She welcomed the topic change. She didn't have any idea where to go with the conversation after picking, what she deemed, a heavy opener. Her job was something she could speak more easily about and at his question she smiled lightly.
She nodded at his second question before actually speaking. "Yes, my step-father is a guard, but that's not why I wanted to become one," she said, segueing into her answer for his first question. Briefly she recalled the incidents that made her want to go into the guard. It'd been before the last Blight, when their town had been ravaged by the undead. She knew that you didn't have to be a guard or knight to be a Grey Warden, but she thought it would be her easiest way into their ranks. Impress someone associated with the Wardens while in battle and be reccomended to join them. That was her single goal in life right now.
"About fifteen years ago, Redcliffe was plagued by the undead. This was just before the last Blight and when the Grey Wardens came to seek the aide of Arl Eamon, they found our city in quite the state. Instead of leaving and coming back another time... they stayed and helped us defend ourselves. They risked their lives to find out what was going on in the castle and saved the Arl and his son," she recalled, smiling fondly at the memories. She'd been very young then, just around nine years old, but the heroism and bravery of the Wardens was one thing she wouldn't soon forget.