Kallian awoke in bed to find Morrigan standing over her. Morrigan told her that she was in the Wilds and Morrigan had been bandaging the elf's wounds, for which Kallian thanked her.

Kallian sighed in relief when told both Daveth and Alistair were alive but was shocked to learn that Teyrn Loghain retreated and left the king to die on the field. Her heart ached when Morrigan told her that Alistair had a mental breakdown when told the news.

Morrigan informed her guest that Flemeth's magic had protected them from the darkspawn, and, if the hordes have moved on, the trio could have a chance of avoiding them in their journey.

The Warden was left in disbelief when told that Flemeth rescued them by transforming herself into a giant bird and plucking the trio in her talons before flying back to her hut. And horror when Morrigan described what the darkspawn were doing to the survivors and stragglers from the battle.

Kallian suited up before heading outside the hut, where Alistair and Daveth were waiting.

Daveth rushed to embrace her, which she returned. He was gushing that she was alright.

Alistair only acknowledged her in relief, still in shock.

Daveth couldn't wait to be far away from the hut and especially the wicked Witch of the Wilds standing right next to them.

Flemeth told the trio that she rescued them so they would deal with the darkspawn. She attributed Loghain's actions as him believing that the Blight is only an army that he can defeat with strategy, disbelieving that there is an Archdemon. But, she declined to help them personally in stopping the Bllight.

Alistair furiously cursed Loghain for his treachery and foolishness. He swore he would go before Arl Eamon to expose the Teyrn's crime. And see Loghain's head on a pike.

That gave Alistair an idea: appealing to help from Eamon and his men at Redcliffe. And then, there were the treaties! They could use them to bind the dwarves, elves, and mages to their aid.

Anything to keep the junior wardens' spirits up, Alistair thought.

Then, Flemeth volunteered Morrigan into the Wardens' service, much to her daughter's shock and anger that she was left with no choice in the matter.

Alistair, being a former Templar, voiced concern in taking Morrigan along, as outside the Wilds, she would be looked at as an apostate, meaning that having her with them would put them in the crosshairs of any Templar they encountered. Flemeth pointed out that he didn't have so many options that he was free turn down help, even from illegal mages like them.

Flemeth brushed aside Morrigan's protests to insist that she aid the trio to unite Fereldan so that all of Thedas can be saved from the Blight, to which Morrigan finally submitted. She then turned to the Wardens, telling them that giving them her precious daughter was evidence of how much faith she had in them.

While Kallian promised the old woman that her daughter would be safe with them, Morrigan began packing up her items for the journey ahead.

Once Morrigan was done, she advised the Wardens to travel north of the Wilds till they came across a village as its tavern would give them easy access to the news in the surrounding area. She had been to that particular village, Lothering, and frequently haggled with the merchants there, though she was always careful not to dally there (as she was easily recognizable as a outsider) and to avoid the eyes of the local chantry.

Alistair expressed disbelief that this chantry did not discover that she was an apostate, to which Morrigan admitted that she was questioned by templars from time to time but managed to emerge from the investigations unscathed.

Morrigan bid a chilly farewell to her mother and then, they were off.

Denerim:

Arl Aedan was present to greet Bann Teagan upon his arrival to the capital. They had met before at one of the Couslands' tourneys in Highever.

Teagan greeted the younger lord amiably before giving him his condolences for what had happened to his family.

It had been a harsh couple of days for the young arl. Many of the city's local nobility were unyielding in their rage at him for his lenience towards the alienage. The regent was skeptical over the wisdom of his decision but did not overrule it. Her Majesty, the Queen, voiced support for his clemency of the elves, but this did little to end the venom being spat at him.

Teagan discussed with Aedan on his opinion on the regent and his actions. Aedan brought up that he was indebted to Loghain for his title and aid but confessed that Loghain's rhetoric against the Grey Wardens did trouble him. Though he still suggested that Loghain abandoning the king to die was an exaggerated rumor when Teagan brought up the fate of his nephew (that he held Loghain responsible for).

The two joined the nobles gathered in the palace to hear Loghain's address. The regent stood next to his daughter on a balcony as he boomed through the room his plan: he ordered that every noble present supply men to his army so they might crush the darkspawn horde before the Orlesians see a chance to strike when Fereldan is weakened.

Teagan spoke up and, after being granted permission by Loghain, stunned the present nobles, including Aedan, by implying that Loghain withdrew from Ostagar so he could seize power. Gasps went out all around him.

Loghain gave the bann a fierce glare, declaring that all he was doing was securing that Fereldan remained independent from its former oppressors. Adding that he would use force against any noble that shirked from their duty to the realm.

Without blinking, Teagan responded that the Bannorn would resist him if he tried that.

After a final threat against any insurrection, Loghain left the room.

As the nobles began to leave, Anora called down to Teagan, pleading that he listen. Teagan turned around, warning that her father's actions were going to provoke a civil war.

Aedan could not believe what he was hearing. A civil war?! Now of all times?!

Anora insisted that her father was only doing what was best for the kingdom, to which Teagan asked if he did what was best for Cailan before continuing on his way.

The Queen could not think of any response to this, and was left shaken on the balcony.

Aedan watched the proceeding, anxious. Terrified to witness the first fractures in the realm that was at its darkest hour.

At the Border:

Orlesian Warden, Guy Deschanel, was fuming. What was that fool regent thinking?

In the midst of a Blight, he turns away aid from Grey Wardens.

One of his men muttered that he shouldn't be surprised. The man made his career driving the Orlesians out of Fereldan. There was no way he would happily accept aid from the Empire now.

So, more damn politics. Politics, when a Blight, the worst threat to all of Thedas, was beginning.

Guy had always hated getting involved in politics. It was the reason he had joined the Wardens: their neutrality. To escape from the Great Game that had claimed the lives of so many in his family.

As he led his troops away, Guy whispered a prayer to the Maker, so that he might protect the people of Fereldan.

The Wilds:

The quartet were making their way through the Wilds, Morrigan wasting no time needling Alistair, when they came across a wounded man on the ground, clutching his bloodied stomach-dressed like a member of the king's honor guard.

Alistair was shocked to recognize the man as Elric Maraigne, Cailan's bodyguard and friend.

Elric in turn recognized them as Grey Wardens before ashamedly admitting that he had fled into the Wilds when the battle turned south, shedding tears at recalling the death of the king.

Alistair tried to comfort the man, telling him that the outcome of the battle was not his fault.

Elric told them that Cailan had entrusted him to the keys to the royal arms chest and that he had orders to deliver it to the wardens should the battle end in defeat.

When asked where this key was, Elric claimed to have stashed it in the camp. This caused the group to fear the darkspawn had taken it. He told them that the key was hidden behind a loose stone at the base of a statue.

Elric pleaded that they keep Maric's sword and the king's armor out of the darkspawn's hands. And recover the royal documents hidden within the chest. And one more request: that, should they find Cailan's body, they give him a proper burial. Alistair shuddered at the thought of his brother rotting amongst the darkspawn.

And with that, Elric passed away from his injury. The group was left to debate what to do.

Morrigan insisted that they move onto Ostagar, not wanting to risk it.

Daveth showed hesitance towards Ostagar, feeling it was too great a danger for things that might not even be still there.

But, Alistair remained resolute that they head to Ostagar. To which Kallian concurred (not to mention, the chance of retribution on the darkspawn was very enticing to her), and she persuaded Daveth to as well.

The lone objector, Morrigan sighed in resignation. These fools were going to get her killed. She just knew it…