Chapter Eighteen: Battle at the Top of the Tower

Yvaine jumped awake, her heart still pounding in her chest as she tried to remember what was going on and how she had gotten on this stone floor in the first place. Her memories came to her in a rush; being in the Fade, saving her friends, and the fact they were trying to liberate the Circle Tower as well as Niall's noble sacrifice. She looked around and saw her companions as well as many others rising from the floor as if they had been asleep for years, it certainly felt as if she had been in the Fade longer than the few hours she suspected.

"Yvaine," whispered Alistair, squeezing her hand as they sat up together. "Maker's breath, I'm glad you're safe, I was so worried."

"So was I," laughed Yvaine nervously, she really did not want to think about what would have happened had Niall actually gone through with Sloth's plan and killed her. From what she could remember of her uncle's lessons, if someone were to die in the Fade then they would die in reality, an unhelpful outcome given their current situation.

"It seems you're both recovered," said Wynne who was already on her feet and ready to continue on their quest. "As are most of the others the sloth demon held captive."

"I'm glad we were able to save so many," said Yvaine as she stood up, helping Alistair up in the process. "Where's Leli?"

The bard came walking up then, looking a little shaken but no worse for wear. "I'm here," she said softly, her eyes darting around the room. "That was quite an ordeal, wouldn't you say so?"

Alistair nodded emphatically. "I couldn't agree more, and I never want to go through that again. The Fade is even more dangerous than the Templars taught, it seems that even non-mages can experience trouble with demons."

"It would appear we don't know as much about the Fade as we thought," said Yvaine quietly as she looked at the other mages that had risen from the floor. While many had survived their encounter with Sloth, there were still several that had yet to stand, they laid littered around the room like long forgotten dolls. Her eyes rested on the two bodies in the center of the room: one was a twisted image of a demon, she could see his lifeless face contorted in a scream even at a distance; the other was a young man. Yvaine walked over to the bodies, carefully avoiding the ones that lay in her path, she knelt down beside the body and when she saw the face of the young man she hung her head down and sighed heavily. It was Niall.

In death he looked as he had in the Fade, he even had the fatal self-inflicted wound on his abdomen, though there was no black dagger protruding from him, which was probably a blessing in disguise. Yvaine could not help the feeling of guilt that twisted in her gut, logically she knew there was no way she could have saved Niall's life without some kind of sacrifice but her heart was still heavy. This brave mage had sacrificed his life to save the Tower; to save those he cared for, yet it was likely history would not remember him. His name would fade from the world, as would his actions.

'I won't let that happen, Niall,' she thought as she arranged his body in a more appropriate position, wanting him to have some dignity in death. Suddenly she remembered something Niall had mentioned while they were speaking in the Fade; he still had the Litany of Adralla on his body and it was the key to defeating Uldred once and for all. Quickly she searched his body, being careful not to disturb it further and she procured a scroll, the paper was slightly tattered around the edges and had probably seen better days. She unrolled it slightly to see if there was any damage done and she was pleased to discover that the spell was still there, the ink looked surprisingly fresh despite the state of the vellum.

"Is that the litany?" asked Wynne as she approached, having noticed what was in Yvaine's hand at the moment.

"Yes," she said, tucking it carefully into her belt. "It would seem Niall's helped us twice now, hopefully it won't be in vain."

Wynne smiled kindly at her as she stood up. "So long as we are following you, his sacrifice will not have been for nothing. Your mother would be proud of you."

"You knew my mother?" asked Yvaine staring wide-eyed at the mage.

"Yes," said Wynne and then she frowned. "Why did you say 'knew'?"

Yvaine swallowed hard. "Because my mother and father are dead, they along with the rest of my house were murdered by Arl Howe and his men. He even went so far as to murder my sister-in-law and my nephew in their beds."

Wynne's calm demeanor quickly changed to one of barely controlled rage. "That traitorous bastard. How dare he commit such an atrocity! And poor Eleanor, Maker keep her, losing her family in such a way after going through so much already. Yvaine, please accept my condolences, your mother was such a dear friend and a wonderful woman."

"Thank you, Wynne," said Yvaine with a small smile. "I'm starting to learn more about her now than I did when she was alive, sadly, but I am glad that you and she were friends. It's comforting to know I travel with someone she trusted and respected."

"You are certainly her daughter," said Wynne warmly. "Though I can see some of your father in you as well, especially in your smile, you inherited that from him."

"You knew my father as well?" asked Yvaine, her heart warming at the thought she had her father's smile.

"I did, yes," said Wynne with a far off look. "He used to come here with your mother, before you were old enough, and he would sit with the children and tell them stories about heroes and dragons. He was such a kind man, always quick with a smile and remark, but also intelligent and formidable. Whenever he entered a room, the air would change and his presence filled it, just like a king."

"It sounds as if you were fond of him," said Yvaine with a wry grin. This would not be the first woman she met whom had been disarmed by her father's charms, he had always been faithful to her mother, but still women tried.

Wynne smiled and shook her head. "No, no, child. He was my friend as well, and I respected him immensely, not many noblemen from Ferelden will take the time to entertain mage children or visit with those mages who are not of their blood. I was disappointed when Eleanor said he would no longer be accompanying her, but I knew it was for the best. Maric and Loghain were growing fearful of possible blood mages and did not want Bryce to be here."

"That explains why he never went with Mother and I to visit my cousins," said Yvaine with a slightly bitter tone. No one had explained to her why her father never went to the Tower but now that she knew, she wished she did not, it just reminded her of people's hatred and mistrust and that reminded her of Highever and Ostagar.

"I think we've lingered on this subject too long," said Wynne sadly. "We should go and find Uldred, before he succeeds in his plans. Though I will tell you more about your father and mother, when this is over, if you would like."

Yvaine nodded and smiled. "I would like that very much, and I'm sure Fergus would too. Let's get back to the others."

Wynne nodded and they headed back to where Alistair and Leliana were waiting, their weapons already drawn, and Yvaine opened the final door. They had finally reached their destination, now they just had to win the battle to come.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Yvaine was expecting there to be frost on the walls it was so cold, the Veil was so weak here she was sure if she stuck her sword out and cut the air she would release a spirit. For a moment she thought of asking Wynne if that was possible but thought better of her question, if that were true then there would have been more spirits released during their fights on the previous floors. Though by the look on the mage's face, she seemed to be thinking something similar.

They turned a corner and entered a large entryway, a wide ancient looking door was located on the other side of the room but there was something else. Yvaine's eyes went wide when she saw the magical barrier in the corner beside the door, and she nearly fell to her knees when she saw someone trapped inside of it. She took a few steps closer and when she could make out who was in the barrier she ran towards it.

"Cullen!" she exclaimed as she nearly ran into the barrier. "Cullen! Cullen, it's me! It's Yvaine!"

Cullen was a young Templar whom had guarded her cousins' floor, and during her most recent visits he would watch over her on Greagoir's orders. He had remained quiet the first couple of visits but slowly she had befriended him, getting him to relax more around her and the others though he still hesitated. He had only recently taken his vows and was apparently torn between behaving, as a Templar should and acting his age. To see him huddled on the ground whimpering in pain was horrific to Yvaine, he was her friend and she desperately wanted to save him from this prison.

"Yvaine," he whispered and when he looked at her, he scrambled to the other side of his cell. "No! How could you?! She is pure and an innocent! You have no right to use her for your twisted games, tempting me with her image! I will not yield! I . . . I will stay strong . . . I will not break like the others!" He moved to his knees, putting his hands over his face and rocking back and forth as if in prayer.

"Cullen, please," she begged, putting a hand on the barrier, ignoring the thrill that went through her body. "I'm not here to harm you, I'm here to help, believe me."

"Such honeyed words," said Cullen from behind his hands, sounding almost half mad. "So full of sincerity and sweetness, as if they had truly come from her lips." Then he looked up and glowered at Yvaine. "Enough of your games! Be gone!" He looked bewildered when he realized they were still standing in front of him.

"Was something supposed to happen?" asked Alistair to the others and they shrugged, unsure themselves.

Leliana looked mournfully at Cullen. "Poor man, he has obviously been tortured incessantly for quite some time."

"I believe you are right, Leliana," said Wynne sternly as she approached the barrier. "This was the work of a powerful mage, this barrier is unlike any I have seen before and reeks of blood magic, if I had to guess I would say Uldred concocted this for Cullen."

Yvaine barely heard their words, her gaze fixed solely on Cullen. She was not sure how to help him or even if she could at this point, perhaps it would be a mercy to leave him alone.

"Still here," he said, sounding relieved and terrified. "B-but . . . it worked in the past. You were supposed to go away, how is this possible?"

"Because we're really here, Cullen," said Yvaine gently and Cullen moved closer to her now, still hesitant but he did not look as afraid.

"Yvaine, is it really you?" he asked, a sliver of hope in his voice and she nodded gently.

"Yes, it's really me," she said and Cullen leapt to his feet, putting his hand against hers though the barrier was still between them.

"Oh Yvaine! I'm so glad to see you," he said and Yvaine could have sworn there were tears in his amber eyes. "I didn't dare hope you were actually here, they might have used that against me, if I did. What are you doing here?"

Alistair looked away from Yvaine and Cullen, unable to stomach the way they were looking and speaking to each other; it was far too intimate to be just between friends. For all Alistair knew this Cullen might be something more than just a friend and he was just someone she was courting to occupy her time.

"Never mind that," she said quickly. "What happened here? To you?"

Cullen looked away from her and at the ground, a dark look crossing his face. "Uldred took over the Tower. He's trapped the First Enchanter and several Senior Enchanters in the Harrowing Chamber, and . . . I can still hear their screams . . . Maker knows what he's been doing in there. And . . . he trapped me and the other Templars in this prison . . . sending demons to tempt us into breaking . . . to use our bodies as vessels for his demon army. I'm the only one left."

Yvaine was horrified by this news, Uldred was going way too far and if they had any hope of saving both the Templars and the mages, they would have to do something soon. "I'm so sorry, Cullen," she said with a small frown. "If only I'd come sooner, I might have been able to save you and your friends."

Cullen shook his head grimly. "Nothing could have saved them from the mages," he said with hatred in his voice. "Yvaine, you have to leave, get out of here before you're killed too."

"I can't do that," she said sternly. "I'm going to save the mages and then the Arl of Redcliffe's son, and to do that I have to fight Uldred, make him pay for what he's done to you and the others."

"If you do that, then you have to kill all of the mages in there and then purge the Tower," growled Cullen, glaring at Wynne as he spoke. "They can't be trusted, Yvaine, none of them can. The best course of action is utter annihilation, that way we can be sure none of them will become possessed and harm others."

Yvaine wanted to speak but no words came to mind, she was still so shocked by Cullen's new attitude towards mages. Whatever happened to him here must have been horrific enough to alter his previously lenient attitude towards mages, something Yvaine had admired in him greatly.

"Yvaine, you can't listen to him," snapped Wynne, taking her silence as an agreement. "You can't punish the many for the acts of the few, it would be an injustice. I know he's your friend but he's been tainted by blood mages and while his anger is justified, it is misplaced, and would result in the death of innocents. Including Adelais and Ian."

Alistair nodded and put his hand on Yvaine's shoulder. "His hatred of mages is so intense, and seeing his friends die at the hands of demons was obviously traumatizing, but it does not justify killing anyone save Uldred and his followers."

"Please tell me you aren't considering this course of action," pleaded Leliana. "No matter what's happened to him, we can't kill everyone in the Tower, it would be a sin in the Maker's eyes."

Yvaine sighed, she wished her companions had had more faith in her; she did not agree with Cullen's suggestion and had been searching for the right words to tell him as such. Now she knew what to say to him. "I can't do that, Cullen," she said with conviction. "I will kill Uldred and those who obey him, but I cannot justify the deaths of my cousins, my friends, and the others. They have done nothing wrong and don't deserve to die."

Cullen clearly did not like her response. "They're all the same! Given the chance, they'll all turn against us and become abominations or blood mages! This is our chance to prevent that from happening!"

"No," she said firmly. "A massacre will get us nothing except the blood of innocents on our hands and I for one will not start that bloodbath. When this is over, I will remember your words, and someday I'll remind you of them."

"Maker turn His gaze on you," sneered Cullen. "I hope your compassion hasn't doomed us all." He then knelt on the ground once again and started to rock, obviously in prayer though for whom exactly Yvaine did not know, nor did she really care. They were now on opposite sides.

"Thank you, Yvaine," said Wynne quietly she looked incredibly relieved. "I was worried that you might have sided with your friend and decided to purge the Tower after all."

"I couldn't do that," said Yvaine, turning her back to Cullen. "It would be like killing all elves in the Alienage just because a couple murdered a human. Unjustifiable and a waste of life."

"I'm glad we're following you and not him," said Leliana, glaring at Cullen. "Shall we proceed to Uldred?"

Yvaine nodded and was just about to tell everyone to head out when Wynne took her arm and motioned silently to Alistair whom was standing away from the group, a sour look on his face. She knew what Wynne was telling her and she moved over to Alistair, while she knew they needed to get to Uldred, they could hardly do that with Alistair in such a state. If he was distracted or his mind was occupied with other thoughts, it could be a costly mistake and she did not want to lose him now.

"Alistair," she said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright? You seem upset?"

Alistair looked at her, visibly torn between ignoring her and speaking his mind. The latter won out. "Oh, so I do exist to you," he almost sneered. "That's good, I thought I had suddenly gone invisible."

Yvaine frowned. "Why would you think such a thing?"

"I don't know, maybe it's because you were so enraptured with you Templar friend," snapped Alistair. "So, are we over? Have you decided you prefer a real Templar to a former recruit?"

She was not sure what to say to him, everything she thought of sounded callous and insincere. "Alistair, I care for you deeply," she said quietly so only he could hear her, after all these words were meant for him alone. "And I can see why you might think I was involved with Cullen, but I wasn't and won't ever be, because it's always been you. Even when I was visiting here and speaking with Cullen, I was thinking about my stable boy and even asked Cullen if he could find out about you."

Yvaine felt him relax and she almost smiled, but restrained in case Alistair took it as her being manipulative and insincere. Slowly she lifted her lips to his and brushed them across, she felt his move against hers in an almost kiss, and when they parted he was smiling. Apparently her apology was sufficient and he was reassured that he was the one who had her heart.

"Have you two made up?" asked Leliana with a knowing smile.

Alistair nodded and smiled again at Yvaine. "Yes, she assured me that I am the most handsome man in Thedas and no others can compare to me."

Leliana rolled her eyes. "Well, thank the Maker for that at least, perhaps now we should go take care of Uldred? Wynne's ready to burst through the door."

Yvaine and Alistair both nodded and joined Wynne at the door, their blades unsheathed and shields at the ready. Leliana already had her bow in her hand with an arrow knocked, her calm face now masked with determination and anger. Wynne had her staff out and hand on the door handle.

"Be ready," she said sternly. "Once we're in there, we will face nothing like we have before, even Sloth will seem like a minor threat compared to Uldred and his blood mages. Yvaine, I want you to stay to the rear and watch for any signs of blood magic, when you see it read the litany. It'll interrupt the ritual and save the mages, just do it as quickly as possible."

"Will I need to do it repeatedly?" asked Yvaine as she put her sword away and grabbed the scroll in her belt.

Wynne shook her head. "No, it's a powerful spell but it has to be fueled by the presence of blood magic, though once should be enough to prevent others from trying the same thing. Don't worry, I have faith in you."

Yvaine nodded and Wynne opened the door wide enough for all of them to enter without drawing unnecessary attention to themselves. When they were in, Yvaine almost wished they had been more forceful in their entrance; perhaps it might have stopped what they witnessed upon entering.

A tall male mage was standing in the center of the room, shocking a helpless mage as two abominations held him in place, unable to move away from the source of his pain. "Do you accept the gift I offer?" asked the tall mage, and Yvaine was sure this man was Uldred.

The trapped mage nodded weakly and he was released from the abominations' grip, dropping to the floor like a rag doll. Uldred smiled cruelly down at him and whispered an incantation, when he finished the mage started to writhe and scream on the floor as his body twisted in unusual ways. His arms and legs shot backwards and were now covered in disgusting pustules; his face was melting like wax as his skin discolored to a horrific red and purple hue. When his transformation was over, he rose from the floor an abomination, like the other two.

"Uldred!" cried Wynne and the mage turned to face them.

"Well, well if it isn't Wynne," said Uldred, a gnarled smile stretching across his face. "And it seems you've brought that noble brat with you, how interesting. I'm surprised you've lived this long, but that just means you must have killed my servants, a pity. Well, at least they died in service to their betters than chained to a leash."

Yvaine was really losing her patience with this mage, his arrogance and manner of speech reminded her distinctly of Howe, and she knew already how this was going to end for Uldred. "How could you do this, Uldred?" she asked. "These mages trusted you, were your friends and you betrayed them! You used their fear against them and turned them into abominations!"

Uldred gave her an ugly look. "I did no such thing! I freed them, gave them power beyond measure, and in return they now serve me and my whims. Mages are but a larval state of something greater and with my help I will allow them to transcend into something far above their current state."

"You're insane!" shouted Yvaine and then she looked at the mages on the sidelines. She recognized Irving from among them and she was relieved to know they had made it in time to save him. "You won't succeed! I will stop you from destroying the mages, Uldred!"

"All bark and no bite," laughed Uldred. "You don't even have a weapon drawn, no matter. I will kill you and your friends easily, and then I will destroy the Templars."

Before they could move, Uldred was engulfed in a blinding light and when it subsided, the mage was no longer there in his place was a great hulking beast. Uldred was now taller than three men and just as wide, his skin was now hard as stone and looked like armored plating, and his face had been replaced by one of a demon. Wynne had been right, they would be facing something far worse than even Sloth and there would be no simple way to kill this monster save a blade straight to the heart. Something told Yvaine that getting to his heart would be far more difficult than she thought.

"Yvaine, get out of sight and keep an eye out for blood magic," said Wynne as she began conjuring a spell. "We'll take care of the abominations and distract Uldred."

Yvaine did not want to run off to the sidelines but she knew better than to argue with Wynne, the mage obviously knew what was best for this situation and any deviation might cost them everything. She ran to the nearest pillar and peeked from around it, from this vantage point she had an excellent view of the battlefield not to mention she could easily see the mages so if anything happened to them she could prevent it. Now all she had to do was sit tight and wait for something to happen, though she really did not want anything to happen so she could jump into the fight and help her friends. Though right now they hardly needed her help: Alistair and Leliana were both in single combat with an abomination and Wynne was taking on an abomination and Uldred at the same time, summoning incredibly powerful spells that gave the demons pause. Just then Alistair killed the abomination he had been fighting and Uldred roared.

"Do you accept the gift I offer?" he asked the room and then Yvaine saw one of the mages on the floor writhing like the other one had.

She jumped from behind the pillar and unrolled the scroll; she started reading the words as loudly as she could. Her uncle had told her that spells were just words until meaning and power were put behind them, so she made sure to give both to the litany's words, wanting this to work more than anything. The magic in her blood was reacting to the words, growing stronger the more she spoke and when she finished the last word something exploded within her. It was a release like no other and she nearly fell to the ground from its power though she managed to catch herself. When she opened her eyes she saw the abominations were now dead on the floor and Uldred seemed dazed as he lumbered about, her friends were still standing and the mages were safe.

"Where the hell did that come from?" she whispered to herself as she put the scroll back in her belt and pulled out her sword and shield. Now that that was taken care of, she could fight Uldred with the others without fear that they would lose anyone to blood magic. She was ready just in time as Uldred regained his footing and was now roaring like an ogre as he barred down on Wynne and the others, and she jumped into action. Yvaine ran at him, her sword angled down and as she approached his leg she brought it up and dragged the blade across the back of his knee, sinking the metal in as deep as she could. The creature let out a horrific sound as he fell to his knees, unable to stand after Yvaine's attack. He swiped his arms at the women as they continued to attack him: Yvaine stabbing him in the back as Leliana shot arrows into his head and Wynne blasted him with several cold spells. Their combined effort prevented Uldred from making any one attack and kept him in one place to make it easier to deliver the killing blow. Alistair had gone around to each abomination and stabbed them several times just to make sure they were dead, the last thing they needed right now was a surprise attack from one of these creatures.

"Alistair!" Yvaine shouted as Uldred roared and he nodded. Alistair came running at the creature, his sword extended out in front of him as he aimed for Uldred's chest, hoping to strike his heart in one blow. His chest was after all the only weak spot on an otherwise impenetrable body of armor. Yvaine, Wynne and Leliana were still attacking the creature, serving now as a means of distraction to allow him an opening and as soon as the beast's arms moved away from its chest he plunged his sword deep in the heart. Uldred bellowed loudly when Alistair ran him through, dark red blood spurting from his chest as Alistair extracted his sword from the demon's chest. They all stood back and watched as Uldred's body fell to the floor, giving a final shudder before ultimately expiring. The uprising had ended before it truly began.

"We did it," said Wynne triumphantly and as Yvaine looked around the room, the victory started to sink in. They really had done it, the demon was dead as were his followers and the mages were safe from harm, not only that but they had not suffered any injuries themselves save for a few superficial ones.

"I can't believe it!" laughed Yvaine as she hugged Wynne. "I didn't think we'd be able to end him, he was so massive!"

Wynne smiled as she hugged Yvaine back. "I think most of our victory is due to the litany, I had no idea it would kill those abominations let alone cause Uldred to be disoriented like that. He did not know which way was up!"

"That was an incredible spell!" chimed in Leliana as she pulled her arrows from Uldred's head. "I didn't know non-magical people could cast it."

"Most can't," replied Wynne as she released Yvaine. "But given Yvaine's lineage, I was certain she'd be able to pull it off, I would have done it myself but I admit I was curious to see how she fared. I can say with certainty that she would have made a powerful mage, had she been born as such."

"I'm just glad it didn't affect us," chuckled Alistair as he wiped his sword clean. "When I saw that blast, I really thought we'd be sent to the other side of the room. Glad to know I was wrong about that."

Yvaine smiled, she too had been curious as to what would happen if she read the litany and was just as surprised as her friends to see that blast miss them entirely. She thought for sure they would have all been harmed by it and taken out of the fight, leaving her to fight Uldred one on one, which would have probably ended in her death. Silently she thanked her uncle for all of his lessons, without them she probably would not have made it this far.

"That was quite a display," said a voice behind her and she turned around to see Irving, being supported by a Senior Enchanter. "Indeed, you would have made a fine mage, Lady Cousland."

"Irving!" she exclaimed and gently embraced the First Enchanter, grateful that he was alive. "I'm so glad to see you're okay! I was so sure Uldred would have done something to you before I arrived."

The First Enchanter smiled as she pulled away. "I was too, but apparently he was saving me for last, so I could watch the destruction of everything I hold dear. Uldred was always one for dramatics."

Wynne stepped forward and put Irving's other arm around her shoulders. "It is good to see you, old friend. Now, we need to get you downstairs to Greagoir so he can retract the Right and prevent our fellow mages from becoming Tranquil."

"Of course," said Irving and he allowed himself to be led away. "Maker damn whomever thought it was a good idea to put the Circle in a tower."

Yvaine was just about to join them when she suddenly remembered something important. "Cullen!" she cried and then went running in the opposite direction, Alistair following closely behind and they went through the door they had entered in previously. When they entered the entryway, Yvaine noticed the blonde Templar sitting in a corner, now freed from the prison Uldred had constructed though he still seemed terrified.

"Cullen!" she called and he looked up, giving her a faint smile as he stood up and she ran to him. "Come on, we're getting you out of here."

"I thought you were dead for sure," said Cullen quietly, ignoring what she had said before. "Then the barrier fell away and I knew you survived, despite the odds. I'm sorry I doubted you before."

Yvaine smiled kindly at Cullen and took his hand. "Come on, dear Cullen, we're getting the hell out of here and you're coming with us. Greagoir will be relieved to know you survived."

Cullen said nothing; instead he nodded weakly and allowed Yvaine to lead him away from the room he had been held in for so long. Alistair did not feel the same jealousy towards the Templar he had earlier when he saw how Yvaine acted around him, instead he felt pity, whatever that man had seen could not have been easy or pleasant. Not to mention he probably had to kill his brothers to free them of their corruption, and that was never an easy thing to do. Cullen stumbled and tripped as he climbed the stairs, and together Yvaine and Alistair carried him away from the prison and towards freedom.

The large wooden doors opened and all eyes turned to see what was happening, at first the Templars suspected demons had made their way through the barrier but when they saw who was walking in, they put down their weapons. The two Grey Wardens whom had arrived earlier, with one of their own being supported between them, followed by an archer and nearly three dozen mages. Two Templars rushed forward and took Cullen from Yvaine and Alistair just as Knight-Commander Greagoir came up to them, looking as if he had just seen a ghost.

"Where is Irving?" demanded Greagoir. "You are not allowed to return without him."

Irving came forward, now fully capable of walking and he smirked at Greagoir. "Keep calm, Greagoir, I'm alive thanks to these young Wardens. The Circle has been saved and Uldred is dead, again because of these Wardens and their unbelievable courage, honestly your men could learn a thing or two from them."

This statement did obviously not please Greagoir but he held his tongue, surprisingly. "Thank you, Lady Cousland," he said begrudgingly and bowed slightly to her. "With Irving back I am certain of the Circle's safety, and we will begin cleaning up just as soon as we're able."

"No!" shouted Cullen, wresting himself away from the men supporting him. "Commander, these mages cannot be trusted! They must all be made Tranquil or we'll see another uprising like this one, I'm sure of it! Please, don't revoke the Right, we have them all right here we can easily use the brand and prevent this from ever happening again."

Yvaine wanted to hit Cullen for his words but restrained herself; violence would not get them anywhere in this case.

Greagoir frowned and he looked back at Yvaine. "Since you're their savior, what do you say? Can the mages be trusted?"

"They can be," she said firmly. "Uldred acted the way he did out of pride and greed, the others that followed him were afraid and only did what they did out of fear. I'm certain if Uldred had never threatened the Circle, none of those mages would have turned to blood magic or accepted demonic possession. People do desperate things when they're scared and this is proof of it."

"The girl's right, Greagoir," said Irving, his blue eyes shining with a fire Yvaine had not seen earlier. "Instead of listening to someone who's afraid, perhaps you should listen to a voice of reason."

"Fine then," said Greagoir with a slight sigh. "I will revoke the Right and the mages will be allowed to join your army, Yvaine. My men will stay here, however, and oversee the reconstruction." The Knight-Commander then walked away, shaking his head as if he still could not believe this had all actually happened.

"You'll regret this, Yvaine," said Cullen darkly.

"No, Cullen, you will," she said coldly and he then left, heading towards a bench where some of the other Templars had gathered.

Irving stepped forward and bowed to her as well, though with more reverence than Greagoir had shown. "The Circle owes you a great debt, one I doubt we will ever repay," he said solemnly, pushing some grey hairs out of his eyes. "You spoke to me about the treaties earlier and you will have mages for your fight, just as Greagoir said. If you require anything else, you need only ask."

"Well there is one thing," said Yvaine suddenly feeling embarrassed for having to ask a favor so soon after they pledged their lives to her cause. "There's a little boy in Redcliffe, Connor Guerrin, who's been possessed by a very powerful demon. We need you and some of the mages to accompany us back to Redcliffe and save him."

"Of course," said Irving automatically. "I cannot imagine a worthier cause to bring back some pride in our mages. We shall gather the necessary supplies and meet you at the boat shortly, together we shall all journey to Redcliffe."

Yvaine nodded her thanks and then Wynne stepped forward.

"Irving, I have a request as well," she said confidently. "I wish to join the Teyrness on her journey and assist her in whatever way I can, so I ask your permission to leave the Tower."

Irving smiled fondly at Wynne before nodding. "I should have known, you were never one for staying on the sidelines if there was an adventure to be had, Wynne. You may leave, with my blessing."

Wynne smiled and bowed respectfully to her old friend. "Thank you," she said graciously and then she looked at Yvaine. "Do you mind me tagging along?"

"I'm honored that you're journeying with us, Wynne," said Yvaine happily. "Now, we have one more matter of business to take care of before we leave: the mages' Joining. Alistair, we should go get our recruits and find an empty room to perform the ritual."

Alistair looked hesitant. "But Yvaine, we don't have anything for the ritual. We don't have the chalice, the blood mixture, or anything. How can we make them Wardens?"

"Alistair, how much of that mix is required to become a Warden?" she asked fingering the vial that hung on her throat.

He shrugged. "I guess just a sip would do the trick, I mean, I've never see anyone drink much more than that and they became full Wardens."

"Good, then give me your vial of ritual blood," she said, pulling off her own. "There's enough in mine for two full sips and the same is true for yours, so with these two vials we can make four Wardens. We'll just have to explain that they don't need to drink the entire vial."

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Yvaine?" asked Alistair quietly as he handed her his vial. "You know what could happen."

Yvaine nodded firmly, she knew the risks but she would rather see her cousins dead than back in solitary confinement for a crime they did not commit. "Come, we should get this ritual over with before anyone says otherwise," she said and they went to gather their recruits.

"Join us brother and sisters," said Alistair solemnly as Yvaine handed out small glasses filled with the ritual blood. "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."

"From this day forth, you are Wardens," said Yvaine as she handed the last glass to her cousin Adelais.

Yvaine stood beside him and they observed their newest recruits, they all seemed rather hesitant to drink the blood but none had objected. They waited a few moments before Garuth got up the nerve and downed his glass of blood; he gagged at the taste and went to his knees but he did not fall over dead.

"Welcome to the Grey Wardens, Garuth Surana," said Yvaine brightly as Garuth stood up and he smiled at her, and then walked over to where they were standing.

Adelais was next and she too threw the liquid down her throat, shivering as it went down and she fell to her knees, after a few moments she stood. Yvaine was relieved that her cousin survived; she was worried that she might have died given the state she had been in when they arrived.

"Welcome to the Grey Wardens, Adelais Amell," said Alistair with a slight smile as Adelais stood beside Garuth.

"Together?" asked Ian to Celestine and she nodded. After a silent countdown they both drank the blood and fell to the ground. Yvaine and Alistair rushed over to them, noting that they had yet to stand or even move, both fearing they had lost two more recruits. Leaning her ear down to Celestine's chest, Yvaine listened for the distinct sound of a heartbeat, desperately praying that her friend had survived. Her own heart was pounding so loudly in her ears she nearly missed the sound of her friend's heart steadily beating.

"She's alive!" declared Yvaine and a few moments later, Celestine's eyes fluttered open and she groaned as she sat up, holding her head in her hands. "Welcome to the Grey Wardens, Celestine Surana."

Celestine laughed as her brother pulled her up to her feet, embracing tightly. Yvaine looked over at where Alistair was with Ian and could see the visible relief on his face; Ian was alive as well, it was just taking him a while to recover. She could not help but feel proud as she looked around her; they had saved the Circle, gained four new Wardens, and the mages were their allies in the coming battle. Even though they still had many tasks to do, she allowed herself a moment to appreciate all they had accomplished. She would remember this incredible feeling.