"You've been waiting for us?" Salla raised an eyebrow at the man inside Kieran's barrier.

He paced back and forth inside its confines, occasionally raising a hand to trail his fingers along the barrier, sending sparks flying. "A very, very long time." He smirked. "I was starting to worry Mythal wasn't going to take the bait. And look at you." He turned his gaze back to Kieran. "Her own child, no less." He shifted his gaze to Duncan. "And the firstborn." He chuckled. "I'm sure the fire will be along soon enough."

"The leading expert on the Formless One." Caleb chuckled. "Oh, that was clever. Anyone found anything, they brought it to you." When Trian and Duncan looked at him questioningly, he shrugged in self-defense. "What, I can't admire a good con?"

Baradies laughed. "I do adore a graceful loser."

"You're the one in the cage." Duncan narrowed his eyes. "About to get his ass kicked."

"Ah. I see. You think I am at your mercy." Baradies rolled his eyes. "That you have found me alone, unguarded, helpless in my undefended sanctum?"

Well, put like that... Caleb pulled the winch on his crossbow, and noted Trian draw his own blade. Jerath hadn't relaxed an inch, even with Kieran's barrier between them and the threat.

Kieran tilted his head, and frowned. "You are bluffing."

A violet light appeared in Baradies' eyes. "Am I?" He smiled, showing teeth. "After all I set in motion to achieve this moment, you think I am unprepared for it? Your mother's petty jabbings at history are nothing compared to what I have done, boy. I've toppled empires with a few whispered words."

"You seriously think we are going to fall for that?" Duncan shook his head.

"Your grandmother did." Baradies smiled at him. "Calling for a vote to disband the circles after an apostate destroyed Kirkwall's Chantry? What was she thinking?" His voice was filled with mocking concern.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I see." Baradies glanced back at Kieran, and shook his head slowly. "He doesn't know. You'd think, being friends and all, your father might have mentioned to Alistair that his mother was alive and well."

"Kieran?" Duncan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "What is he talking about?"

"Grand Enchanter Fiona and her ill-advised love affair with King Maric, of course." Baradies waved a hand casually.

"You're lying." Duncan drew back his bowstring and aimed the arrow at Baradies' face.

#

Lenore narrowed her eyes at the young man in front of her. If this was him cooperating... "Your grandfather sent assassins after me and I didn't want to punch him this badly."

"You married the assassin my grandfather sent after you." Loghain shrugged. "And you didn't even have the courtesy to invite him to the wedding."

She shook her head, and walked over to where Sigrun was sitting in a chair, struggling not to laugh. "Stop encouraging him." The words might have held more heat if she'd have kept the smile off her face while saying them.

Sigrun laughed again before glancing up at Lenore and lowering her voice. "Can I get your opinion on something?"

"Sure."

"On a scale of one to just plain wrong, how bad is it to be thinking dirty thoughts about a former lover's grandson?"

Lenore rolled her head, and then considered the question. "Normally I'd say just plain wrong, but there are a lot of extenuating circumstances in this particular case." She shook her head, and glanced back at where Loghain was sitting in the chair, making absolutely no attempt to hide the fact that he was looking at her rear end. He even winked at her. "Though I really have my doubts that boy is a Mac Tir."

Sigrun started to say something when the door opened to admit Rainier. "Thom, they find them?"

"Found their rooms and collected their gear." He shrugged. "Cassandra is waiting with a couple of her Seekers in case they come back. Cullen and King Alistair have gone to check in with Carver and let him know what we've found." He walked over to Loghain. "I knew your grandfather."

"You're the fifth person to tell me that today." Loghain shrugged. "Did you know him as well as Sigrun did?"

"What?" Rainier raised an eyebrow.

Sigrun fell out of her chair. "Oh Stone."

Lenore buried her face in her hand. "Well, thank you very much for that mental image."

"You're welcome."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Rainier glanced at the laughing Sigrun before looking back at Loghain.

"Just admiring your shoulders." Loghain leaned back in his chair. "And the beard. The whole package, actually. The broody warrior with the dark past. That just..." He smiled up at Rainer and sighed admiringly. "Works."

Lenore just shook her head as she watched Rainier catch on to what was happening and begin turning various shades of red and sputtering. "Maker's breath, do you ever stop?" She folded her arms.

"No, not while I'm awake." Loghain shrugged. "Or when I'm asleep, for that matter."

"I've got a few more questions." His constant divergence was very distracting. Sudden realization came to her mind, and she looked around. She narrowed her eyes. "Starting with..." She focused her gaze on Loghain. "When was the last time anyone saw my daughter?"

His smile was the picture of perfect innocence. "Lenore?" Sigrun stood up.

"He's been distracting us so she could make her escape and get a head start." Lenore shook her head. "Sigrun, stay here, keep an eye on him. We might need to be on the move, if the kids know we are here. Rainier, let's go spread the word."

"How much trouble could one girl be?" Rainier saw Sigrun, Lenore, and Loghain open their mouths and sighed. "No, don't answer that. Knew it was a stupid question the moment I said it."

#

"Kill this thing and be done with it." Jerath shifted his stance only slightly.

"He'll have to drop the barrier to do that." Baradies shook his head and looked at Jerath. "I'll break your spine, and you can watch while I kill the dwarf and the little birds."

He only narrowed his eyes in response. The templar abilities might not work without Kieran's assistance, but they might provide him a slight edge anyway. The blow would have to be quick, or the thing might be able to heal. He put his weight just slightly forward, prepared to move the moment the barrier dropped.

The barrier shifted, slowly shrinking the cage. "That is not an opportunity I will give you." Kieran took a step forward.

Baradies just shook his head. "We both know you are not going to kill me, old friend. Not after I went through such effort to bring you back." He raised one hand, and a second barrier seemed to form inside the first, stopping the first barrier from moving in and pushing back against it. Colors seemed to shimmer in the air where the magics touched.

"You had nothing to do with any of it." Kieran narrowed his eyes. His hands glowed as held the barrier in place.

"A thousand little nudges of history. Not just for you, but to ensure you had generals when the day came." The glowing eyes of Baradies intensified. "A whisper in Uldred's ear, and he spared one single templar. A murmur in a dream, and an Architect crafts a plan." He laughed. "A tug at the reins, and a Magister's wife and son take a shortcut. A hiss, and a general leaves his king to die. All of history is my playground."

The glow of the barriers intensified. "There is a difference between acting, and taking credit for the action." There was a slight tightening to Kieran's voice.

"You wound me." Baradies actually looked offended. "Do you really doubt me?" His eyes danced with violet fire. "Varla was an exemplary student." He shook his head. "And your father was such an adorable child."

A slight spark shook the barrier, and a heartbeat later it exploded. Multicolored energy flowed back into Kieran, sending him flying backwards to strike the wall hard enough to send cracks through it.

He lifted his shield as another bolt of energy came towards him, and another barrier intercepted it. He heard Salla shout, saw an arrow and bolt loose at the abomination only to bounce harmlessly away. Baradies shifted, and there was a flash of green before a pride demon stepped out of the fade a few feet in front of him. Jerath got his shield up just in time to block an incoming blow. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Trian move in to deal with a rage demon. Caleb was kneeling next to an unmoving Kieran. "Run." He yelled as he parried another blow before jerking his head towards where Kieran lay. "Get him out of..."

"He's getting away." He heard Duncan shout. Baradies had indeed turned and started heading away. Duncan followed.

"Duncan!" Jerath started to take a step after him. The rage demon knocked Trian off his feet, and the dwarf just barely managed to roll out of the way of the next blow. If he left after Duncan, the others would be lucky if the lasted ten seconds with Kieran down. He cursed and turned back, slashing his blade across the leg of the pride demon.

#

Gavren didn't bother to knock. He aimed his staff at the door and blew it inward. Kels and Leandra moved in ahead of him, weapons at the ready. There was shouting down the hallway, and they headed in that direction.

Caleb was using using his cross bow as a club as a shade attacked him. A rage demon was pressing Trian back, hammering at the dwarf's shield. Salla was kneeling next to Kieran, trying to get him back up while simultaneously holding a barrier against two shades. And in the center of the long room, Jerath was somehow managing to keep a pride demon from getting to the others, but more shades were moving in towards him. He didn't see Duncan. "Leandra, get Salla." Gavren opened himself to the Fade and incinerated one of the shades pressing Jerath.

"Duncan went north." Jerath yelled before bringing up his shield to block another blow from the pride demon.

"Kels," Salla yelled.

"On it." He dashed off down the corridor.

Another rage demon started coming out of the tear in the veil. Gavren called his magic to him, shifting and warping the veil, severing the connection. The rage demon twisted and bulged out of shape before being sucked back into the Fade. He brought his hands together as he used his magic to grasp the tear and reseal it. The resulting backlash deformed the two adjacent shades, leaving Jerath facing only the pride demon.

#

Jerath felt his arm go numb from the reverberation of the pride demon's blow against his shield. "Alright then." He shifted, switching to attack instead of defense, and lunged forward, ducking beneath the pride demon's swing and slicing a gash across his side. Rather than continue moving forward, he spun and kicked off, reorienting his momentum and coming back at the pride demon. He took a glancing blow that opened a gash along his own shoulder. This needed to end fast. He abandoned defense completely and began using the shield as a secondary weapon, bashing it into the creature's knee and knocking it just slightly off balance. A tiny opening, and he sent his blade into the demon's form again. It roared, striking back with a backhanded assault. He ducked beneath, rolled, and came up to drive his sword into its gut. Its body shuddered before coming apart.

He turned, and went to deal with the shades. "Gavren, Leandra, help Kels." He slashed the blade through the nearest shade. "Go."

Both obeyed.

#

Sigrun gestured at the table, and Loghain set the saddlebags down. "Alright, I think that's everything."

"So pleased I could handle the physical labor for you."

"That's what you get for getting yourself captured." She shrugged, and offered him a cup of water before taking one for herself. "Don't pick fights with Wardens, even ex-Wardens. Would have thought a member of the Order would know better." She took a drink. "Well, that killed some time."

"If I had known all you wanted was to be entertained, I'd have offered to dance for you. A little spicy shimmy." Loghain downed the cup she'd given him.

Her own cup fell out of hand. "Stone."

He blinked. "What?"

"Oh Stone. Shit shit shit." She stared at him. "You're not Nathaniel's kid, are you?"

Loghain's eyes widened, and he immediately started shaking his head. "Sigrun."

"I ran with them, in case you've forgotten." She picked up the cup she'd dropped, and stared down at it. After a moment, she nodded. "Guess it's not really the kind of thing you want getting around is it?"

"You could say that." Loghain's voice was quiet. "The last thing my mother needs is the world knowing she found some comfort in the arms of a man who bore a passing resemblance to the love of her life. She's paid enough for what her menfolk have done." He shook his head. "I promise you, Nathaniel doesn't mind the rumor at all."

She nodded, and set the cup on the table. "I suppose he wouldn't." Her eyes closed, and she willed away the tears that had tried to come before reopening them and looking up at him. "And your actual father?" He did remind her, on some level, of the man her friend had been before... everything. "Does he at least know he's got one thing in his life he can be proud of?"

"Yeah." The answer came quietly. "He does."

Her own voice was little more than a whisper. "And?"

"Yeah." He met her eyes. "He is."

"Good." She took a ragged breath, and forced her emotions back down. It took her three tries to paste on a smile and resume the semblance of cheer. She clapped her hands, and nodded. "So, the others aren't back yet. What now?"

He shrugged, and then grinned. "Well, there appears to be a perfectly good hayloft going to waste."

#

Duncan raced down the corridor in the direction the abomination had gone. He barely saw the flash of movement ahead. That thing was responsible for this entire mess. Kill it now, and his parents would still be alive then. He came around the corner and sent an arrow after it.

The arrow bounced off something. An elven woman stared at him, and then gave the abomination a questioning look. Next to the woman was a human man covered in white tattoos, and a small group of armored men. Duncan nocked another arrow and sent it at his target.

There was a flash of light from the elven woman as she swung her hand almost negligently, and he felt his skin grow cold and painful as ice coated him. He tried to draw back his bow, and gasped in pain as his very skin cracked at the movement.

"Don't kill that one." The abomination gestured at the armored men, and two started down the corridor towards him.

He couldn't make his legs move enough to flee. One of the men reached for his arm, and then a blade came down, severing the man's arm just above the elbow. Kels spun in, slamming his shield into the second armored man and knocking him to the ground. The warrior sent a glance down the corridor. His eyes widened. "Oh shit."

Duncan managed to break one of his legs free from the ice as the woman started to intone another spell. Kels started to raise his shield, and then apparently thought better of it. He dropped the shield, grabbed Duncan, and threw them both around the corner.

#

Kels hauled the future king down the corridor, hampered by both the fact Duncan could barely move to aid him and the fact that he was clearly causing the other man pain dragging him around. Blood welled from cracks in frozen skin.

There was shouting behind him, and he looked over his shoulder to see the armored men giving chase. He quickened his pace as much as he could, eliciting a cry of pain from the man he was carrying.

Ahead of him Gavren and Leandra came around the corridor. Leandra leaped, bringing her massive blade down on one of the men who had nearly caught them. "A mage." Kels jerked his head in the direction he'd come from, and he saw Gavren nod. He looked back to see the woman and the tattooed man following, along with the glowing abomination. "Shit."

"Get behind me." Leandra grabbed Duncan's other arm and helped Kels do what Gavren instructed.

Green energy seemed to glow around Gavren, and then there was fire moving down the corridor, warping floor, ceiling, and wall as it seemed to pass in a wave of twisting energy. Chunks of burning ceiling and wall fell into the corridor, almost as if the entire building was melting.

Kels handed Leandra his sword before swinging the now unconscious Duncan up into his arms. "Come on, we need to get the others and get out of here."

#

Agatha found them halfway way back to the inn, and her eyes widened. "Oh shit, what happened?"

"Baradies is the Formless One." Salla shook her head. "Where is Loghain?"

"We got caught. Our folks know about the inn." Agatha bit her bottom lip, and surveyed them. Kels and Caleb were carrying badly injured and semi-conscious Duncan between them. Jerath was limping, and it was clear from his armor that he'd recently taken a few blows. Trian was cradling his shield arm, and she saw no sign of his shield. Kieran and Salla were both leaning heavily on their staffs, and Gavren was shadowing Kieran as if concerned the man was going to have trouble staying upright. She wasn't sure she blamed him. "Loghain kept them distracted so I could warn you but..." She frowned. "Maybe we should go to them."

"We'd be putting them in danger." Salla glanced back at Kieran. "And maybe ourselves as well. We need to find someplace to hide."

"Loghain and I found a couple abandoned warehouses early in our search. One of those might work. Come on." Agatha gestured, and began leading the way.

#

She glanced down into the barn below and froze. She made a silencing gesture, and crept to the edge to peer down for a better view. Four figures were moving below, swift and silent. They were on the tall side, but thin, and something about how they moved made her conclude they were elves. The armor they wore was not like anything she'd seen before.

Two of them spoke quietly to each other, confirming her conclusion that they were in fact elvish. She glanced at her companion, and saw her own confusion mirrored on his face. The hood of one of the men fell back as he caught it on something hanging on a frame. He was bald, with yellow eyes and a tree pattern picked out on his pale skin in green. She'd seen Solas only once, and there was a trace of resemblance in the shape of the features. She mouthed the word 'sentinels?' to Loghain, and saw him nod in return.

The man pulled his hood back up and quickly rummaged through the saddlebags, placing something inside before gesturing at his companions. The men left as quietly as they'd come. Sigrun's eyes narrowed. So there had been an ulterior motive in putting them on this particular trail. She kept her voice low, pitched not to carry. "Trouble."

"Noticed."

"Can you find the other kids, and I mean fast?"

"I can."

"Go. Get them out of here. Send word if you can, but be careful, we know he's got spies everywhere." She shook her head. "I'll warn the others."