"If you need any help, we're always here."

"We say like half an hour after meeting you. But it's true."

“Hawke said that. He’s lovely too.”

"Like attracts like?"

Merrill blushes. 

Tabs does not want to ruin this. She wants to continue it and she wants to extend friendship to Merrill- 

But she needs to extend their plans. 

They need some time to speak about this alone.

"You mentioned a space for us? We just arrived in Kirkwall, is all, and we're dead on our feet."

“Oh! Of course. I’m about to head over to- well. A friend. She’s worried about her son, and I thought I’d lend a hand. You can use my room!”

Merrill stands, and gestures them over to a worn door. 

Anya follows and takes the room in.

"Make sure to shoo us whenever you need to. This is your space and that's important."

Merrill blushes deep red. "I- of course! Friends do that. Friends- I- I'll see you soon!"

With that, she's gone.

Tabs shuts the door. "I am literally going to die, she is so cute."

"Jesus christ, she is. That was... beyond anything."

"I know I'm cute? But that was ANOTHER LEVEL."

Anya laughs. "Definitely. Though with the whole elf thing... you're also coming for her brand too."

"She's gonna be A LOT better at it than I am. I know what the Old Gods and Elvhen pantheon actually are, remember."

"Eek. Yeah, you have a point." She takes seat on the bed. "So. Aaaa?"

"Yeah. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa."

Tabs threads her fingers into her hair. "Where the hell do we start?"

"The Deep Roads. Definitely. That's one hundred percent when things really start going to shit."

"Okay." Tabs spots spare parchment...vellum? She guesses they call it? And grabs it. There's a quill and inkpot next to it. "Agh. Here's hoping that one time I did penmenship in year 5 pays off." 

She notes down 'Deep Roads', only splashing ink a little. "Okay. We need to convince Anders to go with them, because I can't see us having an effect on Carver."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Unless Hawke totally vetoes it. Which... we have no idea if he will do."

"Exactly. So, my ulterior motives aside, we need to befriend Anders, or at least somehow convince him to be a Grey Warden once more."

"Should we tell him, or anyone, about the red lyrium idol? Because, legit, that shit needs to not leave that Thiag. Ever."

"Varric. We tell Varric, definitely. Frame it as we've heard tales? From that thaig?"

"We'll need to put more detail in that. Who we heard it from and a little bit about it. Otherwise we're going to look like shady idiots when he asks more questions."

"I could cite a Dalish legend? Make something up about the Dread Wolf? God, no, that would probably just make him wave it off. Do we know who told them in the first place about the thaig? We get their names, we're part way there."