"Why are there hardly any spider webs?"

Leliana coughed as she dislodged a cloud of dust from a wooden box she was moving and she tried to wave it away with her hand, just spreading it around even more.

Surveying the open room before us, I shrugged, guessing.

"Spiders cannot survive such cold temperatures it seems. Less cleaning for us so you should be happy! I am very interested in what secrets this place holds. I want to look around as soon as I can before we have to head back to Denerim."

Leliana smiled and stepped over another pile of books on the floor and I continued.

"All right but we need to get some of the bedrooms situated so that when we would like to sleep, we simply can. We do not want to be cleaning off a bed at midnight when we should be in it."

"Agreed. And Wynne told me she would go down into the basement with me, since the lock needs picking anyway. I hope it's not in the same condition as the front door and we can get through it."

"I'm sure it will be fine. You always know what you're doing with those locks."

I smiled at Leliana, expressing my vote of confidence in her.

"Let me know what you two find, all right? I think I shall check the library for now unless something else comes up."

"I will let you know and I am very excited as to what we will find. There must be so much history in this place! I just got chills thinking about it."

I smiled again at Leliana. She was precious when she was excited about something and she positively glowed.

Leliana noticed my stare and walked over to me as I sifted through boxes in the middle of the room, not finding anything of interest.

"It will be wonderful to spend the night in a bed again versus feeling tree roots in my back."

I continued smiling, not minding the fact that she was moving closer to me the whole time.

"I know what you mean. I love the outdoors but sometimes enough is enough."

"What I meant to say was..."

Leliana's arms curved around my waist as she moved closer.

"...it will be wonderful to spend the night in a bed with you."

Our lips had barely touched when Wynne entered the room.

"Are you ready to go now, Leliana? I am really looking forward to what we will find behind that locked door."

Leliana and I parted and eyed the floor sheepishly but Wynne was not deterred in the slightest. And if she had seen our embrace, she did not react as if she had.

"Yes, Wynne, I am set to go. I cannot wait to see what is down there as well."

I thought about the two of them down there in the dark and had an idea.

"Listen you two. I want you to take Mabs with you just in case there might be...I don't know... critters down there. We have no idea what is living down there but we do not need any rabid animals in our midst nor do I want either of you getting hurt. Mabs will hear and smell danger long before it gets near you at least, allowing you to escape if need be."

Leliana and Wynne looked at each other and nodded, agreeing and telling me they actually felt better having Mabs come along.

"Now just let me find him for you."

Wynne told me that she had just seen Mabs and Shmooples racing down the hall. It was again playtime for them.

I stepped out into the hall with Leliana and Wynne not far behind and I heard the click of nails on stone as Mabs suddenly bolted past me, Shmooples in tow.

I laughed, watching the two of them play. Mabs stopped short to turn and challenge Shmooples and he in turn squeaked and attempted to jump on Mabs' head causing Mabs to run off again. I let them continue for a few minutes then clapped my hands for Mabs so that he could join Wynne and Leliana's expedition.

"You take care of them okay, boy? Make sure nothing happens down there."

Mabs panted eagerly and followed us to the door and I left Wynne and Leliana to their task, wishing them luck and then heading to the library myself.

Shmooples looked lost for a moment after Mabs had gone but then I saw him decide on a nap as he headed to his makeshift bed that Leliana had set up for him and settle into it. Leliana had been correct when she said he did love to sleep.

Sten and Alistair were on cleanup duty, removing unusable debris from the bedrooms we would use and bringing it out into the courtyard to burn later on. They walked past me and greeted me with a large pile of broken wood held between them.

"Zevran was looking for you, Detra. Something to do with him and Oghren going hunting I think."

I questioned Alistair.

"Did they need me to go with them?"

"I don't know but Zevran was just in that room over there. It's the kitchen I think."

Alistair nodded his head in the direction I was needed as his hands were not free and I thanked him as I headed there.

"Ah, Warden, I was just about to set out after you."

"Hello, Zevran. Alistair told me that you were looking for me."

"Indeed I was."

"You and Oghren are going hunting? Do you need a third?"

"Actually, this is more about this room right here. If Oghren and I are successful in our hunt, we shall return with much meat but this kitchen is a complete disaster."

We walked into the cluttered adjoining room and Zevran pointed to a table layered with thick dust and who knows what else.

"I can use the table to clean the carcasses in this room and then we could use this table out near the fireplace to eat at. Also, the fireplace is in shambles and it will need to be cleaned out."

Zevran gave me a look that instantly conveyed to me that he was appointing me with this assignment and should I chose to accept, I would need to start immediately.

I looked around and sensed that I would be in this area for a few hours at least, making it suitable for use.

"Is this too much, Detra? I know that you are used to having others serve you so if you would prefer, I could stay and you could go with Oghren to hunt. It is up to you."

"Don't be silly, Zevran. I am hardly a stranger to heavy labor. You and Oghren go and good hunting."

"All right then. We will return soon."

Zevran walked from the room, leaving me to look upon the disaster that lay in front of me.

I decided to clean out the useless, broken and unidentifiable debris first and soon joined Alistair and Sten on their walks down the hallway, my arms full of it.

Alistair offered help as we walked back inside the front door.

"We're almost done if you want us to give you a hand, Detra."

"Thank you, but if you both want to explore or do something else, please feel free. You have done enough for the day."

"Well, we could use a rest as we've been..."

I did not let Alistair finish.

"Then by all means, please rest up, the both of you. But thank you for the offer. It is appreciated."

They both nodded and I headed back into the kitchen to struggle through the task ahead.

Two hours later found a much cleaner kitchen and me still on my hands and knees, shoveling debris out of a corner of the fireplace. It seemed almost ready to use.

I stood up and bent backwards, stretching my back out and groaning.

It seems I am more of a stranger to heavy labor than I thought.

The kitchen was very presentable now but I still wanted to clean the floor a bit more.

I found a bucket and an old shingle to pick up the piles of dust that I swept up with a decrepit but still viable broom and soon you could see the stone floor for what it was.

It felt good to be doing something homey for a change and to have an actual kitchen and a door to your room that closed to look forward to later on was a good incentive for me.

Privacy was the best perk that the Peak could offer right now. Shelter was second.

My work in the kitchen complete, I headed down the hallway after appreciating the view of the spotless kitchen I could already picture my companions occupying, drinking their heads off and celebrating as I knew they loved to.

I heard noise in what I recalled as the library and I walked in to find Morrigan quietly sifting through volumes with some scrolls set before her.

"Have you found anything interesting?"

Morrigan looked up at me and pondered my question.

"Interesting? What exactly do you mean by that? I think everything that I have here is interesting."

"Useful would be a better word I suppose?"

"'Tis all useful as well, Warden. Would you like to try a third word?"

Morrigan's vexation had already begun once again and I had to ignore it as I found I was not in a mood to be able to deal with it.

"No."

I walked around a bookshelf and took in the dusty remnants of what was left of the library.

You could hardly read any of the book spines due to age and dirt so it looked like we would have to manually remove each volume to find what it was and it looked like exactly what Morrigan had been doing.

I figured I would help so I piled three books in my arms and walked to the table where Morrigan was, placing them down upon the others. I received a cluck and an exasperated Morrigan in return.

"Not here, Warden! These are already sorted. Put them back where you found them. I do not need any help."

I shook my head and returned on the path I had just taken, replacing the books and knowing that I should leave the room now.

Morrigan was not done with me and I heard her voice from around the bookshelves.

"Why do you not find your sweet little bard and see if she needs help? She is always getting herself into some mischief to be rescued from it seems."

I sighed, knowing from experience that this was not a mood of Morrigan's that I wanted to be around so I quietly made my way towards the door.

"So you and Leliana have bought rings for each other, then?"

Rings?

She must refer to the one Alistair gave me.

I did not feel like correcting her and I sighed again, having no idea where this line of questioning was going other than downhill but I found myself turning around anyways.

"Morrigan...why do you care what Leliana and I do?"

"I simply find it... disturbing to watch you both fawn over each other as we certainly have more important things to do. Or has that changed now?"

I smirked as a thought crossing my mind.

Was she jealous?

"Then do not watch, Morrigan."

Morrigan shot me an angry look.

"Perhaps I shall stop watching you both and leave from where I am not wanted."

My emotions got the better of me.

"Oh stop it. Why can you not be peaceful for once, Morrigan? Why must you always fight with everyone?"

"Be something different from what I am, Warden? You of all people should know that we cannot change who we are."

"Maybe not, but we can be more accepting of others."

"Or you can try and simply fail. Only a fool tries to impress others."

Morrigan tittered and moved back to her pile of books and it was clear to me that she had no intention of doing so and was finished with me. Cast aside after she had had her laughs.

I was angry now.

She had started this conversation and now she was satisfied just to drop it where it lay when she became uncomfortable with its direction.

"Yes, yes of course. Go back to your books and act like I'm not here. Excellent idea, Morrigan, but I will make it even easier for you and simply leave."

First grabbing a book of interest from Morrigan's pile and hoping it was an important one as I knew it would aggravate her, I then walked towards the door, not looking back once.