This stress was unlike Elissa had ever known in her entire life. Every look anyone sent them made her skin crawl, wonder desperately if they were going to raise the alarm, if they looked suspicious, and Maker, did she hate it.

But they had managed to get this far—they were well within the walls of the estate. It was much grander than Eamon's, maybe than even Highever, but this was the Arl of Denerim's estate, and not just some summer home for when the Landsmeet was called. People lived here year-round, guards and knights were trained here. This was a place that needed stone and mortar, and not just wood and walls.

Erlina was a quiet woman, it seemed, or she just didn't like Elissa. Both were likely options. She hadn't been very thrilled about Elissa's accompaniment even though she had agreed Elissa might've had a good idea. She made one skeptical remark about how Anora had specifically asked after Aedan, and then off they went.

So when she abruptly turned through a side door, Elissa wasn't surprised. She was, however, extremely disappointed to see what was on the other side of it.

Another door, which by itself wouldn't have meant a thing, but she could see a faint shimmer around it, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alistair's shoulders sag. He used to be a templar, or well on his way to becoming one, so he was well versed in magical seals, and she was a mage, so she felt the energy radiating from it.

Why was it so much to ask for something to be simple?

The elf went straight to the door, saying, "The Grey Warden is here, my lady."

From beyond, Elissa heard a familiar voice. It was firm, belonging to a woman who was used to giving orders, and used to having those orders heeded.

"Thank the Maker! I would greet you properly, but I'm afraid we've had a minor setback."

Elissa swallowed. Something about the idea of speaking with Anora felt wrong, felt...unnatural. The queen was not someone to talk to someone like Elissa, and vice versa. Even in a situation like this, it felt wrong.

"Aside from the obvious?" Elissa questioned.

There was a pause, but Anora immediately came back with, "My 'host' was not content with leaving me under heavy guard. He's sealed the door with magic."

So just the obvious, then, Elissa thought.

She ran her hand down her face, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Why didn't you mention this before we left, Erlina?"

"I did not know!" she said, face falling. "There were only guards here when I left. We must get her out of there."

"Don't panic, Erlina," Anora said. "The mage who cast this spell is likely at Howe's side. Find him and kill him."

Elissa sighed. "So much for secrecy."

"Well, if he didn't know you were here, he soon will."

Alistair leaned closer. "This sounds like a trap."

Erlina's look of despair quickly changed to one of horror. "Please Warden, I beg you: do not leave my queen here."

"Free me, and I promise you my aid in the Landsmeet."

"We must hurry," Erlina urged. "It will not be long before the guards discover us. Teyrn Howe will probably be in his rooms. They're at the end of the hall, on the left."

Elissa looked to Alistair, to Leliana, and even to Zevran, before nodding. "Stay here, then, and we'll be back once this mage has been dealt with."

Rather than allow herself to think about the fact she was actually going to see that rat of a man, Elissa focused on following their simple instructions. All the way at the end of the hall, last door on the left. She followed them perfectly, refusing to look anywhere else.

Her stomach twisted into knots as she threw the door open.

Nothing there. It was an empty foyer, with one chess set on the opposite wall, and yet another heavy door across from them, though this one was open. Slowly, Elissa led them further into Howe's chambers, hand resting firmly in the hilt of her sword. One weird noise and she would have it drawn.

Her heart was hammering in her head. The only sounds was that of her own breathing and the fireplace roaring beside them. It had been lit recently—Howe was nearby.

The bedroom was empty as well, save for a few scattered notes and a trunk by the foot of the bed. She nodded in its direction, and while Zevran went to open it, Alistair stood watch by the inner door. She went to Howe's desk, rifling quickly through the letters left out. There were a few from Highever, from fucking Thomas, and that familiar feeling in her gut wormed its way back up.

Leliana followed cautiously, skimming the reports over her shoulder. That's all they really were: reports. Nothing of interest, but upon snooping through the drawers, Elissa located a batch of earlier missives, dated as far back as when the Blight first started. Those she read in ernest, despite Zevran finishing with the lock, despite Alistair rejoining them.

Her hands were shaking as she read her own name, Aedan's name, Fergus' name, even Duncan's. Howe had been hunting them since they fled Highever. She had suspected he was always looking for them, as had Aedan, but this made mention of Fergus being sighted, alive, in the Wilds. Howe had people watching them everywhere they went. Everything they did, every treaty they sought to acquire, Howe had known. He even had someone looking for Fergus in case he appeared somewhere, but the last report on him was months old, saying the man was still stuck with some Chasind tribe.

"Elissa?"

Zevran. He was holding another envelope, several of them to be precise, and she snatched them from his hands. The wax was still unbroken, leaving the Grey Warden insignia completely recognizable. She stuffed those in her pack for later, took one last look at his messages about her and her brothers, and then threw them in the fire.

This man was going to die.

Anger was threatening to boil over. She could feel Hope stirring, that familiar bubbling in her chest and that sickeningly sweet warmth, but she squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and forced herself to relax.

This wasn't the time. They had a job to do and Elissa wasn't about to let some personal squabble come between her and her goal. Anora was going to leave with them, and that was going to happen whether Howe agreed to it or not.

There wasn't much else to look at. A few books, some clothes, and just the bed. All that really left them was a short set of stairs, descending down to what would probably end up being more doors and disappointment. If there seemed to be a recurring thing in her life, it would be doors and disappointment.

Elissa led them through said door, only to find themselves face to face with a guard.

"What're you do—"

An arm shot out of the cell behind him, locking around his throat, and Elissa felt herself jump out of her skin. The guard kicked and struggled, at first punching, and then clawing at the arm as he gasped for air.

It was over just as quick as it started. The guard slumped to the ground, and the same arm poked back out, plucking the keys from his belt. After the cell was unlocked, the body was dragged back, and the rustling that came from within signified whoever was imprisoned there was stripping the man of his armor.

Elissa wasn't keen to meet whoever was in there, but she didn't exactly have a choice.

"I thank you for creating such distraction, stranger. I have been waiting days for the opportunity."

Between that accent and the man's features as he stepped from his cell, Elissa knew he was foreign, but she couldn't place the country. He didn't quite sound Antivan. His accent wasn't as...sharp as Zevran's was.

"Do you think you could—" He cut himself off as he looked from the corpse in his cell to them, eyes narrowing on her fellow Warden. "Alistair? Is that you?"

Elissa looked over her shoulder at the man, who looked just as confused as she was. Alistair frowned a bit, and then said, "You were at my Joining, weren't you?"

Oh no.

"He's one of us," Alistair supplied, turning to her. "A Warden from Orlais." So her guess was completely off. His accent sounded nothing like Leliana's whatsoever. "Jader, I think, or was it Montsimmard? I'm afraid I don't remember your name."

There was a small smile on the Warden's lips as he bowed lightly. "I am Riordan, senior Warden of Jader, but born and bred of Highever and glad to be home."

Elissa felt her entire body go numb. This was the man she knew and didn't know at the same time. He was the one she thought of in that dream, the other Grey Warden.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, rather untactfully, even for herself.

He grimaced, short beard crinkling with his mouth. "For the most part, attempting to hold my tongue. I was sent when we received no word from King Cailan as to the outcome at Ostagar. The king had invited all the Wardens and their support troops to join him, and then...nothing."

Her and Alistair again exchanged looks, and she asked, "How many men did you bring with you?"

"We had two hundred Wardens and two dozen divisions of cavalry. The first we heard of Loghain's edict was when everyone was turned back at the border. That was when word reached us that Wardens were being blamed for the massacre."

So Loghain had turned an entire army away, and for what? Because they were Orlesian? Because he didn't like the Wardens?

"Eventually, we decided it was safer to send someone alone, to better understand how to fight the Blight and this regime simultaneously. As a native Fereldan, I volunteered to make the crossing."

She didn't know what to say. What could she? What was more disgusting, the fact that the Wardens just...gave in when Loghain told them to fuck off, or the fact that Loghain turned their aid away? How could anyone support that when the Bannorn was burning and people were dying?

Finally Elissa decided to simply return the papers in her belt—they were likely his, anyway, and she would have no real use for them. She doubted Aedan would either, or Alistair. From the way things sounded, this man was a real Grey Warden, not three idiots fresh out of their Joinings with no experience or knowledge of the Blight.

He thanked her as he stowed them away in some pocket, and as he did so, she asked, "Will there be no help? The Archdemon is nearly upon us and we're still flailing."

Riordan paused, and then shook his head. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid we are on our own. The other Wardens will not risk their strength fighting Ferelden's civil war. If they spend themselves fighting Loghain, there is truly no hope. They recall accounts of the first Blight, how many cities fell. If Ferelden is too foolish to save itself, at least we will be ready when the Archdemon leads its forces further."

"The other Wardens... They're abandoning us?"

Alistair couldn't believe it, that much was evident from the tone of his voice. Even Elissa found that hard to believe, and while it made some sick sense, sacrifice the few for the good of the many, how could that even be an option? Weren't Grey Wardens supposed to protect innocent people from the darkspawn? Wasn't that the entire reason they existed? How could they turn their backs on them?

"On the bright side, I hear you haven't been doing a bad job of raising an army yourself," Riordan applauded. "Perhaps if the edict can be lifted, I can send word to them when we are rid of this place."

"Can't you recruit more Wardens?" Elissa questioned.

"Would that I could, for Ferelden sorely needs them, but for the Joining, a recruit needs fresh darkspawn blood and blood preserved from an Archdemon. Ferelden's supply should have been in the vault here in Denerim, but when I looked, it was gone. I can only imagine Loghain had it confiscated or destroyed."

There it was. Confirmation that they really were alone in this. There were no other Wardens coming and they had no way to recruit others, all thanks to Loghain. He had successfully isolated them from any assistance, and it was likely to lead to their doom.

No. They would win. Elissa was sure of it. She'd seen it herself.

"Have you seen Howe?" she asked.

He nodded to another exit. "I saw him go into the dungeons sometime ago. He's likely still there."

"Thank you," she said, and after mutual goodbyes and wishes of luck, he left them to it, hopefully to escape.

Without any pause, Elissa swung her shield from her back to her arm, securing the straps there and drawing her sword before continuing. She didn't expect Howe on the other side of the door, but if that guard's reaction was anything to go off of, they would be attacked on sight.

The others readied themselves similarly. She popped the release for the door with her sword, peering around the edge into the room beyond. It was more of a hallway, with several cells and other rooms lining the walls, and a table nearby. A pair of men were playing cards at it, and rather than raise the alarm for any other guards within, Elissa waved Leliana and Zevran forward.

Without instruction, the two of them readied their respective weapons, and when she threw the door open, one arrow whistled past and one of Zevran's knives flew overhead, both objects striking true. The guards barely had the chance to stand before they were dispatched.

Elissa took one of the man's set of keys. Prisoners escaping would cause the kind of chaos they would need to get out unscathed. Besides, who knows who Howe is keeping down here? Part of her longed for her father or mother to be behind one of those doors, but Elissa knew it was a fruitless hope, and the more doors they opened, the more it became obvious.

It wasn't a total waste of time and effort, though, as one of the rooms had several guards and one nude man strapped to a table. That man ended up being the son of the last arl and rightful heir to Denerim, Vaughan Kendells.

He promised his support at the Landsmeet for freeing him and went about his merry way, much to Leliana's visible displeasure.

"I'd be careful with that one," Leliana commented.

"Why?"

She hesitated, and then shook her head. "I'll tell you when we're in a place better suited for conversation."

They continued on their way, Elissa nervously opening every door out of fear of seeing Howe, but Maker, there were so many cells and so many guards, and she eventually forgot she didn't want to see the man. All she wanted was to get rid of the stupid seal on the door, free Anora, and return to Eamon's estate.

This is what Aedan did everyday, and Maker, was it exhausting.

One door exuded a different energy. It felt darker here, evil, and she didn't even have to open it to know why. It was a torture chamber, much like the one they'd just found Vaughan in—the doors were the exact same.

This one was different though. She could hear voices within, laughter and whispers, and above them all, she heard Howe's voice.

Elissa wasn't sure what propelled her to open that door. Was it anger? Fear? Or was it some deep desire for revenge, to make him pay for the people he murdered, people she told herself she didn't care about when she really did?

When he turned, the expression of confusion and annoyance was quickly replaced with a grin. "Ah, Bryce Cousland's little spitfire, all grown up and still playing the man." He looked over her shoulder as the four of them entered the room, disappointment splaying over his face. "I never thought you'd be foolish enough to turn up here, but then, you never were the smart one, were you?"

She clenched her jaw. Every fiber of her being was screaming, begging, to spring into action, but Elissa couldn't make herself move.

"Where is Aedan? I'm quite disappointed he's not here. He should be here to watch you die."