The farm lay in a thick fog, close yet out of grasp. Lea ran toward it, away from the forest, but it bended, twisted to pull Lea away from where he wanted to go. Guttural screams for help echoed all throughout the courtyard. The entity possessing the forest laughed at Lea's struggle. The screams grew wearier and a final, sobbing call for him, gave him the strength to pull forward, out of the strangling grasp. Lea sat up in his cot with a gasp and quickly turned to see Roxas sleep soundlessly next to him. Metallic thumps from outside cleared the lingering fog clouding Lea's mind and he rose to his feet. The night was dark still. The moons were barely visible on the nightsky.

Lea pulled the curtain aside slightly to see the courtyard. Isa walked across it, looking closely as the ground with the faint light from his lantern. He dropped the hammer in the middle of it glanced upward. Before he blew the candle out, Isa turned back and looked straight at Lea. In the split second their eyes met, Lea saw Isa's eyes turn amber. Lea staggered back. His thoughts raced. This discoloration of the eyes was a sign of possession. Isa was not a mage and yet his eyes had shifted color. Once he dared to look back outside, Isa was gone, and Lea was left with doubts as to what he had seen.

-x-

Isa joined them for breakfast for the first time in a long while. He ate with great appetite, but had little to say. Myde's attempts at including Isa in their conversation proved futile. They bore the unexpected company, watching Isa through sideway glances. Lea had yet not decided if he trusted what he had seen. Confusion and the lingering nightmare could have contributed to the contorted image. Even the light from the lantern could have been responsible.

A soft nudge from Roxas had Lea looked to his side. He was comforted by the gentle smile of his friend. Lea had thought it best to not tell Roxas about what he had seen. Isa and Roxas barely got along as it was.

"Has there ever been a demon who has sought revenge for being fooled?" Isa asked at last and silenced the others with his question. "That is what the Harrowing is about, is it not? You face a demon who has been led to believe you want to form a union. But the demon is used as a test. Has one ever tried to avenge?"

"That's a bit heavy for a subject at the breakfast table," said Myde with a nervous laugh.

"The First-Enchanter deals with such matters," Lea said bitterly and glared at Isa.

"And if there is no First-Enchanter to deal with such matters?" Isa asked, undeterred by the heavy air between him and the rest.

"Free mages do not expose themselves to rites such as the Harrowing," Roxas cut in before Lea could answer. "Should a demon want revenge, it should turn to the Chantry."

"But you have both passed the rite. You are not apprentices anymore, are you? You have faced demons and their temptations at least once. As did your comrades, and yet, I have heard that most of them became abominations the second they started to use blood magic."

"Isa, shut up," Lea said past gritted teeth. "You have no right to talk about them."

"Should the templars find you," Isa continued nonchalantly. "Would they kill you or make you Tranquils? Which would be preferable?"

Lea rose to his feet and pulled Roxas up with him. They stormed out of the house and back to the the shed.

"Pack your things. We have to be ready," Lea said as soon as the door closed behind him.

"Would he really turn us in?" Roxas asked as he searched for a piece of cloth to tie into a bag.

"He would turn you in without a second thought, Roxas. And that is cause enough for us to leave as soon as we can. Myde said that it would rain torrentially for two days. I say we leave as soon as the clouds clear."

"To Denerim?" Roxas' eyes lit up.

"To Denerim." Lea smiled.

A knock on the door had them both turn around swiftly. Myde opened the door slowly and sneaked inside.

"What did he do?" Lea asked.

"He is eating his breakfast," Myde replied with a shudder. "I never thought him capable of something like that. I don't know whether to believe that was a threat or not. Are you leaving?"

"We have no other choice," Lea said and gave Myde a pat on his shoulder. Myde had been a true friend. He had gone above and beyond to make them feel welcome. This farm had been Lea's first home since he was snatched away from his own by the templars and he missed it already.

"We will leave in two days," Roxas said with a glance at his bundle of belongings. "You should try to rid yourself of that elf while we're still here, Myde. I could not leave in good conscience knowing that we left you with that to deal with."

Myde nodded in agreement.

"Take whatever you can carry from the pantry. I wouldn't want either of you to starve." Myde smiled woefully. "I will miss you both an awful lot. The farm will not be the same without you. But such is life." Myde sighed. "Write to me if possible, please."

Both Lea and Roxas walked up to him to share a hug.