To my friends and colleagues:

Please see this note as my letter of resignation. I have left a separate note for Emmrich as I have placed him in charge of this outfit and of the contract. He is skilled in leadership and managerial positions. He will make an excellent replacement, I am sure.

It has been clear to me that I am not qualified to lead this outfit any longer due to my failures at Weisshaupt. I did not come to this decision lightly, as admitting failure is something I am not accustomed to. I am pleased to have brought this group together, and I will always cherish the time I have spent with you.

Emmrich will guide you to be the god killers I know you can be. Under him, he will help you work together as a team where I was unable to. Once this is all over, I invite you out for a celebratory dinner complete with the best wine I can find.

Until then, fight well, my friends.

Rook

Lucanis did his best not to crumple the note he found on the cottage door as he read it. He had come to talk to Rook and apologize about his behavior the night before, but it seemed that she had done something no one expected. She had resigned and left Emmrich in charge. He couldn't blame her for feeling guilty or upset with the outcome of Weisshaupt, but he never would have guessed that she would have done this.

He opened the door swiftly, hoping that she hadn't left yet. Instead, he found an empty cottage with bare furniture. She had left in the middle of the night, and Lucanis ran a hand through his hair when he realized that she was serious. Nothing of hers had been left behind and everything had been meticulously cleaned. The room had been essentially scrubbed of her presence as if she had never been there.

Where is. Rook?

I don't know, but I have an idea.

Lucanis tried to reassure as he felt Spite grow restless. He pocketed her note to keep it from the rest before he went to find Emmrich. Lucanis needed to make sure that he talked to Rook before any power transfer really happened. Rook couldn't just get up and leave, not now.

Luckily, Emmrich was still asleep with the note still on his door, so Lucanis grabbed it as well before leaving his own note. He explained that Rook had left in the night, and he was going to go find her. If he couldn't find her, he would come back within three days, and they would discuss the next steps. It wasn't ideal, but the gods were on the move. They couldn't spend all their time searching for Rook, as much as he wanted to.

Quickly, Lucanis made it through the Crossroads and the eluvians to Treviso, finding himself at the Cantori Diamond. He doubted that Rook would hang around so close to the eluvian, but he hoped that Viago or Teia would know where she was.

As he approached the two Talons, they both turned, looking a little surprised to see Lucanis nearly storming towards them. Teia gave him a soft smile, hoping to change his mood, when he stopped in front of them.

"Lucanis, it's good to see you," Teia informed as Viago dipped his head.

"Where is my Crow, Dellamorte?" Viago demanded, immediately realizing that Lucanis had come alone. "We heard about Weisshaupt, and how your team was there. Where is she?"

"I was hoping you would know that. Has Rook come through here?" Lucanis asked, doing his best not to sound too commanding. Viago narrowed his eyes as Teia stepped forward.

"No, she hasn't come here. Why? What happened?" Teia demanded before Lucanis handed her the resignation note. The two Talons read it over before Viago growled, shaking his head. "Oh, Maker…"

"What the hell did you say to her?" Viago demanded, turning his fury to Lucanis. Lucanis nearly took a step back, surprised at the Talon's outburst.

"We were all frustrated at the outcome at Weisshaupt, but none of us blamed her," Lucanis answered quickly, thinking about the conversation at the table. They all had been harsh with each other, but Rook had taken it hard. She was the one who led them to battle, and while he and Davrin were arguing, they had said some uncouth things that could've been seen as remarks on poor leadership skills.

"From the tone of this letter, I highly doubt it," Viago snapped, stepping away from them. "Have you noticed her make any other leadership errors during this contract?"

"She has had very clear judgment in every aspect. I think she wishes she could have helped Minrathous and Treviso more against the dragons, but she was relieved that it wasn't worse," Lucanis replied as Viago stared him down. "She has also been working tirelessly through each of our issues to make sure that we can remained focused on the gods."

"Then who said what to make her decide that she was failing as a leader?" Viago demanded, pointing at the letter. Lucanis sighed, not sure what the Talon wanted.

"Viago," Teia warned before the Fifth Talon shook his head.

"No, I have lent the strength of House de Riva for too long for it to be deemed a failure. I will talk with her and explain that de Rivas do not quit. However, I will not send her back if she is leading a failing team," Viago informed, grabbing the letter and shoving it at Lucanis.

"Failing team? Viago, I-" Lucanis went to argue, but Viago cut him off.

"I want you to count how many times she helped you and each team member. Count how many times she has supported and worked with each team member. Then I want you to compare that number to two. Because if she truly has failed against the dragons and Weisshaupt, then she has failed twice," the Talon informed as Lucanis shook his head.

"That is hardly fair to her, she can hardly fail against those odds by herself," Lucanis replied as Viago stared at him.

"Then count it against zero and tell your team to do the same. I will not send my Crow out to lead a team that does not appreciate the things that she has sacrificed for them. She should have come home after Varric's contract was complete, Dellamorte, but she decided to lead that damned team against the gods. Make sure it's a team worth leading," Viago growled before backing off.

"Where are you going?" Teia demanded as Viago looked over his shoulder.

"I will talk to my Crow and see if she will return to the fight. I guarantee nothing, but it would be disappointing to see a de Riva not complete a contract," Viago answered, leaving Teia with Lucanis.

Teia placed a hand on her hip as she watched Viago leave the Diamond. She had a guess where she would have ended up, but Viago probably knew better than she would. Lucanis cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the silence.

"I hope Viago can get through to Rook," Lucanis mentioned, trying to make conversation. Teia stared at him, confused that he was still using her codename. Surely after all this time, he would have figured it out by now.

"Why do you keep doing that? Has she done something to you?" Teia asked, her patience waning. Lucanis froze, unsure what he had done now.

"Doing what? I'm just standing here," he insisted as Teia rolled her eyes.

"She has a name, you know. A name you can use," Teia informed shortly.

"Yes, Rook has a name. It's Rook. She told me her name is Rook, so I use her name," Lucanis replied, his words coming out faster and more irritatedly than he expected. Teia paused, realizing the disconnect. Lucanis never asked for her real name, so she never gave her real turned it into a game of how long it would take for him to ask. However, Teia was going to spoil that game just a little.

"Oh Lucanis," Teia groaned as she shook her head. He frowned, not appreciating her tone. "Do you really think someone would name their baby Rook? In Antiva?"

"I don't know every name in the world," he countered defensively.

"Her name isn't Rook,pendejo. It's a nickname, one that was cruelly started by Viago when they were first introduced. Do you know what a rook is?"

"It's a chess piece. The one that goes in straight lines."

"Yes, but it has another meaning," Teia informed, pausing in case his mind pieced it together. It didn't. "A rook is a bird that looks like a crow but isn't. They act completely differently from a crow, and they look slightly different. Viago didn't want to train her when they first met, so he rudely called her a Rook. He was telling her that while she would look the part, she would never be a Crow. She picked up the nickname again during Varric's contract to irritate him and to give herself some anonymity when this was over."

Lucanis fell silent as Teia explained the nickname. A part of him felt incredibly stupid for thinking that was her given name and never questioning it. The rest of him felt like the biggest asshole in Antiva for calling her Rook in front of everyone, regardless of if they knew the nickname. He had even called her Rook in front of Illario. No wonder his cousin kept giving him disapproving looks.

"So that was why Viago was upset when I called her Rook when I came in," Lucanis replied as Teia smiled.

"Yes, you did a great job of setting his mood there," she laughed before shaking her head. "You might as well hang around. Viago will chase her out of her hiding place soon enough."

"What is her name?" Lucanis asked before Teia shook her head.

"Oh no, Lucanis. You have to ask her that yourself. That conversation is all you, my friend. To think, she even went to your grandmother's funeral, and you don't even know her real name," Teia tutted as Lucanis frowned. He was probably the only one in the casino that didn't know her real name. Teia smirked before nodding. "I know that look. Yes, even Caterina knew her real name. You need to step up your game, Lucanis."

"My game?" he wondered, sounding exasperated.

"I see those looks you give her when you come into the casino. You better figure her out before someone snatches her up."

"With Viago acting protective all the time? I'll be lucky if he doesn't take a contract out on me."

"He just likes to act all tough, like he's a protective older brother through and through."

"Right, she mentioned that they had that sort of relationship" Lucanis repeated.

"She loves to annoy him, and he would kill anyone who hurts her," she informed as he sighed. "He insists he doesn't play favorites, but he was the one who banished her in the first place instead of letting her receive punishment from the Talons."

"Ah, she did also mention that her banishment had led to this contract."

"I'm glad that she at least talks to you about some things. I get worried about her being isolated in the Fade. She tends to focus on others and never herself, which leads to problems like her resignation note. She won't ask for help, and she will make decisions that she believes will benefit everybody without asking for opinions."

"Maybe we should visit more often," Lucanis admitted as Teia frowned.

"If you can get her back to the Fade and back on the job, you better bring her back twice a week. Whether it be for coffee dates or grocery shopping, I do not care. I want to see her often if you can't watch out for her properly," Teia informed before cursing in Antivan. "Who else is she close with? She comes in with that other elven lady, and the Tevinter mage. I like them"

"Are you sure about that? She still wanted by the Antaam. Are you sure it's safe for frequent visits?" Lucanis wondered. Teia hummed knowingly.

"I'm sure. Come, tell me about your teammates while we wait. I need a break from talking about the Antaam and Treviso for a while," Teia insisted, guiding Lucanis towards the lounge area. He sighed, letting her herd him out of the room.

Isabella sat on the windowsill of her bedroom window in the de Riva estate, watching as the sun rose. She guessed that the others would be awake by now and either arguing or fighting between themselves. It was a relief in its own not to have to deal with the constant bickering between some of her former teammates. She could only play therapist for so long before it grew tiring.

That, and when they had all but blamed her for Weisshaupt, she decided that she was done. If she was that terrible of a leader and comrade, then she would remove herself from the equation. She never felt like she should've been the leader anyway. It just sort of happened that way. Varric had put all his faith in her, but she couldn't even get the team to work together. Davrin and Lucanis constantly fought, Taash and Emmrich never got along, and Neve was hardly ever around. Harding and Bellara were the only two that seemed to be cooperative.

Not to mention she had no idea where she stood with Lucanis anymore. He would be sweet and flirtatious with her and then pull back to be cordial and professional. A constant ebb and flow of uncertainty. She would try to flirt back only to be met with either plain responses or reciprocations. It was a gamble each time. Isabella didn't even know what it was. Either he couldn't decide if he was interested, he was so sleep deprived he couldn't think straight, or Spite was influencing something. It could also be something completely different that she had no idea about. Not that she really felt like she could talk to him about it.

Their dynamic was odd in the strange hierarchy of their lives. She was the client of his current contract, sure, but he was the Demon of Vyrantium. Outside of the contract, he was the next in line to be First Talon. Did she outrank him, or did he outrank her? Was it situational? Did it depend on the location?

Isabella groaned as she rubbed her temples, wishing she could get him out of her head. She had left the lighthouse to get away from all of it, including Lucanis and his confusing antics. She hadn't seen or talked to Viago about it, but she had hoped that he would make good on his empty promise to load her up with Antivan contracts that would keep her occupied for the next three years. Maybe then she could get away from it all and do what she did best.

"Pendeja!" a familiar voice called out before there was a knock at the door. Isabella froze, confused about how Viago knew that she was home. She hadn't even used the front door, and she had been very careful to make sure that no one saw her on the way to the estate. "I know you're in there, so you might as well unlock the door."

"I know you already unlocked the door,stronzo," Isabella sniped back, folding her arms. She turned to the door as Viago opened it. As usual, he wore a scowl as he entered her room, standing just inside the threshold. "I didn't realize you knew I was home."

"A little bird told me," he informed.

"Not sure who. I made sure no one saw me," she hissed, glancing outside. She had hoped that she had at least until midday before she made her appearance.

"A certain Dellamorte appeared at the Diamond with a concerning note," Viago continued as Isabella grimaced and glowered. Of course, it had to be Lucanis who had to come looking for her. "Do you really plan on abandoning this contract?"

"I was the one who extended it and hired out. I simply renegotiated and redistributed the clientele so the contract would not fail. I'm sure Dellamorte will finish the contract as discussed and expected," Isabella explained, looking out through the window again. Viago sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"What did Lucanis do?" Viago asked, his tone slightly gentler than she anticipated.

"He has done nothing wrong."

"Alright, what did he say?"

"It's more of what he hasn't said, but that is beside the point. Between him and the Warden, I have been deemed unfit to lead the outfit against the gods. It was supposed to end at Weisshaupt," Isabella informed, feeling her cheeks grow wet. She didn't even realize that she had started to cry. She wiped them away before staring at the sunrise. "Weisshaupt was awful, Viago. So many wardens died, and for what? For Ghilan'nain to live? For the blight to continue? Maybe if I had been a better leader, if I had given Lucanis a better plan or opening, maybe we could've-"

Isabella froze as she felt two arms encircle her shoulders, cutting her off. She felt Viago's head on her shoulder as her breath shuddered. In all of her life, she had never cried in front of anyone, let alone Viago, but she let go, silently sobbing as he leaned into her shoulder. Tears streaked down her face as she tilted her head back, resting her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes.

"None of this is your fault, Isa, and you did your best at Weisshaupt. Those deaths are not on your shoulders, and it is not because of your leadership that Lucanis missed or that the gods live. We can try our best and still fail, but what we do not do is give up," Viago whispered, holding still against her back. "You are a de Riva, Isabella, and a damned good Crow. Once you are feeling better, I want you to go back to your team and tell them to be better."

"I already resigned," she whispered before Viago turned her around to face him.

"Then it's good that Lucanis is good for one thing. He was the only one who saw the note and grabbed it before coming here to find you. He's the only one who knows you resigned," Viago explained as she inhaled shakily. "He's at the Diamond making a fool of himself, which I think is partly your doing."

"How is he making a fool of himself?" Isabella asked, tilting her head.

"Other than running in, demanding to seeRook? Is he hellbent on pissing me off, by the way?" Viago asked before she laughed halfheartedly.

"He never asked for my real name. I think he believes Rook is my real name," Isabella explained as Viago groaned.

"So, he's just a fool," he replied, shaking his head. "Maybe Teia is talking some sense into him."

"One can only hope," she shrugged before sighing. "I don't think I'm ready to talk to him yet, though."

"Ah, so he did say something."

"No, he didn't say anything. That's the problem, but I don't think you want to hear about it."

"And why not?"

"Because you'll get all weird about it."

"I don't get weird about things," Viago scoffed, leaning back. Isabella rolled her eyes.

"Fine, if you really want to know, and be warned I was going to talk to Teia about this first," she informed, taking a deep breath. "I thought Lucanis and I have been flirting for the past few weeks, but now I'm not so sure. He's hot and cold, like he can't make up his mind with me, and I don't know what to do about it. Then Weisshaupt happened, and he acted so coldly, but I felt like it was my fault it went so terribly wrong."

"You think he blames you for Weisshaupt?" Viago asked darkly. Isabella stared at him before giving him a barely perceptible shrug. "Why do you think that?"

"He asked for another shot after he missed, and I told him no. Ghilan'nain was massing too much blight, we barely made it back," Isabella added, shaking her head. "Maybe there could have been an opening."

"What entitles 'getting weird about it'?" Viago wondered, cutting her off. Isabella groaned.

"Please don't try to poison him again. I still think he's the only one we have that can kill a god," she reminded as Viago frowned.

"Then we will see if he can clean up his act before he kills the gods," Viago sighed, taking a step back. "I will head back to the Diamond. You are welcome to stay as long as you like, but you are finishing this contract. You would regret it if you just walked away."

"I hate that you're right," Isabella sighed with a nod.

"I'll let Lucanis know you're alright and that you'll be back in a few days," Viago added before leaving, shutting the door behind him. Isabella stared at the door, feeling infinitely better than she had been in over a year.