Soundtrack:

Diem Ex Dei ~ Globus (Howe Estate)

Before we made for Howe's estate, we headed to Brother Genitivi's house. He had said next time we were in Denerim to come by. And I wanted to make sure he'd gotten home in one piece. So to speak.

"Will the Tower ever be rebuilt?" Alistair asked Wynne.

"I don't know," she said, sadly. "A great number of people died. It will be difficult to imagine rebuilding with that cloud hanging over everything for many years to come."

"Do you think you'll be there? To help rebuild, I mean? Once this is all over with?"

"I cannot say. Even if I survive this Blight... I am a very old woman, Alistair."

"Why? Because of some grey hair?"

I smiled.

"You are a formidable woman, Wynne. You could see that it happens."

"I think you overestimate the number of years I have left. But perhaps you are right. Or perhaps the memories of what happened there... will be too strong for me to face."

"I have a hard time believing that."

"Well, it's good to have someone that believes in me so. Now if I could only feel the same way myself. That would be something."

"Ah, Wynne," Zevran said. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You've saved all of our behinds a few times. I have to agree with Alistair."

"As do I," I agreed.

"Thank you. You are wonderful people."

We arrived at Genitivi's house and I knocked. The door opened and Genitivi's face split into a wide grin. "If it isn't the champion who succeeded in the quest for the Sacred Urn!" he said. "I had not expected to see you so soon! Come in! Come in!" It had actually been several months since we rescued him from the Cult of Andraste. He led us to his sitting room. The foot had managed to be saved but he walked with a very noticeable limp and a cane. "I've written to the Chantry, telling them of your adventures. They are interested in having me lead an expedition! What do you think of that? I'm quite excited."

"That's great news." I still wasn't sure about revealing the location of the Urn to all of Thedas. I still felt it would be exploited by the so-called faithful.

"You made this all possible. I could never thank you quite enough but I'm certainly going to try. Here." He handed me a dagger and sheath that would attach to my arm and could retract and extend with a flick of my wrist. "Take this. I want you to have it. It will certainly do more good in your hands than lying around this dusty house, eh? And the Arl is in Denerim for the Landsmeet? I was relieved to hear he is alive and well. It really is a miracle. And now if you'll excuse me, I have so much to prepare for. I wish Weylon was here to see all this..."

"Thank you, Genitivi. And good luck."

We made for Howe's estate but ran into trouble. Of course. We were passing a flight of stairs that led to an abandoned estate when a man appeared at the top of them. "And so here is the mighty Grey Warden at long last," he said. "The Crows send their greetings, once again."

"Sheesh, you guys don't give up easily do you?" I quipped.

"So they sent you, Taliesen," Zevran said, stepping up to my right side. "Or did you volunteer for the job?"

I was suddenly wary of him standing so close. I had a sudden wonder if this had been planned and that Zevran was betraying Alistair and I and finishing what he started so many months ago.

"I volunteered, of course. When I heard the great Zevran had gone rogue, I simply had to see it for myself."

The great Zevran?

"Is that so? Well, here I am. In the flesh." That feeling abated a bit at his words and I had a sense the two really didn't like each other to begin with.

"You can return with me, Zevran. I know why you did this and I don't blame you. It's not too late. Come back and we'll make up a story. Anyone can make a mistake."

Zevran scoffed. I sensed a trap. I knew what would happen if he went back with Taliesen.

"Don't listen to him."

"Don't worry. I know what he wants to do."

"Have you gone soft?" Taliesen asked.

"I'm sorry, my old friend, but the answer is no. I'm not coming back and you should have stayed in Antiva." He drew his swords. "Ambush, Realin."

I drew my swords just as several assassins came at us. Alistair and Wynne held them off as I took on another assassin and Zevran and Taliesen went head to head. They were both equal in skill but Zevran was losing ground. I maneuvered behind the Crow and gave him a swift backstab. He spun around to attack me and Zevran used my distraction to take his head, erasing any doubts I had of his loyalty.

"Now that was interesting," Wynne said.

"You alright, Zev?" I asked.

"I am." He looked down at Taliesen's corpse. "And there it is. Taliesen is dead and I am free of the Crows. They will assume I am dead along with Taliesen. So long as I do not make my presence known to them, they will not seek me out."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"A very good thing. It is, in fact, what I had hoped for ever since you decided not to kill me. I have enjoyed our company but I am wondering if it is not time for me to leave. That would be the practical thing to do, no? There is a freedom awaiting me that I have never known. But I suppose the decision is yours. Will you let me go?"

"I wish you would stay. I still need your help."

"Do you? I suppose there are worst things I could do with my time than save the world..."

I chuckled. "I ask that you stay as a friend, not as someone bound to me."

This time it was he that chuckled. "And who could resist such a request? Very well, I will not abandon you. Let us return to the task at hand, then. There is still much to be done, yes?"

"Let's go." I turned and briefly caught a dirty look from Alistair towards Zevran. I smiled to myself. Zevran had been flirting with all of the women of the party from day one. Alistair had nothing to worry about. There was no competition.

We heard the shouting before we reached the estate.

Erlina waved at us. "Over here!" she cried and darted over to a wagon where she was out of sight of the crowd. We joined her. "The servants' entrance is on the other side of the house. We must slip past the crowd to reach it. We will have to be very careful; Arl Howe is inside."

"What's the crowd gathered for?"

"The estate is in poor repair. The new Arl, he has not been prompt in paying his workman. Come. Let us be off."

We snuck around to the back and Erlina led us to the servants' entrance. We stopped and backtracked quickly before the guards there saw us.

"I can distract the guards," Erlina said. "But you must move quickly." She waited until we had the helms to the guard uniforms on before she went up to the guards. She lured them away from the door and we slipped inside.

A few minutes later, Erlina joined us. "I thought I would never be rid of them!" she said. "You must be careful now. The servants, they will not look closely at anyone in uniform. All guards are alike to a cook, no? But you should not draw attention to yourself. Most of the guards are new. They will not know you for a stranger at a glance. It is best you keep your distance from all of them and try to blend in." Easier said than done.

"Where's Anora?" I asked.

"She is in a guest room off the main hall. Andraste guide us."

Erlina went ahead of us and we followed several paces behind her. And let me tell you, I have no idea how anyone can stand wearing a helm. They are stifling and block your peripheral vision. But it was part of our disguise. We had to go through the dining hall to reach the main hall. Unfortunately, it was full of guards. We somehow managed to pass through them without raising an alarm or even an eyebrow. No one paid us any mind. We found the main hall and Erlina darted off to the side. We quickly followed her. She stopped in front of one of the doors. There were no guards present. What was stopping the queen from just walking out of the estate?

"The Grey Warden is here, my lady," Erlina said.

"Thank the Maker!" A woman's voice, whom I assumed to be Anora, cried from the other side. "I would greet you properly but I'm afraid we've had a setback."

"What sort of setback?" I asked.

"My 'host' was not content with leaving me under heavy guard. He's sealed the door by magic." Of course. It couldn't be as easy as sneaking in, freeing Anora, and sneaking back out. I swear the Creators enjoyed giving me complicated tasks.

"Great," I muttered. "How do we open it?" I added louder.

"Find the Mage who cast the spell. He'll most likely be at Howe's side."

"So much for secrecy," Alistair muttered.

"I'll be back soon," I sighed.

"Thank you, Warden. My prayers go with you."

"Teyrn Howe will probably be in his rooms. They're at the end of the hall on the left," Erlina said.

"Thanks."

Erlina stayed with her mistress and Alistair, Zevran, Wynne, and I went in the direction she told us. We found Howe's rooms but no Howe. Alistair and I went through some of his papers. I found a document chest and I picked the lock. I went through them and found something that Howe shouldn't have in his possession.

"Alistair," I stood with a set of documents bearing the Grey Warden seal in my hands. "What is he doing with these? And how did he get his hands on them?"

Alistair looked them over a frown on his face. "That is a very good question."

"Shall we ask him?"

Wynne chuckled and we went down a flight of stairs and through another door. Once we went through the door, a guard called to us.

"Who goes there?" he asked.

Before any of us could say anything, a pair of arms came out of the cell behind him and grabbed him. One arm went around his neck in a chokehold. I pulled my helm off as they struggled. Alistair took his own helm off as the prisoner snapped the guard's neck. The guard dropped and the prisoner took the keys off him and unlocked the door. He was dragged into the cell. Alistair and I looked at each other, my fingers around my belt knife. A moment later a black-haired man, wearing the guard's armor, emerged.

"I thank you for creating such distraction, stranger. I have been waiting days for the opportunity. Do you think you could...," He trailed off when he saw my fellow Grey Warden. "Alistair? Is that you?"

I looked at Alistair.

"Who...? Wait I do know you. You were at my Joining." He turned to me. "He's one of us. A Warden from Orlais." That gave me hope. And meant that we weren't the last of the Order. "Jader, I think. Or was it Montsimmard? I'm afraid I don't remember your name."

The Warden gave an unsteady bow and I could see the pain on his face and the exhaustion in his eyes. "I am Riorden, Senior Warden of Jader, but born and bred in Highever and glad to be home."

"Excuse my bluntness and do not think I am not glad to see another Warden, but why weren't you killed at Ostagar?"

"Because I wasn't there. I was sent from Orlais when we received no word from King Cailan. The king had invited all the Wardens of Orlais and their support troops to join him and then... nothing."

"How did Howe capture you?"

"With an offer of hospitality and a poisoned chalice. I was fool enough to think Loghain did not yet know who I was." Which also explained how Howe had gotten his hands on the Warden documents. I held them out to Riorden.

"Are these your papers?"

He smiled. "Yes. These are my records. The names of the dead I could recognize at Ostagar. What I could find of Duncan's own recruitment records. Copies of the Joining ritual I rescued from our Denerim vault. Those should never be seen by any outside eyes but I trust in their encryption."

"The Joining ritual? You can induct other Wardens?" I was hopeful. That would give us an edge and help in the rebuilding of the Order.

"Wish that I could for Ferelden sorely needs them."

"No kidding," Zevran said.

Riorden looked at Wynne and Zevran then decided what he had to say could be said in front of them as mine and Alistair's companions. "For the Joining to work, the recruit needs not only fresh Darkspawn blood but also a drop of blood preserved from an Archdemon. Ferelden's supply should have been in the vault but it was gone. I can only imagine someone took it out and Loghain either confiscated or destroyed it."

I sighed. So that's how Grey Wardens didn't go mad. And explained the nightmares. "You haven't happened to see Howe lately?"

"I saw him go into the dungeons. He may still be there." Riorden was in no condition to aid us in finding him or freeing Anora.

Alistair had the same thought. "We are staying with Arl Eamon at the Redcliffe Estate," he said. "Go there and tell him that Realin and I sent you. He'll give you what aid you need."

"Thank you, Alistair." Riorden turned to me. "And good luck,...Sister." He said the last with a smile and went in the direction we had come from.

"I never thought I'd say this but off to the dungeon," Alistair said.

"Sounds kinky," Zevran said.

"Creators," I breathed before I replaced the helm and led us into the dungeon.