The sounds of a camp hit my ears long before the camp is actually visible. But just the thought of seeing Fergus alive and well puts a skip in my step and keeps me walking. I see it have a similar effect on Aedan.

"Halt!" a voice demands. "You approach the camp of Teyrn Cousland. State your business or we fire."

"We must speak with the teyrn," Aedan says stiffly, grunting as he slides his shield off his back. "We have something for him."

"And what might that be?" the unseen guard snaps.

I freeze, stopping myself from opening my mouth. I get that nagging feeling and my back stiffens. Aedan stops in the middle of his response.

"Darkspawn!" I shout, drawing an arrow.

"Left!" Alistair yells. He draws his weapons, turning to face the indicated direction. Our entire party shifts to match, stepping between them and the dwarves. Someone, a guard I assume, screams. My blood turns to ice.

"Here they come!" Aedan exclaims, covering himself with his shield.

For a moment, everything is silent. I glance at Alistair, but his face is blank and he's staring forward. Aedan looks the same.

A hurlock bursts into view, roaring. My eyes widen and I launch my arrow into its face. The sound cuts off abruptly as it crumples. Black blood pools under its head. Several seconds later, a large group follows their dead friend. I have a shot off at the alpha charging at the head of the pack. The arrow bounces off its helmet harmlessly, but that makes it pause, and by the time it recovers, the guys are already there, killing it and the small band trying to protect it.

"They shouldn't be this far ahead of the horde!" Alistair says.

"Worry about that later!" Aedan retorts.

"Where the hell did the guards go?!" I shout, whipping around beneath an arrow. I spot the archer and have an arrow sticking out of its chest the same instant.

"Good question!"

I turn into a hurlock and my eyes go wide. It snarls, raising its sword above its head. As the blade falls, I smack it aside with my wrist. The hurlock whips and kicks me in the chest. I stagger and it rams me with its shoulder, throwing me to the ground.

"Shit!"

I kick at its knee and roll to my feet just as the black sword hits the ground. The hurlock recovers surprisingly fast. It sweeps the weapon out at me, but I jump back, hitting the cart. My head snaps back against the wood. I wince, blinking, as my vision swims. I try to get it to focus, but I need time to recover, time I don't have.

"Watch out!" Alistair comes out of nowhere, dealing with the hurlock faster than I thought one could move in splintmail. I shake my head as he pulls me out of the fighting. "Dear Maker, Elissa! You're bleeding!"

"I...what?" I ask, still feeling as if I just got my head cut off.

"Your side is bleeding!" Alistair exclaims.

I laugh weakly. "Bullshit."

"Damn it, woman! Just drink this!" he says, shoving a potion into my hands. "And be careful!" With that, he turns and rejoins the fighting, running his sword through a darkspawn's chest faster than I can blink.

I look down, holding my side. For a second, I think Alistair is just being fussy, but then I feel a twinge of pain. I don't even wait for my adrenaline to fade; I gulp down the nasty liquid and follow him. Alistair allows himself to get surrounded by several, and without thinking, I charge at the closest hurlock, dropkick it, and roll when I hit the ground, firing a set of arrows faster than I thought I could. Alistair doesn't even pause; he whips around, slicing through a hurlock and catching a blow on his shield all at once.

Aedan cries out in pain from the front of the cart. I freeze, eyes going wide in shock.

"Aedan!"

I jump to my feet and don't hesitate when I get close to the wagon. I leap into the back and jump out the other end, firing an arrow into the neck of the darkspawn standing over him. I roll when I hit the ground, scrambling around to help my brother. Alistair fights his way to my side, defending me while I search Aedan for his injury. I find a stab wound under his arm. Cursing, I dig out a lyrium potion Morrigan was crafting the other night.

I've been drinking a lot of these things the past month. Blech.

I down the liquid quickly, putting a hand over Aedan's wound. My hand glows with blue healing energy and I smell the flesh knit itself back together. It's...it's not a good smell.

"Elissa, watch out!" I'm not exactly sure who says that, but I look over my shoulder just in time to see a massive hammer fall.

You know, hammers don't feel great on a head. Especially your own. Damn, that hurts! Fucking darkspawn. I'm starting to enjoy being a Grey Warden. It's my job to kill the bastards.

What more could I ask for?

Howe's head, I think bitterly.

"You up?" a familiar voice asks. A deep, smooth one. It reminds me of father. Just the thought brings tears to my eyes.

"Headache," I grumble, keeping my eyes shut.

The man laughs. "Easy, little sister. Aedan and the other Warden are worried about you." My eyes snap open and I bolt upright despite the protest my head sings.

A man in heavy steel chainmail stands before me. His dark brown hair is slightly messy and his eyes are sort of distant, but he still has that smirk on his face; the one he always wears, no matter how he feels. It even makes me smile.

"Fergus!" I exclaim, jumping to my feet from the cot I was on.

"Elissa!" he says, matching my enthusiasm. I huff and roll my eyes at him, but my smile never wavers. "Since when did you have brown hair?"

I frown as I walk up to my brother. I raise an eyebrow. "I don't."

"Really?" Fergus teases, ruffling my hair. "I thought it was blond!"

"It is blond!" I snap, pushing his shoulder. He laughs, something telling me that he doesn't know, or somehow moved past it already. I pull him into a hug instantly, choking on a sob. "I thought...I thought we lost you, too."

He hugs me back, suddenly quiet. "I thought I lost you two." He lets go of me. "But turns out, the Warden recruited you after all."

"Only because father begged him to save us."

"Well, at least some of us are still here."

I sigh, looking up at him. He's wearing a blank expression, but I can still see all the hurt and loss in his eyes. "Fergus, I-"

"No, sister, I'm fine."

I hesitate, but nod, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Well, then let's get back to Aedan and Alistair. It's not fair to leave them alone like this." Fergus nods, gesturing at my bow and armor, all of which have been repaired. He steps out of the tent while I change into clean clothes from my pack-my only set-and put my armor on over top of it. It's been cleaned, all blood and dirt removed. My bow has been strung with a brand-new string. I go to pull it over my shoulder when I see something under my thumb. I move and see a laurel carved into the grip. I smile somehow, glad to see someone's still proud of my family and Highever.

I walk outside and my headache immediately worsens. Hammers strike steel as blacksmiths work metals and people shout at each other as they run past. We've moved out into the flatlands approaching the castle and town; I can see smoke from the latter off in the distance. Howe's men will definitely know we're coming.

"Ready, sister?" Fergus asks. I nod, swallowing deeply as I follow him through the encampment. A few soldiers stop and salute Fergus, but when he moves aside, their eyes go wide at the very sight of me. One man, Ser Olson, grins wickedly at me as he salutes. I return the gesture, happy to see my friend alive. I put a hand on his shoulder as we pass him and he falls into step behind us, encouraging more of the knights and soldiers to do the same. Fergus shoots me a goofy look, but I shrug, and he doesn't dismiss them.

It's a rather short walk to the command tent. My companions are sitting around underneath the overhang, drinking and eating. Alistair is the only one facing Fergus and I-naturally-and he gets up the instant he sees me. He's smiling that damn smile that makes me smile, pulls at my heartstrings, and makes me believe everything's going to work out.

At Alistair's movement, the others stir. Aedan breaks out in a huge grin, grabbing me in a bear hug the instant I'm within reach. Fergus chuckles while I wriggle my way out of his grasp. He spins us around and releases me. I stumble as I shoot him a dirty look, but the next thing I know is there are hands holding me up. Two hands with splintmail gloves.

"I need to talk to you later," Alistair whispers in my ear. "After supper in an hour or so, okay?" I nod slowly so only he can see. "Good." Then he lets me go. I roll my shoulders, glaring at Aedan, but he just gives me a knowing smirk. I backhand his chest when I'm close enough.

"You're okay?" Leliana asks, eyebrows up.

"Yeah, thanks, Leliana."

She smiles and returns to her chair. Alistair pulls one up for me and puts it beside him. I smile gratefully at him.

"Down to business," Fergus says as he sits. Alistair hands me what food he has left and a waterskin, both of which I can't even begin to thank him for. I pick at the food after downing almost all of the water. "We're within marching distance of the Cousland Castle and the surrounding town. I'm sure Howe's men have spotted us by now, but they've done nothing."

"We need to get inside at nightfall," Aedan says, shrugging as he leans back.

"Aedan and I know a secret way in," I say. "Getting to the portcullis and then the gate should be no problem for us if we take our friends."

"I am no friend of yours, Elissa," Morrigan says stiffly.

"Okay," I say, rolling my eyes. "We can take our friends, plus Bitch Witch over here." She chuckles, nodding. "Better?"

"Very."

Fergus is looking at Aedan. They're both sharing a concerned look. "I'm not sure if you are up for it yet, sister," Fergus says carefully. "You've only just got up from a hit you took three days ago."

"I can and will go, Fergus," I say. "Unless you have your signet ring still?" I look at my brothers, snorting. "Thought not." I pull mine out of my pack, careful to not disconnect it from my quiver. I roll it around in my hand before holding it up to them. "I am the only person here with one of these. I'm going. Whether you like it or not."

"Fine," Fergus says, sighing. "We attack under cover of darkness. You six will get inside through the passage Aedan and Elissa know of. Open the portcullis for us and my men will handle busting through the gates. Good enough?" I nod.

"Long as Wolf stays to watch your back, brother," I say, looking over at the sleeping warhound. At the sound of his name, he wakes, looking around sleepily. He gives me a weak and tired 'woof' as a greeting, and I smile.

"It's a deal, then."