Loghain began sharpening Maric's blade, the long strokes across the whetstone the only sound besides the occasional gust of wind. The others sat around the campfire, thankful for the break in the fighting, but also a bit anxious to continue on and leave the abandoned ruins.

"You should eat something," Wynne said to Loghain when he had passed on the bowl of stew presented to him.

"Your concern for my appetite is noted," Loghain said sarcastically as his attention remained on the longsword.

Elyse observed the care in which he handled the weapon. "I bet there's some history behind that," she said, hoping to get Loghain to open up about Maric.

Loghain paused from his task to look at her. Had they been alone, he might have indulged her with a story or two of his trip through the Deep Roads with Maric. But they weren't alone, as he was all too aware of Alistair's gaze upon him. "Whatever history there is will not be shared by me," he replied before returning to his work.

Elyse stared at him a bit longer before deciding to change the topic of conversation. If Loghain didn't want to open up about Alistair's father, which was probably more of the reason he chose to remain silent she assumed, she turned the groups attention to the letters they found in the chest. "Along with the sword and some jewels, we found three letters," she explained to Alistair and Wynne. "I suppose they classify as the documentation Elric was referring to, as we found nothing else."

"What do the letters say?" Wynne asked.

Elyse set her bowl on the ground and retrieved the parchments. "Two are from Celene," she said as she scanned the pages, "and one from Arl Eamon."

"Why would Cailan bring a letter from Eamon here?" Alistair asked.

"The better question is why would he have letters from the Empress of Orlais," Loghain stated, setting Maric's blade aside. The mention of Celene was worth his full attention. "Read them."

Elyse nodded, and read the first letter aloud to the group. "'To his Majesty, King Cailan of Ferelden. My Warden-Commander assures me that we face a Blight. This thing threatens us both, and we must work together to fight it, lest it devour all. Our two nations have not had a happy history, but that is all it is - history. It is the future that is at stake now. Let us put aside our father's disagreements so that we may secure a future for both our countries. My Chevaliers stand ready and will accompany the Grey Wardens of Orlais to Ferelden. At your word the might of Orlais will march to reinforce the Ferelden forces.'"

"So it's true," Alistair said. "Cailan had convinced the forces of Orlais to align against the darkspawn."

"It appears so," Wynne said. "Empress Celene was merely awaiting his response."

"A response that never came," Alistair stated, glaring at Loghain. "And now never will."

Elyse observed Loghain, who remained silent, as he returned his attention back to sharpening Maric's sword. "No comment?" she asked him. "Almost as if you already knew about this."

Loghain sighed, setting the longsword to lay in his lap. "Are you accusing me of something?"

"When I first came here to Ostagar, before the battle, I remember the guards commenting about how you and Cailan were constantly arguing," Elyse said. "I have to ask Loghain, were you purposefully trying to prevent the Orlesian Wardens from arriving in time to fight? Is that what you two argued about?"

Loghain stared down at her. "The Wardens in this camp cared for only one thing; defeating the darkspawn. While I did not share Cailan's fascination for them, I admired their loyalty to saving Ferelden. I can not say the same for the Wardens of Orlais; they are still Orlesian first, and allowing them entrance again into Ferelden, Wardens or no, would have been a grave mistake."

"Had they been here, the battle might have ended differently," Alistair said.

"Doubtful," Loghain replied. "They were still weeks away, and the darkspawn grew in numbers by the hour. Had a larger army arrived, they would have simply perished with the others."

"No," Alistair said. "You're wrong. With the Orlesian Wardens and your army, we would have had a fighting chance!"

"Have you ever asked yourself why Duncan only recruited a handful of you?" Loghain said, ignoring Alistair's growing temper. "Why he did not use his Rite of Conscription to gain more than, what was it, three additional Wardens? He knew as well as Cailan that this was a battle that was not going to be won here at Ostagar. Weisshaupt did not send all of its troops, Orlais wasn't about to either. Celene was merely trying to gain access to Ferelden, using the threat of a Blight and the promise of her army as a way in. And on the off chance we had been successful, her entire army would be here, ready to strike while we were at our weakest."

"You're paranoid," Alistair stated.

"My earliest memory is of Orlesian soldiers raping and killing my mother," Loghain admitted, standing in anger. "Years later my father too fell at their hand. Maric and I fought tirelessly to rid Ferelden of the Orlesian occupancy, so do not judge me for not welcoming their return with open arms." He turned his back on the group to regain his composure. "The second letter," he whispered to Elyse. "Read it."

Elyse hesitated for a moment, a sudden desire to comfort Loghain overwhelming her. She had heard the stories of the Orlesian occupancy, but wasn't aware of what happened to Loghain's family. Seeing the embarrassed flush upon Alistair's cheeks, and receiving a silent nod from Wynne, she cleared her throat, and then read the second letter. "This one is from Arl Eamon, to Cailan. 'Your Majesty, my men will arrive as soon as possible to bolster your forces. Maker willing, this Blight will be ended before it has begun.

"'Cailan, I beseech you, as your uncle, not to join the Grey Wardens on the Field. You cannot afford to take this risk. Ferelden cannot afford it. Let me remind you again that you do not have an heir. Your death, and it pains me even to think of it, would plunge Ferelden into chaos.'"

"That is all that old fool ever thought about," Loghain commented. "Curious, his misguided concern, considering he knew about Alistair's existence."

"There's more," Elyse said as she skimmed the rest of the letter. "You're not going to like it though," she warned Loghain.

"I already don't like it," he said. "Continue."

Elyse shook her head as she read the last paragraph of the letter. "'Perhaps when this is over, you will allow me to bring up the subject of your heir. While a son from both the Theirin and Mac Tir lines would unite Ferelden like no other, we must accept that perhaps this can never be. The queen approaches her thirtieth year and her ability to give you a child lessens with each passing month. I submit to you again that it might be time to put Anora aside. We parted harshly the last time I spoke of this, but it has been a full year since then and nothing has changed.'"

"Put her aside?" Loghain repeated, rage building inside him. "Like my daughter is some damaged cattle? I should've killed that bastard when I had the chance."

"He admits Cailan fought him when they last spoke of it," Wynne said, trying to calm Loghain. "No matter what Eamon's wishes were, the king would never consider such a thing."

"Never say never," Elyse warned, reading the third letter to herself. "The last letter is also from Celene, a slightly more familiar tone than the first one."

Loghain ripped the letter out of her hand and read it. "'My visit to Ferelden will be postponed indefinitely, due to the darkspawn problem. You understand, of course? The darkspawn have odd timing, don't they? Let us deal with them first. Once that is done we can further discuss a permanent alliance between Orlais and Ferelden. I look forward to seeing you again.'" Loghain crumpled the parchment in his hand and tossed it into the fire. "Again? That cheating bastard!"

"Watch your mouth Loghain Mac Tir," Wynne warned. "Unless you have forgotten the company you now keep."

"It is not my company I worry about, madam, but my former son-in-laws." Loghain's anger was clear in his expression, his knuckles turning white from clenched fists. "Did you hear the familiar tone in which the empress writes him?" he asked, turning to Elyse. "As if my daughter were not already his wife!"

Elyse shook her head. "Cailan loved Anora with every ounce of his heart, it was plain for all to see," she said.

"Yes, that's true," Wynne agreed. "The only thing that ever stood between them was you."

Loghain turned on his heel to confront the mage. "Are you blind old woman? The plot was plain as day within that letter. Love or no, Cailan was going to cast my daughter aside and wed himself to that bitch Celene. In a single vow, Orlais would claim all that they could never win by war. And what would Ferelden gain? A fool of a king who could strut about and call himself an emperor."

Now Alistair stood, his temper nearly matching Loghain's. "I've heard enough disrespect of our king for one day," he said. "Cailan is dead, is that not good enough revenge for you?"

"Why must I be cursed to deal with all of Maric's children?" Loghain asked to no one in particular. Turning to Alistair, he gave the young Theirin his reply. "The ramifications if Cailan's plan came to fruition would have been far worse than my removal of troops from the battlefield."

"How convenient for you then that Cailan didn't survive," Alistair stated.

"How convenient for Ferelden," Loghain clarified. "But you'd do well to mind your tongue, boy. Cailan was Maric's son, married to my daughter, and I hold more respect for him than I do for you, his bastard child."

Alistair had heard enough, and reached for his sword. "It should have been you that died here and not Cailan," he said, closing the distance between them.

Loghain reached for Maric's blade and stood ready. "And I suppose you're the one that's going to run me through? Let's see what you're made of, if you are even worthy of my daughter or Ferelden."

"Hold on," Elyse said as she stood. "Are you two really going to come to blows here? Now?"

"If the boy wants to fight, let him," Loghain said, securing his shield on his left arm.

Elyse knew she'd get nowhere with Loghain, so she pleaded with Alistair. "There are darkspawn around every corner, and you want to risk doing this? For what, some stupid male ego?"

"For my brother," Alistair said, saying the word aloud for the first time. "For Duncan. For all who fell that day, because of him."

Without warning, Alistair lunged forward, and the fight began.