Edited June 2024

22

Breakfast was a tense affair.

Blackwall, Hadrian, and Nathaniel moved stiffly as they sat at the dwarven king's table. Bhelen seemed oblivious to the tension, and he spoke in his booming voice, talking on and on about everything and nothing. Blackwall was seated closest to the King, and was the recipient of many a shoulder thump that had the warden gritting his teeth.

Talia stayed near their table as they ate, observing their interactions. Hadrian, bless the young man, did his best to sneak her some bread and cheese as discreetly as he could.

"So young warden," Bhelen said after taking a large gulp of his ale. "I trust you remember that you will be staying here until Wardens Howe and Blackwall come back."

It was only due to her proximity to Hadrian that she heard his sharp intake of breath. He plastered a smile on his face that didn't betray his anxiousness. "Ah, of course King Bhelen. It would be quite worrying if my memory had started failing me at such a young age!"

"I shall pry quite a lot of stories from you, I suspect."

"You suspect correctly!"

"I see." There was as gleam in Bhelen's eyes as he looked at Hadrian over the rim of his cup. "And what shall I do with you if your companions are unable to find Savith?"

There was a pause as the question sunk in. Nathaniel was the first to recover.

"The Warden Commander will come back, King Bhelen," he said firmly, not looking over at the king as he speared a potato.

"And if she does not?" Bhelen asked with what sounded like feigned nonchalance.

"Then I suspect we will get to know each other quite well, my king!" Hadrian smiled genially.

Bhelen chortled. "Your glib tongue will get you killed one day, young man!"

The smile on Hadrian's face froze. Luckily, Bhelen was glancing down at his chalice, and didn't see. Blackwall was clenching his fork so tightly, he was having difficulty hiding the tension in his eyes. Talia brushed a hand on his arm, and cast a mild calm spell over him. Slowly, the man got hold of his expression back to forced neutrality.

Nathaniel patted his lips with a napkin primly before nodding. "We thank you for your hospitality, King Bhelen, but the sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back with the Warden-Commander."

"I certainly hope so, Warden-Regent Howe. It would be a shame if young Hadrian here ran out of stories to tell before you come back."

There was a not-so-subtle threat in the King's tone. Nathaniel, to his credit, simply inclined his head and said, "It would certainly be."

Bhelen's eyes narrowed imperceptibly, but otherwise, didn't react. "The guards at the Deep Roads entrance have been informed of your arrival." Turning to Hadrian, he said, "A room has been prepared for you here in the palace, Warden Threnhold. Wollum will escort you. Now." He stood from the table. "I have other matters to attend to. Paragons' blessings go with you, Wardens." And with that, the King swept from the room, taking with him his ridiculously large retinue of guards.

There was naked relief on Blackwall's face as he pushed away from the table, following Nathaniel, who had stood up to leave. He turned to Hadrian and addressed him, "Stay safe, Hadrian. Warden Howe and I will be back before you know it."

Hadrian gave them both a nervous look, but nodded. "I look forward to seeing Skyhold after this."

They were being watched by guards, so Talia couldn't speak. But she lightly touched Hadrian's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze before they turned to leave.

The Deep Roads were cold, dark, and damp.

Dangerous. Talia thought as they made their way through the dwarven underground. It was clear that the place had once been a sight to behold. What little she could make out from the faded paints, cracked walls, and splintered tiles told her a story of lost Kingdoms and civilizations. Though they did not look at all similar, Talia was strongly reminded of the Ayleid ruins spread across Cyrodiil, if only because they had the same feel to it.

Nathaniel slowed to a stop as they rounded the first corner. "Talia, I think you can remove your ring now."

Ah. In truth, she'd forgotten she was still wearing it. As the chameleon enchantment melted off her, Blackwall flinched in surprise. Nathaniel watched her for a moment as she stowed the ring in her pocket, looking discomfited.

"What is it?" she asked.

"There are darkspawn just ahead." He frowned. "I can't tell what type. We're far enough that they can only get a grasp of our general location. But you'd better wear the hood and cowl. Covering up would be the best precaution against the Taint."

"You can sense the darkspawn?" she asked in surprise.

"All wardens can," he said, and added more pointedly. "I'm surprised Warden Blackwall hadn't sought it fit to tell you this information."

It would have been good to know, she agreed in her mind. However, she could see that Blackwall seemed contrite; his lips were pressed into a thin line, and he looked upset, so Talia decided not to voice her displeasure.

She covered the lower half of her face with the cowl, and pulled up her hood. Blackwall stared at her as she unsheathed her daggers, and she quirked a brow at him.

"Yes?"

"Nothing." He averted his eyes. "You just look quite…formidable when you're wearing that."

Nathaniel gave an uncharacteristic snort. "What he means is that seeing nothing but your red eyes is unnerving."

A laugh escaped Talia. "Indeed?" She could see Blackwall flushing before he hid his face behind a helmet.

"I believe we are all quite ready to kill the darkspawn," Blackwall said loudly, attempting to cover his embarrassment.

Nathaniel readied his bow. "Follow my lead."

There was no point in attempting to ambush the darkspawn, since they could sense the presence of the wardens among them. As they jumped into battle, Nathaniel immediately nailed one with an arrow to the forehead, and another through the mouth. Talia gave him an appraising look before crossing blades with a hurlock.

Blackwall's descriptions didn't do the darkspawn justice; they were fouler than any other dark creature Talia had come across, and she'd seen quite a lot in her 74 years on Nirn. It was shaped vaguely like a man, in that it was tall and had arms and legs, but that was where the similarities ended. Its face was akin to a misshapen skull, haphazardly covered in rotting flesh. And somehow, it smelled worse than it looked.

Talia ducked as the darkspawn swung at her head, and parried a sneaky blow at her flank by a genlock. She dodged to the side quickly as she sliced her dagger across the hurlock's neck, deftly avoiding the spray of dark blood. The genlock raised his axe and bellowed. In the next second, an arrow was protruding from its hand, and his weapon was on the ground. Talia took the chance and buried both blades into its skull. She looked over to where Nathaniel was perched on a tall structure, shooting at the darkspawn indiscriminately. He gave her a small nod, but as he turned and notched another arrow, Talia could see a soft smirk grace his features.

Show off, Talia thought, a similar smirk forming on her mouth.

As she turned back to the battle, she saw something creeping towards Blackwall while he shielded himself from a hurlock's arrows. Talia grabbed two knives and threw them at the figure. As her knives buried themselves on its back, it gave an unholy shriek that made her wince. The darkspawn spun around, Blackwall temporarily forgotten as its eyes sought her. So busy it was with her, that it failed to notice the warden as he swung his sword around and lopped off its head.

With the last of the darkspawn dead, Nathaniel leapt down from his vantage point, and made his way towards them. Talia started to wipe her daggers clean of the blood, but the archer shook his head solemnly at her.

"That's a lost cause."

"And why is that?"

He gestured towards the fallen darkspawn. "This will be the norm for the next few hours. I suggest wiping down your weapons when we make camp instead. Otherwise, you'll be wiping your blades the entire day."

Sadly, Nathaniel was right. By her count, they ran into no less than seven different darkspawn groups throughout the next few hours. The dunmer was willing to bet she'd have encountered at least one of every darkspawn type by the end of their trip.

Though she didn't like the idea of Hadrian being stuck with Bhelen of all people, she was silently glad to have Nathaniel instead of him in the party. Throughout the day, the warden proved to be a highly capable fighter. He was ridiculously good with a bow, and even his close quarters combat skills weren't so bad. It took some time for him to adjust to their fighting style, but Nathaniel complemented her and Blackwall in a way that Hadrian had not.

The warden called for a halt just as they passed through a half-collapsed doorway into an expansive room. He surveyed the area with pursed lips and seemed to judge it passable, as he said, "I think we can rest here."

They set up camp in one corner of the room. It was an area that wasn't very defensible, there weren't any high walls or ruins, but it did have small stone structures that they could at least hide behind, in the event of an attack. The lack of towering structures at least ensured they couldn't get ambushed; while any traveler would be able to see them across the wide corridor, they'd be able to see them in turn.

Though Nathaniel stayed silent, Talia was under the impression that he had something to ask her. He kept eyeing her every so often as she puttered around the camp. So when they settled in their bedrolls, Talia surreptitiously sent a sleeping spell towards Blackwall, and waited for a few moments as he started snoring lightly.

Nathaniel was on first watch, and when he completed a circuit of their small campsite, he took a seat by the fire across her.

"You've been itching to ask me something the entire day," Talia prompted.

He opened his mouth but stopped himself abruptly, and glanced at Blackwall's form suspiciously. Talia waved away his concerns.

"He's a rather deep sleeper. Unless you start shouting, I don't think he'll wake."

Nathaniel gave her a dubious look. "A seasoned warrior like that? I doubt it."

"Trust me." She flashed him a smile, and it amused her that he looked even more sour at her words.

"I was thinking more of your privacy, but since you insist…" He paused as if gathering his thoughts.

Talia patiently waited for the warden to voice his thoughts. He gave her another quick once over before speaking.

"I assume you are also from…Skyrim?"

Talia's expression twisted into a moue of annoyance. "Did Stormcrown tell everyone where she came from?"

There was a twitch in Nathaniel's face that spoke of his amusement. "No, but I am her second-in-command."

Looking away from him, Talia shook her head. "I suppose I understand why everyone would think I'm from that desolate snowbank. But while I lived in Skyrim for some time, I reside in an altogether different country now…or at least before I came here."

"You said you shared family, but that you're not directly related?" Nathaniel fixed her with a piercing look. "What did you mean by that?"

"This is starting to sound like an interrogation," she commented mildly.

"You can take my question in whatever way you want," he replied bluntly.

Talia raised an eyebrow. "I can't answer your question without knowing how much you know about her."

The man scoffed at her. "A rather unsubtle way to get me to spill her secrets I suppose?"

Smirking, Talia raised her hands in concession. "I don't know how much you know about her, and I don't want to unknowingly share her secrets to someone who doesn't know them."

If possible, Nathaniel's scowl grew deeper. "I'm not a fool. It's clear you don't know her, or you've never met her."

"No, I haven't," Talia admitted. "But that doesn't mean I know nothing about her."

"What do you really want with her?"

So, they finally came to the meat of the conversation. The warden was worried about her intentions.

While it was quite enjoyable to rile up Nathaniel, Talia knew she needed him on her side. "I only said she was family because it's the easiest explanation. Neither Blackwall nor Hadrian know where I come from. And before you asked me, I thought you did not either." She shifted in her seat.

"So?" he asked expectantly.

"I honestly thought it was obvious."

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. "Obvious?"

"As far as we know, we're the only two dunmer in Thedas. I don't know how I got here, I don't know if Stormcrown knows how she got here. But between the two of us, we could figure it out, and maybe get back to Nirn."

Talia wasn't sure why Nathaniel looked so startled at her words. She cocked her head to the side. "Why does this surprise you?"

"I suppose I never…" he stopped.

"Yes?"

"Never mind." Nathaniel shook his head. "So that's all you want with her then?"

"I'm not entirely sure what answer you're looking for."

"I assumed you needed the Grey Wardens' aid."

"And if I did?"

"If it were up to me, I'd tell you and your Inquisition to piss off," Nathaniel said in annoyance. "The Wardens are already stretched thin as it is."

Talia eyed him. "But it isn't up to you?"

"No, I am not the Warden-Commander. And while I do make decisions in her place, I think this one is above my pay grade." He sighed and brought a hand up to cradle his face, massaging his temples.

"Are you all right?" she asked. Now that she'd had time to observe him, she realized he looked ashen, as if he were in some pain.

"Yes," he said curtly, immediately dropping his hand, as if it was incriminating him in some way.

"Hmm. Since you're in a…sharing mood," Talia ventured, immediately getting a disgruntled look from Nathaniel. "Perhaps you can answer a question for me."

"What?"

"Leliana told me that the wardens from Amaranthine disappeared."

"Yes, and?"

"If I'm not mistaken, that's Stormcrown's regiment."

"I'm not hearing the question," he said testily.

His sour mood made Talia smirk. "No need to get so upset," then she added quickly before he could get in another snarky remark, "Why did you leave?"

"Needed a change of scenery," he grunted.

Talia couldn't resist the urge to roll her eyes at the man. "Of course. And the real reason?"

Nathaniel grimaced, but otherwise stayed silent.

"Well, maybe you can tell Blackwall and he can tell it to me then." She said half-jokingly. If possible, Nathaniel grew even more agitated.

"Not likely," he growled.

Talia wanted to ask what he had against the other man, but figured now wouldn't be the best time to push. "I suppose I can wait till I can speak with Stormcrown, then."

"Right," he scoffed. "Any other inane questions?"

"You're the one who started this conversation," Talia felt compelled to point out.

"And this is me ending it," he said tersely.

"Is your curiosity about me sated then?" she asked wryly.

"Let me be absolutely clear, then." He stood up and towered over her. Talia craned her neck up to look at him and merely raised an eyebrow at the threatening stance.

"I don't know you, and I don't care to know you. What I care about is the safety of the wardens, and by extension, the safety of my Warden-Commander. If I think you're a threat to her, you'll find that it's quite easy for people to get lost here in the Deep Roads."

Nathaniel seemed to think he could intimidate her, and it was so ridiculous, Talia had to shake her head and laugh derisively. "You can posture all you like, but I know you won't kill me."

"Oh?"

She stood and met Nathaniel's heated look head on. "You care too much about Savith Stormcrown." She gave him an easy smile. "Despite your fears that I might have, what? Ill intentions towards your Warden-Commander? You'd never deprive her of the chance to talk with someone from her world, let alone another of her kind."

Nathaniel hands twitched, then formed into a fist.

"Let me be absolutely clear, then," she echoed his words mockingly. "I'm not threat to you, Stormcrown, or the wardens." She paused, giving him a cold stare. "But I can be."

She settled back onto her bedroll. Nathaniel took a deep breath and turned away from her, but not before seeing a glimmer of reluctant respect in his expression.

"Oh, and Nathaniel?"

The warden paused, but didn't look back.

"I'll overlook this incident just this once, as I assume you're under a great deal of stress." Her tone was genial, and as she eyed Nathaniel's stiff form, she could see his clenched fists. "But…" her voice turned frosty. "Try anything else, and we can see if you can draw your bow faster than I can unsheathe my blade."

There was a stiff nod, and he left to continue his watch.

Hadrian had been correct in his assessment of Nathaniel, he was loyal to Savith Stormcrown, but would follow her lead. She just needed to get her fellow dunmer on her side.

Talia pursed her lips as she went over their altercation. Normally, being threatened in such a manner would leave her in a foul mood, but she found herself strangely considerate of Nathaniel's behavior. She hadn't lied to him, she really did think he was under a great deal of stress. She thought of how pale he looked, and how he seemed to be nursing a headache. Though, Talia quirked a small smile, dealing with Bhelen on the daily for weeks would give her a headache as well.

If she were honest, she liked him; he was a good shot, and he had a good head on his shoulders. Not to mention, making a split-second decision to lie to the King even though he didn't know who they were, but immediately recognizing they could potentially help him with his problem…

He was intelligent, and dependable; he would make a formidable ally.

Hoping Nathaniel wouldn't shank her in her sleep, she settled in her bedroll until her shift.

The next morning—was it morning? She had no way of knowing—when they were setting out to continue their journey, Nathaniel pretended as if their heated discussion had never happened, and Talia was more than happy to follow his lead.

They ate a small feast before starting their day, and when Talia said 'small feast', she meant it. Nathaniel had packed a ridiculous amount of food which she had believed would last them weeks. With the way the warden was inhaling his meal however, she doubted it would last five days. He looked a bit better though, after getting food in him.

Nathaniel noticed her staring and said defensively, "It's a side-effect of being a warden. We're stronger than regular men, but we have to eat a lot to compensate for it."

Talia glanced at Blackwall, who didn't seem to be having that problem. As Nathaniel followed her gaze, his eyes narrowed.

Before it could devolve into another argument, Talia changed the topic. "You mentioned that you knew where Stormcrown is?"

"I know where she will likely be," he corrected. He fished a map from his side with his free hand, and he passed it over to Talia, who spread it onto the ground beside her. "We're here." He pointed at the large corridor near the entrance to Orzammar. He trailed his finger to a complex looking room west of the map. "This is the Amgarrak Thaig, or what's left of it, at least. It was a research laboratory, there were some experiments with lyrium and fade manipulation. Savith had mentioned it to me, said she was looking into some of the texts buried there in the rubble." He moved his finger to a large figure on the map, which contained numerous rooms and interconnected roads. "We have to pass through the Aeducan Thaig to get there."

"Aeducan, huh? Like Bhelen?"

Nathaniel grunted. "I'd rather never be reminded of that little snake. But yes, like Bhelen. The Thaig has been lost to the darkspawn for years. It'll take us some time to get through all those darkspawn, but it's the only way to Amgarrak."

Talia nodded slowly. "Where do all the darkspawn come from? I mean, you and other wardens must pass through these areas regularly. I assume you kill all the darkspawn you come across."

"Well, why don't you tell her, Warden Blackwall?" Nathaniel took a bite out of his bread as he spoke. He sounded faintly mocking, though Talia couldn't make out why.

"I would prefer you tell the tale, Warden-Regent." Talia had never heard Blackwall sound so terse.

"Well then, of course, if you prefer." Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "Darkspawn have unique breeding habits. They cannot procreate among themselves. So…" He hesitated for a moment, continuing only when Talia quirked a brow at him. "So they take women. Human, elf, dwarf, qunari, doesn't matter. They take her and feed her tainted flesh, and they…force themselves on her. After a few repetitions, she becomes a broodmother."

Talia wasn't sure what expression was on her face, but she was absolutely horrified at what Nathaniel was describing. "I'm almost afraid to ask but…broodmother?"

Nathaniel's expression twisted into disgust. "They are…difficult to describe. You won't recognize the person they once were when the transformation is complete. They are…grotesque."

The man left it at that, and Talia took a deep breath. "All right, let's hope we certainly do not come across any broodmothers then."

"They're sessile, so unless one is blocking the only path we have to take, we can always avoid it. It's best not to bring non-Wardens to a fight with broodmothers." She knew he was referring to her, but strangely, he was glaring at Blackwall as he said it. Was he upset that Blackwall had brought her to the Deep Roads without sufficient reinforcements?

Whatever it was that caused Nathaniel to turn his ire towards Blackwall, Talia figured she would pry it out of one of them eventually. For now, she simply nodded, and stood from her seat, brushing off the dust from her breeches. "We should probably head off."

"Agreed," Blackwall echoed.

Nathaniel took point as they continued their trek through the Deep Roads. They moved forward at a steady pace, for once unhindered. There seemed to be a lack of darkspawn as they grew nearer to the Thaig. They'd only run into two ghouls, and what seemed to be a Tainted rabbit before they reached a fork in the road. There was a sign erected in the middle, and Nathaniel stopped, seemingly surprised.

"What is it?" Talia asked as the warden inspected the sign curiously. It was a stone slab shaped into an arrow, pointing to the path on the right saying, 'Aeducan Thaig'. Below the sign was another smaller slab with a message engraved onto it.

"This is new," he muttered, and knelt down to have a better look. "Welcome travelers. If you are weary and have need for shelter, follow this road to the Aeducan Thaig. The True King accepts all into his halls."

"The 'True King', huh?" Talia asked thoughtfully. "Any thoughts on who this is?"

Nathaniel shook his head. "There was nothing like this when I last ventured here."

"And when was that?"

"Three years ago." He stood back up. "But we've had other wardens pass this way more recently, and none have mentioned anything like this."

"Well, it seems we'll be welcome in the Aeducan Thaig, at least," Blackwall spoke up from behind them.

"Or, it could be a trap," Talia countered. "A gang, or something that's luring in exiled dwarves."

"How pessimistic of you," Nathaniel said drily.

"Well, we won't know for certain until we get there."

The trio took the road on the right and continued on with a touch more caution. Talia kept casting detect-life spells every so often to check for hidden rogues in the shadows. Nathaniel carried his bow in his hand, an arrow notched so he could easily dispatch enemies. Blackwall was slightly more at ease, his sword was still sheathed, but his hand never left the pommel.

As they ducked through a fallen column, they finally reached the entrance to the Aeducan Thaig.

"There's a gate," Nathaniel said, mild surprise coloring his tone.

There was indeed, a rather rudimentary gate slated upon the entrance to the Thaig. Talia could see that it was likely formed from different metals, whatever they could have scrounged up in the Deep Roads.

"Well, Nathaniel, I'm not sure if you know, but that's usually the thing they put to block entrances," Talia replied wryly.

He gave her an annoyed look, but he continued moving. There was a trio of dwarves stationed at the gate, and the two that carried halberds brandished it threateningly towards their direction.

Talia gave Blackwall her best, 'I told you so,' look before raising her palms in a placating manner. "We come in peace."

"No one that's come from Orzammar has 'come in peace' in the last few weeks," a greying dwarf replied tightening his grip on his weapon.

"We're not from Orzammar," Nathaniel said flatly. "We're Grey Wardens in search of our Warden-Commander. We want nothing more than to pass through this Thaig so we can continue looking for her."

"Warden-Commander Savith? She—," a dark-haired dwarf spoke up before the old one elbowed him in the ribs and shushed him. He looked young, barely out of his adolescence.

"She what?" Nathaniel said sharply.

"Our orders are clear. We are not allowed to grant entrance to anyone. He said anyone, no exceptions." A red-headed dwarf said firmly.

"I thought your signage said the 'True King' accepted everyone in his halls?" Blackwall said suspiciously.

"Well that was before Bhelen," there was a sneer in the dwarf's voice as he spoke. "double-crossed us."

Talia's eyebrows rose in interest. How could Bhelen have betrayed these dwarves? Weren't they exiled from the Kingdom?

"Well, we're not dwarves, and we're not interested in this political stand-off." Nathaniel said antagonistically. "Now, will you grant us entrance, or do I have to fight through you?"

Sithis, Talia groaned. Did no one practice diplomacy in this world?

"I apologize for my companions." Talia stepped forward. "It's been a rather long day, and we're tired from the journey." Taking a gamble, she dropped her hood and cowl, and the dwarves gasped.

"You're like her!" One of them exclaimed excitably.

"Indeed I am," she confirmed. "Like Wardens Blackwall and Howe, I am also looking for Warden-Commander Stormcrown. But I need her for something other than warden matters." She said with an easy smile. "You know how it is with family."

The dwarves squirmed in their place. "Well, I doubt you're working for Bhelen, but we can't let these two in."

"We can't let any of them in," the red-haired dwarf from earlier hissed. "He said 'no one'."

Nathaniel opened his mouth to speak, no doubt to antagonize the dwarves further. With a twitch of her finger, Talia sent a concentrated gale of wind through his windpipe, and the man promptly choked.

"My friend here is a bit sick." She thumped him on the back with unnecessary force as he coughed, garnering a terrifying scowl from the warden. "I think he caught a cold while we were out there." She affected a look of concern. "It's why he's been in such a foul mood." She leaned closer to Nathaniel, pretending to murmur words of comfort, but hissed instead, "Shut up and let me do the talking."

There was more uneasy shifting from the guards. "Well, we have our orders…"

"I know, I understand," Talia feigned sympathy. "It's just…I really wished to speak with Savith. I haven't seen her since the Blight. There is so much I need to tell her." She sighed in a manner that was world-weary.

Nathaniel thankfully started to catch on and placed a bracing hand on her shoulder. "You will get a chance to speak with Savith. It might just…take a few days longer than we first thought."

"Yes, but how long?" she replied in a frustrated voice. "Father, he—," Her voice hitched convincingly.

"Lass, is your father all right?" The greying dwarf asked in genuine sympathy. The red head from earlier was looking unsure of himself, and the dark-haired adolescent was looking at her with pity.

Talia swallowed thickly. "Yes, I—," She gave a shuddering breath. "I apologize, I'm certain you don't need to hear about our family matters." Talia gave them a brittle smile, and decided to go in for the kill. "It's just that Bhelen," she said his name with distaste, knowing how they felt about him. "He wouldn't let us into the Deep Roads for days, it was hard enough trying to convince him to let us through and—," she took a deep breath as if to steady herself.

"I apologize for bothering you," she said to the dwarves allowing a hint of vulnerability to seep into her tone. She turned to her companions and said, in her best 'I am terrified, but feigning bravery' voice. "Well, I suppose we can…camp out in one of the rooms until we can be given leave to enter the Thaig."

"But—," Blackwall said in protest.

"No," she said sharply. "Look, they already said no one can enter. I—I can wait. No, I will wait no matter how long it takes. Father…" she sighed. "Savith will simply need to wait to hear the news."

From behind her, Talia could hear the dwarves mutter furiously among themselves.

"Let's go," she said. As she took a step away from the gate, the greying dwarf spoke up.

"Lass," he said in a quiet tone, and Talia allowed herself a small smirk before arranging her expression to a more vulnerable one, and turning back.

"Yes…uhhh…sir?" she asked, as if unsure how to address him.

He chuckled. "Just Ruvin is fine, lass. I understand the need to be with family, especially at such a trying time." He patted her hand sympathetically. "And I am not such a monster that I would keep you from your sister when you've clearly come such a long way."

Ruvin turned to the red-haired dwarf and said, "Open the gate."

"But…he said no one," he protested weakly.

"I will bear the consequences," Ruvin said. The two dwarves turned the crank, and the gate started to rise.

"Ruvin!" Talia frowned. "I don't want you to face some sort of…backlash from this. I don't know how it goes on down here, but I certainly don't wish for you to be executed."

"Bah." He waved her away. "Let me deal with it, lass. The King is an old friend of mine, he will understand my judgement."

At a guess, Talia could say he was likely not referring to Bhelen. "If you're sure…"

"Yes," he said firmly. "Now, I can't let you run around inside, so me and that young'un Aimur over there," he jerked his head towards the dark-haired dwarf, "will escort you to the other side where you can get to the Roads that lead to where your sister is."

"Ruvin, I don't even know how to begin to thank you," Talia said gratefully, and she was grateful for the dwarf's kindness.

"Ah, lass," he said in a fond tone. "It's enough for me to know that I will be reuniting families today." He sighed ruefully. "Too many have been torn apart in these uncertain times." He looked over her shoulder and glowered at the wardens. "Now those two best behave."

"Oh, I'm certain they'll be on their best behavior."

Talia gave him a smile, and turned to her companions, who sported twin looks of disbelief. "Let's go. Like Ruvin said, we won't be allowed to stay, but maybe we can spend some time in the Thaig once we've retrieved Savith."

Talia followed Ruvin and Aimur as they stepped into the Thaig, and the two wardens trailed after them. Like the old dwarf said, they didn't allow them to tarry as they walked briskly.

Like most of the Deep Roads, the Aeducan Thaig held obvious signs of disrepair, but the dwarves living there had seen fit to do repairs or at least make the place livable. The first room they crossed seemed to be a market of sorts. There were various trinkets, armors, and weapons displayed on some stone tables, likely scavenged from around the Deep Roads. Dwarves that puttered around the room paused in what they were doing to stare as they walked past them.

Nathaniel looked around sporting an expression of bemusement as they passed. "This is extraordinary. I hadn't thought the exiled dwarves could create a livable place in the Deep Roads."

Talia hummed in agreement, allowing her eyes to flit around as she observed the place.

"Ruvin," she asked their guide. "If it's all right to ask, how long have you been stationed in the Deep Roads?"

The old dwarf chuckled. "You can use the term 'exiled' lass, it won't hurt my feelings."

"I didn't want to be rude," she said diplomatically.

"Was exiled around three years ago, for questioning Bhelen."

Talia frowned. "I didn't know that was a punishable offense."

Ruvin snorted. "No, but 'inciting rebellion' and 'attempted assassination' are. 'Least that's what they officially charged me with. I was a member of the Assembly, so I had a little power. But dwarves like Bhelen…" His tone turned dark. "Why, those types don't like to share."

"I'm sorry for bringing up such bad memories."

"Ah lass, everything to do with Bhelen is bad," he waved a hand. "He's just a bad nug. Trian wasn't the brightest torch in the bunch, and he had all the diplomacy of a rampaging bronto, but he at least wasn't a murderous snake."

"Trian?" she prompted.

"Aeducan. He was first in line to the throne, but he was killed before he could inherit." The next room they entered was some sort of garden. Savith could see some rudimentary piping that she assumed carried water, and what looked like magic-induced light stretching over the plots. There was also a large pen of those hairless rabbits she'd seen earlier.

"And Bhelen ended up with the throne?" Talia continued the conversation.

Ruvin shook his head. "Ah, we would none of us be in the mess if King Endrin—Stone preserve him—had just allowed an investigation of the matter."

"Do you resent Savith for putting Bhelen on the throne?" Nathaniel spoke up abruptly, and even Ruvin seemed startled at his words.

He contemplated this question. "No, if anyone is to be blamed, it was us…the Assembly. We gave that power to an outsider, someone who hadn't known the intricacies of dwarven politics. Savith Stormcrown had the entire world to think about, I can't get mad at her for doing what she had thought was best."

"That's very…considerate of you." He sounded dubious.

"Young'un," Ruvin said flatly. "If you keep this up, I have half a mind to just throw you in the dungeons."

Talia hadn't been successful at covering up her laugh with a cough, and even Blackwall had a small smirk on his face. Nathaniel's expression soured even further as Ruvin gave him a thump on the back.

The rest of their walk was spent in silence; Talia bit back the questions that she wanted to ask Ruvin. She wanted to get more information about what the dwarves mentioned earlier, about Bhelen double-crossing them. However, she didn't know how to word it in such a way that she didn't sound like she was fishing for information.

At any rate, it seemed that the dwarf's chatty mood had dissipated from Nathaniel's question. The Thaig was huge, and it took them a while to get to the exit. Talia was suitably impressed at what the dwarves had managed to build. They passed through quite a few more rooms: a library, a large dining hall, and a smithy—and numerous winding corridors before they reached the gates.

Ruvin turned to them as he nodded for the dwarves to open the barrier. "This is where I leave you lass. I hope you're reunited with Savith Stormcrown soon."

"Thank you, Ruvin. I won't forget this kindness."

His eyes crinkled as he smiled at her. "You're welcome, lass. I—ah—realized I hadn't gotten your name."

"My friends call me Talia," she said warmly.

"Talia then." He nodded. "Farewell, and may the Stone guide your way."

Blessedly, Nathaniel waited until they had walked a fair bit before turning to Talia in disbelief. "I can't believe that worked. You have quite the honeyed tongue."

"You just lied to that dwarf the entire time," Blackwall said, sounding mildly horrified.

"Yes?"

"You took advantage of his kindness!" he said accusingly. Talia rolled her eyes. Of course, Blackwall had a moral righteousness that rivalled Cassandra's.

"Yes?"

"You—you don't think there's anything wrong with that?" Blackwall asked in dismay.

"Well what did you want me to do? Nathaniel was getting ready to turn those poor dwarves into pin cushions, and you weren't doing anything. Are you saying this isn't a favorable outcome?"

Blackwall made a disgruntled noise. "I'm not saying it's not, but you just manipulated that dwarf."

"And you stood by and let it happen, so you're complicit in the manipulation," Talia retorted.

There was a pause as the warden stared at her.

"If I hadn't," she continued. "We would still be on the other side of the Aeducan Thaig, camping out in one of those empty rooms, or in prison, if Nathaniel started shooting arrows at everyone."

The bearded warden turned away with a frustrated sigh.

Talia closed her eyes and prayed to Sithis for strength. The nerve of this man for judging her methods, when he stood there idly by, letting it happen, unable to provide any alternatives.

"I couldn't care less about your moral judgments, Blackwall," Talia said testily. The man looked like she had just struck him. "If the next thing that comes out of your mouth is another hissy fit about how my actions are 'immoral', then I do not want to hear it, is that understood?"

Blackwall gaped at her in shock.

"Is that understood?" she repeated, giving him a measured look. Blackwall gritted his teeth but nodded.

"Well," she turned back to the road. "I suggest we move on. Nathaniel?" she gestured to the man.

Nathaniel gave her an appraising glance, as if impressed by the dressing down she'd just given the other warden. "Of course," he replied, leading the way.

There was a strained silence as they passed through the dwarven halls. None of them felt like talking, and Talia was glad for the reprieve. As they stepped into another wide corridor, Talia slowed down and frowned. It looked the same as all the others did, but something about it felt off.

Nathaniel noticed she'd stopped and paused in his steps as well. "What is it?"

"Something's amiss…"

Talia was facing Nathaniel, so she wasn't looking in Blackwall's direction when she heard the sound of wire being tripped. As she whipped around, she saw numerous pots fall from the ceiling and shatter on the ground, and the narrow corridor started filling with dark smoke.

Fuck. She could hear the telltale sounds of running footsteps and Talia cast a detect life spell to see through the darkness. There were glowing figures moving quickly to flank them. Nathaniel cursed and loosed an arrow into the smoke, missing one of them. Talia pressed herself back-to-back with her warden companions, with Blackwall angling his shield to cover her.

As the dust cleared, they found themselves surrounded by dwarven archers. Talia's eyes darted from one dwarf to the next, assessing the situation. She could cast a mass-paralysis spell and hold it for a few seconds, but Nathaniel and Blackwall needed to make quick work of them. Once the spell dropped, she could impale the remaining few on ice spikes. She'd need to cast barriers on the three of them as well. Blackwall's armor and shield could take a few arrows, but her and Nathaniel's might not at such point-blank range.

Before she could make a move, the ring of dwarves parted, and a hooded figure approached them. He was holding a longsword in his hand, though he didn't point it at any of them.

"Well what do we have here?" His voice sounded interested. "Now how did a group of wardens manage to get passage through the Aeducan Thaig?"

Talia tracked his movement with her eyes. If she killed this dwarf, chaos would descend among their ranks. It was clear to her that this was their leader.

"Ah, but where are my manners?" The dwarf shrugged off his hood and swept into a low bow—which Talia noted, was executed properly. "Duran, at your service."

"You're the assassin," Nathaniel scowled.

"The assassin!" Duran said with a laugh. "Just like Bhelen to get someone gullible to do his dirty work."

"Is it gullible to believe the word of a King?" Blackwall said.

"It is if it's Bhelen," The dwarf shot back. "The assassin," he muttered with a scoff. "As if I would stoop so low as to assassinate a member of my own House. Just because Bhelen can stomach doing so for power and status doesn't mean I can."

Talia frowned. "You're related?"

"He didn't even mention that tiny detail eh?" Duran took a swig of his drink. By its smell, Talia wasn't sure if it was alcohol for drinking or wound cleaning.

Nathaniel shrugged. "I didn't particularly care about the details. I just needed a way into the Deep Roads."

"So he sent you here to kill me," he said. "I'm not even surprised." There was an undercurrent of bitterness in his tone.

"Well," Talia raised her eyebrow. "I'm sure we can work this out, Duran."

"Could we?" The tone of his voice reminded Talia heavily of Bhelen. She could see the familial resemblance in the color of his hair, and the shape of his eyes.

Talia observed Duran for a moment, remembering Leliana's letter. "You're the brother? The one he framed?"

The dwarf looked taken aback for a moment, before recovering and giving Talia a sharp grin. "Now where did you get that juicy piece of information? I was under the impression Bhelen had silenced everyone who knew about that."

Talia crossed her arms and smirked back at him. "I have my sources."

"Oh, I like you, elf," he chuckled lowly. "It's a shame you had to ally with my brother."

"You're in luck then, because we haven't," Nathaniel said flatly. "We didn't agree to come here and kill you; we're just here to bring back the Warden Commander."

"Forgive me if I seem reluctant to believe that Bhelen would let anyone back into the Deep Roads who isn't deep in his pockets."

"The Wardens are neutral," Nathaniel emphasized. "As I have been telling Bhelen over and over again."

"A member of our party was detained by Bhelen as insurance," Blackwall said, and Duran turned to look at him. "But what Warden Howe is saying is true, we haven't agreed to kill the 'assassin'. Though he did try pressuring us into doing so."

Duran looked contemplative for a moment before looking over at Talia. "And what of you, elf? Where do you fit into this? You don't look like a warden."

Talia shrugged, sticking to the story she gave Ruvin. "I'm just here to look for Savith. I have urgent news to bring her of our family."

Duran examined her from head to toe. "Sister, I assume?"

"You assume correctly," she lied.

"Now, why do I feel like you're not telling me the entire truth?" Duran paced in front of her. "Certainly not because I've heard of rumors…rumors of an Inquisition?"

Talia gave him an amused glance. "And what have you heard from these rumors then, my dear Duran?"

"Well," he said in a lightly mocking tone. "If I were the type to listen to rumors, I'd tell you I've heard there was a grey-skinned elf being called the Herald of Andraste by the surface dwellers."

"Well," Talia matched his tone. "I didn't take you for someone who listened to rumors, Duran."

The dwarf chortled. "It was quite fantastical. The sky opening up, demons falling from the sky, walking in the Fade."

"That is quite a story, I agree."

"This rumored Inquisition would gain much if they manage to get the King of Orzammar," he said the title derisively, "on their side."

Talia observed Duran, and thought perhaps a bit of honesty could go a long way. "The truth is, Bhelen doesn't even know I'm here. I snuck in here with their help." She jerked her thumb towards the two wardens.

"Interesting…tell me more."

Talia inclined her head. "I caught wind that Savith was here in the Deep Roads; I'd been searching for her for a while. I thought of approaching Orzammar as an agent of the Inquisition, but I heard rumors about Bhelen, and I thought it best if I avoided meeting him." Talia said truthfully. "These Wardens here graciously assisted me. They told Bhelen they needed to find their Warden-Commander to gain entrance to the Deep Roads. I believe if he knew I was here, he would have probably detained me, instead of our other companion, Hadrian."

Duran was silent for a moment, assessing her. "Your words ring true. Bhelen would never have given up the chance to have you on his side…willingly or unwillingly." He took a step back. "Well, if you aren't here to kill me, then it seems we don't have any quarrel." He signaled for his men to stand down, and the bows pointed at them immediately dropped. "Although," His expression turned sly. "Perhaps we can come to an agreement."

"Oh?" Talia asked in feigned innocence. "And what agreement might that be?"

Duran took a long drink from his flask before answering. "Come to the Aeducan Thaig once you've found Warden Stormcrown. Think you might be able to catch her; she went off in that direction about an hour ago, in pursuit of darkspawn. We'll discuss our potential agreement once you return."

"I suppose I can pass by the Thaig once I've found my sister," Talia said agreeably.

Duran smirked again before giving a flourishing bow, stepping away and granting them access to the road. "We shall see each other soon, Herald of Andraste."

Talia knew he used her title in an attempt to unsettle her, however, it did nothing but make her smirk. "Indeed we shall, King Duran."

The True King's eyes gleamed with interest as they passed him, moving further into the Deep Roads.

As they slipped into a side path, finally shielding them from Duran's unsettling gaze, Nathaniel rounded on Blackwall.

"Your incompetence almost got us killed," he growled. The warden had stepped into Blackwall's personal space, pressing an accusatory finger at the other man's chest.

Blackwall gritted his teeth, but didn't defend himself. "I was…distracted. I apologize."

"Apologies won't help us out of situations like those," he hissed. "We're lucky he was so interested in Talia, or your little distraction could have cost us our lives."

Talia eyed them for a moment, wondering if they were going to come to blows. But Nathaniel stepped back and gave an enormous, world-weary sigh. He leaned back on the walls of the hall, bringing a hand to his eyes and pressing down.

"So now we have two Kings looking to use the wardens."

"To be fair, I think Duran's more interested in the Inquisition," Talia pointed out.

"What do you think he wants with you?" Blackwall asked in worry.

"There's only one thing I can think of that Duran wants," she said slowly.

Nathaniel dropped his hand from his face and gave her an expectant look.

"Bhelen's death."

"What—that's absurd! He has to know you'd never agree to such a thing," Blackwall exclaimed.

She looked away contemplatively.

Not necessarily. If whatever deal she could strike with Duran would benefit her and the Inquisition, she'd be more than willing to take on a contract to assassinate Bhelen. He was well-guarded, but they would never expect her or her magic. But could Duran even really seize power in Orzammar with its king dead? And the fallout that would follow after his death…

When Talia didn't respond, Nathaniel pushed away from the wall and drew closer to her. "Talia?" he frowned.

She didn't voice her thoughts. "I don't know. There's a chance Duran won't give me a choice."

"The bigger problem," Nathaniel said. "Is that if you decide to go through with whatever it is, the Wardens may end up being blamed for it."

It's true, Talia hadn't even thought of it. Bhelen and the rest of Orzammar had no idea that an agent of the Inquisition had passed through their kingdom—only Grey Wardens. And Hadrian being a prisoner in the Dwarven King's halls would only cement that belief.

"Whatever it is, I won't let the Wardens take the fall for it," she said firmly. There was no point in alienating them in such a way. Talia didn't think it would be a good idea for the Inquisition to be connected to the assassination of a monarch, but she couldn't allow it to happen to the Grey Wardens.

There was a glimmer of relief in Nathaniel's eyes as she said it, but he didn't say anything else.

Blackwall opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted as a loud shout echoed throughout the hall.

Talia couldn't make out the words, but they were accompanied with what sounded like thunder rumbling from the heavens—except they were underground. The force of the shout made the walls and the ground below them shake. Talia felt the words rattle her very bones, and it left her gasping.

A stunned silence passed among them, before Blackwall managed to rasp out, "What the fuck was that?"

To Talia's surprise, Nathaniel let out a breathless laugh. The smile lit up his face, making him look like an entirely different person.

"That…is Savith Stormcrown."

A/N: So…I don't really have an excuse. Sorry it took so long. I was honestly planning for this chapter to include the first meeting between Talia and Savith, but the chapter kept on growing and growing. And this is already really long, so I decided to put it in the next one. When am I going to update next? Such are the things only the Maker knows. Thank you for your continued support!

PS. I finally got to sneak in my favorite Oblivion NPC line. Do you know what it is? lol