Gus was just passing the road that branched off to Nevarra when he decided on his final plan. He had been travelling at a brisk pace since he left Weisshaupt the week before and he could tell that his nameless horse was not thanking him for it. She was making for uncomfortable riding both physically and mentally as Gus couldn't help but feel guilty for pushing her so hard.

It is a blessing that Oghren isn't here and didn't just read my mind.

The road had been a lot quieter on his journey back. He knew it would pick up again by the time he hit Orlesian lands; so he was making the most of the Highway whilst he still could. The Fields of Ghislain were in the distance to his right and the sight relaxed him. He felt so much closer to home. What 'home' was now, he wasn't really sure. Part of him ached for the familiarity of Highever; another for the comfort of Morrigan and Kieran…and a final part for Alistair, Leliana, Oghren and the rest of the crew. He hated travelling alone; another thing he discovered from his trip so far.

As he rode past the jungle of roads leading off towards either Nevarra or the Free Marches, he kept his vision trained on the path ahead. It would only be another day or two and he would be seeing the blue of the Waking Sea. Not long now, he thought.

He had decided to follow up with Remille first. He knew that the Enchanter perished, that much had been said in the report, but he must have had family or colleagues. Anyone connected to him may be of use. This lead made the most sense to start with as he was still unsure of Fiona's whereabouts and he was certainly not prepared to blindly go after the Architect knowing so little about his involvement.

He needed to reunite with Morrigan in the Dales and Remille was Orlesian; it made sense. He would hop on a ship across the sea so that he could update Morrigan and then search for the Remille family. She would probably enjoy dissecting the scrolls he stole…borrowed, too. A second set of eyes were often useful and if they were Morrigan's they were always useful. After coming to those conclusions, Gus felt in a good place despite the issues with Weisshaupt he knew he would have to deal with. He just hoped Dagor wouldn't make more of his leaving than he should.

Somehow, however, Gus knew it wouldn't be so easy.

The sounds of the docks outside of Val Royeaux were like a Ferelden market place; except with strong Orlesian accents. The barking of sailors and wholesale traders was surprisingly uncivilised compared to typical Orlesian social standards; but Gus knew from experience that sailors were like a social class of their own no matter where in Thedas they were from. There were the odd few familiar sounds of various Ferelden dialects as well as some more unusual Free Marches and Antivan voices amongst the mix.

The docks themselves were not the ones located within the cities walls, those were more for passenger arrivals and luxury traders, but were a few stretches down the coast. They were quite vast, with several freight ships unloading as well as more humble vessels bobbing in the waves. Gus was heading for one such ship, hoping it was making the trip across the Waking Sea towards the docks of Lydes. The first one he had tried was not leaving until the following evening which was too long for a now very impatient Gus. There were two men milling around beside the ship and Gus put on a wide smile.

"Hello there," he called as he approached. The men turned to him and Gus was taken aback at how alike they looked. Both had dirty blond hair, one much longer than the other, with broad faces and shoulders. Their noses were long and thin, but aside from that Gus couldn't put his finger on what made them so similar.

"Looking for passage to Lydes?" The one on the right asked. Gus nodded; trying to place his accent.

"When do you leave?"

"As soon as we can. We're waiting for that gentleman," the same one said, pointing across to a crowd from which Gus couldn't determine who exactly they were referring to, "and a payment from a friend."

"What have you got to offer us for passage?" The one on the left, with longer hair, asked. His voice was much more gruff and to the point than his partner. Ferelden, definitely…southern?

"A horse. She's a bit tired but got me here from far to the north so she's a keeper; with a bit of rest she could take you to Kirkwall and back. It's the brown mare tied up outside the stables, on the left."

The long haired man nodded and walked off towards the stables, presumably to inspect Gus' offer.

They stood silently for a few moments before the sailor gestured to the edge of the dock and sat down with his legs hanging over the side. Gus joined him, swinging his pack off and setting it down next to him. He brought his knee up and rested his arm on it, his hand reaching for the man.

"Gus. Nice to meet you."

"Finn. My brother's Harry. What brings you to us, Gus?"

"Do your passengers ever answer that question?"

Finn smirked and looked across the water.

"Only if they haven't got anything to hide or if they're particularly clever."

"How do you know I'm not very clever and all of this is a double bluff?"

"Anyone who thinks that hard about it has definitely got something to hide," Finn responded and Gus laughed. He could certainly deal with spending a few hours on ship with this guy. "Ferelden, right?"

"Indeed. You too?"

"Mmmhmm-" Finn began to nod before a full laugh interrupted. Gus turned his head towards the sound and almost fell into the Waking Sea in shock whilst Finn jumped up to his feet and nervously clasped his hands.

"Oh, please, Harry. You know I could never forget those lovely locks of yours. Now where's your dashing and slightly more tolerable twin?"

"I wasn't talking about that, Isabela, and you know it. You owe us. Finn don't say anything," Harry responded sounding thoroughly pissed off.

What are the chances? Seriously, what are the bloody chances? She better not recognise-

"Why hello Finley, haven't you grown? And who is this?"

Gus stood and turned to face the pirate. Wow, she looks different. Isabela's eyes snapped to his, before raking over his face and body.

"Isabela. You look dashing as always," Finn said, standing next to Gus. She barely acknowledged the sailor before her attention was back on Gus. Finn cleared his throat. "This is one of our passengers, Gus; Gus this is our old friend Isabela."

"Admiral Isabela."

"Shut it Finn, what did I just say?" Harry said at the same time as Isabela corrected Finn.

Gus looked between the three of them. He was supposed to be free of this, he was almost back with Morrigan. Isabela better not fuck that up. He couldn't have word spreading that he was around; in the short term it would slow him down and the long term put a stop to his own private quest. You can't kill an archdemon, simultaneously saving Ferelden and ending the Fifth Blight, and live the quiet life.

Isabela was still looking at him as if he were a prize trophy as the brothers discussed some payment she owed them. He decided to test the water.

"Something interest you, Admiral?"

"Oh, many things interest me. Lone travellers with familiar faces are reasonably high on the list."

Well, that answers his unasked question. Gus smiled politely and picked up his bag, meeting Isabela's gaze once more as he looked to Harry.

"Is my payment satisfactory?" He interrupted. Isabela smirked as though she saw right through his attempt to end the conversation. The air was electric with things unsaid. Harry frowned at him and nodded.

"Yeah it will do. You can board, we'll be leaving as soon as this is cleared up. Finn, go and get our other passenger."

Finn took a long look at Isabela before he squared his shoulders and walked off; the poor guy was smitten. Gus took a step towards the ship.

"So eager to leave?" Isabela piped up. "Gus…Gus…You know you are familiar. When were you last in the Pearl in Denerim?"

"I barely remember for more reasons than one," he quipped and then shrugged, "Many years ago."

"Tell me about it, Gus. Times have changed…" she leaned up and whispered in his ear, "but you, Warden, are just as entertaining as before."

Gus turned his head slightly to look at her. They held each other's gaze for a moment as Gus tried to read her. We're good; she likes the game too much to say anything, he thought and nodded to her.

"May we meet again, Isabela, over more appropriate circumstances."

"Or not so appropriate," she said with a wink.

With that, Gus boarded the vessel and didn't look back. He was going to keep himself to himself over the next few hours, keep his head down across Lydes and hoped the next person held a conversation with was Morrigan.

Familiar faces were interesting, but they were also dangerous and Gus could only deal with the one for now.

He travelled through the night to reach the cave in the Dales which the Eluvian was hidden in. He had thanked and left the twin brothers at the port, he never even greeted the other traveller. He was a boring looking fellow who apparently made the trip a few times a season, according to Finn, and he spent most of the journey writing in a journal. He had powered through the small hours to reach this point. He saw no point stopping and making camp when he was so close.

So by the time he had ducked into the cave, which was located in a particularly overgrown section of the forest, he was utterly exhausted. He had forgotten that he had to battle a path through the low hanging branches and watch his feet every other step so he didn't fall over the roots.

As he approached the Eluvian, he expected it to glow with magic as Morrigan activated it from the other side. She could tell, after all, that he was here. As he waited a few more minutes, he began to grow a bit pissed off. The journey had not worn well on his patience. Maybe she's fast asleep, he told himself.

He regarded the cave that now looked as though it would also be his bed for the remainder of the night. It was at times like this that he wished he was a mage.

He could hear a distant trickle of water from further in, but little else. He had actually spent very little time in here, he had only ever assessed it's suitability for hiding the Eluvian or passed through. It was damp and dark and not somewhere he wanted to spend time. He wished now that he had stopped in Lydes.

He sighed in mild frustration as he swung his pack off of his shoulders and began to prepare to settle down for the night. He would definitely be having words with Morrigan about this in the morning. Gus closed his eyes and waited for sleep to come. He didn't have to wait long and when his mind drifted off, it was greeted by terrible dreams.

Gus felt empty. He wasn't sure where he was, but it felt vaguely familiar. His surroundings slowly materialised around him as he became aware of them; he was sitting in an armchair like the one in Fergus' smoking room.

"She's really gone. What a fucking bitch," Gus turned his head, all movement feeling sluggish, and saw Fergus standing in front of a fireplace, "No contact for so long? After all that you went through? Doesn't it make you question everything?"

Gus thought that yes, it did. He hated that. He hated that the comfort of the past was dwindling.

"You're needed. Help me out, Gus, you know I'm pretty naive about these kinds of things," Alistair's voice piped up and Gus knew he was now standing next to him.

"You're a bit like me," said Fergus.

"It was a bad idea to let her walk away, son," Bryce Cousland said, appearing next to Fergus. "You gave up."

Gus' emptiness began to morph into desperation as he strained to fully comprehend what was happening. It wasn't his choice. He didn't want to die, or see the death of another, when it wasn't necessary. It was part of the deal.

He attempted to stand and turn to look around the room, which was bleary and out of focus, for Morrigan. She was not there. Oh, he thought, that's right. We agreed she'd leave.

"Don't be so down, Gus. You have us. You know-"

Suddenly, the dream faded and the words were lost to Gus' consciousness. He tried to recapture the scene, but failed.

When Gus woke a few hours later he winced with pain. His neck and upper back ached like someone had stuck a knife in his spine and left it there for the night. He heaved himself up and attempted to stretch out the muscles by moving his arms into uncomfortable positions; which he instantly regretted.

"Maker," he whispered as he exhaled deeply. He had escaped the aches and pains of riding for days on end just to seize his muscles lying on a cave floor. His sleeping mat did little for comfort, it seemed. As the muddy veil of sleep lifted his mind was filled with images of his dream. He couldn't remember the details but the emotions it caused were rooted deep and gave him goose bumps. He had the overwhelming urge to see Morrigan, even though he could not reach her through the Eluvian.

As the feeling of residual dread that often accompanied a bad dream dissipated he began to grow pissed off again. Why hasn't she bloody well let me in? Only then did it occur to him that maybe he had pissed her off; but what could he possibly have done?

He walked over to the Eluvian and thumped on its heavy frame.

"MORRIGAN!" He yelled, more for personal satisfaction than actual gain. There was no way she could hear him.

This is ridiculous, he thought, she must know I'm here!

He thought of how helpless he felt not being able to find her in his dream and realised what had made him feel so anxious.

It was okay for Morrigan, she knew where he was at all times. Up until now she hadn't needed to use the ring and Gus didn't spare a thought about what it meant. No matter how much she scoffed about not needing him before he left at least she had a direct connection to him. He got a kick out of walking around with her ring, knowing what it meant, but it was so much more than sentimentality for Morrigan. He knew what his dream was capitalising on. The memories of feeling abandoned.

He thought he didn't need to worry about such feelings anymore. The bond that he had forged with Morrigan over the years would seem unbreakable; but now he had been away and she was not there when he expected her to be his mind reverted right back to the cowering boy he had been seven years ago.

As he stood, alone, facing the towering Eluvian he felt isolated from both Kieran and Morrigan for the first time since the Battle of Denerim.

He was going to be away from them more often, he knew that, he also knew that he was not going let his old fears get the better of him. When Morrigan opened the bloody portal he was going to find a solution to this. Who knows how far his quest would take him? Or how long it would be until Morrigan finished her spell? They needed to be able to communicate no matter how far apart they were…Gus couldn't face having Morrigan fade into the shadows with their son again; no matter how dire the circumstances.

Gus knew she wasn't going to like it; but he also knew she would understand.

He also hoped she would get her act together and open the Eluvian portal.

As the sun shifted to the latter half of the sky Gus began to grow genuinely worried. He had moved out of the cave as the sun rose and had since made himself comfortable just west of the entrance, propped up against the outer cave wall. The sun was hitting him in deep yellow streaks through the plant life and warming his bones.

"Maker help me where is that woman?" He muttered under his breath. A few minutes later when he began to think about food and the prospect of spending another night lying in a cave he heard hurried small footsteps from within.

"Father! Father!"

It was Kieran.

Gus whirled around and circled back into the cave, seeing the boy at the cusp of the entrance.

"Kieran!" He called and took the last couple of long strides to meet him. He crouched down and wrapped his arms around him. "What are you doing out here? Where is your mother?"

"She's inside," Kieran mumbled into Gus' shoulder, "She's unwell, she said 'get your father and come straight back'."

"Well we'd better do what she says then. Come on." Gus released Kieran and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the Eluvian. It was now alight with magic. Gus pushed Kieran through ahead and stepped through himself into the eerily familiar light of the Crossroads. As soon as he regained his bearings his eyes fell to the figure huddled by the fire, wrapped in their blanket from the tent.

Both him and Kieran approached Morrigan with haste. As he reached a few steps away, he stopped.

"Morrigan," he called softly. Her bowed head lazily rose to look at him as Gus reached her side. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, 'tis nothing wrong. I have solved the spell. I can keep Flemeth away."

The sheer exhaustion in her tone was elapsed by pride. She looked into Gus' eyes and he saw them alive with power.

"My magic is powerful enough to truly defy her, my love. Soon we will never have to worry about Flemeth again."

Author's Note:

As you can see my hopes of once a week updating have failed. So, in the interest of transparency I'm going to tell the truth which is I don't know when I'll next update. I hate that, but that's the way it is. When I started writing I had the first three chapters to play around with in tandem before any of them were published and whilst it started off okay writing as I published, I haven't been able to sustain it.

It is partly due to time, partly due to a diminishing desire to write because I feel inspired and interested and instead doing it because I needed to keep to schedule. Which would be fine if I wasn't a taskmaster with it all.

So, I want to give a thanks to Tornado for being understanding and Lucky for being a stand up beta. I personally know how sodding shit it is when writers do this on here.

What am I actually doing?

I'm just saying there's not a schedule anymore. Not a schedule, but a deadline. I want to finish this story by September. This may seem far away but in the timescale of my life, knowing how much of this I've got planned, it's not that far. Finish and published by September. That might mean no updates until the end of August, but the whole story published in one go. It might be, I don't know. We'll see.

In regards to this actual chapter, its transitional; what can I say. Not sure if I like it but didn't want to be that arse who updates with only an author's note. Also, Isabela cameo because it popped into my head and I love her character.