Leliana

"Darkspawn!" Alistair's voice rang through the camp. "Darkspawn approaching!"

Maker's breath! I slung my quiver across my back and set the string in my bow. Could we not have a few weeks of peace?

"Leliana, Morrigan, Wynne!" a stronger voice echoed, less given to panic. Salem. "Get to high ground; hold them off! Sten, Oghren, Shale, take the front! Alistair and Zevran, flank them!"

I rushed to the campfire, watching Salem giving orders as though nothing had changed. Pride and grief mingled within me.

"Alistair, where are they coming from?" Salem asked. "I can sense them but can't ascertain their direction."

Alistair swallowed, clearly afraid. This is the first time he will go into battle without Salem there beside him.

"Mostly from the north. Two other groups from the east and west, small though, probably a couple of hurlocks or genlocks." he babbled. "Mostly the north, though. Mostly the north."

"Can you handle the group to the west, circle back and attack the main group from behind?"

"Of course." Zevran flashed a wicked smile. "Leave it to me." he dashed off and I sent my prayers with him.

Alistair laid his hand on Salem's shoulder. "See you on the other side."

"You might." she quipped, a half-smile on her face. "I won't."

"They're getting closer." Oghren wiped whiskey from his moustaches. "Best ye magicky types be hittin' the high ground like the warden said."

"Of course." Wynne took the lead, shepherding the flock.

Like herding cats, I smiled. That's what Salem said of leading us. Strange, but apt, Ferelden phrase.

"On to the bloodshed then." Morrigan twirled her staff and fell in line behind Wynne.

"Come, love." I took Salem's hand. "We should join them."

Salem's sightless stare was fixed away from me, towards the north. Already I could see the shadowy figures approaching. "I should be fighting." her spirit collapsed inward.

"Salem, please." I begged, afraid of what she might do. I was not strong enough to stop her if she insisted on joining the fray, save with an arrow, and I had damaged her enough already.

"Lead on." she whispered.

Grateful, I guided her to the hill where Morrigan and Wynne waited, hands glowing, staffs poised. I nocked an arrow and waited. Sweat trickled down my back.

A bloodthirsty howl rang through the air and I knew the battle had begun.

Salem smirked. "Good dog, Burrow."

I could see the tension in her jaw, the hatred of her inability to join the fight, to protect the ones she loved. My heart warmed. There are others of us who desire that same privilege.

The fighting drew closer. Two genlock archers spread out from the main force and took aim. I lifted my bow and pulled back, loosing the string and firing. The arrow took the darkspawn in the chest, knocking it back, but doing no damage.

Bloody armor plates.

"Morrigan, the archers!" I called as I nocked a second arrow.

Dark, nebulous energy spun from the witch's staff. An archer keened with fury and pain as its skin caught fire. The other raised its crossbow as I took aim at it.

Strike true, I prayed as I loosed the shot. The darkspawn and I fired simultaneously. A line of ice whipped across my arm as the darkspawn's bolt grazed my skin.

I bit back the pain. Such a minor injury could wait until after the battle.

"Leliana!" Wynne yelled as she threw disorienting and damaging bolts of lightning. "Oghren!"

I scanned the ground below for the dwarf, whose axe was locked against a hurlock's sword. Another darkspawn rushed Oghren; I stopped it with an arrow to the throat. The dwarf ducked under the blow, tripped the enemy, and cleaved the head from the body.

He looked up, berserker's eyes ablaze. "Nice shootin', sister!"

I smiled, sending an arrow into the hurlock behind him. Morrigan laughed and it chilled the air.

"The drunken oaf would be twice dead if not for you." she grinned, malicious. "Good work, Leliana, saving the miscreants one at a time."

Shut up! my thoughts thundered.

Salem's fist clenched. Blood trickled down my arm. Darkspawn bodies lay strewn about our camp in a macabre display. I shuddered, looking at the quick work we had made of our enemies.

Salem came to my side. "Is the battle finished?" she asked, her calm belying her frustration.

"For us t'would seem to be." Morrigan answered and I bristled.

I had seen them at the campfire together, Morrigan sultry and flirtatious, Salem grim. Until she had smiled. Until something the witch had said ignited her sightless eyes.

"Sten, Oghren, Shale," Salem called, "find Zevran and Alistair. I want everybody back in camp. Safe."

The three rushed to aid our comrades and Salem sighed, looking much older than her years.

"I believe the Chantry may have to reconsider its policy on the blind leading the blind." Wynne offered a motherly smile and affectionate tone. "Excellent work, Salem."

My love remained silent. The words, meant to encourage and humor, had done nothing but pour vinegar into her wounds.

I patted her shoulder and winced. Perhaps the bolt had done more damage than I thought.

"Wynne, Morrigan," Salem lifted her hand to mine and kept it there, "please start disposing of the bodies."

The mages left; we were alone. My arm began to tremble from being held in place.

"What is wrong?" Salem asked. "Are you all right?"

Her tone was still, like a slow moving river that disguised a swift current. I had to tell her the truth. "A genlock's bolt grazed my arm." she released my hand. "It's a minor wound." I hastened to say. "A few bandages and I'll be good as new. Salem," my words weren't reaching her. "Salem?"

"I knew it." her throat was tight. "I knew this would happen."

"Salem, I'm all right." I insisted. "Truly."

"I'm not." the calm broke. "I knew this day would come and it has. And it was you who were injured. That is unacceptable."

"Why?" why are you so stubborn, so insistent on bleeding for us all? "Why is it so important that you are the only one who takes damage? Why do you have to shoulder all the burden?"

"Because I love you!" she erupted. "Because I cannot stand knowing that you were hurt because of my inability to do anything!" she placed her hand against my cheek. It was trembling. "I'm so sorry, Leliana. I-I'm not in my right mind. I...I should go. Don't go near the bodies, Leli. I should remain the only one with tainted blood." her voice trailed away. "Get Wynne to see to your wounds."

"Wound." I whispered after her. "Just one."

My heart ached worse than my arm, but there was no one to speak to of it. I watched Salem walk, unsteady, down the hill...straight to Morrigan. Anger bubbled inside my chest.

Every time, every time, something happened between us, Salem went straight to the witch. It infuriated me. I strode down the hill as the others returned, ready to have it out with Salem and Morrigan both. I was tired of this.

I glared at them, unable to hear their conversation. Salem extended her hand. Morrigan's hand, glowing with magic, grasped Salem's. My warden's eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed to the ground.

My vision went white. I drew my dagger. Darkspawn were not the only things I would kill this day.