We traveled with Lord Dace's patrol and split off when we'd reached his estate. We went back to the Assembly hall to find Vartag.

"Legion of the Dead warriors secretly wear Prince Bhelen's colors! Our prince has Orzammar's deadliest warriors behind him!"

"Not a secret anymore," Sten said.

Zevran chuckled.

We found Vartag in the same place as before. "Lady Dace just came through the quarter on a tear," he said. "She's telling everyone who'll listen what a leech and a liar Harrowmont is. Good job. So you were serious about wanting to help us. Are you ready to meet Bhelen now?"

"Whenever you're ready to leave," I said.

"I warn you, be on your best behavior. And keep your weapons sheathed."

~~~

Vartag led us to the Royal Palace and into a study of some sort. I was correct in assuming the younger Dwarf we had seen arguing in the Commons when we arrived was Bhelen.

The prince approached us. "I am impressed, Warden," he said. "Not many outsiders so quickly grasp Orzammar's rather... convoluted politics." I wouldn't say I'd grasped it. I actually had no idea what I was doing. Period. "I am Prince Bhelen. Vartag told me of your efforts against the usurper who tried to claim my father's throne."

"I take it you're not too fond of Harrowmont," I said.

"Harrowmont spent his entire life in the Assembly. He only knows how to lead through compromises and capitulation. That's not what Orzammar needs. The Darkspawn are massing for a Blight. The lands topside have been torn apart."

"No kidding," Zevran muttered.

Bhelen obviously didn't hear him. "We need a strong leader, someone who can stand up to the Assembly, someone who will rule, not persuade."

"And you're that man?"

"Do you expect modesty? That is no valuable trait for a king. This is a time for action, not cultured debate. We need absolute unity to fight against the fulcrum of true evil."

"Then you'll honor the agreement with the Wardens?"

"Absolutely. And sworn on the mail of my ancestors as soon as Orzammar is united under my rule. Unfortunately, while this debate rages I have no power to send the troops you need. You've seen yourself, the city is a slaughterhouse. Criminals run lawless. I could never hold the throne if I allowed such chaos. Jarvia and her carta are behind this bedlam. If you could eliminate them, I promise as king, I will send as many troops as you need to fight the Darkspawn. Unfortunately, I have little information on Jarvia. Her base of power is in Dust Town, the lowest part of the city, and my men have few sources there. Maybe the casteless will speak more freely with a stranger." Lovely. More errands.

"I'll look for her."

"And I will await eagerly for your return."

We left the Royal Palace and headed to the Commons.

"Grey Wardens present in Orzammar, endorsement of Lord Bhelen a clear statement against the backward policies of Lord Harrowmont."

"You've got to be kidding me," Alistair said.

I sighed. "This must be how the news travels so fast around here," I said.

"News of the hour! Lord Bhelen, unable to win own battles, rely on Grey Wardens!"

"That is getting annoying," Morrigan said.

~~~

Dust Town was just that, a dusty town in itself. The moment we set foot into the casteless world, we were attacked by a few random thugs. Of course, they were no match for us. We heard several beggars call out for coin and even spoke to a few, but no one was willing to talk. We approached a woman seated by a fire. She wobbly stood, positioning a crutch under her arm. "Well, look at that. It's not often ol' Nadezda sees a fine-dressed stranger here in Dust Town. Help a poor cripple?"

"What will you give me in exchange?" I asked.

"What are you looking for?"

"Do you know a woman named Jarvia?"

"Know her? I used to run with her. Jarvia took over the carta not more than a year ago and already she has every duster with both legs bearing swords for her."

"Where do I find her?"

"Won't be easy. She's gotten real careful since Beraht died. Real paranoid. She's got carta members all carrying these finger-bone tokens. She scratches some mark into them, so she'll know they came from her. There's doors to her base all over the city but only one is ever open at a time and if you show up without a token, you'd never know it was there."

"Where do I find one of these tokens?"

"Can't help you there, stranger. The carta members keep them real tight. But... that's worth something, right? Maybe just a little?" She had given us information that would be quite useful. I handed her ten silvers.

"Thank you, Nadezda. You take care of yourself."

Her eyes brightened when she took the coin. "I'll think of you when I go to bed with a full stomach," she said as she lowered herself back down.

"Realin," Leliana jerked her head towards a pair of thugs as they went into one of the houses. "My bet is one of them may have a token."

I nodded and we went into the house.

"Well, look what we have here," one of the thugs said. "Jarvia said you were looking for trouble. Congratulations. You found it."

"Perfect."

I drew my swords as they rushed us. Leliana and Zevran went for the archers. Alistair, Sten, Tristan, and I met blades with the others. Wynne kept us going with healing spells while Morrigan used offensive spells. The thug leader gave up after we'd killed three of them.

"D-don't kill me!" he cried. "Sodding ancestors, what do they teach you on the surface? You fight like a bleedin' Archdemon!" That was actually a bit funny considering what the Joining entailed. He looked around. "Sweet bloody Stone, look at them all!"

"Tell me where your base is," I demanded.

"The base is below the city. Y-you can get to it through the wall of the third house on this row," He handed me his finger-bone token. "Put this through the slot and it'll open. Will... will you let me go now?"

I was sure he wouldn't have been doing this if he had any other choice. "Go. And you won't want to be at Jarvia's when I get there."

He looked surprised. "R-really? Oh, thank you! You're a... a good person. How do they say it? The Ancestors have shown their favor. Bless you!" He and the surviving thugs fled from the house.

"Do you think that is wise, Warden?" Sten asked. "He works for the woman we are seeking. He may warn her."

"Did he look like he would warn her?"

Sten grunted.

"He wasn't doing this by choice," Wynne said before Sten could counter. "Do you think he would be a carta thug had he any other choice?"

"Perhaps you are correct, Mage."

"Are you done now?" I asked. "We can argue about this later."

Leliana and Zevran snickered.

We found the door the thug spoke of. I looked it over and found the slot for the token. I put the finger bone into the slot and heard a loud click. I pushed open the door and we walked into Jarvia's base.

We were stopped by a doorman. "What's the password?" Nadezda or the thug hadn't mentioned a password. Which meant no matter what I said, we'd have to fight our way through.

"Um... 'die, scum'?" I said, feeling like being a smartass.

Zevran snickered.

"Looks like we have a martyr, boys." We killed them and moved on.

As we moved through the halls, Wynne spoke quietly to me. "You're quite taken with each other, aren't you?" The comment threw me off guard.

"Are you still going on about Alistair staring at my rear?"

She chuckled. Between Alistair enraptured by my "swaying hips", as Wynne had put it, and our closeness at camp, I was actually surprised no one else had said anything.

"And yes, quite."

"I've noticed your blossoming relationship." I think it had gone beyond blossoming. "I wanted to ask you where you thought it was going." She had gone into caring grandmother mode. Or she was worried about someone getting hurt with both of us being Grey Wardens. And different races. "Alistair is a fine lad, skilled in battle, but quite inexperienced in affairs of the heart."

"And I am?"

"I would hate to see him get hurt."

I gave her a questioning look. "Are you saying I might hurt Alistair?"

"Not intentionally, no. But there is a great potential for tragedy here. For one or both of you. You are both Grey Wardens. And he is the son of a king. You both have responsibilities which supersede your personal desires." This I knew and Alistair and I would address that when the time came.

"I can handle my responsibilities and my relationships."

"Love is ultimately selfish. It demands that one be devoted to a single person, who may fully occupy one's mind and heart, to the exclusion of all else. A Grey Warden cannot afford to be selfish." She was lecturing me about my relationship? But it was something I'd come to expect from Wynne. "You may be forced to make a choice between saving your love and saving everyone else and then what would you do?" I didn't want to answer that question or make that choice.

"You're making things sound more dire than they are," I said instead.

"Nothing is certain. Not in these times. You cannot take anything for granted. I want you to be aware of this."

So she was concerned about my getting hurt as well. Alistair and I were crossing boundaries as it was. Humans and Elves didn't have relationships due to so much bad blood in our histories and the taboos of both our worlds. It was an unspoken rule and we were breaking it. She wanted to make sure I was aware that there was a possibility that I would not have a happy ending. And if Alistair became king I wouldn't. No Elf would sit on a throne. Not in Ferelden. Humans did not treat Elves with respect and I was sure my Order was the only reason I halfway was. But I would tackle that when the time came.

"I'll keep in mind what you have said, Wynne."

"I'm just trying to minimize the suffering that may come to either of you. I have given my advice. Do with it what you will."

"I understand."

~~~

We went through the carta's hideout killing carta members, assassins, and mercenaries as they attacked us and I disengaged traps as we came to them. We came upon a jail of some sort and the thugs here rushed us. The sound of steel against steel echoed throughout the room.

"Please... stranger...," a male dwarf in one of the cells cried after we had killed everyone. "Let me out. I see you have no love for Jarvia. Please. Help me."

I found the key to the cell and opened the door.

"Thank you. We've been down here... It's been so long." He pointed to the other cell. "My friend didn't make it. Just stopped eating one day and..." He shook his head. "All for a stupid bet."

"Get out of here while you still can," I said.

"Thank you." He fled and we continued through the hideout.

After a few more fights, we found Jarvia herself.