As they were wandering back towards the Keep, Sigrun was taking in the fresh air and was even smelling a tree.

"Mmm… tress smell good," she said blissfully. She then began sniffing anything she came across. "Grass smells good, too. And flowers, of course. The surfaces for of such wonderful smells. In the Deep Roads, all you smell is moist rock or dry earth. And darkspawn. There's a smell I won't miss."

He chuckled slightly. "You won't have to do. We smell them all the time."

"Unfortunately," she muttered. "The only thing worse than is the smell of darkspawn is the smell of broodmothers. Now there's a foulness that cannot be described." She then looked back at the trees. "But trees… tress smell good."

A few hours later they reached the fortress and at once he approached Varel.

"We've got ourselves a new recruit," he said.

"Then I'll start the preparations," said Varel.

A few moments later, they were standing in front of Sigrun and Varel handed her the goblet.

"For this moment fourth, Sigrun, you are a Grey Warden," said Varel.

"Then let it be," she said as she drank.

Varel took the goblet away from her and they watched. Seconds later, she collapsed and Varel quickly examined her.

"You chose her well, Commander," he nodded. "She will wake shortly."

"Make sure someone takes us to a room," said Faren. He then remembered about Sir Timothy and his promise to make it up to him for not letting him keep the bridge. It was entirely possible that the assembly will take steps to re-conquer Kal'Hirol and ifs they are successful that would open new trade routes. "Oh, and inform Sir Timothy that I might have a new possible trading route for him."

Varel ordered. "At once, Commader."

After making sure Sigrun was nice and comfortable in a bed, he went down to Herren and Wade. He handed over all the metals he found and they informed him that they can make the best armour for his soldiers. Though reluctant, Wade began to forge new armour and weapons for the soldiers in the keep.

He then returned to see how Sigrun was doing and discover that she will was up and about looking quite excited. Once she saw him she practically ran up to him.

"It's much easier fighting darkspawn on the surface," she said excitedly. "On a clear day, you can see leagues. I once heard a contraption known as a… hmm, a spyglass. I think it is called? My friend Varlan says they let you see distant enemies as though they were right beside you. Is that true? It sounds like magic."

Faren chuckled and rummaged through his things. "I have a spyglass right here."

Sigrun eagerly snatched it. "Oh! Oh, it's exactly as Varlan described? But shinier!" She then looked up at him slightly nervous. "May I… keep it? I know I shouldn't. We're not supposed to have belongings in the Legion."

"Well, Grey Wardens are allowed to have things."

"As you say, Commander. Thank you!"

He met up with Anders in the mess and judging by the way he was standing, he had been waiting for him for quite some time.

"May I point out that you're all right?" he said.

Faren shrugged. "Go ahead."

"You're all right," he then looked at him seriously. "Really, when the Templars came for me, you could have decided I wasn't worth the trouble. But I apparently worth the trouble. Considering I'm usually a lot of trouble, I should be grateful."

Faren crossed his arms. "Oh, you're not so much trouble."

Anders smiled. "When you recruited me, I thought I was jumping from the frying pan into the fire. But being a Warden is almost tolerable. It's a pleasant stroll through the park—with darkspawn!"

"So glad I could make it happen for you."

"Your giver. I'm very grateful. I thought it was worth mentioning. Thank you, Commander. For everything."

He decided to meet up with Velanna and discover the means of her exile.

"Are you at all curious about my exile?" she asked as he wandered over towards.

Faren frowned. "Yes, very."

"The humans near where you met me were trying to drive my clan away. For a while, we resisted. Then they tried to burn us out. They would have destroyed the entire forest just to keep us from their farms," she said bitterly. "The others were afraid. Keeper Ilshae said that if I wanted to fight the shemlens, I should fight them alone."

Faren sighed. "And you left, even though it hurt you?"

"I think Ilshae expected me—wanted me—to back down, but I was to pride and too angry. Thus I called Ilshae a coward, and I turned away from the clan."

"Did others follow you?"

"Seranni only fold me in the hopes of changing my mind. A few others wanted what I wanted, and left with us. They are dead now."

Faren nodded. "Wolf, once said that hatred has a great way of hurting those you're sworn to protect. It happens with Zathrian and Loghain, great leaders who let their hatred get the best of them and others suffered because of it."

Velanna turned away from him. "Come, there is no point in dwelling on the past when there is work to be done."

He was wandering through the library and then found Sigrun looking at all the books on the shelves and looked at him.

"Wow. I've never seen so many books in my life," she said.

"They're all at your disposal," said Faren.

Sigrun happily grabbed one. "This one is a Nevarran romance—pretty spicy, too, from the looks of it." She began to read through the pages and frowned. "What's an Antivan milk sandwich?" She continued reading and then suddenly her face turned pink. "Oh. Oh, I see. I'll just… put that back."

She then turned and looked at him. "I've only read one book. My friend Varlan taught me while we were in the Legion. He only had the one. He's dead now."

Faren crossed his arms and leaned against the bookcase. "Tell me about him."

"He was a noble, once. From House Vollney. I don't know why he ended up in the Legion. He wouldn't say." She then closed her eyes. "I saw death take my friends, knowing it would take him as well. I fought hard to keep us both alive. Varlan embraced the Legion's philosophy—that we were already dead. I couldn't let him go like that."

Faren closed his eyes and nodded. "Sounds like Varlan got what he wanted."

Sigrun smiled. "That's a nice way to think about it. Blow off the dust to find the veins of silver, huh?" She sighed and looked back at the bookcase. "If I'm going to get through all these books before the darkspawn find me, I need to get started."

He decided to leave her to it.

After handing Justice the lyrium ring he found in Kal'Hirol, Nathaniel his grandfather's bow, Velanna a blank journal and Oghren Gateway pony, he decided to head towards the city with Sigrun, Anders and Oghren to get supplies.

Their first stop was at the farms to help them with the darkspawn, but once they got there they discovered that everyone had been killed. Only thing they could do was avenge their deaths by killing the remaining darkspawn.

Once they reached the city they found the terrifying man, much to Sigrun took great delight, just outside the gates. He returned the talisman to Colbert and Micah, and headed on into the city.

They then enter the city itself and headed straight towards the market and Sigrun looked around with great interest.

"Ooh! Fingers… twitching. So much shiny…"

He smiled at her. "We can buy anything you want."

She laughed. "I know better than to nick any of this. I was just… remembering. Growing up casteless in Dust Town, we took what we could get, when we could get it." She sighed. "But that doesn't excuse what I was—a thief and a lying, rotten duster."

"I know the feeling," said Faren. "Who knows maybe you will become a Paragon after this."

Sigrun laughed. "Me Paragon, I highly doubt it?"

"I said the same thing, but here I am." He then chuckled.

"What?"

"Oh, I just think is ironic, you see I once broke into a noble's estate? And now I'm the law. Strange isn't it?"

"I suppose it is," said Sigrun.

They were walking up the hill when someone bumped into Sigrun. "Oh. Sorry about that, I—" She blinked. "Why you ungrateful, backstabbing duster!"

He started to intercede, then glanced at his companion. She was staring as though she'd seen a ghost. "Sigrun, what's going on?"

"It's in the past. I don't think—"

The other dwarf stuck her jaw out at him. "Name's Mischa. I was a merchant until she ruined me." She was all but snarling. "I had her running errands. Trying to keep one duster out of trouble. I thought I was doing a good deed." She went back to glaring at Sigrun, folding her arms. "Then I hear House Bemot's lost a gold statuette of their Paragon. Next day, it turns up in my shop."

"Sigrun?"

"I… I tried to say no, but Beraht said he'd kill you if I refused! He needed to get rid of it!"

Faren nodded. "I know the feeling."

"Of course another duster would side with you," Mischa grumbled.

"He's not any more he's Paragon Faren," said Sigrun.

"Well that means mean squat up here." Mischa pushed a finger against Sigrun's chest. "House Bemot could have had me executed! You could've spoken up, told them the truth."

"And then Beraht would have killed me."

Faren placed himself between the two women. "Sigrun has paid for her crime."

"I'm in the Legion of the Dead now. I'm going to die in the Deep Roads, Mischa."

Mischa just grunted. "I have to deliver these skins to the tanner. Need to make a living somehow. Out of my way, brands."

Sigrun sighed, and looked at him. "It's in the past. We should move on, Commander."

He found Sigrun moping. It was a very odd expression on her face. She nodded when he approached. "I didn't think I'd ever see Mischa again. After all, she's exiled, and I'm in the Legion." She sighed. "Maybe the ancestors thought it would be funny to see me get yelled at on the street."

"She was too hard on you."

"No, she wasn't. It's all true." She leaned forward on the railing. "Mischa caught me stealing a leg of nug once, and instead of telling the shopkeeper, she… paid for it. She said the casteless turn to crime because we have no options. If she could help one casteless girl…" She rested her chin on the rail. "But I proved that I'm scum, just as they always said."

Faren crossed his arms. "Sigrun, I've been where you've been and I know you had no choice but to follow Beraht's orders and if it makes you feel any better I was the one who killed him."

"It does, but doesn't change what I did."

Faren placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're not the person you used to be." None of them were. Sometimes he marvelled that it was only a year and a half ago that Duncan had taken him under his wing.

"The Legion changes people. Some change for the better, others for the worse, but all of us change. I know now, having lost many friends that friendship isn't something to be squandered." She brightened. "Perhaps I could make amends. Mischa said something about working for a tanner? I could visit, just to talk."

"I think we can look around."

"Thank you."

It took some doing but they found where Mischa was working. They entered together and walked up to Mischa.

"You? Going to get me kicked out of Amaranthine, too?"

Sigrun inhaled, and then squared her shoulders. "I know that n-nothing I say will make things better, so I… want to give you this."

"A ring? What is this, a proposal? You're not my type." Mischa threw the words at Sigrun.

"It… it'll fetch a fair price, even on the surface. T-to help you rebuild your life."

Mischa turned the ring over in her hands. "This looks like the crest of House Vollney. Stole this off a noble, did you?"

Varlan's ring. Probably Sigrun's most prized possession. Faren put a hand on Sigrun's shoulder. "Keep the ring. I'll give Mischa some gold."

"How much are we talking? I reckon this thing's worth at least twenty sovereigns."

It was probably worth about three. But it mattered to Sigrun. "Then take thirty."

Mischa's eyes nearly fell out of her head. She took the coins. "You've a true friend here, Sigrun. Try not to ruin it. And here's your ring—it must be important to you."

"It is. Thank you, Mischa."

"This will… go a long way. I could start another business. You've done right, Sigrun."

Sigrun made a happy grunting noise. She waited until Mischa walked away. "You didn't have to do that, Commander."

"I know business opportunity when I see one? I am Arl, as Varel keeps reminding me."

She shook her head. "Thank you."

They soon returned to the keep and Faren made his way over to Sigrun, who smiled at him as he entered.

"I need to thank you—for letting me join the Grey Wardens, for showing me the surface. But I hope you don't think I've abandoned the Legion."

Faren nodded. "I know you have not abandoned the Legion."

"In Dust Town, as I'm sure you know, my word meant nothing to anyone. Then I joined the Legion and took a vow to protect Orzammar. That's worth something. For once, I'm worth something. And I must honour that… even if it means I'll die."

Faren frowned. "That won't happen for a long time."

Sigrun gave him a sad look. "That's what worries me, Commander." She then took a deep breath and looked straight at him in the eye. "In the Legion, death looms over us constantly, like… like a dirty uncle. Here, death seems distant. When the surface is safe, I'm going back to the Deep Roads. For a Warden's last walk. For the Calling."

Faren's eyes widened. "You can't. It's not your time yet."

"You can't make that choice for me, Commander. Each Warden decides when she is ready, doesn't she? I finally understand what Varlan meant. I never accepted my sentence. Raging against it only caused me pain. Now that I've been granted a reprieve, now that I have a choice, I know what I must do."

Faren closes his eyes. "You've lost friends. I don't want to lose mine."

Sigrun looked taken aback. "I… I'm touched, but I've made up my mind." She then looked at him seriously. "But the darkspawn still threaten the surface, and that is my first concern."

Faren smiled. "We may make you a Paragon out of you yet."

Faren was walking past Oghren's room when he heard him growl. "Sod it."

He stopped and poked his head into his room. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Stubbed my toe. Just one of those days. Actually, it's been one of those weeks." He sighed.

Faren started to keep walking, and then stopped. "Would you like to talk?"

"This isn't going to make you think any less of me, is it?" He grunted. "Ah, who cares. I've just been thinking about Felsi and the nugget. Didn't do right by them, did I?"

"You're not a family man, Oghren. Don't apologise for it."

Oghren nodded. "I'm not Commander. The clay's been shaped and fired, nothing'll change me. I think Felsi knew, even if she never acknowledged it to herself. She knew I could never settle down again. I did once and… well, you know."

"It's done now. You can't go back."

"I know no point in beating myself over what I should have done for her." He sighed. "But the nugget… ah, that's got me all torn up inside, Commander. Little one won't understand."

He shook his head. There was the child to consider and he knew from personal experience what it was like to grow up without a father. "There's no reason you can't be part of your child's life."

"Maybe I could visit once in a while, write some letters. That's the least I could do… as a father. And hey." He chuckled. "The little one will grow up thinking Daddy's a great hero."

"I'll even vouch for you."

"Oh, you… get going before I get misty-eyed. Go on."

"Commander," Wade's voice called out. "Commander!"

He walked over. The smith was smiling broadly. "Wade."

"It's done. My life's work. My greatest creations."

He blinked. He'd almost forgotten the items he'd left with the smith. Wade gestured grandly, and he followed. The golem armour was a work of art. Heavy plate, fitted together perfectly. He'd wager that once adjusted to fit someone, it would be nearly as easy to move in as leather. Pity it was too large for him. Wade claimed it was terrible, and begged him not to tell anyone he'd made it.

The bow was well balanced, and Wade swore it would be as strong as an item crafted of aurum. He'd see what Nathaniel could do with it.

Then Wade handed him the sword. The hilt was unusual, crafted to look like a dragon, yet despite its ornamentation it was functional. And it fit his hand perfectly. Sharp. Flexible. "It's incredible."

They were having dinner and as he ate Nathaniel glanced at Justice. Faren couldn't help it, but to listened to their conversations. "Will you ever need to switch bodies, Justice?"

"I did not even wish to possess this one. Why would I switch to another?"

Kristoff's had been dead for days before the spirit had inhabited it. "You might need to. Unless you wish to look even more obviously like a corpse."

"I… would prefer not to think of it."

They had started back towards the Vigil when Justice spoke again. "This… thing you spoke of. Switching bodies."

"Not a favourite topic of yours, I take it?"

"Would such a thing be permitted? Would it not be considered… abominable?"

"If they're dead, it's not as if they need the body, Justice."

"But I can still feel the man who once lived. I know his life, his…" Justice shook his head. "It is not just a body."

"That's… good, isn't it?" Respect, rather than just a feeling of entitlement. He thought that sounded like the difference between a spirit and a demon. "I'd rather you felt that way."

"Perhaps you are right."

"What if you found a living body to possess?"

Justice stared at him. "Even if I knew how, I would not possess the living. Such is an act for demons."

"What if the person were willing?" Faren now wished more than ever that he wasn't listening.

"Why would a mortal ever allow such a thing?"

"For life. For love. Perhaps together, you can do what they cannot do alone. If you gave instead of taking, I would consider you no demon."

"It is… something to consider. Thank you, Nathaniel."

Faren then decided that was the best time to leave and left with his food half finished.

Nathaniel approached the Commander, other everything that had happened he needs to get this off his chest. The Commander looked up as he approached, he looked as if he wanted to say something, but it would seem as if he could tell that he wanted to talk to him.

"I owe you an apology," he said.

The Commander raised his hands. "No need, it's fine."

Nathaniel shook his head. "There is a need. It's not fine." He took a deep breath, this was going to be difficult. "When I returned from the Free Marches, I was certain my family was destroyed for being on the wrong side of the war. But my father did it to himself. No conspiracies, just one stupid, selfish man. I should have known better."

The Commander shook his head. "How could you have known?"

"I should have dug deeper—before I acted." He shook his head. "I was an idiot, and like a child I blamed you and the Wardens. And here you've even proven to be a friend, of sorts. Or am I reading that wrong, too?"

The Commander shook his head. "No, I'd like to be a friend."

Nathaniel smiled. "Good. You know, when you conscripted me, I would not have known I'd end up liking it. Anyway, let's be on our way. I don't want to take up more of your time."

Faren wondered around and found Justice pondering in deep thought. Apparently, he was able to sense his presence, because he said, "I have been thinking of Aura, the mortal woman who was wife to Kristoff. I continue to envy their love. But envy is what a demon feels, a desire for something it cannot have."

"You aren't taking it from them. There's a difference," Faren pointed out.

"I… think I understand. You co-exist with both great darkness and great beauty. It must be confusing. Yet now I find myself wishing it to be more. It is… enlightening. Thank you for bringing me to this world."

Faren smiled. "Thank you for remaining at my side."

Justice nodded in improvement. "Which I shall continue to do, if you allow it. You have proven yourself a friend, Grey Warden. An example of all that is worthy in the mortal world. I am proud of what we will accomplish together."