Luhan abandoned the tavern as fast as he could appropriately escape without calling attention to himself. Close to an hour after his lie, he was starting to freak out, to second guess his intentions, and to wonder what this meant now. He had a mage upstairs that he'd publicly claimed not to have found, a whole party of travelers who already knew of his plans, and an ever more sly looking assassin sitting in the corner accessing everything he said, or didn't say. 

He didn't want to go upstairs, not with the rate his heart was pounding, not with the feeling of sickness in his gut, like he wanted to throw up. The moment he breathed in the fresh air of the late night breeze, the world seemed a little calmer. But only just. He still had no idea what he was supposed to do now. The templars would expect him to return to the Circle Tower now. After they'd chided him for being a failure, they'd made subtle suggestions like that was the plan. Luhan would return. He'd go back to being a normal, low ranked templar who did what people told him to do, forever an outsider by virtue of his foreign blood. Perhaps he'd be sent out on other requests to round up maleficar, and possibly kill a few some day and be lauded for his heroics. Not even the thought of the Knight-Commander's niece's pretty smiles seemed like consolation this time.

Why ever had he been in such a hurry to return home. It wasn't even a home. Just a place where he dwelled until someone told him to go somewhere else. He'd sworn service to the Templars, a life long commitment, and he couldn't renege on it now. His only matter of course was to release Xiumin, whom he'd claimed not to know, pray to the Maker that the man wasn't an actual blood mage who might go on a killing spree on any given time, and return empty-handed. It was too late to suddenly say he had a mage in custody, and in any case, there was no way he could consciously take Xiumin into such a fate, either death or Tranquility. 

Before he knew where he was Luhan stood in the shadow of a ruined windmill. It lay up the hill from Redcliffe and had a gorgeous view of the lake and town. Lake Calenhad looked peaceful at night, belying no hint that around each of its shores was a world of crime and deception intermingling with the otherwise daily routines of the people who made a living farming or herding. If only he'd had such a life, then perhaps there wouldn't be any hard choices to make. He could settle down and by Andraste's grace, he'd take what came to him. A little hut somewhere and a parcel of kids and... the image faded in his mind, was replaced by a face much more familiar to him... one he saw every day and every night. He shook his head angrily, intending to let everything go for one night and decide what to do in the morning.

Ten steps down the hill though he heard something whooshing through the tree line next to the ruined mill. He paused, turned around to inspect whatever animal or person it might be, but then from below him coming up from the town he spotted two other figures instead. And suddenly, nothing boded well in Luhan's mind. 

"Hail, templar!" called Jongdae with a shout and a grin. 

Luhan did not repeat the assassin's job title out loud, although sometimes he wondered if perhaps he should. "Jongdae," he said evenly, even though his heart was beginning to pound again.

"Well you sure ran out of there in a hurry!"

"What do you want?"

Luhan was eying the other man, confused and doubly nervous because why was the bard who couldn't sing accompanying an assassin on a walk along the edge of town at night?

"Wow, that's surely a rude tone to use on somebody who just wants to help you," said Jongdae, placating him with a smile, palms up innocently his side.

"Help me? What do you mean?"

As Jongdae approached him, Luhan held still, eyes alert as if for a trap but the assassin looked as friendly as ever and the bard had on a wide smile. Not that that meant they were harmless. Come to think of it, Luhan had no idea what the man's master plans were, given his otherwise flimsy excuse that he was just traveling between destinations. To find him now in the presence of a bard though was troubling. Bards were great singers and travelers by job description. They also commonly masqueraded as...

"He's a spy, isn't he?" said Luhan matter-of-factly.

Jongdae did not look surprised by his accusation. The bard, however, seemed to take great offense. 

"A spy?" he reiterated with great indignation. "A common spy? Jongdae, did you hear what he called me? I, sir, am no mere spy."

The assassin just laughed. "Alright, you got us. He's actually a master spy." 

Luhan's eyebrows shot straight up, not from shock but more out of curiosity that they were discussing this so cooly. "Is that so... Okay?"

"Bard Jung Joon Young, at your service," said the master spy with a flourish and a bow. 

"At... my service?" Luhan repeated. 

Jongdae sidled up next to the templar and snuck an arm around his shoulders, and for a moment Luhan thought this was really it. He was going to get a dagger in his side, either from Zevran or Isabella, Jongdae's trusty little blades. Or maybe the bard would sing his ears off. Luhan tensed though, not pulling a sword or shrugging him off because his curiosity was so great it was overriding his anxiety about the apostate mage and his own fate as a templar.

"I heard your little tale this evening," Jongdae whispered cruelly into his ear. His voice was slippery, cunning. The kind that could offer a service and also demand one in return.

"My... what?" Luhan decided to feign innocence just to keep him talking.

Jongdae just chuckled. "Luhan, my friend. I think you have run into a big problem. You... like the mage."

"What? I do not!" he tried to move away, but Jongdae wouldn't let him, holding him fast.

"You like the mage," he repeated. "You don't want to give him over to the Circle Tower. I think... you want to continue running away for a little bit. Really, Luhan this situation isn't hard at all. Let's look at this from a few angles. You claim to not know where he is. You also don't want to part from him yet. You don't want to go north to the Circle. There's another party headed in yet another direction." He paused for a moment while Luhan thought.

"And...?"

"As I told you, friend. It's simple. Why don't both of you just continue on with us for a bit? See the world. Have an adventure. Live a little, Luhan. Fall in love," he finished in a whisper. 

Barring his last suggestion, Luhan pondered on it. Could it really be so simple? The western path along Lake Calenhad still ran north after a while. He could still claim to be traveling 'home' if just by a circumferent route. And as soon as the idea took root, Luhan wanted to make it work. It would give him time to think about the future, and the mage. The problem remained though that the templars had seen him now. He would need an excuse, and no light one either to justify taking off in a different direction. And Luhan already knew his skills at lying were stretched and stretching ever thinner.

"I can't," he said out loud, sighing and otherwise resigned. 

"Why not?" asked the assassin, apparently pouty.

"Because... I just can't. I am honor bound to my duties as a templar. I... if I haven't done my job, as I said I haven't, then I need to return."

Jongdae sighed as well, but his was more sorrowfully disappointed, perhaps in Luhan's capabilities. "Oh, my dear templar. You have utterly no imagination. And that is why I'm so glad to have come across you in your time of need, to be of assistance!" He rubbed Luhan's arm, comfortingly cheerful. "Think of it this way. You say you don't have the mage. Yet. But, what if you were to be tipped off of his whereabouts? Say, a letter that arrives in the morning, that just so happens to be pointing northwest?"

A chill ran down Luhan's spine. "A letter...?"

Jongdae's voice aggravated the sensation, his breaths coming now very close to Luhan's ear and tickling the hairs on his neck. "Yes. And also, to make it quite official, perhaps a letter from the Knight-Lieutenant delivered to the Chantry and thence to you, begging for a templar to stay on this mage's trail. Blood magic, you know, is no light offense... Somebody needs to find him, Luhan." Jongdae continued on even slower: "That somebody should be you, however and whenever you decide to find him." 

What had happened to all his knightly fervor that Luhan was now properly imagining it? It would solve so many problems, except for the inclusion of the letters, but Jongdae already knew where his mind was going.

"Incidentally, there is a report of a mage hiding out near Haven. We've already intercepted it for you. And, my friend here is quite good at forging letters. We can get you a confirmation assignment, no problem."

Bard Jung smiled cheerfully as well. 

"Come on, Luhan," Jongdae pleaded. "Do it for Xiumin."

Instead of being terrified by the proposition, Luhan was more concerned about the master spy's apparent talents. "Does he fake handwriting better than he sings?"

Both of them immediately laughed, like Luhan wasn't a part of some joke they both already knew well. Jongdae smacked him on the arm again. "Friend, you are funny. But Bard Jung is actually an exceptionally talented singer."

"It's true," said the other man with a shrug and a smirk. "I just like to lessen my Maker-given talents before certain eyes. If everyone were to hear my beautiful voice, why, I'd be at the beck and call of every little lordling in this part of the world. Them and their petty little arling rivalries. But I make my own plans. I also play the lute! You should hear me sometime, Just... not in the Redcliffe Inn." And then he winked.

They parted shortly after that, the assassin and the bard/master spy returning first while Luhan mulled over their agreed upon plans. There was still an anxious burning in his chest, one that said this was all a mistake and he should never continue forth. He was already living with one lie. He was about to make it worse by tenfold. Even though it was all for Xiumin, and for settling his own guilt-ridden heart. 

The moon that night was especially bright and rather pretty. Luhan wanted to blame it for giving him hope and a sense of calm. Out here everything seemed simpler, especially after his discussion with 'friends.' Perhaps it was a good thing he'd gone for a stroll. Perhaps it was just what he needed?

A twig broke just beyond the tree line, and this time Luhan swerved and just knew someone was watching him. It couldn't be though! Had someone been listening in to his entire conversation? 

"Who goes there!?" he yelled, frantic once more, and this time he did draw his sword and take up a defensive stance. His eyes could not see past the brush and foliage, but the forest had gone easily silent. Too silent for a place that had just heard a loud crack of movement. "Anybody?! Come out so I can see you!"

Luhan feigned all the bravado that he did not actually feel. He took several light steps towards the forest. Another twig snapped, then the sound of a foot upon dry leaves, and Luhan immediately darted towards the origin of the sound. As soon as he moved, so did the figure, and all Luhan could see was the outline of a robed form, all shadows among the trees. He, however, moved faster towards it than did the person and after a dozen footfalls he nearly reached it. His sword hilt forward, Luhan dashed towards him and reached out a hand to contain him. He brushed one palm against the person's bared arm before a stump tripped him, and instead of capturing the stalker Luhan ended up face first in the dirt and leaves, sword crashing by his side and wrist bruised by the fall. Regardless he jumped back up to continue the attack, only to realize the figure had vanished, long gone in the brushes. The only thing that remained was Luhan himself and a very cold, chill night air. 

As he walked back to the tavern, Luhan cursed his bad luck, his bad hand into his good. Of course he shrieked and winced from the forgotten pain, and as it it singed from the bruise, Luhan flapped it around mid-air. Only then did he notice something that made his blood run colder than at any occasion all evening: a streak of gray all across his palm and middle fingers where he had touched the creature before he slipped away... and suddenly Luhan guessed what it had been. 

Even to the gates of Redcliffe, something had followed them. 

And that was an even worse thought than the fact that he'd promised a favor to Jongdae in return for the forged document and intercepted letter. Any favor. He'd just promised any favor to an assassin and a spy, meanwhile something continued to stalk them in the night. 

If it wasn't for Xiumin and the threat of Tranquility, Luhan would have run back immediately and begged the templars at what time tomorrow they were leaving so that Luhan wouldn't miss it. Somehow, in such a short time span, Luhan's life had grown so chaotic. He wasn't sure when, and he wasn't even sure which part was the worst. 

"You're very silent this morning," said Luhan to the mage upon waking up. 

"Am I?"

Luhan wasn't the first one in their loft to awake. Jongin had been up well before anybody, barring Jongdae, but Luhan suspected the assassin may not have even returned during the night. He crept up the stairs though just as Chanyeol awoke, and that elicited plenty of groans and complaints from the two-handed warrior, as if he hoped they might sneak out without Jongdae noticing and thus be free of the man. 

Ever since Luhan and Xiumin began to stir, however, the mage had been moody, keeping more to himself than usual, eating by himself.  Even Sehun thought to ask him if he was alright. 

"Will you miss our friends after today?" Luhan asked him, still wondering how to broach the topic of Luhan's - and thus Xiumin's - altered travel plans. The fact that the assassin had slipped him an envelope first thing hadn't gotten past the templar's notice. He would show them to the templars as soon as possible and so delay his return to the Circle Tower.

"I'll miss them desperately," Xiumin said dryly. He yawned and then continued to frown like he was upset about something else.

Luhan, on the other hand, smiled broadly. "Good to hear. Because... we're going to go with them for now."

"What?" said Xiumin incredulously.

The others had overheard as well. Jongin was the first to react, declaring his surprise and then overall satisfaction that they could continue forth. Chanyeol merely nodded in slight approval, and Sehun looked actually overjoyed at the thought that Xiumin was not headed straight for the Circle Tower. Baekhyun grimaced and asked if this meant they could fire Kris already, but Jongin hotly protested. 

"Why? How come?" Xiumin interrogated him softly. 

"Just... because?" Luhan fought hard to contain himself from smiling even larger, because Xiumin looked so confused and yet so hopeful. Was he doing the right thing? Luhan thought not for the last time that day. Maybe he was only making it easier for the apostate to escape this way. And maybe, he just hoped that Xiumin would stick around just a tiny bit longer, before that day finally happened.

"I wasn't going to mention this to the others," said the shield warrior to Luhan later when they went down to the stables together, "but I'm really grateful you're coming along."

"It's... nothing," Luhan told Jongin, but the man only shook his head and continued to look relieved.

"Only one mercenary... I feared it wouldn't be enough, even if the man turns out to be the most efficient fighter of all the ages. I'm really glad. Really glad," he kept repeating until Luhan began to blush, mostly because it had little to do with the caravan's overall safety that Luhan had made this choice. He felt bad at Jongin's assumption that it was.

"It's... not that far out of our way to be honest. And, I received news that there may be a rogue mage near Haven. Perhaps we'll part with you there to check it out."

Jongin's eyes widened at this turn of events. "Haven? Really? Did the templars you met with last night tell you this?"

"Uhhhh.... yes?" Luhan lied badly. However, Jongin didn't seem to notice. "W-Why do you ask?"

"Because I am headed there as well. It's not exactly close to where Sehun's aunt lives but the Chantry asked of me a favor yesterday when I went by. They want to send out a party to re-inhabit that town, but nobody has scouted the area since it was nearly burned to the ground a few years back. They're paying extra gold to whoever will inspect the site. I figured we could do it and then report back in before returning to West Hills in the spring. I wasn't aware there might be... rogue mages there."

"Oh." Luhan nodded frantically, for lack of anything better to say. In fact, Luhan didn't know what he intended to do in Haven either, although the report was true, or at least as true as anything with Bard Jung's dirty fingertips smeared along it. A part of Luhan's brain justified the Haven mage as the sole reason he was continuing west. And yet, he had no idea what to do if there actually was another mage there. Capture him? Kill him? Would Xiumin actually allow him either, or would that place become Luhan's death at the hands of not one but two mages? 

"Oh," he repeated dumbly. "Well let's go together then?"

Jongin beamed at him. "Yes! Actually, it would be awful to stumble upon the place without proper support. I'm really glad you're coming along with us."

"No... problem."

"And anyways now, instead of another mercenary, I can actually buy an extra horse or maybe a mule to carry some of our stuff. I'm worried winter will catch us unaware under those mountains. In the meantime, we'll need something to carry around all those extra furs Baekhyun purchased."

As they prepared to leave, it remained strange to Luhan that really, this entire excursion was being made for the sake of one little arl's bastard son. Sehun sat on his horse proudly while the others worked, attaching saddle bags to the second horse and the mule Jongin purchased with his advance Haven scouting money. There were nine of them now. Six humans, an elf, a dwarf and a qunari, plus one mabari hound and three four-footed creatures. Once upon a time Jongin was supposed to be traveling swiftly. Now, however, with all the threats they'd come across on the road and considering every unknown, Jongin confided in Luhan that he didn't mind how their numbers had swelled, so long as it made them look like a more intimidating party to any potential foe. 

Luhan didn't remind him that half their recruits were suspicious already, and now Luhan even numbered himself among that. He too was now traveling with false intentions. 

He also didn't tell anyone about the gray streak on his palm and fingers, just that he'd heard something scurrying in the trees last night, and a comment to Jongin that it felt vaguely similar to being watched. It was enough that the warriors immediately suspected the same creature or person who had been tailing them for weeks, and that caused enough fretting amongst them that Luhan just failed to mention the rest of it. That he'd actually touched it. Before they set off mid morning on the road outside of Redcliffe, Luhan peered again through the trees looking for anything discernible around the ruined mill, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Something wrong with your hand?" Xiumin suddenly interrupted him, and Luhan realized he'd been the inside of his own palm, where the gray streak had vanished by the time he woke up.

"What? No."

Xiumin reached for his hand anyways. He turned it over against all of Luhan's protests and examined it, just like he was expecting to find something hidden away, except there was nothing. Luhan knew there was nothing there, even if it had been there last night. A minuscule possibility remained that he had imagined it, that it had only been a shadow, but he knew as they all did that Sehun had born the same gray mark, before it too had faded. 

"See? It's fine," Luhan told the mage, trying to pull it away. 

"It's bruised. What did you do to yourself?"

"Last night, I... fell."

"You... fell?"

"Yes. Outside." Luhan's brain called upon every bit of composure he could muster, because Xiumin's eyes upon his were startlingly direct. Not to mention that he still held his palm captured within his own two hands. The mage probably didn't realize it, but the center of Luhan's hands were a sensitive area and Xiumin's calloused fingertips were doing things to him.

"You just happened to fall down outside, tripped over your own feet, and oh, you also happened to see something stalking you in the trees?"

Luhan gave him a half grin and finally ripped his hand away, not answering.

"Where'd you go this morning?" Xiumin suddenly changed tactics.

"What? I went to the stables with Jongin."

"No, I mean after that?"

If only Luhan could get the sensation of Xiumin's fingertips out of his mind, perhaps he could have turned the topic. Since it was technically his prisoner who was at the heart of this questioning. "I had an errand."

In fact, Luhan had barely waved the papers in front of Leeteuk's sleep-filled eyes, gotten a grunt of assent - or maybe it was a morning yawn - and then returned to the tavern. 

"Why are we going the long way around the lake with Jongin, then?" 

Enough! Enough with the questions, Luhan nearly snapped. He grimaced and put on a stern face, hoping once and for all to end the mage's interrogation. "Templars' orders. I need to check out something that happens to lie along the western road. It'll only delay our route for perhaps a week or two and then... we can say goodbye to our precious new friends and... make new ones at the Circle. Now, doesn't that make you happy?" 

He meant it to be facetious, almost willed Xiumin to make a face of dishumor, anything to get an adverse reaction from him. Instead, the mage continue to stare stonily at him before saying, "You're a bad liar, you know that, Luhan?"  Then the mage got in line beside Suho and Jongdae, and only Luhan stood at the rear of the party with Alistair at his heels, wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into. Again. 

3,900 words

So, Jongdae's plot/maneuvering continues, Luhan is one super confused templar, and oh yeah - they haven't shaken whatever is following them. This was such a fun chapter to write. Actually, I think I just love torturing Luhan's mind. 

Any guesses who the upcoming mage will turn out to be? Hint: there are only 2 members left to meet. 

Once again, I am back to writing ahead of schedule, and that makes me happy. That means I can tease you about upcoming plots of which I've already written. Expect some good old fighting action, and also.. Baekhyun's backstory beginning to unravel. 

♡ Rosie