"That dark aura was yours then?" Amell walks towards me with a soft green light emanating from the top of his twisted wooden staff and making it possible to see a little better while Wynne's magic slowly ebbs from the room. "That was a tushie kicker. Felt worse than when Jowan first gave entropic magics a go."

"Hey," Jowan squawks and slides out from a shadow with his arms crossed against his chest defensively. "You're never going to let that go, are you? I'll have you know I'm better at it now, since we'd figured out that's where my abilities most align."

I look between the taller men and see Sloane salute me lightheartedly a few paces away before he turns a corner in the room with Wynne. Amell gets my attention again when he rolls his big brown eyes and huffs a chuckle, "Only because Senior Enchanter Karl convinced you primal magics were not your strong-suit despite your insistence."

"Not my fault I'd wanted to stay with my friends during lessons! All of you are elementalists and galvanists!" I have no idea why they're even arguing...

"You forgot Anders."

"He was only moved to Wynne's class after his Harrowing! He was with you all in primal lessons for years, while I had Sweeney and his dull drone to listen to. 'Jowan, where are my spectacles?'" His voice drops and becomes raspy with his mocking, "He'd ask every half-hour at least!"

"Well, Sweeney's bit the dust, as they say. You won't have to worry about him pestering you anymore," Amell frowns harshly.

"Oh," Jowan says simply and deflates in on himself. And now the silence is sad. All the corpses and walking dead we had just fought were all Templars and mages of this Circle. They were all people that these two probably knew of, at least in passing. I feel a little awkward just standing here while they mourn someone they knew and saw on a daily basis, and whom I only know of from a game.

"...Did you say Anders?" I start in an effort to pluck the gloom from the oppressive air. I know I can't stand there like that for much longer. It's bad enough Wynne's probably talking shit about me. I think that aura that had snuffed me out was hers... Both of the men blink down at me though, and their gazes turn from solemn to curious. "Blonde guy? Has a thing for cats? Likes feathers on his clothes?"

"You know Anders!" Amell smiles toothily. "Now, do you know him or do you know know him? He'd certainly went on about his exploits whenever the Templars dragged him back by the feathery scruff from one of his failed escape attempts."

I feel my cheeks pink in embarrassment from the implications in his question, and stutter back a reply, "N-no. I've never met him."

"But you'd just described-"

Jowan interrupts Amell's argument and takes a step closer towards me while he explains in my stead, "Karie here has a gift in foresight. She knows a lot about people she's never met, or has hardly met before."

"Oh, how unusual," Amell tilts his head some while he thinks on that with a lot of blinking, and then I just faintly hear one of Sloane's characteristic snapping 'enough's coming from the other side of the room. Dear lord. Did he just yell at Wynne?

Jowan looks in the direction of the shout, and states the obvious, "That doesn't sound good." He takes a short breath, "I hope she doesn't try to use that staff of hers on the Warden Commander."

I feel my face scrunch and a bitter twist turn my lips. "I was only trying to help, you know. That rage spirit hurt Sloane! What was I supposed to do? Nothing?!"

"I believe your Warden has just argued a similar point," I see Zevran walking towards us in the dim light with an inherit swagger in his steps. One elegantly pointed ear flicks, and then a smug smirk curls his lips with a mischievous glitter in his eyes, "This is quite good! I only wish I'd joined your lot sooner if merely for entertainment's sake!" He chuckles richly, before tilting his head and openly ogling Amell's slight form with his eyes straying on the mage's robe-covered behind. "Although the company is quite pleasant too, no?"

Amell sputters a lot of half-words at that, but I interrupt him by walking purposefully into Zevran's personal space and garnering the assassin's attention again. "What are they saying?" I ask with a half-botched attempt at a harsh tone while trying to cover-up the insecurity and anxiety clawing at the back of my mind. Elves have an impressive range of hearing, and I wish I had the same abilities, if only to calm my haywire thoughts.

Zevran's eyes squint knowingly, "You are the seer, are you not? Should you not already be in possession of this knowledge?"

"I don't know everything," I breathe. "I can't. And..." I hesitate just briefly before saying something that's a little too true, and quite worrisome, "I know nothing about my future here."

Zevran's expression smooths out some at that. Everything I feel is openly displayed in my expression, since I've never been able to hide it well, so I'm sure he can tell I'm not stringing him along. "You need not worry then, pequeña dulce. Your man is defending you well. You are fortunate in that," he finishes softly, and I'm not sure he'd even said that last bit at first. Oh, right. I remember what led him to Ferelden. My youngest sister was... is a huge Zevran fan. Much more than me. Every single Origins character she'd played romanced him... Leigh would be so jealous, on second thought.

"What is that smile on your face for?" Zev prompts and interrupts my slight fan-girl moment.

I consciously have to fight the unbidden goofy smile that had spread firmly on my face. I clear my throat some before answering, "My sister would've loved you," I reply honestly.

"Oh?" He looks positively intrigued. "Perhaps I would like to meet her then." The Antivan's expression is both dark and playful.

The smile is completely wiped off of my face when I say, "My family's gone," in a tone dead to emotion and feeling. That's not quite true. I'm the one that's gone from that world, not them. But even so, we are separated and nothing that happens can change that.

"Everyone, see to your wounds and ensure your weapons are battle-worthy," I startle some and look towards where Sloane is coming around from the corner he was speaking with Wynne at. I notice that he's purposefully walking with heavy steps echoing off of the stone walls and floor. Even so, he's avoiding what gore can be seen in the dim lighting with an ease that's familiar to see. He doesn't seem to be too pissed. "We are moving on, everyone. The sooner we come across the First Enchanter, the better," he announces somewhat loudly.

I smile sadly at the men I was talking to in a kind of goodbye of sorts, and move off in Sloane's direction carefully without a word more to them. Everything's just so fucking depressing and difficult all the time. Can't something be normal and good, for once? "What 'd Wynne say?" I ask tentatively when I stop before him with my fingers twisting together with the flux of my emotions and thoughts. I'm unable to clearly make out his expression in the play of shadows, and I silently worry a bit at that too.

He shakes his head, "Nothing worth repeating. I promise you, love." He takes one of my gloved hands in his, and presses a kiss to the back of it that I can barely feel beneath the leather in an attempt to soothe me, and perhaps even himself. "I believe we are due for a respite soon, are we not? How about once we're free of this place, we spend some time together. Would you like that?"

It seems he's had just about enough of all this shit too. I smile slightly before answering with a measure of relief and gratitude, "Yeah." I blink at him once I remember something that I haven't yet mentioned. "I know where the First Enchanter is. He's on the top floor."

"Of course," he snorts, but smiles slightly all the same. "Let's pray to the Maker we make it there quickly then, love."

A/N: Judy! I remember you from me and Apollo's AJJ days! It's nice to see your reviews again hun! :) And thank you for the lengthy review too, Guest! I'd reply to your review in a PM if I could! And, everyone, it seems we have a shared annoyance for Wynne's know-it-all behavior? lol! Short-ish chapter, but I can promise another one soon! ;)