Salem

I walk the streets, greeting passersby, headed towards the imposing ramparts of Cousland Hall. My mother meets me in the courtyard, smiling. It quickly turns to a frown.

"Salem, did you forget?" she asks. "Arl Howe and his son will be here soon and you're covered in blood and sweat!"

"You're welcome, mother." I place a kiss on her cheek. "The hunt went well, thank you for asking."

She tries to suppress a smile; fails. "Off with you, ruffian. Get washed and dressed, immediately."

"I cannot wear this?" I gesture to my armor.

"Of course not!" she exclaims, before she realizes that I ask in jest. "You are your father's daughter, Salem. And my ever-present trial."

"I love you too, mother." I smile. "And that is why you had two children. One for a mother's joy, one for her sorrow."

"So the saying goes. Off with you!"

I laugh and dash up the steps to the great hall, headed for my room. My nephew comes running down the stairs, a giant smile on his face.

"Aunt Salem!" he exclaims, jumping into my arms, unheeding of the mess. I hold him at arm's length, knowing both my mother and Orianna will kill me if I stain his clothes.

"Oren!" I spin him around the room before setting him on his feet.

"Did the hunt go well?" he asks, aglow with excitement. "Did you catch anything?"

I ruffle his hair. "Of course we did." I smile. "Couslands never come back empty-handed."

Fergus' son puffs his chest out with pride. I smile, admiring how much he looks like my brother. "'Course they do. Tell me everything, please, Aunt Salem. Pleeeeease."

"Tell you what." I go to my knees and stand eye to eye with him. "I will tell you everything after dinner with Arl Howe. But, if I don't leave now and get dressed, your grandmother will flay me just like the boar we caught."

"All right!" he exclaims. "Promise?"

"I promise." he leaves and I continue to my room, undoing the straps on my armor as I go.

I rinse my face in the washbasin, enjoying the cool water on my sun-burned skin. Arl Howe, I think, I do not like that man. I like less the designs he has on my as-yet unwed status. I shiver. While Amaranthine is beautiful, I could not bear taking the name Howe to rule it. Perish the thought.

A knock at the door.

"Enter." I call.

"Salem?" an Antivan accent. "Your mother sent me with a gown for you to wear."

"Come in, Orianna." I smile at my sister-in-law. I often wonder how she traded the beauties and comforts of Antiva to come to this foundling country.

She enters my room, holding an exquisite dress. I know immediately that it is from her wardrobe. I would never wear something with so many...ruffles.

"This color will look lovely on you." she holds the gown out to me. "It will complement your hair and make your eyes sing."

"Th..." I wince at the ruffles, "...thank you."

"If you don't want to wear it," her accent shifts, changes, deepens, "you should wake up."

"What?" I ask, bewildered.

"Wake up, Salem. Please."

"Orianna, what are you talking about? This is..."

"You are dreaming, Salem. Please, wake up."


"Salem?" I woke up from the pleasant blur of the dream. "Salem, are you awake? Are you with me?"

"I was home." I whispered. My throat felt as though it had been scoured raw. "Everyone...was alive. Leliana?"

"Of course." her hand soothed my brow. "Who else would it be?"

You should not see this, my throat tightened with grief. I do not want to hurt you. I wanted to take away Marjolaine's power to cause you pain. Instead, I've only poured salt in your wounds.

"My eyes...are not working properly." I confessed. "Everything is...blurred." I reached out, trying to find her, to connect with her, to cement my existence in this world.

She took my hand in hers and kissed it. "Do not move too much." she advised. "You've lost a great deal of blood and are very weak."

"I apologize." I tried to smile, for her sake. "But...why can't I see?"

"That would be the poison." she could not hide the anguish in her tone. "Andraste's Flames is known to cause blindness, in some cases."

Oh, Maker no. "Permanently?" I had to ask. I hated myself as I did, but I needed the answer.

"I am afraid so." her voice was clipped, without emotion. Not Leliana.

I cannot lose my sight! My heart beat faster, sending painful spasms across my body. There is still so much yet to do! Arl Eamon's life depends on me. Ferelden depends on me. What if...what if...what if I never get to drown in her blue eyes again?

"Leli..." my voice broke as my breath caught and I began coughing, feeling as though shards of glass cut into my throat.

"Salem!" she exclaimed.

I felt strong, warm hands on my shoulders, hoisting me up until the paroxysm passed. I gasped, trying to catch my breath, and Leliana held a cup of water to my lips.

"Drink." she ordered.

I obeyed, wondering why the water tasted of copper. I lay back down, exhausted. A cool cloth was placed across my brow by trembling hands.

"Leliana?"

"Hush, love." her voice was strained. "Please don't talk. Please."

What? Maker's breath, does my voice now cause her pain? Leli, please forgive me. I never meant for this to happen. You were not meant to know. This was never intended to touch you.

"Wh...what's wrong?" I asked.

"Your bandages are soaked." she did not answer. "The poison is staving off your body's ability to heal. It is making the bleeding worse as well."

I felt her hands on me and savored her touch even in the bleakest of circumstances. Gentle, she removed the bandages and replaced them, wrapping them so tightly I feared my ribs would break.

"I know it's unpleasant." she comforted me. "But I must try to stop the bleeding."

"You did not," I took a difficult, shallow inhale, "answer my question. What...is...wrong?"

Her movement stopped and her hair shielded her eyes. No, I begged, please don't hide from me. Not now. Not ever. I love you.

"The poison is in your lungs." she whispered. "They're bleeding now, too. You're coughing blood, Salem."