Welcome to chapter 19! Thanks for sticking around guys! Time to take a break after Redcliffe, but as you'll find out, it might not be as simple as it seems!

Ventus said goodbye to his mother and uncle with tears in his eyes. He had just gotten back and was already getting whisked away without being given a chance to try and make up for the death and destruction. How would the people take it, he wondered. He hoped they could learn to forgive him. Once he finished his training, he would do everything in his power to earn forgiveness.

"Hey Ven, are you ready to go?" Aqua inquired.

"Yup, all set, I guess. You said they'd give me what I needed, right?"

"Yes. First enchanter Mickey will help you through."

The boy seemed nervous as he looked to the caravan. For a minute, Aqua wondered if the look he gave was the same one she had when she was taken away at a moment's notice. Her hand instinctively rushed to her pocket where her collection of small handkerchiefs remained. They were older and largely unused, but still some of the most precious bits of cloth to her. They held all of her memories from the time she still lived at home. Part of her wondered if Ven would benefit from the same thing. She supposed she could talk to Mickey about it.

"Gonna miss you, Ven. Our time was too short." Terra ruffled the boy's hair.

He chuckled softly as he moved out from under the Warden's hand. After fixing his locks, Ven softly punched Terra on the arm and shook his head. Their repartee warmed Aqua's heart. Even after all that time apart, they were still brothers. There had been a special bond forged between the two of them over years and years of experiences together. Aqua sighed and smiled as they embraced. Terra gave Ven a quick pat on the back and told him to be good.

Memories stirred in Aqua's mind of her own father and mother. They had enjoyed picnics and harvests and afternoons of canning together. While Aqua had been an only child, she had no doubt her parents loved her. She wasn't allowed to see her real family while at the circle, so she had subconsciously made one of her own; Anora had felt like a little sister and Campbell and Mickey were both role models and fathers. It had been the shock of pink hair that had drawn her to the mage immediately, even though it had somewhat muted over the years. Pink and blue; complimentary but opposite. Anora had unusually large eyes as a child which she had grown into and they always seemed to be watching Aqua, as if the older mage could show her the right way to go. Aqua hoped she hadn't failed her young charge.

Speaking of which, Aerith had promised her a note. There were whispers of a mass funeral for those who had died in the siege of Redcliffe between the Bann and Arlessa, so maybe it wasn't the right time. Even still, she wanted to have the note in her possession. If she couldn't read it yet, she could at least know exactly where it was. She wondered what the letter could contain. While thinking of Anora and written words, she remembered an incident at the circle only a short time ago, even though it felt like an eternity. Anora had spent so long making snowflakes to decorate Aqua's bed that had tiny notes written on them. Maybe, since Mickey was still there she could ask him to retrieve it for her.

Mickey first, then Aerith.

"First enchanter? I was wondering if I could ask you something." Aqua knelt down to be at eye level with her old mentor.

"What is it, Aqua?"

"I don't know if you're able to help me, but if anyone can, it's you." Aqua stated. "If my trunk is still at the circle, there is a little bit of vellum cut into a snowflake. It's in the notebook I forgot to grab. Can you get it and bring it for me when we go to our final battle?"

"I still have access to your trunk; we were actually going to send a messenger out to find you this week so that we can clean it out and reuse it. Was there anything else you needed from it?"

"No, nothing else of any worth."

Mickey nodded and thought to himself for a minute. He must have gotten an idea, because his face lit up exactly the same way Aqua's did whenever she came up with an idea or solution. Inwardly. Aqua chuckled. She must have gotten the expression from him after all the time they spent together. He then gave a short whistle and out of a small ball of smoke came an extremely fluffy blue dog with a large star on its forehead and a puffed yellow tail. It barked excitedly.

"Hi there, boy!" Mickey rubbed the head of the little dog. Close behind in a larger puff of smoke came the familiar looking yellow dog that was usually asleep by the fireplace in Mickey's office. Pluto she recognized, but the little blue dog was new to her.

She bent down and held her hand out to the dog to let it sniff her. Instead of checking her scent though, the pup rubbed its head against her palm as if asking to be scratched. She complied, laughing a little at the boldness shown by such a small dog. It barked in happiness again and ran around in a circle around Aqua.

"I think he likes you." Mickey ran a hand on Pluto's head. "Which is great news actually."

"It is?"

"Uh huh! This is the thing that's going to keep us in touch while you're gone. He'll be a mail carrier of sorts."

The dog was barking now with his front paws on Aqua's legs. She picked him up and he settled into her arms. Her hand reached up and began to scratch him behind the ears. He must have been a puppy, because he fell right asleep, chest rising and falling in an even manner. It must have been so nice to be so trusting of someone after having just met them.

"How does it work?"

"Well, ya see- I put a charm on Pluto that allows him to come to me no matter where I am. Since you're here, would you like me to teach you the charm so this little guy can come to you?"

"Wait, so this dog would be mine? Mickey, I don't know if it would be safe."

"That's the thing about the way this charm works. We set up an HQ of sorts- in this case that would be the tower. And he'd be able to go back after you've given him your letter. Right now he's borrowing off Pluto, so he can only go where Pluto goes. But once he has the charm, he can come and go as he pleases."

Aqua nodded and Mickey instructed her to set the dog down. He showed her the hand gestures to use and words to say before stepping back. If the dog was to be connected to Aqua, she had to be the one to do the incantation. Even though she was tired, she was excited for what the future could hold for her and this dog. It would be very easy to keep in contact with Ven this way, and maybe help him in his transition. When the charm was done, the dog woke up and began shaking his tail. He acted as if nothing had changed. The little dog stretched his front legs and then his back two before looking expectantly up at Aqua.

"So, what do I do to call it to me?" Aqua asked mickey.

"All you have to do is call for the dog. You can whistle, call to him, however. We can send him over on this end, too without you calling for him. And no matter where you are, he'll come to you."

"Then I guess you need a name, huh little one." Aqua bent down and pet the dog. "How about the name Walt?"

The dog barked happily and turned around in a small circle. It leapt up in the air and disappeared in a ball of smoke. Aqua stood and thanked Mickey before asking to be excused. Now that the matter of communication and her snowflake was taken care of, she needed to go find Aerith. She joined with the rest of the circle mages in leaving through the front gate of the castle, where the rest of their team met up with them. The mages kept walking; there was a long way to travel. Aqua and Terra stopped to speak with their friends. Aerith threw her arms around them both and squeezed them tightly.

"I'm so glad you guys managed to make it out alright! Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm a little tired, but I think it'll be alright. We need to figure out where to go next to get the next treaty."

"Not to mention we have six months to figure out how to cure the Arl." Terra added.

"Six months to figure out the antidote to an unknown poison? Any chance the poisoned still has any doses?" Ava interjected.

"Doubtful. Pete isn't the most competent of henchmen." Aqua shook her head.

"Treaties or not, you have to rest, Aqua. When was the last time you had a day off?" Aerith questioned.

"We hardly have time for a day off." Skuld warned.

"There won't be a chance of us winning against the Archdemon if our Wardens are falling over from exhaustion. This is going to be on doctor's orders."

"I presume you're the doctor?" Ava sighed, realizing the futility of their arguments.

"That's right! And I say we could all use a break!"

From the town came a small group of people who had noticed that the castle gate had been opened and people were pouring out of it. Small murmurs of hope turned into cheers as both the Bann and the Arlessa walked out of the gate. They were pressed by the crowd with several questions, each begging to be answered.

"We have hope for the Arl recovering. His breathing has steadied and color is returning. We hope to see further improvement, although I can't say when he'll be back to normal." Flynn reported.

"What about rebuilding?" A voice cried from the crowd.

"What happened in the castle?" Called another.

"Who is responsible?"

Yuna stepped forward and looked directly into the crowd. Her hands were clenched into fists and they were trembling softly. Now that there was more light on her, Aqua could see that her skin was pale and she looked as if she hadn't eaten during the whole siege. How determined she must have been to suffer with her people. Perhaps it was her own way of atoning for the evil she had indirectly wrought.

"I am."

Whispers had replaced the cheering. The last day people had been clamoring to find out who was responsible; and now that they had the information, it seemed they didn't know what to think. They loved their Arlessa.

"We found out recently that Ventus is a mage. But I was not strong enough to let my only son leave me. So I hired a mage to teach him in secret. I did not know the one I found was an apostate on Teryn Xehanort's orders to poison my husband."

"He's secured in the dungeons of Redcliffe castle as we speak and we'll deal with him in time." Flynn added. "Until the Arl is better, he will remain our prisoner and we will begin to rebuild this town."

"We have a lot of work to do to send off our dead. Everyone to the lake shore."

It was time to go, but they decided to stay for the funeral, watching somberly as the boats floated into the lake and archers shot flaming arrows at each one. As they stood, Aqua felt a small piece of vellum being slipped into her hand. Beside her was Aerith. This must have been the note from Anora. The young mage mouthed a thank you, to which the elder simply nodded. As the flaming boats sailed away, the group bid their farewells to the Bann and Arlessa. Terra hugged her as she asked for forgiveness.

Again, they were on their way. The deep undergrounds of Orzammar were next, as they likely could find some information about poisons and cures from their libraries. They could also hopefully kill two birds with one stone by speaking with the dwarven leaders about getting their assistance for the upcoming battle. It would be hard to spend less time travelling because Aqua knew how important it was to get underground as soon as possible. But Aerith insisted that they travel half days for a couple of days in order to give the team a chance to rest.

As soon as they got to camp, Aqua grabbed her bedroll and wrapped it around her shoulders as she pulled out the letter Anora had written. Terra was building a fire and there was still a little light left to see by. Strange that it was getting chilly so early. Normally they didn't have to change out the summer blankets for the winter ones for another couple of weeks. But that didn't matter. She had Anora's letter and needed to read it so she could send a reply. Now was as good of time as any to test out her call to Walt. Softly, she whistled and out of thin air popped the little blue and yellow dog. He leapt onto her and curled in her lap while she began to read.

Oh.

So her suspicions were correct then. Anora had felt more than a sisterly bond with her. While Aqua hadn't felt that way, she still respected and loved the mage. What was she doing right now? Now that she had finished her harrowing, it would be whatever Cid needed them to do, presumably. She was supposed to go help Ephemer heal. They must have been leaving sooner than expected. Aqua grabbed her own vellum and ink and wrote her heartfelt apology- that's all the letter really could be at this point. Word would have spread quickly in the circle. It always did. She wasn't afraid about what anyone would say; she dreaded what might happen because of the talk. Aqua had built up a sort of reputation for herself in the circle for being closed off and studious. To have broken that would have invited all sorts of trouble. More importantly though, there would be questions she wasn't ready to answer. Questions of the heart that she wouldn't begin to learn the answers to until she left the confines of her brick and mortar prison. Arguably, she was still learning things about herself because of the outside world.

A single tear fell onto her letter. She quickly wiped her eye and looked around to make sure no one had noticed. Walt got up from her lap and trotted over to Terra. He pet the little dog before getting back to attempting to play Ava's mandolin. Stitch tried bowling over the dog to wrestle it in front of Ava and the Warden, but Walt moved out of the way just in time. Stitch then rolled his eyes at the tune Terra plucked on the instrument. He snatched the mandolin and began playing a speedy melody on it. Ava and Terra laughed at the antics and Walt barked happily.

Far off in the distance, Skuld was heading into the forest with a bag from her tent and Kimahri was thrusting his sword at some unseen enemy, practicing for a day when he'd need it. It occurred to Aqua that they had somehow turned into a family. Much like the little family she had formed of Mickey, Campbell and Anora, she wished that they could each have exactly what they needed. She had learned a bit about all of them so far. While they were taking it slower, she might as well get to know them even more.

"So remind me why we didn't just stay the night at Redcliffe castle?" Zack asked as they began to prepare dinner.

"Because we still need to do some travelling during the day. Aqua said we only have six months to find a cure, and if anyone has knowledge of exotic poisons, it's the dwarves. The elves might have something too, but I'm not sure how much they would know of poison that attacks with darkness." Aerith responded. "Now, do you want to help me with dinner?"

"I don't mind helping." Aqua interjected.

"Nope. You need to take it easy tonight. You look absolutely exhausted."

"How about you talk to me while I peel some carrots?" Zack suggested. "I wouldn't mind getting to know you better."

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"Anything. Where you come from, who's your family, things you do for fun, you know."

Aqua had to think about that for a bit as she sat down. When you were in the circle, it didn't really matter who you were or had been. You were a mage. Of course they still talked about it, but it never felt like where she had come from was really anything special. Many of the mages talked about what they'd like to do once they got out, but since they didn't know anything of the outside world beyond the books, everything they discussed was conjecture.

"I came from just outside of Lothering before getting taken away, but I have some distant relatives in Kirkwall, I think." Aqua answered simply. "I don't really have many hobbies though. There wasn't much to do at the circle."

"No hobbies?" Zack nearly gasped.

"Well, I guess I like to bake bread. Does that count?"

Zack laughed. "We need to get you a hobby."

"What about you? Sent here to kill me and you turn allegiances at the drop of a hat."

Zack smirked and ran a hand through his hair. He really was attractive, especially in the glow of the fire as he quickly worked on the carrots. Out of all her acquaintances, he and Skuld were the two he knew least about. But Aerith had taken to him immediately, so he couldn't be all bad, right? Had they known each other previously? Aerith had mentioned she was quite old, though Aqua still didn't understand how that could work.

"I didn't have qualms about taking the job because I didn't know Ferelden allowed women to be Wardens. Might have said no if I had known."

"Wait, you mean you're not from Ferelden? But your accent isn't Orlesian either. Where are you from?"

"I am from Antiva. It's a proud country to the north of here, past the free marches. There's lots of merchants and of course the Antivan crows. Who needs an army when you have that at your disposal?"

Aerith rolled her eyes at that remark, but there was a smile on her face and a sparkle in her green eyes. Aqua had known many mages, as mickey allowed her to meet several of the potential teachers. But none seemed as calm or skilled as Aerith had been. Even during the fall of the circle, she was disheartened, but determined. She poured the remnants of the potatoes into the giant pot and started chopping the carrots Zack had peeled. When she was done with that, she noticed both Zack and Aqua staring at her.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing." Zack stood up and began to do a couple of squats. His cheeks looked pinker than usual.

"I was just thinking about how skilled you are. In all the time you've been around, you've really learned a lot, haven't you?"

"I mean, I spent a lot of my time at the circle studying, and even trained with mages older than I was. But seeing some of the things you've done any time we've been attacked on the road...it's amazing. Do you think you could teach me?"

"You want me to teach you?"

"Well, my dad told me to be the best mage I could be, so why not learn from the best?" Aqua replied.

"No. I won't have any more students." Aerith looked rather stern all of a sudden.

Any more? So she'd had some in the past. Images filled Aqua's mind of what they could have been like. Her own elemental magic had always been above par, but for everything else she was average. She wanted to be better in those areas. She had to be. Even though she hadn't seen her father in years, something was crying out, desperate to make the man proud. Who knew if he was even alive after what happened to Lothering. A sporadic chill ran up her back as the memory of her dream in the fade filled her head. Which made her remember Aerith's dream with the cloaked spirits.

"Is it because of the spirits from your dream?" Aqua asked quietly.

Aerith pursed her lips. Her eyebrows furrowed and she locked eyes with Aqua. "What happened in my dream has nothing to do with you and it has nothing to do with me."

"But you said something about a mission. What does that mean?"

"It's my mission to protect you." Aerith's hands raced to her temples.

Zack placed his knife down and attempted to reach for her, but she shook her head. There seemed to be a secret conversation going on between the two. He sighed and sat back, knowing there was nothing he could do to help Aqua understand what was going on. Instead, he begged their pardon and left them to speak for themselves. Aqua's eyes followed him, curious about how much he knew about Aerith. She was brought to attention when her friend began to speak.

"Listen. We'll be meeting the Dalish elves of the Brecilian forest, right? I assume that's one of the groups?"

"Yes."

"I can guarantee you'll find out more about it when we get there. Until then, no more questions, okay?"

With a reluctant nod, Aqua leaned back. The sun was going down and one by one the stars began to dance in the sky. She got up from her spot and found Zack a short distance off until dinner was done and she learned of his older brothers Angeal and Genesis back in Antiva. They were Crows as well but were currently somewhere in the Tevinter empire. He seemed confident in their abilities, almost to the point of being nonchalant about their dangerous assassination mission.

"By the way, Aerith isn't mad at you." Zack mentioned off-hand.

Confusion must have been evident in her eyes because he chuckled and did two squats before attempting to explain himself. He folded his arms and leaned all his weight on one foot, leaving the other to help his balance.

"I hadn't officially met Aerith until I came to off you guys. But I ran into her about a year ago when I was travelling through the Brecilian forest. She was sound asleep and I tried to wake her, but…" Zack mentioned.

"Aerith said that she occasionally slips between this world and the fade. Maybe that was it?" Aqua suggested.

"So she falls asleep randomly?"

"I haven't seen it, and it's already been two weeks. I would assume that someone would have by now."

The spoon Aerith had been holding fell onto the ground and she began walking away. Aqua watched as she continued to do so until she grabbed out her staff. Wildly, Aerith began to wave it around, yelling insults and warnings against some unseen foe. The two exchanged glances. When Aerith hit a tree branch, she stepped back and lit up a fire spell.

"Cursed Dread Wolf!" Zack cursed before running toward her and attempting to hold her hands down.

At that, nearly the whole party was at attention. Aqua quickly used a water spell to douse the fire while Zack and Kimahri restrained her. Ava grabbed her staff and Terra was trying to wake her from whatever trance she had fallen into. The whole event unnerved Aqua. She looked into Aerith's eyes. They were clouded and unfocused. She really must have been in the fade. Perhaps she was fighting some more of those spirits, or perhaps she saw more of those creatures Aqua had continually run into.

"Let go! I need to protect Aqua!" Aerith struggled.

"I'm right here Aerith. You don't need to struggle any more." Aqua leaned over the mage.

"You're not her!" Get off of me!"

"Aerith, we're all safe. You're in the fade." Zack hissed through clenched teeth. She was stronger than she looked.

Her struggling slowed until it came to a stop completely. Kimahri let go, and Zack pulled her into his arms, letting her head rest on his shoulder. He was murmuring something to her, though it was in elvish, so even if she could hear it better, Aqua wouldn't have understood. At the sound of his voice, Aerith visibly calmed down, even to the point where she shut her eyes and relaxed her body. Her breathing was settled into an even pattern. Despite how Aerith had recovered, the whole thing had left Aqua slightly shaken. The change had come over her in a second. She wrapped her arms around herself and stood up. Maybe she just needed some fresh air. Away from her friends where she could be alone.

Every stick breaking and crunchy leaf under foot was louder than she expected. Maybe it was all in her mind, but she summoned her keyblade anyway. It would be better to be prepared just in case she was being loud enough to summon a dozen darkspawn.

"You know, you'll only attract the wrong kind of attention if you keep going on like that."

Aqua jumped at the voice, expecting to remain alone in the woods. Of all the directions she could have gone, what were the odds she would run into anyone, let alone Skuld. The Warden blinked a couple of times and noticed a small lump of familiar looking substance. It was bread dough that Skuld was letting rise by the fire. It seemed odd that she would come all the way out here to bake bread, but then Skuld had a way of keeping to herself.

The witch gave Aqua a look of resignation before heaving a heavy sigh. "You know my secret now, you might as well come join me. There's something I'd like to speak to you about in the meantime."

"What is it?" Aqua sat.

"The book you brought back for me from the tower. Turns out it's more valuable than even I thought. It speaks of mother's real grimoire. If I had it I could stop the curse she's holding over my head."

"A curse? Like blood magic?"

"I hardly think so, but in order to find out for sure I would need that book from mother."

There had been some information on grimoires in the Circle library, but try as she might, Aqua couldn't remember what it said. All that was popping up was that they were books on magical topics, usually tied to a person in specific. Maybe that was wrong too, Aqua couldn't remember. She had spent more time on study of the fade, so she hadn't gotten a chance to study up on some other practical aspects of magic.

"I believe her grimoire is back at her home. If she keeps it, then I am in danger of becoming a vessel for her to pour her spirit. It's how she's been living for so long. It's why I was conceived in the first place." Skuld shared.

"Wait, so your mother had so she could escape death?" Aqua gasped.

"So it seems. I wouldn't put it past her, if I'm to be honest. So I need you to do me a favor and kill her without me there."

Aqua blinked in confusion once again, drawing forth a laugh from Skuld. She was taking the news of her mother's impending murder much better than Aqua likely would have. This was probably something she had been thinking about ever since she learned about Maleficent's supposed plan. A wave of doubt washed over Aqua. What if the book was wrong? What if this was all a big mistake? Was she even capable of killing off the witch of the wilds? At least Aqua could relax in knowing they could wait until after the Arl was healed, however that was going to happen. It would give her time to train and mentally prepare for such a task. Still, something about it didn't sit right with her.

"I see this is difficult for you to understand. But let me put it to you this way: I would rather live my life as I am. Not as some doll for mother to control." Skuld stated.

Aqua could understand that. She had been a doll of some kind herself. Now that she was free, it seemed that fate was driving her forward. After the blight ended though, she would do as she pleased. She would be free for real. No more hero work. Maybe she'd settle down after doing some travelling. Plus there would be work to do with Terra and any others they would be able to conscript into the Grey Wardens.

So maybe she wouldn't be as free as she hoped.

"What do you say? Will you help me to be free?" Skuld asked, looking more vulnerable than Aqua had ever remembered seeing her.

"Yes. No one should have to go through life afraid that they'll be forced into a life they don't want. Just give me some time to train; I'm sure your mother is quite a formidable foe."

"That's fair." Skuld nodded. "Aqua, thank you."

She smiled and nodded. The apostate gave a small smirk back and placed her bread onto the fire to cook. While they waited, Skuld told Aqua stories about how she grew up in the wilds and didn't learn about the ways of men until she was older. The blue haired mage chuckled in spite of herself imagining when Skuld learned about a handshake or that she had been judged for wearing the clothes she did. The indignation in Skuld's voice was a dead giveaway that she had felt the same way. Their conversation lasted as long as it took to cook the dough, and Skuld gave Aqua a piece of the fresh bread before sending her off and swearing her to secrecy.

"I don't wish to be one of the bakers of the group. The wilds are not as forgiving as the city. One must fend for themselves out here."

As she walked back to camp, Aqua wondered if that really were the case. After all, their little group had learned to depend on one another. They wouldn't make it if they didn't act like a team. Several times Aqua had been saved in battle because someone else had looked after her. Skuld herself had been one of them. But she was asking Aqua for help, so maybe she didn't wholly believe that herself.

Darkness fell on the camp as Aqua returned. Terra welcomed her back and offered her a bowl of soup, which she gratefully took. A chill bit into her exposed skin. Maybe it was a good thing they were heading underground. At least it would be warmer down there. They would be there in a few days of travelling, at best.

Aqua looked back over at Terra. He was deep in thought, as if he were hoping to say something to her but didn't know how. So she struck up conversation with him instead, hoping to keep things light. They laughed as the moon rose, discussing funny stories from their childhoods. Before going to bed, Aqua gave Walt the letter she had written. The pup disappeared in a puff of smoke and she could only hope it would reach Anora soon.

Notes:

So Walt the dog is a pup star from Union cross. Thanks to Kessie-Louise for the suggestion!

If you want to see what Anora wrote and conversely what Aqua wrote back, go check out Kessie's work Letters of Thedas. It's a collection of background codexes. There are already quite a few up. There will also be letters to and from the wayfinder trio there as the story progresses.

A grimoire is a book of magic. Some are for specific types of spells and others hold information on magic. Maleficent has been around for a long time, so she's in a lot of books.

I think that's everything. Hope you guys enjoyed it! We'll have one more filler chapter before delving into the world of the dwarves.s: