Keo raced through the swamp, jumping over roots and sliding under fallen tree's but no matter what she did she couldn't shake her pursuer who seemed hell bent on catching her. She constantly checked over her shoulder but still it persisted, jaws snapping after her while it snarled and foamed at the mouth. All she had done was zone off and wander away from the camp and now she was being chased by a feral wolf. She rounded a tree in hopes of confusing the canine when she ended up sliding to a stop, falling back into a seated position. Once the wolf caught up it too slid to a stop beside her and unlike the mage had the sense to run away with its tail between its legs. Keo just sat there gaping up at the ogre which feasted on a dead deer. Surely her luck wasn't this bad. She sat in the mucky marsh, soaked to the core and frozen to the spot in shock. Her head rushed with thoughts on how to escape such a beast when she saw that it had failed to notice her presence, it was too focused on eating the deer to see the elf.

 

The mage looked around frantically for an escape route, the goal being to sneak off without being noticed by the darkspawn. She'd faced the Architect but he wasn't a giant ugly ogre. Plus that was a fluke. Her abilities had limits and that limit was currently feasting on a corpse. Movement in a tree off to the right caught Keo's attention and to her surprise there perched Daehyun motioning her towards him. She flashed him a look of 'And just how the do I get there!?' when the ogre grunted and tossed away the carcass it had been holding, unsatisfied by the quality of the deer meat. It stood and scratched at its backside before turning and sniffing at the air. The ogre had caught onto something but the spot before it lay empty, only marsh water and mud stared back at it. Confused it growled out in discontent though now it was alert, sure that something lurked near by. Daehyun covered his mouth, watching the mage hide behind the ogre in suspense. If it turned right, she'd manoeuvre herself around so she was no more than a shadow behind it. He gripped onto the branch in fear it'd spot her and crush her effortlessly. The Antivan couldn't take it any more, he had to get her away from it, she was flirting with death standing under that thing like that. Just what was she thinking anyway? She wasn't a rogue. He'd lost too many people he'd cared about and he wasn't about to let her get sat on by one of the ugliest creatures he'd come across in his years as a Grey Warden. “Hey fatass!” The Antivan yelled, distracting it from its search for the mage. When the ogre spun around and roared, he lept to the next tree to avoid the giant arm which smashed the tree he was previously on. He'd narrowly missed being crushed to death but now he was locked in a staring contest with the thing, “Oh .. You aren't Empress Celene. My apologies..WOAH!”

 

The ogre snatched him by the ankle and dangled him in front of its face, a creepy grin spreading from one horn to the other. “Tiny man has more meat than puny animal..Not rotten by water.. You'll taste better!” It its lips and began shaking him for a reason known only to it.

 

Daehyun struggled and squirmed against it until he heard the thing speak, never in his life had he came across a talking ogre. “Holy you talk!...Go back to your grunting and snarling please..I'd very much appreciate tha-” The shaking cut him off as it felt like his brain was rattling around inside his head. “Stop that!!! I'm not a rag doll! You're so ing rude!!” He warned, pointing his finger at it as if he was a parent telling off a toddler.

 

The ogre adjusted the assassin to hold him upright around the torso, it sniffed at him and brought him closer to its face to inspect it. Despite the fact it was an ogre, it was an ogre with standards. It had to know if it had chosen the right meal. “You talk a lot for food.” The ogre snorted, stomping off towards the carcass pile. “Should cook small man. Better, yes.”

 

“No cooking! Cooking bad!” Daehyun yelled, nose wrinkling up at the foul stench that wafted his way every time it opened its mouth.

 

Glass like eyes stared back at the Antivan, judging his protests. “Cooking bad?... Eat raw?” It questioned.

Daehyun's mouth dropped, was this thing for real? Was it asking him how to eat him? “Ye-.. No! No! Raw also bad! I suggest not eating me at all actually, my fine.. Giant.. Ogre..Friend?” He'd never have thought he'd be discussing cuisine with an ogre. Now he'd done it all. “I'm bad for your digestion, trust me, we Antivan's are all bone.. No meat. Very nasty..”

 

“NO!” It roared. “This one knows what tiny man trying to do. Me won't be tricked by tiny man!”

 

“ Maldición” Daehyun muttered, at least he'd tried. All this to protect that stupid little elf who'd probably ran off by now, leaving him to be eaten by the dumbest darkspawn in Thedas. He wasn't even sleeping with her. That was the kicker for him. One thing was for sure if he got out of this alive he'd seriously be re-evaluating his career path.

 

Just when the ogre went to eat Daehyun alive roots shot from the marsh and snatched the assassin before he reached its jaws. A bewildered ogre stumbled and felt at the air of where its meal had last been, it looked back to see an elf glaring at it. It went to charge when rock smashed into its face and disorientated it. When it managed to regain its balance it was met with the retreating figures running off into the distance. Outraged it let out a blood curdling roar and chased after, its large muscular body smashing through anything in its path.

 

Daehyun and Keo sprinted for their lives, hands clasped tightly in fear of losing each other in the fog and tree's. The assassin dragged the mage this way and that in hopes of losing it but no matter what he did, it remained right behind them. Daehyun had experience with running away from things though usually it was the angry father or husband of a girl he'd bedded, occasionally a brother but that was on a good day. Never something as grotesque as an ogre. With the fathers and husbands he could out run them quite easily, an ogre was another matter altogether. With this thing on their tail there was nowhere to hide, it destroyed everything it came into contact with which left him little option. During their attempted escape he'd noticed a river some ways back so he pulled a sharp turn and tugged the mage close to him, facing the building sized missile that barrelled towards them with relentless speed. He felt Keo grip onto his arm and start to tug but he held her in place, “Trust me..”As panicked as she was, despite every muscle screaming at her to keep running, she remained rooted for she did in fact trust the assassin..Shockingly enough. Keo watched as the ogre drew closer, she watched as it snapped trees and moved boulders out the way so effortlessly in its rage, its war path destroying everything in its wake all the while Daehyun remained cool, eyes narrowing at certain places around him. It was clear he was trying to analyse the best way to avoid the darkspawn.

 

At the last second, just as the ogre reached up to back hand the two into the next life, Daehyun shot forwards with the mage and they slid in between its legs, only enraging it further. They caught their footing and sprinted back the way they came, only this time following the river. Keo glanced at Daehyun as they fled then at the rushing water beside them, “Daehyun..” They were following the water current. She knew they were nearing a waterfall. Himchan had told her the fog was so thick in this part of the marsh due to the high altitude and that it went on for leagues at different levels. The way they were heading she could deduct only one thing, the very thing she'd hoped she'd seen enough of; More water.

 

Daehyun tightened his grip on her hand in an attempt to assure her everything was going to be okay. They had cleared some distance from the ogre but the smashing and stomping behind them indicated it was closely following their trail with the intent of crushing them into paste. When they reached the waterfall, Daehyun had every intention of diving off the edge into the pool below but ended up getting jerked back as the mage pulled him to a sharp stop just before the leap point. “Keo.. I know you're scared but its the water or the ogre!” He tried to reason, watching the tree's in the distance fall as the ogre closed in.

 

Keo pulled herself free from the assassin and backed up a few steps, heart pounding, it was logical but her feet just refused to continue. She was out of breath from all the running but the idea of jumping from a waterfall caused her to have trouble breathing at all. Her bodies way to try and rectify this was by having her hyperventilate. “I can't.. I..” A roar from the ogre that drew ever closer in the distance shocked her body into forcing her to choose between her worst fear and being crushed to death. She began to tremble and her eyes welled up with tears, once again paralysed to the spot.

 

Daehyun's gaze softened and he held his hands out to her. Had she met him a year ago and they were in this exact same situation he would have picked her up and thrown her off the edge but after a certain incident he'd had, he knew what it was like to be faced with the choice of facing his fear or death. He never thought it would have hindered him so much, he never would have thought that he'd contemplate death. So when he saw her drop to her knees and start shaking, he didn't get annoyed or yell at her out of desperation. He just held his hand out to her, “Trust me.”

 

The elf gingerly started to reach out for his hand when the ogre came crashing through the trees, the bloodthirsty snarl scaring her into leaping forwards. She found herself clutching onto him for dear life and it was then she heard his heart racing just as hers was. She felt him trembling. Keo was stunned that someone like him was just as scared as she was. She thought he feared nothing, he certainly acted like he did.

 

Daehyun backed them up to the edge as the ogre stomped towards them doing that stupid walk its kind always did. The spray of the water rushing over the fall rattled his nerves, reminding him that there might not even be a pool at the bottom. They could hit rocks and die anyway. It was a risk but he'd rather take it then die at the behest of that thing. Daehyun smirked ever so slightly at the ogre and tightened his grip on the mage before tossing them over the edge. He felt her curl into him as they spiralled downwards and when they hit the water below he knew it was up to him to get them both to the surface. Keo remained latched onto him but he could tell she was panicking at being submerged underwater so he secured his arm around her waist and swam to the surface, pleased to have at least made the jump. When they broke the surface they both coughed and spluttered up the water that had entered their system. Keo kept her arms around his neck to stay afloat while he waded in the water for a bit, checking to see if the ogre was still there. He could hear its shouts of frustration but other than that it seemed to have given up. “See? You're braver than you thought!” He commented to the shaking elf, giving her a wink.

 

Keo looked at the boy and laughed feebly, looking much like a drowned rat. “I think I'm starting to hate you..”

 

The Antivan feigned being hurt by such a comment but he couldn't stop the lopsided smile from breaking past the pout. “Such cruelty!” A chuckle came from him then he made his way to the water bank, helping the little hydrophobiac out of the water. “I'm proud of you, Keo.” He finally spoke when they were ringing out their clothes. He slicked his hair back out his face so it was styled somewhat like Himchan's and smiled charmingly, “Seriously.”

 

The mage glanced up at him and ended up doing a double take. She didn't understand how he managed it but he was oddly beautiful, now that she thought about it he always had been. “I.. Uh.. “ Keo dropped her gaze so it was downcast and continued with trying to dry off her shirt. She could have used her fire spell but she figured that ogre would be on the hunt for them and that giving it a beacon to follow was a terrible idea. “We should.. Leave.”

 

“You alright, little elf?” He went to check her temperature but she just ducked out the way and avoided his gaze entirely. His hand hovered for a moment as he watched her retreat into the marsh. Daehyun noticed how she avoided looking at him which worried him. He was Antivan, so he wasn't oblivious to this feeling stuff like Youngjae was. He could tell she felt something but was trying to reject it, hence her avoidance. With a sigh he caught up to her and remained silent, simply watching her out the corner of his eye. She'd fidget and glance his way then quicken her pace and walk ahead of them while they tried to find their way back to the camp to regroup. Eventually he grew tired and admittedly annoyed of the glancing when she thought he wasn't looking so caught onto her upper arm. “Keo. We need to talk.”

 

“No we don't.” She mumbled, her voice lowering so he could barely hear it. She attempted to pull her arm free but he just pulled her back.

 

“Yes. We do.” The assassin frowned. “You've been avoiding me since the river. You've been unable to stop fidgeting which is really annoying by the way.. And you keep looking at me when I look away then when I look at you all I get is avoidance. So what is it?”

 

Keo bit down on her lip to stop her spilling out everything. It sounded so stupid even in her head. She couldn't stomach it. Every belief system she'd had was shattered, this was all she had left. Her belief that feelings were pointless and only chemicals in the body. She couldn't lose it. This belief was the thing holding her together. “It's nothing.. I'm just.. Look.. We just escaped from an ogre and I just had to jump off a waterfall.. Can I not be entitled to acting weird for a few minutes?”

 

Daehyun's face slowly contorted into a scowl, even now she was avoiding his gaze. It was beginning to piss him off. “Yeah sure.. But look at me a minute.”

 

“I'd rather not.” She frowned, eyes locking on to her shoes.

 

“Just look at me.” He pleaded. She remained silent and shook her head in response which didn't help with his agitation. “Keo.”

 

“Why?” She practically whined at him.

 

“Look at me.” Daehyun stepped towards her, to an Antivan the distance meant nothing but he was aware it would make her uncomfortable. It sounded bad but he knew when he got close she told him everything. So he persisted.

 

“I can't!!” She finally admitted. She'd broke under him being so close to her just as he'd intended and his constant asking, she didn't think he was aware how intimidating he was to her. “I can't look at you and I don't know why..” She mumbled.

 

Daehyun smiled and took a step back, having heard what he wanted. “It's because I'm irresistible.” He joked, that boyish charm shining through his frustration for a brief moment before he turned serious again. “Or it's because you like me.”

 

Keo tensed and shoved him, instantly glaring at him. “No! Why would I? I mean.. There's nothing wrong with you or anything like that. Any girl would be lucky to have you I just mean.. “ She began to ramble but caught herself before she put her foot in it. “I will never like anyone.”

 

A cocky smirk tugged at the assassin's lips, one brow quirking upwards. “Oh? What about Kai.”

 

“I like Kai. I mean not your version of like. More than friend like is the like you mean. Kai's a brother like. The like I know and trust. Your likes weird. Shut up you know what I mean!” Keo grumbled, beginning to grow frustrated with herself and him the more she went on. “Just.. Leave it.” She sighed, though it came out as a plead. She turned and made her way through the marsh but she had no actual idea where she was going.

 

“What about Jongup?” He questioned suddenly, he was unsure whether he wanted to hear the answer or not but it had already slipped out. Frankly he was shocked at himself for even asking but he always saw them together.

 

Keo looked utterly caught off guard by that but she managed to find a way to twist and avoid it, “Why does it matter?”

 

Daehyun jogged after her to catch up and flashed her a look, “You two are really.. Close.” He muttered, hand going up to rub at the back of his neck. “And he's..Still growing. So.. It matters.”

 

The mage raised her eyebrow at him, the awkwardness beginning to seep through. She saw him acting like her when she was nervous around him. “Are you..Y'know?..Jealous?”

 

“No.” He shot out. “No. I'm just curious.” It was his turn to avoid her gaze. The Antivan ended up scrunching his nose up at himself. There he was accusing her of having feelings but when she questions jealousy he turned into her with the denial. “I'm not sure what's going on honestly.” He admitted, memory returning to that day in Denerim. He knew he'd kissed her that night even though he was half asleep and then when they were in the market he'd had a blast. Did he like her after all? He couldn't exactly compare with his dead girlfriend since he'd loved her on first sight. This elf though.. It wasn't love. So just what was it?

 

For the first time in a few hours Keo smiled. But as usual she returned to the mage who over thought everything and rationalized the moment away. “Do you think maybe, because of the situations we're finding ourselves in, it's all spur of the moment? I mean we've been facing some pretty dangerous crap..Makes sense to... ”

 

Daehyun frowned and glared at her a little, “Or it could just be because I'm Antivan and you're female.” If she was going to go that route, he would too. He didn't understand how she could do that, one minute he'd be smiling away happily at something she was doing then the next he'd be like this. Angry.

 

The elf flinched back and nodded, letting her gaze drift back to the path ahead “Yeah, that sounds more plausible. To answer your question though... I'm comfortable around Jongup. I feel protected and safe and..I've grown attached.. But I've never liked someone before so I wouldn't know if I liked him. Hopefully not as I value his friendship and the whole feelings thing scares me..”

 

The two fell silent after that it only breaking when Daehyun felt the need to let her in on a little advice. “....Y'know there's nothing wrong with liking someone. It's completely natural. Just... Maybe not Jongup.” He paused in his words, looking like he was debating saying something else but whatever he was about to say never came out. He couldn't bring himself to say it.

 

“Touching.” Came a hiss from the shadows. Daehyun froze completely to the spot, entire body tensing up at the voice that grated on his every nerve. Lyonna emerged from the shadows of the swamps to stand in front of the pair. She placed her hand on her hip and cocked it to one side, eyes narrowing in disgust at the scene.

 

“Lyonna? What are you-” Keo went to step towards her but Daehyun held out his arm to block her path. “Daehyun what are you doing? It's just Lyonna.”

 

“Don't go near her.” He uttered under his breath. Something wasn't right, she was showing Keo her true side. She was acting as venomous as a snake instead of feigning sweetness. Plus she'd changed everything about herself; Her long curls had been chopped off into a spiky bob and instead of her Dalish gear she seemed to have taken on a more tribal look. “Look at her Keo. She's changed, that isn't the Lyonna you thought you knew.”

 

Lyonna smiled and clapped slowly at his deductive powers, lips pursing. “Very observant!” Her smile faded into a thin line and her silver gaze locked onto the mage instead. “I'll only offer this once Keo so I suggest you listen closely and consider it carefully. You have potential. So join me and together we can do what we've always dreamt of.”

 

Keo glanced to Daehyun who had shifted so he was now standing in front of her then focused on her friend. “What are you talking about? How did you find us?”

 

“I never lost you.” She sighed, clearly growing bored with all of this. “Look I've got a schedule to keep so will you join me. Yes or no?”

 

“What?” The entire conversation confused the elf, on one side Lyonna stood looking like a witch and on the other was a feral Daehyun ready to attack at any second.

 

Daehyun scowled and stepped fully in front of Keo. “She isn't joining you.”

 

“I don't believe that's your decision to make.” Lyonna spat, nose crinkling in disdain. “I'm asking Keo not you.. Keo, I'm offering us a chance to show the world the true power of the Dalish. To remind them of who we once were. To regain our place and our history. You know the humans will never take us seriously.. We must fight back before they decide to wipe us out entirely.”

 

Keo went to speak but Daehyun scoffed and rolled his eyes, “Using the cover of rebellion to mask your desire for power. That's pretty pathetic.”

 

Lyonna's eyes narrowed fully into a fierce glare, she her staff forward and sent roots straight for the Antivan. Keo let out a scream as right before her Daehyun was impaled through the shoulder by one of the roots, blood splattering up onto her face, the roots s their way around him and tightened until he was gasping for breath before they tossed him to the side. Her hands shakenly covered as she watched his body roll to a stop when he hit the ground. “Lyonna..How could...”

 

“I've had enough of his insolence.” She snarled, walking over to the mage and placing a hand to her shoulder. “The Warden's are a waste of time, Keo. They are the reason the darkspawn attacked Ostagar. Had they not arrived and put us in danger, those darkspawn wouldn't have gave those ruins a second glance.”

 

Keo's eyes remained locked on Daehyun as he lay there motionless and for the second time that day her eyes welled up with tears in fear he was dead. “Why would you do that...?” She whispered, body trembling from the shock.

 

“For the love of Fen'Harel!.. For one second stop thinking of that useless boy!” Lyonna snapped, her voice raising to a shout which made Keo flinch and stare at her. “Concentrate. There's a good girl. What I'm saying is the darkspawn had no intention of attacking Ostagar until those stupid men traipsed in and signed us a death warrant.”

 

“You can't possibly know that..” Keo frowned, swallowing the lump in .

 

“You were always so naïve, Lethallan.” Lyonna cooed, her thumb wiping at a single speck of blood on the tip of the girls nose. “I know because I asked.”

 

Instantly Keo was backing away from the brunette, horrified. “You.. Why would you speak to them?”

 

“Why do you think they were there in the first place? Convenience? They were there because I ordered them to be there.” Lyonna frowned. Hand waving as she explained. “The darkspawn want to be led. Even with their freedom they want to follow someone. I promised to get them to Ferelden undetected by the Grey Warden's.. For Warden's are to darkspawn what Templars are to us.” Her calm demeanour slowly diminished and she grew more aggravated, her voice starting to sound spiteful. “But then they showed up and severed everything. They ruined everything I accomplished in years in only a few seconds. So I had to make amends...”

 

Keo's eyes widened at the woman she thought to be her sister, she couldn't believe it or rather she didn't want to believe it. “You were behind the attack at Ostagar?”

 

Lyonna folded her arms and tsked, head tipping to one side.“There's the intelligence you hide. You should really show it more. Yes. Like I said I had to make amends. It was unfortunate but sacrifices must be made for-”

 

“NO!” Keo yelled, cutting her off before she could continue. She had a feeling she'd be sick if she heard any more of this. “They were our family! Unfortunate? Sacrifice? They trusted you! I trusted you!”

 

“That's why I'm offering you this!!” Lyonna yelled back, brows furrowing. “You have potential Keo, so much you aren't even aware of. Join me, be my sister. We would be so powerful together, unstoppable even. Think of all we could accomplish!”

 

Keo shook her head as a pain began to burn in her chest. She physically felt her trust for this woman being torn to shreds. Then one thought which calmed her freaking out entered her mind. “You really were trying to kill Kai.. Weren't you?”

 

“She was in the way and a poor influence on you. The more you two spoke the further you got from me.” Lyonna admitted. “Don't worry, soon enough she'll be gone.”

 

“What have you done?” Keo growled, eyes narrowing at the Witch. This woman wasn't Lyonna, not the woman she grew up to respect anyway. This was a Witch. “What did you do?”

 

“The Warden's have fallen.” She stated and shot her hand to the side, pointing at Daehyun. “He was the last one. I admit I enjoyed that one a bit too much though.” A small chuckle came from her. “Almost as much as watching Kai squirm.”

 

Something inside Keo snapped that night. In one burst of energy she'd blasted Lyonna back against one of the giant tree's that occupied the marshlands. “First our clan.. Then the Warden's.. Then Daehyun and now Kai?... That ing tears it!” She snarled as she approached the recovering Witch.

 

Lyonna grimaced and pushed herself to her feet, wiping away the blood that dripped from the cut along her cheek with her hand. She scowled and faced the Dalish. Readying herself for the battle she had hoped to avoid. It seemed she'd be going it alone after all. “Pity.”

 

To be continued....