A/N: Next chapter; 54, I think, which is fantastic! Thanks so much to those of you who read, followed, and reviewed. You're great! Hope you enjoy and take care!


They edged past the oak when it was clear that he had settled back into his partial slumber, and continued down the path. They found themselves in the eastern portion of the Forest again and soon they crossed back through the hermit's clearing. Tilly was happy to trot on through this time and Ffion turned down the other fork. They found more wolves that were easily taken care of and then came to a halt when they rounded a corner and saw a misty cloud of white hanging over the path. Wynne stepped next to Ffion and Alistair, studying the barrier with interest.

"Hmm, it's like the barrier I constructed in the Tower, but this one is much more crude," She explained, "Mine was meant to keep the abominations from getting through and I suppose this does the same thing, but there is something deceptive about this… I can feel how thin the Veil is between our world and the other, but I didn't think… I guess this is why the oak gave you that branch."

Ffion inspected the branch and then smiled wanly at Enchanter.

"So without this, we'd - what? Be drifting around in the Fade… again?"

"I couldn't say one way or the other," Wynne replied patiently, "But, let's just say that it is a good thing that we have that branch."

The Warden nodded, lifting her eyebrows wryly. She studied the barrier once more and then turned to face her companions. She held up the branch.

"I think it's probably best if we try to go through all at once," She said and glanced briefly at Wynne who was nodding in agreement, "I don't want to lose any of you, so either make a chain by grabbing hold of me or pretend that you all really like one another and link arms. Tilly, come."

She looped a short lead through her belt and fastened it to her hound's collar while the others gathered around her. Zevran was immensely amused by all of this and Oghren grinned wickedly up at Wynne as he pressed close to her. The Enchanter merely smiled back patiently as she tucked one hand into his arm and extended the other to Alistair. The ex-Templar took it and rather shyly pressed his hand into the crook of Ffion's elbow. She smiled up at him and then rolled her eyes as Zevran came close and murmured in her ear.

"You could tie me to your belt as well," He said, "Then I would be tied to Ferelden, yes?"

"Behave," She said absentmindedly, glancing to make sure that Morrigan, Sten, and Leliana were following suit, "I'm pretty sure the last thing I want tied to my belt is you."

Alistair chuckled and Zevran grinned wickedly at the Warden, taking her elbow firmly. Leliana grabbed hold of the Elf's other arm and Morrigan and Sten joined the crowd. Ffion gave everyone one last look and then started forward. They passed through the barrier, which was cool and wet, rather like a morning mist. Disentangling themselves from one another, they studied their surroundings and started forward down the path to round a bend. There were more ruins here and though the Forest was doing its best to reclaim them, the old structure was very impressive. The stones that weren't covered with moss or crumbled out of sight were dark grey, aged by the rain and wind just as the trees were. The stone slab floor had long ago disappeared under the grass and shrubs and the arches that once decorated a vast hall seemed to be the only impervious structures. Ffion and Alistair led the way, Tilly right beside them, and they were so taken with the ruin that when the wolves appeared, it caught everyone by surprise. The leader was the same ruddy wolf that had confronted them at the bridge and this time, it didn't look like he was going to stand down and avoid the fight. He stood, drawing himself up so that he could tower over Ffion, and glaring at all of them. The rise that hemmed the path in was alive with the rustling of more wolves and Ffion did her best to ignore it as her companions settled into defensive stances behind her.

"This is your last chance, human," The wolf snarled angrily, "Turn back now or be destroyed."

"What are you protecting?" Ffion replied immediately, not in least bit fazed by the fury in the wolf's face.

"I told you, you don't know the whole tale. Run back to the traitors, little human, you won't reach the Lady today."

Ffion's true colors were, as always, shining bright and she settled back, preparing for the onslaught as she answered.

"Let's see how confidant you really are."

The wolf threw himself at her and the two behind him were right on his heels. Ffion was ready and held her own as a half dozen more jumped down from the rise and joined the fray. The fight was intense and it wasn't clear who actually had the upper hand; the close quarters being more of a hindrance than a help. Ffion heard one of the wolves being taken out and she kicked at hers, making him stumble back away from her companions. She was after him as a second wolf went down and a third let out a yelp of pain. This distracted the leader long enough for Ffion to land a blow and he was pushed even further away from his fellow wolves. He went purely on the defensive, the Warden had the upper hand, and she was just getting ready to strike again when there was a flash of white from the corner of her eye. Something soft but solid crashed into her, knocking her to the ground, and sending one of her swords rolling away. She immediately put up the other, half expecting claws and teeth to start ripping into her, but instead there was only a long, drawn out howl that made Tilly lower her head and whine softly. Ffion propped herself up on her elbows and watched as the werewolves scrambled away from her companions and followed a massive white wolf running swiftly for the ruins.

Ffion got to her feet, frowning at this sudden retreat, and then glanced at her companions. Wynne was taking care of a deep scratch in her arm, Leliana's bow string had snapped and she crouched to restring it while Oghren stood to one side, wiping blood from a gash in his cheek. The others seemed to be fine, though Morrigan's face was drawn and looked a little ragged, as though the fight had taken a lot out of her. She downed a potion that improved her color and Ffion returned to their little group.

"Everyone okay?" She asked, positioning herself between Alistair and Zevran, and then crouching to inspect Tilly.

"Okay," Sten answered, cleaning Asala before sliding it away, "Are we ready to follow them?"

"I guess we don't have much choice, do we?" Alistair said, "And that had to be Witherfang, so let's go and see what we can find out."

They started after the wolves, rounding another bend in the track, and found themselves in what used to be a massive hall. Ahead, there were two more wolves that growled fiercely but made no move to attack. Instead one of them waved at his companion, saying sharply,

"Fall back, protect the Lady!"

They turned and loped towards the far end of the hall where the remnants of a thick wooden door stood. It was heavily shadowed and they disappeared from view as the companions started after them. The entry was just as dark as the doorway, but once they cleared this, the torches in the cavernous hall allowed them to view their surroundings. They stood at the top of a short flight of stairs, which were gradually being destroyed by a massive wad of roots, and overlooked another hall. To their right, through a doorway, the tips of the wolves' tails were disappearing down a steep flight of steps and the companions bolted after them, only to watch as another heavily reinforced door slammed shut at the bottom of the staircase. A moment later, there was the sound of a bar slipping into place and even as Sten attempted to bust it open, Ffion knew they were screwed.

"Don't wear yourself out," She recommended dryly and turned to head up the steps again, "There should be another way through this place."

The others followed her and they studied the hall in more detail when they reached it. It was massive, the torches casting their light only halfway up the walls and creating more shadows. The stone was old, in some places it was crumbling completely, allowing little pinpoints of daylight to shine through, and it was more obvious now that the roots of the trees outside was the main cause of the destruction. There were more graceful arches here and ancient idols had long ago been nestled into their little niches along the walls. The absence of windows led them to believe that this had been an interior room with other rooms leading off of it and Ffion was right. In the shadows, directly across from the door they entered, there was a hallway that led further into the ruins and the Warden gave her companions a brief smile before heading that way. It was long and dark, swathed with spider webs, and before Morrigan could stop her, Ffion walked right through them.

There was a sudden, strange hissing sound and four massive spiders dropped from the ceiling, landing between the Warden and the others. She drew her swords and took on two at once while Morrigan and Wynne's magic shot all around her with Leliana's arrows mixed in. She took out one and was just turning on the other when Sten was there, bringing Asala up and slamming it down on the spider's head. Ffion glanced around at the rest of the companions and, in spite of her initial horror, had to grin as Oghren slumped against the wall, his face pale.

"You alright there, Oghren?" She quizzed as she cleaned her blades.

"Gi'e me those slimy Darkspawn bastards any day," The Dwarf answered, "Spi'ers? I'll pass."

Ffion couldn't help but giggle right along with Leliana as Alistair grinned down at Oghren.

"The great and fearsome Oghren, single-handed slayer of ogres, afraid of spiders?" The ex-Templar let that sink in as they gathered themselves together and started forward again, "Nope, doesn't fit."

Oghren sent Alistair an odd half-serious-half-amused look and thought a minute before he answered.

"If ya don' think somethin' with six legs too many an' poisonous pincers is a li'le bit of a horror, yer a bloody fool, P.T."

The others chuckled as Morrigan offered her own, admittedly strange, expertise.

"The only reason they attacked us was because their webs were disturbed," The witch explained coolly as they bypassed a cross-hall, one side of which had long ago caved-in, "They are spiders, yes? And they were simply reacting as spiders do."

They reached another stretch of hall that was covered and Ffion arched her brows, glancing over her shoulder at Morrigan.

"Do you have a way to get by these things without causing a disturbance?" She asked and tried to keep the challenging tone to a minimum.

The witch studied the webs in wonder, fascinated by the intricacy of them. She went a little closer and tipped her head to look up into the shadows above the webs. Oghren shuddered and Leliana stifled a giggle while Ffion watched Morrigan closely. The witch tugged her staff free and there were a few little flashes of light before the supporting webs snapped, floating gently to the floor. The companions braced themselves for the onslaught, but nothing came and Morrigan turned to them with a small smile.

"'Tis clear," She said, tucking the staff back, and waiting until they reached her before turning down the hallway again.

Ffion paused long enough to study Morrigan's work and saw that she had covered deep burrows in the stone wall with thick webs. The Warden sent a brief smile at the witch and brushed away a strand of webs that was tickling her neck.

"Clever," She commented, "Thanks, Morrigan."

"My pleasure," The witch replied and her mouth tipped in a little smile.

"She just didn't want to see anymore of her kin-"

"Shh, hold," Sten interrupted Alistair even as Morrigan sent the ex-Templar a poisonous glare. They reached another impasse in the hallway; directly ahead was a flight of steps that led to double doors and there was another set of doors to the right. But Sten was studying the stairs that went down to the left and cocking his head to one side, "There was something just then and there's an odd smell."

The companions fell silent as they listened for any other sounds. There was a dripping that echoed further in the ruins and the scuffling of rodents that made Tilly perk up. Then a deep sound rumbled up from the steps and Ffion was the first to take a step that way, Sten beside her. A dank, almost sharp smell wafted up from below and, with a brief shrug at the others, Ffion started down. The stairs were broken by landings and there were two turns that doubled back on each other even as they ventured into the earth. There was another deep rumbling that made them all pause and exchange nervous glances.

"Is that what it really sounds like?" Alistair asked carefully, his tone telling them he didn't really want to know.

Ffion continued forward as the stairs ended and there was another doorway ahead, the doors long since ripped from their hinges and hurled aside. Tilly was stepping beside her and she whined softly as her lady answered.

"Let's just… stick together and be careful," She replied and her voice was barely a murmur.

She stopped in the doorway and the others crowded around her. They had reached another hall that was the same size as the first, though this one was in worse shape. A big chunk of the ceiling had caved in and shafts of bright sunlight hit the rough stone slabs and bounced off the walls. They could see some tree roots, vines, and the other shrubs that lined the edge of the collapsed section and told them they had probably been walking around on top of this place all morning. With the addition of the sun and elements, more foliage had taken root in the cracks of the stone slabs and the companions could easily see the next doorway across the hall.

"It is a dragon, Ffion," Sten said, his voice a murmur. There was a whisper of metal on metal as he pulled Asala loose and his eyes studied the deep gouges in the floor and the sooty smudges on the walls, "We must be cautious."

"And there are traps," Zevran added, his amber eyes sweeping the floor of the hall, "Stick close to the walls. Do not walk across the dais."

Ffion studied the floor as well and spotted the cause for the Elf's concern. There were trigger points all along the dais, spiraling in towards the middle of it, and just waiting for some poor sod's unsuspecting foot. She reached down and grasped Tilly's collar, pulling her around to the other side so that the Mabari would be between her and the wall. The Warden found that she and Sten had to take the first steps and they continued gingerly through the hall, so close to the walls that their armor scraped against the stone every so often. That sharp, acrid smell permeating the air grew sharper as they left the doorway and they just reached the dais when there was an ominous swoosh of wings and a screech that sounded more than a little furious. A shadow crossed the shafts of sunlight and, amidst the cursing and prepping of the companions, a dragon soared into the hall and landed with a thud that shook the stone.

It rocked to its back legs, letting out a roar, and when it landed again, it shot fire around the room. The companions dove clear, lying flat across the stone slabs, and Wynne and Morrigan were the first to recover. They sprang to their feet, staffs at the ready, and hit the dragon with water and ice at the same instant. Sten and Oghren were the next ones to attack and they darted forward to land their own blows while the creature was distracted. Soon, all of them were working together, moving in to attack, and then falling back when the dragon recovered. They were fighting dangerously close to the dais, and Tilly and Oghren both came close to setting off one of the traps. Ffion, eager to get the fight closer to that far doorway, felt her heart drop as Alistair stepped back and just nicked one of the triggers. Nothing exploded, but she darted forward anyway as the dragon turned from the ex-Templar to face Sten, growling furiously. The Warden pushed Alistair from the trigger, shouting over the fight.

"It's compromised! Get clear of it; help Sten!"

She crouched as Alistair ducked away and turned her attention completely to the trigger. It was simply a loose flagstone covering the trap itself, designed with a flint that would be ignited the moment the stone was pushed back into place. Gilmore had been a master of these pranks and Ffion would have given anything to have him here helping her. She worked carefully as she pried the stone all the way clear, flinching every time she heard the dragon's thudding steps and the unmistakable sounds of fire rushing from its mouth. The moment the stone came away in her hand, her breath escaped in a rush; she hadn't realized she had been holding it, and then she cursed sharply. The dragon was rounding on her, moving more quickly than she thought possible, and she threw the stone, abandoned the trap, and faced off with the beast. Ignoring the shouts of her name and the way Tilly charged after the dragon, she waited until the last moment and then dodged forward, rolling between the dragon's legs, and thrusting one of her swords up at its belly. It roared sharply when it felt the pain and the Warden missed the flow of blood by centimeters. She sprang to her feet, waiting for the creature to double back again, but Sten, Alistair, and Oghren were faster. They were with Tilly as they attacked with a new fervor and Leliana and Zevran were standing with Ffion as Wynne and Morrigan shot spells when the men were clear.

Ffion's blow had been more severe than even she realized and the dragon was weakening. Blood dripped steadily to the floor, making it rather treacherous, and it only took a moment for the worst to happen. Sten was swinging fiercely, trying to reach the dragon's neck and Oghren doing his best to help, but the creature was still fighting hard and it knocked both of them clear. Alistair scrambled away as it went for him next and he slipped in the blood, losing his balance. Ffion went cold, watching in horror as the beast went for the kill, and then forced her body to move. She darted forward, not sure what she could do to keep both of them from dying, but having to try anyway. The only thought that scrolled through her head was: Not Alistair! Maker, please, not Alistair!

Not heeding calls of her name or the ex-Templar's, Ffion dove at Alistair as the dragon reared back. She collided with his midsection, hitting his armor hard, and barely avoiding the razor-sharp sword in his hand. She knocked them both off balance and they stumbled from the dragon as Sten and Zevran interfered. With their limbs tangled together, Alistair couldn't catch himself when his boot hit a root wad, and he fell backwards, pulling Ffion with him. He landed hard on his back, knocking his breath from his lungs, and Ffion landed on his chest, her grey eyes wide with surprise when she found his face inches from hers. The ex-Templar wished fleetingly that he had his wits about him; if he did, he'd have taken the chance to explore her soft lips with much more attention given to the details… But there were six other people in the room, granted they were busy with finishing off the dragon, but he didn't think he could be that forward. Not even with his growing feelings for his fellow Warden.

"Are you okay?" Ffion's voice was rather breathless and she frowned down at him in concern.

His hands gripped her slender waist rather idly and the roots digging into his legs and the goose-egg forming on the back of his head were going completely ignored. He could lay here with her for hours.

"Fine, I'm fine," He replied and his own voice was soft. He sent his crooked grin up at her, "It's a good thing you're the one who tackled me. Sten's way too heavy and Oghren… stinks."

She returned the smile, ignoring the sounds of the dragon dying behind her. The rest of the world seemed to disappear and she wondered at the soft light that entered Alistair's honey colored eyes.

"I-I was so afraid that you… I mean, that that thing was going to…" Her words trailed away and she felt her cheeks getting hot, "I don't want to lose you, Alistair, I don't know what I'd do."

Alistair was looking at her intently, rethinking his earlier doubts. A stubborn curl had fallen free of the thick braid that rested between her shoulders and he reached up, knocking it from her grey eyes, loving the silky texture. His grin had softened and he brushed her cheek, feeling the heat of her blush.

"You didn't lose me," He answered and neither of them registered the dull thud of the dragon's body hitting the floor, "Thanks to you, I'm okay."

"If the birds are done, they may be interested in what exactly they fell into," Zevran's voice was amused and didn't hold a trace of the little flicker of jealousy that shot through him.

Alistair and Ffion both turned bright red and, after a couple of unsuccessful attempts to get to her feet, the ex-Templar grasped Ffion more firmly and helped her off of him. The Warden refused to look around at any of them and did her best to shrug off the glances exchanged between her companions. Instead, she turned and studied what it was she and Alistair had stumbled into. It was the dragon's horde; the big pile was partly buried with dirt and roots, and had been added to for so many years that it would take days to find out what all was there. Zevran was already inspecting a few of the trunks and Ffion rifled through a pile Tilly was nosing curiously.

"How much're we gonna take with us?" Oghren asked, cleaning his axe-blade.

"Right now?" Ffion clarified, continuing past her Mabari when it was clear she hadn't found anything other than a pile of bones. The Warden was much more interested in the door than the dragon's horde, wondering how vast this ruin was, "None of it. Let's get through the rest of this first."