Isabella woke the next morning to an achy back and sore limbs. The dose of poison she had taken at least gave her the ability to fall asleep, but it seemed that the numbness had worn off during the night. She groaned as she tried to stand up, the initial pain from the fall gone from the day before. She was at least thankful for that.
She walked over to the mirror and pulled up her tunic to see her back covered in black and blue splotches. Grimacing, she pulled down her shirt, realizing that she would be extra careful so no one touched her back. The Wardens didn't seem to be a very touch forward group, so she could at least count on that.
Once she gingerly put on her leathers, Isabella left her small cottage and walked as normally as she could down to the dining hall. Her steps still felt stiff and awkward, but she hoped that the others wouldn't notice.
She opened the door to the hall, seeing Lucanis by the coffee maker as she could smell breakfast cooking. Isabella let the door close behind her before letting herself limp over to the table. Lucanis already knew what shape she was in, and he already insisted she see a healer. There wasn't any reason to hide the extent of her injuries from him.
"Rook," he said rather loudly as if she were a ghost rather than a person. "What are you doing here? I would've brought you breakfast."
"I needed to stretch my legs," she answered with a smile, leaning against the table. Lucanis walked over to her, looking over her body to see if there were any external signs she was in pain. "I can't expect you to wait on me hand and foot all the time."
"You can when you have a hard time walking. What if you had tripped and fallen off the edge?" he worried, sitting next to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, mindful of her bruises.
"I was fine, and I wanted to make sure I didn't miss your coffee," Isabella answered, covering his hand with hers. "Besides, I'll need to get my legs under me if I'm going to make it to Lavendel."
"Hasn't Bellara figured out how to get the eluvian shortcut to work?" Lucanis wondered as Isabella shrugged.
"I think she's still working on it. To be fair, I haven't seen her in a few days," she sighed, lying her head on her forearm. "Did Neve ever come back? Or is she still in Minrathous on her mysterious job?"
"Mysterious job?" he asked carefully.
"She says it's an important case she's working, but she won't give me any details. She said it entails blood magic, so she has to be careful of who she talks to about it. I thought since I'm not a mage it would be fine, but alas, she's secretive about it. I was looking forward to hearing about her time in Minrathous when she got back, though," Isabella replied, staring up at him. Lucanis thinned his lips before nodding.
"She came in last night when I was making dinner. I would've mentioned it sooner if I knew you were waiting for her."
"Oh, so she's at the lighthouse? That's good. Maybe she'll come to breakfast before she heads out with Bellara. Also wanted to know what was going on in Arlathan these days. I feel like I've been pulled every which way, but still missing half of the information."
"Do you want them to write reports for you?"
"Gods, absolutely not. I've seen how many reports Viago has to go through in a day, and I'm good. I already get enough messages from the Caretaker as it is. I'm fine with a quick debrief in passing and calling it good. I just want to know what's going on," Isabella answered as Lucanis chuckled.
"So you don't want to become a Talon one day?" he wondered with a hum.
"Never really thought about it, really. I just assumed that Viago would always be the Fifth Talon, and the one in charge of me. I don't really think I'm cut out for Talon-hood anyway. I tend to have a less than professional stance on most assignments we do."
"You can be professional when you need to be. I've seen you when you work."
"Yes, but that's when we're out in the field, and I need to take things seriously. I'm not that way around the lighthouse. At least, I don't think I am," she replied before staring at him. "If I find out I've been a broody mess like Viago this whole time, I'll riot."
"You have nothing to worry on that front, I promise," he smiled before standing up.
Isabella relaxed as she watched him walk back over to the stove and finish breakfast. It was an easy spread of eggs and toast with a side of bacon and diced potatoes. He even went back and served her a cup of coffee as she sat up a little, making sure her back never touched the chair. She inhaled, enjoying the smell of the food as he laid it out, and she hoped the rest of their companions would join them soon.
"Hey there, Rook," Neve greeted as she walked in while Isabella had her fork in her mouth. "I heard you took quite a tumble yesterday."
"Neve!" Isabella grinned once she swallowed, shifting in her seat to face her. "It's good to see you. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages. And did Lucanis tell you?"
"I bumped in Emmrich, too. Fifteen feet onto a table. Not very Crowlike," she teased as she sat next to the Crow. Isabella groaned and frowned.
"Not you, too. I've already been lectured by the professoreand our resident assassin."
"Then you don't need to hear it from me," Neve replied as Lucanis handed her a plate full of food. "How's everything else been?"
"Productive, I would say. We found ourselves a dragon expert as well. Taash is their name when you bump into them. You've met Emmrich, our Fade expert. We thought it might be a good idea to have someone on the team know what's going on around us since we live here," Isabella replied before she shrugged. "Otherwise, it's been running around, helping where we can. Davrin, Lucanis, and I are headed to Lavendel today to check in with Antione and Evka. They sent a message a few days about changes in the blight that they wanted to go over with us. It could lead us to a weakness we can exploit."
"Well, you have been busy," the detective grinned with a nod. "I hope Lavendel goes well. I'm going with Bellara to Arlathan to help with some of the artifacts there. The Veil Jumpers have uncovered some strange ones, and they want help finding if there are any clues tying them together."
"I perfect job for our detective."
"I should hope so. It'll be nice to be somewhere new for a while, at least. How's Harding holding up?"
"She's still working on her stone magic. You might see her in Arlathan. She usually goes there to train most days. It's far enough away from civilization where she doesn't have to worry about tearing down someone's home," Isabella informed as she smiled. "I think she's coming along well, though. I think she's about ready to use her skills in the field again, once she's comfortable."
"Then I look forward to seeing her progress," Neve replied as they fell into a pleasant conversation. Isabella relaxed as she listened to Neve's adventures and mishaps while she was away in Minrathous.
Lucanis waited in the eluvian room while Rook retrieved Davrin. He offered to get the Warden, but she insisted on going. So, he waited patiently for the other two to arrive. He hoped he would be able to work well with Davrin, at least on this mission. Rook generally made the team more cohesive, and this would be his first time working without her by his side. Spite complained about the idea, but he ignored the demon. Rook was on the mend as she was able to walk better after breakfast, even if it was slightly. She would be able to handle the next adventure without any problems, he was sure.
Eventually, the doors to the room opened and a griffon bounded in first. Assan squawked and cawed as it bounced around, looking behind him for the other two. Lucanis tensed as he saw Davrin helping Rook through the door. She leaned on him as they talked, and he clenched his jaw. She assured him that she was fine walking on her own, so why was the Warden helping her with one hand holding hers with his other on her waist? The worst part was that Davrin didn't even recognize that he was there, focusing solely on whatever Rook was saying.
"Ready to go, Luca?" Rook asked, leaning away from Davrin as the Warden kept a hand on her waist. He gave her a look of concern, as if she were going to lose her balance. Lucanis swallowed down his anger, insulted on her behalf. She was a Crow. Her balance might be slightly off right now, but it was still damn better than any Warden's on any day.
"Of course, ready when you are," Lucanis answered as calmly as he could. Rook smiled as she stepped away from Davrin and walked through the eluvian. Davrin whistled to Assan while Lucanis followed after her before Davrin could get his hands on her again.
Lucanis watched Rook out of the corner of his eye, seeing that she was walking fairly normal with a slight favor to her right side. He exhaled, wondering if it would be too forward to offer his own arm to help. Davrin had already offered his help, and he didn't want to come off trying to copy the Warden. However, he also didn't want the Warden to offer his help a second time.
Through sheer dumb luck, Assan ran past Rook, clipping her hip just enough to knock her off balance. Lucanis saw her fall and he reached out, grabbing her arm and waist, remembering to be mindful of her back. Rook sighed in relief before she turned to him.
"Good catch," she smiled as he helped right her. Davrin offered a quick apology as he ran after the griffon. Rook chuckled as the Warden chased the animal around the small island. Lucanis went to remove his arms, but Rook held onto his hand almost absent mindedly. He froze, holding her. Maybe she needed extra help after all until they reached Lavendel.
Lucanis helped Rook balance herself all the way to and through the Anderfels eluvian, which had been moved to the Warden outpost in Lavendel. Davrin led the way with Assan at his side, giving them a bit of a barrier in case the First Warden happened to be there. Evka and Antione assured them that the leader of the Wardens rarely showed up for an inspection, and they would've been warned before he would arrive.
Rook leaned on Lucanis, doing her best to walk as normally as she could. He could tell she was feeling better than the day before, the walk from eluvian to eluvian was long and did no favors. He hoped that a healer in Lavendel would be able to help her. As they caught up to Davrin, he was already speaking to the two Wardens they were here to see.
"Ah, Rook, there you are," Antione greeted before his face dropped. "What happened?"
"I fell onto a table from a ledge. I'll be okay, just a little sore. We heard that you found some discrepancies in the blight?" Rook wondered as she glanced between Antione and Evka.
"We think so, but we need to do more research to make sure. We know that the blight is different than it has been before, but we need to know how it's different. The Wardens around here can feel the difference as well, which is concerning," Evka answered with a sigh.
"You need more samples," Rook surmised with a grimace.
"We need more samples," Evka confirmed, leaning on her hammer. "But I don't think you are in any shape to go out where the darkspawn are roaming around."
"Unfortunately, I agree with you, but I'm only here to get information and to see a healer. Davrin and Lucanis could probably help though," Rook offered, glancing at the both of them. Lucanis clenched his jaw before he nodded, glancing at his Warden teammate. Davrin seemed indifferent to working with the Crow.
"We would appreciate it if you could. Flynn is a local physician, and I think they should be able to help you out. They're working in the center of town helping with the injured Wardens. I'm sure they'll have a moment or two to look you over," Evka suggested as Antione nodded.
"And your friends can collect the samples. I'll need a good array of them, not just from one area. We need to be thorough," Antione added. Lucanis inhaled, choosing not to say anything. He knew that this mission would most likely just be him and Davrin, but he didn't realize they both would have to wander the area looking for blight samples. He just hoped that Davrin knew what Antoine needed.
"We'll get your samples," Davrin replied as Lucanis nodded.
"I'll go see Flynn in Lavendel while you two work," Rook reassured as she looked up at him.
"We'll find them before we leave," Lucanis corrected before bowing his head to the two Wardens. Antione smiled, glancing at Davrin.
"You won't have to go far for what we need, I promise," he reassured, handing Davrin a few empty bottles.
"Good luck," Evka added. Lucanis nodded once before helping Rook out of the outpost and down to the town.
Lavendel was a small town, if it could be called that. It consisted of a few houses with a singular road that branched out in a few different directions. You could see the whole town from the town square. Among the townspeople, there were also a few Wardens wandering about, probably working to keep the blight at bay. Lucanis kept his eye out for any sign of a medical symbol when he found another Warden tent.
"Is there a Flynn around here?" Rook called out as they grew closer.
"That'd be me," a young person replied, turning towards them. Rook relaxed as the healer glanced between her and Lucanis. "How can I help?"
"I took a tumble, and I just need some help with my back," Rook answered before Lucanis cleared his throat. "I also might have had a concussion a few weeks ago, so we're wondering if I'm okay from that as well."
"Oh, well, sounds like you've had an exciting time. Let's see what we can do," Flynn offered, guiding them to a bench nearby.
Rook sat down carefully as Flynn helped take off her jacket and tunic to look at her back. She leaned forward, letting them examine what they needed to. Flynn did their best to be gentle as they checked for injuries beyond the bruises, causing her to flinch when they pressed too hard. The healer sighed, shaking their head.
"Well, nothing's broken or still bleeding, so that's a good sign. The bruising isn't great, but I can already tell it's starting to heal," Flynn offered as Rook nodded. She would likely just have to deal with a sore back for the next few days. "As for your head injury, why don't you tell me a little bit about it."
Rook went over a brief version of events, focusing on the how rather than the why. She pointed out where she was hit and where she bled from. Then she explained how her vision was fuzzy, and her consciousness was going in and out. Flynn furrowed their brows, concerned by the explanation before continuing the examination. Lucanis watched over Rook, almost worried that she would pass out or something if he took his eyes off her for a moment. Luckily, Davrin was getting some information about the layout of the area before they went exploring.
"From what I can see, it looks like you'll be alright. There's no sustained damage that I can see, and it looks like the head wound healed up nicely as well. However, I would say you were extremely lucky this time. If there is a next time, you need to seek help as soon as possible after the event," Flynn instructed before folding their arms. Rook shrugged back on her tunic and jacket while she listened. "I think the stiffness should go away in a day or two, but you should be able to walk on your own again by tomorrow."
"That's something," Rook grinned.
"For now, you're welcome to stay here. I heard your companion talking about searching the area, which I don't think is safe for you," Flynn continued, staring at Rook. She grimaced but agreed.
"Unfortunately, I think you're right. I'll stay in Lavendel while the others do what we came for," Rook reassured before turning to Lucanis. "You and Davrin grab the samples, and I'll be here when you're ready to leave."
"If you're sure," Lucanis replied hesitantly as she nodded.
"If anything happens, Flynn will get me to safety," she reminded as the healer confirmed her sentiment. The Crow sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Alright, we'll be quick so we can get back," he answered. Rook squeezed his hand reassuringly before Flynn helped her to a different seat within the camp.
Lucanis wandered away, searching for the Warden and his griffon. He glanced back once or twice to check on Rook, who was watching Flynn work with the other wardens and townspeople. Forcing himself to relax, he tried to remember that she was in the middle of a camp full of warriors that wouldn't let the darkspawn through. Plus, Antione and Evka seemed to like her, so they would at least buy them time in case the First Warden did show up.
Davrin was near the edge of the town with one of the bottles Antione had given him for the samples. Assan jumped passed Lucanis, running towards Rook and the healer's area. The Crow watched before giving Davrin a curious look.
"Assan isn't quite ready to go hunting in the wetlands. I think Rook needs his company more, anyway," Davrin informed with a shrug. Lucanis looked back, seeing Rook's face light up at the sight of the joyful griffon excited to see her.
Lucanis followed the Warden deeper into the wilderness, following the tendrils and boils in the blight for the highest concentrated parts. Davrin informed him that this would make the best samples, and Lucanis took his word for it. As long as he didn't have to touch the filth, then he was happy. The Crow monitored the area, keeping his eyes open for any darkspawn or other enemies lurking in the area.
"Lucanis," Davrin mentioned, his tone careful and slow. The Crow grimaced, knowing he wasn't going to like whatever the Warden said next.
"Yes?"
"You know if Spite takes over, I'll have to kill you, right?"
Lucanis turned and stared at the Warden, doing his best not to laugh. The best he could do was offer a smirk at the idea of this Warden getting the upper hand on him. He hummed and nodded as Davrin watched him.
"Good, but you should know. Everyone who ever tried to kill me is dead," the Crow warned light heartedly. Davrin scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"Taash has my back. You can't take both of us," the Warden countered. Lucanis frowned, not realizing that the Qunari had taken the Warden's side. That didn't bode well, but still, he shrugged.
"I once took out half a dozen Venatori in an elevator. I think I'll take my chances," Lucanis answered, walking away from the Warden. Spite snickered in the back of his mind, clearly enjoying the violent banter between the two men. It wasn't the first time that Lucanis had been threatened by a teammate, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.
Davrin reluctantly followed as they gathered the last samples in silence. Lucanis continued to watch their backs, keeping an extra eye on the Warden in case he tried anything. It was exhausting keeping track of a potential backstabbing as well as watching out for an ambush. Maker, he wished Rook was there. At least she could defuse the tension or at least tell the Warden to relax.
They made their way back to Lavendel without much hassle, finding Flynn's camp empty on their return. The healer was damn lucky they were smart enough to leave a note before the Crow tore the town apart to look for her. Flynn had moved Rook back up to Evka and Antione with Assan per the Wardens' orders. It seemed that the First Warden had decided to show his face, and they were going to try to get them both through the eluvian before something happened.
Lucanis and Davrin sprinted up to the top of the Warden outpost and towards where the two Wardens were stationed. They found Rook being guarded by Assan as Evka and Antione argued with the First Warden. Luckily, the First Warden had come alone to do whatever he was up to, so he didn't have any wardens available to make an arrest.
"Rook is telling the truth!" Evka urged as Rook hid behind Assan as best she could. Antione stood in front of the griffon for an extra measure as his wife argued with their boss.
"She's spouting nonsense, and you both need to stop believing everything you hear," the First Warden shouted, clearly at his wits' end.
"But-" Antione began.
"Are you not sworn to protect Thedas against the blight?" The First Warden demanded. Evka and Antione affirmed that they had sworn. "Then you will report to Weisshaupt as soon as possible, and you will stop listening to this deranged girl and her half-baked ideas."
The First Warden didn't leave any room for arguments as he turned on his heel and left, hardly paying any attention to either Davrin or Lucanis. Rook relaxed against Assan's fur as the two Wardens turned to the new arrivals.
"Samples?" Davrin offered, handing Antione the bottles.
"This should help prove him wrong," Antione replied with a chuckle, moving the contained blight to the research table behind them.
"You four should get going. I doubt that the First Warden will come back with someone to arrest you, but I know the arrest is still active," Evka mentioned as Rook nodded.
"Agreed, I'm ready to go. I hope you two find something," Rook replied as she let Assan guide her over to her companions.
"If we do find anything, you will be the first to know," Antione promised as he started his research. Evka rolled her eyes with a smile.
"Whatever we find, you'll know about. Now get going," she urged. Rook nodded before rushing towards the eluvian. Lucanis could still see that she was favoring one side, but it seemed that the stiffness in her gait was gone.