I pushed open the door that led into the dungeon and was met by a guard. "Who goes?"

"Very funny. You know who I am," I bluffed, hoping it would work.

He scoffed. "Anyone who comes in here without Howe's say so, we get to do what we like with 'em," he said. Well, shit. Bluff called. "I think we finally got a bit of entertainment here, lads." He drew his sword and attacked along with the others.

It didn't take us long to defeat them. We fought our way through the dungeon until we reached a line of cells. I took the keys off the body of one of the guards and went down the cells, looking for anyone who might still be alive. Might as well free Howe's prisoners while I was at it.

"They're sounding the horns for retreat!" A man cried when we approached his cell. "Do you hear it? Do you hear the dogs howling?" I unlocked his cell door. "They said to retreat. The horn sounded and we turned and then the screams... We rode and they screamed and screamed and..." He wept. We looked at each other.

"What do you mean retreat?" I asked. "Were you at Ostagar?"

"Mother, can you smell the blood? They said it was only Darkspawn but we ate them, too."

"Um... gross," Zevran said. "What is with the eating of Darkspawn lately? Is that the new white meat?"

"Seriously, Zev?" I asked.

"They died and we left them. In the swamp. The witch. The witch!"

"He's obviously mad," Alistair said. "I don't think you'll get anything more out of him."

I didn't sense the taint in him so he must have gone mad from being here too long or from what he saw at Ostagar.

"You're free. Go someplace safe."

"Safe. Is there a safe? Perhaps next door..." The man walked out of the cell and wandered down the hall in the direction we'd come from.

"That was... interesting," Wynne said.

We found an Elf in another cell. I unlocked it and opened the door wide.

"What month is it?" He seemed dazed. "Are you some enemy of Arl Urien's? Please... I feel like I've spent half my life down here."

"Arl Urien died months ago," I told him.

"Dead? Then who's ruling? His son, Vaughan... He struck me down and I woke up here. People were so angry. They were thinking of petitioning the king..."

"The king is dead as well. Loghain," I spit the name out. "Rules in his place."

"There has been... many changes since they caught me. I... I need to find out what happened. I-I need to get home. Or... or flee the city. I... I thank you for your aid, stranger. I wish I had more than gratitude to offer." He jogged down the hall and we continued on.

We heard a man's screams and followed them. We found the source of the screams, a young man being tortured on a rack. His torturers saw us and charged at us. We slew them quickly.

When everything settled, the man called out to us. "Don't leave me here! Get me out of here! That's an order!"

"Must be a noble," Alistair said.

I walked over and freed him from the rack.

He wobbly stood, Alistair steadying him, and looked at each of us, a pissed-off look on his face. "Was this supposed to be a lesson? Did my father think it funny to leave me for so long before sending you?"

"Um, who are you?" I asked.

"Then... my father didn't send you?"

"Sorry but no."

"I am Oswyn, son of Bann Sighard of the Dragon's Peak Bannorn. If you aren't one of our soldiers, pray tell me, who should I be thanking for my rescue."

"You can call me Realin," I wasn't going to advertise I was a Grey Warden here. Not yet. The time would come for that.

Oswyn studied me. "I can see you are not one of my father's soldiers." I braced for the knife ears insult. "You have my heartfelt gratitude and, I assume, the gratitude of the entire Dragon's Peak Bannorn. If my father sent no one after me, I can only assume that he does not yet know the true colors of the snakes he has allied with. But if you talk to him, I am certain he would offer you any reward you might ask. Dalish or no."

"Will your father side against Loghain at the Landsmeet?"

"Then there is a Landsmeet after all? Howe said the Arl of Redcliffe was dead and the Landsmeet called off. I swear, if there be any forum to speak out against Loghain, my father will be there. Now, please, I must try to get to him. I ... I cannot see the last of this place too soon." He ran from the place and I really didn't blame him.

We had freed a few prisoners, including a young blond-haired Elf that looked like she was being used as an outlet for the humans' frustrations, but we had still not found Howe.

We found him down the hall and through a door. Howe seemed to be waiting for us. "Well, well," he said crossing his arms. "The Grey Warden. I must say I'm surprised Eamon would condone you invading my castle and murdering my men. Is he losing faith in the persuasive powers of his Landsmeet?"

"I know your game," I said, drawing my swords. The others followed my lead. "No more words." 

Howe scowled. It seemed that I spoiled the gloating he was planning on doing. "You should have left when you had the chance, Warden. Slunk off to the Anderfels to hide with the rest of your kind."

My eyes narrowed. How dare he speak of my brothers and sisters like that!

"This Landsmeet is a farce. Loghain will triumph and you will die."

"We'll see who will be the one to die."

Two of his guards rushed at me and I defended. Wynne set her sights on his Mage while Zevran and Alistair focused on the other guards. I beheaded the two guards that rushed me and snuck behind Howe. He spun around and brought his sword down. I crossed my blades and blocked the blow that had been aimed at my face. We both pushed against each other's strength. I kicked him back and he came after me again. I blocked with one sword and brought the other across his chest. He backed away and swung his sword towards my middle. I jumped back and the tip of his blade missed my abdomen by inches. He brought his sword down again. I crossed mine again. The tip of his blade found my cheek and left a shallow scratch there. He pushed and I bent backward to avoid it finding its way into my face. He pulled his blade back and raised it again, leaving himself open. I shoved both of my blades into his chest while Zevran's dagger found his back. We both stepped away from him and he collapsed.

"Maker spit on you... I deserved... more...," he said before he died.

"Good riddance." I took a key from his body and went to the nearby cells. A few of the prisoners were dead, but a couple still lived.

"Who's there?" A man called from the first cell we came across that still held a live person. "Stay away! You can't do this to me! I'll have you all flayed! I'm the Arl of Denerim!"

We looked at each other.

"Arl Urien died at Ostagar," I said. "Who are you?"

"I am Vaughan Kendells, heir to the arling of Denerim! It's true! Too many of our troops were lost at Ostagar. When the riots started, Howe came with men to reinforce the garrison here. Or that's what he claimed. As soon as I let him in the place, he threw me in here. 'One more victim of the Elven uprising,' he said. Let me out of here! I'll do anything!"

"What caused the Elves to rebel?"

"How should I know? They're prickly and take offense to anything."

I raised a brow at him. We do not. At least Dalish didn't.

"It's only their laziness that keeps them from being trouble most of the time."

I crossed my arms and cleared my throat.

"Really?" Alistair said. "You're going to say that to the Elf that has the key to your cell?"

"What? She..." He trailed off when he realized that I was indeed an Elf. I smiled and held the key up. "Well, um, I know nothing of the Dalish, but I do not take back what I said regarding the city Elves."

"A Landsmeet has been called. I need your voice." I chose to ignore his comments at that moment. He was a bigot and probably always will be.

"Of course! Anything! Just let me out!"

I had a feeling that he would say that. I unlocked his cell. "Betray me and you'll find out more about the Dalish than you care to." It was a threat I would carry out.

"I swear you won't regret this!" I opened the door and he ran out. Zevran snorted.

I put a hand on his shoulder and leaned close to his ear. "After the Landsmeet, do what you do best. Make it clean."

The assassin smiled and nodded, his eyes brightening. I didn't trust the man at all. If he betrayed us at the Landsmeet, I'd kill him myself. The only reason he wasn't dead already was because of the Landsmeet.

I went to the next cell to find a man praying.

"Andraste, Bride of the Maker, have mercy on me."

I unlocked and opened the door and he looked up.

"Alfstanna... is that you, little sister?" He realized I wasn't his sister a moment later. "No... I don't know you... do I? Are you real?"

"Who are you?"

"I... I'm Irminric, Knight-Lieutenant of the Denerim Chantry." What was a Templar doing in Howe's dungeon? "You aren't one of the Teyrn's men?"

"He sounds like he's in lyrium withdrawal," Alistair said. "He has all the signs: Confusion, weepiness... He probably doesn't even know what he's saying." He'd probably seen it plenty, having been in Templar training since he was ten. "If the Grand Cleric knew he was in here, she'd be spitting hot coals. Nobles don't have authority over Templars."

"I... failed in my duties. Maker, forgive me, I failed and there's no telling what he's done..."

"Who are you talking about?" I asked.

"The Maleficar. He had turned blood magic upon Templars and Circle Mages to escape from the Tower. Near Redcliffe, I cornered him... But the Teryn's men took him from me... and brought me here..."

Alistair and I looked at each other. I turned back to Irminric. "This Maleficar. Was his name Jowan?"

"Yes. He... destroyed his phylactery... we were spread out trying to find him... I was alone. I ... you are real, aren't you? My dreams are... so strange now. Please, if you're not a dream, help me."

"What do you want me to do?"

He handed me his ring. "Give this... to my sister, Alfstanna. Tell her... tell her I'm sorry. Please. Ask her... to pray for me." He knelt and started praying again.

"I think the only way he's leaving is if he sees his sister," Wynne said.

I nodded in agreement and placed the ring in my pack. "We need to get back to Anora and then get ourselves out of here."

We went back to the room that Anora was in and she emerged wearing armor when Erlina assured her that I had returned. "My thanks," she said.

"Let's go," I said.

"Thank you. I'll trust you to lead us safely out. If Howe's people find me. I'll be killed. And my people will insist on escorting me back to the palace... where my father may also have me killed."

"Then the sooner we slip out the better."

The plan was to slip back out through the servants' entrance. We were going to take our original path through the main hall and the dining hall. But as we walked into the main hall we found the door and our path to escape blocked by Cauthrien and several of Loghain's guards.

"Uh oh," I said. Yes, I know I said I hate the "uh oh" but in this situation, it worked perfectly.

"Wardens!" Cauthrien said taking a few steps towards us. How the hell did she know we were here? "In the name of the Regent, I am placing you under arrest for the murder of Rendon Howe and his men-at-arms. Surrender and you may be shown mercy." That was a laugh. And "surrender" was not in my vocabulary.

"She doesn't know the whole story," Wynne said, her voice low.

"And she and Loghain will only care for their version of things," I said. "They do not wish to see any other viewpoint."

"What about...," She trailed off, not wanting to mention the queen by name.

"They want Alistair and I. Make sure they get out unscathed."

"This should be fun," Alistair said. "We're highly outnumbered here. Story of our lives."

"Lay down your weapons and surrender."

I drew my swords. "You'll have to come and claim them."

"Bring them down! Loghain wants the Wardens dead or alive!"

The guards rushed at us.

"Get them out of here!"

I threw off the confining helm and met the guards' blades against my own. Alistair was right. We were highly outnumbered. But if we served as a distraction that allowed Anora to escape, so be it. I felled one guard, only to have two more replace him. We'd been in more hopeless scrapes before. I spun around and beheaded another guard. Something struck the back of my head, causing my vision to blur and my head to explode in pain before I fell into darkness.