It was getting close to dinnertime when Anders finally resurfaced.

"So what did I miss?"

Elissa looked up at the voice to see Anders standing in the doorway with a playful smile and his hands behind his back. She shook her head and returned her attention to the papers Varel had given her. Not only did the Wardens and Vigil staff need to learn of her departure, but so too did the nobles of Amaranthine. She retreated to the study after taking care to lock the upstairs guest room closet and pocket the key. "I'm not happy with you right now."

"See, I was expecting that." He walked closer, bringing his hands around to reveal a rolly, fuzzy tabby. Anders deposited the cat on the desk under Elissa's nose. "No one can stay angry when Sir Pounce-a-lot is present."

The cat rolled onto his side, looking disinterestedly up at her. Elissa sighed heavily, picking the cat up and plopping it on the floor. "Anders. I mean it."

The mage's smile faded slowly. He scooped up the cat and dropped into a chair opposite the desk. "Right. So we have to be serious then. Go ahead."

"I am no longer your commander."

"Yeah, I got that. Mr. Big Burly Buffoon is. Why?"

"Because that is what the Wardens decided."

Anders frowned, scratching the cat under his chin. "I don't like him."

"You don't have to. Just… not piss him off too much."

"You know I can't promise that!"

Elissa sagged in her chair, "Can you at least try? To make this easier on me?"

The corner of the mage's mouth curled in a grimace. "Fine."

"We're going to be leaving the Vigil."

"We who?"

"You, me, Alistair, Paien, his mage, maybe Nathaniel."

"Why?"

"Again, if your pride had allowed you to actually stay for the meeting…"

Anders rolled his eyes, "Right, right. Why?"

"There is a Grey Warden we need to hunt down. A blood mage. She should have answered her Calling and gone into the Deep Roads, but she's refused and fled…" Elissa paused. From the dark expression on Anders' face, she instantly knew she should have phrased that better.

"We're hunting down a mage," Anders said with more venom in his voice than Elissa would have thought possible from him.

"It's not like that."

"That is exactly what you said!" Anders got to his feet, letting Sir Pounce-a-lot leap from his lap to the floor. "We're hunting down a runaway mage!"

"A blood mage who is being driven insane by the Taint! She's dangerous!"

"Suppose I ran away because I didn't want to be a Warden anymore. Would you hunt me down as well? Force me into the Deep Roads?"

"This has nothing to do with you."

"Maker!" Anders shook his head, pacing to the other end of the room. "This-… you know, I've been trying to be chipper and positive, I really have, but lately?"

Elissa blinked in surprise, leaning back in her chair. "What?"

Anders took in a breath, his hands balling into fists. He looked back at Elissa and asked, "What are we doing?"

She paused, confused. "We're… going to Nevarra-"

"Not that! The Wardens! What's the point? The Blight is over, the darkspawn are gone. We're going to be wasting our time doing Templar work? In Nevarra?"

"Anders-"

"No no, I never get to rant." He placed his hands on his hips. "Without a Blight on, the Wardens are pointless. Simple as that. Justice says-…" He stopped, then shook his head, "We should stay here and help the people of Ferelden. Running after lost mages and straggler darkspawn… there are more important things."

Elissa arched a brow, "Like?"

Anders rocked from foot to foot, grimacing. "You know, when you defeated the Archdemon, Queen Anora granted you a boon. You could have asked for anything at all. Anything! And what did you ask for?"

"Land for the Wardens."

"Land for the Wardens! The bloody Blight is over! And you, and-and Alistair, flaming Void. He could have been a king, made some real change for the better, but he wants to be a Warden when the blinking Blight is over. I can't wrap my head around that, I really can't."

Elissa rose slowly, "I'm sorry, did I inconvenience you by saving you from the Circle and conscripting you?"

He scoffed, "Trading one prison for another, huzzah. Had I known. Didn't mind with you running things, but this new arsehole? No. No."

She threw her hands up in the air, "Where is this coming from?"

Anders glanced at her, and then away, "I've just… been thinking about it. A lot."

Elissa's eyes narrowed, "You seem to be dancing around what you really want to say."

He was silent, shoulders sagging. "You could have freed the mages," he said at last, looking back at her. "Your boon, you could have set all the mages in the Circle free."

"You really think the Chantry would have allowed that?"

Anders motioned with a hand, "Then… then we could be conscripting more of them into the Wardens right now. Get them out of the Circle. Paien will need to have an unfortunate accident first, of course."

"The Wardens are not your personal political army, Anders." She shook her head, "Besides, you saw what happened when we tried to put those tainted soldiers through the Joining."

His arm fell back to his side. "It's going to be exactly like the Circle again under that man, I know it. I'm not going anywhere with him."

"I don't think it was a request."

"Exactly. And who will take care of Justice?" He turned to look back at her. "He is literally falling apart. He's in no state to travel. If I leave him here, there isn't going to be much left when I get back."

Elissa closed her eyes and rubbed her throbbing temples. "Maybe… that is for the best."

Anders rocked back in alarm, "What?"

"He is a spirit in a corpse. He has no place on this side of the Fade, and his situation is far from ideal. There is a point at which we should just… let him go."

"He's our friend!"

"He's rotting before our eyes." Elissa leveled a look at him. "There is a point at which we need to accept what is inevitable." Her head shook, "Now, I haven't told Paien about Justice, but he will find out. And he will say the same thing."

Anders' eyes darkened as he watched Elissa. "You're supposed to be better than him."

"You don't even know him."

"I know his type." The mage scowled. "And I'm not going."

"I need you. I've talked Oghren into staying by telling him I trust him to keep an eye on the place while I'm gone, but I need you along with me."

"You need me or you need a healer?"

Elissa let out a long groan, burying her face in her hands. "Why is everyone making this so damn difficult? Even you?"

Anders fell silent, dropping his gaze to the floor. "Because," he said slowly. "Not all of us are here to follow some greater Warden cause. Some of us are here because of you. Because we trust you. Because we want to follow you." His chin lifted a bit to meet her gaze. "Any sane woman would have handed my head over to the Templars on a silver platter. But you didn't. You tried to save me the only way you could. Sure, I might have died in the Joining. I knew that. But I would have died a free man." He gave her a soft, crooked smile, "And you gave me that chance."

"Then come with me," she said helplessly.

Anders' head shook a little, "I can't. I spent my whole life running away and caring only about myself. I always said if the other mages wanted to get out as bad as me, they would. But..." He sucked in a deep breath, "I think it's time... I stood up for something, you know?"

Elissa watched the mage a long moment in silence. She thought back on the idea that Nathaniel had changed since they met at Vigil's Keep all those months ago. But he wasn't the only one. The entire conversation felt as if it was with a completely different person. Being liberated from the Circle meant that his own freedom wasn't the only thing on his mind. He was able to actually stop, take a breath, and form new ideas. No doubt Justice had a role to play as well. "This is where you make your stand?"

"You bet your sweet ass it is."

She couldn't help but smile faintly. "Fine." She crossed to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Can I ask you to talk to Paien? Make some attempt to be friendly?"

Anders scooped up Sir Pounce-a-lot, untying part of his robes to tuck the cat inside. "How do you think he'd react to flirting?"

"Poorly. Is he really your type?"

Anders tossed her a familiar, playful grin. "I just think he needs to loosen up a bit. Relieve some stress. I'll take one for the team if we get a happier, more relaxed Templar-wannabe."

Elissa chuckled at him. "You're a generous man."

"I am, aren't I?" He placed a hand over his heart and gazed heavenward, as if he were one of the saints as depicted on the Chantry walls. He gave her a quick wink and stepped away, "In the meantime, I'll brew up some poultices for your trip."

"Thank you, Anders."

"And don't you worry about the Vigil, it will probably still be standing when you get back. Might be filled with beautiful, half naked women, too. Oghren and I are still working out the details." He gave her a grandiose bow, and slipped from the room.