The long silence—which he would fill, with anyone else, with babble to disguise that he’s thinking—is half to evaluate the probability of that being true, half to evaluate the possibility that Byerly’s voice is also coming from some potentially sinister mimic.
He doesn’t come to a decision on either of those topics. Only on this one: ]
[ Riding out to meet them on the road and add one more body to the pile that could result if the Venatori realize and catch up to them: also extremely tactical. ]
Are you still in the mountains? The foothills? Do you think you could find caves?
[ He's still packing. And he wasn't doing it carelessly before, so much as with clipped efficiency, but now he's easier with it. Fewer noises. ]
If they are hunting us specifically like this, and we are worth bringing the dragon out—we are going to have to be more careful. I suppose that is something for you and the others to talk about when you are back.
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bygones, sending a message to pastien
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[ Everyone has hid the ball so thoroughly in private messages, he expects this to be news— ]
That’s not Benedict. Didn’t he tell you? I told him to tell you.
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[ God damn it Artemaeus. ]
It is him. A version of him from the future. Some Stark Rifter Tevinter magic nonsense, it sounds like.
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huh.
The long silence—which he would fill, with anyone else, with babble to disguise that he’s thinking—is half to evaluate the probability of that being true, half to evaluate the possibility that Byerly’s voice is also coming from some potentially sinister mimic.
He doesn’t come to a decision on either of those topics. Only on this one: ]
I’m coming to meet you.
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All right. I'll see you on the road, mon coeur.
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[ It’s intended as good-bye (for a few hours because I am coming to meet you) but before he can actually disconnect, he stops. ]
He said you died.
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[ Bemused, rather than horrified. The possibility is so unreal and abstract that it's more puzzling than frightening. ]
I rather wish he hadn't. It makes me feel like a coward. Abandoning these people to save my own hypothetical skin.
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[ Or get them out, from the sound of Marcus and Jude’s conversation. ]
And if it’s true, it’s not only your skin.
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It just feels - [ dishonorable. Isn’t this the point of them? To help the defenseless? ]
Well. You know.
But we must be tactical.
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[ Riding out to meet them on the road and add one more body to the pile that could result if the Venatori realize and catch up to them: also extremely tactical. ]
Are you still in the mountains? The foothills? Do you think you could find caves?
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[ bastien gets trapped on one desert island and suddenly he's a survivalist king. ]
The foothills. I can ask to see if...anyone knows how to find a cave.
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If they’re watching, if they realize you aren’t coming—if there’s a dragon.
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A bloody dragon. No one in their right mind would willingly get near a beast like that. If that's true - then yes, we certainly stand no chance.
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[ Behind him are the ambient noises—flopping leather, quiet thuds—of someone packing to leave. ]
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Alright. Alright.
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[ Checking in. ]
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[ He's still packing. And he wasn't doing it carelessly before, so much as with clipped efficiency, but now he's easier with it. Fewer noises. ]
If they are hunting us specifically like this, and we are worth bringing the dragon out—we are going to have to be more careful. I suppose that is something for you and the others to talk about when you are back.
Are you close enough to be back before nightfall?
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[ A brief pause and a muffled conversation as he lowers the crystal to confer with someone. Then, a little louder as he responds to Bastien: ]
Not quite. We'll get to Kirkwall a little after sundown. Then the time to get back to the Gallows.