I'm sorry for the late update, as usual. Things have been crazy at work, and writing didn't come easy. Most of this chapter has been on my drive for a few months already, but I didn't know where I wanted to take it, so... yeah. Again, I'm sorry.

The bard could feel her lips trembling in fear. The mage had been too distracted to notice, but somehow, the young rogue had heard it. Smelled it, even. It was here.

"Stay here." The witch was whispering against her hand now, apparently she had finally realized that Leliana was not being coy, but honestly afraid. She wanted to protest, she wanted to resist, but before she could open her mouth, she felt her body relax against her will. Her hand started shaking and then fell heavily onto her chest, slipping further until it hit the ground next to her. The rogue's eyes widened in horror, as she realized what Morrigan was about to do. Her eyelids were soon becoming heavy and her lips felt numb and sluggish; the words she was trying to form only left her mouth as scrambled sounds, before her eyes finally fell closed. Darkness embraced her, and the last thing she heard were a few spoken words, which sounded a lot like "Forgive me".

"…ana… …she be? …Mo… …either…"
"…no… …to fi… …seen her?" Yelling. Words. Sentences. None of it was making any sense. Her head felt like someone had clubbed her with a morning star, and it was hard to fight off the haze that enveloped her senses. Everything she heard seemed far away and muffled, as if someone was talking through a cloth.

"Enchantment!" The sudden loud noise shook Leliana to the core. Her eyes snapped open, and she was blinded by the radiant light of the evening sun. She brought her hand up to cover her eyes, clumsily hitting herself in the face while doing so.
"Enchantment!" An energetic dwarf was the last thing the rogue wanted at this point. Also, the volume did nothing to ease the dull pain in her head.

When she finally opened her eyes again, she found herself lying on the ground, Sandal standing next to her, holding up a blanket, which was still covering the lower half of her body. The lower… Leliana gasped loudly, when she realized she was naked from the waist up. Gradually, she remembered what had happened earlier this day, and while trying to hide herself from Sandal, who was still standing there, holding the blanket, she awkwardly put on her ripped top and tried to fasten her breastplate somehow. Half the straps on her sides were either gone or too broken to be fixed just now.
"Enchantment!"

Before she could even roll her eyes, the yelling she had previously heard became much clearer, when the voice's occupant came closer and closer.
"Sandal! What are you yelling about?!" An angry Kaala stormed Morrigan's shelter, only to stop dead when Leliana gaped at her from the ground.
"Thank the Creators, you're alive!" The bard just stared at the elf dumbfounded, while the small woman took her in her arms, kissing her face in what seemed to be relief.

"I'm so glad you're alright! Where's Morrigan?" In her effort to hide the state of her attire, Leliana didn't listen to the lithe woman who was still invading her personal space. She tried to hide behind the blanket Sandal was still holding up, awkwardly bending her body sideways, while pretending to listen to what Kaala was saying. She let the elven woman talk for a while, hoping to adjust the straps on her armor without noticing. One of the straps was proving especially stubborn, as it had ripped directly at the breastplate.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Wide-eyed, Leliana stared at the yelling rogue. She had rarely seen the usually joyful woman so angry.
"I…"
"Where. Is. Morrigan?!"
That was the moment Leliana remembered. Heavy footsteps, angry snorting, the sound of something enormous prying about the camp. When the noises had become louder, she had recognized the unmistakable sound of snapping bones in the distance. Morrigan had heard them, too. And then…

Then she must have passed out. Or…

A scowl formed on her face, as it dawned on her what had happened. Fear for the witch and rage mixed together inside of her, forming an angry knot in her stomach that made her get up in mere moments.
"Let me…" Her body was slow to respond, so she staggered past Kaala and Sandal, ignoring the glances she received when her breastplate developed a mind of its own, exposing half her chest. Leliana didn't mind. She did not. All she cared about was the witch. The stupid, selfish, annoying… wonderful witch. Stupid woman. Stupid, stupid woman, why had she cast a spell on her, sent her to sleep? Why…?

The redhead stumbled out in the open, gulping when she was greeted by a scowling Wynne and a stern looking Zevran. That fact alone was odd and demanded attention, but her thoughts went to the mage who was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is she…," she muttered under her breath, "…where is she…," as she fell to her knees, looking at the chaos that had once been their camp. Kaala followed, hard on her heels. A small elven hand came to rest on Leliana's shoulder, offering what little comfort the friendly gesture could.

Coming to her senses bit by bit, the rogue noticed the stench of burning grass and flesh for the first time. The smell of fabric, aflame. Their tents, gone. Parts of them still burning, ashes flowing through the air, covering everything in their path.

"Where…"
"We don't know. We were hoping the two of you were down by the stream."
"No, we…" Her voice broke, then.
"No, we were… she was… Morrigan…?"
"We don't know, love."

Getting back to her feet, the lanky woman examined what was left of their camp. Their home. Her lips started to tremble when she reached the center of the camp. Her tent. All of her things. Gone. Even…
"No! Nooo!" Leliana rushed towards what was left of her tent, ignored the mumbled words of her companions, shoved away Kaala's hand when the elf reached for her and clumsily made her way through the still smoking rubble.

She burned her hand on hot wood several times, got tangled in smoldering cloth and just when she was about to give up, her hand brushed against something square. Hissing, the bard pulled her hand back, only to reach for the object with her other hand. It burned. It hurt. But she didn't care. The box was here. Her precious box.

"You stepped in there for a box. You stepped in there for a box?!" The Warden's voice was incredulous, as was her face. Green eyes stared at her unbelievingly, confused, to say the least, but at the same time, the gesture of her hand prevented the old witch from joining in. Wynne looked annoyed, but not as shocked as the other companions.

"I'm too drunk for this. You're all behaving like crazy nugs!" Oghren underlined his meaning by pointing at Shale, who was busy keeping Sandal away from her crystals, Kaala, who had her hand flush against Wynne's lips to keep her from talking, Alistair, who was busy keeping his bandage away from the flames and smoking embers and failing miserably…

Leliana gulped. The drunkard was right. Oh so right.
"We need to find Morrigan."
In response, Zevran pointed to the bones on the ground. Glances were exchanged; none of them daring to say what was going through their heads. The bard used that time to fasten the straps on her armour, covering herself up best she could.

"Leli…"
"No."
"What if…"
"NO. No, she is not dead. She can't be dead. I will not stand here and mourn her. No!"
Finally covered again, Leliana grabbed the box and went towards the camp's entrance.

"Leliana! Where are you going?" For the first time, Alistair spoke up, surprising everyone around him:
"Where will you go? It's not safe, there's a dragon out there!"
"I don't care!"

TO BE CONTINUED.