A/N: Kiera and I really wanted an epic fight scene, but this'll have to do. Hope you like it! Please leave a review when you're done! Thanks :3

Chapter 19:

Reeducation

Kiera

The Ben-Hassrath were certainly looking grimmer than the tammassrans when I last saw their leader, if I were to go by their impassive stares. A number of them were carrying arms. Did they expect us to resist? At least they were not keeping Sten and me apart—although I suspect that this was partly due to the fact that they needed more evidence, and would rather that we damned ourselves further.

One of them had deigned to speak, but this was in the qunari tongue—so rapidly that I caught very little of what was said. Everyone else deferred to him; so I gathered that he must be their leader. Strange, that he was an elf. Most of them were elves.

When he finally left, I had to ask. I only caught the one word throughout the Ben-Hassrath's dialogue with Sten. "So… what constitutes the whole pomp and fanfare of being brought to be 'reeducated'?"

"The Qun has teachings that cannot be disobeyed." Sten muttered; his words were barely audible.

"Ah. And what teachings have you disobeyed?"

"I am accused of having… intimate relations with you, kadan." Among many other things, I'm sure.

"Well, we both know that that's not true."

Sten was entirely too calm. "In their terms, our compromising— act from earlier did not do anything to prove that."

He had a point.

"Oh. That reminds me—what is the qunari act like?"

There was a long pause, before Sten found his tongue again. He should have known that I would ask this— it was only a matter of time before one's curiosity overwhelmed one's last shred of sanity.

"You are broaching the subject—now?" Of course, what better time than the present? Our audience deserved some kind of show- yes?

I had a plan. Really, I did.

"Well it hadn't come up before, and I saw you walking out of a building once. The mara told me—"

If he were human, the colour on his face would be decidedly flushed. How cute. "That is none of your business."

"Very true. But do you not think that I should at least experience what I'm being accused of?"

He glanced at me, lilac eyes narrowed most disapprovingly. I winked—just to make my point. He did not appear to have understood that signal.

"You will be very less mobile after the act. It is… unpleasant, by your terms." I allowed my gaze to wander his muscled form, perfectly aware that the qunari around us were watching—although they were pretending not to.

"Really?"

"Humans are frail. You would need armor."

"Oh. For which part of my body?" This was indeed a very important question.

Sten was now watched for my reaction as he replied; I gathered that he found it an extremely pressing question to address too. "Your neck and torso. I might attempt to nuzzle."

"Ooh. Tempting." Our guards were now fidgeting awkwardly. Success. I had to struggle to hide my growing grin.

Sten

The kadan was certainly posing some strange questions in the light of our predicament—she could not be blind to the threat of reeducation—it was not pleasant in the least. She seemed determined to give more cause for the Ben-Hassrath's suspicions. At least she was entertained by the self-conscious shifting we were eliciting from the severely embarrassed elves.

I cast my mind back to our travels during the Blight; all the Wardens had been steadfast in the face of opposition. Perhaps this was what I must do too. It was—what they called it—an epiphany.

"They're bringing in… chains?" The woman craned her neck next to me; her human ears had picked up the sounds of the implements that were part of the process that made up the reeducation of transgressors. Such incidents were not rare, but were never mentioned in passing.

"Just stay behind me, kadan." They could not harm her—she was not of the Qun, and should be exempt from its laws.

To my surprise, she evaded my attempts to shield her, calmly stepping forward, meeting the leader of the Arihassrath—their leader, with a steely gaze. This bold move triggered a reaction, in a single flourish; every single one of them had drawn their weapons.

Kiera

As soon as I got the elf's attention, I began speaking. The situation was getting ridiculous.

"There is one thing you must know before this goes any further." He only eyed me, impassivity on his features, but such outrage in his eyes. If looks could kill— I would be a smoking mess on the cold flagstones. Maybe.

"You will do well to remain silent, Basra Vashedan." He endeavored to step forward, but I remained in his way— my arms were hanging free at my sides, but my fists clenched. He deserved this stalemate. I was a foreigner, yes, but I was not trash. Maker only knew how much I itched to punch something today.

So what if he had pretty emerald eyes? Mine were positively glaciers. Sten's voice surprised me, breaking the glare-off the Arihassrath and I were having.

"I am now a Grey Warden. My duty to the Qun remains, but it will be different from what it was before."

"You are a Sten. The precepts do not have records of what this supposed new Duty of yours will entail." The long silence seemed to be waiting for my input.

I could not clarify this without revealing more of the Order's secrets. Woe. "It will not have anything to do with his current ones, that I can assure you. So now that you know—"

"Silence. It is not your place to speak, woman." I felt the side of my face twitch as I struggled to reign in my now-raging emotions.

Be still, my magic. Now was not the time to raze the place into piles of ashes.

There seemed to be some confusion as to whose wrists the chains would encircle—none of them were quite as willing to approach me or Sten. Neither was the Arihassrath. I supposed that the aura the two of us seemed to emit was rather intimidating.

Thankfully, the arishok came to our rescue, although I truly did feel a chill when he came through the entrance with such graceful finesse— someone had heeded my now-desperate prayers for an interruption. I had no wish to make arch-enemies of such a formidable people.

P.S.: Final chapter ahead! Will be up in a few days! Yay! Thanks for reading!

Ben-Hassraths- "Heart of the Many," an order who serves as defenders of Qunari faith, and unity. (dragonage . wikia)