In the morning a group of about 20 people left the Keep, Alistair and his guards looking like travelling warriors and wardens disguised as merchants and regulars. Two female wardens wore simple dresses, their daggers and short swords hidden in rucksacks, Arja wore a simple robe and had a staff on her bag. All in all, they appeared to be traders, guarded by a mage and a number of hitters with surprisingly good weapons.

Alistair, Arja and Nathaniel agreed to keep the undertaking covert, with wardens sending a note to inform the King whether they leave today or have to stay and need more men through the elder's people. Nathaniel and Alistair were still apprehensive of each other, Arja preferred to ignore the attitude and it seemingly worked - no hostility and face-to-face showdowns like the one that took place when the King came to the Keep could be seen.

The wardens and guards mingled with each other, talking armor and women, some people they could possibly know of and developments in Denerim.

The trip took about 3 hours, and when they reached the walls of the Klusterville, Alistair's group headed for main gates while wardens rounded the wall to enter the city from one of the poor districts to be welcomed by the elder.

Alistair rode up to the Arl's castle and entered the hall, the guards of the castle jumping away in awe when they realized the leader of the intruder was a man from the picture of the King. Some servant must have alarmed the Arl, because he emerged from the entrance to the living quarters setting up his clothes and smoothing his disheveled hair. He was moderately overweight and slow in his movements despite the hurry. Alistair knew at once he was not a warrior and rarely left his chair. Not all of the noble could fight, let alone lead the troops, and Alistair came to respect that after he met an Arlessa who set up such a brilliant healthcare unit that Denerim had to order potions from her. She supported all of her people, no matter the class and income. Alistair was also impressed by an Arl who was so gifted at agriculture and animal breeding that for a brief period of post-civil war restoration he sent vegetables and meat all over Ferelden, for ridiculously low prices and even for free - to provinces devastated by war. That man was not big and rugged, he was soft and benevolent, which earned him a big deal of condescending remarks behind his back from other nobles, but Alistair grew fond of him and felt nothing but respect. He made both his advisors and consulted them every now and then. But the person before him did not have one quality that stood out in people who had a calling and did their best for the people - he lacked that self-assurance that stemmed from knowing one's strengths.

The Arl was scared. Alistair reminisced what Arja said along with that and smiled.

- Your… your royal Majesty! - way to impress the King, thought Alistair - start with the flattery. - Please, allow me to welcome you at my lowly home!

- Thank you, Arl. - Alistair bowed his head, suppressing the eyeroll. This home was in no way lowly, pompous and imposing more like.

- Does your Majesty wish to dine? I can order the kitchen to serve…

- I appreciate your concern, Arl Dunner, we will share you dinner with gratitude. In some hours.

- As you wish, Your majesty, as you wish! - the man was nodding fast and his full arms stayed locked at his chest.

The rest of the day was a terribly boring torture for Alistair. They were shown to their rooms, as pompously decorated as Alistair expected, they were offered a bath and excessive meals, they were escorted around the place, but no one even mentioned the people, the disease or at least the state of affairs in the Arling.

And the king was getting increasingly worried about Arja - the time went by while no note or message from her came. The reason might well be that the fat coward never let them out of his sight, probably afraid they would go out in the streets and get the wind of the disease or people's dissatisfaction with the Arl.

In the end as it was getting dark outside, Alistair excused himself and the guards, citing their exhaustion from the long road as the reason for going to bed early. The man looked genuinely upset and tried to talk Alistair into staying up for the dinner and "the show with the best dancers and other entertainers of Klusterville". The king was strongly convinced that the Arl had prostitutes in mind when he said "entertainers", and he barely kept pent up anger from going out.

When he finally closed the door of his room behind his back, he almost run for the window only to find it facing a well groomed garden, not the street. He contemplated going out or to some guard's room but decided against it. If the Arl saw him out, he would have hard time talking himself out of some amusement again.

He settled on the bed with a book on war tactics, but could not focus on the lines. He had been struggling for almost an hour when someone knocked at the door. It was a maid in an apron smeared with flour and Maker knew what else. She whispered "Don't close the window, Your Majesty" and run off.

Alistair opened the frames, not really understanding why. His confusion was resolved in some time, when a ball of paper flew in and dropped on the floor in the middle of a room. There was little doubt about the person who sent it, but he was still taken aback - he had not seen anyone doing the trick.

It was obviously a note.

Arja wrote the following in rushed, too-convoluted handwriting:

"It's bad. Two of the scouts are taken. I could send for help to the Keep but we can't risk the people. I need help. People and potions. Will you help?

Write your reply here and throw it out. Keep the window open."

Alistair wrote back:

"We will. And the Arl will. How many people and potions of what kind do you need? Where and when do we meet? I am afraid the Arl will need time to gather people."

He crumpled the note and apprehensively threw it out. He half-expected someone to catch it down in the garden, but it flew directly over the wall of the Arl's castle and disappeared from his view.

It returned in 15 minutes.

"We only need the good warriors, it is going to be tough and it's not a place for the inexperienced. We need health potions, as much as your people can carry. No need for disease healing potions, they do not work. Literally none of them. If there are mages, they will need lyrium potions, I only have a few for myself.

We meet by the north gate tomorrow morning, my people need rest and the fattie needs time to gather his people.

If you can, prepare them for the unexpected. As far as I know, it's a mage and a blight creature. The two somehow do it together and the only way to cure people is to kill them. I am not even sure the infected can be cured, to be honest. But at least there won't be any more people infested."

There were a couple of blank lines and a line written in firm and clear letters - "I am immensely grateful".

"Understood. Tomorrow dawn by the north gate."

He threw a note out of the window, followed it flight while he was able to make it out and only after that he bust the door of the room open.

He shuffled through the rooms of his people and found everyone in place. No one left him to engage in the Arl's entertainment even though he had not prohibited that. They found Arl in the dining hall, a little buzzed from the vine he had in a huge chalice, surrounded by women in different stages of being undressed. He was accompanied by the nobles Alistair was introduced to during the day.

When he entered, the hurriedly ousted the women out and sobered up on the spot.

What happened, Your Majesty? You.. you decided to join our humble celebration? - The arl obviously understood that was not the case but had to say something.

No, Arl. Tomorrow morning, at dawn, your best people come with me to deal with the disease that plagues your city.

What? - the man waved his arms and pretended indignant, not to much avail.

Drop the act and never interrupt your king. I only need the best ones, and they need the best potions.

Hh-healing potions? - the man stuttered.

Yes. If you have mages, also lyrium.

It's not the Circle, your majesty. We send all the people with this blasted power there.

Then only a couple of lyrium potions. You have a powerful mage ready to help you. - Alistair flinched at the arrogant attitude towards mages, which was in fact not that rare. Some nobles had mages among their servants, but most avoided them and even the whole topic of magic power.

Is that the Warden? - the man was displeased, he even forgot about his overt groveling towards the man with much more power. - The one from Amaranthine?

He literally hissed the last part, and his chin went all layered. Arja's nickname for the Arl immediately came up in the king's mind.

That is her. I asked the wardens to help and she obliged even though she did not have to. I believe you are as grateful for the help as any sensible ruler would be.

If your majesty asked her…

I did. Do you mind, Arl?

No, of course not, your majesty! - the man took a step back and barked at one of the servants: - Call for the guard commander!

Alright. Now tell me about the disease, - Alistair nodded at the window and settled in one of the plush chairs, motioning his guards to follow his suit.

For about half an hour Arl tried to convince Alistair that there was no disease or threat to the citizens, then he grudgingly admitted that there were "rumors", but claimed they were unsubstantiated. Of course, he as a man in charge of the city did everything he could to deal with the situation, but there was not much to deal with as a they did not find anything but a bunch of people who needed healing. Arl apparently sent them potions and considered his job done. Alistair had a million of obvious questions in mind but decided to postpone them as a leader of the guard came in.

Alistair and his group probed him with the prospects for the next day and were relieved to find out he was much more of a man in his own place than his superior. Alistair thanked the Arl and notified him that his part was over. The man did not want to leave, probably afraid the warrior would divulge something he did not want to surface. But the steel notes in the kings "Good night, Arl" worked its magic and the noble reluctantly retreated to his chamber.

Alistair fill the guard commander in the situation, waiving the report on the state of affairs.

Tomorrow morning we meet up with the wardens. Keep the information for them.

Wardens? Good. I did not thing they could do much besides smuggling in the potions, - that warrior looked content. Apparently he did not share the arrogant attitude the Arl had towards Arja and her men.

So, you know more than your master. - Alistair mused aloud. - Well, all questions are for tomorrow. Go and gather the men. We meet at the north gate at dawn.

Right, Your majesty.

Alistair and his people went to their rooms, pretending to ignore the sounds of retreating footsteps in the halls but clearly understanding the Arl sent someone to eavesdrop.

When the king entered the room he found a ball of paper on the floor. It only had one new line - "Thank you, Alistair". He smoothed the sheet, folded in in four and put into an inner pocket of his jacket.