Author's Note: I wasn't sure what the rating should be, so I put it at T just in case.

The Last Goodbye

They were running through the forest. From what she could barely see through the treetops, she assumed it was about dusk. They were supposed to be hunting for their clan, but somehow they got very off track and she was now currently chasing after him. She kept trying to stop him, but he always seemed to be a few steps ahead of her and continually out of her reach. For whatever reason everything seemed different….everything felt wrong.

Soon enough they came to a large circle clearing of the trees. Tamlen was stopped dead in the center as she stopped at the outer edge, standing their cautiously. Slowly making her way towards him, he stood there motionless with his back to her, not even acknowledging that she was there. That was when she began noticing what was wrong with this. Tainted black blood was slowly forming a pool around his legs, dripping off the ends of his fingertips. Once she was right behind him, she reached out her hand and placed it on his shoulder.

At the slight touch, she was shot backwards by a non-existent force and was slammed back against the trees. The sound of her body cracking from the impact was enough information on how hard it was. Coughing up a bit of blood, she looked up from her position at Tamlen. He suddenly appeared to be almost directly in front of her and she could see where the blood was originating from. Streaming out from his eyes, it dripped off his lower jaw and circled down his arms to his fingertips. His hair was gone and his skin had become a sickly dark looking color. At the far edges of the clearing she could see darkspawn slowly making their out of the forest and to what she assumed, toward them.

"You abandoned me…" his voice sounded raspy, almost unclear. "You left me to die in those ruins… You went off and became a Grey Warden, forgetting everything you left behind." he was continually creeping closer to her as he spoke of all the things she regretted most.

Getting off the ground as she fast as she could, she held her abdomen where the pain was resonating the most. "I've never forgotten where I come from." though even as she said it, she had lost all confidence in her voice that it was actually true. Noticing the darkspawn, they had begun to form a circle around the two of them.

A sickly smile had formed across his face, in which more of his tainted blood found its way out of the corners of his mouth. "You can't escape from us forever. One day the taint will finally consume you as it did to me!"

The pain in her abdomen intensified, as some of the darkspawn behind her grab a hold of her and pulls her backwards into the mob they had formed. Their hold on her burned her flesh wherever it touched and her blood felt like it was boiling inside her veins. Tightly closing her eyes, she tried her hardest lose the pain scorching across her body.

But even as intense the pain was, a cooling sensation washed over her, the pain slowly becoming a dull ache in the back of her head. She could feel the gently nudging of her arm, then a wet streak across her face. Reopening her she sees that she is no longer being consumed by the darkspawn as she was back at camp. Sitting up slowly, she hears a soft whine coming from beside her. Looking down, she saw her mabari next to her, laying it's fairly large head across her lap. A small smile forms across her face, as she rubs gently behind his ears. Looking up at his owner, the large dog's eyes were filled sorrow. Like he already knew what her dream, or rather nightmare was about. "Its ok." looking around to see if any of her other companions were awake she looks back down at her mabari, sighing. "Its…ok..."

Just as she was about to lay back down and hopefully try to get more sleep, she hears a call from Alistair. "Darkspawn!" grabbing the daggers beside her, Lyna and her mabari go to Alistair's aid. Their other party members awaken to the sounds of their battle and soon enough they joined in their fray. The darkspawn and shrieks flood out of the woods, each of fighting them away from their makeshift campsite. Alistair, Sten, and Oghren were positioned at the front, killing most of them that came out of the woods. Zevran, Lyna, and her mabari were stationed after them, killing all those who made it past them. While Morrigan, Wynne, and Leliana were at the rear, firing arrows and casting spells, watching where they couldn't. Eventually the last of them fell dead to the ground and they were all looking at the mess that surrounded them.

As the rest of her companions walked back to their own tents, she sighed and looked off into the forest where the darkspawn had resonated from. Despite the darkness of the forest, she could see the slightest movement of a person turning their head towards her. Taking a few steps forward, the person darts off, heading deeper within the forest. Spiking her curiosity, she sprints into the forest after them. Alistair calls her named in confusion, but she ignores him and keeps chasing after the person ahead of her.

Whoever they were, they were clearly not darkspawn but from what she could tell from the light of the moon, the person was a man and he must have been watching them even before the battle. Chasing after him seemed like her nightmare. Whenever she is about to grab a hold of him, he barely makes it out of her reach. The only thing that was different was that this wasn't Tamlen. It couldn't be him.

A bit ahead of him, she notices a fairly large tree root coming out of the ground and across their path. The man she's chasing nearly jumps over it but as she reaches it she launches herself off of it and tackles the man to the ground. Both of them roll across the ground before coming to a stop. Regaining her composure before the man, she grabs a hold of his leg and pins him there.

"Who-"but she stops herself as he turns to face her. His skin was a sickly dark color and all of his hair had fallen out. He looked just like he did in her nightmare. This was Tamlen...and he was still alive.

Letting go of his leg, he quickly sits up and backs away from her. "Tamlen…?" was the only word that could escape her mouth.

"Don't…come near me…lethallan…I am…sick…" he continually scoots away from her, slowly getting up in the process.

"Please Tamlen, I want to help you." her voice was pleading; she wanted to do anything to save him.

"No…there is no help for me…" he gripped his head in pain. "The song…in my head. It…calls to me. He sings to me! I…I can't stop it!"

All of her strength and composure she works so hard to keep intact was slowly breaking apart at what she assumes he is requesting. "Please, Ar'din nuvenin na'din."

He let go of his head and looks back at her. "Don't want…to hurt you, lethallan. Please…stop me…" his voice was filled with desperation.

Tears were threatening to fall across her face. "I love you Tamlen."

"Always…loved you…lethallan…" his voice was cracking at his words.

Moving closer toward him, she pulls out one of her daggers. Lifting up her trembling hand, she places it on his shoulder. He smiles sadly at her. "Goodbye…" raising her dagger, she stabs it though his heart. Making a painful grunt, he falls forward and into her arms.

"Ma serannas, emma lath." he breathed out as his body became limp in her arms. Gently pulling her dagger back out, she lowers him and herself to the ground. Everything shattering within her, time feels like it comes to a stop and it is only her holding Tamlen's lifeless body. Her tears stream down her face and gently hit his chest. Off into the distance she could hear the sounds of her other companions running towards her but she didn't care at this point.

At least she was able to say one last goodbye.

Author's Note: The Elven translations are:

Ar'din nuvenin na'din: "I don't want to kill you."

Ma serannas, emma lath: "Thank you, my love."