"Demons ahead," Solas warned rather late, as we could hear them snuffling through the snow drifts and growling, making all sorts of demon-y noises below the rise we were on above the river. They must really like that river.

"Glad you brought me now Seeker?" Varric unslung Bianca from his back readying a bolt. Cassandra just leapt from the rise onto the river, probably an honest reply. Solas followed her as I cast a weary glance down. It probably looked farther than it was. Or at least that's what I wanted to tell myself. I was just going to go around when, like the poor unlucky idiot I was, I got hit by a blast from one of the green half demon things and slipped at the same time. I swore as I tried to bat out the green flames that stuck to my hair and dress, I swear my eyebrows singed a little, as I also tumbled gracelessly over the edge Varric following me with an entirely too enthusiastic yell. Unconsciously I put my hands out to catch myself and turned my face away. The magic took over and buffered us to the ground with a wind blast that slowed us to a stop a couple inches above the ice and abruptly let go. I landed on my face again with an unceremonious 'oompf' where Varric had gotten to his knees and fired bolts at the demons. One of which was bigger than the others with a crest of red feathers down it's back, reminded me of the headdress of those really offensive, really cheap Indian chief costumes that fourth graders sometimes wore, before they really learned about the genocide and the fact that Columbus was a complete and utter douche who may or may not have seen Florida and was like 'derp I think there's more land up there derp' and everybody acted like it was some big discovery. Anyway, off topic.

I scrambled to my feet and fired some lightning bolts of less intensity than usual, worried about my stick's health more than my own, probably not a healthy habit but I was really starting to like that stick, was even thinking about naming it. More marshmallows in the air and my stomach proceeded to growl furiously, reminding me that apparently I should eat something soon, maybe I should dub the stick Sir Marshmallow Maker, or maybe Sir Waffles, I had a cat named Waffles, he was kind of stupid, but I loved him anyway. A shame all in all though, about the hunger that is, not the cat, I totally had a bag of Doritos in my backpack. Thinking about it made me think of home though. I had stolen it from my dad who sometimes hoarded the junk food in his office and I was going to share it with Marcella at lunch, who may or may not even be alive. There was a pang in my chest which I unfortunately identified as hope. I shouldn't have hope. Hope that I wasn't actually dead, that I wasn't just in a coma, or that this was anything more than a fever dream, or if this was reality, that the Breach could just suck me back up and spit me back out at school amid the bodies, back into the gaze of the shooter with the box cutter in blue hoodie.

I dusted the snow off my dress, the hem was dirtied and it was a little damp in some places but it held up well, and the shawl was quite warm on top of that surprisingly enough. Cassandra and Varric finished off the last couple demons as Solas watched on, ready to jump in for help if needed. I pulled the shawl tighter across my shoulders wrapped the two ends across my chest and behind my back tying it in a little bow at the small of my back to keep it in place, before reclaiming my stick from the ground where I'd laid it. The blood along it was frozen where it was in reddish clumps, but I didn't care. I still didn't have a splinter yet and that in itself was a miracle. When Cassandra and Varric were done we moved on, crossing the river and approaching the stair that climbed up the side of a substantial hill.

The wide stone stairs were on the other side of the river flanked by what I assumed to be hunting cottages. The one on the left was on fire, per usual I suppose, the one on the right had bear traps on the porch, looked kinda stupidly dangerous but there was also a corpse on the porch as well, cute, looks like he didn't die from the bear trap though, surprisingly enough. I blew out a long breath before starting up the stairs.

"So, are you innocent?" Varric was behind me with Solas and Cassandra.

Don't know why I was going first but there I was. Also don't know anybody who thinks asking a question while going upstairs is a good idea. "To be honest, I have no fucking clue. Don't remember."

"That'll get you everytime," he chuckled, "should've spun a story." How was he not out of breath? His legs were just as short as mine.

Cassandra scoffed in disgust, I was beginning to think that was a default for her. "That's what you would've have done."

"It's more believable," he pointed out, "and less prone to premature execution."

Couldn't argue with that, well, probably could, but anyway. "Well, you know, it would help if I knew where I was and the rules of the world here because it's definitely not in the world I'm used to, I'll tell you that much."

"Really, not from this world?" For the first time hearing it he didn't sound particularly surprised or impressed for that matter, but then again he was a storyteller, probably didn't look a gift horse in the mouth. "Wow, screwed right from the beginning."

I coughed a laugh, which was the most I could do being mostly out of breath. "I know right?"

As we reached the summit I stifled an internal groan at the sight of even more demons in our path, two of them were the green ones that had conveniently perched themselves on little outcrops so they had a better view of us. But I quickly took them out with a couple well aimed blasts as Cassandra made her way to the actual humanoid demon things that were screeching at us like we didn't hear them the first time. The staff gave a creaking groan.

"I'm sorry Sir Waffles, I'll be more careful next time I promise." I muttered to it under my breath. Solas had been somewhat near me and gave a me a look with what might have been concern but I made a point not to look at him and focused on the magic inside me wondering if I could do anything else besides lightning, but worried to try anything because I didn't want to break Sir Waffles.

Cassandra cut down the last demon with a grunt and sighed sheathing her sword. "I hope Leliana made it through all this." Concern knit her brow.

Varric made a point of keeping Bianca out and only readied another bolt. "She's resourceful, seeker."

"We'll see for ourselves at the forward camp." Solas sounded resigned, which I now assumed was probably his default like disgusted was Cassandra's.

"Where is this ever elusive forward camp anyway?" I made sure not to lean too much on Sir Waffles as we kept on up the hill past at least three more overturned burning carts but only a couple more corpses, that was somewhat promising I suppose in a very grim way.

"We're almost there." Solas reassured me, as I eyed the next set of stairs with contempt. He probably thought I was delirious after hearing me dub Sir Waffles.

"Oh really?" I panted, my lungs felt like they wanted to kill me. " Lovely."

"Another rift!" Cassandra drew her sword falling into a ready stance. The edges of the green rift could be seen bleeding into the air and the spiked heart could be heard from where we were almost to the landing.

"We must seal it!" Solas proceeded to help me by pushing me up the rest of the stairs to the landing. "Quickly!"

"Working on it!" I grunted spinning Sir Waffles, the magic bled into my muscles making the ache lessen and branching into my lungs giving me new breath. The landing at the top of the stairs lead to the archway of another bridge with a pair of thick wooden doors that were of course closed, as they should be with demons outside them, the demons were engaged with a trio of people in leather armor.

"They keep coming, help us!" one yelled, like we were going to waltz right by them or something. The doors to the bridge were likely bolted anyway against the demons.

"Hurry use the mark!" Solas felled the last demon and the rift vomited itself up again.

"Yeah yeah give me a sec," I got closer to it. We were damn lucky I didn't have to actually be able to reach the rifts. They were a good seven or eight feet above the ground, so we'd be screwed if that had been the case. Or I could have just sat on someone's shoulders whenever I needed to, which would've looked pretty stupid, just a teetering tower of bodies all screaming swears and insults at each other, sounds like school sports, but whatever, that wasn't needed. I faced my palm up to it and sucked it all up in the mark. I didn't really have to do anything besides point my palm really, and endure a little bit of pain that didn't seem like much at all compared to the Breach's insistent occasional stabbing.

Before the ashes even had a chance to settle Cassandra was calling, "the Rift is gone! Open the gate!"

"Right away Lady Cassandra!" I assume there were a couple of hasty scouts not wanting to get on her bad side that were on the other side to pull the heavy wooden doors open so quickly.

"We're clear for the moment," Solas gave the landing a good look around as the trio scrambled through ahead of us. "Well done." I gave him only a grunt in response.

"Whatever that thing on your hand is, it's useful." Varric slung Bianca back onto his back.

The doors opened to a foursome of soldiers in their makeshift armor. Two with shields, one with a sword and the last with a staff. They stood by as we went through, a couple eyed me wearily but they were by far more concerned about the demons that often lurked right outside the doors. Smart on their part, and nice to see that they weren't totally preoccupied with all this murderer stuff. I mean really, it's a little over the top.

"We must prepare the soldiers!" I heard Leliana from where we were making our way across the bridge. she was standing by a desk at the far end of in front of a man in the red and white smock uniform that I assume marked him as a Chantry Priest. What he was doing here was beyond me, but it looked like negotiations were at a standstill.

"We will do no such thing!" He sounded in tone like a toddler who didn't get his way and was arguing with someone who was clearly his elder.

"The prisoner must get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. It's our only chance." she tried to reason with him, evidently not realizing there was no reason left to be had. I gave a passing glance to a couple of scouts gathered around a map staring at it with the intensity I usually reserved for my AP homework.

"You have already caused enough trouble without resorting to this exercise in futility!" His voice went shrill and I noted the bodies still laid out along the sides, though considerably fewer here, they were still dusted lightly with snow, which still fell, albeit even more half heartedly then back in Haven.

"I have caused trouble?" She crossed her arms sounding like she was so done with his shit. This was of course the point where we had come close enough to where our presence demanded to be known. Leliana looked tired, much like she'd been arguing with him for hours, which I don't doubt she had.

"Ah, here they come" he sounded mildly smug, and that made me want to turn him around and beat him over the backside with Sir Waffles, I hated smug people who didn't actually do shit. I made a mental note of the fact that his little cap hat thing over the white cowl was black instead of red with a miniature gold stitched version of the eye with rays symbol.

"You made it." Leliana gave a halfhearted smile and came around the table to greet us. "Chancellor Roderick, This is-"

"I know who she is." He gave her a condescending stare, which looked worse than intended through his patchwork stubble around thin lips and a furrowed almost uni-brow. "As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry," he puffed his chest, "I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution." I raised my eyebrows in surprise, considering I was the only one who could close the Rifts and possibly the breach, that seemed the equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot.

""Order me"?" Cassandra stepped in front of me. "You are a glorified clerk. A bureaucrat!" she looked more than a little annoyed at this point.

"And you are a thug," he retorted, "but a thug who supposedly serves the Chantry!" Ooh, that was a burn right there. I wondered if I could conjure up some popcorn or something with magic.

"We serve the most Holy, Chancellor," Leliana said pointedly looking at him with her hands innocently behind her back. "As you well know."

"Justinia is dead!" He put his hands up towards Leliana as if she'd just suggested that he eat dog crap or better yet, use crap as a weapon against the demons, actually on second thought, that might have been his plan, for all the urgency he was showing. "We must elect a replacement and obey her orders on the matter!"

"So are we just going to stand here and argue or are we going to, oh I don't know, actually try closing the rip in the sky that kind of wants to kill us?" I couldn't help myself, I thought everybody was making such a big deal on this being urgent, like imminent destruction is upon us all right now, not in a few weeks maybe.

"You brought this on us in the first place!" He gave me an accusing stare and a finger to go along with it. I rolled my eyes to show him how much his threats meant to me. He heaved a sigh as if I was the difficult one here and turned back to Cassandra, "Call a retreat Seeker, our position here is hopeless."

"We can stop this before it's too late." Cassandra matched him across the table with one her signature intense stares.

"How?" He threw up his arms in defeat and frustration. "You won't survive long enough to reach the temple, even with all your soldiers." He actually sounded just a little sorry, a little hopeless, a little tired.

"We must get to the temple, it's the quickest route." she disregarded his questions probably assuming the way I did that he wasn't about to hear us out on anything we said we could do, also we didn't exactly have the time to sit here and explain over a cup of tea.

"But not the safest." Leliana stepped forward into the conversation. "Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains." She pointed up at the mountains she was referring to. Not that I could see what exactly she was referring to, there were mountains everywhere, no matter where we went we'd be going through mountains.

"We lost an entire squad on that path, it's too risky." Cassandra shook her head.

"Listen to me," Chancellor cut in. Hey buddy, that's my line. "Abandon this now before more lives are lost!" At least he seemed mildly concerned now. Right on cue the Breach thundered overhead spitting green tendrils of flame that highlighted all of our features. I had been in the middle of mentally trying to draw up popcorn but not quite getting there apparently. The magic in me was more than a little unstable and flared up in response to the mark once again burning, muscles tensed, burned rays inching along like the little train that could. I flipped the palm up to take a look at it while it was doing it's thing, not quite a good idea and as it was a little blinding. I shook it out as the green sparks faded, accidentally hitting Cassandra's shield and shocking myself in the process.

"Ah shist!" I kind of wanted to strangle my hand if only that were possible, it was pulsing and burning and the magic built up behind the pain was unintentionally poured into a little mental tray I'd made to try to create popcorn, hopefully that wouldn't shock me too.

"How do you think we should proceed?" Cassandra had approached me while I was busy with my hand (get your mind out of the gutter I know what you're thinking) and managed to pop that question. I was so surprised a few pieces of popcorn actually popped into existence near my head bouncing off my shoulders and into the dirty snow on the bridge. Utter waste, they were 'butter lover' flavored too.

"'Scuse me?" I managed. "I'm making decisions? Deciding what now? Why you asking me?"

"You have the mark." Solas reminded me, I gave him a flat stare.

"And you are also the one we must keep alive. Since we cannot agree on our own. . ." Cassandra just shrugged watching me. I noticed she'd significantly softened on me since she first led me out of Haven, more than pity there was a little bit of respect in there, somewhere, I'm sure.

I rubbed my hand on my dress thoughtfully. Through the mountain pass or charge with the soldiers. "To be honest, I'd rather charge." I looked up at the breach. "We don't even know if I'll live long enough for your trial. Whatever happens, happens now."

I looked back at Cassandra who nodded steeling her features. "Leliana, bring everyone left in the valley. Everyone." Leliana nodded in return and immediately began off back towards the group of soldiers near the gate, resignation had consumed us all.

I trotted behind her as we headed towards the other end of the bridge. Chancellor Roderick was hunched over his desk, and barely spared us a glance as we went. "On your head be the consequences, Seeker." I tried to aim a glare at him as we went but I doubt he noticed. When I turned back, Cassandra's hands were in fists at her sides, she straightened her back determined to look confident in my, and subsequently her, decision. I destroyed the popcorn tray, I didn't think it'd be possible to drown a demon in popcorn, or at least, not nearly as noble as I think it'll need to be to keep Cassandra up.