Elissa takes slow steps into the wall, there is no resistance, as if crossing an ordinary door. Morrigan and Wynne provide light to the group, Elissa sees herself in a large stone stairway that goes upwards. On the walls, rudimentary frescos that depict Andraste's life decorate their way. The art is different in each of them but the story is always the same.

"It's beautiful. I'm glad to be here," Wynne says, Elissa nods at her.

They climb for a couple of minutes until reaching a dead end. "Doorway ahead!" Oghren whispers.

"He is right, the sky hasn't dulled the shorty senses. Two people have just gone that way," Zevran whispers while pointing to their right.

"Let's show them our invitations," Leliana whispers to Zevran as her hands, in a determined movement, press a small plate on the wall. It starts to slide, the rogues leave the room as they as soon as they can pass. Elissa can hear muffled sounds then, silence. Her friends pull two dead men back into the secret passage.

Elissa blinks a few times, "Lizzie wake up and search them," Leliana says as she closes the door. Elissa does as asked but only find a few copper and a couple of silver coins.

"And here I wondered how a songbird dealt with silence," Zevran whispers, grinning.

"You're also not a laconic one, my dear crow," Leliana says winking.

"Indeed," he says, both chuckle.

"Now, pay attention! We are going to take a straightforward approach, as Elissa would do." Leliana's looks at each of them, "So no prisoners, be swift and silent."

Elissa blinks, Zevran and Oghren chuckle while nodding. "Wait, what?"

Leliana turns to Elissa and holds her by the shoulders, "Dear, I know you'd love to come up with a plan and a counter plan and talk to them but alas this bird here is in a hurry. Shot any mages and eventual runaways, will you?" Leliana pats her head and waves the others to follow her

Leliana herself takes points, her steps are full of certainty, she is closely followed by Elissa and Zevran, all of the three wielding their bows. Elissa can't help but to compare Leliana's assault with her own leadership, slow, steady and careful. Leliana's words come to her mind, Elissa is the green one, here.

They see themselves in a larger structure, a wooden facility of sorts. The walls still have religious decorations but they seen to be wore down by time and man, most probably. Little effect has the stone walls to protect the adventurers against the cold weather.

Elissa has little time to analyse her surroundings, true to her word Leliana guides them with certainty on a quick pace. As they enter a hall they meet a couple of men, one is wearing a breastplate and a two handed axe while the other has a staff. Elissa's instinct would tell them to surrender, her mouth opens when she sees her opponents being killed by two arrows, the warrior had his left eye hit while the other arrow has met the mage's throat. "Elissa, this is no time or place for hesitation. Be a good girl and shoot straight or hand your bow to the big guy."

Elissa sighs as she knows that her friend is right, she could always rely on the others, now it's her turn to follow, it was her idea after all. Breathing heavily, Elissa readies her bow and says, "I am sorry Leliana. You can count on me."

They keep following a long hall, they reach a fork, Leliana goes right. "We're going up," Oghren whispers. Leliana only nods without even looking at him. They see corridors goes ahead but it has a double doorway on their right. The bard raises her hand and approaches it, her index finger draws a circle on the air, Zevran nods.

"Stick to the shadows, we're avoiding these. You tin head, await for our signal," Zevran says to Alistair. He approaches Leliana and energetically waves to Elissa to come closer, Leliana goes first Zevran takes a step towards the door, he uses it as cover while watching something or someone. He quickly crouches and steps forward entering the room.

Elissa feels someone behind her, as Zevran did she approaches the door. She is nervous both by the task at hand and the pressure of a line behind her. She takes a peek on the room, it is like a ceremony room of sorts, her mind pays no attention to the details but she sees a group of four or five man talking and wooden benches, like in a Chantry. Leliana has already made towards a door at the right while Zevran is behind a bench.

I will not make it. Elissa feels everyone's eyes on her, she had never sneaked past anyone like this, she'll let her friends down. I will wait for their signal, yes, that's for the best. Suddenly she is taken back to her room in Redcliffe Castle, she's still a child, she misses home already and it's just her first week at the new home. She is wearing a plain yellow dress, that despite being simple would raise no doubt to anyone that she was part of nobility and clogs. They were not all right, they were small for her, thus quite uncomfortable, she'd tell the Arlessa about this mistake soon.

A maid enters her room without knocking, for children ought to have nothing to hide and tells Elissa that the Arlessa summons her. She puts her doll on her bed and runs towards the main hall to meet Isolde, her clogs clomping against the wooden floor. She is there, impeccable, sitting on a chair as she waits for her young lady-in-training, the table behind her is decorated by an alabaster vase with a single red rose. Elissa slows down as she approaches her, Isolde's eyes coldly look her from head to toe, she stops in front of her and curtsies Isolde which gives a loud sigh and slowly shakes her head.

"First of all, young lady, do you call that a curtsy?" Seeing no answer from Elissa she barks, "Again!"

Elissa looks at her feet, thinks a bit then puts her right foot in front of the left then lowers herself down until her knees hit the ground, she keeps her eyes on the Arlessa's feet. "Such a devotion. I hope you are not praying because this gesture is a mockery. Tell me are you mocking me?"

Without raising her eyes Elissa says, "No, Arlessa."

"Then why are you kneeling?" Elissa doesn't answer, "That, is a court courtsy, Elissa. Continue like this and you'll at most be serving dinner at the Court. Is that what your mother or I want?" Elissa shakes her head, "Sorry, I did not hear. Is this what you want, my little lady?"

"No, Arlessa."

"Good. Now pay attention," Isolde stands up and goes to Elissa's side. "Lower a bit your head, hold your skirt, right foot behind the left one, bend your knees then down and up again," she says as she slowly curtsies. She goes behind Elissa, "Do it!" she helps Elissa bending her knees and holds her while she lowers herself and stands again, "Slow is good, Elissa. Gracefully."

She sits one more time on the chair, "Repeat until I tell you to stop."

Elissa mutters the commands as she curtsies, "Good. Now in silence like a proper lady."

Elissa scratches her back, "I'm sorry, Arlessa." Then he does it again and again and again, her tight clothes doesn't help, in fact they hinder her movements. Elissa catches a glimpse of Isolde, she is reading a book. "Hm, Arlessa. Why are you reading?"

"If you know this your eyes are not where they should be," he gives her a blank expression. "Rejoice, you almost did it. We shall practice tomorrow." She extends a fan and starts waving it, "I called you here today to remind you of what I have said about being silent."

Elissa blinks a few times as her clogs come to her mind, "But My Lady, my clothing and my shoes are tight and noisy, too," Elissa says pointing at her feet.

Isolde stops fanning herself and glares at Elissa, "What have we here? Are you insinuating the roof, food and clothes provided by me are inadequate? That my house isn't good enough for you?" Elissa shakes her head. "No? So explain yourself, young lady."

Elissa gulps, "They make too much noise, My Lady."

"So you are saying that these little shoes make as much noise as your father's horses?" Elissa nods, looking at the ground. "It is a matter easily solved Elissa," Elissa looks at her, ready and anxious to take off the clogs, "just be silent." Isolde raises an eyebrow at the little girl who looks back at her, "Go to the door then walk towards me."

The young noble does as asked, her clogs make her steps easily heard, Isolde tips her chin, "My my, you are very right-handed, are you not?"

Elissa looks at her hands, she does write and draw with the right one, "Thank you, Arlessa."

"That is not good, Elissa," she chuckles. She closes her book and hands it to Elissa. "One more time, now put the book on your head. Walk as you would." Elissa nods and goes back to the door, her steps are constantly interrupted by the book hitting the ground. "Did you see?" she asks Elissa.

The little girl has the book on her hands, she sighs, "It's too difficult, I can't do it, Arlessa."

"I what?"

"Cannot."

Isolde extends her hand towards the book, Elissa hands it, "Observe, young lady." Arlessa goes to the door, puts the book on her head and in elegant, gracefully strides reaches Elissa, the book doesn't even move "Did you see?"

Elissa was agape, Isolde's finger touch her chin, closing her mouth. Elissa blinks a few times, "But my Lady, the clogs."

Isolde slowly raises her skirt, she's wearing clogs, the little girl's eyes widen, "Do you have any problems with clogs, Elissa?"

"How?" she asks.

Isolde offers Elissa her hand, she takes it. "And the book is still on my head. This is how you walk, Elissa." She walks two noisy steps with Elissa when the book falls, Elissa quickly grabs and returns it to Isolde, who in turn put it on her head as if it was a silk hat. "This is how you are expected to walk," the only noise comes from Elissa's steps.

"I do not see anything, Arlessa," Elissa says, sighing.

Isolde hands her the book and kneels in front of her, "You put too much strength in this foot," she points to her right foot, "then to have balance you have a bigger left stride." She puts her index and middle fingers on Elissa's arm and imitates how she walks. "Do not canter like a horse, glide like a paper boat," she slides her fingers through her arm slowly and smiles at her.

"I wish I could do it like you, My Lady."

She pats Elissa's head, "Do not say that child. You are not bred for servile imitation, unless you rather be at a larder than a household. Do you understand?" The girl nods, Isolde puts the book on her head again, "Do you see that flower on the table? Keep your eyes on it. Raise your skirt and go."

Isolde keeps holding Elissa's hand as she tries to walk, "Equal strides, step light with the right." click-clack-click-clack-…-...-...-...-...clack-...-..., "Very good you are doing it, Elissa." And it was a whole afternoon walking in circles around Castle Redcliffe's main hall, watched closely by Isolde.

Elissa is taken back to reality, she holds her instincts back and manages to calm herself. She amalgamates her learned experiences, she pretends to be curtsying while walking, in spite of being rather tricky she has had a lifetime of practice, without taking her eyes from the men up ahead she swiftly moves behind a bench, she waits goes to it's edge and after a moment goes past the door.

"Very good Boss. Where did you learn to sneak like that?" Zevran whispers.

"Etiquette classes," Elissa whispers.

Zevran giggles, "I see, woman's secret it is then."

Leliana throws a stone behind the guards, and waves to Morrigan. The witch quickly moves behind the bench towards the door, the others manage to follow without any problem, Alistair is the last to arrive.

They follow the corridor when they smell fresh meat. They ready their weapons. Ahead of them there's a corner, much like the Deep Roads the built section of this place has been replaced by a natural cave, they see bones and dried blood on the walls they are detected by six huge lizards.

"Dragonlings," Morrigan says as she points her staff and a snow storm is summoned above them, the warriors form a line to protect the others, the rogues focus their fire on Leliana's target, it usually is two arrows from Leliana followed by Zevran's then Elissa's strong shot that kills the target. The rogues manage to kill two like this, Morrigan releases a lightning bolt that defeats one more.

Alistair is surprised by seeing his soon-to-be target be petrified, he bashes him with his shield, shattering the monster.

Sten steps back dodging a fire blast that erupted from its mouth, by doing this he invites the beast into a kill zone, surrounded. Alistair side steps, moving away from Oghren and thrusting his sword on the beast's back, Sten uses the opening to behead the beast. Oghren used the handle of his axe to block its bite, seeing that Alistair has taken care of his, he steps back and punches the beast, Alistair slices his backside, Oghren swings his axe and thrusts it into the beast's' breast.

Morrigan storm fades and without any delay, Leliana steps into its lair, she points up, towards an entrance, "There Zevran. Take a rope with you."

He sighs, "And here I thought to help you ladies climb, in case of you slip and fall I could catch you."

Leliana smirks and points upside, Zevran deftly climbs the wall disappears into the entrance then throws the rope for them, "There's no support, do you need it Sten?" the bard asks.

"No," he says before climbing without any hesitation.

"Wynne then Morrigan," Leliana says. Alistair and Elissa stay close to the wall, just to be sure. The mages, climb slowly but have no problems, Leliana and Elissa are the next ones, with the help of a rope it is not so difficult.

"For Oghren this must be like a cliff," Zevran whispers, chuckling. Much to his surprise, the dwarf climbs without any assistance.

"Don't tell me that there is a dragon here," Zevran says.

"But how can they live in a dragon's nest?" Elissa asks.

"They are raising dragons by the looks of it. But why?" Wynne asks.

"Dragon blood. 'Tis a very potent catalyst for many spells and physical capabilities," Morrigan says grinning.

"Let's move, we are almost there," Leliana says.

They move quietly, sticking to the shadows, preying unaware guards that are alone or in pairs, hiding their bodies as well as possible. "We're almost there," Oghren says. It indeed has become a bit difficult to breath.

Leliana suddenly raises her hand, "voices ahead, she says.

If you concentrate, you can hear muffled sounds. Elissa wonders how did the redhead perceive them before Zevran, it might be the altitude dulling his senses. The bard mutters something, as if praying, finally she can discern, "...the righteous stand before the false ones and the Maker shall guide their hand."

She waves the others and walk towards the room, Wynne whispers to Elissa, "Reckoning."

They enter a room, there are a group of six men, 2 of them mages. A surly man, with a dark full beard turns to them, he has on his back a two handed axe. His mouth opens but his life is cut short by an arrow, Leliana's. Zevran hits a mage while the other is petrified by Wynne, Morrigan casts her blizzard over them. Affected by the blizzard they become sitting ducks to Leliana and Zevran who dispatch the last of them. Elissa's eyes are widened by witnessing such brutal efficiency.

Morrigan makes a gesture and her blizzard wanes, Leliana approaches the half frozen leader and grabs something the size of a canteen. "What was that, Leliana?"

"The symbol of a Dark Covenant, Elissa," she says without looking at her.

Elissa can finally notice where they are, it like an altar, a mockery of the Chantry, there are torches and pyres providing light to the room and religious symbols all over the place. "Wynne, look at that," Alistair says pointing to a wall.

"Maker's Breath. This is… ancient, from the times of the old disciples. We could learn much from Andraste by studying this place," she says.

Leliana is already close to the exit, "This is not safe, let's move!" she says.