He shifted his weight to the left, and I fallowed suit. There was no way I was going to be caught off guard like that. It seemed like forever since we had started to circle each other in the now crowded street. A ring of people had surrounded us, forcing us to fight in a very limited space. And of course I struck first.

Faking to the left, I lunged at his right, placing my left foot between his two. Grabbing his left shoulder, I tried to push him over enough so that I could knee him the chest, or at least push him enough where I could jump on his back, and place my dagger across his throat. But, I was stupid.

Almost as reading my mind, Alistair used my feet placement to his advantage. He instead threw out his left arm, catching me in my stomach, and picked me up. He used the momentum from stepping forward to toss me like a rag doll over somewhere. I hit at least one person, and as I slowly started to get up, I felt my hair being yanked out of my scalp. Grabbing my hair, I rose to where Alistair wanted me to rise too, and I was met with a hard punch across my left cheek. He let go of my hair, and I fell to the ground. Fearing another kick to my chest I rolled to my side away from him, and slid to a half crouched position. I could hardly bare to open my left eye as we both looked at each other. I rose to my full height, and spat some blood out of my mouth as I stared at him. I needed to think of how to do this. Drunk Alistair, or not, this was the same guy that stood by my side as we fought the darkspawn in both the Deep Roads, and at Ostagar. I knew his tricks, and he knew mine.

I took a step forward, and he followed. Then he charged, and this time I copied. When he was close enough I jumped up and sent my right foot out to catch him in the stomach. Instead he grabbed my foot and turned violently to the side ready to throw me again. This time, I kicked my other foot in the air, and as he turned me I struck him across the face with it. He let go of my foot, and I fell to the ground as he did. I turned around to see him staggering back up.

"THIS ENDS NOW!" I screamed, as I forced my legs to move under me. He got halfway up when I collided with him. We both fell against each other, and as I rose to straddle him I unsheathed the dagger from my belt. As if he knew what was happening he too unsheathed his own. From his sleeve I do not know but as I tried to stab him, he grabbed my wrist with his free hand, and I grabbed his hand with mine. He was laying on his back, and we were no more then a few inches from each others faces. I looked into his eyes, and when I did...everything left me. All the angry, all the hurt, and all the sadness. In that one brief second I lost myself. I could feel my strength leaving me, and this gave Alistair the advantage. Pushing up, he knocked me back on my knees. I couldn't hold him there, as I it was a very poor spot to be in. He then forced me to fall to my back, knocking the dagger from my hand. I gritted my teeth and tried to push back. Letting go of my once armed hand, he punched me across the face. We both knew this fight was going to end soon, and I needed to do what I was sent out here to do. As he slowly sat back up, I reached for the dagger. He placed his hand on my neck, and I could feel him start to squeeze. I couldn't panic. I grabbed the hilt of the dagger, and with one swift, and final turn of my arm I stabbed the knife into his side. A look of surprise fell over his angry face. Tears sprang to my eyes as I saw the light in his start to fade. He closed his eyes one last time the fell to the left of me face first in the dirt. I slowly turned his body to his back, and pulled the dagger from him.

I still could hardly breathe, and as I slowly moved myself away from Alistair the world spun around me. I tried to stand, but I fell back. I knew what I had to do, but even the thought of doing this was way to much for my heart to take. I heard Leliana cry, and saw her fall down to his side. Her hands hovered over him, and all I could hear her say was, "No, no no...."

I slowly dragged myself away from her, away from them. I knew, that she knew that this had to be done. But I still didn't want to see what she would do next. Zevran knelt down next to Leliana, and when she turned to him, he opened his arms and let her cry on his shoulder. Bringing myself to stand up I couldn't look anyone in the eye. I turned and I started to run.

The crowd parted as I ran through them. Tears escaped my eyes as I picked up the speed. My chest ached from the kicks that Alistair had given me that I had to stop and actually hug my chest. I leaned against the nearest building for support as I tried to breathe. The cool air stung at my throat as I leaned my head back to look up at the stars. I took the dagger and wiped the blood from it's blade onto my pants. Then taking the dagger, I cut my left shoulder open, leaving my blood on the blade instead. I leaned back against the wall, letting the pain just seep through me. Did I really just do what I thought I did? I closed my eyes and let the tears fall. I reopened them and pushed myself away from the wall. There would be time to cry, not now.

I made myself run to the palace and to the Queen's bedchamber. Bursting through the doors, I awoke the Queen from her slumber and before she could say anything I threw the dagger at one of the bedposts, making the hilt dig deep into the wood.

"There's the blood that you have asked," I spat, watching my blood start to drip on the floor. Before she could anything I turned on my heel and stormed out. That was the last time I ever set foot in the Palace again.

My mare whined as we slowly traveled the North Road leading away from Denerim. I don't know if I gave them enough time to get Alistair out of there or not. The woods were quiet, too much for my comfort as we went around another bend. I prayed to Andraste that the campsite wasn't far as I just then started to cough up blood. My vision becoming blurry, probably from the toxin that I had coated on the dagger's blade before I had left the palace. In the distance I could barely see a small glow, like a fire. Hope rose within me.

I urged my horse to go a little faster before the toxin took over my senses completely leaving me stunned and unconscious. Just when I could see the fire, and could hear both Leliana's, and Zevran's voices, I fell into the darkness, and into the fade.