"Once we sat

In the light of our dreams.

Once we were

In our homeland

With strength and might.

Once we were

Not afraid of the night."

Caleb let the song die away as they sat around the campfire. "I always liked that one," Leandra said from where she was snuggled into Gavren.

"I wish I had my lute." Caleb shrugged. "I was working on a new tune before all this started."

Kels snickered. "Is the one he, Varric, and Brehan wrote about the Inquisition still banned in Val Royeaux?"

"Not that it's ever stopped anyone from singing it." Gavren shook his head. "I particularly liked the part where they killed the Nightmare with a lullaby."

"That part always bothered me." Loghain shook his head. "Among other things, my grandfather couldn't carry a tune if his life depended upon it."

"Do not remind me." Kieran gave a small shudder. "And the Nightmare is not exactly dead."

Abruptly Caleb sat up. "Oh, I can't believe I'm missing this opportunity." He stared at Tisallan. "You wrote down a bunch of songs for Lord Hendry." He gave Tisallan a beseeching look. "Sing for us?"

Tisallan nodded. He considered a moment, and then began to sing. His voice was warm as he wove the melody, and Caleb quickly found himself envious of the man's range. He finished the tune with a repeat of the chorus, letting it die away slowly.

"What is that one about?" Duncan asked.

"The dialect was a bit hard to follow, but..." Gavren furrowed his brow. "Traveling a long road, but knowing that her smile waits at the end of it and thus your steps are light?"

"You speak elvish?" Alai raised an eyebrow.

Gavren shrugged. "I am Fen'Harel's apprentice." He shook his head. "Though he complained that I spoke it with a Fereldan accent. Which is strange, because Iron Bull complains I speak Qunlat with an Orlesian accent."

"Your translation is accurate enough." Tisallan nodded. He stirred the fire. "My son wrote it, as a gift to the woman who became his bride."

"I..." Caleb blinked. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you had a son."

"I had three sons and Enara."

"Ir abelas." Gavren nodded to him.

"It is a strange thing." Tisallan shook his head. "Looking at the elves of the here and now, and wondering. Looking for the features of my children on their faces."

"Agatha could be your great great great great lots more great grandchild." Caleb nodded.

"I would consider it an honor, would it to be the case."

Agatha blushed slightly as she smiled.

#

"Lord Cullen..."

"My title is Commander, if you feel one is necessary." Cullen nodded to the elven man. "And no, you can't kill Magister Adralicus."

"May I at least gag him?" Melavan took a deep breath. "I don't feel I can be held responsible for my actions if he tells me about the fall of the Dales one more time."

"I sympathize." Cullen rubbed his forehead. "Maker, he spent two hours yesterday telling me about the events at Haven and I was actually there." He frowned, and turned towards the other elven man. "Has he figured out who you are yet?"

"No." Brehan shook his head. "As near as I can tell, he still thinks I'm your butler."

"Andraste preserve us." Cullen shook his head. "At least he'll soon be Dorian's problem again." He sighed, and turned back to Melavan. "I'd prefer not to risk taking your people into Tevinter. Carver will have some of his riders take you to Kirkwall."

"I will tell Delaon and Ionai to make ready, but I would prefer to remain." Melavan shook his head. "I can be of more use here."

"Tevinter isn't a healthy place for elves."

"The Dirthari is accompanying you." Melavan raised an eyebrow, and folded his arms. "Two of my people are still out there. Alai is all I have left of my sister."

"I..." Cullen closed his eyes, and then nodded. "Have sisters and nieces of my own. Keep working with Brehan."

#

"Hand over your valuables and nobody gets hurt." The massive man stepped in to block their path. Several more men stepped out of the trees.

"Haven't we done this already?" Caleb rubbed his forehead.

"Four times." Duncan sighed.

"Do you think they will ever learn?" Salla asked.

"Considering they've had several thousand years to try..." Alai shook her head. "I'm going to go with no."

"I am going to ask you politely to go away." Kieran nodded to the bandit. "Once."

#

"Hey, check it out." Caleb waved a thick bundle of parchment. "They had maps."

Trian and Kels began going through the maps. "Smuggler trails."

"Look." Duncan pointed at a notation. "The trail markers. This will get us through the Silent Plains, avoiding scrutiny." He glanced up at Salla. "And who knows, maybe we'll get to bust up some more slave operations on the way."

Salla looked over the maps, and frowned. "Kels, think you could plan us a safe route using these?"

"I believe so, yes." Kels nodded. "I'd be more comfortable if we had a few more waterskins though."

"Figure out what we need, and then we'll head out."

#

They found a small sheltered area, and kept the campfire low to limit visibility. Salla looked over the herbs in her pouch, then back up at her companions. "Who is coming along for tonight's check in?"

"Not me." Leandra shook her head vehemently.

"Kels?" Salla raised an eyebrow.

He sighed, and then shook his head. "I'm not sure. I should try to get a message to Minaeve." He chuckled ruefully. "Assuming she's even still willing to hear from me at this point."

"What about you Loghain?" She glanced over at him.

"Not sure it's a good idea." He shrugged.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, it's the land of dreams, yes?"

She nodded. "Well, yes."

Loghain grinned. "Do any of you really want to know the kinds of things I dream about you?"

"Oh for..."

"Maker's breath."

"You asshole."

"Why would you even go there?"

"I need to stab my brain out now."

Alai laughed before grabbing the front of Loghain's armor and pulling him towards her for a kiss. "You can show me later."

#

"Inquisitor." Salla almost squeaked when she saw the woman standing there.

"Mother." Gavren smiled, but shifted from foot to foot nervously.

Ruya smiled, and strode forward to hug her son. She released him and then hugged a startled Kels. "Thank the Maker, you're both alright."

"She wasn't willing to take our word for it." Hawke shrugged.

"Your definition of 'fine' is somewhat questionable." Feynriel folded his arms.

"It is somewhat skewed by perspective, I'll admit."

"We have more information for you." Ruya stepped back. "Though the source is..." She blinked at Urthemiel. "Questionable." She shook her head as she looked over the glowing being. "You are a matter of some concern."

"He's on our side." Salla smiled reassuringly. "We trust him."

"Salla..." Hawke sighed. "Some years ago, we would have said the same of Anders."

"Papa..."

"They are right to be concerned. It would be a mistake to forget what I became, and what I could become again." Urthemiel nodded to Ruya. "A spirit can be twisted and turned. But I am no longer simply a spirit, and I have found my purpose once more."

"Melavan called you the Muse." Ruya caught the stump of her arm in her good hand. "Solas did the same."

"I was called that, once. Too many notes have been played since, and that melody cannot be recaptured. This is a new world, and requires a new song." He shrugged. "Plus, circumstances being what they are in the here and now, your son is fully capable of kicking my ass."

Hawke snorted. Salla snickered. Gavren shook his head. "I think you still have the advantage of experience here in the Fade."

"But you have me outnumbered at the moment." Urthemiel gestured at the others.

"There is that." Gavren chuckled.

Ruya stared at Urthemiel for a moment before looking back at Gavren. "I hear you blew up some buildings."

"Yeah." Gavren nodded, and then squared his shoulders. "I kind of do that when folks put holes in my friends."

"You really can't blame him." Hawke shook his head. "Take it from me, it's one of those things that just sort of happens."

She sighed, and then filled them in on what Solas had told her. "Brehan managed to confirm some of the information, enough for us to believe he is telling the truth."

"The Formless One is a threat to Solas's plans." Gavren shook his head. "He has a history of using the Inquisition to deal with those. It's annoying."

"He suggested all of you return to Kirkwall, and stay out of harm's way." She looked them over. "He said he doesn't want to see any of you hurt."

"He did kill me." Urthemiel folded his arms.

"Wait, what?" Salla looked up at him.

"It was a few months ago." Urthemiel shrugged.

"He mentioned that." Ruya stared at him. "And he pointed out that if he chose, he is capable of doing worse."

"And I am capable of doing far more than merely turning a herd of brontos loose in his sanctuary, but Mythal still has hope that you can perform a much needed rectal-cranial reversion for her rabid mutt."

"You..." Feynriel blinked. "Did what?"

Ruya blinked. "He told me he killed you for redirecting eluvians into an Antivan privy-house."

"Ah." Urthemiel smiled. "That one really never gets old."

Gavren and Salla started snickering. Hawke covered his face with one hand, but his shoulders were shaking with mirth. Kels sighed. "Predates all existing calendar systems, and has a teenage boy's sense of humor."

"I think that's the part that scares me most." Ruya shook her head.

#

"That's..." Caleb frowned. "Going to be a problem."

"Well, they did mention the Ben'hassrath." Leandra sighed. "And it's just a smidgen more than a single death squad."

"I counted two hundred, and we don't have a handy temple full of golems to make up the difference." Duncan shook his head as he peered out over the hill. "The good news is they don't appear to have spotted us."

"According to the maps, there are some caves in that ravine. The smugglers used them for caches. We could hide, wait for them to pass." Kels gestured.

"That sort of assumes the qunari aren't using the same maps we are, but unless someone has a better idea..." Salla wrinkled her nose. "Caves it is."

#

"Do you think they actually are hunting us?" Agatha asked as they led the horses into the mouth of the cave. The animals entered reluctantly, and she was fairly sure Kieran had actually used some kind of magic to get them to cooperate at all.

"Kieran did say something about his father killing the Ariqun." Leandra shrugged. "And didn't Duncan's father kind of also beat up the Arishok?"

"But our father is basilit'an." Caleb shook his head.

"So is my father and Duncan's father." Kieran nodded. "But it is an earned title, not something that can be inherited."

"If your father killed the Ariqun, is he still basilit'an?" Salla asked.

"Yes." Kieran nodded. "Perhaps more so, now. They also call him basaaran'kata."

"What's that mean?" Caleb glanced over his shoulder at Kieran.

"Basalit'an means outsider worthy of respect." Gavren considered a moment. "Basaaran'kata would be more akin to 'outsider not to be fucked with'."

"What do they call you?" Caleb asked Kieran.

"A demon." He shrugged. "They aren't a particularly imaginative people anymore." He sighed. "The tune decayed to a single marching drum, beating a broken rhythm that tries to drown out the other song."

"Yeah, when we have some time later, I'm going to ask you to explain that." Caleb nodded to him.

#

Salla started towards the pool at the mouth of the cave, waterskin in hand. Tisallan emerged like a shadow, stepping to her side defensively, his eyes alert for signs of movement. "I mislike the night."

"Nothing has tripped the wards." Salla glanced at him.

"And yet listen." He held one hand.

She furrowed her brow and was silent for several moments. "I don't hear anything."

"And that is the problem." He took a cautious step forward, frowning. And then he turned and grabbed her, shoving her back into the cave just as something metal clanged off a nearby rock. She saw the shimmer of energy from him as he threw up a barrier, and she reinforced it. Something exploded, and only Tisallan's momentum kept them from being struck or buried as rocks fell. From inside and outside of the cave she heard shouting. "Go." Tisallan shoved her deeper into the cave. He whirled and cut a spear out of the air with a glowing blade. He continued backing deeper in, keeping himself between her and whoever was attacking.

No figures entered the cave, but she could make out movement in the shadows beyond. She let out a low string of curses. "They found us. Tisallan, are you hurt?"

He looked down at the smear of blood on his leg. "A scratch, no more."

"Kels, you've got the maps, options?"

"There are a couple other passages."

Gavren suddenly started shaking his head. "No. Something is scratching at the wards I placed on those."

"Maker. They've got us surrounded."

"We could stampede the horses, make a run for it in the confusion." Salla raised an eyebrow.

"Not with their numbers. They are too smart not to have people on the high ground." Tisallan shook his head.

"What are the odds they don't know who we are?"

"Non-existent, once they get a good look at us." Salla shook her head at Caleb. "Not sure even you can talk your way past a karataam. I doubt even Uncle Varric could."

"We could head in deeper, head towards one of the other passages, but the tunnels may be too narrow for the horses."

Salla sighed. "Okay. Grab our gear. We'll stampede the horses, and make for the other passage." She frowned. "Suggestions on how to stampede the horses."

Kieran caught one of the horse's heads. His eyes swirled momentarily with green light, and a heartbeat later so did the eyes of the horses. He turned towards Salla. "They will do their part."

Trian tossed her a pack, and she slung it over her shoulder before picking up the green staff. It felt warm in her hand. "Let's go."

#

"Trian?" Salla glanced at the dwarf when he stopped.

"This may not have been the best option." He gestured at something on the ground ahead. Salla held her torch higher, and caught sight of the corpse laying on the ground. "Oh."

Immediately, the warriors drew their blades. Duncan nocked an arrow to his bow.

"Maybe we should turn back, try the left path and..." Caleb glanced over his shoulder.

They could hear the echo of distant voices. "Dammit, if there are spawn in these tunnels they are going to bring them down on us." Jerath shook his head.

"Move. Quietly. And fast." Salla gestured.

#

Kels glanced over his shoulder again. The voices were starting to sound closer. Or maybe it was just his nerves. Trian had the map, but if he recalled correctly, they were only halfway through. Ahead, he heard Trian's voice. "From here, up the ledge."

He gestured for Caleb to go ahead of him, then followed. Loghain and Alai brought up the rear. They were halfway up the path when the footing beneath Caleb crumbled. Kels caught the other man, and grabbing at the stone wall. He had nearly pulled Caleb to safety when his own handhold broke free. He felt Loghain's fingers brush against his own hand, but his fingers slide free before the other man could gain purchase.

The torch tumbled down as they slid. He felt a sharp pain in his ankle when they landed, and he grabbed the torch again, looking frantically for Caleb. The younger man sat up painfully. "Ow."

"Kels? Caleb?" He heard Loghain's voice.

"We're alright. I think." Kels winced when he tried to stand. "Shit. I think I might have broken some -" He went silent as something rustled in the darkness. In the torchlight, he saw the blood drain from Caleb's face. Something clanked, metal against stone, drawing nearer.

Pain or no pain, he got to his feet, setting his shield and drawing his blade. "No." He heard Caleb murmur as they saw what was in the tavern with them. The genlock approached, its teeth bared. Duncan's arrow took it in the eye, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Loghain and Alai lowering a rope.

"Caleb, go." He slashed out with his sword at another genlock, and saw arrows starting to whisk out the darkness towards his companions still on the ledge. "Move."

Caleb grabbed the rope and starting to climb. Loghain caught him and pulled him up. Kels caught the rope and started to climb, and something grabbed him, dragging him back. "Kels!"

Fire struck the hurlock, and Kels yanked himself free, diving again for the rope. Loghain yanked him up the last couple feet, and then got his arm underneath him, supporting the injured leg. "I got him, move."

#

Salla's fingers glowed white as she wove the healing spell. "You aren't..." She looked Kels over frantically. "It didn't?"

"No. It didn't get through my armor." Kels nodded, still pale.

"We need to..."

"Teth a, bas!" A voice cried out, and they turned to see the qunari coming towards them.

"Great. Frying pan or fire." Caleb hefted his crossbow.

Alai let out a string of curses.

"Move." Salla gestured.

Loghain threw Kels' arm over his shoulder again as they headed down the only tunnel remaining to them.

#

They emerged into a larger cavern, and started making their way through the rocky outcroppings. "I think the qunari are..." Gavren stopped in his tracks. "Oh, shit."

The ogre rose, and snarled. It banged its hands against its armored chest. Several more emerged from the darkness, followed by still more darkspawn.

"That is..." Kieran shook his head. "Not good."

"Father once said The Warden had a trick for dealing with these things. Don't suppose you happen to know it?" Leandra glanced over her shoulder at Kieran.

"Dagna's grenades." Kieran gave her a hopeful look. "Do we have any?"

"No."

"Trian, if we survive this, put grenades on the shopping list." Salla swallowed.

"Right next to a clean pair of pants." Trian set his shield.

The ogres started for them, and then the lead one stopped. It roared, shaking its head violently. A strange huffing sound escaped it, and then it roared again. Something flickered in its eyes. "It's not..." Salla started to say.

A heartbeat later the ogre roared again, and charged, alongside its fellows. Straight at the incoming qunari, who started shouting in response, hurling spears.

"What just..."

"Don't ask, run." Salla pointed. "Go, now."

#

The sound of fighting died behind them as the walls of the tunnel changed. "Where are we?" Caleb asked, looking around.

"The Deep Roads." Trian shook his head. "Stone, we are in the blighted deep roads."

Kieran looked up. "Was it really too much to ask to go one full length without having to take a trip into the Deep Roads?" He kicked the wall. "No, you had to railroad us down here." He growled in frustration before looking up again. "I hope no one paid extra for this content!"

Duncan looked at him. "What?"

"What?" Kieran raised an eyebrow.

"I'd kind of like to know what happened back there." Gavren shook his head. "I thought you said you couldn't control darkspawn."

"I can't." Kieran blinked. He tilted his head, and then frowned. "Well, I can't."

A hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed Loghain by the front of the armor, yanking him forward. The warriors all immediately drew their blades again. The hand shook Loghain, nearly knocking him off his feet. And then the figure stepped out of the darkness and growled in a deep voice. "Do you have any idea how worried your mother is?"