Lyrica awoke with a gasp, heart pounding in her chest and buried her face in her hands. It was yet another dream about the Archdemon but this one was so much…more. At the very end, it seemed to turn its head and stare straight at her. If it did not know about her and Alistair, yet it surely did now.

"You're awake!" Alistair exclaimed. Lyrica looked up at her fellow Warden noticing how he looked a bit pale himself. "Did you feel it too? It was as if…it was as if the Archdemon saw us. Saw us! What could that mean?"

Lyrica opened her mouth to respond when both of them heard sounds from the edge of camp. Alistair jerked his head towards the edge of camp a frown appearing on his lips, "Wait, did you hear that?"

As he started to rise to investigate the sounds, Shrieks appeared. Curses in her native tongue rose to her lips as the Dalish Elf rose to her feet snatching up her bow and quiver full of arrows. Wynn and Morrigan were already firing spells at the creatures, giving their companions time to scramble to their feet and grab weapons, just as Lyrica was doing.

Swinging her quiver onto her back the Elf nocked an arrow and quickly fired a pinning shot at a Shriek that was trying to overwhelm Wynn. It turned its attention to the Warden giving Leilana enough time to drive her blades through its back.

And so the battle went, no one being left to fight a Shriek on his or her own as the only one in armor was Sten who had been on watch with the Mabari; even Alistair had taken off his armor for the night to repair it. As battles went, it was certainly not one of the worst the Elf and her companions had faced but all the more dangerous for the fact they were without their armor.

Before Lyrica knew it the battle was over, almost as quickly as it had begun. Catching her breath the Dalish woman's eyes roamed through her companions taking note of everyone and making sure none were too hurt. They came to rest on Alistair who was currently doing the same and Lyrica smiled slightly as their eyes met and his took her in noting that she was unharmed and an expression of relief rose to his face. Movement caught her attention and her gaze slid past the human to…a creature that stood in the center of camp. Alistair noticing her attention had to slid to something behind him turned to see what she was staring at.

Lyrica held up a hand to him, motioning for the ex-Templar to stay where he was as she approached the creature. It didn't seem hostile, was in fact making no motion towards anyone but seemed to be staring straight at her.

"You…lethallan…," it rasped as she approached it.

Horror struck the Dalish as underneath the tortured rasp of a voice she heard the tones of one that she thought she had lost forever. "Creators! It can't be!" she whispered tears filling her eyes.

"Don't…don't come near me! Stay away!" he demanded of Lyrica when she reached her hand towards him. He whirled away from her running towards the edge of camp. Lyrica watched him as memories of the last time she had seen him ran through her mind…her precious Tamlen.

Without a second thought Lyrica walked over to where he had retreated. Tamlen turned his head away from her begging, "Don't…look at me! I am…sick…"

"Tamlen, we can help you! Don't be afraid, please," she begged.

He risked a quick glance up at her before bowing his head, "No help. No…help for me," he rasped out, causing the tears that she had barely been holding at bay to slip down her cheeks. "The song… in my head. It… calls to me. He sings to me! I can't stop it!" In a flash Lyrica remembered Duncan telling her in no uncertain terms that Tamlen was tainted and there was no saving him, the Warden in her knew this and yet the part that still longed to go back and be with her clan refused to believe it, even though it was obvious he was hearing the Archdemon.

"Don't want… to hurt you, lethallan. Please…stop me…," he begged of her breaking her heart.

Lyrica lowered her head, tears falling freely. "I wish we had never found that cave," she whispered brokenly.

"Always…loved you…lethallan," he said and broke her heart even more, than he attacked, obviously no longer able to hold the song of the Archdemon at bay. Lyrica barely had time to draw her bow, having foolishly relaxed her guard around the creature that her dear Tamlen had become. Fortunately Alistair and the others had drifted closer and gave her a chance to get weapon up and an arrow nocked. She let an arrow fly, and it turned out to be the one that sent him to the Creators.

"Dareth shiral, lethallin," she whispered softly.

Unbeknownst to her Leliana and Alistair were exchanging concerned looks before Alistair motioned the bard back towards camp and approached his fellow Grey Warden.

"Who was that?" he asked quietly, his eyes searching her face and seeing the grief that was so obvious. Is this what he had looked like after Duncan died he wondered?

Taking a deep breath to steady herself Lyrica glanced at the human who had slowly made his way into her heart, "That…that was Tamlen."

"Tamlen?" Alistair frowned slightly as he remembered that name. Between what Duncan had told him and what little Lyrica had said if he remembered correctly that was the other Dalish that had been with Lyrica when they had found the tainted mirror. "He was the one who was with you…?" he trailed off at his companion's miserable nod.

The ex-Templar sighed and reached out drawing her into his arms. "I know this isn't much of a comfort right now but this was a mercy. The taint being left unchecked for so long was driving him insane and he would have only got worse. I'm sorry, Lyrica." He looked down at her considering his next words, if it came out wrong he could easily push her away but he needed to know. "Rica…was he…was he your lover?"

The Elf pushed herself out his arms and he froze wondering if he had crossed the line with her, although all she did was turn around to kneel next to the body of what had once been a fellow Dalish. "No….no he wasn't, although we both cared deeply for one another. The woman who raised me had hoped that the two of us would be a pair." Lyrica bowed her head, "That dream was broken before it could ever be fully realized."

"I'm so sorry," Alistair said, lost for words.

"I know," was the reply. "I would like to bury him in the custom of my people."

The other Warden hesitated, "Do you want to hold a funeral for him?" He was unsure what the customs were concerning the Dalish Elves.

She shook her head, "No, Hahren Paivel held one for him before I left. Duncan granted me that last little bit of time with my clan before we had to move on. I merely wish to bury him and plant a tree as is our custom."

"Yes, I remember now you telling me that when I was talking about doing a memorial for Duncan in Highever."

Despite her grief Lyrica smiled briefly at the fact Alistair had remembered, it meant a great deal to her and showed that this human truly cared for her and didn't just see another knife ear or crazed Dalish. "Ma Serannas, ma vhenan, for remembering."

"I know what ma serannas means…my thanks right? But what does ma vhenan mean?" he questioned curiously.

"My heart."

"Ah…well…" as usual he felt like a fool and fumbled for the right words, although maybe words weren't needed. Both Leliana and Wynn had told him that it was his actions that defined him more so than his words, so he knelt beside Lyrica and took her into his arms again. "We will bury him according to your people's customs…ma vhenan."

Lyrica gave him a grateful look and leaned into his embrace. Tonight had been one of the worst nights of her young life, even since becoming a Grey Warden. At least she had some closure with Tamlen and her past and could now look forward into the future at the side of this…shemlen who had made his way into her heart and become so dear to her.