A note from Lani,

Eve Hawk has greatly helped me with this chapter and I hope she shall continue with her assistance in my later chapters :) Check out her story too by the way; it is amazing! :D

Thanks lovelies, enjoy :)


The tower loomed up ahead, blocking the sun behind its cold, stone walls. Apart from the occasional whistle of a bird, the small village at the edge of Lake Calenhad remained in dead silence. All doors remained shut and the only person outside - other than their small group - was a Templar; he was standing at the end of a small dock, lazily resting on his blade. Morrigan felt magic in the air, blood magic; instead of the normal, wave-like feeling natural magic left, the feeling was jagged and rough, leaving a strange grating feeling at the back of Morrigan's neck.

"Well… thisplace is ominous," Aedan said, rubbing the back of his neck as he squinted across the water at the tower. Sten stood uncomfortably and muttered something about "too much freedom." The usually cheery Leliana kept all emotions from her face as she stood rigidly, staring across the waters of Lake Calenhad.

"It's not like I remember it. I came here once before Duncan conscripted me, it felt different then." Alistair stood beside Aedan, nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Morrigan strolled ahead, hips swaying in her always seductive manner...she could almost feel Aedan's eyes burning into her backside, and she reveled in the feeling for a moment before the grating sensation gnawed at the back of her neck again.

"This is the place mother told me of; it seems she wasn't exaggerating her tales," she said. Memories bounded to the front of Morrigan's mind, stories her mother had told her when she was younger; her mother had described the tower as a bird's cage, nothing more than an enclosure for the mages. Seeing it now, Morrigan couldn't agree more. She didn't pity the circle mages; they had given up their freedom, and she would rather die than become a part of the circle...another bird in the cage.

The lake's water appeared grey in the shadow the tower cast across it. Morrigan thought of how things could have been different; she could have grown up here in this horrible and dreary tower. She shook the image from her mind, wanting nothing more than to rid herself of the terrible thought.

Behind her, she heard Aedan tell the others to go to the tavern, and then he told Alistair to get as much travel-worthy food from the innkeeper as he could. Morrigan gave a small laugh; she had noticed how much the Grey Wardens ate, and the supplies they got from Lothering were disappearing quickly.

Alistair, Leliana and Sten began their small descent down the hill and to the little tavern. Morrigan felt a large wet nose press into her palm and she scrunched up her nose in disgust.

"Warden, I'd appreciate you controlling your filthy hound, 'tis most disgusting!" Morrigan looked for a place to wipe her hand and Aedan offered her a handkerchief, chuckling under his breath. She accepted it gratefully and wiped her hand free of Hohaku's drool. The dog whined quietly, feigning hurt feelings, and Morrigan scoffed as she handed the drool covered handkerchief back to Aedan.

"Go on boy, there is something I wish to discuss with Morrigan," Aedan said. The dog yipped once happily and bounded down the hill. Morrigan lifted an eyebrow at Aedan, and he chuckled and stepped closer to her. He brought his hands to her waist, his thumbs resting on the exposed skin at her hips, drawing her near. Morrigan allowed her lady assets to press against the cool steel of Aedan's armour. Aedan leaned his face down to Morrigan's, bringing his lips close to hers. Morrigan's heart hammered; after nearly a week of wanting she was finally receiving!

Took you long enough, Warden,
she thought to herself as she let out a contented sigh.

"'Tis a rather strange topic you wish to discuss, leaning in so closely." With each word spoken their lips brushed lightly, sending goosebumps across her skin.

"Humour me?" Aedan smirked.

"Humour is involved in this?" Morrigan threaded her hands into his hair, softly pulling on the soft strands left behind from his infant years.

"Only if we do it wrong," he murmured.

"Then let us do it right." Their lips met fiercely, with a week's worth of wanting poured into their desperate kiss. Morrigan pushed herself closer to him, cursing his bulky armour. Her head swam as his scent and taste blocked out everything around them until it might have been just the two of them alone on the earth.

After a moment, Morrigan broke away from the kiss, catching his lower lip between her teeth and pulling back softly. She opened her eyes and looked at him; Aedan's eyes were still closed, almost as if he was committing their brief kiss to memory. Morrigan laughed and pushed him away, leaving him behind as she turned to go.

"Foolish man," she muttered under her breath as she made her way down the hill to the tavern where their other companions waited. He was indeed foolish to commit that to memory. He was going to get more… much more, if Morrigan got her way.

Which she normally did.