"Okay, Ana, you have to promise not to peek," Nathaniel said, leaning down to whisper into her ear. "Promise?"

Eriana nodded, "I promise, Nate, but you gotta give me some idea what's going on here."

Nathaniel pulled his hands away from her eyes. "I told you yesterday, I had a surprise shipped over for you from Orlais; it just didn't come in until the weather settled down last week." He nodded toward one of the stable hands. "Now, you have to promise to keep an open mind about this and not freak out."

"Why am I suddenly worried?" she said with a slight nervous edge to her voice.

"I have no idea. You know you can trust me with your life, right?" Eriana nodded. "So, trust me with this." He put his hands gently on her shoulders. "Now, open your eyes."

Eriana's eyes widened in surprise as a sleek, jet black horse was led across the courtyard toward them. "A horse? You bought me a horse, but you know…"

"I know, but this one is different, alright. She's small, built for speed and agility. It's the kind of horses messengers in the Free Marches often use. They're small, so you don't have to worry about falling off of it and injuring yourself."

She raised an eyebrow at him, "If that's the case, then why did you bring Anders out here?"

Nathaniel laughed, "Because I knew that there was no way I would get you on a horse by yourself without having him close by. If you start to fall, he can put you both in stasis, and I'll be right there to catch you when the spell wears off. He can also heal you if we don't move in time. But that's all a moot point. I don't think you'll fall."

Eriana glanced back toward the edge of the courtyard. "And Oghren?"

"Yeah, well, he was standing there when I asked Anders, and he said there was no way he was missing seeing you get on a horse alone. He insisted on being here to see it."

The blonde elf sighed as she walked toward the horse. Cautiously, she extended her hand toward the horse, gently caressing its soft snout. "She seems gentle enough. Are you sure this is safe?"

"Yes, of course. Would I ever ask you to do anything that I thought would put you into danger?" Eriana shook her head. "See," Nathaniel said, hopping up onto the massive war horse Alistair had given her over a year ago. "Now, I will be beside you the entire time. There's nothing to worry about; you know what you need to do."

Sighing, Eriana moved around the horse and hoisted herself into the saddle. "Well, at least I can mount this one without any assistance," she muttered, situating herself in the seat and taking the rains from the stable hand."

"Plus you don't have as far to fall," Oghren shouted from across the courtyard.

"Thanks, Oghren," Nathaniel muttered, bringing his horse next to hers. "Don't listen to him; you'll be fine. You've been controlling my horse for months now; just apply what you know to this one."

It took her a while to feel comfortable in the saddle, but in a way, riding the horse was strangely gratifying for Eriana. Granted, she was extremely nervous at first, her memory of the horse trampling that poor elven child at the forefront of her memory, but as the morning passed, Eriana slowly started to loosen up and feel at ease on the horse. She was relaxing, allowing herself to trust the horse more as she followed Nathaniel lead around the castle grounds. As the tension melted from her, Eriana began to wonder, if she had managed to overcome this fear, what else could she work through if she really put her mind to it? Somehow, the simple act of riding a horse for a few short hours began to totally changed her outlook on her life.

"Well, I didn't fall," Eriana said, dropping off the horse into Nathaniel's waiting arms.

"I knew you wouldn't."

"There's one thing that concerns me, though," she said, falling into step behind Anders and Oghren, who were having a lively discussion about the values of dwarven ale. "How is that horse going to keep pace with the bigger horses? She simply doesn't seem strong enough to keep up."

"Well, that's because you're so used to seeing those huge horses, but the smaller ones don't have to spend as much energy to cover the same distance. As long as you're not going at an all-out gallop, she should keep pace just fine."

"Makes sense."

"I have to say," Oghren said, turning to look at her over his shoulder, "I'm proud of you, Kiddo; you managed to stay on that horse all by yourself. Aedan Cousland will be so disappointed when he shows up to escort you to the Landsmeet in a few months, expecting to ride with you, only to find you riding your own horse. So was that your whole motivation for teaching her to ride, there Nate, so she wouldn't have to sit on Cousland's lap the entire journey to Denerim?"

Nathaniel laughed, "No, but I'm sure Ana will appreciate that."

"That's for sure," Ana said with a slight chuckle. "I'm pretty sure that was Zev's favorite part of travel. It's probably why he never taught me ride on my own."

Around her, there was a collective intake of breath. It was rare that Eriana ever talked about her missing fiancé, and when she did, she rarely said his name, usually just saying him instead. In all the months they had spent together, never had the three men heard her refer to him in passing, so hearing her joke about him in such a casual way was somewhat shocking. No one said anything to her of course, but they all casually exchanged glances as they walked along side her. Eriana, of course, noticed but chose not to comment. She had already taken the first step in overcoming an obstacle in her life; who's to say she couldn't tackle two in one day.

Well, that was her plan anyway until she reached the keep's entrance and Guardsman Hillary stopped her. Personally, Eriana never saw the purpose of this guardsman's particular job, which was basically to tell her what correspondence had been delivered. Quite frankly, Eriana thought it was a waste of a guard when Garavel could just as easily sort through the mail and inform her of anything important, but apparently it was a hold out from Howe's time because he liked to know instantly any post that had come into the keep. Not wanting to rock the boat, Eriana had let the position remain, regardless of how it annoyed her.

"Commander," Hillary said, nervously stepping up to her. How it was possible that after all this time, this woman was still intimidated by her was beyond Eriana's understanding. "Now that the snows have melted, the post is up and running again. We just got a rather large amount of mail this morning."

"Anything interesting?"

"Well," she said with the beginnings of a grin ghosting her face, "there were a few rather thick letters from Highever."

Eriana's head jerked up, "Did the messenger mention trouble?"

"The letters weren't from the Teryn," Hillary said with a smile. "His letter actually seemed rather thin compared to his brother's."

"Ah," Eriana said with a nod, and behind her, several men started to snicker. She and Adean had been writing back and forth since they had returned after the celebration, but with the heavy snows, she hadn't gotten any letters from him in several weeks. "Anything else?"

"Well, there were a few letters from Orlais and Starkhaven and a couple from the south, but nothing big other than that. We did get one letter from Antiva which was a bit odd, but…"

"Wait, Antiva? Did you say I got a letter from Antiva?" Eriana demanded, her voice becoming suddenly harsh. Hillary instantly began to stutter in response, but Eriana didn't wait for a full response. Her heart was pounding as she made her way up to her office, not quite believing what her heart was hoping to be true. Was it possible that after all this time, nearly nine months of silence, she was finally going to hear from him? Shuffling through the pile of envelopes on her desk, the young elf finally came to the letter with the seal of Antiva stamped clearly on the front. Taking a deep breath, Eriana tore into letter, her eyes dancing across the page.

"Well," Nathaniel said, coming in behind her.

With a sigh, Eriana handed the letter to him. "The Warden Commander of Antiva is letting us know that they have a sudden influx of Crows that have defected and joined their ranks, and he wants to know if we could use a few rogues," she said, her voice completely cold and emotionless.

"Ana…"

"I'm fine," she interrupted, shaking her head. "We could use a few seasoned Wardens; maybe we could request a few with a bit more experience."

"No new Crows though."

"That goes without saying," she muttered, unable to bring her eyes up to meet the concerned looks of the three men who had followed her. "Would you mind, Nathaniel? I need…I just need to be alone."

"I'll take care of it," he replied, putting a hand on her shoulder. Shaking her head, she shrugged off his touch and disappeared out of the office.

"Poor kid," Oghren said. "I had really hoped…and with her doing so well."

"I know," Nathaniel said. "I'll take care of it."

An hour or so passed before Nathaniel went to find her. He knew that she wouldn't do anything foolish, but, at the same time, it was clear that she didn't need to be alone right now. Grabbing a spare cloak, he went out to the one place that he knew he would find her, the northern battlements, those closest to the Amaranthine Sea. Sure enough, she was there, her legs pulled up to her chest as she looked out toward the distant coastline. Saying nothing, Nathaniel simply draped the cloak across her shoulders and sank to the ground beside her.

"So much for making progress," she said, never taking her eyes off the darkening sky. "I get one stupid letter from Antiva and, like a fool, I assume it's from him. I mean, why would I even start to assume that anymore? I've not heard from him an ages; why would he care after all this time?"

Nathaniel wrapped an arm around her, pulling her cold body against his. "It was a natural assumption; I mean, you don't know that many people in Antiva after all."

"But I wrote to Antiva a few months ago to ask about the Crow attacks of me. Ignacio should have been my first guess; after all, I'm expecting a letter from him. But no, I let myself get excited; I get my hopes up only to have them crushed once more." She turned to look at him; her blue eyes shimmering with tears. "Why do I keep letting him hurt me?"

"Because you still care, in spite of everything, you care."

"I don't want to care anymore. I wish I was numb, then this wouldn't affect me so much." Eriana rested her head on Nathaniel's chest. "Maybe it would have been better if I had taken the blow instead of Loghain."

Nathaniel started, "You can't mean that."

"Sometimes I do. Sometimes I think it would be easier on everyone if I hadn't walked away from that final battle. The Wardens could have appointed someone who truly deserved this position, someone trained at the very least, and Ferelden wouldn't have to deal with having this weak, broken elf as their hero."

"Stop it," Nathaniel said sternly. "Just stop it right now. That's a load of bronto shite and you know it." He turned her and looked down at her sternly. "You are upset right now, and that's perfectly understandable, but don't start this again. You know full well that you're the best thing that has happened to this country."

"I'm not even strong enough to get over one man. I know I should be over him by now, but my heart overrules my mind every single time I try to convince myself of that. How can someone this emotional be a good thing for this country? I supposed to lead men; how can I do that if I can't even master my own heart?"

"Who says you need to?" Nathaniel answered. "Your heart is the most important thing about you. It's what separates you from all the other nobles and leaders in this nation; it's what makes you special and irreplaceable."

"I just miss him," she whispered, finally dissolving into tears as Nathaniel held her, wrapping his cloak around her, shielding her from the cold night air.

But he would soon find out that he couldn't shield her from everything.

-0-

Meanwhile back in Denerim….

The shadows were slowly growing, spreading out to cover the streets of the alienage. This was Blane's favorite time of the day, the time just before nightfall, when it wasn't quite dark enough to dissuade people from venturing out but still dark enough to allow an assassin such as himself to move around unseen. The cool air of the late winter night was slowly seeping into the city, so Blane had to pull the cloak tightly around himself to block out the cold. He was very ready for this particular job to be finished. After all, he had spent nearly every day and evening for the last several weeks quietly observing this particular mark. He could have killed the man weeks ago, but his master had made it very clear that he had to wait until the end of winter when the roads to the north were passable so that the next of kin could be informed relatively quickly. Apparently, this was an important detail, that along with the other various specifications that came with this particular assignment. The old man needed to be killed in a public area where he would be found quickly, the murder needed to look like a mugging, and there was a letter to leave on the body. On top of that, he was asked to kill three to four random elves so that the old man's murder could be easily dismissed. All told, it was one of the most demanding assassinations he had ever been assigned, and for the life of him, Blane couldn't figure out why someone was going through all this trouble for a seemingly harmless old man.

In the month Blane had observed his comings and goings, he had yet to figure out how exactly this man had come to the attention of someone with wealth enough to hire the Crows to kill him. He seemed to be a man of little real significance, even within the alienage. Occasionally, someone would stop by and drop off clothing to be mended or altered, but it wasn't enough business to anger a rival tailor. He considered the possibility that the hit had something to do with the young red-headed woman he lived with. After all, she was the newly appointed Bann of the Alienage, but, given his odd instructions about news needing to make it north quickly, it was clear that neither she nor her husband were this man's next of kin.

It was impossible to figure out, but his job wasn't to determine motive. It was to kill, plain and simple, and today, it was finally time to do just that. He watched silently as the young elf he paid off made his way to the old man's residence. The elderly elf opened the door and took the letter Blane had written, opening it quickly to read. He instantly disappeared inside only to reappear moments later, pulling a cloak around his shoulders as he started toward the alienage gates.

It was time.

Silently, the assassin disappeared into the shadows behind the old man. For his sake, Blane would try to make it as clean a hit as possible; it would be a shame if such a sweet old man had to suffer too much.

-0-

Anders let out a quiet sigh as he looked over at his elven commander. She had been doing so well through the long cold months of winter, but with her, progress always seemed to move two steps back for every three she took forward. For some reason, just as things started to look good and she would allow herself to begin to heal, something would happen that would force her back into herself. That stupid letter from Antiva. It was amazing how something so simple could be so destructive. She had been in a complete funk since she had gotten that letter two days ago. He hoped that the messenger from the capital would cheer her (somehow, hearing from Alistair always cheered her).

"Commander," the messenger said as soon as the elven woman entered the room, "the King sends his regrets. He wishes he could have given you this in person, but he was unable to leave the Capital and didn't want you to have to wait until the Landsmeet." The royal messenger waved over a servant who was carrying a long, slender package. With a smile, the servant unrolled the package to reveal an intricately carved bow. Eriana's face immediately lit up, and behind him, Nathaniel gave an appreciative whistle.

"Maker's breath, is this for me?" she asked, looking up at the messenger.

He nodded, "The King had it commissioned for you after the celebration when your bow was destroyed. He had a Dalish craftsmen use your broken bow as well the measurements from when he had your Warden Commander Armor made. It should be perfectly balanced for your height, reach, and grip. Try it out."

Eriana's expert eyes traced over the delicate roses that were carved into the bow, testing its weight before reaching for a string. With the ease of the minstrel stringing his lute, Eriana slipped the string on the bow, plucking it and listening to the low hum that it emanated as it vibrated. "It's amazing," she whispered, holding the bow up and drawing the string back. "Alistair did this?"

"He was very specific about the design. Apparently the bowsmith went through several designs before Alistair approved of this one."

Nathaniel took the bow from her to examine it. "This is a beautiful weapon," he muttered as he turned the bow over in his hands. "The detail in the craftsmanship is amazing. I've never seen anything like it. I mean, look at the thumb rest; he's even carved a rose into it."

"His Majesty also had a new quiver made for you as well to match your armor."

Eriana chuckled as she looked at it. "More roses. It's perfect."

"What's with the roses?" Anders whispered down to Oghren as the two rogues fawned over the new weapon. "Does she have a thing for roses or something?"

Oghren chuckled to himself. "Do you want the long or the short story, sparkle fingers?"

"The short story."

"Back during the Blight, before I joined their merry band of misfits, our good King had a thing for our lovely elven commander. Apparently in an effort to woo her, he gave her a rose he had found in Lothering."

"I'm assuming it didn't work."

"Quite the opposite, really. They were really close for a time; his being the heir to the throne kind of got in the way though. It was really hard on both of them for a while, especially when she and Zevran got together."

Anders glanced back over at the smiling elf as she examined the bow, a twinge of jealousy and regret tearing through him as he considered the relationship between Ana and the King. At the same time, though, he felt sorry for the King. Anders had ruined his chance at having a relationship with Eriana, but Alistair lost her because of something beyond his control. How could someone get over her after something like that?

-0-

Anders took a seat next to Oghren in the common room and helped himself to the wine bottle that was sitting on the table in front of the dwarf. The two men set in silence for a while.

"The King's in love with her, isn't he?" Anders asked, looking over at the dwarf.

Oghren chuckled and poured himself another drink. "You just figuring that out, there sparkle fingers?"

"Well, no. I guess I've known it for a while now. He doesn't exactly do a good job of hiding it, does he? And after that gift…" Oghren shook his head with a chuckle. "I was just wondering, though. If he has so much affection for her, why hasn't he made a move now that Zevran's gone and likely not coming back. I mean it's obvious she cares for him too."

"Alistair knows her well enough to realize she's not ready. You saw her the other day when she heard that she had received some mail from Antiva. You saw how her face lit up."

"Then crashed."

Oghren nodded, "Then crashed when she realized it was from the Antivan Wardens, not from her Antivan Crow. She's not quite over that assassin just yet. It's only been 8 or nine months since he left; I suppose she still holding out hope that he'll return. If Alistair pushed for something now, he could completely ruin their friendship."

"I suppose you're right." Anders took another sip of his drink. "That Cousland boy is in love with her too, you know."

"Yeah, but that's not the same. I've seen the way that boy looks at her, like she's something to eat. That one makes me a bit nervous. He could do some real damage if she's not careful."

Anders was thoughtful for a moment, "So is there anyone else, anyone else who is in love with her?"

"Besides you and Nate, yeah, tons. "

"You think Nate loves her, too?"

"Yeah, but not in the same way you other three do. He's got more of a I'm a protective big brother kind of love going on, while you three have a who's your daddy kind of love." Oghren chucked a bit at himself. "Most people love her, you know. Once you get to know her, get to see who she truly is, you can't help it."

"Even you?"

"Of course even me. What do you think I'm doin here, Sparkle fingers? I wouldn't be here if I didn't love her. Course it's a different kind of love, but it's there."

"You know, that's something I've never understood. You two are close, I get that, but how did that happen exactly? You both seem so different." Anders asked.

"We are," Oghren said with a laugh, "and under most circumstances we would have never gotten along, her being an elf and all. But she changed my life, and in a lot of ways she saved me from myself. Back before I met her I was a despicable lout, a sorry excuse for a dwarf. My entire life, my entire purpose was focused on finding my first wife, Branka, who had disappeared years before into the deeproads. I had fallen so low, I was barely a warrior anymore, a disgrace to myself, my family, and my caste. I was such a lout that they wouldn't even allow me to carry weapons anymore; imagine that, a dwarf warrior who can't carry a sword. I was pathetic, a washed up drunk."

"You were a washed up drunk?" Anders asked, emphasizing the word were.

Oghren chucked, "I'm not washed up anymore, just a drunk. The only difference now is that the alcohol isn't the only think keeping me going. Back in Orzammar it was. Anyway, when I met Eriana, I thought that she would be my last chance of finding Branka and my only way into the deeproads, so I asked to join her. I have no idea why, but she said yes then spent the next three weeks traipsing around the deeproads with my surly self. Trust me, kid, I wasn't always the ball of sunshine you know now, I used to be downright cantankerous."

"Wait, you were more unbearable? How is that even possible?" Anders said with a laugh.

"I know, hard to believe ain't it. Anyway, after three weeks in the deeproads, we found my crazy ex-wife and made our way back into Orzammar. I was sure Ana would want nothing more to do with me, and I had suddenly found myself without a purpose. I wasn't a contributing member of the warrior class anymore, and no one would trust me to put my life back together. I was stuck in Orzammar with nothing to do, so I asked her if I could join her. Do you know what her response was? She asked me if I was willing to sacrifice my caste to join her. She knew that once a dwarf leaves Orzammar and heads to the surface it makes us surface dwarfs, just a step above casteless. She didn't care that I was a washed up nobody; she was worried about what I would have to give up if I wanted to join her."

"That sounds like her, alright."

"Yeah, well it surprised me, you better believe it. But after that, I would follow her anywhere and do anything to help her. She took me, a worthless has-been, and made me into respectable warrior again and helped me find my Felsi on top of all everything. I will always be grateful to her for that. Everything I am now, she taught me to be." Oghren chucked, "It's a funny thing when you think about it, and elf teaching a dwarf how to be a warrior."

"I didn't teach you anything, Oghren," Eriana said, appearing suddenly beside them, causing Anders to jump and spill his drink. "I just gave you a push in the right direction, reminded you who you really were under all that anger and hurt."

"Ancestor 's tits, girl, you know I hate it when you do that," Oghren said with a laugh (Anders noticed he had managed not to spill the drink he was holding). "How long you been standing there?"

Eriana smiled and sat on the table, crossing her legs and resting her elbows on her knees. "Oh, since we returned to Orzammar. I don't think I could listen to you cutting yourself down anymore without jumping in," she added with a grin. "You were always a fine warrior, Oghren; you just got frustrated when things weren't going your way. I was proud to have you by my side from the moment you first joined us, don't doubt it."

Oghren grinned at her and poured her a drink. "So, how on earth did you two get on that subject?" Eriana asked. "I don't think I've heard you talk about Orzammar in a long time."

Anders grinned, seeing this as an opportunity to cheer her up. "We were reminiscing a bit, and I had some questions about the two of you and why you're so close. He was explaining your history." A wicked grin crossed Anders' face. "So, speaking of history, did the two of you ever, what is it that you say Oghren, forge the moaning statue."

Oghren started laughing hysterically while Eriana just rolled her eyes, a rare genuine smile crossing her face. "Oh, no, I like my knees where they are, thank you very much," she said.

"Your knees?"

"Yeah, my knees. I'm pretty sure Felsi would take me out by the knees if I ever tired anything with her Oghren. She may not be warrior caste, but I'm pretty sure she could pummel me if push came to shove."

"Besides, just look at those skinny legs; I'm way too rough for her. I'd beak her in half, the delicate flower that she is. I need a woman with a bit more heft to handle my brand of lovin." Eriana giggled as Anders tried desperately to erase that mental image from his head. "Seriously, woman, I don't know how those twigs of yours don't buckle under your weight."

"Hey! Are you saying I weigh too much because it sounds like you're saying I'm fat," Eriana scolded him with a laugh.

"Not at all, chicken legs; quite the opposite in fact. I remember when I first saw you I thought a stiff fart from a hurlock would knock you over. Imagine my surprise when we met our first group of darkspawn and I find out this little girl is a wild cat disguised as a harmless kitten. You could have knocked me over with a stiff fart after that," Oghren said with a chuckle.

"Well, if it's any consolation, you were right about one thing," Eriana said, a mischievous grin on her face, "back then you could knock me over with a fart, granted it had to be one of yours. I think you could take out the archdemon single handedly with one of those things." Everyone, Oghren included, laughed at that. Anders was relieved to see her smiling and laughing. He honestly couldn't remember ever seeing her quite so relaxed. Maybe the reminder that she was still loved was the thing she needed to help her get over her disappointment.

"Now, Commander, I have to say that is the worst hiding place I've ever seen," Garen said as the materialized out of the shadows. "When you told me to find you, I thought you would make it at least somewhat challenging, yet here you sit, in the middle of the room, talking to your friends."

Eriana grinned, "Sorry, I was hiding in the shadows over there, and I got interested in their conversation."

"Wait, wait, wait," Anders said unsuccessfully trying to suppress his laughter. "Are you all playing hide and seek?"

"No," Eriana said as Garen came over to join them in front of the fire, "it was a stealth exercise."

"You were, weren't you!" Anders shouted. "The great Hero of Ferelden was spending her evening playing hide and seek. Oh this is too rich."

Eriana rolled her eyes, "Stealth exercise, Anders. How else would you practice stealth, huh? You try to remain hidden as you move through shadows while you try to find others."

"Sounds like hide and seek to me," Oghren pointed out. Anders grunted in agreement. "So, if this is a training exercise, then why did you wait so late in the day? Nope, you can't fool me."

Eriana grabbed a handful of grapes and stretched out on the empty couch. "Evening is the best time to do stealth training; it's when the shadows are the best. We have to keep our skills sharp, you know."

"Yeah, Oghren," Garen added, "we aren't all as naturally subtle as you are." He lowered his voice to mimic Oghren's gruff growl, "I'm right here you sodding darkspawn, come and get a taste of ole Oghren, arrrrhhhh." He and Eriana laughed.

"I'm a dwarf; what am I supposed to do, then? We're not exactly made for stealth."

"Sigrun can do it," Garen pointed out.

"Yeah, well someone has to distract them while you two flit around the edges and sparkle fingers shoots em with lightning. What do you expect me to do, sneak up on the sodding things? Ha, fat chance of that."

"True," Eriana said with a grin, "with that clunky armor of yours, you may as well run out into the middle of them while you're banging a pot over your head."

Oghren just shrugged, "Isn't that the battle plan? Don't you always say, 'Oghren, run out there and do your thing' whenever we come up on a group of darkspawn? Well, my thing is yelling loud and hitting things with a big, heavy ax. Can't be sneaky doin that, now can I?"

"True, hence the clunky metal armor, no?" Eriana added with a grin. "See, we work so well together. Oghren and Brenden draw all their attention and take them out several at a time; Garen and Sigrun move along the edges, taking them out from the shadows; Nathaniel and I shoot them with arrows while Niko blasts their archers with spells. When it's all over Petra and Anders patch us all up. It's a perfect system."

"Says the one not in the tin can getting waylaid," Oghren pointed out.

"But be honest, Oghren, I see how excited you get when you're out there," Garen said, "would you honestly have it any other way?"

"Nah, I just like to pick on her about it. She knows me well enough to know there's no where I'd rather be."

"Now honestly," Nathaniel said as he strolled into the room, "have you two completely missed the point of Seek and Stealth? I mean you are supposed to be hiding, not sitting out in the open talking and eating."

At that point, Anders and Oghren both nearly fell into the floor laughing. "You two got Nathaniel to play hide and seek too!" Anders howled through his hysterics.

"It's a training exercise," the three rogues said in unison.

"Sure, sure, commander, tell yourself that all you like, but deep in your heart, you know the truth. You three just love reliving your childhood, so just go ahead and call it what you like. We all know what's really happening."

"Mages," Nathaniel muttered as he lifted Eriana's legs and sat down beside her on the couch, one arm draped across the back of the couch behind her, the other resting on her knees. "So, Ana, what were they talking about that interested you so much?" She raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "Ah, admit it I know you too well; something must have sparked our interest. You're too competitive to have just given up like that. They must have been talking about something really good."

"We were talking about the Commander's love life," Anders added.

"Well, well," Garen said, "I wasn't here for that part of the conversation. So, do you have something you want to tell us?"

"Um, what love life?" Eriana muttered as she grabbed another hand full of grapes. "If I have a love life then that's news to me." Nathaniel started to chuckle beside her. "What?"

"Oh, come on, Eriana," Anders said, giving her a devious wink. "We were all on that trip to Denerim; we saw that Cousland boy making mabari puppy eyes at you all the way there." The other guys all nodded, laughing. "And we all saw the stack of letters that came in for you once the post was running again."

"So because some nobleman was staring at me and writing me letters, all of a sudden I have a sex life?" The four men nodded, and Eriana rolled her eyes. "I swear, sometimes you guys are so juvenile. There is nothing going on with Aedan Cousland; he's a friend. Nate, tell them."

"She's absolutely right; her relationship with Aedan is none of your business."

Eriana nudged him with her foot, "Nathaniel Howe, you know full well there's nothing going on between us." Nathaniel just shrugged. "I swear, there is nothing going on with Aedan Cousland; he may like me, but that's it, the feelings don't go both ways."

"For now," Oghren muttered, ducking as Eriana threw a handful of grapes his way.

"Now, now, commander there's no reason to be so tense," Garen said, squeezing on the couch beside her. "You were never this edgy before. I think this little dry spell you're going through might just be the cause of all your anger. You know, I can help you remedy that. A night with me and I guarantee you'll feel the difference."

Eriana rolled her eyes. "Have you run this past Cybele? I'm not exactly sure she'd be all that comfortable with this kind of arrangement."

Garen playfully raised his eyebrows at her, "Oh, you'd be surprised at what I've been able to convince her to try. She's actually become a bit of a…"

"Stop! Please just stop. I'd like to be able to look Cybele in the eye next time I see her," Eriana said, elbowing her fellow rogue.

"Seriously, though, Commander, you are way too cute to have been alone for so long."

"Eight months isn't that long," Eriana said defensively.

"Nine," Nathaniel muttered. "You've been here for nearly nine months."

Eriana glared at him, "You're not helping. Besides, I'm fine, and I don't need to fall into bed with so random man to make me happy, okay? And I really don't need you guys all up in my love life either. I have to say, it's a bit creepy that you're this interested in it."

"Ah, Eriana, it's all in love," Anders said. "We just want you to be happy, and you've been doing so well here lately."

"Yeah, kiddo, for a while, it's been like you're your old happy self."

"And I am happy," Eriana said, and everyone gave her a questioning look. "Okay, maybe I'm not running through the fields skipping and singing happy, but I'm happier than I've been in a long time. I know I have my down days, but I'm on the mend; it's just…"

"Excuse me Waredns," Garevel said, curtly knocking on the door before stepping into the room, Saul and Gloria stepping in behind him. "But I was wondering if anyone had seen…ah, there you are, Commander. I've been looking for you."

Anders churkled, "Isn't that the point of hide and seek?"

Garevel looked up, slightly confused, "Hide and seek?"

"Never mind them," Eriana said, getting to her feet. "What can I do for you, Garevel?"

The seneschal glanced at the older couple before taking a deep breath that made Anders suddenly feel extremely nervous. He didn't like the look on the former guard's face, and the kindly former innkeeper looked very distraught. "A messenger just arrived and asked to speak with you; he said it was an emergency."

The Wardens all turned toward the door, their jovial spirit suddenly squelched by the appearance of the messenger who was standing behind the seneschal, wearing the royal standard. Eriana quickly crossed the room. "News from the King?"

"No, my Lady," he said, handing her a sealed missive. "This is a letter from your cousin."

"Shianni," Eriana said opening the letter. Anders glanced over at the nervous looking messenger. Why would the royal courier be delivering a personal message from her cousin? He wouldn't be there unless something bad had happened, and judging by the somber look his face, that seemed to be the case.

A pitiful cry drew Anders' attention back to his elven commander. The color was slowly draining from her face and her hands were beginning to shake uncontrollably; she looked as if she were about to faint. Nathaniel was immediately on his feet first, catching her in his arms as her knees began to give out, just before she collapsed to the floor. Somehow, he managed to catch the letter, too as it fluttered out of her hands.

"Ana, baby, talk to me; what is it? What happened?"

Her breath was coming in quick, frantic gasps as she clung to the front of Nathaniel's tunic, muttering the words Ada and no over and over. Closing her eyes and mustering her strength, she turned to the messenger, "When? How?"

"The city guards found your father two days ago. It looks as though he was attacked near the entrance of the alienage. There was nothing that could be done; he was already gone before the healers even got a chance to look at him. I'm so sorry, my Lady. As soon as the King found out, he sent me immediately to inform you."

A sob wracked through her tiny body as she turned her face into Nathaniel's chest, the rouge's strong arms wrapping around her as he cradled her against him. "Do they have any idea who was responsible?" Nathaniel asked.

"The guards aren't sure, but there was a note found on his body, suggesting that the attack was race related. There have been several attacks of this nature over the last few weeks. The King's guards seem to think that whoever was behind the attack on the commander a few months ago may have been responsible for this one as well."

"My father, no please no. Not again, I can't…please no," Eriana whispered between sobs as Nathaniel's arms tightened around her. "I have to go…I can't."

"Shh, Ana, I've got you; we'll leave in the morning," Nathaniel whispered to her as if he was comforting frightened child.

"No," she said, stumbling out of his reach and heading for the door, "I have to go, tonight; if I leave now, I can be in Denerim in…"

Nathaniel caught her before she left the room, "Eriana, it's well after dark; you know how dangerous it is traveling this late at night."

"But my father, Nathaniel, it's my father; I have to…" She melted back into his embrace, soaking his tunic with fresh tears.

Nathaniel stroked her back, "There's nothing you can do tonight." He turned her face up so he could look at her, gently wiping her cheeks with his handkerchief. "Oghren, why don't you take her up to her quarters? I'll take care of everything, okay. We will leave at first light for Denerim." He brushed her hair back off her face, planting a light kiss on her forehead before turning her over to Oghren. As soon as the two friends were out of the room, Nathaniel turned to Anders. "Can you be ready to leave in the morning? I'm going to need a mage to rejuvenate the horses so that we won't have to rest as often. If we push ourselves, we can be in Denerim the morning after tomorrow."

"Of course," Anders said, leaving to pack his bag, his heart breaking for his young commander.

-0-

Sorry, I hated to do this to Ana, but it was necessary for the story progression. I hope you are all still with me; I know it's been a while since my last update. It's been an insanely busy semester. Please let me know what you think; I do value your reviews!