Dearest Father,

I always thought that the group of friends I had surrounded myself with would always be loyal, logical, and be by my side through anything. The events of the night changed all that for me, and now I just don't anymore.

Sebastian and Fenris walked me home after the exhausting day we had with Saemus' death and my slight meltdown over the Arishok. As we approached the front door, we heard arguing from within. Isabela and Aveline were in the living room having a heated discussion about which one had needed my help more. Nice of them to try and hash it out without even having my consent.

Aveline insisted that I needed to accompany her back to the Qunari compound, confront the Arishok about two elves that had committed murder and then ran to convert to the Qun for protection. Isabela said that she finally found the relic she had been seeking to get Castillon off her back; without it, she truly believed she was going to die.

Aveline had a good argument. If everyone committed a crime and then ran to the Qunari to convert, then things would get out of hand. But I had just been to the compound, and knew the Arishok wasn't seeing anyone. Besides that, I was in no way capable of seeing him again. Not after Saemus, after Petrice, after he said there would be consequences if anyone under his command was harmed. It was a bad idea to see him so soon, the very day of his threat, so I agreed to help Isabela instead.

"But I need your help Hawke," Aveline pleaded again.

"I can't Aveline," Hawke whispered. "I can't go to the Arishok, not now. We help Isabela."

Aveline began to protest. "Hawke...do you have any idea…"

Sebastian interrupted the guard captain. "Do not ask her of this," he said to her. "She has given you her answer."

"I don't remember asking you," Aveline stated.

"Are you coming to help Isabela or not?" Hawke asked, trying to end the argument between Aveline and Sebastian that was brewing.

"I have to get back to the Keep," Aveline said. "I can't run off to some idiotic battle with this whore while there are bigger problems at hand."

"Tomorrow morning," Hawke said with a defeated sigh. "We can confront the Qunari in the morning. Isabela's only chance is tonight."

"Count me in," Sebastian told them, offering his assistance to Hawke and Isabela.

"And me as well," Fenris spoke up.

Aveline shook her head. "I hope you know what you're getting into," she said.

"Thank you Hawke," Isabela said, flashing a satisfied grin at Aveline, ignoring her comment. "It's good to know who my real friends are."

Real friends. That's what she called us anyway. But what happened sure didn't feel like the act of true friendship. Isabela brought us to a warehouse in Lowtown where her relic was to be sold to Tevinter mages. Before we even got to the warehouse though, we were confronted by none other than the Qunari. They were demanding the relic, which Isabela told them we didn't have, but apparently they didn't believe us.

More bloodshed. More dead Qunari by my hand. And then finally the truth from my "friend." The relic Isabela had been searching for actually belongs to the Qunari. It's a book written by the founder of their religion. What they have been searching for all this time, the reason they are still in the city, and the cause of so much death. All of it could have been avoided had we known, had Isabela told us, and we found this book sooner.

Isabela argued that she should be able to keep the book, give it to Castillon, and finally be free. To give something so sacred away to be sold to the highest bidder? Sebastian asked Isabela if she'd do the same with something written by Andraste or the Maker Himself, and she didn't hesitate to say she would if it meant she'd survive. There was no doubt in my mind that we could protect Isabela from Castillon. I had a greater doubt we could survive a Qunari onslaught. And so I told her the book would be returned to the Qunari, and she agreed.

When we entered the warehouse, the Tevinter mages were there making a deal with the man who had the relic. Before the exchange could take place, the Qunari attacked. Isabela ran after the man with the book and left us to battle for our lives.

And then it was over, and Isabela was gone. With the relic. All that remained was a letter from Isabela, apologizing for lying. Again.

For over an hour I stared at the carving she made on the stairwell banister. That was after I went through my journal and cried over the drawing's she had made in the margins. I finally saw the hidden picture she was always talking about in the family crest, and I also discovered the books she had snuck onto my bookshelves. Strange how I notice all of this now. The memories in this home tell me of a friendship, but her actions speak of nothing but betrayal.

I can't believe she left Father. Turned her back on me, on Kirkwall, with no way now to convince the Qunari to leave. If we had the relic, we'd have something to bargain with when it came to Aveline's fugitives, and a chance to rid the city of the Qunari once and for all. Now that chance is gone.

And so is my friend.