from, everything it can do, how we put it to use..." He spread his hands. "I knew enough from my time in the Order. They figured out more..." He shifted his weight from foot to foot. "I'm not sure how. Maybe they got to the Carta."

Ruya's hand ached. "I'm not sure how to stop the Qunari from using lyrium."

"The lyrium is only part of the Viddasala's larger plan, Inquisitor. She said it would 'save the south.' That can only mean one thing: an invasion." He pointed again. "This mine is the only source of lyrium the Qunari have. They're using gaatlok - the explosive powder in the round casks - to mine, so they don't have to touch raw lyrium. If you get the primers from central supply, you can prime the gaatlok and detonate it. The mines will go up in flames."

"All right. I'll try to stop them here."

"I doubt my blessing counts for much now, but: Maker watch over you. Deepstalkers and cave-ins will cut off reinforements, but they'll still come here when they hear trouble. You've got to find the Viddasala to end this war before it begins."

"There's no telling how bad things will get when I destroy the mine. You'd better get moving."

"I will. Good luck, Inquisitor." He took off.

She turned to her companions. "Let's go. We have a lyrium mine to ruin."

#

"Last time, it took an Exalted March to stop the Qunari - and that barely worked. If they strike now, Thedas may fall."

Ruya nodded to Cassandra. "Iron Bull, these primers. Something you know how to handle?"

"Yes, boss."

"You alright?"

He nodded. "I'm good."

They moved through the Deep Roads. It didn't take them long to find the primers. Dorian and Iron Bull collected them, and they headed back for the supplies of gaatlok.

After they blew up the first batch, Ruya looked at her companions. "So, who gets to tell Cullen and Josephine we're probably at war with the Qun?" Absolutely none of her stalwart, brave, loyal companions would meet her eyes. "Anyone?" They all busied themselves with other things. She sighed. "They're going to kill me." Maybe she'd make Varric do it. He might be able to spin it as a good thing.

#

Jerath walked into the wine cellar and sent out a wave of energy strong enough to knock the mages off their feet. The dragonbone sword ignited in his hand as he stepped halfway into the Fade and began the slaughter. Magic failed to touch him, and the enemy started to panic. Demon, they called him. Perhaps tonight, at least, that was accurate enough.

#

As soon as the last of the charges exploded, water started pouring in. "We should move."

"I've never liked swimming in heavy armor." Blackwall headed back towards the mirror.

Dorian slipped, landing in the water. Iron Bull fished him out with one hand, and then simply tossed the sodden mage over his shoulder as they ran. Dorian's protests were... colorful, though that might have had more to do with where Iron Bull chose to place his hand rather than the being carried part. Ruya tried not to laugh as they went back through the mirror.

#

"Dragon's Breath. The Qunari always enjoyed their metaphors."

"But what does it mean?"

"Who knows? Qunari agents moving through eluvians to attack the south is bad enough already."

Leliana shook her head. "I still do not understand why they accused the Inquisition of serving Fen'Harel."

"Corypheus tried to set himself up as a god. Maybe someone who knows elven history is doing the same." Ruya leaned on the makeshift war table.

Josephine stabbed the air with her pen. "But how does that implicate us? What made them decide that the Inquisition serves this Fen'Harel?"

"Hopefully, we will learn more after we have stopped them."

"Let's see the Exalted Council try to disband the Inquisition after we've saved them from this Dragon's Breath." Cullen folded his arms.

"We must find out what Dragon's Breath is, first. For now, our only lead is the Qunari leader, the Viddasala..."

There was a commotion, and a moment later Duke Cyril and Lord Eamon were coming down the stairs. "Gentlemen," Josephine said politely, moving to intercept them.

"My apologies, Lady Josephine. There has been an incident with one of your soldiers." Duke Cyril's voice was apologetic.

Lord Eamon's was not. "How dare you? It was bad enough that the Inquisition chose not to inform the Exalted Council of the Qunari corpse..."

"Orlais would have been happy to help with the matter."

"But now your own guards are attacking servants? You have overstepped your bounds." Lord Eamon jabbed a finger at them.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, gentlemen. I'll see to this personally."

"Thank you, Inquisitor." Duke Cyril gave a small bow. "Orlais stands ready to assist the Inquisition, as always."

"Secrets and lies." Lord Eamon narrowed his eyes. "Do you understand why we fear your Inquisition? You act as if you're the solution to every problem. How long before you drag us into another war?" He stormed out, followed a moment later by Duke Cyril.

Brehan shook his head, and then turned towards Leliana. "Remind me again why we saved his ass?" Cullen tried not to laugh.

Ruya sighed. "Brehan, Leliana is here. I need the raven moving out there. Focus on the servants."

"Yes, Inquisitor."

#

"What's going on here?" Ruya strode through the crowd to where her soldiers, and the Orlesian guards, were gathered.

One of the guards gestured at a scout. "The Orlesians tried to take one of our people, Inquisitor. We've secured the area."

Immediately the leader of the Orlesian guards objected. "This is the Winter Palace. You cannot simply seize control when one of your guards attacks a servant."

Her soldier immediately stepped in the Orlesian's way. "The Inquisition is handling this. When some noble commits a crime of fashion, you can take over."

Maker, this she didn't need. Before she could deal with the situation, the scout spoke up. "I only asked what he was doing."

The servant all but spat in response. "And when I refused to bow to the Inquisition's dogs, you attacked me."

"How would you like us to handle the situation, Inquisitor?"

She was about to order the scout taken back to their base when Brehan caught her eye. He tilted his head at... "That barrel there..." It looked like one of the ones she'd recently primed to explode. "Where did it come from?"

"I was ordered to bring wine for the guests." The servant spoke quickly. Too quickly.

"You're lying." The scout immediately stepped forward.

"Your Inquisition soldiers are completely out of control." The Orlesian guard gestured angrily.

"No, we're in control. Keep talking, and you'll find yourself in chains."

Ruya stepped between them before the situation got out of hand. "Please take the servant into custody." She caught Brehan's eye again, and saw him nod.

"Right away, Your Worship."

"Inquisitor?" The Orlesian guard glared.

"Ambassador Montilyet will explain later. For now, please hold the servant for questioning."

"As you say, Inquisitor. Lord Cyril will hear about this." He turned and strode away.

The scout seemed to realize how bad the situation was. She hesitated a bit before approaching Ruya. "Inquisitor? I also found this by the barrel. I can't read the language."

#

"Did you resolve the problem with the guard?" Leliana asked quietly. Brehan stood at her side, his expression calm and pleasant.

"The guard is the least of our problems. Someone smuggled gaatlok barrels into the Winter Palace."

"Smile, Inquisitor. There are many eyes upon us." Leliana obeyed her own command.

"At least now we know the true extent of the Dragon's Breath." Brehan kept his own voice pleasant, though pitched not to carry.

"You think the 'Dragon's Breath' is these gaatlok barrels?"

"Or course. A surprise attack, even through the eluvians, would have met fierce resistance."

"This is what Corypheus should have done after the explosion at the Temple of Sacred Ashes."

"An attack as swift and unstoppable as the breath of a dragon."

Ruya looked from Brehan to Leliana. "How are you two still smiling?"

"We are bards, Inquisitor. We cannot show weakness now." Leliana touched Ruya's arm. "Enemies could be watching. All we can let them see is idle conversation between friends."

"The guard who confronted the servant said she found this note near one of the barrels. It looks like Qunari writing."

Brehan took it from her. He read it over. "These are orders for positioning the gaatlok in the palace..." He skimmed the document further. "'When duty has been performed, report to the Viddasala through the mirror marked by a bookcase.'"

"If we're going to find the Viddasala and stop this Dragon's Breath, this is our chance."

"Good. While you do that, we will have agents locate the gaatlok barrels and remove them safely."

"I'll get word out to our foreign contacts. We must see where else this dragon could strike."

#

An Order moved as one for the last time, leaving nothing in their wake but blood and corpses. The night had only just begun. Their movements were certain, their purpose assured.

A god guided their path.