Sitting by the fire Fenris subtly watched his companion; they had travelled together for several months now rather than the few weeks he had first thought. He did not trust magic and yet he trusted her and he could not explain it, it worried him and yet still the trust was there. She occupied his dreams and all he wanted was to protect her, a woman who was as lost and in pain as he. He had found himself sharing his story, such as it was, with having no memories prior to his branding. The offer she had subsequently made, had consumed him for the last week of their travel together, as they headed into Antiva to throw off the trail of yet more slavers. The offer to attempt to retrieve his memories. It meant giving her access to his mind, not something he would do lightly, but tonight he had finally made his decision. "I want what was taken from me."

Glancing up seeing the fear and desperation in his eyes, Lenya slowly stood. "As you wish. I will set up wards to ensure we are not disturbed. It would be wise to prepare yourself, if you are not willing, if you fight the magic I will stop, for it means you are not ready."

Fenris watched her weave her magic; complex spells to protect them. She was grace and beauty and while his mind recoiled at the magic, his body ached for her. He forced himself to turn away, furious with himself that a mage could consume him so, fearing that magic compelled him and yet he had felt no magic from her directed at him. Lying down at her request, Fenris closed his eyes as soft fingertips pressed against his temples.

"Relax Fenris." She began the spell, tracing the pathways of his memories. His life before the brands was closed off, slowly she probed the barrier, feeling the trauma beyond. She wove her magic to allow those memories of the branding itself to be acknowledged, but the pain to be distant. Only then did she turn her attention to bringing down the barrier. A gasp of shock left her lips, tears spilling down her cheeks as she witnessed the terrible procedure, the pain Fenris had endured as flesh was branded with lyrium. Never had she imagined Fenris would have been awake throughout, but Danarius had stood over him, relishing his screams of pain, seeming to delight in Fenris's choked pleading for the pain to stop, a pain that had never truly stopped. Glancing up Lenya suddenly realised Fenris was holding her, his hand gently wiping the tears from her cheeks. She had been brutal and cruel in her time, the things she had done in the name of saving her sister beyond forgiveness, yet this was beyond even her tolerance. "I … I did not understand." She whispered.

"I remember what was done to me, but I feel distant from it."

Lenya nodded, feeling exhausted. "I must sleep, I can do no more tonight, I … I am sorry."

He was surprised when she leaned against him, more surprised when he wrapped a blanket around them and stroked her hair until she sank into sleep.

xXx

For the next two days Lenya sought out memories, revealing to Fenris piece by piece his life before the brands. His family, a mother who loved him, a sister who adored him who was also a mage, the realisation that he had volunteered for the branding to save them, to free them from slavery. It was intense and exhausting work, but she noticed that once he learned the truth about his sister his feelings towards magic began to subtly change. His hatred for the Magisters was just as strong, but he softened towards her in a way she had never expected. She also concentrated on cleansing the brands. Danarius knew much, but his process was flawed, even now the lyrium was slowly poisoning Fenris, the process quickening each time he used the brands. She could not remove the lyrium, nor did she want to, but she could remove the poisonous effects as well as increase his resistance to the substance itself. With the change in his attitude and the intimacy of the experiences of revealed memories, it was perhaps unsurprising that their relationship became physically intimate. Lenya realised with Fenris she felt something she had not experienced in a long time, hope of a life for herself, but to do that she needed to free Morraine, yet there was also something else that had become important to her, she wanted to help Fenris find his mother and sister. He had been fearful and excited at her suggestion of finding and freeing his family, but she saw the desperation in his eyes that she felt in her own heart towards her sister. Travelling back to Tevinter was dangerous of course, but had become necessary to them both.

xXx

Striding quickly through the corridors of their base, Warden Commander Zorial quickened her pace, Wardens Damien and Terrance hurrying to keep up with her. They had finally confirmed that all of her Wardens were now free of the influence of blood magic and suddenly Serisa and Malia had been returned to them. She tried to steady her heart but she was terrified, not only of what had likely been done to both women, but of what would happen to all of them if they could not convince those from Weishaupt who had accompanied them, that they were still under the thrall of the blood magic. She slowed down and entered the main hall at a steady, calm pace hiding her nerves as she saw six Wardens who were from Weisshaupt, two at least she knew, Harland an old friend, though she had no way to know if that was still the case and Garagin, a powerful mage and he was not someone she ever wanted to cross. "Welcome." She stated smiling warmly. "I see you have returned our wayward Wardens; I hope their loyalty is once more to the Order."

Garagin scowled. "You mean the First Warden of course."

Her smile never wavering, Zorial nodded slightly. "Of course. I wonder Garagin, that you consider yourself above acknowledging that I am Warden Commander here."

Garagin's face twisted into a sneer. "That can be altered."

"Enough Garagin." Senior Warden Harland snapped. "Show respect to rank or perhaps I need to remind you of your place."

"My apologies, forgive me Warden Commander Zorial, it has been a long journey, but that is no excuse for my rudeness."

"Noted." She stated coldly. "I shall arrange rooms, baths and food."

"Thank you." Harland stated, still glancing at Garagin in annoyance. "That would be most appreciated. Perhaps you and I can talk privately, Warden Commander."

"Of course, please follow me." It was all she could do not to flee, offering a seat and closing the door as Harland entered.

"It's been a while, Zo." Harland murmured softly; his heart ached at her cautious glance.

"It has."

Sitting on the chair Harland smiled slightly. "I knew they couldn't keep you enthralled for long."

Paling Zorial remained standing, there was the desk between them, but it also meant there was no way to reach the door.

"Relax Zo, I'm not here to harm you and that little display from Garagin was to put the others off. He ensured Malia and Serisa were unharmed and unchanged in their time at Weisshaupt. I must admit they are fine actresses, even I believed them enthralled and I knew differently."

Fearing this was a trap Zorial cautiously sank onto the seat. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you need to know we are not all involved in the First Wardens madness."

"What is he doing?"

"Maker knows, but those who do not show loyalty to him personally are altered with blood magic."

"Why would you, in fact why would Garagin take such an obvious risk with Malia and Serisa?"

"The First Warden made Garagin enthral his own sister."

"He did that?"

"After being beaten daily for a month. It amazed me he survived frankly, Amarath carried out his punishment."

Zorial shuddered remembering all too well how intimidating the huge warrior was. "Why was he not simply enthralled, why was he beaten?"

"They tried to enthral him, but they were unsuccessful. You would have to ask him the details, but he does not like to speak of it."

"What happened to his sister?"

"Mave did not return from the mission the First Warden sent her on. No-one knows what happened apart from the First Warden and he is not telling anyone. It broke Garagin to lose her and he blamed himself."

"She would have understood."

"She did. In the end she was the one who persuaded him to do it. He was prepared to die to keep her safe, but she told him it was going to happen whether he did it or not and she would rather her last moments as herself were with him than with another and that broke him too. He hates blood magic, has felt tainted by it since then. It is all I can do to keep him together. Of course, he will have been having a little fun while we were talking."

"Fun?"

He sighed at the suspicion in her eyes. "The four Wardens with us will be in the cells by now and …" He smiled at the knock. "This should be them."

"Enter." Zorial stood as Malia, Serisa and Garagin entered.

Chuckling Serisa moved over to her and hugged her fiercely. "I knew you would be suspicious; how could you not be?"

Tears filling her eyes, Zorial looked her friend over. "You are really you?"

"I am insulted you are not sure." She grinned and perched on the edge of the table. "You obviously broke your own enthrallment, all four of us will submit to the procedure and then we can talk."

xXx

It took barely an hour to confirm that all four were not under the influence of blood magic. Zorial had food brought to her private room and they ate and talked through the night. By the end of hearing all that was happening in Weisshaupt she had lost her appetite and did not expect it to come back any time soon.

"You know what we have to do." Malia stated wiping the juice of a plum from her chin.

"Enlighten me."

"We need to retire the First Warden."

Zorial remained silent for several moments before she met Malia's intense gaze. "I do not disagree, but we have something more important to deal with, the blight surfacing in Ferelden."

"Ferelden is not allowing Wardens in." Harland stated.

"They are not letting Orlesian Wardens in."

"If you attempt to enter Ferelden the First Warden will know you are no longer enthralled and we need him off not guard, not suspicious of everyone."

"You are asking me to leave Ferelden to its fate."

"We cannot help them by their own decision to close the borders to Wardens."

"But …"

"No-one is saying we do nothing." Serisa stated gently. "We prepare of course, but carefully. Once the Archdemon is done with Ferelden it will come for all of us, there are already stirrings, small bands of Darkspawn have been spotted in most countries at a greater frequency than is normal. We need to protect Antiva. Ferelden is only where the Archdemon is rising, but we all face the destructive force of the spawn."

Garagin stretched out his legs. "If you want to help Ferelden, we need to deal with the first Warden."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Zorial demanded.

"The First Warden appears to be the puppet of another." Garagin's expression suddenly darkened. "Her name is Lenya." He met Zorial's cautious gaze. "I have tracked her and she is in Antiva, perhaps less than three days' hard ride from here."

"And assuming you catch up to her, what do you intend to do?"

"Interrogate her." Malia stated a hint of ice lacing her tone.

"Do we know anything about her?"

"She is a powerful mage with links to Tevinter." Garagin unconsciously rotated his shoulder trying to ease the tension caused by an old wound.

"Which makes her dangerous." Serisa stated calmly. "But nothing our combined skills cannot deal with."

"Fine." Zorial muttered. "But if we are going to do this, I want to know everything you know about this woman. Whatever magic she can do I want to be able to counter."

xXx

Racing through the trees Lenya raged at the situation they had found themselves in. The slavers she could deal with, their deaths meant nothing after all, but now she had wardens tracking her. The First Warden would never be so foolish as to move against her, which meant they were a rogue faction and wardens were dangerous at the best of times, let alone when she had no idea of their motivation. She knew some of the First Wardens plans though not all, but enough to know he was using blood magic to control the Commanders and some of the more senior wardens. The Order that prided itself on staying neutral was so steeped in the politics of Orlais it made her laugh. Now however she suspected some of the Order had realised they were being manipulated, there was after all a blight and all of the Order by rights should be in Ferelden, yet none but those in Orlais had gone to Ferelden's aid and unsurprisingly given their history, Ferelden was keeping the border closed to them. Fenris had demanded to know why the Order was chasing them, but she could give him no answer, only theories that might make him suspicious of her. She growled under her breath, suspecting that somehow, she had been connected with the First Warden and as an unknown it was likely they would suspect her of controlling him before accepting his own ambitious nature was the reason for his actions. She glanced at Fenris who was easily keeping pace, he had not even broken a sweat. He could tear them apart of course and given the additional magic she had laid within the brands, an extra security should it be needed, she could order him to, but she was not fool enough to kill those of the Order, certainly not during a blight and if he realised what she had done before the attempt to free her sisters spirit, it could be disastrous. She forced herself to quicken her pace, her heart pounding brutally, each gasping breath like fire in her lungs. Every trick of magic she knew to conceal them had been discovered by the mage with them. Their only hope was to make it to the cave and the Eluvian hidden within. Furious she cast haste, it only gave them a slight advantage, but that was all she needed as the cave entrance came into sight. As soon as they were both inside, she cast a shielding glyph. The mage would likely sense it and be able to disrupt it, but by the time he had they would be gone. Gripping Fenris's hand she pulled him deeper into the cave, her staff flaring to life casting an eerie glow, shadows looming on the rock walls. She cast the revealing spell as they headed deeper into the cave, runes igniting on the wall before them creating an archway of shimmering blue, the rock seeming to disappear.

Fenris felt the magic on his skin shuddering slightly. Realising the wall was an illusion he saw beyond to the huge mirror, intricately crafted with vines and leaves around the frame.

"Hurry." Lenya urged, already moving towards it. Fingertips pressing to the surface she whispered the activation words along with a burst of magical energy, the surface losing its solidity. "Hurry Fenris." She hesitated realising he was not moving. Hearing voices she moved quickly towards him. "Fenris please, we must go."

"Go where?"

"I have explained the Eluvians to you." Irritation flaring at his obvious distrust of the magic. "Fenris, I need you to trust me. They cannot track us if we go through the Eluvian. It is the only way to get to your mother and sister."

Reluctantly Fenris moved forward, glancing down as he felt the warmth of her hand against his.

"Trust me Fenris."

He did and if this could take him to his mother and sister, he had to take that chance.

Gripping his hand a little tighter, Lenya led them through the Eluvian.

Glancing around as they stepped through Fenris felt his unease increase. A forest of Eluvians surrounded them, each he realised would lead to a different place in Thedas. He felt amazed that the elves were once so powerful they could create this means of travel. The elves had not bothered with roads because they had not needed them.

"Come Fenris, we must not linger."

He followed, there seemed to be no end to the Eluvians surrounding them, seeing some in the far distance. He was glad Lenya clearly knew where she was going, without her he would be lost here. Forcing himself to concentrate, he began to note even the slight differences in the Eluvians. Many had creatures carved into the frames, others plants and symbols. Some were next to what appeared to be trees, others surrounded fountains. There were statues next to some, elven warriors riding majestic halla, mages with staffs of glittering crystal, scholars with tomes in their hands and musicians. He realised Lenya had stopped at an Eluvian with a dragon encircling the frame. He noticed a bracelet at her wrist was gleaming, heard her murmur words that made no sense to him and the Eluvian's surface rippled. He followed her less hesitantly this time, not wanting to be trapped in this place.

xXx

Zorial glanced around feeling deeply frustrated. Those they hunted had come into the cave there was no doubt, there was no way out and yet it was empty. She heard Garagin curse and glanced over as an entire wall seemed to vanish revealing a huge mirror. "They walked into a mirror!"

"An Eluvian." Garagin snapped. "We have no means to follow them. Each Eluvian is activated by specific magic which could be a spell or a magical item."

"So, you are saying there is no way to track them?" Harland muttered.

"That is not entirely true." Serisa stated uneasily. "The information about Lenya was passed to us by an unusual source. Perhaps she could help."

"And just who is this source?" Zorial demanded.

"Yavana." Malia whispered as though afraid the witch of the wilds would appear.

Zorial froze and turned to look at her. "Why would she give you that information?"

"Apparently Serris was helping her with something and they discovered her."

Sighing Zorial leaned against a wall. "I wish Serris was here." Pushing herself away from the rock face she forced back the surge of melancholy. "Fine. Does anyone know what a witch of the wilds might want in trade?"

Harland grinned. "Power and we can give her that."

xXx

Fenris still couldn't quite believe they had crossed countries in the space of minutes. They were once more in Tevinter, in Minrathous. They had stepped out into the ruins of a temple on the outskirts of the city. Nature had reclaimed it to such an extent that barely a few steps away and the ruins were out of sight. He was not even sure he could find it again were he to come looking and Lenya confirmed magic concealed it. Cloaked and with Lenya having crafted a spell around them to keep attention away from them, they were making their way through streets he knew only too well. He had felt nauseous the moment he realised they were in Tevinter, the suspicious part of him fearing this was a trap, that Lenya was the means by which his master would re-capture him, but she was at pains to keep them from sight and for the chance to find his family, he had to risk betrayal. They rented a small dwelling to use as a base, Lenya making sure the owner asked no questions and would tell no-one about them.

It took two days of searching, but as night fell Fenris froze at the entrance to an alleyway seeing the two women from his memories, the younger tending to the older who was coughing violently. "Mother." He gasped moving towards them glancing back to ensure Lenya was with him. "Sister."

Varania turned startled. "Leto?"

"Varania!" Fenris trembled as she hugged him.

"Leto what are you doing here?"

"I am here to keep my promise, to get you both a better life." He hunkered down taking his mother's hands, seeing her eyes gleaming with joy.

"My son." She whispered, coughing painfully.

"I can help." Lenya stated softly. "But we must leave here now, there are too many eyes."

Nodding Fenris gently helped his mother to her feet, supporting her as he followed Lenya through the twisting streets, Varania at the other side of their mother. They finally reached a darkened alleyway, Lenya leading them to a door at the end.

Varania glanced around finding them in a comfortable two-bedroom residence, the woman with her brother was apparently renting. The furnishings were worn but comfortable, the kitchen stocked with food and herbs. She helped her brother get their mother into a seat, watching Lenya as she mixed a tonic and gave it to her mother.

"That should help with the cough."

"Thank you." Vallisa stated sipping the liquid, feeling an almost instantaneous soothing sensation from her throat to her chest.

"What happened to you, Leto?" Varani demanded; her gaze fixed on the brands.

"After Danarius did this to me, I had no memories. Lenya helped me to recover them and when I remembered you, I came for you. I am sorry it took so long."

"You are here now." His mother stated gently squeezing his hand.

"What are we supposed to do?" Varania demanded. "Where do we go?"

"Rivain." Lenya stated mixing another tonic. "I have contacts there; they will ensure your safety and give you a new life."

"As slaves?" Varania snarled. "I would rather die.

"You are free and you shall remain so. My contact is a seer, she can help you with your magic if you wish it. Rivain is somewhat more relaxed regarding Circles and Templars. I thought it might be more suitable."

"And what of mother?"

"Fenris remembered her skills in weaving and sewing. My contact will find her work, once she is fully healed of course." Lenya met Varania's stare. "You have no reason to distrust me."

"I do not know you."

"Varania!" Fenris snapped,

"I do not know you either … brother! You come back into our lives, offering a brand-new life, but you never truly escaped."

At his mother's sigh Fenris helped her into the bedroom to rest.

Lenya turned to Varania. "You think to go to Danarius and tell him of our location, that betraying your brother will enable you to become a Magister." Shaking her head at the young woman's shock and guilt, she looked at her with pity. "You do not have the power or talent to chart such a course and even if you did, being elven will have you cast as a servant no matter how powerful you might become. Your priority should be to get your mother to safety. I will ensure you can learn magic without betraying your brother. He sacrificed everything for you and I would rather he deal with the grief of your death than your betrayal."

Varania gasped as she felt as though a hand was gripping her throat realising Lenya was a mage.

"I have killed many people in my life Varania. I personally do not care if you live or die, but your brother loves you, so I offer you a chance, a new life or no life, because there is no going back to Danarius." She slowly released her magic. "Make your choice."

Clutching her throat Varania trembled. "A new life."

Lenya stood back and smiled warmly. "Excellent." She smiled as Fenris returned. "We will leave in the morning."

xXx

Varania lay next to her mother, listening to her slow even breathing. It had been months since her mother had slept properly without waking up with a wracking cough. She thought of the life being offered to them, but it was not enough. She wanted to be a Magister and she could not do that in Rivain. Leto had once promised he would do anything to give them the life they deserved and after what they had been through since they had been cast out, she was determined to get it. Silently she slipped out of the bed, easing out of the apartment, slipping down the alley, gasping in shock as she found herself immobile.

"I knew you were a fool." Lenya stated shaking her head, slipping out of the shadows. "It may interest you to know that as well as retrieving memories I can alter them."

Varania trembled as Lenya moved to her, pressing her fingers to her temples.

"When this is done you will be eternally grateful to your brother and the thought of betraying him will never again enter your mind." As the spell ended Lenya smiled. "Off to bed now." She followed Varania until she returned to bed, watching as she sank into a deep sleep. "Fool." She muttered. Yet a heaviness weighed on her heart, was she truly any better. She too was prepared to use Fenris to get what she wanted and even she was unsure if her motivations were to save Fenris from Danarius, or to ensure that he remained at her side. She sighed softly forcing herself to acknowledge the truth, that if she did not need him, she suspected she would have let Danarius have him.

xXx

Waking, Fenris was surprised to see Lenya at the window, slipping from the bed he moved to her side gently kissing her neck. "You look tired, come to bed."

Smiling Lenya clasped his hand, curling against him as they lay on the bed.

"Tell me what is worrying you. I will help if I can."

So, Lenya wove a tale for Fenris that she knew she might one day have to present to Alric's descendent. That generation after generation had passed down a sacred task, to free the sister of her direct descendent from a terrible curse that had imprisoned her spirit. That a seer had told her she would be the last of her line and so if she did not free Morraine, her spirit would be lost forever to the curse. "I have no right to ask this, but I would be grateful for your help." She trembled slightly as his fingers caressed her cheek, his touch making her ache, wishing she was a better person for his sake.

"You have given me so much. I will not abandon you."

"Thank you Fenris, but first we will see your family settled in Rivain."

xXx

Smirking slightly as she spied the approaching group, Yavana pushed herself away from the tree she was leaning against and waited; they were all wardens which was curious enough. They stopped a short distance from her clearly nervous, it was a response she was used to when people were in her presence and very useful. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, wardens?"

Garagin stepped forward. "You were gracious enough to get information to us regarding Lenya." He shifted slightly as her eyes narrowed. "We had almost caught up to her, but she escaped us through an Eluvian. We had no means to follow."

"And you want to know where she went?"

"Is it possible to find out?"

"The crossroads could take her anywhere, however there is always a way. I might be able to find her for a price."

Garagin reached into his pack and took out a cloth package offering it to her. "I offer this for her location and any other information you can give us on her dealings with the First Warden."

Taking it and carefully pulling back some of the cloth, Yavana's eyes widened slightly. "Where did you get this?"

"Is that important?"

Yavana met his gaze before carefully re-wrapping the offering. "Come."

Following her down the steps into the core of the Temple, Zorial stared curiously at the table in the centre of the room, a map of Thedas appearing to be carved into it. Her eyes widened as Yavana ran her fingertips over the map, the surface rippling.

"You are elusive Lenya, but you cannot hide forever." She sent a burst of magic across the map, pink strands of energy following the ripples to Tevinter. "It seems she has business in the Imperium."

"Can you be more specific about the location?" Harland requested, wondering at the capability of magic as the map shifted, becoming specifically Tevinter, the second burst of energy flowing to Minrathous.

Serisa frowned slightly. "She could go anywhere from there, by the time we reached Tevinter she could be half way across Thedas."

Moving away from the table, Yavana crossed the room and opened a chest, pulling out a roll of parchment. At her touch on the table the map became Thedas once more. Placing the parchment on the table she crafted runes that sank into it in gleaming gold, before they flowed across it becoming the lines of the map. A final burst of magical energy and Yavana leaned against the table feeling nausea at the expenditure of so much of her mana.

Garagin stared at the map and the pulsing green star that was in Tevinter watching it move. "Amazing. I have not seen magic like this before."

"The elves were a creative people and where magic was concerned, they created wonders that are lost to our world, but some fragments remain. This is a tiny part of a spell that could have been weaved to discover the location of whole bloodlines in its time. The map will change to whichever country she is in. Do not be alarmed if the marker disappears, at those times she travels the crossroads. I will give you two more pieces of information that may be of use to you. Wherever she may travel to, Lenya's true destination is a ruined Temple in the Brecilian Forest in Ferelden. There she intends to attempt a ritual to free a bound spirit. An endeavour doomed to failure."

"She would be foolish to go there while there in a blight and Maker knows how long this blight will last. We need to get her before that." Harland insisted.

"Your business is your own, you have the information, do with it as you will."

"And the second piece of information?" Garagin asked cautiously.

"While Lenya is certainly at the root of some of the First Wardens more curious actions, he is also influenced by another."

"Do you know who?"

"Yes, but you would not believe me if I told you. So, I will tell you this instead. Your First Warden when he came to power was given an opportunity that has taken him down a dark path. A path others of your order followed before him. A warden's goal is to end the blights, but the means by doing such are just as important as ending them itself. Your First Warden has been corrupted, perhaps not surprising given the nature of the alliance. Discover his ally and you will have your answers, though I warn you, you will not like it and the truth could very well destroy your Order. That is all the assistance I can offer and now I must rest."

Realising they would get no more information Zorial nodded her head slightly. "Thank you."

As the wardens left Yavana re-opened the package revealing the glowing flame crystal within. She placed it in the centre of the map, watching as it sank beneath the surface. She smiled slightly, they clearly had no idea what they had given away, for surely no fool would barter away such a prize at such a low cost.

xXx

Moving swiftly away from the temple the wardens retrieved their horses and made haste to the nearest village, sheltering for the night in the only tavern there. They ate in silence and returned to the only room that was available, thankfully it was large with several beds and a seating area.

"Who could this ally be?" Serisa murmured.

Rolling back his shoulders Harland shifted slightly in the seat. "Perhaps it is time we confronted him and demanded the truth."

"He will compel you before you finish your first sentence." Garagin muttered.

Zorial glanced over at the mage. "And how is it that you have managed to avoid being compelled to obey him? Why did the magic not work with you?"

Clenching his hands into fists realising they were trembling, Garagin met her piercing gaze. "When I realised that some of the Order were being compelled, I took steps."

"What steps?"

Rolling up the sleeve of his robe Garagin whispered softly, his hands glowing a pale green that rippled over his skin revealing symbols from his wrist to his elbow. "They ensure my mind remains my own."

"I have never seen or heard of anything like them." Zorial murmured, startled by their intricacy.

"I would be surprised if you had. They are not common knowledge and even if they were few would use them given the price."

Zorial noted Malia moving closer to him, sadness in her eyes. "What price?"

"It does not matter. I will die with my mind as my own and it enables me to help my fellow wardens." He glanced at Malia, forcing a slight smile. "I am the only one who could confront him and remain myself, but I suspect I would not survive the encounter."

Malia moved to the window glancing out before closing the shutters. It still gave her nightmares that the First Warden had ordered her mind broken. "There is another way, but it is very dangerous and might not work."

"I know that look." Zorial felt the tension in the room increase. "What are you planning?"

"I procured a spell." She glanced at Garagin. "A shape shifting spell."

Sighing he leaned forward. "Am I to become a cat or bird, perhaps even an insect and spy on our beloved leader?"

"I am suggesting something rather more dramatic." Easing the parchment from a hidden pocket in her tunic she handed it over, seeing Garagin's eyes widen.

"Enlighten us." Harland demanded.

"I am suggesting we replace the First Warden, secret him away where we can interrogate him and find out who this ally is and what their plans are, leaving another in his place and then, well if an accident should happen …"

Harland stared at her stunned before turning to Garagin. "You can become him?"

"Well mimic his form certainly, but this is a complex spell and …"

"You have spent more time with the First Warden than any of us." Malia urged. "You mimic him perfectly already; I've seen you do it. You can do his voice and his mannerisms. This spell just enables you to copy his appearance."

"This is too dangerous." Serisa muttered, glancing anxiously at Garagin. "If he can't hold the spell, or if whoever is influencing the First Warden makes contact and suspects all is not right …"

"Then what else do we do?" Malia stated desperately. "How do we stop our brothers and sisters being compelled? How do we help Ferelden? How do we stop this blight? Don't we have to try?"

"I don't know if I am skilled enough to do this." Garagin stated softly, the admission astonishing those with him. He glanced up as Malia moved to him, taking his hands gently in hers as she knelt in front of him.

"We have time for you to practice and once at Weisshaupt I will stay by your side, while the others interrogate the First Warden."

Sighing, Harland leaned forward. "It is a big risk, but it might work. It is up to you, Garagin."

"He needs to be stopped." Malia whispered, still holding his hands. "For what he made you do, for your sister, for those of us he wanted broken." She took a shuddering breath. "I know you can do this Garagin."

Staring into her eyes he saw the desperation that clawed at her, because it was within him too. "I will try the spell, that will decide for us." He returned her smile, feeling the warmth of her hands against his long after she had moved away.

xXx

Author Note: Thank you for reading, it is always appreciated.