By dusk, the court healer had come to treat Varrian's wounds and Gale was exhausted. Samuel stayed with her, trying to lend her the same comfort and support that she had given him when he thought he had lost Elias at Haven. When the healer asked for some fresh water, Gale went to the local well to fetch more and Samuel followed after her to keep an eye on her.

"Gale, it'll be OK."

Gale didn't know what to say to him. She didn't know what to say to anyone, really. She just wanted to focus on getting her father better so that they could rebuild the bakery.

Samuel watched as she absentmindedly drew water from the well, but a scent caught his nose and he looked back towards the way they had come.

Gale had caught the scent as well, like that of something burning, and she dropped the bucket before turning and running back to the bakery as the smoke started to rise into the darkening sky.

"Gale, wait!"

Gale ignored him and just ran, stopping only briefly in shock as the sky filled with smoke and raging flames. "Da, no...!" She made to run inside and find her father and the healer, but Samuel pulled her back.

"Stop!"

"I have to find them!"

Samuel wrapped his arms tightly around Gale as she struggled to free herself from his grasp. "Dying in that fire isn't going to help them any! Think for a second, Gale!"

Gale brought her foot down on his and broke free, rushing inside. "Da!" She called over and over, but no answer came. She found her sword and starting using it to hack away at the fallen wood, trying to cut her way through.

The smoke was growing thicker, the flames growing larger and hotter. The bakery was now fully engulfed in the fire and Gale was trapped inside with her father and the healer. Outside, Samuel watched helplessly as his only way into the bakery had been cut off by falling rubble and coming from the town square were dozens of citizens bringing water and other things to try and snuff out the fire. He saw Alistair and several guards joining them as well.

"Samuel!"

"Alistair, she ran inside!"

"That idiot!"

More of the building was collapsing and they watched as it began to crumble in on itself, thinking the worst until one of the guards ran up with news of Inquisition agents carrying out a few bodies. Samuel and Alistair ran after the guard as he led them to the agents and watched as some of Leliana's scouts lay down the bodies of Varrian, Gale, and the healer.

"Gale!"

Samuel knelt beside her, checking her pulse.

"Is she...?" Alistair began, almost too afraid for the answer he knew might come.

"She's alive..." Samuel replied, sighing in relief.

"Thank the Maker!" Alistair looked at the healer and Varrian, then up at the scout approaching him. "What of them?"

The scout shook her head. "I am sorry, but they did not make it."

"Damn..."

"Sire, you should know, the healer's throat was slashed when we found them amongst the rubble. Someone set this fire deliberately."

"And what of Varrian?"

"He must have succumbed to his wounds when the smoke had filled the room."

"Sire, news for you!"

Alistair followed the scout as she led the way to where some of the guards were waiting. "What's the meaning of this?"

"We caught them trying to flee the city."

"Why would you need to flee the city, I wonder?"

"They're from the Kennedy estate, some of Jerrick's personnel."

Alistair knew what that meant. "You were the ones who set the fire?"

The men refused to answer, but the scouts had found a few others who had been trying to hide out and brought them forth to answer the king's questions.

"My father is dead... because of you..."

Alistair looked behind him as an ash covered Gale came up. "Gale, don't do anything reckless."

"You shems are all the same..." she said, venom in her words and tears staining her face. "You treat elves like we are less than dirt even though we've proven time and time again that we're just as good as the lot of you, that we're just as capable and worthy of respect as you."

"Serah, are you certain this is how you wish to proceed?" one of the scouts asked, looking at her worriedly.

Gale nodded. "Do it."

"Gale, don't do this..." Samuel warned, looking at her. "This isn't you."

Gale barely glanced at him. "Don't speak as if you know me, Samuel Trevelyan. They must pay for their crimes."

"And they will." Alistair said, sensing a rising darkness in her that he had once felt when he and the Hero of Ferelden had gone to the Landsmeet years ago and faced Loghain. "But we must handle this properly."

Gale scoffed at that. "If you had been able to 'handle this properly', sire, my father would still be alive." She began to turn away, only stopping to look at the highest ranked amongst the scouts. "Give them to the palace guards and see to it that they make it to the dungeons in one piece. The king can deal with the rest."

Nodding, the scouts did as instructed while a few remained behind to help prepare the healer and Varrian's bodies for burial. Samuel watched as Gale stood alone in front of the smoldering ruins, an eerie and tepid calm about her.

'Gale...'

Dusk had turned to night as the bakery burned and by morning, the ruins of Gale's home was reduced to nothing but ash and rubble. Gale walked through the charred wood and stone, searching for anything that may have been spared by the flames. The only thing that was left untouched was the pendant that her father had kept from when her mother had died years ago. Seeing the silver pendant glinting in the hazy light, Gale stooped to claim it and wiped clear the ash.

Samuel had stayed near Gale the entire time, giving her space and waiting patiently. He watched her moved aimlessly through the ruins and when he found her struggling to push something aside, he made to go and assist her.

"It was my mother's." Gale said when Samuel joined her, looking down at the pendant.

Samuel gazed at the silver trinket, seeing a badger upon the pendant's face and a filigree vine border encircling it. "A badger?"

"It's my family's crest. The badger represents strong will, persistence, and confidence among other things. Da used to tell me that Mum and Grandad were some of the most strong willed people he had ever met and if it weren't for them, he never would have survived after coming to Denerim."

"A trait that definitely passed onto you." Samuel said, smiling a bit at that.

Gale managed a tiny smile when he said that, but it faded almost instantly as she looked around at the ruins of her home. "Whole lotta good that did us, though... "

Samuel stepped closer and put a hand on her shoulder. "You're alive and that's what matters. You can uphold the memories of your family so long as your heart still beats."

Gale sighed, looking back down at the pendant. "What do I do now though?"

"What do you want to do?"

Gale glanced up at him. "I want to go back to the Inquisition..." she said after thinking a moment.

Samuel nodded. "We can leave as soon as you're ready, but don't feel like you have to rush things. Take the time that you need."

Gale nodded. "Thank you, Samuel..."

Samuel was unsure if she would even accept, but he opened his arms and offered her a hug. Surprised, he wrapped his arms around her when she accepted his offer and leaned into his chest. "Any time."

Within the next few days, the Kennedys were put to trial and executed for their crimes. Gale stood, dour and silent, with Alistair and Samuel as the people responsible for her father's death were hung. Samuel stayed close, grasping her hand like she had done for him when Haven fell, and tried to provide what comfort he could. But unlike when Haven fell and Elias had survived, Varrian had perished and succumbed to his wounds- leaving a grieving daughter behind.

Once the execution was finished, Alistair offered his condolences to Gale and paid his respects to her father before seeing her and Samuel off as they took to the road and headed back to Skyhold.

Gale remained taciturn for much of the return journey, but Samuel couldn't blame her for that. She had done everything she could to help her father, even returning home to try and save their bakery, but it all crashed and burned and her father was killed. He just gave her the space she needed and made sure that she was eating and sleeping. She never wanted to talk, but she would remain close to him as if taking comfort in his presence and she never fought him on eating or drinking or sleeping.

They took their time travelling the Imperial Highway, stopping briefly in Redcliffe when they reached the village to resupply. They continued on their way, with five days left to their journey, but little did they know that something dark was awaiting them as they drew nearer and nearer to the river that ran passed Winterborne.