AN: Sorry this took so long to post. I've probably read over this a million times, but I think it's finally ready! There's a lot of interesting stuff going to start happening so I really hope you guys like it. Please favorite and comment and let me know what you think and who you would like to see stories of! I'm working on something with Fenris right now, so that should be up soon as well. Thanks for reading!

The Veil is thin here. Can you feel it on your skin, tingling?

Ellana closed her eyes, taking the same steps she had with Solas a month prior, imagining he was still there beside her. It was here that everything had fallen apart. As far as she had known, everything was going smoothly with him. They had grown close over the past few months since the Inquisition formed, even kissed a handful of times. She thought there was something more there. She thought he loved her...

Please vhenan, I can't.

Spoken then, the words were like daggers to her heart. Now, the pain was still fresh and she could feel the pain still like it were happening again.

Solas...

She walked over and sat where she had when he had removed her valaslin. It felt so intimate, in his own way. Something deeper and almost more meaningful than anything physical. Their relationship was special, different. He appreciated her on a different level than most, so why...

She looked down in the water at her reflection, observing the method he had used to show her how much she meant to him. Was that truly how much? He removed her valaslin and then vanished? Ellana touched her face where her tattoos used to be. It still felt weird to be without them, naked. The Dalish had held their tattoos in high regard and now to be without it...If her clan could see her now, she probably would not even be allowed back in.

But...it had been the last gift he left with her.

She had told the others that she was going out to find him. He had left so much behind and with no answers. Ellana was determined to find them. Leliana had asked her to wait to go out on her own, wait until her agents had searched thoroughly for him, but she was finished waiting. Ellana had to find him. There was just something about the way he left that threw her off. Something had to have been wrong. Solas had never been one to act on impulse so him just disappearing had to have some meaning behind it. He had been upset about the orb, but was that all this was about? There just seemed to be more to it than that.

The glen had just been her first stop on this journey. She just wanted to feel close to him one last time before she set out. She missed him. His touch, his lips, his voice, everything. It was quiet enough that she could almost pretend he was sitting there beside her.

"Sadness, sorrowful, neverending pain. Where? Why? What did I do to make him leave? I will find him. Somehow." The sudden voice made her jump, snapping her back to reality. She looked back towards the entrance of the glen to see Cole. How long had he been there? She felt a rush of heat fly to her cheeks, embarrassed that she had been caught.

"C-Cole, what are you doing? Why aren't you back at Skyhold?" Ellana asked. She was still trying to cover up her embarrassment, but was secretly glad she was no longer alone. She had never gone through something like this before. She felt so vulnerable and alone, it felt completely out of her usual habits.

He didn't speak again until he reached her, looking down at her with a sad expression. He sat down next to her, warily making sure that she wouldn't get mad at him for following. "The others said you were leaving...I had to make sure the hurt didn't take over. To make sure you were alright."

His strange words made her feel better, as they usually did. Cole was a special person, but besides the obvious first choice, he was a close second to who she needed right now. He always knew how to make her feel better and while the spirit of compassion helped with that a great deal, she liked to think they were becoming close enough that Cole just knew how to help her through these kinds of situations. She smiled at him, deeply wishing her face didn't give away the lie. "I'm fine Cole, but you shouldn't be out here by yourself."

"I'm not, you're here." He spoke, a small smile appearing on his features. Ellana sighed quietly, looking back towards the water. There was no getting through to him, but at the same time she didn't really want him to leave. "He will come back." His words surprised her, her gaze directing back at him. "He cares for you more than you think. His hurt is just...it needs to be fixed."

"It's nothing I'm sure that I couldn't have helped him with; we could have figured it out together. Why go on his own?" It made no sense. She had proved to him time and time again that he could trust her. She had done everything that she could think of to make him see just how useful she could be. She was the driving force behind the Inquisition, who was more capable of help than she? Cole grew quiet, musing on his answer.

"This hurt goes back a long time. He will face the wolf on his own and in the end, things will be better." Cole smiled at her, proud of his response. Ellana wasn't so sure though and it definitely didn't deter her away from her goal of going out to find him. "If you must go, I'm coming with you. Your hurt is very loud and I would like to help if I can." He pushed himself back up to his feet and held his hand out for her to take. It took her a moment, but Ellana accepted it and he immediately pulled her to her feet.

"Thank you, Cole." She still had to figure out where they were going to start their search, but with Cole along at least she wouldn't feel so lonely. The closest village was Crestwood, so maybe they should start there. The scouts Leliana would have already reached that area, but it was worth a try to go on foot. Maybe he passed through since then. "We should go ahead and get going. Hopefully we can reach the village before dark."

The two walked back towards the entrance of the glen towards the hart that had been waiting for them. Before getting on, Ellana took one last look back towards the glen. She swore to herself that she would find him, no matter what the cost. She was going to have her answers. She took a deep breath and pulled herself up onto her hart's back, Cole taking the spot behind her. Together they made their way towards the village, their long journey finally beginning.

From the other side of the glen, golden eyes glowed watching the two leave. The being growled from beneath the bushes before making his way out, getting a better look at them and making sure they didn't get too far out of his sight. Durion lips curled, his patience running thin. This was the one he was told belonged to him after all. stepping out into the clearing, he glared at him from behind. "My patience is growing thin, Dread Wolf. You have two days or your vhenan will be no more." Casting his spell, Durion vanished, his eyes fixated on the young elven girl riding off towards Crestwood.