Sereda had ridden Gorim ragged, but despite the discharge of energy she found herself unable to sleep. He was fast asleep in the hard bed. Quietly, she rose, fixed her hair, and equipped her armor before sneaking back into the Palace. Even in her own bed she couldn't sleep--and now she missed the peacefulness of Gorim's arms. Not like she'd ever been able to stay long--they would lie together for a while, but she always had to return to the Palace alone, and before she could be missed. Part of her greatly missed waking up to his face.

The 'morning' came all too quickly. The entire royal family, their squads, and their seconds, along with the Grey Wardens and their newest dwarven recruit had assembled in the deep roads. Lord Harrowmont and King Endrin stood just in front of the entrance to Orzammar. Down the path, towards a lost thaig and more roads into the Deep, stood the Grey Wardens, Trian and his squad, Sereda, Gorim and Bhelen.

Lord Harrowmont spoke first to the group. "Trian and his men will clear the way for the Grey Wardens to descend into the easternmost caverns."

King Endrin nodded, and gazed on his firstborn. "May the Paragons favor you, and the Stone catch you if you fall."

Trian turned to his men and the Wardens, ignoring their new dwarven member. "Come, men, glory awaits!"
The dwarven squad and the four Grey Wardens moved off, further down the main road before branching off into a cavern that led deeper into the underground. Harrowmont turned to the three youths before him. "Bhelen, you and your men will second the king, clearing the main road."

Bhelen stared his father's advisor down. "Don't you think it looks a little…cowardly to allow these humans to take our place where the fighting is thickest?"

Harrowmont slowly raised his eyebrows. "Are you questioning the battle plan?"

Bhelen's tone was sharp. "Of course not. I'm sure your caution is for the glory of us all."

King Endrin stepped between the two. "Enough Bhelen." He said firmly. "Take your men and make ready. Harrowmont and I need to speak with Sereda."

Bhelen snapped around to face Sereda. "Good luck, my sister." She nodded at him as he and moved to talk with a small squad of men.

Harrowmont motioned for Sereda and Gorim to follow him down the road, past where Trian and his men had diverted into the cavern. "Your father has a special mission for you." He said as they stopped outside another cavern entrance.

King Endrin nodded, and turned to face the entrance. "In the eastern Deep Roads, there is a secret door carved into the stone. The door leads to a thaig abandoned long ago by our ancestors. The darkspawn have made it impossible to reach. Reclaim the shield and glory will be yours!"

Sereda's eyes widened. A shield—the shield of Aeducan perhaps? "What else is in the thaig?" she asked.

Endrin shook his head. "My father's writings speak only of the shield of Aeducan. There may be countless others treasures, but only the shield matters."

Harrowmont continued for the King. "We've sent two scouts ahead to make sure the tunnels are cleared but be careful. One of the scouts will meet you at the first crossroads you come to; the second will be further in. When you get to the door, use your signet ring to open it. Questions?"

Sereda grinned. "Not at all…I'll be back shortly"

A small smile graced Harrowmont's face. " Very good. The crossroads where you meet the first scout will be the rendezvous point. There, you can present the shield to the lords and demonstrate the strength of Aeducan!"

King Endrin bowed before staring into his middle child's eyes. "May the ancestors watch over you my daughter."

The two youths bowed before the King and set off down the road and turned into the tunnel leading to the Lost Aeducan Thaig. Small fires dotted the tunnel's walls, torches Sereda assumed lit by the scouts who had gone before her. Not far in, they came upon giant spiders--in truth no more difficult to dispatch than a moderately trained dwarf. A branch soon occurred in the tunnel, a dead end before her . Suddenly a terrifying low growl squealed from her left. Sereda lifted her shield. Over its rim she saw the shape barreling toward her. Shadows flickered over the monstrous form, only increasing its terrible appearance. Its skin was like blood stained leather, over stretched on a face with two holes for a nose; as it growled again, teeth like daggers snapped at Sereda and she bashed the creature with her shield. It was no larger than herself, its red eyes glowing with malice. The creature attacked as fierce and quick as a dwarven berserker. As it stumbled around, she took the opportunity to decapitate it. The corpse fell headless. Sereda spat. Genlock--the lowest of the darkspawn hierarchy--so the tunnels weren't abandoned by the devils after all.

Dwarven corpses littered the dead ends in the tunnels, and she searched them for any identification. When none could be found, she took whatever lay on them that might be necessary or helpful in her own journey--health poultices especially. There was no crime in it, and she hoped someone would carry on with her equipment after she died--family or not, blood didn't matter as long as they were deserving. Only the left tunnel continued, and she motioned for Gorim to follow. They had only proceeded a short ways into the new tunnel when two more Genlocks rushed around the corner, their mouths slack jawed and drooling. The creatures didn't seem to have any concept of defense, so as long as the two dwarves could avoid the swings, they were easy enough to dispatch. Though she had to admit the creatures' appearance-and stench of decay-- was probably the first obstacle to overcome. After killing the two darkspawn Sereda and Gorim continued down the tunnel, which opened into a large cavern, three branches stretching out to the left. In the center was a small stage with small pillars, to the right of which was a dark-skinned dwarf who seemed very familiar, as did his magnificent helm...

"You made it, Commander." The smooth voice called out as he ran towards them. Suddenly she knew who the dwarf was, Fraundlin Ivo, from the Provings the day before. "Did you run afoul of any darkspawn?" He continued.

Shaking her head, Sereda chuckled. "A few...nothing we couldn't handle."

Ivo seemed nervous as he spoke, glancing quickly around at the adjoining tunnels. "We didn't expect any activity in these tunnels at all." He sighed. "Once I finished scouting the tunnels, I hid here to avoid the darkspawn. Most tunnels are dead ends." Pointing to the closest tunnel, he continued. "The one we want is swarming with those fiends. It's going to be a fight."

The poor warrior seemed ashamed to be hiding in the shadows. Sereda indicated for Gorim to take a place at her side. "Stone met, I'm sure you managed to dispatch a few before you were through. I do believe we fought yesterday in the Proving-- Fraudlin Ivo."

The edges of Fraudlin's wide mouth seem to quiver. "That I was indeed." He bowed his head. " Your gift of the helm was amazingly generously. I will treasure it always. May today's battles bring us even more glory." He drew a sword and shield. "I'll take rear guard. Shall we move?"

After quickly inspecting the farthest tunnel, which quickly ended in a cave-in, she continued to investigate the second. Besides a few deepstalkers--squeaking creatures with a mouth like a leech, the body of a lizard, and which walked up right like a bird. More deadly than a spider, but less deadly than a darkspawn, the biggest danger were the talons on their muscular forearms. Nothing cluttered the short, skinny tunnel than a skeleton, dwarf or darkspawn she couldn't tell, and a crossbow. Quickly grabbing the study weapon, she finally set down the third tunnel. Dimly lit, it soon opened up into another large cavern, half obscured by a large earthen wall. Inhuman growls echoed and Sereda grabbed her sword and shield again after attaching the crossbow to her back.

A small squad of darkspawn poured out from behind the rock formation. All were genlocks, but one seemed to hang back, screaming to the others. An alpha perhaps, she'd heard stories about those, stronger and even more vicious than a grunt. Smashing the nearest grunt with her shield, she ran towards the alpha. Behind her Gorim held the attention of another genlock and the creature his Lady had stunned as he watched. The way she brazenly rushed after danger amazed; maybe it was one of the reasons he loved her. Love remained something he could never quite put his finger on despite all their nights. She easily defeated the beast, but not before he had dispatched his own two, and Fraudlin had taken out an archer. Sereda grinned as she watched the alpha's black blood spill out into the light brown rock floor. A chest lay in the corner; she looted it, finding a few dwarven poultices and some bandages.

Only one tunnel branched and they took it going some distance before arriving at another crossroad. To the left and before them were dead ends containing corpses in varying states of decay. A hiss came from the left entrance and a lone genlock leaped onto her. With a loud clank, her armor deflected the creature's blow, but the force knocked her down, with the darkspawn on top of her. Warm black blood splashed her face, and she saw Gorim as he pulled the corpse off her. Smiling a thank you she again checked the bodies. While she did, a voice called out.

"You're here!" The voice was male, nasally but deep. "I thought the darkspawn had got you for sure." The second scout she didn't know by name--probably a poor soul from the army she would never properly be introduced to. He was clean shaven, pale, and had short auburn hair and freckles.

Glancing back at Ivo and Gorim Sereda chuckled. "I'm not that easy to kill."

The scout practically rolled his eyes as he walked out of the small cave before her. "Then I'll make sure I'm behind you if we're swarmed." He walked towards the right, where the passage continued. "We want the tunnel ahead, but there are darkspawn tracks all over it. Be careful."

With a quick nodded, she added, "Have you seen the thaig door yet?"

The man's round face flubbed as he shook his head. "I haven't ventured more than a hundred yards ahead for fear of alerting other darkspawn. I'll follow your lead Commander." He fell in line behind Fraudlin and Gorim.

The tunnel to the right stretched and curved into the darkness, free of darkspawn or any other creature. Again the tunnel twisted, the bright light from a fire Sereda's ears picked up a growling, grunting she was beginning to become familiar with Quickly she directed the group up against the wall, motioning for the Scout to come closer.

"You have stealth and trap training, correct?" she asked him, watching the entrance with one eye. he nodded, and she smiled. "Good. I believe the darkspawn have some kind of trap set up. I need you to scout ahead and disable any traps you see." She watched him as he stealthed around the corner. Tense minutes passed by as he fumbled around with several contraptions on the ground--claw traps most likely. Finally he came back around the corner. Smiling, she nodded as he whipped out a bow and took his place at the back of the formation. With her sword hand she flicked her fingers towards the opening. Leading the charge, she rushed the opening. Three darkspawn lay in wait--one was a mage. The mage lay a glyph--she could see it glow on the floor. Mages...she'd never encountered a mage before but she knew in battle they were dangerous. And she knew the strategy her father taught her. Always kill the mages first. Gorim knew the strategy as well, and knew as soon as he saw the Lady rush the mage that he needeed to have her back. He motioned for Fraudlin to take the other warrior, as he grabbed the nearest one. The scout was too far behind, so Gorim simply hoped he knew the drill and was targeting the mage with his bow. Again the battle ended quickly. Sereda managed to kill the mage before he inflicted any damage, or had time to recite a decent spell, and Gorim and Fraudlin had taken a similar amount of time with their warriors.

The small cave held various statues of dwarven make in surprisingly excellent condition, despite the darkspawn corruption or embellishment on a few. Sereda knew they were getting closer, and sure enough, the passage out of that cave was like a proper dwarven tunnel, with carved pillars and tiled floors. Soon they approached a door, the thaig door. It was open, and a few darkspawn corpses littering the entryway.

Gorim put a hand on his Lady's shoulder. "Looks like someone beat us to the door." he said softly as they all stopped.

Sereda bit her lip. "They had to have an Aeducan signet ring to get in."

Fraudlin took a place at her side. "It could have been stolen, recently or generations back." He said with a shrug.

The Scout grinned darkly. "Or it could be an ambitious cousin out for his own glory."

The Lady Aeducan sighed--Bhelen's fears were beginning to have some merit. "Let's not do anything rash." She said sternly, without hesitation. "Let's move men."

Fraudlin and Gorim nodded wordlessly beside her and her small squad follow her as she stepped into the thaig.

The thaig was dark; the torches that lit the other halls were absent here, except much farther, where some stone buildings sat beyond a bridge. And in the light, Sereda saw something that made her heart sink. A mercenary squad.

A swarthy man with a large nose, and equally large mustache and proportionately small beard greeted them with a grin. "So glad you could finally join us. We feared you'd gotten eaten by darkspawn. Would have been a shame." He looked Sereda over lewdly. "Turns out the shield isn't quite as easy to retrieve as I was led to believe. I wager you know where it is though. You're a pretty gal, hopefully you're smart too. So maybe you tell me where it is, and I don't let my boys have a go at you before I kill you."

Sereda heard Gorim growl behind her. She kept her hands on her weapons as she spoke. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

The mercenary scoffed. "I'm your better, that's who. And as to how I got in, that's a question you'll have to ask the Stone after I butcher you. Now, where is the shield?"

The Lady may not have believed in castes, but any man willing to participate in such a back handed exchange was obviously not her better. "Tell me how you got in—I'll tell you where the shield is." As a tactics girl, and not a very persuasive one, she was already taking in the positions of the group's various archers and foot solders.

The crude man laughed. "Bit for bite, eh? Both of us banking on killing the other and losing nothing by the telling?" He sheathed his ax. "Very well. One of Prince Trian's men brought me this ring. It opened the door just fine. Now where is the sodding shield?"

The Princess knew she didn't hide her surprise well; luckily she had bluffed well enough. Being known as a tough warrior could sometimes work in her advantage--that and she didn't do the whole, 'damsel in distress' role very well. "The shield's a metaphor." She replied with a quick smile. "It's in all of us."

The man's large nostrils flared. "Oh, she's a funny one. Just what I needed." He raised his weapons. "Now kill these idiots."

Six archers lined the ruins around the bridge. If there were no mages, then Sereda knew to go for the archers. Archers could be deadly, especially because at this close range anyone without a shield would be hard pressed to deflect an arrow. Using the ruins and her shield as cover, she found her way to the first archer, taking him out before he had time to pull out a melee weapon. As she took cover, looking for a way to find the next archer, she noticed the others had taken cover as well. Good. Holding her shield high, she bolted for the next archer. Arrows whizzed by her head, and one bounced off her shield. After taking cover again she noticed only two mercenary archers remained. If she remembered correctly, there had been two soldiers besides the captain. Only the mercenary captain remained. The other two lay dead, one with an arrow through his neck, the other bleeding from a half-decapitated head. The mercenary captain himself seemed to be making his way through the ruins toward her, and now lay between herself and the archer she had targeted. Biting her lip and raising her eyebrows she moved to battle the arrogant would-be 'assassin' of sorts. As she moved to the man, she saw Gorim move to intercept the archer behind her.

Not surprisingly, the man fought dirty, tripping, throwing dirt, the works. But her superior skill won out in the end, and just as Gorim began heading her way, she pierced his armor, twisting the sword as he fell to the floor. Stepping on the man's chest she drew her sword from the wound and stared at the bodies on the ground. The loss of dwarven life in such a time where every sword was needed was unfortunate. Remembering the man's words, she riffled through his armor, as the others went through the bodies of the others.

After searching the mercenary captain's body, Sereda found a signet ring. As she rolled it in her fingers, she heard Gorim ask softly, "Is that really Trian's signet ring."

She nodded. "It seems so. But this may not mean anything." There was always the option that someone had stolen it from Trian, or that it wasn't even Trian's ring-she could be mistaken.

Her second knelt down beside her. "Or it may be a warning for us to keep our guard up."

The Lady glanced over at him. "Caution is always a good idea."

The warrior nodded. "Agreed. Now, perhaps we should find this shield."

Again Sereda looked around the ruins of the thaig. There were old chests, some still intact. She bade Gorim check the buildings for the one her father described while she checked the chests for anything the darkspawn or the dwarves before them may have left behind, like family heirlooms. Finding nothing, she sighed and walked over to the building Gorim stood silently by with Fraudlin and the Scout.

She opened the door to reveal a simple room; the middle was a raised area, covered in tiles, and in the center lay a sarcophagus, such as the dwarves have always used for their dead.

"This is the room." Gorim said as he stepped in beside her. "How do we get the shield?"

The Lady Aeducan stepped up to the grave. An inscription on the top read that it was the last Aeducan leader to rule before the darkspawn invaded. Her signet ring fit an indent perfectly, but had no effect. "I'll figure it out." She said, not glancing back at her second.

Gorim's voice sounded behind her. "You two, see if you can spot anything." The scuffle of boots on the stone floor echoed as she studied the tiles. Some of them seemed different than the others, lowered slightly. With a wave of her hand, she beckoned Gorim over. Pointing to one of the tiles to her left he walked over and stood. Gears turned as Gorim's weight on the tile changed something in the room-Sereda could not quite be sure of what without more testing. Again she motioned, this time to Frauldin, and the warrior stood on a tile to her right. As the gears ground again, she motioned for the Scout to stand on a tile before her. For a final time, the gears sounded, and as she pressed her signet ring to the indent a soft click echoed. Not removing the ring, she lifted the lid of the sarcophagus. A dwarven skeleton and the reek of death met her, and a shield lay on top of the skeleton. Removing her ring from the indent, she lifted the shield and stepped back. Her men followed her as she walked to the door, huddling around her.

"That's it. We've got it!" Gorim's voice was soft in awe beside her.

Scout stood to her left and scoffed. "It doesn't look like much."

Silence entered for a few seconds, and then Fraudlin Ivo spoke. "The skill of our crafters has come far since then. But still…the Shield of Aeducan."

Sereda nodded, taking in the glory before her. The Aeducan crest emblasoned the front, in the colors of her house, green and blue, as she had always worn on her face in her makeup, and reflected in the pattern of her tattoos. Though she was not proud of the caste system, Sereda was very proud of her heritage. "The strength of Aeducan is in this shield." She said sternly.

"I can feel it." Gorim said, placing a hand hesitantly on the artifact. "It's inspirational."

She saw the Scout shrug and walk away from the group. "If you say so. It's just a shield."

Resisting the urge to slap the Scout, Sereda snapped the shield to her back. We should get moving."

The Scout turned to her. "We need to get to the other rendezvous point. Back in the direction we came from, at the crossroads."

Quickly walking out the door she yelled back at the group. "To the crossroads, men."

For one reason or another, the darkspawn had not swarmed the tunnels they had come through, which was a relief. As Sereda passed the bodies of the mercenaries, she worried. She did not worry about her own safety--she and Gorim could hand any would be assassins. But Father...Trian...Bhelen; she could not believe Trian was the instigator of all this, and if it wasn't from inside the house, then it seemed the Aeducans had made a powerful enemy. Too soon, they came upon the final tunnel before the crossroads where they had met Fraudlin Ivo.
Gorim put a hand on her should. "If Trian were really scheming against us this would be the perfect place for an ambush." He whispered and lean in closer. "We've got the shield and we're all alone out here."

Sereda nodded with a sigh. "Hope for the best, but keep your wits about you then."

Her replied with a barely recognizable nod, and Sereda heard breathing behind her.

"What's that you're muttering about?" She heard the nasally voice of the Scout mutter.

The Lady cast an icy glare on him. "Family business."

He raised his eyebrows, "Uh-huh. All right then."

A grisly scene greeted them as they rounded the corner. Trian's squad lay in a pile of blood just where she had stood earlier. Sereda's heart stopped--rushing the bodies, she desperately searched for her brother. Soon she found him. Dead, a single wound bled out, his body still warm. She stopped breathing as her chest seized.

"By the Stone, It's Trian." Gorim gasped behind her.

Fraudlin inspected one of the bodies of the soldiers. "It must have been a darkspawn attack."

Sereda checked her brother's body. "This doesn't look like a darkspawn. No bites, no scratches, no mutilation…" She sighed. "We need to warn my father."

Gorim snapped behind her. "Someone's coming!"

Sereda heard the footsteps and muttering even as Gorim spoke. Tears had already begun filling her eyes. Trian may not have been the best brother, especially in recent years, but he was family. She couldn't bring herself to hide behind one of the pillars.

Bhelen's voice was the first she could pick out as the clattering of heavy armor grew louder. "We must hurry before…"

"It's too late" Another voice answered as the sounds stopped suddenly. "She killed Trian!"
"My daughter." Her father's voice said softly, "Tell me this isn't what it looks like."

Finally she raised her eyes to his. "It's not, Father, I assure you." There was quite a host gathered before her. It seemed Bhelen had set the whole guard in the Deep Roads on her. Lords Harrowmont and Bemot had joined her father and Bhelen, and now stared wide eyed at her.

Bhelen called out quickly. "She killed Trian, just like he said she would!"
"My lady is innocent!" Gorim growled, taking a stand beside the Lady.

Harrowmont stepped forward, and as he spoke the others of her squad stepped forward as well. "Ser Gorim, your loyalty makes you a useless witness. It falls to others to tell the story. You, scout what happened here?"

"Trian and his men were here early. It seems they'd done battle with the darkspawn. Lady Aeducan came up to them all friendly-like, but when we got close, she ordered us to attack!" He spoke the lie without flinching.

Rage exploded in Sereda's chest--with a quick swing of her blade she severed the Scout's head from his body. "You betraying liar!" A cry went up among the gaurd, and she found herself quickly restrained.

"Hold!" Her father cried out. "I might have done the same if the Scout was lying."
Harrowmont sighed. "Then we shall discover the truth." He turned to Ivo, who stood unaffected by the death of the Scout. "Ivo you are a good and noble man. Did the scout speak the truth?"

Frauldin's eyes flitted over to Sereda only once. "he…he did my lord. It was terrible. Prince Tiran didn't stand a chance. Afterward, my lady stripped his signet ring."

"You treacherous bastard!" Gorim roared gripping his weapons tightly.
"Silence Gorim." King Endrin's voice commanded hoarsely. "Do you have anything else to say my daughter?"

Sereda's burning eyes landed first on Fraudlin, then on Bhelen. "I'm innocent, this travesty will not go unpunished."

Endrin sighed. "I want to believe that, I really do."

Harrowmont walked to his king's side. "Bind her." He said to the guards. "She will be judged before the Assembly. To Orzammar." The group moved quickly through the Deep Roads and to Orzammar. As the group entered the gates, Sereda noticed Fraudlin Ivo had quit the scene, and seethed. For all the kindness she'd done to that man. Bhelen must have offered him a handsome bribe. Gorim would not leave her side, until they drug him away. The Lords dumped Sereda unceremoniously in a dungeon before making their way to the Diamond Quarter and the Assembly. Female guards stripped her of her armor and threw raggy clothes at her. Throwing her back against the bars she slowly slid down the bars to the dirty floor. Laying her head on her hands she tried to sleep, to mask the tears that ran unchecked down her checks. Her rage had deserted her in the dark dungeon, left her alone.

She awoke to the batter of footsteps, heavy armor on the dirt floor. The sounds stop, and she raised her head.

Gorim tightly gripped the filthy bars of Sereda's cells. "I…I would have come sooner had they allowed it. How are you?" His voice was soft and shakey--Sereda had never heard him so vulnerable.
Sereda stood and placed her hands on his. "I was worried for you."

Her lover sighed. "And I for you, my heart. I bring little but bad news though. Bhelen has taken Trian's place in the Assembly. He introduced a motion to condemn you immediately and it easily passed." He paused, his eyes wide and fearful. "He…had fully half the assembly ready to vote on something completely against tradition and justice! He must have been making deals and alliances for months, if not years."

"I'm going to kill him." Sereda growled, her anger returning and she squeezed Gorim's hands tighter.

Gorim knew the look on Sereda's face--the anger inside her was like a volcano. As bleak as things looked, he didn't want to be Bhelen. That was...if...he pressed his lips together. "I don't know that you'll get that chance. The Assembly has already sentenced both of us."

The Lady Aeducan lowered one of her hands, pressing her nails firmly into her palm. "What will happen to you?"

The warrior lowered his head. "My knighthood will be stripped, my name torn from my family records…but I will be allowed to attempt some sort of life on the surface. Lord Harrowmont moved for a similar exile for you, but Bhelen's supporters overwhelmed him. You're to be sealed in the Deep Roads to fight darkspawn until you are overwhelmed and killed."

Sereda closed her eyes. "What does my father say about this?"

"Lord Harrowmont says the king has taken ill." Gorim shook his head. "He couldn't bear losing two of his children at once." Finally he looked up, deep into her eyes in the dim light. "Lord Harrowmont gave me access to see you so I could tell you this: Duncan and the Grey Wardens are still in the Deep Roads, in tunnels connected to those you are to be left in. If you survive long enough to find the Grey Wardens, you may be able to escape with Duncan." Those grey eyes sparkled with hope in the dim torchlight and Gorim continued. "There are worse ways for a warrior to live than fighting the darkspawn with such allies. If you can find them I'm sure you can join them and escape the Deep Roads."

Though her palm now bleed, she put her hand back on Gorim's. "I will, my love, I swear it, so I can take my justice on Bhelen for Trian and for you…"

Gorim gripped her hands. "I begged to go with you and fight at your side, but Bhelen's pet nobles wouldn't hear of it."

"I wish you were going to be at my side as well." She whispered, pressing her face closer against the bars.

He leaned in, smelling her one last time. "I'm going to try to go to Denerim, the human capital. If you make it out, find me." He moved to go.

"Wait, please."

The warrior wasn't sure he'd even heard that tone, like a baby nug after its mother, come from his lover's strong lips. "We have no time my heart."

"Just hold me one more time." Tears welled in Sereda's eyes, despite her best efforts to hold them in.

"The guards won't keep quiet about something like that. Your family will know…"

She chuckled bitterly, furiously blinking her eyes. "Who cares what people think now? We no longer exist, remember?"
A soft smile appear on Gorim's lips. "As you say, my dearest one." He cupped her face through the bars, laying a long kiss on Sereda's own lips. Holding her hands one last time for moments, he sighed. "I must go now." As he released her, he added. "I will always love you my lady."

Not seconds after Gorim had disappeared from her sight did the Guard-a fat man with beady eyes, walk over sneering. "They are ready for you now."

Sereda's eyes were dry and she held her head high as the guard led her down to the entrance to the Deep Roads. Lord Harrowmont, dressed in the same attire from the raid stood outside a heavy door. The Guard shoved her roughly toward him.

Harrowmont's voice was gruff, almost as if he had something caught in his throat. "Having been found guilty of fratricide by the assembly of Orzammar, you are hereby sentenced to exile and death. Your name is, from this point forward, stripped from the records. You are no longer a person, nor a memory. You are to be cast into the Deep Roads with only sword and shield, there to redeem your life by fighting the enemies of Orzammar until your death. Do you have anything to say before the sentence is carried out?"
The Exile stared in his eyes. "I'm innocent"

"I want to believe that. Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't do this. For your father's sake."

She didn't blink. "I didn't kill Trian."

The Deshyer lowered his gaze. "I believe you. That means Bhelen planned this from the start." He growled a scoff. "Believe me, I will spend the rest of my days making sure Bhelen does not profit by his deeds." He took a sword and shield from the ground beside him. "Your father asked me to give these to you. This sword and shield are of fine dwarven make. Strike a blow at our enemies."

Sereda nodded, taking the weapons in hand. "Tell my father I'm innocent--I will survive to meat out justice. I swear by the Ancestors."

His eyes glowed as he nodded. "I will. Open the doors and let the condemned walk through. May the Stone accept you when you fall." The Guard opened the door and pushed her roughly inside. Without looking back she walked forward into the dark of the Deep Roads as the door thudded closed behind her.

There were no darkspawn in the initial tunnel. She walked the tiled passage, looking for the nearest tunnel. For now, she was looking for the closest one with known surface access. Darkspawn corpses would also be a good indication of the Warden's passage through the area. On a whim, she took a passage to the left. Some ways in she found some dwarven corpses, and looted them for their rusting armor. At one time likely premium equipment, but after years in the Deeps and after whatever scuffle killed the former owner, it was rough at best. A few darkspawn awaited in the first small tunnel, but she dispatched them easily enough. Another tunnel held a few more of the creatures, still nothing more dangerous than a genlock grunt. For that, Sereda thanked the ancestor. This tunnel wound on for a long time, and the next passage held perhaps hours old darkspawn corpses. The warrior smiled--fighting after barely sleeping on a prison floor for a few hours was much harder than fighting after a rest in her feather bed. Following the trail of corpses, she fought off fatigue to find the means to vengence.

The clanking armor made the small band of Wardens turn around, weapons drawn anticipating battle. Sereda met their gaze with her chin held high, weapons low. Wylan tensed as he saw Sereda approach. He knew her by sight—barely. The Lady Aeducan had been vocal about ridding the dwarves of the caste system, or at the very least, making them less rigid, and allowing the casteless to prove themselves in battle if nothing else. Some of the casteless thought it was simply another play for power, that it would never happen. She was a bit of a hero to the rest—some even had faded pictures or carvings of her stolen from the Diamond Quarter. It was the tattoos, coupled with the remnants of the vibrant make-up, visible even under the layers of black darkspawn blood and dust. He'd know those anywhere.

Duncan was the first to speak. "Lady Aeducan!" he called out, his face long with surprise. "What are you doing here alone? Where are your troops?"

Sereda lowered her eyes, but not her chin. "I am Lady Aeducan no longer."

"Ah." Duncan nodded slowly. You have been made to walk the Deep Roads then."

Wylan could not keep from asking. "You were exiled...what happened?"

Duncan turned to the dwarf. "I do not think matters of dwarven honor are any business of ours, Recruit. You need not answer friend."

The Lady's eyes quickly landed on her fellow dwarf. "I was betrayed by my brother."

Duncan's eyebrow raised. "Lord Trian?"

The exile shook her head. "No, Bhelen. Trian is…" she bit her lip. "dead."

Duncan sighed. "I see. The brutal intrigue of the dwarven court continues, then. Your father intimated as much. There is no reason for you to walk these Deep Roads and die for something you did not do. You have already proven yourself both resourceful and skilled, and I would expect nothing less from an Aeducan." He paused. "When last we spoke you told me you wished to join our order. I imagine this isn't quite what you meant, but you may still find great honor here. As leader of the Grey Wardens in Ferelden, I would like to formally invite you to join our order."

A soft smile appeared on Sereda's face. "I would be honored."

Smiling as well, Duncan bowed. "Then welcome. We leave immediately for the Circle of Magi. We have found no solid evidence that there is a Blight, but my fears are solidified. Stay close. There are still darkspawn around every corner."

Wylan ducked his head as Sereda joined the group—but she immediately approached him. "Hello," she said with a smile, extending her hand. Warily, he shook it. "I have to ask," she continued as the group continued to walk through the Deep Roads. "Are you the casteless that took part in the Provings?"

The rogue paused, then took the leap. "Yes," He said with a brush of his hand. "But I'm not sure if it's as glorious and daring as you think." They were making their way towards the surface using the mining tunnels, and Wylan used a lull in fighting to tell the Lady—Sereda, he reminded himself she had no place, much like himself—of Beraht, Rica, and the Proving. "So you see…" he finished, but she interrupted him.

"Stop being modest." She laughed and clapped him on the back. "You beat those stuffy nobles at their own game. We will have to spar later." Wylan only blinked, then smiled and bowed his head, hiding his blush. They walked a ways in silence when Sereda spoke again. "You said your sister's name was Rica right? Red hair? Well, I just wanted to let you know…that man she's seeing. It's my brother Bhelen." She paused again, letting the information sink in. "I'm sorry." She added finally.

Wylan shrugged, setting his jaw. "Rica's a bright girl. If nothing else, she'll keep herself useful to him."

Sereda nodded, and walked off to chat up another of the Grey Wardens. Soon they were out of the dark, into the light. Though the sun was setting, the two dwarves blinked, and Sereda pulled Duncan aside. "Can you give the two of us a moment?" She asked. "It's our first time on the surface…our first time without some kind of roof over our heads…"

Duncan nodded. "Of course." He motioned to the other Grey Wardens to sit and rest. "In fact, I will use this time to tell you a bit about the Circle of Magi, and how humans in Ferelden view magic. I assume dwarves do not know much of magic, correct?"

Sereda and Wylan shook their heads—dwarves constant presence around lyrium made them immune to the effects, and unable to possess magical abilities. They did not even enter the Fade when they dreamt.

Duncan motioned for them to sit and began the long, complicated explanation.