The wolf snapped. He fought the manacles of a leghold trap. The metal bit into him but the animal seemed not to care. He would rip the flesh from his bones to reclaim what had gone beyond his reach.

"Mana, mana!" her father's hands were in seconds on animal's head, his neck, holding him, soothing him. "Atisha. Listen to me. Calm down."

There was a command in her father's voice, which caught a wolf's attention, but it was the fear that brought the animal back to himself. Concern for his own life. Blood was running down his leg. The arrow stuck deep between his ribs. The creature made himself stop, baring his teeth but he kept his eyes on the elder elf.

"He will not survive this, my daughter" her father stated quietly.

She came closer, her eyes widened, breathing heavy as she leaned next to them both.

"He will not. Can we help him, papae?" she asked kneeling next to the tall blond-haired elf.

His gaze met hers, and he raised his hand to brush her red hair from her forehead "We can, da'len."

He handed her the knife then and nodded "You have just reached a thirteen year of your life, Celia. I believe you can take another step into your maturity." he spoke to her gently and calmly stroking wolf's head at the same time.

"Lenalin?" young Celia's eyes filled with tears and her gaze drifted from her father's face to big, grey wolf. She saw it coming. She experienced it many times before. Shems killing wolves for their furs and claws, selling them later as souvenirs. Cheap toys to gain dirty money. She sobbed and took a deep breath deciding to trust father's decision - if he was certain of her capability, she should be too. She wiped away her tears with her wrist while her hand tightened on the blade.

"You know what to do, Celia" her father sent her one of his most firm looks and squeezed her arm, "Remember, ashalan, every being deserves comfort and gentle death. Do what you must."

She nodded, closed her eyes and started to pray softly.

"Fen'Harel, grant that my blade does not wobble. Give me strength and confidence because here I am to release one of your kinsmen."

A small hand on neck stroked the warm, thick fur with sympathy and compassion. The quick blade cut the artery in strong, firm move. The wolf's last heartbeat under her small fingers, all that was him was gone. His last breath on her cheek as she hugged him ignoring the blood soaking into her hair.

"I am proud of you, Celia."


In the quiet darkness of moonless night, Falherna shook her head from memory. She stood by the lake next to their camp. It was her shift. The stars glittered overhead in a splash. The wind pulsed around her steadily.

Carefully, her fingertips traced the scar at the center of her forearm, a token given to her by Fen few weeks before the Conclave. The sight of it made her throat tighter. She sighed quietly at the reminder of what she had, what she could lose in a few hours if Fen would happen to be among the wolves they intended to find.

Dire thoughts fell heavy on her heart.

Another tough decision.

Another wolf in her life that she could lose.

Another crack in her soul.

She ran the hand across her face as if she was trying to wipe something away; sorrow, perhaps, or exhaustion. She inhaled deeply and went back to the fire. She sat down on the bedroll next to the flames, pulling her knees up under her chin. The situation required the strength of will, and she was a woman who did not lack it, neither did she lack logic.

A simple syllogism guided her that she had the power over the thoughts that she admitted into her mind and that emotions were a derivative of the thoughts, that she could feel nothing that she did not previously think about. Feelings were a physical reaction to the thought which led her to the conclusion that by controlling her own thoughts, she was able to exercise power over her feelings. She was able to manipulate her emotions, to change them, by working on the thoughts that preceded them.

She believed that only the those who alone could control their feelings were truly free.

"You can only control what you are aware of; what you are unaware of controls you." her father's words spoke in her mind.

Falherna gasped and closed her eyes as she started to open her mind to all the thoughts and emotions which accompanied them. She felt fear about her wolf - alone, corrupted; anger at herself and Fen because they did not found each other yet; furious because of the Breach and the mysterious person who doomed this world; sorrow because of the possibility she would not be able to save her wolf.

Hands wrapped around her legs clenched into fists as she slowly acknowledged of what waited ahead. Seconds changed into minutes, minutes into hours as Falherna processed all scenarios.

Without any other solution at hand, I will kill you ma Fen, she thought finally clearing her mind, accepting the situation and its consequences.

A sense of dreaminess overcame her, her muscles relaxed, and she was on the point of giving way to a desire to sleep when the quiet sound reached her ears.

A sound behind her as of somebody moving cautiously.

Falherna cocked her head, tracing the line of trees and rocks. The silence that fell was disturbed only by the small hum of water.

It came again. The sound of broken branches. The hair on the back of her neck prickled when the similar sound came from the other side of the lake.

After the first growl, she rose slowly locking her gaze on the last source of the sound.

"Wake up!" she raised her voice slightly withdrawing to the fire, bending carefully; one move after another.

"Seeker! Varric!" she called when three pairs of green eyes glimmered in the dark.

Her fingers squeezed the arm of Solas who was sleeping nearby. She shook him "Get up!".

"What's wrong with you, Brighteyes?!" Varric mumbled leaving his tent and rubbing his eyes.

"Varric, grab Bianca. Slowly. We are surrounded!" Falherna hissed in response. Another two pairs of eyes appeared, a deep growl cut the dark night. Adrenaline rushed through her blood. Without second thoughts she reached for a log setting it on fire, creating a torch and brandishing it to lightened up the small space in front of her.

Falherna allowed herself for one brief look under her shoulders noticing Varric with Bianca in his grip and Seeker peering from her tent, with a sword in her hands, always ready to fight.

"Five wolves around us," she informed them calmly, "We need to wake up Solas" her eyes focused on the animal few steps ahead as she poked Solas' arm with her barefoot.

"Chuckles!" Varric roared under his breath at the apostate. Letting out a quiet groan Solas sat up on an elbow and rubbed his eyes, blinking away sleep and squinting against the dim firelight.

"Solas, get up. Slowly." Falherna asked him quickly remembering to keep her voice low and firm. He looked around still slightly confused, but it took him only a few seconds to recognize the situation and the danger. In the dead of night, many shining eyes were seen peering on them.

"Wolves" he murmured bringing himself to his feet.

A dark wolf could be seen halted, gazing at them. A shuddering howl broke from him as if he were a captain summoning his pack to the assault.

The wolf snarled and sprang towards them with a great leap. At that

moment there was a sharp twang. Varric had loosed Bianca. There was a

hideous yell, and the leaping shape thudded to the ground; the arrow

had pierced its throat. The green watching eyes were suddenly extinguished. Their enemies were routed and did not return.

"It was Alpha," Falherna stated as indifferently as if she was stating that the Breach's color was green.

"No normal wolf would fight with such determination," Cassandra noticed cleaning her sword. They slowly came back to the fire camp.

"The Breach may have driven them mad... or perhaps a demon took command of the pack," Solas suggested looking at Falherna who still stand at the wolf's corpses.

"A demon?" Fal crouched to take a closer look at wolf's eyes. A green light was gone as was this poor animal.

"Or a Breach drove..." he repeated understanding he made another mistake and said too much. She interrupted him "I understand your assumption about the Breach. I want to understand better what brought the idea about a demon" she sounded harsh while they hand was gently stroking the fur of the dead wolf.

"Well, demons pouring from the Breach have the ability to poses different creatures such as..." he started to explain with academic tone.

She interrupted him once again "Wolves... yes..."

"You did not hear it?" she stood up slowly and brushed off the dirt from her cloak. Then she looked at him and even in the dimmed light, he noticed she is irritated.

Cassandra and Varric raised their gaze at her.

"When we killed it" her voice was now calm and quiet "I heard a scream, not only howls of the pack."

"I admit, I heard it too" Solas answered. There was no point to lie.

"So why not say it?" she asked. Irritation appeared in her voice again. Solas looked at her searching for proper words. The question was simple but the answer was not.

"Alright, so you are sure the pack is controlled by a demon?" Varric

stretched his legs and crossed his arms behind his head looking at her with concern.

"Crazy as it seems I think so, yes" she smiled at him but her gaze stayed sad and absent.

"Crazy? For me, it is completely normal considering what we have seen so far" a deep laugh escaped his throat.

"Inquisitor?" Falherna looked at Solas. He cleared his throat "We need to confront them"

"That was my thought exactly" she murmured looking at the log Cassandra throw into the fire.

They stayed silent for a while. Each caught in their own thoughts. A distant howl accompanied them through the rest of the sleepless night.


Mana: an imperative verb, like "Stop" or "Wait".

Atisha: peace, peaceful.

Da'len: "a little child," or "little one."

Lenalin: father

Ashalan: daughter