"How much farther is it to Gwaren?" Gideon asked as he brought his gelding up alongside his father's war charger.

"Maybe another day's travel." Bryce answered, "Why? Are you getting saddle-sore?

Gideon chuckled, "I've been saddle-sore for a while now."

Bryce laughed as well. "I though you wanted to get out of Highever."

"I did." Gideon answered his father, "And I'm happy that you decided to bring me along… I'm just not used to these long travels."

"Be happy you weren't with the us during the war with Orlais then." Bryce smiled at his son. "We did more running than fighting. A man chooses his battles, and he chooses to fight the battles he can win, and he avoids the rest… Always remember that."

"I will, father." Gid answered. They rode in silence for a few minutes before Gid asked, "Did you fight with Teryn Loghain in the war?"

"Only once. During the Battle of River Dane. I think the entire army was there."

"I see."

"Go check on the men again." Bryce asked. "Just talk to them and make sure they stay loose. You might not be their commander yet, but you are a leader of sorts. It's good for a leader to be seen with his men, builds comradery and trust, and it lets them know that you're one of them, not some high and mighty, spoiled nobleman."

"Yes father." Gideon grinned, he'd made it no secret that he intended to become a commander of Highever's army, or even a general of Ferelden. "Before I do that however, are you expecting trouble?"

"Perhaps." Bryce answered. "We might not be at war with the Dalish, although we're far from being on friendly terms with them, and this forest is their home. This, Brecilian Passage is the only way to get to Gwaren aside from sailing into its port. The elves know that, and have been known to ambush caravans passing through here."

Gid nodded and rode his horse back to the end of the column where he dismounted and began walking his horse, chatting and making small-talk with the soldiers.

There was a sharp twang, and one of the soldiers near Gid dropped to the ground, clutching at an arrow now protruding from his side and screaming in pain. "Ambush!" One of the soldiers yelled, "Soldiers, protect the teryn!"

Gideon reached over a shoulder and unsheathed his hand and a half sword, he'd kept his buckler on his arm. Hidden in the woods to the left side of the procession of soldiers and other people, a command was barked in a language Gideon didn't understand, but anticipating another attack, he raised his buckler to protect his face. His intuition paid off, and he felt two arrows bury themselves in the wood of his small shield. All around him the soldiers had likewise taken cover behind their own shields, or behind the supply carts.

There was another command yelled in a foreign language and the woods became alive with battlecries and perhaps twenty elves dashed from cover. Each of the elves was covered in elaborately carved leather armor, or some gleaming material that Gideon did not recognize, each of their faces were tattooed in various patters, and every elf was armed either with a bow, twin daggers, or a curved sword, some carried a combination of weapons. Another thing that Gideon noticed was how the elves had camouflaged themselves, fixing leaves, branches, and even tree bark to their limbs and armor. It was no wonder they hadn't been seen until they charged.

Gideon found himself locked in combat with a blond haired male elf. The elf carried a straight sword unlike the curved blades of the others. The two traded blows back and forth. Gid catching most of the elf's attacks on his buckler or sword, while the elf chose use his superior agility and speed to dodge Gideon's own attacks, then strike while Gideon was off balance.

There was another shouted command in the elves language, and the blond elf, as well as all the others quickly disengaged from whoever they were fighting and sped back into the woods they had come from. Gideon thought of giving chase, but the Brecilian Forest was the home ground for the Dalish, and it was very likely they had another trap planned. Not to mention they were also just too fast for Gideon and his men.

Only a few feet away, one of the Highever soldiers notched an arrow to his own bowstring and let it fly after the retreating elves. The missile found its mark and one of the elven arches, a blacked haired she-elf fell to the ground, clutching at her leg where the arrow had pierced her thigh and screaming in agony. The blond elf that Gideon had been fighting ran to his fallen comrade and knelt by her side, even as the human soldiers started to advance. Gideon could hear them quickly talking back and forth in their strange sounding language. It was clear that the injured elf wanted her friend to leave her, as she kept trying to push him away, but the blond elf was reluctant to leave, he shouted something, then stood up in between his friend and the soldiers, sword ready to strike. The she-elf yelled something at him one more time, and the blond elf finally turned and ran away, back into forest and disappearing from view.

On the ground, the injured elf looked up with terrified green eyes and picked up her bow from where she'd dropped it, notching an arrow and pulling it back to her ear. She didn't fire it however, she only held it, and swung the bow from one soldier to the next. The soldiers were suddenly far more reluctant to advance.

Gideon found that he couldn't help but feel impressed by the elf. She was crippled, and couldn't even stand, but was still defiant.

"Ar tu na'din, shemlen!" She yelled.

The standoff continued for several minutes, and the elf's arms started to quiver from having to hold the bow taught for so long. The soldier noticed this as well, and started to inch closer, shields still raised.

"Wait!" Gideon heard his father yell, and Bryce pushed his way through the ring of soldiers until there was no one left between him and the elf. "Don't do this." He said, keeping his voice soft but firm at the same time. The elf stared at him with pained and scared eyes, Gideon didn't think she'd understood him. "Please…" Bryce continued, "The only way you will make it out of this alive is if you put that bow down."

"Shemlen…" The elf said, hissing the world like it was a curse. "Emma shem'nan!" She swung the bow around to aim it at Bryce and loosed the arrow. Bryce raised his shield almost casually and deflected the arrow. The elf reached for another arrow, but before she could aim and fire, Bryce Cousland had leapt in close and swung out with his shield, the steel kite shield connected with the side of the elf's head and her body fell to the ground, unconscious and twitching violently.