I wasn't too happy with the first chapter... but I felt obliged to finish. I'm no good at describing fighting scenes, as some of you can plainly see. =P

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age.


Alistair had refused to even talk to Alyssa, and Morrigan was too wrapped up in her own thoughts about the events that day. In the uncomfortable silence, they had trudged back to the camp some time during the evening. Snow covered the entire camp lightly, and those out of their tents were wrapped in cloaks or thick blankets. Leliana's missing presence was easily caught by everyone. Alyssa avoided all conversations about what had occurred at the temple and retired early.

Morrigan retreated to her own side of the camp, and Alistair sat beside the tiny campfire in the center of the camp, staring hard into the flames. Wynne didn't take long to go sit by him to try to probe him.

"I can tell by your glum faces that something didn't go well," the old woman remarked. "What exactly happened there, and where's Leliana?"

Either she would find out for him now, or Alyssa later. He sighed sadly. "We found the Urn of Sacred Ashes."

"That is good news, no? Now we can cure the arl-"

"We have a pinch of the Ashes for that," he interrupted, "but the rest of the Urn has been destroyed. This man... a cultist, named Kolgrim, offered an ancient power from the deceased faithful if Alyssa poured a vial of blood into the Urn."

"She didn't!" Wynne cried. "What is the logic in tainting them?"

"The cultists believe that Andraste had arisen again, in the form of a High Dragon. And what held Her in those mountains was the Urn, so of course they wanted to destroy it. Alyssa told me she didn't believe a word of it, but the power Kolgrim offered was too great to refuse."

"What of Leliana?"

"Leliana was horrified when she actually went through with it, and tried to kill her. She's... gone. For ever."

...

...

In the middle of the night, the Warden crawled out her tent. Hunger gnawed away at her. While she was digging through one of the food packs, she caught light footsteps coming from behind her. The senior mage, no doubt. She didn't bother to stand up nor look at her. Was she to be scolded for her actions like a child again? She didn't see Wynne's different eyes. The strong hate and disgust that only were reserved for darkspawn.

"Did you think you would be able to hide what you did from the rest of us?" Wynne hissed.

"I do what I do what the good of us all," Alyssa offered lamely, running her hands through the pack.

"You care so little about your fellow men that you would destroy the one thing that could give them hope? You are not the person I thought- I hoped you were. I was sadly mistaken and regret ever fighting for your cause. I hope the darkspawn take you. You... are no better than them."

...

...

"Have you wandered to the wrong side of the camp again?" Morrigan asked with a scowl. "You're tent is the behind the large cheese wheel, lest you have forgotten."

"Ho ho ho," Alistair muttered. "No, I didn't, in fact. Big surprise, isn't it?"

"Then why-"

"It's your fault Alyssa's like this, you know," he accused suddenly. "You've been telling her for the past year that the only meaning was in power! It worked, okay?"

"Have you tried talking her out of her tent?" she inquired.

"Let's just say it didn't go so well," he grumbled.

It seemed she would have to take matters into her own hands, and she didn't have a good clue on how to do so. Giving advice and talking people through difficult times just wasn't in her category of expertise. She stood up and stalked over to the main part of the camp. Muffled sobs came from out of her tent. Morrigan shook some of the snow flurries from her hair before entering. There the Warden lay on her stomach, with her face buried in a pillow. The witch tapped on her shoulder.

"Go away, Alistair," Alyssa cried. "Haven't you yelled at me enough for the day?"

The fool certainly didn't be civil when he tried to talk to her, Morrigan thought bitterly.

"'Twould hope I am not that idiot," she murmured.

Alyssa turned her head on it's side to look at her. Her sapphire eyes were rimmed red, with tears spilling from the corners. Morrigan did well to hide her shock. Never before had she seen the Warden cry.

"What are you doing here?" Alyssa asked weakly.

"What do you think I am doing here?" she countered. "This moping around... 'tis meaningless. You've been in this tent for days. It has gone on long enough! There is a Blight to deal with."

"How am I suppose to go on? Wynne stormed away for good, and Leliana is dead..."

"And the point would be? That old woman has been most annoying with her constant nagging, and the bard was always talking to me about her Maker, as if she was trying to persuade me to change my thoughts. Camp has been far better without them. I know I don't miss them."

Alyssa buried her face back in her pillow. "Just because you didn't like them doesn't mean... never mind. Could you just leave? I'm not going anywhere."

"I am not going anywhere," Morrigan replied. "Do you really wish for the Blight to consume these lands? Your home? You've been trying to build an army for the past year, and want to forget all about it now? Just because of a few regrets? 'Tis foolish!"

"What if I make another mistake? I... can't. The thought-"

"Nobody is a perfect being with no flaws," Morrigan interrupted. "You'd do well to know that."

The Warden sat up slowly, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. She gazed at the apostate.

"I... don't think I can lead anymore," she whimpered. "This burden of constant leading is too much to bear. I have to make all of the decisions, and I thought this one was for the best. With the power of a High Dragon... nobody in our group would die. I would be invincible and would conquer this Blight... but I now see that this really was the wrong decision. Look at what it's cost me! I can't lead anymore... let Alistair lead. He's the only other Grey Warden in Fereldan. He knows our goal."

"Then we are all doomed to die," Morrigan muttered. "Look, it's the middle of the day and we're still in the camp doing nothing of importance. You are the only one who can lead us."

"I..."

"Enough of this denying that you can't! You cannot lay down and die now. In every journey, there will be mistakes, maybe people you've known for a time will die, and this horrid drama will occur, but you must learn that you cannot let the past burden you. Think of the foreseeable future. Thousands more of people- which I care nothing for, will die if this Blight is not defeated. Could you live with that on your shoulders? You must move on."

Alyssa said nothing to this, for she was considering her words. Everything she said was right. Who would have thought that Morrigan would be the one to help her come to her senses? She sniffled one last time, and pushed past Morrigan to look outside. The snow had stopped falling for the time being, and the sun shot it's rays through the ashen clouds. It was still morning. Everyone in the camp stared at their leader, hoping for her to announce something. Morrigan exited the tent, standing a little behind her at attention.

"Every one pack up your belongings. We have a Blight to deal with."


That's the end of this short fic, I think. Reviews welcomed.