When I Look at You (a Dragon Age fanfiction)

Exhaustion

A Sloth demon lurking in the midst of the Tower had put their whole party to sleep. Una was alone in what pretended to be the Grey Warden home base of Weisshaupt Fortress, and the image of Duncan tried to convince her that the Blight was over. It all rang false to Una, and she found herself in battle with Duncan's image. This she could never tell Alistair about, she reflected in amusement.

The Sloth demon's realm turned out to be a vast puzzle to solve, involving changing into a mouse, a golem, and two different kinds of spirits in order to defeat the five demons who ran the various islands in the realm. In the process, she found the other members of her team, having to talk them all out of their dreams. Alistair was the last one she found, so she was prepared for him to be in the throes of a dream: deep in false domestic bliss living with a sister Una hadn't known he had. Otherwise, she might have thrown herself at him on sight, so glad was she to have found him. Unfortunately, after she'd found each of her companions, they awakened from the dream realm and left her to continue battling alone. By the time they were all reunited to fight the Sloth demon, Una was completely drained. It seemed as though she'd been fighting in the demon's realm all by herself for an eternity. On the other hand, she thought, it was good to know she could fight alone when necessary.

At last they were back in the room in the middle of the Tower. The others all looked a bit shame-faced, and Una had to admit she was a little resentful that she'd been the only one to retain her awareness. Even the mage had fallen under the demon's spell. She didn't want to talk to them. Refusing to meet anyone's eyes, she waved them all forward. There was a Tower to save, after all.

They battled their way through the rest of the Tower, finding First Enchanter Irving and a few others who had been able to hold out against the abominations still imprisoned in the Harrowing chamber at the very top. It was a near thing a couple of times in that fight, but they took out the abominations and were able to restore the Tower to the control of the mages and the Templars. In gratitude, the First Enchanter not only pledged his support against the darkspawn, but also agreed to bring a group of mages to Redcliffe in order to try to save the boy Connor.

Una thanked him, so weary that she could barely stand upright. Then both Una and Irving were given a surprise. Wynne, having fought at Una's side all the way through the Tower, asked leave to follow the Grey Warden, to join the fight against the Blight. As she watched them discuss the idea, Una could tell that great affection flowed between the older woman and the First Enchanter, and that Irving could not deny Wynne her request. Una herself was grateful for the addition. Wynne was a powerful healer who would be very useful in their travels.

The group of them left the Tower, turning their steps back toward Redcliffe. They didn't get very far before Una called a halt, choosing the first likely campsite. It was only midafternoon, but she felt like she could sleep for a year. She didn't even bother to set up a tent, and didn't ask the others if they needed anything. She simply unrolled her bedroll in a shady spot, lay down, and was asleep almost immediately.

The others tiptoed around her as best they could. Those who had not been in the Tower eyed her curiously, wondering what could have been that draining. Those who had been in the Fade had some idea of what she had been through, but even they couldn't really imagine it. Single-handedly fighting her way through five different nightmare versions of the Tower, knowing all the time that only she stood between them and the failure of their mission, worrying all the way what was happening to her companions—it had been the single most exhausting experience of her life.

The nap helped refresh her body, but Una was still weary in spirit when she awoke. Dinner was bubbling on the fire, and everyone was getting acquainted, she noticed. Except, as always, Morrigan. Una got ready to do her rounds, hoping to get a few chats in before dinner. But before she could do so, she heard a happy bark, and a hundred plus pounds of mabari hurtled through camp, landing squarely in her chest. She fell over with him, laughing. Grenli could raise her spirits like no one else. She grimaced as he panted happily in her face. "Eww, Gren. What have you been eating?" He barked again, and she shook her head. "No, forget it. Don't tell me. I don't want to know."