Pride, Wolf and Rebellion

Pursuit

The Anchor seared. She gripped it, tried to soothe it, tried to will it to stop stinging, tried to will herself to pay attention.

"The Inquisition established armed presence in Fereldan," said Arl Teagan. "Caer Bronach was seized. Is there no limit to this organization's movements for power?"

"Our goal was to keep Fereldan safe," said Fen'Asha.

"Two years ago that aid was cherished," said Teagan. "But order has long since been restored and you remain. You claim to restore order, but to what end?"

Fen'Asha winced as the Anchor tore through again, pain coursing up her arm. She tried to smile when Josephine looked her way.

"Inquisitor," came a whisper. It was an agent of Leliana's with a request to meet the spymaster in private. Immediately.

"You have no retort?" said Teagan from his seat.

"I..." began Fen'Asha. "I must see to an important matter." She nodded to Divine Victoria, who raised her eyebrows.

"This is highly irregular," said Teagan. "It is my turn to..."

"Please, Arl Teagan," said Divine Victoria. "The proceedings will continue."

Fen'Asha shook out the Anchor as she moved, following the spy through the back door and down a hallway. The agent opened another door.

"Shit," said Fen'Asha when she saw Leliana standing over the body of a dead Qunari in full armour.

"I thought the same," said the spymaster. She crossed her arms.

"What...the hell is going on?" said Fen'Asha.

"We aren't sure," said Leliana. "But he is a warrior, part of the Antaam. Most of his wounds were inflicted by a mage. There are also the markings of a blade." She pointed to a segment of deep gashes in the Qunari's flesh.

"A single Qunari here," said Fen'Asha. "And now. Something's not right."

"To say the least," said Leliana. "I shall tell Cassa...the Divine that we require a recess to collect our affairs."

Fen'Asha nodded.

"In the meantime, I suggest you prepare the others," said Leliana. "And Inquisitor?"

Fen'Asha raised her eyebrows.

"It is good to see you," said Leliana, sweeping out of the room.

Fen'Asha examined the corpse, the great hulking lifeless body. The wounds from magic were precise, fatal. The knife wounds were sloppy, unprofessional, lazy. Blood spotted the floor and the Inquisitor's eyes widened when she realized there was a very purposeful trail from the carcass to the floor to the doorway.

"We're carrying on then," said Sera, arriving with her bow already set.

"Looks like it," said Fen'Asha.

"Shit," said Sera. "He's an ugly one, though. Too bad he's dead."

"Too bad," said Fen'Asha.

"Shit," said Iron Bull, rounding the corner with Dorian. "That's an Antaam warrior."

"What could he have been doing here, Bull?" asked Fen'Asha.

"Don't know," said the Qunari. "Could be any number of things. Antaam are warriors, but they're also involved with military intelligence, finding artifacts, that kind of shit. This is a Karasaad."

Fen'Asha led the group after the trail of blood, following it through the garden, past a broken window, into another room. At one end of the space stood an eluvian, shimmering, reflecting another world in glass. The blood pooled at its base.