Here's the first of the interludes. Shorter than the other chapters but I just wanted to give more depth to what other characters might be feeling.

Interlude 1: Along the Path

Varric groaned as Heliwyr stopped to pick some elfroot. Again. "Red, shouldn't we, you know, hurry? I mean, I'm all for nature but I'm pretty sure this is pressing. Giant hole in the sky and all."

She gazed up at him from where she was kneeling, several stalks in one hand. "Elfroot makes for quick salves." She didn't say anything else as she went back to gathering.

"Okay, but..."

Varric was stopped by Solas' hand on his shoulder. Solas shook his head. "We're running out of potions." True enough, the supply was rapidly dwindling.

Heliwyr stood, packing away the plants for later. "I'm good with herbs. If you get hurt this will help." She coughed and averted her gaze, ears lowered. "Of course, it would be best if you didn't get hurt at all but this will do."

Realization dawned on Varric. "You're trying to help us. Red, you could have said something."

Cassandra nodded. "I assumed this was some Dalish thing. I did not realize you were looking out for us."

"It's fine. You know now. Let's go." Heliwyr bounded away, leaping over rocks and overturned trees with an ease only an elf could have. While the others contented themselves with the path, Heliwyr wound around them. Flitting about like a small bird. She picked berries, herbs, trinkets. At times she would pause, remove her bow, and shoot a wraith none had even known was there.

Behind her the others talked.

Varric immediately went to Solas. "She's different." At the raised eyebrow, he continued. "Red. I've met elves, even spent a fair amount of time with them. None of them were like her." He frowned. "She's too, I don't know, too everywhere. I knew an elf that had attention issues but not quite like her."

"Perhaps her clan's upbringing was different from this elf you knew." Solas nodded at Heliwyr. "However, I think this is not a matter of attention but of trust. We are strangers, likely some of the first outsiders she's ever met. This is her way of defending herself. Don't get close, keep an eye on us, keep an eye on the road." He reached into his bag and drew out some herbs he'd been given by Heliwyr earlier. "These are likely her way of trying to bridge the gap. A gift of faith, if you will."

Eyebrows scrunched, Varric puzzled out the meaning. "She's trying to get us to trust her and to trust us in turn. But wouldn't it be easier to actually, you know, be near us?"

"Perhaps it's not that simple."

Before the conversation could continue, a shout came from up ahead. Cassandra called back to them. "We are almost at the forward camp. But there is a rift in the way. Come aid us!"

The two males hurried up to the top of the hill to find the others already engaged in battle. Cassandra had the attention of all the demons while Heliwyr raced around, shooting rapidly. Varric went to take point and joined Heliwyr. Solas hung back to place barriers where they were needed.

At one point, though, a wraith got too close to Varric and he cursed. Bianca wasn't made for close range fighting and he looked for an escape route. However, he was closed in on all sides. This was gonna hurt. He prepared himself.

The wraith burst into many pieces and Varric found himself being circled by a worried elf. Heliwyr babbled nonsense as she checked him over for injuries. Satisfied he was fine, she threw herself back into the fray. Varric paused for a moment, thrown for a loop. For someone who avoided all of them, Heliwyr was certainly concerned for their health.

And that's when he saw it.

On the battlefield, Heliwyr continued to circle her companions. She raced around them, aiding where she could. Any time she decided an enemy was too close to Varric or Solas she aimed for them. She was protecting them. This entire time she'd been ensuring that nothing was going to harm them. And, it seemed, she barely even realized what she was doing, concentrated as she was.

Soon, the battle was over, the rift closed, and Heliwyr was back to keeping her distance. She flinched away from the guards attempts to thank her and responded gruffly, teeth bared. When they backed away she relaxed.

Varric laughed softly to himself as they entered the forward camp. It looked like he'd picked up yet another 'little wolf'...

Haha. I wonder how many people will catch the little bits of foreshadowing and the not so subtle bit at the end. I'm kinda tired so this is it.

TTFN,

Ginger