Ana sits beneath a tree near the edge of the small enclosed courtyard just outside the palisade walls. She sniffs, looking out at the water beside the river that flows through it as she absently rubs the medallion on her necklace.

Once he finds her, Alistair awkwardly comes to stand behind her. He clears his throat making her flinch. "Sorry." He mutters.

"Shouldn't you be setting up the camp?" She asks with another sniff.

"Yes, but I figured I'd come check on you first. Thanks for sticking up for me back there."

She pulls her cloak closer around her. "I didn't do it for you."

He frowns despite her being turned away. "Oh. Well… even so, you were right. I doubt she would be able to understand our grief."

Ana turns to look at him, her bright eyes piercing through him. "Our? How could you possibly understand my grief? You lost one person. I lost my entire family, the man I loved, my king, my home, my status and now my dog."

"I didn't lose just one person-" Alistair begins to argue, his anger surging up through him until she cuts him off.

"With my luck, I probably also lost the only friend I had at Ostagar. The one person who understood what I was going through." She shakes her head. "Don't try to relate to me. You have no idea what I'm going through." Before he can respond, she waves him off and turns around. "Leave me be. I beg of you."

Shortly after Alistair leaves to set up camp, Ana rises from her seat and starts toward the entrance of the palisade gates. She barely makes it within the gates when a large man in templar armor blocks her. "You there." He says, "If you're seeking safe shelter, I'm afraid there is none to be found here."

"Then luckily I'm not seeking shelter." She tries to side step him but is blocked once more.

"Then what is your business? We can't have refugees sleeping in doorways or around the chantry."

She raises her chin. "Do I look like a refugee to you?" She seethes. "No. I simply want to trade and visit the chantry. Is that off limits as well?"

As the templar begins to respond, his eyes flick to the young man approaching wearing similar tarnished armor. He holds out his other hand to him. "Sir, there is no available space to seek shelter here. We are filled to the brim as is with refugees."

"We're not refugees." Alistair replies. "We're just here to resupply and rest up before moving on."

"See?" Ana says, impatiently. "Let us through."

"This woman says that you're also here to visit the chantry."

Alistair shrugs. As Alistair explains their presence, something, or rather somebody, catches Ana's eye behind the templar. Her heart leaps in her chest. Could it truly be?

Moving for a better look, her eyes widen. "Nate?" She mutters, watching as she watches Hawke walk start toward the small bridge connecting either side of the village separated by the river.

"Nate!" She calls out, ducking around the templar and taking off at a full sprint toward her friend. "Nate!"

The templar and Alistair call to her from behind but she ignores them. She calls to Nate once more. Halfway across the bridge, he stops and turns. A smile forms as they immediately embrace.

"Maker, I feared the worse!" She mutters, happy tears spilling down her cheeks. "Everyone...the Wardens...the king…"

His smile falls as he hugs her close. "I know, Love... I heard."

Pulling away, she quickly wipes her eyes with her sleeve. "How did you manage to escape?"

"It's a bit of a story." He says, glancing over as Alistair jogs up to them. He offers the lad a small grin. "It's good to see you again too, Alistair. I'm glad you two managed to make it out."

"You too." He nods.

"What about your brother?" Ana asks, her lips turned downward into a concerned frown. "Is he…?"

"Carver's fine." He reassures her. Feeling eyes on them, his expression turns serious. "I was actually just about to head back home, if you care to join? I know Carver would be happy to see you again, Ana. He was worried about you, as we all were." He lowers his voice. "Also, we need to talk. You two are in great danger."

Ana's eyes widen. "What? Why?"

Putting on a smile, he motions toward the bridge. "Come on. We have a lot to catch up on."

With a shared look of concern, the Wardens begin following Nate.

Nate's home is a small, yet simple cottage on the outskirts of the village with equally small parcels of land. Nearing the edge of the estate, Ana finally asks the question weighing on her chest. "Nate, what did you mean we're in great danger?"

He stops and the two wardens stop with him, looking at him with cautious curiosity. "I don't know if you two have heard yet but there's a fairly large bounty on your heads right now."

"A bounty?" Alistair asks, frowning. "What for? By whom?"

Just as Nate opens his mouth to reply, Carver rounds the corner of the small barn carrying a small stack of firewood. Spotting Nate, he frowns. "About time, Nate! Where-" His eyes move past his brother to the two people, clad in Warden armor. His eyes widen as the firewood falls from his arms.

Nate turns as the the firewood falls and reprimands him but gets ignored as Carver quickly makes his way to the makeshift fence enclosing the farmstead. "You're alive!" He breathes as he approaches Ana.

She nods. "We are. I see you are too."

"Carver, go pick that wood up." Nate commands. "We'll be right in."

Once more, Carver ignores him. "When I heard the Wardens were being sent to the frontlines, I feared the worst."

"Duncan sent us to have the signal lit at the Tower of Ishal." Alistair says. "We were nowhere near the frontlines. Even so, we thought we wouldn't make it."

"Carver."

Finally, Carver turns to shoot an irritated glance at his older brother. "What?"

"We'll be in shortly. Go pick up the firewood and bring it inside. Mother is waiting."

Carver glances at Ana as his face flushes. He quickly turns on his heel and storms back toward the hut.

"It's good to see some things don't change." Ana comments with a smile.

"He's a complete tit but I know he means well." Nate chuckles, waving for them to follow. "Come inside and meet the rest of the Hawke family." He glances at Ana. "There's somebody I think will be happy to see you again."

Nate starts toward the home and Ana begins to follow before Alistair stops her. "What?" She hisses, pulling her arm away from where he touched.

"As happy as I am to see Nate again, just remember that we can't stay long. We still need to stock up on supplies and need to sit down and plan where to go." He frowns.

Ana says nothing as she shoots him a quick glare before following Nate.

The cottage is small and simple but radiates warmth from the hearth at the center. Nate leads them through the wide doorway where a slender woman stands over the pot on the fire, humming softly to herself. Her dress simply made but sturdy like most Ferelden clothing and her medium length silver hair is plaited in a single braid down her back.

As they step into the room, a mound of brown fur rises with an excited bark before running at the Wardens.

"Much!" Ana exclaims as the hound practically knocks her over before licking away at the happy tears that had begun to fall. Nate, Alistair and the woman smile as they watch the joyful reunion of hound and mistress. Ana hugs the large hound, burying her face in his fur. When she finally looks up, she wipes her eyes with her sleeve. "H-how?" She asks.

Nate shrugs. "He found Carver and I when we were heading back here. Seeing no survivors, we feared the worse and decided to bring him home with us."

"I take it this must be his mistress." The woman chuckles. "Care to introduce us, Nate?"

Nate nods. He turns to the Wardens. "You've both already met Carver. This is our mother, Leandra Hawke. Bethany is around here somewhere."

"She's out feeding the chickens." Carver replies, nudging his way past Alistair.

Ana gives a small curtsy. "A pleasure to meet you, Leandra."

Leandra smiles as Alistair awkwardly bows.

"Mother, these are the two Wardens I told you about; Ana Cousland and Alistair…." He pauses. "I just now realized I don't know your last name."

Alistair's cheek redden. "Just Alistair is fine."

Leandra's expression falls but she quickly smiles once more as if nothing happened. "A pleasure to meet you both." She glances at Nate. "Nathan, come help me set up for supper while your friends rest. I'm sure it's been quite a journey for them."

Carver leads them into the small adjoining room. As soon as Ana and Alistair are out of the room, Nate returns to his mother's side as she takes up at the fire once more.

"What's the matter?" He says, keeping his voice low. "You never call me Nathan unless something is wrong."

"Nate, you know that having them here is unwise." She frowns. "If anybody seen you bring them here…"

"I never took you as somebody who cared what others thought." Nate grins but his mother's frown remains intact.

"I'm not but General Loghain's announcement made it clear: anybody who is even caught associating with the Wardens will be punished. With you and your sister-"

Nate's grin falls as he touches his mother's shoulder. "I know and normally I wouldn't risk it but they really have nobody else. Nobody else who was at Ostagar when the king was killed are alive and can testify on their behalf.

Maybe we can help them?"

"How?" Leandra asks. "With the refugees and the Blight, we're barely scraping by as it is."

"I don't mean with coin. Perhaps telling them about a safer route or giving them some old clothes to at least disguise themselves?" He frowns. "We have to at least do something . I may not know Alistair very well but Ana is my friend."

Leandra sighs, reaching up to touch her son's stubbled jaw. "You've got your father's heart and fighting spirit." She says with a sad smile. "I know you mean well." Her hand drops as she tries to think. "For now, they can stay for supper so you can inform them about their bounty. I'll think about what can be done but I can't promise much."

Nate smiles. "Thank you. I know this isn't easy to ask of you."

Leandra shakes her head as she stirs the pot. "That poor girl." She sighs. "First her family and her home and now she's been unknowingly declared an outlaw." She pauses. "By the way you spoke of her, I never expected her to be Bethany's age. With everything she's been through, I expected her to be a few years older like you."

"Hardship does that." Nate states grimly.

Leaving his mother after setting the stable with their crude wooden bowls and spoons, Nate exits the dimly lit cottage to find Carver leaning against the side of the house as Ana chatted with Bethany. His brows furrow as he glances around. "Where's Alistair?"