Disclaimer: I forgot to put a disclaimer at the beginning of the last chapter so I had to sell advertising space to pay for my legal fees.

This chapter is brought to you by Arby's.

Arby's: It's almost better than starving to death.

Pyrrha was awakened by a knocking on her door. She opened it to Rithala, who was carrying a tray of food. To her pleasant surprise, Rithala didn't look like she was going to drop it this time.

"Hello, my lady. I was told that you would be leaving for the Hinterlands today. I thought you might like something to eat before you leave."

Pyrrha smiled and invited her inside, but the elf merely shook her head. She again looked embarrassed, like she just wanted to disappear. "I'm sorry, but I have much work to do. I wish you much luck in your endeavors." She scurried out of the door before Pyrrha could say anything, and again she was gone. Disappointed, she ate her breakfast quickly, set her armor, and left for the Haven's gates. She found Cassandra on the training ground just outside the makeshift walls, where she usually was. Pyrrha sometimes wondered if she slept there.

"There you are, I was hoping we'd be able to leave without you." Cassandra said dryly.

Pyrrha looked at her, confused and somewhat offended, until she realized Cassandra wasn't looking at her. She turned around and jumped, not noticing the dwarf behind her.

"It's a day and half to the Hinterlands, Seeker. If I don't come, who's going to keep everyone entertained?"

"Literally anything else."

"Well, someone isn't a morning person."

"Let's make a deal. I'll become a morning person if you become a quiet person."

Solas had joined them during this exchange, and chuckled quietly to himself. "If this is what we can expect for the entire trip, at least we won't be bored."

Pyrrha smiled, both at the quipping, and the fact that they could finally get going. Despite having spent several weeks here, the cold was not agreeing with her. She was hoping that the Hinterlands were at least warmer, even if the reports showed it to be a complete warzone. Shouldering her share of the supplies, she began following Cassandra, who had already begun moving.

Sixteen hours later, they were bedding down for the night. Nothing of real interest happened, except for a small group of bandits that had attempted to rob them. Cassandra was able to talk them out of it (if looking at them with her trademark scowl and reaching for her sword counted as talking). Varric just laughed as they ran.

At the camp, Solas estimated that they could reach the refugee camp by noon tomorrow if they left in the morning. Pyrrha had wanted to keep marching, but Cassandra talked her out of it. There would be no time to rest when they arrived, and they'd be little use exhausted and starving.

"Besides," she said, "not all of us have your youthful energy. Poor Varric looks like he's going to keel over."

"Not everyone is permanently sustained by the 'Eternal Light of the Maker'. If you're so virile, Seeker, than why don't you take first watch?" Varric's mocking tone incited challenge in the Cassandra.

"Gladly."

Pyrrha took the last watch, reasoning that she would need the least amount of sleep. About a half an hour after sunrise, she awoke the rest of her team, and they continued onward. Around noon as Solas said, they arrived at their destination, making excellent time. The scout camp was busy with many coming and going, and the amount of people in the field hospital was less than encouraging.

Someone finally noticed their arrival, and soon they were approached by a dwarf with a captain's insignia on her armor.

"The Herald of Andraste," she said with mild awe, "we've all heard about what you did in the breach. Lead Scout Harding at your service."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. What's the situation out here?" Pyrrha asked.

"We came out here to secure horses from Horsemaster Dennet's herds. I grew up here, and I assure you, his horses are the strongest and fastest on this side of the Frostbacks. We were cut off by fighting from the mages and templars and we've been unable to break through. We had to pull back, and we've been fighting to protect the crossroads ever since. Even if we could keep them safe, which we can't do forever, the refugees are trapped there. Illness and starvation are as much a threat…"

They heard it before they saw it. The battle cries, the sounds of metal clashing, arrows whizzing by… the screams all filling their ears at once. Rushing down the hill towards the noise, Pyrrha finally saw what she had feared for the past two days… and all-out war. The two sides tore into each other with no regard for life, their own or anyone else's.

They didn't specifically target the scrambling refugees, but the collateral damage was high, caught between the two armies, anyone who was not hiding inside one of the old, dilapidated buildings had nowhere to go, with many being hit by errant spells or arrows, or being trampled by the hulking knights on the Templar side. Flames were burning throughout the town.

This was all too much for Pyrrha, who was receiving painful reminders of villages and cities being attacked by Grimm. She thought of how the panic would only attract more Grimm, the people's own fear speeding their demise. Her feelings knotted up in the pit of her stomach and she felt like she could run through a brick wall and not slow down at all.

So she did.

Charging into a burning home, she quickly hoisted a wounded man onto her shoulders, while taking his young daughter into her arms. Coming back through the hole she made, she quickly moved them to relative safety, behind the Inquisition troops that were entering the fray. She needed to get these people out of the way, or else winning this battle would save no one.

She weaved her way up, down, and around the field of battle, using her superior agility to dodge swords, arrows, and magical blasts from the warring factions. Reaching an overturned cart, she recovered a villager hiding underneath it. Hearing a yell behind her, Pyrrha ducked her head just in time to duck an axe-wielder aiming to cave her head in. His over-swing caused him to fall to the ground in a manner that would have been comical under different circumstances.

She kicked the axe out his hand and said, "These people are not your enemies; they are just villagers. Stop this madness". The downed soldier responded by turning and punching at her head. This didn't work, however, as the man was still on the ground. His fist collided with her shield, breaking several of the bones in his hands. Satisfied that he at least wouldn't be a threat anymore, Pyrrha moved on to keep protecting the villagers.

Meanwhile, Cassandra, Solas, and Varric had managed to help the rest of the inquisition soldiers turn the tide of the battle. The battle was beginning to wind down, and most of the templars and mages were retreating. The templars had taken heavier losses, and one of the mages saw a chance to wipe them out completely. Pyrrha was the only one who saw him, but she wasn't close enough to stop him.

Somebody else was. The soldier who had broken his hand earlier made one last move, jamming his axe into the mage's stomach before he himself was impaled by a bolt from a now aware Varric. This didn't stop the blast from going off, however, and the blast went in the general direction of soldiers it had been intended to hit.

The next thirty seconds were perhaps the slowest in Pyrrha's life.

It started with a sick feeling in her gut. The stench of death on the battlefield filled her nostrils like a dense fog.

She looked at the path of the ball of energy, with her stomach tightening and her insides unraveling at the same time.

On the receiving end of the blast was a small group of frightened children hiding behind a crumbling hut. They hadn't seen it. There was no way they'd be able to move in time.

There was, however, someone who could, albeit with a little… encouragement.

A wounded soldier was lying on the field, his heavy armor having been punctured by numerous magical blasts.

Pyrrha reached beyond herself, and wrapped her energy around the metal armor. She pushed with all of her might, sending it flying, and taking the soldier with it.

The blast was intercepted at the last moment, just before it would have hit the building.

It wasn't enough.

The blast sent the soldier into the hut anyway, causing the already unstable structure to fall.

There was a cloud of dust.

There were screams.

Pyrrha and several other Inquisition soldiers rushed towards the blast zone, clearing rubble as fast as they could. They finally reached the bottom, and their fear was realized. The children were dead, crushed.

She was expecting the guilt to hit her, the regret. She waited for the tears to come. She had failed again. Suddenly she felt hopeless. She had spent her entire life training to be the best, and she failed whenever it mattered most. The tears had arrived. She fell to her knees and let them come.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and after about a minute, she turned to the concerned face of Varric.

"You okay kid?"

"Did you see what I did?"

"You did your best." Cassandra interjected. "I sympathize with how your feeling, but you are not the failure here. I don't know exactly what that was, but it was a better attempt than anyone could have made. You saved many. Focus on that. We still have too much work left for you to mourn them now."

She stood, and taking a towel offered to her by Varric, and wiped the combination of sweat, blood (not hers), and tears from her face. She tried to calm herself down, and after finding marginal success, she turned to helping the scouts put out fires, rescue the villagers, and burying the dead.

After several hours, some semblance of calm settled over the village, and the group was finally able to find Mother Giselle. She was tending the child that Pyrrha had saved, who seemed to have a broken ankle. After apply the cast and saying a prayer over her and her father, who had a few bruised ribs, she turned toward Pyrrha.

"So you are the one they call the Herald of Andraste. You have my gratitude for saving these people."

"I just wish we'd arrived sooner."

"If you focus only on those you couldn't save, then you will lose sight of those that can still be saved. If your aim truly is to close the breach, then there are still plenty of people left who will need saving."

"Is that why you called me here?"

"Partially. I know of the Chantry's denouncement. I won't lie to you; some are just grandstanding and hoping to increase their chances of becoming the next Divine. Some of them are truly terrified; so many good people were senselessly taken from us. While this is no excuse for their divisive actions, in their eyes, they do not yet have a reason to trust you."

"So what do you suggest I do?"

"Go to them. Show them that you are no monster to be feared. Show them what you have shown these people today. Show them that you are here to protect the innocent."

She took a moment to contemplate this. Leliana made it sound like the Chantry wanted her head. She also made it sound like their support would be needed to seal the breach. She knew that the Inquisition would need as many allies as possible, and the Chantry was the best choice to earn the trust of the people of Thedas. There was just one thing still bothering her.

"Why do you trust me, then? Surely you've heard nothing more than the rest of the clerics have."

"I do not know if you have the power to close the breach. I don't even know if that is you true intention. What I do know it that you are the only one who has even made an attempt. And what I have seen is the way you wept over the death of the innocents. You could turn this Inquisition into a force that could save us, or destroy us. It would not be called hope if I was already sure."

"Thank you, Mother Giselle. I will take your words to heart. Once these villagers are safe, will you perhaps join us at Haven? There are some who could use your words even more than I."

"Yes, I will make that journey soon. May Andraste guide the rest of your journey."

The inquisition had sent reinforcements from Haven, and they were now setting up a perimeter defense and also helping rebuild shelters from the refugees. She relayed Mother Giselle's message back to her compatriots. Cassandra and Solas agreed with the idea. Varric clearly was not very fond of Val Royeaux, and voiced a somewhat peeved indifference.

While they were talking, a messenger arrived for Pyrrha.

"Master Harritt sends his regards. He also said that he'd have my head if I didn't get this to you as soon as possible." He handed her a package, and quickly departed. Opening the box, Pyrrha found a very familiar and very welcome sight. She picked up her new weapon, Milό 2.0, and was filled with a confidence she didn't have before.

"Alright!" she said suddenly, causing Cassandra, Varric, Solas, and half the camp to look up at her in surprise. "We will go to Val Royeaux, We will convince the Chantry to help us, and we will find a way to close the breach. But tomorrow, we will find master Dennet, we will protect these people, and we will end the battle in the Hinterlands."

Cheers erupted throughout the camp, and for the first time since arriving in this world, Pyrrha had a goal, a plan, and people to protect. She had a cause to believe in, and she was ready for whatever fight was coming next.

A/N: I'M NOT DEAD! I know this chapter took forever, and to be honest, none of my content will be coming out at the same rate as the previous chapters anymore. A lot is going on in my life now. I somehow ended up getting a job in the pace I was originally writing this, which also means I needed to find a new place to type, my schedule is starting to fill up a bit, and it has impeded my momentum in the same way a brick wall impeded the momentum of a car. However, this remains the least frustrating part in my life so you can trust me to keep coming back to it.

A/N2: Shout out to everyone who still believes in me, so basically everyone except my parents. That was a joke. Probably.