Hey! Thanks for reading my Dragon Age story. I had posted a picture of Brenner and Zevran earlier in the series and some people didn't seem too keen on Brenner being a blonde, so I switched him over to a brunette in this pic. It's pretty much the same picture. Check it out here (You'll have to delete the spaces to see it):

http:/mabarimabari. deviantart .com/#/d476y8o

Sten's POV

The group walked slowly and surprisingly stoic for the humans. They were not laughing and were not joking. If it were not for Rabbit running ahead and barking, I think it would have been absolutely silent. Silence I had not known since I left for Ferelden with my fellow Qun.

The Warden had demanded that I lead with Leliana. And though I thought it could possible dangerous for having the redhead return, it was not my decision to make. If we had been in Qunari lands, she would be dead for certain, but then again she would not be fighting in the first place. Women do not fight, it was just not done. I wonder if this is one of the reasons why they did not fight.

Rabbit was beside us, I guessed that the Warden had given the hound the job of keeping an eye on Leliana. I wasn't certain it was the greatest idea to give the hound that job, because he seemed to be the only one happy to see Leliana again. But, it was not my place to argue.

We had entered the forest that morning. It was dark, damp, and cold. The Warden and Alistair had both been insistent that it was actually winter. We had yet to see snow though, at least snow, which both were promising would come down in buckets.

The ground was wet and it caked out feet in mud. It was part of the reason the trekking was going so slow. It also felt a bit worthless, we did not know where the elves are, or where they could be. We were guessing farther North, but it wasn't for certain that they would be anywhere north of where we were. And so we walked.

There were no animals around us. There was no darkspawn. The were not any Loghain supporters around. Nothing to fight. It was just empty. It was putting the others on edge.

And so Leliana began singing a tune. It was a simple tune, but nonetheless increased the pace of the others. I would bet they didn't even realize that her song had raised their spirits, for when night came the others began taunting and insulting her.

They had Leliana setting up everyone's tent, making supper, and they would not speak to her like a human. They were peaking to her like a Ferelden would to en elf.

As I ate my stew, I listened to the others conversation around the campfire. The Warden and Alistair were laughing together, they were talking about the great battle with the Archdemon, although it did not seem to be serious talk. Zevran was barely eating as he sat off to the side scowling to himself. Wynne was consulting the maps Irving had given us. Oghren was getting drunk in his tent. Morrignan was sitting near me, a strange thing for her to be doing.

"It'll be a piece of cake," the Warden said laughing, "We're going to walk straight through the darkspawn hoard, right up to the Archdemon, and you know what we're going to say to it, right before we slice its head off in one blow."

"What're we going to say?" Alistair asked.

"How about… 'Finding you was a piece of cake, care for a slice?' And then we chop its head off," the Warden replied, leaving Alistair laughing.

"How about 'I'm going to get to the point' then we stab him and say 'It's time for you to die'?" Alistair chuckled.

"You two are blubbering buffoons," Morrigan sneered, the Warden and Alistair just laughed.

Just then a cold wind whipped through the forest. It sent a chill through everyone's spine. Alistair smiled and the Warden spoke up.

"I suggest everyone wear an extra layer tonight. Zev, bedtime?"

When we woke the ground was frozen. The cold damp mud was now icy mud. The puddles of water were now cold puddles covered in a layer of ice. Each step now brought seeping water into their boots, but icy water that chilled even my foot. And each stop brought despair.

The second day, it sleeted. Everyone was soaked and their bones were frozen. Alistair just kept saying that soon it would be a real Ferelden winter, no more of this sleet crap.

The fifth day, Alistair was right. It snowed. It snowed and it snowed and it snowed.

By the ninth day, the snow had risen past the assassin's waist. I had also been charged with breaking a path through the snow for the rest to walk in.

The twelfth day we became hungry, for there was no food to hunt and we were living off what we had all carried, but at least water was readily available. The Warden had to ration our supplies in case we could not find the Dalish. He said he would give it three more days, if there were no sign of them by then, we would make way to Denerim. And the hope of the others were thin. They were hungry, cold, and miserable.

On the fourteenth day. Zevran had heard something.

Zevran's POV

I was shivering in my boots, wearing two pairs of my pants, two of my undershirts, and one of Brenner's, and three pairs of socks, but it was no use. I had never been so cold in my life.

We all walked in a single file line; Sten, Brenner, myself, Rabbit, Oghren, Morrigan, Wynne, Alistair, and Leliana. Right foot steps, then the left foot. It was getting to be monotonous. All of our shoulders were slumped, I could even see Brenner's beginning to give way. We were tired, and wanted a warm and dry bed. More importantly though, we wanted a complete meal. And I suppose finding the Dalish wouldn't be too bad.

I suppose it would have been midday, but seeing as how I couldn't see the sun due to the dark gray clouds overhead. That was when I heard it. A bow string being pulled back, to my left.

"I hear them," I whispered, Brenner glanced over his shoulder. He had heard me.

It had brought on a fire inside of me, but then I realized that they had pulled back a bowstring. They intended battle.

"Warden, we have a problem," I heard Sten's voice.

"I think I have the same problem as you," Brenner's voice came forth.

As I looked around I saw we were surrounded by wild, unkempt elves. Although I had heard the Dalish were uneducated and dirty, I was impressed that they were able to sneak up on all of us. Not to mention that they were capable of walking on the snow without breaking through. It was like they were as light as a feather walking on that snow. They all had an arrow pointing at each of us. We were their hostages.

"Don't move. Lethalon, who do you think they are? Bandits, thieves?" a male elf who had his arrow on Sten said.

"And they are a strange group, aren't they?" the female who had her bow squarely fixed on my Brenner said. If she hurt him…

"Humans, giants, dwarfs, mages, a hound, and a prissy city elf," the male said, as he eyed me with a smug smirk. I made a mental note of his face, if they started anything. My blades would sink into his throat first.

"Who's the leader?" the female asked.

Brenner stepped forward, "I am. I am Brenner of the Gray Wardens, and I demand that we be taken to your Keeper. The Gray Wardens require help from the Dalish to fight in the Blight against the darkspawn."

The female looked at Brenner and flat out laughed, "And what's to say your speaking the truth?"

"You would do well to believe him," I said simply. The smug elf stepped toward me and thrust his arrow at my throat.

"And you would do well not to question us, city scum," the smug elf spat at me.

Rabbit behind me growled at the smug elf.

"We do not want trouble, and don't make trouble," Brenner stated, "Please just take us to your Keeper."

"We will take you to our Keeper then, but a warning: outsiders are not welcomed…" the female stated.

"Well, I'll be damned," Brenner said sarcastically.

Brenner had just finished talking to the Dalish's Keeper Zathrian and he returned to us observably disheartened. He returned to our circle and sat down beside me.

"Let me guess, the Dalish are in trouble just like the Circle, Redcliffe, and the Dwarves were, right?" Alistair muttered.

"Well, I'm surprised Alistair," Brenner smiled, "You actually guessed it."

I moved to be behind my Warden and started massaging his neck. It was tense and hot with worry and frustration.

"So what's their issue?" the Templar asked him.

Brenner looked at Rabbit and said, "Werewolves."

That night Brenner took me into his arms with no intent other than to hold me. With his calm even breathing I easily fell asleep in his arms. I jumped awake when I heard an angry howling in the distance. It startled Brenner into waking. The Mabari hound at our feet squirmed and whined.

"It's okay, Zev, go back to sleep," Brenner hummed into my ear, "You need to sleep. In the morning we have to go kill all these…"

I silence him with a kiss, "I'm sleeping."

Brenner's lips curved into a smile, "Liar."

I kissed him again and snuggled closer to his chest. I was always amazed by how strong he was. Even through his layers of clothing, I could feel his muscles contracting and retracting as he breathed. It felt like each muscle was of hard, warm stone.

There was another howl in the distance. After nights and nights of silence, of complete and utter silence, the sudden howling sent shivers through my spine.

"Zevran, shh…" Brenner hushed me, laughing softly to himself, "Are you scared of the werewolves?"

Rabbit whimpered.

"It's just an excuse to get close to you," I said as I allowed for one hand to stray below Brenner's pants.

The Warden gasped as flesh hit flesh.

"Not tonight," Brenner's voice squeaked.

I held onto him tighter, "You always say that, but you know it's going to happen."