He snorts and gives her a wry look as he rubs underneath Purrelden's chin.
"There's nothing I can really do to sell them as more confidence-inspiring. Except to point out that the Grey Wardens aren't simply giving those of us who've committed crimes mercy. They give an offer of a useful death. We hunt darkspawn. One day I'll be too slow, or a batch will break through the line of warriors, a portion of the Deep Roads will crumble beneath my feet, and so on. And most who are recruited to the Wardens deserve better. Bethany and Felix did nothing wrong. Teren was a scapegoat. Nate was foolish. And I just wanted freedom; there was no blood on my hands at that point. The Warden organization as a whole is... questionable. But the individual Wardens, for the most part, were out of options."
Few of them deserved to be infected with the Blight and dying a long, slow death if something else didn't get them first. He did now. Velanna had murdered a lot of innocents as well. Most? Hadn't done anything.
"And the Seekers could, would have done nothing for me. I need the sky, breezes, the sun. There was nothing noble about my escape attempts. My first one was spurred by harshness as well, yes, but also because I simply needed to be outside. Things got worse from there. But everything that influenced my first attempt, and even almost everything that influenced my second, was entirely legal in Seeker eyes. ...But so long as the Circles are not revived, you're right, that doesn't matter here."
no subject
"There's nothing I can really do to sell them as more confidence-inspiring. Except to point out that the Grey Wardens aren't simply giving those of us who've committed crimes mercy. They give an offer of a useful death. We hunt darkspawn. One day I'll be too slow, or a batch will break through the line of warriors, a portion of the Deep Roads will crumble beneath my feet, and so on. And most who are recruited to the Wardens deserve better. Bethany and Felix did nothing wrong. Teren was a scapegoat. Nate was foolish. And I just wanted freedom; there was no blood on my hands at that point. The Warden organization as a whole is... questionable. But the individual Wardens, for the most part, were out of options."
Few of them deserved to be infected with the Blight and dying a long, slow death if something else didn't get them first. He did now. Velanna had murdered a lot of innocents as well. Most? Hadn't done anything.
"And the Seekers could, would have done nothing for me. I need the sky, breezes, the sun. There was nothing noble about my escape attempts. My first one was spurred by harshness as well, yes, but also because I simply needed to be outside. Things got worse from there. But everything that influenced my first attempt, and even almost everything that influenced my second, was entirely legal in Seeker eyes. ...But so long as the Circles are not revived, you're right, that doesn't matter here."