Anders and Elaine returned to the Keep the next day refreshed and renewed. It was a beautiful night of lovemaking and discovery, and a chance for Elaine to finally move on from her past. They entered the main hall hand in hand, and greeted their friends as they were preparing for the day.

"Commander, Commander!" A young peasant woman came running through the main doors of the Keep.

"What is it girl?" Varel asked sternly.

She was out of breath, and took a moment to regain her composure. "A darkspawn army is within sight of Amaranthine."

"They're attacking the city," Varel said in surprise. "Amaranthine has been undermanned for weeks. She may not last long." He turned to Elaine. "Our forces cannot move quickly enough. But a small band might make it in time."

Anders shook his head. "But that's... suicide."

Elaine spoke quietly. "We must try. I'll go, but who will stay to defend the Keep?"

Sigrun spoke up, excited for battle. "Fighting a horde of darkspawn with almost certain death awaiting? Don't even think of leaving me here Commander."

Elaine shook her head at the Legion of the Dead dwarf's obvious excitement. Varel looked at Elaine with concern. "Who do you want to take with you, Commander?"

She looked around the room, filled with her companions, and felt the heavy weight of the decision on her chest. She knew whoever she took with her may not survive the night, and it was the hardest decision she'd ever had to make. "I won't deny Sigruns request. And Velanna, this is a chance to avenge your people."

The elf woman smiled. "We'll cut down all darkspawn who dare cross our path. And I will learn what they have done with my sister."

Varel asked once more. "Who else will you bring?"

Elaine looked up at Anders. She wanted him to remain safe at the Keep, but admitted to herself this would be a selfish act. The city would need his healing skills, and if she were going to die today, she wanted it to be by his side. "Anders, will you join us?"

Anders smiled at her and laughed. "And here I thought I'd retire to the country with a plump wife and several young mistresses. I suppose that will have to wait."

Elaine furrowed her brows at him. "Did you just call me fat?"

Anders gave her a sly smile. "Did you just call yourself my wife?"

Varel interrupted their flirting with a stern clearing of his throat. "And so it is decided. The rest of us will stay here."

Elaine nodded to her companions. "Oghren, I leave you in charge. Justice, Nathaniel, it's up to you to ensure the Keep remains protected."

Varel and her Wardens bowed to her. "Maker protect you and hold you close, Commander," Varel said before they departed for Amaranthine.


The city was clearly overrun by the time they arrived. They battled numerous darkspawn on the way to the main gates; Sigrun leading the charge and the three mages behind her offering ranged support. It seemed for every darkspawn they knocked down, two more arrived, and the battle was weighing heavily on them all.

The bloody remains of humans and darkspawn littered the fields and farms on the outskirts of the city, and Elaine struggled to keep her composure at the sight and smell of it all. After the fighting seemed to come to a break, an older man came up to the Wardens and pleaded with them to enter the city.

"Please, Grey Warden! Save my family," he begged. "My family's in the city!"

Constable Aidan, the man in charge of the city guard, approached them. "Please, calm yourself while I speak to the Warden Commander." He instructed a guard to escort the older gentleman away from the city, and then bowed to the Commander. "I am glad you arrived when you did, but I fear there is little that can be done now."

"What happened?" Elaine asked him.

"A couple of nights ago, a swarm of... gruesome creatures emerged from beneath the city. They spread pestilence and destroyed everything they touched. Then, at dawn, the other darkspawn attacked." He looked sullen at that moment, and shook his head at the situation. "It's too late. Amaranthine is lost."

"But the city still stands," Elaine said looking back through the gates.

"The buildings might remain," Aidan stated, "but there will be few survivors this long after those creatures appeared. Their corruption is so virulent... at least a quarter of the city succumbed within the first day."

Elaine looked to Anders for support in what to do, but before she could speak one of the guardsmen exclaimed, "Constable! There! It's a darkspawn approaching, alone!"

They stood at the ready, prepared to attack, until the darkspawn spoke to them. "Peace! Do not be killing! Only talk! Architect has a message, for the Grey Warden!"

Anders moved in front of Elaine. "Why is it that everyone we encounter finds you attractive?"

"What is your message, creature?" Elaine asked out of curiosity.

"The Mother's army, it marches to Vigil's Keep. She attacks now! The Architect, he sends me to warn you! You must save the Keep, then finish the Mother in her lair!"

Elaine couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Vigil's Keep is under attack? We just left there!"

The darkspawn creature responded. "The Grey Wardens are valuable to the Architect. The Mother, she knows this."

Anders turned to Elaine. "If we leave now, we may be able to make it back to the Keep in time to save it."

Constable Aidan spoke. "What about the darkspawn here?"

The creature answered. "They will go to Vigil's Keep as well. The Mother, she wants the Keep destroyed utterly!"

Elaine sighed. "So we run to the Keep and are followed by the remainder of the horde here. Great." She thought for a moment. "Constable, do you believe the city is truly lost?"

He nodded, but added, "There could still be a few survivors, however."

Sigrun spoke up. "I will remain and find as many people as I can, send them to the Keep."

Elaine shook her head. "I can not ask you to remain here Sigrun. You most likely will not return."

Velanna stood next to Sigrun. "I will remain as well. We'll cover your retreat and let none of these creatures follow you."

Elaine looked at the two women in front of her. Their bravery made her proud. She composed herself, and in her best Warden Commander voice stated, "Very well. May the Maker watch over you both."

"You as well, Commander," Sigrun said as she bowed, and then ran into the city with Velanna.


As they stood victorious on the high walls of the Keep, sadness overwhelmed them. Amaranthine burned in the distance, smoke clouding the once sunny sky, and Elaine said a prayer to the Maker for Velanna and Sigrun. Anders stood behind her, holding her close as they watched the flames, visible from even this far away.

Justice stood off to the side, obviously troubled by what they were witnessing. "Where is the justice in a fallen city?" he asked no one in particular.

"There isn't any," Elaine said, turning to look at him.

Justice shook his head, clearly not understanding. "Who will bring Justice to those people? Those families?"

"With every darkspawn we kill, we do," Anders responded with realization. It was the first time he'd admitted out loud that this is his duty now as a Grey Warden.

Justice had no response as he and Nathaniel stood next to Anders and Elaine, and watched Amaranthine succumb to flames.


Refugees poured into the Keep throughout the night. Anyone that had managed to escape Amaranthine and survive the difficult road to the Keep were welcomed, at Elaine's insistence. She and Anders stayed up all night tending to wounds, and feeding the now homeless population of a once proud city.

"I can not believe this many survived," Anders stated as the outer rooms began to fill faster than they had expected.

Elaine looked up from the boy she was attending to. "It certainly is a welcomed sight," she said as she finished bandaging the child. With a pat on the head, she sent him off to be with his mother. She walked over to Anders and gave him a quick hug. "You have been amazing tonight. Thank you."

"No need to thank me, love," he said smiling as they exited the Keep. The sun was beginning to rise, and Elaine rubbed her eyes. "You must be exhausted," he said to her.

She nodded but looked ahead of them in the direction of the open gate. "Another traveler on the road, no sleep yet."

The man who was approaching from the distance appeared to be unharmed, as he had no limp or obvious injury they could discern from their far vantage. They couldn't make out who it was, but the armor he wore appeared to have protected him well.

Anders walked ahead of Elaine to meet the traveler, and froze when he saw who it was.