Neve had asked for a week to track down Solas, which Varric was more than willing to give. Isabella, while she didn't care about the time frame, wished that she could have at least met this detective or joined with her. Now she just felt like a tourist in this massive city with an open contract and nothing to go on. She could only wait, and she couldn't remember a time when she had been this impatient.
Varric and Harding took her to see the markets in the Circle district as well as a few entertainment hotspots to try to get her mind off everything. As far as distractions went, they were mostly successful. Isabella humored them and put on a brave face, which both recognized as a mask immediately. The Crow had gone from an anxious mess to pretending that she was perfectly fine in a matter of a moment.
Regardless, they let her hide behind her mask as she hid behind her codename as they wandered around the city, waiting to hear from the detective. Isabella wondered what Neve would find, and if Solas was even still in the city. She really hoped he was, because she wanted to go home as soon as she could. She thought that sending Viago a letter would make her feel less homesick, but she found that it had worsened it.
If she wasn't thinking about Solas and the world ending ritual, she thought of Viago and Teia in Treviso. She wondered if he missed her at all, or if he really did see her as a bothersome Rook. Isabella knew that Teia would miss her dearly, but Viago hid behind sharp words and stoic faces. While she believed they had a familial bond, her banishment had thrown that into question. At least she could confidently miss Teia and know that she was missed in return.
Luckily, a third thing to worry about reached Isabella's ears to help distract her from Solas and Viago. Towards the end of the week, while they were in the markets, she heard whispers of Venatori support growing in Minrathous. Apparently, the cult had gotten a foothold in. That did not bode well if she was hearing about it in broad daylight in the streets. If the Venatori were gaining power, and so much so that the citizens were taking notice, that meant that they had recovered faster than the Crows expected. She would need to reach out to her Talon again soon and inform him of the development. Surely it wouldn't be the only report, but it would be irresponsible not to warn Viago.
If Harding or Varric overheard as well, they gave no indication. Isabella clenched her jaw as she continued to peruse the stalls, glancing over the goods and wares. She never bought anything, even though Varric encouraged her to. She had limited funds when she left, and Varric had been gracious enough to cover the rest. Since her contract didn't include a monetary payment, he paid for her food and lodging instead.
Walking in the crowds started to make her anxious as she thought about the Venatori. They wanted the glory of Tevinter reborn, which basically meant the worst possible outcome for her as a magicless elf. She shuddered to think what would become of Antiva if the Venatori ever got a hold of the city. It was bad enough that the Antaam were there.
Regardless, she pushed the thought from her mind. Even if the Venatori were gaining power in Minrathous, they would have contest with several factions before they would see the old empire reformed. Without massive support, the empire was a fleeting dream.
Maker, she wished that she could climb up to the roofs and walk among the birds again. There weren't any rooftop gardens or pavilions she could meander around in Minrathous. Everything was on the ground, and she had yet to see a single zipline. Even the non-Crows of Treviso utilized the ziplines. Did the citizens here really just walk around the buildings? That seemed tedious.
"Rook?" Varric called out, catching her attention. She turned to him, realizing that she had been staring at the rooftops for a moment. "Trouble?"
"The crowd feels overwhelming," she replied with a half-smile. She wondered if her face did anything to reassure either of them. "I'm merely missing Treviso with her ziplines."
"I'm glad to hear that it's not something to worry about," Varric chuckled with a nod. "I forget that you aren't used to things like markets and crowds."
"Treviso has the night market. It's just odd to be at the market in the day," Isabella sighed. "But it is true, crowds are not my favorite. Too many angles and possible opportunities."
"Opportunities for what?" Harding wondered as she finished purchasing a few groceries to join their conversation.
"Stabbing and pickpocketing," Isabella answered plainly, willing herself not to smile as Harding frowned. It was ridiculously easy to tease the dwarven scout, and Isabella did her best to goad her every chance she got.
"Be nice to Harding, Rook," he warned, shaking his head.
"I used to be a pickpocket when I was young. This crowd is perfect for unsuspecting targets," Isabella defended, still glancing around.
"You really think someone would stab someone else here?" Harding asked. Isabella pursed her lips for a moment before she shrugged.
"Depends on the circumstances, I suppose. A covert stabbing for a contract would be perfect here. Quick and easy, then you blend in with the crowd with none the wiser. Or if you were making a statement or example, lots of eyes to witness a murder," Isabella remarked, gesturing towards the crowd. "Not to mention it can be hard to run through a crowd to get away from someone if they've snuck up on you."
"Rook," Varric warned a second time before moving them through the crowd back towards the inn. Isabella shrugged, walking behind Harding. The scout frowned as she thought about what Rook said.
"I've been in plenty of crowded areas in different cities, and I've never had any problems. If you're smart about it, then you don't have to worry," Harding countered. Isabella hummed noncommittally, irritating Harding. "Why are you so paranoid, anyway? You can take care of yourself, and you have two people with you."
"Viago always taught me to have your head on a swivel in a crowd, no matter what. You never know what is going to happen, and you don't want to be caught off guard. Especially when you are in a new place and stick out," the Crow informed sternly before sighing. "And I know that you and Varric have my back. I just want to make sure that I have your back as well."
"So Viago was the paranoid one?" the scout guessed, earning a laugh from Isabella.
"You could say that."
"What made him so paranoid?"
"Well, he was attacked a few times and threatened even more. For one mission, someone stuck an adder in his wardrobe, and it bit him when he opened it. Teia was able to get to him in time, but it was close," Isabella explained as both Varric and Harding paused to turn to her.
"An adder?" Varric repeated.
"How did he survive the poison?" Harding asked, shocked to hear the story. Isabella smirked, her amusement plain on her face.
"Viago has been microdosing poisons for most of his life. If he hadn't, that adder would have killed him," Isabella explained, earning a stunned silence. "He kept the snake, you know. His name is Emil, named after the assassin who tried to kill him."
"And people still threaten him?" Harding asked as Varric frowned.
"He received a dagger from one of the other Houses, but he wouldn't give me more information about that. He told me not to worry about it, but he never stopped looking over his shoulder after that," the Crow explained as Harding shook her head. "I think there was someone that wanted his job, but there wasn't any other escalation after that."
"That's horrifying," she whispered as Isabella shrugged.
"It was a nice dagger at least. Viago let me keep it. It's displayed on my wall in my room," Isabella explained as Varric took a step towards her.
"You haven't really talked much about Viago before," he remarked as she shrugged.
"There wasn't a reason to before, but you told me to relax. Apparently, that means I tell you both stories about Viago and Teia," Isabella replied with a light chuckle. Varric didn't laugh.
"So, is Viago just another Crow in the system?" Harding wondered, asking Varric's biting question. Isabella tilted her head to the side curiously before shaking it.
"He is a Crow, but he's higher in the system, as you put it. He's the Crow's Fifth Talon and head of House de Riva," Isabella replied as if they were already supposed to have known. Harding and Varric exchanged a glance as a lot of pieces fell into place.
"You know Viago de Riva personally?" Harding hissed as Isabella frowned. Varric motioned for them to wander to a less crowded area to talk about this.
"Of course I do. I am a de Riva," Isabella replied, gesturing to all of herself. "I didn't realize that you would know his name."
"The Inquisition gave me some less known information while I was there. The Inquisitor wasn't very popular everywhere," Harding admitted.
"I doubt all the de Riva Crows know Viago personally," Varric countered, bringing back the conversation, as Isabella rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I know Viago personally. He trained me to be a Crow," she explained.
Varric took a deep breath. He had heard whispers of a de Riva protégé that was following in the footsteps of her Talon. He never got a name, but he knew that it was a de Riva close to Viago. He had also heard gossip that he watched over her like a bear over a cub, even if he would never admit it. And Varric had hired the protégé and dragged her into Tevinter on a crazy job that was likely not going to end well. If they lived, it was clear that Viago was probably going to be pissed.
"Varric?" Isabella waved her hand in his face as he shook his head.
"Sorry, just thinking. There was some gossip about you in Treviso," he informed as she groaned. "Not all bad."
"I'm sure it had to do with Viago treating me like a child or something. I can assure you; he was harsher on me than he was on any other Fledgling. That Antaam stunt was not the first time I've disappointed him," she scoffed then exhaled. "But if he's upset about this job, he will be upset with me. Not with you."
"I'm the one who signed the contract," Varric reminded as Isabella waved her hand.
"And I wrote up the contract and agreed. Viago would not be pissed if it were any other Crow who signed. He will be angry with me if we don't complete it though," she explained as Harding grimaced.
"And on the off chance that we aren't able to complete to contract?" Harding asked, ignoring Varric's exasperated expression. Isabella gave a breathless laugh.
"My original plan was to go to Fereldan and live there. Maybe I'll try that," the Crow offered before she shook her head. "But that it is a problem and a stressor for a different time. For now, let's worry about what problems we do have."
"Oh? What might those be?" Harding wondered as they started walking down the street again. Isabella fought a grin as she lifted her shoulders.
"Solas's location is one that I'm concerned about. Although, a few citizens were talking about the rise of the Venatori cult, so that's a concern as well," the Crow explained as Varric's shoulders drooped in front of them. Harding sucked in a breath at the mention of the cult as Isabella held her tongue between her teeth.
"Maybe you should go back to thinking about Viago and his disappointment in you," Harding grumbled, trying to come off as teasing. Isabella feigned offence before shaking her head.
"Oh dear, whatever will my fratello think of me if we fail this contract?" she lamented dramatically, throwing her hand over her forehead. Harding fought a smirk and lost, making Isabella smile wide. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I do enough worrying for the both of us. I will make sure you are not stabbed or robbed."
"What does fratello mean?" Harding wondered after a moment. Isabella turned to her, surprised. She didn't realize that she had slipped that in there. She cleared her throat and stared ahead.
"It means brother in Antivan. In the western dialect, at least," Isabella explained, clearing her throat. She had thought about lying to the scout, but Harding would have eventually found out that it was a lie.
"You aren't related, are you?" she asked, lowering her voice.
"We were both adopted by House de Riva, but that is a story for another time. Preferably with copious amounts of bad wine," Isabella teased, hoping that Harding wouldn't press the subject.
To Isabella's relief, Harding dropped the conversation entirely as the three of them went back to the inn with their market goods. As they approached, they saw a messenger near their room with a letter in his hand. Isabella held back as Varric and Harding greeted the man and took the message. A selfish part of her hoped that it was from Viago, but she knew better. Only his missives would come from a Crow: person or bird.
Varric opened the letter as the messenger left as Harding tried to read over his shoulder. Isabella wandered over to the door, opening it with a jostle. Both of them glanced at her, unsure why or how she could get into their locked room by shaking the handle, before returning to the letter.
"So, what's the message?" Isabella finally asked once they entered the room. She was already getting into her combat leathers, recognizing that certain look on Varric's face. He wasn't thrilled that she seemed to read his mind.
"Neve has a lead and told us to meet her at a bar not far from here," Varric explained, handing the note to Harding. Isabella nodded once as she slipped on her archery gloves.
"So, we grab Neve and then go find Solas, yes?" Isabella guessed, earning a tired look from her leader.
"Hopefully," he sighed.
"On the bright side, this might be the last mission you have to deal with me," Isabella teased as Varric shook his head.
"Rook, you can be troublesome at times, but I will be sad to see you go once this is over," Varric informed as the irritation evaporated from his expression. Isabella raised an eyebrow before giving a genuine smile.
"Isabella," she added as she grabbed her bow. Both Harding and Varric paused to stare at her, confused by her statement. "I told you the first day we met that I might give you my name. My name is Isabella."
"It is nice to meet you, Isabella," Varric chuckled as the Crow grinned.
"Why tell us now?" Harding wondered.
"I trust you two enough to tell you, and if we do find Solas, you will need a better name than Rook to find me again if you're in need of an assassin," she informed with a wink. "But in all honesty, I felt that the name Rook suited me better for the time being."
"Why?" Harding asked as Varric shook his head.
"Rook the Not Quite Crow," he replied, recalling her words from the pub when they first met. Isabella beamed and nodded once.
"Once we finish this contract, then I shall be Isabella de Riva, a Crow of Treviso, once again," she added with a mock bow. "But until then, I want to go by Rook."
"You definitely have a flair for the dramatic," Harding teased, slinging her pack over her shoulder.
"I'm Antivan. It's unavoidable," Isabella teased.
~C~
Once they had gathered their necessities, they made their way out of the inn and down the street to the bar that Neve had mentioned. Isabella started walking there when a strange sound crackled through the sky. The three of them looked up to see a normal starlit sky.
"Rook, I want you to find Neve and I'll meet you at the bar. Harding and I are going to go see what that sound was," Varric informed as Isabella stopped in her tracks.
"What are you talking about? Neve doesn't know who I am, she's not going to just follow me wherever I go," Isabella countered, walking toward them. Varric grabbed her forearms and gave a stern look.
"Find Neve. She's our only key to finding Solas. If that sound was what I think it was, then we don't have time to argue," he informed. Isabella clenched her jaw before she nodded. "Alright, we will see you in a moment."
"You better," Isabella grumbled as the other two barreled down the street to get a better view.
Isabella followed the directions to the bar on the note perfectly as the establishment came into view. She jogged over to the entrance before reading through the note once more. Neve mentioned that she would be inside in the northeast corner at a table. She cursed under her breath, hoping that it was a slow night, and it would be obvious who the detective was.
The Crow opened the doors to the bar, and she was surprised to see six or seven Venatori cultists hanging out with the bar owner. She glanced around, seeing that the place had upturned tables and smashed chairs. Clearly, she had made it too late, and it seemed that the detective wasn't in the cult's good graces either.
The bar owner met Isabella's gaze with a curious look before the nearest Venatori launched himself at the Crow. She quickly evaded him before shoving him through the door and onto the street. Isabella could hear the cultist tumble down the steps as she took a step forward. Alright, so a Crow walks into a bar full of Venatori. Now she just needed to find the punchline.