I can smell weird smoke, even though we can't see the Keep yet. Hopefully that's just because King Kaboom set off his fancy bombs. Mistress tenses, next to me, so I guess she just noticed the odour.

"I don't hear anything" Gorgeous mutters. "Hopefully that's a good sign."

Mmh. Battle's over, at least.

There's a knock from up top, and the Templar Driver's voice echoes. "Coming up on the turn, Warden."

Frowning, Mistress taps the roof twice in acknowledgement. "Get ready" she tells the rest of us.

I hear a sentry whistle, I guess from the battlements. ".. Templar wagon approaching? Get the General, I guess!"

General? Don't tell me Garry fucking promoted himself while we were away?! I wouldn't put it past him.

"What General?" Gorgeous asks, as the wagon slows down.

"Loghain" Scruffy answers. "Well, used to be."

We lurch to a halt, before Mistress opens the door. "It's us" she calls to them, stepping out.

"The Commander! Get the Wardens!"

I jump out after her, before the wagon continues on through the gate. Where are we going? I walk after her, as she follows some lumpy dirt. We move around a corner, to find another of those fat armoured Ogres. Holy shit... that's one way to kill the bastard! I hum. He's well and truly impaled, with a mess of thorned vines and tree roots. Of course. Bramble. Looks like she got him just before he could finish punching through the wall. I turn away from the chipped masonry, since Mistress has continued walking.

"Commander" a soldier speaks, standing up. Oh, and there's another one still crouched down. What's he... looking – oh, no. "She leapt down to stop it getting through... and she did, right before it could finish crushing her."

I feel Mistress' silent sigh, before she responds. "Get her inside." Not Bramble...

We silently head back to the gate,where Nail and Braids are waiting. "The city?" Nail asks.

"I saved who I could" Mistress offers. "Our men?"

"We saved who we could" Nail repeats. "Still counting the losses, but Varel and Velanna-"

"I saw her" Mistress interrupts, while returning Braids' weary salute. "... Nathaniel?"

"Kid took a bump, but he'll be fine" Braids comments. "Healer's kept an eye on him."

"Once the Ogre Alpha and their Emissary went down, the remnants scattered" Nail adds. "In a hurry, so we can easily track them."

"I know where they went" Mistress murmurs. "The Dragonbone Wastes. So I want everyone to get some quick rest, restock, and then we're heading out to end this."

Nail nods. "I'll tell them to get some horses ready, and double check the orders."

"I saw that crater the Darkspawn are being dumped in" Scruffy comments. "I can give the flames a boost, before we go." Shame to pollute that nice crater, though. Kaboom sure knows how to create a hole in the ground.

"Fine" Mistress answers. "Get me, if you need. Come on, Max." Where are we going this time? Speak with Madame Goat?

I follow Mistress over to one of the remaining trees. I guess not. Groaning, she dumps her blade and shield before lowering herself down to sit. Leaning back against the tree, she pats the ground. "Sit down. I need a moment, so take a break." Sure, can do. I look up, watching her as she watches the commotion in the yard. Don't you worry. We're going to win. I drop my head across her legs, looking up as she yawns. … Great, now I need to yawn.

Huh? What's everyone yelling about?! I blink, and get up. Oh, I guess Mistress just gave a speech. Didn't even wake me up first. Rude. Guess I better head over.

"There you are" Nail grunts, as I round a corner and wander past the stables. Hello to you too, Sunshine. What's with the rope? We won't need that much, to tie the horses when we get there.

Looking satisfied, or as close as that face gets to satisfaction, he finishes looping the rope and attaches it to the nearest horse's saddle. "Here" he suddenly says, before tossing me some meat bits. Hello to you too, for real this time.

"I've heard about the Wastes, but this will be the first time I've seen them" Nail murmurs, loading more stuff onto the saddles. I guess it would have been a Waste of time, before now. I know you can't hear me, but rest assured; I just said something hilarious. Huh... then again, you're incapable of laughing, so it doesn't matter if you understand me or not. Morrie would have chuckled. Well, she'd have masked it behind her fake annoyance and disinterest, but I'd know she appreciated it.

How does he know so much about saddle techniques, anyway? I thought he was a carpenter. I'm sure Toadfish once made a crack about Gnawer being from a long line of cabinet makers. Lying prick probably made that up, like everything that ever came out of his mouth. Or her mother's side. Yeah, it must have been her mother's side of the family. She knows a thing or two about quality timber, the way she complimented those sticks I gave her. I mean, look at Nail; clearly Gnawer got all her fine points from her Mum. I don't think I ever met the woman, but now I wish I had.

"We're ready, then?"

Mistress! You didn't wake me for your big speech!

She sighs, and rubs my ear. "Yeah, I know. We've got a distance to cover, so you needed the rest if you're coming." IF? Obviously! But I accept your apology. I glance behind her. Scruffy, Gorgeous, those two Templars, and Braids. Alright then. Everyone, mount up and let's go kick the Architect right in his stupid butt!

"Good luck out there, boss" Braids comments, watching them pick horses. Oh, you're not coming?

"You're sure?" Mistress asks.

"Aye. I'm no good on horses, and if there is some jumped-up Broodmother behind this, you want the fast people" he waves. "The one we fought one last year taught me that." … The fuck is a Broodmother? "But I'll get things in order here, and me and the kid can always bring the troops running if you take too long."

She nods, and pulls herself onto a horse. "Wait... Sigrun? Who-"

"I'll take her" Nail offers. "I've carried people into battle before, after all."

"Yeah..." Gorgeous comments, glancing up at the horses. "These guys don't eat meat, right?"

"They don't bite" Scruffy answers.

"Unless you feed them wrong" a Templar notes. Shut up, you're not helping. And helping is the whole reason you came, remember?

"Huh?!"

Nail sighs, as he lifts Gorgeous up. "You keep your hand flat, or they might nibble a finger."

Or just leave a trough out, and let the lazy bastards eat from that. 'Oh, I'm a horse! I get hand-fed, like a big fat spoilt pillock!' I hear a rude grunt from one of them. Mind your own damn business, horse! I'm talking about you, not to you.

"What's with this rope?" Gorgeous asks, while steadying herself. Good question.

"Oh, right" Mistress pauses. "Apart from Daylen, none of you saw Seranni?" Can't say I have, but it sounds spicy.

Gorgeous shrugs. "Who?"

"Velanna's sister. The Architect took her, before killing the rest of her party. I promised Velanna we'd rescue her... so if we find them, someone grab her. I don't care if it's by rope, brute force, magic... Max, you see an Elf woman, you tackle her. Sit on her, if you have to."

Got it!

"Right" Mistress says, after glancing at everyone. "We ride."

Well... this is disturbing. I glance back, as the others come over the hill. You see?

"... What's this?" one of the Templars asks.

"The two factions wiped each other out, it seems" Scruffy ponders.

"Huh. Guess our job got easier, at least" Gorgeous remarks, stepping over a corpse.

"I still sense a group" Mistress frowns, leading us forward. "You alright after the journey, Max?"

I should be, thanks. I'll take a breather while we wander in, and maybe hang back if there's fighting.

"... There's something else here" Nail complains. I think. You always look like you're complaining, champ.

Still, I see why they call it the Dragonbone Wastes. All these bones would have been great to chew, once... but they sat out here to age and crumble. Definitely a Waste of good bones. We should tell Gnawer, she'd want to preserve what's left.

My ears prick up, at a faint echo. Oh, bollocks.

"You hear that?" Scruffy whispers to Mistress and Nail.

"... Shit" I hear Nail grouse.

"Here we go again?" Gorgeous asks, checking her daggers.

"Yeah, exactly" Mistress affirms, before turning to face the Templars. "There's a High Dragon nearby. Be wary." She rummages through her satchel, and holds up a weird vial. Wait, isn't that one of the things Kaboom gave you? "If we see it, stay back. I still need to see if these work."

It's too bad Shoe isn't here; he always seemed fond of explosions.

"A High Dragon?" one Templar stammers.

"... Here we go again... this has happened before?" the other mutters, while watching the sky.

"This will be number six, for her" Scruffy confidently answers, after doing a quick finger-count. "She knows what to do, at this point."

"Or she has worse luck than the Seeker woman" the Templar replies.

"No" Nail interjects. "She only had to fight three dragons, from what I heard. And the big one blew itself up." Okay... who the fuck are you talking about? Sounds like a poser, compared to Mistress.

Ignoring them, Mistress tests the weight of her vial. After we pass a few more hills, she waves for us to stop. She sneaks up, and stares out for a moment. "... Sigrun?"

Gorgeous creeps over as well, pulling herself up to see over the bank. "Yeah?"

"Think you can land this, in amongst that lot? Preferably near the dragon?"

Now Gorgeous inspects the vial, before giggling. "Leave it with me... and tell the others to duck. There's about to be chunks flying."

Good thing she knows about bottle-hurling... dragons are a pain in the butt.

"Everyone down behind this ridge" Mistress warns us, as we follow her gesturing. "And cover your ears."

A/N: I'm still here; just sidetracked with study and job hunting. Plus I got stuck on this a few times

Like Velanna's fate - I decided to follow what happens if she stays at the Keep... but the 'bricks fall on her head, no matter what upgrades' nonsense was beyond a disservice. So instead she went out fighting, against an Ogre Alpha.

Almost at the end...