When she walked back into the valley, Fen'Harel was sitting in the same place she'd left him. He was watching her as she emerged from the shadows, and she smiled.

He stood slowly, and walked over to her, and only stopped when he was towering over her.

"Tell me why it is that you don't exist halfway down the fissure." He wasn't - quite - scowling, but he didn't look pleased.

Lavellan sighed. "Ah. Well, I'm not actually here. I mean, I am, clearly, since you can see me, but not really."

She wasn't surprised when this slightly less than helpful answer didn't change his expression. She took his hand and led him back over to the chair. He went, wordlessly, and let her arrange them back in the chair; also wordlessly.

"I don't know when this is, exactly, but it is a long way in the past, for me. I came exploring here in the Fade, I didn't expect anyone to be able to see me, or hear me. I don't know how that happened."

His eyes narrowed as he considered this. "You don't exist outside of this valley. I wonder if it would be the same if we left. Even tracking you, I lost your scent halfway through the fissure."

She nodded. "Do you remember, when we first met? You didn't notice me at all, until I stepped toward you. There was a flare of magic, and then you saw me. I thought at first that it might be the anchor," she held her hand up to show him the flare of magic there, then shrugged, "but now that I know what this place, and who you are, it could be that, too. A friend told me that the veil is thin in places where there has been great magic, or great battles. I figure this place saw some of both, yes?"

He laughed, finally relaxing and bringing his arms around her. "Yes, it certainly did see both. So what do we do now? You aren't really here, and I don't know where you are in your time."

Lavellan smiled at him. "It should be simple enough, though boring for you, I suppose. It might be a long wait." Her smile faltered a bit. "I'll understand if you don't want to wait for me."

"Don't want to wait for you? I'm immortal, a few centuries or so won't change things for me. You're… ma sa'lath, ma vhenan; of course I will wait for you.

Her smile was blinding. "Ar lath ma, vhenan. Thank you." When he leaned down to kiss her, she slipped her arms around his neck and held him there.

Finally he pulled back, and gave her one of his slow, dangerous smiles. He stood, still holding her, before letting her slide down until her feet touched the ground.

Before he could do anything else, she twined her fingers together behind his neck. "Thank you."

He smiled at her, curiously. "What for?"

"You saw me. No one does. They see their clan's First, or the Herald of Andraste, or the Inquisitor. Even the few people who can look past those things to see me are people who I have to lead, who I have to order into battles that may cost their lives. I tell myself that I have to keep them at a distance, that I can't let them see only Kelara, because of that; but the truth is, that if I weren't those other things, they wouldn't look at me at all.

"Oh, they're all very kind, but I've always felt like a bit of an outsider. But you saw me from the first. And I won't say I wasn't surprised by your little revelation the other day, but it didn't matter, because I saw you."

She moved one hand to his temple, threading her fingers through the hair there. "Your laugh, your smile, your sense of humor. That haughty tone you used at me. Even your insufferable snorts. I saw all those things, and your name didn't matter."

"We fit, you and I; like casting a complicated spell, and getting every aspect exactly correct, they saying that final word that locks it all together. None of the rest of it matters, if I know you'll come for me."

He sighed, and tightened his arms around her in a fierce hug. "You're the first person who has seen me - and accepted me - for who I am, too. I don't think you realize what that means to me. Come, ma vhenan, let me show you something."

She watched magic ripple from his fingers, then turned to see that he had created a pavilion behind her. It was quite large, with a wood roof and supports. The sides were curtained in grey and blue silk, and the inside was piled with pillows. Lavellan smiled and looked up at him.

"It's lovely. And very sweet. I'm not sure we should do this here, though."

His eyebrows rose. "I'm quite sure we should, there is no one to disturb us, after all."

She laughed. "It's just that, the friend I told you about? He was quite angry that I'd changed the past, and he warned me against sleeping with you here. Are you certain this isn't a mistake."

He set his hands on her hips and pulled her closer until she was facing him, then leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers, letting the tips of their noses brush.

"This isn't a mistake. There is nothing that can harm either of us here - in this place, or in this time." He started walking them towards the pavilion, nudging her backwards until they reached it. "Besides, vhenan, you don't need to worry about his warning. No one sleeps in the Fade."

He was slightly surprised when this caused her to dissolve into giggles, but used it to his advantage and tumbled her back into the nest of pillows he'd created.

Then he distracted her quite thoroughly from worries and giggles.

…..

Quite some time later, Lavellan stretched luxuriously, before propping herself up on one elbow to smile at Fen'Harel. He was watching her intently, his eyes tracing over her from her rather mussed hair, all the way down to her toes, and back up. When he felt her eyes on him, he met her gaze and smiled back before turning serious.

She saw the change in his expression and sat up, pulling her clothes back on slowly. He did the same, yanking his shirt on before reaching back to the pile. "How will I find you, in this future of yours, ma lath?"

She smiled at him, and waved around the valley. "It will be fairly simple, actually. I will be right here. All you have to do is…" her voice trailed off as he pulled a leather thong over his head and turned back to face her. Her gaze was fixed on the pendant that her wore, and when he went to tuck it back into his shirt, she put out a hand to stop him.

"Wait, is that a wolf jaw bone?" He nodded and she stared at him, searching his face. "I've seen this before." She pushed to her feet, and started pacing, chewing on a lock of hair that fell across her face, as she thought. "That's how he knew; that's why he was so upset. Not out of concern for me, but that it would blow his cover."

She spun back to Fen'Harel, who had pulled his pants on and stood watching her. "Do you always wear it?" Another nod, and she started to smile. "It's possible that you already have found me."

She reached further, and just before her outstretched fingers touched the bone, she flicked a questioning glance at him. When he nodded once, she touched the jaw bone, and let a small trickle of power flow into it. Leaning back, she gestured to the bone. "Can you feel it?"

He put a hand on it, and nodded. "Yes. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"If I'm right, we've already met. You haven't told anyone who you truly are, and I am rather annoyed by that, just so you know, but you're helping us. Helping me. This may be simpler than we thought, at least the end of it. Listen closely. In my time, this whole mountain is a fortress - and if I'm right, you led us here. This valley is a garden, a lovely one. When you remember, meet me there."

"I should warn you, that I sincerely want to smack you, if you show up how I think you will. And before you try to duck out of it, vhenan, know that I won't leave until you come."

With that, she gave him a quick kiss and turned, leaving the valley. As usual, he lost all sense of her when she made her way along the fissure, and just stood there, staring after her in confusion.