After a particularly nasty remark of Morrigan's, the other Wardens decided they had enough.

Elissa took them aside and told them one by one to meet on a clearing near their camp for an emergency meeting, far away from Morrigan and Thorin. When they finally showed up, Elissa announced, "We need to talk about Morrigan."

"Oh, Maker. We don't really need to talk more about her, don't we? I don't want to think about her, let alone talk," Alistiar said, as befits the one whom the witch was particularly fond of roasting.

"That's why we have to do something about her. It's bad enough that she's with us, but she doesn't even try to get along with everybody," Elissa said.

"Aye. Soddin witch's smart enough to hold her tongue when the boss is around," Brosca added.

"Why is she here again?" Tabris wondered.

"Her mother got tired of her and gave her to us to have some peace and quiet for a change," Alistair answered. "Worse for us."

"Ooooh, like, her mother says like "Can you take her off my hands for a while? She's been turning our neighbors into toads again," Tabris said.

"And then she says later: "Can you find some hole while you're at it? And then push her right in so maybe she can have some deep thoughts."

Another idea crossed Tabris' mind and he clapped in joy. "I know how we can kill the Archdemon! Dragons like maidens right?" he asked them all."We could dangle her in front of it-"

"-and then we cut off its neck while it's distracted. Brilliant," Alistair finished, nodding.

"Both of you be serious," Elissa said.

Alistair sighed. "Her mother says we're taking care of her as payment for saving us from the tower," he explained, much more somber this time.

"Yes. And also, she's with Thorin," Elissa added.

"I don't think she's with anyone. I think they are just sleeping together," Amadeus clarified.

"That's not the point. The truth is, she's too close to him. What if when they're together, she's whispering some things to him? Something that's bad for us?" Elissa asked, looking at them all in the eye one by one.

"That's rich, coming from someone who's dating an assassin," Tabris pointed out.

"Oh, I know how to handle Zevran, Elissa said, flipping a lock of her hair. "I've met plenty of his kind in Orlais. There was one time a bard tried to spy on my father through me, while all the while he was with another girl. I caught them in the act on a box of the Grand Royeaux Theater and gave them so much trouble they never appeared within sight of me ever again."

"Well, good on you, I suppose. He deserves it for being a cheat."

She stared at Tabris. "I wasn't mad at him because he cheated. I was mad at him because, unlike the other girl, he never took me to the Grand Royeaux Theater."

Tabris brows shot up as he stared at her. "Well, I'm glad that at least you know your priorities," he said shortly.

Alistair called them back to the problem. "Why don't you do it? Aren't you friends?" Alistair asked Amadeus.

"We are not friends," the mage answered.

"Really? Because I think I heard you two laugh together like...you know, evilly?"

"If we were, we were probably figuring out who has the best laugh."

"Wait…You're actually doing evil laugh contests now?"

"Of course. Do you want to hear mine?"

"Uh…no. I have a feeling I won't be able to get any sleep. Ever."

Tabris steered them back to the problem of the witch. "Anyway, back to Morrigan. Alright, she may be whispering something evil to Thorin. But he's smart enough not to agree to everything she says."

"We have to stop her. We have to make sure she never does that," Elissa insisted.

"So what, we kick her out? I have a feeling Thorin's not going to agree to that without having a really big reason other than we don't like her," Tabris reasoned.

"We don't need to involve him. We just need her away from him."

"So we're breaking them up? I don't know Elissa but….that's really none of our business."

"It is, if she's giving him bad advice. She might not now, but she probably will at some point. So, are you in?"

They all looked at each other in silence. Finally Amadeus spoke up. "Leave me out of this. This is a ridiculous idea."

"So, you just allow Thorin to listen to her?"

"If he is a fool to fall for it. When that time comes, I'll remind him of it."

Mahariel too, declined. "This is foolish. I refuse to be part of this."

It seems they were the only ones who did not disapprove of the witch. When they were gone, Tabris asked Elissa "I assume you have a plan?"

"We need to separate them. That means we need to watch her," the noble said.

"Alright. Do we need to do this together or what?"

"We take turns." She turned to the dwarf. "Brosca, you don't mind going first, do you? You're not as intimidated by her, aren't you?"

"Sure. Just say the word," Brosca answered.

So the witch was very surprised when Brosca dropped down beside her. She took no notice of him, however, and continued going along as before. But their camp was filled with little flying insects, and before long Brosca had one in his nose. She stared in disgust at the dwarf, as he blew his nose loudly in front of her. But she could not continue keeping quiet, when Brosca stuck one finger up to fish it out.

"Have you nothing better to do, other than stare at me like an ugly toad?" she asked him finally.

"Ain't starin at ye. Ye ain't what I like," he replied, brushing the finger on his pants.

"And what is it that you like, I wonder? A foul-smelling, hideous and dim-witted one? Or was that your mother?"

"Ye shut yer trap about my mother!"

"OOoooh, that hit a nerve."

He stood up, his face red with rage. "Ye ain't got right to talk about me mother, cos yer mother ain't better! She been doin nothin but whore around with that cunt of hers. Ain't gonna be surprised she fucked some 'spawn to get ye!"

And that was the start of the insult marathon. It got so loud and so vicious, Thorin had to go break them up.

"Do I really need to tell you to get along? Really? How old are you?" he yelled at the two of them. They muttered their apologies and from that point on, went out of each other's way.

At the next meeting, Elissa frowned at the dwarf. "You're not supposed to get them together," Elissa scolded.

Brosca scowled."Soddin witch" was all he ever said to explain himself.

"So, Brosca is out, I think," Elissa concluded. "He's never going to get close to her now without provoking her. Tabris, you're up."

So it was that the witch raised a brow when the elf came by her tent. Just as before, she kept silent, waiting for the other to make his move. He did, finally, when the silence became too unbearable.

"Nice shawl," he said, having no other topic to think of.

She smiled, now knowing what kind of man he is. "Isn't it just?" she said, subtly adjusting to reveal the best view to her cleavage. Soon enough, she have him cooking her delicious dainties and waiting on her hand and foot.

"You're supposed to watch her! Not cook her…" Elissa motioned with her hand to describe it.

"Canapes," Tabris answered, determined not to look on Leliana's direction, who was understandably looking furious.

Neria tugged at his sleeve. "I want one," she said, and soon enough, the others were clamoring for theirs too.

"No! No canapes for everyone! Not before we sort this out," Elissa scolded on their lack of focus. She turned to the ex-templar. "Alistiar, can you watch her?"

"Uh, no, bad idea. I can tell you now how this will turn out. We'd be quarreling then one of us is going to run away in tears. Probably me," he replied without shame.

Elissa rubbed her head. "Then we go with Neria. Can you do that?" she asked the mage.

"Um, Elissa, is this a really good idea?" Tabris asked.

It wasn't, as Neria and the witch share the same target. Soon enough, they heard them talking about how best to cook Alistair. Boil him, mash him, stick in a stew, perhaps?

"Someone stop them before they form a coven," Alistair said, nervously looking at the pair of witches. Elissa put a stop to it and called Neria back.

"So who's going next?" she asked.

But they were busy eating canapes.

"Good grub," Brosca said to Tabris and gobbled another one. The elf then turned to Alistair. "Hey Alistair, can you tell Mahariel if she can find us some fish? I'm getting tired of roasts. It's always roasts around here. But I've got some roots here so if there's fish, I might make some chips to go with it."

While Alistair replied at the elf, Elissa stared at them all. "I guess it's up to me, then," she said.

She did it cheerily enough, dropping by Morrigan's with her workbasket and acting like they've been friends. The witch was amused by this, but, as with the others, watched what this one will do.

It seems she's going to bore her to death.

"Is that all?" she asked, rudely interrupting Elissa's stream of chatter about what her friends had used to do. Mostly silly little things, like the ridiculous lengths they did just to have a glimpse on their crushes, funny anecdotes about shoes and clothes. In short, nothing that interests her.

"Pardon?"

"I have a better story to tell. How about I tell you what my mother does when we have visitors?"

"Oh, alright," Elissa said, mortified, but too polite to say no to her.

Morrigan smiled and she began to tell her about how her mother lure men to their hut, have sex with them and kill them. She dwelled mostly on the gristly parts, describing the ways her mother stalked, tortured, raped and then killed her victims, in such details that leave no doubt in her being present in those scenes. As for her involvement, her mother said all that was "character building". As she told Elissa this, she remembered how she held a man down as her mother killed him, all the while telling her this is what happens to trust and kindness; that these exist only as weaknesses to be exploited.

"Are you alright? You look a little...pale," Morrigan asked the girl, whose hands were trembling as they gripped the basket.

"Um, yes, it was just…it was just so very..thrilling," Elissa answered, her voice tremulous.

"Indeed. Well? Shall I continue on? Or should we continue…perhaps tomorrow?"

"Uh, I think…tomorrow. I just remembered that I forgot to do something. Thank you, Morrigan for the…story," she said, hurriedly standing up, nearly spilling her basket, and fled.

Morrigan waited until she was out of earshot then started laughing.

At the next meeting, the others looked with concern as Elissa marched in and began yelling, surprising them all. "She is an evil deceiving witch! I want her gone!"

"Calm down, Elissa. What's gotten into you?" Alistair asked, trying to pacify her.

She choked back her horror as she remembered Morrigan's stories. "Just…some evil things. I-we need to get her out of here."

"Give up, Elissa. There's nothing we can do about her. We'll never get rid of her unless Thorin wants to," Tabris repeated.

She looked at them all and saw they were not as committed to this as she does. If only they heard what Morrigan told her. "Fine! You've given up, but I'm not. I swear, i'll get her out of here, one way or another," she promised.


Wynne looked at each of them with her stern teacher look as they gathered around the main campfire. She is not happy with them having relationships while there is the Blight and Loghain to deal with. She thought this only interferes with the performance of their duties. You see, Wynne is the type of old person who never had much fun in her youth, and so encourage others to do the same.

She started with Thorin. "I noticed your blossoming relationship with Morrigan and I have to ask you about it."

Thorin thought this was none of her business, since he is a grown man after all. But there's no harm in it so he decided to humor the old lady. "You don't like her, do you?" he asked her with a dry tone.

"She is a cunning woman, a maleficar. She will use you for her own ends. Tell me, what do you see in her?"

"Well, for starters, I don't have to do anything to make her bend."

"Now be serious."

"Well, she is pretty and she is useful. That's all I'm going to say about her."

Wynne was not satisfied with his answer but it was all she is going to get out of him. "This is what I fear. You are a grey warden. You have responsibilities and I fear you will neglect them. The title is not a coat that you can cast at the end of the day. It should inform your every action. Your every decision. The way you are acting now, it is not fitting for a grey warden."

"I'm well aware of that. But I am old enough to manage my own affairs. Whether Morrigan is with us or not, I have never forgotten my duty."

Wynne saw he was done talking about them so she asked Elissa about her affairs next. Mahariel was unperturbed by this, but Tabris, knowing now where this conversation is going, was squirming in his seat. He thought he was going to be exempted from this talk since his mother died but here he is.

"How about you, young lady? I noticed you have grown closer to Zevran," Wynne said to Elissa. "But it seems he has only one thing on his mind. I question the wisdom of the Grey Warden being involved in such an affair."

Elissa was versed in this sort of conversations, since her mother regularly quizzed her on her various flings. So she knew a little flattery will go a long way. She did not defend Zevran. It was only a harmless flirtation, nothing more. She assured her that she knew of his previous profession and thanked her for telling her to be on her guard.

Satisfied, Wynne turned to Mahariel next. She was at a loss sometimes on how to speak to the Dalish elf, since they never have much common ground in their experiences. But Mahariel treated her respectfully as befit her age. Unknown to her, the elf looked at her as sort of a keeper and so paid the usual respect, despite being human. So, like a kindly old woman, she asked her. "I want to know about you and Alistair. It's hard not to notice the doe eyed looks he gives you, especially when he thinks no one is watching," she said, teasing this time. "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. Alistair is a fine lad, skilled in battle but really inexperienced when it comes to affair of the heart. I would hate to see him get hurt."

Mahariel answered her as she would to her mother in law. "Alistair is precious to me, as precious to me as my own self. I will never hurt him."

Wynne nodded. "I see. But love is ultimately selfish. It demands that one be devoted on a single person, who might fully occupy one's heart and mind 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 love and everyone else."

Mahariel frowned, considering it. "I shall think of what you said. But at this time, I cannot give him up."

Wynne looked at her, in understanding and in pity. "There is potential for tragedy here, for one or both of you. You may have to give him, to save one or both of you unnecessary anguish later on."

Next, she turned to Tabris. As usual, she said what she thought of Leliana, a kind soul, a devout woman, and dreaming to be one with the faith. She explained that she had nothing against him except for his duty as a Grey Warden. Tabris squirmed, stuttered, stammered his way to an explanation and so she properly chastened him and gave him advice, which practically ensured his celibacy in the next few days. Finally, they were finished and she let them go. "I have given my advice. Do with it what you will," she concluded, and dismissed them.

As they walked back to their tents, Elissa whispered her concern to Tabris about her scheme with Wynne not working with the dwarf.

"Give up, Elissa. You've done enough. We'd only get rid of Morrigan if Thorin did it himself," Tabris said irritably, being the one who got the worst of the arrangement. He walked off before Elissa could rope him in again with her schemes.

Deserted, Elissa made one last effort to get rid of the witch.

Elissa cornered the dwarf, facing him and asked "I simply don't know what Morrigan saw in you."

"I take it I am not the kind of person human women would see as attractive?'

She attempted to say something courteous that he has attractive qualities, etc which some women may find attractive. Just not humans.

"Elissa, I have lived with myself for decades. There's nothing you can say about my appearance that can hurt me now," Thorin said.

"Well, usually, women fall for men with a handsome face, a fine figure and…tall"

He laughed. "So you say you never expected Morrigan to like me because I'm short?"

"Pardon me, but yes. I think that. And don't you not like it that she's taller than you?"

"Actually, I'm quite content with it, because you see, the view from my height are quite magnificent," he said, staring straight ahead.

Elissa looked to where he was staring and glared. "I should slap you for that."

"Hmm. Don't. You'll break your hand."