While waiting for the others to return, Alistair has been very adamant in avoiding Shadow to the best of his abilities. Aedan has confronted Alistair about this, after learning of his royal lineage and their possible plan of ousting Loghain and his allies. "…and if she frightens you, you'll never last long in the courts."

"You're more into this political talk, why don't you take the crown?"

"Me? I know my family's name carries some weight, but you're directly related to King Cailan. And Ferelden has always had a Theirin on the throne, that much I remember from my tutor drilling into me. I don't think the nobles of Ferelden can handle the change all too well."

"So, do you know anything about the politics…?"

"Sorry, I was more of a fighter than a political leader. One of the many reasons why my tutor was usually scolding me. If you want help on the political landscape, you'll need to rely on the Arl for that. So, what did she do to you?"

Alistair looked away, "I…I'd rather not say."

Shadow turned the corner and found the two of them. "I can always find you two horsing around. Spend much more time together and Oghren might think the two of you are…"

Aedan stopped her, "Please, I don't need that dwarf having weird imaginings of my love life. I'll assume you're just wandering the castle again."

"Yes and no. I've heard that someone spotted a strange group heading our way and figured that they finally got the elves and are returning.

"Good," Alistair turned toward the front gate, "We can go to Ostagar soon…"

Shadow remembered being unable to save that poor soldier and the proposition to recover their fallen king's arms. "Do you think Deesh would be willing to let us since we now know how to save the Arl?"

"We'll just have to find out."

The villagers of Redcliffe were enamored to see their heroes returning, knowing that their arl would soon be cured of his ailment. Even if they had not acquired it yet, it wouldn't be long before this nightmare can be completely put behind them.

In the castle's courtyard the rest of their merry band was waiting for their return. Kallian slightly joked with Theron, "So how was the woods?"

Deesh pushed forward, "Fine."

Faren looked over, "Yeah, wonderful, if you don't mind talking trees, madmen and werewolves."

Theron moved forward, "Ignore him. What's important is that we've managed to gain the support of the clans. Runners have been dispatched to find the other clans so that they can gather the warriors."

"Good, because now we're returning to Ostagar before heading to Haven."

Deesh questioned this idea, "And for what reason should we return to that retched field?"

Aedan promptly noted, "Because we've heard that Cailan's arms could be recovered. And if we could that would be a significant boost for us to say that we returned to lay our fallen king to rest and to recover his equipment."

Theron and Morrigan looked to one another as Theron made a suggestion, "If we're going to do this then some of us should go ahead to scout the area. See if it's as bad as some fear." Deesh didn't like this plan, though Theron was quick to whisper to her, "There's another reason too…I'll explain in few company…"

Deesh glanced over to find Morrigan seeming eager to hear the discussion, though she masked it from the others well enough. "Very well. If we send a scouting party they'll need to be few in number and able to move quickly without drawing attention. And this Haven?"

"The place where we'll find the ashes of Andraste that'll hopefully cure Eamon."

Shadow stopped them, "Though before we go any further I have a few things I need to…talk about. Well one thing to talk about," Shadow grabbed her helmet, "Me," pulling it off her head to reveal her face.

The first noticeable thing beside her frost green fur was a slightly protruding snout. It wasn't anything like Deesh's, though it was still visible from her sides. She adjusted her forest emerald green hair over her shoulder, prominently displaying the silver strip that ran off center though it. Her eyes were similar to Deesh's reptilian eyes with the vertical pupils, though unlike her solid colored iris, Shadow's eyes actual had sclera surrounding her round blood ruby irises. Her ears were just like those of a horse, though they had spiky tuffs of hair near the tip as they both flopped down to her sides like a sad pup.

Part of her cloak suddenly moved against the breeze on its own before it unfurled partly to show off her large bat-like wings as they readjusted themselves around her shoulders, a large claw-like spike on each hooking around a shoulder piece.

After the initial shock of finally seeing under her helmet, Neria was the first to finally say something, "So…you're a horse…human…bat…thing…?"

Alistair let out a big sigh as he whispered, "Thank the Maker," finally able to rest easier after all of the fun Shadow has had at his expense to keep her secret.

"I think the word you're looking for is Thestral…" Shadow's ears perked for a moment, though obviously none of them knew what that was as her ears fell back down. "Well that's a word that keep coming to me. So just to put it simply then…a bat horse."

Daylen looked her over again, "So then the…human aspect…"

"I'm not sure. Though then again being revived with little to no memories of my past doesn't help," Shadow's gazing at her Ghost.

Shade's shell spun around rather quickly, "Hey, it was a miracle that I was able to bring you back before being swarmed by the Fallen. No gratitude for risking my Light."

Shadow still swatted at Shade, "At least there was this lying around close by," poking at her staff, "Though, I can't help but feel like there's something familiar about it…"

"Well it does somewhat resemble that tattoo on your…" Alistair quickly shutting himself up.

Shade turned to Shadow, "You know, that mark has always been a curiosity to me too. It's not a tattoo, and it's definitely not a birth mark."

"Shut it…" Shadow looking ready to slice the little ball of light.

"SO, that's what you saw, you sly dog you…" Oghren elbowing Alistair with his horny grin.

Shadow turned to them, "So long as none of you try doing the same stunt Cayde did when I first arrived on the Tower. Seriously, a carrot and a steak."

Deesh however didn't seem interested, or at least she wasn't showing it. "So what?" Everyone turned to her. "Does this change anything for us? You are still Shadow the stranger with advanced weaponry and stranger magic to me. Now we simply know what lies underneath your helm. Personally I couldn't care less. I myself have tried to avoid unnecessary exposure, but you don't see me grandstanding about my visage."

Shadow scoff, "Now you're just taking all of the fun out of big reveals."

Deesh snarled, "A 'big reveal' would be uncovering the secrets of a plan decades in the making, a solution to end racial tensions between man, elf and beastfolk, a means in which end the monotonous need that humans have over coin. This is just an eye catcher that will become common sight soon enough, just as I have to this group."

Shadow stopped her, "And the other humans," pointing to one of the castle windows where a servant quickly moved away, "Didn't think about them, did you?"

"I have," pulling her tail in, "And I have nothing to say to them."

"Be that as it may there will be a time where it may matter." Shade manage to stop this before it escalated further, "So why not just pick the scout party and get underway. I'm sure we'd all feel better when we're back on the road murdering monsters again."

Quite a few of Hermaeus' eyes turned to Sanguine, "You knew about this abomination."

A few tentacles were about to try to wrap around Sanguine, but the Daedric Prince easily stopped them. "I may prefer the easy road, but I do occasionally do work to find a new champion. And while I did know about the horse business, but despite that she is one of the more interesting of their bunch. And besides it was also to keep Sheogorath happy."

The Mad God however was nowhere to be seen at the moment, off and about as is his usual. A talon ripped into the space as it created a small rift that Sheogorath walked through. "Ah, that was relaxing."

"Well as relaxing as it ever gets with the two of us in one plane of existence. Though try to remember to call first. I do have my Tuesday tea time to think about."

"Right, different time zones and dates and all that. I'll send Haskill over beforehand next time." Sheogorath grabbed his cane as the portal closed as he moved on to look over to what was happening with their champ, "Oh, she's a horsey! Someone's been messing with comic powers again, and it wasn't me!"

After they were significantly ahead of the team, Deesh finally stopped the scout party. "Now explain what is happening before any darkspawn find us."

Theron turned to Faren and Zevran, "Alright, but you two have to promise you didn't hear any of this or mention it around Morrigan."

"Ha, like the witch has any hold on me?"

Zevran warned Faren, "You may have some resistance to her magic, but a lightning bolt will still roast you and your facial hairs my stout grungy friend."

"Not if a dagger gets to her first."

Theron was serious, and the two managed to calm down from the joking. "Morrigan found a rather uneasy truth. You know of Flemeth, or at least her legend. Morrigan found that Flemeth has been able to survive the ages by jumping bodies. Going from her older self into one of her 'daughters' that she had trained personally to better accommodate herself quickly to a new body."

Deesh sneered, "And now that she knows, Morrigan wishes to break the cycle by having us remove Flemeth permanently. And she could not be present less she risks being possessed during the battle."

"Exactly… I know this is risky but…"

"But say no more," Zevran smirked, "We would gladly aid in bringing down the legendary Flemeth."

Deesh looked back to him, "That's rather altruistic of you…"

"Oh you are mistaken. To have Morrigan owe us a favor is more than reward enough." That was more like what she was expecting from the assassin.

Faren was getting sick of all of the dirt and snow. "So how much further before we finally get to this old hag?"

Deesh stuck three arrows into the ground, "Not far. We should reach her hut before the others find this marker."

As the group cut through the swamp the area around the hut was eerily untouched by the Blight or the darkspawn. And not far from her hut, Flemeth was waiting. "And so you return." She looked to Deesh and Theron in particular, "Lovely Morrigan has at last found someone willing to dance to her tune. Such enchanting music she plays, wouldn't you say?"

Deesh stepped forward, "Then who's tune should we be dancing to?"

"Why dance at all? Why not sing?" laughing manically at the situation. "What has Morrigan told you, hmmm? What little plan has she hatched this time?"

Flemeth was no fool and Deesh and Theron knew it from when they first met her. So instead of dancing around the subject they went straight to the point. "She knows how you extend your unnatural lifespan."

"That she does. The question is, do you? Ahhh, but it is an old, old story. One that Flemeth has heard before…and even told." She smiled to Theron, "Let us skip right to the ending, shall we? Do you slay the old wretch as Morrigan bids? Or does the tale take a different turn?"

Deesh was willing to hear the witch out, though with caution. "And what is your proposition?"

"Morrigan wishes my grimoire? Take it as a trophy. Tell her I am slain."

"And you?"

"I go. Perhaps I surprise Morrigan one day…or I may simply watch. It would be interesting to see what she does with her freedom. Enlightening, even. Would you give an old woman that?"

Theron looked to Deesh, "You think she will believe that?"

"We believe what we want to believe. It's all we ever do."

Theron looked to Deesh again, who simply left the decision to him. Theron thought about it for a time before answering Flemeth, "No. forget it."

"Shame. What will it be, then?"

Theron got his bow ready, "The original reason we came here."

"It is a dance poor Flemeth knows well. Let us see if she remembers the steps." Flemeth moved toward a clearing nearby, "Come. She will earn what she takes. I'd have it no other way." Flemeth surprised them by not only being a shapeshifter, but with the ability to turn into a dragon a feat Morrigan has never demonstrated.

Unlike Alduin or any other dragon that Deesh had dealt with in Skyrim, this beast had four legs and wings, a long neck covered in spiky scales, two sets of bull-like horns that swept back and three spines on her whip-like tail.

Deesh pulled out a very unusual shield from her bag that was considerably different from the one she normally carried. It had a bronze feel to it with a large gem at the center though it looked like she was carrying it the wrong way, though the handle was clearly on the more pronounced side and its front opening out toward the enemy. "Theron, keep your distance and put as many arrows into her wings to keep her ground. Zevran, Faren, the legs. I'll draw her fire." Deesh tossed her bag down, leaving her deepstalkers behind with Theron.

Flemeth attacked Deesh with fire as expected however the shield she was using was creating a bubble around Deesh that was absorbing Flemeth's fire. Faren and Zevran weren't going to miss the opening Deesh was giving them and Theron easily garnered her attention when his arrows started to make holes in her wings. Deesh quickly retain her attention when she threw an ice spear into Flemeth's shoulder. Flemeth tried to burn Deesh again but her shield continued to protect her. Flemeth didn't continue for much longer as Zevran and Faren both started to stab away into her calves.

Kallian and Alistair were both walking through the remains of the soldiers camp that had burned or were torn to ribbons. Jigsaw sniffed around, though even he seemed rather depressed by the scene. Kallian rubbed Jigsaw's back, "I can't imagine this being pretty."

"'Twas not." Morrigan looked to a nearby tree, "The maddening screams as the few living were dragged under 'twas considerably loud. I did find it curious what the darkspawn had planned, but the broodmother answered many of those questions."

Aedan was trying to find any signs of his brother, Fergus. "And we're sure that your friends are still in the area?"

"I think so." Shadow pulled out three arrows from the ground, handing them to Leliana. "These aren't covered in snow and I don't think arrows fall straight down around here."

From over the snowbank a genlock spotted them as it and more darkspawn rushed to attack. Oghren slammed his battle axe, "At least they left a few of the beasties for us to play with."

The arrows were doing their job, Flemeth's wings had too many holes in the membrane to give proper lift, not that she had tried to take off during the fight beforehand. Even without flight, her dragon form was still a formidable one. Zevran had broken a dagger while trying to break through the scales and Faren was sent flying into the muck by a kick though he was trying to waddle his way back.

Deesh has been spraying Flemeth's underbelly in an icy blasts whenever she wasn't using her shield to protect against her fiery wrath. Theron focused his arrows now against Flemeth's face, trying to draw her attention away from Deesh again.

It worked as Deesh moved underneath Flemeth and drew upon Dragonbane and cut her open from underneath. The blade's unnatural thirst for dragon's blood, and it would seem that the dragons of Thedas satisfy this blade's demand as Flemeth reeled from the blade effortlessly cutting through her underbelly.

Zevran cupped his hands, "Need a lift?"

Deesh used the boost to get onto Flemeth's back, digging into her scales to get a good grip as Flemeth tried to shake Deesh off. Deesh was able to climb further up to one of her spines to use as leverage before driving Dragonbane into her spine.

The spikes covering Flemeth's dragon neck were great at deterring anyone from trying to traverse it, however now that Deesh was at the base of her neck she could not turn back to burn her off and Deesh could easily move back to avoid her claws that reached back to grab her. Deesh wasn't finished as she yelled, "Mul…Qah Diiv!" The ethereal dragon spines appeared all over Deesh now as she continued to hold on to use another of her shouts. "Krii…Lun Aus!" Whatever magic Deesh was using seemed to be causing Flemeth even more pain now, but the Argonian continued to hold onto the spine as she was ready to use another shout. "Gaan…Lah Haas!" Whatever Deesh was doing seemed to be working as Flemeth was doing everything in her power to try and get Deesh off short of rolling around in the swamp.

There was a loud booming roar that came from the east as the others stopped. Oghren looked rather annoyed, "Ah, they found something big ta kill, and I'm not helping!"

Daylen looked down to the dwarf, "We're fighting darkspawn, any bandit bold or stupid enough to attack us, and you're complaining that you're not getting any action against something that could probably squish you without much effort?"

"How about I knock you down to my level and we'll see who goes squish first!"

"I can help with that. Free of charge," Shale knocking Daylen over by purposefully walking into him.

Leliana fired another arrow that struck down a darkspawn before it alerted others, "Well whatever they're fighting we won't have to worry about."

Deesh pulled Dragonbane out of Flemeth's skull, ensuring that she had truly fallen. Deesh found it curious that the shapeshifter was not reverting back to her original for though if she learned anything from the legends about the Witch of the Wilds she was far from finished with her plans whatever they may be. Within one of Flemeth's claws was a key, a key that unlocked a chest within her hut. The chest contained Flemeth's real grimoire and a set of clothing that almost mirrored Morrigan's ensemble of an outfit.

Theron turned to Deesh, "What should we do with this?"

Deesh looked over the suit, finding the material to be rather resilient. She even went through a few pages of the grimoire. "It may be better than her current attire. Though I would speak to her about it when you present the tomb."

Faren finally managed to drag himself out of the muck to join the others, "Great, we won and no one died. Now can we get out of here?"

Deesh moved on, "Now we find the others and see how far they've managed to cut into darkspawn territory."

A/N: I know Flemeth doesn't jump around all that much in her dragon form or fly, but it is still a concern in general with a high dragon. Spellbreaker is a pretty situational shield but still a good shield.