Chapter 1

When Uldred took over the tower there was chaos.

"Now is our chance!" Anders said grabbing my hand we weaved our way through the Templars and blood mages fighting, book cases crumbling everyone was focused on the abominations as we ran out into the open air.

"Hope you can swim!" He shoves me into the water without a second thought and dives in after me. The robe begins weighing me down so I pull it off and resurface near the shore. Anders is already wringing his robes out when he sees me.

"What are you waiting for come on!" he shouts his voice rising in panic. His amber eyes darting behind me to make sure we weren't being followed.

Ander's eyes widen and his eyebrow rises.

"Where in the makers name is your robe?"

"Floating down to the bottom...if there is a bottom in that lake."

I shiver in cold as I make my way towards him "Come on let's get going I will find you something to wear later."

We travel a ways out when he shoves me under some bushes. "Stay here I will get us some clothes."

I rub my hands together and create a small flame then douse it in fear. Is this what apostates felt like, constantly in fear a templar would find them? If so this is horrible! I gently touch the leaves of the bush I had been so ungraciously shoved in. It was a strange feeling to smell the greenery around me, to feel the dirt beneath my feet and the wind across my body. Living in the tower is a gilded cage. But first and foremost a cage we are birds with clipped wings.

Footsteps get closer and I pull my feet into me when a hand moves the bush out of the way. "Here put these on." I do as he says and I realize that these are boys clothes but I say nothing Anders nerves were tense as it was.

"All right we will travel together sometime then we will part ways it will be easier for them to catch us if we are together."

His back was turned to me as he began peeling his wet robe off and putting on a tunic. For a mage he was well built, his back as well defined as the front. His dark blonde hair pulled back in a pony tail and gold hoop earring on his ear. I watched as the sun hit him illuminating the gold and exposing the red highlights in his hair.

Tears stung my eyes he had always seen me as his comrade, someone he could depend on when things got tough. Every time he returned from a runaway he was always beaten. Irving would assign me to stay with him knowing we were friends. Healing wasn't my thing but I knew some. We were also cell mates as it were, in solitary confinement, he for running away and me for setting Templar skirts on fire. We were always placed into cells next to each other which was comforting. Though Anders was found in solitary more often than I. We became close friends... though I wasn't sure which was worse, him telling me of his latest love conquests or realizing he didn't see me in that way. I shook my head and wiped the tears away before he saw.

"Okay are you ready to get going?" He held his hand out a familiar mischievous smile spread on his face.

I placed my hand gently into his "As ready as I will ever be."

We ran...and ran.

Thankfully Anders had some vague sense of direction. Nights were spent huddled together not wanting a fire to draw attention. I reveled in those moments his arms wrapped around me and my head on his chest. I forced myself to memorize his heartbeat.

The day dawned when we would finally part ways. I felt sick to my stomach, terrified to be alone and crushed because he was leaving.

"Lothering is just a day's walk straight ahead." he looked down at me.

"Where are you going?" I fidget nervously in place I did not want him to leave but to scared to ask him to stay.

"North."

I nodded "Take care of yourself Anders." Walk now, my feet finally started moving when a hand grabbed my shoulder.

"Navianna..."

Maker don't do this.

"You've been a good friend...a sister to me."

Please please Andraste make him stop.

He grabbed my shoulders and looked straight at me. "Be careful I don't want to have to come break you out of the tower."

Pulling me into him I took in a final breath, breathing in his scent and listening to his heartbeat. Tears began to sting as I realized how much I loved him and now I would never see him again.

"Good luck Vi!" he pulls away and heads north.

He was the only one who called me Vi and the only one who ever would.

The closer I got to Lothering the worse I started to feel. Smoke was pluming from everywhere and I soon realized that the town was being overrun by darkspawn.

I spied a group of people rushing across the hill opposite of me with darkspawn heavily on their heels. Summoning my magic I threw a massive fireball scorching them all to bits. The four turned to me as they stopped to catch their breath.

"Who, who are you?" A tall man with broad shoulders spiky black hair and a staff on his back asked. His sky blue eyes were narrow but held a light curiosity to them as he sized me up.

"I am Navianna are you all right?"

"Do we look all right?" a rather handsome looking man growled at me looking much like the other man but with longer hair braided behind him and a massive blade in his hand. I noticed his eyes were a much darker blue and held an unnerving intensity.

"I suppose that was a dumb question and I'm sure this is going to sound even more strange but may I travel with you?"

The older woman looked me over "Did you...did you escape from the tower?" She was beautiful for an older woman, her grey hair pulled to the side soft hazel eyes looked me over with the care of a mother. Why was I choking up now? I berated myself.

"Maker is it that obvious?" I said with a sigh.

"Well the strange boy clothes sort of give it away and the magic." A young woman says giggling slightly, maker it was like they were triplets familiar blue eyes and black hair with a wistful smile and singsong voice she looked me over.

"As much fun as it is getting to know each other the darkspawn are getting closer, we need to move." The first one said.

"Right listen to your brother and Navianna follow us."

Relieved doesn't even come close to how I felt and I didn't want to seem as if I wasn't pulling my weight so I used every spell I knew to take the darkspawn down. Impressing even the man with the massive blade in his hand. Then we ran into a templar.

Maker help me I slunk behind the man with the blade who raised his eyebrow at me. After the argument ended I had learned everyone's names and the alliance made had us bound as we head out battling darkspawn until we get up to a plane.

The forsaken ground begins to shake when a massive ogre appears roaring. Bethany tries to throw a fireball but it does nothing. It grabs hold of her and before any of us could do anything it smashes her on the ground and flings her lifeless body to the side.

We banded together to bring the massive thing down but it was Hawke who landed the fatal blow tearing the creature apart. We flanked each other as more darkspawn began to gather. "We are cornered there is no way out." Carver growled when a massive shriek had us all turning our heads.

The massive dragon was the color of wine. As it breathed fire and destroyed darkspawn I began to try and figure out what type of wine when it suddenly morphed into a woman.

"What in the maker's name."Armor rustled and I saw the Templar go down. Part of me wanted to ignore but another part of me couldn't.

I walked over to Aveline who eyed me suspiciously "Can I help?" I asked.

"I don't know are you a healer?"

"I know some healing magics." I knelt down next to Wesley and ran my hand along his arm knitting the wound back together. But there was a sickness in him, something I had never experienced.

"There is a sickness there that I can't heal I am sorry."

The witch speaks of the corruption that darkspawn can leave behind and how there is no cure. Then she turns her fearsome gaze to me. "So little mage, with clipped wings I wonder what will happen now that you are free. There is a power in you child that I have not seen in ages. You do well to use it for it may save you in the future."

Aveline says goodbye to her husband and thrusts the blade in him. I am in awe of her strength.

"Without end there can be no peace." Flemeth says and I put my hand gently on Aveline.

"Would you like me to sing for them?" I looked at Leandra and Aveline they both nodded.

"We don't have much time." Hawke said softly.

"I can sing while we walk."

Night has fallen upon them

Their breath has gone but they have left behind a light upon which we dream

To the maker's side they go warrior and mage who no longer feels their pain

Though our hearts ache and our tears mark our grief

We shall remember all they were

We shall remember the strength they showed

It is by the Maker they wait

Until the day comes when night falls

And we meet again

Aveline looked at me "That was beautiful Navianna." I blushed profusely.

"Oh thank you I hope it helped." I swallowed. Leandra put her arm around me.

"It did child."