Hazelnuts and plaid

[Varric]

Just a few seconds. Just a minute. Can't think, need to think. Need-- need this. Just a few minutes. Varric doesn't notice the handful of tears he sheds as he clings to his best friend, but Helene can't mistake the drops of water on ner neck for anything else.

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene holds him, as the trembling slowly stops, for a good ten long minutes. Finally, however, ne does pull back, wiping at nir own eyes as well. "We have to stop this," ne says quietly. "Who knows what the plan is now?"

[Varric]

"We need to locate her," he says hoarsely. "Aveline-- Aveline should be on that. Getting use of the Scry Sensor." Not wanting to have to wait an hour to locate someone on parole, house arrest or the like, the city has created what amounts to a non-divine lesser artifact that's tied to the city wards. Due to having a small shaving of each bracelet as foci, the Scry Sensor can pinpoint their location on the built-in illusionary map almost instantly, allow with a few other features. 

Nyra, as a city, is not known for stopping at just the basics.

"Need... Need to gear up for a capture. A place to hold her. Get some ritualists. Priests."

[Helene Dakesh]

"I will go to the temple and round up the resources I can find."

[Varric]

Varric nods, even as he's replying, "hells no." There's pause as the rest of him tries to puzzle out why the spymaster part of him had screamed so loudly as to be heard by Helene. "None of us alone." He shudders slightly. "Not even in places we think are safe, not unless they're here, Voice or my place. Not even Merrill's. Trust only Clan."

[Helene Dakesh]

"Then.... we shall go to the temple?" ne asks, hesitantly. 

[Varric]

Varric hesitates again. "Aveline and Isabela, plus girl-Andy. Just leaves us, plus Zevran." He glances at the wall in his direction, wincing. "I really don't want to leave him here alone but at the same time..." He rubs at his face. "Shite. Who else can we trust?" he mutters.

[Helene Dakesh]

"Nox and Lux," says Helene instantly.

[Varric]

"Right," Varric says with a slight wince. "And the woman with the little boy, uh, Ro..sa? Doubt she can fight any, but might be wise to get her here anyway. Or..." He bites his lip, then nods. "Feedback please; we get Zevran to Voice, put him in the care of the twins. From there, we head to your temple, get Avato and supplies. During that, we send word to the Oak, asking for Jassinth to get here as soon as absolutely possible. I'd ask for Maeve too but..." 

[Helene Dakesh]

"That sounds like a workable plan," agrees Helene. "But... we might wake him moving him."

[Varric]

"Not likely," Varric says confidently. "The sedative I used is pretty strict; without a counteragent, he's out for another three hours solid." At ner look, he adds, "high decibel, low pitch sounds. For instance, a mabari's baying. It's a half-cheat, as it's not technically, strictly, entirely alchemical, given that two of the ingredients are magical and retain that magic even after the brew."

[Helene Dakesh]

"Good," ne says, relieved. "Then that shall be the plan."

[Varric]

Varric hesitates, then asks almost timidly, "you... you and him are still good then?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"Zevran? Yes. We are... we are good."

[Varric]

"You don't have to--" Varric's mouth twists a little and he sighs. "I don't..." He snorts. "Of course I want to know, I want to know all sorts of things, most of them not really things I need to know. Or should know. Sorry."