Dragon Age

A Thedas Tale

Ch 6 – Kinloch Hold

Elvie stretched her back and then patted Breker's neck. "At least we will be at Lake Calenhad's docks before the sun sets." She eyed Alistair curiously. "So you really have no desire to be king?"

He blinked and made a slight gagging noise. "Not at all. I know nothing about being king and I don't want to know anything about it. Can you honestly imagine me being king?" he chided. "I don't even know how to eat with that fancy cutlery - I was raised by a pack of wild dogs, you know" he released a breath. "Besides, I'm a Grey Warden. Grey Wardens are not political." He shook his head. "No –I'll leave the kinging to my big brother – at least this way I don't have to give up the woman I love for a crown. Somehow, I don't think an apostate mage would be allowed to sit beside me on the throne."

"No, probably not. Guess I won't be sitting on the throne any time soon either," she said with a grin.

"Did you want to sit on the throne?" he asked curiously.

Her smile was wry. "No – what I want is even more impossible. I want to spend the rest of my life with a templar." She laughed. "I mean really, is that too much to ask?"

"I don't think they would have liked my choice in women either," he said, drawing out the last word.

Sten frowned. "You spend too much time thinking about things that have no meaning. Visit a tamassran if you need relief then resume your duties."

"Eww. I did not just hear that," Alistair complained. "Look!" He pointed to an old peasant bent over very large remains.

They dismounted an approached the peasant to see if he'd seen Sten' sword.

The peasant spun around when he heard the horses. "Back off! I was here first!"

"I have no desire to rifle through the pockets of the dead. We only stopped because those giant corpses you are picking clean were part of my companion's party," she said as she motioned to Sten. "And we are looking for his sword. His very large sword," she told him.

The peasant looked up at the giant man and took a step back. "I never found no swords. The spot was pretty clean when I got here. I got part of a glove the wolves didn't chew too badly…at least I think it was a glove, anyway. I know, don't say it. I got cheated. I knew the guy who was here before me. He sold me this spot. Said he'd found giants and all kinds of valuables. He didn't mention that he'd taken everything but the bones and dirt already. His name's Faryn. Squirrely little bastard, if you ask me. Which you didn't. But I said it anyway."

"Where is he?" Sten growled, tired of all the words that ran in pointless circles.

The peasant blanched. "He uhh…he was going to Orzammar, he said. I imagine he'd gotten there by now. If you find him, tell him I sent you! It will scare the piss out of him," he said with a laugh.

Elvie looked up at Sten. "The others are looking for it too. We'll find it Sten – or maybe Syn already has."

He was surprised they remembered and that they would go out of their way to try to find it. Perhaps some bas were worthy of respect. "I appreciate that you thought to look for it."

They mounted, rode down the hill and stabled the horses at the barn near the inn. They would be taking a boat to Kinloch Hold. She found Kester standing outside the inn, looking none too happy.

"Well, look at this! I remember taking you across when you left with that fellow, Damon. And now you're a Grey Warden…my pap used to tell me stories about them."

"Hello, Kester," she said with a smile. "Do you have time to ferry us across?"

"I would if I could, miss. But the templars took the boat without a what have you. Greagoir just came down and said, 'Don't you worry, Kester. We got it all under control, we do'. Didn't say nothing else. And then he put Carroll in charge of my boat, Lissie! Named for my grandmum, she was."

"I'm sure Lissie will be back in your hands in no time. I'll see if I can find out what's going on. Take care, Kester," she said with a nod and turned to head to the docks. "Let's see what Carroll has to say."

Carroll squared his shoulders when he saw the group approaching. "You!" he said as he pointed to at them. "You're not looking to get across to the tower, are you? Because I have strict orders not to let anyone pass."

Elvie's lips pulled down into a frown. "Carroll, open your eyes. You know me. I've lived in the Circle most of my life. Irving will want to see me."

His eyes narrowed on her. She did look familiar, but he wasn't sure. "Then why aren't you dressed like a circle mage?"

She arched a brow at him. "If you recall, a Grey Warden conscripted me and I had to leave the Tower."

"Then you aren't a circle mage anymore, are you?" he asked feeling pretty proud that he'd put it all together.

She pursed her lips to keep from smiling. "You are absolutely right, Carroll. I'm a Grey Warden recruit now and I have official business with Irving."

Oh, he was on to her. "If you're a Grey Warden – prove it."

She blinked. "Prove it?"

"Yeah – Kill some darkspawn. Come on. Let's see some righteous Grey Wardening," he said with a self-satisfied nod.

She bit her lip. "Carroll, that's ridiculous."

She wasn't pulling the wool over his eyes! "Ah – ha! I knew it! I bet you can't even sense them! A real Grey Warden is supposed to be able to sense darkspawn."

She released a slow breath and tried not to giggle when Alistair did. "Carroll…dear…There are no darkspawn here for a Grey Warden to sense."

He nodded. "Oh, yeah…that's good, I suppose. Wouldn't want darkspawn smeared across the landscape. I hear their blood is black. Is that true? You'd know if you were a Grey Warden."

She shook her head. "It's not black, but it burns you when it touches you."

"Oh. I guess you'd know that if you were a Grey Warden. But I'm still not taking you across. I have my orders," he said with a nod.

"Carroll-"

He frowned at her. "Don't you Carroll me. I've been standing here all day and I'm feeling peckish."

"Then why don't we go to the Tower and get some supper? Then you can come back with a full belly."

"Parshaara! Here!" Sten said as he stepped forward to hand him some food wrapped in a cloth. "Munch on these if you like."

He opened the cloth. "Oooh, cookies!"

"I am content to part with them if it saves us from this fool," Sten grumbled.

She laughed. "Where did you get those, Sten?"

"There was a child – a fat, slovenly thing – in the last village we passed. I relieved him of these confections. He didn't need more," Sten admitted.

She bit her inner cheek trying not to laugh at the thought of Sten sneaking cookies away from a child.

"Mmmm….yummy!"

Her hand lifted to cover her mouth. This was the most ludicrous conversation she'd ever had and it was hard holding the laughter back. "Carroll - Irving will be very displeased that you are denying me a visit. And if he is displeased he will take it out on Greagoir and who do you suppose Greagoir will take it out on, hmmm?" she pointed out.

He took a bite from the last cookie and lowered it, crumbs peppering the sides of his mouth. "Me? Oh, yes...me. Well why didn't you just say so?"

She had…twice. "So you will take us across now?"

He smiled. "Sure, I will. I'm always eager to help out an ex-circle mage Grey Warden that has a cookie bearing giant with her. We'll just take this Lispie boat across."

"Thank you, Carroll, that's a far sight better than swimming. And the boat's name is Lissie," she told.

He shook his head. "No it's not. I distinctly remember he told me the boat was named Lispie. That's just silly of you to say otherwise, since you don't know," he pointed out.

She smiled. "The name of the boat is painted on her side." She pointed to the word Lissie.

Carrol blinked as he looked down at the boat's side. "Well, so it is. You would think he'd know the name of his own boat. Some people just aren't very intelligent, but what can you do?" he asked.

She nodded as she followed him onto the boat. "You are absolutely right, sometimes you just have to grin and bear it."

"I know what you mean," Carroll replied with a nod.

When they reached the other side they hopped out of the boat and hurried up the stairs. It was odd that there were no templars posted at the door. Once they were inside, it was evident something very wrong had happened here.

"…and I want two men stationed within sight of the doors at all times. Do not open the doors without my express consent. Is that clear?" Greagoir demanded.

"Yes, ser," the templar replied and returned to his station.

Alistair looked from the templars to Elvie. "The doors are barred, are they keeping people out or in? I almost dread to find out."

"Now we wait and pray," Greagoir replied as he turned to face the group that entered the Tower.

Elvie forced her lips into a smile. "Greagoir! It's been awhile. Good to see you again."

What was she doing back at the Tower? "Well, look who's back. A proper Grey Warden now, are we? I got word that your phylactery went missing from Denerim – you wouldn't have had anything to do with that, would you?" He asked as he studied her expression.

Her brows drew together in confusion. "I've not had time to visit Denerim yet. I cannot be in two places at one time, Greagoir. I'm here for the Grey Warden treaty."

"Maybe you sprouted wings and flew," he said dryly.

Alistair stepped up beside Elvie. "That's a little harsh, knight-commander. She hasn't been to Denerim. I've been with her since Ostagar. She's a nice person. She wouldn't have destroyed her phylactery."

Greagoir shook his head. "And why would I believe you?"

Alistair exhales slowly. "I used to be a templar before I was conscripted into the Wardens."

"Ah – so they assigned you to watch over her?" At least the Grey Wardens did something right.

"No," Alistair said with a shake of his head. "The Grey Wardens do not see things the same way as templars do. She is my friend."

"Your…friend." Maybe now Cullen would stop moping about…provided he was even alive.

Alistair frowned. "Not that kind of friend. She's a friend-friend."

"At least you remember some of your training," Greagoir stated dryly.

She rolled her eyes. She needed to take back control of the conversation. "Why are the doors barred? What's happened here?"

Greagoir looked over at the doors. "I shall speak plainly. We are in no position to honor that treaty. The Tower is no longer under our control." He turned back to face the group. Abominations and demons stalk the Tower's halls. We were to complacent. First Jowan, now this. Don't think I've forgotten what you did."

"You have made that abundantly clear. I only recently found out about Jowan. I did not think he'd go through with it by himself."

"Well he did, and we have no way of finding him since his phylactery was destroyed. It's set a dangerous precedent. I should have been more vigilant…and urged Irving to be more wary. I can only hope that one day Jowan gets what he deserves. But right now, I have more pressing concerns."

She nodded. "What has become of Irving? Does he live?"

"I don't know. We saw only demons, hunting templars and mages alike. I realized we could not defeat them and told my men to flee," he told her.

"Things must be really dire, if the templars had to flee – and I've no doubt you'll want to want us to get involved," Alistair said cautiously.

"You know me so well. What can we do to help Greagori?"

He shook his head. "I've sent word to Denerim, calling for reinforcements and the Right of Annulment," he admitted.

Alistair rubbed his forehead. "The mages are probably already dead. Any abominations remaining in there must be dealt with no matter what."

Greagoir inclined his head to Alistair. "This situation is dire. There is no alternative – everything in the Tower must be destroyed so that it can be made safe again."

"No. That's not acceptable to me. There may be mages still alive in there. Irving may still be alive. Cullen… I cannot turn my back on them and do nothing."

He did not believe any could be left alive. "If any are still alive, the Maker Himself has shielded them. No one could have survived those monstrous creatures. It's too painful to hope for survivors and find…nothing," he admitted.

She could see the pain on his face. He was a taciturn man and sometimes a hard one, but he cared. She'd always known he cared. That had been one of the reasons he'd been so upset with her for fleeing. She understood that, even if he couldn't understand her. "I'm going in, Greagoir. I told you – I can't walk away from this. I can't leave people in there to die."

Greagoir frowned. "I assure you, an abomination is a force to be reckoned with and you will be facing more than one," he warned. He may not have approved of her attempted escape, but he did not want to lose another soul to those monsters.

"I have to try, Greagoir."

He released a harsh breath. "If you succeed, I would owe you much – enough that I would pledge my templar's to your cause. Without word from Denerim, I must determine our course. Surely, destroying darkspawn is a worthy goal."

"That it is. We have a deal then, Greagoir."

He held up his hand. "A word of caution…once you cross that threshold, there is no turning back. The great doors must remain barred. I will open them for no one until I have proof that it is safe. I will only believe it's over if the first enchanter stands before me and tells me it is so. If Irving has fallen…then the Circle is lost and must be destroyed. May Andraste lend you her courage, whatever you decide."

Sten looked around as they headed towards the great doors. "This is the prison for your mages? Ours is not so grand."

"Some view it as a prison, some a sanctuary. I spent my childhood on the run with my father to avoid the Circle. When I was caught, at least for awhile, it was a relief not to run. For me, it was more a gilded cage than a prison."

Sten grunted. "You would have been killed had you tried to flee our prison."

She closed her eyes briefly as the door slammed closed with finality. "I nearly was Damon, the Grey Warden, that saved my life. If not for him I would be dead…or worse," she admitted.

"Worse?" he inquired.

Some things were worse than death. "They might have chosen to make me tranquil. I would have no longer been me. I would have become a mindless drone, good for taking orders but not much more."

He nodded. "Killing you would have been a waste. Under the Qun no life is wasted. When re-educators fail then they use a poison, gamek, that does much the same."

She wasn't sure how to respond to that. It was a horrendous practice. "Nice," she muttered with scarcasm. "Qunari sound practical and efficient and coldly unfeeling."

"Unfeeling to you, perhaps, but you care correct, the Qun is both practical and efficient. Everyone has their place in the Qun. Knowing that place gives a sense of purpose that bas lack. That is why many bas choose to convert to the Qun. The Qun could give you proper direction." He informed her.

Alistair winced. She was a mage. He did not want to contemplate the direction the Qun would give her and this conversation was quickly going downhill. "You know, you never did tell me how you passed the time in that cage for so long," he said, hoping to change the direction of the conversation.

"No, I didn't."

"Sooo, what did you do in there?" he prodded.

"A training exercise," Sten replied and then sighed. The man would doubtless not stop talking. "I would observe an object and then try to think of all the words in your language which begin with the same letter as its name."

The apprentice rooms they had checked out thus far showed no signs of the living, only the dead greeted them and they were not very talkative. These were people she knew. Some she liked, some she didn't. One, Darok, she'd even kissed once behind a statue. It had done nothing for her, but it had been her first kiss and he had been her friend. It broke her heart to see what had become of a place she'd once called home. A place that still held a lot of memories. A place that was barely recognizable.

Did he really just say that? No, surely he heard wrong. "Wait. Just wait. You're joking, aren't you?"

"No," Sten stated briskly.

Alistair just looked at him. "You are not telling me that you played 'I spy' against yourself for twenty days." That was hard to believe.

Sten frowned. "There are a lot of things in Lothering that begin with 'G'."

She shot Alistair a glance and could see he was barely holding onto his laughter.

She opened the door to continue down the main circular hall and reached back to pull her dual sword staff free of its restraint when a demon pulled itself up out of the stone floor. She shot a bolt of ice at it just as Wynne hit it with a spell of her own. The demon sank back into the ground.

Wynne turned to see who had cast the other spell and saw a face she did not expect. "Elvie? You've returned to the Tower? Why did the templars let you through?" She shook her head. "When I was told a Grey Warden conscripted you, I thought you must have died at Ostagar."

"The Grey Wardens are working with the rightful king and queen of Ferelden. We came here because of the treaty that was signed with the Grey Wardens. They let us in because I told them I wouldn't leave without doing something to help find survivors. Sadly, you are the first I've found. So many deaths…" She absently rubbed over her heart. "As for Ostagar - I never made it down to the main battlefield; by the time I arrived the fighting had already begun. I was fighting darkspawn at the Ishal Tower. That was there I met the rightful queen, Lorianna Theirin."

This was a surprising turn of events. It did not help their current situation, but it was interesting to know. "Irving told me about her – about what she did for the Tower, but he didn't mention she was the rightful queen. I am to assume she is Maric's daughter?" Wynne inquired.

"She was Lorianna Wulff-Cousland then, it was only later that her husband found out that he was Maric's proclaimed son and the heir to the throne. Lor has banded together a League of Paladins and we have all set out to build an army to fight the blight. I chose to be the one come here to seek the aid of the mages. I'm sure you remember Alistair, from Ostegar. The qunari is Sten. His beliefs are different, but his heart is in the battle to come and I am glad to have him as a fellow Paladin."

Wynne looked at the other two. "Alistair, it is good to see you survived Ostagar. Sten, I'm glad you have lent your significant…muscle to help end the blight. And I am relieved you have chosen to help us, regardless of your reasons for doing so, Elvie. Did the templars tell you anything?"

She settled the sword tip of her staff on the stone floor. "Only that they are awaiting reinforcements and seeking the Right of Annulment."

"I thought as much. I imagine Greagoir believes we have all died. If they invoke the Right, however, we will not be able to stand against them."

"So you know if Irving has survived?" he had to survive and not just because they needed him if the doors were ever to open, but because she needed to set things right with him. What he'd told Lor to tell her had healed the wound in her heart. She could not let that go unsaid.

"If anyone could survive this, it would be Irving. It was he who told me to look after the children. It's…a long story. I erected a barrier," she said as she pointed over to the glowing membrane, "over the door leading to the rest of the tower, so nothing from the inside could attack the children. Since you are here to help, I can dispel it. Once Greagoir sees that we have made the Tower safe, I trust he tell his men to back down. He is not unreasonable…at least in most cases," Wynne amended, recalling what she'd been told had happened to Elvie.

The corners of her lips tipped down. "It is not that simple. Greagoir will not let us out until Irving, himself, tells him the Tower is safe."

"Then our path is laid before us. We must save Irving." Her look softened. "I know how much you meant to each other. He loved you as a daughter. Irving is strong – we will find him."

Elvie nodded. "I know we will," she said quietly. "But how did this happen?"

"When Uldred returned from Ostagar, he had made a deal with Loghain to gain the Circle's support. He nearly succeeded swaying the Circle elders. Until I told them what Loghain had done and the price we all paid for his treachery. Uldred tried to get away. When we tried to stop him, he called forth a pride demon. He couldn't control it and he became an abomination. He and his blood mage supporters managed to escape during the chaos. He forced mages to become abominations and they took over the Tower." Wynne released a harsh breath. "That is the short story, but it is all we have time for."

"Agreed," Elvie said with a nod. "Let us gut this Tower and find survivors."

Wynne turned to look at those she'd managed to save. "Petra, Kinnon…look after the children. We will be back soon."

Petra frowned. "Wynne…are you sure you're all right? You were so badly hurt earlier. Maybe I should come along."

A small smile played on her lips. "It is kind of you to offer, Petra, but I have three worthy souls to see to my protection. The others need your protection more than I do. I will be all right. Stay here with them…keep them safe and calm. Now, let us go end this."

"Elvie," Petra said as she touched her arm. "Look after Wynne. I don't know if she's up to this. Especially not after…I just worry."

Her brows drew together in confusion. "After what?"

"I was on my way down to the library when I heard screaming and a demon came around the corner. Its eyes were afire with evil…I was certain I would meet my death. I think I screamed; I was so afraid. And then Wynne was there, in front of me, shielding me. It was light and fire, blood and chaos. When it was over, the demon was dead but Wynne wasn't moving either. I was so afraid she was…gone. I could swear I did not see the rise of her chest. As I moved to check on her, she stirred and started coughing. I don't know what I would have done if she had died…for me. Just look after her – no one could have survived that unharmed."

Wynne looked back at the rest of their small group. "Are you ready?"

"Don't worry, Petra I'll look after her. Coming, Wynne." She hurried over to the barrier.

"I am somewhat amazed at myself for having kept it in place this long," she admitted.

"We all do what is needed in times of desperation. You did good, Wynne," Alistair told her.

She nodded. "Be prepared for anything. I do not know what manner of beasts lurk beyond this barrier," Wynne warned. She lifted her hand and chanted the spell that would release the barrier.

-BREAK ONE-

They rounded the hall and could see the abominations before they even entered the library. Alistair and Sten rushed ahead of the mages to take the brunt of the attack, giving the mages time to work their spells without being swarmed.

Elvie cast a sustained healing spell and then focused on pummeling the abominations with spells that would rip away their life force.

Wynne frowned. "You are no longer a lone mage in battle. Let me worry about healing, Elvie. Do not waste your energy on that. You are far more versed in destructive magic then I am. Use it," Wynne pointed out.

Good point. She released the sustained spell and slammed an abomination with a stone fist, causing it to stumble backwards, giving Sten the break he needed to impale the abomination on his great sword. No other creatures were found in the main library.

The rows upon rows of books were staggering. He had never seen so many in one place. "Such a number of books. How many are not decorations?"

Wynne laughed. "They are all real, Sten and they each have an important story to tell those that are willing to open its cover."

"Surely, you jest."

She smiled at the qunari. "Pull any book from any shelf and you will see that I speak the truth."

After about fifteen books were pulled from various locations throughout the library, Sten stopped to shake his head. "Many ashkaari – seekers of knowledge, must have passed through here."

They took the far door on the left that lead to the archives where they found a group of demons and abominations. It saddened her that she could not even recognize those she had once known in the abominations, it was as if nothing of the host remained behind. Perhaps, it was better not to equate a face, a life, with the creatures they were forced to kill.

They took the stairs up to the second floor. They found Owain in the stock room. Surprisingly, the tranquil seemed unharmed.

People have come. "Please refrain from going into the stockroom. It is a mess and I have not been able to get it into a state fit to be seen."

"What are you doing here?" Alistair inquired. He should at least try to hide.

"I was trying to tidy up, but there was little I could do," Owain stated.

Tranquil's broke her heart. She wasn't sure of the story behind why he was made tranquil, but he was a shell of a man and that wasn't right. "Owain, you should have left – gone somewhere more safe."

"I tried to leave, when things got quiet. That was when I encountered the barrier. Finding no other way out, I returned to work," he replied simply.

Wynne's heart squeezed in pain. Owain was helpless…defenseless. If only she had known. "Owain, you should have said something! I would have opened the door for you."

"The stockroom was familiar. I prefer to be here," he explained. Here he was at home. Here he had something to do. Here the rhythm of his life could play out as it was meant to. Peace and comfort in the arms of familiarity.

At least he had survived. She wasn't sure how he'd survived, but he had. "I'm glad you are all right, Owain."

"Me too. I would prefer not to die. I would prefer it if the Tower returned to the way it was. Perhaps, Niall will succeed and save us all," he told them.

Now that peeked her interest. "What is Niall going to do?

"I don't know, but he came here with several others and took the Litany of Andralla," Owain answered evenly.

Wynne blinked. "But that protects from mind domination. Perhaps blood magic is at work here." She looked at Elvie. "Niall was at the meeting. He would know. Blood magic…I was afraid of this. We should find Niall. The Litany will give us protection against any blood mages we encounter."

"I wish you luck," Owain told them. "Perhaps this will be over soon and things will return to the way they were. There is comfort in that. Good bye."

There was little they could do for him if he wouldn't leave. "The barrier is down and the way is clear. You may wish to head down to Petra and the others. Try to stay safe, Owain." She nodded to Wyn. "Let's find Niall…or Irving." Or Cullen.

They entered the door on their left to find three blood mages talking quietly amongst each other. But they attacked without provocation and set the wheels of their demise into action. The last of the blood mages fell, but struggled to pulle herself up onto her elbow. She held her hand out towards them. "Please, please don't kill me."

"Well, I doubt the people you killed wanted to die either," Alistair pointed out in words that dripped with sarcasm.

He was right about that. They'd died because they fought back and change – real change, never comes easy. "I know I have no right to ask for mercy, but I didn't mean for this death and destruction. We were just trying to free ourselves. Uldred told us that the Circle would support Loghain and Loghain would help us be free of the chantry. Don't you remember what it was like living her? The templars watching…always watching."

There was one templar she didn't mind watching her. "But what you've done reflects on all mages and that makes their lives more hellish. We are forced to live with your consequences."

"Change doesn't come easy. The magic gave me the power to fight for what I believed. To fight for your freedom as well as my own," she pointed out.

Wynne crossed her arms over her chest. "Fighting for what you believe, Rista, can be commendable – but the ends do not always justify the means.

Rista narrowed her gaze on Wynne. "You don't really believe that do you Wynne? Change rarely comes peacefully. Andraste waged war on the Imperium; she didn't write them a strongly worded letter. She reshaped civilization, freed the slaves and gave us the Chantry. But people died for it. We thought…someone always has to take the first step. Force the change, no matter the cost."

"Nothing," Wynne said with a swipe of her hand, "is worth what you've done to this place!"

"And now…."Rysta said as her hand curled into a fist. "Now Uldred's gone mad, and we are scattered, doomed to die at the hands of those who seek to right our wrongs."

Elvie shook her head. The woman has learned nothing. "There is more to life than wallowing in self-pity. This isn't how to make a difference. Demons and abominations are not the way."

Rista shook her head. "No! That was Uldred, that wasn't us! I didn't turn into an abomination to fight you. That's not what we wanted. We wanted freedom - that is all."

So there were cracks even within Uldred's own people. "I'm not going to kill someone who has surrendered, but you need to consider more carefully what you do from here on out. Leave; get to safety if you can."

Relief washed through her. They weren't going to kill her. "Thank you. The Maker will surely turn His eyes on you for your mercy!"

She frowned as she watched the woman run. She hoped she did not meet her again…But if she did and Rista was still using blood magic, there would be no mercy the second time around. She led them further down the hall, clearing out the chambers that lined it. In the second chamber they found a mage hiding in armoire.

"The creatures are gone – you can come out, you know," Elvie told the armoire.

The man stepped out of the closet. "I thought I was dead for sure. I suppose I can breathe easy now. "Godwin." He pointed to his chest. "Mage of the Circle of Ferelden, at your service."

"Why were you in the closet? I wouldn't think that would be a very safe place to hide. After all, I found you," she pointed out.

"Well, it was safer than dancing around in front of them. I hid there because there were demons everywhere, blocking my exit. I decided the best thing to do in that situation was to hide and be very, very quiet. Thankfully, those monsters weren't as smart as you." He shuddered. "I just really want to be somewhere safe. I think I might stay here for now. Maybe go back into the closet."

Oh dear. She wondered if he was related to Carroll. She smiled and spoke kindly, as if to a child. "Godwin – We've cleared the way. Head back down and join up with Petra and the others. You will be safe there…even better, you won't be alone anymore." She saw him look at the closet with longing. "Or you can stay here…all by yourself…in the dark."

He blinked. No, that didn't sound so good. "I'll find the others. Thank you for saving me. May we meet again, in happier, less life-threatening times."

They followed him out of the chamber. He turned left to head back down and they turned right to check out the next chamber. She came to an abrupt stop and held up her hand to stop and quiet everyone.

"There's nothing here!" a mage cried.

"There must be something left. If we get out, we're going to need gold. Uldred said-"

"Uldred's not here, is he?" asked the woman. "Keep your mouth shut and we'll be right as rain."

She sighed. Blood mages then.

An abomination appeared. "There you are! Little mages…such sweet morsels. I think I will go for the plump one first…"

They attacked the abomination and found themselves fighting the abomination and the mages. Because, clearly, killing mages is more important than killing demons and abominations. The abomination didn't care who it killed and it was hard to feel pity when it killed one of the blood mages that had decided to ignore it. As Kadar likes to say, 'all roads do not have to lead to the same destination'. It was unfortunate the blood mages didn't agree. If she could have even saved one of them from the path they walked, she would have tried.

The following room brought up memories of killing spiders in an infested store room for a senior enchanter. She shuddered. Big, hairy spiders the size of large dogs. If she never saw another it would be too soon.

A rage demon soon joined the abominations inhabiting the room. She immediately chanted a spell to cool the lava blob off, which Alistair took advantage of by shattering it with his shield. She was pleased to note that Wynne was quite the accomplished healer. She'd feel an occasional ache or pain, but it was gone before it had time to take her attention away from the battle. She had to admit it was nice to not have to heal and fight at the same time.

Alistair slammed his sword against his shield. The abomination swung around to face the new threat. Sten swung his great sword, hacking the creature in half. She smiled. Those two may not like each other much, but they were becoming a team. That was far more important than liking someone.

Sten shook his head in bewilderment. "What are all these statues? Your mages have an unhealthy fascination for women with bowls."

"I've always wondered that myself," Elvie admitted as she glanced at one of the statues. Bowls often signified offerings. Did mages long ago used to put offerings in those bowls? Best not to think on it.

She led them back down the hall and into the chapel. Nothing in here but death. At times she found the sermons boring. But bored to death was a far cry from being a burnt husk.

The final door on this floor was the hardest for her to enter. She took a deep, relaxing breath and stepped into Irving's office. At least it did not look as bad as the other rooms they'd been through. She had spent so much time in here over the years. Irving had chosen to be her personal mentor when he first clapped eyes on her, since then he'd become a father to her.

When she first arrived at Kinloch Hold, he'd spent hours with her, reading to her, taking her out onto the island grounds and out onto the lake. She had a photographic memory and learned spells in one teaching. Once she'd built up the strength of those spells he'd move on to harder ones. Before she ever became a teenager, she was already learning spells that practiced mages were learning. By the time she was fifteen she was learning spells that senior enchanters were practicing. Within two years, Irving was allowing her to see books of ancient magicks that even the senior enchanters were not allowed to view, because they were considered too dangerous or blasphemous to the chantry. He'd even taught her the fundimentals of blood magic and how best to counter the various spells.

What she hadn't realized until later was that he was grooming her to eventually become First Enchanter. She couldn't help but wonder if he now regretted devoting so much time to her and her training, as it was unlikely she would ever become First Enchanter now. But that was something only he could answer.

She found a small, black grimoire in a chest in the office. It appeared to have been Flemeth's grimoire at one time. She skimmed through it and then came to a stop to read back over what she'd just read. It spoke of a spell that would enable the caster to take over another host's body. Sorry, Irving. I would never have thought I'd steal anything from you, but Morrigan needs to see this. She slipped it into a side pocket on her upper thigh.

Alistair put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

She looked up at him and nodded. "I will be. Irving raised me since I was brought to the tower as a child. We had a special bond. He was my mentor and became my father. I have to wonder if I could have saved him…if only I hadn't run when he broke my heart."

He shook his head. "And you might have ended up dead…or worse. I went through something similar with Duncan – I didn't know him as long as you knew the First Enchanter, but still – he was a father figure to me. And I wondered if I could have saved him if I'd not got to the Tower of Ishal…if I'd been down in the valley with him. But my sister…" he grinned. "I still love the way that sounds…my siiissterr told me Ishouldn't look at it that way. I was sent away because I have a different path to walk. The future needed me to stay alive, because I have a destiny to fulfill. It is the will of life. Or something to that effect. And you are here now, because this is where you need to be."

She placed a hand against his cheek. "Thank you, Alistair. That helps." She turned to look up the stairs. "Up we go again. Like Irving, I curse whoever decided to put the Circle in a tower."

Alistair frowned when they reached the top. "Do you get the feeling things are just getting worse as we go up? Reminds me of the Tower of Ishal. Hope there's no ogre waiting for us at the top."

Half-way through a main congregation hall the dead rose up around them. "These things can have unusual powers! Be wary!" Wynne warned.

Elvie released her dual sword staff. "You know, it broke my heart to see all the dead. But now I wished they'd just stayed dead," she teased dryly. She chanted a spell that would lift the dead thing up and slam it to the ground. She blinked when it rose on obviously broken bones and shambled towards her. "Take off their heads!" she cried. "They don't fall to normal damage!" She twirled her staff and, the deadly sword ends arching out to meet undead necks. She dropped a fireball on one of them, it continued to advance, a walking torch. Until one leg gave out and the other. It toppled forward, landing on a large rug. "Oh, shit!" She cast an ice spell to put out the flames. "Fire works – but I don't recommend it!"

Alistair laughed. "So I noticed."

As soon as they thought they'd cleared the room, more dead rose up to challenge them. But this time they were not alone. Their boss stepped in to join the fight. "I'm going after the pride demon mage…thing."

"That is called an arcane horror. And it packs a nasty punch," Wynne warned. "I will try to keep you healed."

She ran towards the arcane horror, chanting a spell to trap and crush it in a telekinetic force. She threw a glyph of protection on herself to ease Wynne's burden and then released a spell of cold, which only seemed to slow it down. She could feel the blasts of the horror's power. Each blast weakened her protection ward. She rolled to avoid and other sphere of power and then dropped a heavy telekinetic weight on it, followed by a glyph of paralysis. She swung her dual sword staff in a downward arch and removed its head.

She turned to help with the rest of the dead, but the last one was cleaved in two by Sten.

Sten looked at the new statues. There were statues all over this hall. "Headless women with shields. Much better than bowls. But those - ," he pointed over to the wall, "they should not carry swords. Swords are for warriors and warriors are men."

"We do not practice the Qun here. Here, women fight," Elvie explained.

"That will not last for long," he responded.

Alistair frowned. "Does that mean you intend to invade us and force us all into your Qun?"

"All religions are inherently selfish," Wynne explained. "Like a virus, they need to spread and infect, so that nothing is left but the virus. The chantry, too, has done this, but the cost exacted is high and must not be rushed into blindly."

"That is…one way of looking at it," Sten responded. And the more he thought on it the more he could see the wisdom in the words spoken by the elder mage.

In the next room they found more abominations, as soon as those were eliminated a rage demons rose up behind them. She and Wynne hit them with freezing spells and Alistair shattered them with his shield. They slipped back through the stone floor as if they had never been there. Her hand rose to her mouth to hold down her gorge when she saw large rotted, meaty masses covering parts of the room. What in all hell? No – no, she did not want to know. The smell was as stomach churning as the sight of the masses of flesh.

"Now that is just gross," Alistair quipped.

The entered back into the main circular hall. The first of the rooms they came to held templars who attacked them on sight. The glow seen through their visor's slit left little doubt that these templars were not in their right minds…they were not alone in their bodies. With two against four the odds were not in the templar's favor and they were dispatched before they could blink. The following room was empty and that was a nice break.

"Arise, my pets! Your mistress commands it!"

And…short breather over. A desire demon held several templars in thrall, templars that had been kneeling at her feet. She dodged the templars and focused on the desire demon. With luck, if she could be destroyed, the templar would gain their minds. "Focus on the demon! We may be able to save the templars!" She knew it was a long shot, but she had to take it. These men had been enthralled to the demon, they were possessed and they weren't abominations or dead – there was still a chance to save them.

She had been correct in that assumption. When the desire demon fell, the templar were once again in control of themselves. Except one, that had been killed during the fray. "We have cleared the way; you can go below and recover with the other survivors."

Leon shook his head. "No, we should go with you to clear the rest of the Tower."

"You have just had a traumatic experience, Leon. You need to recover. We will have a hard enough time shielding our own minds. If you come with us, you will just be controlled again - we cannot risk that. There are several mages downstairs, near the entrance of the apprentice quarters. They will be able to protect your minds until this is over."

Leon inclined his head. "There is wisdom in your words. Maker watch over you all."

-BREAK TWO-

They could not continue further down this hall, it was stacked high, as if someone was trying to prevent anyone from getting through. She considered blowing the stacked furnishings out of the way, but there was one room left that they had not gotten to. The chamber that led to the middle of this floor. She backtracked and opened the door. Tranquil stood in the center of the room as if frozen. There was an abomination and several lesser creatures. "Wynne – shield the tranquils! I will handle the healing of the others – just keep the tranquils and yourself safe!"

This battle took a little longer because she had to both heal and fight. She had backed out into the hall to get the creatures to follow, in hopes of keeping the shielded tranquil safer. The abomination was the last to go down. It had been stronger than the other abominations they'd come across so far. She hurried back into the room and Wynne lowered the shield that had covered her and the four tranquil.

Wynne rubbed her forehead. "It was turning tranquil into abominations. We were shielded, but I could feel its magic bearing down against the shield." She shook her head. "It felt dirty…and hungry."

Her attention settled on the four tranquil. "All four of you go downstairs, near the entrance of the apprentice quarters, survivors have gathered there. The path has been cleared, you will be safe," she told them.

"Thank you…for saving us. We did not wish to die," Eldon told her. "Come, we should go," He led the others from the chamber – lucky to be leaving behind the stench of the meat-glob décor.

She eyed the door leading up to the next level and released a slow breath. "I would give almost anything right now for a spell to inhibit my sense of smell," she grumbled. "Onward and upward to the Templar quarters."

They hurried past the entry foyer and into the first room. A desire demon held a templar in thrall.

The desire demon drew a hand across the templar's chestplate. "Everything is just as you wanted, my knight. Our love and our family is more than you hoped for."

She raised her staff and sent a bolt of lightning into the demon. She arched back with a cry of pain.

"We are being attacked, my love – protect our children; kill the intruders!"

They tried to focus on jus the demon this time, but the templar was more aggressive than the other five had been. He was in love with the vision she'd given him and he ended up fighting to the death to save it. The demon also raised the dead to aid the fight against them. Their children, perhaps? That was a horrifying thought.

There was no satisfaction with the demon's death this time, because she could not save the templar from its dream. She couldn't help but wonder if Cullen, too, had become victim to a desire demon – if he, too, was separated out because of his love for her. She hoped she did not find him like this…but if she did, she could only hope that her love would be able to pull him out of the vision.

There was one more room on this side of the floor she wanted to hit before tackling the middle that would take them to the other side and to the stairs to the next floor…the Harrowing chamber. It was starting to look like Irving… if he was alive would be there. It would be too much to hope that the room was empty. She opened the door. And so it was…too much to hope, that is. There were three templars and a blood mage. Unlike the templars in thrall to the desire demon, these had an unnatural glow to their eyes. They were possessed, unsalvageable, and the death toll rises. The number of survivors they'd found by now was alarmingly low. Better than none…but barely. There were parts of the Tower they hadn't had access too. She could only hope that more survivors would be found there.

With the last room cleared out they returned to the middle chamber. There was a sense of weariness that permeated the room. Bodies were on the floor in various states of decay. A demon stood next to a body that did not yet show signs of decay. She recognized the robes. Niall. He'd gotten so close – nearly succeeded before he fell.

"Oh, look...visitors. I'd entertain you but…too much effort involved," it told her.

Her lips spread into a cold smile. "Then I guess you won't be fighting back when we kill you. Good to know."

It raised its arms into a shrug. "But why? Aren't you tired of all the violence in this world? I know I am. Wouldn't you like to just lie down and…forget about all this? Leave it all behind."

Alistair rubbed his eyes carefully with his gauntleted hand. "Can't…keep my eyes open. Someone…pinch…me…Ouch!" he cried when Sten did just that.

"We must stand…and fight!" Why did the weight of his greatsword seem so heavy? How could he fight if he could barely lift it?

"Resist! You must resist, else we are all lost…." Wynne warned.

The demon exerted more power. "Why do you fight? You deserve more… You deserve to rest. Go now…sleep and dream of better things…."

Elvie closed her eyes for a brief moment when she heard bodies drop to the floor. Her gaze rose to meet the demon's and she pushed back, chanting a reflection spell and refreshing her protection glyph. "Release them…now!" she growled.

"Don't you know how this works?" it asked. "I am only wearing this creature, I am in the fade. Killing it changes nothing. The only way to save your friends is to join them. Wouldn't that be easier? Just close your eyes and release your will. Join your friends. If you can find them and if you can defeat me, then you will all go free. Otherwise, they belong to me."

A slow smile spread on her lips. "Inviting me into your home will be the last mistake you ever make."

It chuckled. "We shall see, little mage…we shall see. Now, sleep."

She released the spells and lowered herself to the floor. Her eyes closed and tried to relax. "Invite me in, demon. I'm ready."

She felt a heavy, disorienting pull and when she opened her eyes she was in the Tower, but back at the entrance foyer. Her friends were nowhere to be found. Of course, she did not expect them to be, but it would have been efficient, now she had do things her way. So be it.

She hurried down the hall to talk to the Cullen-thing that appeared to be waiting for her. That demon was evil.

Cullen smiled. "I thought we were all lost – the Tower destroyed, but you came and you saved us, Elvie…and I am nearly afraid to blink – that you will disappear were I to do so. I did not know how much I would miss you when you left, but my life has not been the same. I could not bear to lose you again."

Ouch. She would give almost anything to hear those words from him. But this was not him. "You play with my feelings – you will regret that."

"I already do. I regretted it the moment you walked out the door with that Grey Warden and I didn't stop you. I never meant to play with your feelings, you have to know this. You are a mage; I a templar. It was my task to watch over you and keep you safe, not love you. But I have always loved you. I will always love you. You saved the Circle, now it is our turn to live." Cullen held out his hand towards her. "Take my hand, my love, and we will leave the Circle behind us. I regret that I did not leave the first time, but I will not make that same mistake again. I know where I belong. With you…Always."

The demon could not have hurt her more if he clawed her heart to shreds. That would have been easier to bear than this. "You are trying to give me everything I want, but Cullen would never leave his duties for me – in that, you have failed."

Anger burned in Cullen's eyes. "Foolish mage. I have given you so much and you cast it back in my face. Can you not be content with the peace I offer?"

She closed her eyes, the weight of the pain nearly unbearable. A tear slid down her cheek. "If there were nothing else at stake, I would accept the world you offer. It is all I've ever wanted and nothing I will ever have, but I cannot and will not be selfish when all of Ferelden is at stake."

"It seems only war and death will satisfy you. So be it!" He pulled the sword and shield from his back. "If you cannot live here in peace then you will die here in agony!"

She spelled a protection glyph, and with a heavy heart she fought the specter of the man she loved. She widened the range of her next spell and smashed them with a telekinetic force. She turned to face the two templars she had passed to reach the Cullen-thing. They were weaker and went down after only a few spells. She spun around, her dual-sword staff striking against Cullen's armor and he stumbled back. She threw down a glyph of paralysis, which trapped him when he lunged at her. "You should have released my friends, but you chose to invite me in instead. Now, I'm taking control. My dream – my rules. Fuck you," she said as her sword staff arched out to take off his head. She did not look back at it. She did not want to see Cullen in that state.

"Alistair!" The fade whirled around her and came to a sudden stop. She blinked to get her bearings. She was in the Royal Palace in Denerim. She followed voices to a drawing room. Flames danced in the hearth, giving warmth and comfort. Kael, Lor, Alistair, Ann and another woman were lounging around the fire on padded benches, while children played around them. It was cozy and heartwarming scene, but it was not real.

Alistiar looked up at her and grinned. "Elvie! Come join us. I was just thinking about you…isn't that a marvelous coincidence? I don't think you've met my sister, Goldanna. She has come to live at the castle with her children. See them playing so nicely with their cousins? I've never had so much love and so much family around me. We're one, big, happy family. I am a lucky man."

Her smile was somber. "I've never seen you so content before, my friend."

He drew his arm around his wife. "I am. I'm happier than I've been my entire life. Isn't that strange? I thought being a Grey Warden would make me happy. It didn't. This does. My brother…my sisters…my wife…my children. I have everything a man could want.

"I am overjoyed that I was able to find my little brother and now we are a family, as we were always meant to be!" Goldanna said with a glowing smile.

"I know you are happy, Alistair…but there are things we must finish," she reminded him.

He lowered his head and gave it a slight shake. "I…don't think I'll be coming. I don't want to spend my life fighting, only to end up dead in a pit along with rotting darkspawn corpses."

Lorianna beamed a smile at her. "I'm glad you came by, Elvie. Dinner is about to be served. I do hope you will stay and eat with us."

"Alistair – What you are seeing is not real. It is a dream and it will last only as long as it takes for your body to die. I need you to think carefully about where you were before you got here."

A dream? Die? He wanted to be happy, but he did not want to die for it. "All right, if it makes you happy." What was he doing? Why couldn't he remember? "I…it's a little fuzzy. That's strange…" he rose from where he was seated. Something wasn't right.

"My love…" Annalynn murmured. "I'm getting cold without your warmth. Please, come warm your wife up."

He shook his head. "No…wait…I remember a…tower. The Circle…it was under attack…there were demons…"

She nodded. "One of those demons sent us into the fade. It wants to trap us here."

He rubbed his forehead. "But how can this be a dream? It feels so real…"

"Of course it's real, brother. We killed the archdemon, Ferelden is safe and now it's time for us to enjoy our lives. Be a family," Kael assured him.

Alistair took a step back. "Something…something doesn't feel quite right here. I…think I have to go."

She smiled at him. "Yes, we do. The Circle still needs to be saved."

"No!" Goldanna growled as she rose to her feet. "He is ours, and I'd rather see him dead than free!"

She looked around; the others had risen to fight. "Couldn't you have had a dream with less family in it?" she groused as she cast spells at more people she cared about.

"I'll take that under consideration for the next time," he teased.

"Next time? I would prefer there be no next time. And leave your wife to me. I'll kill her! I – er…didn't mean that the way it sounded. I just know how hard it is to kill something that looks like someone you love." She focused all her spells on Annalynn until she went down.

"If that is the case, maybe I should take a seat and let you kill them all," he pointed out.

This was true. He had been surrounded by family. "You could…at least they go down easy." She dispatched Lor and it left her feeling sick.

He took the head off his brother and his heart twisted in pain. "Can you imagine fighting them at full strength?"

"I …don't think we'd survive that."

"I don't think so either," he agreed as he slammed Goldanna with his sword to knock her over. He repositioned his sword and drove it straight down into his sister. He turned to help her with the children, who had turned into undead – but she'd already taken care of them. "You are an impressive mage."

"Irving was preparing me to take his place as First Enchanter. That seems like a lifetime ago."

He nodded and looked around at all the bodies. "How did I not see this earlier?"

"You are in the fade, Alistair. To you it was real. Rarely can anyone but mages tell the difference," she assured him.

His body felt tingly. "Are we going now? Wait…where are you going? What's happening to me? Hey…" He covered his ears and closed his eyes, not wanting to see what was happening.

She smiled and shook her head. "Wynne!" The fade whirled around her and stopped at the Circle. Dead mages littered the stone floor.

"Maker forgive me. I failed them all. They died and I did not stop it," the senior mage lamented.

What was wrong with Wynne? She was acting as if she believed what she was seeing. "Wynne, you are a mage…why are you letting the fade control you? You are mourning demons while the Circle needs our help." She probably could have been more kind, but she was at a loss as to why the elder mage did not know where she was.

Wynne glared at the young mage. "Elvie! Where were you? You could have helped me stop all this! We needed you and you were nowhere to be found!" She looked back down at the corpses. "Why was I spared if not to help them? What use is my life now that I have failed in the task that was given to me? Just…go. Leave me to my grief. I-"

She shook her head in disbelief. "Wynne! Enough self-flagellation! We need to find Irving! You are in the fade and those are demons at your feet. Please stop and think. Remember what we have to do. Remember the Circle…remember the demon…remember the Litany of Andralla!"

Her brows drew together and she raised a hand to her forehead to rub it. Why did her head feel like a heavy fog? "It is…difficult…to focus. It feels as though something is…stopping me from concentrating. I have never had so much trouble…I – I need some fresh air…to help me think."

A mage rose to its feet. "Don't leave us, Wynne. We don't want to be alone."

Wynne blinked as realization set in. "Holy Maker! Stay away, foul creature!"

"You must defeat your demons or they will not let you go," Elvie warned.

"Stay with us, Wynne. Sleep soundly in the comforting embrace of the earth. Do not fight it. You belong here, with us."

"N-no…Not yet," she said with a shake of her head. "My task is not yet done…it is not my time yet."

"Come," the mage said, "come away to your rest." It pointed towards the other bodies and they rose for battle.

This time there were only three demons to face and they went down quickly. "You did it."

Wynne turned to look at her. "Is it over? Thank the Maker for you. Wait…what's happening? Where are you going?"

"It is you who are going, but I don't know where to…" She frowned, Wynne had already vanished. One more to go and then she had to defeat the sloth demon. That had been his stipulation. "Sten!" Once more the fade swirled around her until it came to a stop at Lake Calenhad. She saw Sten with a couple of other qunari.

Sten looked up to see the mage approaching him. So, in all the fade, in all the dreams, she had found him. "Shanedan. You must be an Ashkaari to have found me in this land of dreams."

"Who are you talking to?" the karashock asked.

"Don't bother the sten. Isn't it your turn to cook?" the other reminded him.

"Cook what? There's no food in the miserable, frozen country."

Parshaara! We have a guest. Make room at the fire," Sten ordered his men.

"Thank you," she replied uncertain how to proceed. Somehow, he knew this wasn't real, yet he did not seem to want to leave.

"You are welcome to dinner, though I don't suggest you eat anything the karashock cooks," Sten warned.

"Unless you enjoy spending time in the latrine," the ashaad smirked.

The karashock frowned. "Then why don't you cook, kadan?"

"Not my turn," he shot back.

Sten glared at the two. "Perhaps my memory is failing. I would swear that I've already told you both to shut up."

"My apologies," ashaad said to the sten.

"These are the ones you came with?" she asked quietly.

"They are Beresaad. My brothers."

"Who is that little thing you are speaking to? Has it seen darkspawn?" the karashock asked.

"Don't interrupt the sten, karashock," the ashaad warned.

Elvie frowned. "This little thing is a she – and yes, I have fought darkspawn."

"Surely, you jest. Women do not fight." Karashock shook his head. "We have seen no sign of darkspawn. We have been days in this place. There's no sign of any threat. The arishock's report was wrong. Can we not go home?"

"No," Sten replied bluntly.

"We need to go, Sten. There is a demon that needs to be killed," she reminded him.

"Let it wait," he stated.

"Feed it the karashock's cooking. That should end it," the ashaad said with a small grin.

"Better yet, feed the ashaad. That would take care of it and do us a favor," karashock shot back.

Sten rose to his feet. "This is a dream. I'm not a fool. I remember seeing the karashock there have his head torn off."

"Well, at least it's not a great loss," ashaad remarked dryly.

Karashock frowned. "You are so entertaining, kadan, you should perform in the square with the other trained monkeys. We could throw you peanuts."

She was enjoying their banter. It reminded her a lot of the camp she shared with the other Paladins. "Your friends…I like them. I can see why you would not wish to give them up."

Sten released a slow breath. "It's a dream. But it's a good dream. There is nothing left to fight for."

She nodded and then smiled when she remembered a phrase from a book she's once read in the archives at the Tower. "Shok ebasit hissra. Meraad astaarit, meraad itwasit, aban aqun. Maraas shokra. Anaan esaam talan." She altered the last word to 'truth' because she felt that in this, it gave more meaning.

Sten stared at her for a moment. A bas…but a woman that he'd come to respect had spoke to him in his own language, quoting the Qun…reminding him of his duty. She was kadan, indeed. "Truth. You are right, victory is in the truth. This," he said pointing to his men, "is an illusion…a lie. I have shamed myself and in doing so shamed you."

She gave a slow shake of her head. "There is no shame in wishing things could have been different. The only shame is in doing nothing to make a difference."

Sten inclined his head to her. "There is much wisdom in your words, kadan."

"Then let us go so that we can find your asala."

He could not stop the smile from forming on his lips. He knew she was referring to his sword, but in truth, a human…a mage was helping him find his soul. He would have thought the idea inconceivable, but there was no denying the truth. "It is time," he agreed.

The two qunari rose to their feet.

"Why have you called her kadan? She cannot mean anything to you. She is bas. Have you forgotten your brothers?" ashaad demanded.

"She has given me back my soul. She is kadan. And I have forgotten nothing. My brothers are dead. My sword is gone. The blight must be ended. And the Arishock demands answers. I cannot do that from here," he told them.

"You cannot abandon your post," karashock growled.

"Stand aside," Sten told them. "I would hate to see you both die again."

"No!" the karashock's arm cut through the air in finality. "We will not let you abandon us again." He pulled his weapons.

She pulled her staff from its restraint and put a spell of protection on her and Sten.

"Bas-Saarebas!" karashock yelled, making her their prime target.

She flung her dual-sword staff in an outward arch sending a powerful blast of telekinetic force at them, throwing them off their feet. She cast a spell of freezing on karashock, while Sten took on the ashaad.

As with all the dream demons, they died far sooner than they would have in life. But it left her heart feeling heavy. Despite knowing what they were, she had liked them – or at least she liked the men they were pretending to be.

"We have won, and yet this gives me no peace. I wish to leave this place-" His body began to tingle. "No! More trickery? What is happening?"

"I will see you soon, kadan…" she told him as he vanished.

-BREAK THREE-

Now for the sloth demon. "I'm coming for you…sloth demon!" The fade swirled around her and stopped at a large clearing. This time there was no illusion, everything was blurred as if juxtaposed. Her eyes spanned the rocky, terrain, with its twisted trees and stunted vegetation. There. She'd found him. He looked like an arcane horror of some kind, but demons were deceptive in form, there was no way of knowing what it truly looked like. That was probably for the best. She approached him, ready for anything.

"What do we have here? A rebellious minion? An escaped slave?" he laughed. "My, my …but you do have some gall. But playtime is over. You all have to go back now."

Alistair blinked. "Oh, here I am! And there you are! You just disappeared. Well, no matter, we are together again."

Finally. "I am here and it is time to finish this!" Sten stated matter of fact. He was tired of this place. "I have had enough of cages."

Wynne squared her shoulders. "You will not hold us, demon! We found each other in this place and you cannot stand against us!"

Elvie crossed her arms over her chest. "I told you once, inviting me into your home would be the last mistake you ever made."

The mage was more clever than it had anticipated. "You may have bypassed my defense and found your friends, but you will never leave. If you go back quietly, I'll do better this time. I'll make you much happier," it promised.

She grinned. "You cannot avoid what must happen and you are right to fear me. There is no going back – I make my own happiness."

"Can't you think about anyone other than yourself? I'm hurt, so very, very hurt." It did not want to fight the clever mage, but it was unwilling to give up control in its demesne.

"Get used to disappointment," she said dryly. "That hurt is the first of many that we will inflict on you, demon. If we have to defeat you to leave, then you are already dead."

It laughed. "So be it. I will enjoy breaking that spirit. You will learn to bow to your betters…mortal!" He transformed into an ogre.

"Didn't I say I didn't want to see an ogre at the top of the Tower? That means I didn't want to see one in the fade either!' Alistair groused.

She threw spell after spell, with bouts of running for her life whenever it charged her. For some reason, it did not seem to like her very much. It wasn't as though it had an ax to grind with her or anything. She had to give Alistair and Sten credit, they did their best to try to keep it focused on them, but it was a stubborn demon that seemed to only care about ending her magy existence.

In a blink it changed into a rage demon. That, at least, was easier to work with. She hit it with a few hexes and then focused on dousing its fire with a little ice until it turned into the visage it had in the Tower, an abomination. She slammed it with more hexes and then cast a spell of collapsing telekinetic energy. When it broke free she laid a glyph of paralysis, it skirted the glyph and ran towards her. She dropped a fire bomb on it and ran to put some distance between them. She turned and cast a spell to slam it into the ground with a telekinetic crush of power. It did not hit the ground as anticipated, but it was obviously stunned and weakened.

When it could move again it changed forms. This time a shade and the battle began again. She was starting to feel the drain of using so much magic. She normally never took potions, but the fight was dragging on longer than she'd expected. She pulled out a lyrium vial with a frown and downed the potion. Her body hummed with renewed energy. And she lashed out at the demon with renewed vigor until it changed back into an arcane horror.

Well two can play at that game. She was fed up with the demon's antics. "Everyone, clear space – I'm coming in big! Wynne – shield me!" she yelled. She chanted the spell that would change her into a dragon. She roared and charged the demon. She raked it with her claws, turned her head and slammed the side of her head against it. She shook her head to free it of the demon impaled on her horns. Her head darted straight at it and she bit down. She lifted it off the ground, threw it into the air and caught it in her jaws for another crunch. The taste of demon ichor coated her tongue and she flung it the ground in disgust. She inhaled and a jet of flame burst from her mouth, torching the demon until there was nothing left of it. She shook her head and turned to look at the others, most of whom were watching her warily. She shook her head and returned to her true form.

Her belly heaved and she dropped to her knees to throw up the demon ichor she'd swallowed. She panted heavily for a moment.

Sten knelt down next to her and handed her a small cloth. "You are atashi, a basalit-an, kadan. You have great strength and are worthy of respect." That was not something he'd ever expected to say to a bas-saarebas, but she was more than that, and thus he would acknowledge it. After she wiped her mouth he helped her to rise.

Alistair had been stunned by what he'd seen. "I was told you could turn into a dragon, but seeing it…wow. It was terrifying - but I also had no more doubts that we would win this battle. But, you know…you could have done that sooner."

Nial walked towards the group in awe and trepidation. The two feeling warred inside of him. "A dragon. How did you learn-" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You defeated the demon. I never thought…I never expected you to free yourselves, to free us all. When you return…take the Litany of Andralla from my…body. It will protect you from the worst of the blood magic."

She slipped the cloth into a pocket. "Aren't you coming with us?"

"I cannot," he said with a shake of his head. "I have been here too long. For you it would have only been an afternoon's nap. Your body won't have wasted away in the real world while your spirit lay in the hands of a demon. Every minute I was here, the sloth demon was feeding off of me, using my life to fuel the nightmares of this realm. There is little left of me. I was never meant to save the Circle, or…survive its troubles. I am dying."

No, she wouldn't accept that. "Niall – you aren't dead yet…we can heal you."

"Thank you, but it is too late to me. By the time you return…" he shook his head. "There will be nothing left to heal. I do not fear what may come. They say we return to the Maker in death, and isn't such a terrible thing. My only regret is that I could not save the Circle. But you…you can."

"If we cannot save you when we return, then I will do as you ask and take the Litany," she assured him.

"I'm not…a hero. Perhaps trying to be one was foolish."

She shook her head in negation. "It was not foolish. Success, alone, does not make a hero. A hero finds the strength to preserver in spite of the odds. You surpassed your fears and did what needed to be done. You are a hero, Niall."

A small smile played on his lips. "Perhaps there is truth in your words. Before I was taken to the Circle, my mother said I was meant for greatness, that I would be more than my ancestors could have ever dreamed. I hope I haven't disappointed her."

She smiled at him reassuringly. "Your mother would be proud of the sacrifice you made. I was an honor to have known you, Niall."

"Thank you, Elvie. The honor is mine. Now, it is time for us both to be on our way. Remember the Litany. The Circle is all that matters now. Thank you and goodbye, my friend," he said with an incline of his head.

"Good-" Her body began to tingle and there was a rushing sensation. Her eyes opened and she sat up. The others too were waking. She jumped to her feet and helped Wynne rise and then knelt down next to Niall's body. There was no sign of life. Rest well in the Maker's arms, Niall. She removed the Litany and rose to her feet. "This is it. Last stop. Be ready for anything."

With one last look at Niall, she led them through the room and out the other side. They had one last area on this floor to clean out before they went upstairs to the harrowing chamber. She opened the door and blinked at the sight of dragonlings. She stepped out of the way so the others could enter. She was at a loss as to how baby dragons could have gotten into the Tower and what they could possibly have to do with blood magic or demons. Their presence here made zero sense. "Wynne? Did the tower ever hold a dragon rookery?"

Wynne shook her head, unable to make sense of what she was seeing. "I have never heard of such a thing. I'm as confused as you as to why there are dragons here."

"Watch it – the little bleaters bite!" Alistair said as he jumped back from one that snapped at him.

Well, shit. "I hate doing this, but take them out. We can't leave them to attack someone unarmed."

The dragonlings went down easy; a hard swing of a sword could easily decapitate them. Elvie was disquieted about killing babies simply because no one had been able to feed them. But what was done, was done. They exited out the connecting door to see an abominations standing in the hall. As soon as they moved forward to confront it, another door opened up and more came out to join the battle. Each abomination was another mage lost…and likely someone she knew.

When the battle was over, they peeked into the two rooms on the right, but there were no more creatures to be found. The opened the door into what looked like some kind of gathering hall or meeting room and four shades appeared out of nowhere to attack them. She froze one and hit it with a collapsing telekinetic force. She cast a glyph of paralysis that another shade obligingly stepped into and then bashed it with a stone projectile. She froze it with a spell and Alistair shattered it with his shield.

When the last sank back into the floor a rage demon rose, but it did not last long facing the focused attention of all four of them. She opened the door across from the one they'd just entered through and came to a halt. Cullen…he was alive. Trapped behind some kind of barrier, but alive. Relief rushed through her and she moved swiftly, until only the barrier separated them. "Cullen…"

Sten was surprised to see the templar in the cage. "They spared one. Curious."

Not this again…not her. "This trick again? I know what you are and it won't work." He knelt down on one knee ready for whatever it would do to him. "I will stay strong…"

Her brows drew together in confusion. "Trick?" He wasn't making any sense. "What won't work? Don't you recognize me?"

He looked down so he would not have to see the evil the evil that impersonated the woman he loved. "Only too well." And the pain of it tore at his heart. "How far they must have delved into my thoughts…"

Wynne felt bad for the young templar. She knew well what the pair meant to each other, but could not hazard a guess as to what he'd been through. "The boy is exhausted. And this cage…I've never seen anything like it." She looked at the struggling templar. "Rest easy. Help is here."

How much was he expected to endure? "Enough of visions. If anything in you is human…kill me now and stop this game…sifting through my thoughts…tempting me with one thing I've always wanted but could never have. Using my shame against me…my love for her… a mage…Ahh..I am so tired of these cruel jokes….these tricks…these…"

His words were like daggers to her heart. It would have been better if she'd never acknowledged his interest in her than to see him like this – to know that he was ashamed. "Cullen – it breaks my heart that you feel shame for our love." She wiped the tear from her cheek. "You are the love of my life, but I regret being the bane of yours. If I could release you of your love for me I would – but I will always love you."

His hands clenched into fists. How dare it make him feel guilt…pretend that it was hurt. How dare it tell him words his heart craved to hear every day. Words he missed hearing…words he'd never hear again. He could not think of a worse torture then what it was putting him through right now. He rose to his feet and glared at the demon. "Silence! I'll not listen to anything you say! Now, be gone!" he cried in frustrated anger and closed his eyes.

Her hand rose to her heart, but nothing could quell the agony of his words. She swallowed hard. "Soon, Cullen. Soon I will be gone and I won't bother you again." She tried to stem the silent tears, but they fell despite her efforts.

Alistair stepped forward and placed his hand on her shoulder to let her know he understood her pain. "I don't know what you've been through – I can't even guess. But that gives you no right to abuse a woman that loves you with all her heart. One day you will regret your words and when you do – may the Maker have mercy on you, because I won't. She's my friend and she deserves better than this from you."

"He doesn't know what he's seeing, Alistair. His words were thoughtless, but he's confused," Wynne said quietly.

Cullen opened his eyes. "Still here? But that's always worked before. The voices…the images…they were always so real until I told them to be gone. But you…you're still here. You…then it's really you. Why have you returned to the Tower? How did you survive?"

She could feel the tears drying on her cheeks and wanted to wipe them away, but she would do nothing to draw his attention to them. He had made his position blatantly clear. He was ashamed of her and what they'd shared. Their love. "I came because of a Grey Warden treaty. But I heard what happened and knew I had to try to save as many people as I could. I am…glad you are not among the dead."

"Good," he stated firmly. Kill Uldred. Kill them all for what they've done. They cages us like animals…looked for ways to break us. I'm the only one left. They turned some into…monsters. And…there was nothing I could do."

"Uldred will pay for what he's done, but I must find Irving and the other mages," she told him.

Her words made no sense. Everyone was dead. "What others? What are you talking about?"

"Irving and the other mages that were fighting Uldred. Where are they?" Wynne asked gently. The poor boy had been through so much.

He looked up the steps to the door. "They are in the Harrowing Chamber. The sounds coming out of there…oh, Maker."

"We must hurry. They are in grave danger," Wynne warned.

No! No…there was no saving them. "You can't save them. You don't know what they've become! They've been surrounded by blood-mages whose wicked fingers snake into your mind and corrupt your thoughts."

"His hatred of mages is so intense…" Alistair murmured.

"I know," she said quietly. "Maybe hating me will help him to move on."

Feelings of this nature were messy and could cloud judgment, that was what the tamassran were for. But women would often turn to men to ease needs. "I would ease your need, kadan, if it would help you to move on. The atashi should have a focused mind."

Cullen blinked. "Move on…What – No!" he said looking up at the giant man.

"I was not offering to ease you," Sten stated with a frown.

That was a conversation for another time. She needed to get them re-focused. "Alistair, the anguish he's suffered and his lust for revenge have confused the issue-" Wynne said, trying to ease the pain she knew Elvie was going through. She, too, had been in love with a templar. Perhaps that is why she found so many reasons to be away from the Tower, so that she did not have to constantly be reminded of what she'd lost.

How dare she belittle his thoughts! "Do not presume to judge me, mage! I am thinking clearly – for perhaps the first time in my life!"

Ouch. It was done. He could not have been more clear. She would mourn what she'd lost later. Right now, she had to focus on what still needed done. "I'm sorry for what you have suffered, Cullen. I wish I had arrived sooner. Right now, I have to take care of Uldred." She turned away and started climbing the stairs.

No. Not her too. "Elvie, you can't go up there! I won't let you! I couldn't…" he couldn't bear the thought of her becoming like them.

The look she gave him was somber. "If I do not go…Uldred wins. And I won't let him. Take care of yourself, Cullen. I-" Her throat closed up painfully and further words were impossible. She hurried up the stairs and opened the door.

"Elvie!" He cried out and then fell to his knees as pain overwhelmed him. He was trapped…unable to do anything…unable to stop her…unable to help her. He closed his eyes and began mantra of prayer that she would be strong enough to survive.

She'd heard him cry out her name before the door shut behind them and her heart clenched painfully. She pushed the pain under and took a deep breath. When they reached the top of the stairs she saw a mage on the ground turn into an abomination. Another lost…she'd been too late.

"Ah…look what we have here. Irving's beloved daughter…his rising star that he doted on. Uldred didn't think much of you then, but I don't think Uldred gave you enough credit. I feel your power. Care to join in our…revels?"

Her eyes narrowed on the abomination wearing Uldred's skin. "You have felt nothing yet, demon and you do not impress me."

Uldred laughed. "Well, you do have spirit. I love spirit. I don't suppose you left my servants alive? No? A pity."

She pulled her staff free. "What you have done to this place – my home, is unforgivable!

He held up his hand. "Wait, wait, wait…let's not be hasty. I'm trying to have a civilized conversation here."

She slammed the tip of her sword into the stone, sending up sparks. "Why have you done this, demon?"

"A mage is but the larval form of something greater. You Chantry vilifies us, calls us abominations, when we have truly reached our full potential! Look at them," he said with an irritated glance at the mages still on the floor. "The Chantry has them convinced. They deny themselves the pleasure of becoming something glorious."

Wynne was appaled by his words. "You're mad! There's nothing glorious about what you've become, Uldred!"

"That's not Uldred, Wynne," she told her.

"Such a clever girl…no wonder Irving was so taken by you. I am Uldred and yet not Uldred. I am more than he was." His gaze shifted to Elvie. "I could give you this gift, Elvie. You would be my most powerful creation yet!"

Her hand tightened around her staff. "There is no way I would ever let you do that. You have taken your last mage!"

The demon threw his hands up into the air. "Resistance. Everywhere I go resistance! How very inconsiderate. And I wasn't giving you a choice! Right, Irving? I even have the First Enchanter on my side!"

Irving fount to break free of the power that had left him immobile. "Stop him…he…is building an army. He will…destroy the templars and-"

His gaze narrowed on Irving. "You're a sly old fox, Irving, telling on me like that. And here I thought he was starting to turn."

"N – never." Irving said, forcing the word past his tight throat.

"That's enough out of you, Irving. He'll serve me, eventually. As will you."

"You don't know me very well, demon. I'd die before I surrendered to you!" she hissed.

"Killing you would be a waste. The strength of your power with a demon behind it would be unstoppable. I can do that – I can give you even greater power!"

"I do not need greater power and it is time to end this!"

The demon grinned. "Fight, if you must. It will just make my victory all the sweeter."

"Don't forget to use the Litany," Wynne murmured a moment before Uldred turned into a pride demon.

"Well, at least it is not an ogre," Alistair quipped.

The abominations rushed them. She ran in closer and blasted the group with a freeze spell. She backed up and threw hexes at the frozen creatures. She chanted spell after spell, relying on Wynne to keep them all healed. When she spotted the demon casting a spell towards the downed mages she cast the Litany spell to interrupt him.

They took the three abominations down first and then focused their energy on the demon. The more damage they inflicted the more often it would try to hurt the mages and force them into becoming abominations. Niall had been right about the Litany. Thanks to him, she was able to stop the demon from making abominations and thus their battle was hard fought, but easier than it otherwise would have been.

As soon as the demon was destroyed she rushed over to Irving.

"Maker, I'm too old for this," Irving grumbled as she helped him to his feet. He smiled when he felt her arms around him and he returned the brief hug. "I did not think I would see you again, but I am glad I was wrong."

She was still riding a wave of relief. "And I am glad that I did not lose my father to this madness."

"Irving, are you all right?" Wynne asked as she approached them.

"I've...ngh…been better. But I am thankful to be alive. And it is good to see you alive as well, old friend." He looked around to see the other mages that had survived Uldred's spells and then turned his gaze to their rescuers. "The Circle owes all of you a debt we will never be able to repay."

-BREAK FOUR-

She turned when she heard the pounding of boots up the stairs.

Cullen stopped cold at the sight of all the bodies and abominations that littered the Harrowing Chamber. "Oh, Maker." The First Enchanter and a hand full of mages were all that survived what happened here. His gaze locked onto Elvie's. She had survived. But was she herself or was she something else?

Irving looked between the templar and the woman he considered a daughter. "We will give you a few moments. We'll wait for you at the bottom of the stairs. If someone would be so kind as to help me down them."

"Of course," Alistair said. He came forward to drape the First Enchanter's arm over his shoulders. When they reached Cullen he stopped. "Haven't you hurt her enough? Think before you speak." He then led Irving down the stairs.

After the others headed down the stairs Sten stopped next to the templar. "For a man that professes to love, you know nothing of Atashi. Mages are dangerous – but she is more than a mage. She deserves your respect. See that you give it to her."

He watched the giant man go down the stairs. Atashi? Was that some sort of endearment? Did that giant really intend to bed his…Elvie? She wasn't his…he shouldn't care, but he did. He turned to look at her. She had not moved. He was torn by indecision. She had been all he could think about since he'd first met her. When she left it had shattered him. Now, everything he thought he believed had been torn asunder. He wanted to hate her because she was a mage and mages had destroyed the Tower – destroyed his home…killed his friends and comrades. But when he looked at her, none of that seemed to matter. She had saved, not destroyed. But she was still a mage. "Are you…you?" he asked quietly.

She didn't understand why he was here. He'd said his piece. There was nothing more to say. Unless, he was not done with ripping her heart to shreds. She couldn't fathom what he'd gone through, but he should have known who she was. He knew her better than anyone. Or at least she thought he had. And again, he questioned who she was. She released a slow, heavy breath. "I have not looked in a mirror for awhile, but the last time I looked I was me."

His lips twitched, but a smile did not come to them. He moved closer until he stood in front of her. She was as bewitching and beautiful as ever, despite the toll the battle had taken on her. "I feared you were going to your death…or worse."

She looked away from him. "Isn't' that what you wanted? All mages dead? Why do you even care if I'm alive or not? You made yourself very clear to me."

His hand tightened into a fist and he paced away only to return to her. "That is not fair! You weren't here! You didn't go through what we did!"

She frowned. "You're right, I didn't. I wasn't here because the templars…your brothers, wanted to kill me or…worse."

"I wouldn't have let them!"

"You wouldn't have had a choice! You could have come with me, but you chose your job over me. I knew then that I would never have what I needed from you. A home…a husband…children. But still, some part of me could not let go of that dream." She lowered her head and took a shuddering breath. "But today that dream finally burned on a pyre. It was foolish of me to want more than you could ever give. I don't blame you for that. I blame me. I was the one that wanted more – not you. Maybe now, with your hate, you will be free of your shame. But the cost for that freedom was high."

When she turned to walk away he grabbed her arm gently in his gauntleted hand. Her word echoed his heart. He had always wanted those things with her, but he knew he could not have them. Nor could he stop himself from pulling her against him and claiming her lips with a hunger that had gnawed at him since she left. He pulled back when the urge to make love to her, surrounded by corpses, grew too strong. With his heart slamming in his chest and his breath coming in pants he pulled back to look down at her. "I don't hate you. I don't think it's even possible. I have always loved you and I nearly left with you, but what I do here – it matters. This job is important."

Ah, the pain of brutal honesty and after a kiss that had set her body ablaze. "So am I. At least I want to be important to the man I love. You don't have to wear templar robes to protect the innocent. That is a job that you can take with you anywhere. There are always people in need of protection." She knew she was crazy, but she had to try one last time. "Come with me, Cullen."

He closed his eyes as pain assailed his heart. "I can't. I'm broken. I am no good to you or anyone right now. I don't know if I can ever be…right again," he admitted.

She gave a slight nod and backed away. "You should have trusted in me enough to know that I would help you heal. Maker watch over you, Cullen. I hope you find whatever it is you need in life." She walked away without looking back. If she looked back she feared she would not have the strength to walk away knowing that he still loved her.

She heard his scream echoing off the chamber walls before the door closed and shut it off. Her heart wrenched with pain. When she turned to open the door a hand pulled her arm away.

"Give him time, child. He has his own demons he must work through…as do we all," Irving told her gently.

"He didn't trust me enough to let me help him," she murmured.

"Some are blind to what they need most. Let him fight his own demons…he will be a stronger man for it," he reminded her. He knew there was a chance that one day he might lose her to the templar – that they would run away together, but he never would have dreamed he'd have lost her to the Grey Wardens. She was an apostate now, but a sanctioned one and that was better than the alternative. Maybe, after the blight was dealt with, he could talk Wynne into becoming First Enchanter and maybe the Teyrna of Denerim would take him on as a castle mage. It was a nice thought. "Come, the templars await. We shall let them know that the Tower is once again ours."

Greagoir was stunned when he heard Irving's voice behind the double doors. He nodded to his men to open them. "Irving? Maker's breath, I did not expect to see you alive."

"It's over, Greagoir. Uldred…is dead," Irving informed him.

Elvie nodded. "I believe order has been restored to the Circle."

"We will rebuild," Irving said. "The Circle will go on, and we will learn from this tragedy…and be strengthened by it."

Greagoir gave a slight nod. "We have won back the Tower. I will accept Irving's assurance that all is well." He looked down at the mage he'd once taken into custody for trying to escape. Everyone had told him he was going overboard – that she wasn't escaping…that she just need time, but he'd brushed off their assurances. "I was wrong about you. I misjudged your character. You went out of your way to save templars and mages alike. We would have lost far more if it wasn't for the risk you took. I am glad the Grey Warden saved your life by conscripting you. Thank you. You have proven yourself a friend of both the Circle and the templars. For now, I have to attend to the Tower, there may still be survivors left to find. Please, excuse me. And Irving…it is good to have you back."

Irving was also very glad for the Warden's intervention. Under no circumstances would he have allowed his daughter to fall to the templars, even if he had to fall to them to save her. He smiled at Greagoir's words. "Ah, I'm sure we'll be at each other's throats again in no time.

"I'm looking forward to it," Greagoir replied before he turned to gather his templars for a sweep.

He turned to face his daughter. "Now that that business has been taken care of, I believe we need to discuss the treaty that brought you here. The least we can do is help you against the darkspawn. I would hate to survive this only to become overcome by the blight. You have my word as both First Enchanter and…your father. The Circle will join the Grey Wardens in the fight."

Yes…the blight. "Irving…I have a request. I seek leave to follow Elvie and the Grey Wardens."

He suspected she would say something like that. "You were never one to stay in the Tower when there was adventure to be had."

She looked over at Greagoir. There were many reasons why that was so. "You know me well, Irving."

Irving nodded. "That I do. I give you leave to go, but know that you always have a place here at the Circle, my friend." He looked at his daughter. "Come, child…give your father a hug before you go."

She grinned and slipped into his arms. She didn't know when she'd next see him and she needed to feel his comforting embrace once more. "Lor told me what you said. You know I love you, don't you?"

He chuckled. "I know and it warms my heart. I've loved you since I first saw you all smudged and knobby kneed." It was a miracle that they had even found each other. Someday…someday he would tell her the truth. Now that she was no longer of the Circle, he could do so.

"You're embarrassing me," she teased.

"Isn't that what parents are for? At least that's what I've been told."

She pulled back, knowing she had to leave. "I'll visit when I can."

"I'll hold you to that. And if you see her again, tell Lorianna that I found the perfect mage for her."

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

"When stopped here on her way to Ostagar she was…interviewing mages for a position at the castle." He stroked his beard. "When the blight is no longer a threat, I think I will find someone else to be First Enchanter. If I do, I'll be in need of a job."

Her hand flew to her mouth in surprise. She couldn't picture anyone else as First Enchanter. But he deserved the chance to enjoy his golden years without the stress of the Circle. "I'll let her know."

"Maker keep you safe, child." He said as he watched her walk away.

He turned at the sound of running feet to find the young in question rush into the foyer. "You have just missed her and that is for the best. Slay your demons before you seek her out. She deserves to have more than you can give her right now."

Cullen nodded. The First Enchanter was right. Elvie was fighting the blight, she did not have time to coddle him while he fought his own demons. "Thank you, First Enchanter. I will do as you say. You will not mention this to the Knight-Commander?"

Irving grinned. "Of course not. Love is not easy to find and it often requires sacrifice, but it is always worth fighting for."

-BREAK FIVE-

Elvie looked back at the Tower doors. There was one person she had hoped to find when they searched the Tower, Neria Surana, her best friend growing up. But she'd found no body, living or deceased and that left an ache in her heart. It was unbearable to think that her friend had become a monster. No…she had to hope the Templars found more survivors. She turned away from the Tower and headed for the dock. It was time Carroll took them back to the Lake Calenhad dock.

Thankfully, Carroll was far more obliging this time around. And soon they were mounted and back on the road, heading to the main camp. They were the closest to the main camp and despite the struggles at the Circle; she still expected them to arrive before anyone else. But what she looked forward to most of all was nightfall and her bedroll.

It took them two and half days to reach the main camp. As she suspected they were the first to arrive. Legion and Taltos greeted them with happy, wagging backsides. And even Bohdan and Sadal were happy to not be alone at the camp any longer. And they were happy to see them. It was too late to hunt, but the dwarves shared their dinner leftovers. Cold meat was a far sight better than dried foods any day.

Settled around the fire she pulled her gaze from the dancing flames and looked over at Sten. "Kadan, we will find Asala, one way or the other. I would leave for Orzammar now, but we both know the blight has to remain our first focus. But, I promise you…when the archdemon has been destroyed we will go to Orzammar and we will hunt down that merchant. We'll find Asala, even if we have to search the whole of Thedas to do so. I want you to be able to return to your home. We all need a happy ending after this…if not happy, then at least content."

He did not for a moment doubt her word. The atashi had a determination like no other. He rose. "Come, walk with me, kadan."

She nodded and was surprised when he offered her a hand up. That was unusual for a man who expected everyone to pull their own weight. She took his hand and allowed him to assist her to her feet. She walked beside him, allowing him to lead. Thankfully, the moonlight kept her from tripping over every stick as he led her through the trees to a clearing edged by a stream. Legion had chosen to follow them and she bent down to pick up a stick and threw it for him. She smiled when he raced off to catch it. "Sometimes I wished life could be that simple. Dream, eat, play…I don't think I'd be happy long, but some moments at least, would be nice."

"Moments like this?" he asked with a slight twitch of his lips.

She laughed. "You have a point. Sometimes it's hard to see the small things when life whirls around you like a maelstrom." She looked up at him. "What did you mean when you said I helped you find your soul?"

He remained silent for a moment and absently threw the stick for Legion when he returned it. "When I was released from that cage in Lothering, I had lost everything. My life had no direction. No purpose. I could not even return home without Asala…I was an exile. The man who would be king and his wife gave me purpose. You have given me direction. When I was content to remain in the world of dreams, you reminded me who and what I was. What my duty was. You have shown me that despite being a woman you have a steel strength worthy of respect and so I follow your lead. You have become kadan to me." He knelt down to scratch Legion's belly and then threw the stick for him again.

She small smile curled on her lips. "Why do you hide it?"

"Hide what?" he asked curiously. He didn't think he hid anything.

"The soft, caring side," she said gently. She probably should not have asked. She knew from his dream that qunari could joke and tease like anyone, but maybe soldiers had to always be soldiers. Their jobs were their names – maybe that is all they were allowed to be.

"Come." He walked to the embankment and looked out at the gurgling stream below them. "I'm not -" the words stilled. "I have feelings," he admitted. He wasn't sure why he admitted that truth to her, maybe because he respected her, maybe it was because he felt comfortable and oddly safe with her. It was certainly not something he'd talk about with his brothers. Despite her sex, did he not then think of her as one of his brother? She was kadan, that is how he should see her. But now he was uncertain what he felt and that didn't sit well with him.

She placed a hand on his arm so he would know her sincerity. "I know, kadan. I never thought otherwise."

He shook his head. "You don't understand. Feelings are not talked about…or most choose not to. It can lead to…re-education if those feelings are found detrimental to the Qun. I am a soldier and must appear as such. Until I have Asala in my hand again, I am exiled. The Qun would see me as little more than Tal-Vashoth. You are not Qun…yet you have accepted me. I did not want to care about a bas-saarebas. But you never once let me be, even when I pushed you away. When I was cold or distant. You became basalit-an then kadan. To you I am more than a sten. I do not know what to make of that. I know only that I trust you with a part of me that is not shared."

His admission touched her. She reached up and settled her hand against his cheek. "I am deeply honored that you would share that part of yourself with me." Her hand slid to the back of his neck and she pulled him down far enough so that she could stand on her toes to brush her lips against his cheek.

His body responded to her touch. Inter-species breeding or falling in love were not allowed, but laying with her was permissible. He covered her small hand with his. "I want to lay with you. Let me ease your pain and see to your needs. I will be…gentle." That was an alien concept to him. Qunari sex was hard and done with. Need sated. Nothing more. But she was small and he did not wish to cause her more pain.

He had offered that in the Tower, but she had not taken him seriously then. She did now. Her love for Cullen would never die. Never fade. But he had refused her twice. He did not trust her. This time there were no 'what-ifs', there was no possibility that he would ever be hers. What they had was truly and completely over and that was a pain that was overwhelming. The man standing next to her had given her one thing that Cullen never had. Trust. "I must know something first. If we lay together, will you be shamed by it?"

"There is no shame in laying with you, Atashi." He brought her palm to his lips. "That man is a fool."

That was what she needed to hear. Her growing smile was wicked. "My pain is deep and my needs are great, are you sure you can handle that?"

His smile was warm and his laughter felt good, alien but good. He was thankful he'd removed his armor for the night when he pulled her up against him. He lifted her off the ground so he did not have to hunch when his lips found hers. He growled when he felt her legs lock around his waist and lowered them slowly to the soft, grassy embankment.

He drew back to pull off his under-armor. He laid his shirt down next to her and then grinned when he rose to pull off his boots and pull down the matching pants. He picked her up laid her on the soft under-armor. He pulled off her boots and watched, his hunger growing, as she removed her under-tunic and lifted her hips to pull down her thin smallclothes. The moonlight made her alabaster skin glow. He smiled as he settled himself between her thighs, balancing his weight on his forearm. "You are beautiful." That was not something he'd ever felt for a bas before, but she was beautiful to his eyes.

He captured her lips while his free hand explored her body, teasing and rolling the tight peak of her breast before sliding lower to slip through her soft curls. He slowly sank a finger into her tight heat. His chest rumbled and he pulled back to suck in a harsh breath. It had been long since he'd visited a tamassran and his body trembled in need. But he was to see to her needs and in doing so his own would be met. One thing that disconcerted him was that he found he wanted to hear more of her soft cries of pleasure. That was not something he'd ever cared about before. He did not pleasure the tamassran, it was their duty to see to his needs. So this – what he was doing, was new to him.

Her moans…her cries…those were his guides, letting him know what she liked the most. He slipped from her heat and grazed against the swelling bud. He closed his eyes to savor her response to him, feeling the slight movement of her hips if his finger strayed from where she wanted it. He mouth trailed down over the swell of her breast to capture the peak between his teeth before drawing it into the heat of his mouth.

Her hands slid through the braids of his hair to hold him close. Now that he knew the motions and touches she enjoyed most his lips and tongue trailed lower to replace his finger. She cried out and her body trembled under the onslaught of his lips and tongue. He felt her move and he looked up to see her balanced on her elbows watching him pleasure her. The glazed, passion filled blue eyes stoked his desire for her.

Her breath came in harsh pants. "So close…" She was teetering on the edge and then she felt his finger slide into her and it pushed her over. Her body stiffened and a guttural cry tore from her lips. She moved against him until and rode the wave of pleasure until she became too sensitive for more. "Make love to me now – I want to feel you inside me."

Make love? No, it did not matter what she called it. He was heavy and aching for her. He slid up her body and slowly sank into her. Too slowly. She was tight and it took a few small thrusts to hilt himself in her heat. Her legs wrapped around his waist and held him prisoner.

"Give me a moment…you're big." He wasn't quite as large as Kadar had been, but she didn't consider that a bad thing at all. Her legs loosened when her muscles stopped protesting and she moved against him tentatively, but felt no discomfort. "Now…"

His body trembled but he held back. That single word was the most beautiful music to his ears. Her muscles gripped him like a glove and gave him a pleasure he'd never known before. Each thrust building on the last. "I'm afraid I will not last, it has been too long and my need…is too great," he murmured against her lips. Her legs tightened around him and she moved against him, drawing him deep as she met each thrust of his hips. His groans turned into cries as he tried to hold back the tide that threatened to drown him.

His hand slid down to where their bodies were joined until her body stiffened and she clamped down around him. He exploded with a strangled growl as she rode him hard until they were both spent. He dropped his damp forehead to hers as he rested on his elbows, trying to catch his breath. He didn't want to leave the warmth of her sheath while her muscles continued to contract around him. He was waiting for her to push him away, signaling that she was done with him, but she didn't. Instead, she held him, her fingertips lightly caressing his back instead of clawing it; and that, too, was a new experience for him.

He slipped his arm under her and rolled them over so that she could rest on him. He wasn't quite sure what do with his arms, so he did as she had done to him and caressed her back. He knew he should leave, but she didn't seem to be in a hurry for him to do so. He groaned when she pushed off his chest, causing him to sink deep into her heat as she sat up. He thought she was going to rise and dismount him, but she didn't. Instead, she ground down on him. He felt her fingernails scrape across his flat, tight nipples and then she leaned down and he felt the flick of her tongue. When she suckled him his hips bucked reflexively to the burst of pleasure.

She grinned. "I did tell you my needs were great…"

He laughed as his hands skimmed down her sides and gripped her hips to guide her movements. "Then I had better attend to that duty."

Freshly sated he was able to last until her muscles gripped him like a fist. Eventually, they rose and put their underclothing back on. He sat on the bank overlooking the stream with her curled up against him and the dog with his head on his thigh. He was completely out of his depths and didn't like not knowing what to do next.

"I'm glad you didn't leave as soon as you…er – were done with me," she admitted.

He rubbed Legion's head and looked down at her. "I was waiting for you to push me away and you didn't. I did not know what to do or what was expected from me, but I was in no hurry to leave your heat."

"Good, because I was in no hurry for you leave." She grinned. "It is far better to be filled than empty."

Her words brought a grin to his lips. "I think I'm going to like this arrangement." He rose and pulled her up with him. "We should return to camp, it is getting late."

She reached up to the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

"What was that for?" he asked curiously. She did not look like she wanted bed him again.

She patted his cheek. "Just a kiss, big guy. Not all kisses lead to sex. Sometimes it's done just to show you care." She winked at him and started back towards camp.

He caught up with her in a few strides. "You care?"

She stopped and turned to look up at him. "You are my friend and my lover…of course I care."

Lover…that was not a term his people used. But if he continued to lay with her then he supposed that term would be adequate enough. And he did want to continue laying with her. He was not yet ready to give up the pleasure he'd found with her.

She could see his demeanor changed the moment they'd stepped into camp. His body was stiff, his shoulders no longer relaxed and his expression was tight. No. If he wanted to continue to be cold and withdrawn with the others, that was his business. But he would not be that way around her. She stopped next to the fire, grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. She was surprised he did not stop her. "Sten and I are having sex. For now, until we decide otherwise, we are lovers."

"Atashi," he warned. What happened between them was private.

She turned and glared up at him. "No, big-guy. That's not how this is going to work. I will never again let myself be anyone else's dirty, little secret!" She stepped into him so that their bodies touched. "Are you ashamed of me?"

He frowned. "No."

"Are you ashamed of being my lover?"

He scowled. "No!"

"Then I challenge you to prove it." If he ever wanted to touch her again, this was one test he had to pass.

He saw the challenge in her eyes and after the words she spoke he knew she was testing him. He was a private man, used to holding his emotions in check and she knew that. But in this case, after the words she spoke, he knew her need for validation was more important than his need for privacy. She was not his dirty, little secret. He would not be the fool the templar had been. He leaned down and gave brushed his lips against hers.

When her eyes narrowed. His lips twitched. Obviously, that did not meet her approval. His arms encircled her and he pulled her up his body to kiss her soundly. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he groaned. He carried her to his tent and tightened his grip around her as he lowered them to slide between the flaps.

Alistair laughed and looked over at Wynne. "Well, that was unexpected."

"Yes, it was," Wynne said with a frown. She knew how much Elvie loved Cullen and how badly the templar had shattered her. She just wasn't sure if this was the right way for her deal with her pain. She would have a talk with her later, now was obviously not the time.

"I hope she knows what she's doing." Allistair flung the stick he'd been playing with into the flames and crawled into his own tent.

"I don't think she does," Wynne murmured softly into the night and then retired to her tent.

-BREAK SIX-

Wynne could only look on with a heavy heart. She had spoken to Elvie the next morning. Elvie tried to assure her that she knew what she was doing and that they both were going into this knowing it was just diversion, nothing serious. But still she worried. Not just for Elvie, but for the qunari as well. Not that she particularly liked him; he was a hard man to like. But he wasn't that way with the young mage and as time went on he appeared to draw closer to her. In the three weeks they'd been at camp, he'd gone from occasional smiles and touches to spending a majority of time sitting next to her, talking quietly, laughing. She'd even noticed how he looked at the young mage, in unguarded moments, when he thought no one was looking. This – whatever it was they were doing, it wasn't going to end well. It couldn't. He lived and breathed the Qun. He would return to the Qun and she could not go with him.

She had tried to talk to Sten, but he had shut her down. Hard. He would not listen to anything a mage had to say – except for the mage that warmed his bed, apparently. She'd even seen Alistair try to talk to the surly qunari, but Sten had told him that it wasn't his concern and had walked away in the direction of the lake where Elvie had gone to bathe and wash her clothing.

The pair would often wander away from the camp for time alone together. It was during one of these times that another part of their team returned. They corralled, removed the tack and brushed down their horses with dried grass before joining the others at the fire. Wynne was alarmed to see Jowan, a bloodmage, with the group. "Why do you have a blood-mage in your party?" she asked after the initial greetings and introductions had taken place.

Lorianna turned to the older mage she'd been introduced to. "He is my responsibility. I am his mentor. I will tell you our story in a moment. What you need to know is that Irving has accepted that he is with me and I'm hoping that you, too, will give him the chance to atone for his past mistakes." She had noticed two faces were missing. "Did something happen to Sten and Elvie?"

Alistair grinned. "Not as you would think. They wanted some private time."

She blinked. "You are joking." But she knew he was not.

"I wish he was," Wynne told them. "Let me tell you what happened and then you can tell us why Jowan is with you." Wynne explained everything that happened at the Circle and Cullen's reaction to seeing Elvie. How his thoughtless words had shattered her heart. How Sten had come to see her as a friend and how Elvie had turned to him to ease her pain.

Lorianna nodded. They were a very unlikely pair and she was stunned by the news. She rose when she felt the pair's return.

"Your back!" Elvie said with a grin on her face and she rushed over to hug Lor, Kael and Leliana. She introduced herself to the new woman, an elf she discovered was from the Denerim alienage, and then turned to Jowan. "Jowan," she said cautiously.

Jowan held up his hands. "Before you say anything – I'm sorry. I never should have asked you to help us. You were my best friend and I didn't know who else to turn to. I was desperate and I didn't think things through. I have made many…mistakes and I am here to atone for what I've done." He released a slow breath. "I just – I don't want to lose you."

I'm sorry was all she needed to hear. She slipped her arms around him. "I forgive you, Jowan."

Relief washed over him and he closed his eyes in gratitude that he'd not lost his best friend. He'd grown up with her, she was irreplaceable to him. "Thank you."

"Parshaara!" Sten took her arm and pulled her gently away from the mage and back to his side. He felt heat sting his cheeks when he realized what he'd done and he cleared his throat. "You have my apology. That was not well done of me."

"Somebody's getting possessive," Alistair said with a grin. When Sten glared at him he lifted a brow. "Correct me if I'm wrong – but that was a sign of possession."

"It was romantic," Leliana agreed with a nod.

He glared at the two that had brought up his failing. "I said that was not well done of me," he bit out. "I don't know why I did that. End of discussion."

Leliana laughed. "Ooh…I know why. You have a big soft spot in that heart of yours – you are falling in love with her."

Foolish bas and their senseless notions. "I am not," he growled, unaware that he was still holding her against him.

Kadar was surprised to see the qunari had allowed himself to be with someone he considered a bas. A mage, no less. But his concern lay with Elvie. She was a good woman who had been hurt. He didn't want to see her hurt again.

Since his arm was clamped around her she could do little other than turn into him. She lifted her hand to his cheek to draw his attention to her. "They are only teasing you, kadan…as they would any of their friends. Do not take it seriously. I know you do not love me and that's all that should matter."

He looked down into her blue eyes. Her words brought him comfort and disquiet. He was uncertain why her words caused both emotions to well up inside of him. It made no logical sense. One corner of his mouth turned up. "Your words have merit."

Wynne frowned. The qunari's expression had changed from stony to warm the moment he looked down at Elvie. He acted like a man in love. Jealous over her attention to other men, wanting to spend every moment he could with her, giving her longing looks when she was busy. She'd even seen him pick a flower for her when she went to seek out a bush. He could refuse to see what was in his heart and deny it all he wanted, but it did not change the truth.

"Then let us sit by the fire and hear whatever Kael and Lor need to tell us," she said, reminding him that he still had hold of her.

The heat flooded into his cheeks again but he released her so that could sit down on the log. He made sure to leave space between them – that is, until she gave him that disappointed look. He scooted in next to her so she could snuggle into his side. Humans liked to touch. A lot. But he found it did not bother him any more…at least not when it was the touch of Atashi.

Lorianna felt bad for what might have been. She couldn't imagine what the templar had gone through that would change his love for Elvie. No matter, that was a concern for another time. She told them about going to Denerim and how that pointed them to Haven. She explained about the disciples cult and the gauntlet they had to go through before they were allowed a pinch of the ashes. She mentioned what happened at Redcliffe and the castle, Jowan's mistake and the risk he took to right it – how he successfully saved Conner and Isolde and how they would return to Redcliffe when they were ready for the Landsmeet to be called.

"Vashedan! I should be doing something more," Sten grumped.

Kael could well understand the man's impatience. He'd already been waiting at camp for three weeks. "Waiting is never easy. You are welcome to leave and attend to any business you have, but if the others return we will be forced to leave without you. We need to unite the lands if we hope to defeat the blight."

He thought about his sword and then shook his head. "Leaving now would serve no purpose. I do not want to miss the battle."

"Then enjoy this time you have to its fullest, Sten. It may be a long time before we have such again," Lorianna pointed out.

She was right. For him it would be never. Once the battle was over, his sword found and he returned to the Qun – there would be no times like this.

Kadar rose from where he was seated. "I found something I thought you may want to have."

Sten looked up at the mage and then away. "There's nothing I want-"

Elvie elbowed him in the belly. "Sten…" she warned.

He sighed. "Oh…very well. What…" He saw the sword being pulled from Kadar's back and he rose, placing himself between the vashoth mage and Elvie.

Kadar shook his head and placed the blade of the greatsword across the palm of his hand and held it out to him.

Sten's heart pounded. Asala. He took the sword from the mage, his hand running down the blade. "Strange. I ahd almost forgotten it. Completion. You are more than a saarebas. I think you must be ashkaari to find a single lost blade in a country at war."

"You are welcome, Sten," Kadar replied.

He looked down at his sword and then back at the vashoth – no…Kadar. "I would thank you for this, if I knew how. I still think you are dangerous, but you have impressed me. I will not forget what you have done for me…Kadar."

And that was the best he would get from him. Kadar inclined his head and returned to Leliana's side.

He grabbed the greatsword that lay next to his armor, pulled it from its scabbard and fastened Asala into the scabbard. He nodded with satisfaction. He looked up when a shadow fell across him and smiled at Elvie as he rose.

She smiled softly at him. "I'm happy for you. I knew it would be found. Will you be returning home now that you can?"

He slipped his arm around her and pulled her close. "No, kadan…" He lifted a hand and gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek. "I'm not yet ready to…leave. And I could deliver a much more satisfying answer to the arishok's question if the blight were ended, don't you agree?"

"I agree," she said as she laid her head against the padded underarmor he wore. She smiled softly as his hand raised to cup her head and hold her to him. Even though this would only be a brief moment in his life, she was glad that he would leave with memories of the freedom he'd known while he was with them.

When the couples all went their own ways the four remaining party members looked at each other uncomfortably. Everyone said 'no' at the same time and slipped into their tents as fast as they could.