Carver pulled the hood of his cloak down as he entered the tavern. By now, Lady Morrigan was already at the castle. He just needed to find a way in for himself. Once he got the lay of the land, he could simply report a darkspawn sighting. He was about to reach for his map when someone sat down across from him. "Well now, what brings a Warden here?"

"Heard a rumor of a darkspawn sighting. Thought it best to be safe." Carver shrugged as he looked at the newcomer. The man was dressed in fine clothing for someone who didn't bother with a mask.

"Your accent." The newcomer tilted his head. "Fereldan?" When Carver nodded the other man smiled with delight. "A Fereldan Gray Warden, here in Serault. Do you have a name?"

They'd discussed this. Carver Hawke was wanted by the Wardens, but he doubted any not a Warden knew that. The Commander said to use his judgment. Carver nodded. "Carver. Carver Hawke."

The other man's eyes widened. "Leon de Vers." He clapped once, before rising. "Come, I'd wager I can find us a far more delightful repast this evening." He caught Carver's cloak in one hand, and Carver found himself being nearly dragged out of the tavern.

#

An hour later Leon was leading him through the front doors of the castle and directly into the main hall, and straight up to none other than the Marquis himself. "Present for you," he chirped, throwing his arm around Carver's shoulders. "Found him in a tavern. If he's who he says he is, he might be useful. And if he isn't... well, he might be even more useful."

Carver blinked, and then bowed. "Carver Hawke, your Grace. Brother to the other Hawke. You know the one. Champion of Kirkwall. Slayer of Qunari. Pain in my Arse. At your service."

The Marquis gave him an appraising look. Carver had been told the man was a scholar, and had expected a bleary-eyed fellow. This man's eyes were sharp, and his face stern. "Greetings, Warden." There was a trace of wariness in the voice.

"An honor, your Grace." Carver tried to make his voice reassuring. "Don't worry, I'm not here recruiting. I've business elsewhere, but I could do with a roof over my head and a warm meal for once. I can pay for my board with news of the places I've passed through, or - reluctantly - with tales about the antics of my sibling, who has more fame than I do, though less sense."

The Marquis smiled, transforming the stern countenance into one of a friendly young man much the same age as Carver himself. "It would be nice to have a few stories over the course of a meal that aren't outrageous lies." He winked at Leon.

Leon put a hand over his heart. "I'm hurt, your Grace."

#

The meal was the best he'd had in... Actually, the meal was probably the best he'd ever had. The Marquis was sharp, and did probe gently for information. Carver was fairly sure he'd let slip a bit more than he'd intended, but the seeds were planted. He found himself enjoying the company of the Marquis and Leon, despite Leon outright admitting that he was a bard. The Marquis's bodyguard said not a word the entire evening, yet somehow managed to be part of the conversation.

He saw Morrigan in passing the next day, and they played the role of unfamiliar strangers. Morrigan actually turned up her nose at him as though he smelled unpleasant. He gave her a sneer of his own. While the Marquis was occupied with telling Morrigan about Serault's shame, Carver managed to get a few words with the elven servant accompanying Morrigan.

"I wasn't expecting an invitation right into the castle," Carver said. "It's going to limit my movements."

Jerath nodded. "The Marquis seems to like you. Stick close to him, maybe he'll tell you more than he has Morrigan." He sighed. "The Divine herself may be on her way here. We need to be long gone before she arrives."

"What if she sends Leliana on ahead?"

"Leliana and Cassandra are on their way to Ferelden to talk to Brehan. I believe they are then going to try to track down your brother. That should keep them occupied for a good while."

"Is Gabriel in trouble?"

"No more than usual."

#

The next morning the Marquis invited him to go hunting. They left well before dawn. Despite the Marquis's tendency to stop and talk to everyone they passed, they did eventually manage to bring down a boar. "You look a bit surprised at our victory, Warden Carver."

Carver shrugged. "I asked about you before coming to Serault to investigate that sighting. They told me you were a scholar who studiously avoided fencing lessons and other physical activities, your Grace."

Marquis Elrundil laughed. "Close enough to truth, I suppose. In the city, they tell me of fashion and cuisine. But out here?" He gestured at the shack they'd passed earlier. "They tell me of trail signs and plants. From you, I would like to learn something of the darkspawn."

He nodded, and began describing the different kinds. The Marquis asked questions with an interest that seemed casual right up until Carver realized he'd just told the Marquis about the Architect. He caught himself, and then swallowed.

"So what does actually bring you to Serault, Ser Carver?"

Carver glanced over his shoulder, and realized that at some point, the Marquis's bodyguard had taken up a position behind him. "Rumors, your Grace. As I said."

"And yet, despite how many I've spoken to, none of these rumors of darkspawn have reached my ears. Odd then, that the rumors would reach to the Free Marches."

"Stories grow and change in the telling, your Grace. A group of three Qunari and a dragon once became a dozen ogres and a bear by the time the teller reached Vigil's Keep."

"True enough, I suppose." The Marquis smiled. "I trust you are finding your accommodations pleasant?"

"Yes, your Grace."

"Marvelous. Then there will be no need for you to leave the castle anytime soon."

#

The guards that accompanied him as he walked about the castle managed to give the illusion that they were simply there as a friendly courtesy. They did, however, make reporting the situation to Jerath rather impossible. He saw Jerath note the guards, and that night he was pulled into the Fade.

"What happened?"

"Serault may be the ass-end of Orlais, but the Marquis plays a good game." Carver sighed. "I let too much slip. I don't think he knows about you and Morrigan, but he knows I'm here for some ulterior reason. He's not pushing the issue, yet, but I'm not to leave the castle."

Jerath sighed. "He's been asking Morrigan questions as well. She's got the advantage of the Empress's writ, and so can afford to be unfriendly, but I fear she may have let a few things slip as well." He shook his head. "Hold your course for now."

#

Leon was absent from the evening meal. The Marquis remained the same friendly fellow he'd been when Carver first arrived, but Carver tried to remain wary anyway. It was a bit more difficult than he anticipated. He really did like the Marquis. "Where is your bard, this evening?"

"Tracking a pair of errant youths in the woods." The Marquis refilled his glass. "Seems they annoyed our dashing outlaw, and she gave them to some power in the forest. Leon has gone to see if he cannot make sense of it and perhaps retrieve them."

"What power in the forest?"

The Marquis raised an eyebrow. "You do not know? Interesting."

"If you tell me, perhaps I can assist."

Quiet laughter answered his words. "Well, when Leon returns, we will both know the answer to this particular mystery."

#

It was still early in the day when his presence was requested. The guard led Carver to the Marquis's office rather than to the main hall. Leon, it seemed, had returned, with a strange tale.

"The woods, it turns out, have their own court: a hall where the trees walk and the stones speak. Beasts congregate there like courtiers. I saw a wolf and a deer drinking water side-by-side from a silver bowl." The bard poured himself a healthy dollop of whiskey. "A green knight rules there. He calls himself the 'Lord of the Forest', and you the 'Lord of Road and Field'. Got horns growing from his helm. He's the one the Dashing Outlaw gave our Errant Siblings to. Uses them as cupbearers. They pour water for the beasts from golden jugs. He's done something to them. There was moss over their eyes and tongues. They don't speak any more."

"Did he speak?" Marquis Elrundil asked.

"The Horned Knight was courteous enough. He says he's happy to release the siblings to you if, in return, you'll grant him a favor one day." Leon downed the whiskey. "Can't help but feel we've got rather more than we bargained for."

Marquis Elrundil rose, and paced the small office. He glanced at Carver. "Have you heard of such a thing before?"

Carver shrugged. "Walking trees, yes. Sylvans are trees possessed by demons. The rest..." He shook his head.

"Is this what brought you to my lands?"

"No, your Grace."

"Truth, please, Warden."

Carver took a deep breath. "This is not what brought me here, but it may spring from a similar source. We..." He swallowed. "Your ancestor did work for the Wardens, but the information regarding what, exactly, was done was destroyed in the chaos that followed the Blight. I was sent to see what I might uncover."

"And so my great grand-father remains a thorn in my side." The Marquis leaned on his desk. "The woods were wild and the Veil there thin before he came about." He shook his head. "Let the 'Lord of the Forest' keep his little criminals, I will not indenture myself to some dark power on their behalf."

"A wise decision, your Grace." Leon poured himself another glass.

#

Twilight had claimed the land, and the main hall was empty of all save a few guards, the Marquis, Leon, and Carver. Carver was telling Leon the story he and Nathaniel joining forces with a small band of Qunari after a tal'vashoth had blown up part of a mine and released a group of darkspawn. "... with his blade broken, we thought the Ashaad was done for, but then he grabbed a hurlock and started using it to bash the other darkspawn."

The Marquis laughed. "I can almost picture the look on the-"

He was cut off by the door bursting open. The man that strode into the hall was massive, and the horned helmet he wore made him look even larger. He wore armor of green, and his cloak appeared to be woven from ivy. A deer was slung over one of his shoulders, obviously dead, and he was dragging a hunter with him. He threw the hunter at the Marquis's feet.

Carver glanced at the Marquis's bodyguard, and got a nod in return. Both moved to take up defensive positions, but the Marquis raised a calming hand.

""I seek justice." The massive man's deep voice echoed off the stones of the hall. "Though I am Lord of the Forest, you are Lord of the Road and Field, and this man is yours. He slew my son. Grant me his life, and he will serve my in my Heartwood Court until I deem his debt has been repaid."

The hunter was babbling, eyes wide with terror. "A deer. I killed a deer."

The Horned Knight caressed the creature slung over his shoulder. "Just so."

Marquis Elrundil stood, and walked towards the hunter. "Where, perchance, did you kill this deer?"

"In the..." The hunter swallowed.

"In the deeps of the Applewood?"

"I..."

"My words forbidding such hunting were just empty wind?" The Marquis's voice was sharper than the knight's, but rang from the stone just as well. "Did you think I banned hunters from those glades without reason?"

"Your Grace, I..."

The Marquis stepped past the hunter, and met the Horned Knight's gaze levelly. Carver saw his bodyguard shift ever so slightly. The Marquis nodded to the knight. "I apologize for your loss. This criminal is yours."

The Horned Knight nodded gravely. "I see that you are unlike your great-grandfather." He stepped forward, and grabbed the hunter. "There is no Shame in kindness. Let there be peace between us, and between Field and Forest."

They could hear the hunter pleading as he was dragged away. The door slammed close behind the Horned Knight. Leon flinched at the sound. The Marquis did not.

#

"I couldn't see anything under the helmet," Carver said. "But that was not a human warrior."

"Not darkspawn though."

"No, Commander." Carver folded his arms. "Abomination of some kind would be my guest." He twitched a shoulder. "Maybe something like that Lady of the Forest?"

Jerath nodded. "We may be on a false trail then. A powerful spirit, rather than a magister."

"What now?" Carver frowned. "Do we hunt it or... Is it even a threat?"

"If it's not darkspawn, it's not truly our problem," Jerath replied.

"But if it's a threat..."

"Morrigan is nearly finished with her work. I'll return with her. Stay a while longer, keep an eye on things. You may have been onto something with your theory that this thing stems from the same source as what we are hunting. I'd prefer to be sure."

"Yes, Commander."

#

Despite Serault technically being an Orlesian Court, Carver was rather starting to enjoy it. The Marquis had stopped bothering with the guard after the incident with the Horned Knight. He had picked up on Carver's desire for discretion, and had arranged clothing more suitable for the Serault court. Some sort of dance was held. He was rather impressed with the Marquis's ability to keep a straight face through the entire thing.

It was early in the day when the Marquis entered his room with little more than a perfunctory nod. "I need your help."

"Of course, your Grace."

"That Horned Knight has taken Leon."

Carver blinked. "What? Why?"

The Marquis shook his head. "Something about a song. With the Divine on her way, I..." He sighed. "The smart thing to do would be to leave him, but..."

"We'll get him back, your Grace."

"Thank you."

#

As much time as he'd spent in the Deep Roads and in the Ways, finding a path through the maze was easy. The Marquis and his bodyguard kept pace, as did the small band that had joined them. Rather than risk too many secrets, the Marquis had left most of his guard behind. The woman who'd joined them was an outlaw, one who was apparently rather fond of the Marquis. It took Carver less than a heartbeat to realize the level of trust the Marquis was displaying by bringing both her and him along.

Carver gestured, and they stepped around a corner. Leon's eyes widened when he saw them. "Thank the Maker! I was starting to give up hope. They're not far, but they rely overmuch on this maze of theirs. Now get me out of here!"

They were most of the way back to where they had left the horses when cries went up behind them. The woman elbowed the silent bodyguard and looked from him to Carver. "Get those idiots back safely. We'll lead them off."

"Will do," Carver said.

The outlaw and her men rode off, and Carver heard them let out calls of their own. The Marquis mounted his horse, pulling the bard up behind him. The four of them rode carefully out of the woods. Carver didn't breath freely until they were back across the stream and light again could reach the forest floor.

He glanced over his shoulder to see Leon kissing the Marquis. For a moment, they reminded him of his brother and Fenris. Of course, if his brother had been involved, the forest would now probably be on fire. He caught the silent bodyguard's eye, and they shared a small smile of amusement.

Leon told them what had happened as they approached the castle. "You know what the so-called 'Lord of the Forest' had me doing? Penning a ballad called 'The Shame of Serault'. He's obsessed with it. Both the event and the man. Thinks of nothing else."

#

"You still think this Horned Knight may be part of what brought you here in the first place?" The Marquis leaned back in his chair.

Carver nodded. "It would not be the first time a risen corpse has been mistaken for darkspawn, and if Leon is correct, it seems there are plenty of such things in the Horned Knight's court."

Marquis Elrundil sighed. "My father spent most of his life trying to undo his grandfather's shame. To be so close..." He shook his head. "We must do whatever we can to ensure the Divine's visit goes smoothly. Gifts, a feast... you'll come hunting with us, yes?"

"Of course."

He nodded. "The Lord of Alyons is arriving on the morrow. Keep your head down, best if he doesn't realize you are none other than the Grey Warden Carver Hawke. He's been a good enough neighbor these last few years, but he would turn you over to the Divine in a heartbeat, and that would undoubtedly cause trouble for your brother." He elbowed Leon. "And I'd be stuck with Renault for sensible conversation."

The silent bodyguard smiled.

#

The Marquis knew enough of combat to get out of their way. Carver stood back to back with Renault, and the assassins were dispatched quickly. Renault checked them over, and then shook his head.

"No sign of who hired them."

Carver cleaned his blade, and then sheathed it. "Undoubtedly the same individual who poisoned the dowager and tried framing... does she actually have a name?"

"At least a dozen," the Marquis said. "Leon and I tend to just call her the Dashing Outlaw. It amuses her." He sighed. "We'll need to head into the woods tomorrow. Have you hunted wyvern before?"

"Actually, yes, your Grace."

The Marquis tilted his head. "I heard the most interesting rumor about your brother and Duke Prosper..."

#

"Are you quite sure you should be playing the bait?" Leon asked the Marquis.

"You've got a point. Carver can play the bait, and I'll try stabbing the thing. I'm sure that will work out so much better for everyone."

Leon narrowed his eyes at the Marquis. "Befriending a warden has made you rather sarcastic."

"You could always play the bait," Carver said.

The silent bodyguard shook his head, and then mimed drinking from a bottle. Leon glared. "Well, you don't have to shout."

"Now who is sarcastic?"

#

"So now we know the Lord of Alyons was behind all this."

"We knew it the moment he arrived," the Marquis said. "What we have now is proof."

"He's just going to deny it all." Leon sighed.

"He miscalculated," the Marquis said. "He committed his crimes on Serault soil, and here, I hold the right of High Justice. We have proof enough that the Empress cannot condemn my actions, even if she weren't otherwise distracted. Throw him in the prison."

Carver blinked, and then smiled. "You were playing him all along."

"He's been nipping at my borders for years. With the shame on my back, I won't win in any Imperial court. I needed him overconfident. I do apologize for putting you in the middle."

"You didn't. He did."

#

"We've been invited to a feast at the Heartwood Court, by the Horned Knight."

"We?"

"The creature interests you, does he not?" The Marquis raised an eyebrow. "You helped me rescue Leon, and we could not have slain the wyvern without your aid. If this helps you get the information you're after, it seems the least I can do."

Carver smiled, and then nodded. "I appreciate it, your Grace."

"And I admit, my interest is piqued as well." The Marquis smiled. "We'll compare our findings later."

#

After so many years as a Warden, working with the Commander and traveling through the Ways, Carver had thought he'd seen just about everything. The Heartwood Court, however, was something else entirely. He wished he could have brought Merrill. She might have been able to make more sense out of the stories the dryads told him.

The Horned Knight himself had apparently been created by the Shame, the Marquis's ancestor. The Lady, however, appeared to be a wholly different creature. She was a sylvan, or so it seemed, and looked much like an elven maiden carved from wood, with blossoms growing here and there. He spoke to her, and she gave him a knowing smile. "The roots of Serault are old, Warden, and deep. They were not pulled as happened in so many other places."

He started to nod, and then blinked. "How did you know I was a Warden?"

Her laughter was merry, water rushing over the rocks in a brook. "Walk with me, Warden." She led him to what had once been a chapel, sometime perhaps a thousand years ago. She told him it was where the wolves came to pray. "And others, once, long ago. You found traces of the Forgotten, and they brought you here."

"Yes."

"What you seek is not here, not any longer. And that, I fear, is the true legacy of the Shame."

Carver blinked. "He freed it?"

"I fear he did. And where has it gone since?" She shook her head. "I cannot say. But it is no longer here."

#

"One of them was here?"

Carver nodded. "Up until about a century ago. The Shame of Serault apparently released it, not realizing what it truly was."

Jerath growled in frustration. "Then these rumors we are hearing out of Tevinter. It may not be Corypheus at all." He shook his head. "Or more or luck, it may be, and we've also got whatever this thing was to deal with."

"How is Morrigan's project coming?"

"She's done. We'll be leaving Serault tomorrow. Stay a bit longer, see if you can find anything else. Just be sure you're well gone before the Divine arrives."

"Yes, Commander."

#

"My brother's friend, Prince Sebastian, once said that when times are good, a city can rule itself."

The Marquis laughed. "Well, no offense to your brother, but his friend was a buffoon. When times are good, people get notions that they can gain more for themselves, and pretty soon times are going bad again."

"Sebastian was something of an idealist, yes." Carver shrugged.

Marquis Elrundil gazed down at his hand, and then threw the cards on the table. "There is another way we could learn more."

Carver raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"The Chantry has been sealed for three generations."

Leon blinked. "You are suggesting we break in?"

"It's my Chateau, it's not exactly breaking an entering."

"Oh, I'm sure the Divine is going to be understanding." Leon set his own hand down.

The Marquis shook his head. "If my ancestor released something, it is my duty to see it put to rights."

#

"It's... clean."

"Ah, excellent," Leon said.

The Marquis sighed. "He meant if it's been sealed, who cleaned it?"

"Oh."

Carver looked around at the imagery on the walls. He stopped at a painting of the Archons. The face of one... he looked at it, then back at the Marquis, then back at the painting.

"You found something?" The Marquis walked over.

"This Archon looks a bit like you... or maybe like your ancestor?"

"Oh, that would suit the man. Paint the Archon Hessarian in his image." The Marquis gestured, tapping the face. The panel abruptly receded and slid open. They found themselves looking down a staircase, where a line of footsteps could clearly be seen in the dust. "Oh."

#

Carver found the Marquis standing at the window, staring out over the river. Elrundil glanced at him as he entered, then sighed. "Protecting her may cost me, but..."

"She's family." Carver came to stand next to him. "Trust me, I understand."

"I suppose you do." He sighed. "She confirmed what the dryad told you?"

"The Shame found something in the ruins. It convinced him that it would bring Serault glory, and he released it. It was the beginning of his madness."

"It spoke to him of shared blood," the Marquis said. He shook his head. "A heavy thing. Descended not just from the Shame, but from one of the very magisters that broke the world."

"It could have been lying."

"My life doesn't work that way."

Carver sighed. "Another feeling I know well." He squared his shoulders. "The Divine will be arriving soon."

"Which means you must be departing. I understand."

He glanced down at the parchment in his hand, and then offered it to the Marquis. "This might help."

"What is it?"

"Names. Qunari agents, in the court of the Divine and in the Empress's court." Carver twitched a shoulder. "A few other tidbits of information you might find useful."

The Marquis's eyes widened. "How did you come by this?"

"Remember that rumor you heard about my brother and Duke Prosper?" Carver shrugged. "You should be able to gain some advantage from mentioning my presence as well."

He laughed. "Court is going to be a dull affair without you, my friend."

#

He was nearly to the ruins and the doorway when he heard the Marquis's voice call his name. Carver turned. "Your Grace?"

"Surely you didn't intend to leave without saying goodbye."

"I was hoping to be gone without causing trouble for you," Carver replied.

The Marquis waved a dismissive hand. "I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't wake up to a dozen problems. Carver..." He sighed. "The Divine will hear nothing of you from me, on that, you have my word."

"But..."

"Don't argue. She'll know you were here, anything else would be foolish, but the only story she'll get is you showed up, helped us fight a bereskarn, and vanished mysteriously." The Marquis smiled. "You have a refuge here, my friend. I just wanted you to know that."

"Thank you."

"So does your sorceress friend, and her companion."

Carver blinked. "You..."

"Good luck, Warden."

"And you, Marquis."