"He was a good man," says Elissa. "Good carpenter, too."

Shianni and Soris look at her kind of awkwardly.

 The walk back to the alienage garners them a lot of stares, between all the weapons and the bloodstained wedding dress.

Elissa finds Duncan when they get there.

"Everything's taken care of. And you have a new recruit," she says.

"Thank you for loaning Soris and Nelaros your weapons. Nelaros is dead," Acara says. 

"I'm sorry to hear about that," Duncan says. "I presume you're the recruit?" 

"As you can probably guess from the state of my clothes it was that or the noose. I don't love the idea of leaving home but it's better than dying for killing those guards."

"But not the Arl's son?"

"No, he's still alive."

"I commend your restraint."

"Commend Elissa, not me. I'd have been happier to see him dead like his men."

"I managed to talk some sense into him. Eventually. Acara helped."

"Mostly by sincerely threatening to stab him a lot."

"It was very helpful!"

"I'm glad you two seem to be getting along, at least. It will make the road to Ostagar easier," Duncan says. 

"I actually like her, it's very confusing," Acara says. "I keep looking at her and being startled that her ears are round."

Elissa laughs. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was meant as one. Do you know if there are guards going to show up any minute or if I have--more time to pack and say my goodbyes?"

"I suspect Lord Vaughan isn't going to be eager to send the guard after you. You should have at least a little while. And if they show up sooner than expected, Duncan and I can explain matters to them."

"Thank you." 

She goes home, first. Talks to her father. Cries on his shoulder, for--the last time in a long time. Extracts a promise from him to look out for everyone for her while she's gone. Washes her wedding dress, as best she can, but the stain won't come out entirely. Packs up, dresses in something more practical. 

And then she leaves to say more goodbyes. There is a little more crying, with Shianni and Soris. She accepts well-wishes from neighbors. 

She looks for Tev. 

No one has seen Tev since this morning.

"We have a problem," she tells Elissa.

"What is it?"

"I have this friend--Tev, Sentevlan Rasna--I promised him this morning that I'd tell him before I left if Nelaros turned out to be terrible and I had to run away to join the Dalish. That's not why I'm leaving, but I should still say goodbye, and no one recalls seeing him since before the Arl's son's goons showed up."

"...That's... a little troubling. I'm guessing he's not the type to disappear into a corner and miss all the excitement?"

"He doesn't like parties but--he has a recurring issue with picking fights with bullies twice his size, I was honestly expecting when I started asking around for where he was that the answer would be something in the vicinity of 'tied to that chair over there to prevent him getting himself killed joining the rescue mission'."

"This is starting to look like something has happened to your friend. I am concerned," says Elissa. "You'd probably know where to start looking for him better than I would, though; I think the best place for me is still at the gate waiting for the city guard to show up so I can be noble at them."

"You're probably right," she sighs.

"I often am. Good luck. And I'm sorry in advance if the result of negotiations with the guard is that we have to leave the city before you find him."

There's a mild commotion from the direction of that alley over there.

Someone can be heard saying in amazement, "Tev, is that you?"

It does not, at a glance, appear to be Tev. For one thing, he's taller than most humans - that's got to be at least six feet. And brawnier than any elf who ever lived - he's built more like a dwarf than anything. A six-foot-tall dwarf. Shirtless and barefoot and carrying a round blue shield emblazoned with a silver star.

His ears are definitely elven, though, and adjusting for size and muscle that looks an awful lot like Tev's face. The blond hair and brilliant blue eyes also match.

"Tev?" she asks incredulously. "What happened to you?"

"Uh... blood magic. I think. I don't know, there were people in robes with strange accents and everything hurt and then I woke up looking like this. I am very confused and very very hungry."

"Oh, Maker, Tev...

Do you want to join the Grey Wardens?"

"Will the Grey Wardens feed me?"

"I presume so. Duncan?"

"Yes, of course."