A/N: Mirror chapter to 'Temper'

Fear

Mahariel

The stone crushes her. It is everywhere. It surrounds her and pushes in on her. It will bury her if she doesn't stay on the move.

"Mythal keep me," she prays as she dodges another dwarf giving her a dirty look. If Mythal even reaches down here. She is the Mother of All, who put the sun in his place- surely this place must be hell, with no sun to guide her.

Her breath constricts painfully in her throat again and she moves closer to Alastair's side. He looks down at her and touches her arm reassuringly. His touch only makes it harder to breathe, but she welcomes it. It is a vestige of comfort in this place comfort has abandoned.

The dwarven tavern is worse even than human taverns. It's louder. The sound bounces off the walls and only makes the stone close in that bit further on her. It's smellier. It's dirtier. She swallows, hard, and takes a step inside, praying fervently that she learns to float. Her feet are already dirty enough and she isn't sure that she wants to know what's in those puddles.

She makes a mental note to put her boots on as soon as she leaves this place. She likes walking barefoot, as do all her people, but this is purely unhygienic.

Deep Roads.

The words send thrills of terror through her and she knows her terror is apparent in her voice.

"The… Deep Roads? Creators help me," she prays aloud. The red bearded dwarf sitting opposite her laughs and anger flares into life within her. No one laughs at her!

"Scared of the Stone?" he mocks her. "Don't worry, pointy ears. It won't bite you." Her bow is in her hand before she is aware that she has nocked it. He just laughs harder. "Pointy eared coward."

She presses her lips in a thin line and struggles to contain her rising panic. What would Alastair think if she ran now?

Since when does she care what he thinks?

It is a question to ponder another day, when she is away from this Mythal-forsaken place and in the sun again. But it has made her mind up. She turns to the man and, in a voice as steady as she can make it, announces that they are going to the Deep Roads.