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In the Free Marches.

[ Is that an obfuscatory answer? Yeah, a bit. Hopefully, this pivot will be enough to distract him: ]

But sure. I'll get the report to you. Probably have it done tomorrow. I overheard a conversation about Nascere, even.

And?

[Which would seem easy and off the cuff without context. But the fact that it does distract him--]

[ Hah. Still got that Kitty Jones conniving cleverness. ]

I'll write a bit about it in the report. But it seems as though things are rather chaotic there.

That's not shocking.

[A pivot of his own:]

What were you hoping to accomplish with all this?

With what? Helping him?

Yes, helping him. Risking travel into Tevinter, recovering his slave. Did you get what you wanted out of it?

I -

[ She finds herself suddenly, exquisitely uncomfortable with the whole thing. The reason she gives is the reason she gave herself - ]

It's not right to let someone stay in bondage.

[ But it's also not right to participate in the system by buying someone's freedom. That just prolongs it. Gives it power. The only ethical act is to smash the chains, not buy the key. ]

[Another beat of quiet. All this for one woman in 'the Free Marches'.]

Well. There may be something in your report that might still be used to turn some worthwhile stone. I look forward to reading it.

[ And that's a tacit condemnation that makes her bristle. ]

Look, Benedict is - was - a member of Riftwatch. Like any other. A comrade. Why wouldn't I help him?

He is a magister's son who asked you to help him travel to a dangerous place where any cutthroat might have seen your rift shard then captured and sold you to the highest bidder. All to purchase a woman who we must hope only held sentimental value for him as any information she might have provided is currently somewhere in the Marches.

And then, having been with your help safely delivered North, he took whatever Riftwatch intelligence he might have had with him straight to his blood mage mother.

[ Temper flaring higher: ]

Yeah? And so am I supposed to always just mistrust people on the basis of who they were, rather than who they are now? Should I always watch my purse around you? Or is it that we should wait till Corypheus is defeated, and then we can all turn on each other, the decent lawful folk against the pirates?

I don't care if you walk ten more Magisters' children all the way into Minrathous and down the parade street. The next time, you do it to make useful contacts, or to collect information, or to bring something back that benefits what we're meant to be doing. You don't do it just because some fool says the right words to appeal to your better nature.

So everything you do is always only for the good of the Inquisition, is it, Captain Flint?

I'm not asking you to do anything for the good of the Inqusition-- [Riftwatch. Whatever they want to call it] I'm saying that if you and I mean to make this organization do anything beyond cutting off Corypheus' head, that we're obligated to make our time do double the work.

[ That makes her settle down a bit. ]

But it's not wrong to - help people. As well. Even if they turn out to be rats.

You can do two things at once. One isn't required to unmake the other.

[ A long sigh. ]

And anyway, of course I was using the whole time to look at what's going on up there. The point was to gather intelligence, at least partially. It would have been stupid not to do that, and I'm not stupid.

[Carefully weaving around sentiments of 'Sure you did' and 'Then why not say so in the first place' to maintain an even and unaccusing tempo:]

Would you prefer to write that down as well, or to go through it now?

I didn't get anything good. So talking through it would really just be disappointing.

[A low sound - something like a laugh. Fair enough.

Less sharply now:] The next time you're compelled to walk into Tevinter, let's discuss it before the fact.

[ And growing less sharp herself: ]

Well - when we were planning this, you weren't head of Forces yet.

[ Would she have come to him if he were? Debatable. She doesn't tend to like a lot of input before she makes her bad choices. ]

So you discussed it with Coupe.

[Unlikely.]

[ Dangit. ]

She was dreadfully busy, trying to find someone to help out with the diplomatic team...

Ah, so you took it to Yseult then.

Look, I'll be more in communication in the future. That's what matters, isn't it.

(no subject)

katabasis - 2019-07-28 17:32 (UTC) - Expand