Nathaniel studied Anders quiet contemplation, searching for a sign that his former brother realized the severity of the situation. There was much Anders wasn't aware of, too much, and Nathaniel considered just how much he should tell the mage. Anders had always been one to do his own thing; escaping the Circle, joining with Justice, leaving Amaranthine, all decisions he never considered consequences to. To trust him with Warden secrets...

Yes he is still a Warden. Will always be. But his loyalty has always wavered with them. Nathaniel was aware Anders conscription was simply a way to save him, the kind heart of the Ferelden hero the only reason he stood before him today. But he had no regard to her or his fellow Wardens when he fled Amaranthine after merging with Justice, a secret that remained within the walls of Vigil's Keep. In Nathaniel's eyes, Anders owed him, owed the Wardens, the knowledge that he possessed. But would he help them?

Anders struggled with his own similar thoughts over Nathaniel. One of a handful of people that knew about Justice. He had kept that from the Wardens as far as Anders knew, but could he trust this man with Arielle's life? If the Wardens were after the lyrium, and all knowledge surrounding it, Arielle would certainly be in danger. And now they were underground with an entire troop of them, and more on the way. Anders had little news of the Wardens; had no idea there even was a new Warden Commander. But he was certain whoever it was wouldn't be as understanding as the one he served under.

At present there was little time for discussion, but Anders decided he had to try. As long as they were trapped together, it was worth the risk. If his plan backfired, he'd take Arielle and run. "I know I have no right to request your silence," he said to Nathaniel, "but I may have an explanation for you. I risk a great deal in telling you."

Nathaniel ran both his hands over his face. "Anders, you ask too much of me. If you have knowledge of how to destroy the taint, that is something I must share with the others."

"It is not the solution you think," Anders insisted. "I am not even certain it is a solution, or what has happened to me. I can not explain it though if you do not swear to keep it between us. I only wish to tell you to prevent further prodding from the Wardens."

"Anders..." Nathaniel sighed. "You assume I have more power than I do within their ranks."

"No," Anders insisted. "I assume you are a friend willing to keep one more secret for me. Had we not come to find you, no one would ever know of this to begin with. I am not even certain it is permanent. I wasn't even aware of this five minutes ago! Please, hear me out, I beg you."

Nathaniel shook his head but conceded. "Fine. But ask no more of me my friend. These burdens should not be mine to hold."

Anders nodded and began to explain his story in the most simplest way he could. "The elf you saw, Fenris, he is not the only one I travel with that has been branded with lyrium. There is another that has similar markings, only they are of the red lyrium you seek."

Nathaniel's eyes widened. "I suppose both have certain strengths and powers?"

Anders raised an eyebrow, "yes...but how did you..."

"Go on," Nathaniel insisted.

Anders continued, withholding further questions until he was finished explaining. "If what you say is true and the Wardens have already begun experimenting with the red lyrium with favorable results, then it is possible this person is responsible for you being unable to sense the taint within me. We have...merged, for lack of a better word. Not like Justice, but on some other level I can not understand or begin to explain. She is the reason the hunters are after us; the one who branded her is trying to reclaim her and the elf."

Nathaniel processed what Anders had told him. "Tevinter hunters you said, am I correct?"

"Yes," Anders confirmed. "A magister from Minrathous, Danarius, infused both of them..."

Nathaniel gasped. "Danarius?" Clearly this wasn't the first time he had heard the name.

Anders crossed his arms. "You know Danarius?"

Nathaniel turned away from Anders and began pacing the stone floor. "Danarius...Anders...stop. Don't tell me anymore. I can not know this..."

Anders approached Nathaniel and grabbed his arm, turning his old friend to face him. "What do you know?"

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes and pulled away. He continued his strides and rubbed his temples, a foolish attempt to forget what he had just been told. Anders was saying something but Nathaniel was no longer paying attention. Danarius...oh Anders, what have you stepped into...

Anders was begging his friend to explain himself, but suddenly a strong wave of panic and fear overwhelmed him. He dropped to his knees, alarming Nathaniel who now ran to him. Anders felt his throat closing up when Arielle's voice shouted clearly in his head. Anders!

Anders held on to Nathaniel and got to his feet. "They're in trouble!" he shouted as he broke free from Nathaniel's supportive grasp and ran down the corridor. As he rounded the corner he and Nathaniel began to hear the sounds of combat, his friends in heavy battle with the Tevinter hunters. Nathaniel immediately drew his bow to assist as Anders moved in front of Arielle, pulling her behind him and blasting the hunters that approached her.

Bodahn and Sandal were hiding behind the cart out of the fray as the others attempted to push the hunters away from them. Fenris was engaged with two, Hawke had two, and the now three ranged attackers rained down their arrows on the six that approached from the rear. Anders assisted in ranged attacks and attempted to slow the ones on Hawke and Fenris. Everyone seemed to be holding their own until an arrow came out of nowhere and landed straight in the middle of Anders' chest.

His scream and pain ripped through Arielle as if she had been hit herself. As Anders fell in front of her, the blood beginning to seep through his robes, rage and anger fueled her. Her markings came to life as she stepped in between Hawke and Fenris. She ignored Fenris shouting her name and shrugged of Hawke's grasp as she channeled her power, allowing it to build in strength. Hawke tried to reach for her again, but the attackers on her pushed her out of the way, blocking further contact. She called to Fenris but he was in the same situation, both of them now completely separated from Arielle as the hunters closed in around her.

Arielle's eyes changed colors to match her brightly glowing skin as she glared at the hunters that moved towards her now from the rear. She smiled as they moved in closer. They wouldn't harm her; she could sense it easily with her markings at full strength. They needed to capture her alive...and that would be their downfall. Within seconds they were on her, attempting to hold her, while she continued to smile mischievously at them. Once they held her by each arm and considered themselves victorious, she released her fury.

The hands that held her now pulled away from her, their flesh blistering and burning from their grasp on her. As they screamed in pain while clutching their wrists at their now useless hands, another wave of energy knocked them clear across the cavern. She reached her arms out to the attackers on Fenris and Hawke, her physical contact with them scorching their skin under their armor. The distraction of pain was enough for Hawke and Fenris to gain the advantage, and they took down the hunters with ease. Nathaniel and Varric made sure the ones that were now slumped against the wall never stood again, and Sebastian knelt down to Anders to assess his wounds.

Arielle stood among the carnage, eyes still blazing red and fury on her lips. Fenris approached her cautiously, calling her name to try and calm her. She turned to look at him, her chest rising and falling to match her rapid breathing, and for a moment Fenris was truly afraid. "Arielle," he called to her again softly as he reached out to her.

Realization that he would be hurt washed over her as she pulled away. "Don't touch me," her voice called angrily, though she hadn't meant for it to.

Fenris withdrew his hand but stood his ground, staring into her eyes, hoping his focus on her would snap her out of her anger. "It is over," he said to her. He had been there before, where she was now, so full of anger and hate that the markings took over. The loss of control once you felt the full strength of them. It had taken him a few times of going through it before he learned to come down from it with ease. If she didn't relax soon, it was possible she would continue with her destruction, and they were all in danger.

Arielle locked eyes with Fenris, knowing he was attempting to calm her wrath. She struggled internally, looking at him but wanting to give in to anger she was feeling. It wasn't enough what she had done. She wanted to do more. The eight of them weren't nearly enough to quench this thirst of hatred within her. But the green eyes peering into hers was starting to subdue her. The fire within her refused to go out however, until she heard her name whispered behind her.

Anders. She wanted to run to him but knew she'd hurt him if she did so in this state. She closed her eyes and fought the flames of hate around her heart. He needed her, she had to go to him, he was hurt because he protected her, and now she had to make sure he was okay. She held on to those thoughts as her markings dimmed, until there was nothing left but concern.

She stumbled a bit from the expelled energy when she tried to move, and Fenris immediately went to her to support her. He helped her walk to Anders who no longer had an arrow implanted in his chest, but was gathering his own strength to heal himself. Sebastian and Hawke were beside him doing what they could for him, and Arielle knelt down and took his hand. He turned to look at her and smiled weakly.

Nathaniel stood in the distance watching the two. Having witnessed Arielle and Fenris during the fight, and the nature of Anders' relationship to the woman, he knew he had to keep their secret. Unfortunately, he didn't know how he was going to protect them.

~*~ ._.~`~._.*~*~*._.~`~._. ~*~

The battle worn crew moved slowly through the underground roads. The threat seemed larger than it actually was, and Hawke was a bit annoyed the hunters were dispatched so quickly. Besides finding Nathaniel, coming back here was only to protect Arielle...and yet she didn't seem to need any protecting at all. Hawke's mood was clear to those around her, and everyone gave her a wide berth as they traveled.

Anders moved beside Arielle in silence. He was able to heal his wounds shortly after he fell, but the sight of the blood still on his robes was making Arielle uneasy. She held on to his hand as they walked but hadn't said a word since the attack. Anders didn't try to pry into what she was feeling, not with the current audience of Nathaniel still in tow. He wanted to get back to his discussion with Nathaniel, but the Warden was keeping his distance as well, conversing with Bodahn about something to do with dwarven explosives.

They were walking straight towards the other Wardens, and Anders fear grew with each step. When Nathaniel warned them they were close, sensing his group, Anders looked back towards his friend for any sign of an answer. Would he keep their secret?

Though it wasn't audible, Nathaniel gave a slight nod, and Anders took in a sigh of relief. For now, they were safe. He stopped to drop his gaze towards Arielle, making sure her markings were well hidden under her clothes. There was nothing he could do about Fenris' however; he only hoped Nathaniel would keep the Wardens disinterested.

Nathaniel approached the camp first, revealing himself to his comrades and then briefly explained the situation to them. Hawke went with him, confirming that she had only come to the Deep Roads in search of Nathaniel, but was now willing to assist them with whatever information they needed from the thaig with the red lyrium. They would rest for the night and then venture to the thaig in the morning.

Hawke and Fenris excused themselves from dinner; Varric and Anders gave a knowing glance as they took off down one of the corridors that branched off from their current location. "Is it wise for them to be going off alone," Sebastian had questioned.

Anders allowed Varric to answer, not wanting to be the one to bring it up. "Hawke's sister didn't make it out of here last time," Varric informed Sebastian. "I think they're going to say goodbye."

Arielle looked at Anders. "You couldn't save her?"

Varric shook his head as Anders face clearly displayed years old guilt. "I tried," Anders began to explain, "but it was out of my hands."

Arielle thought on his answer but didn't push it, feeling his sadness. They ate in silence before setting up their tents, the Kirkwall companions staying separately from the Wardens. As much of a comfort it was to be surrounded by trained darkspawn killers, they were also concerned about why the group was down there in the first place.

When the others retired for the evening, Anders took Arielle's hand and led her away from the group, but remained within eyesight. "I wanted to talk to you," he began, sitting on a large piece of stone in the middle of some rubble. He helped her cross the debris and sit beside him. "I need to ask you something," he continued, "and I need you to be as honest as you can be."

Arielle stared at him, a bit surprised at his statement. "I wouldn't lie to you," she responded.

"I know," he sighed, "of course not." He gathered his thoughts before speaking. "You are aware that Justice is a part of me, inside me, and that I have little control over him, yes?"

Arielle nodded but remained silent, awaiting his point.

"You are also aware that I was a Warden once, and I told you I had left them when I came to Kirkwall."

"Yes," Arielle replied, remembering the conversation.

"The truth is, you can never really leave the Wardens," Anders explained. "I may not be fighting at their side or continuing their cause, but there is a physical change that takes place in order to become one. Much like with Justice, it's something I can not control; it's a part of me. It's how the Wardens are able to find the darkspawn...we can sense them."

"That's why Hawke said you should go into the cave first," Arielle pieced together, "because you would know if they were around?"

Anders smiled, "yes, that's the way it should work. Just like we can sense darkspawn, we can sense other Wardens. It was a ritual we went though, called the Joining, where we ingested some of the darkspawn blood."

Arielle gasped in surprise and whispered, "blood magic?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "To be honest I cared little at the time. It was a way to save me from the templars returning me to the Circle, so I did it without question. It is forbidden for me to tell you about the Joining, but I need for you to understand."

"Why," she asked, still uncertain what he was trying to tell her.

"The taint," he continued, "is what we call it, the blood that runs in their veins and ours. The thing that allows us to be aware of each other. The reason I tell you this, is because something has happened to change that within me. I can no longer sense the darkspawn or the Wardens, though I am currently surrounded by them. And I believe that has something to do with you."

Arielle looked away from him, contemplating all that he had told her. He was looking to her for answers but she didn't have any, and she feared disappointing him as he clearly looked to her for help. The truth was she knew very little about her markings or her abilities. Danarius never sat down and explained anything to her. He was in the process of teaching her certain skills but would never bother to fill her in on why any of it worked, or how. She shook her head as she looked at him again, eyes full of sorrow at not being able to help him. "I'm sorry Anders, I don't know," she responded quietly, full of regret.

Anders leaned his head back against the stone wall behind him. He put his arm around her and pulled her into his chest. "It's alright," he said to her, even though he knew she didn't believe him. "I knew it was a long shot, but I had to ask."

"This is important to know," Arielle questioned him, bringing her legs up and draping them over his as she curled into him.

"It is," he said as he wove her hair through his fingers. "I will ask Fenris when he returns, though I doubt he knows any more than you do."

Arielle began to piece together his unspoken words. "Your Wardens will want to know why," she stated, prying gently into his thoughts for confirmation. "I'm in danger here."

"We all are," he answered her truthfully. "The Wardens are here for the red lyrium and seem to already be aware of some of its power. If they become aware of you...there's no telling what they will do."

She remained silent, slipping her hand into his robe and gently rubbed his chest. His fear wasn't hidden at all, she could feel it as easily as she felt her own. There was more he didn't know, that other Warden hadn't told him everything, and he was hoping for a chance to be alone with him again. Anders didn't seem to mind Arielle using their connection to help her learn the rest; he hid nothing from her.

Except the part about Danarius.

~*~ ._.~`~._.*~*~*._.~`~._. ~*~

Fenris kept a close watch over Hawke as she knelt down on the hard stone, her fingers running through the ash that remained of her sister. In the years that has passed it seemed nothing had disturbed the area; it was exactly as they had left it. Fenris shifted under the heaviness in the air, the memory of Bethany's death replaying in both their minds.

"Could we...slow down," Bethany had asked, looking paler than usual. "I'm not feeling very well."

"I think all our stomachs are a bit tender right now," Hawke had replied, their rations being controlled tightly with not knowing how much longer they'd be in the Deep Roads.

Varric had commented about her illness being caused by the mushrooms they had found that morning, but Hawke didn't hear him. Her sister fell behind her, and Hawke ran to her side.

"It's the blight, isn't it?" Bethany looked up at her sister, fear clouding her dark eyes. "I'll end up just like Wesley, won't I?"

"No," Hawke said defiantly. "I'm not going to let that happen." How does one fight darkspawn taint? They were in the middle of nowhere, no help for days out. "Anders, can you do something?"

"It's the blight," he confirmed. "I can sense it. No healing magic can cure the taint."

"I'm not going to last until the surface," Bethany told her sister. "It's coming on faster."

Hawke looked to Anders again, her eyes filled with tears. "Please Anders, anything to help her, I beg you."

Anders swallowed hard. "There might be something we can do."

Anders had informed them that Grey Wardens may be in the Deep Roads as well. Why he hadn't revealed that information to them when they were trapped Hawke wasn't certain, but there was little time to get into it. "Let's go Bethany," Hawke said as she helped her sister up, Fenris assisting her. "You are not dying today. Not if I can help it."

Their pace was slow at first, Bethany's weakness causing her to stumble between Hawke and Fenris. When she had no more strength to continue, Fenris picked her up and carried her in his arms. Hawke hid her tears, the severity of the situation weighing heavily on her heart. She believed there was some hope in that moment though; if Fenris can put aside his hatred for mages to carry Bethany, maybe there's a chance someone is watching over them.

"I'm sorry. I know this comes as no comfort to you, but we do not recruit Grey Wardens out of pity," the Warden, Stroud, had said when they found him hours later. "It is no kindness."

"You think it's kinder to let Bethany die from the blight," Hawke argued, infuriated with the man.

"Sometimes it is, yes." Cold. Heartless.

Anders begged his former brother. "Stroud, trust me when I say this one is worth your time. With the blight over, you Wardens don't have recruits lining up."

"This is no simple thing Anders," Stroud replied, crossing his arms. "This would be as much a death sentence as the sickness, and you know it."

"She'll die anyway, take her and try!" Anders was clearly frustrating, wishing for the first time he knew how to prepare the Joining himself. Damned Wardens and their rules. "Duncan did it for the Hero of Ferelden to cure her. I'm asking you to do the same..."

"Being a Grey Warden is not a cure, and do not compare this woman to the Hero. Being a Warden is a calling. We do not accept charity cases. Now if you'll excuse us, we have pressing matters to attend to."

And that was it. Hawke broke down as she watched the Wardens walk away from her, from them, leaving Bethany to her fate. "You'll take care of it, won't you sister?"

Hawke closed her eyes, wishing it all away. It had to be a bad dream. She would wake up and her sister would be fine. They would be out of the Deep Roads, comfortably asleep in their beds in Lothering...

"It's just you now," Bethany said, bringing her pale shaky hand to Hawke's face. "Take care of Mother..."

Hawke opened her eyes. It wasn't a dream. The sad reality was clear in the ashes in front of her. Bethany was gone. Hawke's promise to take care of Mother broken. She covered her face and let the tears fall into the remains of her sister. Fenris knelt beside her and offered her what comfort he could, as he did the day Bethany died.

~*~ ._.~`~._.*~*~*._.~`~._. ~*~

Morning came quickly for them as Hawke and her companions packed up for the final trek of their trip. Nathaniel and his Wardens had shared with Hawke their more recently updated maps, which included another way out of the Deep Roads from the thaig that held the primeval lyrium. The news of this new exit didn't sit well with Hawke. Had it been there when they were with Bethany...

She pushed those thoughts out of her mind. It would do her no good to revisit them again. Instead Hawke tried to focus on the positive; the hunters were dead, and this time tomorrow they would be laying under the sweet sky, breathing in the clean air away from this rotting stench. She had little fear of their safety; their numbers now tripled with the Wardens. Whatever they were to face on their way out of the Deep, it would be worth it to have the sun on her face again.

They moved through the darkened halls with ease, orange stone giving way to blue and then black. The Wardens lit several torches to guide their way, and Nathaniel held back to walk with Hawke and her companions. "We are approaching the thaig now," he told them.

"Is it just me," Varric asked, "or is it a lot darker than it was last time we were here?"

"It's not just you," Hawke replied, moving cautiously.

Arielle tripped behind them, Anders grabbing hold of her at the last minute before she fell. "Are you alright?"

Arielle nodded. "Got a little dizzy for a minute," she said. "The air is different here."

Anders wrapped his arm around her to steady her. "Stay close to me, we'll be through here in no time."

Hawke turned her gaze towards the two, as did Nathaniel. Hawke had agreed to back away if Arielle had any problems being near the lyrium, and she searched the former slave now for any sign of discomfort. "I'm fine," Arielle assured them.

Into the dark they continued, until they entered a large room. The torches cast several shadows on the walls, reflecting off four large pillars in the center of the room. The dirt under their feet had several lines going in different directions, the evidence of carts that had been there before them. Several Wardens moved to the center of the room, opening up maps and holding the torches close to them to find their current position.

"Hawke," Varric whispered her name behind her, the sound of disbelief in his tone.

"I see it Varric," Hawke said quietly, and Fenris and Anders spread out in different directions surveying the room.

"What is it," Nathaniel asked, clearly confused as to their behavior.

"It's the thaig," Varric responded. "Only it's..."

"Empty," Hawke concluded for him. Once brightly lit in various shades of red, the room now was barren, empty, no sign that the red lyrium existed. The veins gone, all crystals missing, chipped away from the stone that surrounded them.

Nathaniel conferred with the Wardens who confirmed they were exactly where they should be. "So it is true," Nathaniel said rubbing his forehead. "We must leave and meet up with the others; they will want to hear of this."

Hawke cut through the Wardens and approached Nathaniel. "You mean you knew about this? What has happened here Nathaniel?"

"I'm afraid I can not get into it with you Champion," Nathaniel responded. "We must head to the surface immediately."

Hawke stormed off towards Anders, prepared to demand that he find out what was going on, when the ground began to shake under their feet. At first they feared some sort of cave in, until the ground split open in several sections and creatures began to come from below.

"Profanes!" Hawke yelled as the others readied their weapons. The Wardens followed suit as dozens of the creatures formed before them. At first they attacked the group wildly, the rock creatures seemed out of control and disorganized. But seconds later they all turned in unison towards Arielle, and began to descend upon her.

Arielle attempted to control them but she was resisted. She backed up towards the wall as they approached her, her strength quickly weakening. Anders came out of nowhere, blasting the profanes and erecting a shield over him, grabbing Arielle to pull her into the shield as well. "Can't you do something," he asked her, focusing his energy on the shield as the profanes began to attack.

Arielle looked at them with sadness in her eyes. "They are starving," she said to him.

An explanation for their attack on her then. Hawke and the others along with the Wardens began cutting through the rock-wraith creatures who seemed to have no care for their own well-being. They didn't defend themselves against the assault behind them; they were only focused on Arielle, needing to feed their hunger. Several minutes had passed as the foray continued. Anders felt his strength dissolving, calling to the others to act quickly. Several arrows bounced off the shield as Varric, Sebastian, and Nathaniel attacked the profanes from the rear. The Wardens, Hawke, and Fenris cut through the crowd relentlessly, though more seemed to form as soon as a handful dropped.

Sweat formed on Anders forehead as he focused on keeping the shield solid, the only thing protecting him and Arielle. "Anders, use what strength I have left," she offered him.

"No," he commanded looking back at her. He knew what it would do to her, the pain he would cause her, and he would not put her through that again if he could help it. "It may strengthen them as well," he assumed out loud. He redirected his attention towards the shield, both hands focused on flowing the energy to it. "In my pocket," he gasped, "lyrium."

Arielle reached into his robes and pulled out the vial. She opened it and fed it to him as he continued to stare straight ahead at the battle in front of him. He could see the Wardens successfully cutting their way through to them on the left as Hawke and Fenris did the same to their right. Some of the Wardens couldn't help but notice Fenris glowing brightly as his greatsword cut down three profanes at once, moving on to the next.

By the time the battle had concluded, Anders had gone through three lyrium potions and the ground was littered with the remains of at least forty profane. Now nothing but rock, they formed a horseshoe wall knee high around where Anders and Arielle had positioned themselves. Hawke and Fenris assisted Anders and Arielle in climbing over the pile of stone as the others joined them.

"You fought well Champion, as did your companions," Nathaniel praised them when the dust had settled.

"We thank you and the Wardens for your assistance," Hawke stated honestly. "Now if you wouldn't mind showing us the way out of here, I think we all wish for nothing more."

"Of course. I recommend a quick meal to regain our strength and then we will head to the surface."

~*~ ._.~`~._.*~*~*._.~`~._. ~*~

Sebastian and Varric went back for Bodahn and Sandal and their supplies, and returned moments later; Bodahn quickly preparing lunch for the tired fighters. In silence they devoured their food, everyone's thoughts on the darkened room that surrounded them. Hawke still wanted answers but didn't dare approach the Wardens right now. She had her suspicions as to what they were discussing, often glancing over in the Champions direction.

Fenris kept an eye on Arielle, trying to figure out if she was alright. She was obviously weaker since the attack; he had to assist her in settling in to her current position. But she seemed paler as well, and perhaps a bit feverish. With the watchful eye of the Wardens nearby, there was little privacy for discussion, so his questions for her would have to wait.

Anders remained by Arielle's side, still protective of her even though she was no longer in danger. He wasn't worried about any further profane attacks; his concern also rested on the hovering Wardens. Suddenly the large room seemed very small to him, and he desired nothing more than to get away from them and head back to Kirkwall.

An hour later they began to head out, and it was another hour before the cool wind could finally be felt on their faces. The Wardens exited first followed by Hawke and her companions, all glancing towards the sky to embrace the sunlight. Time had certainly changed for them in the Deep; when they thought it was late afternoon, it was only morning on the surface.

The scouts that traveled with Nathaniel immediately headed out in several directions as Nathaniel began preparing his Wardens for departure. He then offered Hawke one of their maps with their current location marked on it for them to find their way back to the city. "A moment please Nathaniel, before we part ways?"

"I am afraid I can tarry no longer," Nathaniel stated, wishing to avoid the inevitable questions.

"Nathaniel please," Hawke begged, "There are some things we must know."

Nathaniel shook his head. "I think it is better for all of us if we leave now," he hinted, sensing the uneasiness of his Wardens. "You aren't the only one with questions Champion." He looked back towards the Wardens for a moment, and then turned to her again. "Go Hawke. Now. Please."

Hawke sighed but did as he asked, turning towards her friends and handed Varric the map. "Any idea how far out we are from this?"

Varric studied the map and their location. "Not bad, about a week maybe."

"Hawke," Fenris growled looking over her shoulder, "we should move on."

Hawke followed Fenris' eyes as he looked towards the Wardens. Just beyond them was another group of Wardens headed straight for them. "The Warden Commander," Hawke gasped. "We can't outrun them. Do we wait?"

Anders shook his head. "No," he said securing their items on the cart.

Fenris, Hawke, Arielle, and Anders led the way down the road and up a small hill in the opposite direction of the Wardens, trying to set a pace that wasn't obvious they were avoiding the Wardens. They turned around a sharp corner of the Vimmark Mountains and ran straight into a large group of Tevinter hunters. At the head of the group was Danarius.

Both Fenris and Arielle froze, eyes glaring at their former master. The gray haired man stood his ground and folded his arms across his chest. His lips curled into an evil grin as he looked upon his two slaves. "I see the lioness and the wolf have found each other again. How exciting."