Day 1

Trotting towards the head of the group, we head out across the bridge and hear Cullen call for the gates to be lowered as we cross under it. Our party heads northwest, following a path which, according to Nevan's report, should have been buried by snow by now due to lack of activity in the area. With the curious appearance of the path, I tell the others to stay alert. We break close to mid-day just outside of Rainesfere and hand distribute the meager rations that were given to us before me left. The kitchen staff sent with us loaves of stale bread from Haven along with salted meats and a few hunks of cheese which they somehow expected to last us until we made it to the coast at least two weeks from now. Normally, we'd carry some coin with us to purchase supplies or food along the way but, with half of our collected income buried beneath the snow and rubble, we're a bit limited with whatever coin we have on us which, aside from possibly Dorian, I expect isn't very much.

Taking a seat between Dorian and Nevan, Cassandra hands me some bread and salted meat before sitting down a little way from us. From the corner of my eye, I notice Blackwall staring at Dorian who, taking notice himself, lets out an annoyed sigh. "Can I help you?"

"I was looking at your hair."

"Why?" Dorian raises a brow. "I can tell you now that it wouldn't be a good look for you."

Blackwall shrugs. "I was curious how you have time to style it like that. I imagine it takes a fair amount of time to do and we're always on the go."

At this point, most of us have taken mild interest is this strange conversation and now look over at Dorian. "Your point?" He sneers. "I obviously take pride in my personal appearance. It takes time to look presentable. By the way you look, I imagine you've ever seen a comb." He wrinkles his nose as he looks him over. "Or soap for that matter."

Blackwall shoots him a glare and glances at me to see if I'm going to interfere but I just shrug. I have to give him credit for trying but I'm curious to see them work it out themselves. He exhales before turning his gaze back to Dorian. "So, how do you do it then, Dorian? Magic?"

"No. With proper hygiene and grooming." Dorian smirks. "Perhaps the three of you should get acquainted!"

Blackwall grunts as he stands. "Nevermind. I give up."

"Yes. We can all smell that you already have."

Blackwall scowls at him before he turns to me. "I'll tend to the horses until we're ready to head out again." As he stomps off towards the horses, I nudge Dorian.

"Can you at least try to be nice to him?" I sigh. "It's a long journey and if you two keep bickering, I fear Cassandra might kick you off a cliff."

"It's crossed my mind, once or twice." Cassandra sneers.

"I have!" He counters. "I've tried to be nicer about addressing the issue with him but nothing seems to get through to the huge brute!"

"Maybe try not calling him a huge brute, for starts."

Both of us turn to look at Nevan who doesn't look up from the ground as he takes a bite of his bread. When he doesn't say anything else, I turn back to face him. "If it'll make you stop antagonizing him, I'll have him bathe once we find a suitable place. What say you?"

He eyes me for a moment before sighing. "Fine. I'll even pitch in and let him use one of my soaps."

"Fantastic!" I mutter, rising. Brushing the crumbs from my lap, I round up my little party and we return to our horses.

No more than an hour after we had returned to the path, the wind began to pick up and the sun seemed to vanish behind the gathering grey clouds. Cassandra, coming up to ride alongside Nevan and I, motioned to the skies ahead of us with her chin. "Looks like there's a storm coming this way." She comments. "Perhaps we should try to make it to Rainesfere before the storm gets too bad."

My brows draw together as I tried to recall the tiny town that I had seen marked on the map when Cassandra had pointed it out to a few days prior. Seeing my thoughtful expression, she points out into the distance ahead of us. "It's the small town where our path intersects with the imperial highway." She explains.

"Is there an inn?" I ask. Hearing the mention of a possible lodging that wasn't a tent in the cold, I see Dorian perk up from the corner of my eye. Cassandra nods.

"It's not much but it would serve as a good place to rest for the night, if it came to it."

"I don't know if I have a say in this but I vote for it." Dorian says from beside me. "As lovely as this Ferelden weather is, I would very much like to sleep in an actual building again."

I chuckle as Cassandra rolls her eyes before shooting me an expectant look. "Well?"

"Sounds good to me." I nod. "Rainesfere it is."

Half an hour after we declared to make it to the inn, the wind grew stronger and had progressed into the beginning of a snow storm. We ride against the icy winds that made our cloaks flap around behind us as the path ahead of us retreated into the foggy whiteness that envelopes us.

Feeling the fatigue beginning to set it, I cast a glance back at the others. Dorian – the one always preaching about what horrible posture we all have— is beginning to slouch in his saddle while I notice the others beginning to look haggard as well as they battle against the increasingly heavy winds, snow clings to their hair and clothes. Feeling Nevan shivering behind me, I frown. "Cassandra!" I call out, hoping she'll hear me over the loud wind. "Cassandra!"

Raising her arm to guard her from the icy wind and snow, she looks over at me. "This storm is getting bad!" She calls back to me. "We should make camp! We're not going to make it to the inn!"

I squint at her through the wind snow blowing against my face and nod. "That's what I was about to suggest." I yell. "We passed what looked like a barn about a quarter of a mile back. Whether its abandoned or not, we can try to stay the night there or at least until this storm blows over."

As it becomes harder to see the way ahead of us, Cassandra and I motion for the others to follow suit and make our way back. As we draw near the barn, which looks as though its seen better days, I motion for Blackwall to ahead to check to see if its occupied.

He trots ahead of us and the stark black color of his cloak is barely visible ahead of us. Coming to a stop before the doors, I lean over to grab his horse's reins as he draws his sword and shield and enters the old building while we sit and wait. Shifting stiffly in the saddle, I crane my next to look at Nevan. His light brown hair blows across his face, barely concealing his slate grey eyes as he looks up at me. "How are you holding up?" I call to him, a frown tugging at the corners of my mouth as I notice the blue tinge of his lips. "Are you alright?" His teeth chatter but he gives me a brief nod.

Relief floods through me when I turn to face forward once more to see Blackwall return, pushing the doors open so we can head inside. "All clear, Herald." He calls to me as he comes to grab his horse's reins.

Once inside, Nevan stiffly slips down from the saddle; the poor thing shaking like a leaf. Frowning, I dismount and glance around me, rubbing my gloved hands together to warm them while Blackwall gets the horses situated in the stalls and the other two close the doors behind us. "Blackwall." His head turns toward me as he hears his name. "When you were checking for dangers, did you see some way to make a fire?"

"Not in here." He replies. "Perhaps the cottage will have a fireplace?"

My brows furrow. "What cottage?"

Motioning for me to follow, he leads me toward the back and the door. Sure enough, hidden away behind the barn is a tiny cottage that, unlike the barn, looks mostly intact. "Did you check to see if it's safe?" I ask, looking up at the chimney which has no smoke coming from it.

"Not sure. I haven't checked it yet."

Unsheathing my sword, I motion to it with my chin. "Let's go. The sooner we can get a fire going, the sooner we can eat and warm ourselves up. Hopefully by tomorrow, we'll be able to head out once more."

When we approach the door of the cottage, Blackwall quickly knocks, calling out over the wind to see if anybody is home. The door, which seems to have been forced, opens easily which makes us grip our weapons. Blackwall readies his shield before he pushes the door open with his should. The heavy wind catches it and it swings violently inward, crashing against the inner wall with a loud bang. We wait in the doorway with baited breath, expecting somebody or something to rush out of the connected adjoining room but nothing happens. We inch our way inward, glancing around the room which is mostly clean save some splintered wood from a broken chair in the corner and hay strewn around. Nudging Blackwall I motion toward the side where a stone hearth sits, an over turned pot sticking out amongst the ashes. "At least we'll be able to have a fire." I comment. He nods and carefully steps around the small table and chairs toward the door to the adjoining room. I stay where I am, my sword raised in preparation as I watch him disappear into the little room. When he returns, he sheaths his sword.

"All clear." He announces. "You can go get the others while I'll try to get a fire started."

Sheathing my own weapon, I pull my fur lined cloak closer around me and retrieved the others, Cassandra and I taking our packs, heavy canvas and bedrolls from where they're strapped to the horses. I return moments later and drop the stuff onto the dust floor before Cassandra and I work on setting up our designated sleeping area. We lie the heavy canvas out on the floor near the hearth and arand the furs and bedrolls on top. Nevan, still shivering, picks up a chair from the floor and sits near the table, his arms moving over his arms to warm himself as he quietly watches us. Blackwall is still kneeling beside the hearth, muttering a curse every so often as he tries to get the fire started. Frowning, I glance over at Dorian and motion toward Blackwall. "Go help him out."

He casts a quick glance at the warden before raising a brow at me. "And ruin his chances of showing how much of a big man he is? Perish the thought!"

I sigh, motioning towards Nevan as I lower my voice. "Come on Dorian. The poor kid is freezing."

Seeing Nevan, he sighs and rises from his seat. "Fine." As he walks over to help Blackwall, Cassandra sets our pack with our food on the table and begins rationing the night's food in our tin plates. While everybody does what they need to, I take a wobbly seat across from Nevan and take a moment to relax. Taking notice of me watching her, she slides a plate over to me. "Hopefully the storm will die down and we'll be able to make it to Gherlen's Pass tomorrow."

I shrug in response and bite a chunk off my bread as men return to the table, a fire now happily crackling away. From the way they distance themselves from each other, I can only assume that Dorian has made another comment about Blackwall's hygiene and they are once more quarreling. Aside from the occasional jib from the two, supper is quiet. "I'll take first shift." I say, pushing my plate towards the middle of the table.

"I'll take second." Cassandra says, placing her plate on top of mine. "I'll relieve you at mid-night." Rising from her seat, she wishes us goodnight before walking over to her bedroll and starts getting ready for bed. She's then followed by Dorian and then Blackwall while Nevan remains seated across from me. I cock my head to the side. "You should get some sleep, Nevan." I say, gently. "If the weather allows us to continue, it'll be a long ride."

He tears his gaze away from the three figures sprawled out on the canvas to look at me. Much to my relief, the color had returned to his face and his lips have returned to their natural shade. "Are you not going to sleep?" He asks.

I shake my head. "Not for a while. While everybody else sleeps, I'll stay awake to keep an eye out and tend the fire until Cassandra takes my place."

His brows draw together. "Aren't you tired? Surely you should sleep as well."

Touched by his concern, I offer him a small smile. "I am tired but this is how things are done when we travel. When Cassandra takes my place later, I will sleep."

He frowns. "Should I stay awake with you?" He asks. "I imagine staying up for hours without somebody to talk to is dull."

"That's alright, Nevan." I chuckle, motioning towards the others as Blackwall lets out a snore. "Get some rest. I shall see you in the morning."

He casts a wary glance at the others and then, after a couple moments of reassuring that he is safe, he finally lies down on his bedroll. As he rolls over, I lean back in my chair and rest my legs on the corner of the table, and watch the flames as they crackle and pop in the hearth. For the longest time, I kept my gaze trained on fire so I could quickly get up to stoke it at the earliest sign of it going out. As I watched, the fatigue slowly began to sink in and I felt myself slipping from the consciousness until finally my eyes shut and the waking world melted away.

I was sitting in a garden, surrounded by beautiful flowers and other assorted greenery encased in stone. The air was fragrant with a floral aroma and I walk over to a small arrangement of red roses, touching the velvety petals as I inhale. I smile to myself as I feel an arm encircle my waist and a hand reach up to swipe my hair to the side. I bite my lip, shivers running up my spine as I feel the light stubble as the man kisses down along my neck. "You look absolutely enticing, my love." He mutters. "I would lift your skirts and have you here and now if we weren't out in the open."

My brow furrows as I hear the deep foreign accent, punctuating their loving and lewd compliment with a light kiss behind my ear. I turn in his arms and come to look at the man who looks almost like Cullen only with short, auburn hair and piercing blue eyes. He smiles at me and, regardless of the strangeness of all of this, I feel my heart skip a beat. Seeing my confused expression, his handsome face falls as he brings a hand up to my cheek. "What's wrong?" He asks. Everything about this – the scenery, his accent, the way he looks – seems so familiar yet so new to me.

"You're not Cullen." I mutter, more to myself than him. "You look like him… and yet at the same time you don't."

"Are you alright, darling?" He asks again, his voice sounding more like Cullen yet still with the hint of the familiar accent.

"I don't know." I frown, glancing around me. "This all seems so… familiar." I turn to face the man. "Where am I?"

His smile returns as his runs his thumb across my cheek. "You're at home in Ostwick."

"Ostwick." I repeat, looking around. "This is where I'm from?"

"Of course. What's gotten into you?" He frowns, once more. "Do you need a physician?"

This has to be a dream. How else would I have returned when I recently was still in the Frostbacks? I shake my head. If this is a dream, I might as well enjoy it.

Smiling, I step forward and wrap my arms around his neck. "I am." I mutter, brushing my lips against his. "How about we back up a little. What was that about lifting my skirts?"

He grins and just as he's about to speak, a woman shrieks off in the distance. Immediately, my head snaps in the direction of the sounds which come from inside the palace. "Help me!" I hear a woman's voice cry. A large green beacon of light shoots upward into the sky from the center and shifts, turning the crumbling stone from the fortress is lazy circles overhead.

Tearing away from my lover, I pick up my shirts and run up the stairs to the platform before bursting through the doors. My dress starts to deteriorate, scarps of fabric falling off before floating away, carried by a mysterious wind that had suddenly rushed in from behind me. Afraid I'd be left standing in just my small clothes, I look down to see my normal armor, boots and cloak. I reach back and grasp the stave of my bow. Pulling it off my back, I run down the long, fancy corridor. As I draw closer to the shrieks, I glance at the numerous bodies stacked on either side of the hallway. The closer I get to the shrieking, the more bodies I see and the more familiar the bodies become.

Glancing up, I skid to a stop as the giant door from Redcliffe Castle looms ahead. The expensive rug beneath me shifts and I fall back, my hands sinking into wet fabric. Reflexively, I lift my hand up and my eyes widen as I glance at the red substance I know far too well. The hallway melts away and I'm once more in Redcliffe Castle looking up in horror at the door, a pale green light seeping through the cracks as something bangs against it. Shaking my head, I try to scramble backwards when I touch something. My head swivels around and my heart lurches into my throat. Piled behind me are the bodies of my companions and advisors. On the very top, looking at me with his unseeing eyes is Cullen. "No." I whisper, shaking my head. "No, no, no!" I crawl away, the banging growing louder and more violent as I sit beside a pillar and pull my knees up to my chest. "No." I repeat over and over, trying to block everything out when I hear the loud, disdainful voice of Corypheus echo through the hall.

You have failed them. You have failed everyone.

I shake my head. "Shut up!" I scream, tears streaming down my face. The door bursts open and just as demons begin pouring in, I feel myself being pulled back.

My breathing is shallow as my eyes fly open. My heart is still racing as I quickly glance around me, checking to make sure I'm not still at Redcliffe Castle. Much to my relief, my companions are still sleeping soundly on the canvas and the fire continues to crackle away happily. I begin to let out an exhale when I hear a voice from the shadows.

"You were at Redcliffe Castle again."

Immediately, my legs drop from the table and I draw my dagger, my eyes scanning the darkness. "Show yourself." I growl.

Cole casually strolls toward me, his face drawn into his usual thoughtful expression. "You saw your past and the future."

Breathing a sigh of relief, I sheath my dagger and slump back in my chair. "Maker… you shouldn't sneak up on somebody like that!" As I say this, I immediately remember that he didn't ride with us. Was this a trick? I keep my hand on the pommel of my dagger, my eyes narrowing at him. "What are you doing here, Cole? We left you at the fortress."

"I rode with Blackwall." He says, pointing to the hulking form or his bedroll. "I want to help."

"Impossible." I state, straightening as I shake my head. "I never saw you on any of the horses the entire ride nor when we stopped to eat."

"I made you forget."

Questions, one after another, swirled around my mind. "Forget? How—"

"You were screaming in your sleep." He cuts me off. "No! Stop! Shut up!" He looks shyly down at his boots. "I pulled you out."

"Pulled me out of where?" I ask, my heart rate speeding up. "And if I was screaming, why didn't they wake up?" I motion to the others who still seem undisturbed. If it wasn't for the occasional snore, I would have thought they were dead.

He shrugs. "I kept them asleep."

My gaze darkens. "What do you mean you kept them asleep? Are you a mage?" I grip my dagger firmly.

"I'm no mage." Passively, he walks past me and looks at the table before sitting down on top.

Recalling the scene I saw moments before I woke, I feel my breath catch. "Are you a demon?"

He thinks for a moment before shaking his head, his pale blonde hair moving across his face. "No." He pauses. "Not that I know of at least."

I snort. "Not that you know of?" He shakes his head and I relax and release my dagger. "Have you eaten?"

He shakes his head. "I don't need to eat." He says, plaintively. His gaze shifts to the others. "I don't need to sleep either."

My brows draw together. "That's odd. What is that?" I frown. "How are you still alive?"

He shrugs. We talking for a while until Cassandra finally begins to stir. I say something Cole before turning my attention to her as she strolls over, rubbing the sleep that still clung to her eyes. She stretches then looks at me. "Who were you talking to?" She asks, her voice thick with sleep.

"I was just talking to…" I begin, turning to find him gone once more. My brows knit together and I turn to see her expectant look. I shake my head. "Just myself apparently." I mutter. "Sleep well?"

Getting a groan in response, I rise from my seat and wish her a goodnight before lying down on her recently vacated bedroll.

With the images of my nightmare still rolling around in my subconscious, I don't sleep. Instead, I pass the hours until sunrise distracting myself with random thoughts, starting with the curious boy that showed up at Haven.

Every conversation and encounter with Cole is odd. Try as I might, I tried to conjures the image of his riding behind Blackwall the whole way here but find myself getting a headache and no answers. Who is this kid and where did he come from? Was I just losing my mind after these constant traumas? Can't be. I hear the low voice say in the back of my mind. Cullen saw and spoke to him. If I'm going mad, so is he.

The very thought of the Commander waiting for me back at Skyhold did fill me with joy but also a hint of frustration combined with desperation. What's his deal? He seems like he wants to take that next step and lay with me yet, when the time comes, he's always pushing me away. I let out a long exhale. Hopefully when I return, things will begin to change.

Day 2

At sunrise, Cassandra rouses my companions and I. The men grumble as they take a seat at the small table while Cassandra and Nevan eat in silence. Picking apart my own bread, I casually glance around me wondering of Cole is going to reappear once more. Spotting me, Cassandra's gaze narrows.

"Is everything alright?" She asks. The others turn to look at me expectantly which I respond with a nod.

"I think I may actually miss this place." I sigh.

"It's definitely a step up from a tent." I hear Dorian mutter under his breath. Once we finish eating, Nevan collects the bedrolls while Dorian and I pack up the canvases and rejoin Cassandra and Blackwall in the barn. When we arrive, they lead out the horses and strap the supplies to the backs before climbing up into their saddles. As the other three wait for us, I turn to Nevan. "Take off your cloak." I say, earning a confused look. Removing my cloak pin, I take off my fur-lined cloak and wait as he slowly unfastens his. I see his cheeks redden as the other three watch us, curiously. Once he takes his off, I take his cloak and hand him my own. "Put it on."

His brows draw together as he looks up at me, shaking his head. "No, I can't. This is yours." He says, holding my cloak out to me. Throwing his around my shoulders, I fasten my cloak pin.

"Yes, you can. My cloak is a little warmer than yours and I saw how much you were shaking last night." As I say this, his cheeks redden and I offer him a smile. "Hey. That's nothing to be ashamed of. We had no idea that there was going to be a storm like that. Had we known, I would have ensured that you were given a thicker cloak to stay warm." I motion to the fabric in his hand. "Go on. Put it on. We're not leaving until you do."

As he throws it around him and fumbles with the clasp on his pin, I walk over to the barn doors and push them open. The sun is just starting to appear over the horizon, casting the snowy scenery in a pale pink and gold light. I walk over to my horse and pull myself up into the saddle.

I glance over at Nevan who gives a small sound of triumph before he starts toward me. "Close the doors, will you." I say, motioning with my chin. He does as he's told and pulls the doors shut, one at a time, before jogging over to me. I motion for the others to start without me while I hold out a hand and help pull Nevan up to his usual position behind me. "Ready?" I ask him. His arms encircle my waist before nodding in response. I turn to face forward, and tap the horse's flanks with the heels of my boots and we start forward after the others.