Hello there! If there are typos in this chapter, I'm sorry. I was in a bit of a hurry and, well, I don't use a beta! You're subjected to my own (sometimes terrible) editing. I hope you like this installment!

Thank you to all of you, wonderful people you, who comment and share your thoughts with me. You make me smile, you let me forget about the troubles of life for a while, and I love sharing this adventure alongside of all of you.

The song for this chapter is The Equalizer, which I think I'd make the Normandy fighters' theme song. Because it's bad ass. Imagining Shepard, Garrus, Vega, and Kaidan taking out darkspawn in slow motion to this song? Oh yes, please.

There was a chill in the air made sharper by the absence of Alistair's warmth against me. We had traveled for several hours more, passing carts loaded down with belongings and mothers carrying crying children away from the only homes they'd ever known. Even this late, the road was choked with life, families eager to put distance between themselves and the real darkness that approached. We had finally happened upon a clearing shielded from the wind and away from the main bustle, and we quickly claimed it as our own by securing our horse to the nearest pine. As Alistair removed the saddle from the mare and gave her a quick rubdown, I examined the still smoking logs surrounded by heavy stones in the middle of the makeshift campsite. The last to use it left not long ago, and the wood was still wet from extinguishing the fire. As Alistair left to gather dry branches, I took the opportunity to call my crew. Scrolling through the HUD to James Vega's contact, I swiped a finger through the air to initiate a connection. After a pause, the display changed from orange to green.

"Hey, Lola. How are things?"

Vega's voice instantly brought a smile to my lips. "Hello, James. The usual. Almost got killed a couple of times, but I can't complain."

"Damn, Shepard. You're always where the action is. The only things killing me are my feet."

I let out a laugh. "Leave to you to find something to complain about. I'll pray for some darkspawn to head your way. In the meantime, how are you doing? How are Kaidan and Anderson holding up?"

Vega's tone was suddenly soft. "Not to get all serious on you, but Anderson's been really uptight. It's weird. I wish you were here. You have a knack for getting sticks out of people's asses."

I furrowed my brow as I remembered the admiral's strange sense of urgency before leaving Flemeth's hut. "Has he given you any clues?"

"Not to me. He just keeps saying, 'we need to get back to the Normandy asap' like we don't know it already."

Alistair returned with his arms full of tree limbs. Lending a hand, I cleared away the soaked logs to make room for him to work. "Is Kaidan around?"

"Sure, hang on. Yo, Major! Your girlfr…" Vega cleared his throat as I pictured him on the receiving end of an annoyed glare. "Commander Shepard's on line one for you."

After hearing leaves crunching underfoot and some muted shuffling, I was greeted by the sound I most longed to hear. "Shepard." His voice made my chest swell. It was one simple word, but the way he said it, so full of love, relief, and longing all at once…it was a fresh reminder of how much I missed him.

"Kaidan," I echoed, wanting nothing more than to be with him at that moment. "How are you?"

"Wait a minute, let me find a spot where we can talk." After a few moments of silence, his voice filled my senses once more. "Honestly, I wish you were with us. Something doesn't feel right, but I can't figure it out. This whole place just seems off."

I let out a sigh. "Trust me, I know what you mean. On all counts. But no brawls today, I hear?"

"No, nothing. Not even a damn fox, snake, anything. This whole forest is deserted. But what about you? Are you and Alistair getting along?"

I nodded despite the fact that Kaidan couldn't see it, watching Alistair dig in his pack to pull out a small, silver tin and toss it beside the branches he had gathered. Taking a line of hemp rope that was strapped to a saddle bag, he started unwinding it with his fingers and teeth. I was so fascinated by what he was doing that I hadn't spoken in several seconds.

"Shepard? You there?"

I snapped back to attention as Alistair's eyes met mine with the unfurled rope connecting his mouth to his hands. He smiled awkwardly.

"Yes! Right. Here. Fine. Getting along fine. And still on schedule." I squeezed my eyes shut to clear my mind as I felt exhaustion begin to overtake me. "We stopped at a small town on the way and found out the arl of Redcliff is sick with some incurable disease. I'm hoping my omnitool…your…omnitool might give us some clues." With the rope now thoroughly destroyed, Alistair made a circle with the remains and nestled it in the kindling he had laid upon the dry twigs. I continued to watch him with interest. "Oh, and one more thing. There's a ransom on our heads. Left the best part for last."

Kaidan's voice went from unease to concern. "Care to expound on that for me?"

Carefully taking a flint stone from the metal tin, Alistair gripped a steel striker in his left hand while colliding the stone into it with his right. The result was a creation of sparks, appearing and disappearing like miniature supernovas in contrast to the surrounding darkness of night. I leaned forward to watch him work, which I could tell was making him immensely self-conscious. "Loghain, the guy who was supposed to lead the reinforcements? He's blaming us for the massacre. He says we killed the king." Suddenly, the hemp caught one of the flashes of light and Alistair immediately bent down as if bowing to a fire god, blowing steadily to allow the spark to turn to flame.

"Great, because we didn't have enough to deal with already." Kaidan's heavy sigh shot through me. "Shepard, I know this goes without saying, but watch yourself. You know I couldn't bear it if something happened to you."

My heart melted at the care lining his words. "Same goes for you. I love you."

"I love you, too, and I can't wait to see you. Don't forget your promise. Straight home, right?"

I smiled, now sitting in front of a full-fledged fire. I gave Alistair a nod of admiration for his work. "You got it. I'll talk with you tomorrow. Good night, Kaidan."

"Good night, Shepard."

Taking a ragged breath, Kaidan reluctantly closed the connection. He hated not having the ability to track her vital signs. It meant he would have a perpetual pit in his stomach until the moment he saw her again. But if he was honest with himself, that wasn't the only thing bothering him. Kaidan wasn't an idiot; he saw the way Alistair looked at her. But for better or for worse, it was that lovesick puppy that Kaidan was relying on to keep Shepard safe, and he was banking on the man's infatuation to overcome his fear if a life or death moment ever presented itself. That was his only consolation for allowing her to spend her days, and nights, alone with the Grey Warden, although it didn't stop him from fiercely coveting every moment Alistair had with her that he didn't.

Returning to the camp Morrigan had chosen for them, Kaidan surveyed his surroundings once again. The fire's glow extended to the edges of the small glade, making the wood beyond seem even more dark and foreboding. He had insisted that they find a better-hidden place to lay their heads, but Theresa assured him that she would know immediately if there were darkspawn nearby. After seeing the weariness in everyone's eyes, he had reluctantly acquiesced.

Stars shined like pinpricks in the black velvet sky, and still unfamiliar twin moons hovered close overhead. Vega and Theresa were huddled over a pile of leaves on the far side of the fire, the elf no doubt giving the lieutenant another lesson in her tracking skills. More puzzling to Kaidan, however, were Morrigan and Anderson's hushed conversation a few paces from the rest. The admiral had spent several days in Flemeth's keeping, and there was no telling what his experience must have been like. The notion of Flemeth somehow bewitching Anderson into duplicity nagged at the edges of Kaidan's mind. No longer willing to let the air hang full of tension, he decided to confront the pair.

Instead of abruptly ending their discussion, Kaidan was surprised to find the admiral motioning him over, his face etched with consternation. Taking a seat in front of them, the major shifted uncomfortably in the dead grass as he rested his elbows on his knees. "What is it, Admiral?"

Glancing at Morrigan, the lines in his superior's face deepened. "Nothing for sure. But take a look at this." Held between his finger and thumb was a ring with a jet black band that glinted in the firelight, a perfect counter to the one hanging around Kaidan's neck. Anderson handed it to him for further inspection. "Flemeth gave this to Morrigan before we left. That woman isn't a fool; she wanted us to see it. I'm willing to bet that's tungsten carbide. It's a man-made metal alloy used in some of our most advanced weapons." Kaidan held the band up to his eye to gaze through the large circle as Anderson finished his thought. "If that alloy is here, that means there has to be tech here, too. Where there's tech, there may be a way to contact Earth. We just need to find it."

Morrigan's golden eyes stared intently at the object as Kaidan returned it to her outstretched hand. "Tis nothing I recognize. Today is the first I have seen of it. But my mother is very old and has traveled much. Who is to say where she may have found it?"

Where there's tech, there may be a way to contact Earth. It was a sliver of a lead to be sure, but they had done more with less before. "Why the secrecy? If she wanted us to see it, why not just tell us about it?"

Morrigan's eyebrow quirked upward. "My mother is nothing if not mysterious. She does only what serves her purposes, nothing more. If she did not share her knowledge of the ring, it was because it did not suit her."

Kaidan nearly jumped at the feeling of a hand on his shoulder. Turning to look behind him revealed Theresa with her bow and quiver in hand. "Darkspawn. I just started to feel them. Not many, but they're heading this way from the south."

Digging his fingers into his temples and running them along his scalp in a crude attempt to chase away the beginnings of a migraine, he fought back the weariness in his limbs. He couldn't remember the last time he'd properly slept. No, that was a lie. He could remember exactly. It was the last night he was next to Shepard.

"Okay, everyone," Kaidan said in a low tone, "You know what that means. No sleep just yet. Get ready to fight."

Vega grunted as he stood to his feet. "Damn it, Shepard, I was joking." Kaidan looked at him quizzically, but the lieutenant only smirked. "Nothing. Let's do this."

As if he were a puppeteer trying to move his own strings, Kaidan stood to his feet and shook away the dizziness that had sent a fog rolling through his brain. Checking his assault rifle, he grimaced to see only one full magazine remaining and several nights left between them and their ship. If they were going to make it to the Normandy, he couldn't waste any shots. Anderson was armed with a pistol, Vega with a shot gun, Theresa with her bow, and Morrigan with her strange, glowing staff. That would have to do.

Standing his ground against the thick blackness of the forest beyond, he could hear grunts cutting through the silence. He motioned to the others to form positions behind him while he crouched his way to the far side of the camp. As he shoved his assault rifle tightly against his right shoulder and peered into his sights, he braced himself for the inevitable confrontation, once again, with the horrors that stalked this world.

He could see five creatures moving toward him in the night vision scope, bright white against the crosshairs and still twenty yards away. They trudged ever closer, undoubtedly drawn by the light of the fire. Holding up five fingers over his head for all to see, he regripped the rifle and readied his shot. He couldn't afford to miss. Squeezing the trigger lightly, he waited for the right moment.

Ten yards. They were within range. Nodding to the others to open fire, Kaidan completed his trigger pull, felling the farthest darkspawn with a clean shot through its eye socket. Theresa fired two arrows at once, her aim so deadly that they both hit their exact mark even in the darkness of night, their tips buried deep into a hurlock's throat directly above its chest-plate.

The three that remained scattered as Morrigan's strikes of lightning crackled through the trees and momentarily lit up the forest as though it were midday. Kaidan prayed that wouldn't attract even more unwanted attention. As he concentrated on lining up another shot, he saw a huge beast streak across his vision. Where the hell did that come from?

At first, he intended to make it his new target. But to his astonishment, the animal leaped on the nearest darkspawn and, with a mighty crush of its powerful jaws, cleaved its right arm from its body. Its claws found purchase in its foe's chest as it mauled the darkspawn's face. Taking stock of the two that were left, Vega had shot a hole clean through one, and Morrigan had managed to cook another with fire that consumed it from the inside out. With the strange beast now finished with its gruesome task, it sprinted toward them, ready to attack.

Vega stood defensively in front of Theresa with his weapon at the ready. Apparently, he had seen it too. Kaidan didn't have time to think, only react. He took aim, found his target in the crosshairs, and fired.

The animal let out a yelp of pain and somersaulted through the dead leaves, coming to a halt at Vega's feet. Despite taking a bullet to the chest, it still struggled in a weak attempt to stand. Its small ears were drooped, its tongue lolling out of its mouth as it panted from exertion. If he didn't know better, he'd say for all the world that it looked like a huge dog.

Vega drew his omniblade, intent on putting the hound out of its misery. Before he could deal the final blow, however, Theresa held his arm back with a cry. "Stop!"

Shoving Vega out of her way with more force than Kaidan thought her capable of, Theresa dropped to her knees and stroked the dog's muzzle gently. "Oh, you poor thing. How did you survive out here all by yourself?"

As Morrigan and Anderson joined them to see the cause of the commotion for themselves, Vega squatted next to the elf. "What is this thing?"

Theresa looked to Morrigan, her eyes pleading even more than her voice. "Can you heal him?"

Kneeling down to inspect the wound, Morrigan's expression was grave. "A mabari hound. Yes, but can you be sure he will not do to us what he did to the darkspawn?"

The elf nodded. "I'm sure. I cared for this one myself at Ostegar."

To Kaidan's surprise, Morrigan next turned to him. "Is this what you wish?"

Was she honestly asking his permission? He took a moment to consider his options. The last thing they needed was a stray to add to the group. On the other hand, he couldn't bear to let the hound die from the wound he himself had inflicted. Rubbing the back of his neck, he nodded. "Go ahead."

With the tip of her staff, Morrigan used her hands to transfer energy to the dying dog. Watching her work made Kaidan shiver at the memory of her hands on his bare chest and her touch soothing the pain of his bruising. He shoved the remembrance down forcibly before more heat could travel to his cheeks.

After several moments, the animal successfully stood to its feet and was welcomed by Theresa's warm embrace as it licked her face in return. "Thank you, Morrigan."

The mage rose swiftly and took a pace back. "Do not thank me. Twas the practical thing to do. If he was trained to fight darkspawn, he will make a strong addition to our party."

Anderson gave Vega a hearty clap on the back. "Alright, hopefully that's enough excitement for tonight." The admiral eyed their new companion warily as the dog scratched an itch behind its ear. "I'll take first watch. Everyone else, try to get some sleep."

Sleep. Why couldn't I sleep? The salted meat and sharp cheese were sitting like a lump in my stomach, and the flask of watered down ale wasn't doing me any favors either.

Alistair had insisted on taking first watch. Not being one to dare deny his chivalry, I conceded. As I watched the fire transform from flames into flickering embers, I willed my exhausted body to let go of its stubborn grip on wakefulness. Finally, I gave up altogether.

"Alistair, I can't sleep. You might as well let me take a shift."

He was seated only a few feet from me, but he didn't respond. Concerned, I propped myself on an elbow and spoke more loudly. "Alistair? You okay?"

Clearing his throat and rubbing his face vigorously, he sniffed. "Yes, I'm fine. I will be, anyway. I'm sorry you can't sleep."

I gathered my blanket and stretched, then came to sit beside him. "I hope you have better luck than I did." Tilting my head to the side, I leaned forward to look at his face. Even in the dim light of the dying fire, I could see that his eyes were red rimmed and his cheeks flushed. I was suddenly hit by how much he had suffered with the revelation of Loghain's betrayal, and I squeezed his shoulder firmly in support. The gesture sent fresh tears cascading down his features and he grit his teeth, his jaw muscles tightening. "I can't stop picturing them all waiting for reinforcements that never came. It's his fault they're dead. I need to know why…why would he do this?"

I shook my head. "There's no justification for what he's done. But he'll pay for them all, I promise." Lifting my hand to wipe his tears away with the back of my fingers, I added, "I don't mean to sound callous, but you need to learn to control the pain. Don't let it control you, or you'll lose yourself to it. Take that horrible feeling in your gut and turn it outward. When the time comes, you'll be ready to face him, and he won't stand a chance."

Swallowing hard, Alistair nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, Shepard. I'm sorry. You really haven't seen me at my finest lately."

I smiled warmly. "On the contrary. I've seen how much you care about your friends, and I'm glad to count myself among them." Changing to a more commanding tone, I shoved him gruffly, tipping him over. "Now get some sleep. That's an order."

Yawning, he slowly stood to his feet and stretched before walking back to his bedroll near the fire. "Not a full day in command and she's already bossy."

"I heard that," I called back with a smirk.

Samantha Traynor had done nothing but eat, sleep, and breathe the Normandy since they had crashed several days ago. Apart from EDI herself, no one knew the comm systems better than Sam, and seeing that their number one priority was to contact Earth, well, she didn't have the luxury of much downtime.

That was, until tonight. She had spent so much time in the bowels of the ship that her nights and days had flipped. While most of the crew slept, she was wide awake sitting with her back to the wall and staring at the red "Object out of range. QEC sync failed." error lines until her eyes crossed. Letting out a frustrated grunt, she rolled her neck and stretched her shoulders. She needed a break.

"EDI, could you run another diagnostic scan? I can't figure out why the link-ups aren't working."

The AI's voice filled the command center. "Certainly, Sam. The scan will be complete in 2 hours, 36 minutes."

Setting the data pad on the large desk beside her, she stood and shook out her legs. "Thanks. I'm going for a walk."

After a quick raid of the kitchens, she exited the ship with nothing but a protein bar in hand. As she munched her meager rations, she shivered against the cold and regretted not grabbing a jacket. The forest was quiet except for the shrill chirp of crickets, its wildlife tucked away in burrows or snuggled in nests. Stepping off of the deck into the soft grass, she made her way to the lake's edge and laid flat on her back to count the stars and admire the planet's twin moons. It was nothing like the skies of Earth or Horizon where she had grown up, and she hadn't had time to fully appreciate the novelty of their location like the rest of the crew.

She forced herself to clear her mind, breathing in the smell of nature and concentrating on the feeling of the cold ground pressed against her back. Just as her meditation began to have the desired effect, a noise from behind startled her back to reality.

"Hello. I haven't seen you before."

Bolting upright, Sam nearly choked on a half-chewed peanut. Standing a few feet from her was a woman, an elf to be exact, with golden hair pulled back behind her ears and green eyes full of curiosity.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I'm Lanaya, part of the Dalish clan. I've spoken with some of your other friends before." She bowed slightly as Samantha quickly stood to her feet.

Wiping her hands on her pants, she returned the gesture with a wave. "Hi there. I'm Samantha. I've been busy working on getting our ship out of your way, so I haven't made it outside much."

The elf rung her fingers anxiously. "I know. I sneak away to this place sometimes, to get away from the clan. They're too protective of me. If Zathrian found out I was here right now…"

Before she could continue, deep growls pierced through the air, yellow eyes glowing at the outskirts of the clearing. An ambush. Lanaya gasped while Sam cursed under her breath; she hadn't brought her omnitool, a pistol, nothing she could use to defend herself. Idiot!

The elf's eyes darted back and forth, looking for an escape. "What are werewolves doing this close to sacred ground? I thought they were unable to tread here!"

Sam's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "Did you say…werewolves?"

As Lanaya drew her staff and held it before her, dark creatures began to emerge from the obscurity of the wood. Sam couldn't believe her eyes; stalking toward her were huge beasts covered in fur, their snouts dripping and lips curled back to reveal razors for teeth. Walking upright, they began to circle around them, cutting off any hope at making a run for the ship. To her shock, they spoke.

"Should we take them both?"

"Why not? Swiftrunner only asked for the Keeper's first, but surely two is better than one."

"Stay back, foul creatures!" Lanaya cried as she unleashed a bolt of lightning from her staff, hitting one of the monsters squarely in the chest. Before Sam had a chance to react, Lanaya had her by the arm and was dragging her toward the forest as fast as her legs would carry her.

Branches cut at her face and whipped her arms as they sprinted for their lives. Sam's heart was pounding out of her chest, her adrenaline spiking as she gasped for more air. It was all she could do to keep up with the elf, and the howls of rage behind her were strong motivation to continue despite the ache shooting through her legs.

Suddenly, her foot caught on a root and she felt herself falling forward. Arms outstretched, she slammed hard into the dirt, the wind knocked from her lungs. Lanaya immediately turned around and grasped her hands in an attempt to help her up, but it was too late. The werewolves had caught up to them now, and they were being grabbed with gruff paws. As Sam kicked and screamed with all of the strength she had left, she was stunned with a hard backhand across the face.

"Silence, human! Or we will quiet you with a quick death."

Sam heard an inhuman cackle that made her hairs stand on end. "Swiftrunner will be pleased. Now Zathrian has no choice but to come to us, or he will see his precious First suffer the same fate as his family."

With her wrists and ankles held fast as she was carried between a pair of the animals, she craned her neck to see Lanaya slung over another's shoulder, unconscious.

"And what of the human?"

She spat on her nearest captor. "You've made a huge mistake. When my people find me, you'll all be stuffed and mounted."

She was rewarded with a twist of her arms that nearly pulled her shoulder out of its socket, and she cried out in pain. "Where you're going, they will never find you. I promise you that." Struck on the temple so hard she saw stars, the white pinpoints of light in her vision rapidly faded to black.