It was a long three days as Elissa and her companions traveled north to Lothering from Flemeth's hut. It was there they met Leliana, a lay sister of the chantry, and Sten, a qunari that had murdered a family, confessed to it, and had been imprisoned in a cage to be left for the darkspawn or to starvation. Somehow, with the help of Leliana, Elissa had convince the revered mother of Lothering's chantry to release the qunari into her custody. Leliana had also helped them fight off some of Loghain's men when they had entered the tavern. Elissa beat the commander and told him to take a message to Loghain: that the Grey Wardens knew what really happened and they were coming to make him pay for it. The commander nodded and nearly ran off screaming in terror. While they were in Lothering, Elissa and her companions worked a few jobs- make some poison, medicine, and traps here, kill some bandits and find the body of a boy's mother there- and earned some pretty coin while they worked there. As they prepared to leave the village, Elissa and her companion came across a merchant named Bodahn Fedic and his son, Sandal. They saved the two dwarves from a group of darkspawn and helped them clean up their ruined carts. Thanking them, the dwarves left Lothering and bid a farewell to Elissa and her companions.

Another three days had passed since they left Lothering, making their way towards Redcliffe to seek the aid of Arl Eamon. It was dark and the company had set up camp for the night. Elissa had fallen asleep next to the fire pit and woke with a start as a sense of being watched overwhelmed her.

"Bad dreams, huh?" Alistair asked, looking over at her.

"It seemed so real…" Elissa said, rubbing her head.

"Well, it is real. Sort of…" he replied. "You see, part of being a Grey Warden is being able to hear the darkspawn. That's what your dream was. Hearing them."

Elissa looked at him.

"The archdemon, it…" Alistair said, continuing. "'talks' to the horde, and we feel it just as they do. That's why we know this is really a Blight."

"The archdemon? Was that the dragon I saw?" Elissa asked.

"I don't know if it really is a dragon, but it sure looks like one. But yes, that's the archdemon." Alistair replied. "It takes a bit, but eventually you can block the dreams out. Some of the older Grey Wardens say they can understand the archdemon a bit, but I sure can't."

Elissa stretched and stood.

"Anyhow, when I heard you thrashing around, I thought I should tell you. It was scary at first for me, too."

Elissa smiled. "Thank you, Alistair. I appreciate it."

Alistair returned her smile. "That's what I'm here for. To deliver unpleasant news and witty one-liners."

Elissa went over to sit next to Alistair. It had been a few days since they last were in Ostagar. "Do you want to talk about Duncan?" she asked.

He looked at her. "You don't have to do that. I know you didn't know him as long as I did."

Elissa smiled softly. "He was like a father to you. I understand. I thought you might just want to talk about it."

Alistair looked at her and she saw the sadness in her eyes. "I… should have handled it better. Duncan warned me right from the beginning that this could happen. Any of us could die in battle. I shouldn't have lost it, not when so much is riding on us, not with the Blight and… and everything. I'm sorry."

Elissa shifted around so that she was facing him. "Alistair, there's nothing to be sorry for." She said as she put a hand on his arm.

Alistair put a hand on hers. "I'd… like to have a proper funeral for him. Maybe once this is all done, if we're still alive. I don't think he had any family to speak of."

"He had you." Elissa said, smiling.

Sighing, Alistair looked towards the fire. "I suppose he did. It probably sounds stupid, but part of me wishes I was with him. In the battle. I feel like I abandoned him."

Elissa shook her head. "It doesn't sound stupid in the least. I can understand the feeling completely."

"Of course I'd be dead, then, wouldn't I?" Alistair asked her, looking back to her and searching her eyes. "It's not like that would make him happier." He thought for a moment, then said, "I think he came from Highever, or so he said. Maybe I'll go out the sometime, see about putting up something in his honor. I don't know." Looking at her, Alistair then asked her, "Have you… had someone close to you die?" Then when he saw the shock and grief in Elissa's eyes, he added, "Not that I mean to pry, I'm just…"

Elissa looked away, trying to hide the tears she felt brimming her eyes. "I've lost enough to know what you're going through." She said, standing. "My entire family was recently murdered."

"Elissa, I…" Alistair said as he stood. "I didn't mean… I'm sorry, I forgot… Here am I blubbering on about losing Duncan when you've…" Then seeing that she wasn't ready to talk about her loss, he said, "Thank you, Elissa." Alistair said, looking at her. "Really, I mean it. It was good to talk about it, at least a little."

Elissa nodded. "You're welcome. Maybe I'll go with you to Highever, when you go. I would like to try and reclaim my homeland and rebuild what Howe destroyed. Perhaps we can build a monument in honor of Duncan and the other Grey Wardens there."

"I'd like that. I think he would, too." Alistair said, then watched as she went towards the Warden tent where she and Alistair slept.

The Warden tent was large enough for at least two people and their equipment. Upon making their first camp, Elissa and Alistair had agreed it would be best to keep themselves in one area in case they get ambushed. Morrigan disagreed and kept her tent to the edge of camp. When Leliana joined their company, she had decided that she would keep her tent close to the Warden tent. Elissa and Alistair had their own separate bedrolls and usually slept outside by the fire, but there were those night where it would get cold and the heat within the tent was sufficient enough.

Elissa threw her armor into a pile near her bedroll and stood there in nothing but her pants and a loose fitting tunic and boots. Her hair- normally tied back in a bun- had fallen out of its tie and fell loosely in curls against her back. She squeezed her eyes shut and she tried to stem the flow of tears, but it was no use.

Outside, Alistair stood there, helplessly racking his brain. He didn't know what to do; he had never been in a situation like this. He wanted to run to her, to hold her in his arms and tell her it was going to be OK, to be there for her like she had been for him with Duncan's death. When he heard the clanking of armor being thrown, he hurried to the tent to see if she was alright.

Elissa turned when Alistair burst into the tent. She stared at him helplessly, the tears spilling down her cheeks. "Why…?" She asked. "Why would he do this…? He was Father's friend…" she asked, hoping that Alistair would have some answers that she could not find.

Alistair stood there, looking at her. She was so beautiful, even when she was distraught and grieving. He knew that she spoke of Howe and knew that he didn't have the answers. "I don't know, Elissa…."

She wrapped her arms around herself and let the tears fall and she wept, something she had not yet had the luxury- if that's what one could call it- of letting her grief out. She had kept it in for Duncan, for Jory and Daveth, for Alistair. She held it in, bottled away, in order to be strong for the Wardens, for the king and for his army, not wanting to let her grief over take her in the midst of battle. She finally had had enough and let it all out: the loss of her mother and father, seeing her nephew and his mother bloody on the floor of their room, seeing her Nan, the servants, and what soldiers had remained at the castle all slaughtered. No one had been left alive, not even the other children. She could see each of their faces as she ran passed them, unable to grant them a proper send off as she had to flee for her life. She didn't even know if her brother was still alive.

Alistair pulled her into his arms and held onto her. He let her cry, soaking the leather of the armor he wore. They stood there in the center of the tent, Elissa weeping for her family and those that served them. Alistair held onto her and stroked her hair, not saying a word. He knew it was hard for her to lose her entire family, something he knew from losing Duncan and the other Wardens- all of whom had really become family to him after Arlessa Isolde sent him away to the Chantry. He had watched her be so strong around him and the others, not once letting her grief out. While she had tried to hide it, Alistair could tell that she was very sad, hurting, holding in her grief and trying to distract herself from the pain of the memories of that night, always finding some way to help out around the camp when they weren't preparing for the Joining.

Elissa stood there, her head against Alistair's chest. She could smell the musty leather as it soaked up her tears, but she could also smell something else. She couldn't quite tell what it was, but it was like cinnamon paired with an earthy scent that differed from the musty scent of leather. It was so comforting to her and she soon found her tears had subsided. She pushed herself back a bit, wiping the tears from her face as best as she could, then looked up at Alistair. He was watching her, his eyes filled with worry and concern for her.

"I'm sorry…" she said, looking away.

Alistair took her chin in his hand and turned her face to where she could look at him. "Don't apologize. You needed to let it out and I promised I would be here for you when you were ready to talk about happened to your family."

Elissa managed a smile. "Thank you, Alistair, though I cannot say that I am proud of you seeing me so vulnerable and weak."

Alistair laughed at that and shook his head. "Vulnerable and weak? I'd say you are far from being either of those."

Elissa watched him and realized how handsome he was, how charming and warm his smile was, how strong and protective his arms encircling her felt. She blushed and looked down at his chest. "You don't have to laugh."

Alistair's face fell a bit when he realized how that came across to her and he felt guilty. "Elissa, I'm sorry… I shouldn't make light of your grief. It is no different than my own." Elissa looked back up at him as he continued. "It's just, even while you were hiding your grief, you never once have faltered from your path, never once let it overcome, and you have been doing so well. You're so strong and I wouldn't think any less of you if you let yourself cry once in a while."

Elissa managed a smile at that. "Thank you."

"Of course. Now, try to get some sleep. I'll take first watch." He said, leaving the tent.

Elissa felt her cheeks burning a little and smiled to herself. She was finding she liked being with Alistair more and more as the days they travelled went by.