A/N: SO SORRY for the long time before the update. I had written this chapter at least three times, trying to figure out how I wanted this story to go, as I have three major different ideas. I finally decided how I want this to go, hopefully I made the right choice. Anyways, hope you like it!

P.S. Only after I read some of your reviews did I realize my mistake in naming my character Wynne. Lol. I named her that because Wynne means 'blessed, white, fair". To me, it now makes more sense with everyone calling her Warden during the Blight, so they don't confuse the two Wynne's. (Making an excuse I know. :) ) Also, I have been trying to find pictures of the different Vallaslin, and I finally found one that fit's Wynne. It is the same as Mithra, from Dragon Age: Origins. :)


It was three days since her fight with Zevran, and thankfully with Merrill's help, Wynne was able to now stand upright. Walking on the other hand was still a problem. But Wynne was stubborn, a trait that her mother had apparently, and Merrill more then once had to help her stand back up when her knee gave out and she fell.

On one such occasion Wynne had started to call Merrill the nickname that she and Tamlen had called the poor elf girl years ago.

"Thank you Mamae."

"You know...I never really liked it when you two called me that. It made me feel old. And wrinkly."

"But it suited you! You were always fussing over us, and worrying over whether or not we were safe."

"...most of the time you weren't. But fine. If you are to call me that. I will have to call you little wolf."

But that only made Wynne laughed. She had missed Merrill, and her clan during the Blight, so she was thankful to Mythal, that she had protected her clan from that.

Those first few nights the two Elves stayed up just talking. She could tell Merrill was keeping something from her, as one of the three small rooms that Merrill had, was always locked. And whenever Wynne asked about the clan, how the Keeper was, or why Merrill was here instead of being with the clan, Merrill would only shrug her shoulders, and change the topic. Wynne learned to stay away from those topics, and tonight she did just that.

"You both were a little terror you know. I still remember when we three got our Vallaslin. I thought that the Keeper was going to faint when you told her you wanted the writing of Fen'Harel."

"As I recall, all of us were supposed to get it. Instead you took Dirthamen, and Tamlen took Andruil." Wynne took another sip of the awful mead that Merrill had brought home that night from the Hanged Man. They were talking in their native tongue, and after so many years, it felt good to speak it again.

Merrill smiled at that memory and asked, "How did the Keeper talk you out of it? All I saw when they were working on my back, that you were just sitting on that tree stump with your arms folded over your chest and your chin held high." Merrill giggled as she replayed the scene in her mind's eye. "You were so determined to take him, and Tamlen and I couldn't stop laughing at you."

"All I remember is that she told me that there wasn't any Vallaslin to him. I think I told her I didn't care and that I wanted his. That we had made a pact, and we all wanted the same thing."

"Oh...Is that how we each got this?" Merrill rolled up her right arm sleeve to show the same tattoo that Wynne had on her right arm. The small intricate designs of a wolf's paw was dark against Merrill's pale skin, and Wynne only smiled at that.

Wynne nodded as she took another sip. "Yes. The Keeper offered that instead, and gave me June. I remember Tamlen was upset at me, saying that I should have gotten Sylaise instead. Something about, 'What good is it if I kill a deer, and bring it back with no fire to cook it with?"

"Didn't you tell him that it didn't matter since he wouldn't be able to kill it?" Merrill only giggled, and laid her head on her arms that were folded on the table in front of her. "Not without any weapons, that is."

Wynne only nodded as she looked at her hands, smiling at that fond memory. "He became so depressed after that."

"It was because he liked you little wolf."

"I know now. But we were only twelve years old then. I was too worried about my shooting, and my training under Master Ilen to have noticed that. He used to come back from the forest from his training to bring me all kinds of beautiful stones that he had found."

"You two were so cute together. It came no surprise to everyone in the Clan when he presented you that wolf's pelt when he became a Hunter. You remember?"

"How could I not?" Wynne took another sip of the drink as her mind quickly played out the scene for her.

She was sitting by the fire listening to Paivel tell stories to the children. She was too busy fletching her arrows, worrying about her hunt tomorrow, to notice that he had walked up to her. Only when something dropped in front of her did she jump and look up.

He was standing in front of her, breathing heavily with a nervous look on his face. Scratches from the tree branches littered his tattooed face, but the look that he gave her was something that worried her the most.

"Tamlen...are you alright?"

He didn't say anything just stared at her. Concerned, Wynne looked around to see that Paivel had stopped his lesson for the day, and that the children were dismissed. She also saw that most of the clan had stopped their usual chores and were now slowly gathering around them.
"Y-you have been a constant torment to me."

With that Wynne looked at him. She felt one of her eyebrows raise in confusion as he continued.

"Y-you have haunted my night and day dreams with your laughter..." He took a step forward, causing her to take a step back. "...with your smile little wolf. For seven years I have waited, and now..." He closed his mouth, trying to find words, trying to breathe. Wynne's eyes looked to his with concern, and she laid her right hand on his chest to make sure that he was in deed breathing.

"Tamlen...are you sick? Hurt? I could go fetch the Keeper..." She turned away from him, but his hands grabbed her, spinning her around to face him.

They were so close that their lips were only a finger length apart, and she shivered. His sky blue eyes held her forest green ones for a moment before he whispered, "I am a Hunter now my arrow." She thought her heart skipped, and she knew what he was saying was important, but at that moment, she was too stunned to actually know what he was saying. "I offer this wolf skin, my first kill on my own, to you. Will..." He closed his eyes as he said, "Will you accept me, and be my wife?"

Silence had fallen between the two elves, until Merrill finally spoke up.

"I am sorry...I shouldn't have brought it up."

Wynne waved and shook her head. "It is fine Merrill. What is past is past." Smiling she tried to stand, but with the effects of the alcohol, and her knee, she all but fell out of her chair. Again.

"You really need to stop doing that!" laughed Merrill, as she ran to Wynne's side and helped her up. Wynne didn't say anything as she was too busy laughing, and soon Merrill was laughing with her.

Wynne hadn't felt so safe, and happy in a long time.


Zevran stood outside of the house smileing, as he heard the peals of laughter comming from it. He had only talked to Merrill a little before from the previous night. She was weary of him at first, when he first started to ask about his wolf. But after Hawke told her that Zevran was an old friend to Wynne, and that they had a fight, Merrill was more then helpful. He tried to give her money for food, and such, but Merrill had refused them. Saying that she didn't need them to help her friend, her lethallan. Hawke had told him countless of times that Wynne would be ok. Aveline had scheduled an extra shift to the Alienage at night. She or her husband, or both, were usually on that patrol.

He looked over his shoulder to see that they both were on duty tonight. He quickly looked back to the house when he heard a door shut, to see Merrill walking up to him. Her black hair, and shy walk was completely different then the white hair and confidence from his da'fen.

"You know for an assassin hiding in the shadows, you are easy to pick, and figure out."

Zevran only smiled at her. "Only for a lovely flower such as yourself will I step out of the shadows for. How is she?"

"She is fine. She needs to stop trying to walk. I don't know how much falling my floor can take. You know, you should talk to her, or at least see her."

Zevran's smile only deepened when he said, "And how would we do that little flower? She might try to kill me."

Merrill just shrugged as she gave him her key. "I am going to the Hanged Man. Isebela told me that she would teach me how to play Diamond Back tonight." She smiled at him, when she said, "She told me about you. A little bit, and didn't say your name, but I know it was you."

"Oh...did she say I was handsome, and charming?"

"No." The elf girl giggled a little, as she unwound the end of the ball of twine and tied it to one of the stall's post that was behind Zevran. "That she had met someone. Someone that helped her with Tamlen's death, and who was with her at the end with the Archdemon. The only other thing she said was, 'he is more like a wolf, then a crow."

With that Merrill nodded and started to walk away, unrolling that ball of twine as she went. But then she suddenly stopped. Looking over her shoulder she said, "Oh! She did tell me to tell your sneaking around, and trying to unlock the doors at night are keeping her up. And also if it means she can sleep peacefully, she will talk to you. Just...please don't break anything. I like my things the way they are."