(My apologies for lateness) Ok and here we are at chapter four! Sorry I love writing this a lot. Ok so thanks for the latest review, but I don't know how to actually get a beta, could you tell me… and then … now we get to deal with the insanity of the oh so loving nobles. Oh and of course I give my best regards to the original makers and their briliant characters… I might bring in Marcus (The dog) in this chapter… It'll be harsh on Juliana though…

Chapter Four

Andrastea and Memories of a Time Forgotten

Walking alone around town seemed to make her sad… looking around it seemed oddly large… she felt alone in the crowded place, no one to talk to and nothing that was familiar… she looked around seeming lost until she came in front of the church. 'Dang it… Maker why… Why does it seem that every time… I find peace… somewhere with you around it…' She sighed and walked up to the church doors, but paused when she saw a familiar woman. For a moment she didn't believe her eyes…

Standing there was an older woman, she wore mages robes and was looking out towards the crowded streets, her name was Wynne. She was an old companion from when she'd journeyed before. She'd had a motherly quality to her even though she'd never had children. She was someone that always seemed to be in the know…

Juliana walked up to her resisting the urge to hug her. "Wy…Wynne?" She asked in an awkward voice as though unsure it was still her. The woman turned surprised by the familiar voice. When upon seeing Juliana she smiled her warm smile.

"Well, look who popped up?" She laughed a small amount and then continued. "Miss Warden Commander… it's been awhile." At this they did end up in a short hug.

"What are you doing here?" Juliana asked smiling for the first time in awhile.

"Oh well I'm just visiting right now, but I'll be leaving for a meeting soon, it's quite important, you see…" With that She began to explain a dilemma in the Circle and how it seemed to be brewing. Some of the mages wished to simply not have any control on them at all, where others still wished to at least keep the basics of the Circle. She seemed to need to find another mage that had roamed off searching for some 'plants' or as she referred to it doing her botany was it? Either way they caught up, laughed and exchanged stories on goings on.

"So, one of Howe's sons, is your new Zeveran, huh?" She asked with a chuckle.

"Minus the constant flirting… the accent… the pointed ears… add a little facial hair and some height… oh and the tattoos none of those that I know of… then yeah pretty much… same slyness… and both did want me dead originally… and still would've…" They both laughed a bit awkwardly at this. It had been true on the last factor of the two being similar, mind you that was the part most would wish to forget rather than continue.

"Ah so he's a mix between… eh…" She'd started to say Alistair but then froze wishing that she could say something else…

"Yeah… in a way… I guess…" She tried to talk about it… but still it wasn't easy to do… normally after the celebration of the Arch Demon's defeat no one brought him up and so even thinking about him made her weak…

"So… He seems to know quite a bit about you, huh?" She asked looking out towards the streets.

"Yeah… we grew up together… so naturally he knows the best of the embarrassing stories about me… but luckily so do I of him so we pretty much keep quiet on those… for the most part…" Juliana tried not to laugh at this remembering some odd moments. Then she continued with a more serious look on her face. "But… it's so weird trying to speak to him… I haven't talked to him since… what I was fourteen? It's just weird I guess…"

"Ah I see…" The woman stated smiling at her old friend. "well unfortunately I will need to be leaving… except that friend of mine…" But before she could say her final goodbyes she glanced over as a large commotion occurred in the streets. Turning to see what this could possibly be the center of this she saw it, barely but it was definitely him. There was Oghren drunk as always swaying as he ran through the street yammering something about schleets… whatever they were…

"Something's never change…" Wynne giggled slightly and Juliana smirked as well soon she said her goodbyes to Wynne and walked into the church. When she looked around it seemed familiar… she remembered someone getting married here… so many people were there… closing her eyes she remembered the sight…

Flowers and music were everywhere, everything was perfect and beautiful… there was a smile on every face, except one… sitting in the corner slouching over sat a dark haired boy. She'd spun a few times but stopped when she spotted him. Juliana walked over and tilted her head at him with a confused look on her face, then squatted down and without warning poked him in the forehead. "Poke… … … Nate… Nate? Why are you so sad?" She asked in a childish voice. "You haven't been yourself lately…" She stated in a more normal but quieter voice. She was now fourteen years old and he sixteen. No mater her poking he stayed quiet for the moment. "Nathaniel…" She seemed to almost whine at him. He finally moved and pushed away her hand and wiped his eyes… he'd been crying, this confused her deeply.

"I… … can you just leave me alone for awhile…?" Nathaniel asked knowing that she most likely would not.

"Na-uh… we're friends… I'd be a bad friend if I did that… come on… you've been like this all week…" She complained but in truth all she was, was worried for him. He was indeed her best friend and in fact to her the only one that counted most of the time. She pushed his hair out of his face also checking his temperature and putting her hand to her forehead as well as to check the difference. "You don't have a fever… so why's your face all red?" Her face got awkwardly close to his for a moment and his face that had been quite red already was now feeling like it was on fire.

"Nothing… look Juliana I… … that is to say… my father is…" But before he could tell the girl what he needed to say the music was starting and they had to take their seats. She helped him up without him even asking, she'd always known when he really needed space or if it would be worse to leave him alone. Knowing someone for most of their life makes it easy to know what to do and what to say. She enjoyed this and walked over to the last two places, they sat together in silence as the wedding began. She pulled out a notebook from her pack and a pen to write with.

Juliana: So what's up?

Nathaniel: Well… my father thinks he's doing something for my best interest…

Juliana: What is it, is it a good thing? Will it be fun? Why are you unhappy?

Nathaniel paused for a moment as though not wishing to write what his father was apparently going to be doing. Slowly he picked up the pen and wrote.

Nathaniel: He… want's to send me into the Free Marches… please don't say anything… I wasn't supposed to tell…

Juliana: Oh… I… I see, how long?

Juliana hid her face, she didn't want for him to see her sad about something… he always seemed to feel guilty about it.

Nathaniel: I… Don't know, He wants me to go for a few years, I think… I think I might have done something wrong… otherwise why would he be like this?

Nathaniel seemed sad and confused all at the same time. Juliana put a hand on his shoulder and then whispered into his ear. "Don't worry… he can't be angry… he's probably just wanting you to venture before settling down or something…" He smirked at this and wrote again.

Nathaniel: Juliana… I'm supposed to go alone though…

Juliana: Why?

Nathaniel: He just said that… I was the only one supposed to… I think that might mean that I could go with… someone else though…

Juliana: Oh? Will you take someone, what about Aaron, or Jacob? I'm sure Alice would be happy to go along.

With that she looked behind her to where the bride would soon be coming in through the door. The awkward sadness on her face would be not noticed at all. When she looked back to Nathaniel's face after the bride had already gone to the alter, he had a bit of a knowing look to his face. He knew that she would have fallowed him anywhere if he'd asked. It was how she was… he didn't quite understand it… but there was a lot about her that he didn't understand.

Nathaniel: Yes… I'm sure Alice would be great… but I was thinking more on the lines of…

"Hey, what are you writing love notes again Nathaniel?" Asked an annoying Thomas Howe, he was twelve and as annoying as ever as he leaned over their pew at the open notebook which was quickly shut and stuffed back into Juliana's bag. Then Nathaniel smirked, and gave Juliana a quick wink.

"Yeah Thomas, you've been taking to long so I figured I'd just move in. Juliana doesn't seem to mind. In fact I was thinking of taking her with me on that thing father wanted me to go on. Isn't that right?" Nathaniel asked Juliana relaxed. Juliana caught on quickly.

"Well of course, can't let you go all by your lonesome now can we?" She asked with a smirk and noticeable wink. Which made Thomas freak out with a horrified look on his face. He was about to stand when his sister who was a few seats down glared at them all and hushed them till the end of the ceremony.

Opening her eyes Juliana smiled at the small memory, it was short but bittersweet and that only because she probably would have gone with him… she shivered at the thought, the man she'd enjoyed most of her childhood with… was now a man she had to watch her back when traveling with… it was horrible but it seemed to be yet another sidestep on her path…

"Maker why do you despise me?" She asked quietly staring at the ceiling with a burdened look on her face. Then she shook her head and walked around. She prayed at the altar, asking once more for the safety of her comrades and that Alistair crossed safely. She spoke with the Revered Mother for a short while and then left the place once more. Buying supplies seemed boring when she was doing so alone. Soon Anders came up to her seeming out of breath, not feeing very up for conversation she decided to ask later.

"So where's that Nathaniel guy?" Anders asked awkwardly looking around.

"He's talking with his sister…" Juliana stated looking at some apples.

"Oh… and Oghren?" He asked slightly put off by her blatancy.

"Last time I saw him he was running down the street yelling something about…" She paused for a moment trying to recall the word. "…Schleets…"

"Schleets? What in Andrastea's name are those?" Anders asked trying not to laugh.

"Not a clue…" Juliana smirked and then walked into an armory.

Nathaniel headed off after saying his goodbyes to his sister and his new brother-in-law. Now he understood a bit of what had happened while he'd been away… His father growing insane and making foolish decisions that ended up costing him his own life, and that of all of the Couslands… except Juliana and her brother… all of the people in that castle… people he'd known for quite a long time now and they were all dead… in one night… a bitter taste was in his mouth and he spat… it didn't help… he sat on a bench and slouched over.

'So where do I stand in all of this?' Nathaniel asked himself sighing. 'And… why in Andrastea's name would Juliana even still let me live… let alone try and make my life better…' He tried to understand the woman but was only reminded of the night before he had left for the free marches…

It was the night before he was to leave and Juliana had stayed the night at the Howe's home. Normally she had her brother but not that day. They'd spent the entire day together mostly just sitting under the tree in the front yard. Dinner was awkward simply because it was one Cousland and the entire of the Howes. It was truly awkward because it seemed to symbolize something to the rest of the family when she had came on his last day and spent the entire day with him and only him… the two of them didn't feel any strangeness about it though. After dinner it had been time for bed, but apparently Juliana had a different idea for the two of them. She was scarelingly good at sneaking around, and with good timing. He was just about to start changing when he heard a giggle. Turning he saw her sitting in the windowsill giggling at him still.

"What are you…?" He began and she jumped into the room landing lightly on her feet.

"Well… I just figured we could hang out a little bit more… I'm not tired, are you?" She asked as though it was as plain as day.

"Oh… well not really I guess…" He answered in truth agreeing with her.

"See, now come on." She stated climbing back out of the window and he shrugging and fallowing her out. This somehow seemed to happen on occasion, usually when one of them couldn't sleep or like now where they wouldn't see each other for a long period of time. They would simply spend the entire night with one another, it was always outside, half the time they'd get into trouble with some dangerous creature and the other half would be a simple nightly walk or something of that sort. Tonight seemed to be the first… walking through the forest, both were armed but not very well if anything were to happen on a large scale but it seemed quiet enough at the time.

Walking through the forest just like they always did chatting quietly and trying not to laugh too loud. Everything seemed fine until Juliana was a little ahead of him in a clearing and he was standing on a ledge that over looked the clearing. She was staring at him and smiling saying something about keeping in contact and how it will be difficult, she'd seemed to have been beating around the bush, specifically on one precise topic and was finally going to come to it. But her luck didn't seem to come as something appeared in the brush behind her… it was a bear, large and furious it was a full grown black bear. Nathaniel's expression went from smiling, to fear, to that face of a hunter as he quickly drew his bow. Immediately realizing the danger Juliana went rigid waiting for any signal that he gave. The one he gave her was terrifying, it was running up behind her head on. Turning and sinking low to the ground she slipped out her long and short swords and opened her eyes with a deadly focus.

'Curse this dress…' She thought annoyed as her white dress dragged in the mud. But this was the least of her worries as the bear itself was about twice her size and very… hungry looking. She slashed at it with all of her might but that hardly even slowed it, it threw her with one of it's large paws. She went flying into a large tree knocked dizzy from the impacts of both. Hardly conscious and unable to move much she wouldn't have been any match for the bear at all, but a perfect target. As it came closer to her Nathaniel took aim and shot, 1...2...3.. Perhaps seven arrows in the end into it's back but they seemed to only increase it's rage. He was going to lose her… he was going to lose his best friend… He jumped down, dropping the bow and without even thinking of any sort of plan ran straight for the beast hoping… praying that he could manage something to save her. As the bear rose it's paw to shred the now unconscious woman beneath it an arrow coming from out of nowhere pierced the bear's neck in a soft spot so directly that it pierced through and through. It fell over on it's side dead, Juliana lye against the tree her breathing was harsh but it was there, she badly bruised and cut in many placesbut she would live. When Nathaniel turned to see their savior the man he saw was the last he expected… Arl Rendon Howe, his father stood the Howe's family bow ready with another arrow just in case another creature was to appear from the forest that night.

Nathaniel stared wide eyed at his father, the man was not in armor, and his hair was a mess as though he'd just gotten out of bed and knew that he was in trouble.

"Father!" Nathaniel called and after a moment the man's face softened into it's usual expressionless mask, but his eyes showed a horrified expression. He looked down at his son as he lowered the bow still the arrow in his hand.

'I now understand... Why sending him away is the right thing to do...' Thought the trouble mind of Renden Howe.

Okay, I know this seems to make Rendon look like the good guy but think about it like this. He'd always been a close family friend including after he'd sent Nathaniel away. Also Nathaniel said something about seeing the bow one last time before he'd left. I think I might write a quick one-shot to explain what was exactly going on in the troubled of Rendon Howe that night. Please review, I would love to know what people are thinking about this expecially if they think something is wrong! Also I appolgize for how it took forever for me to finish this chapter I had some serious writer's block and I hated every idea... I think I even changed the chapter title once... Sorry no Marcus by the way but perhaps the next visit to the city of Amaranthine... -)-