(I don't own Torchwood, Dragon Age or Bloodsong 13T's works. Ianto, in advance, I am so sorry.)

-Assan-

Our first hostage said his name was Ianto. He didn't seem too impressed with us, considering Barkspawn decided he was an alright dude and left the whole left half of his face soaked with dog drool (and some of his hair was left sticking up a bit, too, thanks to the drool, but I didn't inform him of that tidbit).

"So, you're a Warden," the shem broke the silence that we'd been in for the past few minutes we'd spent wandering in circles.

"Yes," I said after a moment. We'd tied the man up and I had him tossed over my shoulder and I couldn't help but wonder if it was weird to talk to somebody you were lugging around like a sack of potatoes.

"So is the glowy one the leader then?"

"No."

"Are you?"

"Yes."

"No," Fenris said from up ahead.

"The other elves I've met were far more talkative," Ianto told me.

"Congratulations."

"He doesn't shut up when you're an allie," Fenris cut in, voice sharp and angry. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Can I get your name at least?" Ianto asked me, "considering all I see is your rear, we might as well attempt to make it less awkward, perhaps?"

"Hmm," well Barkspawn liked the guy, so I suppose talking to him wouldn't hurt, "I am Assan, Warden-Commander of Ferelden's Grey Wardens, usually known as the Hero of Ferelden."

"Assan?"

"It means arrow in my people's language," I explained, "a good name for a hunter, I think."

"You're a hunter?"

"One of the best in my clan," I said proudly before frowning, "well, I was, at least."

"What happened?"

"My dog may like you, but I am most certainly not telling you my entire life story, shem," I said, pausing to catch my breath against the wall. Barkspawn whined and leaned against me, and I patted my loyal hound on the head, hoping to let him know that I was okay. They'd taken the one health potion I had while I had been unconscious, so it looked like I was stuck with the old fashioned way of healing for now. At least until we found Zevran and Hawke.

"We don't have time to stop!" Fenris warned me, pacing back round to where I was lagging behind. He gave me one look and shook his head, holding his hands out, "give me the prisoner. Even I can tell you're in no shape to carry him right now."

I didn't argue, handing Ianto over. He let out a cry of pain when Fenris roughly tossed the man over his own shoulder.

"Maybe I should take him- hey! Put me down!" I pounded my fist against the other elf's back after he'd scooped me up onto his other shoulder, but to no avail. At least he had been more careful with slinging me over his shoulder than he had with Ianto; said shem was staring at me, and he seemed less like a prisoner to me now that we were sack potatoe buddies.

"As much as you attemped to hide it, I saw your limp," the other elf grunted, "you're slowing down due to your wounds, and I am not letting you slow me down. We need to find Hawke."

"And Zev."

"I could care less about the Crow."

"Ex-Crow."

"I don't care. Whether he lives or not doesn't matter to me, as long as Hawke is okay."

Fuckin' flat-ear! I like my heart right where it is, though, and so I didn't say it aloud.

"So," I turned my attention to Ianto, "you hang out around here often? Do you mind if we hang- ow! You ran me into that wall on purpose!"

"If you say a pun again I will leave you behind," Fenris growled.

I blew the flat-ear a rasberry. I turned my attention to Ianto, figuring talking to the shem would be less awkward than staring down at Fenris' rear, "what are you wearing?"

"Oh, uh," Ianto paused, "it's.. it's called a suit."

"Oh, like the ones the shems wear to their fancy parties!"

"Yes, I suppose kind of like that," he frowned at me, "do.. you often change moods so quickly?"

"I like you," I told him, "so far you seem pretty alright."

"So you've decided I'm worthy of being talked to, have you?" he frowned.

"No, I've decided you're not a dipshit," I answered, "I'm not too fond of talking to dipshits. You've passed so far."

"How kind of you," he sighed and stared up at the ceiling. It seemed like he was done talking for now.

"Hey, Fenris-"

"Please just- just shut up."

I scowled, voice low as I hissed out my words, "Fenris, put me down. Now. I hear somebody coming."

He put me down and dropped Ianto against the hallway wall. His lyrium brands lit up, both of us unarmed but ready to fight anyways as he tilted his head to catch the scuff of a footfall then falling smoothly into an attack stance as he noticed it too.

"Don't kill them," I ordered, waiting until Fenris gave a quick nod of acknowledgement, "Ianto may not know where Zevran and the Champion are being kept, but somebody else might."

He nodded, "keep behind me, if you can. Hawke would probably be disappointed if the Hero of Ferelden died on my watch."

"It touches me to know how much you care about me, Fenris," I huffed, preparing myself for a fight despite how much my body was beginning to hurt. It was as if I had been numbed, but that numbness was quickly wearing off.

"I like to keep my priorities straight."

"Well, that's not something we can agree on. My priority's a bit curved. In the direction of Zevran's pants, actually. Mmm.. yes, my priorities are very, very not straight."

"We're not friends, Warden-Commander," Fenris said, not looking at me, "so how about we keep things on a need to know basis?"

"Mmmm.. wait, what? Sorry, I zoned out a bit, there."

The footsteps were growing louder and we both silenced, instantly serious. Fenris nodded his head towards Ianto, and I moved towards our bound captive on silent feet. Barkspawn glanced our way as I pulled Ianto close to me and covered his mouth with my hand, the shem squirming in my grip. My mabari didn't move, smart enough to know that his claws would click against the oddstone floor.

The woman had barely turned the corner before Fenris had slammed her into the wall, entire body alit from the fierce glow of his brands. The dark-haired woman stared at him in shock before noticing me. Her eyes steeled with determination when she saw Ianto, and when she looked to Fenris, her expression was one of defiance. Fenris growled at the sight of it and lifted his hand, about to shove it through her chest, about to hold her heart in his hands and demand the answers he wanted.

I could hear the rapid pounding of her heartbeat, quick and fluttery. It reminded me of the beat that lurked beneath the-

Ianto jerked, sudden and quick. He ducked and slammed his shoulder into my gut, digging into the same exact spot I had been hit by an arrow. I cried out in agony, unprepared for the attack, and when Ianto pulled away I could see that the white bandages wrapped around me were already blossoming with red. He'd reopened it.

"Tosh! Run!"

The lady, Tosh, didn't need told twice. She obviously knew when she was out-matched, for she took advantage of Fenris getting distracted and slammed her knee right up into his crotch. The elf went down and she took off back the way she had come. Barkspawn barked and snarled viciously, but I let out a shrp whistle before he could run off after her and possibly end up getting outnumbered and hurt.

"Dread wolf take you, shem!" I snarled, shoving Ianto away. He didn't seem to care, looking resigned to whatever our retaliation might be yet quite satisfied with himself. I moved to stand, but my body had other ideas, cramping up as the white bandages just got redder and redder with each passing second, "Fenris! You okay, city elf!?"

He groaned, curled up on the ground in a trembling ball of pain. I guess I was right about these soft pants not making very good armor.

"I'll take that as a no," I decided before turning to Ianto, expression twisting into a savage scowl, "where are your people keeping our arms and armor?"

The shem merely lifted his chin defiantly, as if he wsn't afraid, as if his heart wasn't pounding so fast I could see it pressing against his skin.

"I am this close to rethinking your dipshit status," I growled, holding two fingers together.

"Your fingers are touching," Fenris observed as he worked himself to his feet, face scrunched up in pain and irritation.

"Exactly. You are back in dipshit zone," I growled, "Fenris, do your thing, but leave him alive."

"Thing?" Ianto froze as Fenris lit up (lyrium brand wise, his face was a bit scrunched still), "what-"

The man cut off with a scream as Fenris plunged his fist into the man's chest. Ianto's face contorted in pain, and he let out a choked sob.

"That is the feeling of your heart," Fenris' arm twitched, probably squeezing the organ, and Ianto cried out again, "in my hand. Talk, before I rearrange your organs."

"Look," I sighed and crouched down next to Ianto, biting down my pain without even a falter of my concerned expression as I got control of myself again, "we won't kill anybody. We just want to get our friends back, safe and sound. I don't want to be doing this, and Fenris doesn't want to be doing this either-"

"Oh, I do," Fenris growled.

"-and all we want to know is where our armor is, okay? And directions out of here," I put my hand on the man's shoulder, keeping my expression one of concern, "come on, Ianto. Work with me here."

It probably wasn't too easy to think when somebody was squeezing your heart. A distraught look crossed Ianto's face and he seemed to be thinking it over. Fenris didn't give him the chance and the man's face twisted with pain as Fenris squeezed his heart again.

"Okay!" Ianto squeaked, and Fenris released him. Ianto slumped against me, trembling and shuddering, not even noticing as the blood leaking through my bandages stained his suit, "I..uh.."

Fenris lit back up at Ianto's hesitation and the shem winced and quickly continued. A part of me was still surprised he was talking at all, but I've never experienced having my heart in somebody's hands. Literally in somebody's hands.

"I'll... I'll tell you where your weapons are."

-Marian-

The moving ground surprised me at first; I squeaked when it started to move and clung to Jack, staring in shock as it moved, and Zevran let out a sharp curse and clung to the nearest person as he struggled to keep his balance at the unexpected jolt, which happened to be Owen, who shoved him off. Jack smirked at our reactions, but didn't say anything.

"Welcome to Torchwood," Jack announced as the ground finally stopped moving. He stepped forward and I stepped with him, arm still twined around that of my guide, still grinning as Zevran and I stared in wonder at our surroundings, "this is- whoa!"

Jack ducked, an arrow zipping right through where his head had just been. He ducked back behind the giant dwarven door that was shaped like an odd circle, pulling me with him, and motioned to the rest to stay put.

Zevran didn't listen, picking up the arrow that had been fired. His face twisted into a huge grin and he bounded forward out the door, waving the arrow and letting out a cheery 'mi amor!' as he jogged into the firing zone. A happy barking sounded from the room and I heard a thud and then the sound of Zevran's delighted laughter. Bird left my side, bounding into the room to be reunited with Barkspawn.

A happy 'vhenan!' greeted Zevran back and I relaxed considerably.

"You know these guys, I suppose?" Jack asked me, "that's good. Could you tell them to give Ianto back, then?"

I unwrapped my arm from his, a smile my only answer as I raced into the room, "Fenris!"

The worry in the lines of his face evaporated the moment he saw me. He caught me as I jumped at him, both of us clinging tightly to each other, heads buried in the crook of each other's necks, happy to be back together again.

"Ahem."

Fenris moved his head back, leaning to kiss me-

"Ahem," louder this time, more insistent.

"What!?" Fenris snapped.

Zevran gave him a smile, but it seemed a bit forced as he shouldered most of Assan's weight. The Dalish was paler than I had ever seen him, and I noticed that he had a bunch of red cloth wrapped- oh. That wasn't supposed to be red.

"Andraste's flaming knickers!" I pulled myself away from Fenris, much to his dismay if the irritated huff had anything to say about it, and hurried to the Hero of Ferelden, already focusing my concentration on a healing aura as I pressed my hand against the bloody bandages and focused my magic into him.

"You couldn't leave him for just a moment? He was quieter that way," Fenris joked, leaning against the nearest wall and watching me work. There was a man seated nearby, his hands bound behind him, and he flinched at Fenris' movement. By this point the others had wandered in and Jack immediately went to Ianto's side to untie him, the two hissing at each other in low voices; Fenris tilted his head to get a better angle of hearing.

Assan was already starting to get his color back. Once I was sure he was fully healed, I stepped back and gave him a nod.

"Aaah," he closed his eyes, most likely appreciating the sudden lack of pain; he quickly got the bandages off, rubbing his hand against now unmarred skin, "Champion! If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were a better healer than dear old Wynne!"

"Bloody fucking hell."

The man, Owen, was staring wide-eyed at Assan's now unmarred stomach as if the Maker himself had come down and closed Assan's wounds himself. Owen's wide-eyed gaze snapped to me, then to Assan, then back to me.

"That-" he waved his hand aimlessly towards Assan, "you- you just- you-"

Ankle-Biter grinned, looking quite smug as he patted the stuttering man on the shoulder.

"That.." he paused almost long enough for it to be dramatic, "that was magic."