"It's beautiful," Sarliana says, as she looks across Lake Calenhad.
"You've seen this sight many times before. Why are just noticing this now?" asks Sarlin.
Duncan chuckles and says:
"Freedom makes everything seem much more beautiful"
Sarlin and Sarliana start walking down towards the docks with their packs slung over their shoulders. Duncan looks at his two young charges and can't help but feel sad that the joining might kill one or both of them.
Sarlin stops and watches his sister run towards the docks and says:
"Sarliana, slow down or you are going to fall into the lake"
As if on cue, Sarliana's foot slips when she gets to the docks and goes tumbling into the water. Sarlin cringes and turns around to look at Duncan; he catches a glimpse of the sadness on Duncan's face. He goes to ask Duncan what's wrong but gets the feeling that he should leave it alone for now.
Walking down to check on Sarliana, who is now soaked from head to toe and shivering, Sarlin can't help but laugh at his sister's predicament.
Duncan walks down to the docks and helps Sarliana up.
"You are going to catch a cold," he says, as he digs through his pack for his wool blanket. Finding it, he hands it to her and says:
"Wrap yourself up in this and get in the boat, we have a long trip ahead of us and I'd like to get started right away."
Duncan looks over at Sarlin.
"Are you going to join us or just laugh at your sister's misfortune?"
Sarlin stops laughing and walks down to the docks and gets into the boat.
Sarlin digs in his pack and pulls his own blanket out and wraps it around himself and his sister to help warm her up some more.
Duncan sighs looking at Sarliana shiver.
"Guess we will stay at the Spoiled Princess when we get across the lake," he says. "I can't afford to let either of you catch a cold on the way to Ostagar."
Later that day, as Sarliana is lying in a bed at the Spoiled Princess, both Sarlin and Duncan are sitting down in the tavern part, enjoying a drink together. Duncan still has this look of concern and sadness on his face.
"Duncan, you've had that look on your face all day. What is bothering you?" Sarlin asks.
Duncan looks at Sarlin and says:
"Sarlin, I'm old for a Gray Warden. My time is almost up, and before my life ends, I want to see this blight end, but there is something that I must tell you about being a Grey Warden." He takes a deep breath, unsure why he is telling a recruit this. "You'll either die during the joining, die fighting darkspawn, or die in 30 years."
Sarlin stops mid-drink and looks Duncan dead in the eyes. He can see the regret in his elder's eyes, but also hope. 'Hope for what?' Sarlin thinks to himself
"Is there a reason you are telling me this?" Sarlin asks.
Duncan shakes his head and says:
"I'm not entirely sure why I told you myself, but I figured you ought to know."
Sarlin gets this twist in his gut like he is going to throw up. Getting his courage up, Sarlin asks:
"Duncan, is there any way that we can have Sarliana not do the joining? As you've seen, she is not a combatant, but she can heal and her shield can help as well."
Duncan looks at Sarlin and can see how concerned he is for his sister, and says:
"I'm sorry, but she must take part in the joining."
Sarlin finishes his drink. He looks at Duncan.
"Excuse me, I'm going to go check on my sister."
Sarlin stands up and walks towards Sarliana's room.
Sarliana wakes up drenched in sweat.
"Ew, I can't believe how warm this Inn is," she says, as she strips a layer of clothing off. "I still can't believe it's this warm in here what is the Inn on fire?" she continues, repeating herself, while she walks downstairs to cool off outside.
As Sarliana steps onto the landing, she can see that the Inn is on fire. She lets out a slight scream and runs out the door towards the lake.
As Sarlin is walking up the back stairs to go to Sarliana's room he hears her scream. He runs to her room and spots her robe on the floor. He runs towards the front of the Inn as the Innkeeper is looking out the front door.
"Excuse me, did my sister run by here?" Sarlin asks in a panic.
"Yes, she was wearing nothing but some underclothes." Replies the Innkeeper.
Duncan comes running over and asks:
"What's going on?"
"Sarliana just took off running out the door in nothing but her underclothes," replies Sarlin.
Duncan curses under his breath and runs out the door after her while yelling at Sarlin to grab her robes or a blanket.
Sarlin runs back upstairs to grab her robes and her blanket, he also grabs his staff feeling that he will need it.
Instead of running in the lake, Sarliana turns towards The King's Road and starts on the path. She turns her head and instead of the Inn burning, she can see giant rats chasing her. She screams for Sarlin to save her and tries to run at a faster pace, but she only manages to trip herself up.
Duncan manages to finally catch a glimpse of Sarliana on The King's Road. He starts running after her, but when he reaches her, she looks back at him and screams for Sarlin to save her. A few seconds later she trips and falls, hitting her head with a loud thump.
"Shit" Duncan curses.
He gets to Sarliana's prone form, only to see that she has erected a shield around herself.
"Sarliana, it's me Duncan." he yells
"Stay away from me you vermin, you do not want to eat me, I'm nothing but skin and bones!" Sarliana cries, while maintaining her shield.
Sarlin catches up to Duncan and Sarliana; he can see that his sister is putting all her strength behind her shield. Reaching out to touch the shield, Sarlin braces himself for the shock he knows is coming, but instead he only meets a physical force blocking his path.
"Sarliana, it's me, It's Sarlin. Please lower the shield," Sarlin pleads with his sister. "You are safe? I won't let anything hurt you."
Sarliana opens her eyes and one of the rats that was chasing her has grown even larger and is trying to get into her barrier.
Sarliana screams.
"Sarlin, why haven't you rescued me yet?" She charges her shield with fire.
As Sarlin's hand is engulfed with flames, he pulls his hand off her shield. Forgetting about the pain in his hand, he grabs his staff and touches it lightly to the shield. He channels ice magic through his staff to counter the fire.
As Sarlin is applying his magic Duncan notices cracks beginning to form in Sarliana's shield, until finally it shatters.
Sarliana slumps backward as she passes out from exhaustion. Sarlin calmly puts his staff away and wraps Sarliana up in the blanket he brought along.
Looking up at Duncan, Sarlin asks:
"Can you carry her back to the inn?" Then, adding: "I do not think I can carry anything with my hand the way it is." He shows Duncan his right hand.
Duncan looks down at Sarlin's hand and can see how badly burned it is.
"I have medicine in my pack, back at the Inn," Duncan says, as he is bending down to pick Sarliana up.
Together they walk back to the Inn and take Sarliana back up to her room. As they are tucking her back into her bed, the Innkeeper appears from around the corner and says:
"I brought some medicinal herbs up just in case the young lady needs them. It looks to me like she does."
Duncan stands up and thanks the Innkeeper, handing him a few coins for the herbs.
"Sarlin, now that your sister is safe in bed, let's take care of your hand before it gets infected," he says, as he is turning around. But when he does he notices that Sarlin is already channeling magic into his hand to heal it.
Sarlin opens his eye's and says:
"I can heal this, but it's going to take time, so I'm going to focus on doing that." He then looks at his sister and notices she is sweating profusely again. "Can you please tend to Sarliana?"
Duncan smiles and walks over to Sarliana. Putting his calloused hand on her head, he notes that she has a very high temperature. He reaches into his pack and pulls out a potion, and very gingerly he opens her mouth and pours it down her throat.
Standing up Duncan looks her over and informs Sarlin that the medicinal potion should have her back on her feet by the next morning.