"I don't remember offhand. It's been a busy couple of months. Pretty sure Metella has, though, there was that bit of trouble at Kinloch Hold."

"I had heard something about that. The key point is that blood is most powerful when it comes from a living donor, or is spilt in the act of death. Siphoning from an unwilling vessel requires a certain amount of time and focus. Kill their allies quickly and cleanly, and don't let them have space to perform a ritual." She quirks a smile. "Other than that, it's not much different from fighting a conventional mage."

"I can work with that."

"Good. So. This golem suit you have. How does it work?"

"When this is all over I'll be happy to take you to Orzammar to ask Caridin about the technical details. I'm not a master smith myself, so the intricacies are a little lost on me, but my understanding is that the lyrium in my blood makes me a little bit like a golem already and that was enough to let him bridge the gap. He's working on a version that any dwarf could use; he's not sure whether it'll ever be possible to make them for anyone else."

"Lyrium in your blood?"

"If you catch Metella in a good mood after this little scuffle, she might let you see her experimental notes. Yes, lyrium in my blood. Politics in Orzammar can get remarkably exciting sometimes."

"It must," she murmurs. "I shall have to think about arranging a visit at some point."

Shianni, apparently discomfited by the look on Eliana's face, maneuvers so as to put Stalas more firmly beyween her and the magister.

Fine by Stalas. "You can come back with me after we end the Blight, if you like. I can introduce you to Caridin and his apprentice, if she hasn't already gone to Kinloch Hold to study magic by then."

"I think I would like that."

"Excellent. And I think Metella should be back any minute now. Will you be helping or staying out of it? Anything non-obvious I should know about the layout of the building?"

"I will help if you trust me to. There are a number of traps to look for-" and she can provide details on where and how to avoid triggering them. "Caladrius will be in his office, near the loading dock at the other end of the building."

He nods.

"I'm thinking Hesta and Kador and I will knock politely on the front door, and you can go in the back with Metella and Clare. Hesta and Kador are golems, Clare's more or less a mage."

"How much less than more?"

"In addition to being a mage she's one of the best archers I've ever seen, and not bad with sword and daggers either."

"Interesting. I didn't think the southern Circles permitted their charges that much freedom."

"They don't. Clare is, shall we say, unofficial."

"Aha. Far be it from me to decry such heterodoxy."

He laughs.

And then Metella appears around the corner and beckons him over.

"See you in a bit," he says cheerfully, and goes off with Metella.

"...Why are you doing this?"

"Because I like my fellows only slightly more than you do, and because this operation was finished the moment he learned of it, even if Caladrius thinks otherwise."

And here is Metella again.