Female Cullen is married off to Hanar, an Avvar chief, in order to secure passage through the Frostback Basin. She struggles to come to grips with her new life as she become pregnant far earlier than expected, and struggles with the depression of being tossed aside as a pawn. Slowly, she and Hanar find their way together, and Cullen finds a home.

When Cullen finds himself back in Kirkwall he's faced with several questions. Who should he tell, what should he say, and how is he going to fix Kirkwall before things get out of hand. Again. Time-travel fix-it where things go better but not great, because it's still Kirkwall after all. Alternative title: The real treasure is the friends we make along the way (and the slavers we kill with them)