Harding didn't return until the next day with Davrin and Assan. The contact's information was good, but it seemed that it was tricky information to verify. The Lords of Fortune were usually willing to collaborate, but it was always for a price. The information on the dragon expert cost a quick treasure hunt, which neither Harding nor Davrin seemed particularly interested in going over. Even when Emmrich insisted. They both reassured the team that they didn't do anything morally or ethically questionable. The job was just different from what they expected.
Isabella didn't press them and instead congratulated them on getting the lead they needed. It was a Qunari Lord of Fortune that also happened to be a dragon expert who was working in Rivain. The head of the Lords said that Taash was the best there was when it came to dragon knowledge and understanding. Now they just needed to convince the Qunari to join the team.
"Didn't Harding also mention that the Antaam were there as well?" Lucanis reminded, nursing a cup of coffee. Sometimes Isabella wondered if he had glued it to his hands.
"Yes, there are a few battalions stationed around the coast there. Why?" Isabella replied, folding her arms. She had come to tell him to get ready to leave so they could meet their contact with Harding, but he immediately was uneasy.
"If I remember correctly, the Antaam want your head."
"The Antaam in Treviso want my head. I doubt word has traveled this quickly to Rivain."
"Are we sure it wasn't the gods that put the price on your head? How do we know it was the Antaam themselves?" Lucanis asked as she shrugged.
"I can't stay in the Fade, Lucanis. I want to meet this dragon expert face to face," Isabella countered, reaching into her pocket. "I can wear the face covering and hood if you're that worried about it."
"I think you should be more worried about it. Word might spread to the Venatori."
"And wanted posters might sport your face and name, too. I'm not going to remain in the Fade while the rest of you do all the work."
"You could let Harding meet the Qunari and bring them back here. I'm sure Emmrich would love the chance to explore the coast," Lucanis offered, leaning against the table that housed his coffee maker.
"I thought you wanted to go to Rivain. It's nice and warm there. We could even plan a day at the beach once we make sure there are no Antaam," Isabella reminded with a smile. "I don't remember the last time I've been to a beach."
"We should at least wait a few more weeks before we go walking back into Antaam territory. Let them forget about your face," he urged as she sighed.
"You would be excited to go if we were fighting Venatori instead."
"The Venatori don't have a price for your capture."
"Again, only in Treviso. We don't know if they even know about my wanted status in Rivain. I've never been there," she reminded sternly, placing her hand on her chest.
"I still don't think it's worth the risk. Besides, Harding has been able to handle this so far. Let her handle it," Lucanis argued. Isabella frowned, shaking her head.
"I didn't expect an argument when I came in here."
"I'm just trying to keep you out of an Antaam prison cell, and hopefully out of the gods' hands," he countered. "I think that keeping a low profile will be good for now. Let the Antaam lose track of you, and then we can go about our business."
"I won't just hang around the lighthouse while you all do all the heavy lifting," she spat.
"There are places where the Antaam aren't that need our help, I'm sure. Maybe Bellara or Davrin need assistance."
"I noticed that you didn't mention Neve or Minrathous. Worried that the Venatori will recognize me there as well?"
"Rook, you took down over a dozen Venatori via a poisoned blade that left them screaming as they died. While impressive, that also tends to leave an impression. I would be shocked if there weren't witnesses," Lucanis admitted as Isabella grumbled irritatedly. "Harding will make a good judgement call. You can trust her on that."
"Fine," Isabella snapped, rolling her eyes. "I'll tell Harding to go with Davrin to get Taash. Unless you want to join them."
"No, I think I've dug my grave deep enough," Lucanis conceded with a sip of his coffee. Isabella had half a mind to knock the cup out of his hand.
"You better make something fabulous for dinner," Isabella hissed before turning on her heel. She could almost feel his smile in her mind's eye.
Isabella found Harding and Davrin easily enough before sending them through the eluvian by themselves. They were concerned that she wasn't coming, but they ended up on Lucanis's side when she mentioned her wanted poster. It seemed that her team wanted her away from the Antaam for the time being.
Once those two were on their way, Isabella wandered back through the lighthouse library, wondering if it had produced any new books. Sometimes new titles would appear randomly next to ones she had already seen. She assumed that it was the Fade's doing rather than one of the team putting their books away here.
"Ah, Rook!" Emmrich greeted above her. She looked up and smiled.
"Good afternoon, professore," she answered, walking over to the stairs to meet him where he stood. "What can I do for you?"
"I thought I would look around this lighthouse a little, but I would also like to talk with you, if you have the time," the necromancer asked as he gestured towards his office. Isabella dipped her head, letting him lead the way.
"I have nothing but time today, professore, so you may take up as much as you need," she reassured as he held the door open for her. There was a small seating area near his desk, and he waved to a chair near her before taking a seat himself.
"I appreciate that. I wanted to get to know you a little bit better, since we haven't had a moment to chat since the Necropolis," Emmrich explained, folding his hands in his lap. Isabella sat straight as she smiled.
"I would be happy to indulge. I hope you're finding the lighthouse comfortable."
"It's been fascinating."
"I'm glad to hear it."
"I do have a question, if you don't mind my asking."
"Ask away," Isabella urged, gesturing for him to continue. It seemed that he was eager to ask more than just the one.
"Do forgive if this is a personal matter, but your name strikes an interest in my mind. Are you aware of that rooks are a type of bird similar to a crow?" Emmrich wondered. Isabella coughed back a laugh as she nodded.
"Very aware, professore."
"Then is it a chosen name?"
"It's a codename, of sorts. I give it out as a means to divert and cover my true identity. When this is all over, the world will be looking for Rook. If that Rook turns out to be a ghost, then I can return to my old life," she answered as he nodded.
"Truly clever! Where did you pick it up from?"
"My adopted older brother used to call me Rook before we grew close. He used it as a slight, to say that I would never be an actual Crow."
"Rather rude,if I might say. Why use the cruel reminder?"
"I might have thrown it back in his face when this all began. I used it to spite him a little, and it stuck," she chuckled with a shrug.
"May I ask what your given name is?" Emmrich asked as Isabella paused before grinning.
"Isabella. Isabella de Riva," she replied before laughing. "But mums the word on that. Not everyone in the lighthouse has thought to ask."
"Who knows then?"
"Harding, Bellara, and Neve know. Lucanis has no idea, and I'm sure Davrin will ask one of these days. I haven't had a chance to sit and chat with him yet."
"Lucanis doesn't know?"
"He's been preoccupied with other things. I'm starting to wonder how long it'll take for him to figure it out," Isabella smirked, revealing her game to him.
"I would've thought he would've picked up on a codename a mile away."
"We all have our strong suits. I have a feeling that social interactions aren't his. He'll either figure it out, or someone will let it slip."
"But he knows your last name. You used it when you first introduced yourself."
"He's aware that I'm from House de Riva. He knows a Crow or two from there outside of me," she smiled before leaning back in the chair. "I'll bring you to Treviso next time we're there. I think you would find the dynamic between the Crows and their Houses interesting."
"Most don't understand my more academic view when it comes to one's own cultures, which I can understand. I'm surprised that you are open to that," Emmrich noted.
"One thing I learned from this team is that the Crow culture is very different from anything else in Thedas. Harding doesn't understand it, and I think the others outside of Lucanis accept it at face value."
"For example?"
"Well, I suppose it's not exactly normal for one's older brother and mentor to introduce a poison regimen to build up immunities to said poisons over time. He's also not upfront about his feelings, hiding them in context between the lines, so to speak," Isabella explained with a chuckle. "I think meeting Viago will put more things into perspective for you."
"I wouldn't say that was exactly normal, but Nevarra also has its own share of strange customs from an outsider's view. I understand that you don't bury your dead out here."
"Cremation is traditional, if there's a body left to burn."
"I apologize, but that sounds positively barbaric to me. To burn everything that a person is and was until it's ash seems unnecessarily destructive," he informed as she tilted her head.
"We don't have the Mourn Watch up here to watch over our dead as you do. If a rogue necromancer were to come across a cemetery, then that could spell trouble for a town. While I understand that it seems intense, it's not completely without reason."
"Have you ever given thought to how you would like your body prepared for when you die?" Emmrich wondered. Isabella blinked at him once before the shock wore off. This was most likely his usual conversation starters, she was sure. In his eye, this was small talk.
"Not really, I suppose. I always guessed that I would either be taken out by an enemy or a rival House, sent back as a warning," Isabella answered honestly with a sigh. "But, if I were to die where I could have my body prepared respectfully, I don't know if I would want it burned. Do they let outsiders into the Necropolis?"
"What a splendid idea? I'll put a word in, if you'd like," Emmrich offered as she nodded.
"I would appreciate that," Isabella grinned with a nod. "Are you settling in well enough?"
"Oh, it's been quite the change. The lighthouse is such a marvel with its carefully woven magic throughout everything. The care and skill it took to make such a place is astonishing," he remarked as she nodded.
"It's been marvelous. I could watch the Fade clouds for hours just to think."
"It's fascinating that they emulate the sky so well. It's a tragedy that they don't follow a daily cycle of day and night."
"Agreed. I find myself losing track of time without the setting sun, and I know Bellara has the hardest time. She has a one-track mind sometimes, and she can focus on something for hours at a time. I found her working on her artifact after she had been up for nearly twenty hours. She was muttering about crystals and fractals that made no sense to me," Isabella smiled, shaking her head. "I had to put her to bed and hide the artifact the next day until she ate a full meal."
"You know, Isabella, I wouldn't have thought a Crow would be so caring towards her teammates, given tales of Crow training and upbringing," Emmrich admitted as Isabella shrugged. "You truly do care about your teammates, though."
"Of course. I wouldn't be here without any of them. Each of them has saved my skin at least once, and I'm sure I've returned the favor. We're up against impossible odds, and we need to stand together," she informed firmly, crossing her legs. She heard a slight rattle beside her only to be startled by a gem-bespectacled skeleton. Very few things could startle her, but it seemed that a walking skeleton holding a tray of tea counted as one.
"Ah, thank you, Manfred," Emmrich smiled as the skeleton hissed happily. He placed the tray on the table before carefully pouring the tea. Isabella stared at the skeleton, unsure she could believe what she was seeing. "Ah, I see I forgot to introduce my ward, Manfred."
"You mentioned a ward. You didn't mention a skeleton," Isabella clarified as she tried to relax. Manfred handed her a cup of tea, which she took from him carefully. The skeleton hissed pleasantly before handing one to Emmrich as well.
"He started out as a wisp of curiosity, and he simply wouldn't leave my side. So, I had the marvelous idea of building him a body. Each piece was a different donation, and he even chose his own skull," the necromancer informed proudly. Manfred hissed, almost in affirmation.
"Is it like Spite and Lucanis, only with a skeleton instead of a Crow?" Isabella wondered as Emmrich thought about it.
"I suppose that's one way of looking at it. What happened to Spite and Lucanis was wholly unique, and something that I've never seen before. It's a miracle that those two are living as cohesively as they are."
"Then I'm glad that they're here, and that you have Manfred here."
"I couldn't leave him behind. What would he do by himself?" Emmrich wondered, staring at Manfred as the skeleton glanced between the two people.
"Probably get himself into trouble," she teased, winking at the skeleton.
"You aren't going to be a bad influence on him, are you?"
"Of course not. I don't think I'm a bad influence."
"Bellara told me that you enjoy climbing up the walls and on the roofs."
"Ah, yes, I will admit that is a pastime of mine. I will make sure that Manfred doesn't follow me up," Isabella promised with a nod. "I could teach him alchemy, if you want."
"You dabble in alchemy?"
"Mostly in poisons and their antidotes, but I've been expanding my horizons."
"I should've guessed," Emmrich chuckled, shaking his head.
"Well, I should let you get back to your lighthouse exploration, professore," Isabella replied, placing the tea cup down on the table. Emmrich noted that she hadn't tried a sip of it, but he said nothing to her. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but she hadn't seen Manfred make the tea, which put her on edge.
"You can call me Emmrich, Isabella."
"I'll keep that in mind, Emmrich," she answered as she stood. "If you need anything else, I'll be around. Lucanis is in the dining hall, and I believe he's in charge of food today. At least, he said he would be since he grounded me today."
"I'm sure he appreciates you listening to him once in a while. Leaders should listen to their teammates, after all."
"While I don't disagree, he technically outranks me in the Crow hierarchy, so I'm never quite sure where I stand on the whole leader thing with him."
"Why not have a conversation and see where you two stand?"
"We've discussed a few points of it before. Mostly, we discuss or argue until we either come to an agreement or one of us backs down," Isabella informed before shrugging. "You can ask him what he thinks, though, if you're worried about it."
"I'll keep that in mind," Emmrich hummed as she waved, leaving the office.
Isabella was just about to leave the lighthouse library to head to her small space when the missives arrived. She sighed, turning to grab them before continuing on. They were arriving more frequently, which she supposed was a good sign. It meant that there were more people reporting on the whereabouts of the growing list of enemies, but it also came with more jobs. There were a few more concerns in both Arlathan Forest and Minrathous that needed to be dealt with, which Isabella would pass on to Bellara and Neve. She would offer her assistance, but she had a feeling that they would assure her that they could handle it.
One message caught her eye as she saw a report from the Anderfels, and it was addressed to her. Carefully, she opened it, relieved to see that it was from Antione and Evka. They had taken care of the darkspawn they could on the outskirts of Lavendel, but it seemed that the problem was ever growing. They needed to stay in the town proper while the blight continued to spread around them. Which was why they were reaching out. They had hoped that she could put together a team to visit them to help with their research.
Antione wasn't very forthcoming in the note itself, only mentioning that they were researching the blight and needed assistance. As long as she didn't have to touch the blight, she would offer as much assistance as possible. Plus, if she brought Davrin along, it would be a good chance to get to know the warden as well.
As if subconsciously, Isabella walked into the dining hall instead of her cottage, pushing open the doors as she read through Antione's letter. She sat down at the table, leaving the rest of the messages to the side as she wondered how soon they would be able to go. Harding and Davrin had just left, so it would be at least a day or two before Davrin would be able to head out again. Not to mention Harding would most likely want to visit with her friends.
She tapped the table with her forefinger as she stared at the note in thought. Maybe she could take all three of them and leave a note for the others. Emmrich mentioned that he wouldn't need to return to Nevarra for another week or two for a ceremony, and it seemed that the Mourn Watchers were pretty self sufficient when it came to their problems. Isabella would still off her help, but she had a feeling that Emmrich would likely be in the Fade as often as she and Lucanis were.
"More letters?" Lucanis asked, catching her attention from across the room. Isabella glanced up and smiled at him.
"From the Wardens. They want help with the blight in Lavendel and with their research. The best part is that there aren't any Antaam there. Or Venatori, I'm pretty sure. Just good old darkspawn," she informed with an exhale.
"Sounds like Davrin will be coming with us, then?"
"Blight and darkspawn are his specialty. I think Harding will likely want to join as well, since she's close to Evka and Antione. We can ask when she gets back. Maybe she'll want to show Taash around instead."
"You would want to leave so quickly instead of getting to know our newest teammate?"
"Davrin and Harding aren't going to want to leave straight away. I think we need to give them at least a day to rest before we head to the Anderfels. Especially since we're dealing with blight and darkspawn," she informed, setting the letter down on the table. "And that will give us plenty of time to speak with our dragon expert."