"Well… that's a fascinating odor."

Alex winced in disgust as her boot buried itself into the mud again, and she slowly lifted her leg, the mud squelching, before turning to look behind her to see Vivienne and Cassandra covering their noses, while Dorian was scowling as the fetid wind blew through them, filling the air with the scent of decay, rot and fire. She kicked her leg a little to shake the mud away before growling, "I know. I know. It's my fault. I should have read the report. You can have my head later, once we've returned to Skyhold and taken a bath."

"Or several baths, I'd wager." Dorian said, flapping a hand in front of his face, "What did they call this place? A 'bog'? Lovely word."

"Personally, I prefer to call it a 'shit-hole'." Alex said as she continued to trudge on the grime beneath her feet, with Vivienne trying to avoid it by daintily stepping over the mire using just her toes, but she sank when she added pressure to her step, and the First Enchanter growled a little.

"That stench… it's everywhere, isn't it?" Cassandra said, before she let out a noise of disgust, "I will make sure that once we've freed our people, the Avvar responsible for their capture will pay."

"I'm with you on that, Cassandra." Alex said as they continued to move… in a fashion, as they slipped and slid along the mire. "I will literally grind their faces into this mud. We wouldn't be in this Maker forsaken place if they hadn't taken our scouts."

"True enough." Vivienne assented, "Let's get our scouts and get out of here."

Alex huffed, "Right. Let's go. I can't wait to take a bath."

"Of course, Inquisitor." Vivienne said again, and she smiled at her, "We can't have you greeting the Commander with such a foul odor emanating from your clothes. When you return, I'll lend you my rose-scented bath soap, my dear."

Alex shook her head, "I have my own bath soap, Vivienne. I'm more partial to lavenders than roses, anyway."

Dorian let out a manly giggle, "I should hope so. The Commander can't seem to get enough of your scent. When he's near you, he couldn't help but inhale deeply, like he's savoring your very essence. It's rather romantic, if not a tad vomit-inducing."

Alex looked incredulously at her fellow mage, and Cassandra nodded her assent, "It's almost too sweet for my taste. And I'm the one who reads too many romance novels."

"Oh… are we going to discuss love lives now?" Alex said sarcastically, "If I'm not mistaken, my twin brothers are already going for you two, and they've only been here for a month."

She turned to look at her companions as Vivienne laughed richly. Dorian had a smug look on his face, while that of Cassandra's was red as a tomato. "That… I have no intentions of returning your brother's attention, Inquisitor."

Dorian laughed out loud and threw an arm around Alex, "Well, I do! You didn't tell me Maxwell is quite the talented and charming mage."

She laughed out loud and put her hand around his waist, which was fortunate as she slipped a little, "Talented and charming mages runs in the family, Dorian. Haven't you heard that from Varric?"

"Yes, I have. Although, I'm sorry to say… your cousin is a little… sullen." Dorian said, "She often drinks alone at the tavern, and if she does have company, it's only Varric."

"I know. I tried drinking with her once." Alex said, "She just… smiled a little and apologized before leaving."

"Perhaps it has something to do with that lover of hers… Anders, was it? The one that blew up the Kirkwall Chantry."

Cassandra scoffed, "Do not speak about that abomination. If it weren't for him, this mage rebellion would not have happened."

Alex blinked and stopped walking, turning to Cassandra, "Are you blaming my cousin for all this, Cassandra?"

The Seeker blinked in surprise, "Of course not, Inquisitor. I..."

"Well then, correct me if I'm wrong, but there was already a mage uprising before the Kirkwall Chantry blew up didn't it?" Alex said back, and her face flushed red a little in anger, "The Seekers were supposed to investigate the abuses that the mages suffered in the Circles, weren't they? But they didn't. And then what happened, hmm? The Ferelden Circle was filled with abominations, the White Spire revolted, the Starkhaven Circle was burned to the ground, and Knight Commander Meredith invoked the Right of Annulment in Kirkwall, even as my cousin killed her very lover… the man she loved with all her heart… to satisfy her need for justice!"

Dorian put his hand on her shoulder as a way for her to stop, but she couldn't, even as tears stung her eyes. Vivienne had remained quiet, her face a stoic mask, while Cassandra looked a little guilty. "And since we're on the topic of my cousin, why don't you blame her for releasing Corypheus as well, hmm… since it was her foolish escapade down the Deep Roads that released him. Even though she fought the Qunari Arishok to prevent him from enslaving us to the Qun… "

"I'm sorry, Inquisitor." Cassandra said finally, rushing forward to her, "I am… if it seems like I'm blaming your cousin, or any mage, then I am sorry. That is not what I intended. I'm just… confused. So many things are still unanswered, and already the world has seen so much death and destruction. I am sorry. Truly, I am."

Alex breathed in, but soon enough she sighed and wiped the angry tears on her eyes, waving her hand at Cassandra, "No… I'm sorry too. I'm just… so tired and confused of all this. I don't know if I can… do this. I don't know if I can finish it all."

Her three companions watched her as she walked towards one of the make shift piers, and sat down, putting her chin on her hands as she did. Dorian sighed and sat down beside her, with Vivienne and Cassandra standing behind them. He took one of her hands and held it, smiling down at her as she looked up at him, "You know… I spoke to your brother-in-law once… in the tavern."

She remained silent, so he continued, "He said that during your sister's travels during the Blight, she would often cry in her tent, alone. And that the one time he had spoken to her to ask her if she was alright, she had cried in front of him, and told him how tired and confused she was. That so many people's lives were depending on her, that her choices often led to saving somebody's life, or someone else's death. Varric said the same thing, when it came to Hawke. He said it was one of the reasons why she fell in love with that apostate… because when she was confused and tired, Anders was the one who comforted her the most."

Alex laughed a little, "So you're saying I should fall in love with you because you comfort me the most?"

Dorian laughed out loud, "You know I don't swing that way, dearest. But you are entirely missing the point." He took her chin into his hand and made her look at him, "My point is… we are here. We are with you. Whenever you feel confused or lost, know that we are behind you, and that whatever you decide, we will support you and we will help you end this."

Alex looked up at Dorian, before looking behind her at Vivienne and Cassandra, who nodded solemnly at her in affirmation. She sniffed a little, before putting her head on his shoulder, and he automatically put an arm around her shoulders and gave her half a hug. "Thank you… all of you. I'm sorry to break down like that."

"Inquisitor, we know you are tired by all this." Cassandra said as she squatted down behind her, and she turned around to look at her, "In truth, we all are. But we all know… including you… that there are so many more lives at stake here. Dorian is right, we will support you to the end. Know that we will help you shoulder the responsibility, and the grief, and the burden that you will bear." She stood up and extended a hand, "Now come, our people still need us. And know that you will not fight alone."

Alex smiled up at her and took her hand, and the Seeker pulled her up and patted her on the back. Dorian kept his arm around her shoulder as they continued on, and Vivienne sighed a little, "Yes, let us go, darling. I think the weather and conditions here are the reason for your outburst. I am not tired of fighting Corypheus' forces, but I will not do so when I'm filthy and smelling of rot and burned corpses."

Dorian laughed, "Planning on fighting a darkspawn magister in a whirlwind of flowery scent, Vivienne?"

The four of them laughed as they walked along, and Vivienne flipped her rather watered-down coat tails with flair and elegance, "My dear, if we are to battle these monsters to our very death, then we must do so ruthlessly… and with elegance and style."