The cave shook violently.

Dust everywhere, pebbles raining over him.

And light...lots of light. First sharp white, burning into his retinas, then heated amber...the heat of it washing over him, making him stagger, then glowing red...sizzling dots of it covering the ground where the ashen remains of the many darkspawn lay.

And through it Velanna stalked, her staff still covered in the gore from the unholy creature she had torn it from, the woman having used the frail wood to smash the oddly similar creature's face apart in a surprisingly vicious bout of brutality for someone able to use magic. The woman's tight robe fluttered behind her as the air was sucked back into where her fireball had struck, making the rogue strands of her hair fly. The bright grey eyes shone with rage, uncaring of the exhaustion she must feel, her steps slow and long, that of a predator closing in on its prey.

Velanna didn't notice any of it, her staff raised and already moving to cast another spell.

Shaking his head Nathaniel couldn't help but wonder if there was a correlation between moods and spells. He'd seen Anders throw fireballs...yet they hadn't looked nearly as brutal or intense as Velanna's, as if her anger somehow was furnishing the fiery destruction she so carelessly threw around.

Careless was the word, Nathaniel shot the ceiling a worried look. So far it had held, despite the stonework being beyond ancient as well as Velanna's spells tearing every chamber they so far had encountered apart. Can't blame her though. He grunted as he drew the crude darkspawn bow he had acquired and cleanly placed an equally crude arrow through the throat of a genlock about to pounce onto the back of the unaware elf. If Delilah was still alive and here...would I not do the same? Still... "Slow down before you get yourself killed!"

The elf didn't heed him, making Nathaniel snort. Of course not. Instead she brought her staff down onto the ground, making a hurlock charging at her arch its back as its feet rose from the ground, a strangled cry escaping it as its bones loudly begun to snap. Another hurlock rushed past the one slowly being crushed by unseen magic, only to be bowled over as Mhairi crashed into it, her sword dutifully skewering it even as she shot the elf mage a glare.

Again the elf didn't react, not even noticing the knight as she stalked forth. Shouldn't she be exhausted from casting so fast? Not to mention she was already weary before the battle... Velanna showed no signs of slowing though as her staff stabbed forth, releasing an arc of purple lightning at a genlock archer further off, making the howling monster double over, smoke rising from its scorched chest.

Nathaniel dutifully finished the creature off with another shot even as he watched Anders appear from behind a boulder to Nathaniel's right, black blood covering the front of the mage's robe...some of which he tried to brush off with a grimace. "Note to self, don't cast such spells in close encounters..." Looking up he smirked at Nathaniel's quizzing look. "Popping darkspawn is fun, but Maker it's bad for the laundry..." A glance at the fiery destruction he had missed and the smirk turned into a grin: "Whoa! Another note to self, don't anger the Dalish."

Nathaniel sighed even as he sighted down the newly notched arrow, sighting another genlock archer. Far away, obscured, partial hit and follow through... The arrow smashed into the genlock's right shoulder, making it spin into clear sight just as he notched the next arrow...which smashed into the back of the creature's head with an audible crunch, sending goblets of its blackened brain flying as the tip of the arrow pushed out through the front of its head. "That is a good rule to have towards anyone."

"Perhaps." Anders chuckled as he stepped closer, grinning mischievously. "But I like to keep things realistic." With that he raised his staff...and Nathaniel felt a small heat emanate from the man even as he called out. "Here you go honey!"

A moment later Mhairi's sword was covered in ethereal flames, the woman shooting him an incredulous look, then turning back with a low muttering as she marched with Velanna. Her fiery sword slashed left and right, gutting member after member of the oncoming horde as a stream of fire left Velanna's staff and washed over them, blinding and setting them afire, leaving them easy targets for Mhairi's tireless slashes.

"Funny." Nathaniel dryly noted, sighed and notched another arrow...before shooting it just above Velanna's head and catching a darkspawn with a massive two handed sword in its hands just above its breastplate, drawing a gasp from it as it fell from the boulder it had stood on. "You two are perfect for one another." An idiot and a fool.

"I have a feeling that was an insult." Anders chuckled, watching as the horde before Velanna and Mhairi was turned to ashes and burnt organs by the pair. How many of these hordes have we fought so far? Nathaniel wasn't sure, his head heavy from dehydration. All he knew was that they so far had reclaimed the weapons and armour for all but him...and he felt the loss of his family bow keenly. Surely it's around... "Hey, where's Lynn anyway?"

Nathaniel frowned, in the chaos of explosions and the snipping with the inferior bow of his he had lost her...and the heavy head of his didn't help things either. Still, it's unforgivable to lose sight of the Commander... "Perhaps she-"

Danger!

Nathaniel found himself shoving Anders out of the way, the sudden punch in his gut along with the lack of pain telling him he'd been hit by something. Probably an arrow. Lying on his side Nathaniel reached down, feeling slick blood and a wooden shaft buried into his gut. Yes, and at any moment...

Pain!

Nathaniel gasped, his lungs emptying as the white pain rolled over him, making him twitch where he lay, forcing him to bite down as he let the pain roll off him. There it is...I hate pain.

Grunting he tried to inch backwards, wide eyes watching as Mhairi and even Velanna ducked away, the pair pressing up against the uneven walls in an effort to avoid the sudden rain of arrows from the line of archers having arrived atop a ridge ahead of them. Isn't that...Nathaniel found a pained growl escape him as he saw the creature, a twisted mirror of himself, dressed in his leather armour, using his bow...and leading the half a dozen hurlock archers atop the ridge in raining death upon the group, pinning them.

Safety, healing, then retrieval. Rolling sideways Nathaniel ignored the spike of pain as best he could as the arrow in his gut snapped under him. Safety, then healing. He gritted his teeth, feeling cold sweet cover him as the arrow dug deeper into him and twisted into the wound. Safety... As if to punctuate his need an arrow smashed into the ground next to him, making him roll faster to get to the side of the corridor. Safe, now...h... He shook his head, feeling groggy beyond words, realising he was close to unconsciousness. Another shake of his head pushed it back. Not yet, focus...

Looking past the annoyingly low boulder, not nearly enough for him to duck properly behind, but what he had to settle for since he didn't trust himself to move behind better cover.

The hurlocks, led by his double stood confident as they loosed arrow after arrow over the group pressing up against the walls. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so considering how brutal she'd been so far, Velanna was the one who...despite her lack of armour, or nearly clothing...was the one obviously trying to return the favour... Yet she couldn't get into position to cast a spell with the disgusting version of Nathaniel carefully loosing arrow after arrow towards her and her minimal cover, many of the sharp missiles grazing the elf, merely making her growl in anger.

Then Nathaniel pulled the arrow free from his body, having not even been aware that his arms had moved to do so he arched his back and cried out, the pain lancing through him a welcome one. It meant the arrow was gone, and that...Nathaniel sighed as the healing magic cast by prone Anders washed over him, clearing the fog of his mind. Safe, healed...now for retrieval...where's my bow?

Before he could locate the weapon a blur passed by him though, a golden blur.

Lynn was nearly horizontal as she rushed forth, her weapons held low, turning her into a living missile hurling itself at the archers. Is she cra-

Seven arrows flew at her, only to hit the ground as the elf flowed to the left, as if she had changed into animated water, not breaking her stride during her run. Another seven and she continued to run while seamlessly flowing to the right...one of the arrows bouncing off her shoulder guard, another off her helmet. A third volley of seven arrows, all widely missing their mark as the elf threw herself forward, rolling onto her feet in one seamless movement.

Then she leapt, clearing the final distance in the blink of an eye, her left foot landing atop the inclined edged of the ridge, her body falling backwards...Good try though...only for the woman to stop the fall by smashing her axe into the side of the closest hurlock. A howl escaped the creature even as Lynn pulled herself onto the ridge, the axe dug into the flank of the creature pulling it off the ridge.

It didn't raise it hands to stop its fall as it crashed into the ground.

Then there was a whirlwind of swinging weapons...and the two closest hurlocks fell, pieces of them crashing to the ground as they were torn asunder.

Nathaniel's tainted copy pulled back even as the three hurlocks rushed forth, curved swords of blackened iron swinging after the elf...who once more flowed aside, a darting sword cutting the jugular of one of them while her axe cut off the jaw of a second. The third shoved its dying comrade aside and tried to reach her...only to be skewered upon her sword in its foolish eagerness to reach her.

Nathaniel's tainted version notched an arrow...and couldn't miss.

Yet it did. The arrow thudding into the back of the skewered hurlock Lynn had somehow managed to pull in between the two.

A second later the hurlock was thrown aside, a kick sending the bow flying out of the creature's hand even as Lynn closed the distance. One moment she was hiding behind the corpse of the hurlock, the next she was pressed up against Nathaniel's twisted image, her sword stabbed through its abdomen, drawing a strangled grunt from it.

With a strange sense of sick fascination Nathaniel watched as the elf pulled her weapon to the right, slicing the creature's gut open, making blackened organs pour out of the wound. Maybe it was good I never tried taking a shot at her...

With a shrug the elf shoved the now limp creature down over the edge of the ridge and looked down at him as he and the others slowly appeared from cover. The dead eyes bore into him, making him avert his gaze. "Get your equipment, fast."

He managed a short nod. "Y-yes Commander."

"Where were you?" Velanna's question echoed across the hall, making everyone flinch as they looked up at Lynn. To question the Commander was already a gamble...and for the prisoner to do so...suicidal. But Nathaniel had to admit he was curious himself, she had somehow disappeared after the last crossing, seemingly sneaking off...which seemed oddly out of character for her. Still, I would have held the question for a while...that was bold. He shot their 'prisoner' a look, finding the woman glaring at Lynn, the Dalish's obvious anger keeping the dread the mage no doubt felt at meeting Lynn's cold gaze under control.

"I was..." The Commander suddenly averted her gaze, making Nathaniel blink. Did she just...? "...recovering something." The elf sheathed her weapons, a hand coming down to retrieve a small item from a pouch by her waist...a small silver band. The elf regarded the metal coldly, yet not as coldly as Nathaniel had expected, almost a hint of...something in those dead eyes of hers. "The Orlesian wardens from Vigil's Keep were brought here." She closed her fist around the band, shrugging. "The last one died moments ago, he bled to death."

Nathaniel shuddered, glancing back. And he gave her his wedding band? Poor man...to die without even a goodbye, to not kn-

A small tapping sound and Nathaniel turned to see the elf drop the silver ring to the ground, already turning to walk away.

"What are you doing!" Mhairi cried out, paling as she stared at the ring. "You have to take it to his wife! Didn't he ask this from you!"

"Yes." Lynn shrugged and continued to move. "But he's dead now, he got what he wanted."

"No he didn't! You're tak-"

Mhairi's words died as the elf whirled about, a flash of anger in her otherwise cold eyes. "He wanted to die knowing his wife would get his ring! He did!" Nathaniel blinked, despite the woman's eyes being dead she was a suddenly...animated. "Giving her the ring will not help him now!"

Mhairi hesitated, the woman looking down at her feet, yet she continued: "But surely you should give-"

"I am giving her something." Lynn snapped, the elf turning away to continue her march.

Nathaniel nearly didn't hear her voice as she muttered the words under her breath.

"Hope."

888

Thanks to Abydos Jackson, as always.