Ellana wasn't sure where she was. She knew she had to run. Faster. Something was chasing her, she was chasing someone? No, that wasn't right. Why was everything so green? Her hand hurt. Why did her hand hurt? Who was that woman? Where in the Void was she?

More green, more hurt, more running. Spiders? No, not spiders. What were they? The woman called again. Everything was hazy. She was getting sick of green. A glow of gold. Better,not by much but enough. Everything was tight, getting tighter. She leaped through more green and then-

Relief, clearer air. She had a brief moment to savor it before she passed out.

When Ellana woke up she was tired and sore. There was an ache in her palm and she glanced down. Her wrists were bound together in unforgiving iron cuffs. In fact she was being made to kneel on the floor. Shemlen gaurds surrounded her, their swords and bows fixated on her with a deadly promise. Had they been caught? Had some one noticed two Dalish lurking about the Conclave and decided to take action? Speaking of where was Mahannon? Anger bubbled in her these pathetic shems had hurt him-!

Her hand flashed green light in her face and she recoiled with a gasp.

The door across from her banged open and illuminated two women in sunlight. The glare hurt her eyes for a moment and she glanced quickly away. One of the women, a tall one with short black hair and olive skin and a few scars marring her furious face, stalked forward. She started circling Ellana, and said girl started feeling more like a piece of meat. When she was just behind her, the other woman bent forward close to her ear.

"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now." It really wasn't a request, so Ellana jerked her head to the side and stayed silent. The woman straightened and started circling again, speaking of the destroyed Conclave, and Ellana noticed her companion had come to stand nearby. "Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you."

'Well no shit, I'm still alive.' But the woman's words rocked her to the core. Manny? Manny was dead? "What do you mean everyone's dead?" She managed, fearing for her older twin's life.

The short haired woman ignored her question and instead seized her wrist. Her hand choose that moment to glow again. "Explain this." The woman snapped and nearly threw her wrists down again.

Ellana blinked. "I...I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"Did the words I speak not come out in the common tongue?" Ellana snapped. Both woman took a startled step backwards before resuming their circling. "I don't know what that is. Or how it got there. Usually the definition of 'I can't explain.'"

The short haired woman seized the front of Ellana's armor. Ellana felt the electrical energy of her magic swirl about her protectively as the woman spat in her face. "You're lying, you deceitful mage!"

She was spared making the situation worse when the woman in purple grabbed her companion and gently dragged her away. "We need her Cassandra." Her accent was pleasant, diluted with an Orleasian feel.

"So what now?" Ellana had to stay calm. Never mind her heart was screaming for a lost brother. Forget the fact that her world just shattered. She had to be calm, she couldn't waver.

The Orlesian woman stepped forward. "What do you remember?" She asked quietly, and Ellana would have to have been a fool to mistake the question as one asked in kindness. This was a woman gathering information. So she told them. The events were hazy, dreamlike, coming in slow; like trying to hold on to water as it dripped from your cupped hands.

"A woman?"

"Leiliana, go to the forward camps." The short haired woman- Cassandra- instructed her companion. Then she turned back to Ellana, tightening her shackles.

"What did really happen?" Ellana asked tilting her head to the side.

Cassandra shot her a short, impatient, but not cruel, look. "It will be easier to show you."

Mahannon was beside himself. The sight of his sister bound, on a cold prison floor made the blood boil in his veins. 'Stupid humans.' He thought savagely, as he knocked another arrow and sent yet another demon flying away from his current allies. The dwarf a few feet from him whistled.

"Damn good shot, Red." Mahannon ignored him.

'Stupid dwarves.' He thought and twisted his torso as he fired a second arrow into the skull of the demon creeping up on the elf-mage. The other man nodded his appreciation, but again Mahannon ignored the gratitude. 'Stupid apostates. All their fault anyway.' Mahannon eased slightly as the last demon fell and he looked at the peculiar green rift. That was the other thing reallypissing him off. 'Stupid fucking demons and their stupid fucking rifts.'

A gentle hand laid on his shoulder and he almost cut it off with his dagger as he whirled to face his new opponent. It was the elf-mage. The flat ear. Mahannon regarded him with a tilt to his head but didn't sheath his dagger.

"She will yet live. You need not worry." The man- had it been Solas?- attempted to console. Mahannon shook his head.

"You don't know that." He snapped, irritable, even though this was the man who had tried to help stop whatever was on his sister's hand from killing her. "You said it yourself. Every time that-" Mahannon gestured wildly to the enormous glowing rift pulsating in the sky. "- grows it takes a little more of my sister! My sister! The-" He twisted away, hoped they hadn't heard the crack in his voice.

"Shit, Red. It isn't Chuckles' fault-"

"No, its yours." He knew the words were sharp. But he felt them. "If you had just given the Seeker Hawke-"

"Hawke is my friend! Just like the little elf laying in the Chantry right now is your sister! Could you give her up?"

The edge bled out of him. Varric Tethras made an annoyingly excellent point. "No."

The smaller rift closest to them gave an ominous sound and they prepared themselves. Demons poured through. The three men pushed aside their squabble and soon it was back to the same thoughts for Mahannon and he took great pleasure each time his arrows landed.

'Stupid humans.' Thunk.

'Stupid demons.' Thunk.

'Stupid mages.' Thunk.

'Stupid dwarves-' Zzzap!

Wait what?

Electric magic sparked through the air, the taste deadly, familiar, and comforting. Mahannon twisted around to fire another arrow into the demon behind Varric when he saw her. Ellana, carefully weaving her spells around him, hitting as many demons as she could with one spell and completely frying a lone demon with another. A wave of relief crashed over him and he nearly lowered his bow until she caught his eye and worry etched her features.

"Manny! Behind you!" Too late the shade sunk its claws into Manny's side and he leaped backwards, cursing. Fortunately Varric nailed it with an arrow.

"Thanks."

A shout drew his attention and Mahannon watched as Solas grabbed his sisters wrist and forced it to the rift's light. There was a loud crackle and a bright flash. Mahannon rushed forward and caught Ellie as she fell back.

She blinked her eyes and looked at Solas. Mahannon's arms tightened in aggravation. "What did you do?" He demanded. She had just woke up. Stupid flat-ear, couldn't he see he was only weakening her more?

"I did nothing." Solas brushed off his ire easily and Mahnnon ground his teeth even as Ellie righted herself. "Your sister takes all the credit."

"I did that?" Ellie asked in wonder.

Solas began to explain his theories about the rifts and Ellie responded by asking polite questions. He seemed thrilled, Mahannon noticed, that Ellie took enough interest to ask and to let him explain. Mahannon, meanwhile, was getting irritated at the look of growing fascination on his twin's face. It was a relief when Varric chimed in and her attention turned toward the dwarf. He was starting to like Varric, just a little, but it was hard to read Ellana's thoughts on him.

When at last all introductions were made and the group decided to head out, Mahannon drew his sister to the side and started checking for injuries.

"The humans didn't hurt you did they?" He asked in Elvehn

"No." His hands continued their search and when he was satisfied he brought his forehead to hers and sighed.

"Ellie, when you disappeared, one grabbed me and dragged me out to meet Cassandra. Then came the explosion. I was so worried, but they found you. You were not breathing right. I was...terrified."

A hand rose and caressed the side of his face. "I am fine dearest brother. I am sorry, I do not remember much of what happened. But I am sorry for causing you worry."

Mahannon frowned. He opened his mouth to protest but a cough interrupted them and they glanced up. Solas was leaning idly against his staff, Varric and Cassandra shooting them confused looks.

"Your sister is fine. She said so herself. Now, if you both are finished, the Breach should take precedence." Solas spoke, the words with a sound much smoother than the two of them. Mahannon made a face, but Ellie lit up.

"You speak Elvehn?" She asked in excitement and Mahannon sighed. Always wanting to learn, his sister. He didn't get it.

"A trifle." At that Ellana gave him a dubious look and trotted to join the group, Mahannon bringing up the rear rather reluctantly.

"Oh! Manny?" She called out to him.

"Mm?"

"The sky turned to fire." She deadpanned at him and it took him a moment before he laughed.