Something cold landed on her cheek, making Fyre stir from her dreams. she felt another little prickle of cold on her closed eyelid, and another on her lips. Gently easing her eyes open, she saw herself looking up into little droplets of heaven falling from the sky.

And then she realised, with a shiver, that it was snowing.

Fyre sat up, letting the blanket fall off her body. The four small tents were almost invisible in the blanket of snow that now covered the small valley. There was an outline of her body in the snow, and Fyre wondered how she had slept through the cold.

"I kept you protected."

Fyre looked up at the person who had answered her silent question. Surprisingly, Morrigan stared down at her. Either Alistair's stew had sent her into a delusional phase, or Morrigan had done a good deed.

She wasn't sure which was worse. Or more unnerving.

"Uh... thanks?"

Morrigan didn't look at her as she sent a small fire ball to the dead fire pit under the heavy cauldron. Fyre shivered again and reached for her armour. She hissed as her fingertips touched the ice cold metal plate. With a yawn, she sat back in time to see Alistair pull the flap of the tent and crawl out. His dirty blonde hair spiked up in all directions. She watched in mild amusement as he stepped into the snow, and then hoped around as the cold sunk in between his toes.

He jumped on one leg, making some kind of noise before he finally lost his balance, and fell.

Fyre giggled as snow puffed up around him. Morrigan looked up and then back down without so much as a twitch of the lips, but Fyre saw the glint in her amber eyes. Alistair got to his feet and shook his body in a way that reminded her of Hunter.

As soon as she thought his name, her Mabari jumped into view, welcoming Alistair to the new day. Fyre watched as he bent down and rubbed the dog behind his ears. His whole attention was on the dog and he had such a gentle, kind look on his face. He almost reminded her of Rory.

Alistair looked up from on his fringe and saw her staring. Fyre was about to look away when she saw something in his eyes. She saw something there that she hadn't seen in what felt like a long time.

Something moved behind him and Fyre shifted her gaze instinctively. And then she froze.

Blonde hair swept down his elegant neck, emphasising the dark markings that swirled down and over his perfectly toned chest. They swirled down and over every part of his rippling body making him looked like some kind perfect statue. The tattoos seemed to make masculinity radiate from him, and Fyre felt her mouth go dry.

The elf saw her ogling and gave her a wicked smile.

"Good morning," he purred in his delightful accented voice.

Fyre felt her cheeks begin to burn before turning and looking away. She coughed and stood up, grabbing her armour and trying to ignore the warmth that was spreading down her stomach and towards her-

"Fyre?"

Fyre turned her head so quickly, she startled the misty-eyed bard.

"Oh, good morning Leliana. You OK?"

Leliana frowned and looked behind her. She smiled knowingly as she saw Zevran watching Fyrelynne with a smouldering glare. She also saw the dangerous look in Alistair's eyes too, but she knew the Warden couldn't seen Alistair over Zevran's raw sexuality.

"I see."

"See? See what? What are you talking about woman?" demanded Fyre before turning and stomping over to the bushes just outside of their camp.

Leliana chuckled and let the Warden be.

Fyre mumbled incoherent words to herself as she took care of her business. She then dressed into her freezing armour as quickly as she could.

"Stupid men, and elves and bloody tattoos... damn them all to the..."

Her mumbling words didn't stop until she walked back into the now thriving camp. Wynne helped Morrigan prepare the meal in silence as Sten sat sharpening his sword next to Leliana, who was cleaning her twin daggers. Zevran(thankfully now fully armoured) was gently pulling the veins from a stack of leaves before adding them to a small pewter. Alistair was about twenty paces away from the camp, swinging his swords furiously. Hunter was dodging the attacks and barking furiously, urging Alistair on.

Fyre raised an eyebrow at the curious training. She shrugged it off as the smell of breakfast wafted her way. She stomped through the snow and into the circle of camp where it seemed a certain witch had melted away the snow. Curiously, the small flakes still falling decided to stay away from their particular spot.

"Did you have sweet dreams, dear Warden?"

Fyre grunted as she sat heavily on a log. She suppressed a cold shiver before looking up angrily at the elf.

"Yes. It was a lovely dream about an Archdemon eating my dead family."

Fyre instantly wanted to take back the words that had slipped so easily off her tongue. They all knew her story, but she had never felt anything like that.

They all looked up at her briefly before looking away awkwardly. Zevran raised his eyebrows and carried on stripping his leaves.

"Zev, I-"

She stopped herself, unsure of what to say. Part of her wanted to shout some more. Part of her wanted to shout some more, but she knew it was just because she was frustrated. With a quiet moan, she got to her feet, grabbed her sword that was by her bedroll and stomped over to Alistair.

Hunter stopped his practise and watched as Fyre walked right up to Alistair. He looked shocked as she stood in front of him in her battle stance.

"Come on. Show me what you've got."

Alistair gave her a confused smirk before lowering his body and raising his sword. "Bring i-"

His words were cut off as Fyre lunged at him. Their swords connected and Alistair threw her off, giving himself a chance to brace himself for her furious onslaught. Fyre twirled with her sword, and slashed at his stomach, but Alistair jumped back, avoiding the blow. She went for another killing blow but was stopped short as Alistair's speed had her ducking and swerving away from him.

She roared and charged at him, ducking his sword and catching his legs, making him stumble. Alistair looked at her with a confused curiosity as she charged him again.

Fyre couldn't control herself. She felt the need to attack him again and again. Her breathing was heavy and her blows were hard enough to kill. She felt sweat starting to trickle down her back and neck, but the sweat mixed with the cold created a friction that made her burn.

Alistair matched her and kept on the defensive. She knew he was waiting for her to tire from her furious attack, but she didn't stop coming. Every blow she made seemed to get harder and part of him was beginning to stir. He knew that his blood rage was coming. It always came to him in the heat of a battle. It's what gave him the strength to fight again and again.

But he couldn't get into a rage with Fyre. She was his leader.

Fyre feigned a high attack and Alistair moved to block. She took her chance, hitting him in the shoulder with her blade. He let out a cry and Fyre used her foot to sweep under his legs and knock him flat.

Alistair landed heavily and Fyre walked to stand over him, victorious.

She looked down at his face, but he was not wearing the awed expression she expected. Instead, his eyes were darker and completely focused. She saw the vein in his neck ticking as his blood raced. Fyre suddenly snapped out of her violent mindset at the look of blood lust on his face.

"Alis-"

There was a blow to her stomach from his boot and she stumbled backwards. Alistair got to his feet quickly and stood before her once again. This time he held himself dangerously. Fyre caught her breath as she took in the man before her. This man was no longer the blithering idiot that Alistair always tried to be.

No – this was a warrior. Strength oozed from him and Fyre felt her whole body come alive. She reacted to him so quickly that a wave of dizziness came over her.

Alistair smirked. His eyes sizzled with the same heat in her cheeks.

"You started this," he whispered, his voice deep and husky. "Now finish it."

Fyre smiled. Yes, ser.

She let out a furious battle cry and raised her sword. Charging at him again, they clashed with such force that spark flew from their swords. Fyre pushed her sword down with his, and the momentum sent them both backwards.

Alistair raised his sword again and brought it down in an arc. Fyre raised hers in time to stop him crushing her. Using her knee, she jerked it upwards into his hard abs, making him catch his breath. She pulled away and gave him a smile that was filled with everything she was feeling. Heat. Anger. Passion. Frustration.

Never before was her skin so on fire. The armour on her body was crushing her and making her itch. His eyes bore into her own and the world around them seemed to melt away. Everything became focused on the small circle they were drawing around each other. They looked for weakness while examining every inch of each other. It wasn't as if she had never seen his body before, but now he stalked her like an animal and its prey.

Fyre stopped.

She was done with ring around the rosies.

Throwing her sword onto the ground, Fyre pulled at her armour. She took of the heavy breast plate and gauntlets before raising her arms in front of her body, fists balled. Alistair understood faster than she thought possible, ripping off his gauntlets and breast plate.

Fyre rolled her shoulders, feeling more comfortable in the plain cotton tunic she always wore. It was cooler. She could breathe.

Alistair started with a rookie move. He lunged at her for a hit square in the face. She moved easily and grabbed his arm, twisting it up. She tried to pin him, but he was bigger than her, overpowering her easily. He brought his own knee up and got her in the side. Fyre yelped and almost lost her balance.

She didn't have a chance to react as Alistair grabbed her from behind. For the split second she felt the heat from his body radiating through his tunic and it made her shiver. With a grunt, she brought her head back and caught him in the face. As he stumbled, she turned and kicked him in the chest. Alistair recovered and grabbed her foot, twisting her leg and pushing her back. She landed hard but twisted in time to avoid being pinned by him.

Getting to her feet, Fyre charged him with all she had. They blocked and twirled and lashed and kicked. It started to feel almost like a dance. Fyre felt herself move so easily, so in sync with him that she knew each move before he made it. She saw his muscles flex when he was about to lash out. She saw his eyes dart quick to the side he was aiming at before he did.

He flexed his arms to hit for her right side and she dodged it easily. Expecting him to see her move, she went for a blow to his face. It was an easy move to block, but Alistair wasn't quick enough. She felt her fist catch his jaw with a crunch.

Fyre gasped as he stumbled backwards.

"Alistair! I'm so..."

Her words trailed off as he moved his hand from his mouth. She saw she had split his lip. His eyes were shadowed by his hair, but she knew he was pissed. The way he straightened his body made her drop her stance.

"Alistair, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

"It's OK. We both got a bit carried away."

Fyre felt herself breathing heavily as Alistair drew the back of his hand over his bleeding lip. She swallowed back the lump in her throat as he turned and walked away from the camp. And her.

She turned and stopped dead at the eyes watching her.

Leliana had a look of utter astonishment on her face, as did Wynne and even Morrigan. Sten seemed to be deep in thought as he watched her. And Zevran looked... like he wanted to devour her. Fyre felt the back of her neck prickle. She was too hot. She was too wound up.

Leaving her armour and sword where they fell, Fyre turned and heading into the forest, in the direct opposite direction that Alistair had gone.

When she was out of sight, Fyre started to run. The cold breeze was burning her face and she felt her lungs burning, but it was a good burn. She loved the way the muscles in her legs stretched and flexed with every stride.

She cleared the trees and came into a clearing with a frozen pool.

Fyre stopped and bent over, resting her hands on her legs and taking in long, deep breaths. What the hell was wrong with her?

Even as she thought it, she knew the answer. It was obvious, even to her.

The Joining had changed things about her. It seemed to make everything ten times more intense. She slept like the dead, when she didn't have nightmares. When she was hungry, she felt like she could eat a whole deer. And there was only one other physical thing a human craved.

"This is ridiculous."

Fyre covered her face with her hands. Her body still burned. She couldn't shake the way he moved with her. The way his body moved within his skin, the strength in his big hands... she saw his hands against her skin, gently caressing her with small kisses on the nape of her neck.

Fyre hissed as he cold hand touched her neck.

To feel him move against her, move with her...

A sound made her eyes snap open. She grit her teeth. She had moaned.

"This is enough," she told herself. "You are a Grey Warden. You have to unite the land, stop a crazy Teyrn, avenge your family... you have no time for sex."

But the words didn't stop the fire in her blood.

Fyre sighed and leant down. Leaning over the frozen pool, she saw the ice was thin. With a quick tap, the ice shattered and black, freezing water was revealed. Taking a deep breath, Fyre plunged her hands into the water. She whimpered at the temperature before yanking her hands back.

Lifting up her hair, Fyre layered the back of her neck with the freezing water. It mingled against the heat and became something even worse than before.

"You split my lip."

Fyre jumped and turned. Alistair loomed by the tree line. He leant against the tree with his arms crossed. His hair was sticking up in some places and in the front it was slick with sweat. Fyre swallowed as she traced a droplet of sweat roll down the side of his head and down his neck.

"I'm sorry Alistair. I just... I'm just frustrated. We've been moving slowly because of the damn snow. These mountains are a nasty piece of work to navigate-"

"So you punched me in the face... because of the snow?"

Fyre gave an exasperated sigh and got to her feet. She raised her arms and dropped them again. She looked up at him and saw his stupid grin on his face. She studied him for a minute before she realised-

"You're enjoying this."

Alistair raised an eyebrow. "Me? The helpless victim who was assaulted? Never."

Fyre put a hand on her hip and leaned onto her left leg.

"Really? And, who was the one who kicked me first?"

"Who was the one who started stripping?"

"What can I say? I moved better underdressed."

Ah, that got him. A flicker of something fluttered over his face before it was replaced with his usual casual demeanour. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She didn't understand it, but the desire to touch him was becoming unbearable.

They had been playing this game for weeks. An unnecessary touch of a hand here and there. Sharing glances over the campfire. Flirtatious banter. She never really thought it would come to this. To standing face to face with electricity flickering between them so intensely that she wouldn't be surprised if they spontaneously combusted.

He chuckled under his breath.

"You've got quite a hard hit... for a woman. But you caught me off guard."

She smirked. "I did, huh?"

Alistair pushed himself off the tree and took slow, deliberate steps towards her.

"Yep. I say rematch."

"Really? Are you sure you want to be beaten again? By a woman?"

"Oh, Fyrelynne. We both know you're more than just a woman."

Fyre felt her stomach flutter. There was more to the templar. He was sweet and kind. But he was also confident around her. She had noticed he had started to be more adventurous, more open with his words. He didn't bumble as much as he used to.

She liked this Alistair.

"Fine. When and where?"

Alistair smiled a little sheepishly. She was expecting him to back down. He wasn't a coward, she just seemed to intimidate him sometimes. She was used to it. The only people who weren't intimidated by the Warrior Lady in Highever were Rory, Fergus and the guardsmen.

She watched as he reached down and grabbed the hem of his shirt. She was about to question him when his bare skin came into the daylight.

She hated herself for it, but Fyre found herself examining every inch of him. He threw his shirt to the ground and took a few steps away from her. With his back turned to her she saw how his muscles danced in the faint sunlight. Oh, dear Maker...

Fyre wasn't even sure Alistair knew how attractive he was.

He glanced over his shoulder and raised his eyebrows. Or maybe he did.

Fyre chuckled under her breath. Fine, if he wants to play – I'm game.

She slowly reached for her own tunic. Pulling it up and over, a cold breeze danced over her bare stomach. All that held her boobs in place was a small breast band. Alistair turned to face her and he stopped dead.

Fyre waited for a cocky comment, but his eyes just drank her in. After another minute of those dark eyes sweeping over her, she felt the heat returning to her stomach. It fluttered as he rolled his arms. She bent down and put her arms up again. Alistair followed her movements.

She took one deep breath before she jumped him again.

This time, their movements were slower, with less force. She hit, he blocked. He swung, she ducked. It became a dance again, but this time there was something more sensual to it. As she spun to move away from him, she found herself leaning closer so she could rub her hip against him. Fyre spun and flung her arm backwards and Alistair caught it. She inhaled sharply as he ran his hands up her arm.

Her chest jerked outwards involuntarily as they carried on with their dance. They weren't really hitting each other now, no, they were looking for ways to make the other squirm.

Alistair brushed the back on her neck as he caught another blow from her.

Suddenly, they had stopped. She had her back leaned against his chest, and she could feel him, all of him, against her. The heat was there, pumping so fast round her body that she could barely hear over her own heartbeat.

She let her head fall as he gently moved her hair aside. Without hesitation, Fyre felt the warmth of his soft lips touch the nape of her neck. She gasped, which turned into a moan as he wrapped himself around her. Resting his hands on her stomach, Fyre revelled in the heat of his bare skin against her. She felt his hands begin to move against her skin. The lower they moved, the slower they became. She felt a slight hitch in his breathing.

And then she remembered.

Fyre yanked herself away from him. He looked at her, confused and full of a lust he didn't understand.

"Fyre?"

"You've never done this, Alistair." Fyre wanted to kick herself at the hurt look in his eyes.

She huffed. "No, that not what I – Alistair."

He stopped where he was, mid turn.

"That's not what I meant."

"What? That I'm not good enough? Hm? Or that I'm too inexperienced?" He spat the words at her, as if he was repeating them.

Fyre shook her head. "No. And you know that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean, Fyre? Because so far, it seemed like you was actually enjoying my company."

"Alistair, I do enjoy your company-"

"But you'd prefer someone more experienced? Like Zevran?"

The words that left his mouth sliced her right to the bone. He seemed to regret what he had said, but before he could open his mouth, Fyre found herself raising her fist. She swung, and this time, she caught him square on the jaw.

Alistair was knocked down onto his knees.

"What I meant was that this would be your first time. Something which I believe to be special. Something treasured. Not some rolling twenty minutes in the dirt."

Before she could do any permanent damage to him, Fyre grabbed her shirt from the snow and marched towards the woods. Mumbling to herself, she started yanking her tunic up her arms when something grabbed her from behind.

His grip was strong and he lifted her from the ground like she was a feather. Fyre struggled against him and caught the back of her head with what she guessed was his face. He grunted and released her long enough for Fyre to work from his grasp.

She turned in his arms and lashed out, catching him under the chin. Alistair grabbed her shoulders and slammed her against a tree so hard that the boughs shook, covering them in snow.

Fyre fought against him again, but he only slammed her harder.

She looked up at him with a glare. But his eyes weren't filled with that anger and jealousy. They were filled with the same heat she felt spreading over her hips.

"Just twenty minutes, hm?"

Fyre felt his hands digging into her shoulders, and she wanted nothing more than to make him do it harder.

"Prove me wrong."

He lunged at her then, engulfing her with his overpowering scent. His kiss was rough, uncertain, and full of a passion she had lived without for months. It felt like decades with everything that she had gone through. What they had gone through.

Alistair pulled away from her lips and let rough kisses line her jaw. When he got to her neck, Fyre yelped as he sunk his teeth into her. She was expecting it, and from the way his body went rigid, she guessed he wasn't either.

Before he stopped, Fyre grabbed for the lining of his greaves. He gasped as she let one finger slide under. She traced circled in the small curls that were there, and she melted to hear him moan.

He leant into her again, engulfing her. Fyre let him envelop her in frantic kisses and nibbles. She grabbed the back of his head and pulled him down to her, letting her tongue gently sighed over a tender earlobe. He moaned against her again.

"Fyre... I can't, I need to feel you."

His words were another wave of blistering heat. She grabbed at his greaves again, and this time, she pulled the tie and let them drop. His body jerked against her and his movements stopped again. Part of her hazy mind reminded her that he had never done this before, he was new...

The other part was wrapping its fingers around his shaft. Fyre felt him shudder as she gently lets her hand go up and down.

Before she could continue, Alistair grabbed her hands and slammed them above her head, pressing her against the rough bark of the tree. Holding her with one hand, he let the other slide down her neck and over her barely covered breast. With one swift move, the breast band was thrown behind them.

Alistair gently cupped her and ran a thumb over her tight nipple. Fyre groaned and raised her hips in pleasure.

"Alistair..." she breathed. She was almost begging him.

But he didn't look at her. Instead he engulfed her mouth once again with a sweet, seductive kiss. His tongue massaged hers and his hand continued travelling down, down, down...

Suddenly, his hands were under her trous, cupping her sec with cold fingers.

Fyre felt herself rocking her hips against him. "Touch me," she begged.

Using one finger, he let himself touch her core. He rubbed her slowly, feeling her, savouring her. He watched as she moaned and gasped. He took pleasure in the way she writhed under his command. The way one point of pressure made her bite her bottom lip.

Fyre looked up with her turquoise eyes glittering against the snow.

"Take me..."

Alistair moved his hand away from her centre and yanked at the small strings holding up her greaves. He marvelled at her centre and the small curls there that matched the wild colour of her hair. Fyre kicked her greaves off as Alistair released her arms. He raised her hips up and held her firm ass with both hands.

Fyre wrapped her arms around his neck as he led his shaft to her centre. The tip of him rested just on the inside of her core. Fyre whimpered for him to thrust. She needed to feel him, every glorious inch of him.

She pulled him so close to her body that she felt his wild heartbeat.

There was a gentle kiss on her neck before he plunged himself inside her. Fyre gasped in unison with Alistair at the sensation of being entwined.

Alistair slowly pulled back and pushed back in, so hard that Fyre was crushed against the tree. She cried out.

"Fyre?" He took her face in his hands, looking for some sign that he had hurt her.

Instead he saw the haze of passion over her eyes. She smiled at him then. A smile full of everything he had ever wanted to see on a woman's face. He smiled back and leant down, kissing her gently. His hips rolled with hers as they got into a smooth rhythm.

Fyre felt the release building inside her. She knew how close she was to that sweet sensation, but she didn't want the feeling to end. She wasn't to be with him here, forever. To forget their troubles, to forget their jobs and just become young lovers.

Alistair groaned against her neck as he wrapped his arms around her body. Fyre held him so close to her that he was all she could think, all she could sense.

His movements quickened with her short breaths. She moaned in his ear, urging him on, faster, harder.

"Oh, Fyre – I"

"Yes, yes..."

He pounded into her so hard that it was all she could do to stop from screaming. Her cries got so loud that Alistair chuckled and covered her mouth with his.

He thrust into her again and again until he brought her to the brink of her climax. He cried her name as she yelled his, and together they were brought into the throws of an oblivion neither wanted to leave.

Fyre couldn't wipe the smile from her face. She stopped and leaned against a tree. The camp wasn't far away, she could hear the chattering of her camp mates. Alistair had gone in before she had, but they probably heard her cried.

She giggled stupidly to herself.

Rubbing her face with her hands, Fyre stopped as she smelt his skin on them. She breathed him in.

Maker, he was amazing.

No matter how good Dairren had been, he had never done that to her. Sure, he had made her climax, but that... was something else. She wanted to touch him again. She wanted to taste him. She wanted to...

She sighed as the reality came to her. She wanted to be with him.

Letting that thought sober her, Fyre walked back into camp. Alistair had gone back with firewood, but she was empty handed. And cold. Making love in the snow probably wasn't the wisest thing to do.

Leliana looked up as she came into camp. They were already packed and ready to move.

The bard gave her a knowingly look, but Fyre tried to seem confused. Leliana rolled her eyes as Fyre walked over to her pack. She put on her breastplate and gauntlets before sheathing her sword. As she prepared the party to move, Fyre turned to see a pair of golden eyes watching her.

She smirked at the dark circle forming under his eye. Fyre shook her head and ordered them to move out.

Well, she thought to herself. At least it's not as bad at the scratches on his back.