The sun peaked through the open window of the tower, the curtains no longer able to keep the room dark. Dayora rubbed her amethyst eyes, stretching her body as far as she could.

She sat up her vision clearing; the last remnants of sleep fading into wakefulness

"What happened last night?" she whispered groggily, a large yawn accompanying her full body stretch.

A hand slipped over her hips, exploring its way to her exposed breasts. "Oh, so much happened, my dear. You were right about not being able to hold your liquor." a raspy, Antivan voice came from behind her.

Startled, Dayora looked down, her clothing on the floor next to several empty bottles of wine. Her gaze shot over her shoulder where she saw a grinning Zevran, the sheet hanging over his hips, his bare chest exposed.

"Wait… did we… we did… Mythal, what happened last night?"

Zevran sat up, kissing his lover on the cheek before pulling her back down. "Let me show you." He growled playfully, scrunching his nose and nipping at her chest and neck as he tried to climb on top of her, his hands already wandering on her body.

She laughed as she pushed him off. "Zevran, stop being so damn distracting. We have work to do, remember?"

What sounded like a groaning chuckle rolled from his lips as he released his grip and sat up, his eyes tracing her curves as she dressed. "What is it with the Dalish and always being so serious? No time for fun."

"I may not remember it, but it looks like we had plenty of fun last night."

"You don't remember? Well then, perhaps I should remind you tonight."

Dayora smiled, one more quick kiss as Zevran buckled his breeches. "Only if you promise to misbehave."

"Misbehave? Don't you mean?"

Opening the door, she smirked at him, a teasing look in her eyes. "Nope."

Virana stood on the balcony outside her chambers, shaking her head as she saw Dayora skip out of the tower, followed after by a yawning Zevran. It was just like her to waste no time going after something she wanted. She stood in silence until she heard her lover's movements rustle the sheets.

After a moment, she felt a hand wrap around her waist, a good morning kiss on her Solas's surprise, she had no reaction, she only continued to stare out over the mountains.

"Is everything alright, love?" Solas asked, his arm still around her waist. "It's not like you to be so-quiet in the mornings." he chuckled, his ears a light shade of red.

She hesitated, shifting her waist away from him. "Something has been bothering me ever since Halamshiral."

Pursing his lips, Solas nodded, releasing his Inquisitor. "I wondered when this would come up."

"Why did she call you 'Fen'Harel'? And why was she speaking ancient elvhen?"

The air was still for several moments before Solas answered. "She is a snake, Virana. Determined to destroy everything you have built."

"I'm not so sure about that." she said meeting his gaze. "Solas, I saw her memories in the Fade. How you doted on her and convinced her to fall for you. You two grew up together as clanmates, and she lost control when she had to relive those memories."

"Vhenan, you of all people should know-"

"What. Happened. Solas?" her eyes fierce and demanding. "What happened to make her hate you so much?"

Solas sighed, turning toward the bed. He sat for a moment before speaking, his voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, we grew up together, and yes, I loved her. Our people were at war, Virana. She fought, and she was good at it. Every enemy that stood before her, fell, but eventually it was not enough."

"When the Imperium attacked Arlathan?"

Solas continued to avoid her gaze. "War is war, Vhenan. Who attacked who doesn't matter. I watched her become something else. She no longer defended her people, that wasn't enough. She wanted to rule over them, kill anyone who opposed her. I chose to save our people."

Virana remained standing. "What do you mean? What choice?"

"The woman I loved lived no more, and in her place a monster awakened. I did what proved best for everyone. It should have been a fatal blow, a dagger in her side, between her ribs and into her heart."

The Inquisitor was silent a moment. "Then how did she survive?"

"Of that, I am uncertain."

The bedroom door slammed open, startling them both. "Virana! Get your ass out here, that witch from the palace is here!" Dayora's voice bounced around the room.

"She will come for us again, and we need to be ready." Standing, Solas wrapped his arms around Virana.

She soaked in the embrace before pulling away. "When I danced with Fenris, he told me that being with you was endangering myself. That Ana would kill me if I got in her way."

"I will protect you. Mark my words, I will not let her harm you. She is my mistake, and when the time comes, I will correct it."

"I saw her walk off the balcony. That fall would have killed anyone, that must mean she can heal herself."

Solas kissed her forehead. "Most likely. We should work on a way to suppress that ability immediately."

Reassurance washed over the Inquisitor as she headed for the door, Solas returning to the balcony. He needed to handle Ana, and soon.

Ana's eyes snapped open as a light rustling came from behind her. Cautiously, she lifted her head from Fenris's chest, his steady breathing telling her he was still asleep. Ana's eyes followed the curves of his lyrium scars,her finger tracing each design. She couldn't begin to fathom how much that must have hurt. She smiled at how serene he appeared, a fleeting moment of peace, doomed to break as soon as he awoke.

The rustling had drawn closer, peaking Ana's curiosity. She pulled Fenris's sash around her body, standing and walking to meet whatever was coming toward them.

"Finally, I was thinking I would never find you."

"Briala?" Ana tilted her head, relaxing. "What are you doing out here?"

Briala smiled as she tossed a pile of clothing to Ana's feet, Fenris's Blade of Mercy on her back. "I thought you might want these returned. I also wanted to thank you. After your swift exit last night, I met with the Inquisitor."

Ana reached down, grabbing her black, skin tight trousers and sliding her legs through. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Thanks to her, I now pull the strings behind the throne. Celine is under my power."

Ana continued to dress, buckling the neck of her shirt underneath her hair. "Not to sound unappreciative, but I'm still not seeing why that brought you all the way out here."

"I want to offer you haven in Halamshiral. The city once belonged to our people and, in a way, it does once more. Sleeping in the woods gets tiresome, if you wish to have a bed, you are welcome in the city."

Glancing over her shoulder, she heard Fenris stir. "That's kind of you, thank you." she tried to hide the surprise in her voice.

Briala nodded, a sly grin on her face as she turned to walk away, placing Fenris's blade on the ground beside her.

Once Briala was out of sight, Ana returned to Fenris, crawling over him, placing light kisses on his chest to help him wake up. He smiled at her touch, his eyes still closed. "Good morning to you too."

Ana could not hide her grin, even as it echoed in her voice. "Briala brought our clothes back. She offered us shelter in the city as long as we need."

Sitting up, Fenris held her chin a moment, drinking in her features. "On whose behalf?"

"Hers apparently. She somehow got Virana to give her leverage to control the throne."

"Well, that's not unsettling." he snorted.

Ana's body language changed, her stance and tone becoming serious. "Fenris, about last night."

"Which part?" he chuckled as he stood to dress.

She glanced at him, a silent reprimand for his untimely joke. "I don't know why I couldn't kill him. He was there, I was dancing with him."

''You haven't moved past the hurt."

"What are you talking about? You're not suggesting I still love him?" her face twisted in repulsion.

Shaking his head, Fenris walked to her, his hand brushing her hair from her face. "Not at all. But you haven't gotten through the pain of being betrayed. You haven't accepted it."

Her brow furrowed. "Of course I have. Why do you think I want him dead?"

"You're not listening."

"Well, you're not making sense." she muttered,rolling her eyes.

"Ana, love. Do you truly think I could face Danarius the first time I saw him after I escaped? It took years for me to accept that I was not at fault for his deeds, for his abuse. I had to accept that those traumatic years happened, but they did not define me. Only then was I able to have the courage to face him and kill him."

"I want to know why. What I did that made him capable of killing me."

Fenris tilted his head, "Killing you? What do you mean?"

Breathing deeply through her nose, Ana's eyes wandered away. "He needed to kill me to fuel a ritual. My blood was the purest, it contained the most powerful essence of magic among our people. He told me it would just be a few drops but…"

Sitting beside her, Fenris moved her hair behind her ears. "Sometimes talking about it makes it easier to accept. Keeping it bottled up will only cause it to fester like an infected wound."

A long pause came before she spoke again. "Our people were at war. The clans fighting amongst themselves, each one vying for power over the other. Solas and I, we just wanted peace. We wanted to be together. He found a ritual that would sever their ties to magic, end the fighting, but it required blood."

Her voice shook as her mind went back to that night. Fenris only smiled at her, placing a hand on her leg.

"He told me a quick slice on the hand and it was done. That he wanted me to close my eyes so it would be over faster. Before I could even register what was happening, I heard him whisper in my ear, 'I'm so sorry, Vhenan. It will only hurt a moment.'" A tear fell from her eye. "That's when I felt the burning pain of the dagger plunging through my side, into my heart, my magic draining from my body. I remember little after that, just-darkness. The only thing I do remember is being wrapped in a golden aura, warm and comforting. It was a spirit that had watched my betrayal, a spirit of Compassion. She wrapped me in the same sort of cocoon Hawke was in, allowing me to heal in the dark, keeping me alive."

Rage burned in Fenris as he saw the pain cross her face. If he didn't want to kill that egg-headed elf before, he sure did now. He pulled Ana into his chest, kissing the top of her head.

"You will have your revenge, my love. This I promise you."

"The Arbor Wilds? Seriously?" Dayora's nose wrinkled as she read the report Virana handed her.

"Leliana's scouts have confirmed Red Templar camps in the area. Morrigan says they're after an eluvian there."

Dayora glanced up at her clanmate. "You realize this is where the Temple of Mythal is, right?"

Raising an eyebrow, Virana laughed, playfully shoving Dayora's shoulder. "I'm Inquisitor, not shemlen. Why do you think I'm asking you to scout ahead while we prepare to move?"

Dayora pushed her lips out, her eyes rolling around the room before returning to Virana. "Can I take Zevran?"

Virana sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Does it matter if I say no?"

Smiling, Dayora bounced into The Inquisitor, throwing her arms around Virana's neck, a small squeal escaping as she did so. Virana shook her head and chuckled as she turned to look at the map, Dayora leaving with a skip in her step. There was a moment of silence before the door opened again, Dorian entering this time.

"You asked to see me?"

"Yes, I need to speak to you about nullification magic." Virana replied, her gaze still analyzing the war table.

"Nullification magic? What for?"

"Ana has declared herself an enemy of Solas, therefore she is an enemy of mine and ultimately, the Inquisition. I can only assume she has massive healing capabilities which would make her hard to kill."

"I see. So you wish to kill her before she can kill your lover. How romantic."

An irritated glare shot in Dorian's direction. "Can you do it?"

He leaned against the edge of the table, his arms folded against his chest. "It may take some research, but I'm sure there are Tevinter spells of the sort. I don't think we can suppress her magic entirely, however. Healing magic differs from battle magic as you well know."

"We need her vulnerable. If she can't heal, then she can't fend us all off."

Dorian nodded, pushing off the edge of the table. "I shall get started immediately."

Zevran and Dayora sat in the trees, the Red Templars in the valley below unaware of their presence.

"Well, they weren't kidding about Corypheus's forces being en masse here." Dayora whispered. "I'm counting at least ten soldiers."

"Don't forget the archers on the ledge above. That makes fifteen." Zevran responded, pointing out the hidden bowmen.

"We are still several miles from the temple. Shit, this isn't good at all." Dayora hissed.

"We need to send word to The Inquisition right away. They need to move now if they will intercept Corypheus."

A mischevious smile crept across Dayora's face as she reached for her bow. "We should probably take care of this encampment too. Bet I can kill more of them than you."

Zevran laughed, brandishing his daggers. "I swear, woman, you complete me. Let's have some fun."

"Leliana, what's the latest?" Virana asked as she reached the top of the stairs, the caged ravens cawing at her arrival.

The spymaster was sitting at her desk, papers scattered before her. "I have two letters to discuss with you." she answered, her eyes remaining on the reports.

Virana sat across from her. "Anything from the Arbor Wilds? Josephine has already sent word to our allies to begin moving their troops."

"First, I received a letter from Alistair. He said nothing other than he has obtained a cure for the Wardens and has decided to seek out the Hero of Ferelden."

Virana raised an eyebrow.

"Oh they were so in love during The Blight. He even gave up his claim to the throne for her because she was a mage. Then one day she vanished."

"So he's going off on his own to find her and cure her?" Virana snorted. "So much for help from The Order."

"So it appears. As for the Arbor Wilds, my scouts confirm Dayora's report that the Red Templars are quickly covering the land around the Temple. Whatever is there, Corypheus wants it and we need to beat him to it."

"When should we leave?"

"Immediately."

Ana. Annnaaa echoed in the darkness.

Ana opened her eyes, pushing herself to a sitting position, her hands sliding against wet moss on a stone floor instead of the warm bedsheets she expected. "Oh, not again." she muttered.

Ana! The echo was sharper this time.

Ana stood, a thick layer of fog surrounding her. "Who are you?" she called, trying to see something, anything through the darkness.

Come hissed through the air as a female silhouette made of white light appeared in the distance.

Ana frowned, tilting her head, feeling her way toward the figure. "Hey! Who are you?"

The figure turned to face her, reaching a hand toward Ana. A powerful urge to grab the outstretched hand washed over her, but the more she reached, the further away the figure was.

Close….wilds….he's coming was all Ana could make out. The rest being unintelligible whispers.

A small light appeared in the distance. Ana stared for a moment, her eyes widening as the light rushed toward her. Throwing her arms up, she braced herself, ready for anything, or so she thought.

After a moment, Ana hesitantly lowered her arms, the darkness gone, replaced with lush forests and a crumbling ruin. "This is….how is this still here?"

Ana whispered again, the sound echoing from the top of a stone staircase, vines and flowers wrapping around the banister while the steps themselves were broken and crumbling.

Following the whisper, Ana walked up the stairs, finding herself standing before a massive door decorated with gold mosaic tiles, the image of a large halla staring down at her.

"Oh no." she groaned. "Please be a joke."

As if hearing her disdain, the doors opened, revealing a large pool of water, shimmering in the sunlight, the silhouette standing in the middle of still water. Come! The whisper screamed through her ears as the image disappeared.

Sitting up, Ana placed her head in her hands, almost growling in frustration as she kicked the fur blanket off her legs. She peeked out from between her fingers to see Fenris looking at her, curiosity in his half open eyes, his hair a disheveled mess.

Ana looked around the little house Briala had provided them and sighed, throwing herself back into her pillow. "We have to leave."

"Why?"

"Something-called to me. It...I don't know how to explain it, it was like a part of me seemed locked away, calling to me from just beyond my reach."

Shaking his head, Fenris climbed out of bed and started to dress, nearly falling over as he clumsily pulled his trousers on. "At least we got a week of normalcy. Although I will miss sleeping in a bed."

Ana smiled, now sitting on the edge of the bed, her fingers running through her tangled locks. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Being with you is the best adventure I have ever had." he chuckled, strapping his blade to his back, the last evidence of sleep falling away. "Where are we heading?"

Ana opened the door, the morning breeze dancing with her hair. "The Arbor Wilds. We need to get to The Temple of Mythal."