I woke up and couldn't remember how I came to be lying down. The sky was dark, but it wasn't that cool temperature of night or early morning. I could hear the normal rustling and nature sounds in the trees and the grass, but nothing of my companions. It was that loneliness and emptiness that had me frightened and sitting up. Eyes raking the shadows for a little something to give me a hint, a clue to this random situation. Initially I was concentrating on the crispness of the night, there wasn't that haziness of the Fade, in fact though it was the night-time sounds that had me dismissing that. And the fact that nothing was rearing its head. Namely a demon pretending to be someone, anyone. I was alone. After that happy little revelation I realised I was wearing my civvies, namely loose pants and a tossed on, slightly damp and dirty linen shirt. So, normal. I liked not being afraid of the trees and forest, the elf I supposed. But I didn't like the not having anyone around, even for that though I wasna pushed to call out; especially the name that was really on the tip of my tongue. Apparently I can be embarrassed even when all alonesome. I steadied my breath and stood, casting my eyes around this time with more purpose. For bent blades of grass, for disturbances, for someth… There. I moved to it quickly, crouching before it. I'm not sure about the order or meaning of some of that that reeled through my head. But I knew that that was the direction. So I took it.

You know what song I had in my head? Danny Boy. My fingers just remembering those notes so easily; my mostly shitty voice whispering those words. I guess I didn't feel the need to be quiet, or quieter. My toes started to get a little cold, probably from the dew that had partly settled, though the rest of my body was fine not even drawn up in goose bumps.

"If you'll not fail to tell me you love me, I'll simply sleep in peace until you find me."

Okay, probably not the best song to have in your head when you are all alone. In what had been a fictional universe. Did I mention all ALONE? I bit my lip as I peered where I had walked. No noise, no heat, no sign of the others. If anything I was feeling nauseous. Like sea sick. Though there was no sea for miles.

"Finn?"

Shaky, weak, needy. Three words to describe that little effort. I of course theatrically coughed and tried again,

"Finn?"

Nothing.

"Alistair?"

I frowned,

"Sten?"

It was getting ridiculous now.

"Leiliana? Morrigan? Zev? Wynne?"

Now that frightened feeling was rising again,

"Wolf…ie?"

I wanted to be indignant. Stamp my feet, rampage; try that whole mother 'get back here right now' ability that they have. But I chose instead to just stand still. For a wee while. Until my brain engaged.

Not sure how long I stood there for, but my brain came to life with what must have been an audible clunk. No moon, no stars. Odd. But it was the fact that it as so void of those I travelled with. There were none of my people. Made no sense. It had to be the fucken Fade. Had to be. There was no logical way for this to be happening otherwise. I mean, so maybe there had been no logical way I had been tossed here. But other than that, and magic etcetera, life here was pretty similar. Life, death, war… The Fade is where everything got wonky. Wonkier. So whatever it made sense in my head, only place it needed too.

"Who is there? Someone's watching so just come on out I'm sick of waiting."

No one jumped out. But it didn't matter, cos you know what was super cool? My armour came back. No mask, but that beautiful, iridescent green and just gah! Came back. I wanted to do an epic fist pump into the air to congratulate myself. But then I remembered my place, and that I shouldn't be able to come here. Not a mage. And that made me afraid in a different way. It only when I was really frightened, like starting to physically shiver that someone broke the silence.

"You are brave now."

"I'm always brave, but now I'm also time managing."

Sibilant laughter. The fright of before was replaced by something else, because his laughter made me roll my eyes.

"Elf."

Ah a greeting.

"Invisible, fork tongued thing."

"Your bravery is bluster."

I'd seen bluster. This was not it. Well mebbe a little. Didn't let it show though. It came out from the forest, trees and shrubs bending around it. Not a desire demon. Another elf. Though more like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"The answer is no."

"I said nothing."

No, but it was about too. So I waited as it surely did too. As I did I looked at him. My height though with naturally light brown hair and a similar coloured skin. The vallaslin it wore was a lie. It referenced and did honour to no Gods. It made my back rankle a little. Yay backbone! His eyes were wrong too, even for how we were; none of our eyes had that malice in them. Or were that tone of red.

"You are here because you are dying."

Came out of the blue like a sock to the jaw. Immediately replying,

"You are lying."

"I don't lie."

"You merely embellish the truth."

It did a weird smile thing then waved its hand before him, it. A well turned out dining table appeared, beautifully turned chairs in dark wood. I scoffed and sat cross legged on the ground.

"You are smart to even reject this that I offered."

"Fuck you."

Okay backbone might want to just simmer down a little. Thank god the thing across from me merely smiled. It dispelled the chairs though a pillow appeared before it sat. Fancy too, gold glinting from the corners. Probably stuffed with the hair of a thousand murdered souls. Made me wince, because it was probably true. And made me wonder if I could do the same. Not a pillow, but a summoning. After all I should be here. I did it with more nonchalance, just in case it didna work. It didn't, but it made me feel better.

"Others are not so smart."

Others? It said it like I should know who. Like I did know who. My friends wouldn't be so stupid as to deal with… Morrigan would. If it got her her way. But… I hate this. I figured out though that I was more afraid of my being alone than I was facing this so far mostly benign demony thing. Though of course that was all subject to change.

"So, why am I dying?"

He smiled many, many pointy teeth.

"You got a little something."

I said pointing out helpfully. He, It closed its lips.

"You are on a precarious road."

"Elucidate. Sword, arrow, blunt force trauma."

It, he, said nothing. I stood angrier than before.

"You bullshitter!"

"Your femoral artery was ruined by a fumbling move from a fumbling bandit."

Oooo sounds bad. I automatically looked down and held my leg. It looked hale and whole.

"Oh yeah?"

He waved his hand. Shoulda been ready for that. No pain, but it felt like I peed mah pants. I fell to the ground, armour gone. Fingers and hands now clutching at the wound that was just pouring out oceans of blood, my cotton pants in ribbons.

"Fuck you."

Okay, not as vehement as before. It laughed,

"You're strong for one who is about to be nothing."

More than fright and anger rose now. I felt like I was sweating, but I felt cold. No, no, no. No. Wynne would help me. The others would help me… Would they? Yes. Fuck you Ana, they would.

"The others will be there for me."

"You give them too much credit."

"Yeah and you give them not enough. That's why we could kill her, because she thought she was better. She was just in the way."

That made him angry. Eyes went redder, It generally got bigger, spikier and teethier slash toothier. Time for me to go. Totally was going to when I realised I had no ability to do fuck all to be honest.

"Wynne. Now would be great."

I clutched tighter at my leg, teeth chattering. Still no pain. Pretty glad about that, I could still remember how much my shoulder had hurt and this was soooo past that it was ridiculous. Glancing at my leg I darted back to him. He was gone. Bonus. Now I was alone, bleeding out and alone. Again. Great.

"Elgar'nan!"

I was mostly cold, still holding my leg. My leather pants, tight as they were were doing nothing to stem the tide of blood. My bow was beside me, arrows still at my back. Felt like shit; felt like vomiting. So I did. Onto a mostly skins wearing dude who had a dagger in his eye. Super. I shivered unsure what I was supposed to do. Then the pain struck. Ever been struck by lightning? Repeatedly in the leg right down in the bone area? Yeah that's what it felt like. Sucked. I vomited again. It had the bonus effect of me clamping down on my leg which I think was mostly a good thing. My hands were too tiny to cover the wound, but I didn't want to uncover it to grab a poultice from my belt. I would die in a few minutes or less. Which was probably what was going to happen to me now. You know, I spend a lot of my time here vomiting. It was getting really old. Not only that but it was getting really cold. My teeth were chattering hard, clattering against each other. I wanted to deny tears, deny what was happening even though it was so brutally occurring. I sniffed hard and tried to concentrate instead on my leg. I couldn't really tell how tight my hands were and whether they were doing anything… Heard it before I saw it. Or rather smelt it before I saw it. There was no smell like that of uncured skins. I lunged for the dagger, pulling it loose with pure will. The next moments all seemed to come from a long way away. I 'brandished' the dagger, but he went down because he suddenly had a brown grey growth sprouting from his back. On his back?

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

It was a bit of a mantra that fell from my face.

"What did you do!?"

Well, not literally me, but there was no hiding the carnage that was my leg. I did enjoy the hotness that grabbed it. Until I thought it was actually going to cauterise my leg. I reacted well. Thrashing trying to push it away.

"We're trying to help."

Whatever. Something touched my forehead and it was like all strings were cut. Didn't make me feel better, apart from reducing the urge and need to vomit. The sea sickness was back, but I was warm so I didna mind it.

"You know, I'm pretty good at getting hurt now right."

I whispered aloud. I didn't know who answered.

"Shut up Ana."

Rude.

"I did my best this time."

"It wasn't your best, you got stuck by the one guy who went for you."

"Maybe, but I took his eye."

A humph was the only answer.

"And I faced down a demon. Mah second one. Suck on that."

"I think you should listen to him dear."

That tone could only be Wynne.

"You'll look after me Wynnie."

"Sure I will dear."

I grabbed at a hand… flailed in the air till I managed to snare a hand. Or it grabbed mine to stop the whole flailing.

"Cos I have to look after them ok."

I think my eyes closed but then I jerked them open. I didn't want to be left alone again…

"Don't let me sleep, keep me awake."

Suddenly terrified that I would awake again in that empty forest. Perhaps even seeing that toothy scary grin again if I slept. I knew I would be able to see that demon again, but I couldn't deny it was frightening and it seemed like he wouldn't mind waiting for me.

"Calm down Ana, it'll be okay."

No it fucken won't. I knew I dug my short fingernails into skin but I needed to let them know.

"It's too quiet there, he'll be waiting. I don't want to see him."

But the only way to not see him would be to remain awake.

"Don't make me sleep."

"Don't worry we won't."

There were other words after those few, but weren't directed at me. Anyway they were too quiet for me to decipher over the rush of blood pounding in my ears.

"How is Leiliana?"

"More embarrassed than anything I think."

"Let's hope that she'll be more careful in the future."

"Really? More careful, you do know this is a battlefield yes?"

"I never asked you for your opinion crow."

"Yes mayhap, too bad because you will hear it Templar reject."

"I think you are forgetting who decided to save you elf assassin. Though while a poor decision it is easily enough rectified."

"Yes well thank you for pointing that out Qunari."

"Of course."

Wynne sighed. They were all acting like children. Thank goodness they had waited until after the very poor attempt at an ambush by the Wilders. She realised that they had been pushed out of the Wilds by the Blight, but to set upon the group they had? Perhaps they really did have a death wish as Morrigan had said. Finn was right though, Leiliana was embarrassed to have been injured. But at least it was minor. If only they had all been that way. Ana had been stroking Wolf's head for nearly an hour denying sleep that would only do her good, especially after the healing she'd had to perform. Purple eyes were stubbornly kept open by eyelids now nearly the same colour. Her leg was whole now, but wrapped in a poultice, though it wasn't really needed. But it had been done because of that very stern look on their leader's face. Right now the elf looked very young, whereas the anger and quiet fury that had been on her face at the first arrow she had loosed she had looked so very different. Even when she had gripped Finn so tight she had left red crescents on his hand. She hadn't called out in the quick heat of that battle, it hadn't been that that had had Wolf sprinting to her. Wynne knew it had been the smell of dalish blood that had brought the mabari. It had been a glad thing indeed, most of the small elf's blood had been spilled on the leaf litter around her. It had been Ana's revelation of her meeting a demon that had nearly stopped her healing in its tracks. Though the others had not shied at that, it had drawn Morrigan from Leiliana with what Wynne could only describe as worry on her face.

Really wanted to sleep, Wolf was. Apparently I had found a really good spot between his eyes that had had him drooling and a minute later he was totally unconscious. It's not like I didn't trust Wynne when she said that no one would be 'lurking' in my dreams. But she didn't really know know. I wanted to ask her about the spirit inside her, whether it would hang around my mind while I tried the whole unconscious thing but then thought better not. I rolled my head and looked at Wynne, who really looked like she should be knitting, turning a heel in a pair of socks but was actually peering into a vial of something glowy.

"How long is our pit stop Wynnie?"

Yeah she looked down her nose at me, but totally wasn't the same as when Morrigan did it.

"As long as it needs to be."

Not really good enough. I had been watching Finn get all chaffing at the bit, is that the saying? For a few days now, this would probably only serve to piss him off. More.

"Just me?"

"No, Leiliana hurt her arm. But it isn't too bad."

Zigged when she should have zagged huh. I really needed to get better at hand to hand rather than just being awesome at ranged. Creators know I couldn't do this sort of injury again, and we'd only just started to head towards to Denerim, we still had two treaties and an eon of shit to wade through before we could…

"You look like you are thinking hard Ana."

I stopped patting Wolf, he didn't wake up. Pushing until I was sitting upright I resolutely didn't look at my leg though it was probably fine. Wynne is a super healer. I hope I wouldn't need her on such a regular frequency sooner rather than later.

"How far from Denerim?"

"Oh, I would think another few days."

I really would have liked that whole fast travel thing to apply here. Sleep was more than welcome at this point, but there was no way in hell it was going to come now and I wasn't in the mood to give into it if it did.

"Is Leiliana mobile?"

"Yes."

"We meet Bodahn at… that bridge on the Drakon?"

"Em, yes."

"Then we move now, by my reckoning we still have five…ish hours of travelable light. So we travel."

Wolf woke up, reprimanding me with his cute little eyes. I avoided them, as I did everyone's as I stood gingerly testing my leg before lugging my arrows to my back and hefted the bow into my hand. I was waiting for Zevran to say something as I walked past. But of all the people, he simply fell into step just behind me, instead calling to those behind.

"You know if it makes the decision easier, it is quite a view."

If I hadn't been busy smothering my laugh when I got his meaning I probably would have cuffed his head. I just kept walking. Hopefully in the right direction.