"Then... Farewell."

And she'll head back deeper into the woods.

They'll continue on to Ostagar.

Xandra sees them back to the Wardens' campsite, and hands the papers over to Duncan, confirming that each of the recruits obtained their vial of darkspawn blood. He commends them on their success and collects the blood.

The Joining will be later tonight, after dark. They've time to rest a while and eat, if they'd like. Duncan also notes that this is the final chance any of them has to change their minds about joining the Wardens. Once the ritual begins, there will be no turning back for anyone.

Shiremi isn't going to back out. (She withdraws to lurk somewhere away from anyone else.)

And Halna's already come this far - she'll see it through. (She spends her time amid the common soldiers, eating and socializing.)

Lys won't turn aside, either. 

Though unlike the others, she makes her way straight to the mabari pen, her bag full of the requested medicinal plants. 

Briony goes where Lys goes.

The kennelmaster is happy to see them back, and happier to see they've brought the herbs. It'll save the lives of a lot of dogs.

That's good; dogs should be taken care of. "I'll keep an eye out for more whenever I'm in the Wilds," she promises him (though hopefully the amount she brought back this trip will last him a while). 

Appreciated. Does she want to meet the dogs while she's here?

If they're available. 

For a New Friend, the mabari can be very available.

Excellent, because they're all very good dogs.

They are the bestest! And will prove this with big slobbery kisses!!

(Note for the unfamiliar: the mabari is a Fereldan breed of dog, one of the things the country is most recognizable for in foreign lands. The archetypal mabari has the general proportions of a bulldog, is built to the scale of a great dane, and is ferociously intelligent. They are working animals, good at hunting and herding and watching the children. As in this case, there are also venerable martial traditions in which humans will train their dogs for war and fight alongside them.)

(The worst thing about the Circle was definitely the critical deficiency of slobbery mabari kisses.) Do any of the good dogs want belly rubs?

(Lys: absolutely zero bothered by enormous war dogs trying to climb in her lap and bonk her head in their eagerness for pats.)

Yes they doooooo!

Cute.

(Heee.) Would Briony like to join the belly rub session? 

She would. It's been a while since she's had the opportunity.

Lys will make room for her. 

Nice.

A good way to pass the time until the Joining. 

Though she might want to find something to eat before then.

Fair enough. Something light though. 

All right. They can fulfill that with a little effort.

Then back to the Wardens?

Time to see what the Joining actually entails.