A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Have an enormous chapter to make up for it. Part two starts next week!

Fenris was feeling smug.

He sat at the large table in the kitchen, facing the entrance, so that when Ashara arrived, he could see the look on her face. It was the first time that he had ever gotten here before her for one of their morning walks. No matter how quickly he rose and dressed, she was always here first, chatting with Valleran. She never mentioned it, but it had at first worried him and then simply annoyed him, that she was always there before him. Today, though, he was first.

And she wasn't just not first, she was quite late. Fenris glanced out the window. They'd have to take a shorter walk than normal, she was so late. The bustle of the kitchen around him gave no indication as to where she might be, either.

He waited another few minutes, then went looking for Reylah. She was in the laundry room, helping wash linens.

"Reylah, have you seen Milady Ashara this morning?"

"No, I usually don't go to her room until she's out for her walk in the morning. She has said she doesn't need me earlier. She gets a bite from the kitchen, and then I bring her a better breakfast later."

"She has not come down for her walk. Will you go and check on her, please?"

Reylah nodded, starting to look concerned. "Yes, that's not like her. I'll check."

She hurried out, and Fenris went back to the kitchen to wait.

It wasn't long before Reylah was hurrying in, looking worried.

"Oh, Valleran! Fenris, you were right. Milady is so ill! She says she hasn't been able to keep anything down all night. She said not to make a fuss, but I'm worried about her. She looks horrible, but won't have me call for the Master. What can we do?"

Valleran went very still, then returned to his work with slow careful movements. "You must do as she says. For now. Bring her some tea, and some bread, and don't leave her alone too long."

Fenris scowled. "I will speak to her."

"She won't like it. She doesn't want a fuss made!"

"I will not make a fuss, but I will speak to her. If she is as ill as you say, the Master must know about it."

Reylah shook her head, eyes wide with fear. Going against an order was bad enough, but they might run afoul of both the master and Ashara at this rate. Fenris sighed. "I will tell him myself, if it seems necessary."

He left the room before anyone else could object. He wasn't worried about Ashara punishing any of them for going against her wishes. Danarius might - either for bothering him with something minor, or for not telling him about something important - or simply for going against Ashara's wishes, if he was unwilling to waste an opportunity for punishment. Fenris was willing to take the rist, if Ashara was as ill as Reylah thought, and needed help despite her own stubbornness.

He reached her room, and knocked softly. He voice was faint, but he opened the door and stepped in when he heard it.

She was laying in the bed; the mountain of pillows she insisted on had been shoved to the floor. She lay curled on her side, every blanket in the room piled on top of her, and shivering. Her face was pale, and she looked like she was sweating. She looked at him, and there was a flash of surprise in her eyes before she coughed weakly.

"Fenris. You shouldn't be here. I've got a fever and who knows what, you don't want to catch it." Even her voice was weak and shaking.

"I will not. But Reylah says you will not permit the master to be told, and she is concerned about you." He kept his tone even, trying to hide how concerned he was at seeing her.

She shook her head. "No need to worry, I'm sure I'll be fine soon."

He didn't look convinced. "If you are not better by the evening meal, I will tell Master Danarius."

He got a reluctant nod, but no answer. Fenris stood uncertainly for another minute before realizing she had fallen asleep. Turning, he left quietly.

He stopped by the kitchen to relay his conversation to Reylah and Valleran, then went to his duties for his master. His mind was on Ashara the whole time, though.

At the evening meal, he managed to catch Reylah's eye. She shook her head, Milady wasn't any better. Fenris gave her a firm nod, and spent the time while Danarius and Hadriana ate trying to work out what he would say.

When Danarius stood from the table, Fenris stepped in front of him and knelt, head bowed.

"Yes, pet? Is there something you wish to say?"

"Yes, Master. Your sister is ill, Master, and has been all day. She thought she would soon feel better, and didn't want you to be bothered. But she is not better, and it is concerning."

He risked a glance up. Danarius was scowling at Hadriana, but he answered readily enough.

"Then I shall go and check on her, pet. Thank you for telling me this." Fenris waited for some threat or censure to follow, but Danarius simply stepped around him and walked from the dining room, Hadriana on his heels.

Fenris blinked in surprise for a moment before getting up and hurrying after his master. He caught the end of a conversation, Danarius was speaking to Hadriana in a furious whisper.

"A small amount, I said! Delayed result, I said! If you have ruined my plans, I assure you that you will be the one to pay the price!" Hadriana started to protest, but cut herself off at a curt gesture from Danarius when Fenris reached them.

They were at Ashara's door quickly, and Danarius went in alone. He spent a long time within, while Fenris and Hadriana waited in the hallway. Reylah approached hesitantly, and stood out of the way. Hadriana paced, agitation clear, while Fenris stood against the wall, considering what he had heard. A suspicion was slowly forming in his mind; he tried to fit in the various bits of conversations he had overheard, and didn't like the picture they painted.

Finally, the door opened and Danarius stepped out. He closed the door, and spoke loudly and clearly. "My sister is ill, and does look most alarming, but she and I both believe she will be well in a few days. If she changes her mind, a healer will of course be sent for immediately; but I trust her judgement in this case, and will not force a healer on her." Fenris glanced around, and saw that several of the slaves had gathered around the hallway to listen. There was a general nod and sigh of relief at this news. Their master knew, and he was handling it. All they need worry about was following orders.

Danarius started down the hallway, motioning Hadriana to follow him. In a far quieter voice, he said, "A day or two at most. We'll have to leave for Seheron tomorrow if we're to be clear. See to it."

It was several hours before Fenris was dismissed for the night. Danarius had been busy, despite his order for Hadriana to see to it, issuing orders and overseeing the plans for their trip. He had moved up the departure by several days, though fortunately most of the plans were easily adjusted. They would leave the next day at noon, Danarius, Hadriana, and Fenris; there was no room on the ship for the body slaves they had planned on taking, a fact which annoyed Danarius, but couldn't be helped. They would be leaving Ashara to the care of the manor slaves, who had strict orders to obey her every word and offer her every care. The reason Danarius claimed for this rushed departure was a message conveniently delivered just before the evening meal, which he said indicated growing unrest in Seheron; he wanted to be finished with his business there before trouble started.

Fenris doubted this tale, though he knew nothing of what the message had said. He grew more and more impatient to check on Ashara as time passed; finally dismissed, he didn't even stop to change out of his armor before hurrying to her room.

When he slipped inside and closed the door behind him, he saw that she was sitting in the chair near the fireplace, still looking miserable. He crossed the room, and knelt before her chair, head bowed. He didn't dare look up at her, but her could hear the shock in her voice when she spoke.

"Fenris? What are you doing?"

"Milady, I must tell you something."

"I thought we were beyond this, Fenris. Are we not friends?"

The words cut into him like a sword. "You will not wish to be my friend when I tell you this thing. If I am wrong, I will deserve severe punishment; if I am right, you will hate me for failing you."

She leaned forward, sliding her fingers along his jaw to his ear, curling them around the back of his neck. When she spoke, her voice had lost the weak tones of illness. He almost looked up at her, but remember what he was about to say and kept his eyes properly lowered. "I doubt either of those will be true, but go ahead and tell me."

"I believe Hadriana, on Danarius' orders, has poisoned you."

He couldn't believe he had forced the words out; she may not know it, but it didn't matter if he was right or wrong, the words alone were a death sentence if anyone other than her knew he had said them. He was so determined to hold himself still and not react to anything she said that he didn't understand her words when they came.

"I know."

When the sense of her words hit him, he couldn't keep his eyes lowered any longer, he gaped at her.

"You know? How? Why have you done nothing? Summoned a healer? Danarius is livid - the dose was too large, you have only a day or two! He has been frantically changing his plans to be gone before you die!"

Ashara blinked at him, then shocked him completely by laughing. Laughing.

"Oh, Andraste's knickers! Too large? I can't believe it! And here, I thought I was doing a good job of convincing them the dose had been too small." Her voice sounded normal, and when he paid attention to her face, she looked normal too - not at all ill or pale; not shivering or huddled in the chair. "And now they're leaving without me? Just what I need. I assume they're taking you?"

Fenris nodded, and slumped back onto his heels when she stood up and started pacing rapidly. He watched her for a moment, before he recognized the feeling growing within him was anger. He was angry - at her - and hardly knew where to start. He stood and placed himself in her path, glowering at her.

"You knew? And you allowed it to happen? There is no cure, he said. What are you thinking?"

She blinked at him, then smiled slightly. "Ah. Yes, I knew as soon as I tasted that stew last night. And I don't need a cure, I'm immune to begin with. As clever as my dear brother thinks himself, he doesn't know much about poisons. It was clear which types of poison I needed to be on guard against as soon as I saw his greenhouse. 'Medicinal' my arse." She snorted.

Fenris held onto his temper with an effort. "You knew. You have not been ill at all?"

She looked contrite, now, and reached a hand towards him; he flinched away and she carefully folded her hands together at her waist. "Yes, I knew. No, I have not been ill. When I tasted the poison in the stew last night, I knew one of them had put it there. There was quite a lot of it, and I hoped that if I could convince them they had nearly succeeded but had used too little, they would wait until we were in Seheron to try again. I thought they would find it easier to be rid of me without questions there, and that I would help them in that desire. But you tell me they meant to make it more slow, so they could leave me here where I would apparently die of natural causes while they were far enough away to be safe." She shrugged. "It makes sense, and it could have worked for them. It makes my task harder, though."

Fenris could feel his anger draining away in the face of her calm and her obvious health. He wasn't ready to let it go entirely, however. He had taken what he thought was a huge risk in telling her his suspicions, and he wasn't willing to accept that it hadn't been a risk at all.

"And what, exactly, is your task?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, it was to find out who had sent the assassin against my father, return the favor personally, and get back home. It took me too long to discover that Danarius had sent the assassin, though, and before I was ready, they took matters into their own hands." She ran a distracted hand through her hair and sighed.

"So, so, so. I can't retaliate before he leaves, and I can't be here when he returns. We go on." She speared him with a sudden look that cut through his lingering anger. "Is that door locked?"

Fenris went and locked it; when he turned back, she had rolled back the rug on the floor in front of the fireplace. He couldn't figure out what she was doing, so he stood with his back against the door and watched her. She reached into the fireplace, behind the mantle, and when she pulled her hand out, she was holding a long, plain dagger wrapped in oiled leather. She dropped it on the floor and shook her fingers, he realized belatedly that it would be hot, that close to the flames.

In a few minutes, it was cool enough for her to pick up; she did so, then used the point to pry up a floorboard. Curiosity drew Fenris from his place against the door. She had revealed a large open place beneath the floor, and started pulling things out of it.

First, two net bags full of small jars. The first bag held jars filled with a red liquid that seemed to glow in the firelight; healing potions, he realized. The jars in the second bag were filled with a vile green liquid; Fenris began to guess how she had recognized the poison in her stew, and how she had inoculated herself against it. She pulled several heavy looking smaller bags, which clinked when they moved out, then several strands gems and pearls - necklaces, he saw with a start, and where had those come from? She hadn't brought anything that fine with her when she arrived. Finally, two long, wickedly curved knives. She sat back to look at him, grinning slightly.

"Surprised?"

"To say the least. Where did this all come from?"

She shrugged casually. "The knives are mine; they were packed carefully enough that Reylah didn't find them when she unpacked my bags. The potions, I made here, at night when everyone was asleep." She looked at him and grinned. "I unhooked Hadriana's lyrium reduction every night for a week to make these. She hasn't noticed yet that it's taking longer than it should." He just blinked at her, so she hurried on. "The coins came with me, also packed carefully. The jewelry I found here - it belonged to Danarius' mother, and he had it all stored in the attic after she died. I was surprised he hadn't sold it, but pleased. When I decided to ask you to come with me, I knew we'd need more funds than I brought originally."

He was thinking about how often she had gotten lost when she first arrived, and the places she'd been found; how Hadriana had been sure the door to her study was locked despite Ashara's confused claims of it being open; he thought of the long knives, the hidden money, the familiarity with poisons and potions… her words jerked these thoughts to a halt.

"You're going to ask me to come with you? Where?"

"Well, remember, I was planning on leaving at least one dead body behind me. And once I met Hadriana, I was determined she would be another, even without other offenses. So it wasn't much of an gift. But yes, I was going to ask you to come with me, come to Ferelden, be free."

He gaped at her. Free? The thought had never occurred to him. He could go to Ferelden, and be free? She was still talking, though.

"Well, it won't work that way now. But you can escape from Seheron, that may even be easier for you - Danarius doesn't have the extensive network there that he has here, he'll have to get home before he can send anyone to look for you, and that will give you time to get away."

He couldn't consider this. He would be punished for the very thought. Besides, even if it might have been possible with her, it was clearly impossible without her. He tried to explain this.

"I can't do that. I wouldn't know where to go, or how to get money. I couldn't read a map, and I couldn't trust anyone who offered help not to be in Danarius' employ."

She gave him a look that told him she thought he was being impossibly stupid. "Fenris, haven't you been listening for all these weeks? You don't need a map, you know the best route from here to Ferelden. You know where the ships stop. You know what to buy in each port, and sell further along for a profit. You know these things. Did you think I was talking for my health?"

It took him a minute. All her chatter while they were walking in the mornings. Her annoying assumption that he cared about her voyage here - the shopping trips, the stops, the sights. Her even more annoying questions, forcing him to listen and remember. There had been a point to all that, a plan, and he hadn't even suspected it. He nodded slowly.

"Yes, I do know those things, but -"

She cut him off. "Do you have a dagger? I know you have that hulking great sword, but do you have a common dagger?"

"I do. But -"

"Good, I'm going to need it." He didn't move, and she looked up at him. "Now, please." He was on his feet and halfway across the room before he thought about it. Her tone had changed, the slightly soft, uncertain note dropped entirely. Fenris shook his head. He hadn't realized how much of an act she had put on, even when they were alone together. He had long ago noticed that her manner around Danarius was different, but now he saw she had adapted to him as well. A good thing, this Ashara - confident, commanding, in control and clearly prepared for it - would have terrified him when they first met, before he trusted her.

He brought her the dagger, and she looked it over, nodding. "That will do. You're not particularly attached to it, I hope?" He shook his head, mystified.

"Good, then. Look here. I'm going to switch it for mine."

She held both up, side by side. Both were common daggers, without much to notice about them. She put his down, and offered him hers. He took it, turned it over in his hands, and shrugged. The balance seemed off, but perhaps that was because it was a poor quality tool. He had never relied on his own dagger for defense, so it wouldn't much matter. Certainly, no one else would be able to tell the difference.

She took the dagger back and caught his eyes. "Watch."

She twisted the pommel nut, and to his surprise, it came away in her hand. When she held the dagger toward him again, he saw the entire hilt was hollow. She didn't say anything as she picked up the strands of pearls and slid them into the dagger hilt. She fit all the pearls, and one strand of gems in, before she put the pommel nut back on, and handed him the dagger.

"There. I wish I could send you with the coin instead, it's easier and will draw less notice. I can't figure out how to conceal it so you can get to it without Danarius or Hadriana seeing, though. Can you?"

Fenris shook his head. She seemed to take it for granted that he would be making his escape while he was in Seheron with Danarius. Ashara wasn't paying attention to him now, concealing her supplies back under the floorboards. Finally finished, the rug rolled back into place, she moved back to sit in her chair.

"Well?"

"I… Ashara, I cannot do what you are suggesting."

"You can."

He hadn't expected the flat contradiction. He moved to sit with his back against the chair, and tried again. "You don't understand what it's like. When he commands me… really commands, I mean, not just a casual order… I cannot disobey him."

She thought about this. "I'm sorry. I had meant for us to go together, so I could help you. But Fenris, please believe me - you cannot stay here. It isn't safe. You must leave before he manages to repeat that lyrium ritual."

Fenris jerked around to stare at her. "What do you know of that?"

Ashara met his eyes steadily. "Only what I read in his notes and books over several visits to his study." She gave him a minute to absorb this. "As much as a non-mage can understand, I suppose. The ritual he did -" she waved unnecessarily at his markings - "didn't work the way he wanted. You can access the power stored there, as well as any mage who knows what they're doing. He is hoping desperately that his rivals won't realize this. He thinks he has found a way to tie the power of the markings to himself only. That is what the refined lyrium Hadriana is making is for. I slowed them down, but I can't stop them. If this new ritual works, he will be the only one able to touch the power in those markings, and he will be able to control you through them. You must leave before he can do that to you, Fenris."

He sat silently, trying to absorb this information. He didn't doubt the truth of what she said, and didn't doubt her understanding of Danarius' plans - his master's own comments matched them too well. When he didn't move or speak for several minutes, she got up and went to the window. The darkness outside was brightening slightly; he had been here longer than he thought.

"You'll need to get back to your own room. Can you tell Danarius that I was very ill?" He nodded. Danarius would hardly need his confirmation, it would be a slight lie. "Thank you. Please think about what I've said, Fenris. I won't be here when Danarius returns. Be safe, whatever you decide to do."

Fenris stood. He felt that there should be something more to say, in this moment, the last time he would see the only person who had ever been a friend to him, but he couldn't find any words. She walked back over to him, and slowly reached out to set her hands on his shoulders. She caught his gaze and held it firmly.

"I'll watch for you when I'm home. Remember: Ferelden, Lothering, the third farmhouse on the east side of town. I'll leave the lamp lit for you."