"You are cold and distant with your companions, at times. You reject being treated as a child, yet you use it as a weapon in anger against those closest to you."

I waited for the question, my face scrunched up.

"Why?"

An easier question than most he could have chosen, but not one on my top ten list.

I kept my gaze locked on his, not wanting to see anyone's reaction, "In the past, those viewed too close to me ended up dead. Either by my hand with intent or another's. It didn't matter which. I grew used to shutting people out, after the pattern became clear to me. It was too late for those already passed, but my future relationships were and are kept to a higher standard." I swallowed hard, hoping that would suffice.

He nodded and looked around at our group, "The way is open. Good luck, and may you find what you seek."

The Guardian vanished in a flash of white light, leaving us to the Gauntlet. Nobody spoke, and silence reigned as we entered through the door in front of us.

Spirits stood on both sides of the room, lining the way. One of them, a woman, opened her mouth and spoke softly.

"The smallest lark could carry it, while a strong man might not. Of what do I speak?"

Confused glances were shared, until Elissa asked, "A tune?"

"Yes. I was Andraste's dearest friend in childhood, and always we would sing. She celebrated the beauty of life, and all who heard Her would be filled with joy. They say The Maker himself was moved by Andraste's song, and then she sang no more of simple things." She faded from view, leaving an empty space in her place.

"Echoes from a shadow realm, whispers of things yet to come. Thought's strange sister dwells in night, is swept away by dawning light. Of what do I speak?" Another one vied for our attention.

"Dreams." Aedan's voice rang out.

"A dream came upon me, as my daughter slumbered beneath my heart. It told of her life and her betrayal and death. I am sorrow and regret. I am a mother weeping bitter tears for a daughter she could not save." She went poof, too.

A man spoke out next, a little farther up the line, "I'd neither a guest nor a trespasser be. In this place I belong, that belongs also to me."

"Home." He answered again.

"It was my dream for the people to have a home of their own, where we would have no masters but ourselves. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and thus we followed Andraste, against the Imperium. But she was betrayed, and so were we."

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The debt of blood must be paid in full. Of what do I speak?"

"Vengeance." The bard gave a go at it.

"I am justice. I am vengeance. Blood can only be repaid in blood."

"A poison of the soul, passion's cruel counterpart; from love she grows, till love lies slain. Of what do I speak?"

"Jealousy."

"I loved Her too, but what man can compare with a god?"

"The bones of the world stretch towards the sky's embrace. Veiled in white, like a bride greeting her groom. Of what do I speak?"

"The mountains."

"Yes. I carried Andraste's Ashes out of Tevinter into the mountains to see the east where she could gaze ever into Her Maker's sky..."

"She wields the broken sword, and separates true kings from tyrants. Of what do I speak?""I am the penitent sinner who shows compassion in hope that compassion will be shown to him."

"Mercy."

"I am the penitent sinner who shows compassion in hope that compassion will be shown to him."

"No man has seen it but all men know it. Lighter than air, sharper than any sword. Comes from nothing but would fell the strongest armies. Of what do I speak?"

"Hunger."

"I am Cathaire, disciple of Andraste and commander of her armies. I saw all these things done, and knew that He smiled on us."

A quiet clicking sound came from the door, and as I looked over, it swung open. Evidently, we had passed another test and were free to continue. Which we did.

I was the first to pass through the door, and I instantly regretted it; someone was waiting for me, and everyone was there to witness it.

A little girl, no more than five years old, stood in front of us. A lost look on her face. Her eyes searched our team until they landed on me. Her expression became sorrowful.

"The call came, and it was the doctor. Mommy said he wouldn't get better. Mommy said he was gone. Mommy said he was dead."

I could feel my knees shaking, tears already threatening to spill over. I willed them to stay.

"Why are you here?" My voice trembled with the effort of it all.

Her lips curled up in a sad smile, "It wasn't my fault. There was nothing I could have done to stop it. There was nothing I could have done to-"

I felt the cold stone floor as my knees gave out, "No. No, there must have been something. It was too late. I remembered too late. About magic and healing. I could have saved him." I pounded the ground with both my fists, a mixture of moaning and crying out.

"You shouldn't grieve for things beyond your control." A new voice made my blood stop, and I slowly raised my head. He was standing in front of me, and little Ana was nowhere to be found. "You know a little of how bad it was in the end, now, don't you?"

I nodded mutely, my throat too dry to form words.

"Stand up and dust yourself off, honey. It's time you begin to stop blaming yourself for errors that weren't your own. It was my stubbornness that kept me from being diagnosed and treated. It was my fault, and no one else's. Least of all yours, my lovely girl." He held out a hand, and I took it, allowing him to pull me to my feet, "You were so young, when it happened. You couldn't have known. You aren't to blame. Not my sweet girl."

Wiping my eyes with my free hand, I hiccuped on another round of sobs, still unable to articulate anything.

"You have a bright future ahead of you, you just need to let go of the past." He gave me a stern look, "This past, and other pasts, as well. If you can't do it for yourself, do it for your friends. Do it for the ones you haven't met yet. For the ones you won't meet, unless you do. Take this to remind you." He pressed a necklace in to the hand he still held, curling my fingers around it, "It's called Reflection, I think. If I'm remembering that right. I was told to give it to you."

"By who?" Curiosity broke through the barrier that had rendered me silent.

He only gave a wink and pulled me in to a hug. I returned the latter ferociously, and it ended all too soon. He set me away from him and gave a squeeze to my shoulders, slowly disappearing from view. The tears showed no signs of ceasing any time soon, and, for once, I was okay with that.

"Let's keep going." The words were garbled and hard to understand, but the others got the gist of it and fell in around me. Protected me from their looks by keeping their eyes forward as we marched on.

Around the corner, we came face to face with ourselves. It was enough to snap me out of the emotional haze, having myself materialize before me just in time to punch me in the stomach. She stood over me and waited for me to get back up, and as I did, I noticed everyone was fighting themselves. And we were struggling.

"Isn't this like that one story? The one where you can't best yourself, but someone among you can?" Shade me was staring around the room, her voice a touch different from mine.

"Yeah? You are evenly matched for yourself, and so are the others. If they stayed in those battles, there wouldn't be a clear winner. But if they switched..."

Elissa and Aedan were fighting together, with him defending and protecting her as she loosed arrow after arrow at the shades. She was doing more damage to his than hers.

I cupped my hands around my mouth, "Aaaaaand switch!"

Several of my companions glanced at me, confusion on their faces, but I waved for them to do as I'd said.

Alistair and Wynne switched. Zevran and Leliana did the same. The Couslands' were good as they were. That left me.

I raised my eyes back up to myself, "Why aren't you attacking me, too?"

"What do you mean?" Her lips twitched, "I punched you, didn't I?"

"Oh, right. I would hit you back, but I wouldn't want to see what I look like dead."

She grinned and shook her head at me, "Please. We'd both be dead, and you know it. Neither of us would be declared the winner in that scenario."

"True. What now?"

"Now?" The others were slowly approaching us, cautious in their movements, "Now, I tell you that there's a ridiculous puzzle ahead, and that you're going to need all the brains you've got in this lot. It's ri-dic-u-lous."

The four who had been with me the longest had bemused expressions, finding it strange for any me to talk like that.

Groaning, I finally stood and dusted myself off, "Joy. I cannot wait. I just cannot wait. Let's go, guys. Ignore the other me."

"Wow. Rude." She made a face, then went poof and vanished.

"Why didn't you fight yourself?" Leliana asked curiously.

"I fight myself on a daily basis. To do so when I don't have to would just be tiring and annoying." I shrugged as we walked through the archway.

"Something's etched in to the floor." Wynne observed, "'Andraste loved Her disciples as She loved the Maker. As we have faith in the Maker, so must we have faith in our friends."

"I suspect we'll have to work together to get across." Leliana stared in to the bottomless pit that stretched out to the other side of the room.

Zevran situated himself on one of the obvious presser panels, a spectral bridge piece appearing. Interesting.

"All we have to do is find the right combination of panels." I murmured, more to myself than the others, but they heard me just fine. My words echoed off the walls and high ceiling.

Twelve in all, six on each side.

"You know what?" Everyone focused on me, "Do what feels right. This is a test of faith in friends, isn't it? Stand where you feel you should."

Several minutes passed while, one by one, they went to the ones that drew them. The part of the bridge closest to us solidified, and so did the next one. With confidence in their judgment, I walked until I was standing on the edge of the second piece. Leliana moved from her position, and the one behind me vanished, leaving a spectral bridge in its place. She went to stand near Alistair, a panel between them, and the next piece started to come in to view. Elissa made her way to the other side of the way and the one in front of me became solid. I carefully walked until I reached the edge. Aedan took up a spot right next to Leliana, and the final piece started to materialize. Alistair was across from the red headed archer when I made it to the other side of the gap.

Behind me, the bridge was whole and very real. The others followed me across it. Fire separated the two halves of the last room. An altar on our side, a statue of Andraste on the other. An urn was perched on a pedestal in front of the statue. The Urn of Sacred Ashes.

"There is an inscription on the surface." Leliana murmured, blowing gently to clear the dust from it, "'Cast off the trappings of worldly life and cloak yourself in the goodness of spirit. King and slave, lord and beggar; be born anew in the Maker's sight.' What could it mean?"

I sighed, "I think that means we have to remove our equipment. The trappings of worldly life are clothes and armor. The goodness of spirit is faith that you'll be alright, even when faced with trial by fire."

"Erm, seriously? Can't we just do something else?"

I raised an eyebrow at Alistair, "I'm sorry. Did you not want to help Arl Eamon?"

He mussed his hair, blowing out a gust of air, "Alright. Fine."

I let the others go first, waiting until they stood in a line by the flames, before I quickly undressed. My tank top and boy shorts offered a lot more covering than their, ah, underthings. My cheeks red, I kept my eyes forward. As one, we moved through the barrier.

And no one was burned.

We didn't get far, when the Guardian's voice sounded behind us, "You have been through the trials of the Gauntlet; you have walked the path of Andraste, and like Her, you have been cleansed. You have proven yourselves worthy, pilgrims. Approach the Sacred Ashes." There was a flash of light similar to the last time he'd left us, and he was gone.

I glanced down at myself, my eyebrows shooting up to my hairline. I was dressed in full leathers again. Taking a quick peek around, I saw everyone else was, too.

"Well. That's something different." I shook my head, "Let's go see the Urn."

"I never dreamed I would ever lay my eyes on the Urn of Sacred Ashes... I... I have no words to express-" Leliana cut herself off, turning toward Aedan.

He held up a hand and offered a smile, "It was just to get us through without having to fight them right then and there. That was all."

"Nice vase. I should get one for my house." The Antivan elf sounded serious, as if he were really considering it.

"'These are the earthly remains of Andraste, Prophet and Bride of the Maker.'" I read the inscription on the Urn.

Slipping on a glove, I took a pinch of the Ashes and put it in a pouch. Zevran pointed out the side door, showing us we didn't have to backtrack the whole way just to leave.

Kolgrim was waiting for us when we left, "You have been to the Urn, but Andraste has not been freed. What manner of treachery is this?"

"But we did free Andraste. Can't you tell?" I countered with a lie.

"Lies! You have betrayed us, betrayed our Lady! And now you will die. Behold, the fiery vengeance of Andraste Herself!" He pulled his greataxe free and took a swing at us.

I held out the vial of dragon blood, removing the cork, "Your holy Lady's blood is about to be spilled. I would think very carefully."

He glared venomously, but he stayed his hand.

"I am a Grey Warden, and I do not appreciate you talking to me and mine the way you have been. Have I mentioned that I'm the leader of this group? You've pissed me off, and I don't take kindly to that." The high dragon looked down at us, watching the scene play out, "It would be a shame for this to go to waste, don't you think?"

When it became obvious that I was in fact waiting on an answer, he nodded, his jaw clenched.

"You don't want to see this, trust me." I warned the others, settling in to a defensive stance.

Everyone except Zevran and Alistair backed away and closed their eyes once they were a safe distance. I waved the two of them toward the side, wanting to make sure they weren't in the way.

Kolgrim and his men slowly closed in on me, and I tipped the vial. The blood never made it to the ground. Instead, it snaked out and wrapped around the cultists.

"How ironic, don't you think?" my voice was velvet soft. Deadly. "To be undone by the very thing you treasure the most. Call Her down. I want to talk to Her, myself."

He tried fighting it, oh how he tried. But I was stronger. The blood made him free the horn from his belt and blow in to it, summoning Her from Her roost above us.

She landed behind him and his, eyeing me with interest. The ground shook under her weight.

My lips twitched, and Kolgrim launched himself at her. She batted him away easily, smacking him against the mountainside. The sharp thwack echoed all around us. The other cultists lasted longer, managing to mortally wound Her before they, too, were snuffed out. She gave me a baleful look, as if to say that She didn't appreciate me turning Her good thing against Her. She collapsed after a few more seconds, bleeding out and dying.

"It's over." I announced, poking at Kolgrim's lifeless body with a stick.

My friends and comrades took in the devastation silently, until Zevran shook his head, "And this is why I am much happier being on your side, rather than trying to kill you still."

"Sorry. I can get kind of..." I winced, "carried away. It comes with my past. Theatrics were better received than getting down to business and ending things quickly."

"No... That wasn't dramatic, at all." Alistair said dryly.

I hesitated a glance at him and found he seemed more ready to leave and get to Eamon, than disgusted by the obvious display of blood magic.

"We should go get Genitivi and the others. Then make our way..." I paused, thinking, "Oghren will come with me to Lake Calenhad. We have something to do there. Meet up again in Redcliffe? It shouldn't take us too long."

"You and the drunk dwarf have something to do? What, clean out the inn of alcohol?"

"Har, har, Alistair. We'll talk about it after the fact. I'm not even sure Oghren will go through with what he has to do, so there's no sense in telling anyone, yet. You understand, right?" my tone became pleading at the end.

His eyes widened, "Uh, yeah. I understand."

"Good." Smirking, I straightened and actively skipped across the distance to the first part of the temple.