This couldn't be happening. She was a Witch of the Wilds. She knew land. She knew the wilderness. She could find her way by sight, by magic, by the nose of the wolf if she needed too. And yet.

And yet here she was; terribly, hopelessly lost.

Something must have happened to her in the years that she traveled with Faleni. She must have lost her directional sense. After all, the Dalish was the best tracker of the group – with her along all Morrigan had to worry about was her spellcasting. But now Morrigan was on her own, pregnant and searching for something others thought was dangerous and thankfully long gone. And she was lost.

It could be the pregnancy that was screwing everything up. Women went through many changes, and her child had the soul of an Old God. Not to mention it was fathered by Alistair who didn't have the sense nature gave to a worm. Who knew how such a pregnancy could be affecting her natural acumen?

It still didn't change the fact that she was completely lost, and she needed some way to remedy that. She at least knew that she wasn't in Ferelden anymore; she'd spent the last two years tramping all over that forsaken country. So that was at least something useful. She wished she could turn into a wolf or a bird, but she honestly had no idea what that would do to her child at this stage of the pregnancy. She wasn't about to risk it. There was no moss, and at the moment, no sun. She wasn't far enough out of Ferelden to escape the dreary grayness yet. She could call it a wash, and camp for the day, but she had so much to do, and not enough time before she was too gravid. There was one way to find out where she was though; and it was not an option that appealed to the witch.

She would ask for directions.

While she had been considering her options, the bracken she trekked through had become a path, and then that path had become a clearing, all of which led to a small village in the middle of the forest. It could hardly have even been called a village – more like a small enclave of huts. If it wasn't for the fact that it was slightly warmer here, she might have thought she was among the Chasind.

A man, tanned, brunette and bearded, looking like every other one of the dog lords, came out of the hut. Morrigan sighed. It couldn't be helped.

"Excuse me." She said.

"Can I 'elp ya?" The man seemed startled by the appearance of a pregnant woman in rags. "Ye lost, mistress?"

"I... am, actually." Morrigan gritted her teeth. "Tell me, perchance, where am I?"

"Where's your husband?" He said, ignoring her question. Of course that was his first question. In a backwards place like this, seeing a woman traveling alone was like seeing a griffon in the sky.

"None of your business." She replied, irritated. "Now my answer my question." The man frowned, obviously thinking very hard, and Morrigan tried very hard not to reach for her staff. This man was clearly stupider than Alistar.

"Oh aye m'lady. You're in Jader."

"Jader?" Not as far as she had hoped she'd gotten then.

"Aye."

"Blast it." She needed to get to the Dales to continue her search. It would take her weeks to get there, if not longer. Could she find the Eluvian before her child was born? Or would she have to give birth on the road? Was it even worth it? Morrigan suddenly felt very, very tired.

"Do ya need a place to stay for tonight m'lady?" She hadn't realized the man was still there; she had assumed he moved on to do whatever inane tasks he had planned in his exciting life.

"What?"

"A place to sleep?"

"No." She said shortly. The man gave a significant look at her protruding belly. "Sure about tha' m'lady?"

"Stop calling me that." Morrigan was evading and she knew it. She couldn't deny she was tired, but she had no desire to stay in the village. Too many people. Too many questions. Too much to do. "I have to be on my way."

"Ah right. Do ya need anything for your journey?" Would this man never stop talking? She didn't understand why he persisted in bothering her.

"I'll be fine."

"Ah now, lass, sure you wouldn't mind some food. Ya can't have much, by the looks of your pack. And a growing babe needs to eat."

Morrigan rolled her eyes. How obnoxious could one person be?

"Fine, if it will make you happy. I could do with a meal."

"Right. Come with me, then." The man walked slowly towards one of the identical huts. Morrigan was annoyed by the pace, though it wasn't as if she could move much faster.

"Where are you headed?"

"Also none of your business, stranger."

"No need to be like that lass. Just a simple question is all. We don't get a lot of visitors here. Can you blame me for curiousity?"

"I suppose not."

"My name is Godwin, by the by."

"Morrigan." She muttered.

"Pretty name." He opened the door to a hut. "Here we are, home sweet home." The hut was cluttered, and small. It looked like it hadn't seen a broom for centuries.

"How many people live here?"

"Oh just myself these days. Wife died back during the Blight. Son up and moved to the city a few years before that." A normal person would be inclined to feel sorry for the man. Morrigan was distracted by the smell of rotting food. The man dug around a few cabinets until he dug up a loaf of half-eaten bread and some dried sausage. "Here ya go."

Morrigan took the food gingerly. "Umm... th-thank you, I... what do I owe you?"

"Nothin, lass. Would do it for any traveler. Especially one in the family way."

Now Morrigan was even more confused. In her experience, people like him were small-minded and selfish. After all, that's how one survived in the world. To meet those who were otherwise was... disconcerting.

"Well thank you then. I'll be on my way." She said, starting to head out the door.

"Morrigan?" The voice behind her stopped her.

"Yes?"

"The river's about a half-day's walk north of here. If you follow it down river, will take you towards Ferelden."

"And if I wanted to go towards Orlais?"

"Then follow it upstream towards the Frostbacks." The man almost grinned. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why.

"My thanks."

With her pack slightly fuller, and a clear direction to go in, Morrigan was back on her way, walking briskly until she was out of sight of the village, and Godwin. A silly, small man. Helpful, but stupid. She was glad to be away from him, and even more glad she was no longer lost. After losing sight of them, she slowed her pace. Something was wrong.

She knew where she was now. So why did she still feel so lost?