Karl does not let the melancholy feeling of 'just one more thing he can't share with Anders' take over.

Instead he delights in that smile. "All right. Wanna get back to work? There were some notes on runes of Holding I just know we could use."

Blaise nods eagerly.

Karl scoops him into a one armed hug, then leads him back out into the main room. 

He leans into him and follows.

He waves at the siblings and Rae as they go past. "We're going to get back to it. You all good here?"

"Uh-huh! Rae was talking about Dalish magic!"

Cia's cheer is a little forced, but mostly genuine.

"I know a bit about that!" Comes a sweet, high, very Dalish voice.

Ilska spins to her feet, reaching for the dagger she's still armed with.

Raeli laughs. "Hello, Merrill."

Merrill bounces into the room, immediately wrapping an arm around Rae. "Hello Rae! And Defiance, of course." 

She doesn't even notice Ilska's dagger.

She turns a bright grin behind her at Karl. "Anders went past looking like a stormcloud, so I thought I'd come see if everything was all right?"

"He didn't go anywhere, did he?"

"No. He's just in the courtyard. Why?" 

She drops her voice to a stage whisper. "Did Justice do something again?"

"I rather think this might've been my fault, but regardless."

"It's just so sad. If they stopped trying to change each other, they might actually find balance. I worry, sometimes, that Anders destroyed the person he meant to save." 

Karl winces.

Raeli sighs. "Spirits living in people is...not an easy thing."

"No. But balance is possible-" Merrill catches sight of Blaise, and her eyes light up. 

She leaps up from Rae and bounces over to him. "Hi! I don't think I've met you before. I'm Merrill, and you are- by the Dread Wolf, but there's some power coming off you!"

Blaise twitches away from her, startled by her exuberance, and looks to Karl for help.

"It's all right, Blaise. Merrill's loud, but she's gentle," he coaxes. 

To Merrill: "Blaise isn't really human. He's a spirit who has made himself a body. It's magic I've never encountered before."

"That's the kind of magic from before the fall of Arlathan!" Merrill's eyes are huge, and she stares at Blaise with amazement. "You are very special to have pulled yourself from the Fade intact!"

"I- That is-" He shrugs. "I'm not sure I did?"

"Oooh, maybe I could ask my friend, he would know!"

"We're actually going to walk the Fade. Find where Blaise used to be."

Merrill claps her hands excitedly. "There's a Dalish rite for that! Doesn't need lyrium, or blood, or anything! Just something strong to tie him to both this world and the Fade!"

-He perks up a little bit at that - any new magic is interesting.