I knew the peace was too good to last. I knew that something had to go wrong. I had let my guard down, I had allowed myself to become relaxed and happy and I dared to hope things might get better. What was I thinking?

We were a sitting target for any army who might have wanted to attack us, but an army of Templars? Red Lyrium addled Templars who did not see man woman or child, only prey? I thought for sure that this was the end of the Inquisition, that this was how that dark future began. When the bells first sounded, Solas and I shared a frightened glance. I hoped in vain that perhaps it might only be something minor, a pack of bandits, a few stray demons or an open rift... But when I saw the hoard of torches marching towards us over the mountain, my stomach sank. The people in the village rushed in a panic, the happiness and celebration that had permeated the air only moments ago had vanished. As if it had never been there in the first place.
I felt like crying. It wasn't fair, these people had suffered enough fear and uncertainty. Was one night of respite too much to ask?

The army continued to pour over the mountainside, Solas and I were running towards the gate behind Cassandra and The Herald. We got there just as Cullen began to explain as best he could, what was happening. The Lady Josephine was there too, in her gold shimmering dress and piled up jet black hair, she was... stunning really, and had it been any other night I would have stopped to watch the way her tongue moved as she spoke and the way her deep brown eyes scrutinised everything.
But this wasn't just another night and I would most likely never get the chance to do any of those things, but before I could let that train of thought continue a loud heavy bang thumped against the gate.
Immediately I reached for my bow, only to discover an emptiness where it should have been. My gut sank more so. Perhaps had I been completely sober, I would have thought to arm myself. Failing that, I let flames tickle my finger tips.

"I can't come in unless you open!" called a panicked voice, a young boyish voice. A moment later we were being introduced to the strange boy, Cole. He was pale and thin and sickly looking, but he had cut down the Templar before him as a trained assassin. That put me on edge, coupled with how childishly he saw the situation.

"He is very angry that you took his mages." he said lowly, his voice concerned, his hands rubbing together fretfully.
He tried, as best he could, to explain the situation. He mentioned these Red Templars and an Elder One, which to me sounded terribly ominous. He was coming to destroy the Inquisition, and by the looks of things he might do just that.
I took a long and quivering deep breath in, trying to calm the fear rising up my throat. Every march of their boots shuddered through me, an constant reminder of the impending doom that would befall us all... Unless we could think of a miracle.

Luckily, we already had our little miracle.

"Cullen, give me a plan, anything." She said sternly, all the tone of her girlish voice an almost exact echo of Cassandra. It was Cullen who pointed out the trebuchets, who had the idea to try and break the bulk of the force. I may have thought him many things, but one thing I could not fault Cullen for was his ability to lead. He was a soldier, through and through and his men respected him. He commanded them all with the same calm authority I had seen on our first meeting and suddenly, the Inquisition sprung to life.

"Cassandra, Lavellan- with me. We must arm the trebuchets!" Trevelyan called, already drawing her sword and heading up the hill to the large wooden structures. I nodded firmly, about to follow when I heard Leliana call me.

I turned quickly and caught the bow she through to me, then the arrows. I mouthed a quick thank you and she winked- I think it was the adrenaline that was making me smile. Just as I was about to follow the Herald, I turned one last time to see Solas. He stared out across the mountains, glaring at the force before us with such anger that I had never seen him express before now. His eyes burned fiercely, his nostrils flared and he shot daggers at the tall menacing figure looming above the army. The Elder One, Cole had called him.

"Solas!" I called and he startled out of his trance. He nodded and dragged himself away enough to follow us. The look that still sat heavily in his eyes troubled me. It was not the look of a man caught in the middle of a battlefield, he didn't look shocked... If I hadn't been fighting for my life I might have stopped to wonder why. Fighting for my life at that particular moment was more difficult than it had yet been. These red Templars were rapid, monstrous carcasses of what the order had once been. Red lyrium protruded their grey dead skin and their eyes glowed with its vile infection. They were so far detached from the humanity that might have once sat there that it was if we were fighting demons. They held nothing back, gave no quarter. They cut down villagers and swung at you with their heavy unbalanced swords with all their might. Mythal only knows how Cassandra managed to keep her shield up against these things.

Throughout it all I kept my eye fixed on Trevelyan. I through out whatever magic I could in order to protect her and fired as many arrows as I could at the Templars surrounding her. She noticed, I knew she did because she passed me a quick appreciative glance and I returned it with a nod. When the onslaught faded she took the opportunity to turn the cog on the trebuchet. The rest of us stood watch, waiting for the next wave to come and another fight to begin. I was so tired however. Exhausted, and though I am absolutely loathe to admit it (given the seriousness of the situation) I was beginning to feel the effects of a hangover. Within moments however, the thing was armed and the order was given to fire.
I watched with great anticipation as the ropes cracked and the stone was hurled hundreds of feet in the air only to smash down into the army in a puff of white snow in the distance. The soldiers whooped and cheered at the success, but another warned of the second trebuchet not firing.
It wasn't until then did I notice how distant I felt, the ringing in my ears and the far off whisper of magic calling me. It's gentle hushed sound like a breeze through a forest was pulling me back from the world. I didn't feel as if I was there, it was almost the same as dreaming- light and unreal. Still I fought, still I communicated with the others during the fight and cheered when the avalanche swamped over almost half the Red Templar army. But there was a lightness in my chest and a slowness to my wiggling fingers as I watched them. Everything seemed to slow then, the soldiers took minutes to land from their triumphant leaps, Cassandra's smile of relief grew for an eternity... and I felt the creature coming before it even swept over the mountain.

As soon as I heard its tortured roar, my senses came back to me.

"Maker have mercy!" Cassandra cried out ducking her head and moving instinctively towards the herald as a twisted red dragon swooped down, covering the village in it's white hot flame.

"Is that what I think it is?!" Trevelyan cried out, as we retreated to the gates.

"I sincerely hope not." Solas' voice said behind me, rushed and panicked as he was he seemed the only thing that might keep the world from falling apart. I fell in place beside him and tried to catch his eye. He only looked to me briefly before grabbing my hand and running faster. We ran past the forge, stopped to help the blacksmith collect his essentials. I didn't miss the look of gratitude on his face when I helped to open his door.
We met Cullen and the others at the gate, I tried to listen to what he said but all my senses were focused on that beast raining fire upon us. It swept through the air, wreathing the entire village in flame, even as we tried we could not rescue all the people from its unchained wrath. Adan... the herbalist who had been kind to me, was killed in an explosion. He was wounded but as I reached out to grab his hand, I was tugged away and shielded from the blast by a strong barrier.

"No!" I cried out, my voice finding itself again, as I watched that good man die. "I have to save him, let me go!" I struggled against Solas' grip, but he only tightened his hold.

"There is nothing more you can do, we must go Nevalla!" he called out to me but I couldn't heed his words. My world had once again become confused. In that moment I didn't just see Adan. I saw my mother being dragged off by the slavers, her crying out my name, Leave her be I beg of you! She screamed, though her words were not of this time. She was speaking elvhen. Let her go! Please! Nevalla!

"Words she shouldn't understand echo in her mind, a language that is not hers, a time that is not hers, a life that isn't hers. But the magic is so familiar, so strong, so old... so very old and powerful. Not her, not her. Forget, forget- mama told me to forget. An old spell, too long left unattended, the binds will break. You will Remember."

Suddenly I was back in the chantry sitting still against one of the pillars as though I might melt into the stone itself. The boy, Cole sat in front of me, crouched down childishly on his honkers, regarding me with bright curiosity.

"The spell holds." he said with half a smile.

"Wh-What did you do?" I said, my mouth slow to form the words.

"I felt your mind. It... hurts. Trapped. Chained. Caught in a cloud of self doubt- these things can't be real. You have known so much hurt... But I can't make you forget anymore, you've forgotten too much." the words tumbled from his mouth in a jumble. Though they made little sense they spoke true and I couldn't put my finger on why. They meant something, and that something terrified me.

"Ah, I see you've decided to rejoin the land of the living. You've sat there dumb for quite a while, I was almost worried about you." Dorian's voice rang loudly in the hall that had seemed deathly quiet before. I was very grateful for that.

I smiled up at him, "Almost?"

He returned it as he too crouched down beside me, "Yes, almost. I've seen you come out of much worse, dear Nev." he said as he pushed a strand of hair from my eyes. A rumbling roar rattled over the old chantry and I noticed then how empty it was. Where were the people of Haven? Where was Cullen, Leliana, The Herald? Where was everyone?

"They're evacuating Haven, Roderick knows the path he walked in the summer. Over grown with weeds and wild flower... but still beautiful." Cole said dreamily.

Dorian arched his brow at the boy, "What our friend here means, is that there is a secret passage through the mountains. We're getting everyone out, Nev, this includes you. Come on, can you stand for me?" he said gently, pulling me up to my feet.

"What if- what if we're caught... the dragon... fenehdis..." I mumbled rubbing the stars away from my eyes and trying my hardest to ignore that persistent ringing in my ears.

Dorian openly cringed, "The Herald had a plan... but you're not going to like it."