"Oi! Move it yer ladyship!" Oghren's growl barely passed through the fog of Leliana's mind as she stared down at Thomas.

The former noble's normally neatly combed hair was a mess of dirt and sweat, as was the ashen face whose only sign of life was a slight twitch of pain across his features. That was perhaps the scariest thing, that she could actually see that he was in pain, if he had been truly aware of the world he would never have dared showing it.

Lying on his back in the tent they had erected to avoid the majority of the dust the deep roads brought the man remained unmoving, so close to death that Leliana could barely see his chest moving anymore. And all because of a foolish...stupid...idiot! Why hadn't he brought Wynne with them!? But nooo, he had spoken of the great need for offensive power...never mind that you could get hurt you fool!

Not that Oghren was useless, as Leliana was on her knees next to the warden, praying furiously while rocking back and forth, the dwarf went to the work of binding the warrior's great wound.

Leliana couldn't help it, her gaze travelled down to Thomas' chest...a sob exploded from her at the sight.

The wound was round and large and right in the dead centre of the man's chest, the wound had dug deep into the man, through bone and flesh, organs and muscles... There was enough health potions poured into the wound to make a small puddle in him, and she could actually see flesh grow back and bones reknit...yet it did so slowly...too slow. She had seen other men die from half the punishment he'd received.

A large hand pushed her backwards as Oghren moved within her field of vision, the dwarf's hands moving with obvious knowledge as he begun to wrap their entire stock of bandages around Thomas' chest, it wouldn't help...it was too late. Maker...please!

"For cryin...get out, you're doing no good here!" If the semi-drunk dwarf had any sympathy for her she didn't hear it. He looked up at her with an annoyed look when she didn't move, then his eyes softened, if but a little. "You're only in the way...get some air."

"I...yes." Leliana replied, her mouth dry. With numb limbs she moved to climb out, unable to even glance back at the body soon to be bereft of the man living within it.

Outside it was as it always was, dusty, dry and no light but that offered by the fires and torches scattered around the wide tunnels. Normally Leliana would have wondered at the impressive work behind it all, the beauty of the architecture, even after the days they had spent down here. But now...now it just reminded her of how barren the world could be.

And all because of...her.

Morrigan was a dozen feet away, the woman had her hands behind her back as she marched back and forth with hurried steps, her head was lowered, an angry frown on her face. Angry...what right do you to be angry you witch!? She hadn't even washed, meaning that dark blood was still splattered across her pale chest, Thomas' blood...

Leliana felt her hands curl into fists at the sight, hot rage bringing her out of her numbness. "Still here I see? Shouldn't you be fleeing before Alistair finds you?"

The woman stopped mid stride, her head shooting up as she came to stare at Leliana, her eyes oddly....vacant. "He lives?"

"For now." Leliana snorted. "No thanks to you."

"N...no, quite right." The witch turned her face away, much to Leliana's surprise. She won't contest the accusation? What's her angle?

"What were you even thinking!?" Leliana practically spat the words at the witch as she took a step forward, her body tense, wanting nothing but leap forward and tear and shred...until nothing of that creature before her remained. "Did you not see the ballista!? Did you not realize it could fire!? Or were you so arrogant as to think you could simply blow the spear apart with you magic!?"

Morrigan flinched and took a step back while still refusing to meet Leliana's eyes. "I...was focused on my closest enemy."

Leliana snorted. Idiot. "And he steps forward...for you!? For you of all the foolish things! Now he's bleeding to death...because you're an idiot and he's the fool that won't let you pay for your own mistakes!"

"He..." Morrigan bit her lower lip, a flash of anger in her eyes. "...would have done the same for you."

Wha-?" Leliana stopped mid-rage, her body going rigid as the meaning of the words bit into her like daggers. Then the anger poured over her like a tidal wave. "Don't you dare make this about that! Don't you dare! There should never have been a sacrifice! This shouldn't have happened! This is your doing! Your mistake!"

Morrigan took two steps back, as if the words had been actual punches. Oh how Leliana wished they were... Then the witch assumed a more even look, her back straightening as she met Leliana's eyes. "He lives yet does he not? Then he will survive."

"You can't possible know that!" Leliana snapped. The arrogance! "He's in there! Dying! What do you know!? All you can do is how to destroy! That is all you know! If you would have even had a single conversation with Wynne! A trade of information...you would be able to heal him! But no...you stay useless!"

The witch flinched again, but this time she kept meeting Leliana's gaze. "I...yes." What? Again!? What was going on!? Is she trying to confuse me!? "I know only magic that destroys, I know destruction, what it takes to destroy men, so trust me when I say that Thomas did not suffer enough destruction to die. 'Tis I know, he will live."

Leliana wanted to believe it, it was just what she wanted to hear, a ray of hope in the darkness. But it came from her... "Your talk is just that, talk! Nothing but the Maker himself could help him now! And it's your fault!" Leliana turned sharply, too angry to even look at the witch anymore, instead she went to one knee and clasped her hands, trying to summon the calm of the Maker's sight, it would not come though... "This is your fault..."

"'Tis true..." Morrigan muttered. Can't she take a hint? Leave me alone! "...but he stepped in front of me, he did that."

Leliana felt her shoulders slump, her words but a whisper. "Always the hero, no matter what..." She then shot the witch a glare as she raised her voice: "Then perhaps he's a fool...but I know that I would never so stupidly risk the life of the man I love!"

"Love? Insipid distraction..." Morrigan replied with an unconvincing snort. "You think to wound me with these words? I care not." The witch looked away, eyes distant. "'Tis but a small game next to our great work, nothing else."

Game...? Leliana's eyes widened, then she shot to her feet, blinded by rage. "Game!? You did this on purpose!?"

She was suddenly holding Morrigan by the throat, her weight pushing up against the witch as she pushed the other woman against the wall of the tunnel. Her arms shook with the strain as she pushed harder and harder...as if trying to crush the other woman into the wall. "Wh...what are you doing!?" Morrigan croaked her protest out, her eyes flashing with sudden anger, yet she made no move to defend herself.

"You think this a game!? And when you knew you would loose you did this!?" Leliana felt as if her entire being was afire, red hot...rage...just coursing through her, crying for her to kill, to close her fist and... "You thought to deny me my prize!? He's a person!"

"'Tis was not...what I meant." Morrigan grunted, eyes prickling with tears of pain. "Now...let...go!" Leliana suddenly found herself stumbling backwards, a feeling of...confusion forcing her backwards. It quickly passed though, leaving her feeling drained as she glared at the witch.

Morrigan swallowed, her throat red from where Leliana had gripped her, yet she ignored it as she rearranged the rags she called clothes. If Leliana didn't know better she'd thought Morrigan to be...ruffled. The witch didn't return the look, in fact she almost acted a little...scared? Despite the situation Leliana felt some of her anger fading. "I...didn't mean...to..." She's just as frightened of what might come as I am...

"No, you did." Morrigan replied, her voice dead, devoid of emotions. The witch sat down, right there in the dust, eyes vacant. "You did..."

There was nothing more to say.

** ** **

Pain.

Thomas bit down as he found awareness slowly come back to him, stopping him from crying out as he felt the fire of pain centred around his chest. What had happened? He'd remembered fighting that cluster of Genlocks, then something about danger...a ballista firing? How had he not dodged it? It was all so hazy...

He opened his eyes.

And instantly found himself staring up at the face of a red bearded dwarf mere inches from his own...whose breath stank of alcohol! The dwarf grinned at him, letting more of that horrible stench roll over Thomas, making him wish that he had stayed unconscious. "Well if it's not Mr shiny! Back from the dead no less!"

Thomas coughed, then cleared his throat, after a moment of hesitation he managed to make himself speak. Maker...just breathing hurt for crying out loud! "Yeah, said he didn't want someone with such an ugly mug." That got a grin out of the dwarf. "So...will you move yours so I can get up or is this the part where we kiss?"

"Ha! You wish!" Oghren laughed as he withdrew, a rough hand closing around Thomas arm, another coming up under his back, helping him to sit up.

"Whoa..." Thomas shook his head, suddenly dizzy. He forced a grin however. "Feels like I'm ten pounds lighter."

"You are, that spear took a big chunk out of your chest, surprised it didn't punch through your heart and kill you instantly." Oghren almost sounded...puzzled?

Too close...Thomas grinned though, knowing better than to show weakness, especially in front of this dwarf he barely knew. No weakness, no fear, you're a noble and a leader...the words of his father never left his mind. "Heart of steel you know, it's my hidden weapon, a mace in case I loose my sword."

A dry chuckle escaped the dwarf, dutiful rather than amused. "Bah, I've seen your insides now boy, nothing there but blood and guts, a whole lot of the later judging by what I saw." The drunkard grinned and shot Thomas shoulder a playful punch. "Stepping in front of that thing...you wardens are a bit daft aren't you?"

The memory returned in a flash, making Thomas wince on the inside. Oh yes...that... "I prefer to call it stubborn, you if anyone should recognise it, that with the deal with Branka."

"Ah...yes." Oghren nodded, a sombre look on his face for but a moment, then it shone up in sudden glee. "Oi, the two dames of yours were fighting like crazy a few hours ago, but now it's so quiet..." Thomas felt a fresh stab of pain in his gut, oh this couldn't be good... The dwarf was grinning though. "Think they killed each other?"

"Well..." Thomas grunted as he forced himself to get up, suddenly finding the tent cramped. "...there's only one way to find out, isn't there? Besides, we need to get moving to better ground."

"You should stay boy, rest. I hate to say it...but Branka can wait another day." Oghren muttered the words, eyeing Thomas chest with some concern. "Wouldn't want to waste my work here now would you?"

Thomas silently agreed, his limbs felt like they weighted a ton, his head was dangerously light and every breath felt like ramming a spike through his lungs. But he had gotten up, he had already made a decision, and by the Maker he had a responsibility beyond that of himself. He managed a wolfish grin: "Oghren, Oghren...rest is for the weak, how could you insult me so?"

"Fine, do as you will...don't mind me..." Oghren rolled his eyes at the warden struggling to get the tent flaps to open. "...idiot."

Coming out Thomas looked left and right, an eyebrow shooting up at the sight before him. Leliana was sitting on a stone, her shoulders slumped and eyes far away as she stared at something small in her hand, a white flower with red centre, an Andraste's grace...the Andraste's grace. Morrigan was no better, the witch slumped up against a wall, her eyes vacant as she stared at the mirror he'd given her not too long ago. Oh...

Both looked as if they had cried their hearts out, both looked...defeated...broken. Thomas felt an odd mix of emotions at it, some happiness, to see them react so strongly to his little injury...a warm feeling of belonging...yet mostly sorrow. He had caused this by his actions, he was to blame for this...he'd hurt them...when he'd sworn never to do so.

A rustle behind him forced him to wipe the pained look from his face, instead Thomas managed a wide smile as Oghren came up next to him. "Well good day to you ladies!" Maker, it hurts to shout... Both looked up, eyes wide in shock. "Ready to continue? Or are you too busy pruning flowers and looking at yourselves in the mirror?"

Both pulled aside their objects of attention, sudden blushes appearing on their cheeks. Maker...they had cried...a lot, Thomas found himself swallowing before continuing, his voice cocky. "Heck, I want to get to that defensive ridge further ahead before setting camp, and I have a hole the size of a melon in my torso, so get up you lazy-buts."

That's when Leliana shot forward, the bard so fast that Thomas had no chance of stopping her. The only thing stopping him from falling over as surprisingly strong arms were wrapped around his waist was the supporting hand of the dwarf next to him, though Thomas could give no thanks as his breath painfully shot out of him, leaving him gasping for air. "Thank the Maker you are okay! It's a miracle!"

"Well I couldn't very well leave you three alone out here, you would get lost." Thomas joked, feeling somewhat awkward as the crushing arms of Leliana made him well aware of just how weak he was, and how close to death he'd been. He managed to raise a hand, gently petting the hair of the woman hugging him. "I'm fine...calm down."

"W-we thought we had lost you." Leliana's arms crept up along his back until they were digging into his shoulders, her face coming up to look at him, gaze tearful, then she buried it into his chest, drawing a wince from him. "I-I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Y-yeah." Thomas muttered back, suddenly insecure, this was too personal...too close...in the open... Looking up he saw Morrigan look away, the witch biting her lower lip while glaring at the walls. Oh Maker...when did life become so complicated? "I'm okay..."

I might add more to this story as the four walk deeper into the deep roads, so those reading should keep an eye out.