Fenris doesn't trust the compass, he travels half the day and then decides to travel at night using the stars. But none of the constellations are familiar, and Satina, the second moon of Thedas, is nowhere to be seen in the night sky. He realizes he has no choice but to believe her. She may have the answers after all, and possibly a way to get him home.

Fenris woke with a start. He'd not meant to fall asleep. The smell of coffee told him Cara was up. He dressed hurriedly, expecting to find her in the kitchen. The house was quiet. The island table was laden with loaves of bread, dried meat, dried fruits, water, and a bottle of wine. A map and a strange round object with an arrow that moved on its own sat among other gear. The note said the item was a compass, and would help guide him.

The coffee was still warm. Thinking she was just outside he made haste to the barn. He wouldn't leave without apologizing to her.

The hens roamed the yard, but she was nowhere in sight. The barn was quiet as well. He found only Daisy and her colt. Cara's other horse was missing - along with the saddle which normally hung on a hook next to the stall.

Returning to the kitchen, he poured a cup of coffee and packed the provisions she had left for him. He would wait for her. He studied the map and found she had marked a few places. There were three towns nearby, the largest she had marked was a place called Billings. The main road was over a day's journey southeast, and then another three to reach the town. Nothing looked familiar in the topography of the map. The map was similar to maps of Thedas only in the way it marked terrain, rivers and trails.

He changed into the armor Cara had cleaned and mended for him, placed his sword with the pack and went back outside. When she still hadn't returned, he decided to search for her trail. He followed fresh hoof prints to the tree line. She had ridden along the fence line until the ground grew rocky. From there, he was unable to determine her direction. After an hour, he still hadn't found her trail.

Frustrated, he returned to the ranch. It was midday. If he waited any longer he would have to leave in the morning. Was she waiting somewhere watching to make sure he left? After the way he treated her, he deserved her mistrust. He made one more trip inside, stopping in the main room a moment. Then he gathered his sword and the pack with provisions.

Cara sat on a ridge overlooking the ranch. She expected him to leave as soon as he gathered his things. When he headed into the forest she nearly went to see why he sought her. Two hours later he returned. He waited another hour before he headed south with his gear.

She was a coward for running, but he'd made it clear he blamed her for last night. He was no different than Dan, or any of the others. They were all the same. Guilt and shame destroyed what pleasure she had felt. He hadn't been the first but Fenris would be the last.

She returned home near five, arriving just as the sun was setting. She brushed and wiped down Scout and tended to Daisy. The colt rushed forward and stuck his nose into her hand, then bounced off, surprised by his own actions. His stubby tail waved furiously as he dashed around the pen, kicking up his back feet. Cara would need to find a name for him soon.

Too tired to cook, she heated a can of soup and moved into the living room. She stared at the chess board on the coffee table. The only pieces on the board were the black king and the white queen. The king lay on its side with the queen placed next to it. She frowned and placed the pieces back in the box, and tucked it under the table.

Fenris wasn't certain how far he had traveled, or if the compass did indeed help. He had kept the sun on his right and traveled south. The twisting ache in his stomach grew the farther he traveled, but he pushed the feeling aside and pushed on. Leaving was the right thing to do. He traveled until he grew hungry, made a makeshift camp and ate. He decided to sleep until full dark before continuing on and would use the stars as his guide. Those he understood.

He woke with the moon high in the sky. For the first time in a week, clouds didn't fill the night sky, but this was not the sky he remembered. The second moon, Saltina was missing. It should have been in the western part of the sky if he was correct on the passage of time. The familiar constellations were missing as well. He cursed. She hadn't lied to him.

A spell might make him think he was somewhere else, but it would still have to pull from familiar surroundings, or his own memories to make it believable. This was not Thedas. He should go back. Cara obviously knew something. But would he be welcome?

Cara slipped back into her usual routine. With spring officially sprung, she had plenty of work to keep her busy. She woke an hour before dawn and worked until dark. She took care of neglected house cleaning. She rolled up the bear rug from the living room and took it to the foreman's cabin, switching it out for an antique oriental rug. Both had been in the family for decades. They were beginning to show the years, but they held sentimental value. Her Grandfather had fought the bear, saving her Grandmother when they were newly married. The latter had been a wedding present purchased and shipped during her parents' honeymoon abroad.

The foreman's cabin had once been home to Greg and Maddie, but they retired three years ago and moved to Arizona. Greg could no longer handle the thin mountain air. Instead of hiring another foreman and housekeeper, Cara had downsized her herd of cattle to fifty. The calves and steers each year were enough to cover the taxes and expenses, as long as she didn't lose too many over the winter.

She kept the cabin ready for guests, her brother Sean and his wife had stayed there just a few weeks ago. In the summer, there was the occasional client who stayed for a few days while getting to know the horses she hoped they'd buy. Having them stay on the ranch was more practical than sending them back to Billings each night. She stayed long enough to dust and make sure it was ready. She'd had a few inquiries about renting it for the summer. It might be something to consider.

Though, with Grace gone, she was contemplating selling to her nephew. Once the ranch was her life line, it had been just what she needed when Dan had left them. A home, a place all her own, and work to immerse herself in. Now, she found it empty and lonely. Filled with too many memories. Maybe it was time for a new start.

Daisy and her colt were flourishing. The colt had become quite sociable. Cara had let them out into the corral with Scout. The colt would jump and kick as he raced between his mother and the gelding. Sometimes he raced toward Cara, stopped and stuck his nose out for just a moment before bolting back to his mother's side. He made his way toward Remus a few times, though he was more cautious of the strange animal just a bit taller than himself. Daisy also discouraged those explorations.

It had been nearly a week since Fenris had left and she wondered if he had made it to Billings. Was he safe? She shook her head. He was gone and it didn't matter. Not after -. No, him leaving was for the best.

Fenris made it to the road marked on her map. The first horseless contraption that flew passed sent him back into the trees. How was such magic possible? He'd never seen anything comparable in Thedas. They were loud and fast. He watched the road for a full day before turning back toward Cara and her ranch. Wherever this place was, Cara was his only chance of getting home.

For two days he'd watched the ranch from a distance and the rations she'd given him were nearly gone. There were a number of overlooks in the hills around the valley and ranch. Every morning the lights in the house came on an hour before dawn. She worked until midday, and then took a break for an hour. Then she worked until dark. Occasionally her laughter echoed against the hills.

Today she had saddled her horse and rode out as dawn broke. At midday, she returned with a band of horses racing in front of her. The horse she rode was quick and agile. If one of the band broke away, he was there herding it back into place. Her wolf was also quick to redirect any that tried to bolt. Both of them seemed to be a step ahead of the racing herd, and soon she had them fenced into a small corral.

She put out hay, and as they ate - he watched her send out a loop of rope. It sailed with effortless precision and settled around the neck of one of the horses. She used the fence as an anchor and pulled the animal away from the herd and slowly closer to the fence.

She held out a bucket. The horse hesitated a moment before plunging its nose inside. Even from where he watched he could see the tension leave the animal as her hand rubbed along its neck and foreleg. In a short time, the horse nudged her for attention. She held out a flat palm, and the horse nibbled up whatever treat she offered. She slipped the rope off its head and sent it through the gate into another corral.

She sent the rope out again and repeated the process. Only taking a break after the fifth horse. The remaining horses were much calmer, and one or two had wandered close to investigate the discarded bucket.

He'd only seen horses from a distance. The mare he'd helped with was the first he'd ever touched. Even as she lay there he felt the strength of the animal. That Cara, as small as she was, met them fearlessly was something he admired. She treated the animals the same way she had treated him. With patients and kindness.

He sighed and shook his head. He'd been a fool. She had taken him in, treated his wounds, and even placed him in her own bed. He'd treated her terribly. He had treated her like a whore. Worse than a whore. And still she had provided him provisions.

He was no good with apologies. What could he say that would adequately make up for his behavior? The shame and hurt in her face haunted him at night, even as his body remembered her touch, and kept him awake thinking of her wild beneath him. The taste of brandy on her kiss. There were no words to describe what he'd felt. It was nothing he had ever experienced before.

He'd first blamed her - she had pushed herself on him - had bewitched him. But he knew that wasn't true. She had hesitated. Had nearly fled after her first shy kiss. She was still ready to flee until his mouth found her throat. He'd taken her sensitive flesh between his teeth, and in the moment he had branded her as his, she surrendered to him completely. He groaned at the ache of his throbbing erection pressed against his tight breeches.

He shook himself free of his thoughts - she wasn't his. She never could be. Not after what he'd said to her. But he needed her help. He would attempt to apologize, and ask to stay in the barn. He would even work to repay her. And maybe she could help him return home.

Remus let out a snarl, drawing Cara's attention to the approaching elf. She held her breath a moment. He was the last person she expected to see again. She tossed the brush aside and ducked through the fence, dusting some of the horse hair from her hands.

She wanted to run. The shame of that night still stung. He'd reminded her of what was missing in her life. A reminder of what she would never have, and why.

"There is no apology sufficient that will make up for my behavior," he said.

Cara bit back the snarky reply. Which behavior was that, she wondered? Waking desire she had locked away for fifteen years, or reminding her how undesirable she was?

"I figured you made it to Billings and I'd never see you again. So why are you back?"

Fenris frowned. He expected anger, some kind of reaction. He deserved her anger.

"I am out of my element here." Anger he could accept, cold fury he understood, but to show nothing confused him. "I do not deserve to ask, but I need your help."

Cara pinched her lips together. To turn him out would be the selfish thing to do, but she had no idea how to get him home.

"I can offer you a job, which includes room and board. I usually hire a couple of teenagers to help in the summer. As for getting you home, I'm afraid I have no answers."

Fenris' heart sank. He needed to get back to Thedas.

"I will try to get you home. I just - right now I've got nothing."

"I am grateful for your help, whatever it is."

"I'll show you where you can stay. You can start in the morning."

She pushed off the fence and walked behind the barn. A cabin was against the hill. He had expected to stay in the bunks in the barn loft.

Cara wanted distance between them. Having Fenris staying in the barn meant he was always nearby. The only other option was the foreman's cabin. A cozy one bedroom, with a full bath, and kitchen. She pushed open the door and moved to the main breaker box. With a flip of a switch, the power and some of the lights came on.

"The bath is there and the bedroom through that door. "She pointed to two of the doors at the back of the open living room and kitchen. "That door there leads out back. There is a woodpile, but most of it still needs split." The axe hung by the door. She held back a smirk. She doubted he'd know what to do with an axe. Though it shouldn't take him long to figure it out.

She moved to the water heater closet and turned the main water back on, and then the switch to the water tank. "The water will be hot in about an hour. There are clean linens and towels in the bathroom. Dinner is at seven, coffee and light breakfast fare is available at dawn and we break for a bigger midday meal."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. You may find hunting slavers is a walk in the park compared to ranch work." Cara stopped at the door and looked at his feet. "I'll bring back some clothes and boots. I know you're used to going barefoot, but around horses, you'll prefer them to missing toes."

She pulled the door shut behind her and let out half a breath. She'd tried to be polite, but distant. He was an employee now. No different than Jess or Harris, or any of the kids that worked for her each year.

He watched her return to the barn. Not once did she look back. She'd been civil, but the warmth was gone from her voice, and not once did her smile reach her eyes. She was nothing like the woman he'd met two weeks ago.

Fenris had used clothes her brother had left behind during the week he'd spent with her. Sean had no use for them, most no longer fit him anyway. Boots were a harder thing to judge, but that was another thing she kept in different sizes. Some of the visitors came unprepared. Not realizing half a day's ride awaited them when they came to buy a horse. Hopefully, there was a pair he could wear. If so she would order a new pair for him to break in. Wearing someone else's shoes was hard on your feet. If not then a trip to town for new gear was in order.

She wondered what he would look like in jeans and boots. Instead, her mind recalled the image of him reclined casually in front of the fire, his body bathed in golden light. Then she recalled him angry and glowing, and it killed any pleasure she found in that night.

She filled a box with stuff. With her arms full she returned to the cabin.

"You have my thanks," he said.

"It's nothing. The clothes were my brother's; he can't use them."

Fenris took the box from her. She flinched when his hand brushed against hers and nearly dropped everything. She felt the color drain from her face. As soon as the box was lifted from her grasp she turned away.

"Cara - "

"Just don't. I don't need your pity. I get it, you made a mistake."

"That's not -"

"You made it very clear how you felt, so save your apology. This is a working relationship, nothing more. Dinner's at seven." She turned and bolted for the door.