Blood from Stone [AU]

[Tethras Clan]

Seli blinks. "Really? Cindy said... well, no. She said he was more yours than hers but... simply magical then?"

[Varric]

"I have some of his fur." Varric shrugs when Beth stares at him. "What? I like to be prepared and I'm married to the best scryer in Nyra. Of course I do." Varric has no issue with stating that fact.

[Marian Hawke]

"And I have his real name," says Liz, quietly. At Seli's startled glance, she shakes her head. "It's n-not my s-secret to tell, s-sorry, but... I can whisper it to Helene. If it's important."

[Tethras Clan]

Merrill hums softly. "That would explain why he and Glimmerwing have their little ritual."

"...ritual?" Seline asks, unsure she actually wants to know.

"They always present themselves to each other when they visit and do a little stare and bow. I thought it was just a cat thing but I guess Whiskers never does it..." Merrill shrugs a bit, gaze absent as she ponders the secret etiquette and customs of felines.

[Bethany]

"...alright. Anyway. Helene, can you try again?" As she asks, Varric comes back in with a tuft of hair.

[Helene Dakesh]

Liz moves to whisper in Helene's ear. The samsaran's eyes widen, but they don't elaborate; they nod, simply, saying, "Understood. This one will scry."

A few moments later, the result comes up: "The same result. This one suspects they are together."

[Varric]

"That's promising." Varric moves over to take the tuft of cat hair, then glances over at Hunter. "Hey, take a sniff, furball." Hunter rises to his feet, then grows softly. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Take a sniff, oh might predator and seeker of scents." Hunter snorts, then sniffs at the tuft of hair. He pauses for half a second, then very casually sneezes. On Varric's arm.

[Carver Amell]

"We'll find her," says Carver, his voice firm. We have to. 

"C'mon, boy."

[Marian Hawke]

Liz faces her first hurdle right away: nobody, but nobody, is going to let her look for Cindy alone after what happened. Even if she swears not to drink any alchemical potions. Or anything at all.

Finally, she agrees to be saddled with an escort of Varric, since just Silence isn't enough either. They chat about alchemy on the way; Varric is pleased to discover that, waking, her knowledge is quite good, and she's on more advanced formulae than he'd suspected. She should have been able to make that one she took, he notes. She has the formula down pat, and she knows how to prepare the ingredients. Given how reluctant she was to take a tonic last night, how little Beth reports she slept, she isn't fully alert now either, and yet she doesn't so much as hesitate on any of the questions he asks. 

Just as he's realizing this, however, she stops, looking around. They're nowhere near the Bazaar, of course; they're down an alley, "taking a shortcut" past some warehouses. "This is, ah... This is going to be unorthodox, but..."

[Varric]

If she made a bad (almost lethal) tonic but she knows the recipes this well... Well, lot of possible explanations (misread her last night, sharper threshold in fatigue needed, tainted ingredients (accident? intentional?), subconscious intention, magical compulsion, nightmare weariness vs regular fatigue) but need more data points to narrow it down. Cindy, you have shit timing. I was going to be spending today making sure Liz's suppliers were on the up and up.  Varric raises an eyebrow. "Unorthodox?" 

[Marian Hawke]

"I uh... I'm sorry," she mentions, ducking her head. "I lied, earlier. I'm not taking you to the Bazaar or to any friends. I... I hope she's here, where I'm going, but she might not be, and either way, it's not... a place I've told you about."

[Varric]

"A precious place, where Cindy can weigh the hard parts of herself?" Varric gives her a sidelong glance. "Didn't have the address, but I knew the neighborhood.

[Marian Hawke]

Liz nods, grateful for her Mentor's knowledge, his invasive protective streak. "I.. I suspected you might," she whispers, with a nod. "Can, can I go in first? In case she's... naked or something?" They both know she won't be naked, even in her hideout, but who knows what face she might be wearing? He knows about the Scale, but not every disguise, surely. 

They slip into a warehouse, then, making their way through a broken window to a back closet, lifting a trapdoor and heading into the basement where Cindy's hideout is. The trapdoor is narrow, the basement unfinished and small, but it's a secret place, forgotten by time.

[Coquette Blacquin]

As they lift the trapdoor, the sound of voices rises to their location: a male voice with an elven accent, and a very proper male voice arguing with him.

"I know I can't stay here forever," the elf is saying. "It's just temporary, while I set up another identity."

[Vigile]

"A shield cannot stand by itself." There's a hiss to the voice, not distorting the precise formation of the words, but present nevertheless. "Without something to protect, mortals will stray and crumble. And your foundation is already weathered."