Buddycop Heist

She'd said she had something to give him. 

Why, then, was she not here? 

Fenris scowled down at the whimpering Mabari pup at his feet. Though his ire was not directed at the dog itself, the creature had the unfortunate onus of another puzzle. Since when did Vela get a Mabari? And why were the beast's eyes glowing blue? 

Devotion, came the disembodied whisper. Fenris frowned deepened, but he crouched down. The pup - a dark brown brindle thing - wagged its tail emphatically at him. 

"Where is Vela?" he questioned. But the disembodied whisper did not come again, and the pup instead proceeded to cover his outstretched hand in frantic kisses. 

He sighed, and then straightened. It was utterly unlike her to miss an appointment. The spirit - for he was not completely ignorant, and it would have been stranger that he not recognize the thing after years in Anders' proximity - notwithstanding, turned to investigate the papers on her desk. Perhaps she'd left a note? Or received an urgent missive? He was not gentle as he uprooted the drawers and pulled papers towards his face, and an inkwell tumbling heedlessly to the floor as the pup jumped up to 'help' him. 

His search turned up nothing. He tapped a gauntleted talon against his hip, thinking, as a strange sense of foreboding washing over him. How long had she been gone? He moved towards the door, the Mabari pup closely dogging his heels. A smear of red on the doorframe caught his attention. 

Blood. His eyes narrowed.

He stepped out, scanning the hallway. As soon as someone familiar rounded the corner, he flagged them down. "Have you seen Ve - the Keeper?"

Solas had Aelera in tow; the little girl was telling him all about her plans for the day with her Mamae. And as he approached her rooms, he slowed. Something wasn't right. The space felt too... empty.

And as Fenris stepped into the hallway, his eyes narrowed. Not because the other man was there, it was to be expected. He'd had no expectations for the other man to stop pursuing Vela. Just as Solas would not leave Mythal.

It was just a fact of their life.

Vela is not home? He frowned, and let his gaze wander to the red-haired child next to him, hugging a Dread Wolf plushie tightly in her little arms. She was supposed to spend the day with Aelera. He explained, frowning.

Someone passed by, dressed in a cleaner's uniform, and Solas moved to catch them by their shoulder. Please watch after this child until I return.

The person dipped their head, and led the child off with promises of sweets and new games. He watched them leave, and only when they were gone, did his attention return to Fenris.

I thought her presence seemed faint. He murmured, stepping nearer to the mercenary. You've searched the room? Any clues?

A sudden bustle of activity drew the attention of The Huntress. That, and a worried murmur from Asala. Something was wrong. And given it was about where one might expect to find her Kadan... that was a problem.

Frowning into a scowl, The Huntress dropped down from her perch.

Matters seemed only worse having seen the child in the care of someone. Someone that was not her parent. Turning, she called to her panther. Asala, beres-taar. Nodding at the child, she didn't wait to see if her companion would oblige. She knew Asala would do as asked. Defend the child, defend Vela's little Aelera.

She finally stopped when in the presence of the two elves. Her eyes scanning both, then the room about them. The Huntress did not wait for either of them to acknowledge her presence; instead she began to examine every inch of the room, looking to find any little detail they might have missed before her arrival.

It wasn't as if she did not think them wholly incompetent, but rather preferred the task herself. This was her life, after all. The purpose the Qun had bestowed upon her. The one she'd continued to grant to herself even after becoming Tal-Vashoth.

His movements drew the attention of those whom Vela held dearest. First Solas - whose position in Vela's life was irrefutable, but altogether ambiguous. Then the Huntress, familiar for her proximity, for her constant vigilance of Vela's person. Fenris had never been formally introduced to either, but he recognized them, knew of them, at the very least.

He shook his head in sharp denial when Solas asked if Vela was at home, his frown deepening. He might understand if Vela had simply gotten busy, and forgotten her meeting with him - but it was not like her to neglect her ward in any capacity. That, if nothing else, proved to him that something was amiss. He tapped the mantle when the older elf asked if there were any clues, bringing Solas's attention to the small smear of blood across the wood.

"Something happened. This is unlike her." His voice was low, matter-of-fact. He did not do panic as a matter of course, but alarm was clear in the sharp corners of each spoken word. He turned to look at the Huntress, his eyes following her movements, waiting to see if she found something that he had missed. He proceeded to ignore the small Mabari puppy...spirit...thing...sitting on his feet.