— Solas’s lips pursed as he regarded the messy sketches in front of him. He was banking on the fact that the city was recognizable in any way. Surely, Sundrinker hadn’t altered the very layout of Bleakbriar, right?

— morning, before everything.

“If we follow the streets all the way around,” Solas said, cluing Maggie in on his thoughts. “…we’ll cover both harbors and the residential districts. From there, we’ll sweep the markets in the center of town. Maybe the debris won’t block our paths too much…”

—

Solas did need the extra paper. He muttered a quiet thanks in Maggie’s general direction, far more focused on his project. His eyes darted across the pages as he worked quickly, sketching out a map of what he remembered of Bleakbriar Port. At least, what Bleakbriar Port had looked like that —

-- it gently before returning to the table to spread out the parchment.

"The food may be done soon," he said in an absent tone as he began to sketch. Big squares at first, then the shape of the forest. As Solas worked, he felt the tension slowly melt away. This was productive. This would help.

"Nah, we shouldn't bother them while they're cooking," Solas said, gently letting the spider back into the drawer. "I don't know exactly what she's saying, but I don't think she minds if I take the stuff inside here."

Very carefully, Solas retrieved a stick of charcoal from the drawer and closed --

-- parchment rolls that he didn't look inside, and yelped when a little fuzzy spider crawled up his arm.

"Oh! Damn, I didn't realize someone lived in here. Sorry for barging in. I have something important to do, may I have the charcoal?"

-- did everything I could. I won't stand by and regret it for the rest of my life."

He rounded the table and crossed the room to the dresser against the wall to open the drawer that Druid had mentioned would have paper and drawing tools. He was so focused on reaching in and grabbing the --

-- He wanted to punch a hole through this beautiful wooden table. But he took a breath. There were better ways to direct this anger.

"If everything is fleeting, then we have to act quickly. If I'm going to be mediating on these memories for the next hundred years, I'm going to make damn sure I --

-- learn such a painful lesson. Hundreds were dead, and now he was the one left to feel the oppressive weight of all that loss? Now he was the one who had to meditate and process and come to terms with this unimaginable tragedy, while none of his friends would get the chance? 𝐹𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡.

--

Solas silently looked down at the same spot on the table that Maggie was focused on. It sounded like she was still processing her decades-old trauma, which didn't give him much hope for his own emotional storms to blow over any time soon. Part of him was furious with Sundrinker for forcing him to --

-- you're going to help me figure out what."

-- of secrets. "I'm the only one I see here all the time. And *I'm* perfectly healthy, so... I don't know what could be wrong."

His brow furrowed as he studied the strange glowing pendant, jumping around as though it were in distress. "...But it seems like something definitely is. Looks like --

-- in a single swig, wincing as it made its way down. Healing tinctures enchanted with magic always tasted a little off. The aching throb in his ribs began to subside rather quickly.

"I've never met any forest guardian," he said, handing the bottle back to Blazer to put back into his trench coat --

-- he couldn't tell what it was. He'd chalked it up to the hornworm-ivy issue, but clearly it ran much deeper than that. But... what could be guarding the forest other than himself? If there was a spirit here, Solas thought he'd know about it.

Regardless, he swallowed the contents of the vial --

-- without her? He'd never want to leave his friend behind, but they were on borrowed time. If the Abyss was as big a threat as Fleet and her friends had said, he'd have to snatch the statue before tending to any injuries she might have.

"Fleet!" he whisper-yelled down at her. "Are you okay??"

-- land is blessed or consecrated or anything, but I'm the one who takes care of the place. If you want to do anything with it, you have to clear it with me first."

-- work, maintaining the delicate balance of the ecosystem here. There's invasive ivy, an exploding hornworm population that's eating everything 𝑏𝑢𝑡 the ivy, and-"

Solas shook his head. He'd gone on a tangent. That wasn't what the man - Blazer, was it? - had asked.

"I couldn't tell you if the --

-- though not necessarily for the better. Solas had grown to quite appreciate these woods and its inhabitants, and any new visitors could threaten it. Especially ones who were interested in the land in particular.

"...Well, if there is a guardian spirit, they're no help at all. It's a lot of --