Anri mostly passed city guards and templars along the main streets of Hasmal City. There were some trading carts and merchants set up just outside suburban walls, but the commoners were spotted within their siloed districts. There was an odd quietness common to each district with tension stemming from fear and suspicion.

  "Since the Mage Rebellion the distance between races has increased, but it was never this bad when I got here. The abductions have put everyone on edge." Lysette sighed as she led the way down a dirt lane walled in burgundy stone.

  He nodded.

  They continued their walk toward the lone tree visible in the distance, passing through pavilion paths to reach the Alienage high walls and guarded closed wrought iron gates.

  Lysette boldly approached the two city guards keeping watch of the gates.

  These guards well-worn leather armor was clean enough to pass dress checks and show the Free Marches winged sword heraldry on their iron chest plates, but their scruffy beards and loose scabbards betrayed the truth of their devotions. Anri suspected they were given the gate duty to compensate for a penalty; otherwise, they'd be playing dice in the tavern.

  "Templar business." She started.

  The guards looked Anri up and down with suspicion.

  "Right, and him?"

  "He's helping me."

  "Helping? Dem elf is Dalish. I'm not gonna let trouble in." The scruffiest of the guards sniffed as he exerted his authority.

  "Maybe if you let me in, I could draw trouble away," Anri sarcastically said that had the guard frowning.

  "Or you knife-ears could cause a riot. I don't want to deal with your shit."

  Lysette rose her voice as she firmly stated. "Do you really what to try mine and the Templar Order's patience?! We're here to solve your problems, good sers."

  The authority in her voice made the guards concede. Anri's lips twitch with a smile at seeing her assertiveness.

  "On your head be it elf." The guard spat at Anri when he followed Lysette into the compound.

  "Well done." He grinned and gave her a thumbs-up once they were out of earshot.

  "As you can see, these guards are just as wary. We need to be careful."

  He dropped his smile as she lead him further into the Alienage. Despite having traveled many places as the Inquisitor, it was the first time he had entered one and it gave him mixed feelings. Especially when every glance he caught from elves was a glare. Some hurried away like he was an oncoming plague. The people closed their doors to him, except for a small group led by an elder. He suspected the wise old elf wearing modest and clean dark robes was the alienage's leader.

  "Human, we've held to the city's rules of confinement" The old elf's grey eyes stared squarely at Lysette, purposely avoiding contact with Anri.

  "I'm not here for that. I'm on Templar business investigating the missing people. Lord Anri here is looking for a family member." Lysette's tone softened when she added, "Do you have any information that could help us?"

  The old elf frowned, and the younger and burlier elven men next to him growled as they recognized the vallaslin covering Anri's left eye.

  "You! You're not welcomed here."

  Anri gave Lysette a gesture to reassure her that it was okay. He stepped forward.

  "Why? Did you per chance come across another carrying this mark?" He calmly addressed the man.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "He and his kind wandered in three months back with their smooth talk. Now Delana's daughter is missing!"

  Anri stifled a yelp when he felt a stone knock his head. An elven woman in modest commoner dress had grabbed a handful of small rocks and threw a few at him.

  "Get out! Your kind stole our children. Dalish devils!"

  Lysette unsheathed her sword but paused when Anri gave her a look to put it away.

  He stood there taking the stones cast upon him so the sides of his head were trailing blood.

  "I'm here to find my brother Servis. Please, I need to know what happened." His request drew out more elves who added their anger to the woman's, stirring up a heated mob.

  Soon everyone's focus was on Anri. He didn't waiver and gave Lysette a look to take her chance.

  "Servis? That devil caused it all." An older man cursed as he grabbed a broom and rushed for Anri with his rage, who cried out with pain and cowered with his one arm to block the beating. But as soon as the man saw the half-arm that was without a weapon, he paused and took a few steps back.

  "You only have one arm?"

  Anri panted for breath, feeling his head throbbing and aching like it was about to split open. "I've traveled from Kirkwall to find him. Please." He dropped to the ground, panting and struggling to withstand the pain in his head and back.

  His pitiful and weak sight tempered some of the rage, but they still regarded him with suspicion.

  However, the alienage's leader was prepared to talk. Anri had withstood the people's brunt and ire without flinching or raising a hand, he respected that.

  "He's not here. He came in with a group of runaway slaves three months ago. At first he seemed genuine in wanting to help the people, but then Delana's daughter went missing, along with some of our hunters who vanished with him. The other Dalish took more of our people to search for the others and they never returned. We heard other races were missing people and the humans came to accuse us. Then some of our children were taken from their beds." The leader soberly commented.

  "Do you know where he hunted?"

  "Out in the Ash Hills not far from the city. It is a place for all manner of blighted beasts like quillbacks and phoenix."

  Anri wobbled to his feet and bowed with his thanks. He caught Lysette returning to him and her slight gesture to say it was time to go.

  "Thank you."

  "Anri." Lysette helped him out of the alienage. When they were out of range, they both blew sighs of relief.

  "We need to get you to a healer." She handed him a healing potion that would tie him over at least.

  "It's minor. Rocks won't damage this tough nut." He joked as he tapped his head and cringed at the sight of his own blood.

  She groaned and shook her head. "I'm sorry. If I knew they would react that way..."

  "It worked out well. We know that Servis-elf had taken trips to the Ash Hills with his victims."

  She nodded. "While the elves were attacking you I was able to check one of the nearby carts and saw a letter poking out beneath a rock of one of the wheels. It revealed this Delana's name. When I grabbed it I saw it was a love letter from Servis. There was a faint acrid stench on the paper, the type red lyrium would give off."

  They gathered around the letter she had held up before them.

  "I wait for you beneath the unwavering moon over the blessed hills where the winds sing to welcome our love." Anri read and scratched his head at the corny love poem.

  Lysette tipped her head to one side as she studied the code behind the words. "Unwavering moon. It could mean the coordinates. The moon tends to be prominant toward the northeast side of the city this time of the year."

  Anri rubbed his chin with his thoughts. "Blessed Hills, Ash Hills, it's likely they're the same thing. So the moon remains strong and high over a specific area of the Ash Hills."

  "But this wind singing. Not sure where this would be."

  "I guess if I follow the moon's position, it would lead me to where the wind sings and hopefully the missing people."

  "My lord, you were easily weakened by the elves back there. I'm not sure I want to see you further in danger."

  Anri bellowed with a hearty laugh. "If I wanted to hurt anyone back there, they would be dead. It's fine Lysette. It's best you take this knowledge back to Brycen. If red lyrium is involved, it's a far bigger issue than what you and I are investigating. We can't let the order face another Red Templar situation, especially when it's only regained some of the people's trust."

  Lysette still looked unconvinced.

  "Put it this way. If you go to investigate, it might tip off the enemy. But if I go, I'll be just another hapless traveler about to enter a spider's den."

  She sighed, realizing he was deadset on taking the risk. "You make sense. Okay, I'll report to my Knight-Commander and await his further instructions."

  "And I'm going to take a moonlight walk. I'll go in stealth. Best if no one knows I've left. Whatever you do, make sure no one follows me. I'll return once I've located the people and source of the trouble. In the meantime, have the order deny my involvement with the investigation to ensure trails are not lost."

  Again she expressed her concerned, but Anri was once the mighty Inquisitor who vanquished a darkspawn magister so felt he should be okay.

  They separated to carry out their individual tasks.