Gwenhwyfar turned around to see an elven woman with bright red hair she'd gathered in pieces standing before them.

Duncan smiled at his companion and said, "Ah Rainey! I believe we've found another elf to join the Grey Wardens." Another Gray Warden? Huh. This new elf wasn't even wearing armor.

"I see." Was all the woman said as she took her time looking Gwenhwyfar over. She could see her brows rise slightly as her eyes followed the lines of the lyrium marking her skin and a slight look of confusion when she glanced at her hair; people were always intrigued by the hair, it was the main reason she kept her head covered whenever she went out in public.

She started to feel uncomfortable under the woman's heavy scrutiny and decided to break the silence herself. "It's nice to meet you." She held her hand out in a gesture that was universally friendly everywhere in Thedas…well, not Par Vollen, but that was a whole different world. "Rainey was it?"

"It was." Rainey took the offered hand and gave it a firm shake as she smiled at the younger girl. "And still is." There was another awkward silence. Gwenhwyfar wasn't used to talking to people, not really. She could chat up most people she planned to steal from, but that was all an act, a script she'd learned while studying her prey; this was a completely new experience for her, and she felt disoriented being so far out of her element. "And your name is?" Rainey prompted.

"Gwenhwyfar. It's Gwenhwyfar. But you can call me Jenny. It's Gwenhwyfar, but it's Jenny. Did that make sense? I hope that makes sense." She knew she sounded ridiculous, but she didn't know how to stop.

"So, you go by Jenny then?" Rainey asked.

"Sometimes, you can call me whatever…" She answered, her brother never used anything but her full name and Jack called her whatever his whims dictated… and those were the only people she talked to, so there really was no hard and fast rule she could trust here.

"I'll call you Gwenhwyfar then…unless I have something I need to say in a hurry," Rainey told her with a wink.

"Well," Duncan broke in. "We are under orders to leave the city today. So if you're ready?" He looked down at me meaningfully. They had to leave today? Maker, Max wasn't going to like that! She could sneak out quietly, but then he would think someone had taken her by force and come find her, probably killing Duncan and Rainey in the process.

"Today? I don't think my brother is going to let me leave today," She muttered, disappointed in herself for still thinking of herself as property.

"And are you under orders to obey your brother?" Rainey asked, arching her eyebrow.

"Not exactly…" Damn her, she still felt loyalty to him. "I have to tell him. I've never disobeyed him before…"

There was a silence as that sank in for her companions; she must have sounded like an idiot from the way they were looking at her.

"I thought you weren't a slave anymore," Duncan finally said.

"You were a slave?" Rainey asked, there was concern and interest playing across her face. She was used to that as well; free elves always think they have it the worst until they have a real live slave standing in front of them.

"I was…not to him," She clarified awkwardly; she hadn't been forced to explain her circumstances since she'd landed in Par Vollen. The Qunari might unsettle most people with their austere mannerisms, but she would choose that over eager interrogations like this any day. "But I have to tell him nonetheless."

"Very well," Duncan agreed.

"And where is this brother of yours?" Rainey asked.

"The last I saw him, he was going into the Pearl," Gwenhwyfar felt her face heat up as she said it, of course that would be where he was when she had to find him with others in tow.

"Ah," Duncan said, a fond look of nostalgia spreading across his face. Men, go figure.

"Well…I'm going to assume that he's had time enough to enjoy what they're offering," Rainey turned on her heels, obviously knowing exactly where she was going. Maybe it wasn't a man thing after all.

It didn't take long for them to make the short trek to the Pearl and Jack noticed Gwenhwyfar the moment she stepped through the door. She returned his eager wave and proceeded toward him despite the fact that Max was sitting across from him with a lapful of Isabella. She tried not to think about it, but it was obvious that they were… ahem… on extremely friendly terms.

Her brother looked over to see who Jack had been waving at and promptly let his companion fall to the ground as he stood up anxiously. He had always demanded respect from her, had always expected it to come naturally, but they both knew that seeing him like that had brought him a little closer to the rest of Thedas in her eyes and he would probably never get back what he'd lost.

"This is why I don't like virgins," Isabella complained jovially from her spot on the floor. "They ruin everything!"

"Aww, don't listen to her my poppet!" Jack crooned at her, but Gwenhwyfar just stood there, quietly resenting the fact that, by the time she left, everyone in Denerim would probably know her sexual status… or lack thereof.

"You're a virgin?" Rainey asked incredulously and the younger elf turned to look at her with a death glare. Did she have to say it so loudly? "A virgin and a slave? What a sad life! Slavery is one thing…but virginity is too heavy a cross to bear! You," she pointed determinedly at her new charge with an air of duty. "Will be my apprentice. I shall teach you to enjoy life. The way it was meant to be enjoyed!"

"I would like to see how you enjoy life sweet thing," The Rivaini woman said as she stood and readjusted her clothes so that they were minutely more modest."My name is Isabella…"

"We should be on our way," Duncan cut in, but he couldn't hide the fact that he was enjoying the scene that had been laid out before him.

"We?" Jack asked. Gwenhwyfar had hoped that he would understand, but there was hurt in his dark eyes. "You're all leaving? Or…"

"No. You're not going anywhere," Max told her flatly. I knew by now that the hum of electricity in the air meant he was angry and I usually wouldn't cross him, but it was my life we were talking about after all.

"I thought I told you that you can't tell me what to do anymore," Was the taut response Max received. He was completely taken aback. She owed him. Her life would be forfeit if he wasn't there to protect her and yet she dared to defy her in front of all of these people?

"I'm only looking out for what's best for you." He looked down at the floor as he said it, knowing that looking at her would only hasten the magic his anger produced. "After all I've done for you, you should show me more respect than this."

It was too much to be borne; Gwenhwyfar let the lyrium course through her veins as her rage mounted. "My life is my own and I've decided to dedicate it to the Warden's cause."

As easily as he'd let himself get angry at his sister, Max knew it would be of no use to take this out on her here. He felt the negative energy wash out of him and he deflated a little. "Then I suppose I'll have to go with you." He told her, his defeat evident in his voice. "I've kept you alive these last four years; I refuse to let it all go to waste."

Gwenhwyfar could feel her triumph radiating from her face as the light from her markings died down. "Duncan. Rainey. This is my brother, Max." She introduced them, hoping that this little incident wouldn't keep them from all getting along. Whatever their problems were, Max was one of the only two people in the world that she truly trusted.

"Take some time to say your goodbyes," Duncan nodded gravely. "We'll be waiting outside."

"Well, I suppose I should have known I couldn't keep you forever." Jack said as he wrapped his young charge in his arms.

"This isn't a final goodbye, my friend." She said, not even able to convince herself. "I'm sure our paths will cross again someday."

"Ah, poppet." He shook his head condescendingly. "Gray Wardens aren't allowed to have lives of their own." She knew that, after all, it was Jack who'd told her those stories in the first place.

"But it doesn't mean…" She let her voice trail off, unable to bring herself to comfort either of them anymore.

"I'm glad you found something to do with your life, even if I would have liked for you to live it for yourself instead of these Wardens." His eyes were wet, but he refused to let tears stain the last moment he had with his little poppet.

"Thank you, Jack." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He was as close to a father as she'd ever had and it was hard to finally turn and walk away from him, but she managed to do it somehow. Max and Jack simply gave each other cursory nods before they walked out the door and into the bustling Denerim sunlight.