The war had ended. The Orlesians had been driven out of Ferelden, and a king of the old blood sat on the throne. Soldiers became farmers and craftsmen. Villages were rebuilt. And life in Ferelden, for a time, was peaceful.
She was sixteen, and bigger than most of the boys her age. Her mother often despaired of finding any man that would marry a girl with shoulders like an ox, who would rather wield a sword than a broom.
At the market, she worked her family's stand, selling fruit from their orchard. A handsome soldier with an easy smile browsed the booth. He glanced at her, and then looked again. "I know you," he said.
She knew him as well. "Alfred."
He laughed. "Maker preserve us, little Rachel." He drew her into a hug, and they spent the next two hours laughing and talking.
Three days later he brought flowers to her home.
And three months after that, he bought her a home of her own.
#
She parted ways from the Messenger when they left the Wild. She wished him well. He told her that if she called, he would come.
The Alpha took her report. They'd stopped a threat. It had cost three good Wardens their lives, but they had stopped it. She thought of the orb, hidden in her pack. It was dangerous. Very dangerous. Her mate had given his life to prevent it from being used. And as much as she had trusted the Packleader, the Alpha was not him.
#
For Magpie, she chose a willow. She planted it on the edge of the Sanctuary. One day, perhaps, when it was grown, they'd put a bench beneath it. A place to come, share a drink, and tell bad jokes.
She honored Flamekeeper's wishes. For him, oak. He'd told them the story, of how Andraste had sung beneath an oak tree and been heard by the Maker. A strong wood, for a strong man.
For her mate, she chose ash. He knew why.
She walked to just outside the Sanctuary. The tree she sought was still small. It was slow to grow, but once the roots took hold, it was all but immortal. The Packleader had put it here, not long after she'd joined. It has just been the two of them, when it had been planted. Carefully, she dug a whole, deep beneath the ironwood, and placed the orb within. Then she covered it up, and placed a stone on top. The Lady's Tree would serve as guardian.