Chapter Text
A faint cloud of smoke smelling like cloves and tobacco left Neve’s lips as she exhaled a sigh. Just once, she’d like a day where a job wouldn’t go sideways.
It hadn’t happened yet, but she could feel it coming. Was it a healthy dose of paranoia or just lived experience? She could never quite tell. Still, operating with caution and expecting the worst possible outcome hasn’t steered her wrong yet. At least her cynicism was usually proven correct. It never felt like a win, but it was a small win all the same.
Shadow Dragon business was almost always more complicated than her usual jobs. While it was often more exciting than finding lost pets or tracking down a stolen heirloom, freeing slaves usually had a certain delicate touch required, much to Tarquin’s chagrin. If someone ran in at the wrong time or information got in the wrong hands, it became a matter of dozens of lives at stake, if not, more. When Ashur requested her help specifically, Neve had no doubt it was already more complicated than anyone wanted.
As she stepped through the eluvian, Neve was greeted with the familiar buzz of her fellow Shadow Dragons talking amongst themselves. A group were seated in a circle, enjoying the very legally obtained hookah in the hideout, laughing and trading tales of run-ins with Venatori and slavers. She had no doubt several were exaggerated and at least two were fabricated entirely out of thin air, but if people were excited about the cause, it could at least give them the motivation to one-up each other in terms of slaves freed - a win's a win. From the other room, she could hear Mae and Dorian arguing over gods know what, but she had no doubt they were both making the exact same point - business as usual, there. To top it all off, there was the welcome sight of Tarquin in Ashur’s face, wearing his usual sullen expression. One day, she was going to make sure that man had a day off, or at least a nap. Maybe he’d even smile for once.
“This isn’t like other operations,” she heard The Viper say sternly. Great, so it already started. That should keep things interesting. “Gallus was asked for specifically.”
“We’re expected to look the other way while Gallus galivants across Thedas?” Tarquin argued back. So Tarquin wasn’t on board with this job. Interesting.
“They requested Neve. Any more of our people on it will raise suspicion. We have to wait and see what she finds.”
“ She would like to know what exactly she’s getting herself into,” Neve interrupted, walking up to the pair with a wry grin and a hand resting on her hip.
“Neve,” Ashur greeted with a nod, his expression unreadable behind his usual mask. Still, the detective could see a little bit of warmth in his eyes. Worry too. That was never good.
“Ashur, Tarquin,” she greeted right back. “Care to fill me in?”
The Viper reached into his coat pocket, producing a rolled up piece of parchment and handing it to Neve. “We have a special request for you.”
“Your friend’s been poking around the entrance,” Tarquin huffed, crossing his arms. “If too many templars are seen here, people are going to start asking questions.”
“Rana came by earlier?” Neve asked, raising an eyebrow. What was so secretive that Rana couldn’t tell her herself? Why the cloak and dagger? What was at play here?
“She did,” Ashur confirmed with a nod. “Said to give this to you. Didn’t say much else.”
Neve studied the parchment carefully. It was tied with some string and bore no wax seal, it wasn’t anything official or originating from anywhere nicer than Dock Town. The string itself was red, tied tightly and worn down by the knot. She could still see how the string was bent and slightly discolored from where it was tied before. “Opening my mail?”
“Wouldn’t you do the same?” Tarquin challenged.
“I never said to follow my example,” Neve shot back with a smirk before untying the string and unrolling the parchment.
Meet at The Cobbled Swan after dusk. Bring Rook. - R.S.
“Not cryptic at all, Rana,” Neve muttered to herself, carefully folding the parchment and stuffing it in her pocket. “Did she say anything else? Was anyone watching her?”
“She came alone,” The Viper assured. “Confirmed it with the sentries.”
“You keep strange company, Gallus,” Tarquin pointed out, earning a smirk from the investigator.
“Of course, I do,” she teased, “I talk to you, don’t I?”
Neve couldn’t help but chuckle softly to herself as she peered into The Cobbled Swan. The sun wasn’t going down for another half hour at least, and Rana was already sitting at a table alone, back ramrod straight, pint of ale untouched in front of her, and eyes shifting about. Rana was always terrible at acting natural.
“Think of a funny joke?” the elf standing beside them asked with a grin.
Neve glanced over to Rook, a small smile on her lips. “Rana’s early. Always the punctual one.”
“Did you figure out why we’re here?” Rook asked, brushing a stray curl out of their face. Damn Tevinter and its stupid humidity making their hair even less manageable than usual.
“Not yet, but if Rana’s this nervous, it’s important,” she mused, brow furrowed. Is whatever this could be too risky to meet in private or not risky enough to warrant it? But if it wasn’t a risk, why the secrecy? Could it just be that she wasn’t there and Rana was in a hurry? No, that’s too convenient. Who was Rana worried about watching her?
Neve snapped out of her head when she heard a soft laugh next to her. “What?”
Rook could only smile, shaking their head a little. The Lord of Fortune liked working with the Shadow Dragons for a lot of reasons - they got to fight the same slavers who once held them captive, they got to free slaves just like they once were, and they got to really make a difference in a city they once hated and feared. But one of the biggest benefits of working with the Shadow Dragons was that it usually meant working with Neve. And maybe Rook really liked how Neve would bite her lip and squint a little when she was lost in thought. “Just watching the brilliant Neve Gallus at work.”
“Oh? And what do you see?”
“Someone who thinks too much,” Rook teased, nudging their head towards the door. “Come on, we won’t get answers out here.”
Neve sighed and shook her head. Every day, Rook insisted on running headfirst into trouble. “Alright, let’s go.”
The two of them walked inside, taking note of their surroundings. The Swan was crowded, though no more crowded than it would be during the after work rush. It was loud enough to not be overheard, yet intimate enough to not have to shout. All of the other tables were in plain view and they had a good vantage of both exits. It was the perfect conditions to not be spied on.
“Templar Rana,” Neve greeted, her and Rook sitting across from the other woman. “I take it this isn’t a social call?”
“Not this time,” Rana said with a nod. “I need to call in a favor.”
Neve nodded, resting her elbows on the table and locking her fingers together. “You know I’ll do what I can. But why all the secrecy? Afraid of having a tail?”
“Lenos is cracking down on templars leaving their posts, but that’s not what this is about,” Rana assured, glancing off to the side. “I’m helping a friend. They need this to stay quiet.”
“You have other friends? Should I be proud or insulted?”
Rana gave the detective a half-hearted glare. “Just tell me you’ll do it.”
Neve raised an eyebrow. “Just like that? No telling me what exactly I’m signing myself up for?”
“Or why you need me too?” Rook chimed in.
The templar turned their attention to Rook. “My friend needs someone they can trust - someone who’s been in their shoes.”
“What do you mean?”
“A slave.”
“Oh.”
Neve could feel Rook stiffen beside her. They never kept their past as a galley slave secret, but she knew it was a sensitive topic for the elf. “So you need to get a slave to safety? Shouldn’t be too difficult. What’s the catch?”
Rana let out a sigh, glancing to the side again. “It’s…better to let them explain it themselves.”
With that, two figures emerged from the shadows and joined the group at the table. One was human with a sturdy build and copper hair - Neve surmised that she must be a templar as well. The calluses on her palms suggested she primarily used either a sword and shield or some sort of two-handed weapon - given how she carried more tension in her right shoulder, it was likely the former. The other figure was a scrawny elf with a short, greasy haircut growing out long enough for dark brown strands to fall in front of his eyes. He was the slave, clearly, with his tattered clothes and unkempt appearance. Aside from a faint scar along his left cheek, he was perfectly unassuming. Too unassuming.
“Neve, Rook, meet Moira and Antoni,” Rana said, gesturing to the two newcomers.
“Sorry for all the secrecy,” Moira greeted, glancing between the pair. “Our situation’s a bit delicate. We had to be certain we weren’t followed.”
“Is this the part where you tell us what’s going on?” Rook asked, crossing their arms. “This seems a lot riskier than normal Shadow Dragons business.”
“It is,” Antoni confirmed (“ Antivan accent ,” Neve thought to herself,) sliding a coin across the table.
“A Crow house?” Neve asked, looking over the sovereign. Its Antivan origin was unmistakable, but she wasn’t entirely certain on the identity of the Crow on the coin himself.
“House Arainai, to be specific,” Antoni said with a nod. “My house.”
“You’re a Crow?” Rook asked, eyes widening.
“I am a former Crow,” he explained. “I failed my contract several years ago. House Arainai still follows traditional Antivan Crow customs. A death must happen. When an Arainai Crow fails a contract, that death is their own.”
“And yet here you are, alive and…well, alive,” Rook observed.
“I sold myself into slavery,” Antoni said with a shrug. Neve made a mental note of the slight hitch in Rook’s breath. “My master doesn’t beat me and I only have to fetch the wine during his soirees. An alive slave is better than a dead free man.”
“Then why escape now?” Neve asked, brow furrowed. “Seems like you have a decent setup, aside from being a slave.”
Moira placed a gentle hand on Antoni’s arm. “The coin was sent to my bunk. Whoever sent it knows we’re…close.”
Neve frowned, studying the coin as if waiting for the dulled metallic face to turn to her and give her the answers she needed. But when has it ever been that easy? If someone knew Antoni was a Crow, wouldn’t it make sense to kill him outright? Why send the coin to a lover? Sure, Crows had a flair for the dramatics, but this was needlessly complicated, even for the Antivan assassins. Unless the person who sent it didn’t want Antoni dead at all. “It’s a warning,” Neve supplied, turning the coin over in her hands and letting the cold metal warm up against her fingertips. “Looks like you have a friend in the city.”
“Crows don’t have friends,” Antoni scoffed. “We have people who want to kill us less than others.”
“Well then someone wants you less dead than usual,” Rook quipped, leaning over to look at the coin. “Any idea who? Or why?”
“None,” Moira answered. “That’s why I went to Rana. She’s close with you and, if your reputation’s anything to go by, you’re the best detective in the city.”
“You said we're close?” Neve teased, smirking at her friend who was pointedly avoiding any and all traces of eye contact with the detective in question.
“So why do you need me?” Rook asked, arms crossed. “Neve’s the smart one, I’m just the eye candy.”
“Because trust isn’t easy to come by, not here, not for me. And not for Antoni either. Antoni trusts me, I trust Rana, Rana trusts Neve, and Neve trusts you,” Moira answered simply. “We have a plan, but we need you both to make it work.”
“A plan? This is the first I’m hearing of this.”
Antoni nodded, eyes shifting around the tavern before leaning in. “The coin is new, minted this year. It was sent by someone in Antiva, someone who’s familiar with House Arainai. They must still be looking for me.”
“Then why not come get you and kill you? No offense,” Rook asked.
“Because they don’t know who I am or what I look like,” Antoni answered. “I had only just begun my journey as a man before my contract. The ones who knew are likely dead themselves if they didn’t come after me by now. I can’t risk going to Antiva for answers, but you can.”
That made Rook sit up, their fiery curls bouncing as they shook their head. “Wait, wait, wait. You want me to go to Antiva in your place? Be your messenger?”
“Not quite.”
“Then how -”
“As I’ve said, they only know what I used to look like ten years ago. House Arainai is not above using blood magic to alter our faces, should it be necessary. If you were to assume my old identity…”
“I’m sorry,” Rook interrupted, green eyes flickering between the Crow and the templar. “You want me to let someone use blood magic to change my face, take up your old name and waltz into Antiva, where a bunch of Crows are going to try to kill me?”
“You wouldn’t have to change your face, nor would Neve. So long as you wear the House Arainai brand and don’t raise suspicion, they’ll welcome you in my place. But make no mistake, they will try to kill you. They'll make sure everyone knows who killed you and why. Yes, it will be dangerous, but it’s the only way. My contract is still somewhere in the estate. If it’s destroyed, then the contract is considered null and void. I’ll buy my freedom and then we’ll be free to go wherever we please, mi amor,” the former Crow said with a small smile to Moira before turning back to look at the other elf. “I’ve done my research on you, Rook. I know you favor the plans that are on the…unorthodox side.”
“Guilty,” Rook said with a shrug, not looking the least bit guilty.
“I also know of your past,” Antoni continued. “Who you were before the Lords of Fortune.”
Neve watched the smirk slowly fall from Rook’s face. “What does that have to do with this?” she watched them ask, their tone clipped in a way she rarely heard from the normally jovial rogue.
“My contract was on a Venatori slaver,” he explained, leaning in as his voice fell to a hasty whisper. “I know I was sabotaged, but I don’t know why or by whom. House Arainai is compromised. You and Neve know about Venatori the best, you know how to take them out quickly and get out quietly.”
“Venatori are working with the Antivan Crows?” Neve asked, eyes squinting a bit as she cycled through several theories in her head. It would make sense for a cult to want the ability to assassinate anyone who disagrees with their “perfect Tevinter.” There were plenty of Venatori who were well off, it wouldn’t be difficult to hire the Crows. But why would the Crows agree to it? Did the other houses know about this? Did Teia and Viago? Did Lucanis? No, Lucanis couldn’t have known, not when the Venatori kidnapped him and stuck a demon inside of him. He had more than earned her trust. Still, he’d want to know about this. It could bring some further evidence to her claim of his cousin acting shifty, even if he didn’t want to hear it.
“Some of them, at least,” Moira said solemnly
“That explains the uptick in assassinations here,” Neve mused, mulling it all over. "Why not ask other Crows? I'm sure the other houses would find this interesting."
"A Crow never interferes with another Crow's contract," Antoni said firmly. "Even if I went to House Cantori or De Riva, they wouldn't be able to interfere until the contract is fulfilled. Or destroyed."
“So you want Rook and I to go to Antiva and destroy your contract. What then? I doubt your house will be happy about the breaking and entering.”
“Then, all of the Venatori who have sullied House Arainai need to die,” the Crow resolved, his jaw tight and his eyes locked onto Rook’s.
“I think they sullied their name enough when they started killing their own people on the job,” Rook quipped, crossing their arms over their chest. “Not that I’m not looking forward to bashing a few Venatori heads in, but is there a plan for killing a bunch of blood mages? Plus the actual assassins that’ll be there?”
“Rest assured, once the contract is destroyed, I will be there to personally drive a knife through the heart of every member of House Arainai myself if it comes to it,” the former assassin vowed.
“I’ll be there too,” Moira assured with a small smile. “About time I put my templar training to practical use. Right, Savas?”
Rana just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Leave it to you all to make everything complicated for me. I’ll cover for you if Lenos starts asking questions, but don’t expect a miracle on my end.”
“Thanks, Rana,” the other templar said softly before looking to Neve. “There’s just one other thing…”
“Isn’t there always?” Neve asked with a sigh. The migraine that this job was already giving her could quite possibly put her concussion from a few months ago to shame.
“The coin was sent to my bunk, they know about my relationship with Antoni. If one of them knows, then a few more might know of me as well. If Rook goes to Antiva under his name, at least one person will be expecting me too.”
“You want me to pretend to be you?” Neve asked, raising an eyebrow. This just kept getting better and better, didn’t it?
“If Venatori are with House Arainai, some might be familiar with your work,” Moira pleaded. “At best, having an investigator poking around will draw suspicion.”
“Plenty of Crows have lovers who aren’t part of a House,” Antoni reasoned. “If I were to bring someone home, my family might be less inclined to kill me. At first.”
“It would give us another angle, let us see who’s more inclined to make conversation” Neve agreed with a sigh. “Alright, I’ll do it.”
“Thank you!” Moira breathed, reaching across the table to grab Neve’s hands. “I promise we’ll make it up to you!”
Neve just smiled and shook her head. “No need, I owe Rana plenty of favors.”
“She really does,” Rana confirmed.
“Besides,” Rook chimed in, their usual smile returning. Was it a front, Neve had to wonder. Rook was remarkably easy to read most of the time, but sometimes they were as enigmatic as the god taking up residence in their head. “It could be fun. Right, mi amor ?”
“‘Fun,’ is that the word we’re going with?” Neve teased right back.
“We’ve had worse jobs.”
“I’ve had worse jobs, you choose to tag along.”
“I’d hate for you to get bored without me.”
“Are you calling me boring now?”
“There isn’t a boring thing about you, Neve Gallus.”
Neve’s playful smirk was replaced with a furrowed brow when she glanced over and saw Moira and Antoni smile and whisper to each other.
“They’re perfect,” Moira whispered excitedly.
“We don’t know that yet,” Antoni reminded quietly.
“Care to fill us in?” Neve asked, deep brown eyes narrowing at the couple.
“Nothing bad,” Moira assured, breathing a soft sigh. “We were worried that it would be a struggle to find anyone who could make it believable. It’s just a relief to see that you two are already in a relationship.”
Neve nearly smacked Rana upside the head for the way she stifled her surprised laugh into her drink. It wasn’t the first time someone mistook the two of them for a couple, much to the rogue’s amusement and the mage’s chagrin. She could practically see the dots connect in Rook’s head, watching a faint smirk start to show. They could always just correct the couple, explain that they work together and nothing more, but Neve watched Antoni’s shoulders relax just a little bit more as a faint smile ghosted his lips. What did they look like to the Crow? A runaway slave and a Tevinter mage who beat the odds? Sounded like one of Bel’s serials. Whatever he saw, it was clearly enough to put him slightly more at ease. Dammit, Rana owed her for this. She glanced to Rook and gave a small nod: play along .
Thankfully, at least one god was listening because Rook nodded back, their smirk shifting to a warm smile. “Shouldn’t be too hard. Besides, Neve knows how to get Venatori to talk. We’ll be back with good news by the end of the week.”
“Aren’t you the optimist?” Neve teased, crossing her arms. Her jobs have never been that simple. Why would that change now?
“It’s how I won you over.”
“Incorrigible.”
Rook gave her a grin before turning back to Moira and Antoni. “We’ll keep you updated, let you know if we need anything.”
“Excellent,” Antoni said as he pulled out a small notebook. “Here are some notes on my family and the questions they may ask. You’ll be paid handsomely once our business is finished, of course.”
“I thought this was a favor.”
“I’m still a Crow. I should still have access to my family’s vaults. You’ll be paid,” the elf assured.
Rook shrugged and grinned. “Not gonna turn that down. We’ll be in touch.”
With that, the templar and Crow bid their farewells and were gone in nearly an instant, slipping back into the shadows unseen. Rana quietly sipped at her drink. Her shoulders were tense and her grip on her pint was tighter than usual.
“This is a bit more than just cashing in a favor,” Neve pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
“I know,” she said with a sigh. “But Moira’s a good friend. If you can help her…”
“I’ll do it,” the mage assured. “After all the messes I’ve dragged you into, it’s only fair.”
“Thank you,” Rana said earnestly, breathing out a sigh of relief. “I’ll help in any way I can.”
Neve nodded, taking her words at face value. Rana was a welcome relief in Minrathous. In a city of lies and corruption, having a soft spot was just an invitation for someone to come along and stick a knife into it. Rana wasn’t like that. Neve knew Rana would be as honest with her as she could be. That was more than what she could ask for from nearly everyone else.
“It’ll be fun,” Rook said with a smile. That was a dangerous smile. That smile meant trouble. “What are your favorite flowers?”
“Flowers? Why?”
“Because I’m a gentleman,” Rook said with mock indignation, bringing a hand to their chest. “I can’t take you on a date without buying you flowers first.”
“We’ve been together for this long and you don’t even know my favorite flowers?” she teased, a smirk dancing on her lips.
“You’re the detective, Gallus. I’m just here to look pretty,” they teased right back before turning to Rana. “We’ll head out tomorrow. Let us know if anything changes.”
“I will,” the templar promised before getting up to go, leaving a generous tip on the table. Neve took notice of how Rana’s shoulders weren’t so close to her ears anymore. Her left hand still twitched a little, probably going to reflexively rest on top of the sword that wasn’t by her side, but she looked relaxed - or as close to relaxed as Rana can get.
“You’re not gonna tell me your favorite flowers, are you?” Rook asked with a grin, interrupting her thought process.
“And ruin the mystery?” she asked, her own grin matching Rook’s. This could be good for them, potentially. A chance to get out of the Lighthouse and not think about the damn gods for once could be a good thing. It would give time for their allies to gather more information, maybe even build some forces, and Rook could spend a few days without the weight of the world on their shoulders. The only caveat was having to pretend they were dating. Neve could do that. There were worse plans she went along with. Probably. Rook seemed eager enough to play the part. That was a good thing. Probably.
With a long, tired sigh, Neve reached for her pipe. What in Andraste’s name did she get herself into?