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[There's a certain dog snuffling at the communicator when it turns on. In fact, his nose actually turns the device off and onto audio for several moments, the sound of his heavy breathing filling the microphone.]

Off, you lush. I need that.

[The mic is covered by something - fabric, actually, in an attempt to clean off the device - and then it switches back to video. A woman with red hair can be seen looking over the communicator critically, looking for scratches and cracks. The dog is gone and she settles back. It's easy from this angle to see the Warden-Commander's crest on her armor, even if it's partly covered by a curtain of hair.]

I wish to speak to whomever's in charge of bringing recruits here. They have no authority to conscript a Warden in any way, not without first making an appeal to Weisshaupt. If I cannot have an audience with the leader of this outpost - [or whatever it is] - then I would speak with anyone else who carries a position of authority.

[She knows her stuff, clearly. She frowns into the camera, tapping it once. She sighs, glancing at her dog. The commanding aura nearly vanishes, replaced by exasperation.]

...I'm speaking to myself, aren't I?

[Elissa glances back to the device, fussing with it once more. It turns off.]

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They've taken no side in this uprising, I suspect.

[She shakes her head.]

I need to speak with you in private, Nate.

[About Anders is unspoken but probably obvious by her tone.]

[This is not exactly a conversation he's looking forward to, but he knows it needs to be had.]

Of course. I'm in the training hall now, which isn't very private. I could meet you somewhere, though.

[Ah, the training hall... She's going to need to use that often, especially now that she knows most everyone has had several more years of fighting experience than her.]

You could meet me outside of the living complex. We can go somewhere private to speak.

I'll be right there.

[The housing complex isn't far from the training hall and it only takes a few minutes for Nathaniel to get there. He hasn't seen Elissa in years, but he's sure to recognize her immediately.]

[He'll probably recognize the same armor and weapon set strapped to her back, though the mabari might be new. The animal wanders a little way from Elissa to sniff at something and then he comes running back, barking excitedly. She looks pleased, at least, and even more so when she sees Nathaniel.

Elissa turns and gives him a smile as he approaches.]

Nathaniel.

[Nathaniel actually smiles when he sees her standing there, a handsome mabari at her side. He may not have wished this situation on his worst enemy, but he can't deny a part of him is happy to see her.]

Elissa. It's been a long time.

It has. I'm really starting to realize that.

[He looks...older, a little more worn. She's not surprised. One year fighting Darkspawn and another several months fighting the Mother and her brood hardened her, after all.

At least he's unharmed. That's the important part.

Atticus nearly rushes him, bounding around and sniffing at his ankles.]

Have you been all right? Alistair told me about some of the things that have happened here and they're...concerning to me.

[Like assassins and people putting tracking devices on Imports.]

[Nathaniel knelt down and pet the mabari, smiling a little wistfully. Mabaris to him had always been the symbol of Ferelden, and it made him both sad and homesick to see one here. He stood up at smiled more fully at Elissa.]

I'm fine, more or less. In one piece, anyway. [He'd never been one to complain about physical ailments or wounds.]

[The dog wags his little tail and huffs happily at Nate, pleased at the attention. Elissa softly scoffs at the animal.]

You look...different. Has it really been that long since you've seen me?

[Nathaniel nods his head, hand reaching out to pet the dog absently.]

It's been about... six years, I think. Give or take.

You look exactly like I remember.

[She smiles.]

I should hope so. It's not as if I've changed...

[Elissa folds her arms across her chest.]

Not that you'd know it by the way some people are acting. Alistair looked at me like I was a ghost.

[Nathaniel raises his brow.]

Why would King Alistair think you a ghost?

It's...hard to explain. Apparently, things are different for some people from our world. Alternate...realities, I suppose?

[This is why she's not a scholar, Nate. Or a mage.]

Alistair is from a place where I put him on the throne with Anora...and I died.

[It takes a few moments for Nathaniel to digest this news.]

Well you're certainly not dead. [He tries to smile.] But Alistair and Anora are on the throne.

[Again, the same thing. She doesn't seem pleased, though she says nothing about it.]

Not yet, of course. [She returns the smile after a moment.] I need to know what's happened, though. What's happened to Vigil's Keep and Amaranthine? And Anders...

[The questions are enough to distract Nathaniel from asking his own questions about Elissa's displeased reaction.]

Vigil's Keep is doing well. It's been rebuilt, and we have a full force of Wardens. The city's thriving now that the darkspawn are gone.

As for Anders... [He sighs softly.] What do you want to know, exactly?

[She nods, finally letting a more genuine smile shine through. But it falters when they begin to speak on Anders.]

...When did he merge with Justice? Do you know?

[Nathaniel shakes his head, looking grim.]

I've no idea. As far as I knew, Justice just disappeared one day, Kristoff's body too wasted to support him anymore. I never made the connection that it occurred only a short time after that templar joined the Grey Wardens.

[The first part is something she's familiar with. But after that... Elissa stiffens, looking at Nathaniel with a hard look in her eyes.]

...What templar?

[Which templar is probably the better thing to ask: the Wardens employ anyone. Alistair, for instance, had almost been one. But something Anders said has her wondering now.]

Rolan.

[Nathaniel casts her a curious look.}

You don't remember him? You were still there when he Joined...

I had left to go take care of some things.

[What those things are, she will not say. That's her secret to bury.]

I was told someone else would be handling things while I was gone. Who is this 'Rolan'?

I never knew much about him, save that he was a templar. He wasn't with us for very long.

[His expression turns grim.]

There was some sort of attack. Anders and Justice... [He shakes his head.] There wasn't much left of the bodies by the time we found them, and every just assumed that Anders was among them. We thought they'd been attacked by darkspawn or something.

But it wasn't the Darkspawn.

[Maker, what a mess. But now this explains a little about why Anders is acting as he did.]

By then, they had merged. I just...don't understand. Anders didn't seem content with the Wardens but he never seemed like he wanted to launch a crusade, either.

I don't really understand it myself. Anders and I, well we try not to talk about it with each other.

[Nathaniel has never approved of Anders' actions in Kirkwall, and the two of them have come to a silent agreement to disagree.]

Justice changed Anders somehow, or Anders changed Justice. Honestly, I don't know for sure.

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