Fen'vhenan tried to pull herself out of the Fade. She fought to wake up, desperate, but could feel how weak she was left. Something was wrong. She refused to cry. She was the Heart of the Wolf, the Hunter of the Wilds. She was the dark thing in the shadows. She would not be overcome.

A wall nearby shimmered. She rushed to it, hoping it might be a link in the veil diminishing to allow her passage. Once there it still glittered but proved to be just as impermeable as the rest of this place. She slammed against it, screaming at it and kicking harshly. Then she caught her reflection and saw the light lines on her lower cheeks. She rolled her eyes and sighed, slumping against the mirrored surface.

The design was beautiful and very deliberate. Graceful. It ran jagged like hills. Or teeth. The valleslin that were lost to time.

"Well," she murmured, "I guess I k ow why it didn't work." She had called to Fen'harel, and the magic had reacted instinctively. "Dread wolf take me," the elf muttered, suddenly laughing. It was strange. "There were more interesting ways that could have gone."

Vhen was still laughing when she pulled her knees up to her chin and hugged them, careful not to let the motion turn into tears. Then she looked up to see she was no longer alone. Instead she saw a very distinctive mop of blonde hair kneeling in front of her, eyes inquisitive.

"Hello Cole," she whispered.

"Greetings, Inquisitor." The voice was even, calming. He was very much a spirit now, Vhen realized. Somehow that made her smile. "I came ahead to find you."

"Consider me found." Fen'vhenan stood, the spirit before her offering a hand even if it wasn't really necessary here. "Is he... is Fen'harel very angry with me?"

Cole looked confused. "Anger? No anger. He missed you. Thinks this is horrible, but understands why you did it. If you knew what you were doing."

"Not exactly." Then Vhenan peered around, hope dwindling. "How did you get here? Can we get out the same way?"

"Me? Yes. We're in your head. I don't... think you want to leave the way I can. Better to wait."

Vhen nodded, then glanced with a start. "Hold a moment. Wait for what exactly?"

"Pride."

- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -

It was two days after they'd found Fen'vhenan and she still wouldn't wake. Dorian was getting increasingly more worried, to the point he considered finding a way to hunt her down in the Fade. It seemed reasonable, considering there was no physical reason he could find for her to remain unresponsive. Fenris had stopped him when he first mentioned it- but even the magic-wary elf seemed to be relenting after the healer could find nothing wrong yet again.

"Can't another mage do it?" Fenris asked, concern obvious in his voice.

"There's only one other de would trust, and I don't see him wandering into our home anytime soon."

As Dorian finished that sentence, one of the servants rushed up. "Master Pavus, your father said to fetch you. There is a... visitor."

"A visitor?"

"He said you would know him by his pride?"

Dorian bolted out the door with a comment that sounds just like, "Or I could be proven wrong."

In the entryway, Fen'harel was waiting and speaking with Halward when Dorian skidded in. He quickly grabbed the elf by the wrist and guided him back to the quiet room Vhen had been using and was currently sleeping in.

Solas immediately sighed as he traced the edges of the new silver design on her face. "I had hoped to be wrong," he admitted.

"You know what those are?" Dorian asked, both pleased and scared.

"I should. In my hotheaded youth I designed them." He shook his head. "It's the valleslin of the Dread Wolf."

"Oh." Dorian considered that revelation. "Then can't you just do as you did before and remove them?"

The elf nodded and started to weave the magic to do so. Yet as he finished, he felt a strong pull against his will- something stronger. He frowned and attempted again to no avail; the markings stuck. His eyes widened briefly as he shook his head, apologies whispered as he brushed his fingers against Vhen's cheek again.

"I need to go to her," Fen'harel explained quite suddenly. "Something is wrong."

"You seem awfully calm..."

"Just- leave us for an hour." He turned to glare at Dorian. "I'm blaming you for this."

"Blame yourself. You should have been here, Solas."

"And if I were just Solas," the elf iterated, "I would have been."

Dorian nodded his understanding and left. Now everything would be alright- yes?

- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -

Vhenan was surprised when Cole disappeared from her sight. Yet it made sense shortly after when a much more familiar form approached. She found herself running into his arms, the tears she had been resolutely hiding coming to her eyes as she felt him wrap around her.

"Ma'Fen. Ir abelas! I should have listened..."

"Atishan, ma'Vhenan. It will be alright." He ran those slender fingers through her hair, and she felt her nerves calm. "I should have listened more carefully. And I certainly should have considered... Andi."

Andi. He had a new clan me for that bitch? Vhen shuddered and looked up into his eyes, she saw only his apology, his embarrassment. "Remind me not to go to your next family picnic," was all the elven woman said.

Then she saw the sadness flow forward. "Vhenan, your marks..."

"Yours," she corrected.

"My marks," Fen'harel admitted. "I can't remove them."

Vhen stammered. She growled. "Excuse me?"

"Unfortunately we- had already... affirmed the bond."

Vhen's mouth felt very dry. "Are you telling me that because we had sex I am beholden to you?"

"Not exactly. But it isn't that far off the mark. Please do not hate me."

"I can't say I'm pleased," Vhen admitted, "but I'm not going to hurt you. Or wouldn't... even if I still had the choice."

"You've been stuck because I didn't... I hadn't given you permission to use your powers." Fen'harel blushed profusely. "So- permission given."

Immediately, Vhenan felt as though a weight was lifted from her mind. "Though maybe I do hate you," she grumbled lightly.

"Vhenan..."

"You had me trapped in the Fade, Harellan."

"Technically speaking you had trapped yourself."

Being in love with the Dread Wolf was aggravating. "Fine. This time we will call it my fault, ma'salath."