Author's notes at the end. Enjoy!


Alistair was a wreck.

When the desire demon had confessed his deepest, darkest urges in front of the one woman in the world that he would rather die for than have hear them, he fiercely wanted to crawl into the nearest pit and be buried alive. And then, to have her question his intentions after everything he had done to uphold her, it was simply too much to bear. She had said it with such biting sarcasm that it stole the breath from his lungs as surely as if she had slapped him in the face, and he was still feeling its sting. At first, he had been furious. But that fury was partially borne of shame. She was right, of course. He secretly relished her in every way he could without betraying his personal code, but the line that had been so black and white before was becoming hazier all the time.

How did this happen? What was it about her that made his head feel like it was going to explode? Being near her drove him crazy, and yet, he never wanted to be without her. If he could change the way he felt, he would do it in a heartbeat, but despite how many times he tried to will his yearning away, the harder it came back to hammer him in the heart with her affectionate words of encouragement, her strength wrapped in compassion, her crooked smile, her body moving rhythmically against his with each beat of their horse's hooves, and the cruelest one of all, the feeling of her soft skin whilst untying her corset…the list was endless. Andraste preserve me, and now she knows.

This is madness!

There was no other explanation for these emotions raging inside of him. Was this what love felt like? Surely not! Why would anyone want to feel this way on purpose? It was beyond his comprehension. Not only that, but with every glance, every brush of their hands, it was becoming beyond his control. And so, for the first time since leaving Flemeth's small hut in the Korcari Wilds, he willingly, even eagerly distanced himself from her.

As he swiftly mounted the mare and galloped away as though he were being chased by an archdemon, the first thing he noticed was the involuntary forward lean he had adopted after riding with Shepard nestled against his chest. He found he had to force himself to sit back in the saddle properly. The second was the dissipating feeling of her presence. Odd how he had gotten used to the warm velvet of her nearness surrounding his senses. Like a man overlooking the sunshine until a stormy day, he had stopped perceiving it until it was gone. What remained now was a hollowness in his gut, a stiffening of his limbs that he couldn't seem to shake. He was sure that he would get used to even this with time, just as one gets used to the bitter cold of winter. You never come to enjoy it. You simply learn to endure.

And endure he must. Her hand belonged to another, and it was against everything he stood for to come between that sacred bond. Besides, she would likely be returning to her own world soon. Even if she wasn't betrothed and hadn't just questioned everything he stood for, even if she reciprocated his feelings, what could possibly become of it but disaster and ruin?

Just as his internal struggle was reaching its peak, Horsemaster Dennet's stables came into view. As he rounded the last bend and trotted toward the open gates, he caught a glimpse of his childhood friend for the first time in ages. At the sight of her, all of his fondest memories came flooding back – sneaking into the barn after dark to lie in the loft, talking for hours with the smell of oats and hay surrounding them, riding together through the countryside, exchanging their first kiss under a large oak by the stream. They were only children then, and while they wrote one another after Alistair was sent away to the monastery at ten years of age, the letters had become fewer and farther between. It had been several years since they had truly spent time together, and he was unsure how she would react to seeing him again.

She was no longer a girl but very much a woman. Her slender arms moved gracefully with her hips as she swayed to the cadence of her brush on a stallion whose hide was almost as black as her cropped hair, and he couldn't help but break into a smile as a different, more familiar kind of warmth traveled through his veins. As her head swiveled toward the sound of his approach, her dark eyes lit up and her full lips parted in surprise. Dropping everything, she ran toward him as he dismounted, barely allowing his feet to touch the ground before throwing her arms around his neck in tender greeting.

"Alistair!"

Feeling a laugh bubble up from a place he had long forgotten, he wrapped his arms tightly around the small of her back to return the fierce embrace.

"Seanna." He exhaled her name and, after brushing a kiss on her cheek, took a moment to breathe her back in.

Perhaps he wouldn't just endure. Maybe he could overcome.


Kaidan let out a deep breath and finally allowed his shoulders to relax. She was safe. Vega tipped his head with a grin and clapped the major's back heartily. "You see? I told you. Now you can watch where you're going instead of starring at my omnitool and tripping over your own feet."

"Okay, keeping rubbing it in," he replied with a grin. He didn't care how many jabs James wanted to take, nothing could quell the overwhelming relief Kaidan felt at that moment. Reading Shepard's message one last time, he closed Vega's omnitool to hand it back to him, but the lieutenant held up his palm in protest. "Keep it. You ask me for it so damn much, you might as well."

Kaidan didn't argue. "Hopefully Garrus will have some good news for us after teaming up with Zathrian to rescue Sam. That's the last thing I expected to hear."

Vega let out a hearty laugh. "We'll probably find them arm-in-arm and singing 'Sweet Caroline' over whiskey shots by the time we get back."

Kaidan echoed James' laughter with his own. "Now that I'd pay to see."

With Morrigan's help, they had managed to shave a full day off of their hike. She had successfully navigated them through valleys and over thick woodlands with impressive precision, but other than a few short conversations with Anderson or Theresa, she had done so in relative silence. Usually keeping to herself on the outskirts of camp, she would stare into the darkness of the forest as if trying to make out her mother's hut through the trees. After the way he had treated her, Kaidan didn't blame her for her guarded demeanor. She had gone out of her way to avoid him unless there were a few darkspawn to contend with, and when he did catch her looking at him out of the corner of his eye, she would turn away instantly if he attempted to meet her gaze. Now that they were drawing nearer to the Normandy, it was time to clear the air, and he knew that if it was up to anyone, the duty would fall to him.

After a few hours' march and their first stop of the day, Kaidan threw his pack from his shoulders and gave Abelas a hearty scratch between his ears to quell his nerves. He then trailed his way around the edges of the small glade they had chosen for their short respite and was soon at Morrigan's side. She sat on a short log with her elbows on her knees, her hands clasped beneath her chin in contemplation. Clearing his throat, he tentatively asked, "Mind if I join you?"

She turned her head slightly and quirked a brow. "Are we under attack? Or is there another calamity that forces me to suffer your company?"

Blowing the air out of his lungs through pursed lips, Kaidan slowly sat down next to the mage while still managing to knock her elbows from their perch, much to her irritation. "I was going to say I'm sorry, but you're not making it easy."

"Oh really? First the hound and now me?" she lilted sarcastically. "Well in that case, let me sit at rapt attention while you blubber on to clear your conscience." Her tone changed to a deep rumble of warning. "I did not join this errand to make friends. I was instructed to help you and I am. No more, no less."

Kaidan rubbed the back of his neck as he considered how to proceed. He should have known better than to think this would actually go well. "Actually, I…"

"And honestly, can I say that you are one of the most insufferable men I have ever encountered?" she spat, cutting him off abruptly. "What Shepard could possibly see in you, I will never comprehend."

He returned her glare with a look of defensiveness, but after a moment, he nodded in agreement for everything he had done to earn her ire. He wanted his apology to be nothing if not genuine. "After how I treated you, I suppose I deserved that," Kaidan replied softly. "But you might want to work on your own people skills. Just a suggestion if you realize you could use some friends after all."

Her lip curled upward in a sneer. "I have plenty. The birds of the air, the foxes in their dens, all of them are much better companions than any two legged creature I have encountered."

"Right." Whatever he had planned beyond that had been derailed, and while he was tempted to leave the conversation at that, he was determined to at least fix things as far as it depended on him. Breaking away from her icy stare, he focused his eyes ahead into the thick, intertwining branches. "Look, you never have to talk to me again if that's what you want, but…I'm sorry for the way I reacted after you helped us in the tower. It wasn't right, even if I did think you were a threat at the time." Deafening silence ensued as she turned away, but he pressed on. "I want you to know that I appreciate all you've done. You've helped us more than you had to, and I want to thank you for that. It hasn't gone unnoticed." After she spun her head toward him to deliver a cool look of repugnance, he slapped his knees in finality. "That's all I got. You can resume hating my guts now."

"Oh, I never stopped," she retorted, unable to hide the small smirk that flitted across her lips.

Kaidan returned her sarcasm with a genuine smile. "Ah good. I'm relieved to know all is still right with the world." Standing to his feet, he rejoined the others to leave her alone, once again, with her thoughts.


They were standing on the outskirts of the Dalish camp with Sam's last known location blinking brightly on Garrus' omnitool. Looking toward Liara and EDI to gauge their reactions, the turian regarded Zathrian dubiously. "Let me make sure I have your story straight. Your family was killed by a group of human passerbys, so you turned them into werewolves. Now they're turning your people into the same to force your hand, and you need the heart of this demon wolf to cure them. Does that sum it up?"

"Rescue Lanaya and give me the heart of Witherfang, and your end of the bargain will be fulfilled," Zathrian replied, his chin raised slightly and arms tightly crossed over his chest. "If you fail, you will receive nothing from me."

We're taking what we need with or without your damn help,

Garrus thought. With you is just more convenient. He shook his head critically. "Let me give you a piece of advice. Next time, just kill the bastards and be done with it. Keeping them alive always comes back to bite you in the ass. In your case, literally."

Zathrian was nonplussed as he stared at Garrus vehemently. He obviously didn't appreciate the turian's particular brand of humor. "These woods are enchanted; you'll be lost without guidance. I will direct you to the entrance of the ruins that lead to the caves, but no further. The rest will be up to you."

"Fine. Let's get this over with," Garrus remarked as he armed his rifle. "After you." Zathrian narrowed his eyes, and Garrus returned his hesitance with a scoffing jeer. "Why would I shoot you in the back when we're just starting to get along? If I was going to kill you, I'd have done it already. Now move."

After a quick glance to his left and right, the Keeper wordlessly struck a path due east, resuming the original trail that the squad had started a full day prior. Zathrian had forbidden any of his clan to help them, which was just fine as far as Garrus was concerned. The more the elves stayed out of his way, the better.

"He's not telling us everything," Liara said quietly as they trailed behind, out of earshot of their grudging escort.

"That's for damn sure," Garrus rejoined. "You're both biotics. Any idea how he does his magic tricks?"

"They aren't tricks. He has the ability to manipulate matter on the molecular level. That's how he can turn the water molecules in the air into ice or use electrons to create lightning. I've heard of a few justicars that were able to do something like it after centuries of training, so it's possible. But I've never heard of another species mastering it." Liara's concerned look turned toward the elf ahead of them. "It takes a tremendous amount of focus, which I'm betting he needs that staff to accomplish. It's the same way human biotics need implants."

"Huh." Garrus gave Liara a teasing jab in the ribs. "Admit it, you're a little jealous."

She answered his playful accusation with an amused look. "Not unless you're thinking about trading me in for something better."

Smiling as much as a turian could, he released a chuckle. "Baby, you're as good as they come. If we're taking bets, I'd put all my chips on you every time."

"How sweet. Now I know what Tali sees in you," Liara replied with a wide grin.

After hiking for an hour through muddy trails, choking brambles, and clouds of gnats, EDI broke through the uneasy silence with her insatiable curiosity. "How long have the humans been under your curse?"

Using his staff as a walking stick, the elf gruffly called back his answer without slowing. "Not long enough."

Garrus couldn't help but smirk; EDI wouldn't be thwarted so easily. "Could you restate your answer in years?" she asked.

Zathrian butted his staff into the dirt a bit harder with each step. "Many. I have lost count."

"Perhaps we could start with your age and work backwards."

Incensed, the elf turned swiftly on his heel with his eyes alight, stopping the entire procession in its tracks. "I don't owe you anything yet, and I will not be interrogated by you or any of your kind!"

Garrus watched in amusement while Zathrian tried his best to berate an AI who was impossible to offend or intimidate, until a pack of their cursed enemies filtered through the trees to stand behind the Keeper and effectively block their path. Garrus cleared his throat. "You might want to shut up and turn around, elf."

Peering over his shoulder, Zathrian muttered a curse and backed away from their foes as one of them growled a called to arms. "They have not come to talk! See, they come with weapons to invade the heart of the forest!" His brethren gnashed their teeth in agreement as they began to close ranks around the motley crew.

"This is going south in a hurry. You know what to do," Garrus whispered as Liara's biotics began to glow white hot in response. Within seconds, she slammed the nearest wolf in the chest, throwing him back several paces. EDI took advantage of the confusion by coming behind another and deftly breaking the base of its skull. It instantly fell to the ground in a heap.

"Kill them all!" their leader howled in frenzy as he came straight for the turian with claws extended and fangs barred.

"Not today!" Garrus yelled in reply as he let loose a series of percussive rounds into the wolf's chest. Savage rage prevented the creature from being felled so easily, however. Coming at the turian like a battering ram, Swiftrunner bowled him over, throwing both of them into the dirt and sending Garrus' rifle clattering out of reach. With the skill of a practiced assassin, Garrus wrapped his legs around his attacker and deftly flipped him onto his back with a twist of his torso. Raising his fist in retribution, he brought the full force of his pent up fury to bear on the wolf's skull. "This is for taking Samantha Treynor!" After the first blow merely stunned the beast, Garrus raised his bloodied glove for another blow. "This is for attacking my crew!" Razor sharp teeth flew and blood splattered as he continued his assault. "And this is for being so damn ugly!" With the final punch, the wolf went limp as red poured out of his ears to form a pool of crimson beneath him. Shaking his hand to relieve the throbbing sting, Garrus quickly retrieved his rifle to find that the rest of the werewolves were already neatly dispatched by the others.

"The entrance to the caves is just beyond," Zathrian stated through panting breaths. "The rest is up to you."

"You know what I think," Garrus deliberated. "I think you should come with us. I was just starting to enjoy your company."

The elf scowled in defiance. "That was not a part of our bargain."

"The terms were getting rid of the werewolves and getting your girl back. You didn't specify how." Garrus motioned menacingly with the barrel of his rifle for Zathrian to fall in line. "I want to find out what you're so afraid of."

Flaring his nostrils, the Keeper set his jaw and pressed ahead. "Very well."

Upon clearing the crest of the ridge, they discovered the ruins as Zathrian had said. Defending the commons were large packs of wolves ready to strike, and in their midst was the one they needed: Witherfang.

"How many of these things did you curse?" Garrus muttered. "There must be fifty of them down there."

"It grows with each attack. One only needs to be bitten to become infected with its taint."

With his right arm still throbbing, Garrus carefully removed his glove to discover a row of jagged teeth marks near his wrist. "Crap. Now you tell me."

"I believe we've been detected," EDI pointed out. Their foes were swiftly surrounding their position, and it would take a hell of a lot of firepower to cut a path. As the noose began to tighten around them, Garrus was deliberating their next move. Before he had to make up his mind, however, the thick circle parted for Witherfang to approach. Intelligence shown in the creature's eyes, enough to make him hesitate. With his team's earlier detainment had come the hard reminder of the penalties of overconfidence, and Garrus wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. This was no mere wolf. As though to confirm his suspicions, the dread beast quickly transformed into an ashen woman, and he blinked several times in amazement. Beautiful by human standards, her long, black hair cascaded down her shoulders to cover her bare breasts. Her lithe form extended outward like the branches of a delicate sapling, and her voice was like a babbling brook when she spoke. "Please, let us end this bloodshed. We have lost so many already, to the curse and to your clan."

"Who was the first to begin that bloodshed, Spirit?" Zathrian barked. "These are the ancestors of savages, and their form merely reflects their brutal hearts."

The woman came to stand before the elf with pain in her eyes. "Has your retribution no end, Zathrian? These are innocents that you punish. The men that harmed your family are long dead. Some of these that surround you are your own. It is time to stop this."

Zathrian took a step toward her threateningly. "Where is Lanaya?"

"She and the human woman are both safe, I assure you," the spirit continued. "Swiftrunner was desperate when he ordered their capture, and he never should have done so. He has paid the price with his life, as have so many others." She regarded Garrus with sorrow. "And what of you? Now that you know the true nature of the curse on innocent lives, do you still wish to aid in its preservation?"

So there is more to the story,

Garrus thought. He was a practical turian; on the one hand, they could really use the elves' support for the materials they needed. On the other, Zathrian was a bastard, through and through. With a heavy sigh, he made up his mind. At the end of the day, he had to stand for what was right, not what was convenient. It usually made his life a hell of a lot more complicated, though.

Garrus lowered his rifle with Liara and EDI following suit to stand down. "You said yourself that Lanaya and Sam shouldn't have been taken. If you really believe that, bring them here. Then we'll talk."

"No!" one of the beasts snarled. "They will not be released until the curse is broken!"

"Calm down, my friend," the spirit purred as she stroked his fur. "If we do not show mercy, how can we ask Zathrian to give it to us? Do as he asks."

Reluctantly, the circle surrounding them dissipated as a contingent of wolves peeled away to do the woman's bidding.

"We cannot trust this demon," Zathrian hissed under his breath. "Once they release the captives, kill her swiftly. I will take her heart to form an antidote to cure my people."

"Oh, I don't know." Garrus shot the elf a sideways glare. "We demons have to stick together."

EDI nimbly divested Zathrian of his staff, leaving him powerless, and his face transformed from anger to poorly disguised alarm. "I will see you slain for this! You know not who you're dealing with!"

The burn in Garrus arm was extending to his chest, and he fought back the temptation to panic as he returned the forest spirit's intense gaze. "What do you need to break this curse? A certain dead elf? That can be arranged."

She shook her head slowly. "No, although his death would play a part. He alone can break the curse, one that has lasted for centuries."

"Centuries?" Liara was intrigued. "Do elves typically live hundreds of years?"

"They did at one time, but no longer," the spirit replied. "Zathrian's life is tied to the curse. As long as it exists, he exists. I believe that is the true reason for his unwillingness to break it."

As she spoke, the wolves reappeared from the elven ruins with two hostages in tow. Liara didn't waste a moment; she ran to greet the specialist with an enthusiastic hug. "Sam! Are you hurt?"

Treynor smiled with relief as Garrus and EDI soon joined the reunion. "I've never been so glad to see all of you, and that's saying something. Other than a knock on the head, I think I'm okay, although I feel a bit queasy for some reason. Probably the weird shrooms they made me eat down there." She shivered at the memory.

"I might have another explanation for that," Liara went on to say as she read her omnitool's readout. "The good news is that there's eezo in those caves. We wouldn't have pinpointed it so easily without your capture. The bad news is that you're experiencing some temporary radiation poisoning."

"Oh bloody hell, are you serious?" Sam's eyes shot wide with surprise. "I don't know whether to be excited or throw up."

"Lanaya!" Zathrian rushed to his First's side and swept her into his arms. "They will pay for taking you from me, I swear it."

Pulling away from his grip, Lanaya cupped his face in her hands. "Please, listen to me. You have been like a father to me, and I love you as a daughter. But after spending time with these creatures, I know their true nature, Keeper. They are not guilty of the crimes you place before them, and your hate has made you unable to see past your cruelty."

"Lanaya…" Disgrace filled Zathrian face as tears began to well in his eyes.

"As much as I want you to always be our clan's leader, it is time to end this curse. Save your own people, and free these innocents from this horrible fate. Liberate yourself from this pain, and rejoin your family," she beseeched him. "If you love me, you will do this."

"Ma vhenan, you shame me," he choked as he fell to his knees in bitter regret. "You...are right. I have lived too long, and my hatred has grown like a gnarled root in me. I have been blinded by my anger. You will make a better Keeper than I. Thank you for helping me to see past my sorrow." Standing to his feet, he reached out for his staff. With a parting look of affection toward his First, he struck it to the ground and tendrils of light began to snake from its tip to surround them all in a warm glow. "Ar lasa mala revas. It is done."

Garrus clutched his wrist and grimaced in pain as the brightness began to seep into his wound. Zathrian gave one last breath and fell to the ground, lifeless. As Lanaya dropped to her knees to scoop him into her arms, the wolves began to ignite into flame. Shielding his eyes against the blinding fire, Garrus blinked a moment later to see elves and humans standing where the beasts had once been. The spirit of the forest was nowhere to be found.

While humans and elves alike rejoiced at their new-found redemption, Lanaya dried her tears long enough to thank Garrus, Liara, and EDI in turn. "As the new Keeper of the Dalish clan, I will do everything in my power to help your people. We often forget that we, too, have lost our home, and it is only right that we help you return to yours."

Garrus gripped his right arm, afraid to look at the effects of Zathrian's final act. "Thank you. It's good to know we finally have some allies," he managed to stutter. An unexpected jolt of agony shuddered through him that brought him to his knees, and he involuntarily cried out in anguish.

"Garrus! What's wrong?" Liara rushed to his side and pried his fingers from the vice he held on his wrist.

"Maybe it's a good time to tell you that I jammed my hand into some werewolf teeth for the hell of it." Garrus clamped his eyes shut against the wave of searing pain as Liara inspected the injury. She couldn't help but gasp in shock at what she saw.

"No, it can't be," Lanaya stammered. "The curse was broken!"

"Let me guess…it didn't work…on a certain turian…" Garrus panted through clenched teeth, slowly feeling the burning fire spreading through his veins as his resolve threatened to give way.

The wound, which had been merely a bite before, had eaten away at his hard exoskeleton. Underneath where the plate-like skin had been, covered in bright blue blood, was a thick coat of fur.


Okay, I resolved to make this chapter shorter, but then Morrigan approached me with a cold reminder that I hadn't written about her in a while, and I gave in. She's very persuasive.

I'd love to know how you felt reading Alistair's perspective. It was refreshing to open the flood gates of his emotion and lay it all at your feet.

I desperately wanted to wrap up the whole "Nature of the Beast" quest with this chapter, and this is just how it had to go. I love (LOVE) this turian, so to see him in such a state is truly painful. Oh Garrus, out of all of the things to have happen...

To the guest that gave me more face licks, I thank you for them!