maharxel:

⊰ Ψ ║°  emma vhenan enasal
                Shem was indeed what the Dalish called humans. Quick
                children, because they aged so much quicker than  elves
                did. If she had thought to, she could have used that to her
                advantage and simply lied  to  him.  Told  him  some  wild
                tale about how she was really two hundred  years  old  as
                opposed to her true twenty winters. Had she not been  so
                ill — had she not lost Tamlen such a short time ago,  she
                she might have fancied toying  with  this  human,  but  his 
                appearance meant Duncan had returned, and they  could
                finally get on with  this  mysterious  ritual  Daveth  kept  on
                about. This was why she had come with Duncan after all,
                to become a Grey Warden before the taint killed her.

 ❝ I’m not in the habit of making wagers with Shems,
      however likely I  am to win  said  wager.  I’m  more
      interested and getting this ritual over with. ❞

             "Then perhaps we need to coax Duncan out of hiding.“

He isn’t eager to see this ritual finished, in truth. Balfour does not 
wish to be a Grey Warden       does not even wish to be a survivor,
in truth,  if his family  is not allowed  the same.  But it  seems that 
there are different plans in store for him and,  if he must take part
in this  secret ritual  of the  Wardens’,  then he  will.  For his family. 
So he  might one day  bury his blade  in the gut of  Rendon Howe.

             "If you can stand the thought of spending five more minutes
              with a shem of all things."