It felt like poisonous fumes reaching through my nostrils and burning my throat, a slithering sound crawling around my head and making every single inch of my body shiver. I could see scales, I could hear it, the whispers, the hissing, increasing in tone until my ears were nothing but a source of pain, shooting right down to my chest and...

I woke up in the midst of my own screams, panting and sweating, grasping my covers with my trembling hands, trying to regain some measure of control.

"Are you alright?" a blonde head popped through the flaps of the tent.

I wanted to answer, to scold him for entering my tent just like that without having the proper manners to ask first, but I was absolutely petrified, managing only to look at him with what I was sure were an extremely widened version of my own eyes.

"Ariadne...?" he started reaching for what looked like my hand, but instead rested his own hand on the tent's side "Come, let's go outside, you look like you need some fresh air."

I swallowed hard and managed to crawl out of the tent, sighing as the cool night breeze collided against my sweaty skin. Looking up at Alistair who was waiting outside my tent, I felt incredibly small and at the same time, extremely glad that there was someone bigger than me in that camp. I felt like a child all over again, helpless, a target almost, for all things bad and mean and to have someone bigger than me on my side... it was more of a comfort than I would expect.

"Bad dreams, huh?"

"Hum... yes, I..." even my voice was trembling.

"You're shaking. Here, sit." he led me towards the camp fire, where he had been on guarding duty "I'll fetch you a blanket."

My eyes lingered for a bit in the fire, the flames rising and releasing their heat and smoke. I saw walls and furniture in the midst of those flames, I heard yelling and screaming and then the scales... the darkened scales and hisses. I couldn't bear to look at it.

"Well my fellow Warden, this is just one of the perks that comes along with the fancy title and the world wide recognition."

A heavy blanket draped over my shoulders, its rough texture feeling more than welcome.

"Oh really. And just when I was determined to enjoy it." I wrapped my hands in the coarse fabric and pulled it up to my chin.

"Indeed it is." Alistair sat down next to me and started poking the fire with a stick he had tucked away nearby. Apparently, one needed at least some distraction while on watch, even if it's just poking and prodding burnt logs.

"You see, that's part of being a Grey Warden, hearing the darkspawn. And that's what your dream was, you were hearing them. The Archdemon... it "talks" to the horde, commands them and we can feel it, hear it just like they do. That's how we know this is really a Blight."

I was actually looking for some comfort, not something to make me even more scared and willing to run into the nearest woods and away from all this, thank you very much.

"That's the dragon, I assume." I buried myself even more in the blanket, if that was even possible.

"I don't know if it really is a dragon... but it sure looks like one and yes, that's the Archdemon."

I looked straight at him, only my nose and eyes peaking through the folds "So you have them too?"

"The nightmares? Yes, yes I do. Although you kind of learn how to block them with time... the older Grey Wardens even say they can sometimes understand the Archdemon. I sure can't and I'm not really interested to be honest, blocking them altogether sounds a lot more appealing, doesn't it?" the corners of his mouth turned slightly into a smile, a slight glimmer in his eyes. I was always amazed at how someone, or anyone for that matter, managed to turn such a situation into something to joke about. Despite all my glumness, I couldn't keep a straight face either and felt my own lips curving upwards.

"Anyway, I heard you screaming and all, so I thought I'd tell you about it. I mean, it was pretty scary for me as well. The first nights as a Grey Warden aren't easy on anyone and I can't even imagine how yours are, specially right in the middle of a Blight."

"Thanks Alistair." I sighed, feeling slightly calmer and content "I'm serious, I really appreciate it."

"Not a problem!" he rose up to his feet and lent me a hand "That's what I'm here for, moral support, delivery of bad news and witty one-liners!"

I really could not stop smiling, perhaps one of the true genuine smiles I had ever since I left my own home... home. Such a weird notion at the moment, to think that my family and my home had just disappeared into thin air, as if they never existed at all. But somehow I didn't feel alone, even without all the comfort of my own room and my own bed, replaced by a small tent and less than comfortable covers. Even without... everyone. But even so, I had Alistair, who, to some extent, understood my woes and despite being someone I hardly knew, already had more in common with me than anyone ever did. At least, in the middle of all of this, I had someone who could understand me.

I took his hand and used it to get up, always tugging the blanket around me as if it were the safest kind of armor.

"I guess that's what family's for..."

For Andraste's sake, Ariadne, why the hell did you say that out loud? The nightmares really are messing with your head, you're probably going senile!!

I really just felt like smacking myself in the head but Alistair's voice snapped me out of my mental self-beating.

"Oh... ah... is that so?" he had an unsure smirk and was rubbing the back of his head as if unsure of where to put his hands "Hum... so does that mean I have to call you sister now?"

"Don't be silly Alistair." I chuckled while walking back into my tent, trying not to let the blanket drag on the dirt.

"Oh right, I sure hope not, I mean that would be pretty indecent and borderline blasphemous and all, with all things considered, I mean to have to consider you a sister when I don't and... Maker that is so not what I meant..."

Involuntarily, I cocked an eyebrow and looked backwards, unable to wipe the silly smile off my face.

"What I mean is... we're not in a Chantry or anything of the sort, so there's really no need for sister this, sister that. What I meant was... it just feels good to have someone who understands. " I smiled at him and felt a little bewildered with all of our musings and misunderstandings "What did you think I meant?"

"Oh, oh nothing, ah, well good night! Sleep well! And all that... eh..."he blurted out after standing there for a few seconds in silence, dumbfounded. I turned once more and kept walking, trying my best not to burst out laughing as he muttered something under his breath and resumed his watch duties, incredibly focused on the fire and his twig.

I felt warmth washing over me and the memory of the dreams seemed to be very distant now. Yes, home. That all too familiar feeling of comfort and safeness. And it could be found in the most unlikely of places.