The whole elves quest line is sooooo long and convoluted and just exhausting. I'm so happy to have it over with in this chapter! Bring on bigger and better things!

Chapter 38:

Making Peace and Moving On:

I kept staring into the darkness of the forest well after my friends went to sleep. I could sense the darkspawn every time I closed my eyes and I knew there would be more nightmares. I'm so sodding over nightmares.

"You need sleep," murmured Aneirin, sitting next to me. "What is it that bothers you?"

"The archdemon," I replied. "My dreams are stronger than Alistair's. Every time I close my eyes I sense sodding darkspawn and every time I sleep… it's of the sodding darkspawn."

Aneirin nodded. "You are of the dwarven folk, I am not surprised your dreams and senses are stronger. You lived close to darkspawn every day and your connection to the underground is stronger."

"Doesn't really help me right now."

"Perhaps not. But I might be able to help you sleep without nightmares again," said Aneirin, drawing to his feet. He hurried back to the campfire and rummaged through a small bag nearby, drawing a flask filled with a red potion. "This is something I created for an old Grey Warden friend. He was going through his Calling and couldn't sleep due to the nightmares – this helped strip them. I made some the other day – the spirits told me I would need some soon. It will help you to sleep without the dreams."

I gently took the flask from his hands. "How much do I need to have?"

"Just a few drops. But there is only a limited amount in there so use it wisely. And I should also warn you that it is strong – you will sleep very deeply and not be as alert when you have it. I wouldn't recommend giving it a try in these dangerous woods."

"Thank you, Aneirin. I really appreciate it. Thought I was going to go sodding mad from the lack of sleep."

He smiled at me. "I hope that it gives you some relief once you are out of these forests. You need to be alert and strong to defeat the Archdemon." He wandered back to the campfire and lay down near it.

I let out a sigh and moved back to my companions, settling down beside Alistair for another fitful sleep.

oOo

We continued on our way as soon as the sun rose the next day. No one slept particularly well and we were all on edge.

"You're quite taken with each other, aren't you?"

I looked at Wynne in surprise. We had all been walking in complete silence, I wasn't expecting a conversation with this kind of tension. "Do you mean me and Alistair?"

Wynne chuckled. "It's hard not to notice the doe-eyed looks he gives you, especially when he thinks no one's watching." I blushed heavily. I didn't realise Alistair was always staring at me. "It's almost too sweet for my tastes, and I'm an old lady who should be making lace hearts and fuzzy blankets with animal motifs."

I laughed. "I can't sodding imagine you making anything like that."

"I suppose not. I wouldn't be making socks with pom-poms for you anytime soon."

"I'm grateful for that. Stuff like that is foreign to me anyway."

Wynne smiled and shook her head slightly. "I cannot imagine living in the condition you did. But this is beside my point. I've noticed your blossoming relationship with Alistair, and I wanted to ask you where you thought it was going."

"Wait? Is this a 'what are your intentions' conversation?"

Wynne cleared her throat. "Alistair is a fine lad, skilled in battle, but quite inexperienced when it comes to affairs of the heart. I would hate to see him get hurt. You are both Grey Wardens and he is the son of a king. You have responsibilities which supersede your personal desires."

I glared at the woman. Who the sod was she to be talking like this? "I can handle my responsibilities and my relationships," I growled.

"Love is ultimately selfish. It demands that one be devoted to a single person, who may fully occupy one's mind and heart, to the exclusion of all else. A Grey Warden cannot afford to be selfish. You may be forced to make a choice between saving your lovd and saving everuone else, and then what would you do?"

"You're making this sound like our relationship is doomed."

"Nothing is certain, not in thesde times. You cannot take anything for granted. I want you to be aware of this."

I stopped and spun to face her directly. "I think we can handle what happens without your input," I snarled.

Wynne sighed. "If you insist. I have given my advice. Do with it what you will."

"I don't think my relationship is any of your business." I glared at her and stomped away.

I stayed a decent distance ahead of the others, anger fuelling my steps. How dare she sodding act like that? It's none of her sodding business. I wasn't sure where I was going, I just wanted to hurry up and get all this over with and get away from her.

I stumbled into a small clearing, where a dirty man was dancing in the middle.

"Oh dear, oh dear! Not a werewolf and not a spirit, even, what are the woods coming to?"

I blinked. What was this old dude on? "What the sod are you babbling about?"

The man laughed a slightly unhinged laugh and stumbled towards me. "Questions, questions, always questions! They say it was questinos that made me mad; will it do the same for you? Ask a question and you'll get a questions, but give an answer and you'll receive the same! Oh, I do so love to trade!"

"Ahh…" I stared at him in confusion. What a sodding weird man.

Wynne gently gripped my shoulder. "Be careful Kaela. This is no ordinary man. He is a mage… driven mad, perhaps, but still powerful."

"Sodding great," I grumbled. I sighed and looked up at the unhinged man. "Did you take the Grand Oak's acorn?"

The man stumbled back. "Ahhh, suddenly it all becomes clear. You here, the talking tree there, it all makes sense now."

"I'm confused," whispered Alistair behind me. I had to admit, I couldn't keep track of this sodding conversation either.

I cleared my throat. "So do you have it or not?" I asked.

The man let out another manic laugh. "As a matter of fact, yes, I do have that tree's acorn. I stole it and it was easy. Silly tree should have locked it up tighter! If you want it, you'll have to trade me for it. And nothing from that silly tree… no leaves or branches or anything."

"I'm not trading you for something you stole!"

The man clicked his tongue. "Ahh, you must follow the rules. Questions for questions and answers only."

"I'm so confused." I shook my head and drew my dagger. "We don't have time for this game. Give us the acorn back. You stole it and I'm returning it to it's rightful owner."

The man screeched. "NO! It is my acorn! You want it, you trade for it!"

"This is ridiculous. I'm not trading for a stolen good. I'll just steal it back."

Wynne's grip on my shoulder grew tighter. "Be careful Kaela. Do not antagonise him."

I shook her off. "I don't sodding care. I'm not playing this game. Give us back the acorn and we'll let you live."

"No! It's mine!"

I sighed and drew my daggers. "Right. Then I'll cut my way through you to get to it." The man screamed again and started chanting, summoning demons to his side. "Sod. Shoulda seen that coming."

My companions kept the demons busy while I went straight for the crazy mage. It didn't take long to take him down and I ripped the acorn from his hands.

"Was violence necessary?" questioned Wynne.

I rolled my eyes. I did not like her much at the moment, not after the previous conversation I had with her. "I wasn't trading for an acorn that he stole. He was crazy anyway; the world is better off without a crazy blood mage."

"She's not wrong," muttered Zevran.

I was very thankful that I had him on my side. He was the only one who seemed to understand me at the moment.

"Let's go give this acorn back to the tree so we can deal with these werewolves," I said, spinning around and heading back into the forest.

Zev stayed close to my side as we hurried back to the talking tree. Wynne and Alistair were lingering behind a little, maybe cautious of my quick temper. I felt a little bad for the way I'd been acting, but I was over trying to play nice. Why bother trading with a crazy hermit when I could just take the acorn back? That's how we'd do it in the Carta.

I let out a deep sigh. The Carta. Probably wasn't the best set of morals to live by up here. I had more freedom, more of a life, but I still reverted back to the viciousness of the Carta all the time. I didn't know how to live any differently.

"If it helps, I would have killed him too," muttered Zev, nudging my side slightly. "He was crazy and had what we wanted."

I sighed again. "It makes sense to you and me, but not to the other two."

Zev shrugged. "You and I had different upbringings, no? We didn't grow up coddled. We had to fight to survive. You in the depths of Orzammar and me with the Crows. We are the ones who make the hard decisions and kill people who need to die."

"You're right… sometimes I just think I can be a bit too rough. Especially with people like Wynne and Alistair around."

"People like us are needed, even if it shocks people like them."

I smiled at him. "Thanks Zev. You're right about that… so, tell me, why did you want to leave the Crows?"

"Well, now, I imagine that's a very fair question,"said Zevran with a laugh, "Being an assassin, after all, is living at least as far as such things go. I was simply never given the opportunity to choose another way. So if that choice presents itself, why should I not seize upon it?"

I blinked. "You were basically just bored?"

He laughed again. "I don't know that I would put it precisely that way. I was but a boy of seven when I was purchased, for three sovereigns I'm told. Which is a good price, considering I was all ribs and bone and didn't know the pommel of a dagger from the pointy end. The Crows buy all their assassins that way. Buy them young, raise them to know nothing else but murder. And if you do poorly in your training, you die."

" 's horrible!"

"Oh I don't know about that," said Zevran with a shrug. "The Crows who are actually good enough to survive come to enjoy some of the benefits. In Antiva, being a Crow gets you respect. It gets you wealth. It gets you women… and men, or whatever it is you might fancy. But that does mean doing what is expected of you, always. And it means being expendable. It's a cage, if a gilded cage. Pretty. But confining."

"I kind of understand. I was trapped in Orzammar – I didn't really have any choice in what I had to do to live."

"I've heard some stories of the plight of the casteless in Orzammar. It is similar, true, although my cage had more benefits."

"But a cage is still a cage."

Zev nodded. "I was trapped in that, so being able to leave… it is good. I might go into business for myself. Far away from Antiva, of course."

"Won't the Crows hunt you down though?"

"Eventually… and eventually can be a very, very long time if one plays one's cards right," said Zev, winking at me.

"Being an assassin for the Crows… did you enjoy it? You called it a cage but… did you like the, ah… work?"

Zev laughed. "And why not? There are many things to enjoy about being a Crow in Antiva. You are respected. You are feared. The authorities go out of their way to overlook your trespasses. Even the rewards are nothing to turn your nose up at. As for the killing part, well… some people simply need assassinating. Or do you disagree?"

I shrugged. "Some people do deserve to be assassinated, I don't disagree with that. I did my fair share of killing in Orzammar."

"Ah, working as a hired goon for the thugs in Orzammar?"

"Essentially," I said with a laugh. "I killed quite a few people." I bit my lip. "Sometimes innocent people… have you ever killed someone innocent."

Zev frowned. "Now there's an interesting word, 'innocent'. How many men do you know who can claim to be truly innocent." That was an interesting way to see things. Made me feel a little better about the lives I took for Beraht. "If you're talking generalities, such as children and relatives and bystanders and such… never on purpose, but it happens. It's unfortunate, but death comes to us all. If not me, then some wasting disease. Or a fall down the stairs. Or at the hands of a darkspawn. It's all relatived in the end."

I nodded slowly. "Looking at it that way is good… basically… 'death happens', right?"

He let out a short laugh. "That is it. And when we get paid for it, death happens more often, no?"

"Yeah, that was it in Orzammar. Did you enjoy assassinating people? Like… actually killing? I did… sometimes I still do."

"Why not?" chuckled Zevran. "There is a certain artistry to the deed, the pleasure of sinking your blade into their flesh and knowing that their life is in your hands. Being a Crow I had many things I did not like. But, simply being an assassin… I like it just fine. I will continue to do it, if I can, even if I am not a Crow."

"I think you'll always be a good assassin," I said. "Just don't take any jobs that include assassinating me."

He laughed again and shook his head. "I would not try to kill you again, my dear Warden. Besides, chances are you and I will perish, eaten by darkspawn or slain by the Crows at some point. Very grusomely, I imagine."

"You're not wrong," I said with a giggle. "Hopefully quickly though, I'm not a fan of drawn-out deaths."

"Ah, we shall see how the Crows choose to play it," replied Zev with a wink.

We continued walking a while longer in silence, fighting off a few mutant spider attacks. We soon came back to the talking tree. Gripping the acorn, I stormed up to it.

"My acorn is still gone, so I pray to thee…" said the Elder Tree as I approached, "hast thou any news for me?"

"I have the acorn," I said, holding it up in my palm. The branches from the tree reached around me and gripped the acorn in its branches.

"My joy soars to new heights indeed! I am reunited with my seed! As I promised, here I be. I hope its magic pleases thee. Keep this branch of mine with thee and pass throughout the forest free. I wish thee well, my mortal friend. Thou brought my sadness to an end. May the sunlight find you, thy days be long, thy winters kind, and thy roots be strong."

"Ah… thanks," I said awkwardly. I had no real idea what all that meant. "Will you help us reach the werewolf stronghold?"

"You brought my acorn back to me, I will do what is asked by thee." It dropped a branch into my hands. "The stronghold is just to the west, you will need that to get to their nest. The forest prevents intruders like thee, use this branch so the forest knows you helped this tree."

It shuddered and returned to a stationary position again. I frowned at the branch in my hands. "I sodding hope this actually helps," I said.

"In this forest… I wouldn't be surprised," muttered Alistair.

He had a point. We made our way west of the tree. Bushes and branches that would have blocked our path seemed to move away as we approached – maybe this branch wasn't such a bad idea after all. We soon came across a ruin, and were quickly greeted with a horde of werewoleves.

"The forest has not been vigilant enough. Still you come," growled the largest wolf. "You are stronger than we could have anticipated. The Dalish chose well. But you do not belong here, outsider. Leave this place!"

"I just want to talk," I said softly. "I can't leave – I want to understand what's going on. I don't want to kill you all without knowing why you hate the Dalish so much!"

The werewolf growled again. "You came even though we warned you not to. You are as treacherous as the Dalish. You are an intruder in our home! You come to kill, as all your kind do! We have learned this lesson well."

I shook my head. "Please. We just want to talk."

He snarled at me and ran off. "Intruders!" he shouted as he entered the ruin. "We are invaded! Intruders have decieved their way into the forest's heart! Fall back to the ruins! Protect the Lady!"

I sighed. "I don't want to hurt them but we need to talk with someone about this whole sodding mess."

We made our way into the ruin, avoiding as many wolves as possible. We ran into a few packs and had to fight our way through. I felt bad every time my blades connected with another wolf – it didn't feel right. We went deeper and deeper into the ruin and the wolves seemed to get more desperate, ambushing us and attacking us constantly.

I screeched as one of them sunk its teeth into my arm. Alistair quickly came to my rescue, bringing his sword down on it.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not really. That sodding hurts. But we don't have time to sit and dwell on it. We have to keep moving."

I kicked down the next door and we entered another room, with a group of werewolves gearing up to attack us.

"Stop!" exclaimed one wolf, bounding into the room between us and the pack. "Brothers and sisters, be at ease!" He turned to me, eyeing off my sword. "We do not wish any more of our people hurt. I ask you this now, outsider, are you willing to parley?"

I sighed and sheathed my daggers. "All I wanted to do was talk in the first place. You didn't give me that option."

The werewolf growled and nodded its head. "Swiftrunner did not think it would matter. The Lady disagrees. I have been sent to you on behalf of the Lady. She believes that you may not be aware of everything you should be. She means you no harm, provided your willingness to parley in peace in an honest one."

"Alright. Take us to this Lady of yours."

The wolf watched as my companions sheathed their weapons and nodded in satisfaction. "Follow me. But I warn you, if you break your promise and harm her, I will come back from the Fade itself to see you pay."

"That's a bit… grim. But fair. We don't want to hurt you anymore. Please, take us to her."

The wolf nodded and started walking down a collapsed corridor. My friends and I hurried after him. We soon entered an opening in the ruin, a chamber of sorts. In the centre stood a green lady, covered in vines and leaves.

"I bid you welcome, mortal," she said gently, her voice sounding almost like the breeze itself. "I am the Lady of the Forest."

"Ah, nice to meet you. I'm Kaela," I said slowly. "Why do you want to talk now and not earlier?"

The lady smiled gently at me. "Swiftrunner has an urge for battle that is hard to quell. I apologise on his behalf. He struggles with his nature."

I tilted my head. "I think we all struggle with our nature to some extent."

"Truer words were never spoken. But few could claim the same as these creatures, that their very nature is forced upon them." She let out a small sigh. "No doubt you have questions, mortal. There are things that Zathrian has not told you."

"I thought as much. What is he hiding from us?"

"It was Zathrian who created the curse that these creatures suffer, the same curse that Zathrian's own people now suffer."

"Why would he do that?"

Swiftrunner growled. "Payback," he snarled. "For his children. The humans… betrayed the boy, killed him. The girl they raped and left for dead. The Dalish found her, but she learned later she was… with child. She… killed herself."

"That's horrible!" I exclaimed. "No wonder Zathrian was angry. So he created the curse as revenge?"

"Zathrian came to this ruin and summoned a terrible spirit, binding it to the body of a great wold. So Witherfang came to be. And so the curse was created to inflict on the humans."

"Twisted and savage just as Witherfang himself is," whispered the Lady. "They were driven into the forest. When the human tribe finally left for good, their cursed brethren remained, pitiful and mindless animals."

"Until I found you, my lady," said Swiftrunner with a bow, "You gave me peace."

The lady smiled. "I showed Swiftrunner that there was another side to his beastial nature. I soothed his rage, and his humanity emerged. And he brought others to me."

"So what has this to do with the Dalish now? Is it revenge?"

"In part," murmured the Lady. "We seek to end the curse. The crimes committed against Zathrian's children were grave, but they were committed centuries ago by those who are long dead. Word was sent to Zathrian every time the landships passed this way, asking him to come, but he has always ignored us. We will no longer be denied."

"We spread the curse to his people," growled Swiftrunner, "So he must end the curse to save them!"

"Please, mortal… you must go to him," said the Lady, "Bring him here. If he sees these creatures, hears their plight… surely he will end the curse!"

"No offense, but why would he come here alone? It could be a trap. A death sentence!"

"If Zathrian comes, I shall summon Witherfang. I possess that power, I also have the power to ensure Witherfang is never found. Tell Zathrian this. If he does not come, if he does not break the curse, he will never cure his people."

I sighed. "Alright. We'll go back to the Dalish and talk to Zathrian."

The Lady nodded. "Thank you, dwarf. The passage behind me leads straight back to the surface, near the Dalish camp. Return with Zathrian as soon as you can."

"Right," I sighed. I was getting so fed up with all the back and forth tasks. It was just exhausting. For once I wish that I could go somewhere and not have to deal with all of this.

I hurried up the passageway behind the Lady, my companions close behind me. As soon as we emerged into the sunlight, I recognised Zathrian standing in a small clearing.

"Zathrian?" I said in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"You have carved a safe path throughout the forest… safe enough for me to follow, anyhow," replied Zathrian. "There was no way to tell what would happen once you reached this ruin, so I decided to come myself."

Zevran laughed beside me. "You mean you came to ensure the job was completed," he said.

"Which it isn't," I said, staring at Zathrian.

He frowned and stepped towards me. "May I ask, then, why are you leaving the ruin?"

I narrowed my eyes. "You didn't tell us everything. There's more going on here than you led us on to believe."

"There was no need to give you a history lesson about things that have no bearing on your purpose here. But it seems the spirit convinced you to act on her behalf. Might I inquire what she wants?"

"She just wants to talk."

Zathrian growled. "I sent you to kill Witherfang and now they have turned you against me? Interesting. You do understand that she actually is Witherfang?"

What the sod was going on? The lady is Witherfang? Zathrian caused the curse. This whole thing is a sodding mess. "Look, I don't really care. You just need to talk with her. You created this curse – it may stem from her, from Witherfang or whatever, but you started it. This is between you and her – so you need to talk."

"Fine," said Zathrian. "I will accompany you back to the ruin. Let us go and speak to the spirit and I will force her into Witherfang's form. He may then be slain and the heart taken."

"You won't even try to talk?"

"Why? You claim they have regained their minds, but they are still savage beasts. Their nature is unchanged. All they want is revenge or a release. I will not give it to them."

"Why are you holding onto so much anger and hatred after all this time?"

Zathrian clenched his first, tears appearing in his eyes. "You were not there," he growled. "You did not see what they did to my son. To my daughter. And so many others. You are not Dalish. How can you know how we had to struggle to be safe? How could I have let their crimes go unanswered?"

"The people who committed those crimes are long dead. You want people that had no part in those crimes to suffer forever?"

Zathrian sighed. "Very well. You wish me to go and talk? I will do so. But what if it is only revenge they wish? Will you safeguard me from harm."

I nodded. "I will. My friends will as well. We won't let them kill you for the sake of revenge, Zathrian. Just give them a chance to talk."

"I fail to see the purpose behind this… but very well. It has been many centuries now. Let me see what the spirit has to say."

He followed us into the depths of the cavern. We walked past the wolves and faced the Lady of the Forest.

Zathrian laughed as soon as he saw her. "So here you are, spirit."

Swiftrunner growled. "She is the Lady of the Forest!" he roared. "You will address her properly!"

Zathrian snorted. "You've taken a name spirit? And you've given names to your pets? These… beasts who follow you?"

The Lady smiled and shook her head. "It was they who gave me a name, Zathrian," she said softly. "And the names they take are their own. They follow me because I help them find who they are."

"Who they are has not changed from whom their ancestors were. Wild savages! Worthless dogs! Their twisted shape only mirrors their monstrous hearts!"

Swiftrunner growled again. "He will not help us, Lady," he snarled. "It is as I warned you! He is not here to talk!"

"No, I am here to talk, though I see little point in it," replied Zathrian. "We all know where this will lead. Your nature compels it, as does mine."

The Lady held up her hand to silence Swiftrunner. "It does not have to be that way," she said. "There is room in your heart for compassion, Zathrian. Surely your retribution is spent."

Zathrian let out a short bark of laughter. "My retribution is eternal, spirit, as is my pain. This is justice, no more."

"Are you certain your pain is the only reason you will not end this curse?" she said softly, before turning to me. "Have you been told how this curse was created?"

I shrugged. "He said that he summoned you and bound you to a wolf."

"And so he did. Witherfang and I are bound as one being. But such powerful magic could not be accomplished without Zathrian's own blood." She turned back to Zathrian with a sharp gaze. "Your people believe you have rediscovered the immortality of their ancestors, Zathrian, but that is not true. So long as the curse exists, so do you."

"No, that is not how it is!" exclaimed Zathrian.

"So you live as long as the curse does?" I said slowly, trying to wrap my head around it. Magic is so sodding weird.

"No," interrupted the Lady. "The curse has a life of its own, though Zathrian's life depends on it. His death plays a part in it ending, however."

"Only I know how the ritual ends," interrupted Zathrian, curling his hands into fists. "And I will never do it!"

I took a step towards him. "Please, Zathrian. Hasn't this gone on long enough? These people may have had rotten ancestors, but they aren't at fault here. They're only victims."

He let out a sigh. "I have… lived too long," he murmured. "This hatred in me is like an ancient, gnarled root… it has consumed my soul."

"It's time to let it go," said Wynne softly. "Time to move forward and not dwell in the past."

Zathrian sighed. "What of you, spirit? You are bound to the curse just as I am. Do you not fear your end?"

She shook her head. "You are my maker, Zathrian. You gave me form and consciousness where none existed. I have known pain and love, hope and fear, all the joy that is life." She smiled down at him. "I do not fear leaving. It is time to move on from this curse, move on from the pain and suffering – on both sides."

Zathrian frowned and lay his staff on the ground. He glanced at me and sighed. "It… is time. It is time to move forward."

He closed his eyes and lifted his arms, magic swirling around him. The Lady of the Forest let out a long sigh that melded with the wind as she vanished into the breeze. Zathrian shuddered and he too vanished into the wind. The wolves that surrounded us started to glow, and soon men and women were standing were the wolves once were.

One of the men stumbled forward. "It's… over," he said in awe. "She's gone, and… we're human. I can scarcely believe it."

"What will you and your people do now?" asked Alistair.

He smiled and looked around the cave at all the humans. "We'll leave the forest, I suppose. Find other humans, see what's out there for us."

"Sounds like a good plan," I said. "I hope you do well out there – no longer beasts and all."

He clasped my hand tightly. "Thank, you," he said. "We… we'll never forget you."

The other humans all bowed their heads and muttered thanks of their own, before following each other up the stairs and out of the forest.

I stared after them for a moment and bit my lip. "So who wants to tell the Dalish their leader is dead?"

Silence fell over my companions. This wasn't going to be a fun conversation with the Dalish. We slowly made our way back into the Dalish camp, wary of their sharp eyes. But none attacked us as we entered the camp, which I liked to think of as a good sign.

A Dalish woman walked up to us as soon as we reached the centre of the camp. "It is done," she said with a small smile. "All trace of the cursed blood from the hunters is gone."

"I'm glad they'll be okay," I said with a nod.

"I felt it when Zathrian departed. He was at peace. I think… he was ready to go." She looked up at the sky, her hair fluttering in the wind. "It will be difficult to fill Zathrian's shoes. He was out keeper for many centuries and he will be sorely missed. But I am keeper now."

I smiled at her. "It looks like the Dalish still have a strong leader."

She laughed. "I am no Zathrian, but I will do my best. My name is Lanaya, keeper of the Dalish."

"It's nice to officially meet you, keeper," I said with an awkward bow.

"The Dalish will fulfil their obligation to you, Warden," she said. "I hereby swear to uphold the terms of the ancient contract out people formed with the Grey Wardens. Call and we shall strike at your foes. This I swear."

"Thank you, Lanaya."

"It has been a long time since the Dalish marched to war… but I trust that, in the end, we shall make a difference for you."