So these little snippets are like deleted scenes which are thoughts that struck me that I would love to go back and put into the story. I'm not writing them in an order, just as the thoughts come. Some might not fit neatly into the timeline of the story, but are meant to be part of the canon. Anyways, enjoy.

Aiden pulled his cloak tighter around his head in a miserable attempt to shield his eyes from the rain. He really didn't mind it for the exception the droplets were so damn cold. Was there no warmth in this part of Ferelden?

"Thank the Maker." Cassandra shook her drenched hair trying to clear her vision as well. "I think I see Harding."

"Is every place you're going to drag me to going to be this miserable?" Varric wondered, shivering under the layers of his armor.

The Seeker glared at him, "I believe I did tell you that you can return to Kirkwall anytime you like."

"Do they always go on like this?" Bull asked the Herald.

"I'm afraid so."

Cassandra sent a glare in his direction.

But Aiden could tell that it lacked the usual heat in her brown eyes. It seems like things were still shifting for them since the Storm Coast. Now shifting to what, was still a mystery.

"Herald it's good to see you." Harding greeted the small party with a slight bow, "I'm hoping you can sort out this mess."

"Can't make any promises." Aiden muttered, "What is going on?"

"Our missing patrol are being held hostage by Avvar. Barbarians from the mountains."

Cassandra arched a brow, pushing her bangs from her brow, "What are they doing in a bog?"

Harding shifted her weight from foot to foot, "Well, their leader…" Her gaze shifted to the human rogue, "Wants to fight you. Since you're the Herald of Andraste."

Aiden huffed and hunched his shoulders, "Should I autograph something for him before he tries to behead me."

The mere thought and the image it produced left Cassandra uneasy. Aiden's combat skill was still seriously lacking. There was no way the Herald could go up against a bunch of Avvars and hope to live. "Has he issued an official challenge?" Cassandra asked, "For the Herald specifically?"

The Scout thought for a moment, "That is unclear as we are going on information from a runner of the clan."

"What are you getting at, Lass?" Aiden could see that she was thinking of something by the way she chewed on her bottom lip. For a moment, he became distracted by the wonder of what it would fell like to nipple himself. Aiden shook his head clear. Now wasn't the time. Not when some mystery Avvar wanted his head on a platter.

"If the challenge isn't specifically for you, then from what I understand from Avvar tradition." Granted she did learn most things about the race from books that weren't of the historic kind. Cassandra prayed that her love from trashy novels served them for the better. "You can pick a champion to take the challenge."

Aiden's grip tightened on his bow, not liking where this was going. "And that champion being you?"

"Well," Varric cut in taking the heat of the Herald's gaze, "she is the better warrior. Your skills… How do I say this-?"

"Suck ass?" Bull finished. "Sorry, Trevelyan. I've seen you train and it ain't pretty."

"That doesn't mean I'm about to let the Seeker take my place." Aiden argued a little to feverishly. He quickly tried to back petal, "Or anyone for that matter. If it's me the bastard wants, then so be it."

"First you have to make your way to him." Harding broke into the argument before it could escalate any further. "You'll have to make your way through the bog and all the undead."

Sighing, Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose, "Hasn't Ferelden heard of burning their dead?"

"They really did get the chance." Harding explained, "A plague wiped out the place too quickly and no one has been brave enough to venture back out here until us."

"Great plan that turned out to be." Aiden quipped and earned a disgruntle noise from the Seeker. He turned to her with a slight upturn of the lips, "Can't say I don't take you anywhere boring, Seeker."

Despite her attempt not too, Cassandra found her own lips curving, "Good, because I hate boring."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

After drudging through the bog for most of the days, taking on hordes of undead, and lighting mysterious beacons, the group found the best place they could to make camp. Aiden set up at the mouth of the cave, just far enough inside to save himself from the rain. The other two males question his choice since the fire was further inside, but thankfully Cassandra silenced them with one hard look.

Leaving a bit of space between them, Cassandra joined the Herald, "I'll take first watch."

"Not like I'm going to get any sleep." Aiden didn't feel having a repeat of that night on the Storm Coast. He reached down and paused when he realized that Merthin wasn't at his side. In the short time of finding the hound, Aiden had grown accustomed to have him at his side. "If I end up losing my head in the morning, please do me a favor and burn my remains."

Cassandra's gaze shot to his, "That is hardly something to joke about." An icy feeling of terror settled in her stomach at the prospect of having the arrogant rogue around to annoy the hell out of her.

"Who says I'm joking?"

"We are not talking about this."

"I'm serious, Cassandra." The use of her first name had her eyes growing soft. He glanced back to stare out into the bog, "I don't want to risk coming back as one of those things. Not to mention I can't stand the thought of my body rotting underground in a pine box." Thinking about the blackness and enclosed space made Aiden shiver.

"It's a moot point." Cassandra stated, pulling her legs up to her chest, "Because I'm going to face the Avvar."

"No you're not." Aiden argued. "He challenged me and I will see out that challenge."

"You can barely hold onto your bow for two seconds without breaking it."

A growl rumbled in the Herald's throat, "I'm not a child who needs protection, Seeker."

"Could have fooled me." Cassandra shot back.

"You should have more faith in me."

"I do." The answer stunned him into silence, "I just don't have much faith in your combat skills."

Any retort Aiden might have had died on his tongue. She believed in him. Something she had said before, but still something he struggled to comprehend. "I am serious on the matter of wanting to be burned. Don't let them put me in the ground."

No. There was no way that Cassandra would let his spirit suffer such a fate of being trapped in darkness. She reached out to touch a hand to his arm and this time Aiden merely flinched instead of jerked away from her touch. Progress. "I won't let them do that."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"These things are endless!" Bull howled hacking his way through the solid wall of undead.

Aiden couldn't notch his bow fast enough and he was going to run out of arrows long before they made a dent in the on slough of enemies. "Open for suggestions?"

"We make a run for it." Cassandra held up her shield to block the oncoming blow. She took down two walking corpses, easily, with a single blow of her sword. "To the gate."

Aiden hoped up to the large chain running all the way towards the battlement, "Go." He commanded, notching another arrow. He hardly had to put any concentration on his balance as he always was nimble on his feet when allowed to be. "Stop staring, Seeker, and move your ass!"

Scoffing, Cassandra bit back her retort and pushed herself forward through the unwavering line of enemies. She kept an eye for the Herald, amazed the man barely wavered as he sprinted across the large links of the chain. Oh-how this man amazed her.

Surprisingly, the dwarf reached the gate first, "Level is up top." He announced still sprinting forward.

Aiden shouldered his bow, jumped the gap, and up to the link running along the side of the wall to the top of the battlement. Ignoring cries to be careful, he climbed while his three companions fought to keep the undead from getting inside the save haven of the stone wall. Thanks to his heritage, Aiden heard the arrow whizzing through the air and tumbled over the edge and onto the stone just in time to avoid it striking his face. That would have been very bad. He scrambled to the other edge, "Behind!" He called out in warning before yanking down the lever for the gate control.

After the skirmish was done and with the undead trapped outside of the gate, Aiden pulled himself up to look over the edge, "Everyone okay?"

"Fine." Cassandra informed.

"No we're not." Bull corrected ignoring the scowl from the Seeker. "Cassandra is hit."

Aiden's heart clenched tight in his chest, "How bad."

"I'm fine!" Cassandra argued.

But Aiden was having none of it, "I have some herbs in my pack. There is a room up here, but it's locked."

Varric started towards the stairs, "Got you covered, Scruffy."

Cassandra yanked away from pull and resisted the urge to bash her shield against the Quanri's head. "I can walk on my own." Though her side stung, she kept her spine stiff as she followed after the dwarf. She refused to let an ounce of pain show on her face.

Aiden ushered her into the room Varric managed to pick open and directed her to sit on a crate. "Where are you hit?"

"It's a scratch." Cassandra tried to argue only to hiss when she twisted the wrong way.

"I'll be the judge of that." Aiden began to look himself since it was clear the Seeker wouldn't give its location away. Just under her right arm pit was a nice gash right in between the straps of her breast plate. He ignored her growl and reached down for his elf root, "'tis more than a scratch there, Seeker."

Before she could think of a retort, his nimble fingers began working on the buckles of her armor. His hand brushed against the side of her breast and she turned her head and prayed to the Maker that she was pale enough from the cold to hide her blush. Leliana's advice echoed in her head as the memory of their night at the Storm Coast came flashing across her mind. "Just bandage it." She cleared the softness of her voice and tried again, "We don't need to waste a healing pot for something so small."

The Herald knew better than to argue. It wouldn't get him anything but a headache. They were still going back and forth about who would be facing off with the Avvar. "Then we shall rest here for a few hours. Catch our breath and regroup." He would have to see what he could find in the way of supplies for arrows. The horde of undead left his quiver nearly empty.

"I think that's a good idea." Cassandra's answer surprised the males. The pain wasn't bad, but Maker was she cold, wet, and tired down to her bones. What she wouldn't give for a nice fire, though Aiden's closeness was doing a fine job of warming her up. Stop! Cassandra gave herself a mental shake. This was not time nor the place to think about such things. He was the Herald of Andraste, the man she was supposed to protect with her life in order to seal the breach and hopefully settle the turmoil in Thedas. Under no circumstances was she attracted to this man.

"There." Aiden tied off the bandage and eased away from the Seeker and froze in realization. He had just willingly touched a person without thinking, flinching, or dragging up some horrible dark memory. Well wasn't that something…