Morrigan's mother looked over as she exited the hut. "See? Here is your fellow Grey Warden. You worry too much, young man."

Elissa watched Alistair turn around. "You… you're alive! I thought you were dead for sure." He said.

Elissa couldn't help herself. She ran and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him as tightly as she could. "Oh, thank the Maker you are safe!" she said, tears in her eyes. "When Morrigan said the Wardens had perished, I feared I had lost you!"

Alistair wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in closer. He had been so fearful that she was dead, too, and felt his chest aching at the sight of her. He breathed in her scent and found that she smelled of cherry blossoms and jasmine. It was comforting and when they pulled away from the embrace, Alistair reached up and wiped away the tears that had escaped her eyes.

"I am so glad to see you safe, Elissa. I feared the worst…" he said, searching her eyes.

"Were you afraid you were going to be left alone?" Elissa asked, her hands still on his chest.

Alistair's face fell, grief written all over and he stepped back. "Duncan is dead. The Grey Wardens, even the king… they're all dead."

Elissa put a hand to his cheek and said, "Alistair, we survived together. We are safe, now. You aren't going to be alone, not while I'm here."

Alistair looked at her. He searched her eyes, as if looking for answers that only she would have. "This doesn't seem real. If it weren't for Morrigan's mother, we'd be dead on top that tower."

"Do not talk about me as if I am not present, lad." She warned.

"I didn't mean… but what do we call you? You never told us your name." Alistair said, looking at Morrigan's mother.

"Names are pretty, but useless. The Chasind folk call me Flemeth. I suppose it will do." She replied.

"The Flemeth from the legends?" Alistair said, gaping at her. "Daveth was right—you're the Witch of the Wilds, aren't you?"

"And what does that mean? I know a bit of magik, and it has served you both well, has it not?" Flemeth retorted.

"I suppose we should thank you, then, for saving our lives. Morrigan told me you healed us." Elissa said.

"If you know what is good for you, I suppose you should!" Flemeth replied.

"Forgive us, Flemeth, we mean no disrespect. We are still reeling from the news of our comrades' fall. We are truly grateful to you and Morrigan for saving us. We owe you our lives." Elissa said. "We need to stop this Blight somehow, however, and we don't know what we should do."

Alistair looked at her. "We need to bring Loghain to judgment!" he said. "Why would he do this?"

Elissa put a hand on his arm, trying to comfort or at least calm him. "Alistair, Loghain will pay for this, I assure you, but we need to worry about the Blight right now. Because he betrayed Cailan and Duncan, Loghain has allowed the darkspawn to spread and we have to stop it. Why he would do this, I do not know."

"Now that is a good question. Men's hearts hold shadows darker than any tainted creature." Flemeth said. "Perhaps he believes the Blight is an army he can outmaneuver. Perhaps he does not see that the evil behind it is the true threat."

Alistair looked from her to Elissa. "The archdemon."

"Then we need to find this archdemon." Elissa said.

Alistair looked at her incredulously. "By ourselves? No Grey Warden has ever defeated a Blight without the army of a half-dozen nations at his back. Not to mention, I don't know how."

"How to kill the archdemon, or how to raise an army?" Flemeth asked. "It seems to me, those are two different questions, hmm?"

Elissa looked at Alistair. "We can do this, Alistair. We're the only ones who can now. We have to try, otherwise the Blight will spread. I know in my heart that this is a true Blight and it's our duty to prevent it from spreading. If we find the archdemon, we kill it. It is a living and breathing creature- even one so foul- and it can be killed."

"Have the Wardens no allies these days?" Flemeth asked.

"I… I don't know. Duncan said that the Grey Wardens of Orlais had been called. And Arl Eamon would never stand for this, surely."

"Perhaps we go to him, then." Elissa said.

"I suppose… Arl Eamon wasn't at Ostagar; he still has all his men. And he was Cailan's uncle." Alistair said, looking at her with desperation. "I know him. He's a good man, respected in the Landsmeet." Then a thought occurred to him. "Of course! We could go to Redcliffe and appeal to him for help!"

Elissa nodded. "Surely there are other allies we could call on, as well."

Alistair smacked himself on the forehead. "Of course! The treaties! Grey Wardens can demand aid from dwarves, elves, mages, and other places! They're obligated to help us during a Blight!"

"I may be old, but dwarves, elves, mages, this arl Eamon, and who knows what else… this sounds like an army to me." Flemeth pointed out.

Alistair looked at Elissa. "So can we do this? Go to Redcliffe and these other places and…. Build an army?"

Elissa managed a smiled. "Why not? Isn't that what Grey Wardens do?"

Alistair smiled at that. "It is, isn't it?"

"It's worth a try at the very least, right? Duncan did say that Grey Wardens do must they must for victory." Elissa added.

Alistair nodded as Flemeth asked, "So you are set, then? Ready to be Grey Wardens?"

Elissa nodded. "Yes, we are. As ready as we'll ever be. Thank you for everything, Flemeth."

Flemeth smiled wearily and shook her head. "No, no, thank you. You are the Grey Wardens here, not I. Now… before you go, there is yet one more thing I can offer you." She said, turning to look at Morrigan as she came outside.

"The stew is bubbling, Mother dear. Shall we have two guests for the eve or none?" Morrigan asked.

"The Grey Wardens are leaving shortly, girl. And you will be joining them." Flemeth said, looking at her.

Morrigan seemed delighted for a moment. "Such a shame—" and then realizing what her mother just said, she added, "What?"

"You heard me girl. The last time I looked, you had ears!" Flemeth said as she started to laugh.

"Thank you, but if Morrigan doesn't wish to join us…" Elissa started.

"Her magik will be useful. Even better, she knows the Wilds and how to get past the horde." Flemeth said.

"Have I no say in this?" Morrigan retorted.

"You have been itching to get out of the Wilds for years. Here is your chance." Flemeth told her, then looking at Elissa and Alistair, she said, "As for you, Wardens, consider this repayment for your lives."

Elissa smiled and nodded, bowing her head in respect for the mage. "Very well, we'll take her with us."

"Not to… look a gift horse in the mouth," Alistair started, "but won't this add to our problems? Out of the Wilds, she's an apostate."

"If you do not wish help from us illegal mages, young man, perhaps I should have left you on that tower." Flemeth said, a serious yet somehow playful look in her eyes.

"Point taken." Alistair replied.

Morrigan looked at her mother. "Mother… this is not how I wanted this. I am not even ready—"

"You must be ready." Flemeth said. "Alone, these two must unite Ferelden against the darkspawn. They need you, Morrigan. Without you, they will surely fail, and all will perish under the Blight. Even I."

Morrigan sighed in defeat. "I… understand."

Flemeth smiled at her daughter, then looked back to Elissa and Alistair. "And you, Wardens? Do you understand? I give you that which I value above all in this world. I do this because you must succeed."

Elissa nodded. "She won't come to harm with us. I promise you that."

Flemeth nodded as Morrigan turned towards the hut, saying, "Allow me to get my things, if you please."

Elissa and Alistair waited for Morrigan to rejoin them, and when she did, she said, "I am at your disposal, Grey wardens. I suggest a village north of the Wilds as our first destination. 'Tis not far and you will find much you need there. Or if you prefer, I shall simply be your silent guide. The choice is yours."

Elissa shook her head. "I'd prefer if you speak your mind, Morrigan. You are a part of this company now, therefore your opinion matters as much as mine or Alistair's."

Flemeth laughed at that. "You may soon find you'll regret saying that."

Elissa smiled, then looked at Morrigan. "Actually, I do have some questions before we leave."

"I may have answers. Ask." Morrigan said.

"Tell me about this village to the north." Elissa said, curious about it.

"'Tis a small place of little consequence called Lothering. No more than a stop along your Imperial Highway where travelers purchase goods from local farms and smiths. I would go more often were it not for the town's chantry. It makes the village particularly intolerant and unpleasant for a stranger such as me." Morrigan explained.

"A chanty? And they never, in all this time, thought that maybe you were a witch?" Alistair asked.

"Alistair!" Elissa said, irritated with him.

He shrugged as Morrigan replied, "Of course they have. They even called out their Templars once. They found nothing."

Elissa shot another glare at Alistair before she asked, "What skills do you have, exactly?"

"I know a few spells, though I am nowhere near as powerful as Mother. I have also studied history. And your Grey warden treaties." She said.

"Can you cook?" Alistair asked.

"I… can cook, yes." Morrigan replied, unsure of how to answer that question.

Elissa looked at Alistair and again he shrugged. "Never mind him, Morrigan. You don't have to cook, if you do not want to."

"You missed you chance." Alistair said, laughing. "Now it's charred rabbit from here on out."

Elissa rolled her eyes. "My Nan taught me a few things about cooking. I can pitch in to cook and make sure that you don't char the rabbit. Fair enough?"

Alistair smiled and nodded. "Sure, so long as I get out of cooking." His grin got bigger as Elissa pushed his shoulder in annoyance.

"To get back to the matter, how are we going to get past the darkspawn?" Elissa asked.

"The real question is how are we going to get your friend past the darkspawn, is it not?" Morrigan replied.

"That's true." Alistair said. "We can sense the darkspawn. Conversely, they can sense us."

"I don't sense any darkspawn." Elissa said, confused.

"You won't right away, no. It takes time." Alistair explained. "We should be able to sneak past smaller groups, but larger ones or particularly intelligent darkspawn will always detect us."

"Mother has given me something else for them to "smell" instead as we pass by. 'Tis important we head out of the Wilds, however, not further in." Morrigan added.

"The darkspawn are camped farther in the forest?" Elissa asked. She felt like a child, asking all these questions, but she needed to learn as she much as she could now that the other Wardens were dead.

"They come from underground, like an eruption. They broke through deep within the forest and that is where they will be most concentrated." Morrigan said.

Elissa nodded. "Ok. Well, thank you, Morrigan. I think that is all I have to ask for now. Shall we get underway?"

Morrigan nodded and turned towards her mother. "Farewell, Mother. Do not forget the stew on the fire. I would hate to return to a burned-down hut."

Flemeth scoffed at that. "Bah. 'Tis far more likely you will return to see this entire area, along with my hut, swallowed up by the Blight."

Morrigan was taken aback as she said, "I… all I meant was…"

Flemeth's face softened at her daughter's worry. "Yes, I know. Do try to have fun, dear."

Morrigan nodded and led Elissa and Alistair back in the Wilds and along the path to take them out of the forest and on towards Lothering.