A/N I'm still getting used to work and college. Anyways this is the next part I promised on Monday but forgot about until now. :)

Read, Review, and Enjoy!


"Maker's balls! Darien take that thing out!" I snap up and find my target a few feet away. I dash over, dodging around the swords and bolts being thrown at me to roll away from another fireball and engage the Emissary Apprentice at close range. It howls as my daggers slice through it's cloth protection to cause bleeding wounds all across it's black and gray skin. It doesn't like that one bit as it tries to claw at my head. I manage to roll around to it's back and hit it with a flurry of back-stabs until it falls to the ground, dead.

The Emissary took us by surprise with two fireballs that knocked our warriors on their asses, then the bolters caught me and Bethany in a crossfire before I could manage to toss a firestorm down. Wesley's so far been shot eight times, me three. Bethany I think pulled one out of her leg before turning the darkspawn responsible, and eight others around it, into piles of ash. Aveline cuts down the last bolter while Carver holds back the reinforcements coming from behind us with Bethany.

I glare at the five darkspawn in front of me dangerously. Twirling my daggers around, I nick my palms just enough to turn the blood into fade magic instantly, lighting my blades up with green eternal fade flames. I jump forwards, each cut draining the pure life force out of the darkspawn it hits and using it to set the victim aflame. They scream out I agony before dying within seconds, no mercy for these creatures. The last wisp of fade magic heals my cuts before anyone notices. "Well, that was fun." I state truthfully.

I always love a good maiming in the morning.

Scanning the barren field I spot the last darkspawn being cut down by Carver as Hawke goes to Wesley's side to heal him. In the mean time I jog over to where the locked chest was from the videogame and see it hidden behind a scorched rock. "What to do what to do."

I don't know how to pick locks without a lot of time, which we don't have so...

I take my daggers, slam one into the key hole, and stab the other against the side of the lock itself, it breaks easily due to the rust. I open it up and smile as I see a nice looking longbow and a few health poultices, along with a small quiver of arrows. "Hawke didn't you say you took up archery with your father when you were younger?" I call over my shoulder, wincing as I forget to say his name.

"Yeah, we went on hunting trips and I liked the bow, why?" He answers with a frown.

Yep he's pissed I didn't use his name.

I pocket the poultices and toss the bow and quiver at him as he walks over from finishing his healing of Wesley. He grabs them out of the air and smiles at the fine Oakwood craftsmanship, it was definitely stolen from the Dalish. "This is nice, but don't you think it's a bit odd for me, as a mage, to use this?" He raises an eyebrow at me in question.

I shrug, "Call it a backup weapon. This way if you ever have to fight in a heavily populated area with many witnesses or maybe even templars, you could blend in as an archer and not flaunt your magic for the world to see." He nods in understanding and pulls the quiver over his shoulder before notching an arrow and frowning at the bow. He sits down while everyone watches and re-strings the bow within a moment and a half.

Damn he's good.

I walk away and search the corpse lying next to an open book. I jump as an arrow hits the corpse next to my head and look back to see Garrett smirking.

That was for the 'Hawke' thing wasn't it.

I sigh and collect the arrow and book on the Kocari Wilds before walking over, "Ah, I've forgotten how good a shot you were darling." Leandra comments as Garrett holsters the bow on a strap next to his staff.

"This will do nicely." He comments while getting a feel at being an archer-mage.

I smile at him as he practices drawing each of his weapons, "Welcome to the club man."

He frowns, "What club?"

I scoff, "The double-class club man! We're literally rogue-mages!" I slap him on the shoulder and laugh as he shakes his head at my antics.

We make our way up to the clearing where the Ogre lays in wait. I stay close to Bethany and grab her arm as she goes to take the lead. She looks at me angrily but at my worried expression she nods in understanding and stays close. The ground shakes with the footsteps of the brute, knocking me off my feet as it charges into our group. It roars out and turns towards Leandra as Bethany and I get back to our feet. "Holy Maker give me strength!" Wesley is the first to charge at it. "Ah!" And just like in the game he's grabbed, smashed into the ground, and chucked across the battlefield filling up with darkspawn to crack his head against a rock and go limp.

Just like I planned... well, at least that was what I hoped would happen.

...

I'm seriously a bad person.

"Wesley!" Aveline shouts in shock.

"Bethany, soul fire! NOW!" I shout out as I cut my hand, bending the blood to my will and tearing a sliver into the fade in the main line of the deep cut.

She understands and flips her staff around to impale it into the dirt and use it as a focus to her magic. "Maker give me strength." She whispers just before throwing her hands into the air and pulling ancient fire from the air itself to rain down upon the roaring ogre.

"Fire and Ice." I mutter before closing my eyes and just focusing on the fade magic. I reach out blindly and snap a pool of water at it's feet before manipulating it into spikes of ice that shoot up and into the Ogre's limbs, holding it in place.

"Take the monster down!" Aveline shouts as she and Carver rush forwards to hold back the crowd of darkspawn charging at Bethany and I.

I take the hint and ignore the delicious offers the thousands of demons promise while pulling all the fade magic I can hold in my palm. The green and black swirls of energy listening to my voice as I command death. The orb is thrown from my palm... it slams into the beast and implodes in a blast of dark magic I have never tried, not wished to harness until now.

"Holy Maker..." Aveline breathes as she stares at the wisps of energy ripping chunks of flesh off the darkspawn around us to melt and reform into green flames of the fade and bombard the ogre in an enormous display of power and will...

I struggle to hold the spell steady and fall to my kneel as my palm burns from the deep slit into the fade I created. I whisper 'mend' in Ancient Tevinter and hold myself strong as the torrent of fade energy and flames dies down to drop the seared, mangled, heap of flesh that was once an ogre back to earth.

Oh... that's why I don't use it, too messy.

I shake my daze off and say, "There we go." I cough up some blood and wipe it away as everyone stares at me in shocked silence.

Bethany is the first to speak, "You used blood magic." I look at her and see her actually scared.

"Yes, and no. My magic is unnatural and can pull energy from the Fade itself, but to do so I require blood since a lot of power is needed to tear the Veil." I sigh. "So actually I use it as a catalyst for my other magical abilities when needed."

She stares at me for a few seconds before smiling weakly, "It's powerful, I'm weary of asking how you learned it, but I think I know the answer."

I shake my head, "No, I did not speak to a demon, my former master taught me it." I state forcefully.

"Could you two shut your traps and watch for more darkspawn? Aveline is grieving!" Carver shouts from across the clearing.

I cringe that I forgot Wesley so easily and we run over to hear Aveline talking softly, "You fool. Why did you have to sacrifice yourself?"

Garrett steps up and places a hand on her shoulder, "We need to get going."

"He died bravely, the order would be proud." I say with false comfort. I turn around to watch the edges for any darkspawn activity.

Aveline tears up before forcing them back down and solidifying her outer shell like a soldier. She stands and turns to quickly pull out her sword and beat me to the punch, "Flames, we're too late."

I look around at the literal horde of darkspawn. I pant from my last bout of fade magic, I was not going to be able to help out for at least a few more moments.

Carver swings his blade in warning but backs up slightly as he takes in the horde around us. "There's no end to them!" He shouts. I'm inclined to agree.

This is not going to go well... Come on Flemeth, you batty old witch, it's time to save our asses!

I look up at the mountain where she normally is and almost fall to my knees in relief as her dragon form unfolds.

*SCREECH!*

"AH!" And blows out my ears.

God mother freaking damn it!

I cover my ringing ears as she flies over, torching the darkspawn with her breath. She lands in front of us and grabs a darkspawn like a toy to crush it in her claw. A flash of light swirls around her form and it shrinks down to reveal her 'Human' form.

Flemeth, in all her glory and wickedness, steps forwards and places a hand on her hip as she takes in out battered and weary group. "Well, well, what have we here?" She smiles and watches us with her unnerving gaze. "It used to be we never got visitors to the Wilds, but now it seems they arrive in hordes!"

Bethany is the first to speak, "What in the Maker? Seriously? The Blight, a bloody templar, an Ogre, and now a talking Dragon?!" She shakes her head and glares skyward, "I hope you're having a good laugh up there you worthless piece of sod!" Everyone but me stares at Bethany in shock. I laugh.

Flemeth laughs as well, "Oh, you I like." She turns to look at me directly. "Well, I wasn't expecting us to meet again so soon. Has life treated you well Darien?"

I ignore the looks the group is giving me and shrug, "Not too bad, I expected more cake though." I can feel everyone look at me like I'm insane again.

I'm not insane, THE CAKE IS A LIE! Or maybe I am.

She grins at our inside joke and looks at Garrett, the leader of the group, before turning to walk away. "If you wish to flee the darkspawn, you should know you are heading in the wrong direction."

Bethany steps forward, "Wait! You can't just leave us here!"

Flemeth stops and looks over her shoulder lazily, "Can I not?" She turns fully and steps towards us again, "I spotted a most curious sight: a mighty ogre, vanquished!" She throws her arms into the air before looking at me directly as they fall back down, "Who could perform such a feat?"

I smirk, "You are welcome for the entertainment mother." For the third time today everyone stares at me in shock.

Flemeth smiles happily for a split second, "Hmm... But now my curiosity is sated, and you are safe... for the moment. Is that not enough?"

Garrett speaks up for the first time since Wesley died, "You could show me that trick of yours. That looks useful." and it's sarcasm.

All we need is the death of a templar to brighten up Garrett Hawke's mood again.

"HAHAHA! I daresay it is! Such a clever tongue for a mage!" She smiles, amused by Garrett. "Tell me, clever child: How do you intend to out-run the Blight?"

Bethany answers for him as she crosses her arms, "We need to get to Kirkwall. In the Free Marches." Her tone is serious, but her eyes are bored! Oh I'm going to have to ask her how she figured that out later! That's just brilliant!

Flemeth and I share a small smile, "Kirkwall? My, but that is quite the voyage you plan." She looks at the back of the group, at Aveline and Carver, "Your King will not miss you hmm?"

"He's dead." They stare at each other in shock that they said it together.

"Well that was interesting." I mutter before Flemeth speaks up again.

"Hurtled into the chaos, your fight... and the world will shake before you." She turns to contemplate it. "Is it fate or chance? I can never decide." She turns back to us. "It appears fortune smiles on us both today, I may be able to help you yet."

Garrett frowns, "There must be a catch."

Flemeth laughs, "There is a catch, Life is a catch! I suggest you catch it while you can!" I smile at her blunt insanity.

Oh it's good to listen to her ramble again. Feels like home.

I scoff, "And don't forget the Lotion! It gets rather dry, being alive." She ignores me in favor of rolling her eyes.

Bethany shakes her head, "Apparently everyone else has gone mad! I don't even know what she is!"

Aveline butts in, "I know what she is. The Witch of the Wilds."

"Some call me that. Also Flemeth. Asha'bellanar. An 'old hag who talks too much!'" She laughs softly.

I sigh happily as I remember who actually said it, "Oh Ser Rodric. You were so much fun before you were eaten alive."

Flemeth winks at me before addressing the group again, "Does it matter? I offer you this: I will get your group past the horde in exchange for a simple delivery to a place not far out of your way. Would you do this for a 'Witch of the Wilds?'"

Garrett turns to us, "Should we trust her?"

Aveline and Carver immediately say, "No."

I scoff, "Mother is good for her word, she may be the definition of insanity, but so am I and we're the best of friends!"

Bethany shrugs, "Sure, go ahead and get us eaten by the talking dragon." I smile at her sarcasm.

Yep, I've corrupted this poor girl... and I don't care one bit. She's alive and, I'll call that a victory.

Garrett turns back to Flemeth and asks, "You would go through all that trouble to have something delivered?"

"I have... an appointment to keep. It is far more convenient this way. Happily, you're not without your own needs."

Garrett blinks as he takes in the newest wave of insanity before raising an eyebrow in question, "What is a Witch of the Wilds exactly?"

I speak up, "Well... for one she's my mother. Not by birth, but I see her as my elder parent. One that requires respect. Other than that..."

Aveline puts in her two bits, "A Chasind Legend. Witches that steal children."

I raise a finger, "I can confirm that." I glare at Flemeth, "She steals sleeping adults from the arms of their lovers as well apparently."

"Bah! As if I had nothing else to do!" She retorts with a wicked smirk.

Bethany stares at her, "You're an apostate?" She asks in surprise.

Flemeth nods, "Yes, just like you and Darien over there. We have so much in common." I wince as I know that there's more in common between me and her then I want to admit.

"We don't have much choice then." Garrett says sadly.

Flemeth watches him, "We never do. There is a clan of Dalish elves near the city of Kirkwall." She steps forwards and hands the amulet containing a part of her soul or something to Garrett. "Deliver this amulet to their keeper, Marethari. Do as she asks with it and any debt between us will be paid in full." She turns away, "Before I take you anywhere however, there is another matter..."

I watch them in confusion, Wesley was dead, so what is-? They turn towards me.

Oh shit! I almost forgot the Warden! Duh!

I internally facepalm and go to take a step towards Flemeth and Bethany jumps in-between us. "No! You will not take my master!" She shouts, once again shocking us all.

I rest a hand on her shoulder, "Bethany, I must go."

She turns to me, sadness beaming in her young and determined eyes, "No! I have too much to learn from you! You cannot just leave!"

Ok, I did not anticipate this. Lets see...

I reach into my pack and pull out the first book I find. A Tevinter book on Fire and Ice magic that I translated into common tongue in my spare time. "Here, this will guide you down the right paths of destiny."

She takes the large book and hugs it to her chest, her face showing a large amount of emotion. Fear, sorrow, understanding, and grief. "I don't want you to go." She whispers as a tear comes to her eye.

I sigh and hug her briefly, "I'll be back after a while. Mother and I both have appointments to keep." I look past her to see both Garrett and Flemeth smirking at me.

Bethany nods, "I'll study all I can for your return, and make you proud."

I smile as a father would for their child. "You already have." She smiles back and I turn to see Carver and Aveline still silently watching me wearily.

They don't know me yet, tis quite understandable.

I look past them and walk up to Leandra as she stands in the back, going completely unnoticed throughout the whole thing. "Leandra." I hold out my hand to her and she hugs me.

I hold her tight as she whispers in my ear, "Be safe Darien, and do avoid getting yourself killed would you? I would hate for all our talks to go to waste." She kisses my cheek and I blush in response.

"Of course Leandra." I turn back and walk over to the family Mabari whose name I still don't know. "Hey boy, I know another Mabari that'll just love to hear about you." The dog barks happily. "Yep, so what do you want me to note you as? Noble? Generous?" He growls. "How about fearsome and loyal beyond measure!" He jumps up and licks my face, I laugh and push him down. "Alright, alright. I'll see you in a year or so." He looks up at me worriedly. "Yeah I'm worried too boy, but I have to help the Wardens, this country depends on their success, on my success." He whimpers and I scratch behind his ear. "Dareth shiral falon." I turn and walk up to the last one of the group, Garrett. "I'll have to-"

He holds up his hand, "I don't want to know, I never want to know, just stay alive and meet us in Kirkwall after you're done." I shake his hand. "Oh and thanks for the tip about the bow, fellow rogue-mage."

I laugh and nod to him before finally addressing Flemeth directly, "Where are they?" I don't even bother using names, she knows who I'm talking about.

"Just arriving at the Circle Tower by Lake Calenhad. If you fly, it may take no more than two days to catch sight of their camp." I nod in agreement before turning towards the barren wilds and jumping off the ground, instantly my magic envelopes me and a caw out my happiness at finally using my powers again. I circle the area to catch everyone's shocked expressions before soaring off north east of there.

Oh how I love being an animal, so refreshing to feel the wind whipping through my feathers once again!

I caw again and nearly laugh at the strange feeling of being so different, but it felt right.

Morrigan must feel so lonely as a human, as an animal it's never about loneliness, the Wilds are always there to greet you warmly, or coldly, whichever nature decides for that day.

I dive down as I reach an area not tainted by the darkspawn and land on a tree branch to rest for a bit and think about how I'm going to convince the Warden to take me in.

Perhaps I'll just use Morrigan as a playing card? No, that would no doubt anger her. Perhaps display my power? Maybe, maybe.

I ruffle my feathers as a chill runs down my spine. I turn and squawk in surprise as a group of darkspawn start shooting at me. I dodge the bolts and arrows and flutter away, not stopping for at least another two miles before taking a proper rest as the sun goes down. I perch myself at the top of a tree, just below some leaves and close my eyes to slip into my birdy dreams for the night.


"Shh! You're going to scare it off!" A person, a male, whispers from below.

"Oh be quiet, I know what I'm doing." The second responds, a female with a strange accent.

I blink awake and stretch my wings in surprise that I was still I my bird form. I look around and find the sun was just bar-

An arrow hits the tree trunk next to my head and I freeze in shock before looking down and seeing two humans aiming at me. "Hurry! It's getting away!" Another arrow and a bolt hits the tree where I used to be a moment after I hop down to a lower branch, by heart beating so rapidly it starts to skip a few beats.

'What the hell! I'm not a bird you morons!' my sentence comes out as a sharp and emotional *CAW!*.

I internally swear as I hop to the edge of the branch and jump, flapping my huge wings and diving low enough to see my attackers, an orange-haired human female with a bow in leather armor and a human male in splintmail armor and a crossbow. They point at me and fire again, I dodge them perfectly and land onto the ground to caw at them dangerously.

"Hurry up! While it's on the ground!" The male shouts.

An arrow scrapes against my head, nearly taking out an eye and disorientating me. Everything goes blurry and I can see three of the female as she notches another arrow to put me down.

Damn it, survived the horde only to be cut down by two huma-

A flash of something passes in-between us as the arrow is fired. It never reaches it's target as a Human Female in dark robe-

What?!

I croak in shock up at her and shake my daze off to look at the other's more closely.

Oh my god...

I'm faintly aware of a pair of gently hands picking me up and the next thing I know I'm resting comfortably on the woman's shoulder.

"Morrigan? What are you doing?! That bird was supposed to go with the stew!" The human male say-

I blink.

Oh crud. Why hello there Alistair... Leliana.

I ruffle my feathers slightly as I internally swear and grin at finding them so... unconventionally.

"Tis not a simple bird you simpleton! Tis an intelligent and experienced Raven whom I happen to know quite well!" Morrigan retorts.

Alistair gawks, "You're confiscating our meal because you think you know it?"

Leliana looks surprised as well, but nods before putting away her bow. "Come on Alistair, lets just go back to camp. We can discuss this with the Warden."

Morrigan scoffs, "Do not think she will chose your side over mine." She crosses her arms as I blink at the 'she' part. "Tis not easy making a friend with I as you do know. This animal has done the impossible on many occasion and it t'would be a shame if it was killed and eaten simply to supply another one of your disgusting meals Alistair."

Alistair groans, "Now I'm wondering if I'm the crazy one! Morrigan's only friend is a bird, the only one who likes my cooking is a dog, and our only rogue is a chantry sister!"

I croak out my laughter and the two of them stare at me strangely before leaving out of sight. Morrigan turns her head to smile at me, "Tis interesting to find you here Brother. I had not thought to see you again at all, let alone save you from being killed and eaten at our camp for lunch." I shiver at the thought and she laughs as she walks us through the woods and into camp.


Holy Creators... well, I found them.

I shuffle anxiously on Morrigan's shoulder, my head still hurting from Leliana's arrow.

I'm lucky it didn't impale itself in my head! Oh goodness my heart stopped back there when I say my death approaching. I definitely owe Morrigan one.

The tree-line opens up to a small clearing. Tents surrounding a campfire, a cart where two dwarves stood patiently near their own smaller tent, Morrigan's own camp set on the far side of the clearing, her tent tied around a tree and a small pile of books sitting off to the side. I spot a massive person standing stoically by himself and nod to Sten as Morrigan walks by, he raises an eyebrow slightly in surprise that a bird was addressing him before going stoic again. I look around more closely and see that Alistair was working with Leliana on a black kettle that sat at the edge of the main fire.

Oh man, I hope Alistair's cooking isn't as terrible as it's portrayed. I might just have to take over all meals just to make them edible if it is.

I spot a Mabari gnawing on what looks like a large bone, of what I don't know, but it's possibly from a bear by the size. Morrigan sits down on the ground and I hop off to stretch out my wings to shake off the rest of my sleep before sitting down next to her. A tent flap opens up and a female elf with brown hair walks o-

Oh... fuck.

I swallow as my stress levels sky-rocket at seeing the one face I thought I'd never see again.

"Erianne, Morrigan is hording our meal!" Alistair whines.

She sighs and looks at Morrigan and then at me in surprise. I wave a wing at her and her eyes widen, "Uh... hello to you to?" I lower my wing and nod. She looks back to Morrigan, waiting for an explanation as to why a bird just waved hello at her and is sitting politely next to their camp fire.

Morrigan just smiles and looks down at me with a look that said, 'Deal with your own problems for once!' I sigh internally before casting the reverse spell and shocking everyone by standing there, a strange-looking elven mage in revealing armor.

"Holy Andraste!" Leliana jump up in shock and grabs her bow but Erianne stops her and Alistair from doing anything rash.

"Hello, stranger. I can see you are a shapeshifter and a mage. I want to know why you have infiltrated my camp." Erianne demands bluntly.

Oh damn... she's gotten strong in these last few years.

I nod and lower my hood, Erianne gasps as she looks at me in shock, "I'm here to keep a promise I made years ago." Morrigan looks between us before frowning. Leliana and Alistair are split between attacking me and bombarding me with questions. I step forwards and up to Erianne as she stares at me in shock, her hands curled into fists at her sides, "I'm here to help the Warden stop the Blight, although I never thought I'd meet you again Erianne, how's life treated you?" I watch her as her eyes pour out her emotions. Rage, anger, fury, passion, betrayal, happiness, curiosity, and a few others I don't understand. I choose to elaborate, "I was taken by-"

*CRACK!*

I stare up at the sky as my mind registers that she had punched me. "Tie this piece of trash up!" I hear her shout as I wince at the slight concussion she gave me. Morrigan looks down at me with a conflicted look in her eyes before waving her hand, I feel sleep close in around me and I wonder if I made a mistake helping Erianne all those years ago...


A/N Another relatively descent chapter.

One question for you all; what do you find interesting about this story so far? I like to gather as much feedback as possible from my audience. :)