It was three days by horse from Halamshiral to the Emerald Graves, but it was the best lead 'Manehn had heard in weeks. Though an elf ruled the Dales for the first time since their Empire had fallen, the Dalish who wandered these areas still did not stay long enough for her to encounter them.

And she had tried to encounter another clan for weeks.

So when she received a missive from Briala that a Dalish camp had been sighted near Din'an Hanin, she left within hours, leaving behind both of her prosthetics, most of her usual travel gear, and a hastily scribbled letter explaining where she was headed and when she planned to return.

Now, after five days of travel and no sign of any clan within the Emerald Graves after extensive tracking, she was on the verge of turning back.

As she passed the ruins of Din'an Hanin on the way back towards Halamshiral, she slowed her hart and dismounted. It was a small clearing, surrounded by trees, sunlight streaming through the branches and bouncing off the white brick walls. It had been years since she had last visited this place, where they discovered the truth of Red Crossing. She approached a small pillar, one that had been broken by a Venatori brute's war hammer. A knot began to twist in her throat, and she started to turn away from the sight of shattered artifacts.

She heard a rustle of a branch and whirled around, her dagger already drawn. In the sunlight, she saw the glint of five arrowheads pointed at her chest, and five pairs of sharp and suspicious eyes hidden between the branches.

"Aneth ara" she said, her voice ringing with false confidence. "I was looking for your clan. Can you take me to your Keeper?"

After a short pause and familiar murmuring, five bowstrings loosened and five Dalish elves clamored around their sister in greetings. 'Manehn sighed in relief. Their faces were painted too, but the smiles were always genuine.

"Aneth ara, da'len," the youngest spoke among them, his face freshly marked with Dirthamen's vallaslin. "I apologize, these woods have become dangerous, with the shemlen and flat-ears sending hunting parties into these woods." He looked at the others, nodding in approval. "We could not take chances."

"It is no trouble, lethallin," she corrected him. "I was actually looking for your clan. May I speak with your Keeper?"

His eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he did not push the matter.

"Keeper Eshna? Yes of course, we'll take you to her right away."

The camp they led 'Manehn to was far larger than even she expected, and bustling with activity. Children scampered around the still-packed aravels while the hearthmistress sang a blessing for Sylaise. Hunters gathered around the fire, sharpening sticks for arrows while gently prodding each other with pointed fingers and deprecating jokes. Seared ram bubbled on top of a crackling fire, and the cooks were bickering about how best to seal the juices in the meat and when to add the herbs.

These were the sounds 'Manehn missed most, and she took them in and clung tightly. She closed her eyes, struggling to remember the faces of her clan, but, like her clan, the memories were gone, faded into nothing.

A voice finally shook her from her daydream. "I'm sorry, lethallan, do you mind if I ask you a few questions while we wait for the Keeper?"

She opened her eyes and saw the hunter from before peering at her.

"If you wish."

He offered that she sit, and she obliged. He took a seat next to her. "I hope I'm not too much of a bother, I've always wanted to get a chance to speak with a flat ear…"

"No, I'm not a – I was born to the Dalish."

He looked back at the fire to reconsider, "Then I am curious why Clan Lavellan sent someone so young to us."

"Don't let my lack of vallaslin fool you, lethallin," 'Manehn muttered, "I'm definitely not that young."

"Of course, I assume your…" he motioned at the empty sleeve where her left arm once was "…condition makes the tasks you must undertake for adulthood impossible."

"It is a minor limitation, not a complete prohibition," she snapped, "and I have been a hunter for quite some time."

The young hunter jumped at her biting remark, "I shouldn't have implied – Ir abelas. Bel abelas. Na lasa enas'athim?"

"Ar lasa ghilan," she replied. "Ma serannas."

"I just have never seen a Dalish elf born of the people without their vallaslin unless they were very young or were flat-ears." He continued. He stroked his cheek where the lines of his vallaslin trailed towards his chin. "I got my vallaslin last week. It didn't hurt as much as I thought – It helps if you remember our oath and remember the Creators."

He flashed a small smile. "It was the best day of my life. The swelling didn't go down for a week, but I'm an adult now, serving the clan, protecting them, helping our people."

'Manehn stared at the eager young hunter, beaming with pride. She remembered the first time she received her vallaslin. She remembered her father's eyes, alight with pride and love for his now-grown daughter. She remembered her mother's small smile of approval, rarely granted and hard-earned.

And she had thrown them away. And everything they meant to her.

"You have every right to be proud," she told him. "Treasure them and everything they represent."

He bowed his head in gratitude. "Ma serannas, lethallan. You have been too kind, in spite of my ignorant remarks." They both looked over towards the hearth and saw the Keeper approaching, led by two of the hunters. Her milky eyes searched for their voices.

"Da'enasal? Are you talking our guest's ears off?" she teased, "that's Hahren's job, you're still apprenticing."

The hunter sprung up instantly and lowered his gaze. "Ir abelas, Keeper."

"I was just teasing, da'len," she chuckled, reaching out for his shoulder with frail arms. She found it and clasped his shoulder, giving it a warm, small squeeze. "I hope you made our guest feel welcomed."

"He did," 'Manehn stood and bowed her head. "Aneth ara, Keeper Eshna. I appreciate your welcome and hospitality."

"Now hold on just a moment!" she said, putting her hands on her hips. "That voice….sounds really familiar. What is your clan, da'len?"

"Clan Lavellan."

The young hunters began to scrutinize her at the mention of her clan name, but they said nothing.

"Do you mind if I take a look at you?" she placed her gnarled hands on 'Manehn's face, smoothing her skin over with her thumbs. A small spark of familiarity ignited in the woman's eyes and her thin lips widened into a wicked grin. "Is this Deshanna's girl?" she asked. "Sounds like her, though you don't look a damn thing like her, except for that big nose."

"You knew my mother?" 'Manehn asked.

"Knew her?" she said, cackling with delight, "Deshanna was the snarkiest son-of-a-bitch for a Second I ever had the pleasure of meeting! And a good friend, too. I saw her last not too long after you were born, right after she became Keeper herself. You could barely pull a bowstring, but you already had a mouth."

"Now if you'll do me a favor and let me have your arm, I'll need you to lead me to my aravel so we can talk about what brings you here."

"I hope you've made yourself comfortable," Keeper Eshna said as 'Manehn situated herself. "Didn't think the Inquisitor was gonna make a surprise appearance to any Dalish clan, frankly."

'Manehn's eyes widened. She fumbled for a response, "this isn't exactly Inquisitor business-related. And how do you know I'm Inquisitor?"

"Well, you were a Dalish elf is leading some an army of shemlen against some darkspawn magister asshole tearing up the place, so you tended to stick out a bit. Not enough for the rest of the clan to recognize you, but the last message I received from Deshanna told me what happened to you. Never thought I'd see her lose it till I got that message, let me tell you…."

The Keeper reached for a small kettle filled with water and sweet-smelling herbs. "Didn't hear too much from her – then I heard about Wycome." 'Manehn lowered her head, straining to stop the tears that lingered at the edges.

"Ir abelas, da'len," the Keeper said, after a short pause. "It probably means little after so many years, but there it is."

'Manehn cleared her throat, "It means more that you guessed."

"But after that Council business, I heard a lot more about you. Heard you tore up your own Inquisition, told all those shemlen nobles where they could shove their shit while doing it, and I heard you were headed this way." She placed her hands, glowing with fire magic, against the kettle, making the water come to a rolling boil.

"So you know about So – Fen'harel? What we uncovered at the Council?"

"I've heard the rumors, but only you have the truth. Whatever he decided to tell you as truth, that is." She placed the kettle between them and steepled her fingers. "Two of our hunters and our Second, Tamriel, disappeared a few weeks ago. Then I heard all about this Council and Fen'harel walking among us…well, anyway, I've sent out hunters to look for them, but when I heard the warning about 'agents of Fen'harel'…"

'Manehn looked away. "It's true. His agents infiltrated the Inquisition, and many elves, Dalish and city, disappeared after we uncovered him and his plans. Some of the nobles have organized, consulting with us…"

"And the other rumors?"

She kept her head down. "Which ones?"

"Oh c'mon, I'm an old woman, you don't have to be coy about it," she cackled, attempting to add levity to a heavy mood. "It's the one that has half the Keepers screaming about how you're a traitor, an enemy of the People, and would get your ass chased out of every clan you tried to come near."

Her face began to burn with shame, but she glared directly into the Keeper's eyes, lips quivering with rage. "Yes, it's true," her voice began to quake, "But I am not a traitor, I never abandoned the People, and I will stop him." The Keeper said nothing. She reached for two small cups, and poured the now fragrant and green-tinged tea into them. She offered a cup and 'Manehn took it into her shaking hands. The cup was near scalding, and the burning sensation prickled at her palms, but she clutched it tighter.

The Keeper took a sip of her tea and placed the cup beside her. "Now, I'm not going to pretend I understand what happened and frankly, I don't like it." She paused, clearing her throat to tamp down her anger. "But you're one of us, and as much a savior to us as the shemlen. The Breach wouldn't have spared us."

"And neither will Fen'harel, it seems." 'Manehn whispered, a stray thought accidently given voice.

"No shit!" the Keeper snorted. "He never cared about the People. Did you already forget the story of the Betrayal? Hahrens never shut up about it, it's part of the job, I doubt you never heard it."

"He said…"

"Da'len…" the hard wrinkles around her irises softened into a maternal gaze, "he told you his side of the story to an event only he was alive to see. He can say whatever the hell he wants, but as far as I am concerned, we're right. He betrayed us and destroyed our empire. And he will destroy what remains of us if he succeeds."

'Manehn nodded.

"He's not a man to pity, he's a god to fear."

For a while, both were silent, both trying to process what had been spoken between them. Keeper Eshna went first, "Now, I get the feeling that you didn't come here just to incriminate yourself and state the obvious."

'Manehn took a sip of tea and swallowed hard, the cup still tight in her hands and her palms numb with pain.

"I wanted to ask, if you would grant this, to allow me to undergo the rituals and receive the vallaslin."