Lothering was deserted, she looked around frantically for a sign of anyone, she found none. An eerie darkness started to creep over the village, she was terrified, feeling the coldness seeping into her.
It was unnerving, looking up she saw something in the distance, what was it? She didn't know but she felt drawn to it like there was where she was meant to be. She moved, eating up the ground quickly, as she drew closer she saw that it wasn't something but someone, no two figures standing, swords drawn facing the on coming darkness that was now at her heels.
She broke out into a full run something told her she had to reach them though she didn't know why, breathing hard, she realised as she drew close that it was a man and a woman.
They seemed oblivious to her, their eyes intent only on the evil over her shoulder. Suddenly she found herself on the ground, her foot caught on something and she fell, it was a body, they appeared everywhere now.
How had she not seen them before? The woman stepped over her and stood protectively still her eyes on her enemy, glancing about she saw she had fallen near the chantry, the sun was setting on... life?
Its rays of warmth were receding fast, eyes following the last bit of light as the chantry was eaten by the darkness, they fell upon the garden and her breath caught in her throat as everything went black and then she was falling.
Leliana awoke. Heels hitting the bed hard, slightly shaking, sweat running down her forehead, over her face. Could it really have been only a dream? She thought it had been so vivid. Unlike normal dreams where the images flow from memory so quickly and efforts to remember are mostly futile, she could recall this dream so clearly, details like she was recalling a memory but what did it mean?
She rolled onto her side, wincing slightly as the straw from the thread bare mattress that served as her bed poked her relentlessly. Oh, how she missed... No, she would not allow herself to indulge in memories from that time. The flame from her candle, which she could not sleep without, danced slightly in the dark. It had burned down and only a small amount of wax remained. She watched it for a time, contemplating, going over and over her dream. She came to the conclusion it wasn't a dream but a vision. A vision from the Maker Himself, she had thought she could feel His presence weaving itself throughout.
She sighed and rolled onto her back, even though its details were clear it's meaning was not. She lay a while trying to piece it together but only remained confused. Maybe she was crazy like they said, her sisters when she had told them her thoughts on the Maker. They had been dismissive at best and cruel at worst, mocking her when they thought she couldn't hear them. Tears stung her eyes, she fought them back, the others were beginning to rise as dawn was approaching so she did like she did every morning and pretended to still be asleep until the last of them left their shared room and she was alone.
Leliana got up and padded over to the wash basin quickly washing her face, looking into the mirror. She was still pretty even after all she went through, her red hair had been kept short ever since her escape and her blue eyes sparkled, everything seemed normal but she could not see the scarred skin underneath her nightshirt that crossed over her back, shoulders and sides. Tears rising anew she stepped away before she dwelled too long, a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure that the door was closed before she pulled off her nightshirt and then pulled on her chantry robes. The morning consisted of prayers in the chapel with the afternoon left open to helping the refugees pouring into Lothering because of the darkspawn. The little village had swelled to the point of bursting. Shelter was scarce and food even more so yet they continued to come and the Revered Mother refused no one, she was a kind woman and Leliana felt safe here.
She wandered outside and began helping people where she was able, comforting words, a prayer or even just a kind smile to those whose world had been turned upside down. It wasn't much she knew but anything to help soothe their pain she would do. She saw guards harassing some elven refugees, demanding to know if they had seen any Grey Wardens in the village, the male elf cowered before the humans and stammered that they hadn't and the guards moved on. Leliana found this curious as news had been received that all the Grey Wardens had perished at Ostagar.
After a time Leliana wanted some solitude to revisit her vision, she had helped all she could. She headed for the chantry garden she maneuvered through the throngs of people, it wasn't big and the huge rose bush that was its centrepiece was long dead but she was sure she would be alone.
As she turned into the garden something immediately caught her eye, the long dead rose bush was no longer dead. A huge rose fully bloomed sat in its centre. Her breath caught in her chest, surely it could not be, she reached out and touched it gingerly, scared it may disappear. It sat proudly, beautifully among the dead stems and thorns that surrounded it. It was a sign like her vision, that even amongst the greatest pain where death lingers near life can prosper. Suddenly she knew, knew what it meant. What her vision had meant. It was the blight, and she must help stop it, this is what the Maker wants from her. Joy swelled in her chest at this thought but how? The Grey Wardens the guards had been speaking of, she rushed out of the garden intent on finding out what she could about them.
Leliana moved quickly, turning a corner and running straight into someone. She hit the ground hard, and began muttering an apology "Sorry, please excuse my clum.." Leliana broke off as she looked up and into the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, blue like hers but a deeper shade. She held her breath, she thought they looked into her very soul. She sat staring into them and realised with a start the person those eyes belonged to was holding out a hand to help her up, taking it she noticed it was callused from years of training with a weapon. The girl pulled her to her feet and Leliana let her gaze roam, she was young, younger than Leliana. Her hair was red also, longer than her own. Slightly taller, Freckles dusted her face and she was wearing armour that was splattered in mud and blood, some of it transferring to Lelianas robes from when they bumped into one another. The girl glanced down and winced, a blush creeping up her neck "Sorry about that" her voice was soft, "No matter" Leliana replied "It was my fault for running into you" looking back into those eyes Leliana saw a sadness there and then a realisation that this was the woman of her vision. The one she was meant to go to but before she could say anything the girl spoke "I'm sorry, I have to go and meet up with my friends" and glancing at Leliana's robes again she gave her an apologetic look and moved swiftly away from her.
Leliana watched her go, her resolve set. She went back into the chantry and her shared room and collected her bow and daggers from her chest, she hadn't used them in over two years but she knew the path that she now set herself was fraught with danger. She packed the leather armour that he was wearing when she first arrived in Lothering, as well as the rest of her personal items. It wasn't much, deducing that it better she remain a sister whilst still in the village. Leliana didn't know where the Warden had gone but set off for the tavern, most people knew to the village always stopped by the there hoping for something to eat, so there she would go and there she would wait.