Chapter 3: Old Debts And New Opportunities

The unusual group consisting of a Fereldan refugee, his two apostate sisters, a mabari war hound, a city guard, a dwarf with a habit of telling stories and many useful connections (some legal, some not as much), one of the most powerful Sith in the galaxy, and a Jedi who could see any being's true nature, left the Viscount's Keep, and stepped into the streets of Hightown. But as they crossed the street that led to the enormous Kirkwall Chantry, they couldn't help but overhear a rather heated argument.

"Sebastian! Stop, this, madness!"

As Garrett watched, he saw that the woman involved in this spectacle was clearly a member of the Chantry based on her robes, but as he took a closer look, he realized that this old woman was, in fact, the Grand Cleric herself. Her opponent in this debate was a rather handsome young man wearing fine, well-polished white armour, and he had a large bow on his back.

Grand Cleric Elthina continued her lecture. "The Chantry cannot condone revenge, Sebastian!"

The man that Hawke guessed was Sebastian, who had a look of pure rage in his eyes, snarled "It is my right, my duty, to show these assassins that there is nowhere in the Free Marches to hide." And with that, he left.

Elthina went up to the Chanter's Board, where Sebastian had pinned his declaration of vengeance, and ripped it off. "This, is, murder."

Suddenly an arrow flew through the air, and it whipped the paper right out of the the Grand Cleric's hand, and pinned it back on the board. "No," Sebastian muttered as he replaced his bow on his back. "What happened to my family was murder." and he stormed away, leaving the Grande Cleric with a shocked look on her face.

Each member of Hawke's group, including Faalreth, regarded the archer with a curious expression, though none pursued him or said anything. After a few seconds, the majority of them went up the Chanter's Board to see exactly what the man had put up there, but Benevolon and Jaesa remained behind for a little while to converse with one another.

"Master, the pain I sensed in him was unlike any I have ever felt, and all of it will only fuel his anger. I fear what will become of him if he continues down this path of vengeance."

"Well said, Jaesa," Benevolon said approvingly. The indecisive girl he had taken as his apprentice so long ago had clearly come into her own, and become a fine young woman who was not afraid to take initiative. "Now we should make sure our new friends agree with your assessment. And you don't need to call me Master anymore; you learned all I have to teach you long ago."

"Be that as it may, as long as I am at your side, I will always be your apprentice in my heart, Master." Jaesa said with a shy smile. "And if I may say so, Master, I feel that you underestimate your own wisdom, and just how much you have to teach."

Shaking his head while giving a small chuckle, Benevolon chose not to respond, and the two Force users rejoined the group.

Marian inspected the paper, and murmured to the rest of her party "Looks like that dashing archer boy is offering a reward for anyone who kills these Flint Company assassins. And get this - it says here that his family ruled the city of Starkhaven! If he inherits his family's riches, that's gonna be quite a reward indeed."

"Killing these murderers will not bring that boy's family back." Jaesa pointed out with a worried look on her face.

Aveline frowned "Jaesa, don't you think that the lad at least deserves retribution for the crimes these men have committed against him?"

"You're talking about vengeance, Aveline, not justice," Benevolon informed her. "Besides, these assassins were obviously nothing more than blades for hire, not the real culprits. Does the guilt lie with the knife, or the one who wielded it?"

"True," Bethany admitted, "but at least if we kill them, they won't be able to accept any more contracts."

"Bethany," Hawke sighed, "even if we were to wipe out every mercenary company in Thedas, others would simply rise to take their place. The unfortunate truth is that there will always be scum willing to bloody their blades if it means filling their coin purses."

Fortunately Varric spoke up before the group could get into a debate on whether or not they should take the trouble to hunt down the assassins. "Listen people, we're probably gonna have to run all around every square inch of Kirkwall trying to raise enough money for the expedition, and I'm sure that somewhere along the way, we'll run into these Flint Company guys. Then we can decide what to do with them. In the meantime though, we've both got jobs to do, and we're wasting daylight."

Marian frowned in confusion. "When you put it that way, Varric, it makes sense that my brother and his lot get moving. But why should we go? The letter from Athenril says that we're supposed to meet Anso after dark. We've got the whole day."

"Yes," Varric nodded. "And so we should use this day to relax and have a few pints in my suite at the Hanged Man."

Marian's eyes lit up at that suggestion. "Good point. Why didn't I think of that? Alcohol is just what I need right now - all this talk about morality and whatnot is making me thirsty."

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but can we back up a little?" Benevolon said as he entered the conversation. "What expedition?"

"Oh, right, we never told you." Varric chuckled. "My brother, Bartrand, is putting together an expedition into the Deep Roads to look for anything of value we can find down there. Unfortunately, even though he's sold just about everything he can - including half our family's heirlooms - he still doesn't have enough coin to pay for the damned thing, and it doesn't help that he's stubborn and prideful. Fortunately, I am a much more practical man, and the Hawke family here has earned a reputation for being problem solvers, if you know what I mean. If Hawke can invest fifty sovereigns into the expedition, he and his family will receive a full third of all profits."

Benevolon and Jaesa now understood why they were taking odd jobs from wherever they could, but there was one thing that still wasn't clear to them.

"What's so special about these Deep Roads?" Jaesa wondered. "And what makes you so sure that there will even be any treasure to find?"

Varric stared at the Jedi as though she'd just asked him what ale was, and looked at Aveline, who had been the first member of their little gang to meet her.

Aveline looked at Benevolon, as though she were seeking permission for something, and when the large man with the strange helmet nodded, she said "Benevolon and Jaesa aren't originally from Thedas, or so they claim."

The dwarf's eyes went wide as dinner plates. "Not from Thedas? Are you shitting me, Aveline? What are they, Qunari or something? Jaesa's clearly human, but I suppose Benevolon's big enough. Although I've never seen a Qunari wear armour like that."

The city guard explained "No they are not Qunari, Varric. If you remember, the Qunari originally came from across the Northern Ocean, which is thousands of miles from here. I'm pretty sure that these two came to Kirkwall from across the Amaranthine Ocean."

"You can all ask Jaesa and myself about the land we come from in greater detail later," Benevolon told the group. "Right now, we all have things that need doing."

"Damn straight," Marian agreed. "I need to find out whether or not I can out-drink a dwarf!"

"You are so on." Varric said with a grin.

Just before the group split into two, Garret spoke to his twin sister. "Marian, do you think you could check on Mother before you go to the Hanged Man?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Marian sighed. "If it were just Mother in there, I'd be more than happy to go, but I'm willing to bet that our dear Uncle Gamlen's there too, and I think we can both guess what'll happen if I'm with that scumbag in the same room for five minutes without you to diffuse things. So unless you've got time and coin for that selfish bastard's funeral, it's probably best that I not go home until you get back."

"Fair enough, I suppose," Garrett sighed. "But at least send a message or two home to let Mother know we're all right. You know how worried she gets when we're out on a job."

Marian rolled her eyes. "Fine, but I wish she'd learn that we know how to look after ourselves."

"Can you blame her?" Bethany said. "After what happened to Carver..." The three Hawke siblings fell into a moment of silent mourning as they remembered their fallen brother.

Marian suddenly pulled her younger sister in for a hug, and she gave Bethany's cheek a kiss. "Hope you have fun seeing the Dalish, Beth," The older sister said with a smile. She'd always been good at helping the family forget their troubles and lighten the mood. "Be sure to tell us all about it when you get back."

Marian then grabbed her twin, and the two gave each other a fierce hug as they wrapped their arms tightly around each other.

"You bring her back safely, Garrett," Marian whispered. "No matter what happens, protect her, like you always do."

"Until my dying breath, I will always protect my family." Hawke assured her. But even as he said it, the words felt like an empty promise to him. Carver was dead... He'd failed.

"Stay safe out there, Marian."

Hawke, Benevolon, Jaesa, Bethany, and Faalreth were currently about halfway up the the slope of Sundermount, which towered over Kirkwall, to where Hawke's underground contacts had marked the location of the Dalish clan's encampment on his map. As they rounded a corner, they suddenly came across a dwarf with an armed escort desperately fighting against a pack of giant spiders.

Hawke instantly grabbed his greatsword from his back, and charged right into the thick of the fighting, with his faithful war hound at his side. Benevolon and Jaesa both unsheathed the weapons that they had bought with some of the money that Aveline had given them - a greatsword for Benevolon, and a lightweight dueling saber for Jaesa.

The fight was somewhat frustrating for the two Force users, knowing that by using the full extent of their powers they could have wiped the spiders from the face of this planet in seconds. But they were both quite proficient in the ways of the blade, and were more than able to hold their own. Even so, this skirmish was doubly unusual for Jaesa, since she was more accustomed to using her saberstaff whenever she had to defend herself. She made a mental note to see if she could get a blacksmith in Kirkwall to a very custom job for her once she had enough of the local currency.

As they cut through the spiders, Benevolon couldn't help but also notice Bethany. The young woman was able to dodge and twirl around the monstrous arachnids quite marvelously, but her staff hardly seemed like an ideal weapon. Benevolon couldn't shake the feeling that she was holding back something, just as he and his apprentice were. Whatever this mysterious hidden talent of hers was, though, it wasn't the Force - Bethany's connection to it was practically nonexistent.

Finally the last of the spiders fell, and as the group and what was left of the dwarf's mercenaries sheathed their weapons. Hawke turned to the strangers and calmly said to them "The danger has passed. Are you all right?"

"No thanks to this lot," The dwarf grumbled as he gave a dismissive gesture towards his two surviving guards. "Can't get a decent blade at a bargain anymore." The dwarf's eyes lit up as he examined Hawke and his companions. "You though, you're what a man needs: a skilled enthusiast."

Benevolon frowned underneath his helmet, as he thought the dwarf's choice of words were rather inaccurate. Hawke seemed to be thinking the same thing as he argued "I just happened to be in the area when your mess picked me up."

"Still better than what I had." The dwarf shrugged. He then introduced himself. "Look, the name's Javaris Tintop. I need someone to help pacify the Qunari."

"Why do I not like the sound of that?" Benevolon murmured. His ability to read others was nowhere near Jaesa's level, but he could still sense the greed in this dwarf as it practically dominated his aura.

Not even acknowledging Benevolon's query, Javaris continued "Those horn-heads in Kirkwall have a powder that... explodes! And it's just dust - there's no lyrium, no demons - anyone can use it."

In a tone that sounded both intrigued and worried, Bethany murmured "A mage's power... in anyone's hands."

'A mage?' Benevolon wondered. 'Have these people already discovered the Force?'

The Sith Pureblood's attention returned to the conversation as Hawke spoke. "I doubt they were eager to sell."

Javaris grumbled "That Arishok of theirs said I wasn't worthy. That only their outcasts, the Tal-Vashoth, are that mercenary. And I said 'Great, I'll go talk to them.'" He sighed. "Didn't go over well."

Then that gleam in the dwarf's eyes that was defined selfishness shone again. "But, it made me think; Maybe he'll bargain if I get rid of something that bothers him more than... well, me."

Hawke quickly caught on to who he was referring to. "The Tal-Vashoth."

"The Tal-Vashoth." Javaris confirmed. "Are you up for some paid hunting?"

"Your people must have something like these explosives already." Garrett pointed out.

The dwarf grunted "Small things - shaped to crack faults, not shatter the earth. Plus they're mostly lyrium - expensive, poisonous, the Chantry controls it topside, the glow makes you a target... problem after problem."

Bethany wondered "What's the point of going through the trouble to get this powder when we already have magic that does the same thing?"

"Maybe you have magic," Javaris argued. "All tough and human and whatnot. But what of the common man? How does he remove stumps from his land, or produce them on his enemies? What does he do when he needs a hole far too fast? Magic is hard to market. This stuff... this stuff you could put in a bag."

After a brief moment of internal debate, Hawke said "I suppose there could be a reward for taking down the Tal-Vashoth. They've been ambushing travelers and caravans for months, from what I hear."

"As long as you do it, I couldn't care less what your motives are." Javaris said with a shrug. "Now, far as I can figure, they're somewhere along the Wounded Coast, a whole camp of them. Bring their heads to me in the Qunari compound, and we'll be richly rewarded for this. Richly." And with their conversation concluded, the two groups parted ways.

Once the dwarf and his guards were out of earshot, Benevolon finally spoke. "Alright, I believe that some elaboration is required for Jaesa and myself."

"Fair enough," Hawke said as he, his younger sister, and his hound faced their new friends. "What would you like us to explain?"

Jaesa responded "Well, we're both curious as to who these Qunari you all keep mentioning are, and now there's these Tal-Vashoth as well. Javaris also mentioned something else I'm not familiar with: lyrium. And then there's the whole thing about magic."

Bethany's eyes widened at that last part. "Are you saying that you don't have magic where you come from?"

The two Force users shared a glance. "We have... something," Benevolon vaguely said. "But without seeing magic, I won't be able to tell whether or not it's the same thing."

This time it was the siblings who shared a glance, and the look in Hawke's eyes was able to reassure his sister that he would keep her safe if anything happened. Nodding, Bethany turned to face a cluster of bushes, while Benevolon and Jaesa watched curiously. Bethany took her staff in both her hands, and as she raised it above her head she suddenly lit up with a power unlike any Benevolon had ever seen. She then extended her arm before her, and from it burst a fireball which left the bushes as well as the surrounding terrain utterly destroyed. Bethany turned back toward the group and said "That's magic."

Benevolon regarded the young woman cautiously. What shocked him was that no Jedi or Sith had ever shot fireballs from their arms, and he hadn't sensed even a flicker of Force energy from Bethany. "What else can magic do?"

The mage answered "There are several forms of magic. That one was elemental, the ability to command fire and ice. Elemental is my strongest form, but the other ones are; primal, commanding the land and the sky; spirit, in which a mage strikes at the very soul of their foes; entropic, which deals with the more chaotic side of the Fade; creation, when a mage uses their power to strengthen or heal others; and arcane, when a mage delves into the deepest secrets of the Fade and uses it to protect themselves, as well as crush their enemies."

"There's also blood magic," Hawke added. "That's when a mage uses blood, either their own or someone else's, to fuel their spells. Many blood mages use it to summon demons into our world, or to control the minds of others, turning them into their slaves.

Suddenly the question that the man Benevolon had rescued from the Sharps Highwaymen had asked him made a lot more sense. The man must've thought that Benevolon's Force persuasion technique that he'd used to make the Sharps Highwaymen surrender had been some sort of form of blood magic.

Hawke continued "Many people fear it, and rightly so, since the magisters of the Tevinter Imperium once dominated all of Thedas. Unfortunately, that same fear has gone too far, and many people - including the Chantry - think that all mages should be locked up or... worse, just to be certain that they wont turn to blood magic."

"But that's just ridiculous!" Jaesa protested. "You can't judge an entire population based on the actions of a few, or condemn them simply because of what might happen."

Benevolon instantly agreed. "Jaesa's right. Plus, if a person, mage or not, is desperate enough, they'll do anything to preserve their freedom. It's a cycle; your people decide that all mages need to be locked up to stop the blood mages, and when the normal ones are backed into a corner, they resort to blood magic because they have no other option. Then when the people see that there are still blood mages, they demand more drastic measures, and in turn the mages become even more desperate. This is the cycle of fear."

Hawke stared at his two new companions in astonishment. "You two have only just come to Thedas, and you can already point out one of the biggest flaws in our society."

"I've had to live in an entire civilization that was built on fear, and it wasn't pretty." The Sith sighed to himself as he remembered the Empire he'd grown up in. They too had been caught up in the cycle of fear; Sith tradition declared that an apprentice must endeavor to eclipse their master, and so the master would eventually betray their apprentice because they feared losing their power, which would only guarantee the apprentice's betrayal. Eventually, whichever one survived would take on a new apprentice, and it would all begin again. One would have thought that the Sith would realize this was a bad ideology to follow since they were never able to defeat the Jedi, or because they had repeatedly destroyed their own civilization.

And now, Benevolon had been separated from all of that.

"It never is," Bethany acknowledged Benevolon's statement. "Now, earlier you said that you had something akin to magic where you come from. What is it?"

"It's... difficult to explain," Jaesa began. "No one really understands all of it, in fact it's more accurate to say the opposite is true. And it would take at least the rest of the day to explain what little we know."

"Then you can tell us and the others who are still in Kirkwall at a more convenient time," Hawke said as he started walking again. "Right now we need to get to the Dalish encampment."

They were only a couple kilometers away from their destination when suddenly Benevolon felt the Force warning him of imminent danger. He raised his head, and saw an arrow streaking toward him. "Incoming!" The Sith Lord warned the rest of his party as he pushed Bethany - the arrow's intended target - out of harm's way.

As the group unsheathed their weapons, they saw a group of more than a dozen armed men jumping out from the surrounding trees and running straight at them. "They found us!" One man screamed. "Kill them all!" Five archers took aim with their bows, and shot their arrows directly at the group.

As the arrows flew through the air towards their targets, Benevolon felt the Force flow through him, guiding him, as he spun his sword and fell into the third lightsaber form of Soresu. Having mastered the form of resilience due to the countless battles he'd fought, in which he'd deflected more blaster bolts than he could even attempt to count, and almost always being outnumbered, it was a simple matter for him to negate the archers' attack. The ambushers stared in a silent state of shock as they watched him knock every one of their arrows right out of the air, which only made what Benevolon did next even easier for him.

The Sith Pureblood threw his sword, and used the Force to guide it through the air as the blade took the heads off all five archers, as well as a couple of the attackers who wielded blades, then as the large sword flew back to its owner, Benevolon caught it in his hand gracefully.

"Take out the apostate!" The lead ambusher ordered his fellows. The attackers renewed their charge, But then Jaesa demonstrated her own power as she made a fist, and the ground directly underneath her enemies quaked. Before they could recover their footing, the Jedi unleashed a telekinetic blast on a group of three, killing them all.

By this point, there were only four of them left. One made the mistake of going for Bethany, who responded with a stream of fire from her staff, burning him to a crisp. A man armed with a sword and shield found himself pinned underneath Faalreth's weight, and only had a second to scream in terror before the mabari made it impossible for him to make a sound of any kind by tearing out his throat. The final two tried their luck against Hawke, but the warrior spun his greatsword faster than the eye could follow, and one man suddenly found himself without any legs. The last ambusher heard a war cry above him, and looked up to see Garrett Hawke in the air with his giant sword raised above his head an instant before the final enemy was cleaved in two.

As the group slowly came down from their adrenaline rush brought on by the fight, Hawke took a cloth that he kept in one of his pockets to clean off the blood that had splattered on his body, and then looked over at Benevolon and Jaesa as he wiped his face clean with the rag.

"That was... impressive."

"Impressive?" His sister gaped. "That was absolutely incredible! I've never seen anyone just... deflect a volley of arrows like that before! And the way you threw your sword... How did you do that?"

"The power that Jaesa and I draw from makes literally anything possible. You just have to figure out how to wield it." Benevolon told them.

Hawke said "As I said before, you can explain it to us in more detail once we return to Kirkwall. Right now though, I'd like to know who these people were, and why they attacked us."

He went up to the men that Jaesa had killed, since their corpses had the least blood on them, and therefore he was able to make out the insignia on their armour. "This emblem looks familiar..." He said as he tried to remember where he'd seen it before.

Benevolon recognized it."This sigil is the same one that was on the paper Sebastian put up - the sigil of the Flint Company of assassins." He realized as he gazed at the symbol.

Jaesa looked thoughtful. "They must have come here to hide when Sebastian put a price on their heads, and when they saw us they most likely assumed that Sebastian had sent us here to kill them."

"Well," Bethany noted, "if they rest of these Flint Company assassins are going to attack us on sight, at least we don't have to debate on whether or not it's ethical to kill them."

"You're assuming that these weren't the only ones. "Jaesa pointed out.

"No, there has to be more than just this bunch." Hawke argued.

The Jedi frowned "But then why split up? It makes sense to stick together - strength in numbers and all."

Garrett explained "Even in remote areas, too large a party can attract attention. The rest of their comrades have probably scattered into at least a few groups so that they won't stick out like a sore thumb, but they'll still be large enough so that they'll feel safe if they're attacked. Although, hiding won't do them much good if they just attack everyone they see."

Benevolon murmured "One of them called me something... apostate, I believe it was."

"That's what people call mages who aren't part of the Chantry's precious Circle of Magi," Hawke informed the Sith. "I'd be careful about using that power of yours when there are witnesses around. Magic or not, if the Templars find out about the power the two of you wield, they'll do everything they can to lock you both up, if not simply run you through."

"Consider me warned."

As they neared the top of Sundermount, the group eventually encountered two elven warriors with many strange markings on their skin, one male, one female. The instant the elves saw them, their auras in the Force reeked of hostility and suspicion.

"Hold shemlen!" The male elf growled, his accent strong. "Your kind are not welcome among the Dalish."

"Hold on a moment, what is a shemlen?" Jaesa wondered.

"It means you're not one of the People, and you should leave. Now." The Dalish muttered impatiently.

"Who exactly are you people?" Benevolon wondered.

"We are the last of the elvhen."

"But I've seen lots of other elves living in Kirkwall." The Sith pointed out.

The female elf elaborated. "They have given up their identities to live among shemlen. They are no longer elvhen."

'Great,' The Sith Lord thought in frustration. 'Traditionalists.'

Fortunately, before an argument that easily could have turned violent broke out, Hawke spoke up. "I was given an amulet for someone named Marethari."

"How do you know that name?" The male elf demanded as his eyes narrowed.

The Dalish began to reach for his sword, but the woman stopped him. "Wait! This is the one the Keeper spoke of."

"A shemlen?" Her companion murmured, surprised as he glanced at Hawke. "I thought he'd be an elf."

"Enter the camp," The female instructed. "Keeper Marethari has been waiting for you."

"Cause trouble, and you'll meet our blades, stranger."

As they stepped past the sentries and rounded a corner, the group was met with the sight of a large camp that housed dozens of the Dalish. All around the camp were what could best be described as land ships, which seemed to double as homes for the reclusive elves. As the group entered the camp, children stopped playing, conversations died, and Benevolon felt the Force shift as suspicion and fear filled the air, and dozens of eyes, and even a few arrows, were pointed their way.

But through the hostility, he could make out one aura among the Dalish that remained calm. This aura belonged to and old elvhen woman who gazed into the depths of the large fire in the centre of the camp, with facial markings that seemed to be coloured gold. When he saw her, Benevolon could also sense great wisdom, and authority in her, and knew that this had to be the Keeper. What astonished him, was that within this old woman he could sense the might of the Force. She was strong with it. Yet it was clear that she'd never been trained in the ways of the Force, as her potential was largely untapped.

As they approached her, Hawke said "Marethari, I was told to bring you this amulet."

Marethari took the offered trinked delicately in her hands, and looked at it closely. The instant Benevolon saw the amulet, he felt a disturbance in the Force. And as he looked more closely at the amulet, he could sense darkness hidden inside it. A brief glance toward his apprentice told Benveolon that Jaesa had come to the same conclusion.

As Marethari finished inspecting the trinket, she raised her head to meet Hawke's eyes. "Andaran atish'an, travelers. I am Keeper Marethari." She beckoned Hawke to come closer. "Let me look at you."

Hawke stepped forward, and was silent as the Keeper looked at him. When thier eyes met, Garrett felt the sensation that somehow this woman was seeing right into his very soul.

"There's truth in your face," Marethari said approvingly. "A rare thing in a human." Hawke noticed how she had called him human, not shemlen like the rest of her clan. "Tell me how this burden fell to you, child." She politely requested.

"If you don't mind, we'd like to ask a few things first." Hawke responded.

"Speak, and I will answer what I can."

"Are you the leader of these Dalish? Why did the witch tell me to bring this amulet to you?"

Marethari explained "I am the Keeper of this clan. It is my task to guide my people, and to ensure that the old ways are not forgotten. As for Asha'bellanar, I am tied to her - just as you are - by a debt that must be repaid."

"What exactly have I been carrying around all this time?" Hawke wondered. "Is it magic?"

"It is a promise, child," Marethari said, worry in her eyes. "Made by one whose word still has weight. And therefore, it has terrible power. There are few things in this world stronger than a promise kept. Remember that.

"You're guards said that you were expecting me," Garrett said. "How did you know that I was coming?"

"I listened. "To the wind. To the birds, as the hunters do. To my dreams. I watched the stars." The Keeper vaguely answered. "There is great wisdom to be found all around us... if you know where to look. But, I was not certain. Nothing is certain."

"The Force spoke to you." Benevolon said.

The Keeper turned a curious gaze on the tall, muscular Sith. "I beg your pardon, child... The Force?"

""The Force is strong with you," Benevolon told the Keeper. "And it has been known to grant foresight to those who are worthy. You were able to anticipate our arrival by watching the living world around you. This is one of the ways that the Force speaks to us. You were also able to gain a sense of Hawke's personality simply by looking at him - another gift that the Force sometimes grants those who have the potential to wield its power."

Marethari's expression remained interested, but also turned respectful. "I would very much like to continue this conversation, child, but unfortunately we have other, more pressing matters. Perhaps we can speak again when you return." She turned back to Hawke. "Now, I believe I have answered your questions, now I ask that you tell me how you came to possess this amulet."

"This amulet's owner rescued my family from the Blight," Hawke answered. "In return, I agreed to bring it to you."

Marethari bowed her head. "I honour you for coming to me, but I'm afraid your part in this is not yet finished. The amulet must be taken to an altar at the top of the mountain, and be given a Dalish rite for the departed. Once this is done, return the amulet to me, and your debt will be repaid in full."

"Are you going to teach me this rite?" Hawke asked

The Keeper answered "I will send my First with you. She will see to it that the ritual is done." Marethari's expression became one of sorrow and regret. "And when it is complete... I must ask that you take her with you when you go."

"Who is this First of yours?" Bethany wondered. "What is she the First of?"

"Merrill is what you might call my apprentice, or heir," The Keeper explained. "She would have taken my place as Keeper, but... she has chosen a new path. Please, guide her safely from here."

"If that's what you want." Garrett said as he agreed to her terms.

"It isn't what I want. But it is what she wants. You will find Merrill waiting for you on the trail just up the mountain. Dareth shiral."

Each member of the group said goodbye to the Keeper, with even Faalreth coming forward to lick her hand affectionately. They then began the path that took them out of the Dalish camp, and then back up the mountain. As they did so, Jaesa stopped, her skin suddenly turning pale.

Benevolon stopped as he noticed his apprentice's distress. "Jaesa, what's wrong?" He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, and the instant he did so she grabbed his arm and held it as though Benevolon were the only thing that was real in the world.

When seeing how much she needed him, Benevolon immediately wrapped his arms around Jaesa and held her close. Jaesa took a few moments to calm herself, and relaxed. She was in the embrace of her master. She was safe.

Benevolon was about to ask Jaesa what had caused her such turmoil, when he felt it as well. Meanwhile, their companions were thoroughly confused. "Care to explain what's going on?" Hawke asked.

Benevolon looked up, and the others followed his gaze as it rested on the mountaintop.

"The top of the mountain is strong with the dark side," The Sith muttered. "Something evil lurks up there. I can feel its taint."

Hawke blinked, then shook his head. "I really do not like the sound of that. Let's just get this done and get back to Kirkwall."

They continued along the trail, when they all began to hear a light sound that sounded like a cross between a woman singing, and a ringing noise. Before they could determine what was causing the sound or where it was coming from, everything was silent again.

A rather cute elven girl that appeared to be in her early twenties or late teens walked out from behind the corner of a boulder, and smiled shyly as she saw them. "Oh!" She exclaimed as she met Hawke's eyes. "You must be the one the Keeper told me about. Aneth ara." The girl suddenly gasped and started to stammer uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry. I didn't ask your name. Unless... it's not rude to ask a human their name, is it? I-I'm Merrill... which you probably knew already. I'm rambling. Sorry."

Hawke was barely able to refrain himself from openly staring at this young lady. 'Dear Maker, could this girl get any more adorable if she tried?'

"A second ago we all heard some kind of noise," Benevolon said. "Do you know what caused it?"

"Oh... I didn't hear anything." Merrill said unconvincingly.

Jaesa wondered "Why would you leave your clan to go to Kirkwall?"

"I have to. Let's just leave it at that for now, alright?"

Hawke's brow furrowed. "I get the feeling you're in trouble..."

"It's not like that!" Merrill exclaimed. Her face turned meek. "...Not exactly, anyway. The Keeper and I have disagreements. But it will sort itself out in time.

"You seem awfully nervous, Merrill," Hawke noted. He felt this... need to help her. To protect her. "Is something wrong?"

"I've never met a human before," The Dalish girl confessed. "Dalish mothers frighten their children with stories about you, you know." When Hawke blinked, she quickly added "Not you, personally, of course. I'm sure they don't have any tales about you. Or not scary ones at least. Not that you're not notable enough to have a story. I'll just shut up now."

Hawke attempted to allay Merrill's fears by becoming slightly more familiar with her. "We didn't get a proper introduction."

"I am - or was, I suppose - the First to Keeper Marethari," Merrill informed them. "I've studied the old ways for as long as I can remember. I know things - the lore of the Dalish - that can help us get to the summit of Sundermount."

Finally the human warrior smiled. "My name is Garrett Hawke. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Merrill."

"Thank you," Merrill said as her face turned bright pink. "I'm afraid I'm not very experienced with your kind." She began to rub her wrists just so her hands would be occupied. "The Keeper said you came from Ferelden. I spent most of my life there. We only came north to the Free Marches a few years ago. Have you been in the Free Marches long? Do you like it here?"

"I've lived in Kirkwall for a year now," Garrett answered. "It's a good place to get a fresh start."

For the first time since he'd seen her, Merrill's eyes shone with genuine hope. "Really? Hmm, I hope you're right." Merrill then looked at the path that led further up the mountain. "We should go. Your task is for Asha'bellanar. It's not wise to make her wait."

"Do you know the witch that sent me here?" Hawke wondered.

"No not personally," Merrill answered. "My people tell stories of her, though. You're very lucky; most people who meet Asha'bellanar end up in little pieces... hanging from the trees."

"I get the feeling that you've been expecting me to bring this amulet for some time." Hawke murmured.

"The Keeper brought us here to wait for you. I don't know much more than that. I do know that you have Asha'bellanar's amulet, and that we have to bring it to the altar at the top of the mountain - nothing more."

"What exactly are we supposed to do with this amulet when we reach the altar? What kind of ritual is this?" Bethany asked the elf.

"It's a funeral, of sorts. I'll perform it when we get to the mountaintop." Merrill explained. She then reluctantly added "Getting there is the tricky part. Our hunters haven't been able to reach the summit. Dark things are about."

Hawke was instantly reminded of Benevolon's cryptic warning about "the dark side".

"Let's get this over with."