Isalora ran her hands over her face for the hundredth time of the night as she stepped away from the papers and reports in front of her. Stroud had explained everything he was aware of and everything that was pointing them to the hissing wastes. She was going to strangle Clarel herself when she saw the woman. She understood the fear but they were to rely on each other and report options to each other. However if Weishaupt had fallen silent, it would make sense why Clarel went into panic. She knew the other Commander was normally a level headed woman and was more than qualified for the position and took care of her fellow members. Something just wasn't adding up.

"Ugh I hate deserts, too hot and way too much sand." She growled out before grabbing a parchment and ink before signing off on a letter quickly to Alistar. Stroud watched as he ran fingers over his mustache and hummed softly.

"It's not the most ideal place to be stuck in, but if the lead proves to be beneficial." He mused to her before grabbing his mug of ale.

"For everyone in the Order's sake I hope it's all just a misunderstanding, though I have a hunch it's much worse than what we believe. For Creators and Maker's sake this all just going tits up." She huffed falling into a chair with her head tilted back to look at the ceiling. All she could think of was another political genocide of the wardens if everything couldn't be kept underwraps. Which with the Inquisition being involved would be a very hard thing to do. With a resolved sigh she leaned forward and bit her lip in thought as she began to plan her best course of action. She would need to travel with Emery whenever he planned to look into anything grey warden related. As much as she respected what the Inquisition was doing, the wardens had too many secrets and were too few as it were that she needed to try to save the Order to her best abilities.

"Commander, if it's any consolation, I'm behind you on anything you decide." Stroud spoke softly to her, loyalty sparking in his dark eyes making her smile up at the man.

"Thanks Stroud. I think I'm going to turn in for the night. We have a few big days coming ahead of us." Isalora hummed as she stretched out her stiff muscles. Stroud nodded as she left the room and walked the dim hallways of the hold. She wrapped her arms around herself as the light chill crept through the walls before taking the winding path to her room. As she opened the door she was met with a lit fireplace and the heat seeped into her skin. She pulled her hair to the top before tying the mess of hair up into a sort of bun with random strings falling down that framed her face and moved to take a seat in front of the fire as she unbuttoned the top of her blouse and closed her eyes enjoying the warmth. Stroud's room had been fairly cool, not as cold as the halls but cool enough to make her fingers tingle in the cold air. Her mind swirled with everything she had learned so far, what she had missed with the wardens in Orlais, the mess at Halamshiral, and the bullshit of Corypheus. She briefly wondered if The Mother and The Architect had also been a part of the magister group that had walked upon the Maker's golden throne. Time's like now she wished she hadn't been so hot headed and went through killing the Architect. However she was still reeling from the blight and only wanted black and white understandings not this weird gray that the talking darkspawn had caused. Upon thinking of the blight Isa remembered her letter from Avernus. Pulling out the folded parchment she bit her lip unsure if she wanted to read the new letter. Strengthening her resolve she opened the letter and took a deep breath in before scanning it over with wide eyes.

Commander,

We are close to the cure. A few more months and I believe I will be able to send you the first vial. I believe it'll have to be in steps until I perfect it but be wary of the blighting webs. I know you had written your worry about the beginning signs. I should have the last vial to you before the time shall run empty. Just avoid any large wounds and such. As I'm unsure how your body will react once taking the potion and the blight mixing.

Avernus

Isalora read and reread the letter about ten times while her hand clasped over her mouth as tears spilled over. The old man had finally done it. He had found the cure. Grant it, he had cursed her for not bringing the bodies of the talking darkspawn to him because it could have sped up the research but the man had done it either way. She released her breast band and glanced over her heart where the faint blue spider like webs branched away on her skin. She released the breath she held with relief that the blight wasn't spreading further yet. She still had some time before it was everywhere and time to return to the deep roads. She tossed the letter into the fire and closed her eyes listening to the crackle of the fire, mind running through different options she could take if the cure truly worked.

Isalora was in a small cottage tending to the cauldron of ram stew as she hummed softly as she ran a hand over her swollen stomach. She could hear the peel of laughter from her oldest daughter and son followed by the deep laugh of her husband. She couldn't help the smile that lifted her lips and watched as the door opened and tumbling in golden blonde curls and short silver blonde hair landed in a heap on the floor. She raised an eyebrow at the children before looking into the caramel eyes of her heart and laughed softly. Shaking her head she turned back to the stew adding a few vegetables and felt arms wrapping around her and a kiss on her hair.

"You should be resting." Cullen rumbled in her ear.

"Oh and then what would we be having for dinner, hmm? Last time you cooked the Barkspawn wouldn't even touch it." She smirked at the bashful look the man gave her. He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck and nodded.

"True, I would have figured something out." He gave her his boyish smile that he knew made her heart melt for him. She shook her head before moving to a chair as she handed him the spoon to stir. She watched him work on their dinner and the kids playing with the toys they had. Her life was full and content. She couldn't ask for more. Then it became dark outside and the smell of burning wood and flesh hit her nose and she went to stand up when she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She fell to her knees with a cry as Cullen ran to her.

"Somethings wrong!" She told him, trying to pull her skirts up. Cullen instead cut at her skirts only to reveal her swollen belly covered in black swirls of veins.

"What did you do to our child?" He cried out falling back. Isa stared in shock, unable to process.

"No...no, no, no this can't be happening. I don't have the taint anymore." She whispered crawling away only to have her hand land in a pool of black blood.

"Mo..th...er." A voice croaked out and her head whipped to the right only to see black empty spaces where gray and golden eyes should have been looking at her. Isalora screamed as the inky blood began to pour from the sockets and the mouths of her daughter and son. She tried to scurry away only to keep slipping the blood as it began to cover her and fill the room. "Why did you give us the taint, mother?" The voice croaked out like a blade being ground away.

"No I would never!" She cried out as the inky substance became thick like tar and was up to her elbows now.

"Oh but you did. All so you could live." The face of Cullen spoke but graveled in the voice of several demons.

"Enough!" Isa yelled a blast of electricity waving through her room as she fell out of the chair she had fallen asleep in. The fire had died down to a soft glow from the hot embers. It must have died recently, she thought to herself. She ran a hand over her clammy forehead before standing up. She tried to slow her breathing down and calm down but the walls began to feel like they were closing in, ready to crush her. She grabbed her heavy bear cloak and wrapped it around herself before bustling out of her room. She let her feet carry her to anywhere else that did not feel so enclosed. Her feet kept moving faster and faster until she was running out onto the battlements and the chilled air nipped at her exposed skin. She finally stopped and gulped in air as her lungs demanded the fresh air. She looked over the snow-touched trees and twinkling stars and felt her heart begin to slow its clawing cadence in her chest.

"Scared of the pretty song, the one the blight dragon sang. Tired of being alone, but it must be. No more tears for what could have been. Hand in hand with death." A voice said beside her causing her to spin, grasping for her missing dagger before electricity rippled along her fingers. "You don't cause death, you save more than what you have killed. You deserve happiness for your song is the saddest." A young man said to her that shimmered slightly. Her eyes narrowed at the spirit, fists clenched.

"Cole what did I say about reading people without permission." An exasperated voice floated to her ears that she recognized as green eyes met hers.

"She hurts, just like Cullen and has the soft sweet song like Stroud. I only wanted to help." Cole fidgeted looking back and forth the templar and mage.

"Cole? You're aware this is a spirit, yes?" She snipped, eyes narrowed towards the Inquisitor.

"We're aware. Solas believes Cole's a spirit of compassion. Though how he stays here in this form we're still figuring it out." Emery answered with a disarming smile. Isa huffed before pulling her cloak closer to her body as she eyed the pair warily.

"What brings you both out here?" She questioned as she turned her gaze to the forest.

"I could ask you the same," The young man laughed, "Cole picked up your fear and agitation while we were in the tavern enjoying a few last round drinks. Thought it might be in my best interest to make sure you didn't go trying to kill one of my companions again. Considering how Cole can sometimes...surprise you." He chuckled softly, shaking his head. Isa's jaw tightened before she sighed and nodded.

"Just a bad dream is all, just needed fresh air. I started to feel boxed in and still used to living on the road I suppose." She grumbled out as she leaned against the battlement. Emery raised an eyebrow at her before looking at Cole and waving him off. She watched as the spirit vanished off and felt her skin crawl from it. Spirits were meant to stay on the other side.

"Want to talk about it?" Emery offered after a moment of silence has he moved to stand next to her looking up at the stars. She glanced over and saw the honesty and relaxed state of the man next to her. She bit her lip and glanced away. Normally she would talk to Morrigan or Leliana about these things but one had a child to worry about and the other would just play matchmaker worse than she was already doing so. Her other go to would have been Zevran but he's miles away from her.

"You don't want to hear the woes of an old woman." She teased lightly rubbing the back of her neck.

"You're hardly old Isalora. I'm told I'm quite the good listener." He smiled brightly at her.

"Oh I'm sure that's all you get to do with that lovely partner of yours. Quite the conversationalist that one." She laughed lightly.

"Hmm, yes though there are ways of eventually making him the listener." He smirked playfully before Isa laughed, slapping a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Here I thought you were just a mere pup. Especially the way you followed the man." She teased before crossing her arms with a sigh as Emery gave her a meaningful look. "I know, don't hide behind humor. You've been around Leli too much." She huffed before staring at the stars and talking to the young man about everything and nothing. An easy conversation flowed between them as he asked about the fifth blight and all the great stories that were held with it. He told her of the time he'd been training and the short lived stationing at Ostwicks Circle. Before she knew it they were sitting and leaning against each other as the sun began to rise.

"You know Isalora, Cullen is very different from his time at the circle. Even at Kirkwall, Hawke and Varric even say so. Though I do know he has a lot of grief from what happened at the Circle in Ferelden. I'm not saying let the man in completely but maybe give him a chance to talk. I don't know what happened between you two. I just know he wishes to make amends." Emery hummed sleepily as the golden rays lit up the golden flecks in his green eyes.

"I know, pup. It's hard to think about that time, but for us to function well it has to be addressed." She sighed sleepily.

"Come on let's get into a bed to take a nap." He said moving to stand and helping the smaller woman up to her feet.

"As long as it's not Cullen's again I'm game for a comfy bed." She smiled lazily before laughing at the wide eyed look of the dark haired man who she leaned heavily against. He shook his head as he dragged her to Bull's room who happened to be passed out on the floor.

"We're so discussing that one when I'm more awake." He giggled at her before they face planted into the bed and blissful blankness took Isalora's mind.

Author's Note:

Sorry it's been so long since last update! But hey better late than never! Anyways hope you all are enjoying so far, please let me know in the reviews any suggestions on how to make it better or thoughts on whats to happen! Love hearing from reader, definitely makes my day and pushes me to give you more content!

Bunches of Love!

Kirashadows