Neria carefully worked on Wynne while Morrigan touched up the dings on the rest of us, including Leliana's badly bruised leg. But Wynne, for practical purposes, was out of the fight. She'd received a nasty slash that opened her arm deep, and she'd taking the desperate step of healing herself. She'd come through that well enough, but Zevran was hurt and in trouble, so she took the second desperate step of healing him from across a distance.

She's sleeping now, comfortably it seems, but I'd sat and talked with her for a while. It seems that pulling healing energy from the Fade and concentrating it takes some power from the caster. And healing someone draws not only on the caster's stamina, but also on the target's metabolism. Usually it's not much, but the worse the wound, the more energy it takes to heal. So by healing herself Wynne was drawing on her own stamina to provide energy for her self-healing, which in turn drew on her mana flow to give

tl;dr – Wynne short-circuited herself

The thing with Zevran was more understandable: pushing magic directly into a target runs up against the inverse-square law. Wynne said that Zevran's wounds would have been trivial to deal with (for her at least) had she been able to touch him. From the distance she was at it took everything she had left to just patch him up.

As for Zevran himself: he'd done his usual thing but a zombie doesn't react to daggers in its kidneys. By the time he'd figured out his normal tactics weren't working he'd taken a couple of nasty cuts himself. And his armor had probably saved his life at the cost of a long slash in it.

Anyway….

Wynne was out of the fight. We didn't want to take her into the keep, especially with what we were expecting to find, but we couldn't just leave her behind, either. But then Zevran stepped up.

"I will remain with her. After all, it is my fault she so overexerted herself. And my skills: they are better suited to a more subtle challenge than I believe this place will offer."

Wynne struggled to sit up. "Oh, Maker! No! Not him!"

Zevran bowed to her. "Ah, madre bella! I'm hurt; do you not trust me?"

She glared at him and spoke. "I'd rather have the dog stay with me. At least he won't constantly speculate on the condition of my…." She trailed off as she realized what she was saying.

"But they are indeed ow!" Zevran rubbed his side and gave Leliana a sour look. "That was uncalled for."

"Oh, I think not."

"Wynne, how about I leave Cullen here, too? He'd be a good chap-" Neria suddenly stopped as she realized what she was saying.

"I think what Neria's trying to say," I said, "is that Cullen can come get us if something happens that the three of you can't handle on your own."

Zevran bowed to me. "Very well put; very diplomatic, mio amico."

Neria looked back to Wynne. "Wynne?"

Wynne just glared at Zevran.

Zevran dodged another elbow from Leliana, but appeared defeated. "So be it. Wynne, I promise that I shall not speak of your bosom until we rejoin the group. This I swear."

Wynne continued glaring at Zevran. "Fine," she finally said.

"Cullen, you take good care of Wynne," Neria said. "Zevran, you, too."

"I will be honored to safeguard the lovely senora in the company of such a fine warhound."

[suspicious moan]

I just shook my head and let the insanity wash through. For a change it wasn't mine.

Alistair leaned over to me as we eyeballed the next set of stairs. "Do you think that's a good idea? Leaving Zevran with Wynne?" I don't blame him for his suspicion, but still….

"As good as any. Cullen's there, and if Zevran does let something happen to her-"

"Not let something happen to her, but does something to her?"

Neria came up behind us and made us both jump. "Cullen's there, and I told Zevran I'd peel his skin off if Wynne's not well when we get back. Now hurry up!"

We both watched her trot up the steps. Alistair grumbled something about metal armor and climbing; I shared the sentiment.

"You heard her; Wynne will be fine, if annoyed," Leliana said as she came up behind. There was an amused lilt to her voice. "Hurry up!"

We watched her trot up the steps, but appreciated the view more. Leathers versus robes, you know. I looked over at Alistair; he suddenly blushed. "Enjoy the view?" I asked quietly.

"Oh, I am certain he did."

Alistair turned redder. "I was not-"

"You certainly were. Now, up the stairs!"

"Uhm, you first."

"And allow the two of you to gawk at me?"

My turn. "Oh, it's not like we don't anyway."

Morrigan narrowed her eyes at me, then turned and ran up the steps. We didn't get much of a view. I grinned and took the first step, but Alistair stopped me.

"I think I might need a push." At the look I gave him he continued. "Or least someone to keep me from falling over backwards." At my continued look he kept going. "I'm wearing the leggings, and it's built for good posture, not…." He nodded at the steps.

"So wait. You've been-" I was about to finish with, 'going commando?' but Alistair interrupted me.

"Well, you can't tell anything under the skirt. And it's a lot easier to travel that way. And, er, do other things."

That explained why Alistair was moving like he had a stick up his ass. And how he was able to visit the little Templar's bush so quickly while on the march. And all the handrails by the steps in the Tower. I laughed and Alistair gave me a sour look. "Sten. Little help here…."

"Those flashy lights; there's another one right there," I said. I pointed to the main entrance which consisted of two doors that looked heavier than the ones at the Circle Tower. Well, they used to be heavier. The left one was gray and weather-scarred and had plenty of popped nails. The right wasn't in any better shape, but it was swung open a bit and hanging off only one hinge. "Just inside the doors, I think."

"Fire in the hole!" Neria called. She wound up and threw a fireball through the opening. It erupted noisily, but didn't blow back out through the door. Nothing came rushing out at us either except for a few angry birds, but the light flickered away.

"You could have waited," Alistair said.

Sten finished the climb. "That would have been prudent."

Neria ignored both of them. "I don't feel it anymore; just the strong one. What about you, Jeff?"

"This one's gone, but there's some more further on. Levi, come on up!"

The civilian poked his head up. "It's safe?"

"Safe enough," Sten grumbled.

Alistair and I gave each other the look that we'd decided meant 'you first.' We shrugged and shot evens.

"Good luck," he said.

"Here, Neria, hold these." I handed her my glasses (don't know why; just had a feeling), pulled up the coif, and stuck my head in the door. Nothing clawed my face or any other part off, so I eased a little further through the doorway. No bodies that I could see, nor much of anything interesting. I tried pushing against the open door, but couldn't budge it. The other door's secured with bolts going into the floor and ceiling, but neither bolt is gonna move without some oil and a hammer. Not much else to say about the room; Neria's fireball had scorched a few flammable items (including some slow and/or unlucky birds), but that's it. I kept my eye on the room but called back to the group. "Looks safe."

I eased in with the group right behind me. Not much to see: a few old weapons scattered about, some statues on the wall, and a bird shit covered rug in the middle.

Sten broke the silence. "Not particularly inspiring."

"Maker!" Alistair yanked the door closed just as a fireball (a heavy duty one; the kind Neria likes) exploded on it. The blast didn't make it through the door, but the old wood wasn't going to hold very long. "Demons!"

There was a bang as something hit the door from the other side and forced it all the way shut. Alistair and I took up our standard door-holding position and hunkered down in tank mode when something else hit the weakened door and burst it outwards. I saw stars for an instant but recovered as a glowing hand reached through the ruined door and grabbed my shield. It pulled the shield away from me but I didn't give it a chance to pull me after it; I took an overhand swing that connected solidly. The demon hissed and yanked its arm back; I stumbled backwards.

Sten stepped into my place and thrust his sword directly through the hole in the door. I heard a squealing hiss as another fireball exploded. Sten was shoved away from the door into me. Between him and the blast wave I ended up on my back looking directly at a bird's nest tucked into a rafter.

"Stay down!" Morrigan shouted.

No problem. Sten was lying across my legs; I wasn't going anywhere yet. Morrigan's staff appeared over me followed by its owner. Morrigan oofed as it impacted something and I let out a sigh of relief as Sten rolled off my legs. I tried to roll away from Morrigan but something else grabbed me on the shoulders.

"Are you hurt?" Leliana half-shouted.

Good thing she announced herself; I was about to take a swing at her. "No! Help me up!"

"Down!" Alistair yelled.

I had no idea what he meant, so I froze. A burst of fire (exploding demon) washed over us; Leliana yelped softly and I gasped.

Neria yelled, "Get the caster!" and sent something downrange. A blaster bolt of red energy came right back her and sent her to the ground with a cry of pain.

"Help Neria!" I yelled at Leliana, but she pulled me to my feet first. I looked around. Morrigan had some kind of shield up over herself. Alistair was nowhere to be seen. Sten was on the ground, unmoving. "Shit! I'm gonna die!" I muttered and charged through the now open door. As I did I saw Alistair closing with the abomination? Demon? (I found out later they're called arcane horrors or death mages.) He set off one his Templar shockwaves and the horror staggered backwards. Alistair repeated the shockwave as he stepped into the monster and slammed it into the wall with his shield. His sword came up with beautifully timed and angled thrust; it caught the demon under the chin and came out the back of its head. Alistair recovered, backed away, and raised his shield. There was a burst of fire then room was instantly plunged into darkness except for the bit of light coming through the door.

"Alistair, you okay?"

"I'm fine. How's everybody else?"

"Neria and Sten are down."

"I'm well," Neria groaned. She was sitting up and looking pained. Whatever had hit her didn't leave a visible mark, but she grimaced as Leliana helped her to her feet. "How's Sten?"

"He is but paralyzed. He should be fine in a moment," Morrigan said.

Alistair came up beside me. "What in Andraste's name happened?"

"That thing you killed. I think it blew the door out."

"So that's what hit me."

We stepped into the light and I turned to look at him. His helmet had a nice ding in it. "You're gonna-"

"Sweet Andraste, Jeff!"

"What?"

"Oh, Maker! Jeffrey!" Leliana had been fussing over Neria, but suddenly hopped over to me. "Morrigan!"

"Wha-" I started. "Crap. How bad is it?" My head was a little sore, but the way everyone was acting had me worried.

Morrigan stepped up with a scowl. "You truly did not notice the blood running down the side of your head?"

As she healed me I heard Levi's shaky voice. "I think I'll wait with the others. Outside. Where it's safe."

"You've never heard of glowstones? Firestones?"

"I don't think so."

Alistair reached into the dead fireplace and tossed me a smoothly polished rock the size of a softball and the color of cast iron. "You heat'em in a fire and they'll glow all night. The dwarves make them, and they sell them dearly. And there's a handful here."

Neria walked up next to me. Her staff was glowing a bit too brightly. "What's in there?" She pointed to a nearby door.

I tossed the stone back to Alistair, who put it back in the fireplace. "Let's find out."

"Well, that went much better," Alistair said. He stared at the arrow sticking out of his armor.

"Well, after seeing that I think you're either a lot braver or a lot stupider than I thought you were." The knucklehead had gone directly after three undead archers and got pin cushioned for his trouble.

"It's bravery. That's why it only hurts when I breathe." Fortunately for him only one of the arrows actually did any real damage.

Neria was checking the wound impatiently. "Stop talking and hold still!"

"Shall I fetch the older boss seraboss?"

"No, I think we can handle this."

Morrigan lightly grasped the arrow's shaft. "We shall pull it out on a count of three." Also fortunate: the arrow wasn't a broadhead.

"Jeff, what's one of those swears you use?"

I picked one at random. "Gorram."

"What does that mean, anyway?"

"Stop talking!"

"I…don't know, exactly."

"One-"

"Ah! Andraste's! Flaming! Flaming! Gorram! Knickers! What happened to two and three?"

Morrigan examined the blood-tipped arrow she was holding. "I was not aware you could count that high."

Sten examined the keep's water supply. Water bubbles up and falls into a farmhouse-style sink, which in turn drains into a trough. The trough runs a few feet along the wall, and drains out through a pipe. Everything was clean. "It appears this fortress was built upon a spring. A wise decision; fresh water is a precious commodity during a siege."

"Uh, folks?" I said. "We might have a problem."

Leliana saw it, too. "These bottles. They are set up to drain."

"And the table's been cleaned. Somebody's using this room."

"Or something."

Morrigan looked around suspiciously. "I am not aware of any 'something' that needs a supply of fresh water. And washes out its bottles."

Sten had returned to the door and was watching the hallway. "Darkspawn, perhaps? You said you felt them."

Alistair shook his head. "I doubt it. There'd be signs of Taint about. I'm not sure what's going on."

"Well, whatever it is," I said as I reached for a metaphorical pair of sunglasses, "it appears to have…piqued our interest."

I got strange looks from almost everybody. But Morrigan rolled her eyes, and Leliana gave me a mean stare. "I promise you will pay for that."

"Don't touch that book" I could see flickering lights around the large book on the floor, next to where we'd taken the last demon down. The thing hadn't moved more than a few feet from where the book was, even when the mages started casting at it. And then, instead of exploding like the others, it just fizzled out in a handful of sparks.

Morrigan knelt down next to Neria and just looked at the tome. "It is touching the Fade somehow. I do not know how safe it would be for us to handle."

"Then let us not bother it."

"T'would be a prudent course. Once the tear has been dealt with we may be able to examine it at leisure."

Neria spoke up. "But most of the words are burned. I can't make anything out."

"Paper's a good insulator," I said. "We should be able to read the earlier entries. But then, when we were outside, we just had a vision." I shrugged. "Your call."

"But the tear is very close," Morrigan put in.

Neria stood up. "Let's leave it for now."

We geared back up and headed for a flight of stairs, but Leliana pulled me aside. "I thought I had told you to never speak again."

"I said I was sorry!"

We were getting close to the tear, but there was another problem.

Alistair pushed open the door at the top of the stairs, but didn't go through. "That opened way too easily." He pulled it closed again and motioned us back down the steps.

No creaking from the steps either. The dots weren't hard to connect. "Okay, there's somebody living here," I said.

"'Tis the only logical explanation."

"But with the demons?" Neria asked. "Who would walk through a room full of demons to get water?"

That was the wrong question. "Who could walk through a room full of demons just to get water?"

Neria gave me a thoughtful look. "An abomination?"

"Would an abomination need water? What about…." Ding. Now I thought I remembered. "A mage?"

"'Twould have to be a powerful one."

Neria shook her head. "Maybe a blood mage. That wouldn't be good."

"We are a formidable group. A single boss seraboss is unlikely to pose a significant challenge to us."

"A single blood mage could." Alistair looked grim. "Duncan once told me about a blood mage taking down a group of Templars."

"He told me that same story," Neria said, "right before he- Right before he recruited me."

Alistair didn't miss that but didn't respond to it, either. "But the point is a single blood mage can be dangerous to even a prepared group."

Leliana spoke up. "Perhaps if we approached him in a friendly manner…."

"I don't know. If I were a blood mage and a group of heavily armed people led by a Templar knocked at my door I don't think I'd care how friendly they were acting."

Morrigan gave Leliana that look. "I have a rare moment of agreement with him. 'A friendly manner' is a naïve thought at best."

"Morrigan!"

"'Tis true! We would be better served by having your Mabari take him an invitation for tea in the courtyard."

Leliana's voice hardened. "I was but making a suggestion."

"Then make one that is actually useful."

"Then what-"

Neria physically jumped in between the two. "Enough! Both of you! Morrigan! Do you have any useful suggestions about this blood mage?"

Morrigan stared back at Neria for a bit. "At this time, no."

Neria just stared at Morrigan for a little while. The witch returned the stare impassively. "Fine," Neria finally said. "Let's go."

Another vision: this time of a dark-haired woman in heavy armor. She cut down a man attacking her, then called to her troops. "We hold here! Make them pay for every inch!" This was Warden Commander Dryden. "Avernus!"

A mage was chanting. When his voice stopped a demon stepped through a portal into this world's past. The mage pointed, and the demon glided towards the attackers, but that wasn't enough to slow the assault.

"Avernus! We need more!"

The mage chanted in what sounded like Latin; Tevinter, maybe, and another demon crawled through realities. But this one didn't listen to its summoner; it turned and flung a young woman into a wall. Her head was crushed instantly. The demon turned and spoke to Avernus. "Blood," it chuckled. "For that I thank you." It reached behind itself and the world twisted; more demons began stepping through.

Avernus backed away. "Initiates! We are lost! Retreat to the tower." He turned and ran.

The Warden Commander spun about, her eyes wild. She shouted something, but it was lost as the past echoed away.

The flashing light that was the tear in the Veil began to strobe; closing my eyes didn't help. Turning away didn't either; it was like having a disco ball in the back of my head. "Something's happening! Probably bad!" Sorry about the Captain Obvious thing.

"I know!" Morrigan's voice was strained.

"Tethas!"

"I am ready, Sten, but the others-"

The lightless flashing stopped just as a resonant voice began speaking. "Oh, yes. There will be blood."

The light faded from my head and I, along with everybody else, turned to look at the speaker; it was a huge demon that looked as if it were made of cooling lava. It was mostly black and crusted, but there was that same glowing red peeking through the splits in its hide. It was bigger than the other demons we'd faced; it looked a bit taller than Sten. It hissed with pleasure (or maybe anticipation), and eased forward.

"Okay, we can handle this," I thought. Guys up front; the ladies in the back. (Interesting how that worked out.) It might get rough for the line, but Neria knows what's she's doing when it comes to healing. And wrecking things, too.

Alistair and I raised our shields. Leliana's bow thrummed but the arrow just took a small chip of rock off the thing. One of the mages wordlessly shouted with effort and there was a blast of cold centered on the creature. The cracks in the rock disappeared; the entire demon was a mass of cold rock and ice.

"Aside!"

Sten's voice rang from right beside me and I sensed he was coming through no matter what. I stepped into Alistair; the big guy was taking a lumberjack chop at the demon. Sten's blade smashed into the rock and shattered the area that he'd hit. Alistair and I got the hint and took our own heavy swings. More brittle, frozen rock shattered off the demon and exposed its molten body.

I'd just begun to think we weren't gonna have a problem when the demon rumbled. "You dare?" It flexed and chunks of rock split away from it. One of its arms broke free and flailed at me. I caught it square on the shield; the impact made my fillings rattle. "Aid me!" The mental disco ball flared again; I closed my eyes out of reflex and stepped back.

Sten gave another shout and I heard his sword impact again. The fade light faded just as I heard Leliana shout, "Adds ahead!" (Yeah, I've taught them that.) My thoughts at the time were a) things are going tits up faster than usual; b) I hope we can still handle this. Another burst of ice from the mages froze the demon for a few seconds, but Sten suddenly wasn't there to take advantage of it. Alistair and I did what we could, but we were just nickel-and-diming the thing and getting pushed backwards at the same time. OTOH, Leliana's bow was working overtime and the mages were alternately working on the demon and popping quick heals into me and Alistair. At that point it was a question of which side would run down first.

When the demon suddenly started backing up I had sudden flash of hope that it was running down, but that went away when there was another lightless flash. I wasn't ready for this one, either, but I didn't close my eyes. Just like in the vision demons began stepping through the tear. Sten hacked at one as it materialized, but decided coming back to the line was the better idea.

"Drink this!" A hand held a vial up to my mouth; I don't know whose it was, but I tilted my head back so it could pour the potion in. I sputtered but got most of it down. All the pain disappeared and I felt warm and sleepy until the big demon came at us again. Then it was more pounding, beating, bruising, and a very loud curse from me at one point. One of the demons reached past my shield and caught my mail. The repair job I'd been working on for the last week was ripped apart in a shower of broken links. That actually ticked me off more than the slashes I received across my front. Still hurt like hell, though. Even more than the backhand I took from the big one that slammed me into the floor.

I didn't have time to worry about getting up. Somebody grabbed me by the collar and dragged me out of the fight. "Are you well, mio amico?"

"Zev-?"

"Wynne!"

Wynne suddenly appeared in front of me and, without hesitating, ran her hands along my torso. Most of the pain disappeared, Zevran pushed me to my feet, and I dived back in, albeit a little more carefully.

Having Wynne there turned the fight in our favor. She didn't add much firepower, but she did take the healing duties away from Neria who in turn put her destructive tendencies to good use. She kept the big demon slowed so we were able to nibble away at it. While Sten covered the flank Alistair and I kept chipping away. It would lose a layer, break free, get frozen again, etc, until was small and weak enough to handle like any other normal demon.

And that's a set of words I never thought I'd use outside of a D&D game.

A/N: Thanks for your patience while waiting for this update. Real life has intruded in the form of chores, a weird situation at work, and taking the oldest back to college. But I've managed to catch up in a marathon session and will hopefully have another chapter (or maybe two) out a little quicker than usual.

As always I'd like to thank everybody out there who's reading, reviewing, faving, and alerting MoN!