As promised, Ambrose will talk to anyone Carlos sends him. He explains straightforwardly that about one in six Grey Wardens die during the Joining, that it's likelier to happen if you have a weak constitution or are sick or recovering from sickness, and that even after all that, being a Grey Warden is difficult and dangerous; but Grey Wardens are absolutely necessary to protect the world against darkspawn, and there's a Blight rising in the south right now.

Most of them back out after enough warnings.

One of them would rather die on his own terms than the templars'.

"Welcome to the Wardens, then," says Ambrose.

He nods and leaves to pack his things.

Carlos comes by a little while later to report that that's everyone he thinks might be interested save for one; unfortunately he has as of yet been unable to find that one.

"I can wait."

"I hope he's alright. The others say he was acting strangely, earlier. He always gets a bit--malcontented--when there's a Harrowing."

"Let me know if there's anything I can do."

"I will, thank you."

The really frightening part is that he's not at all sure that Corbin's wrong that they're delaying Harrowing him in the hopes of finding an excuse to make him Tranquil. Corbin doesn't have the attitude the templars like to see in mages. Carlos doesn't, either, but he can competently fake it, and Corbin--can't.

He keeps looking.

When he finds him, it's far too late. He doesn't know what charges the templars were planning to use to Tranquilize Corbin, or why Corbin thought it was a good idea to try to destroy his phylactery in order to get away, or why he didn't ask Carlos for help--okay, no, he knows that one, Corbin knows Carlos would have just tried to talk him out of it. Unfortunately he doesn't know about the Grey Warden providing a convenient out.

Carlos doesn't think of it either, in the moment. All he knows is that he can't let the Templars take Corbin and Lily, not when Corbin's the closest thing he's had to a family since his father died.

So he doesn't.

He'll have time to regret his hasty action later.

An apprentice who witnessed the whole thing has the bright idea of running off to fetch the Grey Warden.

"What is it?"

"The Templars were going to Tranquilize Corbin and send Lily to Aeonar and Carlos walked in and saw the Templars threatening them and let them escape and now I think they're going to Tranquilize him!"

...

"Take me there, please."

"Okay," she says, still looking somewhat panicked, and leads him back to the chamber.

And what does it look like when they get there?

Well, there are a lot of templars. And both the Knight-Commander and the First Enchanter are yelling at Carlos for letting a blood mage get away.

He can take a moment to listen, then.

They are really really mad at him! They totally believed Corbin was a blood mage and are now yelling at him for letting a blood mage get away, and assaulting kind of a lot of Templars in order to do this! They are Really Not Happy that he was able to do that, and, separately, that he was inclined.

"Carlos," he says, interrupting Knight-Commander Greagoir, "how would you like to join the Grey Wardens?"

Greagoir squawks some more. Carlos ignores him.

"It seems like it might be my best option, at this point."

"Then you can do that," says Ambrose.

"Are you invoking the Right of Conscription, Warden?" asks Irving.

"It seems I must."

"I'll pack my things." and say my goodbyes, he doesn't say. Greagoir might not be happy about him interacting with the apprentices, now, if his attention is brought to it.

Ambrose nods. "I'll meet you in my guest room, if that's agreeable."

"Alright."

He packs his things. He says his goodbyes. The little ones are tearful about him leaving. He apologizes, hugging them one least time and extracting promises to be brave and good. The older apprentices--aren't happy he's going. But--Corbin got out. That's important.

He shows up at Ambrose's guest quarters.

Ambrose has already collected the other recruit.

"We can leave now," he says. "Unless there's anyone else you think I should speak to while I still have the chance."