CHAPTER 1

Neria Surana was unimpressed with her companion Alistair. They were currently at their camp cleaning up from the evening meal when the former Templar first began to hum the tavern song they had heard back in Lothering. She thought it was insensitive considering that Lothering had met a gruesome end. Her dissatisfaction with her fellow Gray Warden continued to grow when he ignored her impatient stares.

Truth be told, she had been unimpressed with Allistair from the start. It wasn't that Neria was heartless, or unkind. She was just reserved. How could she help it? Her earliest memories were being torn away from her family at the tender age of 12 after passing too closely to a shem town. A boy had thrown rocks at her while screaming knife ear, who could blame her for lighting his shirt on fire.

Becoming a Gray Warden had been a blessing, now she dreamed of the Old God's screams instead of her mothers. Maybe after this was over…maybe she could go home to her clan…

There new companions were interesting, she thought, a small awkward red headed girl and an intimidating—possibly psychopathic—qunari. At least she had new people to talk to rather than the hedge mage and the bumbling Alistair.

It was late…she should sleep. She unrolled her bed roll close enough to the fire for the necessary warmth, yet far enough away not to accidentally roll near into the flame in her desperation for warmth. This was perhaps the hardest adjustment to life outside the Circle: the constant cold.

Pulling the wool blanket around her as tightly as possible, she drifted off…

Until…until she could feel herself being shaken awake..roughly…a voice in the distance hushed her…was that her screaming?

Her eyes focused in the darkness…a figure sharpened in the dim light…it was…Neria sighed…Alistair.

He looked at her…tenderly.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," she repeated to herself silently.

"Neria," he gruffly said… "Neria, stop your fucking screaming…you are going to have every fucking darkspawn on us in the area if you don't shut the fuck up."

Neria was surprised…despite the look…was Alistair…well…did Alistair have the balls to tell her what to do? And he wasn't making a joke?

She sat up suddenly, looking directly into his brown eyes for the first time since they had escaped Ostegard. He looked tired, she wondered if he had been up all night. Maybe she was being too hard on him?

"I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't know the dreams could continue to be this horrible. I almost hear singing, but then it turns to madness."

"They get better," he replied calmly. She was so shaken she was relieved when he sat down next to her. "If you like I can sit next to you while you fall asleep again."

"Thank you…" she said. She knew the gesture was innocent, "Warden to Warden."

He picked up a piece of long grass distractedly, twirling it absently between his thumb and forefinger.

She laid back down, covering herself with her blanket.

"Don't worry…back at the camp…we would watch out for the new Wardens. After a life in the cold monastery of the Templars I never thought I would find such kindness, such camaraderie…my mother died when I was young you know…my uncle didn't…" Alistair swallowed, "he didn't want me anymore."

Neria could feel her stomach drop. She had sold him short, hadn't seen past his jokes to take him seriously. She kept relearning the lesson of compassion in her arrogance. Magic had been so easy for her, she had risen to the top of her class so quickly…no one had been as adept…or as…able. She was one of the youngest ever to go through the Harrowing, and had one of the quickest records.

"Alistair," she said tenderly, "I'm sorry I didn't know…"

"That's alright, I better turn back to the comic relief! I'm distracting from the Darkspawn, hoards of darkness the whole lot…" He grinned at her. Neria laughed despite herself.

She wrapped the blanket around herself tightly, falling asleep again easily…and this time to darkness…

When the sun rose the next morning Neria was happy not to be as cold as she usually was. Is the weather better? What… Sitting up she counted not one but two blankets…Two… She looked from side to side only to see Alistair a couple yards away snoring, he laid there on what she hoped was a more comfortable stretch of dirt, wrapped in his cloak. It was his extra blanket..

"Comic relief…maybe not…" she muttered to herself before rising.