Judy: thank you for the review. You are awesomely faithful. My spanish speaking guest. Thank you for the review. I like her too. She has just enough fire to be fun.

I looked up as I heard a baritone voice clearing his throat. I scowled as I examined its owner. Standing there just outside of my tent's entrance was Aedan Cousland. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and cleared his throat again.

Leliana gave me a small smile and squeezed my hand. "I am going to check out this tub. When you are done maybe you can help?"

I nodded and watched her stand and walk away. I wanted to tell Aedan to go jump in a hole crawling with Darkspawn, but I didn't wish that on the Darkspawn.

Instead, I haughtily stood there waiting for him to speak first. I was being childish, and I knew it. But he accused me of deserting, being in league with the Traitor and causing the death of Duncan and the King. Even with Duncan there, we only tolerated each other. He thought I was useless and I thought he was a spoiled brat.

"Rhiannon, I am sorry."

Ugh, he apologized and no one prompted him. I wanted to stay mad. But if I had it rough then so did, he. I allowed the tilt of my chin to soften and uncrossed my arms.

He took it as a good sign and continued. "At first I really did think Morien was a thief. I didn't stop and consider the meat roasting or see the new tent. And then, when I saw you, I was angry that you survived."

I snorted and crossed my arms again. Maybe I was a little quick in forgiving him.

"Rhiannon don't take it like that. I didn't mean… look! Sten, Leliana, Morrigan Alistair and I just came back from Ostagar. We found … the king strewn up on pikes. The Darkspawn were tormenting us with his body. And Loghain Mac Tir just left him there to rot. We didn't find you or Duncan… and that hit Alistair especially hard. And I didn't find Fergus. To relive the battle and see the carnage, only to come back and find you alive but not them. I am sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"Your right you should not have, but I understand. You didn't find Duncan because I sent him to the Maker with flames. I was not going to leave him to be eaten by those monsters. As for you Brother, I never seen him but there is a possibility that he is still alive. Many soldiers were fighting for their lives and fleeing when… Morien and I and others were trying to …"

"It's all right. You don't have to coddle me. After viewing, King Cailan strung up, as some sick trophy there isn't a lot of hope for Fergus. But how did you survive?"

"Flemeth. She is a dragon, literally. She flew us out of the Wilds and left us a Kings Rest. It's just inside of the Redcliff Arling. After she told us that you guys were going to gather the armies using the treaties and of Arl Eamon. We figured that was the best place to catch up with you. We ran into Bodahn Feddic and his son. They said they knew where you camp was. Morien and I liked that idea better."

Aedan looked down at the ground. "Sorry about the thrall comment."

I shrugged. He had made his low opinion of mages clear after the incident with Jowan. It hurt more than I was willing to let him see and said, "I understand. He and Teyrn are the only ones that survived of the party as we fled Ostagar. And if it weren't for Flemeth's potions he wouldn't have survived."

I had kept to the truth as close as possible. I hated the idea of lying to them. But the king commanded me.

As a group, we settled into an uncomfortable truce over a meal of roasted druffalow. Leliana shared the story from Lothering until now. With occasional interruptions from Aedan and grunts from the Qunari Sten.

Cailan after introducing himself as one of the Kings personal guards ordered to protect the Grey Wardens until the Archdemon was killed. Shared the story of Ostagar and traveling out of the wilds. Including the meeting with Flemeth as a dragon.

It was amazing how smoothly he told the story and how close to the truth it actually was since he was unconscious most of the time. I wondered if because I had retold it several times while he tried to come to terms with the chaos.

It was Teyrn's low growl that alerted us to company.

She paused only a moment, as she looked Cailan and me over before walking toward the campfire. As she bent over and cut a slab of meat from the spit imperiously, she said, "I see mother found you. She was not happy when you were not with the others. It is good to know you survived on your own until she could help you."

Cailan and I silently exchanged glances. Flemeth had known we would be at her hut. But before we could ask any questions, Morrigan turned away from the fire and sauntered to the back of the clearing to the large tent with herbs and glass beakers.

Leliana was conspicuously looking at her plate and frowning. I had to wonder if it was my imagination or did these two not get along. The Qunari seemed to be ignoring the woman. Only Aedan showed any concern or interest jumping up to follow her. I heard the word Flemeth and assumed he would be asking about the new information.

A suggestion was given to me. Readers wanted to know more of the backstory I was providing in the flash blacks. As it will help for the second an third part of this series I decided to add it. But I did not want this story to ramble or become ten million words. So I will be adding supplemental chapters and linking them as one shot stand alone pieces. Look for Rhiannon's conscription next week.