The 5th Blight Retold

by Zdrag0n

The Blight is stirring in the south of Ferelden. Several heroes from different walks of life, brought together by fate, stand against the encroaching darkness. They each will face their own trials which will push them to the brink. If they can not face them, then all of Thedas will fall.

8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Dragon Age franchise. Excluding, of course, any OC characters and or alterations to the story line.

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Foreign language translated into English"

Written Word

Exploring Denerim

Annette and her group are approaching the city of Denerim. A massive City that is built upon centuries of devotion and stubbornness.

Currently, the group is approaching the gates. All but Leliana and Michael are wearing cloaks to hide their features. Leliana herself was in her old Chantry sister robes while Michael was wearing some modified mage robes. They were altered in a manner to make it look like something akin to Leliana's own.

As they were passing through Leliana, Michael, and Alistair nervously glanced back at the gate guards. What they saw was a couple of young men in armor lazily staring out at nothing in particular. The only thing they did that could really be called 'physically straining' was when one yawned while stretching his arms a bit.

'Aiden wasn't kidding when he said these guys were lazy.' All three of the companions unknowingly thought at the same time. They then returned to focusing on the path before them.

"So…Annette. Uhm, were are we going exactly?" Alistair awkwardly asked.

"We're going to the market district in the middle of the city. According to the information we have, that is where Brother Genitivi lives." Annette said back to the group as they moved through the streets.

"I have an enquiry." Sten spoke up as he easily strode to walk beside Annette from the back. "Were will we sleep? It is not practical to make camp outside the walls."

"It also increases the chances of us being recognized by the guards if they see us repeatedly." Michael pointed out in support of Sten's stance.

Sten quietly glanced back at the mage before refocusing his sight. "Hm, yes, and I have no desire to sleep in these…" Sten paused as he looked down a side ally and saw a stray dog defecating before continuing with a sneer, "filthy streets."

"Don't worry. There is a tavern in the market district that is well known for its subtle dealings." Annette said as she looked at a street sign at an intersection and changed directions. "It is used by nobles for private dealings and the like. The patrons won't pay us any mind and the workers will keep their mouths shut."

From there the group continued in silence for a time.

-Scene Change-

Thirty or so minutes later, the Wardens and Co. enter the Gnawed Noble Tavern. Inside of which was a level of finery that, despite not being of the highest quality, was still much nicer than what was typically expected from an establishment in the more public section of the city. Bustling about and enjoying the atmosphere were nobles and commoners alike. Chatting and drinking like it was any other day and not one in the middle of a Blight.

Annette, removing her hood, turned back to the others who were following her example. "Ok, I am going to get us some rooms. Go and wait for me by the stairs, and remember, don't talk to anyone. This place may be known for its discretion, but that doesn't mean someone won't blab if we draw more attention than necessary." Annette whispered to her group before she turned back around and walked straight to the innkeeper.

The three humans and Qunari walked directly yet sedately towards the stairs as most of them tried not to stare at their surroundings.

"I did not expect it to be this nice on the inside." Michael whispered under his breath.

"I know, rite. I was expecting some dingy pub or something. This place is almost as nice as Redcliffe." Alistair said in mild disbelief.

Sten didn't make any comments on the decoration of the place nor how fine it was. No, his eyes were always scanning the various patrons of the establishment. Never seeming to remain concentrated on any one person for more than a moment. As the group made it to the stairs, he turned to keep an eye on the tavern.

"Hm, why do they sit here and drink. This is a time of war, is it not?" Sten asked in a monotone.

"It is, and many take solace in drink and company to help forget their worldly woes." Leliana said in a calm yet somewhat somber tone.

"It also doesn't help that most of these guys are either rich or nobles. These types don't typically take notice of anything negative unless it specifically affects them." Alistair said with a mild mix of slight disdain and amusement.

The group then continued to chat amongst themselves for a time. A few minutes later Leliana noticed that Annette was walking over towards them, grumbling angrily as she went.

"Annette seems to be done…and she does not look happy." Leliana said to the group.

"Greedy little nug fucking…" The group could hear from the de facto leader. They then watched her as she brushed past them and almost walked into a wall until Alistair caught her.

"Woah there Annette." Alistair said as he turned the distracted sword wielding mage to face them.

"Uh," Annette said as she shook her head to clear her distraction and concentrated on her companions. "Sorry about that, the innkeeper has really pissed me off."

"We could tell. But what exactly did he do to piss you off?" Michael inquired.

"Because if he did something untoward, I am not at all opposed to teaching him a lesson." Alistair spoke up in a strangely angered tone.

"No, nothing like that. I would have taken care of that personally if he did." Annette said as she sighed and rubbed her eyes. "No, he is just charging us an arm and a leg for three rooms for two weeks."

"Uh, I am not exactly the most well versed when it comes to buying things, but exactly how much does an arm and a leg go for? Also, do we really need to rent the rooms for that long?" Michael asked in a tone indicating that he wasn't being entirely literal with his question.

"In reverse order. No, we really don't, but that's the lowest length of time he would rent them for. As for how much," Annette said as she leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, "thirty gold sovereigns, a third of the total coin we have."

"WHAT!?" Alistair shouted out before quickly looking around to see if they were being looked at. "What!? How do three rooms cost that much? I mean I know that I am not the most well-traveled guy, but even I know that it shouldn't cost even half that much. Even for two weeks." Alistair rambled on.

"I know!" Annette snapped but took a slow deep breath to calm down. "I know. He went on about the Blight causing the prices to spike, but I am pretty sure he recognized some of us. Which makes me worried about supplies we're going to need."

"Sigh, is there no other place we could go to?" Leliana asked in a tired tone.

"None that I can safely say won't turn us in for a bounty. Any other place that would be willing to accommodate us would require even steeper pricing or pull with the local criminal element." Annette sighed as she stood back up. "We will just have to make do with what we got."

"Nothing more we can do then. It is in the Maker's hands." Leliana said.

"Makers will or not, we still need to find Genitivi. Let's just put our things in the room and head out. According to the address we have his house is on the next street." Annette said as she turned and walked up the stairs. Soon followed by the others.

-Scene Change-

The group, sans any packs or bags are standing outside a house that despite being well made, appears to be a bit worn down. All of the companions are back in their disguises, except for Leliana and Michael, who are now in their normal clothes with cloaks.

"I expected it be nicer." Alistair said as he stood outside the house with his cloak back up.

"Hmph, same. From my understanding, your priest and leaders tend to live in more extravagant accommodations than necessary." Sten grunted out.

"Not all members of the Chantry hierarchy live in palaces you know. Only those that are more into the political aspects of the Chantry live golden spoons. Those who are invested in actually guiding spiritually, helping the needy, or in Genitivi's case, researching the past typically live in more humble abodes." Leliana hotly pointed out.

Before the conversation could continue, Annette knocked on the door. After a moment they heard some scuffling inside it inched open revealing someone who could definitely not be Genitivi. He was young, early twenties by the look, wearing plain peasant clothes. In fact, everything about him was plain in description. He was neither broad nor slim, pudgy or lean. He had brown hair with dull brown eyes. Nothing that could help identify him from a crowd could be discerned from his appearance.

"H-hello? Who is it?" He said nervously.

"Hello sir. We are searching for brother Genitivi. Are you his assistant by any chance?" Annette kindly asked.

"Y-yes, I am. However, th-the master isn't home at the moment." The man stuttered.

"We are aware. Me and my companions come from Redcliff to try and find some clues as to his whereabouts. May we come in?" Annette asked.

"Y-yes. That would be for the best." The man opened the door and allowed them through.

Annette looked around the room, which was a simple dining room with a fireplace, and turned to face the assistant. "May I ask what your name is?" Annette continued to ask in a kind voice with her hands behind her back, though she began to make some hand signs that were noticed by one of the party.

"I am called W-Weylon, mam." The now named Weylon said.

"I am Annette. Can I ask were we may find your master?" Annette said as she saw a trinket on the mantle and went to look.

"I d-don't know exactly. Though I did receive a letter from him a short time ago that said he was at a tavern near Lake Calenhad. I can tell you where it is, if you like." 'Weylon' said as he watched Annette, leaving the other members of the party behind him. Not noticing Sten stepping up to stand at his back.

"That won't be necessary." Annette said in a now cold tone as she rubbed a finger over the mantle. She then turned around to face the assistant once more. "We will find the brother's location on our own."

Annette then made a cutting motion across her throat. The next moment, before anyone could react, Sten quickly grabbed the man before him by the head and snapped his neck. Dropping the man to the floor in the next breath.

"What in the Maker's name are you doing!?" Alistair shouted out as he took a step back and put a hand on his sword.

"Oh, calm down." Annette said as she walked towards the table and picked up a jug of water. She then turned and doused the fire. "That was no assistant. Just look at his hands."

Leliana then kneeled down to look at the man's hands.

"She's right," Leliana said as she rolled the man's hands in her own. "They are scarred and covered in callouses."

"But that can't be all is it! That doesn't mean anything!" Michael said in a mix of confusion and anger.

"Well from the looks of this," Annette said as she pulled a partially burned paper from the fireplace. "He was burning Genitivi's notes." Annette then stood and pointed to the various shelves. "There is also quite a bit of dust on the shelves."

"That still doesn't mean…" Alistair said before they all heard a "Gah!"

They all turned to see Sten, who had decided the to explore more of the house, was backing away from a door next to the fireplace, covering his mouth and nose. They then forgot about their argument for the moment and went to join him to see what was wrong. However, as they got nearer to the door they were hit by a wretched stench. They to, begin to cover their noses and looked through the door to see a rotting corpse. One that is dressed in garb like that of the recently dead man and reeked of rot.

"Is that enough proof for you." Annette rhetorically asked, though muffled by her hand.

"Ugh, I take it this is the real Weylon." Alistair more stated then asked.

"Then who's this guy?" Michael asked as he looked back to the other room, removing his hand after getting used to the smell.

"Whoever he is, we still need to find a lead on Genitivi." Annette said as she turned to walk out of the room. "You two search in here for any clues. Me and Leliana will check upstairs. Sten, keep an eye out."

As the two Wardens remained behind to search, unhappily at that, the other three went to their respective task.

"You know, this is because we yelled at Annette and Sten for killing that guy." Alistair said, muffled through his enclosed hand, to Michael.

"Yeah, I should have remembered just how vindictive a woman could be. Especially if they have magic." Michael said, muffled as well but using his recently raised shirt, back to his fellow warden. He then turned around to look at the room. "From the looks of it, Weylon, the real one that is, died here." Michael commented as he paid attention to the blood spatter on the wall.

Alistair then knelt down to take a closer look at the wounds.

"From the looks of it, he wasn't killed unawares. My best guess, the imposter was an amateur at killing and Weylon managed to survive for a short while. Looks like he was interrogated for a while." Alistair said as he stood back up.

"There is to little blood here for it to have been prolonged. So why did he come into the only room in the house that lacked an escape route?" Michael asked.

"Maybe he was just in a hurry to escape and wasn't thinking, or…he was trying to hide something." Alistair said as he then turned around to take a closer look at the room.

"What? Why would he do that?" Michael asked as he observed the senior Warden begin to look over everything.

"Only three reasons for someone to hide something if they know they're going to die, in my experience. First, just wanting to be vindictive to their killer, but Weylon wouldn't have been hardened enough to make that decision." Alistair said as he squatted under the table to look through some boxes.

"How do you know this?" Michael asked confused.

"Part of basic training for Templars is to investigate things that involve demons or magic." Alistair responded as he continued to pilfer through the boxes. "That includes understanding how a person's mind thinks if they expect to die."

"Makes sense, I guess." Michael commented unemotionally as he noted this aspect of the Templars.

"Anyway, the other two reasons for hiding something like this is to leave a clue as to the killer or why they were killed. The last reason is to protect something that they believe is precious." Alistair concluded his initial explanation.

"And maybe Weylon hid something because of both those reasons." Michael said, finally understanding where Alistair was going with this.

Alistair then began to go through some drawers while Michael turned towards a bookshelf. On the shelf was a collection of cookbooks. Each one showed a certain level of wear and tear, but as Michael looked closer, he noticed that one of the newer books was slightly thicker than it should be. He then took it out and flipped through the pages. What he found was a small packet of paper filled with neatly written script and an old map.

"Alistair! I think I found it!" Michael exclaimed to his companion.

"What!" Alistair said as he turned around to look at the mage. "By Andraste's bosom, I think your right." He said as he looked over what Michael found.

"Come on, lets tell the others." Michael said with a bit of excitement.

"Yeah, I don't know how much of this stench I can continue to stand this stench." Alistair agreed.

The two then exited the kitchen and reentered the dining room to see Sten standing by the window, looking out at the street from the side. Michael then approached the table to spread out the papers, catching Sten's attention and drawing him away from the window. Alistair, meanwhile, hurried over to the stairs.

"Leliana! Annette! We found something!" Alistair proclaimed to the upper floor.

No words were heard in response, but steady steps could be heard moving around on the upper floor until the two appeared at the top. They carried a couple of things, but none of it looked substantial or truly noteworthy.

"I hope what you found is of more use than what we found." Annette said as she held a couple of torn up journals.

"There was not much in the bedrooms. The one that the fake Weylon stayed in was…disturbing would be the rite word." Leliana said with an arm full of objects and with a bit of hesitation.

She then approached the table, where Michael and Sten were busy looking over the papers, and placed what she found down. Annette, however, simply tossed the remains of the journals to the floor to look over the papers as well.

"Disturbing how?" Alistair asked with a bit of concern.

"It looked like it was rearranged as a sort of ritual chamber. One that I would typically attribute to blood magic if I could detect even a trace of magic in the building." Annette said with a bit of disdain.

"Indeed. The room had a wall covered in blood with a makeshift altar at the bottom. One that had this as the center piece." Leliana said as she pushed a strange idol towards them.

The first thing the party noticed was that it had blood stains all over. Some old, some much fresher. The next thing that was noticeable was that it was female in form. However, it would be difficult to mistake it for humans. There were wings draped across the shoulders like a cape. A crown that looked to be a fusion of horn and metal in design. There were no facial features that could be defined on the idol, but it was apparent to be wearing some kind of armor. Armor that had scalelike designs all over.

"From what culture does this hale from." Sten asked as he leaned forward to get a better look.

"None that I have seen before. It looks relatively crude, however. So Avvar possibly, maybe Chansid." Alistair threw out.

"Unlikely. Chansid use animal bones in all of their totems and talismans. As for Avvar, they make purely humanoid forms out of stone. No use of animal imagery whatsoever unless its painted." Annette said in counter of Alistair's statement.

"The symbols and armor design is reminiscent of early Chantry designs. Designs meant in connection with Andraste directly." Leliana said in a worried tone.

"It somewhat reminds me of old Tevintar statues I have seen. However, which ones, I cannot recall." Sten spoke up again.

"Whatever it is it wont help us find Brother Genitivi." Annette cut in as she turned towards Michael, who was focusing on the papers he found. "Michael, what did you find?"

Jumping slightly from being interrupted from his focusing on the papers so intently, the male mage looked up from the writings. "Oh! Sorry about that." Michael said a bit sheepishly. "From what I can tell. Weylon in his last moments seemed to have torn out some pages of Genitivi's journal. They go over excerpts from ancient Chantry text predating the Second Blight. Each one seems to reference a village called Haven. A village that Genitivi notes is not mentioned at any point afterwords."

Michael then pushes an old map forward. "This map comes from the time of Emperor Drakon. According to Genitivi, if this is the same map he references, is said to have the location of the village listed on it. However, none of the names is written in the Common Tongue."

Annette pulls the map over to herself and looks over it. "Hugh, it seems to be written in the old Alamarri language."

"Can you read it?" Leliana asked.

"I can. My family uses a cypher based on the Alamarri tongue." Annette responded to the red-haired bard.

As Annette proceeded to look over the map, Alistair turned back to Michael. "Can we even be sure that this Haven is even the place Genitivi went."

"I can't be completely sure, but he was apparently very excited over the find. He seemed to believe that the village is located near the final resting place of Andraste's remains." Michael said as he pushed two of the pages towards Alistair and Sten.

"But even if it isn't what we are looking for, it is the best lead that we…" Michael was saying before everyone jumped at Annette slammed her fist on the table.

"FUCK!" The warrior mage screamed out.

"What is it, Annette!?" Leliana said as she grabbed Annette's arm to calm her.

After taking a moment to take a calming breath she spoke again. "Sorry about that. I found the location of Haven, but it isn't good." Annette said somewhat dejectedly.

She then moves the map back to the middle of the table and points to a spot that is almost dead center. Rite under her finger was the word 'Hafon.' A spot that was right in the center of the Frostback mountains.

"Oh…shit! Are you sure?" Alistair desperately asked the sword wielding mage.

"As much as I can be." Annette said as she angrily rubbed her eyes in frustration. "This is not good."

"I am afraid I don't follow." Leliana said with some worried confusion.

"Yeah, I mean it might be on the other side of the kingdom, but at least we have a…" Michael began to say before being cut off.

"Its not the distance that's the issue!" Annette angrily shouted out at the circle mage.

"It's the location." Alistair said in a much calmer voice. "Its in the heart of the Frostback mountains."

"How is that relevant?" Sten asked in his typical unemotional tone.

Baffled, Alistair and Annette stared at the giant man before looking at the other two humans in the room. Seeing looks of confusion on the faces of the mage and former Chantry sister they realized what they failed to realize.

Slapping a hand to his forehead Alistair muttered. "Of course they wouldn't realize the mountain of shit we're in."

Finally calming down, Annette calmly looked at her companions and explained. "The Frostbacks earn their name due to the amount of snow they accumulate. For over half the year it builds up, becoming a completely impenetrable wall of ice and snow in the heart of winter."

"But for us, it means there will be no game to hunt. No wood we can use for fire once we get close enough. Not to mention all the extra supplies to we'll need to not die from the cold." Alistair said once he got his head on straight.

"How do you know this?" Sten asked with a slight narrowing of his eyes.

The female mage-warrior and senior Warden couldn't decide if it meant that he was unsure of their information or just didn't trust it.

"Anyone who was taught about the Ferelden's rebellion against Orlais knows that the Frostbacks were pivotal in our victory. At least if it was taught in a military standpoint and not historical." Alistair said, adding the last part as he glanced at Michael.

"Back during the rebellion, when winter hit, the Orlaisian troops were cut off from supplies and troops. And in the autumn and early spring they were significantly held up by the snow drifts." Annette picked up the explanation. "They are part of Ferelden's natural defenses. In fact, there are only two roads through them, and maybe half a dozen total known paths."

"But, and I don't mean to be rude, how does this call for such a…robust reaction from the two of you?" Michael tentatively asked the two. "I can understand the inconvenience, but it did seem a bit much for the situation."

"Its about the supplies Michael." Leliana realized, widening her eyes as she turned to her companion. "We can't afford them."

"Leliana's rite. You remember how expensive the rooms are don't you. Can you really imagine the people in the city won't be following the same trend. With the Blight going on everyone will either be raising there prices out of necessity, if we're lucky, or greed, if we aren't."

Silence ran through the room at the reveal. No one decided to talk further on the matter. A few moments went by like this until Annette sighed, grabbing all of their attention.

"Why don't we return to the tavern for now. We can try and figure something out tomorrow." Annette said dejectedly.

Following her advice, everyone turned to leave the house. Collecting the papers and statuette as they went.

-Scene Change-

The group were walking through the Gnawed Noble Tavern towards the stairs. They are all feeling a bit dower from the revelation of just how difficult the next step of their mission was going to be. However, as they approached the stairs they were met by a young boy.

The boy was plain in his physical appearance, brown hair and eyes with no defining characteristics. His clothes, on the other hand, were finely made. Nothing too extravagant, he wore dark blue pants, a matching shirt, and a brown vest. Someone that might catch a person's eye for a moment but not someone who would be paid much attention.

"Hello, mam," the boy said as he stood before Annette. "My master wishes to speak with you."

Annette, pausing with caution, looks at the boy with suspicion. "And just who is your master young man?"

"I am not at liberty to say." The boy responded, but Annette and the others noted that he had a slight accent. "All that I can say is that he means you no harm and simply wishes to speak business. He is in the room with the purple sash around the handle on the third floor." The boy said simply before walking away.

"That is suspicious, right? Please tell me its not just me?" Alistair said somewhat nervously.

"It is, but I don't think we are in any danger." Annette said with a calm voice.

"What makes you think as such?" Leliana asked with some confusion.

"Because the clothes the boy wore are typical for someone from Antiva. Specifically, from the Antivan Crows." Annette said as she turned back towards the stairs.

Rushing after her, they soon caught up with her and followed only a step behind.

"But aren't they trying to kill us?" Michael asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, but the Crows work in cells, which they refer to as families. Each cell reports to the Guildmasters. They, and by extension their cells, in tern answer to the eight Talons. Seven of which answer directly to the First Talon, who only answers to the Antivan monarch…on paper at least." Annette explained as she went up the steps.

"And your sure this isn't the same one Zevran worked for?" Alistair asked her.

"If it was, they would more likely try and kill us in our sleep. If it is the same one, however, they would only speak with us if something occurred that made their contract void." Annette said as she took a pause at the landing of the third floor. The others noticed that her brow was furrowed as they joined her. "The only reason they would want to meat is that the cell's handler believes that our interest aligns in some manner. And if that is the case, then we may have more things to worry about than I first thought."

The others could not think of anything else to say on the matter as they quietly looked at each other. Annette then entered the hall and walked towards the second door, which held the purple sash.

Before entering, Annette turns her head to look at the companions who followed after. "Alistair, you and Sten should stand guard."

"I thought you said that they wouldn't try and attack us?" Alistair asked.

"And I don't think they will." Annette responded in a monotone before her voice tilted to a more playful tone, "but that doesn't mean we can't be careful. Besides, it sets a better impression for our watchers." She said as her eyes glanced around the hall.

As Alistair then began to worriedly glance around, Annette opened the door. She, Leliana, and Michael walked in to see an older man sitting in a chair, drinking from a teacup. He was unimpressive to look at. His clothes were fine but held typical Ferelden coloring. His hair was turning grey but heavily receding.

Upon their entry he simply puts his cup down on a plate and calmly turns towards his guest.

"Salutations," the man said as he stood up from his sitting position before giving a formal bow. "You may call me Ignacio. I represent…"

"The Antivan Crows." Annette finished, for the now named Ignacio, in a brisk manner. "We surmised that already."

"Hm, indeed," the Antivan Crow simply said. Not seeming to take offense at the rude action. "I suppose you want to know why I asked for your presence."

"That did cross our minds." Annette said as she glanced around the room and glanced back at her companions. She noticed that Leliana was carefully looking at every corner and shadow with a practiced eye and Michael was flexing his hand as if to prepare a spell. Annette then quickly returned her attention to their host. "Especially since some of your fellow crows have already tried to kill us."

"Yes, I did hear about that ill advised contract some of my compatriots accepted." Ignacio muttered to himself. "I, however, did not invite you hear about that. Rather, I called you here to talk about a shared interest."

"What interest?" Michael asked in a uncomfortable tone.

"Not a what, a who," Ignacio corrected. "Brother Genetivi, to be precise. You see, the brother has a number of wealthy investors that wanted to make sure that their coin wasn't being spent frivolously. So, they hired us to keep an eye on him."

"I take it that you thought it was going to be a simple job. Watch for any pricey purchases or activities, rough him up or collect a reimbursement if he does lean that way." Annette threw out in a half-exasperated tone. "So you had apprentices keep an eye on him and they didn't pay to close attention."

"Sigh. Indeed, that is the case." Ignacio said in an equally exasperated tone. "It was supposed to be a training exercise on patience for them, but they were not yet trained in the more…physical aspect of our craft just yet." Ignacio finished with a slight flourish of his hand before returning to a neutral position.

"They did see the fake assistant take over the Brother's house. Unfortunately, myself and the other senior Crows of our group were on another assignment when the event took place. We were planning on interrogating him and finding out the Brother's location when you arrived." Ignacio continued to explain.

"How did you even see us?" Leliana asked with a quizzical look.

"From the roof of a house the next street over." Ignacio quickly answered before returning his attention to Annette. "I assume you have news on his whereabouts and hope to find him?"

"We do, and I assume that you are of a similar mind set." Annette responded.

"We are, if we had the resources to do so." Ignacio answered in kind.

"How do you not have the resources? From what I heard in my time as a Bard in Orlais the Crows are quite wealthy and have fingers in every major event." Leliana asked with suspicion.

"In Antiva that would be true, but here in Ferelden, our resources are far more…hm, limited shall we say. With the Blight and this Loghain fellow running about our agents in the kingdom are being overwhelmed." Ignacio said with some frustration in his voice.

"So, that's why you invited us. You're not here to offer your services, but rather to seek ours." Annette concluded.

"If you want to put it that way, then yes, we are. With how things currently stand, we can not divert agents to search isolated regions of the kingdom. If we outsource to you however, we can focus are attention to this city…and our shared enemies." Ignacio said as he folded his hands in front of himself.

"Our enemies?" Annette questioned with a raised brow.

"Rather enemies, for you, targets, for us. Apparently, Loghain is stepping on a lot of toes. Some of which are less reputable than others." Ignacio said before he sat back in his seat. "That is not your most pressing concern, is it?"

"No, it is not." Annette said as she realized how easily the Crow Master was able to read her. "We currently have some problems with a matter of coin. With how things currently stand we cannot afford supplies for our journey."

"That won't be a problem. Despite the Crows being unable to send any of our men on this expedition, we can give some coin to help fund this venture. But…" Ignacio began with a shrug of his shoulders.

"There are strings attached," Michael finished for the Crow.

"Not strings, so much as proof of reliability." Ignacio responded with a gesture of his hand. "Since your group and the Crows don't have any professional history together, at least not directly." He said with a side glance at Annette. "You must provide some proof that you are reliable in this sort of work."

"What kind of proof?" Annette asked with narrowed eyes.

"I have here," Ignacio gestures to a small stack of papers, "are four contracts that pertain to either directly to your group or your enemies. Complete at least three of them and I can front you the money to pay for your supplies and such."

"I won't agree to anything unless you tell us what the contracts are." Annette said firmly with a scowl forming on her face.

"But of course. I wouldn't expect anything less of a woman of your standing, Lady Cousland." Ignacio said with a small smile but causing frowns to form on Annette's two companions' faces and her own scowl to deepen. "The first contract is to simply track down some thugs posing as Grey Wardens and kill them. We believe they are doing this to trick any fellow survivors from Ostagar or their supporters.

"That is too simple. What else is there?" Annette demanded, not bothering to ask how the Crow knew who she was.

"One is to hunt down a band of Qunari mercenaries who are contracted by one Arl Howe to harass travelers and landholders who stand against Teryn Loghain. The next is to kill an ambassador in Orzammar who is working directly for Loghain." Ignacio listed off as he picked up each contract and listed their contents but paused upon picking up the last one for a moment. "This last one will take some explanation."

"Then explain." Annette said curtly, getting tired of this conversation.

"We intercepted some…competition, shall we say, as they were leaving the city a week ago. They held a letter that gave the location of a target that we have been searching for. One that has alluded us for quite a few years now." Ignacio said in a slow but careful tone. "I was planning on sending some men to kill this person until I learned of your presence in the city."

"Why stop on my account?" A perplexed look passed on her face as her scowl started to fade slightly.

"Not you, specifically, but one of your companions." Ignacio said as he turned his head to look directly at Leliana. "This person has a history with your resident Bard, and one thing we Crows know, is the importance of closing unfinished business."

The Crow then passes the stack of contracts over to Annette, the last one being on top. She looks down and begins to read the contents of the paper.

Annette looked at the paper and began to read.

"Master Ignacio, the open bounty contract known as Marjolaine, former Bard of Orlais has been located.

After investigating the lead provided by the 'competitors' we have determined that she resides in a larger residence on the western side of the market district. Identifiable by the bushes of marjoram growing outside the front windows.

She appears to have several bodyguards staying by her side for the time being. They appear to be of the Qunari variety but have filed their horns in order to better wear helmets.

Danger Assessment: High

I advise no less than a full team of Crows to eliminate the target. Any less will likely result in failure and for the target to reinforce her position if not outright flee.

Your humble apprentice."

Annette finished her reading and turned to face Leliana along with Michael. What they saw surprised them. In the place of the charming and confident woman the two were used to seeing, they instead saw a person on the brink of a panic attack. Leliana was sweating, pale, and had her eyes wide in panic.

Before either of the companions could say anything, Leliana turned to stare at Ignacio and demanded some answers.

"How is she here?! Why?!" Leliana shouted out before shaking her head and decided on a different course of questioning. "No, why are you even hunting her?!"

If Ignacio took any offense to Leliana's form of questioning, he did not show it. He simply picked up his cup, took a sip, and placed it back down before answering.

"To answer your enquiries, to put it simply, Ms. Marjolaine fled Orlais some years ago. Her benefactors discovered her treacherous actions and, as the paper stated, put an open bounty on her head. With the likes of everyone, from random mercenaries to the House of Repose going after her it only logical for the Crows to also take a shot at the bounty. Especially with how large it is." Ignacio said, muttering the last part.

He did not immediately continue though. During his explanation Annette had moved to stand closer to the rogue. While Michael had moved to her other side and had taken her hand and gently squeezed it comfortingly.

After giving them a moment to calm the former Bard, Ignacio continued his tale. "As for why she is here in Denerim, I initially thought it was due to the lack of organized assassins in this country. But upon my men's 'dealing' with the small band she had employed, I realized that she has really been waiting for you, Miss Leliana."

"Why her? Leliana had no way of knowing anything about what was going on with Marjolaine." Annette said as she continued to give her support to her friend.

"That I can not say. All that I am now interested in is that she is dealt with." Ignacio said as he began to poke the arm of his chair for emphasis. "The Crows intend to collect on this bounty, and we do not renege on contracts."

"Beyond the whole Marjolaine situation, what exactly are you promising us." Annette asked, stepping away from Leliana, who was pulled into a comforting hug by Michael.

"For every contract you fulfill, you will be paid a sum of coin. Upon the completion of the third contract, I will be able to provide full funding for your expedition, as a representative of the Crows of course." Ignacio said simply before clasping his hands together. "During which, I can leverage my position to keep the Crows hunting you off your back. For a time at least. The only way for the contract to be removed properly is for either your heads or the financiers to role."

With that said Annette took it as their signal to leave. She, soon followed by the still shaky Leliana and comforting Michael, turned and walked towards the door.

Upon exiting, she began to walk past Alistair and Sten, who silently began to follow, and made her way down the stairs. Upon stepping foot on the second floor, she began to lead her group back towards their rooms, which took up most of the floor. When she reached hers and Leliana's room, she opened the door and gestured for everyone to go inside.

After making sure everyone was in, and double checking the hallway for a tail, Annette stepped in herself and closed the door behind her. She then immediately walked to one of the two beds and flopped down face first.

"I take it the meeting didn't go well?" Alistair carefully asked.

"Uuuuhhhmmm," Annette groused out but was unable to be understood due to the pillow in her face.

"What was that? I couldn't under…" Alistair tentatively asked until Annette rolled over onto her back.

"I said it went fine." Annette said with some frustration in her voice. "We also have a way to get the coin we need to head after Genitivi."

"Then why do you seem unhappy with this development?" Sten bluntly asked.

"Because it involves having to do odd jobs with stuck up pricks like the Crows. I mean, I knew we were going to deal with them, but I simply thought it was going to be a one and done deal." Annette ranted to no one in particular.

"I take it that there's more than that?" Alistair sheepishly asked before a curious look passed over his face. "And I thought you didn't mind the crows. What with how cordial you treat Zevran despite his…taste."

"Zevran is my brother's friend, of course I am going to be polite to him." Annette stated as she gave Alistair a brief but blunt stare. "But a Crow Master, they tend to treat anyone less than themselves as either expendable or lesser. I should know, I met several of them on a trip to Antiva to finalize a trade agreement." Annette ranted again before huffing and dropping her head back to the bed.

"Ooookay, but other than that, what exactly do they want us to do?" Alistair asked, a little off put by Annette's tangent.

"We have four contracts to pick from. Though only three of them seem doable for us." Michael spoke as he stood beside the now sitting Leliana, who found a chair by a desk.

"We can send a raven to Aiden, if their handlers aren't completely shut down by Loghain. Him and his group can take out the 'diplomat' for us." Annette said, finally getting over her frustration enough to properly talk with her companions and propped herself up with her hands.

"Yeah, but there is no telling how long it could be before they get back to us on that. So, that leaves three contracts for us to deal with." Michael said in a placating tone, as to not instigate another negative reaction from the group's temporary leader.

"What are the contents of the other contracts, and what of our standing with our previous hunters?" Sten asked in a demanding tone.

"One involves hunting down some fake Wardens who are luring any other Warden survivors or potential allies to a certain death." Annette said as she read through the papers that are still in her hand. "The next is a group of Qu-Tal-Vashoth," she quickly corrects herself, "that are harassing refugees and anyone who speaks out against Loghain or Howe."

"What of the last one?" Sten asked with slightly narrowed his eyes. Though, if it was from Annette's slip up, the Tal-Vashoth being mentioned, or suspicion about something is unknown.

"That one is…more complicated." Annette said with a pause and looked over at Leliana, who still hasn't fully recovered. "Let's just say the Crows want us to deal with someone who can become a real thorn in our sides if not dealt with. We'll go over the specifics once the other two are done." Annette said while looking Sten firmly in the eyes before continuing. "Our new contact also said that as long as we're preforming Crow business, those hired to hunt us will stay their hands for the time being."

Instead of verbally answering, Sten simply grunted and nodded his head.

With that said, Annette looked around at the others and saw that no one else had anything else to say. She then then sat all the way up and looked at the group as a whole.

"Why don't we deal with this in the morning," Annette said as she saw that it was getting dark outside of the window. "We'll meet up at breakfast and plan out how to deal with this mess then."

"Yeah," Alistair agreed, seeing the condition everyone was in. "That sounds like a good idea."

He then makes his way back towards the door, Sten soon following behind. Michael took a moment longer, giving Leliana another reassuring squeeze on the shoulder before taking his leave. Closing the door behind him as he went.

-Time Skip-

The night went and passed without incident for anyone. Despite the knowledge that they were under the same roof as an unknown number of assassins, everyone was able to rest up.

When the party gathered for their complementary morning meal, having taken their evening one in their rooms, they decided to eat in the side dining hall. Upon entering it, they saw that it was mostly empty except for several rough looking men who were obviously sleeping off a long night of drinking, if the tankards and snoring were anything to go by.

Taking a table next to the wall, Alistair was the first to speak. "Ok, so now that we've slept and gathered our thoughts, what's the plans for today?" The former templar asked while placing a plate of eggs, bread, and cheese down.

"I think we will need to split up and cover more ground. The info the Crows gave gives us a general location on where the mercenaries are and where we can begin looking for the so-called Wardens, but that's it. We need more information before we can go after either." Annette said as she tour her bread into two pieces.

"So, who goes with who?" Michael asked after giving Leliana a slightly worried glance, remembering the revelations from last night.

"I was thinking me and Alistair should go together, while the three of you go together." Annette said as she gestured to the rest of the group.

"What exactly should we look for?" Leliana asked, seemingly recovered from last nights events.

"For supplies, just look for about a week's worth of provisions. But more than that, ask about bandits. Particularly large bandits with horns and off colored skin." Annette said as she scraped some of her eggs onto her bread before topping it with the cheese and made a sandwich with it.

"What about your own task? I assume you do not have the intention of hunting these fake 'Wardens' without further assistance." Sten asked stoically over his own food.

"No, we won't. From what the Crows gave us the trail won't actually be hard to find. They are trying to trick the desperate, and desperate people don't tend to think clearly." Annette said in an attempt to assuage the Qunari's worry. "Most of my and Alistair's time will actually be used to find someone to take the drake hide we have."

"Who would even buy the stuff?" Michael asked out of curiosity.

"Rather who could bye it off us. Dragons may be on the upswing in terms of population, but they are still rare enough that drake hide would be worth a pretty penny to anyone interested. Which is pretty much any smith or alchemist in Thedas." Alistair pointed out.

"I actually have an idea about who can take it for us." Annette said with a bit of an uncomfortable look on her face. "There is this smith nearby, goes by Wade, who is a master smith and is interested in the most exotic of materials."

"I take it that he isn't the nicest fellow from the look your giving." Michael asked with a raised brow.

"It's not that he's mean, rather the opposite actually. He is quite likeable, in his own way." Annette said while scratching her cheek and giving an uncomfortable laugh. "But he is also known to be very…eccentric, from what I have heard."

"Hm, I still don't like this." Sten said with a firm tone as he looked down at his plate with a frown. "Working for assassins is not a warriors duty. We should be facing darkspawn, not tracking human targets."

"I know pal, but we don't have any real choice." Alistair said with frustration in his voice.

"Grrr, I know." Sten muttered in agreement with the Wardens statement.

The group decided to not continue the conversation and proceeded to eat the food before them in silence.

-Scene Change-

Some time later, Annette and Alistair are standing outside a shop, holding the enchanted packs with the drake hide on their backs, in the heart of the shopping district. The sign above the door reads Wade's Emporium, with the image of a green tower on a yellow field with two white catapults on either side.

The two went in without much discussion and saw the spacious inside. Outside, the building looked pretty plain, but inside was eye catching. At least compared to many of the other store fronts in the area. The interior of the store appeared to be a single room. Along the walls were racks of weapons on display, barrels of supplies stacked in the front, and shields being hung on the wall with other weapons as decorations. However, the most noticeable part of the store was a large counter and a forge set up at the back of the shop, both of which had a man working at the stations.

As the Warden and warrior styled mage approach the counter, they were able to get a proper look at the man behind the counter. He was an older man, on the latter end of middle age from appearance, and wore the standard clothes of a Ferelden citizen. There was nothing else that was particularly notable about his appearance except that he had thick wrinkles around his eyes. So much so that even as he put on a rather convincing smile and spoke in a joyful tone the wrinkles belied the amount of stress he seemed to be in.

"Hello, dear customers! Welcome to Wade's Emporium! My name is Herren! How may I help you today?" The now named Herren said in an upbeat tone.

"Yes, we have some drake parts to…" Annette began as she slung her enchanted pack from her shoulder but was interrupted before she could finish.

"DRAKE!?" Another, somewhat higher pitched, voice exclaimed before the sound of a heavy object falling to the floor was heard. Soon followed by the sound of quick yet heavy footsteps.

From the direction of the forge came a heavy-set man came running to the counter. Going directly towards Annette and Alistair.

As he drew near the pair saw that he was wearing a similar outfit to Herren, but with the addition of a blacksmith's apron. They also saw that he lacked a single strand of hair on his head but had plenty on his face and neck. With a full, but not particularly thick, beard and a thick mustache that was a bit long with purposeful nots on the end.

"Wade! We talked about this!" A now exasperated Herron said with a sigh. "I handle the business side of things. You take care of the forge. How can I do that if you come disrupt the customers every time, they come claiming they have something special?" The tired store clerk explained to the smith.

"Ah Ah Ah!" The newly spoken Wade said in a tone more befitting a child. "I own the store, Herron. So, I will make the decisions. Now," Wade said as he refocused on his two guests with excitement, "you said something about drake parts!"

"Uh, Wade! I doubt they really have…" An exasperated Herron began before he cut himself off by Annette and Alistair dumping their packs on the floor, releasing the assortment of drake scales, hide, bones, and teeth.

The shear amount of what was harvested from the drakes at the Circle surprised the two tradesmen. There was so much that it actually piled to the point that the two men could sit on it as a chair.

"H-how do you have this!?" The now shocked Herron asked as he looked over the counter at the draconic material. "Drakes are supposed to be next to extinct!"

"Who cares how they have it. Just imagine what I could make from this!" Wade exclaimed in joyous wonder as he picked up a drake scale on the floor to take a closer look.

"Yes, well we kinda came here to do some business." Alistair said, a bit off-putt from the reactions of the other two men's reactions.

"I would happily make some armor from…" Wade began to ramble before being cut off by Annette.

"How about you go ahead and start on a set of armor, preferably made for a woman, while we hash out the specifics with Herron here." Annette said with a kind tone and a somewhat strained smile.

"What?" Wade said absentmindedly before his eyes widened in realization at what Annette said. "Oh! Of course! I will get started rite away!" Wade then grabbed as much as he could and ran off towards the forge.

"Sigh. You just had to say that, didn't you mam. He likely won't charge you anything for the work." Herron said dejectedly as he gave Annette a side eyed look.

"Which is why I sent him off and am talking to you." Annette said as she refocused all of her attention on the clerk.

"Oh, and why is that?" Herron said while crossing his arms and raised an eyebrow. Clearly not believing what Annette was insinuating.

Annette simply put her hands on her hips and looked at Herron directly in the eye before saying. "I know how things are looking right now, and sooner or later your merchandise and/or services are going to be requisitioned by Loghain. His thugs are already terrorizing the countryside and are acting little better than bandits. The only reason you haven't felt it already is because you're based in the capital. What I am offering you is a way to make a pretty piece of coin for minimum cost." Annette finished in a stern tone.

"How so?" Herron asked, now intrigued by Annette's proposal.

"Our group is in desperate need of supplies, armor included, and we are a little bit pressed for time considering conditions. I suggest that of the materials we brought, which I estimate is enough for four to five sets of armor, that you give us the first two completed sets and one set of armor you already have at a discount." Annette explained.

"And how does this make me, I mean us, money? From the way you're talking we are going to be missing out on profits if I accept." Herron asked skeptically.

"You said it yourself, drakes are said to be next to extinct. Which means that any armor you sell, like say to some rich noble, would be sold second only to dragon armor." Annette said before leaning forward a bit. "I also take it that such materials are foreign to your partner, so the first couple sets of armor he makes are bound to be of lesser quality to those that come after. Which in turn only makes them more valuable to the right buyer."

"How much are we talking, exactly? I want to know what I am getting into before I agree." Herron asked, now having an eager glint in his eye.

At this point Alistair jumped into the conversation…or at least tried to. "Oh! I know this one. If you carry the one and pass the three…Uh, never mind." Alistair said with an embarrassed blush as he rubbed the back of his head upon seeing the stares he was getting from Annette and Herron.

"Anyway," Annette said with a shake of her head and a fond smile, "how much does a set of armor go for with even a little dragon bone?"

"Wade's finest work with such material typically sells for about a hundred gold sovereigns." Herron said as he revealed the price.

"Sounds about right," Annette as she took a moment to think on the price. "Well, if a little dragon bone can in the armors material has it worth that much, then I estimate a set made of pure drake can be sold for nearly double, to the right buyer of course. You may even manage to get a bit more if you sell at an auction or such." Annette ran her pitch to the merchant.

"So, that means…" Herron trailed off while doing the math in his head before his eyes widened in shock. "That's four hundred gold for two sets of armor!"

"Six if Wade can manage with the materials, and that's only the minimum." Annette said as she leaned back a bit with a wide smile.

After just staring into space for a moment, Herron managed to shake his head and return to the present. "Fine, I can work with that, but what kind of armor you're going to want? I need to know what kind of shortage to expect from the drake profits."

"Heavy plate, and something that can fit someone over seven feet tall." Annette said.

"Hm, that's going to be tricky. The only armor we have that can be adjusted as such is the replica of Evon the Great's armor, but that is made with some dragon bone. The best price I could do is fifty sovereigns for it." Herron said while rubbing his chin.

"Sigh. Fine, it is better than nothing. We'll pay once the armor is ready. Oh, and when Wade starts on the second set, tell him its for a woman as well." Annette said as she and Herron finally shook on the deal.

"Good deal, come back in a little over a weeks time. The armor should be done by then." Herron said with a smile as he began daydreaming about the money he was going to make.

The Warden and mage then took their leave of the establishment. Leaving the daydreaming shop clerk and enthusiastic smith to their business.

The two began walking in the general direction of the tavern but took a slight detour to a more run-down section of the city. As they were walking in silence, Alistair began to run some numbers in his head and began to get worried. So, he decided to speak up.

"Hey, if thirty sovereigns was a third of what we had, and we just spent fifty more on armor. Doesn't that mean we only have ten gold left?" Alistair said in a worried tone while using his fingers to help him count.

"Less than that, actually. You forget that the others are out shopping for supplies to hunt for those mercenaries." Annette said in a tired voice, realizing the point her companion was trying to make.

"But doesn't that mean that we are nearly broke with how the prices are?" Alistair asked with some trepidation.

"Yes, but with the gear and whatever we're able to scrounge up from the mercenaries and these fake 'Wardens,' we should break even…At least, that's what I hope." Annette says in an even more tired tone than before.

The two then come across the poster that was mentioned in the contract. Annette quickly looked through the poster, which was supposedly in support of the Grey Wardens, and was able to piece together the information they needed.

The two then quickly returned to the tavern, Alistair not feeling to push his luck with Annette with more conversations based on how tired she seemed, and waited for the others.

Luckily, they didn't have to wait long. For barely ten minutes after the pair had walked back to their rooms the rest of their party arrived. Each of whom was carrying a bundle of various supplies of varying sizes.

After depositing the bundles in Sten's room, due to having the most spare room, they all met back in Leliana's and Annette's room.

"So, did you find out were these fake 'Wardens' are hiding?" Michael asked as he scratched his head in wonder.

"Yes," Annette said as she then picks up the corresponding paper that was received from the Crows. "According to the Crows notes, most of those suspected of being Warden supporters that have gone missing did so near the docks. Combined with the bit from the poster that says, 'a dawn as shining as a Pearl' I can only believe that it is referring to the…establishment, called the Pearl." Annette said with some disgust in her voice.

At first no one said anything. Leliana, who had heard of the establishment before, simply blushed. Alistair and Michael simply shared a look that was a mix of worry and slight fear at Annette's tone. Sten, all the while, was as Stoic as usual.

"…Uh, exactly what is the Pearl?" Alistair, after losing a silent argument with Michael, tentatively asked the de-facto leader of the group.

"Uh…it's a brothel. I trust I don't have to say more than that." Annette snaped while giving a disgusted look at the paper in her hands as she clenched it a bit.

"Well, it seems like the perfect spot for thugs of Loghain's to hide out." Michael said tentatively but quickly backed up when an annoyed Annette stared back at him. He raised his hands in a placating manner and quickly explained. "I mean, plenty of people going in and out. And since such places don't typically report what they are doing, I would also assume that such people as hired killers would gladly take of advantage of such a places services."

Annette, upon hearing the explanation, took a deep breath and calmed down before responding. "Sorry about that. I have bad experiences with those who frequent such places, but you are correct. A brothel is a dream come true for killers for higher, and anyone following their clues wouldn't think to deeply on why the Wardens would supposedly be based there."

"When should we leave?" Sten asked briskly.

"As soon as possible. The sooner we move, the more likely we are able to avoid anyone that might recognize us in the evening crowd." Annette said with finality in her voice.

-Scene Change-

Two hours later, the party are making their way towards the Pearl. The outside of witch was a decently made building. It consisted of a wide double story house with a dark hue and red curtains. Something that definitely stood out among the much more worn and dull surrounding buildings.

The party entered the front doors and saw the well-furnished entrance hall with a welcome desk.

"Welcome to the Pear…" The on-call receptionist began to say before cutting herself off when she noticed the party ignore her and walked straight to the door at the other end of the room.

When they entered, they saw a bar, several tables, and a large group of men making a nuisance of themselves. They did, however, ketch the eye of a woman dressed in a fine dress, but one that also had a cut out in the upper chest area that was only covered in netting.

As she approached the group, more specifically Annette, they took notice that the woman was middle aged and very beautiful. Though, they also noted that she seemed tired and somewhat exasperated.

"Hello there travelers," the woman began in a kind tone, "welcome to the Pearl of Denerim. I am Sanga, the proprietor of this establishment. How may I be of serv…" The now named Sanga said before being rudely interrupted.

"CRASH!" A plate was smashed against the wall as the rowdy crowd continued to make a mess. Then a loud and boisterous voice made itself known among the rest of the noise.

"HEY! WENCH! WE WANT MORE FOOD OVER HERE!" The voice demanded from across the room.

"Uh. I am so sorry about that." A now put out Sanga said.

After seeing the situation, Annette came up with an idea.

"I see you have some issues with those guys, and I take it the guard are not very willing to help." Annette stated, not asked, as she leveled a look at Sanga.

"Humph. The only time a guardsman comes in here is to buy some time with one of my employees. Unless someone is literally dyeing they don't bother. Sometimes not even then." Sanga crosses her arms in frustration before frowning a bit at her muttered last statement.

Annette, who had heard the proprietor, decided to make her pitch. "Me and my friends can handle those fools for you."

"Oh, and what should I expect to pay for such services?" Sanga asked with a raised brow.

"Just let us in to your back rooms, more specifically the Shining Jewel room, and pretend that you didn't see us."

"You want to deal with those bastards!" Sanga said in wide eyed shock. "For what reason do you-. Wait, never mind. I don't want to know. Those brutes are even worse than this lot." She said while pointing a thumb to the crowd behind her. "At least these fools pay for being here. Ever since that bastard Paedan and his crew came in they have been taking up my best room, eating our food, and fully expects that pittance he handed over to cover it. If you get rid of him and these other pains in my ass, I will pretend to be blind if that's what you want."

Sanga then walked over to her two bouncers standing next to the door to the back and began talking to them. Annette, on the other hand, focused on the men causing trouble. She walked towards the men, all of whom were in leather armor and were in various states of inebriation.

When she got near Annette called out, "Which one of you drunken louts is in charge?"

One of the men at the bar turned to face Annette and stepped somewhat shakily forward. He was about average in height, with dark skin, eyes, and hair. The only other thing of note about the man was that he spoke with a very mild accent.

"That would be me, my charming red-haired beauty. I am the leader of this little group of the White Falcons mercenary company. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" The man introduced his group, seemingly oblivious of the ire of the woman before him.

"My company is something that neither you, nor any of your men, will ever know." Annette said with a deep scowl. "As for what I want, it is for all of you to get lost."

The man, now apparently realizing he wasn't dealing with one of the brothels courtesans, lost his smile. A frown now firmly taking its place on his face responded with, "Me and my men are happily eating and drinking our fill. So, unless you and your fellow red-haired lass are prepared to drop to your knees and give my boys a good time. THEN FUCK OFF!" He shouted the last bit and began to turn away. Thinking that he had intimidated the warrior mage.

"Sigh. I tried to do it the easy way." Annette muttered to herself before suddenly kicking the back of the man's knee. Causing him to suddenly take a knee before having his hair get pulled back and finding a blade at his neck. Annette then began to speak in a calm but serious tone. "Do I have your attention now." She asked rhetorically.

Before the rest of the White Falcons could jump to their leader's defense, they paused upon finding Warden party having their weapons at the ready. Now, these men may have been drunk and somewhat stupid, but they weren't enough of either to try and face these people as they were.

"Now that I have all of your attention. Please. Leave." Annette said as she looked upon the rest of the mercenaries. "I won't be asking again. If you don't comply, however, I am sure my large friend here would be more than willing to remove a couple of your limbs to change your mind." Annette said in a calm tone before turning sickly sweet at the end.

"So, if me and my boys leave, you won't try anything?" The man at Annette's feet asked skeptically.

"That is the deal." Annette said simply.

The mercenaries looked among themselves for a moment. Unsure of if they should take the offer or not. They then turned back to face their leader kneeling on the ground. After looking his men in the eye and gave a slight nod.

"Fine, we'll go. Now let me up." The man said in slight desperation.

Annette didn't say anything to this. She simply lifted her blade away from his neck and pushed the man forward with a kick to the back. The man then rolled over to his men and stood up, instinctively making a move to his weapon. But upon seeing the rest of Annette's group any fight he may have had withered and died.

"Let's go men. We'll find a place that has less stuck-up wenches and better drinks." The leader of the White Falcons group said to his men.

The mercenaries then followed their leader as he proceeded to walk out of the building. Annette and her group, however, turned towards the door leading to the back of the establishment.

Upon catching the eye of Sanga, she gave a nod of thanks and approval. Sanga then gave a nod to her bouncers, who were too few to deal with the mercenaries. They then opened the door for the group and gave their own nods of respect.

The party proceeded to walk to the last and, from the looks of the door, the most luxurious of the brothel's rooms. Annette proceeded to knock on the door and heard a gruff voice answer.

"What's the password?" The voice asked.

"In Death, Sacrifice." Annette said in a calm tone as she prepared to leap forward with her blade at the ready.

The door opens, revealing a man with brown hair but strong features. He is in some simple steel plate armor and is looking at someone else in the room as he lets the party inside.

"Looky here boys. We have some more…" The man says before being cut off as he turns his head to face the Wardens and receives a quick sword thrust to the throat.

Michael, who had thought ahead for the fight, rushed past Annette and her victim and used his magic to push the surprised foes back. He did not continue his magical assault, though. Deciding that there ran to much risk to the building and surrounding rooms.

Instead, he just decided to stand to the side and allowed the others to run past him, who had also passed by Annette as she pushed the first man off her blade. Leliana, with her daggers unsheathed, charged at the rogue of the group, who was the first to recover. He tried to pull an arrow from his quiver and hurriedly attempted to pull it back, but before he had even half pulled the string, he found that his chest had two new holes.

The last two men, who were both Qunari who had broken off their horns, were still struggling to a ready position. Sten, somewhat angered by finding Tal'Vashoth, quickly raised his great sword and brought it down on his foe. Alistair, on the other hand, was a bit slower. The last of the fake 'Wardens' managed to block Alistair's first strike with his own weapon but was easily put back down with a shield bash to the face. Alistair then finished with a decisive downward blow between his opponent's armor, straight into his heart.

With the fight quickly over, everyone put their weapons away and began to observe the room around them. They saw that it was finely furnished but was poorly taken care of while in the care of the fake 'Wardens.' The carpet and bed were covered in various stains. The curtains were torn beyond repair. All of the wall ornamentation was torn down and broken in various ways. In short, the room was totaled and the blood left behind from the various dead bodies was the least part of the mess.

"Well…this place looks like it has seen better days." Alistair said in a half joking tone.

"We should check their belongings. They may have something that can tell us who exactly they were working for." Leliana pointed out.

"That wasn't part of our obligation." Sten said simply, losing whatever anger he had while cutting the traitor down.

"That may be, but any information on potential enemies is worth having." Michael responded to his large companion. He then turned to the desk in the room, which was surprisingly still intact, unlike its chair.

The others also began to search their respective victims. Finding little of note as they did so. They found some money, jewelry, and potions, but nothing else that was of any use. Sten did, however, decide to claim the axe of his opponent, seeing that it was of better quality than his own weapon.

"Well, this guy's useless. Did any of you find anything?" Annette asked after standing back up to look at the others who were doing the same.

"No/Non/Hmph" Were the various responses she received, but was cut off before she could respond.

"I may have found something," Michael said as he turned around with a few papers in his hand, "and I don't think you're going to like it Annette." He then proceeded to read through the papers before speaking again. "First, these guys seem to be working with those other mercenaries we are hunting. Who happens to all be Qu-Ah-hem. Sorry, I mean Tal'Vashoth." Michael quickly corrected after glancing at Sten and turned the page to continue. "It also appears that these guys aren't working for Loghain, not directly at least. Apparently, Arle Howe is the one paying these men to hunt Warden supporters and Loghain's opposition."

"Its possible Loghain is unaware of Howe's dealings." Leliana theorized.

"If he is, it is because he is willingly, but I doubt it. Loghain is many things, stupid isn't among them." Annette said with a shake of her head. "No, more likely he perfectly aware of Howe's actions but will play ignorant to protect himself. He is more than willing to allow Howe to dirty himself if it means keeping his own hands washed of the situation."

"Is there anything else in those papers?" Leliana asked, desperately trying to steer the conversation away from the sensitive topic.

"Yes, actually," Michael said before refocusing on the papers. "It appears that the band of bandits we're hunting have recently relocated. These don't really have a location, but it does give some landmarks we can follow. Apparently, they are expecting a delivery of supplies."

"That might actually be useful." Alistair said as he rubbed his chin in contemplation.

"Whatever the case. We need to get out of here before our host decides that she is no longer feeling so gracious." Annette warned her companions.

This was received with nods of understanding from everyone in the room. They then proceeded to pocket anything of potential use. They then made their way out of the building, passing by the usual security without issue. Though, Annette did approach Sanga and gave her a pouch of coin she had taken off the fake 'Warden' and apologized for the mess they left. After which they left the building and returned to the tavern.

-Scene Change-

It was much later in the evening that same day. After the group had returned from their excursion at the Pearl, they took a little time to rest to themselves. When dinner approached, the party went downstairs. When they entered the room, they had eaten in that morning, however, they were accosted by recovered drunkards that they had seen earlier, who were apparently a band of pirates known as the Crimson Oars. Leliana, luckily, managed to talk them down and leave the premises without issue.

Currently, the party, short of Annette, were sitting down to eat dinner. They were having some type of stew with bread that, while basic, was quite tasty to all those there.

The group was quietly enjoying their meal until Annette stomped over to their table. Grumbling as she sat down before her previously unattended food.

Alistair, after sharing a silent look with the others at the table, decided to break the now uncomfortable silence. "Uh, Annette…what is going on? Are you…okay?"

Annette, now distracted from her angry musings, looked up to the former Templar with mild surprise in her eyes. "Oh…sorry about that. I just got back from talking with the innkeeper."

"He's not kicking us out, is he?" Michael asked with some mild worry.

"No…well, not really." Annette answered quickly before grabbing her head in frustration. "He just told me that we, or rather just myself, can't leave to hunt those mercenaries."

"Why? From what I understand of how inns function, they don't care if the room is occupied or not. Just as long as it is paid for." Leliana stated with confusion and earning a grunt acceptance from Sten.

"Normally, yes, that is true. But as we have already seen, the normal rules of commerce are not currently in effect. From what our host explained, the actual owner of the tavern is pressuring him to leverage as much coin as possible from guest." Annette said as she angrily tor some of her bread and took a bite out of it before continuing. "He said if we were all to leave for more than two days he would be forced to empty our rooms. However, if I, at least, stayed behind then he could ward off the owner. For a little while at least."

"It is not smart to stay by yourself. Not in this city surrounded by foes and tenuous allies." Sten spoke for the first time since sitting down.

"I can stay behind. I'm not the best with tracking in the best of circumstances." Alistair said with a small bit of bashfulness.

"Will three of you be enough for these mercenaries?" Annette asked unsurely.

"I looked at the papers I found a bit more closely. There aren't as many mercenaries as we originally anticipated. Apparently, they are using surprise and rush tactics to obscure their numbers." Michael explained in a calming manner.

"Which means if we manage to surprise them, we can cut them down without much issue." Leliana said, realizing where Michael's thought process was going.

"We will need to think about a plan to attack to make such a strategy work." Sten said, seemingly giving support to the plan.

"Well…I certainly did not expect this conversation to turn out like this." Annette said with surprise in her voice before a small smile graced her lips. "I guess, then, that me and Alistair will just stay in the city."

"What will we do during that time?" Alistair asked confusedly.

"We can manage to find a messenger to send that last contract to Aiden and them. We can also see if there are any contacts we can get in touch with for the loyalist. There is also the possibility of some odd jobs to help refill our pockets." Annette said but then gained a coy grin on her face. "However, if that is not to your liking, we could perform some much more…intimate activities in the rooms." She said in a teasing tone.

The bold-faced blush that now adorned the former Templar's face was to much. Annette, soon followed by Michael and Leliana, burst out into laughter and giggles. Even Sten was chuckling at Alistair's reaction. After realizing what was going on, Alistair himself laughed at the situation.

The group then continued their meal in comfortable silence and proceeded to end the night on a more upbeat note.

-Scene Change/Time Skip-

Two days have passed since the three members of the party had departed. During which time Anette and Alistair managed to send Aiden a raven the final Crow contract with a personal message from Annette and began browsing through the various wares of the Denerim market. Comparing the prices of one piece of armor to another and comparing the quality. Of course, they didn't actually buy anything though.

Even though they recouped some of their losses by selling the fake 'Wardens' gear, at least what they could carry at the time, and receiving the bounty for the contract from the Crows, they were still cautious with their coin. Doubly so when some of the shadier figures around the market began to notice them.

As a result, the two fended off three attempted muggings, two would be (now thoroughly castrated) rapist, and several drunks who were so sloshed that they thought Annette was a fancy prostitute.

When the third day for the isolated duo began, they decided to take one more round around the market to see what was available. Deciding to focus more on the side streets for stores with…less ethical clientele. On the way to one such street, however, they encountered someone that they had been keeping an eye out for, but did not expect to find quite so soon.

As the two were walking back to the tavern, both wearing more casual clothing rather than their typical gear in order to better blend in, from exploring a few streets over they were approached by an older man. He was blond with a full beard and goatee and wore full plate armor of a knight. Luckily, in the case of any potential onlookers, he approached at a more enclosed intersection in the streets, blocking the view from the main square or streets.

"Lady Cousland?" The man asked in a formal tone as he approached the two.

"Ser Landry? What are you doing in Denerim?" Annette asked in surprise.

"I could ask the same of you, my lady, but maybe we should go somewhere less open." The now named Landry suggested at he looked at the passersby.

This got nods of approval from Annette and Alistair who then proceeded to follow the knight down a side alley until, strangely enough, they arrived at a spot between Genitivi's house and the tavern.

"So, how do you know each other?" Alistair finally asked as soon as he felt it was safe to speak openly.

"Ser Landry served under me back in Lothering." Annette answered before turning to Landry and introduced Alistair. "Ser Landry, may I introduce Alistair Cousland, Grey Warden and heir to the throne."

"Annnneeeette!" Alistair wined to his companion. "Don't go around telling people that. I don't even want the throne."

"Oh, don't be such a big baby. I am just teasing." Annette said with a smile as she lightly pinched his cheek.

"Ahem," Landry interrupted before this could continue with a slight smile at the situation. "I don't mean to interrupt, my lady, my lord, but to pick up on my previous question. What exactly are you doing in Denerim?"

"Ah, yes." Annette said with a light blush as she refocused on the night. "We are in the city tracking on a lead to healing Arl Eamon. But with how the prices are currently, we and our companions are currently stranded for at least another week as we try and collect the necessary funds."

"You couldn't happen to help us in that matter, could you?" Alistair asked.

"Unfortunately, not." Landry said sadly while shaking his head. "My personal funds are secured elsewhere and the resources the loyalist have in Denerim are too few to spare."

Landry then turns to face Annette again. "As for your earlier enquiry, my lady, I am here to monitor Loghain's and his supporter's movements. As far as he is concerned, I serve him. But I serve the crown and those loyal to it."

"What are his movements?" Annette asked.

"Loghain himself is directing the soldiers that follow him to commandeer resources and reinforce the border with Orlais. He is not allowing anyone through and is all but ignoring the encroaching darkspawn horde. Howe, 'SPITOO'" Landry spat on the ground at the mention of his name, "is acting as the traitor's shadowy enforcer. He is threatening, blackmailing, and otherwise crushing any mention of dissent towards Loghain's regime. He has been placed as the acting steward of Denerim and is raising taxes. While directing the city guard to menial task and having his own troops spread fear and terror among the populace."

Landry then closed his eyes and shook his head in frustration at the situation. "Loghain is bad enough. He may overstep his bounds, but he doesn't harass the common folk, but Howe." He said with anger. "He is draining the city of all of its wealth for his own benefit."

"Speaking of Howe, what has been happening at Highever?" Annette asked with some trepidation in her voice.

"It has been some time since I last received a correspondence, but that is by design. What I have heard tells me that Howe's forces are being routed from the territory and now hold only Highever itself and Vigil's Keep. His youngest son currently holds your family's castle, my lady, while his own is kept by Howe's daughter and recently returned elder son." Landry explained.

"Will any of the Howe children be a problem?" Alistair asked.

Here Annette answered Alistair's question. "The elder two, no. Nathaniel and Delilah have always had a strained relationship with their father, and Nathaniel has been all but banished from Ferelden for over seven years. He is a man of honor and will most likely side with us once he becomes aware of Howe's duplicity. Thomas on the other hand," here Annette winced at the thought, "he is just like father, but worse. He is going to be the one our people are going to have a problem with."

"Indeed, my lady, the last message I received suggested as much." Landry said in support of this conclusion. "If that is all, my lady, I will take my leave. Though, I do suggest not using your real names so loudly in the marketplace. Our agents have been able to intercept notices to the usurpers and their ilk, but it is better to be safe than sorry."

"Oh, before you leave, could you keep an eye on the alienage? The elves always get the worst of it in times like this." Annette asked before the knight walked off.

"It is already done, my lady. Your brother gave the same instructions before stationing me in the city." Landry said before giving a formal bow to Annette and a nod of the head to Alistair and walked away but stopped after a few steps and yelled back towards them. "Oh, and before I forget, there is a shop further down this street that you may find interesting." With that said he continued his journey.

Annette and Alistair looked at each other and shrugged and began to walk in the direction that Landry indicated. When they got near what appeared to be a worn down building that didn't look to much different from those around it except for a worn sign that showed three intersecting golden hoops on a cloudy sky field with a crescent moon at the bottom. Above this picture is the name of the establishment, Wonders of Thedas.

"Oh, I have heard of this place." Alistair said in surprise.

"Really, I haven't." Annette said in surprise, doubly so with how sheltered Alistair seemed to be.

"Not surprising, really. I heard about it back when I was still a Templar recruit." Alistair said in a clear voice before looking directly at Annette. "The leadership didn't really like that it existed since it deals in enchanted and magical items, but don't make much of a fuss about it since the owner is a tranquil."

"Sounds like it might have some things that could be useful to me and Michael. Maybe we can pass on the information to the others once we regroup." Annette said in an appreciative tone while also thinking of her brother and other companions.

The two proceeded to walk in and see what was available.

-Time Skip-

An hour or so later, the two companions are walking back to the tavern as it was about to get dark.

In their arms are several bundles. Annette, who is holding only a small bag, smiles at Alistair, who is holding quite a bit more. In his arms there happen to be a couple of books, a few sets of robes, and what appears to be a roughly carved staff. All the while, Alistair is grumbling about how unfair this was.

"I just want to know why I am carrying all of this, but your only holding a few runes." Alistair remarked as he tried to balance his cargo and keep up with the red head.

"Its because your so big and strong." Annette said, making her voice deeper in a silly replication of a male tone. "Besides, you should be happy. Thanks to the fact that the proprietor was tranquil, we were able to get all of this for a steal." She said in a joyful tone.

"Yeah, your rite." Alistair dramatically agreed, thinking about how the emotionless shop owner sold them the items at a fraction of what other places would have even without the Blight.

The two continued on their way but were stopped by three people in city guard uniform, causing the two to go on edge.

Of the three guards, two of them were wearing helmets that hid their faces. The last, and apparent leader, did not wear one. This in turn allowed Alistair and Annette to see the dower faced man. Which was, if the two were being honest with themselves, a bit pudgy with deep wrinkles and had brown hair and eyes. Making him appear grouchy for sure, but also unthreatening. This did not, however, put the two fugitives at ease. Both were well aware that appearances could be quite misleading.

After looking between the three guards, Annette decided to speak up when she noticed that their weapons were not drawn. "Good evening, gentlemen. How can we help you?"

The helmetless guard was the one to answer. "My name is Sergeant Keylon. We are just here to meat two of the people that have been doing our job for us."

This in turn caused the wariness of Annette and Alistair turn to confusion. The two then glanced at each other to see if the other knew what they were talking about.

When neither did Alistair decided to voice what both were thinking. "Uh, how exactly have we been doing your job."

"Well, there was those punks in the Pearl you dealt with. The louts at the Gnawed Noble that you got rid of." The now named Keylon began listing off. "Finally, you two have been cutting down on criminals that have been on my list for awhile now." Keylon finished as he then crossed his arms.

As the two groups were stared at each other, the trepidation of before coming back slowly, Keylon then smirked and held out his hand.

"I just wanted to thank you for sparing me the headache." Keylon said in a gruff but respectful tone.

"Hu…" Was all the surprised Alistair could say.

"Um, you're not mad?" An equally surprised Annette asked as she shook the offered hand.

"Not at all. Most of my men are spineless whelps who have a noble father or something that will give me grief if I put their pansy children on any real work. So, you and yours taking care of my problems leaves me with less paperwork and less headaches. Also, if you're wondering about being ratted out," Kaylon said as he gave the two a knowing look, "you don't have to worry about it coming from me. I keep my hands clean of all that political bull. As long as you're not actively breaking the law, I don't care who you are."

This actually relieved the Warden and mage.

"Yeah, I also came to give you this." Keylon said as he took out a small pouch from his side and handed it to Annette. "Just so that you can't say that I am ungrateful."

"Thank you! This will help us a…" Annette was saying before getting cut off by some big thug walking up to the two groups.

"HEY! DO YOU THINK THE GUARDS CAN SAVE YOU FROM THE DISRESPECT YOU DEALT WITH OUR GUYS! THE WHITE FALCONS ALWAYS PAY BACK LITTLE SHITS LIKE YOU!" A large and brutish fellow yelled out as he was followed by half a dozen other men.

"Uh, fuck me!" Annette said softly as she gave the new group a deadpan stare.

-Scene Change/Time Skip-

The rest of the time between the back alley meet ups and the return of the mercenary hunting companions passed by without further incident. Mostly because Annette and Alistair decided to remain in the Gnawed Noble Tavern to lay low and recover from the bumps and bruises, they acquired from fighting the White Falcons bare handed.

When they returned, they found the two at a table in their usual dining room. With Annette trying to teach Alistair how to play the card game Wicked Grace.

"No, Alistair. Two knights, a angel, a serpent, and a song don't beat four knights. They…lets continue this later. Our friends are back." Annette was saying before pausing the conversation upon noticing her returning companions. Which caused Alistair to put down his cards and turn to look at them.

As they approached the two noticed that, despite Sten looking relatively the same, Leliana and Michael were a bit rougher looking. Michael was sporting several tears and new stains on his robes. Leliana, on the other hand, was in a bit of a better state than the Warden of the trio, but she too had her armor looking a bit more worn than before. Though, Annette noticed, she did have a flower in her hair, Andraste's Grace if the magic wielding red head wasn't mistaken, and looked to be standing a bit closer to Michael.

"Good to see that your back." Alistair said, deciding to break the ice in his usual manner. "How did it go?"

"Went better then I initially expected." Was Leliana's simple reply.

"We were attacked by two separate bands of bandits going to and from the encampment. That did, however, lead to us commandeering a wagon that allowed us to pose as men delivering supplies. Which is good for us since I am not sure if we could have taken all of those mercenaries if we didn't take them by surprise." Michael said tiredly.

"Oui, indeed that was the case. But what is our next course of action?" Leliana asked somewhat tenuously, knowing what was to come.

"Well, we still have the rooms for five more days. That leaves us enough time for you three to rest tomorrow, and the day after we can…fulfill the last contract." Annette said while giving a tender look at Leliana.

"Hm. Can we not simply take care of it today and be done with this city?" Sten asked, unsatisfied with this course of action.

"You three just got back from what I assume was a week of nearly non-stop travel and fighting. Even an Antamm warrior like you must understand the necessity of rest. Besides, once we're done here, we will be on the road for weeks. So, it is best to get rest while we can. And if you're worried about being lazy, you, me, and Leliana are going back to Wade's Emporium to get our new armor fitted. Which reminds me," Annette was saying before turning to Michael, "we got you some new robes at a mage shop. They're on top of your bed." Which was gladly received by the mage.

"Sigh. Very well. You speak wisdom and I will not argue." Sten huffed, clearly not happy with the decision, but accepting of it nun the less.

The newly reunited party then proceeded to spend some time together and simply relax for the rest of the day.

-Scene Change/Time Skip-

Two days later, the reunited party approaches the house that is described in the Crow's contract. Using a side alley to stay hidden from the points of visibility of the house.

Leliana and Annette were now wearing their new drake armor. Both sets appeared similar to reinforced leather-based armor, but with some more aesthetic alterations. The color of the leather was lighter than typical, and the metal had a mild blueish hue. It was so mild a difference, that Annette did some precursory test to determine if it actually was made of the sold materials and wasn't some ruse being pushed by Herron.

Sten was also wearing his new armor. Despite it being rather large for something made by a human, it was tight on Sten. It consisted of a metal chest plate, chainmail covered the shoulders and had a skirt like structure around the waist. The thickest portion of the armor was actually on the arms. It consisted of interconnected metal plates, the largest of which covered the right shoulder. Altogether, it looked more like a body suit than a set of armor.

Michael, who was now wearing his new robes that appeared to be part armor and wielded his new staff, looked at Sten who was adjusting his new armor. "Are you alright Sten? It doesn't look like your very comfortable."

"It is fine. I am familiar with uncomfortable conditions in combat. I do wonder why such armor was crafted however." Sten answered.

"Well, it is not meant for someone of your size, buddy. It is a replica typically meant for ceremonial purposes but is still usable as a proper set of armor." Alistair said nonchalantly.

As the men were having this conversation, Leliana was watching the house with a nervous look upon her face. Annette then placed a comforting hand upon her fellow red head's shoulder from behind.

"Are you going to be alright? You know you don't have to be here." Annette said in a soothing voice.

"Non. I will be alright." Leliana said as she closed her eyes. "Sigh. I need to do this, Annette." She then turned around to look at her friend.

"Alright, Leliana. I will trust you in this. Just remember that whatever happens you cannot let your emotions stop you from doing what needs to be done." Annette said calmly, giving the rouge one more squeeze on the shoulder.

Annette then turned her attention to the men of the party and spoke out more loudly to get their attention. "Alright, people, we are heading in. You all know what to do."

The men, now paying attention to the situation at hand, nodded their heads seriously. They then, as a single unit, marched inside with their weapons at the ready.

Upon entering the large single-story house, they entered what appeared to be the parlor. Which, apparently, dominated most of the building's space. Spreading out with the warriors of the group staying near the door, Leliana taking up the middle, Annette standing closer to the door on the left side of the room, and Michael standing a bit closer on Leliana's right.

Infront of the small dining area, that was itself in front of the fireplace, stood the woman who, from Leliana's descriptions, was their target. Appearance wise, she was very beautiful with a long face and sharp features but had a cruel gleam in her brown eyes. She had long dark hair that had some of it in braids around her face. However, it was her body and dress that was the most eye catching about her. She was tall and deceptively slender, with her clothes hiding certain parts of her body well but highlighting the parts that would typically distract men.

She was standing there nonchalantly, obviously expecting the group. A calm, almost dismissive, look was upon her face.

As Leliana stepped closer, a nervous look in her eyes but a determined one on her face, Marjolaine spoke out in a thick Orlaisan accent. "Finally decided to come and face me, Leliana." She stated rather than asked.

"You were expecting me?" A mildly confused Leliana asked.

"Hahaha. Of course I did! I knew you would come for your revenge one day." Marjolaine mocked in laughter.

"I did not come here for revenge, Marjolaine. I came because you left me no choice when you sent those mercenaries after me." Leliana said in a slightly frustrated tone.

"Oh please, Leliana, I know you to well to believe that. When my spies found you in that little Chantry, it was clear that you were hiding out like I trained you to. When they informed me that you left with a group of heavily armed individuals, it was clear that you were hunting me." Marjolaine explained, as if it was the most obvious conclusion to jump to.

Leliana, on the other hand, was stunned at what she had just heard. "You…you think I left my position as a sister to try and find you!? You think that my faith…the life that I pieced together after YOU shattered my old one…was just a ruse to try and trick you?" The former bard asked in disbelief.

"Quit pretending, Leliana, you were never any good at it. Why else would you be here. Facing me personally." The arrogant woman chided her former protégé.

"I LEFT to help stop the Blight, not to hunt YOU. The only reason I am only HERE is because YOU sent assassins, and we have no other choice." Leliana firmly stated, jabbing her daggers in Marjolaine's direction to emphasize her point. "Maker preserve me! Just how conceited are YOU. I can't believe that I ever…" Leliana stopped herself as angry tears started flowing down her face.

"So…what are you and your friends going to do, Leliana? Are you going to…" Marjolaine said in a nonchalant tone before being interrupted.

"SHUT UP!" Screamed Leliana as tears still streamed down her face. Before she could say more Michael placed his hand on Leliana's shoulder.

"Leliana," he simply said in a calm voice. Comforting the clearly distraught woman that he has close to.

After calming down and wiping her eyes, Leliana turned her head and gave Michael an appreciative nod. He stepped back to his previous spot and she then turned and faced Marjolaine once more. Who had since lost her haughty look and gained a hard one in its stead.

"I worked myself to the bone for you, Marjolaine. I accomplished every task and goal you ever gave me, and even more importantly, I was loyal. To. You." Leliana said in a now cold tone. "But even after all of that, you betrayed our home and put the blame on me. Now? Now I am going to finish what you started."

"Hehe. You think you can actually 'beat' me, little bird. I taught you everything you know." Marjolaine said in a tone that was just as arrogant as before but lost its playfulness.

"Non, Marjolaine. You have not." Leliana as she got into a ready position.

Instead of continuing this banter, Marjolaine pulled out a pair of stiletto daggers she had hidden her sleaves and moved into a position that mirrored her opponent. In doing so, she also caused a small bell hanging on her waste to jingle. Which gave a signal to her hired protection in the other rooms of her abode.

Unfortunately for her, the Wardens and co had planned for this. Annette and Michael both cast barrier spells on themselves and the doors on either side of the room they were in. Blocking the Tal'vashoth mercenaries from entering as they opened the doors.

"No help for you this time, Marjolaine. Its just you and me." Leliana mocked as she made a quick lunge at her former mentor.

Marjolaine dodged the attack, looking around the chamber to see if there was anyway to gain an advantage. She saw that her hired muscle could no longer assist her, and that she couldn't try to release them without opening herself up to Leliana. Briefly, she considered trying to make an escape but noticed that Sten and Alistair were standing guard at the only entrance/exit to the house, ready to intercept her in a second. It was then, in that single brief moment, that the treacherous Bard understood that she was stuck in her duel.

Thinking quickly, she pirouetted around to try and slash at the advancing Leliana's face. Leliana, being prepared for this, blocked with one of her blades while using the other to slam its pommel into Marjolaine's side.

Causing the arrogant woman to stagger back a step. Recovering quickly, Marjolaine made a series of stabs towards Leliana's heart but was fended away almost lazily by the red head. Who in turn cut one of the offending hands as it made one last stab, causing the blade to be dropped.

A look of fear now crossed Marjolaine's face at seeing the direction that this fight was going. But upon seeing the cold, emotionless face of her opponent, she became filled with fury. Fury that made her sloppy as Marjolaine angrily lunged at Leliana.

Leliana, in response, calmly twirled around her opponent like a dancer and slashed at the tendon of her dominant leg. Causing Marjolaine to kneel on the ground.

In desperation, Marjolaine attempted to reverse grip her remaining blade and back stab Leliana in the leg. But it was quickly stopped when stabbed one of her daggers into the offending arm. The pain of which caused Marjolaine's last blade to be dropped.

Her opponent, now defeated, looked down at the floor in defeat. As Leliana stood behind her, poised to finish her off.

"he he he," Marjolaine tiredly and cruelly laughed out. Completely unaware of a second figure coming to stand behind her. "I knew you would kill me one day, Leliana. I knew it when I first realized your potential and decided to mold you into my image. Just remember this, little bird," she said as she turned her head to look up at Leliana but unable to see the second figure at that angle. "You would be nothing without me." She finished and returned her head to as it was before.

"That may be true, Marjolaine, I would most likely be nothing without you. But you have always neglected one thing…" Leliana said as she kneeled down to speak softly in her ear. "I am not you." She stood up, with sad tears now filling her eyes, and went over to Michael, who had dropped his personal barrier, and cried into his shoulder. Being unable to look at what she knew was about to occur.

Annette, who was watching this interaction while maintaining her barriers, gave a silent nod in the direction of Marjolaine.

Sten, who was standing at the ready, saw the silent command and swung his axe at the treacherous bard. Something he would normally be more resistant to considering who the command came from, but he has a certain dislike for traitors and those who would throw away comrades so callously. Removing her head in a single swing.

After this was done, Annette and Michael, who was still holding Leliana, dropped their barriers. Allowing the Qunari mercenaries, who had since stopped trying to barge in, to finally walk into the room and stare down at their now dead employer. But made no move to eliminate her killers.

Annette, who was still at the ready alongside most of her party, called out to them. "Marjolaine is dead. Whatever contract you had with her is now meaningless. You can ransack this place if you want but make a move against us and you will share her fate."

Sten hefted his axe for emphasis to this statement.

The now jobless mercenaries glanced among themselves and came to a silent understanding. They then turned around and reentered the rooms they came out of. The sound of rummaging items followed not long after.

Michael, deciding that this was enough, led Leliana out of the building. Her eyes still teary and obscured the entire time. Alistair followed after to help keep an eye out for enemies.

Annette, on the other hand, pulled out a burlap sack from her side and approached the dismembered head. She collected it, a necklace that Marjolaine was wearing, some sort of seal hanging onto the corpse's waist, and the fallen stiletto daggers. All of which would be turned over to the Crows as proof that the job was done.

Annette then placed all of the gathered items under her arm and walked out of the building after the others. Followed close behind by the guarding Sten, who stayed to keep an eye on the Tal'Vashoth.

-Scene-

Sorry for the long wait guys. I have been juggling a couple things, and this was sort of put on the back burner, but hey. I think this is my longest chapter yet. So, kudos to that and what not.

Now, before anyone says anything about the pricing, or the shear lack of action sequences, I know it may not be largely accurate to in game lore. But I was in a bit of a bind to actually come up with stuff to help fill the whole Denerim events. Without all of the bandit hunting side quests from the guards, there isn't actually a lot of action events in the city until near the end of the game. So, spiking the prices for a lot of the stuff just makes sense.

Especially since all of these events are happening during a Blight and what is technically a military occupation of the city.

Now onto other matters…

For anyone who hasn't played Veilguard and doesn't want spoilers. Please, either leave this story or continue on to the next chapter should it have been posted at the time of this reading.

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Ok, first things first. As a stand-alone game, it's not half bad in my opinion.

The helmet selection is a bit wonky with the hat-based helms all having a coif or something underneath, and that several different helmets all share the same name but look completely different. Not to mention that most of them, and the armors as well, can only be described as garish or creepy with their pre-set color schemes. Honestly, I would have preferred a color selection function like in either DA Inquisition or Star Wars: Jedi Survivor rather than having to either randomly find or purchase other appearances. I mean, I spend more coin in game getting alt-appearances rather than gear it looks that bad.

The main story is bit on the shorter side, but besides that, my only other real issue with the game directly is that it takes too long to gather all possible companions. However, this is my opinion from an unconnected perspective to the franchise. Because, as a Dragon Age game. It. FUCKING. SUCKS!

1. First of all, there are several issues with either the timeline as introduced in the game or retconning certain events. Timeline wise, the Lords of Fortune just don't make sense. Taash goes on about them taking in her and her mother when she was young doesn't make sense because, if you end up doing the math, the Lords would only be around ten years old minimum.

I base this on the fact that during the three years between DA2 and Inquisition Isabella is only described as commanding several ships and she becomes a potential companion in the DA Inquisition: Dragonslayer DLC. So even if Isabella and her fellow pirates form the Lords, as stated in game, between the ending of the maingame of Inquisition and the Tresspasser DLC, it would still mean that the Lords are less than thirteen years old by Veilguard. Which means that unless Taash is a lot younger than she looks, her description of events don't make sense.

Then there is the retcon they did with Flemeth's death. I have seen the ending of Inquisition enough times to know that the old witch was in no way resistant to Solas taking her power. She literally just stood there as he took it while he was in his weakened form. There was no way the Dreadwolf could have drained a mage as powerful as her unless she allowed it in his state.

I know some may say that is just how he felt about the situation and chooses to remember, but there is one major flaw with that. Morrigan, who is the NEW vessel for Mythal, pretty much confirms these altered events. Which makes that argument void.

2. My second big issue with Veilguard is that none of the previous games events matter.

I know for most franchises this is pretty much how it is done, but Dragon Age has always set things up so choices and events in previous games affect not just the playthroughs ending, but also the world scape of the next game. I mean, look at Inquisition. You have an entire website set up to help shape the world scape to players liking in as precise a way as possible. A website that was clearly set up to allow a similar level of interaction for the next game in the franchise YEARS AGO, and they just due away with it to craft a slightly modifiable Inquisitor. Scratch that, it's still there. Perfectly set up to sink with the Veilguard story line with some minor coding modifications.

As for those of you who would say that none of the past events really affect Veilguard's events or characters, think again. First, you have Morrigan. If she had Kieran, I could see her being the more mellow version she is in game. But he isn't even mentioned in passing. So how does the dark and somewhat snobbish Witch of the Wilds turn into the relatively friendly woman in game when she is fused with the even more snobbish spirit of Flemeth/Mythal. Second, there is the issue with Hawke, or rather his potential romance with Isabella. Heck, Hawke isn't even mentioned in Veilguard except for the promo armor skin. Then there is Zevran, a man not seen since DA2. This game would have been an excellent point to reintroduce him with the heavy Crow story line.

3. As for my third headache with the game. It's the frankly unneeded and unwanted design choices and/or redesigns.

Let's begin this rant with the shortest complaint, Nevarra. I know that Cassandra described gave some hints about Nevarra, and I can understand a certain level of creepiness. But did they have to design everything like a zombie themed costume party.

Next, you have the Tevinter Imperium. I do not mean the Venatorri. Their redesigns actually make sense considering the styles of the Tevinter people themselves actually fit what was introduced in Inquisition, and I can see them using red lyrium weapons. No, my issue is that for a formally dragon worshipping society, they use a lot of snakes. I mean seriously. There are more snake carvings, statues, and stylizing on everything (armor and weapons included) than there are dragons. Who I believe are only depicted in a handful of statues.

The Dalish, or just the elves in general I guess, are an especially big disappointment. There is no way to describe the Dalish outfits or color schemes as anything short of garish. I came into the game with expectation of earthy, more naturalistic designs. With greens, browns, and a touch of silver into the mix. What we got was a bright orangish tan color palette with a huge helping of golden bronze.

I know the Viel Jumpers are a mixed group and that they focus on ancient Elvenan creations, but you would expect a humbler design considering they are primarily Dalish. The ancient elves, I fully expect their armor designs to be ostentatious. That was established in Inquisition.

As for a redesign that came out of nowhere, what did they do to the demons. I know that demons and spirits can take different forms, but to redesign all of them without an explanation and treat it as normal is madness. They turned the pride demons from purple skinned titans to floating plant like specters. The rage demons went from living lava to something more akin to a gargoyle. Shades went from dementor like creatures to looking more like an old-fashioned cartoon ghost. I just have to ask the creators one thing on this matter. WHY!?

The only demon in game that I can't complain about is the despair demons. They actually received an upgrade from Inquisition, in my opinion.

My biggest redesign issue, however, is focused almost entirely on the Qunari. I could care less about how the race in general looks for the most part. No, my issue is that they went from the organized and sophisticated designs of DA2 and/or the Tresspasser DLC to the crude barbarian style of Veilguard. Any of the past Qunari armors and weapons showed a clear level of sophistication. But you just need to look at their heavy shield wielding variants to see what I mean. It is nothing more than a bunch of different metal plates tied loosely together by red rope. Then there is the fact that the game introduces 'adaar's' instead of a proper spear thrower. (In fact, I don't think there are enemy archers throughout the game either.) Or you have the axe wielders who literally walk around shirtless during a time of war. I know Iron Bull mentioned not wearing full armor was a Qunari thing, but he also said that if they did it was bed news. I would consider essentially being a heretic of your own culture as bad news.

As for the other factions or groups in game. I don't really have much to say on their redesigns. The Crows were long since due for an update, since their last on screen appearance had them looking like regular bandits. (I just wish Antiva had a proper heavy armor skin to fit with the Parade Helm.) The Wardens largely stayed true to their designs with the exception of a bit of extra blue. The Lords honestly scream treasure hunters and/or rich as sin sea farers. (I would only like more housing theme options than what was provided.)

And before anyone mentions the Darkspawn, I do not consider any but the ghouls as redesigns. Because I don't consider any of them actual Darkspawn. The so-called hurlocks and ogres are nothing more than ghouls on steroids. That's all any of the Veilguard Darkspawn even are. Poor saps that get blighted and mutated into those half living abominations. Just look at Davrin's carving of him killing an ogre if you don't believe me. It looks like any of the previous DA games ogres.

Heck, there isn't even a mention of genlocks or shriekers through the game. What happened to them and the real hurlocks and ogres. Did they attack the south, or were they stuck in the deep roads for some reason.

4. The next headache I have is correlated to the companions. Individually, I have no true issue with the companions themselves to much. Just some little things like the two elves on the team, who are both Dalish in origin, who lack any type of accent or word uses that they clearly are supposed to have grown up with.

The first thing that I, and anyone who has played the game will have noticed, is that the player can only interact with the companions at base when bubbles pop up over their identification icon on the mini map. This prevents the deeper conversations that are present in past DA games, which in turn prevents a proper in-depth experience.

Then there is the issue with equipment. I mean, it is an improvement when compared to DA2 were (short of weapons and accessories) the companions had almost no change in their outfits, but it is still limited. On top of that, several of the companion's 'Hero' outfits don't really fit with the decisions that lead to those outfits or they are just not as grand as one would expect with the themes the armor in the game seems to gravitate towards.

Take Davrin for instance. His Warden outfit primarily consist of cloth, leather, and minimal armor. (Something that would either be reserved for a tactician's role or being out in the wild.) Were as, his armor for releasing the griffons to the wild is an off-color version of Champions Briliant Regalia armor. Then Neve's 'Inspiration' armor is almost humble in its design and just doesn't fit with her sense of flare. (Especially when compared to her first outfit.) Harding's 'Wrath' armor is almost dull in its design. Bellara's armor from keeping the Archive looks more like a body suit from a sci-fi movie. (Alogside most of her weapons for that matter.) But Taash, neither of her 'Hero' armors fit her choices or personality. Her 'Rivani' armor is nothing more than a slightly modified version of the Modest Brooch outfit, (Which is more fit for a stripper than a warrior.) and her 'Qun' armor is better fit for the lords of fortune. (For crying out loud, her first set of armor was more Qunari than that is.) All together, the only two whose 'Hero' outfits I can't complain about are Emmerich and Lucanis.

However, my biggest issue with the companions in Veilguard is that they are practically useless in combat. They all only have five (Just FIVE!) moves that can be chosen and upgraded. They do minimal damage by themselves. The only real use they have is in combo moves. Something that just doesn't belong in a DA game.

5. Which in turn brings us to the next subject, the playstyle and skill selection in the game.

One does not alter a playstyle in a firmly established franchise like DA. Assins Creed went from being a more stealth oriented game to a general combat mechanic and look were that landed them. They are only now starting to make their way back, it seems, with Shadows. So, what were the developers thinking with this massive fucking curve ball they threw at us with this gameplay.

They went from a system where one collected all potential gear and lead a party of four in proper combat where they actually contribute. In Veilguard, the gear is minimized, the party is now down to three, and your character is doing all of the heavy lifting in a format where what should have been two playstyles are condensed into one. (I can understand a rouge carrying a short bow alongside daggers [or a dagger at least]. I can understand creating a close-range mage style fighter. What I can not understand is how a sword and shield wielding warrior can go from that to swinging a great axe at the drop of a hat.) The companions no longer properly contribute in a fight (They can't even use the few moves they can be assigned without a direct command.) and act more like support drones than anything.

On top of that massive pile of burning dragon crap, there is the skill selection. I don't mind that they altered the mana/stamina functions in the game, but what they did with the skill trees between the three playstyles should be labeled as a crime. (It is even worse than Inquisition. At least in that game, outside of the mage class that is, their were still proper support skills that can be selected.) In Veilguard, all of the skills are flamboyant and over the top. Even the simple moves early into the game are showier than they needed to be and most seem to be mystic in nature. Even the warrior class uses fire and poison in its move sets. The whole thing just doesn't make sense when compared to previous games.

6. Finally, you have the story of the game, and I to say. WHAT KIND OF NUG HUMPING, BRONTO GARGALING, PISS DRINKING, SON OF A OGRE'S WHORE CAME UP WITH THIS FRESH PILE OF DEMON CRAP!

We waited NINE fucking years for a game where we would face off against Solas, but he gets pushed to the side in the first mission. It's not even just the main quest that is alone in this.

Taash, for example, her quest are short and underwhelming in its development. The final boss happens to be a dragon, specifically one that is week to FIRE for crying out loud, and you don't even get to fight the Dragon King. Who just so happens to be revealed to be an Adaar'ri in that same mission. Would it have killed them to have given the surprise reveal of him being Taash's father or something.

Harding's quest is also short, but it was at least written better. My main issue with it is that it introduces Valta, who for some reason becomes a statue that is revered in Kal-Sharok and doesn't give any kind of explanation. We last saw her in The Descent DLC and they just threw her in so damn randomly.

But the main quest, now those are especially bad.

Why? Just WHY did the developers lead everyone to believe that the game was going to center around Solas for so long and do this. (It was called Project Dreadwolf for the longest time for fucks sake.) I wouldn't have minded this half as bad if they did something like in Inquisition or Origins, where the hero goes through some development before getting thrown a curve ball that sets up the tone for the rest of the story.

But NOOOOOO, they toss Solas to the side and introduce Ghilan'nain and Elgar'Nan as the big bads of the game. They would have fit well in a DLC, but there doesn't seem to be any kind of DLC's for this game to help expand its lore.

In fact, their connection to the Old Gods doesn't even make sense should you think about it. Dumat is supposed to be the strongest of the Old Gods, but Elgar'Nan is supposed to be the strongest of the Evanuris. So why If I was in charge of writing these sort of things, I would have made Veilguard about hunting and stopping Solas. Then create a DLC where you would have to stop some unknown third party or something from letting the Evanuris out but two manage to escape, (Not the two previously mentioned.) and then they try to release the others as the premise of the next game.

A better pare up for the Old Gods and Evanuris would be Elgar'nan and Dumat, Toth for Sylaise, Dirthamen for Razikale, Zazikel for Andruil, Falon'Din for Andoral, Ghilan'nain for Urthemiel, and Lusacan would be left with June. (Ok, that last one is the odd man out, but the others fit pretty well if you read what each one is supposed to be the gods of.)

Now, we are stuck with an easy scavenger hunt in the game to find a 'secret' ending that simply reveals a previously unknown force has been manipulating the events of every DA game as a lead up to the next one. (Which is likely the last of the franchise at this rate.) Which, in my personal opinion, is nothing short of a slap to the face to any proper Dragon Age fan and all previously established plot and lore.

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Sorry about this long rant. But ever since I actually played Veilguard I have been wanting to do this sort of rant, but I don't know anyone who would actually understand what I was talking about. So, if you have any sort of input (preferably not overly critical) on my opinions and/or observations about the game, please reply.