If she ever thought she was more qualified to hunt mages than Aedan, she was wrong. All it took was one good look at the mage claiming to be the Runner. And that was before he transformed into a pride demon. After that, Leliana didn't necessarily care if Aedan had dealt with Kent or not. At that point, it was all self-preservation and less caring about the larger scheme of things. She was more selfish than she liked to admit.

As they passed from beneath the portcullis, Leliana's eyes locked onto the protruding wall of a small home. She looked back, decided this was as good a place as any, and gestured to the road ahead. Edmund was just behind her, but he seemed to get the idea. While she crossed and used a barrel to help her scale the wall, Ed led Aedan and Leon towards the small patch of corn before turning to face their foe.

She settled in for a crouch, doing her best to remain concealed further back along the rooftop. It felt good to have a vantage point, no matter how close to the ground it was; it meant shooting someone would be far easier than it typically was. Besides, out here, Amaranthine was less prone to damage, and the others would have more room to maneuver.

One of her hands drifted back and felt for the familiar softness of an arrow's fletching. The instant she even remotely felt it beneath her fingertips, she dragged the arrow free, and slowly put it on the string of her bow. A quick adjustment to her position afforded a better view of the city gate and of her...friends.

But instead of the twisted purple mass of the demon, an elf in simple robes emerged from the city. The same very man she'd witnessed turn into a monster only a few minutes before, only now elven again. What in the—?

Leliana fought the urge to stand and get a better look at him. There was a certain shimmer about his entire body that almost demanded she do so to sate her curiosity, but still she remained. The temptation lingered. Oh Maker, did it beg for her to give herself away, but she refused. As the elf approached the three below, she pulled back on her bowstring until her thumb was brushing over her cheek. Only a few more feet...

"Ah, Knight-Captain!"

Her eyes flicked over to Aedan only briefly, just long enough to see him shift uncomfortably. It seemed she wasn't the only one who'd rather follow than lead.

"It's been so long! How's the Circle holding up?"

He stepped past her building, she moved to the side, and let her arrow fly. The snap of her bowstring made her nerves tingle, and while she knew her aim was flawless, the head of her arrow still bounced harmlessly off the Runner.

So that's what was demanding her attention. He'd cast a shield on himself.

Without breaking stride, he launched an orb of crackling white lightning at her. Leliana's eyes went wide, and before realizing what was happening, she'd turned and leapt from the roof. It was too late, especially at that distance, and a tendril smacked off her back. Nothing more than a glancing blow, but even with that energy, she was still unconscious by the time she hit the ground.

When Leliana's eyes finally fluttered open again, the pain in her shoulder was overwhelming. So severe was it that a scream damn near tore its way from her throat, and would have, had she not bit her tongue. After a few seconds, the pain dulled to a familiarity, and she released the pressure on her tongue only to have a coppery taste fill her mouth. That's when she noticed it had been there from the beginning, but only now renewed.

As soon as she tried to push herself to her knees, the pain in her back was greeted by a searing pain in her side, one that gnawed its way straight to her chest. A hand caught her shoulder and attempted to ease her back down, but despite her injuries, Leliana's reflexes were still in good enough condition to swat them away.

"Relax." A breath of relief escaped her; it was Aedan. "How are you feeling?"

"Like hell," she replied. "What happened?" There was a pause; he didn't want to answer. It lasted so long that she could feel the panic rising in her chest. "Aedan?" How strange it was to be so desperate for the man's presence.

"The Runner got away," he said finally. "He took Leon. Something about a..." He trailed off and audibly swallowed. "Well, I'm gathering their plans for Leon end rather unpleasantly. Kent had apparently been setting Leon up from the beginning. I don't think he knew about you and your...enhancements."

Leliana tampered the mounting panic at the mention of Leon. She didn't want to think about what might be in store for him. "And Edmund?"

"He's...he's not in much better shape than you." That could be dealt with later, she supposed.

"What about you?"

"Couple of bruises, wounded pride. He knocked me out first, probably thought he killed me too. Damn near did." She could practically hear the sad grin when he spoke again. "Thank the Maker you gave me that lyrium. It saved my life."

She could be grateful for that. Oh yes. Just hearing his voice when she awoke had done wonders to soothe her frayed nerves. "Where's Ed?"

"Outside," Aedan answered. "The shack was abandoned, but...there's only one bed, and you stood a better chance at surviving your wounds than he did." Her heart dropped. Edmund was...he was dying? Oh Maker. She couldn't imagine what Aedan had gone through, running back and forth to care for the both of them despite his own injuries. But if Ed was worse off than she was... He probably didn't have a lot of time left, and Leliana couldn't leave it at that, no words said. It was terrifying to be alone when you thought you were going to die. Leliana knew that fear well.

"Help me up," she croaked.

"Leliana..."

"Now, Aedan."

He sighed. "It'll only agitate your wounds." But he didn't argue any further; he simply looped an arm around her torso, carefully pulling her up onto her knees, and then helping her into a sitting position. It was only then did she realize she was shirtless, covered entirely in bandages. She went to move her left arm, but it felt dried and caked, and something gave. It hurt. Something leaked from her wounded flesh and ran down her back, but it was stopped at her spine by the linen.

"Who..." Her throat felt unnaturally dry.

Aedan, however, seemed to understand regardless. "I dressed your wounds. Most of your armor was shot. I, uh..." She couldn't see his face, but she was positive he was blushing. She could feel heat in her own cheeks as well.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Small trace of a smile.

When her eyes finally came into focus, she could see calling this place a shack was gracious. There was barely any room for the two of them, let alone a third. While she hated it, Leliana understood Aedan leaving Edmund outside. She just hoped he'd spent more time on him than her, though she knew the answer to that without having to ask.

"Are you ready?" Leliana gave a terse nod and Aedan took her hands in his, pulling her onto her feet a moment later. She collapsed against his chest with a yelp of pain, tears springing unbidden to her eyes, and felt his arms go around her waist all in the same instant. He was careful not to touch her upper back, but instead holding her upright gingerly, like he feared she'd break if he put even a minute amount of pressure on her.

She looked up at him. Bandage around his forehead and covering an eye. An entire strip of linen running up his hand and past his elbow. She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw the hint of one peeking up from under his shirt collar. The lighting was too dim, probably late at night.

Then she felt him moving against her, pulling off the shirt she was leaning on to pull it over her head. "I haven't been able to get back into the city to find some clothes, but you shouldn't be walking outside like...er...like that."

Her suspicions were confirmed; beneath her hands was even more linen, covering most of his chest. It must've been difficult to dress his own wounds. And he claimed to have gotten the best of it.

"Are you...?"

"It's just a few scratches," he assured her. Aedan cleared his throat before she could pry, slinging his arm around her waist for support. Then he began the walk to one of the doors, presumably the one leading out back. Leliana couldn't imagine him leaving Ed out front. At least in the back Aedan would be able to deal with Ed's wounds privately.

He shouldered them through the door before nudging it shut. On her right was a small lean-to, clearly fashioned and thrown together recently, and within a matter of minutes. A piece of cloth was pulled taut over the ramshackle roof, and as soon as Leliana's foot hit the ground, she understood why. Mud. It had been raining. The cloth had been a weak attempt to keep some of the moisture off the injured man that dwelled within.

"I'll be just inside," Aedan assured her. "Do you need my help, or...?"

Leliana shook her head. "I'll be fine, thank you."

Aedan gave her a rueful smile before retreating. Her arm instinctively flew across her ribs as a lance of fiery pain shot through her abdomen. The shirt Aedan had stuck on her was far too big and scratchy, and didn't help the sensation spreading across her torso. It was like any small amount of touch would burn, and she loathed that sort of thing. It would always come out of nowhere to attack her, but she supposed there was a cause now.

"Ed?"

"Over here." His voice sounded drier than dust, drier than her own. Regardless, Leliana followed the sound, and stooped a bit to find him. When she saw his condition...she choked on her next breath.

Edmund was propped up against the wall, arm slung over his ribs in a fashion similar to her own. His forehead was covered by a bandage, and one of his eyes was swelled shut, covered in small cuts and a bruise as big as her fist. There was a hastily applied bandage and salve on the side of his neck, and while the rest of him was covered by a thin blanket probably looted from the rest of the shack, Leliana's imagination could fill in the blanks for her. The exposed arm was covered in a burn; it extended past his shoulder and went across his chest, though how far was unknown to her.

"Maker's breath."

The man cracked a smile and let out a dry, humorless laugh. "It's not as bad as it looks, I swear." She didn't know how he managed to string together such a flawless sentence.

"Ed...I don't know what to say."

A sigh escaped him. It sounded more like a death rattle, the all too familiar sound of someone she was close to dying. This couldn't be happening. Not again. "By all things holy, don't do what your templar did and tell me I'll be fine. We both know I'm not going to make it."

Leliana's eyes widened and she did a double take. "What makes you say that?"

"Look at me!" he exclaimed. The effort of that outburst alone caused him to cough up a wad of blood and spit. "I'm amazed I've stuck it out this long. I had to. Had to...had to tell you."

She looked around, though unsure for what, and crept a bit closer to him. "Tell me what?"

A look of regret and sadness passed over him, and Leliana got the feeling she wasn't going to like what she heard. "I...Kent... I'm so sorry, Leliana. It's my fault. He..." The man choked on a sob and several tears rolled down his cheeks, splashing off the blanket. "I helped him draw the others away. Armand...oh Maker, I'm sorry. I helped Kent kill him. I was going to hell him kill Leon, but..."

She reeled. How did she know she wasn't going to like that confession?

"They're dead because of me," Ed said. Another cry escaped him, but no matter how much Leliana wanted to hate him in that moment, no matter how much she wanted to blame him for Armand's death, she couldn't. "I realized too late what Kent was doing. By the time I had...Leon had already decided it was time to come looking for you and Jasper. Kent was going to kill all of you." He started shaking, body racking in time with his sobs, and Leliana found her hand going out to his shoulder, the one she hoped was uninjured. He didn't wince, so she assumed she chose correctly.

"Ed, it's all right."

"No," he said defiantly. "No, it's not. Everyone's dead. Leon's going to... The Runner's going to do something worse than kill him. I tried, I tried so many times to tell him we should go back to Liam and recommend an Exalted March..." Edmund shook his head and, mustering whatever strength he had left, locked a hand around Leliana's elbow. "You have to go back. Ferelden's lost. There's nothing you can do."

He coughed and shuttered a few times, eyes drooping shut, but Leliana gripped his other shoulder. "Ed? Ed! Ed, come on! Please!" She could feel the panic rising in her chest again.

"I've seen the mages," he breathed. His voice sounded hoarse, and each breath was accompanied by that terrifying wheeze. He wasn't going to last much longer. "I'm not...not sure even a March would be enough..." His eyes glazed over, staring off. "Go back to Orlais. Please. Don't stay here to die." They flicked back over to catch hers. A rueful look passed over him and his grasp on her arm tightened just a bit. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Leliana. For everything. I cost our friends their lives..."

"You couldn't have known."

"Still my fault." His voice was barely a whisper. Each breath was labored. "Should've...should've done something..." His grip loosened. "You can't let them win."

"I won't, Ed. I promise. Just stay with me!"

Such a small, almost nonexistent smile. "You know...you're not as bad as you try to be." Before she could reply, he said, "I'm so sorry." The sentence fell from his lips like a chant, weakening in fervor and strength until he fell silent.

Edmund's hand fell to his side. Blood-splattered. Burned. Gone.

And Leliana felt tears rolling down her cheeks.

It was high time Aedan got around to getting back into Amaranthine, but when he snuck out to check, the portcullis was still down, and archers were still standing watch above the gate. Whatever had happened when Leliana met the Runner must've been devastating enough that Howe didn't want anyone inside of his city. He'd probably ask her when she came back inside.

But a pride demon? His mind was still reeling. He could scarcely believe his eyes when he saw the elf, one of the Alienage kids he and Marcus had brought in years ago, transform into the demon without a second thought. And, according to Edmund's retelling, he went right back to his elfy self not long after knocking Aedan unconscious.

Aedan could handle pride demons. What he couldn't handle was the going back and forth thing. Was that even possible? He'd never seen it before. It was...unnatural to even speak of.

He busied himself with removing the bandage around his eye. The wound wasn't too debilitating, but it was placed so awkwardly that it was hard to care for. Most of his time, when not caring for Leliana or Edmund, was spent treating the gash that crossed his eye. How he managed to escape that hit without any serious damage to his vision was beyond him, but if the Maker was going to grace him with that, then he wouldn't question it.

Having run out of clean linen the previous day, Aedan was forced to set aside the strip he removed. His fingers gingerly proded the gash parallel to his nose, wincing when he touched a particularly sensitive spot. He didn't quite remember how he'd even got the injury in the first place, but it would definitely scar, and it would definitely hurt for days to come. What little he could remember of the fight included him being backhanded by the Runner into a hovel similar to the one they were squatting in now. From the best he could tell, the ridges and spines running up the demon's arm was the cause of the gash. After that, it got too fuzzy and gave him headaches trying to think.

Aedan fished around in his belongings for the pain-killing salve. It was, naturally, buried in the bottom of his satchel, and took forever for him to locate. Very little was left, as he and Leliana had used it during their forays underground, and he'd smeared it on her minor wounds the day before. Edmund had refused any of it, saying it was pointless to waste on a dead man, and was oddly content to remain outside.

Had it not been so valuable, Aedan might have used it on Leliana's burns, or on his own. Well...he did try it on his burn. Just in case, just so he'd know if it was safe. When it made his burn flare up, he decided that would probably be best for minor cuts and scrapes.

As he ran his finger across the substance, he grumbled, "Fucking pride demons. Damn them all to the void." He snapped the lid back on before carefully applying the salve to his face. It stung, but just as quickly as the sting came, it was replaced by a numbing effect, and he was grateful. If only he didn't have to leave it covered...

A groan of annoyance escaped Aedan's throat as he waited for the salve to dry. Never in his entire life had he felt so useless and weak than when he woke up with a half-dead Seeker recruit pulling him to safety. Aedan didn't know Edmund, but the man had put a lot of his energy into getting him out of the street. It spoke volumes of him, of his personality, and he wondered why Leliana or Jasper could've thought he betrayed them.

Then he remembered thinking the same about Leon, the man who leapt to his side to kill another he called friend, and Aedan decided it was a matter of perspective. He imagined Leliana and Jasper both would do something similar. Keep the ally alive, kill the enemy. Basic survival skills.

The sound of the back door opening caused his head to snap up. Leliana staggered inside a moment later, looking to be in the exact condition he expected. He didn't know what exactly happened to her, but from the burns on her torso, he suspected the Runner's lightning bolt had connected at one point. Evidently, it hadn't hit her straight on, or she'd be dead, but a glancing blow was probable.

"Edmund is dead." Her voice sounded empty, hollow.

"I—"

"Don't tell me you're sorry," she snapped. "I'm just as sorry as you are. He might've been a little dramatic, but he was the best of us."

"Are you all right?"

She didn't reply. Instead, she opted to sit next to him on the pathetic excuse for a bed that had been left behind. "They got to him, too." Aedan had a pretty good idea of what she was talking about and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, refraining from giving it a squeeze even though he was tempted to. "How many of us will fall victim to this?" He didn't answer, deciding she wouldn't want his dry humor at the moment.

"He saved us both," Aedan said. "That's got to count for something."

"Oh, I suppose it does," Leliana replied. "After all, he claimed to have seen the error in his ways, though I suspect it was said to make me pity him. Kent was never that insane, and we know they bind their templars to the Runner."

"You think he was bound?"

"That, or Kent was just his puppet as well, and Edmund was the leak to begin with. Not vice versa like he was telling me."

Aedan frowned. "Or you just didn't know Kent as well as you thought."

She stiffened under his hand and he pulled away. "How—"

"You're not perfect, Leliana. Your assessments of people won't always be flawless, and you won't always be able to know what they're going to do. It's entirely plausible they kept Kent and Edmund loose so they'd function better. It's entirely possible that Kent was always a psychopath and kept it hidden from the rest of you."

She sighed. "You're right, you know. I should stop expecting the best or worst out of everyone."

"You'd be a lot happier if you did," Aedan agreed. "Nothing is plain and simple, and you know that. There's always going to be a middle ground."

Surprisingly, she laughed. "Yes, now stop rubbing it in. I know you're right and I'm wrong."

Aedan blinked, but slowly allowed a grin to creep over his features. It tugged at his wound, not that he cared; it felt good to smile. "Can't handle it, Leli?"

She scoffed. "You wish." Before he could continue, Leliana turned his head towards her, and began inspecting the gash for herself. It became apparent that she didn't want to joke around after what just happened, but neither did she want to outright discuss it. Instead, she wanted to fuss over his injuries. "Can you see well?"

"I can see perfectly fine," Aedan said matter-of-factly.

The ghost of a smile tugged at her lips and his mind drifted back to their kiss two days ago. He almost debated about kissing her now, but decided against it. It was hardly appropriate, given their current situation.

"That's good," she said, "but it'll leave a nasty scar."

"Not like I don't already have plenty of those," Aedan retorted.

"Quit your whining." It was a half-hearted order, one that brought a smile to Aedan's face. It was familiar. She said it to him several times over the course of the last two months, typically as a joke and a way to let some of the tension fade. And like always, it worked wonders to diffuse the situation. Perhaps he'd been wrong in his previous assessment.

Leliana reached past him for the linen and frowned slightly. "This isn't clean."

"Well..." Aedan shrugged sheepishly. "You needed it more than I do."

Another sigh, but under a much different tone. Disbelief, maybe? He couldn't tell. Her expression was guarded, but he thought he saw a flash of vulnerability. Whatever it was, it was gone as quickly as it had come.

She scooted closer and sat up as straight as her own injuries would allow, and then, without warning, started wrapping the bandage around his head. He grunted in surprise, but allowed her to, holding his eye shut while she worked.

Hesitantly, he asked, "So...what did happen with the Runner?"

Leliana froze for a moment, but resumed almost just as fast. "I'd gone up to the ramparts."

"You did?"

"The guards didn't lock the door very well," she supplied. "It didn't take much work to get there, and since I could get in without any effort, I assumed anyone with a pick could get up there as well. I assumed correctly."

"He was up there." It wasn't a question; it was fact.

"Yes," she said. She tugged on his shoulder to pull him closer, make it easier to wrap the bandage. "He was supposed to meet Kent from what I understand. We just interrupted their...transaction."

"Transaction?"

"Kent was going to hand over Leon in exchange for a position of power when they succeed in bringing the Chantry down."

He didn't like the way she said that. "I still don't understand how they plan to do that."

"Simple," Leliana said. "Cause enough havoc and kill enough people, and the masses will blame the Chantry for not controlling their mages. Then they send in their 'purified' templars and make it look convincing, and the people will remove the Chantry for them."

"Keep it stupid simple," Aedan surmised.

"Exactly."

He sat back when she was finished. It was strange looking at her with his right eye only. "So the Runner?"

"There's not really much to tell," Leliana admitted. "He transformed into the demon. I ran, he leapt down after me. Kept running. Found the three of you, and here we are." She hesitated for a moment, and Aedan held his tongue to see what she had to say. "You killed him, then? Kent?"

"More or less. It was Leon in the end. I got distracted."

"I see." After a long pause, she added, "I suppose it's fitting one of us would kill the bastard."

Aedan smiled ruefully. "I agree."

A comfortable silence lapsed over them and Aedan elected it was time for him to get some rest. Leliana was safe, or as safe as she could get, and there was a good chance she'd recover now that she was up and moving around.

He got up and stretched, yawning. "I'm going to get some sleep. I'll—"

He was stopped by a hand catching his, pulling him back towards the bed. When he looked down at her, he caught a glimpse of that vulnerability again, and the sad smile returned. "Stay, please."

"Afraid you'll miss me?" he teased.

Leliana actually looked embarrassed. "N-no! It's just...I'm wearing your shirt and you shouldn't get sick."

Aedan's smile turned into a smirk. "Uh-huh. That's exactly it."

But without argument, he sat back down and rolled onto his side, giving her the space to join him before throwing the blanket over them both. She rolled against his chest and was asleep within seconds, and Aedan couldn't help the stupid grin that overtook his features. Just as he drifted off, he silently thanked the Maker for the woman in his arms.