Lyna woke with a gasp, bolting up-right in her bed roll, Tamlen's name dying on her lips. Taking calming deep breaths she ran her hands over her face, swiping at tears that lay hidden in the sweat. She closed her eyes feeling her breath even out, the dull roar of her blood quieted as her heart rate slowed down.

"Are you alright?" Lyna jumped and turned towards the voice, Alistair was sitting a few feet away, the waning glow of the fire lighting the left side of his face as his upper body was turned towards her.

"Yes, I'm fine, just another nightmare." They had stayed in Lothering for a another day to help the refugees and had started back on the road the day before, when Neria had had her first nightmare Alistair had explained to them about their connection to the Arch Demon and how we would be able to hear it in their dreams. Though Lyna's nightmares came more often than Neria's, her nightmares had started before the joining, after she had been tainted in the forest and had lost Tamlen.

Lyna stood and walked over to the small cart that they had been using to store their belongings, the two dwarves they had saved outside of Lothering had meet them again on the road, Bodahn and Sandal had agreed to help carry their supplies on their cart as well as offering them discounts on enchantments and any goods Bodahn was selling in return for travelling and camping with them. Lyna rummaged through her pack, not noticing Alistair had followed her over until he spoke.

"Do you want to talk-"

"No" she said cutting him off, "I'm going to go hunting,"

Lyna quickly threw her leather armour on over her brown tunic and black britches grabbing her bow and her quiver, It was still early light and extra food was always welcome at breakfast, she called over the wolf who stood and joined her at her side as she heading out of the camp.

Alistair watched her as she went, every conversation her had with the young Dalish elf left him wondering if he had done something wrong. He wasn't used to dealing with Dalish elves, there had been one with the warden's though he had mostly kept to himself, and now Alistair was constantly wondering if he had offended her. He signed deeply as he turned back towards the camp; Morrigan had yet to venture out of her tent that was set up further away from the others, Leliana was still asleep in her tent. Sten stood off to the side watching them silently while Neria used her magic to rekindle the dying flames of the camp.

Weighing his options he made her way over towards Neria as the best choice of company, as he walked over towards the mage he heard her muttering and complaining under her breath about fire spells.

"Not your favourite spell I guess." He asked as he sat down next to her, she had tried to stroke the flame to catch the slightly damp logs that they had collected the night before but, every time it seemed as though they would light the fire quickly retreated after.

"No, I prefer lightening and ice spells, my friend Dylan was always one to get better used out of fire casting, he was a little older than us and completed his Harrowing three years before me; used to always help me and Jowan with them but he stopped helping me when I accidently set the skirt of his robes on fire, he still has a bald patch on his left leg." Neria smiled sadly at the memory of her friends, she had been excited to leave the tower behind but she missed her friends, it was strange; knowing that she wasn't going to be able to see them every day as she had before.

"Do you miss the tower?" Alistair asked bring her out of her memories.

Neria's eyebrows drew together and brow creased, as her eye became slightly glazed and focused on something in the distance.

"It's hard to explain, I don't miss the Templars or the actually tower, but I miss my friends Dylan and Jowan, we used to see each other every day and now I'm not sure when I'll ever see them. Sometimes I even miss some of the enchanters and the routine, every hour used to be planned and now it's not. I'm not even stuffed in to a room with thirty other apprentices."

"You know you might see your friends sooner than you think, one of the treaties we have is for the Circle of Magi." Alistair pointed out.

"It would be nice to see them again," Neria smile before she looked round to Alistair, "So, what happened with Lyna? I noticed she made herself scarce after she woke up this morning."

Alistair sighed again his shoulder sloping, "She had another nightmare," her scratched as his neck nervously, "I tired asking her about it but she just ran out saying she was going hunting. I'm a little worried that she's having so many nightmares, I know they are worse during a blight but you don't seem to have as many as she does."

"Hmm…" Neria hummed thoughtfully, "It could be that she was tainted before she joined, or even because of her friend…" Neria voice tailed off at the end of the sentence.

"What happened?" Alistair asked.

"Oh, aah that's something you should wait for Lyna to tell you, it's not really my story to tell." Neria said quickly.

"I don't think she'll tell me anyway, she doesn't really talk to anyone much besides you and Sten sometimes." Alistair pointed out.

"She's just not used to being around humans. Honestly I think she's only ever met a handful before she left her clan and I don't think any of them left a good impression on her. So just relax and give her some time to get used to you." Neria slapped him across the shoulder and smile before she stood to find some dry kindle to help the fire stay lit until breakfast could be made.

Lyna returned not long after the others had awoken, after quickly cooking the few rabbits and fowl she had managed to catch the three wardens took out their map of Ferelden and the treaties to decide where to go first. The map was spread out in front of them as the other went about dismantling the camp.

Alistair laid out the three Treaties before marking each location with a small piece of lead, "Well we have the Circle of Magi, The Dwarfs of Orzammer and the Dalish, as well as Arl Eamon in Redcliff, so which one will we go to first? Gherlens pass will be hard to get through this late in the year, and if we manage to get there before the first frost sets in we could end up stuck in blizzard on the way back."

"Okay, so we'll leave the Dwarves until later." Neria said before looking over to Lyna "What about the elves? I know your clan was heading north when we left, but there are other clans we might find in the Brecilian forest."

"The clans will be hard to find, they move around a lot before the first frost to gather supplies and find somewhere safe to wait out the winter. It's not impossible to find them but it will be elvar- ah, not easy." Lyna stumbled trying to hide her mistake.

Neria smiled at Lyna slightly pink ears before Alistair coughed to bring their attention back, "So no Elves and no Dwarves, that leaves the Circle and Redcliffe."

"Redcliffe seems to be closer, it may help to go there and collect better supplies. What we have is not bad, but the weather will worsen soon, and winter supplies would be better." Lyna said.

"The Circle isn't far from Redcliffe either, we could go there after." Neria said with a slight smile, thinking of seeing her friends again.

"So you are sure this Eamon will help us?" Lyna asked looking over at Alistair.

"Yes, the Arl wouldn't stand for what's being done."

"How can you be so sure?"

Alistair sighed before he continued, "Because Arl Eamon helped raise me until I was elven." That earned him a wide eye look from Neria.

"What? Why?...?" she trailed off as she failed to find the correct words to form the right question.

"My mother was a maid at the castle, he took me in when she died giving birth to me, and before you ask; I am not the Arl's son. He knew who my father was and took me in until I was elven and was sent to live in the monastery."

"Why were you sent away at ten?" Lyna asked her eyebrows draw in confusion.

"Because when he married the Arlessa, she didn't appreciate the rumours about me being the Arl's son."

"You shem'len confuse me…" Lyna said as she stood up.

"Yes well, now that that's settled, we going to Redcliffe, I guess should take us a day and a half, depending on how fast we go." Alistair said gather up the map and treaties, placing them back in to the small pouch in his pack, leaving Neria still sitting with a dumbfounded look on her face.