[Vaprakgruumsh]

“You’re a strange one,” Quinn looked at William, as if unsure what to truly think. “You’re like no Grey Warden I know.”

William looked up. The dark of night covered his light colored eyes, beneath the lockes of hair. “I am not sure how to take that,” William commented as the Mabari, Forodin, settled next to him.

Quinn shook his head. “Most Grey Warden would not go through the lengths you have to,” Quinn looked outside the window of the abandoned building they had taken refuge in, “to properly take care of the dead as you have. Not when there’s a Blight.”

“Doing this helps put the Call aside,” William answered. “For the brief moment, I can think of something else besides the urge to run madly into the Deep Roads and fight the Blight single-handedly.”

“Any other Grey Warden would be doing just that,” Quinn retorted, matter-of-factly. “As a matter of fact, if any of them survived Ostagar, that’s probably where they are. Rushing head long into battle – one against a horde. But,” Quinn looked back at William, as William stroked the course fur of the Mabari, “not you. Why?”

“There’s a difference between finding an honorable death in battle,” William explained, “and being suicidal. To rush off and die would do no good. I would not single handedly stop the Darkspawn. Teyrn Loghain would get away with abandoning the Grey Wardens at Ostagar. I try to keep those things in mind, above the pounding urge of the Call.” William paused a moment, “What about you? You said you were a Grey Warden before becoming a Blood Mage. How is it you resist the Call of the Grey Wardens?”

Quinn was silent for a long moment. “The day I became a Blood Mage, and made a deal with the Desire Demon that Riordan had captured that had possessed a young girl… I heard the Grey Warden Call. But that day… the deal with the demon… the day I became a Blood Mage… it somehow… severed my bond with the Grey Warden… took away any… proof I had survived the Joining.”

“The demon severed the tie,” William responded, “no doubt to protect its interest. Whatever deal you struck with that demon to become the Blood Mage you are; what benefit would it be to the demon if you rushed into battle against the Darkspawn and perished.”

“Perhaps,” Quinn said quietly.

“Can I ask what deal you struck with the demon,” William asked.

“You can ask,” Quinn answered as he looked away, his gaze peering out into the bleak, black sky. “But it does not mean,” he added after a moment, turning to face William, “that I will answer you.”