AN: Hello my lovelies! Life has been crazy the past two weeks but I wanted to get this to you all before it was 2+ weeks without an update. I promise to respond to all of your lovely comments and questions next chapter - you have no idea how wonderful it's been to hear from you all.

This fic now has around 300 followers so it's all thanks to you, I am so very humbled by your support.

All the best!

~Voi

Solas woke up to utter carnage.

Bodies, too many to count, lay strewn around the field, pale forms all but glowing in the moonlight. But the blood glowed too, and the stickiness with which it clung to his hands, up his arms and mouth, turned his stomach.

The tang of iron on his lips made him nauseous, and he staggered away, vision still clouded by this nightmare made reality. It was more luck than actual direction that found him at the water's edge, ankle deep in a river so cold it nearly burned.

Good, but not quite good enough.

He sank to his knees in haste, hands cupping the precious liquid so that he might use it to clean the mess from his body. With each frigid handful he felt himself grow a little bit less bloody, but that did not necessarily mean he felt any cleaner.

Shivering now, from the water, from the horror that continued to mount, Solas forced himself to remain where he was. And though he tried, his attempts to clear the muddied state of his mind seemed in vain.

No matter how many times he blinked there was no forgetting those images. One in particular remained as stark and damning as ever, and it was this one he found himself returning to over and over again.

Sleek white form, broken horns, those familiar dark eyes. The female halla from before, the one who had flirted with danger not several weeks earlier. Gone, dead.

His fault, his responsibility.

From just beyond her prone body he had watched helplessly as her young, twin fawns, bleated piteously over the too-still form of their mother.

He returned to reality with a shudder and found his hands devoid of blood, almost blue from the cold. But even then they remained bloodied in his mind, bright red with his guilt. No amount of scrubbing would make them clean again.

"Solas?"

Her presence surprised him, startled him, and he looked up to find the night long gone, the day bathed in the golden glow of sunlight. He sighed when he felt the warm press of her fingers against his chilled skin, felt his heart shudder in relief that she did not shy away from him.

"Are you unwell?" She touched the back of her hand to his brow, easing the deep lines with her tenderness, "You seem most pale."

And when he remained silent, she gently turned his head one way and then the other, examining him for injury. It was only then that Solas realized he was nowhere near that icy stream, was actually back at his cottage in the middle of the forest, surrounded by trees on all sides.

There was no death to be found, no killing field full of bodies.

He had fallen asleep, and that nightmarish scene had been just that, a nightmare.

"Solas?" Lavellan knelt so that she could look him in the eye, and touched his cheek. "You're trembling."

Despite her concern, Solas' lips curved into the smallest of smiles, "My apologies."

"I did not mention it so that you might apologize for it." She protested, her expression of exasperation, "I am worried for you."

He reached down so that he might lace hand with her own, savoring the way they fit so perfectly together.

"I know." He said, pressing a soft kiss upon her fingertips, "I am thankful for it, you cannot know how deeply, but I am."

And when she made no protest, he tried his luck, leaning forward as he cupped her face in his hands, seeking that soft press of lips to lips. They had yet to finish their earlier conversation, so he kept his touch light, but there was no denying the rush, the sweeping pleasure that came with that kiss. And though the intimacy lasted for the shortest amount of time, it left them both flushed and shy.

It did not quite chase away the horrors of that nightmare, but it was a potent balm nonetheless.

"I know we have yet to talk," Lavellan said softly, "But I must admit that I had missed that..missed you."

Smiling faintly, Solas brushed the hair behind her ears, lingered there, feeling his heart ache as he replied honestly, "As had I."

"Shall we speak tonight?" She pressed, "We have much to do now...but in the evening?"

"Yes." He nodded, "We are to talk to the blacksmith now are we not? The one who does the work of June."

She smiled anew, nodded. And together they made their way towards the city center, towards the one hope they had of stopping a beast that Solas worried was growing too strong too soon.

"I know what it is you need, what you describe."

The blacksmith was not how Lavellan had envisioned. Tall and with the coloring of the mountainous Anders people, the fact that she was not an elf was as unexpected as it amusing. A human who made elven crafts better than the clans, Lavellan grinned as she saw Solas' face. Truly the gods worked in strange ways.

And June's lineage could not have been any clearer, for all of the woman's works bore that familiar sigil, the pattern handed down from master artisan to apprentice and back.

Asha, the blacksmith, wiped her hands on her thick apron and sighed, "The work itself is not complex, but even if I craft it, you would need to find the stones to join the pieces together."

Before her both elves frowned in confusion.

"Could you describe the work for us again please?" Lavellan asked, "I am not entirely sure I understand."

"Of course." Asha nodded, "We call it 'The Tie That Binds.'"

She pulled the image from her book of designs, spread it out so that the couple might see it in better detail, "It had a word, a proper name, among the ancients, but whatever it was has long since been lost. Still, its function is clear. This tie binds the wearers together so that regardless of circumstance the two may share an unbreakable bond, may even cheat death if used under the right conditions...at least, that is the rumor."

Pointing to the schematic, she traced the two tokens with a finger and continued.

"The tie works between this pair of charms. One for each of you. I'll be using the same metal compound, the same heating techniques, and for the entire process I'll keep them together. But in order for this to work we need to find a pair of complementary stones - gems really. The stronger the better."

"Complimentary stones?" Solas leaned forward as he considered the work, "So this is not unlike the charms used by the people of Rivain."

"Exactly. Though I imagine this technique predate those by a few Ages." Asha smiled, "The runes will activate in the metal only if the gems have a natural affinity for one another. They can act a simple binding amulets on their own, but for your purposes you would need the pair. And again, the stronger you want that tie the more you'll have to hunt for those stones."

"We need that binding as strong as possible, unbreakable if such a thing exists." Lavellan said, lips twisting into a frown, "What sort of stones would you recommend?"

"Unbreakable?" Asha grinned, "Sounds like you two have some serious work ahead of you then. The only stones I know of with that sort of staying power are the ones assigned to the Twins."

"You mean Falon'din and Dirthamen?" Solas asked.

"Just so. Some said they were of the same spirit, and the stones that carry their name are equally as strong."

Asha gestured to where the clan storyteller was entertaining the group of children, "I understand there's even a story about the stones...mentions Dirthamen's Shadow and Falon'din Reflection."

"Each one defined by the other." Lavellan nodded, "Truly those would be the stones strong enough for our cause. When would you need the gems?"

"My ability to craft the Tie are not bound to the gems. I may craft it now and deliver the tokens to you in the evening. The stones may be placed within them whenever you find the stones worthy enough for your cause."

"Is there anything else we should know?" Solas asked.

"Just one." Asha said, "These charms work best when attached to something you already carry. Something that yet binds the two of you together."

"I understand."

Lavellan thought then about the threads of her necklace unwound and unraveled, given to her son just the night before. Perhaps she could find something else, some other token between them, but even as she considered it she knew that it was futile.

The only question was what to do now.

And as for the gems, well, it seemed that luck had favored them once more, for Dorian was an expert of amulets, and if anyone were to know the location of such rare gems it would be him. Thus with nothing more save a confirmation of their order and a promise to see one another shortly, Solas and Lavellan left Asha to her work.

It was on their way back that they ran into a familiar face. But there was a seriousness to his expression, and it was not until he waved, albeit wearily, that Lavellan recognized him as her friend.

"Theron?"

Stepping forward, voice dipping in worry when she caught the grim set of his lips, she felt the mark on her palm itch when she recognized the very specific braids that bound his hair back. They were hunter braids, something was not right.

"What has happened?" There was no missing the wickedly carved bow that rested against the man's back, but she asked anyway.

"Has there been an attack of some sort?"

The man's lips were pressed together in a stark line, "Yes, on the halla. Some sort of beast found them last night, our guards did not notice until this morning."

Lavellan felt Solas grow rigid beside her, and she touched his arm in concern, knowing he must feel the shock as surely as she did.

Theron's expression darkened, "It was more a slaughter if we're going to be honest. But whatever it was that did this it spared the little ones. Still, there are now orphans aplenty."

He gestured to behind him to where several other hunters were trying to coax the younglings to eat, to do more than cry so piteously. It was clear they had been trying for a while, for all of their faces were lined with an empathy that was making them nearly heartsick.

Solas felt this throat tighten, guilt coiling like a noose around his neck.

"You look disturbed," Theron said, as he watched them both, "I apologize, that was not my intent. But as you can see, it is a grim business. Please be careful when you return to your homes this evening. Whatever caused this is likely still out there."

And then, with a nod and a gesture of safe journeys, the couple was left to their devices. It was not until they were alone again that Lavellan gently drew her companion's attention away from where he yet lingered over the young.

"Solas?" Lavellan touched his arm, and felt the weight of something settle upon her shoulders when he looked at her with such sad eyes.

"Forgive me, Lavellan." He tried to smile but the expression died before it could reach his lips, "That was...it was not right, what happened."

"No." She looked at him sadly, "But Theron is a hunter of quality, he will protect those left, may even find the creature responsible in time."

Solas nodded mutely, passing hand over his face as if he was trying to wipe the image from his mind. Unfortunately it seemed to do little, and he remained grim, brow furrowed deeply in thought.

"I..." He swallowed, "I need to get my thoughts in order for tonight. Might we part ways for the moment?"

She looked surprised but nodded nonetheless, squeezing his hand briefly.

"You know where I will be," She said softly, and then she too was turning to go, walking down the path though she looked back to watching him, to wonder why it was he seemed to shaken when he had seen so much worse.

When she returned to her home she found Dorian and her sons precisely as she had left them, playing chess with all the solemnity of the grand masters themselves.

It had come as no small surprise that Cole was too kind to win, and often went to very strange lengths to make sure his brothers enjoys the spoils of victory. But of the twins it was Numinehn rather than Era'fen who seemed to have the better instinct for strategy, at least in game form.

It was one of the few things that could make her youngest look so serious, and she recognized the pout on his lips when she arrived.

"Almost done are you?" She teased, kissing each boy in turn before giving Dorian's shoulder a quick squeeze.

"Yes." Era'fen looked up from the game and smiled, "Numinehn might actually win this time."

"Indeed?" Lavellan's brows rose, "Then that will be reason to celebrate. Do you and Cole want to help me make the mid-day meal? We can make cookies afterwards if you'd like."

"Yes!" Her oldest boys both grinned widely, straightening as they headed to the kitchen, and between cooking, cookies, and general merriment, the day progressed swiftly.

And when Asha stopped by to deliver the two empty charms, it was with some chagrin that Lavellan realized she had yet to ask her resident amulet expert about those particular gems.

"Mamae, what is that?"

Having laid the two pieces on the low table of the sitting room, the question was inevitable, and Lavellan chose to explain things as simply as possible.

"These are special tokens, one for Solas and one for me." She smiled, "They are lovely are they not?"

"Yes." Era'fen touched them reverently, "Are these to help the wolf?"

It had been a long time since either of them had mentioned their earlier perception of their father, but now it seemed such a small thing. That her sons were insightful and in tune with Solas only made more sense when she considered their lineage.

"Yes," She said softly as she brushed their wild locks, "This is to help the wolf be good."

Dorian appeared a moment later, eyes lingering appreciatively over charms as they winked the the dim light.

"And what do we have here? They look rather like the work from Rivain, a pair of lover's tokens, hmm?"

Dorian gave his best friend a knowing look, but was generous enough not to name the man.

Still, his words had Lavellan flushing as she jumped to explain, "Not quite, but similar I think. A Tie that Binds."

"It is older." Numinhen clarified, "But made today."

"Old but made today?" Dorian's lips quirked into a little smile as he repeated the boy, "Sounds like our usual amount of crazy then. You'll be wanting some gems for it?"

"Yes." Lavellan nodded, "Specific ones though. The blacksmith mentioned Dirthamen and Falon'din, the elvish gods."

"Ah, of course." Her friend grinned, "Always the most difficult path, hmm? Lucky for you I have one with me."

He bent over the side of his seat to pluck at his travel bag, a sturdy leather container with more pockets and locks than even his favorite outfit.

"Do you know where I might find another?" Lavellan asked curiously.

"I have not even gifted this one to you and you're already searching for another?" Dorian teased, "You wound me once more."

He drew the dark glittering gem from its pouch a second later, and the sight of it surprised her. But it was not until she had it in her hands, that she realized why.

"It looks rather plain does it not?" She asked, "Compared to the glowing mark on my hand, the strange light of the eluvian, I almost expected this to shoot fire or something."

Dorian laughed, "I can imagine this seems pretty tame by comparison. But believe me, you will find no finer stone. When Alexius and I were doing our work we spent a fortune on these."

"It does not matter to me how much it may cost, but I do need a pair. As this is the darker stone we would need its compliment, Falon'din's Reflection, correct?"

Dorian nodded.

"Does it look like this but white?" It was Era'fen who asked the question as his nimble little fingers found their way around the stone.

The Tevinter mage looked at his adoptive nephews and smiled, "Indeed."

And as the oldest twin passed the gem to his younger brother he too smiled, "I think we know where to find it."

"Truly?" His words were met with surprise from both Lavellan and Dorian.

"It is like the stones in the ruin...at least, I think so." Numinehn looked to his brother for confirmation.

"Oh yes." Era'fen nodded emphatically, "But it is hard to see inside and sometimes it is scary."

"Scary?" Dorian looked at their mother and then back at their eager faces, "Then perhaps I should come with you. We can adventure together, tomorrow maybe since it is getting late. What do you think?"

Both boys grew matching smiles.

"Maybe we can ask Solas too?" Numinehn suggested excitedly.

Dorian's expression was less than thrilled, but Era'fen spoke up in support of the idea as well, and with his additional vote of confidence it was impossible for their surrogate uncle to say no.

"You are both very right. We will just have to ask him when he appears tonight. Now then, who wants to help me place this gem where it belongs?"

It was while they were working to fix the gem into the first charm that there came a knock at the door.

And though Lavellan was the one to answer it, the man at the door was not who she had been expecting.

"Theron?" She opened the door wider as her brows rose in concern, "Is everything alright?"

He still wore his hunting gear from that afternoon, but there was an easiness now that spoke of tensions passed, concerns assuaged.

"Yes," He smiled slowly, "That is actually why I thought to stop by. We have found the creature responsible for those deaths. It is itself dead, so the threat is over."

"Oh?"

He nodded, "It seems the halla grazed too near the den of a Great Bear and woke it with their actions. It awoke early, angrily, and attacked them."

It was rare to find a Great Bear so far from the Dales. Lavellan frowned, "You are certain?"

"Yes. I know it is a rare thing out here, but we have proof. One of the halla, a female trying to protect her young, had used her horns, broken them in the attack. We found several pieces of it embedded in the flank of the bear. It seems to have died shortly thereafter."

"I see." Lavellan felt her heart ache in empathy for that mother, but felt a solidarity with her too. There was nothing she would not do for her own young.

"So the threat is gone?"

Theron smiled anew, and the expression lit his handsome face, eased the lines wrought from worry. "Yes. It seems that even with her death the halla and blessings of Ghilan'nain are with us."

"So they must be." Lavellan sighed in relief, "Thank you for telling me...tell us."

"You are very welcome. Now then...can I trust you to tell Solas?" Theron teased, "Or should I visit him in the forest myself?"

Lavellan grinned, "I'm not entirely sure you'd survive the encounter. Besides, he is to visit soon so I shall be sure to let him know when he arrives."

"Very well then. I leave this task in your capable hands" Theron winked as he turned to leave, "Sleep well, Lavellan. Send my regards to your sons as well."

She smiled, "Of course, thank you Theron."

But when she arrived back in the living room she found that she were short one boy, for although the twins were present, there was no sign of Cole.

"Has anyone seen him recently?" She asked, realizing with a start that she had not seen her oldest since dinner. It was not unusual for him to go and explore on his own, but he always made it a point to let her know, so that she would not worry.

A frown found its way upon her mouth and stayed there, growing deeper still when she called for him and heard nothing in response. Leaving the room where Dorian and the twins were still tinkering, she made it up to the attic, and what she found there had her running to his side.

Curled on his side, tall body twisted into a tight ball, Cole made a soft sound of distress when she sat beside him, smoothing the sweaty hair away from his face.

"Mother." He tried to smile, but a ripple of pain made him gasp.

She was leaning over him a moment later, hands seeking the injury that seemed to cause such hurt. But though his hands were wrapped tightly around him middle there was no sign of what might be causing it.

She swallowed hard when he shuddered, another strangled cry of pain spilling from his lips. And not for the first time as a mother did she wish she could take on the injuries of her children, to spare them such suffering.

"Cole," She asked gently, "What is happening to you?"

But when he spoke again, the words were not his own, for his voice was pitched in such a way that she recognized the man behind them.

Solas.

"I am sorry, I fear the pain it will cause will be too much. It is seeping through the cracks already and even now it will be a struggle stop it." Cole inhaled deeply, "Tell your mother to forgive me if she can. It was not meant to be like this."

Then, his message sent, Cole moaned just once before falling suddenly, terrifyingly silent. And whatever concern Lavellan might have had for Solas became second priority to the immediate worry for her son.

"Cole?" Lavellan's arms clamped around her child a moment later, pressing him to her chest as she gently rocked him, "Cole?!"

She had been on battlefields, had led men into battle, but never before had fear congealed so thickly, so terrifyingly fast as when she held his limp body.

And then, just as she opened her mouth to call for help, to call for Dorian, Cole returned to her. Arms found their strength, his eyes fluttered open and he stared at her with eyes clear and unblemished from the pain. He looked exhausted but he smiled at her reassuringly when her own eyes filled with tears.

"I'm going to get Dorian," she promised, settling his on the bed, "He can look you over, heal you. Are you still hurting anywhere?"

"I will recover." He sighed as he settled back on his bed, "But you must hurry. There is no time for healing."

"No time?" Lavellan protested, "Dorian will not take long."

"Not Dorian, you. You must go now." Cole said as he closed his eyes, too tired to keep them open.

"Go?" She asked in confusion.

"Time is running out, slipping, sliding, like water through our fingers." Cole's voice drifted like fog, shimmering and bleak, "You need to go. Find him."

"Find him?" And that was when Lavellan remembered the words, Solas' words from Cole's mouth.

"Gone." Cole whispered, and the words all but exploded in the silence, confirming every fear they had shared between them. "Solas is gone. I cannot hear him anymore."