Note: So begins Act Three. Thank you for all the favorites and follows.

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Dragon Age
"The Relic"

Act Three

Chapter Twenty Six: The Wilds

Duncan laid flat on his covers trying to slow his breathing and heart rate. The Warden blood in him meant he had considerable stamina but even he had a limit. He was popular among the laundresses, scullery maids, servants and frequently had one or more in his bed. Tonight he had two; Anna, a redheaded laundress that was his most frequent lover, and Anjule, his blonde chambermaid.

To his right Anna giggled. "I think we finally wore him out."

Anjule agreed and giggled as well, she snuggled next the Prince on his left hearing his heart pounding in her right ear. "Give me five minutes and I'll wear both of you out," he replied with a smile. He wasn't really tired…the session had just been very intense.

"A whole five minutes? Are you losing your touch, Warden-Prince?"

He cracked an eye open giving the long, tall, pale redhead a half smirk. Of his many bed partners, he'd known Anna the longest. She was his first and best of all she had no illusions about their relationship. He was a Prince, the heir to the Fereldan Kingdom...his love life was not his own. "You know better than that, Wench," he replied playfully.

"Water?" she asked padding over to the pitcher of water.

He grunted a response as Anjule began to tease him. It hadn't been five minutes yet but he wasn't complaining. The curvy maid straddled his waist as her long blonde hair cascaded over her back and shoulders. She was very pretty and Duncan purred his approval, his 18 year old libido didn't care about needing to recover from an intense prior orgasm. He sat up brushing the hair away from her breasts.

Anna giggled at she saw. She had a cup of water and fed the Prince first, it distracted him from Anjule's breasts but he was very thirsty. He was hungry too but that could wait. Anjule took a gulp of water after he did and promptly kissed him.

The knock on the door generated a groan from all of them, Duncan's was the loudest. "Go away!" he said loudly. The knock persisted and he growled ushering Anjule off him, snatched a blanket to wrap around his waist, stepped over Wuld, and headed to the door clearly irritated. "What?" he asked as he opened the door.

He was met by his father; Alistair raised an eyebrow at his nearly nude son. "Sorry to interrupt," he smirked and leaned on the wall folding his arms across his chest. "Let me guess…Lise and Anna?"

Duncan blushed. "Anna and Anjule."

"Your new chambermaid?" Alistair questioned. "You don't waste any time."

Duncan's crimson color deepened and he looked at the floor. "Dad…it's nice that you take an interest but this is uncomfortable." Alistair chuckled and held up a sealed scroll. Duncan's brow furrowed. "That couldn't wait until morning?" he asked snatching it away.

"That's Gabriella's seal," his father pointed and took a step back. "Enjoy your fun, young man." He heard his father say as he walked away from him.

The fact that his father knew exactly what was going on in his bedroom and with who made Duncan uncomfortable. The fact that his father was seemingly okay with it was strange…it always had been. He closed the door and returned to the girls waiting for him in his bed. Duncan forgot about the letter in his hand when he came in sight of his bed. Both Anjule and Anna were lewdly waiting. He blinked, smiled, dropped the letter on the table to his right, dropped the blanket on the floor and dove on Anjule first. The letter could wait.

In the middle of the night Duncan was starving. He'd burned off so much energy pleasing two women all night he wore them out but it only made him hungry. Having two Wardens and whatever he was in the castle meant that the kitchen had to get creative. Just like Vigil's Keep extra food was made and kept for the midnight munchies; bread, cheese, fruit, jerky, and any leftover food from the evening meal.

Duncan's stomach growled as he saw the food, he wanted the jerky, cheese, and bread and devoured almost an entire loaf and cheese wheel. He'd grabbed the letter off the table and brought it with him. Until his stomach had been sated he left it alone. Now that his stomach wasn't trying to talk to him he cracked the seal on the letter and read it.

He read it and his brow furrowed. Malcolm was still missing. Still missing months after his father's death.

"Duncan," a voice said and he looked up to see his mother.

"Mom," he greeted with a smile.

"Something wrong?" she asked. His mother had been different since her encounter with Solas. Whatever magic he used on her seemed to physically hurt her. She got headaches and her casting was 'shaky', no one really knew what happened to her until three days later when she finally woke up. She seemed older to him like how Nathaniel looked, maybe it was the Calling or maybe it was whatever Solas had done to her.

"Apparently Malcolm is still missing…has been since his father died," he said rubbing his face.

"He probably went back to the Wilds," she said and opened a jar of jam. Duncan passed her the bread and the knife he'd used.

Lydia looked at the damage her son had done to the bread, cheese, and jerky. "I see you worked up an appetite."

Duncan blushed; no teenager liked talking to their parents about sex. While he was open with his parents he didn't want to discuss his need for sex and the fact that he liked more than one woman at a time. One wasn't enough to satisfy him sometimes. "That is really unsettling."

She chuckled softly. She didn't have to tell him to be careful and to not fall for any of his flings. "I think you should go find him."

Duncan had thought about that. "You'd let me go even after what happened last month?"

She gave him a look. "My son, your father and I defended ourselves long before you came along," she admonished. One of the assassins that had caused a mess in Orlais and Starkhaven tried their luck with Alistair. The King was no push over and her luck ran out quickly. Her approach was all wrong, the king was impossible to seduce so he saw right through her and killed her for it.

Duncan's trek to where Malcolm's home was taking him to the Brecilian Forest to start with, he managed to get out of Denerim without a contingent of guards but he took his hound, Wuld, and his bodyguard, Liam Conroy. Liam was from Gwaren and was a Grey Warden and former Templar. He'd been picked by Lydia to guard her son. Liam was an average unassuming looking fellow who was smaller in stature than Duncan but he was one of the best Grey Wardens Lydia had in her ranks. Wuld was Duncan's Mabari hound, brindle grey and a gift from his Uncle Fergus, Wuld and Duncan didn't always get along. It took time for them to bond but Wuld listened to him for the most part now.

One of the few remaining Dalish clans friendly to visitors was settled between the Wilds and the Brecilian Forest. It was here Duncan found a guide; someone to take him through the Wilds and safely to Malcolm. A Dalish tracker with pretty red hair, green eyes, and Andruil's vallaslin.

Wuld growled at everything in the Wilds but Duncan's guide didn't seem alarmed by anything that the hound was on edge about. He'd read about the time his Grandfather spent in the Wilds during the Orlesian occupation. There were Dalish clans and Chasind that lived out here…and apparently Malcolm and his family. Their guide's name was Meena, she was very pretty but quiet.

"The man you're visiting doesn't like uninvited guests," she commented over her shoulder.

"I guess it's good for me that I'm a friend," he replied briefly mesmerized by her red hair blowing in the breeze. He liked redheads.

"Call your hound back, Prince," she ordered as Wuld had drifted too far from them. The path she was taking was not direct and they were changing directions.

"Call me Duncan," he corrected. "Wuld!" he barked and the hound returned to his master. Raider pranced and snorted, still uncomfortable with the hound being so close to him.

The creepy stories about the Wilds were apparently all true, Duncan decided. It was the middle of the day and the forest was as dark as dusk. Parts of it were eerily quiet with only the creaking of ancient trees to keep them company, other parts of it had a very strange thick mist that collected and the temperature dropped about 10 degrees. He also didn't see much game, in a forest this size it should be teeming with wildlife.

Liam was no stranger to the Wilds but he'd honestly never been this far into it. The forest seemed to have a mind of its own.

Duncan was certain that Liam didn't trust Meena since he never left her on watch with the Prince. Either Duncan was awake or they were awake together. He wouldn't be a good bodyguard if he got his charge killed by a pretty face. Therins had a habit of being targets of assassins.

Meena dropped a few more logs on the fire as she eyed the Prince leaning against the tree wrapped in his cloak. There weren't many Dalish clans still around, most vanished after the Qunari plot, but her clan remained. Everyone had heard about Prince Duncan, he was handsome, strong, and very unique. She sat down, he had his eyes closed but wasn't asleep.

"Are you a Warden, Prince?" Meena asked as the fire popped again.

Duncan opened his eyes to her question. Wuld flopped down on his right with a grunt causing Duncan to side-eye the hound. "I told you to call me Duncan," he said. "And why do you ask?"

"We heard of the Prince of Fereldan, they say you were born a Grey Warden. The only child born of two wardens."

"If you call me the Miracle Child I swear…," She smirked. "I thought the Dalish didn't care about the Kingdoms of man."

"It's good to stay apprised. Humans are good trading partners," she replied. "So is that a yes?"

"For the most part," he answered intentionally being vague. "How'd you get the scar?"

"A fight that went wrong. I still won."

Wuld shifted next to him like he was in a frenzy. The young hound was obnoxiously trying to get comfortable on the cold ground. It went on for a few seconds and Duncan glared down at him. "Are you done?" Wuld stilled for a moment and then resumed his rustling before finally stopping with a long groan.

Meena chuckled as Duncan shook his head. "He's like a child."

Duncan agreed. "Yeah."

"When was the last time you were in the Wilds, Liam?" Duncan asked making conversation to ease the creep factor of the Wilds. The hollow they were going through was dank and chilly. Wuld trotted ahead of Meena's chestnut mare and the hound seemed a bit more at ease. Liam's big sorrel mare snorted at some deadfall and pranced.

"Easy, Belle," he said quietly and patted her neck gently. "Before I became a Warden," he replied. "Chased an apostate for almost a week…that was in the Wilds."

"You catch him?"

"Her," he corrected. "Yes…eventually."

Meena chuckled from the front. She actually enjoyed Liam and Duncan's company. "Sounds like there's more to that story."

There was and Liam shrugged. "I don't kiss and tell."

The only one who understood the passage of time was Meena. She didn't live in the Wilds but she'd been there enough times to be used to it, the sudden changes in temperature, minimal sunlight in parts, and damn odd terrain disoriented people. Four days is how long it took to get to their destination, she paused in the trail and examined her surroundings.

"What?" Duncan asked before she held up her hand to silence him.

She didn't reply immediately and gave long looks at the trees. "I told you he doesn't like uninvited guests," she said. "Stay on the path. Keep Wuld with you."

The village appeared in the thick woods almost out of nowhere. Nestled quietly in the forest, smoke puffed from the huts but no one was seen. Horses, cows, pigs, chickens were all heard and some seen…this was a Chasind village. Meena dismounted and the rest followed suit. It was odd to Duncan and Liam that no one was seen, it was possible they had seen them coming and hid but that would imply they were afraid of visitors that managed to get this far.

"Where is everyone?" Duncan asked and then felt a blade appear at his throat. "Nevermind."

The man with the weapon was Malcolm, he was so damn fast and silent he just appeared from thin air. "What are you doing here?" Malcolm demanded with a growl.

Duncan was not comfortable with the razor sharp Antivan Slasher at his throat and Liam even less so. The Warden had drawn this sword swiftly ready to fight but minded the Prince's hand motion to not threaten him. Malcolm could kill them all in one motion if he wanted to. "Looking for you."

The static charge in the air could be felt by all of them. Malcolm's eyes went from Duncan, to the knight, and then to the Elf. He knew her…vaguely. He took the blade away from Duncan's throat. "Well, you found me," he said and the static charge dissipated.

The cluster of huts was closer to the description of 'homestead' then village but Malcolm wasn't the only resident. Liam and Duncan counted maybe 10 or 12 people doing various activities. They eyed the new guests but seemed to be okay with them so long Malcolm remained friendly with them. Malcolm was a de facto leader or protector, as his father had been.

He led them to a hut set off by itself with a blonde woman dressing a deer strung from the overhang. She put the knife she was using down and approached Malcolm. He'd left early this morning on one of his walkabouts, mostly to make sure there weren't any unwanted guests…clearly, he'd found some.

"Who are they?" she asked wiping her hands on a cloth hanging from a wooden rail.

"Friends," he replied referring mainly to Duncan about that but so far Meena and Liam hadn't given him cause to doubt.

"What do they want?" she asked running her eyes over all three of them before looking up and Malcolm.

"I don't know yet," he said and gestured for them to follow him inside. "Come on in. Food, water…help yourself."

"We'll take care of the horses," Liam said and gave Duncan time to talk.

"You said you were looking for me," Malcolm inquired as the Prince watched Meena and Liam head back out the way they came.

"Came to check in on you," Duncan said and the static charge was felt again. He saw Malcolm ball up his right hand and the charge disappeared.

"Why don't you settle in, come find me when you're ready." Malcom told him sounding a bit unsettled now. The memories came rushing back and he didn't expect that.

Duncan's eyes narrowed. "You okay?" Malcolm was unsettled; he could see that in his face.

"Just give me a few minutes then come find me when you're settled in," he repeated and the room vibrated some before abruptly stopping.

Duncan did as asked and made sure the horses were tended and everyone was settled before talking to Malcolm. He'd heard rumors about Malcolm's instability now, understandable after whatever had happened to him and losing his father. In the Deep Roads he'd seemed a bit different, but all Mages were a little strange to the mundane. He found his friend meditating not far from the hut.

Malcolm meditated same as he did in Skyhold but being in the Wilds made it easier when he had trouble with the control. He didn't risk pulling an ancient fortress in the sky down to the valley below. He still didn't understand exactly what had happened to him but he did know that his abilities were so enhanced it was disturbing. The fade magic crackled around him as he couldn't really tell the difference anymore.

"Hey." Duncan's presence didn't startle him and he cocked his head in the direction of the voice. The Fereldan Prince sat down next to him observing him curiously. He'd never actually seen Malcolm as a spirit but by looking at him now he realized that he actually had. It was vague but in his first berserker instance he saw the spirit barking at him. "You okay?" he asked and Malcolm gave him an equally curious look behind the eyes of the spirit. Duncan stammered realizing it wasn't Malcolm. "Justice, I presume?"

Malcolm caught his error and in the blink of an eye it switched. "Sorry," he apologized. "I don't notice anymore."

That was an unsettling thought. "So, how are you doing?"

"I don't know how to answer that," he replied quietly. It was strange for him, he felt different but he felt the same. Whatever changed in him was confusing. "If it's the magic you're talking about I think that's okay."

Duncan surveyed his surroundings, the trees in the forest looked like they'd been blown apart starting at the trunk. Lightening. Other trees looked like they'd been flattened and the forest floor in some areas was heaved. He hadn't been around too many Force Mages but that looked like it was a part of it. "Looks like you've been raising hell with the forest."

Malcolm snorted. "Didn't say it came easy."

Duncan chuckled. "Good thing you're not a fire mage…you'd have burned the place down."

Whatever he was was far worse than an out of control fire mage. His damage was multiplied and amplified. "Yeah. Because nearly electrocuting Lily and her mother was a much better choice. Sylvans weren't too thrilled with me blowing up my corner of the forest either."

Duncan wasn't as well versed in magical beings. He'd heard of Sylvans but had never actually seen one. "Sylvans?"

"Yeah, you passed three of them on the trail in."

Duncan blinked. There was no way he was that oblivious. "Sylvans?"

"They keep the riff-raff out," he said.

"They let me in."

Malcolm chuckled. "So what are you doing here?"

"People are worried about you."

"My mother?" he asked certain it was her that reached out to Duncan.

"Bree." Malcolm didn't expect that and looked over at him. "She's in Orlais, engaged to the Emperor of Orlais." Malcolm's expression didn't change. "Gaspard's dead. Assassinated. Same people who tried to kill Khrys, Dorian, and my parents. Same people who also killed Sebastian's youngest."

Malcolm didn't bother to hide his total confusion. "I've been gone for a few months and everything goes to shit."

"Oh, it gets better," he went on, "the reason Bree ended up in Orlais is because she gave the Relic everyone is so interested in to Solas."

"She what?"

"Mmhmm," he replied. "Not really sure why he hasn't used it yet."

Malcolm got to his feet with an irritated growl. "That's because he doesn't know how to use it."

"And you do?"

"Actually, I do," he replied. "Since the event with the interloper I have gained a rather unique knowledge of what he wants." In truth, the knowledge he had was unsettling. His dreams had been strange before, now they were downright unsettling. "What was she thinking?"

"I don't think anyone really knows."

"Oh, Khrys must have hit the roof."

"Lot of rumors about that," Duncan replied. "We need your help, Mal. I'm on my way to Skyhold. My father is beyond angry, wants Solas found now. That and the hornet's nest stirring up in Orlais…I'd rather be in Skyhold."

"Where's my mother?"

"Starkhaven, I think."

Malcolm didn't really want to leave the Wilds, he was happy here. It was quiet and the only time people bothered him was when they needed healing or protection. He didn't mind that, it was the same thing his mother and father had done, and in return the Chasid protected him and his family. If Solas figured out the Relic they were all screwed. "Alright." He extended his hand to the Prince and hauled him to his feet. "Give me a few days, we'll go."

"Wonderful," Duncan said and scratched his head. "It's days to Redcliffe…don't suppose you have a bath around anywhere."

Malcolm chuckled. "No marble baths here, your highness, but there's a nice secluded hot spring a short ride that way." He pointed south.

Duncan dove into the hot spring head first. The hot water felt good with the linger chill of winter clinging to life. It also felt good to be out of the armor for a while. Liam was so damn protective he didn't want the prince without it.

Meena observed the Prince as he stepped out of the hot spring after his swim. He had the physic of a warrior with a well-muscled back and buttocks. He was handsome with and without clothes. Duncan turned sensing someone watching him. Meena wasn't hiding and seemed to be enjoying what she was looking at.

"No one likes a voyeur," he said and she shrugged.

"Is that so?" She began to turn away.

"Oh, no…don't look away now," he smirked. "Take a look...do you like what you see?"

Meena stepped closer looking him up and down as he gave her a full frontal view. Duncan was never embarrassed unless his parents were questioning his sex life and he did like Meena. "I do," the Elf praised. "They say you've had many lovers."

"I do."

Dalish culture was different from the Humans. "Why?"

"Warden blood. Not too many ways to burn off that type of energy and it's a fun way to pass the time." Duncan's answer was refreshingly honest.

She let a smile curl her lips and she was now within arm's reach of him. "Have you ever had an Elf?"

"No."

His answers were honest and she could tell he was a kind man. He was a Prince, the 'Warden-Prince'; they called him, born to two Grey Wardens with all their power. She unlaced the tunic in an expert fashion and dropped it on the ground. Duncan blinked as she shimmied from the trousers. He'd never had a woman offer herself to him like this before. The scarred eye wasn't the only scar she had. She had one on her stomach that looked like it came from a sword. Before he knew it she'd stepped closer and kissed him pressing herself against his still wet skin. He kissed her back and wrapped his arms around her.

Lily was a little uncomfortable with all the new faces. Meena she had seen before, but the two men made her uneasy. Malcolm called the one with nearly coal black hair 'Prince' but his name was Duncan. The Prince of Fereldan. Chasind were leery of them, the Fereldan military routinely hunted and killed the Chasind so they were taught to hide and keep their distance. The other man, Liam, was smaller with a kind smile and gentle eyes. He was the Prince's guard, a Warden and a Templar. Even the Chasind were familiar with both old Orders. Wardens especially. She passed out bowls of stew then watched the two Wardens devour them in minutes. She chuckled as they looked like children asking for more. They weren't ill-mannered; in fact they both apologized for their appetite which seemed to set Lily at ease with them.

After dinner Duncan stood by the barn and groaned at the sore muscles in his back, it hadn't been very comfortable where he and Meena had their escapades. He rolled his shoulder but the muscles were sore from the rocks and the positions.

"Sore?" Meena smirked. The Prince paused in mid motion returning her smirk.

"Told you the water was more comfortable," he replied quietly with a grin that was to die for.

"You were right about that too." She winked at him and then disappeared.

Malcolm watched the exchange and couldn't keep a smirk off his face. "Well…that's why you wanted the hot spring so bad."

Duncan snorted. "I did just go there to take a bath…she followed me."

"And naturally you bedded her."

"I'm just that irresistible."

"Prince of Fereldan and an Elf."

Duncan knew his family's reputation, his grandfather to be specific. "Apparently it's in my blood."

Malcolm laughed remembering rumors and stories about King Maric. "So, besides the current world state and your new friend there, anything else new with you?"

There was a big one…one he'd rather not talk about but heaved a sigh. "Well, I've been told I'll be getting married."

"What? To whom?"

Duncan shifted his position to leaning on the gate to Kyp's stall. "Meghan Vael," he replied as the big black horse paid him little to no attention after brief investigation.

By Duncan's tone and demeanor it was clear he wasn't sure about it. "Oooh Sebastian's daughter…not happy I take it?"

Duncan wasn't sure what to think. His future wasn't his own. He had to do certain things that were outside of his control. This was one of them…it didn't mean he was comfortable with it. "I don't know her…when we met her in Starkhaven she was…"

"Abrupt?"

"Yeah, okay."

"What are you going to do?"

There was only one thing he could do. "What I'm told," he said. It was what he'd done his entire life. Sneaking off into the Deep Roads was rebellious for him…otherwise he did as he was told and had come to grips about the lack of control over his life long ago. He envied Jean-Fredric and Bree and wished he could find the same luck with Meghan.

Malcolm evaluated his friend, it was the first time he'd seen him unhappy. "So how's the whole born a Warden thing going?"

Malcolm was changing the subject and Duncan' thanked him for it. "Oh, well, that's fun," he said and removed a vile from his bag. "Spent a considerable amount of time with alchemists and mages for the Wardens, Soldier's Keep and such…that's what they came up with."

"What is it?"

"My concoction. Apparently, when I am exposed to Darkspawn blood I experience battlefield clarity, as my Mother put it. Complete precision, I can see in the pitch dark, I can sense Darkspawn earlier than other Wardens, resistant to magic, same strength and stamina as a Warden too."

Malcolm popped the top off it and sniffed it. "So what's in it?" he asked and replaced the cap.

Prow, the Warden alchemist that took over Avernus' research, told him once but he didn't remember it all. "Darkspawn blood and a few other ingredients to make sure the trip doesn't wipe me out like it did in the Deep Roads."

"You have to use this? You can't do it at will?"

It was a strange feeling, he didn't fully understand it and the seasoned Wardens were guessing at this point. "Not yet…maybe I never will but it's an augment to the power not a special ability."

"Interesting. How are the Wardens with you and…"

"Quite the mess. With my mother and my father in such an uproar about Solas…and the attack on Vigil's Keep. Nathaniel."

"I'm sorry about that. I know he meant a lot to you."

Nathaniel was like the Uncle he knew he could get away with stuff with. "Velenna gave me his bow," he said and flipped the blanket over his saddle revealing the weapon that made Malcolm recoil instinctively. "Now I know why you always went white when he came near you with this thing." Malcolm put a little more distance between him and the bow. It was heavily enchanted for spirit damage…that bow could hurt him. "I remember it…vaguely, but why didn't you say anything?"

"I wish people would stop asking me that because I don't have an adequate explanation."

"Fair enough."

Leaving the Wilds was just as interesting as arriving. To Malcolm, Lily, and Meena it was just another day but to the others who weren't familiar or at least comfortable with the strange forest it was anything but. Malcolm went with Duncan and took Lily with him as he said he would. The Chasind would be fine without him but he didn't enjoy leaving home. For him the Wilds would always be home, the Chasind welcomed him, the Sylvans respected him and acted as sentries.

It was safer to camp within the Wilds the first night, in any other company it wouldn't have been the same but with Malcolm the forest seemed to ease up in in creepiness. They chatted to pass the time.

"I've never seen two men eat as much as you two do," Lily commented as Liam and Duncan were on their second helping of fire roasted deer.

"You should see a keep full of Wardens…no cooks are paid better than Warden cooks," Liam replied and Duncan chuckled.

"I gather," she chuckled.

Wuld let a growl out as Malcolm joined the campfire. The mage eyed the hound before Wuld let go of whatever he didn't like about Malcolm. "How long have you been a Warden, Liam?" he asked as he sat down beside Lily. He knew he'd been trained as a Templar as for some reason he could feel both ancient magics around him.

"Ten years, give or take." Washing the venison down with big gulp of water.

"How long were you a Templar before that?"

"You don't have anything to fear. I don't hunt mages anymore," he told him cutting through the line of questioning. Mages tended to be leery of him even though he was no longer a Templar. He still had their abilities though they were a little less effective because of the taint now coursing through his veins.

"Why'd you leave one order for another?" Malcolm continued. Duncan he trusted, Meena to a point, but Liam was an unknown.

"Chantry and I had a disagreement."

"Over the apostate you chased?" Meena chimed in and Liam looked from Malcolm then to her.

"You guys are worse than a sewing circle," he chuckled and both Meena and Lily giggled.

Malcolm was indeed vetting him. "What was the disagreement about?"

Liam cleared his throat and gave him a look. "Why?"

"I want to know who you are."

Liam sighed. "I let an apostate go and they ex-communicated me," he explained simply. "And that's all I'm saying." Malcolm studied every tick, every shift, the look in his eyes, and his expressions. Templar, Warden, or both didn't matter…he wanted to know if he could trust him. "I'll take the first watch."

"Really?" Duncan asked pointedly to Malcolm as Liam left the group. "An interrogation would have been nicer." Malcolm shrugged, he had people to protect and didn't care who's toes he stomped on.

The next day it rained, poured really, and made a serious mess on the way out. The normal exit became a bog that they had to go around and a stream had become a rushing river that compounded the day's journey. By the time they made camp the second night they were all wet, cold, tired, and hungry. They didn't get further than the outskirts of the Wilds before deciding to set camp and let the rain pass.

"I hate rain," Liam complained as the shelters were pitched for the evening.

"I'll take the watch," Duncan offered from under the hood of his rain-soaked cloak.

"No thank you, Highness, I'll take it."

"Liam, you need to sleep too," Duncan admonished.

"I'm fine, My Lord, you go rest," Liam repeated and patted the Prince's shoulder.

"First shift. Then you sleep. That's an order."

"Yes, Sire." The group was pretty well segregated, Malcolm and Lily and Duncan and Meena…Liam couldn't help but feel left out. After all the time spent as a Templar and now as a Warden he was used to the loneliness. When he'd tried to do something about it he was expelled from the Order.

Duncan had the last watch though he fought Malcolm and Liam over it. In the end Malcolm let him have it and Liam was ordered to sleep. In the night the storm worsened some and a few of the horses in the picket line went walkabout. By the time Duncan could see a damn thing Lily's horse Ash, and Liam's horse Belle were nowhere to be found. Raider wandered but wound up hobbling himself before he got too far. The boys left to retrieve the horses while Lily and Meena broke camp.

"I think your horse needs more training." Malcolm said to Liam as they squelched through the ankle-deep mud to catch Belle.

"Yeah…," Liam agreed as he finally caught the big mare up, "she's new. Solid in battle though."

Malcolm leaned against a tree and folded his arms across his chest. "You missing Fort Drakon, My Prince?" Malcolm needled. Duncan had mud up to his knees and Ash by the halter.

"Shut up," he spat back. "Don't be jealous that I'm a prince and you're not."

Malcolm cackled loudly. "Yes because that's a job I want."

"What I want to know is why we're knee deep in mud and he's standing on high ground leaning against a tree," Liam added making the three of them laugh.

"I'm good at delegating," he grinned.

Duncan groaned watching his young warhound roll in a puddle with a happy groan. "Wuld." Duncan warned and the hound ignored him.

"He doesn't listen to you," Malcolm commented in passing as Ash plodded along between them.

Duncan had heard that before, Wuld was young…according to Fergus he was too young but they'd bonded to a point. "Fergus wanted him to have more training before he came to me…most of the time he listens."

They were nearing the camp and Liam stopped cold in the path. He was looking in the direction of the camp. Wuld appeared on the path next to him and Belle's ears were pricked forward. "The camp," Liam said quietly and drew his sword.

Wuld growled next to him. Malcolm and Duncan noticed what was wrong after Liam directed them to it. "Where are the girls?" Malcolm asked. Something was wrong in camp and the three of them knew it. "Lily!" he called as Duncan called for Meena and the group either sprinted or trotted with a horse.

The camp was abandoned, the fire wasn't being tended and hadn't been for a while, Kyp was in a stir but still present, Meena's chestnut was gone and there looked like there had been a struggle.

"Meena!" Liam shouted. "Lily!"

Malcolm was looking at the ground. Tracks he didn't recognize and too many to boot. "Shouting is not going to help. They're long gone," he said calmly and he squatted down by something. "Marauders."

Duncan managed to calm Kyp long enough to cut him free of the picket line rope and vines he'd tangled himself up in and looked over at Malcolm. "What do you have?" Liam asked.

He held up a string of beadwork. "Slave traders, rapists, and murderers…they prey on the Chasind and villages on the edge of the Wilds." Duncan took what used to be a necklace.

"There's blood on it," he commented. "Wuld," he called and the brindle grey hound stopped sniffing around the camp. "Find Lily and Meena."

Kyp was injured, minor cuts caused by the vines and picket rope he was tangled in. The Marauders probably tried to take him but Kyp wouldn't go. Within minutes they were following Wuld on horseback. The Marauders helpfully left a trail in the soft ground a blind man could follow but Wuld insured that it wasn't a ruse.

Wuld led them straight to a camp but the hound was smart, laying down once he spied the camp and waiting for his master. Liam, Duncan, and Malcolm dismounted and crept to the hound. "Good boy," Duncan praised patting his side.

"It's a watch camp," Liam said and he was right, it wasn't big enough to be much else but they did apparently have a little 'entertainment'. Meena was seated on the ground and tied to a post. "Main fortress has to be around here somewhere."

Malcolm grunted his response. There was a fortress they were based from…he'd just never found it but Liam was right. This was a watch camp along a trail or road…he could fix the Marauder problem right now.

"I don't see Lily," Duncan added and hesitated as he felt a static charge build. "We can take the camp."

They heard a squeak from Meena as a man stood over her and punched her hard across the face. "Yes we can," Malcolm responded and the three of them plus Wuld moved up.

No one even saw Wuld, the hound went straight for the man over Meena. Wuld was efficient as he had been trained to be. Blood sprayed as his throat came out with a powerful snap of Wuld's jaw. Malcolm didn't use magic this time, just his blades. The marauder camp fell in seconds, absolutely no match for the Warden-Prince, a Templar Warden, whatever Malcolm was, and a warhound. Wuld's attack sounded like a bear would as he ripped a marauder to pieces. Another two fell to Liam who had more precision and form than Michel did. Duncan managed to take one alive as did Malcolm and before anyone knew there was an attack it was over.

No one else was in the camp and Liam unceremoniously deposited a young man next to the other survivor. "Lily's not here."

Malcolm knew that already and squatted down in front of the two marauders left alive. "I told you people to stay away from the Wilds," Malcolm said quietly.

"We're not in the Wilds." The older of the two snarled as a little bit of misplaced bravery emerged.

Malcolm cocked his head slightly in an unnerving, almost inhuman manner. "Well, that was stupid," Liam said and swatted the man who spoke hard on the back of the head.

"You don't own the forest," the other spat at Malcolm.

He looked toward Meena, bruised with a bloody nose. He was hard on the marauders because of the moral code instilled by Justice. The energy changed and the static charge was felt by all of them. The Fade magic crackled as the marauders got a glimpse of the otherworldly being the man in front of them was. "What the fuck are you?" the younger man panicked trying to crawl backward through Liam's legs.

Malcolm was an eerie form of calm but Liam wasn't sure how he felt about seeing the abomination before him. "I am Justice." He replied. "You prey on the innocent, murder, rape, and terrorize them. I warned you before…and now you will feel it."

"What did you want with them?" Duncan asked taking advantage of their terror of the perceived abomination.

"Sex trade," Liam informed. "Slave trade to Tevinter as well."

"Where's the blonde?" Malcolm asked quietly but they remained tightlipped.

"They took her," Meena said ignoring the bloody nose and split lip. "Into the woods."

Malcolm was close to losing his temper, very close. "Why?" he demanded and the spirt voice was terrifying the marauders, the tone of it even made Wuld growl.

"They took the Chasind girl to the main camp…left the Elf here for us," the younger man said and no one needed to paint a picture of what exactly they had planned.

Lily would be damned if she was going to let herself be taken by force by these two thugs or any of the others that they were hauling her off to see. She wasn't a frightened little Chantry mouse or a defenseless peasant girl. She refused to go further and they threw her to the ground, kicked and punched her. She made them fight for it.

"Hold still, bitch," the one holding her down ordered as she got her right hand on a stick. He never even saw the weapon before Lily slammed it into his neck. Blood sprayed all over her and her hand as he wailed as much as he could before he died. The other one advanced on her as she scrambled to her feet trying to escape. He lunged for her and she skittered away finding a log with some heft to it and hit him as hard as she could with it. There was a definite crack heard as the man fell…she hit him again and then again.

She wiped the blood from her face but only smeared it more. She retrieved the swords from the one whose head she'd bashed in and looked around. Now free in enemy territory she had to carefully get out.

Duncan and Malcolm followed Wuld on foot, the hound picked up the trail and they followed it swiftly. After a few minutes the hound growled and laid down, the sign he'd found something.

Trotting up to the scene they saw why Wuld had stopped. "What the…?" Duncan began as they found two men dead on the ground.

One man had a stick in his throat and blood all over the place and the other looked to have been bludgeoned to death. Malcolm smiled slightly. "That's my girl."

"I don't see her," Duncan said and he checked the bushes but found nothing.

Lily knew how to defend herself and cover her tracks. "Wuld?"

The hound didn't like Malcolm much and let a low growl out. Malcolm looked up at Duncan from his squatted position. "Find Lily, Wuld," he ordered and the hound complied. Duncan wasn't sure why Wuld didn't like Malcolm, could have had something to do with the fact that he was whatever he was now. Mabari hounds were magical creatures with a very intelligent mind. "I don't think he likes me very much."

Duncan shrugged. "Does anyone like you?" Malcolm laughed softly. He did miss Duncan, after the long jaunt in the Deep Roads they'd gotten along well.

If Lily had escaped after killing her captors then she really couldn't have gotten too far. Wuld hadn't indicated that he'd heard anything and they hadn't intercepted her anywhere so it made sense that she was nearby but staying quiet. Wuld followed a scent but there weren't any tracks…not much anyway.

After a few minutes of searching Malcolm paused feeling someone nearby. Movement to his right caused him to react and he caught the swing coming from behind the tree. It was Lily with one of the swords from the men she'd killed. "Mal," she said relieved.

"Hey," he pulled her into a hug and the worry was lifted from him, "you alright?"

"Yes," she assured as he looked her over. There was blood all over her but she didn't appear injured. "It's not my blood."

"Let's get you back."

"No," she said abruptly. "The Marauders, they were taking me to their main camp. It's that way."

Malcolm filed that away. "Fine. You're going back," he said putting her as the first priority.

Lily glared at him defiantly. "I will not. I'm not some meek peasant girl in need of protecting. These people attack us…all of us, you know that."

They did more than just attack, they brutalized and Malcolm relented. "Alright, alright. Let's go have a look. You stay here," he ordered and Lily glared.

"Malcolm," she protested.

"I mean it. Stay," he snapped and pointed to Duncan. "Let's go."

"Wuld, stay with Lily," Duncan commanded and the hound whined. "Stay," his master reiterated.

The Marauder stronghold was a fortified camp, spiked fence, a wall, tents and a good structure but it wasn't a castle or a proper stone fort. It was fortified well though. Malcolm and Duncan eyed it from a distance.

"They have lookouts and hounds," Duncan murmered and was quiet for a moment. "We need Liam."

Between them Liam could help but he wasn't required. "No. We can do this."

"Say what?"

Malcolm's idea was simple. "Do you have your magic elixir?"

The Prince blinked and quickly picked up on what he was thinking. "That doesn't make me invincible. Arrows still get through."

"Trust me," he grinned and Duncan gave him a look. He didn't like that grin…it was the grin of a man with questionable sanity.

"Great," Duncan groaned and dug around in his pack.

Malcolm's approach was fairly simple. He just walked up to the gate with his hood up and Duncan a pace behind. "Who goes there?" one of the guards asked suspiciously.

"Justice," Malcolm answered with a growl and the next thing that happened was like the apocalypse. A burst of lightening erupted from him as he cast it in both directions. The chain lightening arched in both directions from person to person taking care of all the guards at the entrance.

Duncan blinked at the astounding opening volley. Most would call this reckless…actually all would call this reckless but there was no stopping Malcolm. Duncan's berserker mode was quite different than that of a normal warrior with the discipline. He wasn't fighting Darkspawn but he had perfect battle field clarity. He could see everything, knew where his allies were, and could sense magic. Malcolm had changed to the daggers and was shredding the marauders that were pouring from the main structure.

To Duncan it felt like the fight lasted minutes but that was only his perception of it. Seconds passed as the fight began and the fight ended. The events in the Deep Roads only scratched the surface of just how impressive Malcolm was.

When the first was finished they didn't find any more survivors in the camp, slave or captor. The slaves that were there were dead and correspondence stated they just delivered a crop of prisoners and slaves to a Tevinter buyer a week ago.

In the middle of the compound Malcolm turned to Duncan. "Your lands, Highness," he began acknowledging that they were in Fereldan and out of the Wilds. Technically, it was all Duncan's sovereign land. "What do you want to do?"

Murderers, rapists, and slave trader on his lands were not something he was going to tolerate even as a Prince. "Destroy it."

"Stand by me," the mage instructed. Duncan complied and felt the ground begin to shake. Still under the thrall of his Warden blood he felt every ounce of the magic pulling around them. The fortifications began to tremble and break and Malcolm modified the Pull of the Abyss. Somewhere during the fight he'd changed over to the spirit and drew on his impressive power. He held his right arm up in a fist until he was satisfied with how much ambient power and gravity there was surrounding them then dropped his arm in a sharp pump action. The structures, all of them, that made up the fort were instantly shattered and flattened.

Force mages were rare, Duncan had really only seen one or two but what Malcolm had just done was something that he didn't think anyone had seen before. They were a powerful type of Mage, that was clear for just an average one, but Malcolm was a breed apart. The entire structure he'd destroyed with a single ability. "You are a dangerous man, Malcolm."

The mage turned to him still in the spirit form and smiled. "Let's go, Highness," he said with a bow making Duncan roll his eyes. Malcolm wasn't mocking him, he respected him greatly.

They collected Lily and Wuld on the way back and when they returned to the camp they found Liam and already ransacked it and collected all the horses in preparation for leaving. He was quite efficient and even helped Meena clean up her face. The prisoners weren't harmed and Wuld camped in front of them. Staring at both intently.

Duncan was tired, the berserker ability tended to take a lot out of him but the elixir kept him on his feet. He stood in front of them. "My name is Duncan Theirin. Prince Duncan Theirin of Fereldan, the Marauders are finished," Duncan told them quietly. "I find any of you again I'll kill you. Am I clear?"

"Yes, My Lord," the younger one said and his fear was genuine.

The older one said nothing and Duncan focused his attention on him. "Say it or you die now," he threatened and stuck the tip of the Griffon sword in the dirt leaning on it.

"Yes, Sire," he relented. Liam cut their bindings and let them go.