Alrighty! I'd like to apologize first for my lack of updates this summer. Now that I have that out of the way, I would like to congradulate Tunelesslyric for winning the contest (remember the contest). The reference that is in this chapter is a house reference. Enjoy!

Bioware owns Dragon Age. Not me. Too bad, eh?

A Rocky Start

After Alistair and Leliana helped to create a route, we started on our way. The sudden realization of just how big Ferelden was hit me like a rock in the face. For the first time I missed vehicles, being able to get into a car for a weekend drive, except this time to save a nation. The idea was kind of ridiculous when I thought about it. It made me smile seeing us all piled into a car and then having to get out every time we saw darkspawn.

We didn't get far either. After meeting a man with a lost mule a new goal was in our minds.

"A golem," I repeated incredulously. "As in a stone, fighting golem," I looked at Alistair for confirmation.

He shrugged in response. "I am as clueless as you are."

"Yes! Not alone for once."

"Uh, yes, a real golem," the merchant said, getting us back on track. "I have the control rod for it. I was on my way to get it myself but, um, I've had a change in plans."

"You mean you have discovered a problem," Leliana corrected.

"You could say that," he continued, looking at his shoes, "the entire village, Honnleath, just happens to be overrun with darkspawn."

Morrigan sniffed. "How fortunate that you mentioned it to us now, for if you had not I would have found you personally to made sure you suffered." The merchant reeled back in fear and looked at me as if to say "is she serious".

He was a business man, so I had expected some sort of screw over. "Well since we don't have to worry about being surprised about darkspawn, I wouldn't be worried about us coming back. However," I paused dramatically, "if the control rod doesn't work..."

The merchants eyes grew large. "No, no, it will work. You go up to the golem and say the phrase and the golem will awaken."

"Nothing we can't handle," Leliana said beside me. "We should save the golem from the taint, if nothing else."

"How will this help defeat the Blight?' Sten's disapproving voice asked from behind me.

I thought carefully before answering. '"The golem is made of stone, right? Stone, in my experience, is hard to cut through, and I doubt it's possible to kill it. It's an advantage we cannot afford to pass up."

The kossith grunted to my response, and didn't argue. I hoped that meant he was satisfied.

I paid for the control rod, and we left the merchant calling for his mule. As I was examining the rod, Alistair watched me.

"Why did you treat him like that?" he asked as I put the rod into a safe pocket in my pack.

"Like what?"

"Like he was a criminal? The man's having a rough go as it is, why make it worse?" I looked at the warden and found myself at the end of a frown that would make Sten look good.

"Remember the merchant in Lothering we saw near the chantry? He was selling things at sky high prices for his own gain even though people needed those supplies desperately."

"Yes," he stretched out the word. "What does that have to do with the merchant we just talked to?"

"Because of that reason; he's a merchant. I've dealt with people like that before, and usually getting them scared makes them much more honest. It's a cheap tactic, but it works. If they feel like they are in control, they manipulate people. Everybody lies." I smiled, not believing that I had a chance to use that line in real life.

"I see your point," he relented,"but it doesn't make it right.

"No, but I'd rather have a working control rod and know what situation I=m going to be walking into then have two nasty surprises, as well as wasted all that time for nothing." I knew he wasn't impressed, but I wasn't arguing anymore about it. We had a control rod, now we just needed the other piece to the puzzle, and that's what my mind wanted to think about.

"Who's a good boy? Is my Helíos a good boy?" I rubbed his belly roughly. "Yes he is!" The war hound barked as if to agree. The way he usually acted to my commands was starting to convince me that he actually could agree.

"Hm, he is adorable," Leliana said beside me. Helíos got up and wagged his tail, making us both giggle.

It was another night watch, one of my first with Leliana. My sleeping so far had been exceptionally unpleasant, so much so that I had almost hugged Morrigan when she woke me, much to the witches displeasure.

"This makes travelling for the day seem too long," I commented. "Last watch is the worst."

"Indeed, but one is much fresher when everyone else is groggy. It is a good thing because if we were attacked, not all of us would be...distracted," the ex-lay sister said as she patted Helíos on the head.

"Yes," I started slyly. "It also helps if you have years of practice right?"

"Hm-hm," she nodded, looking at me with her blue eyes. I knew she could tell what I was trying to do, so I didn't beat around the bush.

"So where did you learn? It must have been from a very skilled mentor."

Helíos gave a disappointed huff from the abrupt lack of attention he was getting and sat down at my feet. Leliana waited for him to get comfortable before she spoke. "I was a travelling minstrel in Orlais. Songs and tales were my life. And when you travel you learn things, yes?"

I smiled slightly and bite my lip as I waited for her to elaborate, but her silence disappointed me. "If you don't want to talk about it that's fine. We barely know each other, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We will be spending a lot of time in each other's company. What else will we talk about, if not eventually ourselves."

"We could talk about that crazy deer we spooked today."

"Yes! It was huge, no? I could not believe how interact the antlers were on it!"

"It made me wonder if the local deer are cross breeding with wild halla, or if that's even possible," I laughed.

"I noticed you thinking after we saw it. I thought you were in pain, but Alistair said it was your super thinking face," she smiled mischievously.

"He said that? No, I don't have a "super thinking" face."

"You do! It sort of cute because your nose scrunches up as you frown so you look like a child trying to figure out something."

"How has nobody told me this before," I said angrily. I was suddenly reminded of times in geography class when Mike would tell me he could smell smoke after a test. He always sat across from me..."That rat bastard!"

"Who? Alistair? What did he do?"

"No, a friend of mine knew about this crazy face I was making for years and never told me! I'm going to kill him-" I stopped as if my batteries had been shut off. I wasn't going to be able to do any bodily harm to Mike, or talk to him, or see him. A pang in my chest caused me to hug my shoulders. I hadn't felt so homesick since I had first woken up in this country of turmoil.

"Abby? Are you okay?" Leliana's face changed as understanding dawned on her face. "From experience, talking about those you have lost makes it easier. I used to have a little journal in the cloister to let out my feelings."

I nodded meekly. "His...his name is Mike. We had been best friends since we met in school, we were both eight at the time. We were pretend boyfriend and girlfriend until grade three." She looked confused, so I went through my sentence to look for Earth mistakes. "You don't have grades in school?"

"No, I do not recognize that word."

It just means you are successful and are able to learn more things next year. Anyway, we hung out a lot. It wasn't until we got to high sc-or I guess we got older, that he came out, or you know, announced publicly that he was gay." She nodded in understanding. "He lost some friends and started getting picked on for that fact-" Leliana put up a hand looking bothered.

"He was insulted because of his sexual orientation? That's barbaric," she sounded furious under her controlled tone.

"It was like that a lot in my old home. There was always this struggle for equality, even if you weren't a certain skin colour," I was suddenly ashamed of that fact, or more than usual.

"That sounds terrible. It isn't like that in Thedas at all. But what's important is that you stayed with him."

"Of course. He was my best friend. I loved him." In my confession I understood why Leliana was so upset. It was like it clicked for me; she played for the other team. "I think you're pretty awesome too."

"Why thank you. I enjoy your company as well."

I was about to ask her about my sudden idea about her when I heard a struggle, like a rabbit in a cage. Alistair's tent had fallen on him and he must have been still asleep, because he was thrashing around.

"Oh geezus," I jumped up and looked for the tent opening and grabbed at it. "Could you hold it up for a second?" I asked the bard as I lifted the contraption so he couldn't suffocate himself.

"Got it."

I crawled in to the tent and made my way to the thrashing warden. Ducking a flailing arm, I took his shoulders and shook him gently. "Alistair, wake up. You're having a nightmare," I said quietly.

His eyes flew open in a panic, his breathing rapid. Once he saw me he completely relaxed. He gave a rough grunt. "I wouldn't want to repeat that experience again. Is it time to get moving?"

"No, your tent collapsed on you and Leliana and I came to rescue you."

"Morning Alistair," the red head said cheerfully.

"Oh, um, thank you," he observed the tent around him. "Wonder how that happened?"

"You were flailing pretty nicely. I'm surprised you didn't take flight," I snickered.

"Hey, you never know, maybe next time I'll be lucky." He started to get out of the remains of his bed roll when he jerked back down into it, his face flushing red. "Um, could you two fine ladies keep the tent up and close the flap while I dress?"

"That's an odd request, just get dressed outside, it's not cold," I said.

"Well, you see, I was very uh, warm, yes, very warm last night and had to, uh, relieve myself of my garments. All of them."

I blinked at him for an awkward moment, and then began laughing. "Oh! I'm sorry Alistair. I shall never question your requests again."

Still chuckling, I climbed out of the tent and held it up with Leliana, the both of us giggling as we heard Alistair swear and fall because the lack of room and the mess he had created for himself. "I don't find this funny," he would say, causing us to laugh more. Eventually he climbed out with his armour and pack, almost ready to face the day ahead of us.

"I should go and start breakfast," Leliana volunteered.

"I'll help you get into your gear, naked boy," I teased.

"Not sure if I should be grateful or not," he replied.

I had almost finished strapping up his chest plate when he finally spoke again. "Abby, I need to talk to you about what just happened."

His serious tone scared me. "Look, Alistair, if I teased you too much or said something that made you uncomfortable-"

"No, no, it's not about that. It's about the dreams. Was your night as rough as mine was?"

I winced. "Yes, instead of the usual whispers I had broken images, like I could see what was happening, but it blacked out a lot." I came around to the front to make sure everything was even.

Satisfied that he wouldn't blame me for any mishaps, I strapped his shield to his back.

"That's it? I saw everything," he sounded jealous. "And I recognized the place."

I looked up at him, knowing what we both saw and not wanting it to be true. "Lothering," I admitted softly.

He nodded. "Should we tell Leliana?"

"No," I bit my lip, "She will find out eventually, but not from us. She won't want to believe it."

He agreed with me and picked up his sword, only to leave me to my musings in the dawn light.

The conversation had bothered me, but not for the reason I expected. My dreams so far had not been the same calibre as Alistair's, contrary to what I had been told they would be like. I wasn't sure if I should be considering myself lucky, or worried if I wasn't Grey Warden enough to be in this fight. No matter what was coming next, I was going to be finding out soon enough.

The reference was "Everybody lies". Did you find it?