In the courtyard, we found several Darkspawn attacking the doors with several soldiers defending. With a cry, I charged forward, beheading two Darkspawn in passing. They never knew what hit them. Several fell before we reached the stairs and ran up them, aiding the soldiers protecting the door. The Darkspawn, in turn, were aided by an ogre, which Sten easily took out.

"My lady!" one of the soldiers cried. "You're here! Thank goodness!"

"Did the Darkspawn get into the castle?"

"Some did, yes, but we were able to close the gates and kill the ones in the courtyard. I was told to watch for your arrival, Wardens. Your comrade, Riordan, arrived just ahead of the Darkspawn attack. He has urgent news for you!" It shouldn't surprise me that Riordan was here, although I had expected him to be tracking the movements of the horde. "I should take you to the hall right away, my lady. They'll be waiting for you there." I quit fighting the title everyone had given me. There was no use. They were going to call me "lady" no matter how much I protested. The soldier led us inside and to the main hall. Eamon, Teagan, and Riordan were waiting for us.

Riordan walked towards us. "It is a relief to see you unharmed, Realin. And you as well, Alistair..." He gave us the Grey Warden salute. "Or should I say, Your Majesty?"

"Err... no. No, I wouldn't say that. Not yet, anyway." Alistair said.

"The Darkspawn that attacked Redcliffe were relatively few in number, I'm afraid. It was assumed the horde was marching in this direction... but that is not true."

"Riordan tells us the bulk of the horde is, in fact, heading towards Denerim," Eamon explained. "They are perhaps two days away from the capital."

"What?" Alistair asked. "Are we sure about that? I mean... if it's true..." Denerim needed to be warned.

"I ventured close enough to 'listen in' as it were. I am quite certain." So Riordan was one of the older Wardens who could understand Darkspawn speak.

"Has word been sent to Denerim?" I asked.

"Word has been sent but they need more than warning. They need our armies," Eamon answered.

"There is, I'm afraid, one other piece of news that is of even greater concern," Riordan said. He turned away and walked towards the fire. "The Archdemon has shown itself. The dragon is at the head of the horde."

The Archdemon. The one creature that needed to be killed to end this Blight. And what we had been aiming to do since taking the Grey Warden treaties and traveling to the different lands of the different peoples and gathering our army.

"Maker preserve us!" Teagan breathed.

"But we can't reach Denerim within two days, can we?" Alistair asked acting like the king I knew he could be. "It's too far."

"We must begin a forced march to the capital immediately with what we have. Denerim must be defended at all costs."

"I agree," I said. "We've collected an army. Let's use it." And if the Archdemon was going to be there, what better way to end the Blight?

"The horde must be defeated but the Archdemon is our true target." Riordan echoed my very thoughts. "And only the Grey Wardens can defeat the Archdemon. That is why we must go." Every story ever told about the Wardens and the Blight said that only the Wardens could put an end to it. Killing the Archdemon was the only way to do so. And only a Warden could kill it.

"Then we march," Alistair said. "And hope the army we've collected here gives us the chance we need. How long before the army can set out?"

"By daybreak," Eamon said.

"Then let's get them ready. I won't let all these people die without giving them a chance."

"Then we're off to war," I said. "Let's do it."

"I will give the orders at once and will notify you the moment we are ready to march."

"That world be appreciated," Alistair said.

Riordan turned to me. "Then if you and Alistair could meet me before you retire, we have Grey Warden business to discuss."

"I will have someone show you and your companions to your rooms. I suggest you all get some rest, while you can. We will need it."

~~~

A servant led me down the hall and to my room. After she left, I went to find Alistair. No matter how hurt and upset I was, we still had a job to do. And I was going to have to talk to him because of the Blight.

I ran into Teagan first. "Realin," he said with a smile. "Just the person I was hoping to speak with."

"Hello, Teagan."

"I want to tell you, before we march off to war and uncertain futures, how much I respect you. Don't take this the wrong way, but I find it hard to see you as a Dalish. I see you as a woman who knows what she wants and how to get it."

I scoffed. "How to get it is the hard part sometimes."

Teagan laughed. "I will agree to that!" I will admit I like Teagan. It was easy to forget he was a human with the respect he showed me. He didn't see an Elf when he spoke to me. Like Alistair, he just saw a woman who could hold her own.

"What brought this on?"

"I admire you. Despite all the crap I'm sure other humans put you through, you don't give up. I admired your strength against Loghain and your bravery in your duel. Alistair's a lucky man."

I gave him an odd look. "What do you mean?"

"To have you at his side."

I didn't answer.

"Maker." Teagan shook his head. "You know, Maric almost didn't marry my sister."

I looked at him curiously. "Then who?"

"During the rebellion, he met an Elven Bard named Katriel. He was betrothed to Rowan but he fell madly in love with her. He was willing to make her queen and deal with the consequences, he loved her that much."

"Why didn't he?"

"He found out that she'd been sent by Orlais to sabotage the rebellion. He killed her, but I've come to understand that he regretted doing so. He found out later that she betrayed her employers and with her death, she gave Maric what he needed to help bring down the occupation."

"Is this supposed to make me feel better? That there was almost an Elven queen?"

"No, I...," Teagan sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know why I'm telling you this. I think I may have just opened up a wound. I'm sorry."

I saw Alistair standing outside a room at the end of the hall.

"You didn't know, Teagan. But thanks."

"For what?"

"For trying." I stood on my tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. It took Teagan by surprise but he smiled and inclined his head before retreating down the hall. I walked down the hall to Alistair.

"There you are," he said. "Let's go and see what Riordan has to say."

"Let's go."

We went into the Senior Grey Warden's room. Riordan turned to us when we entered. "You are both here." He approached us. "Good. You both are fairly new to the Grey Wardens and you may not have been told how an Archdemon is slain. I need to know if that is so."

"You mean to say there's more to it than just, say, chopping off its head?" Alistair asked.

I shook my head. "I went straight into battle after my Joining. Duncan never had the chance to tell me much before he died."

"So it is true. Duncan had not told you yet. I had simply assumed...," He trailed off and paused. "Tell me, have you ever wondered why the Grey Wardens are needed to defeat the Darkspawn?"

"I assume it has something to do with the taint in us," I said.

Riordan nodded. "That is exactly what it involves. The Archdemon may be slain as any other Darkspawn but should any other than a Grey Warden do the slaying, it will not be enough. The essence of the beast will pass through the taint to the nearest Darkspawn and will be reborn anew in that body. The dragon is thus all but immortal. But if the Archdemon is slain by a Grey Warden...," he paused again and studied us. "Its essence travels into the Grey Warden instead."

"And... what happens to the Grey Warden?" Whatever it was couldn't be very pleasant.

"A Darkspawn is an empty, soulless vessel but a Grey Warden is not. The essence of the Archdemon is destroyed... and so is the Grey Warden."

I just looked at him. It was more than not pleasant. It would be painful and devastating.

"Meaning...," Alistair began. "The Grey Warden who kills the Archdemon..." He glanced at me. "Dies?"

"Yes," Riordan answered sadly. "Without the Archdemon, the Bight ends. It is the only way."

"So it's up to the three of us to kill this thing," I said. If I had to, I would take the final blow myself.

"In Blights past, when the time came the eldest of the Grey Wardens would decide which amongst them would take that final blow. If possible, the final blow should be mine to make. I am the eldest and the taint will not spare me much longer." He looked at me. "But if I fail, then the deed falls on you, Realin." He looked at Alistair. "You must not be the one to do it unless the two of us are slain."

Alistair looked like he was about to protest and I elbowed him in the side.

"The Blight must be stopped now or it will destroy all of Ferelden before the rest of the Grey Wardens can assemble. Remember that. But enough. There is much to do tomorrow and little enough time to do rest before it. I will let you return to your rooms."

"I will see you once the army is ready to march then," Alistair said. "I guess this ends soon, one way or another."

"That it does, my friend. That it does."

Alistair and I left the room.

Alistair decided to attempt to lighten the mood. "I'm wondering something. I'd like to know your thoughts on some of our companions. Do you mind if I ask?"

I gave him a look. "Why do you want to know?" I sighed.

"I've got this nefarious plan to go around to each of them and secretly tell them all the nasty things you said. That way they'll mutiny and I shall become the group leader." He gave an evil laugh that was so silly it was funny. I laughed out loud despite myself. Seemed like the awkward stage was over.

"If you want to lead all you have to do is ask, Your Highness. Besides you're the one you stuck me in the leadership position, remember?"

"What? Lead? Me? No, no, no. No leading. Bad things happen when I lead. We get lost, people die and the next thing you know I'm stranded somewhere without any pants."

I had to stop and lean against the wall, I was laughing so hard. I wondered if that was his intention.

He leaned against the wall with me. "Seriously though, I'm only curious. I've had enough time to form my own opinions and I just wanted to see if yours are any different."

"Sounds like fun. Ask away."

"How about Oghren? You must have an opinion on the smell at the very least."

"If it were possible to get drunk off the smell..."

Alistair laughed.

"He is a bit much, isn't he?"

"Well, let's just say I'm not so surprised that he's not married anymore. How he lifts his axe is a bit of a mystery. Though I suppose the point is that he does lift it. And so long as we can point him in the right direction, he charges too. He has gusto. I'll give him that. Zevran. The Elf. You can't... trust him, can you? Do you believe his so-called vow?"

"Maybe. He hasn't attempted to betray us. But I'm more concerned about him trying to make his move on me."

"And there was that...," he muttered.

I raised a brow at him. "Do I sense a hint of jealousy?"

"You know that's a lot to put on a 'maybe', isn't it?" Alistair changed the subject back to Zevran's vow. "He's an assassin. The Crows aren't known for giving up. Maybe he's just biding his time?"

"If he tries anything, then he'll die." I had a feeling Zevran no longer had an interest in killing me or Alistair. Not since he sided with us against his old friend from the Crows. He had more of an interest in what was under my armor now. Actually, I'm pretty sure he always had that interest.

"At least your considering the possibility. He just seems shifty to me."

I rolled my eyes. Alistair was jealous. Plain and simple. I remember the dirty look he'd given the Elf after he had agreed to stay with us after we'd killed the Crows sent after him. I wondered how many of those dirty looks he'd given him since I brought him along. But I guess now it didn't matter.

"What about Sten? The way he looks at me, with those eyes... creepy. And he's so quiet for someone so big."

"I agree. The Qunari are unsettling." I remembered the conversation we'd had about me not being a woman warrior.

"Yet he doesn't seem quite so bad as the Chantry tells us. According to them, his philosophy is vile and evil, yet he seems so reasonable. And yet he killed all those people. He doesn't even deny it. Doesn't that bother you?"

"He seems to regret what he did..."

"I'm not so sure that his regret means the same as it would for us. The Qunari sense of honor is... a bit hard to grasp. For me, anyway. What about Leliana? Is she crazy? Or do you believe in her vision?"

"I believe that she believes in her vision." She had turned into my best friend since she joined our party. I'd found I was just as relaxed with her as I had been with Alistair and with Teagan.

"That's one way to put it. I don't know what to make of her. If you look at her when she doesn't see you, she just looks so... so sad. I almost feel guilty taking her away from her life."

"It was her choice. She asked to join us."

"Yes, I know. Still, I feel badly for her. Morrigan. Do you trust her? Think about it... maybe Flemeth sent her with us for some other reason than she said." He and Morrigan had been at each other's throats and throwing insults at each other since the day we met her in the Wilds.

"You really don't like each other, do you?"

"Well aside from the fact that she is a complete and utter bitch, no... I don't like her at all. Why? Do you?"

"I don't have to like her. She's useful." She had pulled us out of a tight spot or two.

"That's the most sensible thing I've heard out of you yet."

"Ass."

"Just remember that she's dangerous, too. And evil. And mean." I shook my head. "I think my curiosity is sated."

"No talking about Wynne and Tristan?"

"We have the same opinion on them, I know. Besides, I really like them. Tristan refused to leave my side after I left Denerim. You didn't tell him to stick to me like glue, did you?"

"No, I told him to go with you when you left. He likes you. If I fall, I'm sure he'll imprint on you next."

"Realin."

"Nothing is certain, Alistair." I pushed off the wall, the lightheartedness having vanished. "Get some rest. We can't stay up all night talking about each other or our futures or fears."