"Exactly. Just protection."

Anya hugs Tabs again. "We will get through this. I promise. We'll figure this shit out. Because we're awesome."

"Absolutely awesome." Cuddles back!

"Ready to go see what Merrill's up to?"

"More than ready."

Merrill is ready to go, and bounces happily along the street, leading the way. 

“She bounces like me. We’re kin. I’m Merrill-kin.”

She stares at Tabs. "Why."

Tabs grins. “Because I’m the worst.”

She hugs her. "The very worst."

Tabs tucks herself in Anya's arms, content.

Merrill continues to lead them out, until many hours later, they're heading up and out onto the Wounded Coast. 

"Anyone out here won't care that you're a mage, Anya. Oh, um, only because they will be trying to kill you anyway. Sorry."

"Any way we can avoid them?"

"I'm just letting you know, just in case. Most of the time we're able to skirt past all the...um...not nice people. There's a lot that hole up at the Coast. The city guard only goes out so far, and even then mostly to respond to a call." 

"That makes sense. It is a lot of ground to cover."

"Aveline and the rest have their hands full with just the city, really." 

It smells strongly of the sea (what with it being right there), and an absolutely cacophany of forest smells. Tabs takes in a deep breath. 

"You know, for all that I am such a city slicker, there is something about being outdoors," she says dreamily.

Anya does not facepalm. "You've been a city slicker for, like, two days."

"I didn't know the Dalish had cities?" Merrill asks, confused.

Tabs freezes. How had her back story not kicked in? Or was it a concious thing? Did she have to monitor it? Fuck! What if she ruined everything?

But, she was, a consummate actor. "Playing the fool, dear Merrill," she says with a wink. "Expressing just how much I prefer to my native habitat."

Only Anya can see how her hands are shaking.

Merrill grins brightly, and continues to lead the way up Sundermount.

She takes Tabs' hand in her own and follows along after Merrill.

"Looks like you know your way around."

Merrill gives Anya a sad smile. "We were here a year before I met Hawke. And the others...they stopped liking me much. So I took up roaming around the hills. I know them very well by this point!" 

While this is clearly a sad reason, Merrill seems to perpetually see the good in things. 

Dealing with demons and blood magic do have a habit of alienating your friends and family, yeah.

"Any spot, in particular, you're partial to?"

"It's a little ways from the camp, far enough that they can't see what will happen, close enough that if things start happening beyond my control-" 

She cuts herself off. Anya and Tabs can fill in the rest. 

"Yup. Magic be like that. Best to have a backup, in any case."

Her fake memories endorse this. And her actual meta-knowledge as well.

"It's just up here, around this-" 

Merrill stops suddenly, her face going pale.