Kate was correct. The others had barely left camp for their nightly excursions when Alistair rounded on her, shouting.
"YOU USED BLOOD MAGIC. YOU SACRIFICED LADY ISOLDE!" he shouted in her face.
Kate fought to keep her temper from rising. "You would rather we killed a little boy?" she asked reasonably.
"You could have done something else, used the Circle, or found a different way. Instead you let Lady Isolde die! We are Grey Wardens, we have a responsibility to keep people safe! What will the Arl do when he wakes up? He won't be happy! What if he doesn't help us? Then we're fucked, and it's ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!" he screamed, inches from her face.
Kate stood quietly, trembling with rage.
"You're not going to talk now? You owe me an explanation. Tell me right now why I shouldn't report you and that apostate whore Morrigan to the Templars!" he shouted. "I thought you were different, that you cared about people. You helped a stupid little serving maid, because you gave your precious word, but had no problem killing the ARLESSA OF REDCLIFFE. Turns out you succeeded in making yourself into a heartless bitch just like your little friend Morrigan" he screamed, and then spit at her feet.
Kate snapped.
"Don't you DARE, Alistair!" she spat. "You come here and have the gall to yell at me about responsibility. What about the responsibility you shirked when you passed off leadership of the Grey Wardens on a fresh recruit? I was as green as I could be, had just lost my fucking family, and you dumped all of it on me because you lost someone. I did the best I possibly could. You heard the messenger. The Circle could not have helped us. Even if we could have straightened things out there, it would have taken weeks, and you saw what the demon did in only one week. You ask me what I think Arl Eamon will say when he wakes? I think he is a smart man, and will understand that I made the hard choice, that I did what had to be done. I was able to make that decision because I don't have some fucked-up history with him like you do. You would have let your past feelings cloud your decisions, and then everyone would have died. Whatever I wrecked doing what I did would have been tiny compared to the mess you surely would have made."
Alistair opened his mouth to argue, and Kate jumped forward.
"You have no right to question any decision I make, and you know why?" she hissed, pushing him. "Because I am the fucking leader here, NOT YOU. I stepped up, because you were too weak. You don't have the balls to lead, but when I make a decision you disagree with, suddenly you think you would have done better? Ha!" she laughed bitterly.
"You then come around and threaten me with Templars. You call me and my friend bitches and whores when we were the ones saving your precious Arl, and guaranteeing allies for the Grey Wardens. Maybe that was a lesson Duncan forgot to teach you, but I get the feeling that he tried, and you were probably too busy dicking around, cracking jokes to really learn what being a Grey Warden means. It means stopping the Blight at any cost."Kate said coldly. Her voice got even quieter and sharper. "You hated Isolde, yet still you use her to push your brainwashed Chantry ideas on me. She was an awful person, Alistair. She killed servants for fun. Of course, the lives of servants are worth little or nothing to you. They are just ants, scurrying around your kingdom."
Alistair stood there, and wished she would just take out her dagger and stab it into his chest. The pain couldn't be worse than the pain already there, and at least it would be over quickly. The shame over what he had said crushed his lungs.
"I saved that girl because I said I would as a Grey Warden. I brought her back because I keep my word, no matter what the price is. If she had been dead, I would have carried her body back to her father myself. I told you once that I had your back, and you said you had mine, too. You know that I keep my word, but I wonder about your vow. Do I have to worry about your dagger in my back, Your Majesty?" she asked quietly, her voice cracking with anger and sorrow.
"You would be the master of daggers in backs, wouldn't you?" asked Alistair harshly, then stopped himself.
"You don't have to worry about me betraying you. I wish I could take back what I said about the servant, and about you. I am sorry." he said quietly.
"Sorry doesn't make it okay. You betrayed me, Alistair. You told me the Grey Wardens were my new family, and I believed you. It is now painfully obvious to me how little you know about what a family is. You took the hardest decision I have ever made, and when you should have been supporting me, you turned on me. So kindly leave me alone. I don't want to see your face for a long time." said Kate, and turned away from him.
"Please-don't do this." said Alistair miserably.
Rage was still boiling through Kate, and she turned back. "What does it take to get through to you, Alistair? Get the fuck away from me, and don't speak to me. I don't want you around!" she screamed, her icy calm dissipated.
Alistair backed away from her. He wanted to crawl in a hole somewhere and die, or throw himself at her feet and beg her to forgive him. He stood, stupidly, and looked at her.
"I said get away from me!" Kate screamed. Alistair reeled as if she had struck him, and stumbled to his tent. What had he done? Who did he think he was, yelling at her?
Kate grabbed her daggers and walked to the far east edge of the clearing. She ran through the training exercises Ser Gilmore had taught her, and added a few moves she had recently learned. She worked, faster and faster. Sweat ran down her face, and it was a welcome alternative to the tears that wanted to spill out.
"Hah! Hah!" she shouted, thrusting and twisting. Her torso felt as if an ogre gripped it. She pushed through the terrible pain. She had expected to argue with Alistair: she knew his feelings about blood magic, and didn't fault him for them. She had not expected him to tear her down, to turn his back on her. To think, she had actually kissed him, had actually allowed a tiny sliver of hope back into her heart. It just went to show that you never truly knew someone. Her father's best friend had stabbed him in the back, and now her best friend had done the same.
"Couslands really know how to pick friends, don't they?" she asked herself wryly.
Morrigan saw Kate at the edge of campsite. The girl was barely visible, and flickered like a flame. Morrigan wouldn't have noticed her if she hadn't been shrieking with every flash of the dagger.
Morrigan knew that Alistair must have said something to Kate. Surprising herself, Morrigan found her fists clenched. She didn't actually care about Kate, did she? Her mission was clear, and every ending dictated she betray the Warden.
"What did he say? I know he was not pleased about the blood magic. I hope you put him in his place." said Morrigan.
Kate jumped back. "I didn't see you approach. I guess I was concentrating. Alistair decided to challenge me as leader today, and yes, I put him in his place. I don't feel good about it, though. Isn't it supposed to feel good?" Kate asked, looking at the ground.
"What did he say? How dare that swine say anything about your leadership! Who does he think he is-"Morrigan hissed.
"That is between him and I. It is settled. Now please, I need to be alone." Kate said quietly.
Morrigan turned and walked to her tent. To have shaken Kate, Alistair must have said something unforgivable.
The next day, everyone else in camp saw the change in Kate. Her eyes were emotionless and flat. She ordered everyone to pack up and announced they were going to the Circle of Magi.
"Bann Teagan said Arl Eamon's condition is stable. The demon Connor dealed with did...something, and he is breathing, if not awake. We must resolve issues at the Circle before the Annulment happens. If it does, we will be out valuable allies against the Blight." said Kate.
They arrived at the docks of Lake Calenhad just before nightfall. Kate paid for everyone to sleep in a bed at a nearby inn, hoping for extra privacy. She heard the high-pitched giggle of Leilana late into the night, and Morrigan's dry responses. She did not hear anything from the other room, however. The Quanari spoke rarely, and Alistair had no one who would speak with him.
Morning soon came, and Kate noticed Leilana holding her head.
"Rough night?" she asked.
"Oh, no. I had a wonderful time. Many of the templars bought me drinks, and I could not refuse them. It would be rude." said Leilana.
"I suppose it would have been rude to refuse the one who asked to share your bed, too?" asked Morrigan.
Leilana laughed and blushed. "He was very handsome. How could I turn down such an offer?" she asked.
They met with trouble when trying to secure passage across the Lake. Instead of the usual boatmen, a Templar stood at the end of the docks.
"No one crosses, under the order of the Knight Commander." he said.
"We have important business with the Circle." said Kate.
"So does everyone else. The answer is no." said the man.
"I have treaties right here that guarantee me the assistance of the Circle. I am a Grey Warden." insisted Kate.
The templar looked her over, then laughed. "And I'm the Empress of Orlais. There are no female Grey Wardens."
"Look, just because we are rare, does not mean we don't exist. I demand you take us across!" said Kate.
"No." said the Templar.
"Can't we work something out?" asked Kate. "There must be something we have that you want."
The Templar's stomach growled. "I am feeling a bit peckish." he said.
"Here, I have cheese, and bread, and a potato." said Kate.
"Ugh, I have those, too. I don't want the same old thing, you know? I been out here two weeks now, and all I eat is potato, bread, cheeese." he whined.
Kate heard Sten unsling his pack. "How about this?" he asked, holding something out.
Kate recognized it immediately, and the flatness in her eyes sparked, then burst into fire. "YOU!" she shouted. "YOU are the one who stole my cookies? I never would have suspected you! And all this time, you let Alistair take the blame!"
"You told me to take what I needed from your pack. I needed these." said Sten.
"You needed them? I doubt it." said Kate.
"You were not appreciating them properly. You could not possibly understand the artistry involved in such a food. The ingredients, perfectly calibrated, then baked at a precise temperature for the optimum length of time." Sten closed his eyes and something resembling a smile crossed his face.
He opened his odd violet eyes and looked at the Templar, who was raising the cookie to his mouth. Sten snatched it back.
"I changed my mind. Take us across the lake, or I'll cut your head off." he said.
Kate threw her head back and laughed. She laughed until tears ran down her face. "Oh, that was worth it. If I had known this little exchange would have occurred as a result of losing my cookies, I would have given them to you, Sten."
It took them a day in a boat, and they saw the white tower rising from Lake Calenhad.
"Humans always overcompensate." said Sten dryly.
Leilana let out a trill of a laugh, but when Alistair joined, she and Morrigan shot him icy looks until he stopped. Every time Alistair began to say something, one of the two would speak over him until he finally went silent.
The situation at the tower was dire. Some of the mages had attempted a violent coup, and the aftermath was horrific. Kate saw firsthand the dangers of blood magic in the wrong hands. Many of the mages had been possessed by demons and turned into mutated, horrifying creatures called abominations. The week she spent locked in the tower seemed the longest of her life. Sleep was very scarce, as they always had to sleep lightly. Food was also scarce, which made everyone in the group nervous and irritable. Kate worried they would not find First Enchanter Irving, and thus, the Knight Commander would leave them locked in.
Kate was about to enter the top floor when she came across a strange blue barrier. An old mage crouched nearby, and when they approached, leveled her staff at them.
"I will kill you if you try to hurt my apprentices or the children." the woman said sternly.
"We're here to help. Knight Commander Gregoir sent us to find the First Enchanter." Kate said, holding her hands up.
"Oh thank the Maker. We've been locked in here for weeks. I've managed to hold this barrier and prevent anyone from hurting the children, but I could not take much longer." said the old woman.
"My name is Wynne, and if you want to go up to the top tower, you must take me with you."
"Why? You must be tired, and I have a capable mage with me, already." Kate said, gesturing to Morrigan.
"Because it is my duty. Because I suspected Uldred, the mage responsible for instigating all of this, and did nothing, I am equally responsible." Wynne answered.
Kate nodded. "I can respect that." she said.
Wynne lowered the barrier, and creatures made of lava immediately began sliding toward them.
"What are those things?" asked Kate.
"Rage demons." Morrigan answered.
Kate found killing them was not difficult, as they possessed minds little more cunning than animals. She was feeling quite cocky, when they found a barred door.
"Uldred might be in here." Wynne said.
"Let's kill that bastard!" said Kate. "Alistair, could you help me with this door?" she asked, not looking at him.
"Certainly." He said. Would she ever cease being angry with him? He hated the silence worse than when she had ripped him apart. . At least the new mage seemed to like him. It was a relief to have someone groaning at his jokes again.
He pushed at the door while Kate worked at the lock. They managed to open it.
Standing with its back to them was a huge mass of writhing, diseased flesh. It turned, and Kate saw that it had once had a face. Now flesh blurred together, and only the eyes remained. The eyes looked tired, and bored.
"Wouldn't you like a rest? I know I would." said the thing. Kate felt very dizzy and sleepy.
"No! Resist!" shouted Morrigan, but Kate knew that this was a perfect spot to sleep. She closed her eyes.
When she opened them, she saw Duncan standing over her.
"It is good to see you again, Katherine. Aren't you glad the Blight is over?" he asked.
"The Blight isn't over, and you are dead!" Kate said. "Where am I? This place looks weird."
"Remember, you killed the Archdemon. You're a hero now, Kate. You and Alistair can live happily ever after." Duncan said, smiling.
Kate thought of Alistair. He really was handsome, wasn't he? He had such nice lips, despite chewing on them a lot recently. His shoulders were so broad and strong, and he managed to make swinging a heavy sword while wearing metal armor look easy. Where was Alistair? Was he still mad at her? Kate tried to focus on their fight, and found it harder than swimming against a current. She could not remember forgiving him, and knew that happiness could not be possible, then.
"You're not real!" Kate said, looking accusingly at Duncan.
"You know, you can never be happy. I tried to make things nice for you, but you rejected my gift." Duncan said, and then drew his sword.
Kate found fighting allowed her mind to clear, just like it did in real life. Her heart broke when she slid her dagger into Duncan's side, but she knew it was an illusion
Kate wandered through the strange, misty dreamland. Where were her friends? Were they here?
She came across a man dressed in mages' garb.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"My name is Niall. I see the sloth demon has trapped another one. Was anyone alive in the tower? Don't even bother trying to get out of here. It's impossible." he said sadly.
"Where are we? The sloth demon, was it on the top floor? We walked into the room, and then I woke up here." Kate said.
"We are in the Fade. The sloth demon has us enthralled." Niall said. "I was trying to stop Uldred and the rest when I encountered the demon. I have been here for a very long time. Everything is getting so cold."
"We will get out of here. There must be a way. You can kill demons in the Fade, right?" Kate asked.
"You can, but we are trapped." Niall said.
Kate said, "I will find a way," and set off in the direction of a blue haze to her left.
There, she heard the sounds of battle, and ran forward. A demon was attacking a mouse, who was screaming, "Help! Help me!" Kate drew her dagger and slew the demon, but the mouse was dying.
"Thank you, stranger. Take me power. Kill the demons that protect Sloth." it squeaked. Kate felt a cool tingle over her head and arms, and suddenly knew how to transform into a mouse.
Kate found mouseholes, which led to other realms. The realms were nightmarish, which was fitting, since each realm was created from the worst fears of a dreamer the Sloth had enthralled.
Kate learned to become a creature of flame from a templar, a spirit from a mage, and a golem from another dreamer. She used those forms to enter other realms.
Kate did not need to rest, nor did she feel tired. She wondered how quickly time was passing on the outside. She worried about the rest of her group. Where were they?
After she scampered through yet another mousehole, she stopped. This realm was small. She could see the other side from where she was standing. She saw the large, familiar form of Sten ahead.
"Sten! I'm so glad to see you! We have to get out of here" Kate said, and grabbed Sten's arm.
"They're all dead, and my soul is gone. I cannot return without my soul." said Sten, who looked at the ground.
"This isn't real! This is the sloth demon controlling you! Think about who you are, Sten. Would a Quanari become the thrall of a demon?"
"No." said Sten, and then vanished.
Kate swore, and then turned into a mouse and ventured on.
She found Wynne, and then Leilana. Both took some convincing, but eventually were persuaded to focus on Kate long enough to realize their dreams were not really. They, too, vanished.
Kate felt as if she were forever opening and entering through endless doors. She walked to the end of long tunnel, where she saw Morrigan's yellow eyes gleaming.
"I wondered when you would get here." the witch said.
"Wait, you know you're in the Fade?" asked Kate.
"Of course. The demon did a terrible job of creating Flemeth. She is inimitatable, I suppose." said Morrigan thoughtfully, and then turned to smoke.
Kate turned and saw Alistair.
"Alistair! I thought I would never find you!" she said excitedly, and clasped his arm. Her vision shifted, and she looked around. Like it had with Wynne, she saw what Alistair saw. She saw the walls of a clean, cozy cottage. A woman was sitting at a table with two little boys. Kate heard footsteps behind her, and turned to see an odd sight: herself.
"Hello Alistair. I just wanted to tell you that I missed you. I don't ever want us to be angry again." not-Kate said.
Kate felt her lips moving, and heard Alistair's voice say "Katherine! I was just thinking of you! Isn't that funny? This is my sister, Goldanna, and her two boys. We are so happy together, living here. They love me and never want me to leave. I love having a family."
Kate felt sick. Her vision shifted, and she saw Alistair standing before her, a dreamy smile on his face. "Alistair!" she said sharply. He looked at her.
"Hi Katherine." he said.
"This isn't real." she said.
"Goldanna is making my favourite pie. Would you like to stay for a slice?" asked Alistair.
"She's a demon, Alistair. I need you to focus on my face. Look me in the eyes, Alistair." said Kate.
"You have such pretty eyes. I never told you that." said Alistair.
"Alistair, I'm going to get you out of here. Remember how I keep my promises? I need you to do something for me." Kate said.
"Sure, anything for you." said Alistair, and grinned.
"Think about where we were before we got here? Think about the Circle tower." said Kate.
"I don't remember anything like that." said Alistair.
Kate cursed. The demon had a very strong grip on Alistair. She needed something to shock him out his dreaming.
"Alistair, do you remember Isolde dying? Think about how her neck sound when it snapped." said Kate. She hated to force him to remember such a thing, but it was better than abandoning him to the Fade.
"I do...remember. Oh god, what have we done? What will Arl Eamon think of me now?" asked Alistair. "Wait, what are you doing? Where are you going?"
Alistair faded, and Kate saw a mousehole she hadn't seen before. She scampered through and came to a sliding stop. Niall stood in front of her.
"You did it! You really did it! You need to stop Uldred. Take the scroll off my body when you awake. It will keep your mind from his bloody fingers." said Niall.
"What do you mean? You're coming with me!" said Kate.
"I have been here for weeks. You simply took an afternoon nap. My life is nearly gone. Please, promise me you will take that scroll."
"I will, right after I kill Sloth." said Kate.
"My mother always said I was destined for greatness. I hope I did her proud." the mage said.
"You did, Niall." said Kate, and he began walking away. She chased him, and then the world shifted again.
The demon was right in front of her. Its hair was a flame, and its skin mottled. She heard a sound like twigs snapping, and her companions appeared next to her.
The demon looked around, surprised. "The toys have escaped their boxes. Curious." it said.
"Kill it!" shouted Kate. "It's our only chance to get out of here!"
Morrigan was already muttering something under her breath when Kate shouted, and Wynne began weaving the air with her hands immediately.
"Know your place, mortal!" boomed the demon, and advanced. Kate gulped. She heard Sten shout, and then the demon was cut in half. It shifted into a different shape and a fireball exploded from it, knocking them back.
Alistair held his ground, though, and ran his sword into the demon. It wailed and turned into the nasty thing they had first seen in the Tower. It roared, and Kate felt spit hit her face. Her skin sizzled, and the pain spurred her. She flew into action, stabbing it twice in quick succession. It grabbed her, her skin blistering where it touched, and she screamed in pain. Sten hacked into it, and the large, slimy part of it that held her fell to the ground.
Its attention focused on Sten, and Kate took the opportunity to drive a dagger into its head. It kept attacking.
"Mages, our blades aren't hurting it! I need you to focus your spells on it!" shouted Kate. Her arm hung limply at her side. She focused on hacking any pieces of the demon that reached for the witches.
Morrigan managed to freeze it solid. Wynne conjured a boulder, which slammed into it. It shattered, and the world spun.
Kate woke up gasping on the hard stone floor of the tower. There were no signs of the demon. Kate saw a thin mage lying on the floor next to her. He was cold. She turned him, and recognized his face. Niall. She found the scroll clutched in his hand, and pryed it loose.
Kate saw the others stirring. Morrigan sat up, and stretched. "Well, that was...tedious." she said.
"Kate, thank you for talking some sense into me. An old mage like me should know better than to be tricked by a demon." said Wynne.
"My pleasure." said Kate.
"Wait, if you were tricked, was everyone else, too? Were Kate and I the only ones to resist it?" asked Morrigan.
"It fooled me." said Leilana.
"I am ashamed it tricked me as well." said Sten.
Kate could see Alistair standing, uncomfortable.
"What about you? Surely you were fooled." said Morrigan smugly.
"No. Alistair resisted, too." said Kate. She saw him shift slightly, and his eyes darted to hers. She nodded slightly.
"You're not as special as you think, Morrigan." said Alistair, and grinned.
"Now for Uldred." said Kate. "I think we've killed more mages this week than many Templars do their whole lives. I found someone else in the Fade, a mage named Niall."
"Niall? Is he alive? He was one of the mages to stand against Uldred." said Wynne hopefully.
"He is not. The sloth demon drained him of his life, but before he died, he told me about this scroll, the Litany of..something." said Kate, holding the tattered parchment.
"Poor Niall. What is it?" asked Wynne. "Oh! The Litany of Adralla! This will protect us from blood magic. I wonder how he managed to get the Tranquil to give it to them. This is an ancient relic, and has only been seen by senior enchanters who have undergone years of paperwork to get a glimpse! And to hold it in my hands!" said Wynne wonderingly.
"Are you finished? We need to move." said Morrigan.
"We need to study this, Morrigan. Only mages can use its contents, but it will allow us to shield ourselves and the others from mind control." said Wynne sternly.
"Fine." said Morrigan.
The duo spent the next few hours perfecting the incantation and ritual gestures that went with it.
"Does it always take this long to learn a spell?" asked Kate incredulously.
"This spell is actually streamlined for very quick learning. Most take weeks to even conjure a weak version of the spell. Some of the most powerful spells can take years to master." said Wynne.
"So once you have it down, you can use it whenever you want, though, right?" asked Kate.
Morrigan snorted derisively. "No. Each of us has a specific amount of magical energy. Once that energy is depleted, we are unable to do magic again until we have rested. It is that or drinking lyrium, which, like everything in this world, comes at a price."
"Too much lyrium usage deforms us. We do not become addicted, but our skin and bones mutate. That is why the Circle carefully controls our access to lyrium. They are trying to protect us." said Wynne.
Morrigan laughed. "Or they are trying to own you. How can you not see this little Tower as the prison it is? It is not your home. It is a cage. Mages are perfectly capable of restricting their use of lyrium on their own. I have been a free witch for, what, twenty-five years now, yet I do not bear lyrium scars. Somehow I restrained myself from drinking the stuff with my afternoon tea. Curious."
"What, then, of the Tevinter mages? Surely you must have seen the pictures? They no longer resemble humans." intejected Alistair.
"They were foolish. Not every Tevinter mage looks like that, just like not every apostate is a bad, bad, person who must be locked up." said Morrigan.
Kate saw Wynne about to argue.
"Enough! Ladies, I think you have something you should be doing? I'm sorry I ever asked. Alistair, we should follow their example and practice our forms." said Kate.
"Then we'll just get tired." complained Alistair.
"That's a lie, and you know it. I've seen you fight for hours without tiring. A few exercises are not going to kill you." said Kate.
They began their forms, Alistair blocking and thrusting, and Kate whirling and kicking.
"So are we good now?" asked Alistair.
"What?" asked Kate, her concentration broken.
"Are we good? Are you done being angry with me? I hope so. I don't like sleeping with one eye open. That eye gets all dry." he said.
"I have forgiven you, if that's what you mean. Did I forget? No. Will I forget? No. Our little dispute was good for me, actually." said Kate.
"Why?" asked Alistair.
"It reminded me of my duty. I should have never let anyone-any thing distract me. I need to stop this Blight. I am a Grey Warden now, and that is what we do." said Kate "You would do well to remember your duty, too."
Alistair swung his sword viciously. So this is what she thought? Their kiss had rocked him to his core, but to her, it was a petty annoyance, like a fly buzzing, or sand in one's eye.
Kate saw Alistair frown and swing his sword. She admired the muscles in his neck move as he did so, then turned away. She could not afford to be taken in by him again. It might take a hard knock or two to teach Kate a lesson, but once she learned, she did not forget.
When they entered the Harrowing Chamber, the room where Uldred and the other blood mages operated from.
Kate burst in, daggers drawn. She expected more of the twisted, hideous abominations, but instead, before her stood a normal-looking man.
"Hello. I see great power in you. You could do great things, if you allowed a demon to grant you that power." the man said.
"Uldred?" asked Wynne.
"Ah yes, Wynne." he said. "I have little to no use for you, but that isn't to say I won't enjoy corrupting you."
"What is wrong with you? Can't you see that the demon does not give you freedom?" asked Kate.
"Oh but it has freed me from this insipid Circle and granted me power beyond my wildest dreams." said Uldred. "What would you know of freedom, little girl? I suppose you must think like the others do, that blood magic is a bad, horrible, terrible, no-good thing. The templar you're traveling with must have told you that, or maybe your new friend Wynne."
"I didn't say anything about blood magic. I have no quarrel with blood mages. I have known two to be valiant, good people. You, on the other hand. What you are using is not blood magic. It is possession, and you are no longer human." said Kate.
"Won't you at least look at the contract before burning it?" asked Uldred.
"Never." said Kate, and moved her head slightly.
Leilana drove her dagger into Uldred's back. While Kate had kept Uldred occupied, Leilana had crept around the edge of the room.
Uldred shrieked, then began laughing. He shuddered, and his human skin fell away. His new form, his real form, was monstrous. Huge, brownish-purple, and covered in odd protrusions, he roared, and flung Leilana across the room. She groaned and stood shakily.
Kate looked at Sten and Alistair. They charged, swords shining in the candlelight.
Kate danced in front of Uldred, stabbing where she could reach. He screeched and grabbed for her. She deftly ducked, and stabbed him under the armpit.
He uttered some stange incantation, and abominations oozed from the shadows.
"Not more of these fucks!" said Kate, and reluctantly took her eyes from Uldred to deal with them. She neatly dispatched two before the third was done with his spell. Kate felt ice fill her veins, and was frozen to the ground. The vile creature lowered its staff at her, and energy shot from the end of it. She screamed in her head as each spellburst hit her midsection. Pain arced through her.
Uldred's voice boomed through the room, "Do you accept the gift I offer?"
Kate saw Morrigan in the corner, bending before the still-human mages held in a strange telekinetic cage. One of them was clawing at his face and throwing himself against the barrier. Morrigan finished, and the mage fell to the ground, panting. Uldred must have tortured the mages into accepting demons, thought Kate. She clenched her fist around her dagger, and the ice on her skin shattered.
Kate shook, then took a running leap at Uldred, who was muttering in Morrigan's direction. Kate jumped onto his back and clung with one arm around his neck. With the other, she drove her poisoined dagger into his neck. He whipped around and clawed at his head. Kate clung tighter and drove it in again.
"Get his legs!" she shouted, and heard the wet sound Alistair's and Sten's swords made, cutting into the backs of Uldred's knees.
Uldred fell back, pinning Kate. Kate gasped and felt a rib snap. She screamed. Over her, she saw Leilana scramble onto Uldred's chest.
"Do you accept the gift that I offer?" she asked, eyes agleam, and drove her sword through Uldred's thick carapace, sliced like butter.
"Get him off her!" shouted Morrigan. Wynne began waving her hands, and Kate felt cool relief rush up and down her spine. Her ribs still smarted, but she could breathe again.
Sten and Alistair lifted together, but Uldred's huge form did not move. Morrigan joined, then Leilana, while Wynne continued with keeping Kate from the brink of death.
They managed to lift Uldred slightly, and Kate pulled herself out from under his bulk, then laid, panting, on the ground. She got to her knees, then fell back onto her hands and coughed. Blood ran from her nose and mouth.
"Ugh." she said, and wiped her mouth with the back of her arm.
"Hold still, girl! You're making my job harder!" said Wynne sternly. Kate froze, and Wynne lifted her staff. Kate felt the searing pressure in her chest lift.
"That's much better. Thank you." she said, and got to her feet. She staggered a few feet, and Morrigan went swiftly to her side.
"Here, use my staff. It will help you walk, I think." Morrigan said.
"Thanks." said Kate, and gripped the knotted wood.
Kate hobbled over to the cage. "The mage cage." she thought, and laughed painfully.
"Hi. You must be First Enchanter Irving." she said to the old, bearded mage in the center.
"I am. Thank you for saving us. Uldred already turned so many; I feared how long we could hold out." said the old man in a gravelly voice.
"You're lucky it was us who came and not the Templars." said Morrigan. "They wanted to kill you all, and I say, let them. You let this happen. You let yourself live, worse than a caged rat."
"Morrigan!" Kate said sharply.
"We need you to come with us, otherwise Gregoir won't let us out. He's applied for a Right of Annullment, you know." said Kate.
"The Circle is forever in your debt." said Irving.
"See, the thing about that is, we need you to repay that debt very, very soon. A Blight has started, you know." said Alistair.
"Grey Wardens, are you? Wynne told us what happened at Ostagar. She was there, you know. She saw what that traitor Loghain did. I am sorry for your losses." said Irving gravely.
"No use discussing it." said Kate. "Everyone has had someone die."
They made their way down to the first floor, where Knight Commander Gregoir's shocked face greeted them.
"You're alive, Irving! I admit I didn't expect them to find anyone alive." he said.
"Gave up, you mean." said Kate. "I did your job for you, and nearly got killed in the process.I can expect the Templars to assist me against the Blight, I hope."
"Well, we have a lot to rebuild-" Gregoir started.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did that sound like a request? Don't make me use the Right of Conscription, Gregoir. I'll take your best and your brightest if you do. Otherwise, send me the dregs of your barrell to fight, and I'll make them into men." said Kate.
Knight Commander Gregoir flushed with anger. "I suppose you are right. You can count on a regiment of Templars when you call for them. Thank you for your help. Now, don't you have somewhere you should be?" he asked rudely.
"Sure do." said Kate, grinning impudently.
They left after the Quartermaster, a young man named Lucas, who had red hair and wide, roving eyes, insisted on refilling their supplies of health potions. Eyeing Morrigan, he also generously added many lyrium potions to their pack.
"Thank you, you're very kind." Kate said.
The Quartermaster blushed and watched Kate, Leilana, and Morrigan walk away. Alistair followed, but not before Lucas grabbed his arm.
"Listen, mate, I'll do anything to join the Grey Wardens. Look at the babes you are travelling with-you're the luckiest man in the world!" he said. "Everyday must be heaven for you. I'd slay a thousand abominations for one night with that redhead. The legs on her!"
"If only it were that simple." said Alistair, and laughed. "I have a good thing going here; do you really think I'd spoil it? Nah."
Alistair walked away, a bounce in his step. He saw Kate's firm butt moving under her skirted armor, and smiled. Luckiest man, indeed.
