Linn led the others up the stairs, more irritated than ever that the door had been right there. If the damn werewolves had just listened to reason, this would have taken less than a day… And Linn wouldn't have had to fight a damn dragon. Movement caught her eye as she reached the top of the stairs. Zathrian stood up to look at her with a measured look.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Linn whispered angrily at the elf.

Zathrian ignored her obvious rage and said, "Ah, and here you are already."

"You know… Somehow you being here isn't nearly as surprising as it should be… To be honest, a part of me honestly expected it," Linn replied with a low growl in her voice.

"Did you? Aren't you the intuitive one," Zathrian replied mockingly, and Linn fought the urge to shove the elf down the stairs.

"I don't like this one," Shale said irritably. "Can we not simply crush its head?"

Morrigan chuckled and said, "He wishes to see if we did his work for him. Is that not why you are here now, sorcerer?"

Zathrian snapped at Morrigan, "Do not call me that, witch. I am keeper of this clan, and have done what I must. Did you acquire the heart?"

Linn looked at the elf and crossed her arms. "Nope."

Zathrian's eyes widened, and he asked, "You didn't? May I ask, then, why are you leaving the ruin?"

"That actually brings up an interesting point… So you knew about this ruin. Is there any reason why didn't you tell me?"

Zathrian gave her a tired look and answered, "There was no need. I knew you would find it, and I did not care to give you a history lesson about things that have no bearing on your purpose here. But it seems the spirit convinced you to act on her behalf. Might I inquire what she wants?"

Linn rolled her eyes and explained, "The Lady won't summon Witherfang until you break the curse."

"You do understand that she actually is Witherfang?"

"Yes, I kind of figured that out," Linn replied as Zathrian glared at her with anger. "A Jekyll and Hyde situation… Two sides of the same coin."

Zathrian gave her a measured look before he explained, "She is the powerful spirit of this ancient forest that I summoned long ago and bound in the body of a wolf. Her nature is that of the forest itself. Beautiful and terrible, serene and savage, maiden and beast. She is the Lady and Witherfang both, two sides of a single being. The curse came first from her. Those she afflicted with it mirrored her own nature, becoming savage beast as well as human."

"And yet we now have talking werewolves. She's able to calm them somehow…"

Zathrian turned away from Linn and argued, "I find that difficult to believe. They attacked my clan and they were the same savages then that they have ever been. They deserve to be wiped out and not defended." Zathrian turned back to the group as he continued, "Come. I will accompany you back to the ruin. Let us go and speak to the spirit and I will force her into Witherfang's form. He may then be slain and the heart taken."

Leliana argued back, "The werewolves have regained their minds! We will not kill them on your words alone!"

Zathrian looked to Linn, who smiled at him to show her support for Leliana. Zathrian tried to persuade them, "Even so, they are still the same worthless creatures that their ancestors were. They deserve nothing more than the misery they possess. This is not your battle, Grey Warden. Let us just take the heart and be done with it."

"I found Danyla," Linn said quietly, and Zathrian's jaw hardened as he met her gaze. "She was a werewolf… She asked that we… end her suffering. We did."

Zathrian closed his eyes at her words, but he remained silent.

"This curse doesn't just hurt the people who wronged you. Did Danyla deserve that?"

Zathrian turned back to her with a glare and argued, "You know that she did not deserve that fate… But you were not there. You did not see what… what they did to my son. To my daughter, And so many others. You are not Dalish. How can you know how we had to struggle to be safe? How could I have let their crimes go unanswered?"

Wynne replied firmly but kindly, "But it's your own people suffering now, as well as them. Will you allow the suffering of your own people for the sake of vengeance?"

Zathrian glared at Wynne, but Wynne met his gaze with the same intensity. The old elf looked away and protested, "I have sworn to protect my people, and I shall. I will not lift a finger to help the descendants of savages who deserved the curse they received!"

Linn let out a sigh and asked, "Why don't we try talking to them? At least give them a chance."

"And what if it is revenge they want, and not talk?" Zathrian retorted. "Will you safeguard me from harm?"

"I will… unless you attack first."

Zathrian huffed with irritation, "I fail to see the purpose behind this… but very well. It has been many centuries now. Let us see what the spirit has to say."

Zathrian took the lead down the stairs, and Linn gave Alistair an uncertain look before following the elf deeper into the lair. The werewolves snarled and growled at Zathrian's approach, but the Lady of the Forest gently calmed them before turning her attention to Zathrian.

Zathrian's eyes narrowed as he looked at the werewolves, and his fists were gripping his staff tightly. However, his voice was steady as said derisively, "So here you are, spirit."

Swiftrunner growled in response, "She is the Lady of the Forest! You will address her properly!"

Zathrian gave the werewolf a steely eyed look as he continued, "You've taken a name, spirit? And you've given names to your pets? These… beasts who follow you?"

The Lady placed a hand on Swiftrunner's arm to console him as she replied, "It was they who gave me a name, Zathrian. And the names they take are their own. They follow me because I help them find who they are."

"Who they are has not changed from whom their ancestors were," Zathrian argued with seething hatred in his eyes. "Wild savages! Worthless dogs! Their twisted shape only mirrors their monstrous hearts!"

Swiftrunner moved in front of the Lady and said, "He will not help us, Lady! It is as I warned you! He is not here to talk!"

"No, I am here to talk, though I see little point in it," Zathrian said as he gave Linn an irritated look. "We all know where this will lead. Your nature compels it, as does mine."

"It does not have to be that way," the Lady pleaded with the old elf. "There is room in your heart for compassion, Zathrian. Surely your retribution is spent."

Zathrian's fists clenched his staff in anger, and he replied sternly, "My retribution is eternal, spirit, as is my pain. This is justice, no more."

The Lady glanced at Linn before she asked Zathrian, "Are you certain your pain is the only reason you will not end this curse? Have you told the mortal how it was created?"

Linn gave the old elf a tired stare and replied, "He said he summoned you and bound you to a wolf… But I guess there's more to it."

The Lady nodded and continued, "Witherfang and I are bound as one being. But such powerful magic could not be accomplished without Zathrian's own blood. Your people believe you have rediscovered the immortality of their ancestors, Zathrian, but that is not true. So long as the curse exists, so do you."

Zathrian's face twisted with anger and fear as he yelled, "No, that is not how it is!"

"Ah… So would Zathrian's death end the curse?" Linn asked as Zathrian glared at her.

"No," the Lady said sadly. "The curse has a life of its own, though Zathrian's life depends on it. His death plays a part in its ending, however."

"Then we kill him! We tear him apart now!" Swiftrunner growled as his eyes focused on Zathrian.

Zathrian took a step back as he said, "For all your powers of speech, you are beasts still! What would you gain from killing me? Only I know how the ritual ends, and I will never do it!"

"You see? We must kill them all!"

"See?" Zathrian asked and pointed to the werewolves. "They turn on you as quickly. Do what you have come here to do, Grey Warden, or get out of my way."

Linn crossed her arms and moved in between the two groups. With a glare at Zathrian and Swiftrunner, she said, "Both of you are being ridiculous! Swiftrunner, what will more violence accomplish? And, Zathrian… You had no right! You stopped having the moral high ground when your curse spread to innocent people! How are you going to stand here and say that you're protecting your people when it's your curse that's hurting them!"

Zathrian snarled in return, "Get out of my way, Grey Warden! This is your last chance!"

"You'll end that curse if I have to force you myself!" Linn shouted as she drew her blade. A hand on her shoulder made her turn to see Alistair standing beside her with his own blade drawn.

"We're standing for what's right, here," Alistair said and gave Linn a determined look. "No matter what."

Linn couldn't help but smile at her Grey Warden before turning her attention back to the enraged elf.

Zathrian glared at them as he raised his staff and shouted, "Then you die with them! All of you will suffer as you deserve!"

The air around them went completely still before turning freezing cold as an ice storm flooded the room. Cold winds pushed Linn away from the mage. Chills went up Linn's spine as she turned to see sylvans and demons emerge from the shadows, while the werewolves were frozen in place with magic.

"Shale, Sten, Alistair! Surround Wynne, Morrigan and Leliana! Keep them protected! Zevran, watch my back!" Linn shouted before she followed a fleeing Zathrian.

Zathrian turned and focused his attention on Linn as she ran toward him. Feeling the pull of magic from the Fade, Linn held up her shield and angled it at the ground. The blast of lightning ricocheted into the ground, causing a shower of sparks. Linn continued to charge at the old elf; her shield reflected the magic as she closed in on him.

"How dare you!" Zathrian yelled as he tried to attack her with more magic. "You use the teachings of my own ancestors against me?! A human?!"

"At least I tried doing something!" Linn yelled back as she brought down her sword onto his barrier with a resounding crack. "The elven spirit that taught me was waiting for someone, anyone, to rescue him! You knew about this temple, but you never once tried to help him. And what about Danyla?! She didn't deserve to die for a family that's long gone!"

"YOU KNOW NOTHING!" Zathrian shouted as he unleashed a blast of flames at Linn, who barely managed to avoid the fiery blast.

"That's where you're wrong!" Linn argued as she sent a blast of fire in return, catching part of the elf's robes on fire. "I lost my family too, but you know what I did? I moved on! With help from hunters who should have been afraid of me! Humans who saw that I was alone and scared and gave me a home! I'm not saying that you haven't suffered. I'm asking 'How long will it take for other people's suffering to outweigh your own?!'"

Zathrian's eyes widened as Linn finally broke through the barrier. The winds died down as the old elf dropped to the ground.

"No, no more," Zathrian pleaded as he bowed his head. "I… I cannot… cannot defeat you…"

Swiftrunner called out as the magic that kept him bound disappeared, "Finish it! Kill him now!"

"Oh, somebody please kill somebody," muttered Shale irritably as it kicked the sylvan into the wall.

"No, Swiftrunner," the Lady of the Forest said soothingly as she placed a hand on the werewolf's arm. "We will not kill him. If there is no room in our hearts for mercy, how may we expect there to be room in his?"

Linn held out her hand to the old elf. Zathrian stared at her hand for a moment before taking it. After Linn helped him back onto his feet, the elf slowly walked toward the Lady.

Zathrian said with a tired bitterness, "I cannot do as you ask, spirit. I am too old… to know mercy. All I see are the faces of my children, my people. I… I cannot do it."

"You can," Linn said, and Zathrian turned to her with confusion. "You said that you would do anything to protect your clan… This is it."

Zathrian's eyes softened as he turned back to the Lady and said, "Perhaps I have… lived too long. This hatred in me is like an ancient, gnarled root… It has consumed my soul. What about you, spirit? You are bound to the curse just as I am. Do you not fear your end?"

"You are my maker, Zathrian," the Lady replied with a soft smile. "You gave me form and consciousness where none existed. I have known pain and love, hope and fear, all the joy that is life. Yet of all things I desire nothing more than an end. I beg you, maker… put an end to me. We beg you… show mercy."

Zathrian bowed his head and clenched his staff. With a note of sadness, he said, "You shame me, spirit. I am… an old man, alive long past his time."

"Then you will do it? You will end the curse?" the Lady asked as her voice was filled with hope.

Zathrian turned to look at Linn before he replied, "Yes, I think it is time. Let us… Let us put an end to it all."

"One moment more, Zathrian. There is one last thing I must do," the Lady told him as her eyes focused on Linn.

There was a surge of magic from the spirit, and in her hand there grew a strange talisman made of winding branches. Linn felt a strange peace as the Lady of the Forest placed the talisman gently into her hands.

"This is as much as I can help you," the Lady said with a resigned sadness.

"Thank you," Linn replied softly as she clutched the talisman to her chest.

The Lady of the Forest touched her face gently before turning back to Zathrian and giving him a nod of her head. Zathrian slammed down his staff onto the ground. As a glowing blue light illuminated the stone around him, Zathrian fell to the ground. The Lady of the Forest watched him with sadness and joy as she began to glow with a golden light. The werewolves quickly rushed to the Lady then stopped as they also started to glow in the golden light. Linn winced as the light grew stronger, then just as abruptly as it began, the light faded to reveal the werewolves were gone. Humans and elves were now standing where the werewolves had been. Silence fell upon them as they watched the ethereal glow disappear into the sunlight streaming down.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. One of my cats had an allergic reaction to her shots, so I've been concentrating on getting her back to full health. I'll be releasing chapters, but it'll be one every other week. Thank you so much for reading my stories, and I hope you continue to enjoy them.