A/N: How's everyone doing? Good I hope! Everyone liking the story so far? If ya'll wanna see something relly badly, TELL ME~! I'd take your idea into consideration. Or, you could write a FanFic about it yourself :D That would be cool.

Mina sat in her bed, looking around at the place she now lived. It smelled of stale ale and faintly of piss. The floor was sticky in spots and cold. The wood was rotting in a few places. It was better than no place to live. It was definitely better than what she'd had before. But, she missed the familiarity of her world. The knowledge of what was going on and knowing what she would face each day. She missed the dusty library and the lady with the gentle heart that had helped her. She even missed that silly Texas pride. Oh, she liked being in this.. this world of fantasy, but despite it all, she was alone. Varric was great for stories, but he hid too much. Fenris was not a sharing kind of person. If she was honest with herself, none of the people she knew knew her at all. They never asked about where she came from or how she got to Kirkwall in the first place.

Mina felt cold, thich tears rolling down her lightly tanned cheeks. Out of all the things she was afraid of, being completely alone was the worst. That was her greatest fear. She pulled the grey scratchy wool blanket up around her as the tears kept streaming down her face. As much as she was attracted to Anders, he didn't seem interested in her as a person; only that she didn't dislike mages. She hoped desperately that wasn't actually the case.

Fear wracked her that night until the early hours. It was the fear that she was crazy. The fear that she would always have to act like she was 'ok' and that she was tough. Scattered memories of her mom came to her then. It gave her a small amount of comfort.

"Momma... what's wrong with me?" she asked the open air,"Why am I here? Why did you leave me?" She hid her face in her knees and bawled until her lungs felt filled with fire. She knew no one, not a soul, would or could answer her questions. She was, infact, alone.

Not more than an hour later did she hear the groaning creak of her door. Quiet, but heavy footsteps entered and stopped close to her bed. Mina's head was pounding, her throat dry, and her eyes stung. She was not willing to entertain whomever the intruder was.

"Kitten, are you going to look at me? I already know you've been crying all night. Nora told me," Varric's smooth voice called to her. She slowly lifted her head up to look at the Dwarf. He was in his usual duster but had a dark blue shirt on opposed to his usual red.

"Go 'way Varric," she sniffled pitifully. He pulled up a chair and looked at her silently. He was waiting for her to tell him what was wrong and wouldn't take no, or in her case 'go away' for an answer. Stubborn as she was, she held her tongue. Besides, she was embarrassed to be seen in such a state. She'd always had to keep a stiff upper lip. She always had to seem strong so no one would worry.

Finally Varric broke the silence, "Alright. Mina, I'm seriously worried about you, kid. What's got you so worked up?"

She shifted uncomfortably. He never called her by her name. Not once since Garrett picked her up. She knew as soon as she opened her mouth, she wouldn't be able to stop. She wanted to tell someone, plus, Varric was the only one she felt would really listen.

"Varric, I'm going to need you to trust me, ok?"

With a wary nod to confirm, she sighed.

"What... what am I to you, first off? Am i just an informant? Some weird Elf you picked up off the street?"

"Makers balls! Is that what this is-?" she cursed with a chuckle.

"No. Just answer me," she demanded a bit harsher than she intended.

Varric looked taken aback by her outburst. He saw her as the 'quiet-follow-orders' type of person. The quiet part may have been spot on, but she was defiant in some way, shape, or form. She usually did things her own way if she could get away with it.

"Ok, ok. Geeze, don't know what's gotten into you. No, you're not just one of my spies, and no you're not just some Elf we picked up. you're weird, yeah, but you just sort of fit. I'd like to think of you as my unofficial sister of sorts. Why?" He's started to clean Bianca, as was his routine when he woke up in the morning and got back at night. She was the love of his life and his weapon of choice. No one could take care of her better.

Mina rubbed one of her temples gingerly. The throbbing had lessened, if only slightly. Her heart, instead, was thumping in her chest. If he didn't believe her, she'd be sent away or whatever they did with people they thought completely lost it.

"No one ever asked me how I got here. Hell, no one even knows my favorite color!" Varric raised an eyebrow in question to her cursing. Hell wasn't something they said here, but she used it often enough they were getting used to it.

Sunlight was poking through her tiny window. The glass was a bit dusty... She made a mental note to clean it off later. Not that she'd see much. A whore plying her trade, a plain brick wall, or some vendor's stall.

Varric played with Bianca's trigger, making sure it wasn't sticking, "I'm going to guess... green? And we'd all assumed you were a refugee from Ferelden. You do have a weird accent."

Mina snorted, "No, Orlesians have a weird accent. My favorite color is silver by the way. And, no, I'm not from Ferelden. This is the part where you're going to swear I've been possessed by a demon or something."

Mina told Varric about where she'd came from and about her life there, excluding the 'Dragon Age is a video game' part. He seemed confused about how she was a human there and an Elf now. It puzzled her just as much. She also had to pause and explain what a few things were like cars, or how they had light without candles and fire. That made her smile. He always liked getting every detail he thought was interesting. An hour had passed before she finished the tale with the night she'd fallen asleep outside in the snow.

Varric took a deep breath and shook his head. Mina was nervous. There was no way he believed her. She couldn't blame him either. The whole thing sounded absolutely insane to her. Traveling to another world? Such a thing was not possible. And yet, here she sat. Unless, of course, she truly was mad after all.

"You should be dead by all rights. But... how did you get here, Kitten? You don't remember," he shook his head again with a look of disbelief on his face,"This shit is weird."

Mina let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding and hugged the Dwarf, "Oh, thank God! You actually believe me?!"

Varric hugged the startled Elf and chuckled,"Yeah, I guess I do. I'm pretty good at reading people if you haven't noticed. You didn't lie and I'm reasonably sure you're not crazy."

Mina closed her eyes and drank in his comforting scent. It was subtle but smooth cologne and a sweet ale mixed. He'd become her source of refuge and her protector. They both knew it, but neither would say it. She pulled away and smiled at her 'brother'. His stubble was getting thicker. He needed a shave, lest he look like an Orzammar Dwarf.

"Thank you, Varric. I just... I didn't know how to tell anyone. i didn't think you guys would want me arou-"

"Don't get all sentimental on me now, Kitten. All of us like having you around. You've managed to squeeze your way into Broody's stone heart and completely stole Blondie's," he said getting up from the chair. Mina giggled and got out of her bed, still dressed in yesterday's usual black leathers.

"That reminds me.. YOU TOLD ISABELA?! You do realize that all of Lowtown and half of Darktown know now, right? Plus everyone at the Rose, and...!" she sputtered out furiously. She was about to say a name she knew she'd regret saying. Varric would use it in awful ways in his stories, depending how he told them each day. She threw a shoe at him, which he dodged.

"Hey! Rivaini kept asking me about it. As an honest man and a storyteller, I was obligated to tell her," he answered slipping out of the doorway as he did so.

Mina growled at him and stomped her foot like a child. He was such a gossip! But, she wasn't going to let it get to her right then. She had to see what was 'oh-so important' to Merril. She doubted Izzy really cared about whatever thing her Elven lover was excited about. She only seemed like it to keep Daisy happy.

Mina looked through her dresser for something to wear. Anything would do as long as it wasn't armor. Most things she wore were black. A terrible fashion crime to those who cared enough. She pulled out a dark grey cotton shirt and a silver vest she just loved! It was made of satin and had these vine looking designs on each side. On the left was her favorite part. There was a black velvet wolf that had many eyes. It sat howling. Mina thought it looked sad and lonely. Hawke insisted that wolves howled for communication and that a wolf always had a pack, so it would never be alone. Mina wasn't so sure. Peeling her eyes off of her wolf, she searched for a pair of black pants to go with her outfit. Her boots, which were also black, shockingly, were the only pair of shoes she owned.

After a quick bath, she put her silvery hair into a bow-shape at the top and let the rest cascade down her back. It was quite funny that her hair was now her favorite color. It used to be super blonde, which she hated. Her hair was a pain to maintain. It got annoying at times, but she couldn't get herself to cut it just yet.

"Alright, off to Merril's. Hopefully it's not another trick to get me to go gather herbs for her," she mumbled to herself as she navigated her way through the busy tables of the Hanged Man.

She walked slowly along the dirt roads of Lowtown. Everyone seemed busy trying to make some coin or haggling prices. Some were drinking, like usual. Some were simply talking outside of their homes. This was like the suburbs she'd seen not far from Dallas. She'd liked to take walks. She'd never had any other way to get around anyway. Today, though, it seemed like walking was a bit harder to do. The burn on her leg still stung. It may have been her imagination, but it felt like it hurt more. She tried to ignore it.

She waved to Lady Elegant, one of Hawke's old contacts under Athenril. She was nice enough, but struck Mina as a woman who thought too highly of herself. Ugh.

The other Elves smiled and waved to her as she entered the alienage. They saw her often enough and weren't as suspicious of a fellow Elf as they were of humans. She picked up a toy horse that had fallen behind a rock and handed it back to the child who had been crying about it. He smiled, revealing a missing tooth. She ruffled his brown hair and sent him scuttling back to the other children. She stopped at the big tree and placed her hand on it. She hadn't spent that much time around other Elves, city or Dalish. But, something about the tree made something stir inside her. The bark felt rough, but it thrummed with some kind of energy, she couldn't name. Red veins ran through it and mixed in with the brown and green. It was a bit of nature in the city. A reminder that there was beauty in all places. If she knew a prayer in the Elven tongue, she would have said it, but alas, she didn't.

Mina rapped her knuckles on Merril's door, only to hear someone crashing around inside. Mina furrowed her brows wondering if maybe the little Elf was being robbed. However, right as Mina went to open the door herself, the happy face of Merril appeared.

"Hello, Lethallan! I wasn't expecting you today, but-er, come on in!" she said in her slightly panicked way. She always sounded a bit panicked. Mina figured if Merril had something to hide it was a puppy she'd picked up or that she had another argument with her Keeper.

Merril's house was mostly clean, but had scant furniture. There was a small wooden table with a couple candle nubs, a couple of chairs and a very small couch. Of course there was Merril's bedroom with the tiny bed and that seriously creepy-ass mirror.

"Aneth ara, Merril. I came because Isabela said you had something to show me. Well, that and you know I enjoy talking with you," Mina said with a grin. Merril jumped up and down a moment and grabbed Mina's hand. Apparently the other Elf had forgotten just what was so important and urgent that Mina had to see. Much to Mina's dread, they went to Merril's room and stood right in front of the mirror.

"Merril, I-" Mina began.

"No, Lethallan, please just trust me. I saw something! It was unbelievable! Touch it," Merril begged.

Mina swallowed the dread in her stomach. The twisted ancient wood that surrounded the blighted thing added to the creepiness. The mirror itself was still cracked, but it held together rather well. Merril was working up the courage to ask her Keeper for the tool to finish it. Mina hoped that would never happen. Who knew what this thing could do.

As if it would ease her nerves, Merril muttered an Elven prayer and finished with, "May the Dread wolf never catch your scent, or find you."

IT was all superstitious nonsense to Mina. Just to rile Merril up, Mina retorted with a saucy smile, "Let him find me. We'll see who's more of a trickster then. I'd love to play with this wolf of yours."

Merril frowned. It almost looked like she was pouting.

"Oh for-! I'll touch it, ok?! But if something weird happens, go get Hawke," Mina amended earning a smile from her friend.

Slowly, she reached out to touch the cold, broken surface of the thing she hated. The last time anyone touched it, it had released the Fifth Blight. But, when she touched it, she got a vision of herself melting through the ground in Dallas where she'd fallen asleep. She reappeared in a place that seemed forever foggy. It had hundreds of mirrors just like Merril's. Leafless trees curled up into a sphere at the top like a mage's staff. It was eerie to be sure. Mina's vision self still lay on the ground asleep. But, out of the fog, she saw a dark shadow. It was a very large dark shadow too. No, that wasn't right. It was like a shadow within shadows. It made no sound as it moved despite the speed it traveled at.

She realized as it got close to her sleeping body that it was a wolf. It was her wolf; the one on her vest. "Andraste's sweet ass! That's gotta be the fucking Dread Wolf!" Mina yelled. Suddenly she felt hot. Not just hot, but like her entire being caught on fire. The pain in her leg was searing and she felt herself collapse onto Merril's floor just as her wolf looked at her.