Eriana woke up to a warm comforting presence in the bed beside her. Sighing to herself, the elf breathed in the warm, musky smell of her companion, relishing the company and the feeling of a hot body in the bed beside her after waking up so many mornings to a cold, empty bed. Rolling over, she threw an arm across the furry body of her bed mate, getting a low, disgruntled growl in response. Eriana laughed as she scratched Ramoth behind the ears as the mabari yawned and rolled over, pressing his body against her and his nose into the crook of her neck. "Okay, okay, cold nose, cold nose; sorry I woke you," she muttered, pushing the dog off of her so that she could get out of bed.

Waking up next to her mabari had done wonders for Eriana; in fact, her nightmares had nearly stopped all together. She hadn't quite had the chance to process just how much she had missed Ramoth's constant presence, what with Zevran disappearing nearly the same week, but now that he was back by her side, the young elf realized just how big a hole the dog's absence had left. Having him back was like having a lost limb reattached. She could never explain it to someone who wasn't a mabari owner, someone who didn't share in the unique bond that formed when a dog imprinted on you. You could feel your animal's presence and at times it's emotions as well. In fact, that was what alerted Eriana to Ramoth's arrival. While she was trying to focus on her archery, she felt a sudden surge of pure excitement and anticipation accompanied with an overwhelming desire to find something. The moment she realized what she was feeling, it was as if a void has suddenly been filled in her soul, a void she didn't even realize existed. And Ramoth's presence had made all the other voids seem a bit less empty. He was a constant presence at her side; and after just a day, she wondered how she ever got on without him.

Sitting down at her dressing table, Eriana began to mentally go over the events for the day. It was the same as every other day, really, but a set routine was exactly what she needed, that and a full schedule that left little time for thought or contemplation. She spent most of the morning training with Nathaniel and Garen. Under Nathaniel's watchful eye, her archery was improving by leaps and bounds. She had always been a skilled archer, but Nathaniel was teaching her to do things she never realized were possible with a bow. It was clear to Eriana that he was casually trying to encourage her to rely more on her archery to get her off the front line as much as possible. Sweet, overprotective bloke.

After her archery workout with Nathaniel, she would spar with Garen. The young thief had come a long way since Eriana had picked him up off the streets of Denerim. He had proven quite adept at fighting with twin daggers, so Eriana had begun teaching him some of the dueling techniques she had learned from Isabella back during the blight. The training was good for Garen, too; he was still mourning the death of Delain, and the training had proven to be a good distraction. The dueling had proven difficult for Eriana, though, as she was still working to regain her strength. All she wanted to do was feel normal again, and the fact that Garen was frequently besting her in the training yard was very frustrating to the elf.

After finishing her workout, Eriana, Nathaniel, Garen, and Aedan would saddle up a few horses and go on a scouting run around the keep before lunch. For Eriana, this was one of her most important tasks of the day. It was well known throughout the nation that they were in a weakened state, so Eriana felt it was necessary for them to do daily runs around the fortress in order to identify any potential problems. Though she had many supporters, she was not foolish enough to believe that there were no enemies out there who might try to exploit her weakened state. She took Nathaniel with her because he was the most familiar with the land and could easily identify places where enemies could be lurking. Garen was good at identifying weaknesses as he made his living exploiting them, and Aedan was just fun to be around. At times, Cybele, the surviving dalish twin, would join them to point out any natural anomalies. So far, everything looked secure, but it was clear Eriana wasn't going to let her guard down.

Once they returned to the keep, Eriana would take a quick lunch then she, Nathaniel, Aedan, and Garevel would shut themselves us in her office and pour over paperwork for the remainder of the evening. As it turned out, Aedan was a Maker-sent blessing. As a Cousland, he had been brought up in the careful practice of Ferelden politics and the administrative responsibilities that came with running an arling as he was expected to be his brother's right hand. With his help, the Vigil's Keep staff was well on its way to getting the entire arling back on track. He was also a huge help when it came to reorganizing the household staff. By the time the first week was over, Miranda had already replaced all their lost employees and had the keep back in working order. Eriana was beginning to wonder how exactly she was going to function once she left for Denerim. When she expressed her concerns to Aedan, he simply smiled and told her not to worry, that he had that worked out as well. Not only had he been a huge help with her administrative duties, but Aedan's presence was also a surprising comfort. She had expected things to be slightly awkward between them, given how forward he had been the last time she had seen him, but Fergus must have talked to him about his behavior because he was friendly but not at all pushy. Somehow, the nobleman managed to distract her from all her troubles just by being near, and had proven himself a true friend.

Sighing to herself, Eriana glanced over her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks had begun to round out a bit and had lost the gaunt, haunted look, and there was life back in her eyes. Smiling at the changes, Eriana quickly tied her hair up in a messy knot. She really should cut it; it was far longer than a true rogue's hair should be, but she simply couldn't bring herself to do it. Zevran had often stated how he loved her long hair, and somehow, cutting it felt like a betrayal of him. Pulling on her training armor, Eriana whistled for Ramoth and went out to face the day.

-0-

Spinning around and kicking out, Eriana managed to catch Garen's leg, knocking him off his feet. Using her momentum, the elf pinned the human beneath him before he could regain his bearings. Sparring daggers at his throat, Eriana grinned down at her fellow rogue. "Got ya," she said before leaping off him and helping him get to his feet.

"I have to say, Ana," Nathaniel said, moving into the ring, "you're starting to get back into your old stride. You're moving a lot better. How do you feel?"

"A bit more winded than I should be, but otherwise fine. I guess taking three weeks off is bound to slow my daggers a bit."

"Well, I think you look great," a new voice said. Eriana turned to see Aedan strolling up to the fence. Eriana smiled and made her way over to the nobleman, taking a long drink from the water skin he was holding out for her.

"So what brings you down here, Aedan? Isn't it a bit earlier than usual for you?"

He smiled and gave a loud bark of laughter. "Actually, I was hoping that I might persuade you to take the afternoon off today. Maybe instead of going out on a scouting ride with the group, it might just be me and you today." Eriana raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't worry, I'm not going to drag you away or anything; I just thought it would be nice for you to have a break."

"I suppose there's no harm in taking a day off," she said, smiling up at him. "Do you have something in mind?"

Aedan smiled and nodded knowingly. "Just meet me in the courtyard in about an hour, and don't eat anything, okay, we'll do lunch while we're out," he said and turned and walked away before she had a chance to respond.

An hour later, Eriana found the young nobleman waiting for her in the courtyard beside his massive black charger. "You ready?"

"We're going for a ride?"

Aedan nodded, "I know you're afraid of horses and all, but if we didn't ride it would take us most of the day to hike up to where we're going."

Eriana grinned, "What makes you think I'm afraid of horses?"

"I've seen the way you act when you're riding with Nathaniel; you cling to him like you're about to tumble off. I know you say you're too small to control a horse, but I've seen you tell a bear what you want it to do. Surely you can control a horse." Eriana glared at him. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. Besides, I'm perfectly happy sharing my horse with you. Now, come on, let me help you up, and we'll get going."

"Are you doing to tell me where we're heading?"

"Nope, I can't really describe it anyway; you'll just have to see when we get there." He held out a hand, and after a moment's hesitation, she took it and allowed him to pull her up on the horse behind him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pulled herself against his back as he began to lead the horse out of the keep. Once they were out of the fortress's walls, he gave the horse a nudge and they picked up the pace as he directed the horse north toward the shoreline. They rode for about half hour along a winding path until they came to a steep bank.

After sliding off the horse, Aedan turned around to catch her as she dismounted. "The rest of the walk is a bit too steep," he said, grabbing his saddle bags and slinging them over his shoulder. "So, we're on foot from here on out." The elf took his hand and let him lead her up the embankment to a small clearing that seemed to be cut out of the side of the steep cliffs overlooking the sea. Eriana gasped when they stepped out into the clearing; it was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. The gray cliffs surrounded it on three sides with the fourth opening up to a breathtaking view of the Amaranthine Sea. Eriana walked up to the edge, taking in the warm smell of the ocean as the breeze washed over her. Aedan stepped up behind her, simply taking in the scene before them.

"How did you find this place?" Eriana asked, turning to look up at the nobleman.

"I used to come up here as a kid with Nathaniel and his siblings. We spent hours exploring these shores before we discovered this place."

"It's amazing," she said, turning to watch as the waves buffeted against the rocks beneath her.

"I thought you'd like it," he said, setting down his bags and getting out a blanket. "Here," he said once he had spread the blanket out on the ground, "have a seat and enjoy the scenery. And I don't just mean the ocean."

Eriana laughed and sat down beside him, pulling her cloak tightly around her as a particularly cool wind whipped around them. She watched with amusement as the young man began to set out different types of fruits, cheeses, and salted meats. "A picnic lunch in the middle of winter," she said, raising an eyebrow. "I think this may be an excuse to get me to cuddle with you."

Aedan raised his hands in mock surrender, "You got me, commander; this was all a ploy to get close to you. Besides, it's the end of autumn, not quite winter yet. Winter tends to hit a bit later here in the north, and with that warm ocean air, you've got at least two more months before you can expect a proper frost." He pulled out a bottle of wine and set it in front of her. "Besides, I wanted to talk to you away from the Vigil. As long as we were there, there was always a threat of someone interrupting us."

Eriana's breath caught as she suddenly began to feel a bit nervous. Aedan must have caught on to her apprehension because he quickly defended himself. "No, no, it's nothing like that. I just know how things work when you're back there. You want to be in on every decision, so you end up pushing yourself way too hard. You may not realize it, but you put your responsibilities ahead of your own well being. You just need time to heal, and that's what I'm trying to do. I'm not here to push myself on you; I realize you're probably not ready for anything more than a friendship right now. I just wanted you to know that I'm here for you, however you need me."

Eriana sighed and got to her feet and moved to the edge of the cliff. Aedan followed, stepping up behind her and wrapping an arm around her waist. "Do you want to talk about it, about Zevran, I mean?"

Eriana nodded; as much as it hurt, she needed this. Needed to talk to someone who was just a friend, not family, not a fellow Warden, just a friend; she needed Leliana, but in a pinch, Aedan would have to do. Gazing out across the ocean, Eriana leaned into the human's side. "Part of me keeps hoping, you know; hoping that he'll just show up and everything will be okay. I know he left because of the threat the Crows posed; that night we got attacked spooked him more than he would admit to me. And I don't really blame him either; I understand. I just keep waiting, though, for some word from him. He's only been gone for four months; it's just with everything that's happened, it feels like more. I keep expecting him to write or something, to send some kind of word." She glanced up at him, "And I think the fact that he hasn't made contact of any type is what hurts most of all."

Aedan tightened his hold on her, pulling her against him. "I can't help but think he's a fool to leave you alone like this." Eriana shook her head. "No, I mean it; how could any man leave someone like you behind? Eriana, I swear, if I ever had the honor of winning the affections of a woman like you, I would never ever let her go. You say you understand why he left, but I don't see it. It seems to me that he could protect you better at your side."

Eriana leaned back against him, resting her head on his chest. "But he doesn't think like that, Aedan. He thinks like an assassin, and he understands the way they operate better than you or I. I trust his judgment in this, but that doesn't make it hurt less. I just wish he had talked to me about it."

"So you're mad at him?"

"Yes and no. I can understand why he did it, but that didn't make it easier, not with everything that happened. I just can't help but think things would have been different if he had been here for me."

Aedan wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close so that she was in front of him. "You know you don't have to be alone in this if you don't want to be. There are people here for you." He looked down at her, his green eyes locking on to her blue ones. "I can be here for you, all you have to do is say the word."

"I know you would Aedan; I just don't know if I'm ready. It's only been four months, you know."

"Eriana, I know you're not ready for that, and I do understand. I just wanted you to know that I will be here in whatever capacity you need me. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I'll be here. If you need an ear to listen, you have mine. And if and when you are ready for more, all you need to do is ask." Eriana looked up at him, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "Ah, come on, you know we'd be great together." He stroked the hair back off her face. "But I'm not going to push you to do something you're not ready for."

Eriana looked up at him, taking in his passionate, handsome features. He was definitely a change from what she was used to, and it definitely felt different to be in his arms. But she simply wasn't ready to take things to a different level. She simply wasn't ready to let someone else in, and maybe she never would be. After all, she had tried to open up to Anders, grated she was under the influence of pregnancy hormones, and look where that had landed her. This man, though, he was different, less of a risk. Sighing she leaned her head back against his chest. "Thank you Aedan, and for right now, I really need a friend. I just need some time."

The nobleman dipped his head and rested his lips on her hairline running a hand down her back. "Then that's what I'll be." He tilted her head up and looked down at her. "Just as long as you remember me when you are ready to move on because I have a feeling we'd be amazing together."

Eriana's heart fluttered, and for a moment, she was completely captivated by his gaze. And in that moment of weakness, she felt as if she was about to give in when a sudden familiar sensation washed over her. Immediately she stiffened in his arms, and Aedan seemed to recognize the reaction instantly. "Darkspawn," he said, dropping his arms and reaching for his sword.

Eriana shook her head, a combination of nausea and fury surging through her. Grabbing his arm and whistling for Ramoth, Eriana hissed, "Follow me."

Together they made their way through the woods, allowing the pull of the taint to guide her. Silently, she hoped that her gut instinct was wrong, but her instincts were almost never wrong. Aedan kept shooting her nervous glances, but remained thankfully silent, his hand never leaving the hilt of his sword. They had almost made it back to the horse when a man stepped out of the woods, a man Eriana never thought she would see again. Anders.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she hissed the moment she saw him. She realized that she was obviously sending out some angry vibes because Ramoth immediately tensed beside her and started to growl, and Aedan, taking a cue from the dog, moved a step closer, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword.

Anders' eyes glanced from her to the dog to the human before focusing back on her. "I made it half way to Highever before I turned around. I knew the instant I left that I had made a huge mistake, but I was too afraid come back. I was afraid you'd never forgive me, that you'd hand me over to the templars or something, not that I wouldn't deserve it," he added quickly. "I would totally deserve it, after all you did for me, I totally blew it by running out like I did."

"Yeah, you did," Eriana said, sternly, folding her arms across her chest and glaring at him.

"Ana, is everything alright; who is this?" Aedan said, taking a step forward to move between them, never taking his eyes off the mage in front of them.

"This," Eriana spat, "is just one of my Wardens who has been missing for the past two weeks. He ran off without permission after the last darkspawn battle."

Aedan glanced quickly at her, but didn't say anything.

"So are you back to stay or are you just going to disappear again?" Eriana said, turning back to the blonde mage.

"Ana, listen…"

"No," she snapped, her fists clinched at her sides as she shook with rage, "No, you are not allowed to call me that. It's Commander or Ser to you, but you have lost the right to use my name." Beside her, Ramoth gave a low growl, his ears pinned back as he moved closer to the mage. Anders jerked back as if he had been smacked, but Eriana didn't care that she had hurt his feelings. Maker knows he had hurt her enough.

"Yes, Commander, I'm back to stay, but if you could just listen…"

"How did you find me?"

Anders sighed, "I felt you…well, I didn't know it was you. I had hoped it would be you so I could have a chance to explain." Eriana's eyes narrowed as she glared at him. "I was on my way back and I felt the pull of your taint, so I followed it to here."

"Whatever, look, I don't have time for this now. I'll talk to you when I get back to the keep. That is, of course, assuming you are there when I get back," Eriana said with a sneer.

Anders sighed, "The thing is, I'm not exactly sure how to get back to the keep from here. I got a bit off track when I was following you, and well, I kind of got lost."

Eriana rolled her eyes. "Ramoth," she said, looking down at the dog beside her. "Escort Anders back to the keep, would you." The dog cocked his head and looked up at her with a whine. "I'll be fine, and I'll be back tonight, I promise." The mabri huffed and ambled over to the mage's side.

"Who's this?" the mage said, looking down at the dog.

"That's Ramoth, my mabari war hound. He's been staying with the Couslands in Highever for the past few months."

Anders glanced at the man who was still standing beside her, his hand still clutching the hilt of his sword, "So I assume this is.."

"Aedan Cousland," the nobleman responded, stepping in front of the elven Warden, effectively separating the two Wardens. Eriana had to stifle a giggle when Anders took a nervous step back from the angry nobleman.

Putting a gentle hand on his arm, Eriana pulled Aedan back so that he was standing at her side. "As I said, Anders, I am busy at the moment," she said, looking up at the nobleman and giving him a slight smile, purposefully leaving her hand on his arm. "So I'll deal with you when I have the time. Just find Nathaniel and I'm sure he'll be able to take care of you." With that, she grabbed Adean and led him back toward the clearing, leaving Anders behind with the dog. Aedan didn't say anything until they were back in the clearing, a fact for which Eriana was extremely grateful. He waited until he was ready to talk.

"He was my healer, and I'm sure he felt guilty for not catching my pregnancy so he ran off," she said, starting out over the ocean.

"But there was more to it than that?"

Eriana nodded, but didn't say anything more, so Adean dropped it. "Ugh," she moaned turning to look up at the human, "well, now that the mood has been completely ruined, do you want to head back."

Aedan shook his head. "Not until you've eaten something," he said, pulling her down on the blanket next to him. "I brought all this food out here, and we're not leaving till you've had at least some of it."

Eriana laughed lightly, "You know, you're starting to sound like Nathaniel." Aedan blushed slightly and busied himself with their lunch. "Oh, let me guess, Nathaniel made you promise to make sure I eat."

Aedan nodded, "It was the only way he agreed to let me take you out for lunch. In fact, it was one of the many rules that came along with you. Let's see, rule one is 'Don't mention Zevran' and rule two is 'Make sure she eats a full lunch.' Now since I've already broken the first rule, I better make sure I follow the second one to a tee, or I won't be allowed to take you out again."

"There are rules that accompany me."

"Oh, yeah." He put a finger to his lips as if he was thinking. "Let me think, Oghren's rules, well, they weren't really rules, just a list of punishments that he would inflict on me if I hurt you in any way. Before I left, my brother reminded me that you are a person not to be fawned over, and that I was to treat you like a lady, not the Empress of Orlais." Eriana giggled. "Petra had a list of physical dos and don'ts, and Nathaniel and Soris seemed quite concerned with what you were eating. Well, Soris would have been if he had been paying attention to you instead of fawning all over my housekeeper."

"You've noticed that, then?"

"Yeah, he seems quite taken with her, and she seems to return the sentiment. Who knows, I may have to hire him off you."

"Soris isn't one of my employees," Eriana said, taking a bite of a large red apple. "He's my cousin. He joined me from Denerim after he got word that Zevran left me."

"Your cousin? But you two look nothing alike."

"I take after my mother; she was a blonde too. And don't mention it to anyone. I've not told a lot of people that he's my cousin, and I think it would be better if it stays quiet."

"Why's that?"

"I have a lot of enemies, Aedan. There are a lot of people who aren't happy that Alistair pretty much made me an arlessa. It's safer for my family if most people don't know about them."

"So he's not your only family?"

Eriana shook her head. "My father lives with Soris's sister, Shianni."

"The new bann of the alienage?" Eriana nodded. "Well, how do you keep that a secret; doesn't she have the same last name as you?"

"No, not anymore at least. She got married while I was fighting the blight, so the Landsmeet knows her by her married name. Most humans don't care to look too closely to the relationships between elves in the alienage or take time to learn most elves' last names, so they just assume my father is hers, a misassumption that I don't care to correct. We simply don't tell people Shianni and I are related. It's safer that way."

"Doesn't it limit the time you get to spend with them?"

"Yes, but it's worth it if it keeps them safe. Could you imagine what Loghain or Howe would have done if they had known they could have hurt me through my family. Howe already had Soris locked away in his dungeons; he wouldn't have had to kidnap Anora to get to me. No, it's safer for people like me to have as few connections as possible." Eriana looked up to see a sad look on Adean's face. "What?"

"I never really though just how hard this has been on you. When people look at you, they see the Hero of Ferelden; you're larger than life in that way. It's easy to overlook the fact that you weren't always a national hero sometimes, that you had a life before this one. You always seemed so at ease with everything."

"What can I say, I'm a good actor I guess. Nothing about this has been easy for me, not since joining the Grey Wardens." She pulled her cloak around herself, moving closer to Aedan in the process. "You know, I would have gladly passed this burden off to someone else, anyone else, but there was no one, only me and Alistair. He had to become King, so leading the Wardens fell to me."

"And that was a good thing. I mean, look at all you've accomplished."

"Who's to say someone better equipped wouldn't have done better? I mean, look at me. I have no military training, no training as a noble, I'm a woman, and to top it off, I'm an elf. I can't help but think I was just lucky during the blight. We would have been better off if Duncan had recruited someone like…well, someone like you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you, you have all the tools that would make a perfect hero. You're trained to lead armies and to run arlings. You know how to deal with the nobility; your very presence demands respect. You're the kind of man people would follow without reservation. You even look the part of a hero, tall, strong, handsome…"

"Oh, so you think I'm handsome, then?" he said, grinning down at the elf.

Eriana rolled her eyes, "You know you're handsome." She sighed, "I'm just saying, you would have made sense in this role. I don't, and everyone sees that."

"I don't see it," he said, looking down at her. "The way I see it, you are exactly what this country needs. We didn't need another stuffy human nobleman to save us. We needed you. You have proven to a lot of people that you don't have to have a penis or be a human to save the world, and that's something we needed to be taught."

Eriana laughed and leaned back against him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace, letting her back rest against his chest. "There's an old saying, 'Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.' Well, you probably feel that the later is true with you, that you've had all this trust upon you." Eriana nodded. "See, I tend to think it's the second. What you did, what you've achieved isn't the result of fate or destiny; it was something you achieved because of the amazing person that you are." He tightened his hold on her, pulling her close. "And I can't help but think you wouldn't feel this way about yourself if Zevran was still here."

"What does Zev have to do with this?"

"I think his leaving has rattled your confidence somewhat. I don't think you'd have this many doubts about yourself if that hadn't happened. You were so sure of yourself when I met you in Highever, but in a good way, of course. I mean, I remember how you put me in my place when we went hunting."

"You were being a bit of a prat," she said, grinning up at him.

"I deserved it completely, too, but I don't think you'd do that now. I think you'd be too nervous about offending me or something like that. You know you can do this without him. I knew Duncan; he wouldn't have recruited you if he didn't have confidence in your abilities."

"I doubt Duncan could foresee me having to do something like this."

"Not this particular situation, no, but the person who knows you best put you in this position, did he not?" Eriana nodded. "Well, he wouldn't have done it if he didn't think you were capable. Have some faith in yourself, Ana. I know politics, and I know you have what it takes. I've seen it in you; just follow you gut, and you'll do fantastically."

"You think so?"

"I know so," he said, kissing her lightly on the top of the head. "My brother and I have complete confidence in you, and so do a lot of other people."

"Thank you, Aedan. I'm so glad you decided to come and help me get my keep and my life back in order."

He chuckled and rested his chin on the top of her head as they both looked out over the Amaranthine Sea.

-0-

Nathaniel was strolling along keep walls when Ramoth came plodding up the path without Eriana. The rogue practically growled when he realized who the dog was walking with. Running through the stairway, Nathaniel managed to make it to the gate just as the mage walked through it. "I never thought I'd see you again," he growled down at the mage. "I assume since you have her dog that she's seen you." Anders nodded. "Well, that's just fantastic. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I couldn't stay away. I felt awful."

"Awful…you felt awful…bloody hell, come with me," he said, grabbing the mage and dragging him through the keep. Once they reached Eriana's office, Nathaniel all but threw the mage inside, slamming the door behind him.

"You know, locking me in isn't exactly the best idea; I tend to get a bit claustrophobic…"

"Shut up," Nathaniel sneered. "Do you have any idea the hurt you've caused Ana? Any idea?"

"I was upset, and I was afraid she'd blame me for everything that happened."

"Oh, poor you. Well, I'm going to let you in on something, mage, not everything is about you, got it? There are other people in the world besides you, people who are counting on you, people who depend on you, hell, people who may have even loved you. Have you ever considered that?"

Anders took a deep breath, hanging his head in shame. Nathaniel, though was nowhere near finished. "Did you even consider Ana, Anders? I mean, really consider what she needed instead of what you felt. I doubt it because if you had thought about her for one second, you wouldn't have taken off the way you did. Seriously, think about what you did to her. She was just coming off of a serious relationship that ended without warning; she woke up to find the man she loved had abandoned her in the middle of the night. Then against her better judgment she starts to allow herself to develop feelings for you, and you do the exact same thing to her. You abandon her at the time she needed you most."

"I'm sorry…"

"Do you know that your name was the first word out of her mouth when she woke up? How do you think that made her feel, Anders, to wake up from one on the most traumatic experiences of her life to find that once again the man she had started to care for had abandoned her? Can you even begin to comprehend the effect that will have on her? I doubt she'll ever trust anyone again. Why would she? Every man she's been with has treated her like shit."

"I'm sorry, okay, I'm sorry. I don't know how many other ways I can say it, but I am. I knew it was wrong, that I was hurting her, but I couldn't help myself. That's what I do, when things get tough, I run." The mage hung his head, "But she's okay now; I mean she seemed okay when I talked to her."

"That was after three days of complete silence and a week and a half of bed rest, all of which might have been avoided if you had simply been here," Nathaniel shouted, glaring across the room at him. "Now, I don't know why she sent you back; if it was me, I would have sent you right back along the way you came."

"Do you think she will ever forgive me?"

"Maybe," Nathaniel sighed. "Most likely, you know how she is about forgiving people, but that won't change the fact that you've hurt her, probably beyond repair."

"I know, but if she'll let me prove myself, and she forgives me, I plan to spend the rest of my life making it up to her."

"We'll see about that," a soft, feminine voice said from the door way. Nathaniel blinked in surprise. It wasn't often he was surprised by someone's sudden presence; he was just yelling at Anders too much to hear Eriana approach. "But for now, we'll just start with putting you back in regular Warden duties."

"Eria…Commander, please, just hear me out."

"Anders, I've had a moderately good day today, and I don't plan on doing any further Warden business today. So whatever you have to tell me, it can wait until tomorrow," she said, turning on a heel to leave the room. "Oh, and Nathaniel, inform Miranda that we will need quarters prepared for another Warden as his rooms are no longer available." She glanced over at Anders and said pointedly, "I gave them to Aedan." Nathaniel looked up to see the nobleman standing in the doorway, waiting for Eriana. The glare his childhood friend was giving the mage was not lost on the rogue, who had to stifle a laugh to keep from breaking the somber mood. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have plans for the evening. I will see you all in the morning."

Nathaniel watched as Eriana shut the door behind her, never giving the mage a second glance. Beside him, Anders' shoulders slumped in complete defeat.

"Let's find you some place to sleep for the night; just be prepared, there probably aren't many here who will be thrilled to see you right now." Anders nodded and followed the rogue out of the office.

-0-

Alright, a little lull in the action never hurt. But despite the fact that the darkspawn threat has passed, Eriana's troubles are still far from over. I plan on wrapping up things at the Keep in the next chapter before heading back to Denerim, so stay tuned.

I hope you all enjoyed this one. It may be a while before I get a new chapter up; I'm going to be without a computer in a week, and I don't know if I'll be able to get up another chapter before I leave. So hand with me!

Thanks for reading, and I love reviews. Please let me know if you like where this is going, especially now that I'm venturing into original waters.