"Your Majesty, are you there?" Varric's voice rang out through the quiet stretch of the forest. His sharp eyes swept over the dark expanse of trees as the faint glow of moonlight filtered through the canopy above.
He clenched his jaw. They were close enough to catch Zevryn's scent and yet the emperor was nowhere to be seen.
"Keep searching," he said curtly, his voice low but firm. "He must be nearby. Don't let your guards down."
Varric exhaled through his nose, his breath visible in the cold air. He had been looking for the emperor for quite some time now, following the faintest traces. And yet, despite every sign pointing here, the emperor remained elusive.
When he had first been informed that Zevryn had been escorted back to his quarters unconscious just hours ago, he had known something was amiss. The report that even Minister Kaelith had been summoned urgently by Elder Yasoria had set off warning bells in his mind.
