Meanwhile, back in Haven, Leliana was leading Cassandra down to the cells beneath the chantry after her scouts had found Snow, who had fallen out from a rift. The two of them got to the door and looked through the window of it, seeing her sitting on the floor, chained up. "This is the one who caused the explosion?" Cassandra growled.

"I'm not sure. She's been unresponsive since they found her, but she's our only suspect at the moment."

Cassandra saw Snow looking at her hand as it glowed and kicked open the door. The guards all sheathed their weapons as she walked in and slowly started circling around Snow. She leaned down a bit behind her and asked, "Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now." Cassandra growled, angrily. "The conclave is destroyed, everyone who attended is dead… except for you."

"What do you mean everyone's dead?" Snow asked, sadly.

Cassandra grabbed her arm and showed her the anchor on her hand as it glowed. "Explain this!"

"I… can't!"

"What do you mean you can't?!"

"I don't know what that is, or how it got there!"

"You're lying!" Cassandra growled as she grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, but Leliana quickly grabbed her arm and pushed her back.

"We need her, Cassandra!"

"I can't believe it… all those people… dead." Snow bowed her head in sadness.

"Do you remember what happened? How this began?" Leliana asked her.

"I remember…" Snow tried to think about what she remembered. "Running. Things were chasing me, and then… a woman?"

"A woman?"

"She… reached out to me, but then…" Snow sighed, not remembering anything else.

"Go to the forward camp, Leliana." Cassandra ordered. "I will take her to the rift." Leliana nodded and left as Cassandra walked over and undid the chains on Snow's wrists, but then tied them with rope.

"What did happen?" Snow asked.

"It… would be easier to show you." Cassandra led her out of the room and up the stairs, then through the doors of the chantry, and once outside, Snow had to shield her eyes from an intensely bright green light. When she looked up, she saw that it was coming from a massive, swirling portal in the sky above the mountain. "We call it the breach." Cassandra explained. "It's a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It is not the only such rift, just the largest, and all were caused by the explosion at the conclave."

"An explosion can do that?"

"This one did. Unless we act, the breach may grow until it swallows the world." Suddenly, a flash of light came from the breach as it expanded yet again, and Snow cried out in pain, falling to her knees as her mark burned into her more. Cassandra kneeled in front of her and explained more, "Every time the breach expands, your mark spreads and it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn't much time!"

"You say it "may" be the key. To doing what?"

"Closing the breach. Whether that's possible is something we shall discover shortly."

"You still think I did this? To myself?"

"Not intentionally. Something… clearly went wrong."

"And if I'm not responsible?"

"Someone is, and you are our only suspect. You want to prove your innocence? This is the only way."

"I understand…"

"Then…?"

"I'll do what I can, whatever it takes."

Cassandra took Snow's arm and stood her up before leading her forward, through a group of people who were all staring at Snow suspiciously and angrily. "They have decided your guilt, they need it. They mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia, the conclave was hers." They made it outside the gate, and Cassandra took out a dagger, cutting the ropes from Snow's wrists. "Come, it is not far."

"Where are you taking me?" Snow asked, but Cassandra didn't answer, just followed her closely as they headed into the valley. As they crossed a bridge over a frozen pond, a blast from the breach suddenly hit it, causing the bridge to collapse beneath them, and they both fell. When Snow looked up, she saw another blast hit not far away and a demon appeared from the ground.

"Stay behind me!" Cassandra ordered and charged straight at the demon with her sword and shield ready. After she ran over to it, though, another demon started materializing right in front of Snow, and she quickly looked around for a weapon. She then spotted a bow and arrows lying nearby and smiled, running over and grabbing them, getting them ready just as the demon completely formed. She helped Cassandra fight the demons, and afterwards, breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's over…"

"Drop your weapon!" Cassandra ordered, pointed her sword at her threateningly. "Now!"

"Alright." Snow agreed, slowly, putting the bow down. "Have it your way."

"Wait…" Cassandra sighed and sheathed her sword. "I cannot protect you, and I cannot expect you to be defenseless." She turned and started walking, but then stopped and looked back at her. "I should remember that you agreed to come willingly."

The two of them kept heading into further ahead and fighting demons along the way. When they made it to a small rift where a few people were fighting off demons, Cassandra and Snow joined in, killing the rest of the demons without difficulty. After all the demons were dead, an elf suddenly rushed over and grabbed Snow's arm, "Quickly! Before more come through!" He held her hand up to the rift, and it suddenly disappeared.

Snow tore her arm away and asked, "What did you do?"

"I did nothing. The credit is yours." He answered.

"I closed that thing…" Snow glanced down at the mark. "How?"

"Whatever magic opened the breach in the sky also placed that mark upon your hand. I theorized that the mark may be able to close the rifts that have opened in the breach's wake… and it seems I was correct."

"Meaning it could also close the breach itself?" Cassandra asked.

"Possibly." The elf looked back at Snow. "It seems you hold the key to our salvation."

"Good to know! Here I thought we'd be ass-deep in demons forever!" A dwarf said as he adjusted his cuff, then walked over and introduced himself. "Varric Tethras, rogue, storyteller, and occasionally… unwelcome tagalong." He winked at Cassandra who merely sneered and glared back at him.

"Are you with the Chantry, or…?" Snow asked.

The elf chuckled, "Was that a serious question?"

"Technically, I'm a prisoner, just like you." Varric answered.

"I brought you here to tell your story to the Divine… clearly, that is no longer necessary." Cassandra said.

"Yet, here I am! Lucky for you, considering current events…"

Snow tried to diffuse the thick tension in the air by changing the subject, "That's… a nice crossbow you have there."

"Ah! Isn't she?" Varric asked, proudly, glancing behind his shoulder at it. "Bianca and I have been through a lot together!"

"You named your crossbow Bianca?"

"Of course, and she'll be great company in the valley!"

"Absolutely not!" Cassandra ordered, stepping forward. "Your help is appreciated, Varric, but-"

He cut her off, "Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker? Your soldiers aren't in control anymore. You need me." He smirked.

Cassandra groaned disgustedly and turned her back, walking a few feet away, and this time, it was the elf's turn to break the tension. He walked towards Snow and introduced himself as well, "My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions. I am pleased to see you still live."

"He means, "I kept that mark from killing you while you slept"." Varric added.

"You seem to know a great deal about it all."

"Solas is an apostate," Cassandra spoke up. "Well versed in such matters."

"Technically all mages are now apostates, Cassandra." Solas reminded her. "My travels have allowed me to explore much of the Fade, far beyond the experience of any circle mage. I came to offer whatever help I could with the breach, if it is not closed, we are all doomed, regardless of origin."

"Well… it seems I owe you my thanks for helping me, then." Snow said.

"Thank me if we manage to close the breach without killing you in the process." He turned to Cassandra and added, "Cassandra, you should know… the magic here is unlike any I have seen. Your prisoner is no mage… indeed, I find it difficult to imagine any mage having such power."

"Understood. We should continue to the forward camp." Cassandra suggested and walked further down the path.

"Well… Bianca's excited." Varric joked and followed her.

The four of them continued down the trails, and after making it to the forward camp, they decided to take the mountain trail up to the temple. When they got there, all that greeted them were charred remains in a crumbled down ruin. Even though the smell of charred flesh and bones made Snow nauseous, she still couldn't help but have tears fill her eyes, too. "I cannot believe… who would do this?!"

"We will consider who after we close the breach." Cassandra said and walked further into the ruin until they were standing almost directly in front of the rift below the breach.

Suddenly, Leliana showed up with her people and rushed over, "You made it, thank the Maker!"

"Leliana," Cassandra ordered. "Have your men take up positions around the temple." Leliana nodded and did just that as Cassandra turned her attention back to Snow. "Are you ready?"

"I'll try, but I don't know if I can even reach that, much less close it."

"No, this rift was the first, and is the key." Solas assured her.

"Then, let's find a way down, and be careful!"

After fighting off the pride demon and closing the breach, Snow fell unconscious from lack of strength, and one of the soldiers ended up picking her up and bringing her back to Haven. Snow stayed unconscious for a couple days before finally coming to in one of the small houses on the outskirts, and after talking to an elven servant, she learned the Cassandra was waiting for her in the chantry. Snow headed straight there, but was rather startled at seeing the groups of soldiers waiting right outside and bowing to her; she didn't think much of it at the time. When she got there, Cassandra was talking to Chancellor Roderick and Leliana, and Cassandra informed Snow that she was no longer a suspect for the destruction of the conclave. Cassandra then offered Snow a place in the new Inquisition they were forming, which she accepted.

A few days later, Snow was walking around the training area outside Haven and spotted Cassandra hitting some training dummies with her sword. Snow could tell from how hard she was hitting them that she was stressed about something. After Cassandra ended up slicing the dummies clean in half and growling, Snow spoke up, "I think you need training dummies made of sturdier stuff."

"That would be nice."

"Like maybe iron!"

Cassandra just sighed and looked down at her feet. "…Did I do the right thing? What I have set in motion could destroy everything I have revered my whole life. One day, they may write about me as a traitor, a madwoman, a fool… and they may be right."

"You didn't have any choice."

"Didn't I?" Cassandra hit another dummy a couple times before dropping her sword. "My trainers always said, "Cassandra, you are too brash, you must think before you act". I see what must be done and I do it, I see no point in running around in circles like a dog chasing his tail… but I misjudged you in the beginning, did I not? I thought the answer was before me, clear as day."

"I can't say the evidence wasn't damning…" Snow glanced down at her hand. "So, it's not like you had no reason to suspect me."

"I was determined to have someone answer for what happened… anyone."

"Why though?" Snow suddenly asked, surprising Cassandra.

"What do you mean "why"?"

"It just seems like… you took the whole event very personally, more so than most. Was it the Divine you were so upset about, or… was there someone else?"

Cassandra looked even more surprised for a moment before she simply shook her head and glared lightly. "That's none of your business."

"So, there was someone else!"

Cassandra sighed and looked away. "I don't want to talk about it…"

"Why not?"

"Because I don't, so drop it!"

"Okay, okay." Snow said, holding her hands up defensively. "I didn't mean to pry, I just thought it would make you feel better if you talked about it with someone."

Cassandra calmed down and sighed once again. "Thank you, but no, I really don't want to talk about it… it's… too painful."

"Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me." Snow then walked off, and Cassandra sighed, looking up at the mountain where the temple was sadly.

The next couple weeks or so went by without incident… well, other than the regular incidents, closing rifts and killing demons, the usual. That all changed one night, however, when Snow, Cassandra, Varric, and Solas were in the camp at Rebel Queen's Ravine in the Hinterlands, sleeping. Snow was suddenly woken out of her slumber by the sound of retching outside her and Cassandra's tent. It was then she realized Cassandra wasn't there, so she headed outside, and sure enough, it had been Cassandra who had vomited, and she was now leaning on her knees and breathing heavily. "Cassandra?"

Cassandra gasped and looked at her. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Are you alright?" Snow asked, concerned.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You're not sick?"

"I said I'm fine." She repeated stubbornly. "I think it was just something I ate, but it's out of my system now, so let's just go back to bed." Cassandra then simply passed Snow and headed back inside their tent.

When morning came around, the four of them ate a quick breakfast at camp before heading back towards the crossroads so they could continue their search for Dennet's farm. Less than halfway towards the crossroads, though, Cassandra suddenly had a dizzy spell and plopped against a huge boulder, shaking her head to try and clear it.

Snow looked back and saw Cassandra stopped there and backtracked to her. "Cassandra, are you okay?"

"I'm just a bit lightheaded, I'll be alright." She assured her.

"Last night, you were throwing up and now you're lightheaded? Maybe you really are sick…"

"No, I'm not, I'm fine."

"Your symptoms belay your argument." Snow said. "Maybe we should get you back to Haven."

"No. I am telling you, Snow, I am fine!"

"You are never going to win, you know." Varric said to Snow. "She's as stubborn as a mule."

"Well, I can be just as stubborn, so come on!" Snow grabbed Cassandra's arm and dragged her forward and towards the crossroads. When they got there, Snow took Cassandra into a healer's hut while Varric and Solas waited outside on the wooden steps. A few minutes passed before they came back out, and Cassandra looked petrified while Snow said, "I knew something was off."

"What? What happened?" Varric asked. "Is Seeker ill?"

Snow simply shook her head and replied, "She's pregnant."

After a moment, Varric just cried, rather loudly, "Huh?!"

"That's wonderful!" Solas smiled slightly. "Who is the father?"

"Yeah, is it someone we know?" Snow asked, and Cassandra simply shook her head no. "Who, then?"

"I…I need to be alone." Cassandra then just walked off, away from the crossroads.

"So… let me get this straight. Seeker… Cassandra is… pregnant?" Varric asked, slowly, and Snow nodded silently. "As in… she has a baby growing inside her?"

"Yes."

"She's going to be a mother…? That's a horrifying thought!"

"This is no time for joking, Varric."

"I know, for once, I wasn't joking. I kinda feel sorry for that kid…" He mumbled.

"Varric, that's a horrible thing to say!" Snow scolded and followed Cassandra.

Solas just shook his head disapprovingly at Varric, then said, "I think she will make a fine mother."

After leaving the crossroads, Snow looked around for Cassandra and almost immediately found her, sitting on a boulder and staring up at the sky. Cassandra must've heard her approaching footsteps, because, without turning her head to look, she said, "What part of "I need to be alone" did you not understand?"

"I thought you might need to talk to somebody about it, after all. I mean, it can't be easy, suddenly finding out that you're carrying another life inside you. I simply want to help, if I can."

"What is it with you?" Cassandra asked, a bit more bitterly than she meant to. "You barely know me, yet you want to talk to me as if we are friends."

"Because, despite the rocky start, I'd like if we were friends." Cassandra didn't say anything, or even look at her, so she sighed. "Well… if you want to talk later-"

"Wait." Cassandra said as she turned around, which stopped Snow from leaving. "I'm sorry…"

"Beg pardon?" Snow asked, not hearing her.

"I said I'm sorry. I know I can be harsh at times, and it's… difficult for me to open up to others. However… I think talking to someone is what I need right now."

Snow nodded and walked over, sitting on the rock next to her. "So, what exactly is going through your mind right now?"

"I'm… thinking about Galyan." Cassandra admitted, staring off into the distance.

"Who?"

"He's this child's father." She slowly placed her hand over her stomach.

"Oh. Where is he now?"

Tears threatened to fall from Cassandra's eyes as the bang of the explosion flashed through her mind for a brief second, but she blinked them back, not wanting to show weakness. "He's dead."

"How did he die?"

"He was at the conclave…"

"Oh…" Snow sighed sadly, but then repeated in understanding, "Oh! He was the one you were upset about, wasn't he? The reason you were so focused on seeing someone pay for what happened?" Cassandra nodded. "Are you upset that it's his child your pregnant with?"

"It's not the fact that I'm pregnant that bothers me… it's the fact that Galyan isn't here anymore… he's always been a great father." Once again, tears formed, but once again, she held them back.

"Are you… going to keep this baby?"

"I honestly don't know… that's one of the questions I am asking myself." Snow wanted to speak up and say that she thought Cassandra should keep her baby, but stopped herself before she did. She knew that it wasn't her place to tell Cassandra what to do.

––

I'm sorry that this story seems a bit rushed, but I'm not sure how to put in what happens through the whole year, and we all really know the basic story, right? More (rewriting) to come soon!