On time for once, and we're almost at the end!

Oh, hello! I don't need to look back, to know Mistress has stiffened up. The others seem ready as well. Look at this pompous git, in his dumb outfit and weird hat. You must be the Architect, then.

"And so, we meet again" it slurs.

Yeah, we would have been here sooner... but someone sent two different armies to get in our way. Let's talk about that, shall we?

I hear a blade get drawn, and notice a Genlock next to him. Or is it a ghoul... what a weird scent. I'm not sure what that thing is.

"No, Utha" he tells it. "That is not how this must begin."

Begin?! You arseholes tried to level Vigil's Keep, twice, and then you attacked Mistress in the mine! That's before we even fucking talk about Amaranthine.

"I owe you an apology, Commander. When we met, I meant to explain myself... but fate intervened." Oh here we go... I prefer normal Darkspawn. They don't waste time talking before a fight. While he's nattering, I glance at a side passage. Hmm...

"Misunderstanding" Mistress interrupts. "Is that what you call murdering Grey Wardens for their blood?" Yeah! Don't pret... wait, blood?! Holy fuck, I figured you were a creep, but you just had to go beyond huh? Anyway, don't pretend you sent Talkspawn for a chat - he had his goons tunnel up into the fort and attack while most of the Orlesians were still in bed! He even fucking admitted he wanted to kill us! Don't try shovelling this shit on us, you blood-stealing liar.

"They were already dead, when brought to me. I needed their blood, as I needed yours."

Taking a step forward, Mistress stares Leech-Features down. "Tell me one thing – you forced awareness on her, didn't you? That's what this Mother is; a Broodmother who woke up?"

Leech-Features gives a light nod. "She reacted poorly... she rages against me."

"I don't blame her" Mistress spits. "This, your insanity, it ends here."

"Before you give up, and try tainting our cities again" Nail adds, eyeing the Genghoul. "Maric had hoped you were both dead... one more job he left me."

"How... unfortunate. I am sorry, Ut-" his rambling is cut off, when Scruffy launches a blast of magic. Yeah! Shut his stupid fucking mouth, Scruf! Let's go! I swerve around the Genghoul, as it drops down to charge at Nail and Gorgeous. It was... this side tunnel. I race in, and quickly catch up to the Elf girl I saw peeking out at us while Leechie was talking. Hello! I was a friend of your sister, so I'd prefer to bring you out with minimal biting. Ow. Why do they always think prodding me with stuff will work? What is it that you people don't understand about 'warhound'? I rip the club out of her hand, and hurl it away, before managing to get a safe hold on her leg. Quit squirming. Less chance of my teeth ruining your pants.

Once the sound of combat stops echoing, I reposition to sit on her for a moment. I bark so they know where to find us, then get my grip back. The Templars soon appear, carrying that spare rope. Right, of course they're trained to restrain runaways. She puts up a struggle, but they quickly get her tied up and on her feet.

I lead the way back, listening for the voices. "-Don't think this one was a Genlock" I hear Gorgeous remark to someone. "... I'm sure I know the fighting style from somewhere."

"No" Nail drawls. "Maric told me about the Wardens he fooled, and turned by somehow accelerating their Taint. A Dwarf was among them."

"Huh... if that's what I'll look like in 30 years, I'd rather be dead!" she jokes in response. I think. Everything's death with her, but in a grinny way.

Mistress locks eyes with Bramble-Sis as we step out, both glaring.

"What did you do?! He just wanted his people to be free! Like the Dalish... Velanna will agree."

"And the ancient Magisters just wanted to see if The Maker existed" Scruffy murmurs to himself.

Sighing, Mistress walks over. "Velanna?! Velanna is dead because of that thing's insanity, along with however many of your Clan. Do you understand that?"

"... He meant well" Bramble-Sis attempts, making Mistress throw up her hands.

"Make sure she can't run off... tie her to that column. Max, sit on her legs I guess. We'll go finish this."

Aw, but I wanted to see what these Broodmother things are! You talk like they're all gross – I like gross stuff.

"No, stay here. Broodmothers aren't really something you can bite" Mistress orders. Fine, fine. I'll just play with Bramble-Sis.

So anyway, the eighteenth thing I hate about squirrels is their footprints. You know what I'm saying? I glance up, at Bramble-Sis' flat expression. I guess you don't. See, the thing about their footprin- wait a sec. I think someone's coming back. Nail walks around the corner, alone.

"It's over, we won" he mutters, noticing my stare. "She wants you to see something" he adds, but I guess that was for Bramble-Sis. I move, so he can get her standing. I'll tell you about the footprints later.

I follow behind them, as he leads her down the stairs with a rope. That sure is a lot of dead Monster Grubs... still doesn't explain why I felt the ground shake, earlier.

The stairs bottom out, and we continue through a hole in the masonry. Is this what the Deep Roads look like? I expected something fancier. It stinks, too.

"... What is that?" Bramble-Sis whispers, making me look up. I... yeah. Is that what a Broodmother is?

"Meet the Mother" Mistress tells her, gesturing at the corpse. "This is what happens to women that Darkspawn capture alive... if they're lucky, they go insane before the process is complete." She pauses, sadness taking over. "He forced this one back to lucidity, just to see if he could. I don't blame her for wanting revenge; but once it spilled onto the surface, I had to finish it. Both of them."

"... He wanted to help them" Bramble-Sis says out loud, but apparently to herself.

"Perhaps it made sense to him... but it had to end before he tried again." Mistress looks back at her. "You realise that's probably what he had in mind for you, don't you?"

"What-" Bramble-Sis stammers, before looking at the Mother again.

"He had your entire war party slaughtered, except you and Velanna. Kept you around, whispering his good intentions... my guess? Once this was over, he would have tried again. Waking a fresh Broodmother, one he'd trained to trust him completely..."

Sis pales, as she thinks about it. "I... he never said why he took me in, besides saving me..."

Scruffy stands up, slipping an empty mana flask into his pouch. "Even if it wasn't his plan, it probably would have occurred to him eventually. Anything for the big picture seemed to be his mindset."

"Especially if his thoughts turned against the surface again" Nail opines. "A loyal vanguard of intelligent Shrieks, leading the way."

"Alright, enough" Mistress calls. "Let's get out of here, and rest upstairs if we need." She turns back, to stare at the Mother thing. "... May the Maker guide you to peace."

Everyone finds a spot to sit, once we walk into the fresh air a short way. You Templars, don't sit in any Darkspawn gunk from when we blew up the Dragon and those handful of Spawn.

I follow Mistress, as she discreetly sits herself and Bramble-Sis to one side.

"... What happens to me, now?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Away from them" Mistress answers, briefly looking at the Templars. "During the Blight, we found... well, I'm going to be honest. Avernus served with the Grey Wardens once, and turned to blood magic when the King decided to kill the Commander and everyone at her fortress over an old grudge she had reignited. Between the magic and his experiments with the taint for the last two hundred years, he'll likely be able to tell just what the Architect did to you."

"Two hundred...?"

Mistress nods. "Yeah... I should check if he's still alive anyway, actually. I forbade him from his creepier methods, and haven't heard from him since before this mess started. Need to make sure he's stuck to that, if time hasn't caught up to him. After that... I suppose it's up to you. You could stay at the fortress; it's mostly deserted apart from Avernus and the occasional visit from a family of humans. Or Vigil's Keep, with us – not expecting you to enlist, mind." She pauses, and lets out a groan. "I wasn't there at the time, but Velanna ran into some of your Clan. Their reaction to her probably means you won't be welcomed back. Not after the Keeper died."

"... Ilshae?"

"I'm afraid so. Velanna was quiet for a few days, and then came to furiously remind me how I promised we'd rescue you. One promise I was able to keep, at least..." I creep in, and rub her hand with my face. You kept every promise, unless they were impatient. "Well, we can discuss this more at the Keep. You should at least stay long enough for Velanna's service. She said she wanted a whitethorn, if something happened; it's fitting that you pick one."

They both sit back, awkwardly silent.

So... are we going to untie her yet, or what?

I couldn't find anything saying why they kept Seranni around, but the above idea hit me while I was writing. The Architect's main plan is already all over the place, from one conversation to the next with various Talkspawns. It's one possibility, at least.

Thanks to everyone who's read/followed/reviewed..