"I can't believe it. The keep has been completely overwhelmed. How did this happen I don't understand..."

"How many Wardens are here?" I asked, as I quickly tied a bandage around my left thigh. We had just defeated at least half a dozen shireks. I was exhausted, and I knew better then to keep carrying myself on like this. I was sooner or later going to hurt the baby, my baby. I leaned against the cool wall, and closed my eyes for a brief second counting how many arrows I had used up.

"A dozen perhaps. But there were soldiers that came with them. The darkspawn to ambush the Keep so effectively...I didn't know they could do such a thing."

I opened my eyes at that, and slowly looked to the pile of bodies that where stacked up on the other side of the hall. The walls where drenched in the victim's blood, with some splatter on the ceiling. Vomit started to rise in my throat as I saw some of the blood start to drip down onto the floor to mix with some of the shrieks.

"I still need you Mhairi..." I said as I forced myself up away from the wall. "We will send them back to the black city, I promise!"

Mhairi looked at me, then nodded her head. "Yes Commander...we will."

We then ran up the stairs to the fights that lay ahead of us. We were later joined by a young mage that reminded me too much of my husband and as we continued fighting our way through the Keep, we came across two more dwarves, a few survivors and a dear friend of mine.

We fought like demons and on our way we saw people die. Mhairi's friend Rowland, and several other fellow Grey Wardens. We were sadden, but it just fueled us even further. I felt horrible that I hadn't come sooner, or else I could have saved them. And as we ran through the last door to where he had told us of the talking Darkspawn, I couldn't help but feel the anger that I had once felt. They were going to pay. All of them where.

"...others will come creature. They will stop you!"

We ran around the corner to see at least four darkspawn, and one human being held at sword point.

"There it is..." hissed Mhairi as we stopped.

"It seems your words are true, more then you know..."

I didn't hear what someone said behind me, as the world at that moment started to spin. I had to catch myself from falling as I heard, "Commander..." I looked up then the person being held at sword point and saw someone that I left in the past with so many others.

"...but kill the others."

Taking a dagger that I had picked up from a fellow dead solider, I threw it at the nearest darkspawn. Not seeing if it hit or not, I took a deep breath of air, hoping that the dizziness would go away as I pulled back a notched arrow. I could hear Oghren's battle cry as he charged the battle field like a mad brunto. I could feel Ander's fire start to lick my boots as I fired the arrow fair and true through the skull of the first Hurlock I laid eyes on. I felt something sear my right shoulder, and as I yelled my battle cry of "Grey Wardens!" I turned on that darkspawn like a dragon would turn on it's attacker. It was too close for me to fire off a shot properly, so instead I smacked it in the head with my bow before I dropped it. Favoring Dumat's Claw, and Spine instead, I blocked it first blow, then kicked it in the stomach sending it down to the pit of spikes that it had sent a solider not a few minutes before.

I turned around to see another Hurlock charge me. I of course charged too, with my teeth baring. I ducked his axe swing, with my right shoulder leading, and used the quick footing that Zevran had taught me to pull the darkspawns leg out from under him. Not wasting a second I raised my boot, and smashed his head in. Raising my head, I smiled as I flipped Dumat's Claw in my hand and sent it flying, straight into the back of the talking Darkspawn.

"Commander..." I turned around to the person that was held at sword point. He was taller then I, with grey and white hair. His eyes were golden brown. He had aged since I saw him last, and my heart sunk in my chest as the old memories started to flood back. "...I owe you my life." I didn't say anything as I held back the vomit that was slowly creeping up my throat. What could I say to him? I quickly looked away, and back at the dead once talking Darkspawn. The others quickly dealt with the foes that they were fighting against, as I squatted down and pulled my dagger from corpse.

"Soldiers on the road..." I looked at him when he said that.

"A little late for the dance..." I moaned swallowing back the vile as I slowly stood up, to look at what he was looking at.

"Yes...well lets just hope that they are more hospitable then our previous guests." He turned and slowly walked by me. I did whatever I could to keep from looking him in the eyes. After so many years, he still hasn't changed. And hopefully he won't.

I kept my distance away from Varel, as we waited for our new guests to arrive. I could feel his eyes on me, and I prayed to the Maker that he wouldn't say anything about what happened three years ago. But my worries about that went away as I saw a familiar figure walk up to us.

Alistair.

"King Alistair!"

"It looks like I arrived a little late. Too bad I missed the whole darkspwan killing thing," said my husband as Mhairi stumbled behind me to kneel. Varel was kneeling beside me, and I just kept my eyes on my husband as thoughts of whether or not to tell him was racing through my mind.

"I wanted to give the Wardens a formal welcome but I wasn't expecting this..." He looked me with worry and concern on his face. I smiled a brief, weary smile at him before he looked at Varel and said, "Whats the situation?"

"What Darkspawn remain, have fled your majesty. The Grey Wardens that have arrived from Orlais are either dead, or are missing."

"Missing as in taken by the darkspawn? Do they even do that?"

Another wave of dizziness came over me, and I started to feel my legs buckle.

"I do not know your majesty. I only know that we cannot account for all the Wardens."

"I see..." He turned away from Varel to me. I tried to show that everything was ok, but I could feel myself starting to sweat. I needed to tell him. "...and how bout you dear wife. You weren't badly hurt I see."

I smiled at him. "Noting can take me down. You know that."

"I forget that I married a War goddess," he laughed as he hugged me.

"I need to tell you something," I whispered in his ear before he let me go.

"Later...I promise..." He whispered back. But the way he looked at me, I knew better and I was right. Before I could say anything I found myself "taking care" of the situation. I found myself with a few more Grey Warden prospects, a place for my things for a longer duration, and I found my husband leaving me. It took all that I had left in me from the dizzy spells and the intense last few hours, to stand there watching him leave. Tears sprang to my eyes as I watched him and his entourage walk through the gates. The same gates that I watched someone else leave me to go to do their "duty".

"Commander?"

Scowling, I quickly wiped the tears away and turned around to face someone that stood in the same spot so many years ago.

"What is it Varel?" I whispered as I met his eyes.

"There is something that needs your attention as soon as possible..."

"What doesn't need my attention as soon as possible?" I laughed as I started to walk towards the Keep. "We need to start searching for any survivors and getting the wounded treatment right away. And don't forget I also have to contend with the local nobles who apparently are about to storm this Keep." I placed my hands on my hips and took in the actual damage. "Which now won't be that hard to do." I stopped and turned around to face him. "We also need to get the three recruits through the Joining as fast as we can. I refuse to be one of the two remaining Grey Wardens in Ferelden..." I smiled. "...again."

"And that is why you are needed, Commander..." He paused to slightly bow at me, then continued. "...the pressing matter that I have mentioned is about a possible recruit."

I crossed my arms as he motioned me to follow him. Finally after going through a few doors, he stopped in front of an old, decaying door, and turned around to look at me. "It involves your...husband."

"What does Alistair have-"

"Not Alistair..." He interrupted as he slowly opened the door for me to see the last person I thought I would ever see on this Maker given earth.

There sitting on the ground in a small cell was the person that I thought died in the Free Marches four years ago.

"N-Nathaniel?"

And that was when my legs finally gave out.