She made arrangements to send scouts ahead to Crestwood, and then went to find Hawke. He was sitting at a makeshift table, sharing a drink with Cullen. She approached slowly, listening to their conversation.

"... a daughter." Hawke took a drink. "Aveline says Hugh is quite the doting father. Agatha?"

"With the Inquisition. She and Ruvena are at the camp the mages set up for the apprentices. I don't suppose you know anything about Selvig?"

"Rescued him from an abomination and sent him to help the guard. Alain?"

Cullen sighed. "He never reported back. He may have been among those who fled. Alain is here. He actually joined the Inquisition before I did. Ella is here as well"

"I saw Kels running around earlier. Inquisition armor, not templar. Are the rest here as well?"

"None of them were old enough to take their vows when Cassandra recruited me. I wasn't exactly going to leave them behind." Cullen actually smiled. "Some insane mage extracted all kinds of promises from me to look after them. What about Keran?"

"I know absolutely nothing about him joining up with a certain pirate captain, nor am I at liberty to tell you he's fine. Paxley?"

"Last I heard he was on his way to Therinfal Redoubt. I can only hope he reconsidered before..." Cullen caught sight of her. "Inquisitor."

"I don't mean to interrupt," she said. She looked from one man to the other. "I suppose I should have considered you two knew each other."

"Just catching up on mutual acquaintances," Hawke said. He finished his glass, and then glanced at Cullen. "I'll let Moira know you're no longer with the templars."

Cullen blinked. "Moira was with the templars you killed in Lowtown."

"Moira was my friend, and a damned good woman. She fought alongside the guard, then went to help Bodahn."

"You..." Cullen smiled. "I'm relieved to hear it. If she wishes to join us here, I'd welcome her and gladly."

Ruya sat, and glanced over at Hawke. "I heard you had family and friends in Kirkwall. Where are they now?"

"My brother's a Grey Warden. He was on his way back to the Free Marches last I spoke to him. I told Aveline to take him as far from Orlais as possible." He set the empty glass on the table and spun it a couple times. "Fenris would have killed himself to protect me. I didn't want to give him that chance."

"I assume Varric's been feeding you information about the Inquisition?"

"Only good things, I promise." Hawke refilled his glass, and then filled another for her. "I was a little surprised, actually. Varric isn't one for religion in general, but he thinks highly of the Inquisition. I think the exact phrase was..." Hawke's voice became an excellent imitation of Varric's. "Has a good shot at fixing Blondie's mess."

"I'd like to know more about Anders. What was he like?"

Hawke went quiet for a moment. "I don't know if there ever was just an 'Anders.' He was crazy. By the end, there was nothing left in him except this insane need to start a war no one could win."

She decided to change the subject. "Where did you go after the mages rebelled?"

The smile on his face made it fairly clear she wasn't going to get an entirely honest answer to that question. "I heard the Chantry might be sending an Exalted March to Kirkwall to put down the rebellion. I hoped that leaving would save lives and force the Divine to divide her forces to come after me. As it turned out, I needn't have bothered. All the Circles started rising up, and the Exalted March never came. And this one particular templar who can't hold his liquor worth a damn managed to get Kirkwall back under control." Hawke grinned at Cullen. "I hear you turned down the job of Knight-Commander."

"Aveline's return got Kirkwall settled down, thank the Maker for small miracles. And Cassandra offered me the job of leading the Inquisition's forces."

"We are headed to Crestwood in the morning," Ruya said to Hawke.

"I'll go on ahead of you," Hawke replied. "Need to send a few missives and don't need the Nightingale peering over my shoulder while I do it."

She watched him go, and then glanced at Cullen. "Thoughts?"

"Despite everything, it's actually good to see him again. He must have saved my life at least a half dozen times over the years we were in Kirkwall." Cullen finished his own drink.

"Is that why you let him go?"

"I know what the stories say, but I was there, Inquisitor. He saved more lives that day than he took. The first time we met..." Cullen laughed softly. "I'd foolishly confronted an abomination on my own. I was knocked unconscious. Or so I thought. It wasn't until I got back to my quarters and saw how much blood was on my tunic that I realized I must have been quite badly hurt. He was a penniless apostate then, and yet he not only saved my life that day, he aided my investigation and saved many recruits from a fate worse than death."

"Think he'll join us?"

"He may." Cullen sighed. "But part of me hopes he doesn't. He deserves whatever peace he's managed to find over the last few years, with his family."

#

She found Blackwall at the stables, carving away on what looked to be... a toy rocking griffin. He actually blushed a little when he saw her standing there. "This? This is just..." He set the tools down. "It's something to keep the hands busy. I'm grateful you tracked me down when you did. As exciting as wandering the woodlands was, this is better. It's good to be part of something so important, something that could change things."

His enthusiasm was contagious. "I'm pleased that you feel that way."

"Makes me sound like a Chantry sister, doesn't it? Some giddy new initiate." He picked the tools back up and began carving again. "But so be it. I suppose you've earned my loyalty..." He blew some saw dust away. "And girlish enthusiasm. 'You are who you choose to follow.' Someone told me that once. Took me years to understand what he meant."

"There's wisdom in that." She followed him as he walked towards the fire.

"It was a chevalier who said those words to me. A powerful man, but never without honor. A true knight. We met as competitors in the Grand Tourney. He left me with that advice before we parted. Put aside his own ambitions to help me win the melee. I don't think I ever thanked him."

She remembered watching the melee with her brothers, listening to them talk about how they'd win it all one day. "How did he help you?"

"There were a hundred men on the field. Each one fighting for himself. The goal? Down as many opponents as possible. He always let me deliver the final blow."

"That was generous of him."

"When it was over, he offered to mentor me, to teach me to become a chevalier like him." Regret filled Blackwall's voice. "And I, young and stupid, turned him down flat. I'd just one the melee at the Grand Tourney. I didn't need him. I should have gone with him. Perhaps things could've been different."

"You're here now. A Grey Warden. It worked out." Without him, she'd have been nothing more than ash after that archdemon had appeared on the field.

"I suppose it did, didn't it?" He picked up the tools again. "But I'm older, hopefully wiser, and I think I've chosen the right person to walk with."

"We are heading out to Crestwood in the morning, to meet with Hawke's contact in the Wardens. I'd like you to come along."

He nodded. "My sword is yours, Inquisitor."

#

Cassandra wasn't at the practice dummies. Ruya heard a small commotion from the nearby building and went to investigate. She arrived just in time to see Cassandra throw a table at Varric.

"You knew where Hawke was all along!" Cassandra yelled.

Varric ducked away, putting a table between himself and the irate seeker. "You're damned right I did."

"You conniving little shit." Cassandra aimed a punch, but too high. Varric ducked beneath it and fled again.

"You kidnapped me. You interrogated me. What did you expect?"

"Hey." Ruya put up a barrier between the two of them, arresting Cassandra's forward motion. "Enough."

"You're taking his side?" Cassandra whirled to face her.

Ruya raised her voice. "I said enough." Both Cassandra and Varric took a step backwards.

Cassandra took several deep breaths. "We needed someone to lead this Inquisition." She paced. "First, Leliana and I searched for the Hero of Ferelden, but she was gone. Then we looked for Hawke, but he was gone, too. We thought it all connected, but no." She glared at Varric. "It was just you. You kept him from us."

Varric gestured at Ruya. "The Inquisition has a leader."

"Hawke would have been at the Conclave." Cassandra took a step towards Varric before catching herself. "If anyone could have saved Most Holy..." She choked on the words.

And there it was. Cassandra hid her grief better than Leliana, but it was still there. Ruya kept her voice calm and gentle. "You can't change the past, Cassandra." So many had been lost. And stories were stories. She heard the ones they were already telling about her. And she'd seen the weariness in Hawke's shoulders. He was a man, not a legend.

"So I must accept..." Cassandra waved her hand. "What? That the Maker wanted all this to happen? That He, that He..." She turned away from them. "Varric is a liar, Inquisitor. A snake. Even after the Conclave, when we needed Hawke most, Varric kept him secret."

"He's with us now." Varric lifted his chin defiantly. "We're on the same side."

Cassandra whirled back around. "We all know who's side you're on, Varric. It will never be the Inquisition's."

Ruya stepped between them. "Attacking him now won't help us, Cassandra." Especially given that Varric was nothing more than a convenient target.

"Exactly," Varric said. He shrunk a little when Ruya turned her gaze to him.

"And you better not be keeping anything else from us."

He started to argue, and then sighed. "I understand."

"I must not think of what could have been." Cassandra leaned on the railing, facing away from Varric. "We have so much at stake. Go, Varric. Just..." Cassandra hung her head. "Go."

Varric started to walk away. He stopped at the top of the stairs. "You know what I think? If Hawke had been at the temple, he'd be dead, too. You people have done enough to him."

Ruya walked over to lean on the railing next to Cassandra. "I..." Cassandra sighed. "Believed him." She gestured. "He spun his story for me, and I swallowed it. If I'd just explained what was at stake..." She ran a hand through her close-cropped hair. "If I'd just made him understand..." She slammed her fists into the top of the railing and started pacing the room. "But I didn't, did I? I didn't explain why we needed Hawke." She sat down. "I am such a fool."

She sat down across from the seeker. "Have you looked at our Inquisition, Cassandra? We're all fools, here." One needed to be just a little bit foolish to keep their ideals in the face of what lay before them.

Cassandra choked on a laugh. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"More at home, maybe."

She took a deep breath, then raised her eyes to Ruya's. "I want you to know, I have no regrets. Maybe if we'd found Hawke or the Hero of Ferelden, the Maker wouldn't have needed to send you. But He did. You're..." Cassandra tilted her head at Ruya, but her look was more curious than disappointed. "Not what I'd pictured. But if I've learned anything, it's that I know less than nothing."

"Hawke is with us now, Cassandra."

"He is. I wish..." She sighed. "So many good people, taken from us."

"There were people you knew, at the Conclave. Not just the Divine."

"Old friends." Cassandra folded her arms. "A few I hadn't even spoken to in years. It still hurts to realize they are gone. And you?"

"My uncle Gavren. Perhaps others. And..." Ruya sighed. "Some of my cousins were among the templars. Not all have been accounted for. Xaver... We were children together, and then at the Circle... Templar or no, he was family. I can't help but wonder if he's there, lying under the rubble and snow and that I might have put him there."

"When we..." Cassandra sighed. "When Justinia first made arrangements for the Conclave, she sent a message to Brehan. I thought about offering to take it in person. I cannot help but wonder if I had... They died in the deep, only a few days before we went to speak to the Hero of Ferelden. A few days... if he'd been at her side, would he have seen the signs we missed? Warned her in time?" She sighed. "I suppose we will never know."

"Why wasn't he there?"

"They..." Cassandra sighed. "I cannot fault him for walking away when he did. But I also know that if he had received the letter, he would have come. And part of me wonders if sending the letter is what got him killed."

Ruya blinked. "What do you mean?"

"We needed them, and an earthquake takes them? Just a few days before the Wardens begin to vanish? It may not be connected, Inquisitor. But I cannot help but wonder."

"We are going to meet Hawke's contact. Perhaps he can tell you more."

#

"That got a little..." Ruya gave Varric a concerned look when she found him. He was leaning against the table, staring into the fire. "Heated. Are you all right?"

"Well, that depends. How angry is Cassandra?" Varric gave her a wary look. He sighed. "I wasn't trying to keep secrets. I told the Inquisition everything that seemed important at the time."

"I know, Varric." She touched his shoulder. "You never would've kept quiet otherwise."

"I keep hoping..." Varric stood up. "None of this is real. Maybe it's all some bullshit from the Fade, and it'll just disappear. I know I need to do better. I'm sorry."

#

Cole was following the Inquisitor. Cassandra narrowed her eyes slightly. She wasn't convinced allowing the strange boy to remain was a wise idea. Yet with the Inquisitor and Solas both along, they were probably more equipped to handle the creature than those remaining behind. She glanced up at the tower Cullen had chosen as his office. It was positioned neatly between where Solas worked and where Cole had chosen to lair. You could take the man from the templars, but not the templar from the man.

She gave the boy-like creature a wary look. "If you are to fight alongside us, Cole, I expect you to follow orders. The Inquisitor believes you wish to help, but I will not allow you to threaten innocents."

"Yes." He nodded at her happily. "Help the hurt, save the small. If I become a demon, cut me down."

"Do not doubt me. I will do it."

He actually smiled at her. "Good."

"You're..." She tilted her head at him. "Serious, aren't you?"

"Yes." He tilted his head back at her. "I hope you are, too."

#

The air around Crestwood was filled with a mist that bordered on rain. Scout Harding was waiting for them. "We've got trouble ahead."

"I'm sure it's nothing the Inquisition can't handle." Ruya tried to project confidence into her voice.

"Careful, Your Worship. That optimism might be catching." Harding's eyes twinkled.

"Are things that bad?"

Instead of responding, Harding led her down to the shore. Beneath the lake she could see the tell-tale green glow of a rift. Water and mist sprayed out of the water above the glow, creating a small storm. Ruya found herself at a complete loss for words.

"Crestwood was the site of a flood ten years ago during the Blight." Harding gestured at the remains of houses that dotted the shore. "It's not the only rift in the area, but after it appeared, corpses started walking out of the lake. You'll have to fight through them to get to the cave where Ser Hawke's Grey Warden friend is hiding."

"Have any undead attacked the camp?" It might be worth the effort to send for some additional reinforcements.

"We've had a few shamblers, but most head toward the village below. Maybe someone in Crestwood can tell you how to get to the rift in the lake. Maker knows they'll want help. Good luck, and please be safe."

#

Cullen glanced up as the door to his office opened. Eben scrambled inside, looking back over his shoulder. He was followed a moment later by an irate Dorian. "Commander, would you kindly explain to your young ruffian that Orlesian military history is not a subject matter one organizes by color?"

Eben fled to the other side of the office and put a chair between himself and the Tevinter mage. For a moment, Cullen thought the young man was actually going to cower behind it. "I will make a note of..." He stopped as Dorian went to his bookshelf. The mage threw up his hands and immediately began moving things around. "Can I help you?"

"Are you aware that you are missing volumes three and seven of Valganar's librum militrae?" Dorian shot Eben a look. "Unless that one has helpfully shelved them with Varric's seminal works."

"Perhaps you could convince the Champion of Kirkwall to return them?" Cullen folded his arms. "If you are done terrorizing my assistant."

"He put Gebillair's compendium of Les Trois Soeurs on the same shelf as Genitivi's In Pursuit of Knowledge." Dorian shook his head. "They execute men for lesser crimes."

"It was alphabetical, Ser!"

"Alpha..." Dorian glared.

"And that's quite enough of that, thank you." Cullen stepped between them. "Eben, leave any more books on the table and leave the organizing to the mages. Dorian, I will point out that we could easily leave you to dig the books out of the rubble by yourself."

"I..." Dorian sighed. "You have a point."

Cullen dismissed Eben, and then turned to see Dorian moving things around on his bookshelf again. "Dorian, I put them in the order I reference them most often."

"Ah." Dorian stepped back. "I see. Your copy of the Mediation on Blades is quite badly damaged. I'll see if I can't acquire you one in better condition."

"I..." Cullen nodded. "I'd appreciate that."

Kels entered. "Commander?"

"Report."

"The Inquisitor says the situation in Crestwood is a bit more complicated than anticipated, and asks that the camp there be sent some additional soldiers. Preferably those that can handle fighting undead."

"Tell Briony and her people to head out." Cullen considered a moment. "And let Leliana know. She may have people she wishes to send."

"I might as well accompany her," Dorian said. "Perhaps the Tranquil can get the library situation dealt with before my return."

#

"There must be a way to get to the rift in the lake." Ruya narrowed her eyes at the water.

"Swimming?" Iron Bull suggested.

"Maybe the locals will lend us a boat?" Varric offered.

"It sounds different." Cole gazed at the water curiously. "The water changes the song."

They headed up the road just in time to see several corpses attack a young woman. Before Ruya could get her staff, there were two men leaping to her defense. She changed her plan of attack accordingly. A few steps closer revealed that both men wore Warden armor. The taller of the two helped the young woman back to her feet. "I'd go back to the village, miss. These roads aren't safe."

The other man bowed to her. "The Grey Wardens thank you for your aid, Inquisitor."

She shot a quick look at Blackwall, who was staring at the two men. "What are you doing in Crestwood?"

"Looking for another Warden. Ser Loghain. He's wanted for questioning."

The taller man's face showed distaste. "If you see him, I'd keep your distance."

Interesting. "What have you been told about this rogue Warden?"

"Warden-Commander Clarel ordered his capture. I can say no more than that." The Warden shrugged. "Maker willing, Loghain will lay down his arms when we meet. I've no wish to fight the man."

"Will you stay to fight the undead here?"

"My orders forbid it. Crestwood was only a detour."

The other man spoke up again. "If the Inquisition can help, I beg you to do what you can. The villagers have already lost too many."

"Farewell."

She watched them go, and then looked at Blackwall. "I take it you didn't know either of them?"

He shook his head in response. "Nor do I know the Warden they are hunting. Not right, refusing to help."

"None of those Wardens mentioned a new leader. I don't think they're part of Corypheus's plot to seize the Order."

"Or some of the best liars I've ever seen." Varric kept Bianca ready. "Nah, you're right. They're probably clueless."

"I hope Hawke's Warden friend has answers for us."

#

They had to fight their way through undead to reach the village. The people there were relieved to see them. She watched Cole out of the corner of her eye as they entered. The spirit... or young man... seemed happy to be out with them, helping people. And his combat skills were formidable. He saw her looking at him. "They're frightened inside. Trapped by the walls that protect them."

It took her a moment to parse his meaning. The people in Caer Bronach had little hope and were afraid, but if they left, they'd be at the mercy of the undead. "We'll help them, Cole."

She was surprised that she actually had to convince the mayor to accept their help. He gave them a key that would unlock the dam control past the fort, after warning them that the fort was full of bandits that would need to be evicted first.

#

"Gate open, no patrols." The Iron Bull glanced at Ruya. "Risky, but we could rush it." He waited a moment to see her response, and was pleasantly surprised when he saw her nod. He was still having some difficulty figuring out just what to make of the young woman.

"Solas and I will put up barriers for you, Cassandra, and Blackwall. Cole, Varric, keep the bandits off guard and prevent them from regrouping. Solas and I will hit them from range." She nodded at the large door, and then raised an eyebrow at The Iron Bull. "Care to knock?"

He unlimbered his axe and nodded. This was going to be fun. He hit the door with Cassandra on one side and Blackwall on the other. With the Inquisitor's spell around him, he didn't get so much as a splinter. Could get used to the magic thing. Lightning hit the archers on their vantage point before they could loose any arrows. He spun, taking a man's arm off with a blow from the axe. Blackwall focused more on defense, repeatedly putting himself between the bandits and the mages. Cassandra was faster than he'd expected, and had a hell of a swing. Keeping track of Cole on the battlefield quickly proved to be impossible.

Within minutes, the keep was theirs. He laid his axe over his shoulders and smiled.

#

It took Iron Bull and Blackwall both to get the dam controls moving. The entire dam shook slightly as the water came through. Ruya could hear the roar even before they were back outside.

They returned to find Inquisition soldiers gathering at the fort. Sera tossed her a cheeky salute. "Reinforcements are here, your gracious lady-bits."

"You made good time." Ruya smiled, and then took a look at the newcomers. Dorian had apparently accompanied them as well. A few soldiers, and quite a few of Leliana's people. Including a couple mages. An elven woman named Charter was apparently in charge of the group, and was giving instructions on securing and utilizing the fort. Ruya was left to hope that Leliana had already cleared it with the king and queen of Ferelden.

She left Iron Bull with the soldiers, assigning him Dorian and Sera and instructing him to take care of the remaining bandits in the hills. She thought about giving him Blackwall as well, but Blackwall and Dorian had developed a habit of antagonizing each other. With the Iron Bull, at least, the banter appeared to have the element of teasing rather than genuine mutual dislike. At times she actually wondered if it was some kind of flirting.

It was going to take some time for the lake bed to dry enough for them to head down. In the meantime, they could find Hawke.

#

The first rocky cliffside they encountered contained red templars and a family of wyverns. They limped back to the fort in surprisingly high spirits. The presence of a rather large veridium mine would get Crestwood back on its feet quickly now that the wyverns were cleared out.

Iron Bull and Sera had apparently spotted a dragon back in the hills. Ruya found herself promising they'd go back and hunt it later. Cassandra did not look pleased at the prospect.

Dorian moved closer to the fire. "Why is it always so cold? How do you southerners stand it?"

"What's the matter?" Iron Bull poured himself a drink. "Not enough slaves around to rub your footsies?"

"My footsies are freezing, thank you."

"The moisture in the air should settle in the next couple days. It will get warmer then." Ruya shrugged. "Hopefully." She glanced at Solas. "How's the leg?"

"I will be fine by morning." He shrugged. "Had I realized there would be flying humans, I would have had a barrier up."

"Sorry about that," Blackwall said. "I didn't realize how hard wyverns could kick."

"The look on your face right before he landed on you was pretty funny," Varric said.

"We might want to work on our coordination before tangling with a dragon."

"So Varric, are you and Cassandra..." Dorian raised an eyebrow.

Varric's eyes went wide. "What? No! Why would you even ask that?"

"Truly?" Dorian gave him a disbelieving look. "Bizarre."

Cassandra was all but reaching for her sword as she glared at the mage. "I'm right here!"

"See?" Dorian gestured at her. "She's right there. What are you waiting for?"

"Just because two people dislike each other doesn't mean they're about to kiss, Sparkler."

"Not according to your books."

"Don't mistake me for that hack who wrote Hard in Hightown II. I can spell."

Sera practically fell off the barrel she was using as a seat she was laughing so hard.

#

Morning brought ground safe to walk on. She left half of her group to guard the villagers from anything they stirred up, and headed into the caverns with Cole, Solas, and Cassandra. The clouds and mist kept it fairly dark.

Spirits glowed with ambient light as they moved through the ruins. She asked Solas why there were so many spirits here instead of just demons, and he pointed out how thin the veil was in the area.

They found a spirit ordering the remains of furniture to move. After watching it for a moment, Ruya approached it cautiously. It turned towards her. "I order you to tell me why nothing here heeds my commands."

Solas moved in behind her. "A lost spirit. This should -"

"Silence," the spirit barked. "Let the other one talk."

Ruya glanced over her shoulder, but Solas appeared more amused than affronted. She glanced over her other shoulder. "Maybe you can give it some guidance, Cole."

Cole stepped forward. "Maybe. My name is -"

"Ugh." The spirit's glow flared dimly. "Compassion. Did I ask your name?"

"Sorry." Cole actually hung his head.

Ruya found herself putting a comforting hand on the young man's... or whatever he was... shoulder. "Spirits are your expertise, Solas."

The spirit turned towards the elven mage. "Then tell me why nothing here changes!"

"This realm follows different rules from the Fade's. Will alone cannot overcome what you see." Solas tapped his staff against the piece of furniture, and then used the staff to push it in the direction the spirit had earlier ordered it to move.

The spirit's glow brightened for a moment. "Then what's the point of it?"

"A solid form is both shackle and strength. It affects more than you can imagine." He drew the staff back towards him, letting it draw a line in the muck.

"Are you a spirit or demon?" Ruya gazed at the spirit in fascination. It was nothing quite like anything she'd seen before. Alien, but not monstrous.

"'Demons'? Those dolts who would suck this world dry? I am called to higher things." She got the impression that the spirit was drawing itself up.

"All powerful spirits represent something. Compassion, justice, wisdom..." At least, that had been her understanding, and Solas had seemed to agree.

"Soft virtues, all. I am more. I am Command."

"Or Pomposity." She almost laughed at Solas's quiet comment.

The spirit flowed a few inches towards her. "What of you? I felt your coming. Is there something like in us?"

Well, they had put her in command anyway. "I think there must be."

The spirit rose slightly, and glowed more strongly. "I knew it. Make your armies ready. Cleave to your loyal servants. You will need them all."

Good advice, at least. "What's so distressing about the real world?"

"It ignores me." The spirit sank down almost a foot. "I order the rocks to part, but they do not. I bid the sky draw close, and it stays still. I don't know how you mortals stand it."

"Why haven't you gone back to the Fade?"

It rose again, though not as high as it had earlier. "I will not be denied. I refuse to leave until something obeys my orders."

She considered a moment. "Then I feel compelled to help you. I pledge myself to your service."

This time the spirit glowed brightly enough to light the area. "Excellent. I have only one command. A creature made of rage had the gall to chase me across the lake. Destroy it in my name and be rewarded."

"A simple enough request." Cassandra looked a bit nervous at the situation. "The rage demon might threaten others as well. Killing a demon is worthy of us, at least."

#

"It's humming below us. A window, wanting, wandering, looking back at what's looking."

"Cole believes we are headed in the correct direction," Solas clarified.

They continued making their way through the caves. Ruya stopped at a couple points to collect samples of ore for Dagna. She caught sight of something else in one of the tunnels. "Bodies? Were people living down here when Old Crestwood flooded?"

"Yes." Cole's voice answered her. "A wall of water, washing over. Lungs tight to bursting, and then suddenly soft, sleepy, sliding away."

Maker.

#

"There's dwarven ruins down here."

Solas touched one of the walls. "The dwarves built well. Their runes still sing."

They continued ahead and found the rage demon. She used ice to hold it in place, and Cassandra's sword came down, shattering the creature. Cole moved in to deal with one of the shades, and Ruya ducked beneath the claws of the other. Cassandra was there a heartbeat later, using her shield to force it back.

Ruya used her meager healing abilities to deal with the scratch on the Seeker's arm. Cole and Solas were both undamaged.

#

"Demons ahead. They don't understand it here. They want to destroy everything." Cole looked troubled as they approached the rift.

It sparked, and the strange glow that indicated the arrival of demons appeared. Ruya concentrated on the two nearest her, focusing her magic to dispel the energies. The fountains burst, but did not produce demons. She saw Solas nod as he put up a barrier around Cole and Cassandra.

Both of them used their power to dispel the fountains during the next wave, cutting the number of demons they faced by two thirds. It took a third wave before she was able to close the massive rift.

"The spirits possessing the dead will plague Crestwood no more." Solas bent to collect some of the residue the rift had left behind.

"Let's tell the mayor." Ruya looked around the chamber. When they had time, she'd have to send researchers down here.

"They were hurting, and we helped. Their lives are better because of us." Cole almost sounded cheerful.

#

"The nugs seem to like it down here."

"It's quiet. They like the quiet." Cole watched the nugs a moment. "Dwarves used to trap them, but they don't remember the dwarves. Even dwarves don't really remember the dwarves."

"You know, Leliana used to keep one as a pet."

Ruya turned to look at Cassandra. "You're joking."

Laughter infused Cassandra's voice. "I am not." She glanced back at the nugs. "What was its name again? Schmeples? Schmuples? It is right on the tip of my tongue."

"How did she keep a nug if her Warden kept a wolf?"

That time Cassandra did laugh. "I once asked Brehan that very same question." She shook her head. "He claimed they managed it by simply not telling Vir'ghilani it was a nug."

They activated another of the elven artifacts. Solas marked the location on his map.

#

After so long in the caves, it was blinding to see daylight. Actual daylight, not cloud cover. The sky above was blue. And there was another rift. Once again, she and Solas dispelled some of the fountains before they could produce demons. She made a mental note to ask Solas if preventing the demons from crossing over would prevent them from actually becoming demons, or what exactly was happening when they dispersed the energies.

Royal elfroot grew in the shade of the small pond. She collected a few of the seeds before heading back to the town.

#

Returning to report to the mayor revealed that it had been the mayor who had flooded Crestwood in the first place. They would have to see to it he was brought to justice, whatever justice was in this situation.

The young lady that the Wardens had rescued was standing on the heights. She practically gushed about how heroic the Wardens were, and said she was planning on seeking out the Order and joining. Ruya couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret as she advised the girl to stay her hand. Now was not the time to be joining the Wardens.

#

She collected Blackwall before heading back out. Hawke was waiting for them just outside a cave. He gave her a nod of greeting. "Glad you made it. I just got here myself." He jerked his head at the mouth of the cave. "My contact with the Wardens should be at the back of the cave."

#

Whoever Hawke's contact was, cleaning out the smugglers that had been previously using the cave hadn't given him much difficulty. She entered cautiously, looking around. A small scraping sound caught her attention, and she turned to find a man in Warden armor, sword in hand and aimed at her. He was older than she'd expected, hair long since gone to a steel gray. Hawke stepped forward. "It's just us. I brought the Inquisitor."

The man lowered his sword, and sheathed it before nodding. "Warden Loghain Mac Tir. I believe we have a common cause, Inquisitor."

Now that was a name she'd heard before. "There was a Loghain who joined the Wardens after he lost Ferelden's throne..."

"'The Traitor Teyrn.' Yes. I've heard all the names." A trace of annoyance showed on his face.

"Then that's you?" One of Ferelden's greatest heroes, become one of Ferelden's most notorious villians. But then, some would say the same of Hawke. Perhaps the two of them being acquainted wasn't that unlikely. But of all the people in the world she'd thought to meet... Oh, Maker. Leliana might just have an issue with this particular turn of events.

"I have been a Warden for ten years. They will never fully consider me theirs." Loghain gave a wry shake of his head. "Something I've had cause to be grateful for recently."

The stories all agreed on one thing. The man before her was formidable. She gave him a bow, and noted that he actually looked surprised by the gesture. "I'll take all the help I can get. I know the Wardens have troubles of their own." She looked at where Cassandra and Blackwall stood, trying to get a since of their feelings on the matter. Blackwall looked somewhat confused, and Cassandra suspicious. Her eyes went to Hawke, who appeared to be watching her reaction. "I wonder, though. Might those troubles have anything to do with Corypheus?"

"I believe so. After Hawke killed Corypheus, Weisshaupt was content to forget the whole affair." He walked to a table spread with papers. "If an Archdemon can survive seemingly mortal wounds, why not Corypheus? I began to investigate." He tapped one of the papers and pushed it towards her. It contained references, written in a cramped but precise hand. "I found evidence but no proof. And then, soon after, every Warden in Orlais began to hear the Calling."

Hawke walked towards them, his eyes narrowing. "I recall that being a bad thing, but I don't recall you telling me about all this."

Loghain just shrugged. "I didn't believe it concerned you."

Ruya saw anger flash on Hawke's face, and decided to forestall any developing confrontation. Allies the two men might be, she was getting the sense that 'friend' might have been overstating the matter. "Is the Calling some sort of Grey Warden ritual?"

"The Calling is a portent, like crows circling the battlefield before the fighting. It tells the Warden that his time has come. First are the dreams. Then a voice whispers in the back of the Warden's head, just at the edge of hearing. That is when the Warden goes down to the Deep Roads..." Loghain gestured. "To die with honor."

"And every Grey Warden in Orlais is hearing that right now?" Hawke's eyes widened, and she was reminded that his brother was a Grey Warden. "They think they're dying?"

"Yes, thanks to Corypheus, I believe. If the Wardens fall, who will stop the next Blight? That is what's panicked my brethren."

"And then they do something desperate..." Hawke gestured angrily. "Which is of course what Corypheus wants."

"Is the Calling they're hearing real, or is Corypheus mimicking it somehow?" Ruya began going through the notes. She noted that a few of them were in a different hand.

"I don't know. Even as a senior Warden, I knew little about Corypheus." Loghain folded his arms and shrugged. "The Wardens believe it to be real, despite my warnings about Corypheus. That is all that matters at the moment."

She frowned, and shook her head. "How can Corypheus make all these Wardens hear the Calling?"

"I don't know. It's likely part of his nature. Corypheus is, or was once, a mortal man. The Blight owns him, but it did not create him. Wardens are tied to the Blight through the darkspawn. That is how Corypheus influences Warden minds. Somehow, he is using that power to mimic the Calling."

A disturbing thought came to her mind. "You said all the Wardens are hearing the Calling. Does that include you?" She turned to her stalwart companion. "Or you, Blackwall?"

Loghain's voice was blunt, his gaze distant. "Yes. It is like an itch at the back of my mind. At times, it's barely there at all. But then I find myself starting to hum it under my breath. It is vile. I can understand why so many Wardens have gone mad from fear of it."

Blackwall straightened, squaring his shoulders. "I do not fear the Calling, and worrying about it only gives it power." He gestured firmly. "Anything Corypheus does will only strengthen my resolve."

Two, at least, were not slaves to Corypheus. A very small comfort. "So the Wardens are making some last, desperate attack on the darkspawn?"

Loghain paced. "A Blight nearly destroyed Ferelden. A Blight without Wardens to stop it might well destroy the world. Warden-Commander Clarel proposed a ritual involving blood magic. A desperate measure to prevent further Blights. When I protested the plan, called it madness, they tried to arrest me." He tapped a map. "Grey Wardens are gathering here, in the Western Approach. It's an ancient Tevinter ritual tower. Meet me there, and we will find answers."