They'd been climbing at a steady uphill pace for days, and it had only grown more noticeable in the past few hours. Orzammar, and consequently Gherlen's Pass, lay beneath an intimidating set of mountain peaks from which swept a cold, chilling wind. Baekhyun was gladder than ever for the furs they'd doubled up on in Redcliffe. Everyone in their traveling party needed extra layers now, even Tao. The boy's skin was incredibly warm for an elf, but at the first sign of shivers, Jongin insisted he share in their furs at least until they got to Orzammar. 

"We'll be there by noon," said Kris when asked. "I recognize these land formations. Not long now."

Baekhyun recognized them too but he was too grumpy, and cold, to point that out. He was also quite on edge wondering what they'd find when they got there. No warm place to rest, for a start, but he worried more about the company they might meet. 

"I'm going to scout on ahead," he told them all, jaw set with determination.

"I'll go with you," said Chanyeol, but Baekhyun put up a hand. 

"No, you'll just slow me down." He pulled his hood tighter over his head, tucked his reddish bangs inside and double-checked that his bow was set and ready to be handled. 

Jongin tried to catch his eye, but Baekhyun shook his head. He already knew what the warrior would say; it was probably along the lines of be careful and don't kill anyone you don't have to. As he prepared to sprint they all noticed Tao sniffing into the wind. He acted eerily like a wolf, but when asked Tao frowned sadly and explained that sometimes he smelled things. "I keep thinking my senses are better," the boy sniffed, this time in frustration. "But they're not. Not anymore." 

Baekhyun struck his body into the wind and dashed onward. 

The road was not empty of travelers this time of day, but he kept to the shadows whenever he heard noises. Fallen leaves crackled under his boots, easily muffled in the wind. It would snow soon. He didn't need to be a wolf like Tao to recognize the scent of a coming storm, and he was not happy knowing this. A snowstorm could block their way or trap them in the dwarven surfacers' outcroft. The thaig itself would not offer them respite, not to outsiders such as them, and they could not hope to weather a storm well in any other place. By himself perhaps Baekhyun was crazy enough to go through the pass and begin the descent in a storm, but only just. He would not advise risking Sehun's life in such a way. It was all the more reason he determined to scope out the pass and see who awaited, for sadly, he imagined they might be there a while. 

The sight of a nondescript man with vaguely curly hair did not excite Baekhyun's interest much, except that the figure was perched up high on a large rock formation, sitting happily in the perfect look-out position, waiting. Baekhyun ducked down out of sight and crept stealthily around the boulder, just in case, thinking perhaps that the profile was familiar to him. Behind the rock though, if he climbed just right, was a narrow crack wide enough for Baekhyun to fit through. The rock was cold against his hands, his feet slid a bit as he shuffled through sideways, and he almost cursed himself for being too suspicious when a gust of wind caught the boulder just right and froze one side of his body. He was almost through when his foot slipped. It wasn't a long fall to the ground, nor was he so inexperienced as to cry out when he landed. He did, however, grimace when another person's boot stepped right up to his prostrate head. The boot was attached to a long set of brownish robes, which clothed a lengthy body atop with Yixing's head.

"Baekhyun?" said the mage amusedly. "Well, there you are. What took you so long? We've been waiting for you guys for hours!"

Baekhyun sighed, resisting the urge to just curl up and take a little nap on the mountain forest floor. 

"Where are you sending him?" said Baekhyun a few minutes later, watching the stranger who'd been up on the rock dart off in the direction of Orzammar. 

"To fetch Minseok."

"Minseok? Who is Minseok?"

On his own, Yixing did not look particularly threatening, and he hadn't made a single hostile move, but Baekhyun did not trust him, especially when the fellow grinned at him obnoxiously and repeated, "Minseok," like it was the most normal name in the world. Baekhyun knew he only had about ten minutes' head start on the others and he was not anxious for them to see Yixing again. If he could warn them maybe they'd have a chance of not rejoining with their former acquaintances, but truthfully it was unlikely. Especially when it took mere moments before he spotted the man returning, Luhan the templar following behind. There was no sign yet of Xiumin.

"Minseok went to get the others," Luhan said, before smiling jovially at the sight of Baekhyun. 

"Minseok?" Baekhyun repeated. This time he got a response, but it was in the form of Luhan glancing nervously at Yixing and the mage smiling back like normal. When he guessed he would not get an answer, he tried another attack instead, indicating the stranger in a commoners' outfit. "And this is..."

"Heechul!" Luhan answered happily. "We... but wait, perhaps you..."

"We met," said Heechul, a sour turn to his voice. "In the barn, before it partially burned down... you left me there."

And now Baekhyun realized why he looked familiar. "Heechul... so, that's your name. Uhh, I'm glad you're alright?" he offered weakly.

Heechul sniffed, and Baekhyun supposed he deserved that. In his defense, yes they'd found the steward in distress but his priority then had been to warn Jongin they were about to be attacked, and things grew considerably out of his hands when the house caught fire with them in it. They never did have time to go back and free the man in the barn, but at least Luhan did? He smiled, apologetically. 

"So you went to the manor like Jongin said," Baekhyun mused quietly. Then he lifted his head and stared. "It was a trap though."

"We know," said Yixing. "We were right behind you actually. All of you running into the manor, hoards of mercenaries between you and us."

"And then a dragon swooped by," Luhan added, bored. "And we almost died. But it was alright in the end."

Baekhyun stood by, silently assessing how they must have missed each other by minutes. Fate was strange indeed. "We heard the dragon... did you... did everyone make it?" He still wanted to know where Xiumin was, if he was still playing friendly, or if he was not. "Xiumin? And Jongdae? Alistair? S-Suho?" The last he'd seen of the dwarf, the poor little guy was being hauled away by a gang of thieves and smugglers. Instead of an answer, he got a laugh. Trudging down the road was Jongdae and Xiumin and a very small 'woman' in a dark, red-brown cape that did not seem to fit her well. Heechul loitered behind. 

"See for yourself, friend," said the assassin. "We are here indeed." 

Baekhyun watched, stunned, as Jongdae leaned over to adjust the long strands of straight brown hair on the dwarf, realizing it was a wig when the whole thing shifted sideways two inches before Jongdae settled it back. The dwarf, Suho, he realized, immediately scowled and jumped away. 

"I see..." said Baekhyun. He laughed. For a second he could pretend that everything was normal, until he caught sight of the mage craning his head around, obviously looking for the others. Without backup, Baekhyun felt paralyzed. What was Xiumin hiding and did the others know? Did Luhan know or was he cluelessly in love? Could Jongdae be apart of it? Or Suho? Yixing surely must know something. Mages understood other mages, but he had no idea what either of their motives could be. 

"Xiumin," he said coldly. All eyes moved upon him as he plotted his test. "I take it you know that Kyungsoo came and found us?"

"He did?" The mages eyes opened wide. 

"Yeah, came to warn us. About the manor, about you. By the way, have you happened to come across any werewolves of late?"

Jongin heard the word 'werwolves' from quite a few paces away. Tao heard it from even farther. Up ahead was Baekhyun squared up against their friends from before, and he was not looking happy. Tao snarled, an elven imitation of an animal that sent chills down Jongin's spine. Even at this distance, Tao sensed an enemy. Jongin clutched the hilt of his weapon instinctually, and that's when Tao whispered, "Xiumin," before he charged. 

It all happened so suddenly. One minute they were walking peacefully up the slope towards Baekhyun and the others, the next thing Jongin knew, Tao was darting past them. There was a dagger in his hand that Jongin didn't know he had. It gleamed in the pale noon light, beautiful, raised and deadly. It was only logical Tao's opponent would seek to defend himself, and that is just what Xiumin did. Jongin heard the mage's warning cry even as Tao moved. The boy had a head start on them, but Jongin, Chanyeol, and Kris lunged forward in unison. Even so they arrived too late.

Tao crashed over the mage as a flash of ice particles erupted. They hit the ground together before anyone even knew what was happening. Baekhyun suddenly yelled, and Luhan roared to action. Jongin heard the templar's sword unleashed, heard the barrage of his shield as it knocked against Tao and the boy cried as he rolled off Xiumin, ice flecked to his hair, face, and clothes but neither that nor the bashing stopped him from digging his limbs into the earth and pouncing again. The mage was already regrouping, staff in his hand as he drew up his knees and scooted away. Before Tao could attack again, however, Luhan drew between them and in his haste he knocked against Baekhyun with the corner of his shield. 

Jongin yelled. "Stop! Everyone stop!" but the elf was already in action. He joined Tao, side-stepping Luhan and his arrow flew towards Xiumin who threw up a protective barrier around himself and Suho who had rushed to aid him. The second arrow missed as well, bouncing off the barrier, but an enraged Luhan suddenly took up all their attention. 

Jongin had a split second to look into the man's eyes and saw only fury. So this is how it's going to be? he thought, before Luhan lunged at Baekhyun. In a heartbeat, sides were taken. Chanyeol and Kris flanked Jongin as Baekhyun darted away and to the back. Tao, more feral than Jongin thought possible, was a ruthless and seemingly uncatchable force. And of course Yixing would take Xiumin's side. Of course Jongdae would rush into the fray. There were two mages and two warriors against Jongin and his small army, a skirmish he never expected to happen, and if common sense had been given just a few seconds to enter his brain, Jongin would have worried about their original purpose in coming this way. As it was, he detected that Sehun had not entered the bray, and that was all he had time to ponder. 

"Why are you attacking us!" Luhan screeched! He battled Chanyeol who swung his greatsword in a long arc around his body. Luhan dropped to the ground to avoid the hit and in the chaos, Chanyeol nearly caught Jongdae in the gut. The assassin whooped and dived towards the warrior's undefended left side and drew blood. 

"Ask your mage!" cried Baekhyun from a distance. 

Chanyeol stumbled but did not fall. An arrow rained over their heads before it combusted mid-flight and turned to ashes. Yixing cackled. 

"I don't understand!" yelled Luhan. 

Kris was already at Chanyeol other's side, bolstering the injured man with one arm. Between their legs Tao flitted furtively, and then he dived forward again. He had a single-minded task to get to Xiumin. Jongin mused that if they could just catch the boy, perhaps they could put an end to this obvious madness. Yixing, however, distracted him.

"I don't know what you have against us right now, but you can't win!" the mage warned. He sent a fireball crashing forwards. Jongin caught it with his shield, blocking both himself and Chanyeol. The blast was powerful though, dislodging his shoulder blade, and the flames burned bright blue in the finaly second they dissipated. Even through metal he felt the heat, knuckles pressed into the grip of his shield. He screamed as it burned but refused to let go. 

"Look at the numbers!" Chanyeol roared in retaliation.

Five against five, and Jongin had not seen Alistair, the hound, this whole time, but Suho had yet to draw his weapon. In the dress and wig, as Jongin now recognized, the dwarf tried limply to pull Xiumin away from the fray. The mage shrugged him off and then he was on his feet again, apparently uninjured but like the templar, like Baekhyun and Chanyeol, he was enraged. He swung his staff high in the air as purple clouds drew towards it. Jongin braced himself for an attack, deflected another one of Yixing's lighter blasts, and Tao went yelping again as he hit and reverberated off Luhan's shield. Baekhyun continued to rain down arrows, one of which grazed Jongdae's cheek and the assassin renewed a twirling dual-bladed attack on Kris. He was faster and smaller, but then Jongin saw the mage's foaming cloud start to descend and he froze in terror at what was to come. Like a million stars, the particles of wind and light whirled tightly and then broke apart. Streams of it flew to the ground in every direction. On their side, Yixing threw up a magical shield that blocked all but himself. Then he, as well Jongin, Chanyeol, Kris and Tao caught the brunt of Xiumin's spell. 

They hit their knees as one, dirt springing up around them, heads pounding. Jongin dropped his sword and threw a hand to his head. There was a horrible pain, as if a thousand shards might be breaking through his skull, as if it might shatter completely, so horrific that he waited for death. None came. Instead, images. Visions. The souls of people he'd killed in his travels, their faces gaunt like wraiths trapped in the Fade. He tried to scream, but no sound came out. All around he heard only the dying throes of the faces in his head. They swirled and danced, a grotesque ballet, haunting and unnatural. Tears came to his eyes as the pain throbbed and pulsed, and the faces mutated, became recognizable. He saw his parents, his father on his deathbed, his mother as she sobbed. He saw his Lord, the Arl, crying out to him. 'Where is my son! What have you done with my son!' and instead of Sehun's face, he saw Jaejoong as he looked the last time Jongin had seen him, in his bed like death from whatever illness had befallen him. Mostly Jongin felt their terror and their hopelessness. His hopelessness. He cried and shook his head and for a brief moment he saw Chanyeol doing the same, and another spasm pressed through his body until he felt his head returning to rights. 

Baekhyun was still fighting. Kris had already recovered. Chanyeol wobbled, but he pushed back onto his feet and was right there again to intercept a swing from Luhan's sword. 

"He cursed us, bloody whorespawn!" the warrior roared. 

Jongin wanted to vomit. He felt weak, light-headed still, and with every passing moment he had less and less desire to continue fighting. 

"I warned you! I warned you!" Baekhyun shouted from behind. He shrieked then as a blast from one of the mages' staffs nearly took off his head, Jongin could not tell which. 

"Warned them against what!?" Xiumin cried. 

"Against you! Bloody mage, you're a blood mage and your cursed the werewolf! What else are you hiding, huh?! Have you bewitched them all, is that how they obey you?"

"What are you talking about? What werewolf?" Xiumin was barely fighting, hiding mostly behind Luhan's back as he continuously cast something that must have been a rejuvenating ward. Everyone on their side still appeared to have energy, while Jongin's was weakening. Even their clashes were shrinking in number, in force, in heart. 

"That werewolf!" Baekhyun yelled in Tao's direction where the boy was still rolling on the ground in between trying to tackle Jongdae's legs. The assassin danced around him effortlessly, blocking Tao's efforts toward Xiumin. 

"He saw you, Xiumin! He spoke with you! You've been hiding more power than you told us-"

"He's not Xiumin!" Luhan suddenly barked. He blocked one more Chanyeol's swings before jumping back and looking around at them incredulously. "Is that what this is about?"

"What else, templar! And you! You're working for him now. He's got you bewitched!"

"His name's Minseok, elf! You've got this all wrong! All of you! Can we just stop now and-"

"Not a chance!" Baekhyun cried. 

"No? Then quit hiding behind your warriors and tell us exactly what you think is happening right now!" 

"Put your weapon down and tie up that mage, and maybe we'll see," Baekhyun challenged him. 

Luhan appeared to consider it, however Xiumin drew him back and said, "No, Luhan."

"You want to keep fighting?" Luhan hissed in return. "Minseok, these people think you're a blood mage. Shall we keep this up until that indeed becomes true?! We should end this now, quit fighting."

Privately, Jongin agreed. So too did Chanyeol who hesitated just long enough to let his sword lower towards the earth. His grip remained tight, as did Jongin's, but he felt this could be a chance like no other they'd get. "Luhan, explain what's going on. Now."

"Don't talk to him, Jongin. He'll bewitch you too," said Baekhyun. 

Jongin ignored him. "Kris, grab the boy and keep him still." The qunari obeyed instantly and Tao yelped. The fight went out of him after a light struggle but once he realized Kris wasn't there to strangle him to death he went silent.

"I think... I think we need to talk," said Xiumin. "First of all, my name isn't Xiumin. It's Minseok." Jongin met his eyes, astounded and confused. All he said though was, "That boy there, Tao. He was a werewolf not too long ago. Then a very powerful mage by the name of Xiumin cured him of it. Left him alone and helpless, right in our path."

"So, he attacked someone who cured him? I don't understand," said Jongdae. Both of his daggers remained in his hands, somewhat lowered. 

"Tao?" Jongin asked. "Is he the one who did it?" 

Now that he lay inert on the ground between Kris' arms, Tao squinted. "Y-yes... I think so," he stuttered, frightened. "He looks like him."

Minseok glanced sadly down at the boy, then up at Jongin. "He saw my brother, then. Xiumin."

"Who is Xiumin?" asked Jongin immediately. "Why did you give us that name for yourself?"

"It was a mistake from the beginning," the mage explained. "When Luhan first arrested me. Look, it's a very long story. I have never seen Tao before today, but we did encounter an entire pack of werewolves two days ago who were practically begging us to cure them. Said they had met a boy who was already turned. I... I've just realized it, but it must have been my brother who did it."

Baekhyun scoffed loudly. He had come forward now, cautiously stepping in between Chanyeol and Kris. "Xiumin or Minseok. Brother or not. He says it's you. Now quit lying."

"But I'm not," said Xiumin, or was he Minseok? Jongin mused internally. "I'm not lying. I've been with these guys all this time, trying to catch up with you, and when we meet, you attack us. Xiumin is my brother. He's trying to frame me for a lot of things right now, but I'm telling you, telling Tao," he glared at the boy, "that who that mage was was positively, not me." 

Tao whimpered under his stare. "Tao?" Jongin pushed.

"I-I-I.... did see some other wolves... Th-they wanted to be like m-me, b-b-but..."

"But? But what? Is this the mage who frightened you?"

Tao squinted again as if trying to dissect Xiumin/Minseok with his eyes alone. "H-he-e looks similar."

"Similar?" said Chanyeol. "Similar or the same? Which is it?" 

"Maybe... not the same. Just, similar."

"Well, if they're brothers, then of course they would look similar but not the same," said Jongdae impatiently. "Look, have we solved this? Can we go? I'm nursing a really lovely gouge on my shoulder because of your hired monster," he pitted his gaze on the qunari, "and would love to go grab a bite to eat."

Jongin was ready to agree. So too was just about everyone else. Except, "No," said Baekhyun. "This can't be over. You could be fooling everyone right now. Luhan. Jongin. Tao."

"What have you got against me?" said the mage. 

"You don't have an alibi," the elf declared. 

Minseok's eyelids fluttered. "What? I do."

"No, you don't. You were missing for a day before we got to Haven. You met up with Kyungsoo and then you ditched him too. Where did you go-"

"Kyungsoo!?" cried Minseok. "When did you meet him?!" 

"And where is he...?" Chanyeol looked around. 

Sehun. Jongin's heart suddenly pounded. He didn't know where Sehun was. For the first time in months, he did not know exactly where Sehun was. As he spun around, Baekhyun continued to argue and Chanyeol tossed about retaliations and neither heard Jongin's whispered cries of, "Sehun, where is Sehun?" The boy wasn't anywhere in view. He thought backwards. Tao had rushed forward, then the others followed, but not Sehun. And not Kyungsoo. 

Behind him the others still fussed. "Look, you trusted us well enough once before?" Minseok was declaring. "What's changed now?"

"Changed? Everything. You change stories daily. You change your name like a pair of clothes-"

Jongin wasn't listening. "Sehun?!" he called. 

Chanyeol finally heard him. "Wait, where is Sehun? Sehun? Jongin, where is he?"

"Would you quit asking me that, that's what I'm trying to find out! Sehun?! Kyungsoo!?" 

"Sehun? Kyungsoo?!" Chanyeol echoed. 

He ignored the pent-up energy Baekhyun was intaking. All the suspicion, shock, fury at being possibly defied or lied to. Right now, finding Sehun was more important.

"Elf, you better put that bow away," he heard Yixing hiss behind him. 

"Sehun?! Sehun, shout if you can hear me!" 

"I will not!" Baekhyun declared. "And if you dare to threaten me one more time, mage, I will not hesitate to fire."

"Try that, and you're dead," said Yixing.

"Jongin, Chanyeol?" Kris yelled in concern, urging them to come back.

"Yixing, stop that." Xiumin or Minseok's voice. 

"I don't trust him."

"Sehun?!" Chanyeol yelled out even louder than before. Panic dripped from every pore in his body, as it did on Jongin's own. 

Someone began to cry, possibly Tao. 

"Jongin!" Kris chanted again. 

Two sides were pulling in Jongin's head. Find Sehun. Turn around. Find Sehun or Turn around. 

He turned around. 

Around Yixing's staff was a blinding light, building energy, focused, powerful beyond what he'd thrown at them before. Xiumin or Minseok, Jongin didn't care what his name was anymore, was looking fearfully between Yixing and Baekhyun, who had an arrow ready to fly. All eyes were on the two, and it was clear nobody else wanted to fight any longer, to prolong this any longer, but Baekhyun and Yixing held each other to a personal ultimatum from which Jongin did not know how to make them back down. Baekhyun's arm trembled. Yixing's whole body rocked with the energy of his magic. One or the other would unleash it soon, or both, unless they were stopped. 

"Baekhyun..." Jongin tried, but the elf did not seem to even hear him anymore. 

Minseok crept forward towards the other mage. "Yixing... Yixing, enough. You'll burn all of us up... Don't... don't... let it go, Yixing." 

"I can't..."

"You can, Yixing, now stop it..."

Baekhyun looked more panicked now than before, the sole target of the impending spell blast, but if Minseok was right, then it was more powerful than just that. Minseok took another step forward, one hand reaching for Yixing, the other holding back on his own staff. Then his foot hit a rock and he stumbled. Yixing startled, and Jongin saw everything that came afterwards happen as if in slow motion. 

Baekhyun screamed. His arrow flew and Minseok diverted it as he fell towards the ground. Kris gathered Tao in his arms and leapt away. Jongdae and Suho dove for the ground. Chanyeol was too far out to do anything, and only Jongin seemed to move towards the impending blast instead of away. Jongin, and Luhan. The templar let out a shout and a blast from his own hands that rivaled the shockwaves of Yixing's spell. Two bursts of magic met in the middle and collided just as Jongin shoved Baekhyun to the ground, protecting him with his body. Everyone shouted, then Jongin heard a loud ringing interspersed with the clash of a thousand bolts of lightning. Two storms battling it out, loud and ominous. Jongin peaked up once to see them ringing overhead, darker than the terror storm cloud Minseok had sent, more terrifying than the waking prison he'd seen once before, more dangerous than the sight of ghouls and wraiths and all things dead or dying. 

Then one of the spells ate the other, and everything dispersed. 

Jongin panted, Baekhyun heaved. They sat up, crawling from lack of stamina. Yixing lay in a haze, his staff by his side, very much alive but ill. Minseok crawled over to him, picked up his wrist to check his pulse, and then pummelled him firmly on the side of the head. Once satisfied, he turned his attention back to where the second spell had issued. Luhan, laying completely on his back, lifeless.

Minseok panicked. "Luhan?!" 

That was enough to get Jongin to his feet. He rushed to the templar's side.

"Luhan! Luhan, wake up, can you hear me?!" Minseok cried.

"What, what happened?" asked Jongin. "Did he do real magic?"

"No... no... but he dispelled one mammoth of a spell..." The mage put his ear to Luhan's heart, moving around until he settled and stayed. 

"Is he..."

"Unconscious, but alive." Minseok breathed in relief. "We... we need to get him ly-"

Snow began to fall. And with the snow, the sound of footsteps, a small army, or an advance guard. 

"Uhm, don't mean to alarm anyway," said Jongdae who had the best view currently, "but dwarves are marching our way... Suho, put your wig on straight, we have company."

Minseok had just gotten Luhan into his arms to sit the templar up when they came around the corner of a hill. Instinctively, the rest of them drew together. Where minutes ago they had been fighting, against an unknown force they shrunk and united. 

"Sehun... where is Sehun?" Jongin turned to Chanyeol.

"I don't know!" 

"We need to find him, before-"

"Halt where you are!" yelled the oncoming guard. They wore the armor of Orzammar, twenty dwarves of identical build and dress, weapons on display but not drawn. "We are here to find Xiumin! Xiumin and his companions!" 

Nobody spoke. Minseok looked stunned, confused. "Who... who is looking for him?"

"Lord Yibo of House Zygmunt, by permission of the King of Orzammar. Please, you are our guests. You must come with us. You must." 

4,650 words

*coughs* Hello again. Yes, I am alive. So is this story! And ohhh what a chapter this was to write! I felt it was time for some more action scenes. Explanations forthcoming. Some of them. ;)

♡ Rosie

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