She ran her fingertips along the cold stone wall as she strolled slowly down the all-too-familiar corridor. She had lived for almost twenty years in this tower. Twenty years of fighting to keep awake during classes, teasing the templars with friends, and experimenting with spells. So much time spent lying in bed and staring through the windows, trying to remember exactly how it felt to run barefoot and carefree across a lush green field. Given a few more years, she may even have forgotten the time she spent outside the tower as a child entirely. Thank the Maker Duncan showed up and recruited her into the Grey Wardens. Sure, her exit from the Circle could have been much more peaceful without Jowan stirring the trouble that he did, but still.

"Wonder where Jowan is now," Vera thought, beating her fist lightly on the wall.

As though in answer to her question, Jowan's voice floated through the open door in front of her. She paused and peered in, catching sight of her friend chatting animatedly with another, an open text lay abandoned beside him on the bed. He looked a little younger than he should be now, maybe by three or four years. Vera wondered for how long Jowan had been dabbling in blood magic. Is the Jowan she was looking at now, playing with blood in the middle of the night, hidden in a dark corner away from the watchful eyes of the templars? If she knew back then, she could have done something…anything to stop Jowan from dooming himself to life as an apostate, and Lily to imprisonment in Aeonar…

"Why have we stopped?" Morrigan questioned from behind the warden, who had stood still for a while now.

"Oh, nothing," Vera answered, turning to face her companion. "Just…reminiscing. That's all."

The witch arched an impatient brow. "Well, do not waste your time reminiscing in one spot. 'Twould be a waste of time."

Vera clicked her tongue, resuming her path down the corridor again with Morrigan at her side.

"It's not like we have anything of great importance to accomplish here anyway."

"Is that so?" Morrigan halted in front of the warden, crossing her arms. "'Twas you who insisted on this little adventure in the Fade, 'to become more familiar with it', as I recall. If 'tis not the case, then maybe we should-" She was cut off as Vera smirked and took her by the arm, turning her round and proceeding further down the Circle Tower's corridor.

"Allow me to rephrase my sentence," Vera said, daring to sling her arm round Morrigan's elbow. Her smirk widened when she felt the witch bristle at the prolonged physical contact. "I did not mean to imply that what we are doing is not important. It is merely not urgent. We have plenty of time to get me comfortable with the Fade."

The witch huffed, but said nothing. Vera silently marveled at the fact that the woman had not swatted her off her arm yet.

"Ah. And there's Cullen," the mage pointed out the solitary armoured figure standing a short distance in front of them, standing guard. "That templar I told you about."

"The lovesick fool?" Morrigan replied disinterestedly, watching the warden let go of her arm-finally-and make her way to that…Cullen.

"Hello Cullen!" Vera greeted the templar, who seemed surprised at her sudden appearance.

"Oh, hello…Vera," Cullen returned the greeting with a smile. He relaxed a little from his stoic posture. "So…um, you have nothing to do right now? I mean, are you having a break from your classes?"

"Yep! Unlike you, it seems. You're still on your shift?"

The templar nodded. "I am, but it's ending soon…and who is this?" The blond cocked his head, catching sight of the witch standing at the back.

Vera turned, following Cullen's line of sight. "Oh, her? That's Morrigan. She's just been brought to the tower."

"Then where's her guard? There should be at least one templar watching over an apostate who's been brought in…"

"I offered to take her to her quarters," Vera lied quickly, ignoring Morrigan's scoff at being called an apostate. "I don't have anything to do, and you templars always seem so busy. Thought I'd give a hand."

"Er…well, I'm not really sure…" Cullen scratched the back of his head, the rules ingrained from his training and his affection for the mage obviously warring in his head. "This isn't really standard procedure…"

"Hold it!" A stern command came from another templar who came up behind Cullen. "What is this, Cullen? That Chasind maleficar is standing right in front of you, and yet you do nothing?"

The blond snapped to attention, bewilderment written across his features. "Maleficar? But ser, Vera said she was an apostate who was just brought in-"

"She is lying! That maleficar has infiltrated the tower, and obviously put this mage under her control!" The templar drew his sword, readying himself to strike. In his offhand, he started charging a nullification spell. Cullen drew his sword as well, albeit with much reluctance.

Vera felt fear and adrenalin shoot through her body. This was not supposed to happen. They were to just take a peaceful stroll through the Fade. That was all. Combat was one of the last things she wanted to happen; it was something she already had her fill of during her waking hours. Nevertheless, she brought her hands up, feeling the magic course through her veins, and let loose a spray of flames-

Only to find out her templar opponent had perfect timing, and nullified any magic she was intending to cast.

"Shit, shit!" Vera tried to recollect herself as she took a few steps backward.

"Take the mage!" The templar ordered Cullen, as he charged right at Morrigan-who was no doubt affected by the templar's ability as well.

Reacting on instinct, Vera flung herself blindly in Morrigan's direction. She gave silent thanks when her shoulder found its intended target, and shoved the witch away. She heard Morrigan utter a curse before she felt the bite of cold steel on her collarbone. The templar would have slit her clean across the throat if Morrigan and Cullen had not grabbed hold of Vera and the templar respectively, and pulled them back.

"Run, Vera!"

The warden's mind barely registered Cullen's plea. All she could feel was the stone-cold ground, Morrigan's warm arms holding her in position, and blood flowing profusely from the deep cut on her collarbone. She raised a shaky hand to the wound, and it came off coated in red. That was too close. Any closer to her neck and she would have been finished…

"Warden, stay with me," Morrigan said curtly.

Vera raised her eyes to her companion's face, trying to control her breathing. She nodded, and Morrigan worked her own spell. The warden closed her eyes as she felt the spell envelope them, bring the two back to the waking world.

Her eyes snapped open, and the world slowly came into focus as she stared up at the top of Morrigan's tent. The sun must have been up for a while now, the bright light outside the tent casting a comfortable glow through the canvass. Vera took deep, deliberate breaths and relaxed her tense muscles.

"Just a dream. It's not real," Vera reminded herself, hand coming up to worry at her unharmed collarbone. "Lucky Morrigan was there…"

Said woman sat up next to the warden, running a hand through her dark hair.

"You were lucky I was there, Warden," Morrigan told her, unaware she had just verbalised the warden's thoughts. "And that 'Cullen' templar, for that matter. It seems the spirit portrayed him rather accurately."

"I know," Vera agreed, sitting up beside the witch. She wrapped her arms around her knees. "Thank you for being there."

"Of all the places we could have gone, we went to that mage prison of yours."

"It was my home for almost my whole life, you know. There's not much else I remember that the spirits can draw from."

"Then you must have visited the tower countless times in the Fade. 'Tis a wonder that you are still here, the way you bumble through the Fade."

"I know," Vera replied quietly.

Morrigan glanced at the redhead before getting onto her feet. "Well? Are you going to while your time away in my tent for the rest of the morning? You'd better get out and reassure your darling friends that I hadn't eaten you in your sleep."

The warden chuckled softly. "Alistair and Leliana are not that bad, Morrigan. If you were nicer to them, they'd be good friends for you too." Vera did not need to look at the witch to know she was rolling her eyes.

"'Friends' are the last thing I need. They do not matter."

"Am I not a friend?"

"No, you are a woman who needs to get out of my tent now."

"Aw. I'm hurt," Vera pouted as she got up. "Why do you have to be so mean?"

"Out." Morrigan pointed at the tent flap, in case the warden had lost her sense of direction. Which seems to be the case right now.

"Yes, Captain," Vera gave a mock salute. "I will save you some breakfast to fatten you up, serah!"

The Grey Warden ended up on her face outside the tent, the back of her trousers singed by lightning.