She didn't want to like Merrill, the elf was a mage and a blood mage at that, but she couldn't help herself! She was just so cute and innocent, yet wise and intelligent all at the same time. Sam wondered what it must be like to be in Merrill's head. She really liked Aveline, the woman had recently become Guard Captain. She was strong and stern but also fair and kind, when she spoke to Sam she did not speak down to her like a child as others had, she spoke to her as an equal, as though what she had to say was important.

She did not however like Isabela.

The woman made her skin crawl, to call her a whore would be a compliment. The way she threw herself at every living thing in the room made the girl sick, the pirate knew it to. She seemed to revel in the display whenever Sam was around, especially with Fenris. She said nothing, she knew whatever was said would just goad the woman further. Everyone thought she was overreacting anyway, when Varric had called her prudish she was so offended she didn't speak to him for three days! It wasn't until he offered to teach her how to use Bianca that she knew he was serious, she knew it would never actually happen but that thing was like his child so it was a gesture of peace.

She wasn't a fan of The Hanged Man but it seemed to be where everyone she knew gravitated so she would tag along just for company. It wasn't far from Gamlen's either so she could always go back if she got sick of it. It was here that she found out about the expedition into the Deep Roads.

It seemed to be a big thing, Garret had been planning it for a long time and things were finally coming to fruition. She had heard about the Deep Roads, about the monsters called Dark Spawn that dwelled within and how Thaig's could go on for days. She wasn't too concerned about it until she heard Garret ask Fenris if he was willing to go.

She said up in her chair, the grating of it along the floor casing them to turn to her.

"You're not seriously going to go are you?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"

"But, what about-"

She abruptly cut off her sentence, she had wanted to say, what about me? She had only just found him again and he was going to leave and go on some expedition with no guarantee of ever coming back? He did not seem to notice her hesitation as he replied.

"I owe Hawke, he has helped me more then you could know."

"And whose fault is that?" She seethed, glaring at him.

It seemed she was being left out of everything lately; she was just a child to them, what good was a child in a fight against monsters?

"Sam I-"

"Forget it," she sighed cutting him off. She stood not looking at them as she headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to play, since apparently that is all I am good for."

Before anyone could reply she slammed the door behind her.

OOOOOOOO

She knew it was childish, she had never been one to pout but she just felt so useless. Besides helping that young girl a couple of months ago what had she done? Nothing. She had no skills except for cleaning and she would die before she ever did that for a living, being a slave she had done more of that then she ever wanted to in a lifetime.

Before she knew it she had wandered into High Town and found herself in front of an ornately decorated building. Young women in red and black robes walked to and fro, a yellow sun blazing oh their chests. Curiosity pulled her into the building and she gasped as she entered. Two giant male statues guarded the door, their long spears holding incense burners on the end. As she approached the front of the room an even larger male statue came into view. At the top of the stairs stood the golden man, a large golden crown adorning his sorrowful features, a sword in his left hand. Sam seemed in a trance as she moved up the stairs, craning her neck to view the statue in all its glory.

Candles surrounded the feet of the statue and a book lay open its pages inviting.

It was literature on The Maker, she had heard this name used many times and had taken him to be the equivalent of God in her world. She read fascinated by what she saw, and as she did one passage caused the breath to catch in her throat.

"So The Maker turned from his firstborn

And took from the Fade

A measure of its living flesh

And placed it apart from the Spirits,

And spoke to it, saying-"

Her words was cut off by an unfamiliar brogue as it finished her sentence for her.

"Here, I decree

Opposition in all things:

For earth, sky

For winter, summer

For darkness, light

By my Will alone is Balance sundered

And the world given New Life."

She looked at the man as he approached her, his blue eyes piercing and knowing.

"These words seem to catch you, am I right in thinking so?"

She just stared at this handsome stranger in wonder, it was as though he had appeared from nowhere and broken into her thoughts.

"Forgive me for interrupting," he continued when she didn't reply, "You seemed so engrossed I did not want to disturb you, but when you spoke that passage…I could feel the reverence you had for the Maker and just had to join in." He bowed and grinned, "My name is Sebastian, I am a Brother of the Chantry."

Sam was surprised, "You don't look like a monk," she blurted out before covering her mouth in horror. He grinned as he acknowledged what she said, "I must confess, it was not always so, but my heart now lies with the Maker and his glorious bride Andraste."

She turned back to the passage she had been reading,

And took from the Fade, a measure of its living flesh…

Is this what Danarius had done?

Is this how she had come here?

And if so, did that mean he had accomplished his goal of becoming a divinity?

It still did not explain why he had branded her, she looked down at her leather clad hands knowing what lay beneath and wondering at the reason.

"I don't know much about the Maker, I think maybe I am an affront to him."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow in surprise,

"What would make you think that?"

She frowned and looked at him, she had only just met him yet she felt so safe with him, like she could tell him all her secrets.

So she did.

He sat in wonder as she poured out all that had happened to her since she came here, her branding, her slavery, her rescue.

She decided to leave out the bit about coming from the Fade, something told her that even he would not understand that. He sat looking at her in silence for a while after she had finished. She could not gauge his expression and wondered if she had said too much.

"Well Miss Samantha, it seems you have seen a lot in your short life, but I can assure you beyond a doubt that the Maker does not think you a mistake."

She wasn't so sure, but she wasn't quite ready to reveal why just yet.

"And I have worked with Hawke myself; he will keep you safe no matter what you think of him. You cannot base your opinion of him based on the actions of a few deranged mages."

She sighed and suddenly realised she was very tired.

"Sam!"

The mage's familiar voice echoed throughout the Chantry.

"I must say, this is the last place I expected to find you."

He approached them, taking to steps at a time and nodded to Sebastian as he stood.

"She hasn't been too much trouble I hope?"

Any kind feeling she had for him went out the window with those words and she glared at his grinning features.

"No trouble at all Hawke, it has been quite pleasant conversing with her."

She smiled at the Brother and blushed when he smiled back.

"I do have something to ask of you, if you have a free moment," Garret added then turned to her.

"If you wouldn't mind waiting for me downstairs, I'll only be a minute."

She didn't have the energy to argue and so plodded wearily to the front doors to wait for him, Sebastian waved goodbye to her as she descended.

She smiled to herself as she waited, she knew she would be returning here tomorrow.