"Be wary," Morrigan whispered. "The veil is thin here, very thin."

Kaei's heart pounded in her chest. She didn't need to be a mage to know something was different about this place. Unlike the rest of the temple, this place was perfect and untouched. A fine layer of dust covered everything, but the seams in the stones were still sharp; the carvings looked as if they had been chiseled into the rock only yesterday. Swallowing her heart, she took a tentative step. The air wavered and a man clad in old fashioned armor appeared out of nowhere. Kaei took an involuntary step back into Alistair. He put his hands on her shoulders. But he was as afraid as she was; his hands were shaking.

"Welcome pilgrim," the man said. "Why have you come here?" His deep resonant voice echoed in the empty hall.

"I seek the Urn of Sacred Ashes," Kaei said, steeling herself and taking another step forward.

"As have many before you," he said. "But first you must brave the Gauntlet and prove yourself worthy."

"But what . . . what if I am not worthy?" Kaei asked softly.

"Then you will not reach the ashes," he said bluntly. "But it is not my place to determine your worth. The Gauntlet does that."

"What is this Gauntlet?"

"You will know, when you face it. But before I open the way for you, I have a question," he said. "I see that the path that brought you here was not easy. I see suffering; yours and the suffering of others. Tell me pilgrim, do you feel that you failed Tamlen?"

"I . . . how do you know about Tamlen?"

"Such knowledge is granted to me," he said. "I ask again, did you fail him?"

Kaei looked at the floor. "Yes, I could have pulled him away from that mirror."

"More guilt," Morrigan spat. "Nauseating really."

"You are too hard on yourself," Alistair said, ignoring her.

"And what about those that follow you," the man continued. "Alistair, Knight and Warden, I see a guilt that tears at you. Do you feel that things would have been different if you had been on the battlefield with Duncan?"

"I . . . yes. If I had been there, I could have done something. If I had died and Duncan had lived, things would be so much better," Alistair said, his voice thick with emotion. On another day, Kaei might have comforted him, but all she could see was Tamlen.

"And you, " the man said, turning his attention to Zevran, "You are an assassin, and have taken many lives. But there is one who was different, when she . . . ."

Zevran cut him off. "Are you asking if I regret?" Zevran said, his voice as sharp as a blade. "Yes, I do. I regret it."

"And you, Morrigan, daughter of Flemeth," he began.

"Begone spirit," Morrigan threatened. "I will not play your game."

"As you wish," the man said. He turned his attention back to Kaei. The air was as silent as a tomb. Then the sound of a heavy door scraping echoed against the cold stone walls. "The way is open. Good luck pilgrim. And may the Maker watch over you."

And with that, he was gone as quickly as he appeared. Behind him, the door was open, a great hall stretching out behind him. Kaei straightened her shoulders and walked through the door.

"Andruil give me strength," she whispered to herself.

The next room was filled with spirits. Apparently, they were those that knew and walked with Andraste in life. They asked their riddles and quietly, Alistair answered them all. As he did, the spirits faded and there was click in the heavy doors at the end of the room as each disappeared. Kaei knew nothing of Andraste, beyond what Leliana had told her. But there was something so very sad about this place. Andraste was clearly a woman willing to sacrifice everything for what she knew was right. Not so different from a Gray Warden actually.

As the last spirited faded away, the double doors swung open with a puff of dust. A shaft of light lit up the next room. And standing in the brightness, there was a figure. A man, an elf, silent and unmoving. His back was to her. Kaei took a few hesitant steps forward. He wore Dalish armor and had a hunter's bow strapped to his back. His hair was golden blonde. Kaei's heart skipped a beat.

"Tamlen?" she said softly. He turned around to face her. It was Tamlen, just as he'd been that day in the forest. Just as he'd looked when she'd held him in her arms and told him she loved him.

"Andaran atish'an," he said. He smiled sadly. "I see it in your eyes lethallin, you wonder, can this really be Tamlen? How can this be, Tamlen is gone . . . but I am Tamlen and I am you, and I am part of the Gauntlet."

"Gods have mercy," Kaei said, trying to keep her feet underneath her. "Tamlen. I wish . . . I wish I could have told you that we looked for you. That I haven't forgotten you. Oh Tamlen, I'm so sorry." Tears sprung up in her eyes.

"You could not have saved me, lethallin," he said, "You must let go of your guilt, and the pain. Remember instead that although it did not end as we both would have wanted, that I love you, and more than anything, I want you to be happy."

The threatening tears spilled down Kaei's cheeks. Tamlen reached out and gently brushed them away.

"I see that you have found love, lethallin," he said. "Do not let your guilt take it away from you."

"Abelas Tamlen," Kaei whispered. "Vir lath sa'vunin."

Tamlen smiled sadly. "And all days, in memory," he said. Tamlen held out his hands. He held a silver medallion, decorated with the winding shape of a skeletal tree. "Take this, though it is not as fine as the crafts of our fathers, it will serve, if only to remind you." Tamlen slipped it over her head, his face close to hers.

"Farewell," he whispered, kissing her cheek with lips as cold as the stones around them.

And with that, he faded into nothing, leaving Kaei standing alone in a shaft of sunlight that was suddenly as cold as ice. Kaei felt rooted to the spot. She heard echoing footsteps and then Alistair voice behind her.

"Kaei," he whispered. Kaei turned around and looked up at him. Her face with streaked with tears. She was silent, but couldn't stop them. Alistair looked down at her heartbreakingly, concern furrowing his brow. He swallowed hard. "Kaei, I'm so sorry."

He folded her into his arms, and Kaei wept against his chest.

"How cruel," Zevran said faintly.


Apparently, despite her tears and her guilt, and her rather uncertain ideas about the Maker, the Gauntlet found Kaei worthy. With a pinch of Andraste's ashes in a pouch on her belt, Kaei led her companions back down the mountain where they met back up with the rest at camp in the foothills.

Leliana was giddy. She gushed over Kaei and touched the leather pouch with reverence. Kaei felt a bit bad about leaving her behind, when it was obvious how much she would have loved to see Andraste's final resting place. But somehow it felt like it was right to leave her behind. She was already so caught up in her faith, Kaei wasn't sure that it wouldn't have pushed her over the edge.

Kaei should have been happy. In a few days they'd be back in Redcliffe, and if the ashes were everything they were supposed to be, Arl Eamon would be well again, and she would have the first support to help her against the Blight. And perhaps to help her move against that treacherous bastard Loghain who set this all in motion. Instead, Kaei was melancholy and had a strange empty feeling in the pit of her stomach. Not only because of the harsh reminder the gauntlet had given her of Tamlen, but because the just had a bad feeling that the Arl's help was not going to come without a price. Nothing did these days, it seemed.

Alistair gave her a wide berth, although when ever she looked at him, he was staring right at her. And he looked so sad, she hardly knew what to do. She knew what he was thinking. She wanted to comfort him, and tell him that she did love him, even if he wasn't the first to ever be in her heart. But she just couldn't do it. She wanted him to come to her.

Twilight crept over the camp. Kaei sat by the fire and pondered the task she had offered to do for Morrigan. This would be no simple feat, she knew, to slay Flemeth. Both Leliana and Morrigan had told her different versions of the same tale, but even if it was only myth, twisted through time, it left one inevitable conclusion. Flemeth was no one to be trifled with. But if what Morrigan had told her was true, it had to be done. And Kaei had no reason to mistrust Morrigan.

Kaei shook her head, trying to chase away all the myriad of thoughts racing through her. It did her no good to hurt herself pondering things that couldn't be helped. One way or another, she would have to take one step at a time and let the path unfold where it would. She looked up and saw Alistair standing just at the edge of the firelight. She smiled at him, but didn't speak.

"Hello," he said, taking a cue from her smile and coming to sit down. He'd removed his armor, and wore only trews and a rumpled much mended shirt, with his cloak slung over his back against the still cool air. He looked at her curiously, the look of concern still on his face.

Kaei smiled. "Don't look so worried," she said. "I'm all right. Really."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"No," she laughed. "But I'll manage."

"Do you want to talk about it? About him, Tamlen?" he said quietly.

"I . . . ," Kaei started. "You don't have to do this."

"I owe you," he said. "For a lot of things. And I think it's about time I returned the favor."

"Are you sure?" Kaei asked. "I don't know if you want to hear this."

"Well," he said, turning to her. "Let me ask you something then, first."

"Anything," she said.

"Do you still love me?" he asked seriously.

Kaei's brows shot up. "Of course I do," she said.

"Then I can hear any of it," he said. "I'm not stupid. I know that your life didn't start the day you met me, anymore than mine started the day I met you." He stopped and his ears turned a little red. "Although it does feel that way sometimes."

Kaei smiled. "You're sweet."

"I do my best," he said, returning her smile. "So?"

"So," she echoed. "So that was Tamlen, or at least my memory of Tamlen, I think." Kaei sighed heavily. "It wasn't really Tamlen, I know that. But the Gauntlet seemed to take what I remembered about him, and what I wasn't willing to accept. I guess I felt more guilty about it than I realized."

"You are always too hard on yourself," he said. "I mean it, and I meant it when I said it back in the temple."

"I know," she sighed. "It's just my way I guess. I just wish I could have said things to Tamlen; things I'll never get the chance to say now." Kaei looked up as Alistair. He was watching her intently. "But don't think for a moment that I regret this. I don't, not for a moment. I do miss him, but I don't want to go back. Even if I could, go back in time and make different choices, take a different path, I'm not sure that I would. Because if I did, I wouldn't be here with you."

Alistair smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Are you sure you really mean that?"

"Yes," she said, reaching out to touch the side of his face. "I mean it. I won't lie and tell you a part of me won't always love Tamlen. But Tamlen . . . he's the past. And . . . I hope . . . ." her voice trailed off. Kaei looked at Alistair, hoping her eyes could say what she couldn't.

"Me too," he said. "More than you know."

"I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow," Kaei said. "But I think we can handle it, if we stick together."

Alistair looked away for a moment, back at the fire. Reflections of the flames danced in his eyes.

"When the dragon had you," he said, still staring at the fire, "I thought I was going to lose you."

"I thought I was going to lose me too, for a moment there," Kaei said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"And I . . . I've been thinking. And I don't know how to ask you this," Alistair said nervously.

"Ask me what?"

"Look, here's the thing. Being near you . . . makes me crazy," he said, turning back to look at her. "But I can't imagine being without you. Not ever. I don't want to take the chance . . . ," his voice stumbled. "I want . . . I want to spent the night with you. Tonight."

"Spend the night?" Kaei asked quietly. Suddenly it hit her what he meant. He wasn't talking about another night sleeping beside her. She felt her cheeks flush. "Are you sure?"

"I wanted to wait," he said, taking her hand. "I wanted to wait for the perfect time, the perfect place, but when will it be perfect? If it was, we would never even have met. We just sort of stumbled into each other and yet I found myself falling for you, despite all the fighting and everything. I . . . I don't want to wait any longer." He paused and took her other hand. "You know I've never done anything like this before, with anyone. And . . . I want it to be with you."

"Even though I'm not human?" Kaei asked.

Alistair chuckled. "Especially because of that."

"I thought you'd never ask," Kaei said, grinning.


Andaran atish'an = Enter this place in peace

Lethallin = My friend

Abelas = I am sorry

Vir lath sa'vunin = We love one more day