Chapter Text
Rook let out a deep groan as she settled onto the green meditation room couch. It wasn’t exactly the most comfortable piece of furniture, but she had been making do ever since they had decided to make the Lighthouse their impromptu base within the Fade. It wasn’t as if she spent a lot of time sleeping there, anyway. She only ever came to the meditation room when it was necessary to speak with Solas, or when she was so exhausted she was nearing collapse.
It was the second reason that had brought her to the dimly-lit room today. Rook and her team had bounced from Minrathous, to Arlathan, to Treviso, and back again in the span of the last twenty-four hours, all while mapping out the Crossroads between destinations. She wasn’t sure if sleep had ever sounded as appealing as it did right now.
However, just as Rook was preparing to close her eyes, something in the periphery of her vision glinted in the light of the aquarium. It immediately drew her gaze to the low table propped along the back of the chaise lounge.
Rook hadn’t brought many personal items with her when she had moved into the Lighthouse. She had not joined the Wardens with much to begin with, and she had learned through long weeks of rough travel to only take with you what you could easily carry. All that she had brought with her to the Lighthouse had easily fit into the bureau drawers along the wall. The small pile of knick-knacks on the meditation room table had certainly not been among the small number of things she had arrived with.
She felt her expression twist in confusion as she eyed the items before her. There was a silver Antivan coin, a single black crow feather, and a glittering silver hairpin laid side-by-side. The coin and feather seemed rather inconsequential at first glance. It was the hairpin that caught and held her attention.
Just yesterday she had been in Treviso with Lucanis to meet with his cousin regarding the whereabouts of Zara Renata. They had taken their time shopping through the markets before stopping to sample some of Antiva’s finest coffee. While shopping, this very hairpin had caught Rook’s eye. She had been alone when she found it - Lucanis being distracted by selecting fresh fruit for Neve at the time.
She had stopped to admire the small, silver adornment for only a moment. There was a glittering purple gem at its head, surrounded by delicate twining branches that descended into a smooth, sharp point. Rook was rather unaccustomed to such finery, but the beauty of it caught her eye all the same. She hadn’t even bothered looking at the price of the object, already knowing that it would be foolish to attempt to procure such a thing for herself. However, she had spent long enough inspecting it to know that this hairpin in her room was undoubtedly the exact same one.
So how had it gotten here?
Rook chewed her lip absently as she picked up and examined each of the strange objects from the table before her. Was someone playing a prank on her? Did the Caretaker leave them here for some purpose? Had one of her companions come here looking for her and left them here by accident? Surely it was no coincidence that each of these objects could be tied back to the Crows or Antiva in some way. Was someone trying to send a message?
Rook sat and debated with herself for a long moment as she tried to make sense of what she was meant to do with these things. Finally, she could deny sleep no longer, and she left the small pile of curiosities sitting where she had found them to deal with in the morning.
—-----------------
When Rook woke the next day, she found herself just as puzzled by the mysterious appearance of the pile of oddities as she had been the night before. She scoured her room, trying to see if anything else had been moved or taken, but everything looked to be exactly as she had left it. Finally, she accepted defeat with a shrug and decided to make use of the gifts until whoever left them there provided more information.
She pocketed the coin, hid the feather in her wardrobe, and used Varric’s gifted mirror to carefully arrange the pin in her hair. She knew it was silly, but Rook couldn’t help but pause and admire her own reflection for a moment. She wasn’t delusional - she knew that she was no striking beauty by any means - but the pin was delicate and pretty where it sparkled amongst her messy curls and it made her smile to see it there.
Next, Rook moved to the kitchen at the other end of the Lighthouse. Upon entering, she was surprised to find all of her companions sitting and chatting amiably at the long wooden dining table in the center of the room. They all usually kept their own schedules, coming and going as they pleased and grabbing food as needed. It was strange to see everyone gathered together in one place and talking about something other than the end of the world for once.
“Oh, Rook!” Bellara greeted her brightly.
“We were wondering if you were ever going to show up,” Neve added with a soft smirk.
“Did I miss something?” Rook asked. “Was there an announcement about breakfast? Or did news come in while I was sleeping?”
“Don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything,” Harding assured her. “We all just … happened to be hungry at the same time. It was bound to happen eventually!”
Rook eyed them all suspiciously as she stepped forward to take her usual seat at the head of the table. She still couldn’t shake the feeling that she was missing something.
As soon as she was seated, Lucanis dropped a heaping tray of steaming crepes on the table in front of her. There were already half-eaten plates of fresh fruit and rolls lingering along the center of the table, as well as a small tray of sliced meat.
“Coffee?” Lucanis offered smoothly, already moving towards the machine at the edge of the kitchen.
“Yes, please,” Rook agreed eagerly, eyeing the fresh food before her with delight. “We should schedule breakfasts like this more often.”
“I know how to make omelets,” Harding piped up helpfully.
“Oooh and I know how to make this smoked meat that would go perfect with those!” Bellara added.
Rook smiled blithely as she listened to the other women at the table exchange idle banter. The food that she piled on her plate smelled warm and inviting, and she found herself hoping that they were serious about their plans to recreate this experience.
She was startled from her thoughts when Bellara suddenly gasped and leaned across the table towards her. “Rook!” she exclaimed, her dark eyes wide and trained just above her eye line. “Where did you get that hairpin? It’s lovely!”
Rook floundered for a moment, unused to her appearance being admired in such a way. “Um … I don’t know, actually,” she replied slowly. “It sort of just … appeared in my room.”
“Appeared in your room?” Neve repeated, her eyes narrowing in her familiar “detective look”. “When did you notice it?”
“Just last night,” Rook replied. “I was actually hoping one of you was going to tell me you put it there.” She tentatively caught Lucanis’s eye as he slid a full cup of coffee before her and took up his usual seat at her right. However, his brows only furrowed in confusion when he noticed her glance.
“Don’t look at me,” he said. “I didn’t put it here.”
Rook dropped her gaze to her coffee, hoping that none of them would see the flush she could feel in her cheeks. She hoped her expression hadn’t looked too disappointed. “It’s just, I think I saw this hairpin when we were last in Treviso,” she explained slowly. “I didn’t say anything when I saw it, but then it just … appeared in my room.”
“How does a hairpin from Treviso wind up in a hidden magical Lighthouse in the Fade?” Neve mused aloud.
Rook could see the gears turning in the detective’s head. She felt a sudden stab of nervousness in her gut as she realized she was on her way to becoming Neve’s next big case.
“Just forget it,” Rook assured them all easily. “I’m sure it’s nothing. This Lighthouse is weird in ways we don’t fully understand yet. Maybe magic brought it here, or recreated it somehow. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.”
“Maybe the Lighthouse could make something for me, too! It certainly is pretty,” Bellara sighed wistfully. “You should wear stuff like that more often, Rook. It really brings out your eyes.”
Now Rook was blushing for an entirely different reason. She never would have guessed that one simple hairpin would garner so much attention. She honestly wasn't sure if she enjoyed it or not.
Just as she was about to attempt once more to convince her companions to drop the subject and move on, Lucanis tensed and began choking on the sip of coffee he had just taken.
“Lucanis?” Bellara leaned over and gently patted his back in concern. “Are you alright?”
“Fine,” the assassin wheezed. “I’m fine. The coffee was just hotter than I was expecting.” He pressed a hand to his chest and cleared his throat roughly.
Rook noticed that he seemed to be avoiding her gaze as he wiped a strained tear from his eye. She also noticed, as she took a sip from her own coffee, that the drink was not nearly as scalding as Lucanis claimed it to be.
They slowly returned to their breakfasts, and one by one the others of their group began trickling out of the kitchen to prepare to start their days. Just as Rook was about to make her own departure, Lucanis suddenly called her back.
“Rook,” he murmured, his expression oddly hesitant. “Do you have a moment?”
“Sure,” she replied, sliding back into her chair at the table. “Have you received word from Treviso?” she guessed.
“No.” She noticed that Lucanis still seemed hesitant to fully meet her gaze. “I … It’s about the hairpin.” Rook swore she could see a blush coloring the skin beneath his beard. It was an oddly charming look.
“Would I be correct in assuming that this isn't the only … unexpected gift you've received lately?” he asked slowly.
Rook’s mouth opened and closed a few times in shock. She hadn’t mentioned the coin or the feather to anyone this morning. How could Lucanis possibly know about them?
“That’s … correct,” she finally replied, her tone now as hesitant as his.
“Was there also a coin?” Rook didn’t respond, but her answer must have been written plainly on her face. “And a feather?” Lucanis guessed.
“You know who put those things in my room.” It wasn't a question. Rook’s eyes narrowed on Lucanis as she waited for him to explain.
“I think I do.” Lucanis paused, his expression twisting into an embarrassed wince. “I think … it might have been Spite.”
Whatever Rook had been expecting him to say, it certainly hadn't been this.
“Excuse me?”
“I have no idea what’s possessed him, but he says this hairpin is the latest in a series of … gifts he's been leaving for you.”
Rook was silent for a long moment as she let this information sink in. She had been concerned about the possible purpose of these strange items in her room, but knowing that a demon put them there only confused things further.
“Gifts …” she finally repeated, her tone flat with disbelief.
“Yes,” Lucanis replied slowly. “He said he's been placing these things in your room since we got here. I apologize Rook, I really had no idea he was doing this. I swear I won’t let him go anywhere near your room again …”
“But … how ?” Rook demanded. “How is a demon wandering the Lighthouse and sneaking into my room without anyone noticing?”
Lucanis heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes closing in an expression of extreme frustration. “Spite becomes stronger when I sleep,” he reminded her, his voice sounding defeated. “I guess he's been using that to his advantage. I try to rest when you and the others are gone, to make sure he doesn't disturb you. But I guess he figured out a way to cause trouble anyway.”
Lucanis’s eyes slid open and fixed on an area of empty air between them, his expression now a vicious scowl. Rook could nearly picture the demon who was no doubt lingering there, snarling at its host.
“Okay ...” Rook continued after a moment. At least things were starting to make a little more sense. “But … did he say what these ‘gifts’ are for?”
“It is difficult to find reason behind any of Spite’s actions.” Lucanis's brow was furrowed, as though he were trying and failing to decipher whatever Spite was telling him. It was clear that he was just as confused about all of this as she was.
“I suppose I can understand the coin and the feather,” Rook continued slowly. “Those seem both eccentric and easily-available enough to a demon. But this …?” She gestured awkwardly to the pin still sitting amongst the curls on the top of her head.
Lucanis’s gaze fixed on the hairpin, then quickly fell away. Rook was certain this time that he was blushing.
“He … or, I suppose I should say we , saw you admiring it in the market when we were in Treviso,” he replied nervously. “I did not say anything at the time because I did not wish to pry. But then you bought that wyvern tooth dagger when I wasn’t looking, and …”
Lucanis's words faltered yet again and he paused to shake his head slightly. “Spite and I do not see eye-to-eye on many things,” he finally continued, “but in this, I suppose I cannot fault him. You deserve something nice. I do not know if I can confidently guess Spite’s intentions, but I hope that you keep the gift as a symbol of gratitude - from us both.”
“You don’t owe me anything …” Rook attempted to argue, but Lucanis cut her off with a swift wave of his hand.
“We do ,” he insisted earnestly. “But you should keep the gift regardless, even if you cannot accept our gratitude.” A blush was still covering Lucanis’s cheeks, but he forced his gaze to meet hers in spite of it. He flashed her a small, crooked smile before adding, “Bellara was right - it suits you.”
Rook felt as though all of the air had suddenly been forcefully evacuated from her lungs. Still, she somehow managed to ask, “You think so?”
Lucanis nodded slowly, watching Rook with an expression that suggested he was confused by her reluctance to believe him. “You have a keen eye for such things. I must admit I was surprised when you walked away from it at the market.”
It was Rook’s turn to blush as she gave a small, dismissive shrug. “I am … unused to indulging in such finery,” she admitted. “Living on the road as a Grey Warden isn’t exactly easy. I rarely have the funds or occasions to warrant these kinds of things.”
Lucanis’s head tilted slightly as though he were examining her with newfound interest. “That is a shame,” he replied slowly. “You will have to allow me to show you the finer side of Treviso sometime. After all, it has been a while since I have indulged in the extent of the city’s true beauty, myself.”
“I would like that,” Rook replied, unable to hold back a shy, hopeful smile.
“Think we could spare an extra day or two the next time we're in Treviso?” Lucanis asked.
“I don’t think I can make any promises with the world the way it is right now,” Rook replied, her smile widening into a wry grin. “But I’ll see what I can do.”
“I look forward to it.” There was a slight waver in Lucanis’s tone that almost sounded nervous.
Rook’s grin softened again as she murmured quietly, “Me, too.”