Azzura walked the small road looking around from time to time. She thought she recognized the surroundings and soon she had to agree with her assessment. It was the same road she walked to the Flemeth's hut in the Wilds when she went back to kill her.

The Warden rolled her eyes, it was obvious who was waiting for her at the end of the hidden path; taking a deep breath and pulling on what courage she had left, Amell covered the last portion of her journey.

When she was in front of the makeshift hut, she almost laughed at the settings. Near the fire, on a stool stood Flemeth in her earthly form, the old woman who greeted her when they were brought by Morrigan for the treaties. A pot bubbled happily pending above the fire.

Without saying a word, the Warden took a seat on the stool Flemeth showed silently to her. Amell had no desire to interrupt the dragon/goddess Asha'Bellanar/Mythal at all. If the Dalish clans she visited had their things right, the All Mother took offense when her children spoke before asked to, so she waited.

Flemeth's piercing eyes travelled over Azzura's face trying to enter deeper in her soul. Amell felt the connection between them brushing gently at her awareness and had no other choice than to accept that the Goddess -or whatever she was – searching her soul.

At last Flemeth spoke. "It's been a while."

"Well, I thought you were busy elsewhere since I couldn't hear you at all."

The Witch barked a laugh. "You don't lose your wit, not even in the Fade. I take it you liked the last display of your powers, uhm? "

"I really don't understand how it was possible to use the Wrath of Heavens. I am a mage, that should have nullified me too."

Another laugh from Flemeth had Azzura smiling. It was something about that woman that made her wanting to understand her. She was aware that she looked at Flemeth like a starving puppy waiting for his mother to let it eat. Flemeth had so much knowledge that Azzura wanted to pry it out, in a way or another.

"You are staring, girl. I have something on my face?"

"What? No- no I was just waiting for you to mock me, that's all."

The other woman shrugged. "You know I don't do anything without reason. When you used that Templar skill you were without mana, there was nothing to interfere with using one of your jailors skills."

"Yes but …"

"You are daft. I have to spell it out for you? Mages have lyrium running through their blood is it not? The Templars use lyrium to enhance those powers they are taught by the Chantry. Where you are immune to the lyrium proprieties, they are not. That's the price they pay for their power."

"You mean that a mage could be the same as a Templar? I never heard any of that."

"That Order of yours, the Shadowhunters, they know what others think about Spirits and they still work with them. Even the Avaar have a better understanding of the Fade than most of the Southern Thedas' scholars."

"The world is not prepared to hear about my Order's origins. It is lost in time and the Southern Chantry did a great job at burying deep the truths about it. You want to tell me that they knew about mages being able to negate magic and they thought that it was a good way to control us?"

"How would they do that?" – Flemeth's knowing smile lingered.

"They choose the select skills and had normal people learning them with lyrium aid, creating the Templars in the process?" – Saying it out loud, she knew that it was the right theory. – "How could I not see it earlier? Of course they did it and they destroyed every proof and had the Templars leashed forever with the addiction for a substance that is not meant for average people."

Flemeth made an approving nod and encouraged her to continue.

"Templars draw from the lyrium in their blood to fuel their powers and that's why they need a constant supply of the stuff to get going. A mage wouldn't need a daily dose of it; they could go naturally in accessing them. Oh, damn! That's huge!"

In her excitement over the discovery, Azzura stood up but as soon the realization settled in, she slumped down on the chair.

"Do you realize what that would mean for everyone? Mages would be able to counteract each other and it would be bloodier than the short Mage-Templar war! This is knowledge that it shouldn't be released in the world."

"You know that you sound exactly like the Chantry good doers? It's the same they said in the beginning when they created the Order."

"Yes! And later they abused that knowledge. How would we defend ourselves against power hungry mages if they would know how to block a Templar from using their powers against them? What if a blood mage knows how to execute a Smite on a mage trying to stop him? I know I am against power abuse but some things are better left buried for the greater good."

"Now we get to the core of your issue. Power. What is it? What means to yield power to you?"

"I use what power I have to do the right thing when I can. I don't want people hurt like many of my peers. More power one has, more responsibilities come with it; at least that's my point of view."

The Witch hummed in agreement. "You say you don't want power but everything you did until now it was either expanding the one you have or finding new sources to increase it." – Azzura tried to deny what she was hearing, but Flemeth's meaningful look made her stay quiet. "Don't argue with me, girl. You know I am right."

"Magical prowess, popularity, political power, new duties, trying to influence others to do your bidding; no matter what is the name, I call it power. And you revel in the benefits of it."

"But I don't look for power explicitly! It's like it can find me and I have no other choice than accept it! Every time I find a new spell which is powerful enough to erase an entire city from the map, a new fighting technique, a new political position and so on; I do accept it only because I know others might benefit from it or trying to keep it out from greedier hands."

'A noble goal, indeed." – Flemeth posed both hands on her knees and looked ahead in the shadows. "The desire for power is treacherous. In the beginning it comes as a way to improve one's skills or life. Then comes the desire to use it for others' benefit and in the end you might be tempted to use it for your own gain."

"Never!"

"So idealist after all this time. You might have to reach the last stage yet, there is still hope for you. Tell me, what is you are looking for with all this power you have?"

"I want a Thedas where everyone can take a deep breath and sleep at night without fear. I don't ask much, but at least a couple of years in peace. And I want a cure for the Calling."

"I could say that these two goals are impossible, but who knows … you might surprise me, after all."

Azzura's hope began to waver. "So, in all these centuries you lived and having a Goddess' soul inside you, you never heard about a Cure?"

"I am not all-knowing if that's what you imply. And Mythal was long gone before the Blights began. Anyhow, why are you so desperate to find this Cure? I thought Grey Wardens accepted their fate; reluctantly I dare say."

"I don't want to die. I don't want my friends to die and I feel guilty for all those I lured into the Warden's ranks."

"Interesting to say so. You are aware by now that the Wardens are needed, even when the world forgets about them until the next Blight. There are to be two more after the one you stopped. If you find a Cure for the Taint, then there were be no Wardens left to keep the darkspawn at bay; have you thought about that?"

"I know and I did. That's why I hope to find something that would help us block the Calling at least. Because I don't want to die alone in the Deep Roads!"

Flemeth was lost in thought for a few minutes. "That's why you accepted Morrigan's ritual? Because you were afraid to die?"

"What other choice I had? Let Alistair die? I couldn't even think of it."

"You trusted Morrigan with the essence of an Old God. What if she uses it against those you tried to protect?"

"I trusted Morrigan, yes. She wasn't the selfish woman you forced to grow up."

"I did it for her good. You can see why emotions and feelings towards other people can cloud your judgement." – The Witch sighed dramatically. "Apparently I haven't done a good job if she made you trust her with your own life."

"We called each other sister, you know?"

Flemeth guffawed. "I don't know if you would have been happy with me being your mother."

Azzura smiled slyly. "You couldn't foresee that when you sent her with us. That she will warm up and learn about human emotions, such as friendship."

"I took the risk, yes. Now Morrigan has what I was after. That girl is smarter than I thought. When you came back with your group of fools, I knew that my daughter began to think with her head and finally found the wit to convince someone to kill me. I never laughed so much in my entire life."

"Yeah, Varric told me how you appeared in Sundermount and convinced Hawke to carry the amulet; granted that my cousin had no idea what exactly she was carrying. Morrigan said that you won't stay dead for long. It gave me enough nightmares thinking that you will come after us and finish what the darkspawn didn't."

"As like I had nothing else to do as haunting a group of trouble makers around Ferelden. I gather that you knew that the ritual wasn't exactly in the line with your Circle's teaching, yes?"

"It was blood magic, I know. And since you know so much about Wardens, I think you are aware that the Joining is a blood magic ritual too. The former I accepted it, the later I was forced. After that I didn't want to hear anything about blood magic again … at least until I suggested to keep Varel alive somehow."

"Interesting. And now you hunt down those who practice this kind of magic. Irony? Hypocrisy? Who knows better than you?"

"Some people abuse that power, so they deserve to die. Others are desperate and see it as the last resort, but everyone knows what they are doing when they make the first cut."

A wicked gleam shone in Flemeth's eyes. "Tell me, what if when you find the Cure it is not that clean as you hope? What if it is another blood magic ritual? What you will do then? Give up to it because your convictions or … you will grab the chance without thinking twice?"

Azzura gapped at the Witch. She knew deep down that there was a risk, but until then she avoided thinking about the possibility.

"I … don't know. If that would require sacrifices or worse, then I would continue looking until my time comes. Although right now every warden thinks that they are ready to die. This unnatural Calling has everyone on the edge; I hope that the Inquisitor can stop Corypheus from doing more damage than he did already."

"Corypheus is a mistake. One I haven't taken in consideration."

"And here I thought that you planned everything all along."

"Some of the things, yes. But like I have said; I am not all-knowing."

"You know? I like the idea of being a pawn in your little games. Makes me feel important to the greater whole."

"You had your usefulness; as Hawke did and many others. You might still be of use to me somehow."

Azzura raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You found a new target to exploit? The hero of the hour maybe? I am certain the Inquisitor would like some holy help." – She giggled at the idea of Maxwell meeting the old Witch – "It might be a surprise to him to learn that it wasn't the right kind of holy he thinks of."

"Are you comparing me to Andraste? I don't know if I should feel insulted or humbled. And he must carve his own path before asking for Divine assistance. We don't want to make it easy for him, don't we?"

Flemeth tilted her head on a side. "Are you not envious about his ascension to power? He might become the most required man in all Thedas. Doesn't that disturb you?"

"No. Not at all. I had my share of heroic deeds and I am content with what I have. If he needs my help I will gladly stand by his side, but I won't try to take people's attention away from him. Why do you think I am not hiking around the Exalted Plains with him? Maxwell doesn't need my presence. He must bust the Inquisition's power by himself."

"Well, well. That's very surprising. I take it you have other plans then? Trying to find the Lord Seeker, maybe?"

Azzura narrowed her eyes at the older woman. "Always."

Something in Flemeth's voice changed. A most powerful sensation came from the Witch of the Wilds and Amell froze in her seat.

"If you wanted revenge you should have gone to my husband. Elgar'nan revels in such matters. Desist or you will see one of my sides that I didn't show so often to my People."

Amell tried to speak but she couldn't articulate the words. Flemeth took a deep breath and shook her head a little. "'Twas most unexpected. You better be quiet, girl. Don't do more damage if you care for yourself."

"T-t-that was M-Mythal? I must wake up. Really this was too much."

"Before you go, one more thing. Remember that power corrupts and when you will find a source of power that puts everything you have to shame, then you will have to choose carefully. That is your test. Don't fail it."

Azzura woke up and had to close eyes again. The light was unbearable and she felt her throat in flames. The left shoulder felt stiff and itchy. She adventured to raise the arm and closed the eyes again. She must have seen double because the fingers looked like sausages to her. Someone shifted suddenly away from her point of view. Nathaniel came in a rush to her side handing her a mug filled with water and Azzura gulped it down. She tried to speak.

"Nafaniel …" – Surprised at her own voice, she looked at the Warden and saw two of them. Blinking, she tried again. "Naf … Nat… whaf if wron' wif me?"

To her dismay, Nate began to laugh, making her wince. "Ow … my heaf."

Between fits of laugher, Nathaniel said. "Stop talking! You make me die!" – Azzura scowled at him and brought her hand to her lips. Along with her tongue, her lips were swollen and itchy. She plopped her head on the pillow.

"The poison in your body reacted somehow with the antidote. It was a good thing that Cullen extracted the arrow when he did, albeit a bit less gentle, but it did the trick. The antidote we gave you it was based on spider venom and spindleweed. I forgot about your allergy to that herb."

Amell whimpered in despair. "I musht look like a broofmofer!"

Nate handed her a mirror and waited for her reaction. He wasn't disappointed when she yelped and threw the looking glass away. "Mafer's ballsssss!"

The left side of her face along with her mouth and left eye were red and puffy; the eye half closed. She checked the wound where the arrow embed in her shoulder and saw the arm in the same condition. "I feel sheeick!"

"I know you feel sick, yes. The guy to whom the arrow belonged said that the allergy should stop the venom from spreading further and you will be back to normal in a couple of days. He's most sorry for what happened."

Nate didn't add that Cullen saw her and had to walk away chastised and on the way of losing his breath trying not to laugh. As strong she could be, Azzura was as vain as Dorian. Having Cullen laughing at her would make her crankier than she was.

"You know, I thought that your penchant for trying to die a miserable death would have vanished by now; but it seems I was wrong. Surviving a battle only to be taken out of combat by a stupid arrow, it is so you. I would say that this if above that time when you trapped yourself in that spider web and below the time when you were almost killed by the rock slide in the Mother's lair."

"If washn't my faulf!"

Nate mocked her. "Oh, really? It wasn't your fault that in the heat of celebrating that creature's death, you ended up hitting with lightning that ceiling?"

"Fine! You win. And the shpider web was infisible!"

"Only because you didn't look up?"

Cullen heard Nathaniel's laugher from outside the tent and risked his entrance in the lion's den. The Commander was trying to bit his lips and cover his merriment when he saw Azzura's face. When she saw him, she grabbed the blanket and covered her head, disappearing from sight.

"Don't look! I am 'orrible!"

Silently, Nate took his leave, letting the Commander to deal with his woman. Then a thought hit him and returned to Azzura's bed.

"I just remembered! Sarina is allergic to spindleweed too. Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but between your identical look and this shared allergy, even I begin to believe that there is some kind of connection between you two."

After Nate left, Cullen stood on Azzura's bed and tried to pull the blanket away from her face. "Love, stop hiding. I already know how you look. It's just a side effect and it will go away."

Tentatively she let the tip of her nose out from under covers. "Buf I'm ug … ug-ley!"

Cullen fixed some of her curls behind her ears and helped her stand. "To me you are always beautiful. Beautiful, dangerous and crazy."

He had a sudden thought and raised her to her feet. "Let's go outside. I know a place where we can talk alone. Everyone is down the valley anyway; they are studying the remains of the battle."

Azzura made her way towards a small clearing aware of the looks of sympathy and stifled laughs from the people outside. The only time she tried to stick her tongue to someone it made it worse. It was useless trying to look dignified when one had her face looking like a tomato.

"Cullen, feofle are lookin' af me."

He tried to keep his face straight, he really tried; but he couldn't hold it together anymore, he busted out laughing.

"I'm sorry. Honestly I forgot about your allergy!" – He remembered the first time when they discovered her sensitivity with that particular herb. It was an entire week of puns and giggles between the apprentices and Templars in the Tower.

He took a seat on the blanket he laid under a tree and drew her in his arms. Propping his head on the tree, he spoke again after a while. "I am regretful of how I broke the arrow. I hope it didn't hurt that much."

"No. I don't remember. Nafe saysh thaf it was nefefary."

"Yes, it was necessary. Your new language is interesting." – He smiled at her resigned attitude. "Well, we have to wait for the … thing, to wear off."

She looked at him hopefully. "You still maf af me because I forgof to wake up from fhe Fade?"

"I am not mad. I was worried that you lost your way back. You know the dangers of losing track of time in the Fade. I hope only that you had no problems with … stuff."

"No, no demonsh. I just talked to Anora. Got carried away. We haf a mosht interesshting conversashtion."

In her funny language Azzura told him about Anora and Alistair. When she arrived at the part involving the Calling, Cullen felt a sting of pain thinking of the immense fear she must have felt.

He realized that he might lose her somehow, exactly when he would have been glad to be retired and have their home. Suddenly, twenty years left, to him seemed like one hour and he couldn't stand the idea of her going underground to die. He told her so and for a second she was debating if she should take it lightly, but the pain in his eyes said otherwise.

She told him that she had no choice and if she couldn't find a cure he will have to understand that she made a promise; even if she had a couple months left , she will follow Alistair anyway. Cullen wanted to protest, to argue with her, to make her break the promise made to the King, but after a while he knew that if it was him, he would be afraid of being alone too.

She told him about the fate waiting for those women who became ghouls, but she avoided entirely the worst case scenario where she could become a broodmother. Either way, she won't be caught and she would take her own life if necessary, before letting their hands on her.

Cullen took a deep breath and tried to empty his mind of the horrors she described. He forgot about anything else; he forgot about her wound too and pushed her down on the blanket. She giggled when he tried to kiss her; his kiss was desperate, like the ones where one makes sure that they are alive and still breathing.

After some convincing and some assurance that to him she was still desirable, Amell let her Templar to kiss her. When for a second he raised his head for air, Cullen saw something moving but he didn't bother. Kissing her it was more important than some critter lurking in the background and he was sure that none of his soldiers would hide in the bushes to spy on their Commander.

Still the thing moved again and Cullen threw a side glance. Azzura wasn't happy. "Why did you stop? Your kiss helps me regain my tongue back!" – And she wiggled her brows to him.

"Then stop summoning trees, would you?"

She gave him a befuddled look. "What are you talking abouf? I can't summon frees from fhin air!"

The moment was gone and he had to resign to yet another moment trying to courtship the woman he loved flying away because of … walking trees.

Both Commanders looked askance at the unbelievable sight of a tree wobbling on the small path along the little pond, a couple yards away. The tree walked left and right trying to gain a balance and finally tripped on the ground.

Cullen squinted and had a better look at it. It wasn't exactly a tree, more likely a bundle of branches tied together and on top of them there was a man.

Azzura smirked seeing the poor guy trying to get up and from his gestures she supposed that he was cussing the insolent bundle.

Right then he saw the couple and leaving his charge hurried uphill.

Cullen's jaw dropped several inches. "It can't be!"

The young boy began to wave his hands. "Commander Cullen, is that you? Blessed be the Maker that I found you!"

A tight smile plastered on his face, Cullen replied. "Jim, what are you doing here?"

The scout looked sheepishly. "Err … They told me to gather wood for the cooking fire and I got lost in the forest."

Azzura bit into Cullen's armor to stifle a laugh.

"How can you be lost in the woods, when the camp is just on the other side of this hill?" – Cullen looked dumbishly still trying to gather why Jim was there.

"Well, they told me as much and Lady Lace said that I should always head north, always looking in front of me." – Jim scratched his head. – "But what I don't understand is how come that every time I took north I kept walking in circles around those trees?"

Cullen groaned. "Follow this path and you will be at our camp site. Why are you here anyway? Last time I heard, Harding was supposed to go to the Hissing Wastes."

Jim shrugged. "That was the original plan I think. But then Lady Lace received a new assignment for the Hinterlands and she switched places with scout Harriman."

The scout went to retrieve his bundle of branches and before going off, he added. "Thank you Commander, without you I would be lost and Lady Lace would be mad. I don't like her when she is mad, because she is so cute. Oh, Lady Amell! Why do you look like a boiled tomato?"

The Commander barked. "Go away, soldier! They need to eat."

Amell waited until Jim was past the hill and then began to laugh. Cullen wasn't impressed and plucked some grass from the ground while looking thoughtful.

"Don't you have the feeling that there's something more to this Jim? And why Leliana moved Harding here?"

Now that got Azzura's attention. "Leli. She's behind all this, I swear it."

Later when they returned to the others, they were approached by Lace Harding. The dwarven lady looked up to Cullen.

"I know what you want to say, Commander but it is not my fault. I have new orders for you and Lady Amell. You need to go back to Skyhold because Knight Captain Lawrence is deployed to the Exalted Plains and Rylen needs to take a break, he was wounded in a skirmish with some reddies. Lady Amell has to meet the Herald in Crestwood in two weeks. The Inquisitor says that you, my Lady will be interested in the new developments and Seeker Pentaghast wants you there for a personal matter."

Azzura turned to Cullen and smiled. "Well, that's your ticket to Skyhold. Is Rylen all right?"

Lace nodded. "Yes, but he needs to heal his leg and rest."

Cullen went to give the good news to Dorian and Varric was less than thrilled to discover that he won't go back with them. The dwarf grumbled that cutting across Ferelden wasn't on his pay roll.

Azzura hugged him and pecked him on the cheek. He sighed and thought of his dubious luck to have even Hawke's cousin going for flattery as the last resort to convince him to do something.