The Keening Blade:
Chapter 22: These Darkspawn Talk, But Not Very Well

There was just time to call the guards to form a protective shield around their civilians, and then the darkspawn were upon them. Loghain glanced briefly at the man being pursued, who wore the colors of the Howe castle guard. The man saw them with a look of unutterable relief, and then, to his credit, joined them in fighting the darkspawn.

Once the handful of genlocks was dispatched, Maude questioned the man in her most soothing tones.

He could only babble his answer. "I don't know! I don't know! All of a sudden the darkspawn were just there! I don't know what happened to the Wardens…"

Mhairi broke in to ask Loghain, "How could the Wardens not sense them?"

"It doesn't matter," Maude said fiercely. "We will go in there and kill every last one of the bastards!"

"Right!"

The hysterical mob of civilians was ready to break and run for Amaranthine, but Loghain shouted them down, and pointed out that the city was a half-day's journey distant.

"You are safer here, surrounded by guards. Remain where you are. If you have bows, keep them ready. We Wardens will go in and clear out the darkspawn."

The castle's pastures were fenced. There were scattered darkspawn inside. Methodically, these were surrounded, frozen by the mages, and dispatched. In the outer courtyard, they met shrieks and an ogre. And here they found more of the castle guards, putting up a last-ditch struggle against the invaders.

"We'd better pick up the pace," Maude said," if we're going to save these people."

It helped a great deal that he and Maude knew their way around this castle. If the darkspawn had been able to organize a resistance, they might have slowed down or damaged the Wardens. As it was, the creatures fought as they had always fought: in small bands, rushing madly at the Wardens without guile or skill. In the inner courtyard, they prepared to meet another pack of the creatures, when an explosion rocked the castle, and the darkspawn dissolved into fragments.

Standing above them on a gallery, a crazed dwarf capered about, cackling in delight. "It'll take more than that to kill us, beasties!" Before Loghain could shout questions at the madman, he had disappeared behind a low wall, presumably off to find more of whatever had caused that explosion.

"Good to know that somebody's putting up a fight besides us!" Maude declared.

Running through the passageways, they saw the usual trophies of the darkspawn: men and women mutilated; others hanging from roofbeams. On the brighter side,they also began finding more of the castle's survivors: a group of trembling maidservants who had hidden in the sewing room; a pair of men fighting some hurlocks in an antechamber; another half-dozen servitors barricaded in the larder. As soon as these were directed join the safety of the guardsmen in the outer courtyard, they moved on, and heard the sounds of clashing steel up ahead.

"The upper guardroom!" Maude shouted. "Come on!"

A blazing battle unfolded before them as they rushed through the doorway: on a gallery up a short ramp, a lone warrior was holding off a half-dozen darkspawn, grunting and cursing as his huge axe mowed them down.

Loghain blinked. Morrigan, disgusted, groaned, "Oh, no!" Ranger uttered a short happy bark of recognition. Maude called out, "Oghren! It's wonderful to see you!"

The red-bearded dwarf caught sight of them, and gave them a nonchalant wave. Then he swung his axe once more, chopping through a darkspawn emissary's spine.

"You know him?" Anders shouted at Morrigan over the noise of battle.

"Alas, yes," Morrigan confirmed, making a face.

When the darkspawn were down and dead, Oghren grinned, and sauntered over to the gallery rail. "Aha! There y'are! I knew when my old pals showed up, the darkspawn would be spitting teeth out of their arses. All I had to do was follow the screaming. Good on ya!"

Maude came forward, grinning. "I had no idea you were here!"

Mhairi made a face. "You know this dwarf? He was here when I left. I can't believe the Wardens didn't kick him out!"

Unfazed, Oghren leered at her. "Hey! It's the recruit with the great rack! And Morrigan! Hotter than ever in that armor. Who's the mage with you? Boyfriend? Should I leave you two alone?"

Morrigan only rolled her eyes. Anders smirked and remarked, "Well, what do you know? A dwarf who smells like a brewery. You never see those anywhere."

"Heh. A mage comedian. Thought those normally died young."

Loghain cut through the backbiting. "Your axe is welcome, of course. Any particular reason that you're here?"

"I thought I'd try my hand at becoming a bona fide Grey Warden. They said they'd made you commander, Loghain. Crazy world, eh?"

Maude asked, with mild reproof. "And what about Felsi? I thought you were going to marry her!"

"I am married!" Oghren instantly declared. "And Felsi's great! Got a sprog up the spout, too. And I like drinking ale and all, but that fella at the Spoiled Princess got the idea that he could make me serve it. Not the life for me."

"Let me see..." Morrigan considered. "You are saying that you were bored, too lazy to work, and have abandoned your pregnant wife. Is that about the size of it?"

"Yup," Oghren admitted shamelessly. "And I haven't exactly abandoned her. She knows where to find me."

"Oh. And we all look forward to that so very much," Loghain remarked grimly. "You do know there are risks involved in Joining the Wardens?"

Oghren scoffed. "There are risks involved in getting up in the morning. I piss on risk!"

"I'm sure risk appreciates it," muttered Anders.

"It is easier for men to piss on risk," Maude told a bemused Mhairi.

"Enough!" Loghain growled. "This way!"

They pushed deeper and higher into the Keep, and found yet more survivors. More darkspawn, too. Along the west wing, they came upon a pack of the creatures trying to break down a door. Morrigan was able to freeze nearly all of them as they crowded together, and they were smashed and shattered into red icicles.

"It's the solar! Anyone in there?" called Maude. "You can come out now!"

"Maude!" Delilah Howe shouted back. "Is that you?"

From inside came the thuds and scrapes of furniture being moved. The door to the solar-the Arlessa's private sitting room- was opened, revealing a group of grim-faced soldiers led by a white-haired man in good armor. This man introduced himself as Varel, the seneschal of Vigil's Keep. Delilah, surrounded by her women, was safe and unharmed. She embraced Maude tightly, nearly in tears.

"Thank you, thank you for coming! Tell me...is anyone else alive?" She put out a hand to Loghain. "My lord...Warden...your arrival could not have been more timely!"

"My lady," Loghain said. "We cannot linger. We are clearing out the Keep, and there are quite a few survivors. You men!" he ordered. "Keep the Arlessa here, and guard her. Barricade the door again, and we will return when all is secure." He gestured at the Wardens to follow him.

"Wait!" Delilah protested, "Have you seen my-"

They hurried away, through passages narrow and curved. There was the body of a eviscerated knight up ahead, and Mhairi caught her breath in a gasp. She cried out when the body moved feebly, and she rushed to the man's side.

"Rowland!" She told Loghain, "He was recruited from Denerim with me."

In her softest voice, Maude asked Anders, "Is there anything you can do?" Loghain grimaced and met Morrigan's eyes. It was as clear to her as to him that no magic could put the bowels back in the man's body.

Anders knelt to look closer. and shook his head. "Maybe some liquor to dull the pain..."

Oghren snorted. "I like the way you think!"

Mhairi turned on him, teary-eyed, "It's not funny!" She clutched at Rowland's hand, and Loghain guessed at something more than comradeship between them. It was sad, but it happened all the time. All the time.

Rowland peered past her at Loghain. "Warden-Commander?"

Loghain crouched down by the dying man, hoping to make some sort of sense of this disaster. "What happened here?"

His breath bubbling, the man croaked. "We only had a moment's warning,before the darkspawn were on us. The seneschal spirited the Arlessa away, but the creatures were everywhere. There is one with them.. a darkspawn who talks...his magic is powerful..."

A brief, horrified moment. Loghain nearly shut his eyes, but did not allow himself the weakness. The Architect? Here in Amaranthine?

Oghren snorted in disbelief. "A darkspawn who talks? The lad's delirious."

Anders and Morrigan exchanged grimaces, while Maude glared furiously at Loghain, as if holding him personally responsible for the verbal abilities of the darkspawn. She told Oghren. "Maybe not so delirious. Loghain had word of such a creature."

Rowland groaned aloud. "There's something in my blood. It...hurts..."

Loghain tried to get the last useful intelligence from the man. "Where is this talking darkspawn?"

The man's head lolled, his eyes drifting toward the stairs to the battlements. "It went that way...after...War...dens..." His eyes rolled back, and his life was gone with a last gurgling breath.

Mhairi kissed his brow, murmuring, "I will avenge you Rowland. I swear it."

Maude urged the woman up, and they moved quickly on, climbing the staircase. A final, broken door, and they stepped out into a chilly night filled with the cries of dying men. Maude and Ranger dashed to the front, rounding a corner, and then, before them, were the last of the darkspawn and their victims.

They had arrived just in time to see one of the Vigil's defenders thrown to his death from the battlements. A few other captives were bound and helpless. Their leader, a defiant young man in black leather armor, was in actual conversation with one of the darkspawn: on his knees, his hands tied behind his back, held in the grasp of a pair of hurlocks.

The talking darkspawn looked like nothing so much as a decayed corpse, the bones of the skull clad in only the thinnest membrane. Its face, if you could call it that, was painted grotesquely, and the creature was clad in heavy chainmail and a purple tunic. Its voice was deep and unnatural, as ugly as its appearance.

"Be taking this one gently. We are wishing no more death than is necessary."

"Death! As if you and your kind have ever done anything but kill!"

"You are thinking you know of our kind, human? It is understandable... but that will soon be changed!"

"Others will come. And someday a man like me will kill you and your whole fucking race!"

"Well, maybe not a man," Maude remarked loudly. In a whisper, she asked Loghain, "Is that The Architect?"

"No," Loghain whispered back, "Maric's description sounded far more human."

The darkspawn's white and opaque gaze turned to the Wardens. "And here are more Wardens, as He foretold."

Anders' face was a study of horrified delight. "It is talking!"

"After a fashion," Maude shrugged. She boldly stepped forward for a closer look.

Morrigan murmured to herself, "Perhaps we should attempt to communicate with this creat…"

The talking darkspawn croaked out, "Capture the Grey Wardens! These others, they may be killed."

No time to speak. Before the hurlock's sword could cut the defiant captive's throat, Anders had frozen the creature in place. The rest of the darkspawn rushed them. Ranger growled, and lowered his head to charge.

"Here comes Oghren!" bellowed the dwarf. Loghain knew the odds of the painted darkspawn surviving to be questioned had just shortened by quite a bit.

The minions fought like any other darkspawn. The one who talked fought with some skill: like a half-trained man, not a beast with a sword in its hands. The creature was strong, and as resistant to pain and damage as any other darkspawn. It could not resist, however, Maude's dagger in its eye; nor the sweep of Oghren's axe as it hewed the creature's legs away; nor the power of the Keening Blade, driving though the mail shirt to find a putrid heart. Even then, the thing squirmed and sputtered long after a human would have been dead. It uttered a final croak, and was still at last. Loghain blew out a breath, looking at the carnage around him. The captives on the rooftop broke the sudden silence, praising the Maker for their rescue. A few, somewhat more sensibly, were praising the Wardens.

"Teyrn Loghain!" Their leader worked free of his bonds and rose to his feet. "It seems that I owe you my life."

"Warden-Commander Loghain," Mhairi corrected him officiously.

"True, I had heard you joined the Grey Wardens and ended the Blight. All Ferelden is in your debt, once again."

Loghain prided himself on never forgetting a face. He was absolutely sure that he knew this young man.

Not so very young, actually. Loghain studied him. His features were striking rather than handsome, and he must be in his late twenties at the very least. The silver-grey eyes, the black hair, the hooked nose, the wolfish air—he looked like…he must be…

"You!" the young man's stormy eyes widened, and he glared at Maude with burning hatred.

"Nice to see you, too," Maude responded affably. "You already know Loghain, of course, now Warden-Commander of the Grey in Ferelden. With us are Wardens Morrigan and Anders, and Warden Recruits Oghren and Mhairi. And Ranger, of course. You probably remember him, too. I think he bit you once. My friends," Maude said to her companions, "allow me to present to you a notable friend of my childhood, Lord Nathaniel Howe."

Solicitous of a new patient, Anders moved in to heal Lord Nathaniel's injuries. A good thing: it kept the man from grabbing the nearest weapon to use on Maude. She, for her part, was looking at him with gentle concern, not at all alarmed by his anger. Loghain stepped in as well, to forestall any violence.

"Where are the Orlesians?" he demanded. "They were supposed to be defending this place from the darkspawn."

Howe snarled, "Well, my lord, you can see for yourself how that worked out! The rest of the Wardens can take their chances. At the moment, I'm far more concerned about finding my sister!"

"Delilah is fine," Maude assured him. "She's in the solar, guarded by the seneschal."

A quick descent of the stairs, a quicker walk down the passages, and Nathaniel was holding his sister with desperate strength. She was tearful, but relieved to see him alive. Maude, with careful tact, interrupted this tender moment. "Nathaniel needs to wash off that blood on him. Darkspawn blood is poisonous, and the rest—"

Nathaniel snarled at her, "—is the blood of brave men who stood with me to defend the Vigil."

"—And we won't forget them," Maude told him soothingly, "but you don't want to get that blood on Delilah, and you really, really need to wash it off right away." She glanced at Delilah, tacitly urging her to take her brother in hand.

"Come, Nathaniel, the Warden is right."

Anders was healing a bad cut over the seneschal's eye. Loghain allowed the Arlessa and her brother a moment more, and asked the seneschal, "How did the darkspawn breach the walls?"

Varel replied, "They didn't. It appears that they came up from below, inside the inner courtyard, probably from the dungeons."

"Just like at the Tower of Ishal!" Maude said fiercely. "The vile things burrowed their way in. Didn't the Wardens sense them?"

"An alarm was given, but only at the last moment. It was all I could do to get the Arlessa somewhere defensible." His gaze shifted over to the Howe brother and sister, talking softly to each other. "Lord Nathaniel stood with a band of Wardens. After they perished, he created a diversion and led a large party of darkspawn away, on a chase over the battlements. I am glad to see that they failed to catch him."

"They did at last," Loghain said. "We arrived just in time. Have you seen any of the Wardens since?"

"I believe they were all slain or taken."

"Taken?" Maude interjected. "You mean taken away? " She shook her head. "They do sometimes take male prisoners of course—but Wardens!"

"—all but Kristoff, who was away on a scouting mission," Varel added.

Further conversation revealed that Kristoff had gone off on said mission by himself, and the only thing he had told Varel was that he was checking some leads in the city of Amaranthine.

"Alone!" Maude muttered. "Just like Riordan! I don't know what it is with these men! I think of myself as fairly daring, but I wouldn't give much for my chances single-handed against a large party of darkspawn."

Ranger whined.

Maude nodded, looking wise. "I certainly wouldn't go anywhere without you, darling boy."

They went downstairs to the Great Hall, where most of the survivors were gathering. Delilah cried at the sight of people she knew hanging from crossbeams. These poor souls were cut down, and the surviving servants set either to cooking for the living or to building pyres for the dead. It took some time for everyone to make an appearance. Loghain sent a messenger to the party that had followed them to the Vigil, reassuring them of their safety and assigning them a place to camp in the outer Keep. Their soldiers would keep watch at the gates, while the Wardens cleaned up the darkspawn and their ugly trophies. Anders moved from group to group, healing the wounded.

"Seems to me you're going to need some replacements after this screwed-up mess. So bring on the big cup!" Oghren leered at Maude. "I'm ready to gargle and spit!"

How much does he know? Loghain wondered.

Maude answered the dwarf primly. "You're not allowed to spit."

"Haw! That's what I always say!"

"I suppose all are needed in this time of crisis," Mhairi said, her disapproval plain.

The groundskeeper was located, shivering in a chicken coop, and he in turn found some wheelbarrows to pile the dead into. It was a long and unpleasant task. The darkspawn were burned at some distance from the castle; and then the Wardens and the other dead were laid out on separate pyres. Surprisingly, Maude and Mhairi were in agreement about this.

"We'll want to take the Wardens' ashes to Soldier's Peak," Maude declared, "and put them in the nice shrine in the rose garden."

Mhairi asked in surprise, "Is there a rose garden at Soldier's Peak?"

"There will be."

It was also necessary to keep a record of their casualties. Mhairi was able to direct the Wardens to the room that the Orlesians had used for storage and as an office. While Loghain frowned over some notes and maps, and Morrigan poked through the books, Maude found the ledger, and annotated the names of those who had been killed, and those who were simply—lost. It appeared that the Orlesians had recruited four Fereldens since arriving at Vigil's Keep. Rowland and a man named Keenan were the only survivors of the Joining. Maude noted that Rowland was killed in the attack, and that Keenan had been captured by the darkspawn. In addition to Keenan, there were three other Wardens whom Maude marked as "missing." Loghain took Morrigan aside.

"Mix the Joining potion now. If one or both of the recruits is unfortunate, it will be easy enough to add them to the pyre."

A cynical smile: a quick nod. There was certainly no lack of darkspawn blood. Very soon, a cup was produced, and a filthy black liquid prepared.

"I shall fetch Anders," Morrigan said. "He should see this."

Anders arrived, Maude escorted their two new recruits in, and the ceremony began. As usual, Maude recited the ritual words. Loghain had no patience with such trumpery. Besides, Maude's sweet voice rendered the words comforting and eloquent in a way Loghain knew he never could.

"Oghren, you are called to submit yourself to the Taint for the greater good. From this moment, you are a Grey Warden."

A swallow, a belch, and the dwarf's eyes rolled white. Abruptly, he sat down on the stone floor. He was not quite unconscious, but stunned and unresponsive. Nonetheless, he had survived, and was one more Warden for their company.

"Well, I've never seen that before!" Maude told Loghain. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, considering how much darkspawn blood he must have ingested in his lifetime!" She patted the brawny shoulder. "You're a Warden for sure, Oghren. Welcome to the glad throng. You just sit there and rest for awhile."

In a flash she was offering the cup to Mhairi. "You are called to submit yourself to the Taint for the greater good."

"I have awaited this moment!" whispered Mhairi.

What followed was quite horrible. Loghain would never forget the sight of the young woman crumpling to her knees; choking, choking; gurgling out her last moments in agony.

Maude sighed. "I am sorry, Mhairi." She added, "I really am. Nobody deserves that."

Anders moved forward, but Morrigan barred him with a quick arm.

"'Tis over. There is nothing to be done."

Anders was horrified. "Is that normal? How often does that happen?"

Maude shrugged. "I don't have ages and ages of records like the First Warden. My guess is that it's about fifty-fifty, maybe, with much better odds for mages. At my own Joining, there were three of us. The first two died, and only I made it."

"That must have been…fun…" he managed.

"You have no idea."

They removed the poor girl's armor and weapons and wrapped her in a length of linen. Maude knelt down by Oghren, and gave his shoulder a shake.

"Oghren!"

"Arrrrrgh..."

"Oghren, we've got to have the funeral for the Wardens now. Do you think you can manage to come along? You'll be sorry if you don't."

"Feellikenugshit..."

"Of course you do. That's perfectly normal. All the same, I think you should try to come along."

He did, supported by Maude's strong right arm. Loghain carried Mhairi's lifeless form over his shoulder, and laid her on the pyre with the rest of the Wardens. Before it was set alight, Maude studied the bodies on the pyre somberly, sighing. "Look... there's poor old Constant…"

Oghren muttered, "Shame about the kid. She was all right."

The survivors seemed to be in hand. It was time to make careful survey of the shattered castle's defenses. One of the remaining soldiers, a quiet and competent-seeming sergeant named Maverlies, could show them where the darkspawn had come from.

"This is where I saw them come pouring out," she told them, opening the door to the dungeons. These were accessed from a smallish, free-standing building in the inner courtyard. "It's possible there are still darkspawn down there. The Vigil goes deep: real deep."

"Vigil's Keep is old," Maude agreed. "It's older than Highever Castle or even Soldier's Peak. This was an Alamarri stronghold for thousands of years, even before the Tevinters came. It was called 'The Fort of a Thousand Vigils' in those days. It's possible the earlier forts were built over the dungeons, which are indeed as deep as the good sergeant says. Nathaniel's mother forbade us to play in them."

"Let me guess—" Loghain ventured "—so you did anyway."

"Some," Maude admitted, "but we were little, and we could sense things down there that weren't…friendly. And I didn't want to mess with Rendon in those days. Or my mother."

"We'll secure this before anything else," Loghain decided. "The Vigil must be made safe for the survivors, and it will give us a base for further operations."

Anders was looking pained. Oghren frowned thunderously. Morrigan fixed Loghain with a haughty stare. Maude merely raised her brows, and scratched Ranger's ears. The dog gazed at Loghain in mute appeal.

"—After we have something to eat," he agreed. He was ravenously hungry himself

Morrigan said, "I shall meanwhile ward the entrance—over by those stairs. It will hold anything back for some time."

"Do it," he told her quietly.

Maude mused, as they made their way to the Great Hall. "The darkspawn were looking for Grey Wardens. They really weren't all that interested in any one else."

"They pursued Lord Nathaniel," Anders pointed out.

"He took care to provoke them, and he had Grey Warden blood all over him. Maybe they were confused."

It was a late and quiet dinner. Even Nathaniel Howe was too grief-stricken to give Maude more than a few poisonous glares. His sister saw him looking, and laid a restraining hand on his arm, whispering in his ear. The young nobleman scowled, but held his peace.

Varel, the Keep seneschal, proved himself invaluable. It became obvious that he was the only person who could give them some clue as to what the Wardens had been doing in Amaranthine. He also knew more Warden secrets than he ought to. He sat down with the Wardens and spoke in a low voice, inaudible to the rest of the crowd in the Great Hall.

"The Orlesian Wardens honored me with their confidence, Warden-Commander," the man gravely informed Loghain. "They explained to me that it was sometimes possible to share their secrets with someone they trusted. I was better able to be of service that way. I assisted them at their Joinings."

Loghain did not like it, but understood. It was useless to be angry with the man. "All right then, let's talk. You already told me that Kristoff was in Amaranthine, following some leads. What leads?"

"He did not confide in me, Commander. More recently, however, we heard a curious rumor about a hunter falling into a hole in the ground and seeing a party of darkspawn. The hunter's name was Colbert, and he too is in Amaranthine. Kristoff would not have known of this, we believe, and the Wardens were planning to send a messenger to Amaranthine when this disaster befell us."

"Actually," Anders put in, "I'd like to go to Amaranthine. I know people there."

"Are you finished with healing the wounded?"

"I've done about all that magic can do," Anders said. "The rest can be handled by the regular medics. So, can we go to Amaranthine? Really?"

"We can," Loghain allowed. "I think we must."

Maude considered. "It sounds like Amaranthine will be on our schedule, just as soon as we clean out the dungeons here. Are you feeling up to it, Oghren?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"All right," Loghain said, knowing he was malingering over a last, unnecessary bowl of stew. "Let's go."

At the entrance to the dungeons, Nathaniel Howe caught up with them.

"Where are you going?"

Loghain did not mince words. "I am told that the darkspawn invaded the castle through the dungeons. We are on our way to clear out whatever remains there."

"I'm going with you."

Loghain frowned briefly at Rendon Howe's son. The resemblance to his father was strong, though Nathaniel was far better-looking than his father ever had been. But there was another resemblance that disturbed him: in his black leather armor, carrying a heavy bow, Loghain was uncomfortably reminded of himself, a lifetime ago, as he had been in the days of the Rebellion.

"Your sister needs your protection—"

"Varel is with Delilah. There might be more survivors in the dungeons. Some of our people fled that way when the alarm was first sounded."

Maude raised her brows expressively at Morrigan, who made a face. Loghain understood that they thought the chances for those survivors were minimal. Nonetheless, a good archer was always useful. Another thought crossed his mind.

"Excuse us," he said abruptly to his party, and laid a firm hand on Lord Nathaniel's arm, escorting him out of earshot.

"An archer, positioned behind everyone else, might easily shoot one of his own party in the back by mistake," he began, very grimly.

Howe gazed back at him, his silver-grey eyes eerily like his father's. "Such things have happened in the heat of the moment."

Loghain snarled, "Such things had bloody well better not happen. If Maude were to take an arrow while we are fighting darkspawn or at any other time, you will not enjoy the consequences, either to you, your surviving family, or to Vigil's Keep itself."

"You are no long Regent, to utter those sorts of threats."

"I don't need to be." He held the younger man's eyes a little longer. "Maude killed your father in a fair fight. She also is responsible for your sister not being dead, or at best the dispossessed wife of a shopkeeper in Amaranthine. Had it not been for Maude, the King would have given the entire Arling to the Wardens, and your sister might well have been executed. Maude has not held the actions of your father against you or your sister. I strongly recommend that you forgo all thoughts of vengeance."

Nathaniel looked away, his lips twisted in a bitter smile. "So Delilah keeps telling me."

"Your sister is a sensible woman."

"I just need to know what happened. I need to know if he suffered...He must have had his reasons to think the Couslands were traitors—"

Loghain did not have time or inclination to go into this very dangerous issue with young Howe. "Lord Nathaniel, it's over. Perhaps at some future time, when you and Maude are at leisure, she might be willing to discuss this, but not now. Your sister is Arlessa, and the Howes are still in the Landsmeet. Were I you, I would give more thought to protecting my sister and my people from deadly danger, and not concern myself with the past."

"Is that your own philosophy?" Howe asked. "That woman forced you into the Wardens, and you lost your title and your lands. Have you really forgiven her?"

"Yes. It proved to be the only way to save Ferelden, and that is what I have always wanted most." Loghain added, "And she is not 'that woman,' but my wife. You would be wise to remember it."

A soft voice interrupted their conversation.

"If you're going into the dungeons, you'll need these keys," Delilah Howe said. She had appeared, wan and wraithlike, in the open doorway to the Keep.

"Delilah!" Nathaniel hurried to her, giving her a quick embrace with his free arm and a kiss on the cheek. "Stay inside and keep the door barred!"

She put the keys in his hand; then touched his face and whispered something to him, her brow knit in earnest plea. Her brother scowled and glanced Maude's way, and then bit his lip and nodded.

"I'll hold you to that," Delilah said, loudly enough to be overheard.

More guards were filtering out, watching the door to the dungeons anxiously. More inhabitants of the Keep, too. Loghain spotted the crazy dwarf with the explosives. Standing with him was another dwarf with a family resemblance, albeit a more sober expression.

"Come, then," Loghain called to Howe.

The narrow stairs must have been replaced only a few years ago. They were steep but sound, and the Wardens and their companion archer descended them, passing layers of raw stone. The reached the foot of the stairs and followed a passage, beamed and plastered, which opened out to a wide, strange chamber, filled with the detritus of past ages: crude statues of warriors and large effigies of three-headed snakes.

"Those are Tatankri, aren't they?" Anders asked, fascinated. "The ancient Alamarri worshiped them."

"Among other things," Maude agreed, examining the bodies of some dead darkspawn. "Oh, and behind you is a Tataroki."

"Whoa!" Anders started at the sight of the creature: a stumpy, four-legged body, and three fanged and heavy heads. "I can't even guess what they were meant to be."

"They're Tataroki," Maude repeated, with exaggerated patience. "Spirits of the earth and servants of Haakon, who-"

Her explanation was cut short when Ranger barked and dashed forward. Loghain saw the prone body of a mabari a moment later. Ranger sniffed at the wounded dog anxiously. Then his blunt, doggy face snapped up, and he rushed at Anders, crying and whining.

"She's badly hurt," Maude murmured, kneeling by the wounded dog. "Anders, is there something you can do?"

Anders shrugged, and told Howe with a hint of swagger, "I usually heal people, but I can even do dogs in a pinch."

Morrigan rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. Oghren grinned at her.

"There's something around her neck," Loghain said, untying a cord. He glanced at the rolled up message. "A plea for help from someone named Adria."

Maude took a quick breath and glanced at Nathaniel Howe. For the first time, the controlled sneer dissolved from the man's face. "Adria! We must save her!"

Loghain wondered if this was a sweetheart, but Maude swiftly cleared up the matter. "Poor relation of the Howes," she whispered to Loghain. "She was their governess from the time they were small. She's very nice." She said a little more loudly. "I didn't know she had a mabari."

Howe came closer, watching as Anders murmured over the hound. "I'm told it happened two years ago, when Father meant to give some bann or other a puppy. It imprinted on Adria instead. Delilah said he was furious, but Adria was family, after all." He added, very gently, "Her name is Topaz."

"That's a pretty name!" Maude cooed at the dog. "What a good, brave girl you are, Topaz!" Already healing under Anders' expert care, the dog responded with a faint snuffle. Ranger licked her face industriously.

"Here now, move that tongue," Anders ordered, "I'm trying to fix her ear." He paused. "That's about all I can do for now. I'm going to spell her asleep, and we'll collect her later."

"Well done," Loghain unbent enough to say. Dogs were valuable creatures, and generally more honorable than people.

"Can we go now?" asked Morrigan impatiently. "Surely there are darkspawn to eradicate!" Howe cast a puzzled and unfriendly look her way.

"Come on, Ranger!" Maude called. "We'll check on her on the way back."

Oghren rumbled a laugh. "Fereldans and their dogs!"

They moved on to the next passage, and descended another ramp into the next chamber.

There they met darkspawn, which they mowed down in short order. Then, they moved on to side chambers, making certain that nothing could take them unawares from behind.

There were shrieks down there, as well as hurlocks and darkspawn mages. Loghain found shrieks particularly disturbing. That they were born of elven women seemed unbelievable. The creatures had pointed ears, but they were huge…and had enormous claws.

Maude was looting the dead as usual, picking through crates and chests, collecting anything interesting, but she was doing it with sublime discretion and with the assistance of Morrigan, who would distract Nathaniel Howe with a question while Maude pocketed another treasure. Oghren saw them at it, grinned broadly, and started up a conversation with Howe himself.

"So you're Rendon Howe's little blighter…"

Loghain ground his teeth. Everyone was being deliberately provoking. He punched Maude lightly on the arm. She winked at him.

Down another flight of steps they found a number of large barred cells. There were human prisoners in them, huddled against the back walls to avoid the human-shaped things that were milling about.

"Ghouls," Maude said tersely, her smile vanishing. "They've been infected by the darkspawn. Their minds are gone. Kill them all."

Some were naked, some were clothed: all were weaponless. They took a great deal of killing, being insensible to pain and fear.

When they lay dead, Howe, obviously distressed, walked among them, recognizing some the men. "There was no way to cure them?" he asked Loghain, ignoring Maude.

Loghain knew little of ghouls, though he had done some reading of the Grey Warden texts. Knowing Maude, however, he was sure that if there was a way to save them, she had tried it. He merely answered, "None. Death is a mercy in that state. In fact, they would have died fairly soon, anyway."

"Horrible," muttered Howe. He strode over to glare at the men in the cells.

"Thank the Maker you've come, my lord!" one prisoner croaked. "Please let us out, before more of those things come."

"Worthless drunkards," Howe hissed, unlocking the door. "You were safe here while better folk died. Go on! Get out!"

"Thank you, my lord!" "Maker bless you, my lord!" and they were gone, pounding away up the stairs.

Howe shrugged. "I had them locked up for being drunk and disorderly. I'm surprised the darkspawn didn't break into the cells."

"They can't," Maude told him. "They're too stupid, and ghouls are stupid, too. Unless the darkspawn found a way to dig through the rock, the men would have died of thirst and hunger eventually."

"Maker!" Howe muttered.

"Oh, and I found these letters," Maude told him virtuously, handing him a packet of parchment. "They're in Delilah's handwriting. I'm sure she'd want them back."

He took them and actually thanked her, automatic good manners temporarily overcoming his loathing.

And now they had a choice: a heavy iron-bound door, or a smaller door that led further down.

"Still locked," said Howe testing the heavier door. "This leads to the crypt. If the darkspawn can't get through locks, then this is still secure. Maybe Adria locked herself in here." He pounded on the door. "Adria! It's Nathaniel!" There was no answer. Howe pounded again, to no avail.

"I could unlock it…" he offered.

"No time," Loghain said tersely. "She's not there, and neither are the darkspawn, it seems. This way, then," Another short passage, and they seemed to be reaching a mine rather than a finished chamber, for it was lined with jagged rock, like a fanged mouth, and there was only darkness beyond it. Low rocky ceilings were supported by occasional crude pillars. The entrance was lit by guttering torches. In the dim light, they could see movement.

A figure shambled out to confront them: a middle-aged woman, in the silk gown of a lady, the fine fabric now soiled and tattered. Even in the gloom Loghain could see the blotchy grey skin and sunken eyes.

"No, no! Adria!" Nathaniel groaned. He shook his head, not wanting to believe the truth. "There must be some way…"

The woman growled and rushed at them, teeth bared to bite. Behind her more ghouls stumbled out to attack, their faces contorted with hunger and mindless rage.

Loghain himself struck down the poor woman. It would be unnecessarily cruel to force young Howe to kill someone he loved, even though everything that had made her human was gone. They hacked and shot and bespelled the ghouls until they lay dead. Howe knelt in grief over the woman's body, while Maude flickered here and there, prying into pockets, occasionally smiling. Morrigan carefully blocked any view of her at crucial moments.

Then Maude picked up a stray piece of parchment, read it, and her face changed into a mask of malevolence. Loghain was alarmed, and stepped over quickly, taking the parchment from her.

"My lord Howe,

Some of the men are not pleased with your plan. They will incite others against you. For the plan to succeed, our forces must be united. If word gets out, if even one of them informs Cousland, it will be your head on a plate. I say this will all due respect, ser.

Your captain,

Lowan"

"Bastard!" Maude hissed under her breath, her eyes narrowed at the figure of Nathaniel Howe, still kneeling by the dead woman.

"Not now, Maude," Loghain hissed back. She snatched the parchment from him, and stuffed it under her armor. With deliberate defiance, she walked over to one of the body and began rifling it openly. She uttered a short sharp laugh when something glittered in her hand, and she tossed it to Anders.

"Here! This is for you. I think it would look rather fetching."

It was a heavy gold earring. Anders grinned back, a little weakly, and Morrigan only shrugged. Loghain led them away, to where the tunnel ended in caved-in boulders. It was clear what had happened here. The survivors had been trapped, with nowhere else to go. They had held off the darkspawn, but had become Tainted, and those who did not immediately become ghouls had been torn to pieces by the rest.

There was a noise behind them, More people were coming through the passageways, led by Sergeant Maverlies. She was gazing at Loghain in awe.

"You hear stories about the Wardens, but to see it first hand!"

"Arrange retrieval for these people," he said gruffly, gesturing at the pitiful ghouls. "And burn them and the darkspawn."

Maude was counting the coins she had found, seeming very pleased at her find. "And be very careful to keep your hands covered, and wipe your gloves off afterward, " she added. "Some of these people went mad after coming into contact with the darkspawn."

"Yes, ser, at once," the sergeant replied. "And I brought Master Voldrik along. It looks like his brother's explosions caved in the roof here."

The sober-faced dwarf Loghain had seen in the courtyard moved around the tall sergeant, examining the rubble.

"So this is how you humans ply your stonecraft! Disgraceful! This sort of work would last only a few hundred years. Interesting, though. I'll wager this connects somewhere to the Deep Roads."

"Really?" Maude said, interested. "That would make sense, Loghain. The darkspawn were in the Deep Roads and found a way to the surface through the dungeons."

Maverlies was horrified. "There are half a dozen basement entrances at Vigil's Keep. Those things could attack again at any time!"

Loghain thought quickly. "We need to find a single point to block off." He asked the dwarf, "Is that feasible?"

"Aye," Voldrik nodded. "If you follow the tunnels, you should find a single passage. With your muscle and my stonecraft, we'll find a way to close it down. I'll have the lads clear the rubble."

There was nothing to do for the time being but go back to the surface. Nathaniel Howe trailed along, his face fallen into misery. The others left him to his grief, and focused on their new relationships.

"Are you staring at me?" Oghren growled at Anders.

"Am I"? the mage asked innocently. "I thought perhaps a big hairy animal had attacked your face, but it was just your beard. What a relief."

"Think you're smart, don't you? Sparklefingers."

Morrigan was magnificently unconcerned. Maude grinned enormously. Ranger trotted a little faster, and looked up at Maude to remind her of something of great importance.

"Yes, we'll go check on her right now."

Topaz, Adria's faithful hound, was still dirty and bloody when they awakened her, but her wounds were quite thoroughly healed. She snuffled sleepily, and then sneezed. With a puzzled whine she looked back at the passageway.

"Come on, Topaz," Maude urged sweetly. "You'd better come with us!"

Ranger barked commandingly, and Topaz, after a last, wistful look behind her, trotted after him.

After what seemed like days, they were shown to hastily prepared bedchambers and given water to wash in. The darkspawn, luckily, had not succeeded in getting into every room in the castle. The rooms given to the Wardens were the rooms that had previously been occupied by Wardens who had died—or been abducted—that very day.

"Yes! A room with a view!" Maude leaned out of the window, smiling at the crescent moon reflected in the River Hafter. She poked about the place, while Loghain scrubbed himself clean. "This was Avenall's," Maude said, peering into the wardrobe. "Poor sod. Of course I shouldn't say that. Better dead than carried off by the darkspawn like Larrimore and Thierry. Oh, look! He had a copy of The Book of the Sword. The really nice edition with the colored illustrations. This is worth a lot, but I think we should keep it for the Warden Library. I'll go through the other rooms later."

Loghain grunted, his mind on something that had bothered him since dinner. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became at Kristoff, at Duncan, and at all Orlesians in general.

"Did you hear Varel?" He could feel rage sweep over him like a great wave, irresistible. "The Orlesians 'honored' him with their confidence! He assisted at Joinings! Kristoff could blab to a castle seneschal in order to make his life easier, but Duncan couldn't tell the commander of Ferelden's armies anything, even to enable me to formulate a realistic strategy at Ostagar!"

Maude shook her head, "It seems insane, to take Warden secrecy to that extreme. Mind you, it seems insane for Kristoff to give away our secrets to Varel, just for his own convenience. When we track him down, let's have a talk about it." She thought a little more. "Duncan's motives will always be something of a mystery, but I stand by my theory that it had a lot to do with your bad personal relationship."

A tremendous racket rose from the room two doors away. Maude glanced up, alert, but it was only Anders and Morrigan, at it again. There was the usual scratching at the door, and Loghain opened it for Ranger. The dog bounded in, his new friend Topaz slinking in behind him.

Maude found another blanket in the wardrobe and spread it out in a corner for the dogs. She gave Topaz a reassuring pat. The dog wagged her stumpy tail halfheartedly, and put her head on her paws, huddling close to Ranger.

"You've still got blood on you," Loghain told Maude. He threw a washcloth at her, and climbed into bed.

She caught the washcloth, laughing, and stripped down quickly. Humming to herself, she began to wash with cheerful energy.

Loghain watched her, admiring how well she looked with nothing on. Not all women, however beautiful, did. "You're in good spirits," he observed, "considering that all the other Wardens are dead, Vigil's Keep has been ravaged, and we know we have talking darkspawn in Amaranthine."

Her reflection in the mirror granted him an odd, grave smile. "The other Wardens are dead? I've been there before. I'm better off now than I was then. It's not just Alistair and me, thank the Maker! It's you, me, Morrigan, Anders, Ranger, and now Oghren. I think we're a pretty strong team. Talking darkspawn? Bad, but after killing dragons, how tough can talking darkspawn be? That one we saw went down fast enough. He didn't talk very well, after all." She shrugged. "It's always something...dragons...demons...darkspawn..."

The smile faded, and was replaced by something much darker, something so bitter and vengeful that Loghain was alarmed. She said, "And so Vigil's Keep was sacked by the darkspawn? Well, too bad." She collected herself, and said more calmly, "I'm sorry for the loss of innocent life, but the Howes did far worse to Highever. There are plenty of survivors here. The darkspawn didn't kill everyone: every man, woman, and child; every human and elf; every lord, lady, knight, guardsman, scholar, and servant; every bloody cat and dog. I know, as surely as I know anything, that there are people here who participated in and profited by the attack on my family. If they have to scrub their loved ones' blood from the stones, it seems only fitting."

The Wardens were up at daybreak, readying themselves for the journey to the city. Anders felt that Topaz needed more rest, and she was left behind with Delilah, who herself was up early, seeing to her people. Outside, the sun was rising in blood-red splendor.

Some parts of the fortress were comparatively unharmed. The darkspawn had shown no interest at all in the stables. Loghain found that their mounts had been well cared-for overnight, and the rest of the Wardens' horses were there as well. They now had fifteen spare horses, a valuable resource, as well as as their mule. Meghren could rejoice in a holiday from work today, since the Wardens would be traveling light. Loghain and Maude consulted together, choosing one of the smaller horses for the new Warden.

"I think this was Archand's," Maude said, flipping up some of the tack to search for markings. "No—I'm wrong. This was that new fellow Rowland's. Your horse now, Oghren. The groom says it's a good-tempered beast."

Oghren eyed the horse in dismay. "You want a dwarf to ride a horse? Boss-"

"Don't call me 'Boss,'" Maude corrected him in a stage whisper, "Weisshaupt has decreed that Loghain is now officially Boss. So if he says you have to ride a horse—" she let the sentence dangle in the wind.

"—I do say you have to ride a horse," Loghain finished, trying not to show his exasperation at Maude's odd behavior. "We want to get to Amaranthine sometime before Summersday."

"If I can ride, you can ride," Anders told him airily. "Assuming that you are equally teachable."

"Damned right," growled the dwarf. "If Sparklefingers can do it, I can do it."

Loghain shortened the stirrups, showed Oghren the correct way to hold the reins, and then they were off. Oghren would have his riding lessons on the way to Amaranthine.

The dwarf complained bitterly about the new and unpleasant sensations in his legs the first time they rested the horses.

"Are you trying to cripple me? Y'are, aren't you? Admit it. You're just jealous. It's all a cloudhead plot."

"Isn't it nice to have such a good view of everything?" Maude asked soothingly. "You'll get used to it quickly, I'm sure, since you're so strong."

Loghain rolled his eyes. At least the flattery put a stop to the complaints.

They reached Amaranthine in the late morning, passing parties of frightened refugees fleeing the increasing presence of the darkspawn. Ahead, the walls of the city soared up, tall and reassuringly thick.

Equally thick were the guards on duty. One of them imagined that he was going to search their packs. Before the real unpleasantness started, the captain on duty recognized Loghain, and hurried the guard out of the way, muttering to him. The guard craned around for another look at Loghain, gaping.

"I'm looking for a Warden named Kristoff and a hunter named Colbert," Loghain told the constable, who introduced himself as Aidan.

Aidan had never heard of Kristoff, but could direct them to the hunter. Colbert, it transpired, did not live in the city proper, but in a hovel outside the walls. The Wardens found him fairly quickly, sitting in the sun and repairing arrows. With him was a small, fair-haired elf with a fey look to him.

The hunters were delighted to share their tale. They were idiots, but Colbert was not such an idiot that he could not clearly describe where they had fallen into the hole in the ground, and seen the darkspawn running past them. The place was in the west of the arling, in the Knotwood Hills.

"But you were not attacked," Morrigan said, trying to make sense of their story. "You were both right there, screaming loudly, and the darkspawn just…ran past."

Colbert leered approvingly. "That's exactly right, honeypie. That's exactly what happened." He said to Loghain, "You've got a smart one there."

His elf partner smiled dreamily, "Good mind. Well built."

The hunters were paid off, and the Wardens were left to puzzle over the strange story. They found the nearest livery stable, left the horses there with the usual awful warning, and then strolled through the main gate of Amaranthine.

Maude said, "It sounds to me like the hunters might have found a darkspawn breeding ground. A big opening in the earth? Crowds of darkspawn? I think whatever Kristoff was searching for, it was actually right there in the Knotwood Hills."

"Yes…" Morrigan considered. "The area seemed…odd. Ominous, perhaps, when we traveled though it in the autumn."

Maude frowned, looking unusually serious. No, it was more than that: she looked as if she expected an attack at any moment. Loghain thought he understood. She felt she was in enemy territory. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She relaxed minutely, but did not smile.

The merchants were out, and trade was flowing, after a fashion. One could not say that all was well, but it was better than he might have expected. Amaranthine was a fine city, about one-quarter the size of Denerim. The docks were extensive and the Chantry the grandest and most elaborate in Ferelden after the Cathedral in Denerim. The residence of the Bann, a tall house of stone, was only a part of the massive Keep in the city's center. Loghain saw no reason to call on Bann Esmerelle, whom he had always found irritating.

"The Crown and Lion," he suggested. "It's the best inn in town. We can start looking for Kristoff there."

"Fine idea," Oghren grunted. "We can check out the ale, too."

"And have lunch," Anders voted.

Kristoff had indeed been there. Maude persuaded the innkeeper to hand over the key to the Warden's room, and then they trooped upstairs to search for clues.

Oghren lagged behind. "I could just stay here and order for us—"

Maude gave his metal-clad arm a yank. "Come on, Oghren!"

Kristoff had quite a nice room at the inn, except for the noisy pair of lovers next door. Loghain went immediately to the large map of Amaranthine pinned to the wall and studied it carefully. On it, Kristoff had marked the sites of known darkspawn attacks and sightings.

Meanwhile, Maude had unlocked his personal chest, and was pawing through his belongings. "Some letters from his wife...a locket—she's quite pretty!"

"What is this Blackmarsh place?" wondered Morrigan, coming to stand by Loghain, holding out a worn-looking notebook. "It appears to be the focus of Kristoff's search. In his notes he mentions meeting a man who saw darkspawn in the Blackmarsh, as well as seeing a monster he describes as a 'worm with legs.'"

Loghain took the notebook from her and read through the passage, scowling.

Maude joined them, her face lightening somewhat. "Lovely! A worm with legs. The Blackmarsh is just the place for it. Rendon Howe used to tell us children the most gloriously gruesome stories about the Blackmarsh!"

Astonished, Anders asked, "This archnemesis of yours told you stories?"

"Old friend of the family prior to becoming an archnemesis, remember? Yes, sometimes he told us stories. He was a brilliant storyteller, in fact. I'll never forget what he told us about the Blackmarsh." Her voice dropped thrillingly to a low and mysterious register. "'They say the Blackmarsh was once inhabited, until one day everyone… disappeared.'"

Loghain, distracted from the map, stared at her. She had actually managed to sound like Rendon Howe. That was genuinely disturbing. Apparently Oghren had met the man once, and found it disturbing, too. Then the dwarf guffawed.

"Neat trick! You should have talked back to him like that, that time in the dungeons!"

That made Maude laugh, too. She told them more about the Blackmarsh. The most lurid stories were fairly recent, and dated to the Orlesian Occupation, when an Orlesian baroness had been given the place as a fiefdom. She, too, had disappeared. An Orlesian noblewoman? Whatever had happened in the Blackmarsh, Loghain was absolutely certain that this Orlesian woman was at the bottom of it.

Maude cocked her head thoughtfully. "As I see it, we have two choices: look for Kristoff and his clues in the Blackmarsh, or track down the darkspawn that we know are in the Knotwood Hills."

Loghain disagreed. "There is no choice at all. Kristoff must look after himself. Our first priority is the darkspawn. It sounds like a large lair. We should go there as soon as possible."

That settled, they enjoyed their meal at the Crown and Lion, though there were more spectators than Loghain liked. As they were leaving the inn, a young man approached them.

"Excuse me, my lord," he said to Loghain, "but I heard you're here from the Vigil. Is it true? Was there an attack?"

"There was," Loghain said brusquely.

"Delilah…I mean…the Arlessa? Is she all right?"

Maude spoke up. "You're Albert, aren't you?"

"I am, Warden. Is she all right?"

"Oh, perfectly fine. She was rescued and her brother is looking after her now. The attack was beaten back, though there were losses." Maude was civil, but not exactly warm.

The man drew away, discouraged. "That's all I wanted to know. Thank you…"

After he disappeared down an alley, Morrigan asked, "Who was that?"

"That was the Amaranthine shopkeeper who attempted to entice Lady Delilah Howe into a misalliance with him," Maude declared, a touch of frost in her voice.

"Maude," Anders reproved her, "you are such a snob. Perhaps he might have made her happy!"

Maude shrugged, and granted him a half-smile. "Perhaps he might have... but he wasn't good enough for her, all the same!"

Note: Sorry for the delay. Not my fault, honest! The chapter was finished on Sunday, but ffdotnet was not taking it. I finally found a work-around in order to post.

Thanks to my reviewers: Josie Lange, Phygmalion, Eva Galana, Gene Dark, Persephone Chiara, Shakespira, Amhran Comhrac, mutive, Zute, icey cold, Judy, Lehni, Kira Kyuuketsuki, gaj620, nekoninja123, Angurvddel, White Ivy, JackOfBladesX, Jenna53, Enaid Aderyn, mille libri, Fastforwarmotion, RakeeshJ4, Kempe, Piceron, hyperfuzzy, Lyris Musetta, So you want to be an author, wayfaringpanda, Anime-StarWars-fan-zach and Lord of Murder.