#rook week

The whip came down.

"Faster, faster you dogs, you -"

Ty closed his eyes, muscles straining, lungs burning as he tried to match the drums, tried to push and pull with all his might.

He did not want to die here.

There was an awful, echoing boom and the whole boat lurched as the Qunari cannon fired again, shredding through the hull. Ty's ears rang with the echoes of the sound.

He did not hear the second cannon firing. But he felt the impact, the side of the ship just above his head exploding, the way water was already rushing in over his shackled ankles.

The slave next him to slumped, blood pouring from their throat where shrapnel had shredded flesh and muscle.

Alright, well. Perhaps he was going to die here.

The next cannon rocked the whole boat, taking out another chunk of the hull - and the overseer.

Ty saw his chance. He abandoned the oar and scrambled as best he could with his ankles shackled. Fuck waiting for a Qunari cannon to kill him. Fuck waiting for a Magister to slit his throat and use his blood to try and repel the Antaam. Fuck dying.

Not that he had any idea how to survive this. It wasn't as if he could swim. It wasn't as if he could float, with steel around his ankles.

He moved for the stairs up, out of the hull. He wasn't the only one scrambling.

On deck, it was chaos. Smoke choked the air as the ship burned, the two Magisters hurling magic back towards the Qunari dreadnaught which held its position just out of reach.

A man in a pointed hood and a wicked looking blade waved it at Ty.

"Back, slave! To your position!"

Ty looked to his right. There - the shore. He didn't know if it was Tevinter, Rivain, or even Antiva, but the golden beach beckoned. And there, in the water, a large piece of the broken off hull.

When he told the story, a couple of years later among the Lords of Fortune, Mathias 'Ty' Laidir swore blind a school of dolphins rose from the waters and carried him to shore. The reality had been much less fantastical. The man who would come to be known as Rook jumped over the side, and managed, somehow to kick his way back up to the surface and grab a piece of flotsam to hold himself afloat. It took every bit of his energy to cling on, to keep his feet kicking against the weight threatening to drag him down.

Lucanis paced in his office as he waited for the reports to come in. He had been waiting patiently, but there hadn’t been any new updates.

Spite was starting to lose his mind as well, but all they could do was wait until they received new information. They couldn’t ruin the contract because it had taken a longer time than usual.

Isa had taken a contract in Bastion in the southern part of the country, and the job was only supposed to take a few days, maybe four at most. It had been a week now.

It wasn’t the first time a contract had taken longer than usual, but Isa had been able to get a message across that she was alright. That she was okay or that she had been delayed. He had heard nothing from her at all, and there was nothing to show that she was uninjured or that the job was done either.

So Lucanis paced in his office as he fucking waited.

Illario had tried to come in to distract him, but Lucanis told him that he only wanted to know if there had been any updates. Not even his grandmother came in after that.

Near midday, a Crow knocked on his office door with a report. Lucanis took it from him before the Crow made himself scarce, making an excuse that he needed to leave in a hurry. Lucanis didn’t say anything, but he didn’t think it was a good sign as he closed the door.

Reading the report, he felt his blood pressure spike as Spite grew erratic. The only good news was that Isa was alive. However, she had been taken by the target and held captive. She nearly got out before being recaptured, and the Crow who reported didn’t have time to assist. Spite suggested stringing up the Crow who failed to help, but Lucanis shot the idea down. The only reason they knew that Isa was alive was due to the Crow.

Another thing that came with the report was the location where Isa was last seen, and from what Lucanis could glean from the it, it didn’t sound like her captors saw the reporting Crow, either. That meant that they weren’t thinking about relocating her anytime soon as well.

“When you said you had news, I thought it would be better news than this,” Viago hissed irritably, shaking his head.

Lucanis had gone to find Viago at the Diamond to share the report, and he was luckily there with Teia and his Crow, Adelina. The less Lucanis had to relay the report, the better. He didn’t want to talk about how she was missing and captured since he’d rather discuss an extraction plan more than anything else.

“How long as she been gone?” Teia wondered.

“About a week. Three days longer than she should have been. She sent a Crow when she arrived in Bastion, but that was the last time we last heard from her,” Lucanis explained.

“And you’re sure she’s alive?” Adelina whispered, worry filling her voice.

“Positive. The report came in today and was dated from yesterday,” the First Talon answered with a nod.

“You can’t send anyone to get her,” Viago informed.

“I will not leave her there,” Lucanis countered sternly.

“Viago is right. The Crows can’t send anyone. This was a target that was supposed to be a quick job, but they managed to capture Isabella. This job was a trap. Any Crow we send will mean that we didn’t recognize it, or that you didn’t care that it was a trap,” Teia explained with a softer tone.

Lucanis took a deep breath, placing his hands on his hips. He knew that he could probably get the people he worked with the Veilguard together to help Isa, but he wasn’t sure how quickly he could get them to where Isa was.

“I think I can handle it,” Adelina mentioned, leaning forward a little.

Viago stared at her in confusion while the Crow started to think about a plan. Lucanis turned towards her, willing to try nearly anything.

“If I can get the word out to a handful of people, I can make it look like Isa is getting help from non-Crow people who are also not apart of the Veilguard,” Adelina mentioned as Lucanis raised a brow. “Isa said that she still doesn’t want to be recognized as Rook, right? I would like to make sure that she revealed like that, either.”

“That would be ideal, yes,” Lucanis agreed.

Viago exhaled, folding his arms as he started at his Crow. Adelina ignored him while Teia smirked, wondering if Viago was destined for stubborn and inventive Crows in his House.

In the end, Adelina was given permission to hire who she needed to pull this off as long as she didn’t give any indication that she was a part of the Crows or that the Crows were involved in Isa’s rescue. While Lucanis only cared about whether or not Isa was safe, his newer position as First Talon was still vulnerable. He did appreciate his fellow Talons looking out for his position as well.

Isa looked around the room she was trapped in, searching for another way to escape. She had been locked in the spare bedroom of the target’s house with her arms tied behind her back and her ankles tied together. She wasn’t exactly helpless, but there wasn’t anything she could do by herself. If someone tried to attack her, then she could use leverage to gain the upper hand, but alone, she was stuck.

The people who had trapped her were thorough, even if they had missed her hidden knife the first time. They found it after her escape attempt, and now she was trying to figure out how she was going to manage another escape attempt. It would be difficult, but not impossible. She just needed to figure out how to get out of the binds on her arms.

The target was supposed to be a random noble in Bastion who had a bounty on his head, but it turned out to be a setup. She didn’t understand what the trap was for, but it was clear that she was the bait at this point. They didn’t question her or do much else other than hold her hostage. She wasn’t even sure what they wanted.

A part of her wondered if they worked for another Talon or for a Crow who wanted Lucanis to give up his job or something. She also wondered if these people knew she was Rook, and they wanted something from her. However, they didn’t really speak to her. It was like they were waiting to hear from some outside source about what to do with her first. It didn’t fill her with confidence.

Of course, in the end, it didn’t matter. What she needed to do was to get out so she could get word to Lucanis and Viago that she was alive and breathing. The last thing they needed was either of them doing something rash on her behalf because she managed to get caught. She just hoped that they wouldn’t give her a lecture about getting caught when she did get back to Treviso.

When she was staring at the barred window, wondering if she could get past the bars after she broke the glass, the door opened. Isa turned to the door and glared as one of her captors stood just within the threshold.

“I wasn’t sure you would be awake, petit Corbeau. I don’t think you’ve slept at all since you’ve been in our care,” the man said in a thick Orlesian accent.

“As if I would be comfortable enough to sleep around you,” she sneered, glaring at him.

The man sighed, shaking his head. He looked exasperated, as if she had chosen the wrong side. As if she had a choice in whether or not she was being held against her will. Frustrated, she pulled at her binds, and the man just watched for a moment, letting herself test the ropes.

“You aren’t going to go anywhere, and no one is allowed in this room. You might as well get some sleep,” the man sighed.

“Why am I even here?” Isa demanded loudly.

This man wasn’t her target. She wasn’t even sure the target was even there anymore, and she wouldn’t be surprised if the contract had been pulled entirely. She glared at him, and he just watched her like a caged animal in a zoo.

“You are here because we needed you to be. We were fortunate that you were the one to take this contract, but we were hoping that the Demon would come himself,” the man explained as he exhaled. “The Demon has a lot to answer for, and we are hoping that grabbing his petit Corbeau might attract him to us if our contract does not.”

“As if Lucanis would be stupid enough to fall for your tricks,” Isa growled with bright eyes.

The man raised a brow, regarding her carefully. He wasn’t sure if he believed her, but there was something in her tone that made him question his plan. Her glare hardened, and the man was glad that she had no access to magic at least. She couldn’t hurt him while she was tied up as she was.

“We will see, won’t we?” the man remarked softly before taking his leave.

Isa grimaced at him as he closed the door, hearing the defining locked that kept her out from the rest of the world. She was glad to know that she knew why she was there at least, but it didn’t help that she was nothing more than bait for her lover. Now she had to figure out how to escape and get the word to him before something worse happened.

Adelina was pretty proud of herself as she stood in the unfamiliar lighthouse with five other unfamiliar faces staring back at her. She had sent the word out to the other factions that she needed help rescuing Isabella. Her fellow Crow had mentioned that she had met people in the last few months that she had helped and took contracts from, so Adelina sent the word to those who Isa had met already. She hoped that they would be willing to join her plight to rescue her.

To her relief and delight, all five had agreed. Henry Thorne from the Anderfels, Elene Mercar from Tevinter, Wysteria Ingellvar from Nevarra, Idrilla Aldwir from Arlathan, and Thalia Laidir from Rivain all came with Adelina called. They were more than willing to help, excited to find and help their Crow friend.

Although, no one looked comfortable in the lighthouse as no one had been in the Fade like this. Not that Adelina had either. The experience was new, but she acted like she had done it for as long as Isa had. She needed the confidence to convince the others that she knew what she was doing.

“So, do we know why Isa was taken?” Henry asked, still a little confused.

Adelina had given the bare bones explanation when she recruited them, so she had said that she had been taken on the job by people who wanted to keep her hostage. However, that was as much information as she gave.

“As far as we know, it sounds like it’s most likely a ploy to bring out the First Talon. They are keeping her hostage as bait for him,” Adelina explained with a grimace.

“And is that why the Crows can’t help? Besides you, I mean,” Idrilla added.

“The Crows can’t be involved at all. Lucanis has to be completely removed by this, but I’m positive he will be absolutely grateful that you helped with this,” Adelina reassured.

“I don’t care about that. She saved me from a dire situation, I don’t mind returning the favor,” Elene shrugged.

“And how alive do we need the people who took her?” Thalia piped up from the back. “Just wondering if I need to worry about any poisons I shouldn’t be using.”

“I think as long as Isa is released from their custody, any deaths are fine. I don’t even think the First Talon cares about keeping the leader alive at this point. Whatever the reason Isa is being held hostage can be learned from documents we can gather later,” Adelina replied, lifting her shoulders.

“That’s necessary?” Henry asked softly. “Seems unnecessarily violent towards people we aren’t sure have harmed her.”

“They staged a Crow contract to have her kill someone only to capture her and hold her until her fiancé came around. I doubt it was so they could just chat with him,” Wysteria pointed out calmly. “While I do agree that killing indiscriminately is a waste, I don’t think we should wait around to ask questions when Isa could be in danger.”

“Alright, fair point,” Henry conceded, exhaling.

“Okay, so if we’re all ready and prepped, we can head to Bastion and save Isa,” Adelina instructed before pointing towards the eluvian room. The people around her cheered briefly before following her down.

Adelina had waited until after dusk to take the group out into the city, knowing that not all of them would be able to stealth thought the area. The darkness aided them, and she had the map where Lucanis had said that the Crow had spotted Isa in the report. He was confident that she would still be there since they were sure it was a trap more than anything else.

Adelina had also learned that while she had been recruiting the group she was going to work with that Lucanis had further interrogated the Crow. He had learned the Crow who reported Isa’s location had been paid off by her captors to tell the First Talon about where she was. Further interrogation proved to Lucanis that the Crow wasn’t lying. However, the Crow was an example of why you didn’t cross the First Talon.

As they neared where Isa was being held, it was clear the place was being watched as it was a little too barren for the area. Adelina looked it over before she pointed out the second-floor window that was the only one that was barred. The rest of the windows were closed and covered with curtains or other items, but that one was the only one that had bars covering the glass.

Adelina wondered if Isa was put on the second floor for a reason, questioning the motives of the people in charge. Was it to increase the confidence of her rescuers? Was the barred window supposed to be the trap? Or was it the red herring? Isa had already escaped once. It made sense for them to reinforce her surroundings.

There were too many variables, and Adelina started to overthink it. This was completely different from the last contract she had gone on where she it didn’t matter who lived or died as long as the target died. Now she needed to make sure her target lived, and that was a different task entirely.

Before she could overthink herself to the point of panic, Henry stepped forward and placed a hand on her should gently. She nearly moved to remove his hand before she remembered who was with her. She nodded, knowing that he was there to help. They would work together to get her out as they had agreed to.

Thalia also came forward, mentioning that this reminded her of a treasure hunt in a strange way where it was important to get in and out with the prize without it or anyone else getting hurt or damaged. Adelina nearly laughed before she understood what the Lord of Fortune was saying. The Crow let Thalia take the lead and make a plan, starting with the basic infiltration with Adelina’s help on the basics of Antivan building design. While she was sure the layout wasn’t out of the ordinary, she wanted to help anyway she could.

Isa struggled in her binds, more frustrated than ever as she started to get rope burns on her wrists. The man who had set the trap kept coming in and chatting with her, wanting more and more information about the Crows and Lucanis. She had kept silent after their first conversation, and he was growing more irritated.

She wasn’t sure how much longer it was going to be before her captor was going to start resorting to either torture or possibly sending different parts to her lover to motivate one of them to do something.

Regardless of her position, she was proud of Lucanis for not doing anything rash, though. The last thing Isa wanted was to see him get hurt because he flew right into a trap designed for him. She was glad that he had seen what was happening and resisted the clear bait, even if it meant terrible things for her.

Of course, that didn’t mean she was going to sit there and do nothing. Isa was going to fight tooth and nail until the end, regardless of what was going on. They were going to rue the day that they ever thought about using her for bait, that was for certain.

Isa heard the hand move, and she started to struggle more in her bindings, wanting to get out even more, gnashing her teeth in frustration. Any day now could be the last straw for her tormentor, and she did not want to see that day.

However, the door swung open, and Isa froze with wide eyes as Thalia and Henry stood on the other side of the door. The Crow blinked before Adelina pushed past them to reach her while Wysteria, Idrilla, and Elene weren’t far behind.

As Adelina cut her bonds, Isa stared at each of them, shocked to see the six of them working together. It wasn’t surprising to see them as a team, since they were all clever and hardworking, but Isa never expected these people to ever meet each other. Not to mention it never crossed her mind that these people could be her saviors.

“Grazie,” Isa whispered, forgetting herself, while Wysteria healed her burns.

“Gern geschehen,” Wysteria answered with a smile and wink.

Isa laughed, gripping her friend’s hands, before turning to the others who were watching the door. Adelina was checking the window, but it was definitely the barred one they had seen outside. Henry had given an alternate exit plan, and it seemed that they were going to have to go that route, even though it was riskier.

“Ready to go home?” Thalia asked as Isa turned to her.

“More than you know,” Isa replied with a sigh. “But I don’t understand. How are you here? How did you know?”

“A Crow saw you and reported it to Lucanis. I found out, and you mentioned you had met and help people around Thedas,” Adelina explained.

“Since the Crows couldn’t get involved since it was an obvious trap,” Wysteria added.

“We decided to come get you instead,” Elene finished, walking over to help Isa to her feet. “Figured that you would have helped us if we were in the same position.”

“Of course I would have,” Isa replied with a grin.

“So, let’s get out before the rest come pouring in,” Henry mentioned. “I hit the leader guy pretty hard with my hammer, so I don’t think his friends are going to be very happy when they see his body.”

“No, probably not,” Isa replied with a relieved smile, letting the others take her home.