The silence lasted far longer than was comfortable for anyone.

Lindise, eager for something to do and enjoying a bit of a buzz from Fenris' wine, dug through Paien's pack. She broke the silence by holding up a bottle the size of a man's fist. "Found it."

All eyes turned on the bottle. The glass was black, the contents a mystery. Lindise retook her seat beside Vashoth, conjuring flames at her fingertips and turning the bottle over the heat.

"Always prepared," Lindise murmured with a sad smile.

"You have a choice, Vashoth," Elissa told him for what must have been the third time.

The man, bigger than Alistair, Nathaniel, and Fenris put together, stared Elissa Cousland down, his mouth a thin, grim line. "This is what the Wardens call a choice?"

Fenris shook his head, leaning on his blade in the doorway. "I find this all fascinating."

Alistair held up his hands, "I know, it's not ideal. Nothing has been ideal, but we're trying to help you."

"Are you even certain I have contracted this Taint?" Vash whirled on him, yellow eyes furious.

"Are the healing elixirs bringing you any relief?" Nathaniel arched a brow at him.

"Once you have made your decision, know that is it final," Elissa tried to meet the former qunari's gaze with no luck. "But I am giving you the option to choose, not everyone-"

Vashoth laughed, and it was a hard, angry sound. "My choice! Duty or death!" He flung his pack across the room, potions rattling and rolling everywhere. "I may as well be back with the qunari!"

Fenris rolled his eyes and muttered, "Tal-Vashoth."

The huge kossith turned on him, his big voice shaking the room, "I am not Tal-Vashoth!"

Fenris remained calm, but stood a bit taller and slipped his blade back into its sheath at his back. "You keep saying that." He flung his hand at Vash to motion at his cropped horns, "You may not kill those who follow the Qun, but you are quick to heal its enemies. You rebel against it as hard as any True Grey mercenary."

Vash rocked back on his heels, eyes wide in shock, "You, little elf. You know nothi-" "So you'll accept death before anything that remotely resembles the Qun? On principle?" Fenris tilted his head. "Tal-Vashoth or Vashoth Warden?" He shook his head, "Stop pretending you're so noble. You're a healer. This death of yours? Saves no one." He bowed slightly to Elissa, "I'll stop ignoring your request for me to leave now." With that, he turned on a heel and disappeared through the doorway, closing the door behind him.

Vashoth stood still and silent with a tight angry jaw. He drew in a deep breath, and suddenly doubled over with a coughing fit. Once he caught his breath, he accepted Alistair's offered water skin and drank greedily from it. Finally, he said, "You claim that this is not a cure."

"And... it may not even work," Nathaniel said almost apologetically.

"Then why choose me? I am no warrior."

"The Wardens need healers. Obviously. We hired you," Alistair offered a weak smile. "And come on, we've all seen you wield that dagger, don't pretend you don't know how to look after yourself in the thick of battle."

"And you are a good man," Lindise added with slightly slurred speech as she still turned the mysterious bottle over her flaming fingers. "This whole time... you've only been concerned about the victims. The weak, the hurt, the lost." Her gaze focused on Vash. "I don't want you to die. It's worth trying, at least."

Vash crouched with his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. He let out a long, low exhale as his hands slid over his trimmed horns. He straightened and turned to Elissa. "Let us begin."

Elissa nodded once. "Lindise, how soon until that is ready?"

Lindise blinked a few times. "Hm? Oh, it's been ready. I just remember thinking at my Joining, this would go down so much easier if it was warm. A hefty spoonful of honey wouldn't hurt, either." She pulled off the loosened cork and offered the bottle to Elissa.

The black glass warmed her cold hands, and she drew in a deep breath as she turned to the former qunari. "Join us, brothers and sisters." The other Wardens joined her with low, solemn voices in a somber chorus. "Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten... and that one day, we shall join you."

Vashoth took the bottle with a wary expression, narrowed eyes on Elissa's face. He lifted it to his lips and took a slow swallow. He quickly handed the bottle back with an expression of disgust, arm covering his mouth as he coughed. The thickness had surprised her, as well, and the mix of archdemon blood, darkspawn blood, lyrium, and other herbs in Paien's back, held close for just such an emergency, must have been months old.

The Wardens stepped back as Vash fell onto all fours, coughing and struggling to breathe. Every time she witnessed the Joining, Elissa relived it. The burning cold spreading over her whole body. The uncontrollable shaking. The images. Maker, the nightmarish images that nearly made her scream out loud in pure terror. Death and darkspawn, demons and dragons and all consuming flame.

Finally, Vash collapsed face first onto the stone floor, and the Wardens nearly stumbled over one another to check if he survived. Alistair got to him first and rested a hand on his throat. What was possibly a few seconds silence stretched on for ages. Alistair closed his eyes and let out a sound of relief. "He lives."

Elissa tilted her head back and felt the worry melt off her shoulders. Exhaustion settled in its place like a heavy old coat. She closed her eyes and declared, "I am not taking the first watch."