Chapter 1

Evelyn was falling, falling, falling. She felt her feet hit the ground followed by her knees. She gasped at the pain in her legs, then at the pain in her hand. She looked at the offending palm which was glowing with an eerie green light. Light, light headed, world spinning. She knew she was just doing something important but she couldn't think through the fog billowing through her mind. She must have fallen over because her face was in something soft, cold- snow. She moaned as the pain in her hand tore through her body again and she curled up into a ball around the throbbing limb. She heard a crunch in the snow and saw the glint of that same emerald light off of a sliver boot. There was someone talking- to her? She couldn't make out any words- they all sounded so far away. She felt herself being picked up into someone's arms and carried to some unknown destination. The last thing she experienced before passing out again was gold and silver and the low rumble of voices.

Cullen was outnumbered. By a lot. He had only ten remaining men with him, many of whom were limping and bleeding, barely able to stand. There were at least a dozen demons circling them like vultures waiting for death, and more were sure to come. One lashed out at him with sharp claws but he bashed it with his shield, stunning it for a precious few seconds while he gathered his strength in his right arm and dove his sword up to the hilt in the demon's chest. It screeched and withered to the ground. His other men were fighting like trapped animals. They wouldn't last much longer like this. Andraste preserve us.

Suddenly there was a whirl and a thunk right next to his ear. Cullen spun around with lightning speed to face whatever demon was attacking him. He lunged with his sword and hit… a shield? Since when do demons use shields? Cassandra peeked around her shield at Cullen with annoyance.

"We are supposed to be fighting the demons, not each other," she told him with an arched brow.

Relief flooded over him as he looked from Cassandra to the reinforcements she brought with her.

"Well thank the Maker you are on our side," He said with a smirk.

"You should be thanking me, since I just saved you from that demon," Cassandra replied with the hint of a smile on her lips.

Their reprieve was short lived as the rift sparked and started spewing out more demons. Cassandra, Cullen, and their men ripped through the demons easily and headed toward the rift to better inspect it before another round of demons appeared.

"Have you found any survivors?" Cassandra said, glancing around the perimeter.

"No survivors, but plenty of bodies," Cullen replied solemnly.

Just then, the rift sparked again but no demons appeared. Cullen shifted his stance uneasily, waiting to slash whatever was thrown at them.

"NO!" A woman's voice screamed.

Cullen glanced at Cassandra who just shrugged her shoulders.

That was when a woman fell out of the rift at their feet. Stunned, Cullen didn't move. The woman landed on her feet which gave out and sunk to her knees. He had been around demons plenty of times to know that they could change their appearance so he still kept his sword drawn as he cautiously walked toward her. There was a bright green ember of light on her palm that made him even wearier of her. The strange woman's hand suddenly burst into a brighter bloom and she fell to her side a yelped at the pain.

Cullen sheathed his sword but gave a look to Cassandra who nodded at him and followed with her sword still drawn. The woman's eyes were still closed and she seemed to have fainted. Cassandra nudged her with her boot but the woman still didn't move. Cullen knelt down to inspect the woman. She was covered in dirt but didn't look hurt- other than the eerie light blinking in her palm. He gave a quick cursory inspection to see if she was badly wounded. She was average size with long brown hair pulled back into a braid. She had a spattering of freckles along her nose and her cheeks were gaunt- like she hasn't been eating well for a while. He moved one of his hands to the girl's temple, drawing on his remaining Templar strength. Cassandra studied him with her hard brown eyes. He shook his head. No, she's not a demon, nor is she possessed by one.

"We had better take her back and have her looked at," Cassandra said, sheathing her sword. "Especially that… thing," she pointed at the woman's hand, still glowing green.

Cullen stood up and turned to the troops. "Let's move out," He yelled, "But be ready- there may be more demons ahead."

He turned back to the woman in the snow and picked her up. She was cold and shivering from laying in the snow, so he wrapped his fur trimmed cloak around her. He had a feeling she was going to need all the rest she could get before the nightingale got a hold of her.