"Before we go any further..." Alistair held up his hand, and looked at Tisallan. "Do you happen to know where my son is?"

"Your son is Duncan?" Tisallan raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Kieran and Salla have gone to retrieve him and the others." Tisallan took a deep breath, and turned to Melavan. "Ir abelas, lethallin. Alai din'naden."

Melavan sank into the chair behind him. He hung his head, and sighed. "Mythal'ghilan, vir enaste."

"Alai's dead?" Leandra put a hand over her mouth.

"How?" Gavren's voice was hollow.

"I do not know." Tisallan shook his head. "Kieran knew when it happened."

"I am sorry for your loss." Alistair swallowed. If an elven sentinel had fallen, what did that mean for what his son was facing out there? "We need..." He shook his head. "We need to end this before more people get hurt."

"There is an eluvian." Kels spoke up.

"Kels..." Leandra hissed at him.

"It could be a trap." Gavren shook his head.

"It is not." Bahalan spoke from where he had been tied to a chair. "Step through the eluvian, and it will take you safely to Kirkwall. He has given his word."

"Yes, because he's never broken that before." Tisallan rolled his eyes.

"Penshra, harellan." Bahalan spat several more phrases in elvish.

"Any of that we need to worry about?" Alistair glanced at Brehan.

It was Gavren who replied. "He called Tisallan and Melavan traitors and a few other nasty names, accused them of being slaves to humans, said they were turning their back on all the elven people truly are, and that they deserved nothing more or less than to die forgotten."

"You speak elvish?" Brehan raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why is everyone surprised that the Dread Wolf's apprentice speaks elvish?" Leandra glanced at Gavren. She gestured at Bahalan. "Can I punch him? I want to punch someone, and he's begging to be punched."

"No punching." Alistair shook his head.

#

Once they got to the warehouse district, Kieran took the lead. He reached an alley, and started to go down it. "Wait." Duncan shook his head. "Are we..."

Jerath sighed, and then put him into a headlock and started dragging him towards the building. He heard Agatha's amused laughter as Duncan started struggling to free himself, or at least put a halt to the forward motion. Jerath ignored his king's orders to release him that instant. When they reached the door, he nodded to Salla. "Mind knocking?"

Salla took a deep breath, and started to knock on the door. She'd managed to tap it once before it opened and Hawke stepped out. He grabbed her, and picked her up in a massive hug. "Salla." He put her down before moving to Caleb and repeating the gesture, just as Fenris grabbed Salla and pulled her into the building. He didn't release Duncan until they were all in the building and the door was closed behind them. Duncan promptly tried to punch him.

"Duncan." King Alistair's voice rang out. A moment later the man had pulled Duncan into a tight embrace. "Thank the Maker you're alright." He held Duncan for a long moment. Then he let him go and to Jerath's surprise, grabbed him, hugging him just as tightly. "You're both alright." He stepped back, then grabbed both of them and started dragging them up the stairs. "I am going to strangle both of you."

He saw Lenore holding Agatha, and was pretty sure both women were crying. Hawke was holding onto his son as though he never intended to let him go again. "Gavren and..."

"Over here." He heard Gavren's voice and saw him and Leandra sitting at a table with Cullen and Carver.

"Are you alright?" The King started to let them go, and then apparently reconsidered and dragged them both to chairs first. "You've been wounded. Lenore?"

"Salla already fixed us up." Duncan shook his head.

Salla pulled free of her father, and caught Loghain's arm. She half dragged the man to a chair. "Sit." She poked him. "Stay." She looked up at Lenore. "He took a lot of damage earlier, and he's not to do much moving around for the next few hours."

Lenore's fingers glowed white as she touched Loghain. Immediately she started shaking her head. "Maker, Salla, you let him walk here in that condition?"

Jerath frowned. "How hurt is he?"

"I've buried men in better shape." Lenore shook her head, and continued working her magic. "Salla has already dealt with most of it, but he's out of action for the next few days at least."

"What the hell happened?" Alistair started looking at them. He growled. "No, explanations can wait. All of you, sit down, get your wounds tended, get something to eat, get cleaned up, and..." He took a deep breath. "Do not leave our sight."

#

Dorian entered, followed by Arenda. "You found them?"

Cullen shook his head. "They found us." He gestured to where the kids were sitting in the other half of the room, looking somewhat subdued. Alai's death had clearly shaken them. Melavan had withdrawn since hearing the news. Caleb had found the supplies, and was busying himself making food. Hawke kept moving from room to room trying to keep an eye on both his children. Cullen might have felt the need to tease the man, if he'd been willing to let Gavren out of his sight for more than a few seconds.

On the other side of the room, Adralicus had been staring at Kieran for the last half hour, eyes wide. Kieran had slowly been moving away from him. At one point, Adralicus had tried to close the distance, but a glare from Tisallan had sent the magister scurrying back to his chair. Arenda glanced at Adralicus, then her eyes flicked to Kieran. "That's..." She took a deep breath and collected herself. "What happens now?"

Duncan must have heard the question, because he turned towards her. "Now we go finish off this cult and its pet demon."

"Now, you and the rest of the children get on the griffins and get back to Kirkwall. Or Denerim. I think I prefer Denerim." Alistair glared at his son.

"We've come too far for that." Duncan stood. "If we leave now, the cult will fade back into the shadows and come hunting us again, and we'll lose our best chance to take them down."

"He's right." Salla squared her shoulders. "We know where they are, and have the best chance of dealing with them."

"Perhaps you missed the part where the Dread Wolf is in town?" Hawke shook his head.

"All the more reason why you should let Gavren and Kieran stay and help. They've proved to be the best options for dealing with his agents."

"Carver does fairly well." Cullen glanced at where the man was sitting.

"Carver..." He sighed. "Thinks she has a point."

Hawke turned towards his brother. "You cannot be serious."

Alistair shook his head. "No. Get your griffins, and get the kids out of here. We'll call out for reinforcements, and deal with the situation."

"I'm not going back to Kirkwall." Duncan shook his head. "We are going to see this through."

Alistair stepped towards his son. "You are getting on that griffin if I have to tie you to the saddle." He turned his eyes towards Jerath. "You are supposed to be keeping him out of trouble." He shook his head at both of them. "And you are both going to explain things to your mothers."

"I am thirty," Jerath said calmly.

"What?"

"I am thirty." He met Alistair's gaze levelly. "I haven't explained anything to my mother in well over a decade."

"We aren't children." Duncan folded his arms. "Jerath is a general. I have been King of Ferelden, king in a time of war, for six years. I do not take orders. I give them. I have faced demons and dragons, assassins and ambassadors. Gavren and Leandra have been handling situations like this one for years. Loghain hunts demons for sport." He stared at his father. "And Father, you are absolutely the last person in the world with a right to lecture anyone on running off to Tevinter to deal with a threat against family."

"That was..." Alistair gestured in frustration. "Different."

"How?" Salla asked, her voice blunt.

"There were..." Alistair sighed weakly. "Dragons."

"Jerath killed one of those back in Nessum." Leandra raised an eyebrow pointedly.

"And there were Crows."

"Such as the ones that recently poisoned several of the people in this room?" Agatha gestured.

"It just was!"

"My father instructed me to deal with this situation." Kieran clasped his hands behind his back. "I will not be leaving until I have accomplished that task."

"Now listen..." Alistair turned towards him.

Light gleamed behind Kieran's eyes. "King Alistair, my father holds you in high regard, and I share his opinion." His voice deepened slightly. "But do not forget to whom you are speaking."

The room went silent. Salla moved to stand next to Kieran. "We are your children, and you taught us well." She smiled. "So how, exactly, do you think you are going to be able to stop us?"

"What would you do, if you were us?" Gavren stared at his father.

"Would you run?" Duncan folded his arms.

"Would you?" Agatha turned to her mother.

"Would you?" Caleb looked at Brehan.

"They mean in the opposite direction." Salla turned back to her fathers.

"A curious feeling." Fenris rubbed his forehead.

"Being so proud of your daughter you want to lock her in a closet for the rest of her life?" Hawke put an arm around his husband's shoulders.

"That would be the one."

#

Cathiel stared down at the message crystal in her hand. Brosca's eyes were slightly wide, and he looked prepared to dive under cover. "Our eldest son said what, exactly?"

"One moment." Her husband's voice replied.

There was a murmur of voices, and then a voice that sounded very similar to her husband's came over the crystal. "Mother."

"Duncan." She narrowed her eyes. "You are knowingly and willfully putting yourself into danger."

"A hazard of being both Therin and Cousland."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't get on the back of a griffin and drag you home to Ferelden by your ear."

"Wynne, Bryce, and Maric need their mother." Duncan's voice softened. "I am trying to ensure they have her for as long as possible."

She clutched the crystal tightly in her hand, and felt tears well in her eyes. "Don't you dare get yourself killed trying to protect your father and I. Don't you dare." She felt Nesiara's hand on her shoulder. "Don't you..."

"Mother, I..." She heard him swallow. "I will do what I have to do, as you taught me. For my family, and for Ferelden."

Nesiara's voice was slightly raw. "Is Jerath there with you?"

A different voice came over the crystal. "I am here."

"Don't..." Nesiara's shoulders shook slightly. "I want, very much, to get the chance to meet you. Please, be safe."

"I will try."

She felt a tug, and looked down. Slowly she knelt, and held the crystal to Wynne. "Say hi to your brothers."

"Dunk!" Wynne yelled into the crystal.

"Wynne."

"Papa?" Wynne looked at the crystal in confusion. "I want Dunk and Chair."

"Maker, I forgot you used to call Jerath that." Duncan's voice shook with laughter.

"Papa, where's Dunk?"

"Dunk will be home soon, Wynne. Everything is going to be fine. You'll see." He was quiet for a moment. "And I promise, this time around, I'll find you a sane husband."

"No husband. Ick." Wynne glared at the crystal.

"Don't change, Wynne."

#

"So the Dread Wolf has put in a personal appearance." Leliana held the crystal as she paced back and forth.

"He spoke with Gavren, offered the kids a ride back to Kirkwall. Melavan, Tisallan, and Kieran all seem to be of the belief that the offer was genuine and that Fen'Harel does not want to see any of the kids harmed." Brehan's voice replied. "However, he did attempt to put a tail on Gavren, Leandra, and Kels. Gavren noticed, and they were able to capture the agent."

"Have you questioned him?"

"Not far. He's been willing to give us information on the cult, though we already have most of what he has given us. He has refused to answer any questions regarding Fen'Harel or his activities."

"And the qunari?"

"As near as we can tell, there were a couple survivors from the group that the kids encountered on the plains. They got in touch with some of their agents, and reinforcements were sent." Brehan sighed. "No doubt more will be incoming, and as near as we can tell, the individual that sold the wine to Adralicus was a Crow."

"I'm glad there were healers present." Leliana looked down at the crystal. The thought of losing him again tore at her. When he did not respond, she frowned at the crystal. "Brehan?"

"Our recovery was slightly more complicated than that." He sounded as though every word was being dragged out of him.

"Brehan." She narrowed her eyes.

"The Warden's people had a safehouse here, one that Carver claims they last used just before you called the Exalted Council." Brehan took a deep breath. "One stocked with the right gear for the kids and a vial containing a small amount of ashes."

"Ashes." She blinked. "Ashes?"

"Ashes."

"I am guessing by small amount, you are not talking about a pinch?"

"Thimbleful or so."

"We were with him. He took a pinch." She glared.

"I was there. I recall."

"He..." She forced herself to breath, in and out. "And has Carver told you what he has done with the urn?"

"No."

"Has he given any explanation?"

"No."

"Did you ask Kieran?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"I was told he hadn't checked that part of the codex but it had been fully unlocked and I was more than welcome to do so if I desired. I attempted to ask him about this 'codex'." Brehan's voice became slightly confused. "Which seemed to frustrate him, as he claimed I had written several of the codex entries. Then he told me I needed to fix my spelling errors and amend several of the entries because they didn't match the information in the compilations even after accounting for the differing canon."

"I..." Leliana stared at the crystal. "Am unable to make any sense of that."

"Glad I'm not the only one."

"He set up a safehouse for the kids that contained exactly what was needed to save you..." Leliana rubbed her forehead. "Years ago?" She sat on the edge of her desk. "How could they possibly have..."

"I tried asking Kieran that as well."

"And?"

"I gave up somewhere around 'elision of the contrapuntal harmonies with the ambient theme'. I understand every single word he used and I have absolutely no idea what he was talking about." Brehan made a vexed noise. "So I went with 'Mythal did it' and he said that was close enough." He sighed. "Duncan tried to warn me."

#

Kels looked up when he saw the Commander enter. He'd been dreading this moment. The thought of facing the Commander's disappointment almost made him wish he'd let the dragon eat him. "Ser, I..." He took a deep breath. "I know you are angry, and I..."

"Kels..." Cullen shook his head. "I have spent the past couple months worried sick about you and Gavren. Yes, I'm furious."

"I understand. Gavren is your son, and I let..."

"Kels." Cullen's voice was sharp. When Kels flinched, Cullen sighed. "Yes. Gavren is my son." He smiled. "And you are my brother. I don't think I have ever expressed how grateful I am that you came into my life." He took a deep breath. "So yes, I am furious. Two people I love dearly were in trouble, and I was too far away to protect them."

"Ser, I..."

"If either of you ever do anything like this again, I will..." Cullen put both hands on Kels's shoulders and met his eyes levelly. "Personally make you both run drills until you drop before sticking you on latrine duty for the rest of your natural lives. Do you understand me?"

He felt tears in his eyes. "Yes ser."

Cullen pulled him into a hug.

#

Saitada looked down at the crystal. "I have been worried sick about you." She shook her head. "Do you realize how much more gray hair the last few weeks have given me?"

"I am sorry." Trian's voice responded.

She wanted to reach through the crystal and hug him. Or strangle him. Or both. "Your mother is frantic. If it wasn't for your siblings, she'd be on a griffin and there right now. You do realize just how much she sacrificed for you?"

"I do. That's..." Trian sighed. "That is why I am here. What we owe to The Warden..."

For a moment, she drifted back all those to Orzammar. Zerlinda practically fussing over Jerath every time he got within fifty feet of her. The look on her face when she'd learned Jerath had suggested Saitada adopt Trian in the first place. She should have considered how Trian would feel about the appearance of Jerath's son. Considering the tattoo on his face, young Loghain likely felt the same way. "I understand." She sighed. "I"m furious, but I understand."

"I have to see this through."

Her eyes closed. She bowed her head, and then reopened them. "I know. And..." The corner of her mouth lifted. "I am proud of you."

#

"You were told to lay down."

Loghain glanced over his shoulder at the sound of Carver's voice. He shook his head. "I did that already."

"I think they meant for you to stay laying down." Carver stepped into the small office that was serving as a bedroom, and closed the door behind him. "Are you alright?"

"Define 'alright'." He flung the towel back down on the wash stand. "I'll live. Should be good for combat again by morning."

"Lenore says you're to remain in the bed for the next few days." Carver glanced back at the door. "We're going to need to come up with an explanation for why you heal so fast."

"I was going to resort to my usual standby of 'it's complicated' and then making a pass." Loghain sat heavily on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, that last part..." He shrugged. "It's Lenore, she might call your bluff."

"Who is bluffing?" Loghain looked down at his hands. He rubbed his palm with the other hand, and then clenched his fists. "I wasn't strong enough to pull them both up."

"You had busted ribs." Carver sighed. "It's nothing short of miraculous you caught either of them in the first place." He grabbed a chair, and sat down, folding his arms and setting them on the chair back as he looked at Loghain. "I can sit here and tell you I would have done the same thing, but given that Caleb is my nephew that comes off a little hollow."

"Going to be a while before he stops hating me."

"He's smarter than that." Carver shook his head. "Give him some credit."

"She was special." Loghain sighed. "Stupid of me, right? But she was." He set his hands next to him. "She deserved better."

"That's the way it works, isn't it?" Carver shook his head. "And that's why we fight. But it's never easy."

"If it were, someone else would do it." Loghain nodded.

Carver chuckled. He leaned back, folding his hands on the chair back. "How'd your father take you joining up?"

"I told him I'd decided to join the Templar Order." Loghain managed a smile. "Then, after he stopped glowing, I told him the truth."

"Yeah." Carver shook his head and smiled. "Something tells me you fit in just fine." He stood. "Let me know if you need anything." He started towards the door.

"Carver." He turned back to Loghain. Loghain looked up at him. "Four days before we ended up sixteen years into the past, The Warden paid me a visit."

"He knew this was going to happen." Carver slowly nodded. "And he needed to let it."

"He said it was a chance he was going to have to take. Let it happen, and hope that the Kieran of the here and now could fix things." He took a deep breath. "And he told me the first thing I needed to do when I got here was send a message to him telling him not to get involved. To let things play out. So that's why he hasn't answered you."

"Good to know." Carver shrugged. "Stupid to worry, but I was starting to. Did he tell you what all Kieran needed to fix?"

"No." Loghain shook his head. "And I did ask. He said he trusted Kieran to figure it out."

"Then we back Kieran's play." Carver put his hand on the doorknob. "Not that we ever had any other option."

#

"How exactly are we going to do anything about this staff if he can't even remember it exists?" Lenore folded her arms.

"We..." Gavren sighed. "Are still working on a solution to that particular problem."

"But we now know what the staff looks like and who has it." Salla waved a hand. "And Kieran reacted enough to its presence to make it clear that's the one we are looking for."

"I did?" Kieran glanced at her.

"You did."

He shrugged.

"So all we need to do is get it into his hands, and he can take it from there." Gavren nodded.

"Except it's in the hands of this Siofra."

"I would be a lot more confident if this in any way resembled a real plan." Cullen leaned back in his chair.

Carver turned towards him. "Cullen, have you ever seen what happens to a plan when my brother gets within a hundred feet of it?"

"We took Adamant with him present."

"A pseudo-archdemon appeared, the Inquisitor ended up physically in the Fade, and Loghain became a spirit."

"I..." Cullen sighed. "Concede the point."

"Hey!" Hawke shook his head. "I resemble that remark."

"It is not only Hawke." Kieran shook his head.

"Right. Your son is the one who was in Nevarra for half an hour and physically ran into Cassandra." Hawke folded his arms.

"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" Gavren glanced at Leandra, who shook her head and smiled.

"In all fairness, it was Agatha and Loghain who managed to find the tavern in Hasmal that contained me." Brehan shrugged.

"You are the protagonists. You warp the nature of causality by your very presence. Probability bends, rendering the improbable not only possible but likely, swirling in reaction to your natures as the plot ebbs and flows. Your actions affect the outcome just as your choices affect the narrative as you are drawn inexorably to the inevitable. Once the game begins, you are the only ones that can win." Kieran spread his hands.

"Did that make sense to anyone else?" Alistair raised an eyebrow.

"Can you explain your explanation?" Brehan asked Kieran, his voice somewhat hesitant.

Kieran nodded. "Yes. You affect the odds."

Brehan got a pained look. "Can you explain your explanation of your explanation?"

"I will try." Kieran tilted his head, and then smiled. "There are, in this world, hundreds of thousands of Dalish." He pointed to Brehan. "And then there is you, the Dalish elf that has risen to become Spymaster of the Inquisition, in service to the Andrastian Chantry. There are, in this world a few hundred surviving elves from the time of Arlathan. Consider, if you would, the sheer implausibility of the simple truth of what has occurred here." He smiled, and gestured at Tisallan. "That the most unlikely of Dalish elves would be the direct male line descendant of an ancient elf that has chosen to join our cause, and that they are both sitting in this very room, listening to this conversation."

There was silence. Tisallan and Brehan stared at each other. "Okay." Lenore rubbed her forehead. "Maker, I can't even begin to do the math involved there."

"Varric wouldn't tell that story." Hawke shook his head.

"That is just a little bit awesome." Caleb smiled.

Brehan shook his head. "I need a drink."

"And a haircut." Tisallan's lips twitched slightly.

Author Note: I didn't originally intend for Brehan and Tisallan to be related, but a reviewer suggested it and I decided it was too good to pass up.