I don't know about you guys, but this chapter drains me emotionally when I read it. Isn't that just a tease ;P

I will be taking a small break, mostly to hang with family. By the 26 I should have something up!

Bioware owns the place, I just frolic around.

That Creeping Feeling

We never made it to the village.

For two days we traveled, the first we hurried because of Duncan's warning of an attack by other darkspawn. The second day was better, but we were both living of four hours of sleep each from watching for anything during the night. Lodan also insisted that we keep walking until way past dark.

The third day was a nightmare.

Morning past without incident, but I was uneasy. I couldn't explain why, but I was reminded of the feeling from when we were in the tavern in the winter. I didn't mention it to Lodan, after a while I just figured I had a migraine from the lack of sleep.

After our quick lunch, we had just started out again when we heard crashing in the forest. We hardly had time to get our bows when a man tripped onto the road in front of us, completely covered in blood.

"Tanin!" I yelled, running to his side.

"Abby! Wait!" Lodan called back.

Tanin lifted his head up pathetically, "Abby." He sounded so weak. His eyes flooded with fear suddenly. "Abby! You have to get out of here. Please leave me be!"

"I am not leaving you like this." I searched his body for the wound that had caused all the blood.

"Abigail, listen to him." Lodan's voice was sharp.

"Lodan, help me!" I said desperately. I couldn't find what I was looking for. House episodes flashed in my head, of all things. Lungs. His lungs. Could he have coughed up so much blood?

"Abby, stop," Tanin grabbed at my flailing hands.

"How dare you touch her!" Lodan snarled.

I rounded on the elf. "What is wrong with you!"

"Tell her Tanin. Tell her why you're a wanted mage."

Tanin, still holding my hands, now covered in blood, looked into my eyes. He looked like he was burning alive.

"Abby, you know that I am an apostate, an illegal mage. You must realize how horrible the tower was. I had to get out, no matter what."

I shook my head, the buzzing feeling became stronger. "What do you mean?"

He barely breathed, "I…I'm a blood mage."

It was like glass had come crashing down onto my head. The man now lying in front of me had taught me the horrors of the forbidden school of magic. How they used blood instead of mana for their cruel spells. Anyone's blood.

I jerked my hands back. "You're lying."

"I wish I was. I truly do," he pleaded. "I tried so hard to change. But it's all I have known."

"You should have tried harder!" I looked at my hands, "Who's blood is this?" I felt sick, and tried to get it off me, whining pathetically like a child.

Lodan opened his mouth to interrupt, but a different voice rang through the forest.

"I heard something over there."

My heart sank. It sounded like the female templar. The same damn templar from the village.

"They found me." Tanin looked greyer the usual.

"You're covered in blood. Did you not think they would not be able to find you." Tanin shrank back as Lodan walked over threateningly.

"Abby, please help me. I saved your life." Tanin attempted to stand up but was pushed back down by Lodan aggressively.

I saw Tanin for what he really was at that moment. But he was right.

"We can't leave him here," I whispered.

"I will not die for him Abigail! He made his choice long ago." I could feel the hatred coming of the elf in waves.

"He saved my life."

"You cannot let him manipulate you like this. Blood mages use their evil magic to read minds and control people. You cannot believe him! Besides, he used you to make himself feel better about his own pathetic mistakes."

"I did not use her," Tanin franticly tried to get up.

All the while we argued, we could her the knights get closer to us. The pounding in my head got steadily worse.

"We don't have to fight," I whispered, "help me." I looked at Lodan and grabbed Tanin's arm to help him up, wincing at the squelching sound from the wet blood.

The elf hesitated, but the sound of a branch breaking to close for comfort made his mind up for him. "We have to get deeper into the woods." He grabbed the apostates other shoulder. Then we all remained quite as we made our way through the dark forest.

It was not long before the templars caught up to us. We were slow and both Tanin and I were clumsy compared to Lodan. We hide when they were close for hours at a time, but they always found our trail again because of the blood. The addition of Tanin was not helping either. We soon had to ration our water supplies because even if we did get to the next water source, there was a possibility the templars would find us or us it as a trap.

"We have to stop," I finally said. The sky was dark and I was too tired to carry on. "Tanin can't go on, and I can barely keep my eyes open.

Lodan snapped. "We cannot stop! We will be found."

"Lodan," I pleaded, "The templars can't keep this up either. We have to make camp."

He ground his teeth and sighed in defeat. "Alright, there should be a cave down in that valley."

After finding the small indent in the ground, you couldn't really call it a cave, we ate some nuts and Lodan volunteered for first watch.

I was asleep before I hit the ground.

"Abby!"

Lodan's cry jolted me out of my sleep, and I came face to face with Ser Roland, the templar I had threatened for insulting Lodan earlier in the year.

I reached for my dagger, but he grabbed my hand, twisting it painfully. I screamed.

The knight laughed at my outcry. "Not so tough now are we you wench?"

"Ser Ronald, that is quite enough," It was the woman knight.

Ser Ronald dragged me up to a standing position, showing me what had happened to our hideout.

Tanin was on his knees, a bruise forming on his cheek, looking utterly defeated. The female templar had a sword at his throat. Lodan was on the floor beside Tanin.

"No!" I screamed. I pulled at the templar's grip, trying to free myself to go see if the elf was alive.

"It's all right. He's just unconscious." Compared to what she looked like-hell-the woman sounded very calm.

"Please, don't hurt them. They had no idea. They had nothing to do with the deaths of your comrades," Tanin stared up at his captor.

"Shut up!" Ser Ronald shook me violently. "I know your lying blood mage!" he spat.

"Did you kill anyone?" the woman asked.

The pounding in my head was unbearable. I didn't even realize is was crying from the pain until that moment. "No. I swear." My eyes focused on Lodan's body. It looked like he was breathing.

"Serrah, we have no choice but to kill all of them. They associated themselves with this filth, they deserve no mercy." Ser Ronald unsheathed his sword, easily holding both of my small hands in one of his.

"I know you're grieving for the others, but that is not the answer. Let her go."

"The need justice!"

"No Ser Ronald. Not like this. End the maleficar's life if you wish, but there has been too much death." She sounded so tired, and for a fraction of a second, I felt sorry for her.

"Very well," he growled, his voice shaking.

"No, please, don't do this," I cried.

Tanin raised his head. "Abby don't watch. Look away."

But try as I might, I couldn't. I felt rooted to the spot, unable to move. Everything hurt.

The woman walked away from Tanin and Ser Ronald took her place. "May the Maker have mercy on your soul. I know I won't." He brutally drove his word into Tanin's shoulder while his victim howled in agony.

"Ser Ronald!" The other templar jumped to her feet. She wasn't fast enough, but I was.

I grabbed my discarded bow from off the floor with an arrow, nocked it, and let it fly.

The arrow protruded out of Ser Ronald's neck. He gurgled grossly and dropped to the floor.

Lodan jumped up from the floor, pointing his knife at Tanin. "Use any of that blood and I won't hesitate to end this-"

He didn't get to finish. A whole wave of blood washed over him and the remaining templar. I jumped to dodge it, falling painfully on a twig.

Tanin struggled with the bonds on his hands trying to free them. I walked back into the cave and grabbed an arrow. I walked towards him with my bow drawn. "Don't make me do this Tanin."

He looked up. "Abby you don't have to threaten me. I won't hurt you."

My head was completely better, but something else was wrong. Something was blurring my judgment, telling me to put the bow down.

"You son of a bitch." I felt like screaming. "You said you would never hurt me, blood mage," I spat.

"Abby?"

I didn't think twice. With a dull thud, the arrow landed in his chest.

"Abby, I…I'm sorry…" he coughed. Then he was no more. His body fell to the floor.

I don't know how long I stood there, looking at the bodies of the dead. The dead I had murdered. My heart felt like it was ripping. Eventually, Lodan and the templar groaned and started to get up.

"How dare you! You killed a warrior of the Chantry! You will be punished for this!" She screamed.

Lodan ran over to me. "Abigail. Abigail, talk to me. Are you alright?"

"No," I said childishly, putting my bow down. I fell to the floor and cried, not listening to either of them.