The Legion of the Dead, as it turned out, wasn't particularly difficult to locate. The City of the Dead, formerly the Legions headquarters known as Bownammar, was lost long ago to the Darkspawn, but the Legion always fought to reclaim it. One could always find a couple of units of them fighting inside the old Thaig. If one could actually get to it.

So that was the good news. They'd found the Legion. The bad news…

"No?"

"No, sir." The dwarf responded to Naruto's question as he shot off a bolt from his crossbow into the forehead of an unlucky Genlock. "We've not seen the prince for some time, since the last inspection."

"And how long since you've been back to your camp?"

"Two days, sir. But we would know if he was there. Word travels fast, even underground."

And that was the bad news. Their best lead for the prince's location was practically useless.

"Very well." Naruto sighed. "No luck."

"Now what?" Oghren grunted as he tried to pry his axe from the head of one Hurlock. "Any more bright ideas?"

"Well, we might as well continue on."

"Right. Now can somebody hold this sodding bastard so I can get my axe out?"

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"I see." Dagna, the dwarven would-be scholar, sighed sadly when Elissa and Leliana brought her the news. "Well, thank you for trying, at least."

"What will you do now?" Leliana asked the young dwarf gently.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "I was hoping father would listen. But I should've known better." Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Would you be going by to the Circle Tower, by any chance?"

"Probably." Elissa raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Well, if you were to come by the Tower, and ask the mages there if I could study…"

"And you're willing to run away from your family to do it?"

"To accomplish my dream? Absolutely."

"Very well." Elissa said after a few moments. "When we come to the Tower, I'll ask."

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"Are we there yet?" Oghren asked for what was probably the tenth time.

"No." And Morrigan answered for what was definitely the tenth time.

"Are we there yet?"

"Yes, actually."

"Really?"

"No."

Naruto couldn't help but frown as he walked, ignoring Oghren and Morrigan bicker behind him. As they walked out the giant door of the Dead Trenches, they had come upon a dwarf that was banished from Orzammar, and forced to eat Deep Stalker meat, and maybe even the Darkspawn themselves, to survive. While not completely gone to the corruption, Naruto could see the poor boy didn't have much left in him.

"Is it alright?" Shale asked, snapping the other two out of their little argument and focusing their attention on Naruto.

"Me? Yes, I am."

"Naruto…" Morrigan grabbed his hand in comfort. "You did the best thing for the poor child."

"Did I?" Met with the young dwarf's bleak future, and his pleadings, Naruto felt he had no choice. "Maybe I did. But who's to say the boy couldn't have been cured."

"You know there are no cures for the corruption." Morrigan stated.

"No, you're right. And, worryingly, that's not even what's been bothering me."

"No?"

"For better or for worse, I know I made the best decision at the time. And, as sad as it is, the boy's fate is not what's on my mind. But I don't know how long he's been down here. And I don't know in what condition we'll find Duran. If we even find him."

"He is your friend, is he not?"

"He is. But he's also the best chance Orzammar has for a balance between the other two candidates." Naruto sighed. "We'd better hurry."

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"Why did you agree to do it?" Alistair asked when Leliana and Elissa told him what happened with the young dwarven girl.

"She should be allowed to choose for herself what kind of future she wants." Elissa frowned at him, drinking down the wine that was in her goblet.

"Hey, hey, I completely agree. Relax." Alistair raised his hands in surrender.

"Sorry." She sighed, feeling Leliana's hands gently massage her back. "It's just something her father said. 'I know what's best for her. She doesn't'."

"Well that's noble of you. So what do we do now?"

"We wait, until Naruto gets back or until we get word. It'll… take a while."

The three paused for a few moments, looking at each other.

"So… Anyone up for charades?"

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"This way." Oghren motioned to the only road of the four they encountered not buried with rubble.

"Really now? However did you guess?"

"Be careful." Naruto told the others as he scanned the ground in front of them. "I see many tracks. And over there, some Darkspawn corpses. We're getting closer."

"First day, they come and catch everyone."

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That poem was always creepy. So I'll just stop here so we can all fully appreciate what's coming.

On a side note, BioWare has actually made the areas in the game with a minimum level in mind, so there's an order you're supposed to complete these in, Orzammar being among the last. And the first time I played I had no idea. And this story is kinda following my first play-through, at least in order. It took me days to complete Orzammar. Days.