I swapped from stewing in depression to stewing in rage for the rest of the trip. Something that everyone seemed to understand even more than my prior feelings, if only because all of them were struggling with their tempers nearly as badly.

Well, Thrask and Evelyn certainly were, as the two who'd been affected the most by the attack, then their running flight from the pursuing golem. As for our other friends, while they weren't at all happy to realize just who was ahead of us either, it became Varric and Brennan's unhappy duty to try and keep the three of us under control.

Something that got a lot harder when I was able to tell them that Greg and Bethany were working with a Qunari assassin.

We spent the next two days debating that, and making sure we stayed well away from the party who'd ridden on ahead of us.

Our slow pace held us up a little, turning a morning arrival into an evening one, but we were still a day early for when the Wyvern Hunt was due to occur. A final bit of debate on the approach had us all getting into full armor, polishing it up as best we could, with Varric becoming the only one in pseudo-casual dress. Sort of.

He had his nicest coat on over top of a chain-mail vest. One he'd had specially made to still expose a bit of his unruly chest hair, the vain lunatic.

My own armor had been supplemented before we left, Meredith again showering me with favors. The old mix of partial plate, chain-mail, and leather that I'd gotten by with for so long had been thrown out in favor of a full Templar's kit fitted for someone my size. Breastplate, greaves, everything but the bucket helm.

It also lacked the flaming sword etched into it, and the heavy skirt was black rather than red, without the tabbard in front. Meredith had to have been copying my formal outfit with that, and she'd even had the under-armor dyed black as well to match.

Put together, it was damned nice, if I was being totally honest. Lighter than I'd have thought too.

I certainly made an impression when I got out of the carriage on our arrival, finding Duke Prosper waiting outside the Chateau's massive gates. His enormous bodyguard lurked behind him, while a small army of servants stood patiently off to one side.

"Dame Maeve." The heavily bearded man did not smile on seeing me emerge, even if he inclined his head. "Welcome to Chateau Haine."

"Duke Prosper." I replied, waving to my companions as they all came around to stand near me. "This is Deshyr Tethras, representing the Enclave. Knight-Lieutenant Thrask, representing the Kirkwall branch of the Templar Order. Guard-Captain Brennan Evighan, obviously representing herself. And then there's Squire Trevelyan, on loan from the Knight-Commander since my own Squire's on an other assignment."

Prosper inclined his head to each of them in turn, acting the polite host. "How good to see the city finally sending proper representatives to our little event. I feared the Viscount would send his son again."

I snorted. "Pretentious little shit, isn't he?"

The Orlesian noble blinked rapidly, then threw back his head and let out a rich laugh. "I was told you had a barbed tongue. I did not imagine you would aim it at your own sponsor."

"Oh I like the Viscount himself well enough." I replied with a shrug, "His Qunari loving son is another matter entirely."

Prosper chuckled, "He most certainly is, isn't he? But come, come. There is no need for us to stand around in the dirt. I have put together a small feast for the other early arrivals, I'm sure there will be something to your tastes."

We followed him, leaving the servants to swarm over the carriage like a horde of locusts. I glanced back to see some of them already hauling our small bits of luggage away, while others were working on getting the various horses and ponies led off in other direction.

Shrugging, I led my friends in behind our host, noting that the Chateau's gate would have been an absolute bitch to try and get through if it was sealed.

The interior was fairly nice, as far as noble homes went. Prosper apparently didn't feel as much need to show off with gaudy art or statues in this section. He had just enough of both to break up the monotony of stone walls without trying to fill every nook and cranny with something fancy.

That same held true once we arrived in a dining area about the same size as Varric's, though Prosper's had a double-fireplace to better warm the room.

A handful of other guests were already seated, chatting away while sampling various plates. Two women at the far end had the look of sisters, despite different shades to their hair, and they currently had Greg trapped in a conversation with them.

Seeing my fellow Earthling again, had my hand drifting toward the hilt of my sword, and only Brennan grabbing my wrist stopped me from drawing it. Well... all right. I still tried, until she squeezed down hard enough that I had to stop before she broke anything.

Bethany, seated to her husband's right, clearly noticed, and gave me a warning look.

I glared back at her, then forced myself to inspect the last pair; the female of them was seated across from Bethany, leaving her male partner to her left and three chairs open to their right. I didn't know either, but from the style of their clothing I guessed that they were from Ferelden.

I didn't see Tallis anywhere. She was probably still playing the servant, and wouldn't have been invited to a dinner like this.

"Please, sit." Prosper waved a hand permissively, already heading to the far end of the table without introducing anyone. He was probably above such things, as a Duke. Instead he made to sit next to the sisters who'd paused their conversation with Greg in favor of giving me the kind of sneers I was used to.

I ignored them, muttering to my friends instead. "Varric? Take our Templars to the far end. See if the Duke won't warm up to you a bit, and find out who those two are. Little one?"

Trevelyan's voice was as much of a growl as the girl could make it. "I'll watch him, lady."

"Good girl." I nudged Brennan, "Come on. You get to make sure I don't cause a diplomatic incident on the first night."

Her sigh said she'd expected that job, and wasn't especially looking forward to it.

Not about to sit next to Bethany, since that would put me far too close to a man I really wanted to stab, I instead went around to the other side of the table. Brennan took the seat beside the Ferelden, leaving me to sit on my own to her left.

The servants who stepped out of hidden places to serve us were, shockingly, all Elves. They quickly began to lay down plates in front of us, along with mugs of what looked like ale. The one serving me jumped when I grabbed her wrist, stopping her from putting the liquid down. She gasped again when she actually looked at me, spotting my enormous ears.

"L-lady." She stammered in an extraordinarily thick Orlesian accent. "I... you... you're..."

"Not ale." I said, interrupting her. "Four parts clean water, one part wine."

Her eyes kept snapping from mine, to my gentle grip on her arm, to my ears, as if she couldn't wrap her brain around what she was seeing.

"Please." I added, letting go in the hopes that it would let her recover.

Wonder of wonders, it seemed to work. She turned slightly pink in embarrassment, ducking her head. "I... I... of course! At once!"

She fled in a bustle of skirts, vanishing back through whatever hidden door she'd come out of. I turned around to find the Duke leaning forward, regarding me with interest.

"No taste for ale, Dame?" He inquired, pitching his voice to quiet everyone else at the table. "I assure you my stock is quite palatable."

"And I believe you." I replied, leaning back in a purposefully lazy pose. It was a bit awkward to do it in armor, but I thought I hit the confident -noblewoman look pretty well. "But the Knight-Commander ordered me to avoid drinking anything that isn't watered down. I'm still recovering from an attempted poisoning."

"A shame." Prosper replied, giving no indication if he meant that I wasn't drinking, that I'd been poisoned, or that I'd survived. "I trust you will find my Chateau most hospitable during your stay, and will be able to tell the Knight-Commander as such."

I was about to reply in the affirmative when an alarmed looking Greg spoke, forcing me to look at him.

"Poisoning?" He asked, his New Orleans accent having shifted a little since we'd last spoken. There was a bit of a heavier french influence to it now. Maybe proof that Hawke had been right, and the pair of them had been hidden away somewhere in Orlais. "Someone tried to murder you?"

I upped my glare to its highest setting, making his jaw clench and Bethany rub tiredly at her face.

Brennan quickly cleared her throat, speaking before I could say anything I shouldn't have when I was both a guest, and technically serving as the city's leading ambassador to this party.

"Someone slipped corrupted lyrium into a letter, of a new, dangerous kind that is extremely deadly." She supplied. "Has the Duke recieved those warnings yet? We were just beginning to send them out over the last week."

Prosper frowned. "I have not."

Varric waved our way, telling us he'd handle it. "It's nasty, and fast acting, but it can be dealt with so long as you're careful."

He immediately drew the Duke into a long discussion about the evil crap, a discussion that drew Greg's attention as well. I tuned them out in favor of trying to relax while not looking anywhere past Bethany's far shoulder. If I did, my fingers started to twitch in a rather dangerous fashion, longing to take up my sword. Or maybe just cut loose with the magic.

A few minutes later the same Elven girl came hurrying back out, a wine glass carefully held in both hands.

"Lady." She offered it to me. "Is this satisfactory?"

I took it from her, a careful sip passing my lips. The flavor was... a lot better than I'd have anticipated. They must have opened one of the expensive bottles; the kind they'd definitely get in trouble for watering down like this.

"Thank you, it's perfect." I said, turning just enough to hide my wink at her.

The girl's cheeks and ears both reddened, but her smile was bright as she reached up, tucking a bit of dark hair behind a pointed ear. "Of course, whatever you need. I'll be right back with the first course."

And then she was off again, leaving me free to sip at my drink and try to relax. At the far end of the table, Varric had launched into an incredibly overblown version of our trip out to search for Bartrand. Even a brief moment of listening confirmed he'd upped the number of Carta in the first battle by at least three times, making me want to roll my eyes.

Brennan caught sight of my expression when she took a drink of her ale, chuckling before leaning over. "Double?"

"Triple, this time." I whispered back. "And... did he just say there was a golem?"

She let out something like a giggle. "Pretty sure he did."

The two of us snickered, turning a bit to converse with one another while our friend held the rest of the table hostage with his over the top story.

"I think our serving wench is smitten with you." She murmured with a grin, "So is the young lad taking care of the foolish Hawke over there."

I glanced past Bethany to find the young man refilling her tankard quickly averting his eyes from me, his face a bit red at getting caught.

"I think they're just stunned to see an Elf sitting here instead of serving." I said just as quietly. "Probably the first time they've ever seen that in their lives."

"No, definitely smitten." She insisted. "I know those looks. You could have company tonight if you wanted. Might help you calm down a little, and you know nothing more would come of it. No feelings, no strings, nothing like what you always worry about."

I brought my glass to my lips, whispering hotly around it. "I don't do one night stands, Bren."

Brennan rolled her eyes a little. "I know, but by the Maker, Maeve. You need to do something. You're wound up tighter than Bianca's springs. I'm not saying you should sleep with them if you don't want to. Just... I don't know. Let them massage your back for an hour or two."

That... was a hell of a lot more tempting than it should have been.

"Just an idea." She went on. "We both know something's going to happen here, and you're not in any shape to be dealing with a crisis right now."

"I can handle it." Brennan fully turned, giving me a flat stare that had me sighing. "I won't enjoy it, but I can handle it."

Food arrived before she could call me a liar. It was some kind of fancy toast covered in a paste, with very thinly sliced meat neatly arranged to one side. Our serving girl proved Brennan right by hovering near me longer than any of her compatriots did around their own assigned persons, waiting for me to take my first bites to make sure they were good.

Only when I indicated they were, and Prosper noticed that the servant was lingering, did she beat a blushing retreat.

To my annoyance that only made him chuckle, raising his voice once again to draw me back into a full-table conversation.

"I apologize, Dame." He said around a bite of his toast, which had proven to have some kind of fish flavor to it. "But I'm afraid your growing legend is most popular among my servants. I am told that they like to call you the Black Knight of Kirkwall. An inspiration to your people or some such."

I blinked, "That's a new one for me. Varric?"

"New for me too." He called back, "Must be one favored outside the city."

Bethany cleared her throat, speaking up, "It is what you're called in Orlais, Maeve. Mostly by any Elves who have heard of you. I think because of that dress you wore to the Grand Tourney's Ball. It was black, wasn't it?"

"It was." I admitted, "More of a formal uniform than a dress though."

Prosper inclined his head. "Well suited for a warrior. Now come, Master Tethras. Tell me more of your tale. I do quite enjoy such stories of battle and bloodshed."

Varric dutifully resumed, thankfully keeping the Orlesians at that end occupied, with Greg still listening intently as well. Gathering information, certainly, and he'd know about Varric's tendency to exaggerate. Closer, Thrask had apparently drawn the Ferelden pair into a quite conversation of their own, pulling Bethany in to discuss how the nation's rebuilding efforts were going.

That left me free to chat quietly with Brennan as more plates came and went. The serving girl had apparently learned her lesson; she didn't linger when she brought out the main course, or after she refilled our cups.

By the time the food was gone Varric's story had ended, and Prosper had started up one of his own about last year's Wyvern hunt. I listened politely from my place at the far end, sipping my juice, feeling comfortably full and idly hoping that none of the food had been poisoned.

Once our host had finished we were apparently done for the evening, the servants coming back out to escort us to our guest suites.

"The hunt shall begin at noon tomorrow, once the remainder of our guests arrive." The Duke announced once he'd risen, "And our true feast shall then occur. I bid you all a good night, and hope that you enjoy your stay in my home."

Everyone who still had some of their drink left raised their cups in salute, myself included, and then everyone began to separate for the night. To my lack of surprise the same serving girl had apparently volunteered to lead us to our place, to the open disappointment of the young man who'd been waiting on Hawke and Greg.

I finally caught sight of Tallis when we left the dining space. Sure enough the assassin was in her servant's garb, and fell in behind her supposed employers as if she'd been waiting for them the entire time.

Probably been scoping out the mansion as best she could, looking for Tal-Vashoth who was trying to turn over the list of spies.

I glowered at their backs until Brennan gave me a gentle push, forcing me to keep up with everyone else.

The Chateau was so damned big that we actually had our own little building all to ourselves. It wasn't pretty, a two story box, but it had a comfortable little lounge on the first floor, then three bedrooms up on the second.

"For the Lords." Our guide opened the first room, then turned to open the one across thehall. "For the Ladies. Um, the D-Dame's chambers are at the far end."

I arched a disbelieving eyebrow. "I get my own?"

She flushed, "Yes."

"If those are the Duke's instructions, I'm going to decline and stay with the girls." I told her bluntly. "I'd rather it not be that easy to assassinate me on the first night."

The girl's eyes widened in alarm. "Oh! Oh no, no! It's not like that! Um... those... those chambers are supposed to be for the Deshyr, but, um..."

But having an actual Elven noble present was having the Elven servants scramble to make sure I got the best treatment they could arrange, even if it meant quietly going against their own Duke's orders.

Varric chuckled, "Oh we get it, don't worry. And she'll be happy to stay in them. Won't you Buzz?"

"Happy is overstating things." I muttered, shaking my head. "All right. Lead on."

She did, taking me down the short hallway to open the master bedroom. Sure enough another servant was still inside, another Elven girl in her teens, who was clearly frantically trying to move Varric's bags out after having dropped mine off in their place. The two of them had a quick exchange in Orlesian that saw the younger one rush past us, Varric's notebook filled bags all jumbled up in her arms.

I eyed the waitress, who colored again, stuttering out. "Y-you're room, D-dame."

"Thanks." I motioned for her to close the door. "Stay a moment."

More red, but she did shut the entrance. That left me free to grab my sheathed sword, making sure no one had done anything to it. I think I scared the poor woman half-to-death when I drew it from the squeak she let out, her eyes even wider when I began prowling around to inspect every nook and cranny in the room.

Only two windows, both on the... north side. I found the servant's door quickly as well, opening it to find that it opened directly into Brennan and Trevelyan's room. The squire in question whirled around at the noise, saw me poking my head in, and grinned.

"Leave that unblocked please." She called over. "So we can come running if something happens."

"Sure. Block any others that you find though." I said.

She nodded, and I shut the door, resuming my search. Only once I was satisifed that there wasn't a trap door under the bed, or the rug in the corner, and that there wasn't any other hidden doors, I tossed my blade onto the bed before waving the still nervous waitress over.

"Come on. Need another pair of hands."

"...lady?" She asked hesitantly, obediently approaching all the same. "What are you doing?"

"We," I corrected her, "Are moving these dressers to block those windows off. Come on."

Clearly confused, she still did as I instructed, rushing over to grab the other side of the dresser I'd picked out. It was way too heavy for women as slight as us to actually pick up, but fortunately the rich hard wood floor was easy to push it across.

A massive vanity went next, blocking off the other window, plunging the room into relative darkness until our eyes adjusted. She promptly ran over to the small fireplace, getting some kindling going, while I started getting my things unpacked onto the bed.

I found one of the things I was looking for fairly quickly, opening a small purse to pull out three coins.

"Is there anything else you need, Dame?" The servant asked.

"Yes, actually." I replied, turning around, holding my closed fist out. "But first, these are for you."

She blinked again, almost nervously approaching. When I relaxed my fingers to drop the gold into her palms, she actually gasped, swaying in place. "I... this..."

I patted her shoulder gently, "It's all yours, just be careful how you spend it, all right?"

"This..." Brown eyes snapped to mine. "Lady, this is gold. You.. .you can't just give me..."

I snorted, "It's my money to give to who I want, and you seem like you deserve it... what was your name?"

"Ella." She said, voice somewhat numb.

"You deserve it, Ella." I said. "I know what Orlesian nobles are like. I've met more than a few, and I don't doubt that your time here's been unpleasant as hell."

I had to say it again before she actually reacted again, swallowing, shaking her head. "Lady, I... three sovereign? I... do you want company, tonight? I've... I've never been with... but I would be willing! Or... or I could find you a boy!"

Oh Jesus.

I quickly held a hand up, shaking my head, feeling my own cheeks and ears starting to redden. "I'm not paying you for sex, Ella. I don't do that. I just need a little information, and to make sure that you warn me if anyone is trying to sneak into murder me."

She licked her lips, then nodded once. Then again, more confidently, finally making the coin vanish into a pocket. "We'll make sure nothing happens to you. And we'll have breakfast ready downstairs whenever you awaken."

"Seventh bell is fine." I told her, "Thank you."

She beamed at me, doing her hair-tucking thing that was damnably distracting. "You're welcome, my lady. I... I am sorry for my manners, and for my stuttering. I never thought to meet you in person like this."

A perverse part of me couldn't let that go. Turning, I leaned a hip on my bed, crossing my arms as we spoke. "What have you heard of me?"

"La chevaliere noire de Kirkwall." Ella replied at once. "The.. .Black Knight of Kirkwall, as our lord said."

I had to shake my head, wondering how the fuck that had gotten started. After a moment's thought it became obvious. "Let me guess. My uniform at the ball, and how I got into an argument with Madame de Fer?"

The girl colored a little, apparently unable to stop herself from asking. "Did you truly threaten to duel her?"

"No. I just called her a wannabe blue-blooded parasite, just in more flowery terms." I paused, trying to remember that particular conversation. "I think I also mocked the idea that Orlais is some great military power, and is instead a pretty useless collection of prideful morons."

Her hands snapped up to her mouth, barely covering her giggles.

I couldn't help but smirk, a bit proud of myself for making a cute girl giggle. Then I realized that I was starting to get interested in a way that did not bode well for my sanity. Firmly telling my libido to get the fuck out of the driver's seat, I went on to ask. "As much as I'd love to hear more rumors about myself, I do need more information."

Ella lowered her hands, forcing her expression to turn serious. "Of course, my lady. I am at your service."

Inhaling, I told her. "The red headed servant with the Warden company. Have you seen her?"

"Yes, my lady."

"She's a Qunari assassin." The girl's eyes widened, her lips parting. "I want to know what she does during the night, and if there are any other Qunari around."

Ella licked her lips, swallowed, then quickly walked forward until she was just inside my personal bubble. Her voice lowered to a whisper. "I... I know of a few, lady. The Duke is making them stay away from the Chateau. I don't know where, or why, but I know others claim that there are more than a dozen nearby. Waiting for something."

Finally a bit of good luck. I pressed on that, an idea starting to take root. "Could you find out where they are exactly?"

She blinked, then something like a smile appeared. "For the first Andrastian Knight of our people? I would do far more than that, my lady. You only need to ask."

I snorted, pushing off from the bed, taking a few steps away. "I'm not a hero, Ella. Or a role model. But thank you all the same."

Ella shook her head, licked her lips, then chased after me. I snapped my hands up, ready to shove her back, then locked up when she planted a not terribly chaste kiss on my mouth that left my lips tingling, and some dark part of me urging me to yank her back for a proper one.

"You're the first true Elven knight since the Dales." She whispered, blushing madly. "You're a hero to all of us, Lady. I'll find the Qunari for you, and warn the others to not tell the assassin anything of you. I swear it."

Then she ran away before I could do anything but stare after her.

I kept staring at the doorway until my tether to Longing vibrated with quiet amusement.

"Lustful, much?"

"Shut the fuck up." I hissed, stomping over to shut the door behind her, then wheeling around on a heel to stalk over to the servant's door. Yanking it open let me walk into the next room to find all four of my companions already lounging around, clearly waiting on me.

Brennan took one look at my face, snorted, and held out both hands. "Oh yeah. The girl kissed her."

My immediate coloring made both Evelyn and Varric groan, both of them forking over silver to the smirking Guard, Thrask smiling and shaking his head from his place near the door.

I kept my temper under control, barely, limiting myself to saying, "I don't want to hear a fucking word. Got it?"

Smirks and laughter, but they all nodded, not pushing the subject.

Taking a few more breaths, I crossed my arms and went on. "Right. Thrask?"

Our red-headed Templar stroked his beard, answering my unspoken question. "That was Bann Teagan and the Lady Isolde, Arl Teagan's wife. The Arl himself is apparently indisposed, and so sent his brother and lady to participate instead."

I frowned, kicking myself for not remembering that they'd be here. Then again... "What are two high ranking Ferelden nobles doing here?"

"They did not say." He replied, though his voice betrayed his own unease. "But the Bann hinted that the Viscount's fears are accurate. Orlais may be making a play in this region to recover some of the honor they lost when Ferelden broke free, and then again when they defeated a Blight with no aid from the Empire."

"That's gotta burn them." Varric spoke up, leaning against one of the beds. "Sadly I didn't get much either. Prosper seems a pretty typical noble. Orlesian through and through, a good friend of the Empress, and not at all thinking he should choose Kirkwall just because he has land here."

I raised an eyebrow. "You got all of that just from tonight?"

He buffed his nails on his coat, grinning. "How a man weaves a tale tells you everything you need to know, Buzz."

Brennan snorted, "What's that say about you, Varric? That you love to bullshit and exaggerate?"

"Only good things." He replied with a chuckle. "Anyway, Prosper's going to be an issue. I don't think he cares much about you one way or the other, Buzz. The other guests on our end were the de Launcet sisters. Minor nobles from the city itself, but their family's got ties to some of the rural nobles out here, and to Orlais."

"They going to be a problem?" I asked.

Varric shook his head. "Nah, they're social climbers. They're here for the food and manly company. Parents might be another matter, but they apparently retired early. Not sure what that's about."

I rubbed at my chin, thinking. "That might be for tomorrow."

"Might?" He asked.

Waving off the question, I looked to our youngest member. "What was that son of a bitch doing, little one?"

"Acting strangely." She reported at once. "He was very involved in the Deshyr's story. Listening, I mean, but he stopped himself from asking too many questions. I think he knew that none of us like him. He did try to talk to me once, but he got very pale when I told him my name."

Realizing that a potential Inquisitor was in front of him would do that. Especially if he was still obsessed with his 'golden route', whatever the fuck that was.

Trevelyan went on, "He stopped talking to anyone but the Hawke mage after that. I couldn't hear about what, though. And I didn't see their Qunari pet anywhere either."

"I did." I said, "She's still pretending to be their servant."

The girl huffed. "We should tell the Duke. He'd let us deal with her."

Brennan nodded, "She's got a point, Maeve. What's stopping us from getting rid of a Qunari agent tonight? Might make our host a bit more amenable to listening to the Viscount in the future, or at least cut down on the odds he tries to have you killed."

"We could." I said, pretending to consider it. "But I don't think that's smart. We don't know Prosper's game yet, just like we don't know why he invited Greg and Bethany here at all. Sorry, he wouldn't have. He'd have invited Cousland, and she must have sent these two instead."

Thrask got it, grimacing. "What is an Orlesian Duke, high in the aristocracy, doing trying to contact a Grey Warden who is known as a criminal to her own order?"

"Exactly." I really wasn't sure what that was about, but I felt sure that it was important. Of course it wasn't nearly as important as what I said next. "I gave our guide a bribe, and she told me something worrying."

When everyone's attention sharpened, I went on, "There's Qunari nearby somewhere. Prosper's not letting them into the Chateau, but she was certain other servants have seen them close by."

Brennan narrowed her eyes. "That's treason. Against both Orlais and Kirkwall."

"Not," I said, "if they're Tal-Vashoth. A servant wouldn't know the difference."

She waved a hand, "Fair, but what would Qunari deserters be doing here?"

Varric got it, his lips curling. "Something so important that the Qunari sent an assassin to try and shut them up maybe. In the company of a bastard who wanted to help out their Arishok in Kirkwall once before, and might have managed it if he hadn't said something stupid a little too loudly. What's the play, Buzz?"

"Find them, find out what they're doing, and why Greg's here to stop them." I said at once, my plans shaping up rather nicely in my head. "If they're trying to sell something to Prosper, we make them a better offer, and find a way to sneak away before anyone realizes we're gone."

Everyone nodded in approval, Thrask asking, "And if they are more of the Qunari?"

They weren't, but no one here knew that.

I shrugged carelessly. "Then we kill them, and take credit for stopping a Qunari assault on a gathering of the rural nobility. If there's too many, we kill who we can, and draw back to the Chateau to sound the alarm. Either way we come out looking good, the Qun is weakened, and maybe we can find out just what is going on here."

More nods and noises of agreement followed,my plans settled.

As soon as the servants could tell me where the Tal-Vashoth were, we'd find them. I'd convince them to give me the list of spies, or we'd take it by force. Then we'd slip away in the dead of night, and make our sprint back to Kirkwall with an utterly invaluable piece of intelligence on hand.

I wasn't entirely sure what we'd do with it, beyond identifying any agents we could in Kirkwall itself...

...but I'd rather have it in my hands, than in Prosper's, or the Qunari's.

And if it fucked over the bastard who I still held responsible for Petrice's death, so much the better.