Renna landed on her feet with a hard thud. She saw Inquisition soldiers fighting demons and she calmly raised her palm and crushed them with the power of the rift. Kierrai had not stopped screaming, and the sound cut at her ears as the rift sealed itself with a loud pop. Hawke pulled the woman into his chest and cried with her, ignoring the large amounts of people around them. The sobs were muffled now, and Renna stepped forward.

"She was right. Without the Nightmare to control them, the mages are free, and Corypheus loses his demon army." Dorian said, explaining what he had been told after passing through the rift.

"Though as far as they're all concerned, the Inquisitor broke the spell with the blessing of the Maker." Hawke added, raising his head.

"Once we explain what really happened," Renna denied. Hawke pinned her with his sapphire gaze.

"They'll be terrified. I, for one, am tired of giving fear demons anything to feed on. Let them have their story." he interrupted. Renna nodded in agreement. Hope and inspiration was often more important than the truth.

"Inquisitor! The archdemon flew off as soon as you disappeared." a soldier announced. "The Venatori magister is unconscious but alive. Cullen thought you might wish to deal with him yourself." he added. Renna nodded. She would certainly take care of him. "As for the Wardens, those who weren't corrupted helped us fight the demons." A Warden standing beside him crossed his arms across his chest.

"We stand ready to help make up for Clarel's...tragic mistake. Where are Stroud and Mhairi?" he asked in shock. Renna lowered her eyes as Kierrai sobbed even harder.

"Warden Stroud died against Erimond and his demons, and Mhairi...Warden Mhairi died striking a blow against a servant of the Blight. We will honor their sacrifice, and remember how they exemplified the ideals of the Grey Wardens. Even as Corypheus and his servants tried to destroy you from within." she announced.


"No." Kierrai heard from the back of the crowd. There was a shuffling as someone tried to push their way forward, and she knew who it was before his bearded face ever came into view. "No, please, not her. Not my wife." Traven said, his voice strangled. She felt as though her heart was being ripped out of her chest. How many times must this happen to her friend? She cried harder. Nothing could repair what had been done. Traven looked around wildly until his eyes found hers. She shook her head in despair. He had heard correctly. He had lost his love again. He fell to his knees with a sob that no one would ever forget. Kierrai knew that she would feel the agony of that sob for the rest of her life. She and Hawke went to his side and brought him into their embrace as he violently shook with the power of his cries.

"We have no one of significant rank. What do we do now?" the initial Warden asked, trying to avoid looking at the tragedy unfolding before them. Kierrai held Traven's head against her chest. This was no time for him to hear all this. That was not how he should have learned. Kierrai locked eyes with Renna above her friend's head.

"You stay and do whatever you can to help. Stroud and...and Mhairi died for the ideals of the Wardens." the Inquisitor announced. Traven sobbed harder at her name. "In war, victory. And we are still at war! Do you believe the Wardens can still help?" she asked. Kierrai cried silently as her friend whimpered against her. She had been in Renna's position too many times. How often had she or Hawke had to make some sort of uplifting speech while all they wanted to do was cry? The burden of a leader, of any sort of leader, was often far too much for one person to bear. She was grateful that Renna was there to make the speeches. She feared it would have broken her had she been the one to deliver it. "You are still vulnerable to Corypheus, and possibly the Venatori, but there are plenty of demons that need killing." Renna said. Kierrai watched as Hawke pulled away from her and stood.

"While they do that, I'll inform the Wardens at Weisshaupt what's happened. Best they not get caught off guard." He announced. Kierrai nodded slowly. He felt guilty for what had happened, and this was the best way for him to ease the pain. She understood. She would personally notify Isabela of his whereabouts whether he liked it or not, however. Being alone was good for no one.

"Thank you, Your Worship. We will not fail you." the Warden promised. The courtyard began to clear, leaving only Kierrai and her companions. Hawke shuffled back and forth on his feet, looking up at Renna.

"Good luck with your Inquisition. Try not to start an Exalted March on anything. And...take care of them for me." he said, nodding his head toward Varric, Traven, and herself. Kierrai smiled sadly at him.

"Be safe, my friend." she said quietly.

"And you, darling." he answered before heading out. Kierrai continued to hold Traven's form against her. He had stopped shaking, but he was now just limp and breathing heavily. She could practically feel the wetness from his tears through her armor. Sebastian entered the square and frantically searched for her. When he found her, he sighed in relief until he noticed Traven.

"Mhairi?" he mouthed. She shook her head, biting her lip. Her husband put his face in his hands for a long time, shaking his head sadly. Everyone would mourn this loss.


He couldn't breathe. There was no other way to describe it. He couldn't breathe. Mhairi. Not her. Why her? Traven gasped, breath heaving against Kierrai's breast. She held him tightly but he still felt like he was falling through the sky. How could this have happened again? Why her? His poor wife. Everyone he loved was taken from him. Everyone.

"Traven?" he heard in the distance as if the voice was speaking to him through water.

"No." he whimpered.

"Traven, we need to get up." he heard. The voice was still muffled. He had no idea who was speaking to him.

"Traven?" this time it was Mhairi.

"Traven, come on." Neria's voice urged.

"Traven." Leliana spoke.

"Traven." Morrigan said. Suddenly his anchor pulled away from him and he blinked himself back into reality. The eyes searching his were Kierrai's, not any of the others. They were familiar and safe, and yet they still terrified him. What if Kierrai died too? Or left him?

"No." he said.

"Trav, we need t' get out of here." Sebastian said quietly. He looked up at his friend and eventually nodded. He couldn't stay here. Not in the place where he lost her. He allowed Kierrai to help him to his feet, distantly noting that he had absolutely ruined her leather armor. She did not let go of his hand as she walked him out of the square. He could hear his footsteps and nothing more. They sounded like explosions in his mind. Boom. Boom. Boom. Mhairi. Gone. Neria. Gone. Leliana. Gone. Morrigan. Gone. My fault. My fault. My fault. He stumbled with another gasp, and Kierrai caught him. Was he dead? Death could not possibly hurt this much, could it? Kierrai and Sebastian wouldn't be there if he was dead. They could survive everything. And they had. No, he lived. He was sure of it. He almost wished he was dead. Maybe then it wouldn't hurt so much.

"Traven, can you hear me?" Kierrai asked, pulling him from his reverie. He nodded numbly. There was worry on her face. She never let her worry show. Something about him was scaring her. He glanced at himself in a puddle of water. It was the eyes. They were empty and cold. They weren't the eyes of someone who lived. That was it. "Traven we're going to go back to the Keep and then you can ask us anything you want." Kierrai assured him. Questions. Answers. He had no answers. Nothing made sense anymore. Mhairi.


"What do we do?" Renna whispered. Kierrai shook her head. The woman's brown eyes were puffy from weeping. Traven hadn't spoken much since they arrived back at Griffon Wing Keep. The three of them sat in a room, waiting for him to say something or to ask a question.

"I don't know. Sometimes you just have to wait and let something happen." she murmured back. Traven's dark blue eyes looked up at them then. She shivered. It was like Traven had left his body behind. His eyes were so cold. He looked so broken. Finally, he spoke. It was a single word, but it was more than he had said in hours.

"How?" Renna and Kierrai glanced at each other before Kierrai closed her eyes and began telling the story. Even Renna was mesmerized by her retelling of Mhairi's sacrifice in the Fade, and she had been there.

"She said...she said that she loves you. She said she will never truly leave you and that her staying behind was the only way." Kierrai finished. Renna warily watched the mage. He was unresponsive for a long time. Finally, he gave a fond, yet somehow empty, laugh.

"That sounds like her. Funny how she said she wasn't leaving and yet, she's gone." he pointed out. Kierrai's face fell, and Renna's skin paled. He laughed again. "What do you want me to say, Kierrai? She left me as surely as Morrigan did. The only difference is my wife went somewhere that I can't follow." he said, standing and throwing his hands in the air. He had gone from catatonic to losing it. Renna looked at Kierrai, who was worrying at her bottom lip. The brunette was uncertain of what she should do, that much was clear. The air began to feel strange, as if lightning had struck nearby. Renna and Kierrai realized what was happening at the same time. Kierrai began shouting for him to stop, brown eyes frantic. Wind picked up, throwing chairs around the room and whipping their hair into their faces. Renna ducked underneath a flying chair, fully realizing that they were in danger.

"Traven, calm down!" Renna yelled.

"Please, Trav, you're going to hurt yourself, and us! You don't want this, Traven please!" Kierrai screamed over the sound. Her shouts were swallowed in the torrent of air that surrounded them. Renna could see through squinted eyes that the mage was weeping as the magic flowed out of him.

"Traven you're hurting us!" she shouted. Electricity and fire joined the wind and she tried to get away from the edges of the room. Suddenly, the door flew open and there was a burst of light. Traven fell to the floor with a grunt and stayed there. Renna turned to see Cullen, panting, sword in hand. Kierrai immediately rushed to her friend's side, even though he had nearly killed them both. Cullen touched her face and looked her over for injury.

"Are you all right?" he asked frantically. She nodded. She was a bit shaken, but not harmed.

"We're fine, Cullen. Thank you for...whatever that was." she replied.

"That was a smite. It stops a mage from being able to do magic for a time. What were you trying to do, Amell?" he asked, turning angrily on the mage. Traven slowly raised his head.

"I thought it was clear." he grumbled. Kierrai had tears running down her cheeks. Cullen started to head over to the mage, but Renna grabbed his arm.

"He just lost his wife, Cullen. I can forgive him for losing control." she murmured. Cullen's eyes widened and he looked back at him.

"Maker's breath. Let's...let's get out of here. We return to Skyhold soon." he said, waving in a different Templar. Ser Barris, the one who had joined their cause in Val Royeaux, nodded to her as she passed. They would make sure he was safe. Renna sighed. She had no idea what she was going to do about that particular situation.