"You'll want to stay down here."

Alistair frowned and looked up along the impressive looking tunnel that led to the surface. "Why's that?"

The dwarven guard who'd stopped them, shrugged. "There's some humans up there waiting. Might be for you, might not."

"An army?"

"I haven't seen them myself. You'll have to speak to the Captain. He's spoken to them."

"We appreciate the warning. Thank you." This was disturbing news. Nodding to the others, Alistair headed in the direction the guard had indicated. "They didn't tell you this when you came up before Gwyn?"

"No ser. Said it was quiet. Might have thought I was asking about darkspawn. I didn't tell them you were with me."

"A lone elf isn't a human and an elf. Possibly they didn't think this news was for you." Anders still didn't like it.

"We'll see what the Captain has to say. Then we'll panic."

"Good plan." Anders pulled his staff free and carried it. Best to be prepared. "Who do we think it might be?"

"Eamon's men have had plenty of time to catch up to us." He glanced at Gwyn. "Perhaps we might have been better to keep our plan to ourselves."

"Yes ser." Their argument could wait. Now was the time to show support. "You'll get us out."

He wished he could be so confident that he could. Still, her obvious belief in him made Alistair feel a little less worried. "I'll do my best."

They reached a doorway with two guards stationed outside. "The captain?" When one of the guards nodded, Alistair led his companions into the small room. It contained only a desk, some boxes and a lone dwarf. "Captain?"

"Yes. You would you be?"

"Grey wardens travelling up from Orzammar. We were told you might have news for us?" Alistair waited with as much patience as he could muster while the dwarf considered that.

"Might do. Had us another group of wardens down here a day or so past. Looking for an elf and a human." He studied them again. "You have two humans."

"Our extra wasn't expected."

"Ah." Again he studied them, then finally nodded. "Said he was the Warden Commander. Said to tell you he'd wait on the surface for you."

Alistair glanced quickly at the others who both looked a little cheered by this news. "Tell us about this Commander. What did he look like?"

"Look like? A human." Blowing out an impatient breath, he gestured at the two humans. "About that height, dark hair. Black armour. I don't know, he looked like a human."

"Daggers or a bow?" Gwyn butted in.

"Bow." Finally they seemed to accept that. "Now if you've finished? I'm busy."

"Yes, thank you Captain. Very much."

Alistair waited until they were outside and away from the guards before speaking again. "Sound like Howe you?"

"Yes ser." Gwyn looked up at Anders when he hesitated. "Ser?"

"It could be. I'd still suggest caution. How would Nate know we'd come this way?"

"A good point Anders. How would he know?" They couldn't go back and spend forever travelling the Deep Roads. They seemed to have no choice but to go out and see. "I'll go alone. You two stay behind until I send word its safe."

"What! No!"

"Am I going to have trouble with you now Anders?"

"I am not going to allow you to go out there alone. Don't bother with the 'I'm in charge' expression, if it doesn't work when Nate does it, it won't work for you."

"I need you to stay here with Gwyn. Please." As he'd expected that worked, and Anders sighed and nodded. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, its stupid." Anders looked down at Gwyn who shrugged and nodded. Ah huh! They'd sneak up after him then. "Be careful."

"I will." Alistair dropped his pack on the ground. "I'll leave this here with you. If I don't, well, its got something in it you might find useful."

"Ser." Gwyn grabbed hold of his arm when he tried to walk away. "Kiss me."

Anders turned his back. Not that he objected to watching them kiss, but he thought they'd like the illusion of privacy. In case it was their last chance. Firmly stopping that train of thought, he instead tried to think of a plan that wouldn't end with Alistair dying horribly.

"Be careful ser." Gwyn hated to let him go alone, but he'd never agree to them all going up. They'd just have to follow him.

Alistair nodded and walked away. The path sloped gently upwards until ending at a closed door. There was a lone guard stationed there who nodded and pulled a lever. When the door slid up, he found himself facing a set of steps going steeply up. The steps seemed to go on forever until finally he reached a long wide hall. Turning at the first left he took a deep breath and walked firmly towards the wooden steps and daylight.

He saw them when he stepped onto the bridge. It was too late to turn back and he'd be cursed if he'd run like a coward. So he walked across and stopped on the hard dirt.

"Alistair. Kind of you to come out alone. That may save the life of your companion."

"Eamon." Curse it. "I'm leaving Ferelden."

"That may be so. Unfortunately for my own safety I need you dead. Apologies."

Eamon had at least ten men with him. Too many to even think about fighting. "Do these men know why you're killing me? Or have you lied to them too?"

"These men were hand picked from those you left alive after murdering poor Rendon Howe. Such a shame that. Still, it worked out for the best."

Either Eamon was completely insane, which Alistair doubted, or he was toying with him. Much more likely. "Get it over with. My boots are getting dirty standing here in the dust."

"Kill you quickly? After you've made me chase you across half of Ferelden? I don't think so. I think as I've borrowed so much talent from Rendon, we should put it to use." He gestured and two men came forward. "Take him."

They were half way across the space between Alistair and Eamon when the first one fell. The second barely had time to react before he too was dead, an arrow through his throat. Alistair turned but there was no one behind him.

"Arl Eamon. You have one chance to surrender."

Following the sound of the voice, they all looked up. The man was standing on a small ledge overlooking the path. "Who in the Maker's name are you!"

"Nathaniel Howe." Nate notched another arrow. "That's one of my wardens you have there. Let him go." Eamon turned to his men and the arrow flew, slamming solidly into the back of his neck. He fell forward and thudded into the hard clay ground without another sound.

Alistair had expected that Eamon might have to die. What he hadn't expected was that Nathaniel Howe would kill him.

"The rest of you. Surrender now."

"I see only one of you Warden."

Nate lowered his bow. The one who'd obviously elected himself leader stepped out of the pack. "I've killed three of you. Care to be next?"

"No, but I'm not surrendering to one man."

"I see." Lifting his fingers to his lips, Nate let out a shrill whistle. "If my men arrive before you surrender I'll have them kill you. You decide."

"You're bluffing." That smile reminded him much too strongly of the Commander's father to take the chance. "Hold. We'll surrender."

"Good choice." Nate waved to the men he'd brought with him, who made short work of rounding up the survivors. "Alistair? Where's Gwyn?"

Gwyn jogged forward out of the shadows. "Here Ser." She'd had Eamon in her sights the whole time but the Commander had beaten her to it. "Anders too."

"Anders?" Thank the Maker he hadn't brought Ceri. "Get yourself back to Orzammar."

"No." Grinning he waved his staff at Nate. "I've been punished enough." He could see Nate sigh but was too far away to hear it.

Nate sighed then after securing his bow, leapt lightly off the ledge to land near them. "Do you ever follow orders, Anders?"

Anders nudged Alistair. "See! I told you, its a noble thing."

Alistair was too busy frowning at Gwyn, who'd gone to hug Howe, to notice Anders' wit. "Timely arrival. Commander. How did you know we'd come this way?"

Nate hugged Gwyn again then pushed her away. "You're well girl?"

"Fine ser." He looked much happier than when she'd left. Even considering he'd just killed some people. "Alistair looked after me."

Oh, now she calls him by his name. "I did my best."

Men were dead. Anders told himself very firmly it would be an inappropriate time to laugh. "I'm well too, thanks very much for asking."

"What would you like done with the body ser?" Garavel had waited politely, but he knew Anders could go on forever if he was allowed to. "The noble."

"Alistair?" Nate thought that was better left to him. "Your decision."

Walking over Alistair looked down at the body of the man who'd raised him. The one person he'd thought he could always trust, who'd he thought had only wanted to do his best for him. "Chop off his head. Burn him in a pit somewhere." Looking up he met Howe's eyes. "Make certain he's dead."

There was a lot of anger there. Understandable. Nate knew he'd probably have felt the same in Alistair's place. "As you wish."

Taking one final look, and feeling like he was really casting off the past, Alistair turned his back. "Thank you for your timely rescue."

"A pleasure." Nate dipped a bow. "Thank you for watching over my scout."

"I helped." Anders saw Nate grin. "I did! A bit."

"One question before we leave. How did you know Eamon was going to order his men to kill me?"

Nate glanced over at the body his men were lifting. "I didn't."

"Why did you kill him if you didn't know?" Alistair was shown the expression Anders had described earlier. "I think I have a right to know."

Crossing his arms, Nate ran his eyes over Alistair. "I have the right of high justice. I exercised my right."

. . .

They were almost to the Vigil before Alistair realised Howe hadn't answered his question. How had he known they'd come through the Deep Roads? He glanced at Gwyn, who'd gone back to not talking to him. She'd spent most of the day's march to the Vigil with Howe, who'd seemed to find her amusing. He'd watched them carefully, she'd admitted to an attraction after all, but Howe treated her like a child more than a woman.

Even called her 'girl'. His first instinct had been to object to that, but thankfully he'd held off. It seemed to be a term of endearment. An odd one, perhaps, but a term of endearment nonetheless.

The fact that Gwyn was once again giving him a cold shoulder, meant he couldn't ask her if his suspicion was correct. That Howe had told her to use the Deep Roads if she ran into trouble getting him back to Vigil's Keep.

Had he sent Anders there to wait for them? "Anders."

"Hmm?" Busy contemplating all the nice things he could do to Ceri when he saw her again, Anders wasn't really paying attention.

"Did Howe send you to Orzammar to wait for us?" That got him the mage's full attention. "It all seems a bit convenient."

"If he did, he neglected to tell me." Pursing his lips, Anders thought about it. "He's devious enough and he'd know I'd come with you. It does sound like something our illustrious commander would do."

It hadn't quite sunk in. Howe was his commander now. He was a warden and nothing else. "Curse it."

"Curse what?"

"I never thought I'd be answering to a Howe." Alistair grinned when Anders laughed. "You can laugh, who knows what he'll do to me."

"Why would he do anything to you?"

"I did kill his father. In case you've forgotten." He hadn't. That fight had been particularly brutal and bloody.

"So did Caethes and believe me, he's forgiven her. What's that look for?"

"I killed him. Not her. I was the one who shoved a sword in his stomach. She was busy healing us."

"Ah. I'd keep that to myself I were you. Just to be safe." Anders didn't think Nate was still stewing on his father's death, but it wasn't always easy to tell with him.

"I intend to." He'd been watching Howe and Gwyn while they walked. "Looks like an argument."

Anders looked where Alistair was. "Hmm. seems to be. Gwyn has that look." They both chuckled. "Wonder what she's after that he's refusing to let her have?"

"The joining?" Alistair hadn't forgotten the cause of their own argument and that Gwyn had said she'd work on Howe instead. It must be that, while they watched Howe looked back towards them then at Gwyn again. Whatever he said, she threw her hands in the air and promptly turned to come back to where they were walking.

"Hello my dear." It seemed having someone to be more annoyed at, made her decide not be annoyed with him any more. "We missed you."

"Cursed stubborn Shem." Gwyn slid her hand into Alistair's to show she didn't mean him. "Told me I should stop bothering him and go away."

"Ah huh." Alistair glanced at Anders who raised his eyebrows. "What did he really say?"

"He won't let me be a warden. Said he thought of me like a daughter. Rotten bastard. Saying something like that to me."

That was best news Alistair had heard since leaving Denerim. "Shall I challenge him to a duel?"

"No thank you ser."

Alistair gaped at her for a moment before remembering that Gwyn had taken his jokes literally before. "I was joking dear."

"Yes ser."

"To be fair Gwyn, Nate is old enough to be your father, so its not unnatural that he'd feel that way." Anders smiled when she scoffed.

"Pardon?" Alistair's gape was aimed at Anders this time. "Howe's not that old is he?"

"No, around the same age as me I think. Our Gwyn is only 17."

"What!"

. . .

"No I agree, she's much too young." Nate hadn't thought Alistair would be this sensible. "Leave her with us. I can promise you while I'm in command she won't take the joining."

"She won't agree to stay. When I mentioned it she got that look." Alistair knew he wouldn't have to explain which look. "We'll need to trick her."

"Yes." He could hear something in Alistair's voice that he hadn't expected. "Do you love her?" The younger man hesitated, then nodded. "If you're of the same mind in a few years, come back for her."

"Come back?"

"Yes, come back. Don't let her go. Trust me, you'll regret it if you do."

Alistair was already regretting it. He'd thought he'd found someone he could love, who'd perhaps love him in return. Now thanks to his inconvenient need to do the right thing, he'd be alone. Again.

"I suggest we travel together to Amaranthine. Tell her at the last moment that she's not going with you. You'll have to upset her."

"I know." If he didn't, she'd follow him onto the boat. If she did that, he'd never let her go. He couldn't take someone so young and inexperienced on what might be a journey with no end. Or worse, might kill her. "I hate this."

Nate hated it too. As much for the pain he was going to give Gwyn, as for the memories it brought. At least this time they were separating them to protect Gwyn's life, not someone's exalted family name. "My father sent me to the Free Marches when I was a few years younger than you. To separate me from Rhosyn. I do know how hard this is for you. Just don't forget to come back for Gwyn. Or I'll come and get you myself."

"I'll come back." If he had to swim across the Waking Sea to do it, he would.

. . .

"I don't want you with me."

"But ser."

"No. You're too much trouble and I can't trust you to do what you're told." He could do this. He'd just keep telling himself it was the right thing. "Look at what's happened already." Alistair knew Gwyn wouldn't challenge what was a blatant lie. She'd argued with him but never refused to follow his orders when it was necessary.

"I'll do better. Let me come, please." What would she do if he didn't? How could she stay here when Alistair was somewhere else?

"This is what I mean. Instead of doing what you're told, you're arguing with me." He could see Howe waiting at the gate to the docks. "Go back to your commander. He wants you. I don't." She just stood there staring at him. "Go!" Finally, thank the Maker, she nodded.

She wouldn't look at him again. If he didn't want her, he didn't. Gwyn had thought she'd made him happy, she'd done her best to. Walking blindly back to where they'd left the commander, she felt as if someone had stuck a knife in her chest.

"Gwyn?" Nate had seen Gwyn cry before. Those had been tears of happiness however, very different to these. She didn't sob or make any sort of sound, just cried. "I'm sorry girl." She threw herself at him and then she did sob. Cursing himself and Alistair, Nate held her, while her she suffered the pain he'd helped inflict on her.

"I thought. I thought he'd want to keep me."

"I know." They couldn't stand here in sight of the docks. Lifting her easily, Nate held her across his arms and started walking to the Inn. He'd find them some rooms for the night. By the time he reached it she'd stopped crying. He could hear her breath catching but the tears seemed to have stopped for now. "Its for the best Gwyn."

It took her a few moments to realise what he'd said. For the best? Why would he say that? "Why?"

"You're young." Her head lifted and she looked at him blankly. "In a few years you'll understand." Something shifted across her face, something Nate recognised as anger.

"Did you tell Alistair to leave me here?"

"No." When she wriggled he dropped her carefully on her feet. "Be sensible Gwyn, you're a child. In a few years." Nate stopped when she shoved a finger in his chest.

"You should know better. Your father did it to you. Now you're doing it to me."

"Its not the same. This is for your own good."

"My own good! Andraste's tits Nate! Listen to yourself." Gwyn felt good getting that off her chest. "I'm leaving with Alistair. I love him."

"You love him?" Rubbing a hand cross his face, Nate wondered if he'd done something incredibly stupid. "Does he love you?"

"I don't know. He might one day."

Yes, definitely something stupid. "I didn't want you hurt. Alistair didn't want you hurt."

"Alistair won't hurt me. This is hurting me." She could just run, he might chase her, he might not. Gwyn preferred if Nate let her go. "I want to go with him."

"You don't even know where he's going."

"It doesn't matter. Please Nate, let me go."

"Go." This time when she threw herself into his arms it was to hug him. "I'm sorry Gwyn. Blame my need to protect you."

"I understand." Pausing she grinned at him cheekily. "Papa." She'd treasure the memory of his laugh for a long time. "I'll miss you ser." With that she ran back the way they'd come and on towards the docks.

They were pulling the gangplank when Gwyn finally reached the docks. "Hold! Hold for me!"

"Cursed elves." The sailors ignored the boatswain's swearing and slowed their work, hoping she'd make it in time.

Just as her feet hit the wooden dock the plank was pulled in. "Cursed shems!" Running as fast as she could she waited until the last possible inch and launched herself across the space and onto the ship.

Unable to stop her momentum she ran into something hard that knocked the wind out of her. "Sorry ser.

"I'll live." Alistair put her back on her feet. "I thought I told you to go home."

"So you did." Looking around she saw where he'd put his pack and dropped hers next to it. "Where are we off to, if I may ask?"

"The Anderfels. Weisshaupt. I'm told the First Warden knows where every Warden in Thedas is. I have one I want to find."

"Your mother?"

"My mother." Feeling her hand slip into his he glanced down at her. "I'm glad you're here Gwyn." Hadn't he known if she followed him he'd have to keep her? There'd be time later to find out why she'd come after he'd told her to go. Time for him to deal with his conscience as best he could. "I think, considering everything, you should probably call me Alistair."

"Yes Alistair, ser."