Morrigan watched the elf from across the fire. They had left the doomed village of Lothering, with another few strays picked up, a red haired woman who was humming a nauseating song as she stirred the pot braced above the coals and the Qunari who hadn't endeared himself to any. But her eagle like gaze kept moving back to the elf. She had been intrigued by the elf that didn't seem to be used to her skin, a not quite gangly awkwardness. She herself found it nauseating, but it had caught something in Alistair who had several times moved to protect the woman, girl, in battle. Sure the 'elf' had shown herself to be tough, to be strong, slapping her had taken guts even she would admit, but that didn't equate to battle skills and she had been made, forcibly in some cases, to move behind her out of range. But now, hugging her knees close she seemed even younger than her eyes showed her to be. It had Leiliana who had fashioned the leathers to fit the elf, leggings and gauntlets were simple enough, but it had taken a bit more ingenuity for the 'sister' to find something more suited to the elf's smaller torso. But Ana had sloughed the garb as soon as they had set up camp and wore a child's outfit, loose cotton leggings and a shirt. She was pretty, Morrigan knew, she had a penchant for the shiny, for the aesthetically pleasing. As an elf she was of course lithe, a continuation of her slim pointed ears. Her eyes were like the pale purple of a striking piece of amethyst. There were subtle flashes of beads and ribbon in her pale hair. It had been cut practically short, but the touches of personality made her seem even more ethereal. The vallaslin was always striking no matter on which elven face it was on. Ana's was subtle, twisting seemingly in and out of sight, it was a masterpiece of art, in one instant it seemed a shadow in others as solid as a scar. But for all her beauty and her elf-ness, she had not been able to bluff her way out of interest in her appearance in the Wilds. She was part of no dalish scout group, she was an anomaly that had so far not shown a reason to keep around. She would bear more watching.

Leiliana could see the eyes of the elf dart to the small lute she had managed to bring with her, sentiment this time something she hadn't been able to shelve away in her mind.

"Do the dalish have musicians in their clans?"

The elf jerked up as if she had been caught doing something naughty. Ana coughed,

"We have storytellers and others who craft flutes. I don't really know if you can class them as musicians. Not like human bards anyway."

"Yet you look at the lute the same way I do. Would you like to play?"

Leiliana could see that Ana wanted to shake her head, but there was an eagerness in her face that made her retrieve the instrument, offering it to the elf. Ana took it with unbridled joy and reverence. Leiliana could see the practise and ease in her small hands as she strummed. Quick movements had the strings tuned. The waterfall of sound had Alistair and Finn moving to the fire. Ana didn't notice them. Sudden music filled the clearing, the mabari Finn had christened Wolf (after he wouldn't answer to anything else after Ana's impromptu nickname) moved to lie across Ana's feet, tongue lolling as he listened. Ana closed her eyes, the instrument was different to the guitars at home, but the feelings that rose with the beautiful sounds she coaxed from the strings was the same. Slowly the melodies changed and entwined, becoming suitably haunting and emotional. When the vibrations dulled and it was quiet once more she opened her eyes to see all of her new companions looking at her, even the Qunari though his gaze was still unfathomable.

"Wow, Ana that was amazing."

There was no fighting the blush that flared at Alistair's words. Even Finn seemed moved to speak,

"If Mother had heard that she would have made you stay at the hall year round. It was beautiful."

Leiliana giggled,

"I had not thought that the dalish were capable of such skill Ana. Though perhaps it is just you."

Ana didn't think of answering, the words just fell out.

"The song was inside the wood, I just let it out."

Morrigan's brows lifted; there were the dalish words that she had been expecting ever since she had met the walking contradiction. Ana offered it back to Leiliana before letting her now bereft hands fall to trace the cropped shapes of Wolf's ears.

God I was so embarrassed when I finished that song. I had forgotten those that sat around the fire. It felt like years since I had heard music let alone played something. The lute was slightly foreign, but responded well enough to what I knew of stringed instruments from…home? Wolf mumbled happily as I focussed on playing with his pricked ears, drool slowly forming from his slack chops. I shuffled my bare feet over to stop it from falling on my skin but continued the caress. Then I realised it had been the first time Finn had really spoken about home, and here it was without the fear and anger that I knew was still boiling under his skin. I lifted my head, and looked from between a length of braided hair that fell right into my eyes. He was looking at the fire, but there was a small smile on his face. I fancied that he was thinking about the good times of home. I wasn't ready for a question from Leiliana, though I should have been; I didn't think she had stopped talking since the tavern, bar when I was playing.

"Where is home Ana?"

My reaction was a smooth and suave widening of my eyes and I utterly froze. Am I the Maharial from a dalish clan? I ferociously wanted to consult the elf that sort of was in my head…in my instincts but there was no handy light spiritual voice that floated into my mind. Whatever I came up with it needed to be easily remembered and right now that was the dalish warden origin, without the warden part. But…

"My home? Where is yours sister?"

She was well trained. There was nothing on her face but sweet confusion. Goddamn why was she so pretty. Marjolaine's jab of a boyish haircut be damned.

"I am from Orlais. My home was the cloister in Lothering."

I just looked in her eyes and there I swear was the flicker that now she realised that I knew something was out of place. So she abandoned the line of questioning by looking to her concoction simmering over the fire. There was silence, perhaps Alistair and Finn looked between us but there was no rush to pursue that line of questioning. I just listened to the crack of flames and the low snore as a now sleeping Wolf dribbled directly onto my foot.

"Redcliffe?"

"It's not too far and I stand by what I said about Arl Eamon."

"Yes. His troops weren't at Ostagar, surely he would know something. Well anything would be news at this point."

Finn and Alistair were sitting together on the far side of the fire, between them I could see Bodahn and Sandal. The merchants had followed us, taking our well the Warden's protection in return for discounted goods. I returned focus to Finn who was rubbing his chin as he thought. I had thought it dark, fully night, but my vision was still good. Perhaps I could end this awkward silence, though it would require me to speak to Leiliana. Gently moving Wolf's massive and deceptively heavy head I moved to where she knelt closer to the fire.

"Leiliana, may I borrow your bow. I wish to loose a quiver of arrows."

She leant back to look at me, shielded her eyes from the glare of a fire with an angled hand. Perhaps when I said that she thought that a quiver meant frustration. Weel, that was true. She smiled and nodded gesturing to her tent. I moved to it and slung the quiver over my shoulder, setting the arrows for a smooth draw from my hip. Again the shiver of feeling of rightness as I gripped the bow. This was something else the elf knew. I relaxed, this wasn't my area of expertise. But my fingers were old hands as they played among the fletching. The first arrow was a smooth draw but it seems the human I was inside hadn't got their eye in, it hit what I aimed at but there was an awkwardness that was no doubt evident to the others. If they watched me, which I'm sure they did.

The next arrow was different. The elf stepped forward (metaphorically speaking) and I couldn't help but grin at the fluidity. Though I had been envious as I had seen Leiliana, archery was an elf skill. More specifically a dalish one. I was a hunter. I could see the shape of a deer in the whorling bark of the tree. I killed it with a shot that took out a lung and struck an artery of the heart. I wasn't hard of breath, but suddenly I felt sadness. Like there was something missing, or I had forgotten…damn it. This wasn't my sadness, this was hers. The spectre of the elf this body had been. I didn't really fully realise it but I understood it. Fuck that sounds so awkward and doesn't make sense. But I think I learnt something about the first Maharial and it flashed me a memory that was partly mine and partly hers. Her parents…how her mother couldn't live without her father and that last walk into shafts of moonlight. It seemed to nudge at something in the past in my mind that was lost to me. For now. With the last arrow I put aside her grief and concentrated on finding all the arrows, checking the metal heads before placing them back into the quiver.

"Seems that you are useful."

Finn said, his words made me angry, but then he offered a bowl of something that smelt like heaven. Literally like Leiliana had grabbed a handful of all that is goodness and light, cooked it then put it in a bowl. I was ravenous at this point just bear with me okay. I put the arrows and bow back against Leiliana's tent and sat on the ground by the fire, sipping at the gravy. My stomach growled at each taste and I closed my eyes to concentrate on that flavour.

"I think she likes it."

"Face it Alistair, you've lost the job as head cook."

Laughter. It was like sparks on the back of my lids.

"She can have it."

"Um, excuse me. Does 'she' want it?

Leiliana said, cutting into Finn and Alistair's conversation. I let their words fade to background noise, merging with the rumble of the fire and the crack of sap in the wood as it was devoured. As I ate I thought. A state that was amazing in itself right? I congratulated myself on being so calm, though I knew that it was only a matter of time before my mind tapped out and I became either a comatose head case or a puddle of ranting and wet tears. But for now I gave myself a pat on the back. That done I then thought on what I had felt as I centred myself with the elf and fired those arrows. I knew she was gone, though her instincts and what I guessed were habits that she had taken up over a lifetime still permeated the body she had had. But while I got that, there was something more in that feeling or feelings I had found. And then that memory was there more to it? Her parents yes I get that, but there was a sense of…that she had done that too. Given up because she had lost the thing that had defined her. OH MY GOD! Tamlen! My grip on the bowl tightened by a thousand and I found myself staring at a lump of meat (maybe rabbit) even as I tried to remember what he looked like. The real or first (depending on how you looked at it) Maharial had lost Tamlen to the mirror. But she wasn't tainted; maybe she had given up because she didn't have him anymore. And maybe whatever had brought me here (I should be committed right now, surely the Chantry has a place where they put all the crazies!) had…I need to have a rest. A hand on my shoulder made me drop my bowl, right onto Wolf. Though he didn't seem to mind just eating and licking at the mess over him.

"Oh Ana, I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you."

My breath came in little gasps, I think I was past startled but I managed a series of staccato nods. There was worry and surprise at my reaction. I slid sideways and moved away from Leiliana and the ring of heat from the fire. I was shaking; goose pimples had risen at finally getting it. I knew it was right, there was sense of rightness as those pieces fell into place. Maharial had lost the man that she would have married…joined, and then known that life wasn't worth it when he wasn't there. I ducked behind a tree and pressed my back to it. I didn't know if it had taken guts to do what she did or it was a simple relinquishment of life. But she had done it, and left what had been in essence a shell for…I slid down the tree and drew up my legs trying to bring my breath under control. I felt like I was going to be sick. I found it to be a good idea and moved enough so I didn't vomit on myself. This was huge, massive. Like the second coming of Andraste even. Oh. Am I? No don't even get ahead of yourself Ana, that would be more insane than this situation and it's already more than my mind can handle.