Ariana was twiddling around with her fingers. A bowl of steaming soup, salty and watery, stood before her. She exhaled her anxiety and let her eyes scan the tavern once again, as though this time she would finally spot him. He had not been gone for more than half an hour, yet it felt like he had left her to never return.

Though the soup was tasty enough, and her stomach an aching hole, she could not make herself finish it. The sickening fear she felt would never leave.

The entire time they had been on the run she had been positive every armed man and woman they stumbled upon were hired by the Magister to hunt them down. Every time she so much as bumped into another she had to stop herself from fleeing in panic. Thankfully, Fenris was not as easily unnerved. He would hold her wrist in a gentle, but firm grip, and when at night the memories distorted her dreams and ripped the paper-thin wall that separated reality from fantasy he would mutter calming words to her.

Without him, she would not have made it to the nearest village. No, that was not true. Without him, she would still be stuck in that nightmare. The amount of gratitude she felt towards him could not be described in words. That was why she had not questioned him when he had asked her to wait for him at this shady pub.

She carefully slurped a spoonful of the hot liquid and jumped as someone slumped down on the bench next to her. It was not Fenris.

"What's a lovely bird like you doing here?" asked a man with bushy hair and rough skin. She could tell he was intoxicated.

"I'm not interested," she said in a non-convincing manner. She hated her voice for being so small.

"You sure 'bout that?" The man leaned in closer, and she could feel the stench of bitter ale coming from his mouth.

He stroked her cheek with gnarled knuckles. Ariana jumped to the far end of the table, her heart's beating speeding to a faint fluttering.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled at him. The man merely smiled with yellowed teeth.

"Love, don't be like that." He chuckled contently before shuffling himself closer to her again. She grabbed a knife lying on the table, still dirty from recent use.

"If you touch me again, I will stab you," she threatened. The man frowned.

"Why so harsh all of a sudden? Looks like you need a man to teach you something about touching." His hand enclosed her breast and squeezed hard.

Without thinking she lowered the knife-edge into the man's thigh. He screamed and pushed her forcefully away from him, making her hit the floor. Ariana scrambled hurriedly to her feet and took a defensive stance.

"I warned you."

"You stupid bitch!" His drunken eyes were a display of madness. He jerked out the knife and threw it at the table before he rose above her threateningly. "Don't you know your place, woman?" A clenched fist rose into the air, readying the punch, when suddenly he was pulled away by another hand.

Fenris' glare was more furious than she had ever seen it before. His eyes slits, teeth bared, and his lyrium markings a glowing blue, he punched through the man's stomach and partially solidified his fist. The drunkard gasped in bewilderment before death overcame him.

Muscles still tensed, Fenris grabbed her hand and led her through the silenced room to the back door. Ariana, though relieved to see him, still could not stop her trembling, and the feeling of disgust only grew stronger.

"Where were you?" she asked in an attempt to scatter the incoming memories.

"I was getting us a ride out of here," he answered with clenched teeth. His grip on her was starting to make her arm go numb. "I told you not to get in trouble, did I not?" he said accusingly.

"You're blaming me?"

"I knew I shouldn't have left you alone..."

"Then why did you? And would you stop that? You'll make my arm fall off." Fenris let go of her. "And you didn't have to kill him."

"It doesn't matter now. We're leaving anyway."

"Fine. Now would you stop hating on me?" He gave her a look. They were out in the dark streets, making haste for the inn.

"I'm not mad at you."

"Then act more like it."

"I'm sorry. I just... couldn't contain myself."

"I noticed." Fenris slowed his steps and watched her with regretful eyes. She knew how easily they deceived.

"Forgive me. It was wrong of me to leave you."

"I can handle myself."

"Still, I could've chosen a safer location."

"Yes, well, let's not dwell on that, shall we?" Ariana tore her gaze from his and sped up her walk. They stayed silent for the remainder of the way.

They scurried about their room packing their few belongs into moth-eaten sacks. When they were done they stood and looked at each other in unison.

"So, where are we going?" asked Ariana.

"South, to the Free Marches."

"Do you reckon there will be less of his mercenaries there?"

"They will sniff out our scent soon enough."

"But we will have at least some peace?"

"I doubt it." Ariana sighed and slung herself on the worn bed.

"Will it always be like this? Will we never be rid of him?"

"The bastard will get what he deserves when the time comes."

"And until then?"

"Until then we will have to watch our backs."

"I can't do it." Fenris looked at her quizzically.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't live like this. It is ruining me. Us."

"And what do you suppose we should do? Turn ourselves in? Let him play around with us until Death is kind enough to show mercy on us?"

"No..." She looked up at the ceiling with tired eyes. "I don't know." Her voice was a whisper. Fenris sat down next to her and leaned back against the wall.

"You want me to leave," he stated silently. Her eyes flickered towards him.

"What? No! I would never-"

"You know that is the only way for you to be free. The Magister doesn't care about you. It is me he is after." Ariana felt ice forming in her chest.

"Fenris," she said and sat up. She put her hands on his shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. "I owe everything to you. I will never leave you. Besides, I wouldn't last the smaller half of an afternoon without you," she said jokingly.

"You have family, don't you? In the Free Marches?" Her smile froze and shattered, her eyes emptied of emotion.

"They are gone," she breathed.

"Surely you must have someone."

"No. They were either killed or sold into slavery when the raiders arrived." She added, nearly inaudibly, "You were the one who tore me from my little sister."

"I did what?" he asked incredulously.

"Before he marked you. You did his dirty work."

"Why would I ever do that?" He looked as though he wanted to laugh it all away, pretend she was making it up simply to amuse him.

"Why does anyone submit to the will of a tyrant? You were a slave. You didn't have much choice."

"How was I like?" Ariana shied away from his moss green eyes. He had never been very inquisitive about his past, not after he had gotten to know the essentials. She worried what he would make of the information.

"Brusque, I suppose. But not like his men. You never did treat me poorly. You were kind to me, though in your own way." She suddenly smiled at the memories of the then raven-haired man. Then she remembered what had happened to him and the momentary happiness ebbed out.

Fenris furrowed his brows in deep thought. An ancient sadness hid within the folds. Ariana gently touched his cheek.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of. You are still the same man as before, if a little more stoic." She wanted to make him smile, turn that frown up-side-down, but he did not seem to hear her. "Fenris?" He looked up at her, a depth in his pupils she could not see the end of.

"I don't even know if I were one to hurt you. I could have been his best friend for all I know. How does one live with that?" Tears were forming in the corner of his eyes, making the abyss in them glisten with stars. Ariana fought hard to stay strong. For him.

"Hush. Don't think like that. What matters is what you are now. Even if you were a monster then, you still saved me. I would be but a ghost by now if it weren't for you." He looked down in shame, letting the tears flood down his cheeks.

Ariana could not bear his pain. Letting her body act out of its own will she lifted his cheek and kissed his soft lips. Accepting it, Fenris separated them and let her tongue in. His breathing came in hot waves, feeding her own.

Desperate hands pulled her closer, pressing her pounding heart against his. Her own ruffled through his hair, clawed at his back.

Their damaged souls joined to heal one another. For the first time since before she became a tool, a puppet, Ariana dared show her inner self to another.

For once, the sorrow, the terror, the pain was gone. All she knew was bliss.