So, here we are, at the 25th instalment of my story. It is amazing to see the reactions of everyone as I take you through my little spin on DA:O, but we have a long way to go. At this point I have no idea how long this is going to go on for, but I know one thing for sure: the games have just begun.

Special thanks to Kid-X, Melysande and Eve Hawke for your lovely reviews to the last chapter. As always, you guys are amazing.

Now, I forgot to mention this earlier in my story when I did it the first time, but a few of the scenes throughout Shattered Soul are inspired from various pieces of music. Arria's Rite of Mastery here is inspired by the song Aspiration by Future World Music. It is beautiful track and I hope you will listen to it so that you can gain a sense of where I am coming from. In case you are all wondering, head back to the fight with Uldred for the first music inspired sequence.

Disclaimer: I do not own DA:O or any of its characters. I do however own all of my own characters and my own little nation of Nileesa.

Chapter 24: The First Rite

Arria couldn't stop smiling as she saw the first sunshine of the new day peek through their tent. Ever since her confession the night before her heart had felt so much lighter than she had ever known it to be. She couldn't help but almost feel happier now than she had done before her home had been destroyed, for now she had someone to share her heart with entirely. It still hurt to think of all that she had lost, but it seemed at long last she had found a something that made all the suffering worthwhile. A contented sigh escaped her as she nestled deeper into Alistair's hold, her smile growing at the feeling of his warm skin. She felt comfortable with him not wearing a tunic to sleep now and the skin-on-skin contact helped to make her feel safer, though it was not as if his presence did not do that already. Running her fingers over his skin lightly, she made sure not to wake him by brushing over a more sensitive area as she kept her mind on the thoughts which kept her awake through much of the night.

Now that they were growing steadily closer, Arria couldn't help but think about how this was going to affect their relationship. While their interactions were fairly physical already, there had never been any sexual intentions to any of their touches. That episode in the forest had frightened her more than anything since they had met, but while it had chilled her blood at the time, it had served to show her something. Alistair did want her, though he respected her boundaries enough not to push. In the back of her mind she knew she was beginning to want him too, but the thoughts of taking things further made her feel sick and it was frustrating her to no end. She didn't want the months at Howe's hands to taint what she and Alistair now had but it seemed it was going to be the greatest hurdle they were going to have to overcome.

Thoughts of her months of captivity dimmed her happiness slightly as she realised there was still so much that he did not know. While all the scars he had seen were indeed from combat, there were some in much more…private places which he had not seen: wounds which while maybe not always inflicted by Howe himself, were always executed in his presence. He had always enjoy watching her suffer, but his biggest thrill seemed to be making her scream, and sometimes she had just enough willpower left not to cry out at his usual treatment. When that happened he sometimes would have his men beat her, cut her; once they had even whipped her, and it was those marks above all else she was worried about Alistair seeing. Back when she still regularly fought in retaliation she had once landed a lucky shot to Howe's crotch, and while it had given her great joy to see him squirm in pain, it had led to a day of agonising pain and humiliation. Her breasts and legs had been struck repeatedly with a whip: when it was over she couldn't even walk on her own and had been dragged back to her cell. The damage to her breasts was healed before the next treatment but her legs had been left to recover on their own, and as such it left her unable to resist. Knowing that to fight back again would lead to a repeat, or maybe even worse, she had then stopped. It was better not to retaliate, not if that was the cost.

As if he could sense her dark thoughts even in his sleep Alistair's grip on her tightened slightly and she grinned into his chest. Somehow he always knew and she giggled quietly at the feeling of being protected. Her hand shifted towards his left shoulder and she traced the outlines of his scars. The pair had gone to Wynne earlier, asking now that the curse was gone if she would be able to fix the rest of the damage but a few seconds into her attempt she had shaken her head. Alistair was going to live with the scars for the rest of his life, and while they may fade, they would serve as a permanent reminder of just how close he had come to dying. The memory of how it felt when she thought he was lost still caused a deep tear in her heart, but to feel his strong and steady heartbeat beneath her fingers now reminded her it hadn't happened. That had been another reason she had been reluctant to sleep: she feared a nightmare that made the near miss seem like reality. Sometimes they felt just too real.

Feeling like some fresh air, she placed a light kiss first to the scars and then to his lips as she used all her stealth skills to leave their tent without waking him. The Dalish camp was already active though some of the elves still slept as they began to go about their business for the day. Many of the elves smiled at her as she walked past and she bowed her head in gratitude, glad to feel relaxed about her identity in a larger group. Denerim would be a big test for her: it would mark the first time since revealing her identity that they had been among a human civilization for an extended period of time and while she was worried one of her companions might accidentally let something slip, she had faith that they would protect her identity. As she wandered down towards the lake where she had spent so much time last night, firstly with Zevran and later Alistair, she spied a female elf looking stricken over a herd of halla. Knowing the beasts somewhat, she approached to offer her services. "It there anything I can do to help?" she asked gently, seeing the growing panic in the other woman's eyes.

"Oh! I did not see you there, kiselle," she replied, not missing how Arria smiled at the term of respect. 'Kiselle' meant 'revered one' in the Nileesan tongue: it seemed Lanaya had been speaking highly of her after breaking the curse. "Actually, maybe you could help me. One of my halla has been frenzied for the past few days and I was worried she might have contracted the curse, but today it has changed and she seems reluctant to move or acknowledge me. If I get too close she has been warning me off, perhaps you would have more luck."

Arria nodded. "My Taming skills aren't great, but I'll see what I can do." The Nileesan woman approached and instantly saw the fearful yet protective glint in the halla's eyes, threatening the Warden not to get any closer. Arria whispered a few words as she got closer, kneeling before the creature and extending her hand to see if the creature would allow her to approach. Sensing that Arria was no threat, she relaxed slightly but kept her gaze fixed upon the young woman. The female elf watched from the side in amazement as the Warden managed to coax the halla onto her side to allow her to examine her. Arria pressed against her side gently and when she saw another halla huff in warning from off to the side, she caught on to what was going on. With a small smile she stood and left the pair as they curled up together. "She was worried about her mate since he was the one who was bitten, but now that he is safe she is using this time to relax in preparation. You should be ready for the arrival of another halla soon," informed Arria, smiling at how the elf's eyes lit in joy.

"She is expecting? This is marvellous news! Thank you, I feared she might be dying but to know she is about to bring a new life into this world…It is truly a gift."

Arria's eyes dimmed slightly. "Yes, yes it is." She nodded her farewell and wandered back to the camp, her heart aching at the loss she had still not yet come to terms with fully. Since it hit her on the way back from Ostagar they had not found much time to themselves between the destruction of Lothering and the events which had occurred here. When she had the chance she would cry until her heart finally felt like healing, but she suspected it might be months, maybe even years before it stopped hurting. Her thoughts lingered on the two beautiful children she had seen, the people that perhaps she and Alistair could have made together someday, and her heart grew heavier as her eyes met a group of elven children running about the camp. Of all the things stolen from her, this felt like the worst theft of all.

A probing set of eyes met her own and she gave a very half-hearted smile to the elder mage who sat amongst some of the elves in the heart of the camp. Wynne encouraged her to sit next to her and the younger woman accepted the invitation as a story was told to those sat around. She listened with interest as the tale of the Dalish when they lived as part of the Dales was told, of how they found a new home and were then forced out after an Exalted March was called on them, knowing the feeling of uncertainty well. The Chantry and the Nileesan people always had a fractious relationship and it had never been too far from anyone's minds that they might face the same fate as the Dalish. Hearing the events from the side of the victims was very different from everything else she had heard.

When it was over Arria pulled Wynne to the side and away from the group out of respect of their discussion. "Do you know where Carou is? I haven't seen him, and it isn't like him."

Wynne chuckled as she remembered the dog's antics earlier in the day. "When Zevran left to fetch the rest of our company as you requested, he surprised all of us by wanting to go with him."

That caused Arria to pull back in shock. "Carou went with Zevran?" She was completely shocked that her faithful Mabari would leave her side, but then she thought back on their time in the forest. Towards the end, he had stopped viewing Alistair as a threat and he left her protection to him. That was very unlike a Mabari, unless they were certain their owner was safe. She realised that he must still think that now: Arria would always be in safe hands with Alistair nearby. A tinyl smile escaped her and she suspected Carou knew long before the two Wardens did just how deep their connection went, and it gave her no small measure of reassurance.

Curiosity now satisfied, her blue eyes pierced into the older woman's ones. "Wynne, there is something I have to know. When you healed me back in the forest, how far gone was I?"

Wynne took her time in answering. "Had you been found by anyone else, you would have been beyond saving."

"So you did use the Spirit to bring me back. I had my suspicions, but I wasn't sure. I have to thank you, because you did that at great cost to yourself."

Wynne chuckled. "You need not thank me, my dear. I did all that I could."

Arria's eyes sharpened. "How much did it drain you?"

"Arria-"

"Please, Wynne."

The elder mage wanted to tell the young woman to leave it alone, but she knew that Arria would not, even if asked to. With a sigh of relent, she answered. "My time remaining on Thedas now numbers in days. I fear that Denerim will be the point at which I leave you all to greet the Maker."

Arria gasped and paled as the announcement settled. "Days?"

"Indeed. It seems that bringing you back from near death has hastened my own significantly." At the look of guilt in Arria's eyes Wynne placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "I would do the same again in a heartbeat, Arria. While I seriously misjudged you over much of our time together, I have come to see just how genuine you are, and how pivotal you are to the survival of Ferelden. I firmly believe that it will take the effort of not just you and Alistair individually, but the strength you give to each other to see an end to the Blight. I hope I have now redeemed myself in at least a small way."

"Wynne…" There was no way she was going to simply let the older woman die, not after everything she done to ensure not only her own survival, but Alistair's too over this past week. "There must be something I can do."

Wynne shook her head. "I do not expect you to do anything, Arria. This is my fate, and I embrace it willingly."

Arria grabbed Wynne's hand as she was about to pull away. "Wait a minute, I can do something. I am a Songstress, normally my abilities weaken but they can heal. I haven't learnt the Life Chorus yet, but I'm not trying to heal physical injuries. Maybe I can channel the energies of the Fade directly into the Spirit."

"Arria, I cannot allow you to do this."

"I don't care what you say Wynne, it is my choice to do this and I will not let you die after all you have done for us, not when I know I have not exhausted every option."

Wynne was about to argue further, but she saw the determination in the young woman's eyes. Something about the way she way staring at the older woman hard relayed that she would not take no for an answer, so Wynne choose to accept graciously instead. Arria smiled at her and pulled them to a slightly more isolated area of the camp. What she was about to do would not doubt alarm several others, and she wanted to protect Wynne's secret as best she could. While she was comfortable with Wynne being a Vessel, she knew the idea would be alarming to others. More than once when a Vessel had been discovered outside Nileesa they had been mistaken for an Abomination, leading to them being hunted down and killed. She did not want such a fate to befall her comrade.

Arria instructed Wynne to stand a few feet away from her and focus on the Spirit, bringing it closer to the surface. She did as she was asked and waited patiently as Arria began singing quietly, trying to not draw too much attention to them. What neither woman knew was that Alistair had emerged from the tent in search of Arria, and was now a silent observer from a distance as he listened to Arria sing. It was just as he remembered from before: beautiful yet haunting and he could almost feel a change in the air around them. A glyph appeared at her feet as it did the last time he bore witness and was surprised when he saw an identical one appear below Wynne as well. The symbols began to rise up and surround both of them as Arria's voice changed. It seemed to grow in power, but sounded quieter than it had before. When he saw a stream of what appeared to be light reveal itself from Arria's body and move through the air to connect with Wynne he gasped in shock, realising that she was passing energy from herself into the older woman.

The stream steadily grew brighter until finally it detached from Arria and was absorbed by Wynne. Arria's legs buckled slightly but Wynne caught her and helped the Warden steady herself as the aftereffects rippled through her. It took a few seconds for her to regain her balance completely, but when she did she faced Wynne. "How do you feel?" she asked wearily.

Wynne looked at her in wonderment. "Ten years younger. What did you do?"

"A weaker interpretation of the Life Chorus, passing energy of the Fade between us instead of life energy. I recharged the Spirit as best I could."

"My dear, I think you might have given me enough to last for many years to come. I never expected anything such as this, how can I repay you?"

"Wynne, you have saved my life several times over, but you have also saved Elissa, Alistair, Rod…I think it is about time that someone saved you." Wynne smiled through tears of gratitude and hugged the younger woman tightly. Arria responded to the gesture but pulled away after a short time, still not completely comfortable with such close proximity with everyone. The mage understood better than she gave her credit for and soon left the younger woman in peace, choosing to investigate a disturbance at the other end of the camp. As she got closer, her eyes widened and she muttered a few words of disbelief as she approached someone she had long thought dead.

Arria leant back against a tree and shut her eyes as she surrendered to the exhaustion making its way through her body. She was still vastly out of practice with her Songstress abilities and she knew she would have to focus both on them and her Spirita powers to improve them in the future if they were to be of any help, but today was for something entirely different. Nerves were beginning to build in her stomach at what it was she was about to face, but she knew it had to be done. Her current skills weren't enough: she was going to need the Master ability of the Dancer to be able to regain her former strength. The time she spent in captivity meant she was always going to have that seed of doubt inside of her that never existed back in Nileesa, and she had to break through that barrier somehow. Before Merlinne fell she was meant to take her Rite of Mastery, and she had doubts even back then; surprisingly though, her nerves this time were not about the Rite itself, but what should happen if it went wrong. There was a reason that Dancers and Artists were among the rarest Masters alive. Now, how to tell Alistair and still get him to agree to take part?

Feather lights hands on her arms caught Arria's attention and she opened her eyes slowly, smiling as Alistair appeared from behind the tree. He could see she was weary and just watched her with a gentle smile, not missing how she now seemed totally relaxed in his presence again. It was a great relief to see that things were not awkward between them despite what had happened. Arria let her eyes slip shut again as he caressed her cheek, moaning slightly in pleasure as he pulled her in for a sensual kiss. In the back of her mind she could not help but see the parallels from when he was part-werewolf to now, but unlike then, she did not feel trapped. Alistair was making sure not to place too much of his weight on her and left her hands free so that she could make a quick escape if she needed it. When he pulled back she smiled at the small ripples of excitement coursing through her body. It was something still very alien but she enjoyed it, despite the fear of where it might lead to; Alistair knew her boundaries, he wouldn't push them. "Can you walk?" he asked quietly, and she suddenly realised he must have seen her using her abilities. Biting back a groan of frustration because she would now have to explain everything, she nodded. Alistair stepped back and held a hand out for her, which Arria took to help pull herself away from the tree. The minute she tried to take a step however, her standing leg buckled and it was only Alistair's quick reflexes which saved her from hitting the ground. "Should have figured you would say yes regardless of whether you actually could," he jibed while swinging his left arm under her legs to carry her bridal style.

Arria blushed at how easily he lifted her but buried her face into his chest to hide her embarrassment. "Okay, so I really don't know how to admit my limitations," she responded lightly, squirming and giggling in his arms when he tickled her. "Alistair!"

He smirked. "Sorry, golden opportunity I couldn't pass up." The glare he received was playful as he carried her back to their tent and gently placed her sitting on the ground as he shut out the Dalish camp. Their eyes met and she knew this was going to be a serious conversation. "So, is there something you feel like telling me? I get the feeling you are hiding something."

Arria hesitated for a few seconds but then told Alistair the truth about Wynne. How she had died in the Circle Tower and was later brought back by a Spirit of the Fade, how she later saved everyone with her powers back in Ostagar and how Arria had restored her energy after their dealings in the forest. Realising she was holding back on something more serious, Alistair looked at her seriously. "What is it you have left out?"

Her stomach dropped, hoping he wouldn't have picked up on it. "Left out?"

"There is no way Wynne's powers could have dropped that dramatically in the forest, even with her healing me frequently, so what is it you aren't telling me?" The fearful look in her eyes stirred a memory: of when he was about to lose controls of his Templar abilities and release a Smite far too powerful for a mage to survive. Arria had stayed right next to him to give Wynne time to get to safety, but the cost had been her taking the full force of the burst. His breath caught as he remembered how she had been thrown back through the trees, out of his sight, but he had known at that moment without seeing that he would have seriously hurt her, if not- "Oh Maker."

She knew he had figured it out and threw her arms around him, her heart hurting at how he trembled in her hold. "I'm fine, Alistair. Wynne found me and saved me, everything is fine."

"Everything is fine? That is twice I could have killed you!"

Sensing his despair and guilt she pulled him instead into a fierce kiss, using her lips to show him just how alive she was. He was slow to respond and she moved a hand to his tunic, slipping it beneath the fabric to graze over his bare skin. When he just concealed a groan she knew she was treading a very fine line. This was a moment she had been dreading, pushing things further, but she knew that their normal connection might not be enough this time. If she didn't push the boundaries they could never see how far they could go. Swallowing back the rising fear, she kissed him harder, willing him to lose himself to the sensation of them being together. Eventually he kissed back with equal passion and tangled his hands in her hair, desperate to bring her closer to him. He wanted so badly to place them somewhere else but still didn't fully trust himself at the moment. As they pulled apart, he placed their foreheads together, unwilling to let her completely break their connection. "How bad?"

Knowing he deserved an answer, she sighed before answering. "Had Wynne not had the Spirit, I would have died." She saw a lone tear escape him and brushed it away swiftly. "This is why I didn't want to tell you, I knew you would carry the guilt with you just like you have done since Kinloch Hold." They both knew he hadn't forgiven himself since being controlled by Uldred where he had been but seconds from fatally stabbing her. "See me Alistair, see that I'm here and safe. You would never willingly hurt me, I know that. I am not afraid of you." Willing him to see the truth in her words, she leant back and tugged his tunic over his head, admiring his bare chest briefly before she crawled back towards him. "I'm not afraid of you," she repeated, seeing how he was warring with himself internally. He wanted more, and she owed it to him to take this leap of faith, to prove her belief in him. "I trust you," she whispered on his lips, willing him to close the gap between them. When he finally did and poured all his doubts into the kiss, she knew this could end one of two ways. They could move forwards or backwards but she was tired of being caught in the middle. Howe's hold on her had gone on for long enough.

Alistair pulled her back with him and they both lay down on their sides, never breaking the kiss as hands moved to new positions and Arria intertwined her legs with his, needing to feel him closer just as much as he needed her. She ran her palms down his chest as his hands settled on her waist, rubbing slow circles over the bare flesh. A shiver passed through her body and he momentarily paused, unsure if it was through fear or pleasure but from the way she kept kissing him he suspected it was the latter. When her hands moved to cup his face she guided him closer, causing him to encircle her back as she closed the space between them. Alistair fought with himself to keep control at the feeling of her pressed completely up against him: even though she was fully clothed they had never been connected like this anything other than innocently. Today it had a whole different meaning and he was petrified he was going to do something which would send her back to those months of horror. If he rushed this it could backfire disastrously, but as she kissed him harder he stopped hesitating. Arria believed in him, and he should reward her courage by at least trying.

He started tracing thin lines on her back with his fingers and Arria pulled away from their kiss to sigh in pleasure. Trying something new, he began kissing along her jawline and nudged her head tentatively, asking her to tilt hers up. She obliged and he began pressing his lips gently along her neck, smiling into a few as he felt the ripples of pleasure through her body. Knowing that pushing too hard might result in her reacting badly, he pulled back and allowed her to take the lead for a while. Arria appreciated the gesture and replied by mapping out his chest with kisses. Alistair bit back a deep groan as she continued her exploration, her gentle touches driving him steadily more mad. When he realised he couldn't take much more without doing something he might regret, he pulled her back up to meet his lips, trying to tone down the intensity. It seemed Arria felt the same way and went with him as the kisses went from passionate, to sensual and finally to their usual gentle ones.

As they parted Alistair began twirling a piece of her hair between his fingers while looking at her. "Where did that come from?" he asked, knowing she would normally not have been able to handle that.

Arria sighed and snuggled closer into him. "We don't know how long we have left, Alistair. After I thought I'd lost you-" She drew in a deep breath, not wanting to spoil the moment by bringing forth tears. "I'm tired of letting what happened govern my actions. I want to take control of my own life again, not have Howe hanging over me anymore. If I let him stop me from healing, then he's won, and I won't let us lose everything we've worked for so far." When his arms came around to encircle and protect her, she smiled into his chest. "Thank you."

He didn't need her to explain anything more and kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome, and if it ever becomes too much, or I am going too fast, please tell me."

"Don't worry, I will. Come on, I think you need more sleep to recover."

Alistair raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I'm the only one who needs sleep after you helped Wynne."

Arria chuckled. "Okay, guilty. We should have at least a couple of hours before Zevran and Carou return with the others."

"Hang on, Carou went with Zevran by his own choice?"

"Uh-huh, and I think that speaks volumes. A Mabari won't normally leave their owner unless asked, not unless they think that person will be completely safe. What do you think that says about you?" At his blank look she shook her head and pecked his lips. "It means Carou thinks you can protect me just as well as he can, and I believe that is the best vote of confidence you might ever get."

Alistair smiled as they settled in for a few more hours sleep, his heart feeling much lighter. If Carou believed he could keep Arria safe, then surely he could.

When they re-emerged several hours later, it was to find the rest of their company having arrived in the Dalish camp. Arria giggled as she saw Bodahn with Varathorn, the dwarf's eyes alight with joy at all of the elven wares he could see while many of the other elves were curious to see what items the merchant had to sell. It was nice to see him in his element, not having fully had the chance since Redcliffe. A bark from the distance signalled to her that Carou had spied her, and she knelt to greet him as he bounded towards them. Arria laughed as he licked her face, but was even more surprised when Alistair received the exact same treatment. The male Warden was totally stunned but at her knowing smile he realised this was Carou's way of accepting him, and he felt privileged.

Leaving Alistair and Carou behind, Arria went in search of the people she knew she would need the help of to complete her Rite. Her first two stops had been easy. Sten accepted with a short nod, relishing the chance to see a Nileesan fighting at their peak and Arria suppressed a laugh as she swore she saw the slightest spark of excitement in the eyes of their qunari companion before she asked for her second combatant. Morrigan had been intrigued at what the female Warden told her and agreed to participate with a curious smile. While the two of them weren't exactly friends, they did have a mutual respect for the other considering their heritages and it gave Arria the chance to see Morrigan fighting undistracted, wondering just how different her knowledge was.

Next came the person she dreaded speaking to the most, but was relieved to find both Alistair and Zevran together, speaking pleasantly. It surprised her that they were so easy around each other considering Zevran had shared his suspicions that Alistair was jealous of their closeness, but it seemed whatever tensions there were between them had been resolved. "Ah-hah! My Dancer, how are you?" asked the elf cheerfully, leaning in to kiss the back of her hand.

Arria smacked him lightly on the shoulder, earning a laugh out of Alistair. "I am fine, Zevran. Actually, I've just managed to enlist the help of two of our companions for something very special, and I was hoping that the two of you might help me complete it."

"Your Rite of Mastery." At Arria's raised eyebrow he explained. "Your beloved Warden has already informed me of you intent, but I know that you require only three people. Why include me as well since I assume our lovely Alistair would have been your first choice?"

Her eyes twinkled as she noticed Alistair blushing behind Zevran, obviously still not used to his humour. "I may only need three, but I wish both of you to be there. You are both very different types of warrior and you will push me to my limit."

Zevran accepted with a nod of his head as Alistair came in closer. "All right, now that you've got us both to agree, do you mind telling us what this Rite involves?"

She hesitated: this was the part she had been dreading. "The Rite of Mastery for a Dancer or Artist involves them making use of their most advanced ability. It is something called Fade Shifting."

"Fade Shifting?"

"In other words, our mind stays in this realm while we move our bodies partially into the Fade. It means we are still visible, but that physical objects can't hurt us for as long as we remain there."

Alistair's eyes widened. "So you become invincible?"

"More like untouchable. But, it has a rather serious price tag attached to it if you get it wrong."

"What do you mean?"

Zevran stepped in. "To pull off a Fade Shift requires exact precision: shift too little and you remain vulnerable, shift too far and your body becomes stuck in the Fade permanently. The same applies if you remain in the Shift for more than a few seconds."

The male Warden paled. "So this could kill you?"

Arria sighed. "Yes, in theory it could. There was a reason there were so few Master Dancers and Artists in Nileesa: the ability itself is dangerous, but also what we must do to prove our Mastery is arguably even more so."

"Dare I even ask?" The more he heard about this the more her regretted agreeing.

"We must Fade Shift three times. I'm not worried about pushing it too far, I know where the limit is. What I am concerned about is that in making sure I don't get myself stuck that I don't push far enough, and leave myself a sitting duck. We must throw ourselves into two attacks, one magical and one physical, using only the Fade Shift to dodge while using it one final time as part of an attack. Achieve all three of them, and you become a Master."

"But you can't defend yourself in any way when you Shift?"

"No, so if I don't go far enough…I could get seriously hurt."

"This sounds like as much a curse as it is a blessing."

"It is, and you haven't even heard the most serious drawback. For us to be able to Fade Shift, we must already be moving, it is our momentum that allows us to pull it off."

"So if you are standing still and caught off-guard…"

"Yeah, I can't use it. All of the Master skills are the same: if used incorrectly, they could kill you. That is why becoming a Master is so revered."

Alistair was silent as he absorbed all of the new information, but Zevran sensed the two might need a few minutes alone, so left Arria with a kiss to her cheek and went to join Morrigan and Sten in preparation. Knowing this was a lot for him to accept, Arria stepped closer and took hold of his hand. "Alistair?" He looked up and met her gaze. "Are you okay?"

"Apart from being petrified this might kill you, yeah, I'm fine."

She smiled and kissed him gently. "I'll make sure I don't charge at you. Morrigan and Sten know I'm going to be using them as those I have to dodge because I don't want to put you and Zevran in the position where you are forced to attack me when I won't defend. I'll be attacking you and Zev, so you just have to fight me as you normally would when we spar."

"I'm still not sure about this."

"Alistair, I was meant to go through this before I lost my home. Back then I was nervous, thinking it might be too soon. But now, I know this is what I have to do; I have to move forward and give everything I have to end this Blight. Please, believe in that I know what I'm doing."

Swallowing back his doubts, he kissed her hard before pulling back. "You better pull this off."

He received a wink in response. "Consider it done."

Everyone present for the Rite was now gathered in a glade just outside the Dalish camp, offering Arria less of an audience for what she was about to attempt. Varathorn and Lanaya had requested to bear witness to the event after hearing about it via her companions and Arria agreed for them to watch. She may not want everyone to see this, but she had no problems with only a couple of spectators. Leliana, Wynne and Carou were sitting next to the two elves with Bodahn and Sandal slightly further back, giving themselves a decent view while keeping out of the way.

Morrigan had taken up position slightly further away from the rest and was preparing herself to use more powerful magic than she had so far this journey while Alistair, Sten and Zevran were standing ready as the surrounded the young Dancer. She could feel the nerves building in her stomach, the situation now feeling much more real than she had even thought possible. This was it: this was the moment she would either succeed or fail. This was what marked the turning point in her journey. If she became a Master here, then she really was on the road to recovery; if not…then it left the question of where she should go from here.

Arria focused inwards, turning her concentration upon her Song. It had been a long time since she had allowed it to completely guide her actions, her confidence shattered to the point where she had never really trusted herself enough to use it in that way. Using it for battle to amplify her known skills was one thing, but allowing it to show her the rhythm of a fight was something she hadn't known if she would have the strength to do again. If she did this, she would be moving purely on instinct. No time to plan, no time to doubt. No chance to turn back. Thinking back on her family and friends back home, all of them had believed she could do it, even though she herself thought it was asking too much. Now she was determined to honour their memory by proving their belief in her was justified. It wasn't just in her past she had those who believed anymore. Everyone in her group gave her some sort of strength, and the four people surrounding her in this Rite were those that fuelled her the most.

Morrigan studied her like she might do a book, but it made Arria comfortable in who she was and her opinion was not judged based on rumour and speculation. Maybe the rest of Thedas could do the same one day and see what it meant to be Nileesan. Sten respected her as a warrior and reminded her of how strong they had been. The respect of a qunari was the highest mark of honour in her eyes, and it drove her on each day to live up to that expectation. Zevran always looked at her as he had done since they had first met back when she was still young: a beautiful and powerful fighter who was the match of the best some of the other countries had to offer. Now, however, he looked at her not as a girl, but a woman with the maturity to compliment the skills she had always possessed. Alistair had helped rebuild her from the days of when she was nothing more than the remains of a person long since lost to the world. He had shown her all that she had left to offer and was helping her discover who she was becoming, born again from the remains of her shattered soul. She wasn't just something which had been toyed with and broken, she was a survivor, and the pride he had in her achievements was slowly rubbing off on her. If he could be proud in all she had come through and endured, then maybe someday she could look back on those days in the same way: not just as a living hell, but as a test she had lived through and learned from every day.

Now was the time to see how much she had truly learned. Not just as a warrior, but about herself.

Arria drew her blades and closed her eyes as she released her Song, absorbing the comfort it afforded her as it moved through her body in a way she could barely remember. A small smile escaped as it amplified her skills and her movements felt so light that she was almost walking on air. With a sharp nod she signalled she was ready. Zevran was the first to attack, swinging with both his daggers but Arria opened her eyes in time and simply bent out of the way as she spun out of harm's way. Alistair was the next to try his luck but she tumbled away as his blade didn't even come near her. Sten swung his mighty greatsword as she returned to her feet, but she handsprung over the weapon and stood once more, watching all of them intently as they prepared their next moves. Alistair and Zevran attacked at the same time, the Warden with his shield while Zevran threw one of his daggers and ran in with the other. Arria dropped into the splits to avoid the elf's blade and raised her own to block Alistair's strike, rolling away and leaping back onto a rock to survey her surroundings.

It was now that Morrigan prepared to enter the fray as she had finally finished building her ice spell into a fearsome blizzard. She launched it from the end of her staff and Arria saw it coming in plenty of time, knowing what it was she must do. Calling upon all the time she had practiced and failed, she kicked off from the rock and into the air to meet the attack head on as she moved her body into the Fade. Alistair watched in wonderment as he saw her glide through the air completely unharmed as the spell passed through her. Zevran too was frozen in place as many of those watching gasped in wonderment, not having known what was to come. "She's doing it," Alistair whispered, captivated as she landed back on her feet having returned to normal and charged at Sten. His heart was in his mouth as the qunari swung his blade and would surely have cut her in half when she did not defend herself or divert her course, but the blade passed straight through her as she shifted for but a second again, evading the danger and sped at Morrigan. The witch fended the Dancer off as best she could, but a well-placed kick by Arria to her head knocked her to the ground and left her semi-conscious.

With one threat eliminated she jumped over Sten's sword as he swung again and was forced into a knee slide as both Zevran and Alistair attacked with their blades. Flipping back to her feet she dodged them once more and charged at Sten, timing her jump perfectly as he swung across her, landing on his large hands and flipping backwards to connect with his chin. It was just enough force to knock him off his feet and leave him dazed as she landed gracefully, readying herself to attack both Alistair and Zevran. Neither of them knew who she was going to use the Fade Shift to attack, but they didn't really have the chance to think about it as she ran towards them at full speed. Arria first went for Zevran, locking them in a furious duel of daggers until she flipped forwards and over two of his attacks as she locked her legs around his shoulders and flipped him to the ground. With the assassin now out of the way she turned her attention to Alistair, but he didn't give her the chance to ready herself as he attacked first with his shield and then his blade. Arria took the force of the blow from his shield and used the momentum to move into a backflip, knowing exactly what to do. Before Alistair could reset himself she kicked back off a tree at the same time as she handsprung, raising herself up into the air as she prepared to bring her legs down and kick him in the chest. Alistair raised his shield just as she expected and she Shifted a final time, timing it so that she moved through the metal barrier and solidifying again just in time to land a full blow. He recoiled from the attack and she bent back to return to her feet as he fell to the ground winded.

As Arria stayed in her crouch she looked around, seeing all her adversaries fallen but her attention was grabbed by a burning sensation at the back of her neck. Knowing exactly what it was, she dropped her daggers and placed a hand over the intense heat which signified the evolution of her Mark. She followed the new trail as the branch which represented her Dancer abilities grew out to new heights and what felt like little pin pricks signalled the flowers coming into bloom. She had done it. She was a Master. A laugh caught in her throat briefly as the sensation eased before she screamed in pure joy. "Yes!" she exclaimed, collapsing to her knees and holding her head in her hands as it began to sink in. Alistair groaned from nearby and she scrambled over to him as he sat up. "Alistair, look!" she said giddily, spinning around and pulling her hair aside so that he could see her Mark.

His eyes widened as he saw the branch had now expanded to almost reach around to the other side of her neck and the little buds which had yet to bloom were now visible. Running a gentle finger over the development, he turned her back to face him and held her face tenderly. "You did it," he whispered, almost unwilling to believe it was over so soon.

"I've done it!" she screamed while throwing herself into his arms, unable to contain her excitement. Alistair laughed and guided them both back to the feet before spinning her in celebration and kissing her deeply. Normally she would be shy about something so public, but at that moment she could not care less. When the two of them parted she noticed the others had got back to the feet and ran to give Sten and Morrigan a heartfelt thank you before Zevran met her halfway to thanking him. She could see in his eyes he was incredibly proud of her, and in a break with his normal ways he kissed her forehead instead. Arria understood the gesture and hugged him tightly for a few seconds before running back to Alistair almost like a hyper child. None of them had ever seen her so openly happy and despite his earlier misgivings about going through with it, Alistair realised this was the best thing she could have done. Her confidence had soared to new levels.

Varathorn and Lanaya came to meet her from their vantage point and it was the male elf who finally managed to say something. "That was like beauty in motion, Warden. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to witness such a thing." Lanaya nodded her head in agreement as Leliana and Wynne greeted her with smiles and hugs while Carou bounded around them all in joy. Arria knelt down and caught her beloved Mabari for a few seconds before he ran off again, earning laughs from many of the people there.

As Arria watched everyone around her pass on their congratulations and commenting on what they had just seen, she smiled at the lightness of her heart. This was what she had been waiting for, this was the sign she had been looking for since Duncan had given her freedom. Now she knew she was finally moving forwards. She really was starting to heal, and that could only help in the days ahead.

You know the story, please leave me your thoughts in a review, I don't know how to improve unless you all tell me what is wrong! Until next time everyone.

Negative Angel