"So," Harding asked carefully, glancing inside the sauce pot, "the secret is the temperature?"

Lucanis nodded. "Indeed. Otherwise, it will not set and would stay soft once it's cooled."

"Huh."

"Ooh, what are you guys making?" Bellara drew in close, peering at the assortment of sweets atop the tray at Lucanis' work station.

"Dessert for tonight. Go ahead and take one, I am making enough for everyone."

Behind him, Harding gasped. "Are you actually making your own pasta from scratch too?"

"Yes but it needs to rest. It'll be ready by the time dinner rolls around."

The doors to the dining hall opened. Rook entered while Davrin and Assan stayed just outside the doors peering inside.

"Hey guys!" Bellara waved at the two. "How was Arlethan?"

"Fun," Rook said, "if a little bit creepy. No offense Bell."

"Oh," the elf said, waving her hand through the air, "none taken, but you learn to get used to it." Her brow furrowed. "Or you go insane. Weird how there's not much middle ground… Anyways! Did Assan have fun?"

"I think so," Davrin answered. "He flew around the ruins, chased down nugs, and found a bunch of gingerwort truffles." He ruffled the features atop the griffon's head. "Smart boy too, figured out all on his own how to find the truffles by tracking down the nugs."

"Oh, and Bellara," Rook said, "I got your note about meeting up but thought I'd stop by the mess hall and see if there's was any food leftover…" She stuttered to a halt when she saw what Lucanis was working on. "Are those…"

"Ah, yes." He lifted the tray so Rook could see his progress. "I woke up this morning craving chocolate strawberries. They will be for dessert tonight. Would you like to try one?"

Rook just stared at him for a moment, eyes wide, then with a strangled noise marched straight back through the double doors.

Lucanis stared after her, then gave Harding a quizzical look. "What did I say?"

And why was Spite snickering?

The newest teammates were…interesting.

Rook had taken Bellara with her through the Nevarran Eluvian to pick up Professor Emmerich Volkarin, the Mourn Watch mortalitasi who would serve as their Fade expert. Lucanis had met Nevarran necromancers, had executed numerous contracts on the class of mages before, but he'd never met a member of the Mourn Watch.

The man unnerved him.

Not that he was himself intimidating. Professor Volkarin didn't seem like the sort that could hold himself in battle - tall, lanky, and chock full of book smarts one wouldn't think translated to a battlefield. Yet Bellara waxed poetic about how he'd taken down the undead and Venatori within the Necropolis, and done so with precision and style. Apparently, there was something to be said learning the intricacies of magic from books.

Taash was different. The Qunari dragon hunter hated the Antaam almost as much as Lucanis, was irreverent and blunt to a fault, and based on what Lucanis observed when they recruited her would be a valuable ally when hunting the blighted dragons.

Most surprising of all however had been when Neve reappeared in the Lighthouse. She'd appeared harder and less carefree than before, but Lucanis couldn't fault her for that. The woman had lost countless friends and seen her beloved city blighted.

She was owed some understanding.

Things had been tense between her and Rook. Lucanis hadn't seen their falling out but knew it had been a bitter affair. Spite was less inclined to forgive the other woman for hurting Rook, but Lucanis was willing to give grace.

In the end though, it was not their decision: Rook and Neve quietly reached an agreement, and the mage was back on the team.

After that, events sped up, as with more people and more factions in play there was a great deal to do. They needed their allies strong for the coming battles, and some (like the Wardens) still needed convincing that there was even a reason to fight.

Which is how they found themselves in the muck and mire of the Hossberg Wetlands. The Wardens of Lavendel were old friends of Rook's, the same ones who had recommended she go find Davrin. They were studying the blight, and at that moment there was apparently a lot of blight in and around the small town.

After seeing Minrathous, after the events with the dragons, Rook was a woman on a mission. She threw herself into each quest they received, and for three grueling days straight she, Lucanis and Davrin trudged through the swamp, picking up samples and checking in on village members and local disturbances.

Here in the Wetlands, the results were never good, the quests as dreary and dark as the swamps.

By the end of the second day, the sniping between Lucanis and Davrin had been, by unspoken agreement, set aside temporarily over a shared worry for the Warden woman. Rook wasn't her normal self; she was curt, distant, and focused only on the matter at hand. Even Antoine and Evka saw it, even though they looked like they were burning the candle at both ends themselves.

Maybe it was a Warden thing, but Lucanis didn't like it.

"We will contact you as soon as we know more," Evka told them, relief and gratitude in her normally stoic voice.

Rook nodded, shook Antoine's hand, then they returned back to the Lighthouse. Briefly.

"Get some rest," Rook said, not looking at either of her people as they strode down the Lighthouse's Eluvian walkway. "Davrin, I need you and Bellara to visit Arlethan Forest and see what if anything they need from us. Lucanis, find Taash and let her know we'll need her help tomorrow. We'll make for the Rivaini Coast in the morning."

"I will," Lucanis murmured, just as Davrin said, "Yes boss." The two men shared a glance, some of the old animosity back now that they weren't in the field, then everyone split up for their respective areas.

Rook knew she was running her people ragged, but she couldn't stop herself. Their allies all needed help of varying degrees, and most wanted Rook herself there to see the missions through. So she divided the responsibilities as best she could, trusting her people to get shit done.

Neve came in clutch with this. The woman was nothing if not organized; she kept track of who was where, what their allies needed doing, and what information had been collected (and if it was actually good for anything). When she wasn't in the field, she took over coordinating their group, making sure as much ground was covered as efficiently as possible.

The woman was a lifesaver.

Not all missions were doom and gloom though. Her companions sometimes called her away solo to deal with their own issues. Rook didn't mind; she needed them as strong and focused as possible, plus it was a break (however brief) from dealing with the blight and impending confrontation with the gods. Some of her friends' findings could actually make a difference, such as Harding's power over stone they still didn't fully understand, or Bellara's ancient repository of knowledge (which they also still didn't understand, but the tinkerer was working on it).

But Rook stayed out in the field herself as much as possible. Her one selfish act, if she could call it that, was that Lucanis accompanied her on any mission that wasn't focused around her companions.

Selfish, because he always cooked the most divine things no matter the meager rations or their surroundings. It was the one comfort she allowed herself.

They couldn't have another Minrathous. She wouldn't make the mistake again of being unprepared, not if she could help it.

So they scoured the Rivaini coast for clues, dealt with the undead and Venatori mortalitasi within the halls of the Necropolis, solved ancient elven puzzles in Arlethan, and helped both Treviso and Minrathous deal with the aftermath of the dragon attacks.

And while part of Rook's brain screamed that they needed to deal with the gods only, not silly fetch quests and exploration, it felt good sometimes to help individuals versus end-of-the-world kind of stuff. Took some of the pressure off, even if only temporarily.

"Teia said you spoke with Jacobus again."

They were camped on the beach less than twenty meters above the crashing water. Taash had assured them the tide wouldn't reach them this high and, as the Rivaini had more experience, Rook took her word. The spot was picturesque; nobody had set up tents yet as the skies were clear (for the moment anyway), but they got a fire going anyway to cut any chill in the wet air.

Rook nodded absently. "He seems to be doing better, although you know at that age anything can set you off again."

Taash had caught a few fish in a nearby stream earlier that evening and they'd had that with some pasta and a cheese sauce Lucanis had thrown together. The man somehow made it look so easy putting it together on the fly like that. Rook took her time savoring the food while Taash made short work of it, then said she was going for a run and took off.

"Rook." When she finally met the Crow's eyes across the fire, he asked, "Where is your mind right now?"

He looked so handsome in the firelight. Good food and time had filled out his face enough to remove the sallow patches from his year in the Ossuary. Right now he was relaxed, calm even, but she knew he could mobilize in an instant if anything were to jump out at them from the shadows.

Crazy enough, she wondered how Spite was doing. It had been weeks since she'd spoken with the demon, and while Rook would never admit it aloud, she'd enjoyed those moments more than she maybe should. The creature wasn't usually a topic of conversation between them, although Rook gleaned information from the questions others asked the assassin.

Thankfully the team was settling in with the idea that, just maybe, Lucanis and Spite's…relationship, was more stable than most demon possessions.

Rook sighed, looking back into the fire. "I feel like I should be at Weisshaupt with the other Grey Wardens."

Lucanis made a low noise, nodding. "I feel the same for Treviso," he admitted, voice quiet.

Rook frowned. "We can go back if you need to be there," she started, then trailed off when the Crow shook his head.

"My contract is here, with you and the rest of the team. Teia, Viago and the other Talons will keep the city safe; my job is this mission, with you."

One corner of Rook's lips hitched up in a lopsided smile. "I'm glad you're here," she murmured, smile fully materializing as she lifted up her makeshift plate. "If, for no other reason, you keep us well fed."

He answered her smile with one of his own. "My pleasure."

"Soooo, are you two, like, doing it or something?"

The Rivaini's voice beside them startled Rook. Lucanis also looked rattled, like he hadn't realized her proximity either. "What?"

"Yeah, I'm not one to yuck some else's yum but…" She glanced between the two of them. "Well, are you?"

Heat stole up Rook's cheeks. "No," she ground out, "we are not doing it."

Across the fire, Lucanis gave a small cough, either embarrassment or amusement, but Rook couldn't look at him to find out.

"Well, like I said, you guys do you. I'm hitting the sack, g'night."

Rook waved a hand, not trusting herself to speak. As the Qunari plodded away, she risked a glance at Lucanis.

He was staring back, his expression as bemused as Rook felt. Then humor lit his eyes, and his lips twitched as the ridiculousness of it all hit Rook. She covered her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles, but couldn't hold it in anymore when the other man smiled. Awkward as hell, but still it felt good to share the absurdity with someone else.

It was only later on her bedroll, staring up at the sea of stars twinkling above them, that Rook realized it was the first time she'd laughed - really laughed - since before the dragon attack.

Lucanis knocked at the door before stepping inside the office. Neve and Rook looked over at him. "Yes," they asked in unison, Neve's voice sharp but Rook's merely curious.

"There's something I'd like to show you," he murmured, looking at Rook. "I didn't mean to intrude."

"No it's okay." Rook straightened from where she'd been leaning against the desk. "We're done here I think, just trying to make sure we've tied every loose end." She gestured towards the doorway. "Lead on."

Perhaps it wasn't the right time. Lucanis paused, feeling ill at ease. She certainly had more important things going... Then he felt Rook's hand on his forearm.

"Come on," she coaxed, "show me."

He nodded wordlessly, ignoring the keen-eyed look from Neve as he exited the other woman's work area, heading into the Lighthouse itself. He felt rather than heard Rook behind him. Spite too was excited to show her their latest discovery; he'd been pestering Lucanis since they'd found the newest addition to their home.

Rook gave Lucanis a questioning look when they turned down the corridor to the bathhouse but followed him quietly. Lucanis pushed open the doors for her and stood aside so she could enter.

"Oh, Maker…"

Lucanis followed her inside the redesigned bathing area, smiling at the awe on her face as she turned slowly to take it all in. Gone were Solas' gilded mirrors and copper tubs. The entire room had grown and expanded into a grotto. Stone walls rose from all corners, rising to an opening at the top. A waterfall along the far end rained down into the basin, vegetation lining the trail of water.

But what was most striking were the amethyst crystals, some nearly as thick as the trunk of a human, that jutted from the walls. They sparkled in the low light, multifaceted and stunning, lending a striking pop of color against the dark rock walls.

"It is called a cenote," Lucanis explained as Rook turned in place, her eyes wide with wonder. "I have heard of them before in and around Rivain, but until today I never saw one."

"When did this happen? How?"

"Maybe Harding would know?" At Rook's quizzical glance, Lucanis cleared his throat. "It feels like something a dwarf might request, or that the Caretaker might pull from the subconscious of one who is in touch with the stone."

"This…could be Harding's doing, I guess." Wonder tinged her voice. "It's beautiful though, I've never seen anything like it."

You are beautiful. Lucanis could only stare, hands itching to hold the woman. She was everywhere lately, in his dreams and as many waking moments as he could find the excuse for. She kept him on her team almost exclusively, so he knew she valued his talents.

What else about him did she value?

Kiss her! Touch her!

Lucanis winced as Spite's voice cut through his pleasant reveries. Sensing his resistance, the demon growled in his head. Must do. Everything. Myself!

Lucanis took a large step forward.

He hadn't known he was doing it; indeed he hadn't been the one to even perform the action. Spite, no!

Rook looked up at him, startled by his proximity, and all other thought fled the assassin's mind when she smile up at him. "Can I help you with something?"

YES!

"I, uh…"Lucanis winced as he realized his feet wouldn't move, and after a second he gave up fighting it. If he was being honest, he didn't really want to move away. "Spite is just happy you like it too."

Rook cocked her head at him. "And what does Lucanis think," she asked, stepping forward until they were only a few inches apart and looking up at him.

The assassin swallowed. He was not a tall man; it was something he'd come to terms with long ago. Rook herself was perhaps only a couple inches shorter than him, but the way she looked up at him now through her lashes made him feel like the biggest man in Thedas.

Which, of course, only made him more awkward.

Seduction was something that was taught to all Crows, a prerequisite skill akin to knife work or acrobatics. Some, like Illario and Teia, took to it like a fish to water, incorporating it into their repertoires and excelling. But Lucanis, try as he might, never really understood the nuances. Sleight of hand, deception, shadow-walking - that was easy; he knew how to surprise his enemies, find and prey on their weaknesses in battle.

Seduction though was too personal, too up front and in-your-face. He'd never been good at talking

"You know," Rook said, one finger touching the dagger hilt on his breastplate, "that's an awfully big tub just for one person."

YES! Spite danced around beside him. Pull her hair! She likes that!

Lucanis' head snapped around to look at Spite. What?!

Heavy footfalls behind them. Lucanis finally managed to step away as Rook, frowning, turned to see Davrin approaching. "What's happened?"

Did she look a little disappointed at the interruption?

"Weisshaupt." Davrin skidded to a halt, ignoring Lucanis and focused on Rook. "They're under attack."

"Weisshaupt," she murmured, echoing the dark elf, then drew in a ragged breath. "We all knew this was coming." She glanced at Lucanis, then her gaze hardened. "Suit up. Lucanis, you and Spite grab as many fighting provisions as you can muster. Davrin and I will gather everyone up and meet at the Eluvian when we're ready."

Lucanis nodded once even as his gut tightened. This is it. The moment they'd been waiting for. Both Rook and Davrin took off immediately, but Lucanis stayed rooted for a few heartbeats.

What do you mean, she likes her hair pulled?

The demon was being suspiciously silent now however, refusing to answer his question. This isn't over, Lucanis cautioned the creature, then ran down the corridor to ready himself, and hopefully everyone else, for the coming battle.