She almost regretted asking, more because of his answer and the reaction he had than for the question itself. She couldn't fault him for the path he took or for what he felt. Had she been there, had she been subjected to the same, she wasn't entirely certain she'd be able to stay as objective as she tried to be in Kirkwall at present. Even with her sister and father as mages, watching good friends and comrades fall so quickly could easily change her mind about what role magic held in the world.

Her fingers lightly tapped the side of the bottle, a minor sign of her agitation. The sympathy in her gaze could be apparent, though she was concerned that he might mistake it for pity. Still, she held his gaze and nodded. Her hand went out to settle on his arm.

"It makes you a good Templar to be wary. Even people who want to believe the best in everyone have to be careful of whom they trust, whether they're mages or otherwise." Varric had the right idea in that respect.

She released him so she could take another idle drink from the bottle of brandy, handing it back to him so he could partake as well. "I don't think you were complacent. Who would want to believe that their friends and allies, people they'd known for years, would turn on them or succumb to the demons they'd kept away for so long? None of your fellows did."