The next day, I ask Neria if we're finally going to the Alienage, and she says yes! We're almost at the gates when we notice guards posted there, turning people away. It's only the two of us and Zevran; the Denerim Alienage doesn't welcome humans, apart from the occasional chantry Sister. Neria bids us wait while she goes to speak to the guards. It looks like they're arguing, but I can't hear them over the general noise of the market district.

Neria returns, looking paler than usual. "We can't go today," she says firmly.

"What? Why not? We're elves, why can't we?"

"They're not letting anyone in or out at the moment, but they will soon."

"Why? What happened?"

Neria looks at me tiredly. She looks a lot older than seventeen, in moments like this. "Please don't ask me to explain. Some things have happened, and for now we can't go in. We'll keep trying though, at least until we move on," she assures me. Until we move on? How could she think of leaving Denerim without seeing them? I know her mission is important and all, but still… Neria sees my face fall, and she automatically envelops me in a hug. "We'll see our family soon, I promise," she insists.

'Soon' is a very vague time-frame, however, and it stretches out for at least the next couple of weeks while Neria and everyone else tries to track down Brother Genitivi, who's apparently moved house several times since Bann Teagan last wrote down his address. Every day, I go to the Alienage gates, to see how close I can get before the guards notice me and shoo me away.

Today is no different, until Leliana arrives to summon me. "We found him!" she announces victoriously.

Neria knocks at the door, but no one answers. She tries the handle, and the door is unlocked, so we go in anyway, hoping that we haven't just found another previous address of Genitivi's. A man looks up, surprised, when we walk into the main room.

"Yes? What are you doing here?" He asks impatiently.

"We're looking for Brother Genitivi," Neria explains. "Are you him?"

"Me? No. I am his assistant, Weylon," the man answers shortly.

"I am Neria, of the Grey Wardens. Pleased to meet—"

"Why are you looking for Genitivi?" Weylon interrupts.

"We've…heard, about his search for the Urn of Sacred Ashes," Neria answers carefully.

"He was on the trail of the Urn of Sacred Ashes, yes. Whether he found it… the Maker only knows. I haven't seen him in weeks. He's sent no word, which is unlike him. I am afraid something has happened. His research into the Urn may have led him into danger," Weylon confesses. Despite his words, he doesn't actually sound afraid, or even bothered.

"What do you think he discovered?" Neria presses.

"I don't know. He was very excited when he left. Said he would be back with all the answers," he says irritably. "Perhaps the Urn has been lost for a reason. I pray for Genitivi's safety, but hope dwindles with each passing day." Sounds like hope dwindled longer ago than that. "I tried to send help, but some knights came from Redcliffe looking for him not long ago. I sent them after Genitivi and they too have disappeared."

"Where did you—?"

"No, don't ask me where they went. You'll go after them, and what if ill-luck should befall you, too? Hm? This search is a curse, on all of us. Some things are not meant to be found. I know that now," Weylon rambles, pacing back and forth.

Neria sighs. "I'm willing to risk it. Tell me where he went."

Weylon pauses, fidgeting with his sleeve. "…So be it. All he said before he left was that he would be staying at an inn near Lake Calenhad, investigating something in that area."

"What exactly was he investigating?"

"I. Don't. Know. All I discovered from going through his research was that he was staying at the inn."

Neria hesitates. "But… you just said that he spoke to you and told you that."

Weylon immediately backtracks. "Y-Yes, of course he told me, but I also went through his things to see if I could find other clues to his whereabouts."

Neria smiles sweetly at him. She's scary, sometimes. "You sound nervous. Hiding something?" she asks lightly.

Weylon is falling apart at the seams. "That's n-not true. I told you everything I know. Brother Genitivi told us—t-told me about the inn and that's all!"

"Us? Who's 'us'?"

"Us? I mean me. T-there is no us…" Suddenly something in him snaps. "Bah! Why do I keep up this charade? I gave you a chance to turn aside and forget you ever heard of Genitivi and the Urn… but you persisted!" Suddenly he picks up a knife and swings at Neria, who steps back out of the way just as Zevran moves in front of her with his own daggers. There's the unmistakeable sound of a blade piercing flesh, and Weylon collapses.

"That's a shame," Zevran says nonchalantly.

"Is he… dead?" I whisper, shocked. Zevran leans close to Weylon, then stands up. "He's not breathing, so…yes, he is dead."

Neria steps carefully around Weylon's body. "Let's look around, see if we can find anything that could help."

Leliana finds Genitivi's notebook on his desk, saying he was heading to a practically unknown village called Haven, along with a map of Ferelden marking where the village should be, according to his research.

"We'll set off at first light tomorrow, then," Neria announces. She notices my disappointment and wraps an arm around me.

"We'll be back in Denerim soon, I'm sure. We'll go to the Alienage then," she consoles me.

Soon.