Okay so I've been stalling on this for I don't know how long. About 2-3 months give or take. Just wanted to profusely apologize for all the time I haven't had this up. Do know that I wanted to update, I've just been busier than a little bee. Buzz buzz buzz... So without further ado, as I'm sure you all want me to just get to the story, I give you the story. MOVING ON...
Disclaimer: I've tried for the 7th time to kidnap Alistair... needless to say it didn't work. I have, however, set my sights on kidnapping the guy who looks just like him. I swear I found his twin! As far as Sparrow goes... well she's mean... and kind of dead right now. She will not be useful to me. Okay maybe a little... You don't want to know.
His Turn...
The smell of Sparrow's blood on his hands was beginning to make Alistair sick. The stickiness between his fingers didn't help his situation at all. He ignored Hammer going on about the team they had made and how much of a difference she made outside the monastery. He ignored the sudden sound of Theresa's voice warning the team about the Crucible. What he could no longer ignore though, was the taunting of two especially unlucky ruffians picking the wrong man to tease. Alistair approached Hammer and offered their still unconscious leader before he quickly spun around.
Alistair considered pulled out his sword and really showing the bullies just 'what he had' as they had put it. Instead, he settled on beating the daylights out of each of them before he continued onward. It did nothing to help Alistair calm down. Rather it left him more hot blooded than before. He wanted to hit something else, he wanted to go back into the Howling Halls and make waste of the rest of the balverines.
"What are we going to do about Sparrow," Hammer suddenly interrupted Alistair's train of thought. He glanced back at the women before looking around trying to think of a plan. There was no Inn to stay at and Alistair highly doubted anyone around these parts were charitable, or smart enough to know anything about healing.
'Where's Wynne when I need her,' thought Alistair. He sighed, he was at a complete loss for words and, more importantly, ideas. Where was a leader when he needed her? He began to pace impatiently, his thoughts trudging along slowly. 'Okay,' he tried to reason. 'What would any good leader do in a moment like this?' Better yet what were the options? All he really had was to drop Sparrow and leave her behind. But, as Alistair would never allow it, that wasn't much of an option.
"Are there no poultices," asked Alistair. It wasn't much of a start but it was at least something to get the gears moving.
"Oh yeah," piped up Hammer. "I think I still have a few on me. We could use that... but where can we use it at? There's no where to go for privacy and if we're putting this on Sparrow's back, she might have to lose her clothes. Well her shirt at least."
Alistair's cheeks turned a deep shade of red before he cleared his throat, but the image of Sparrow topless was now stuck in his head. He began wondering what was under her- 'FOCUS!' He inwardly screamed. He looked up to the high cliffs overlooking the small excuse for a town. A tall statue stood high above, and most importantly, it looked deserted.
"I can stand watch while you take care of Sparrow," offered Alistair. It seemed a sound enough plan, until a tall, skinny, overly enthusiastic man named Barnum (who apparently knew Sparrow since she was a child) approached the three. He asked for money to turn Westcliff from the dump it was currently in, to a family friendly town bustling with life. It was a lot to ask, but Hammer felt as though it was a small price to pay to change things, and so Alistair and Hammer split the cost. Looting the corpses of all the bandits finally paid off as Hammer began following Alistair's example. Once Barnum had left, it had given Hammer and Alistair enough time to care for Sparrow properly. Or as proper as one may when they are outside on the ground in the middle of town with nowhere else to go.
Alistair began fighting himself to not glance back as Hammer unbuttoned Sparrow's shirt. She began speaking softly, trying to calm the once more whimpering Sparrow. It took all his training as a Templar but he kept staring forward, his eyes glancing left and right for anything who came around that way. 'Please hurry up Hammer,' he inwardly begged.
"Okay I think I got it all," said Hammer. "I need you to watch Sparrow for a little while longer." She didn't leave it as a question of whether or not he would, she just told him. "This shirt's not going to be much use anymore I'm going to look around and see if there is anything else I can find for her. I don't think sitting around in her brazier is something Sparrow would look forward to." Alistair's cheeks burned again as he slowly nodded.
'Well that's great,' he inwardly complained. He kept his back to Sparrow while Hammer began shrinking in the distance before she turned the corner and disappeared completely. "Now what am I suppose to do?" Alistair fiddled with his thumbs and stared at the sky trying to figure out what various clouds looked like.
He was stuck on one that looked somewhere between a duck in the middle of a bowel movement and Lady Isolde's face whenever Alistair stepped into a room she just so happened to be in at the same time, when he was relieved to hear Hammer approaching, humming some song about reeds. "I don't think she's going to like it but it's the best I could do." She shifted Sparrow with a loud 'OOF', to which Alistair couldn't tell if it came from Sparrow or Hammer. "You know," complained Hammer. "It wouldn't kill you to help me out here."
It was not the 'it' that Alistair was worried about killing him, it was Sparrow he worried about. She could easily shoot him... Multiple times and without his armor he was pretty well defenseless and so he left the work for Hammer. Besides, Alistair felt he had done his part taking on Mama Balverine. Finally with a few finally struggles, Hammer managed to slip something on to Sparrow. "There we are," she sat back. "Good as new." Alistair took this as a safe moment to glance back at his friend. His eyes widened at the new corset Hammer had just stuffed her into.
"Do I even want to know where you got that," asked Alistair with furrowed eyebrows.
Hammer didn't appreciate the comment one bit. "I said it was the best I could do," defensively cried Hammer. "Get off my back!" Roofus nudged Sparrow a little before he whined. "Oh I know boy, but there's nothing else we can do right now but wait until she wakes up."
The sound of horns blared for the second time since they had arrived in Westcliff reminding Alistair and Hammer what they had come here for. "Oh no the competition! Sparrow is in no condition to fight! What are we going to do?"
Alistair ran his fingers across his stubble thoughtfully. 'I really do need to shave soon,' he thought randomly. 'Right this thought is completely irrelevant on to a plan now.' "Well we need someone to stay with Sparrow if she wakes up," reasoned Alistair. "But there are three of us. One of us could fight in her place." It seemed a reasonable enough plan all that was left was to decide who could enter the Crucible, and who would have to stay with Sparrow.
"I'll stay with her," volunteered Hammer. "I don't think I can focus too much without worrying about Sparrow. You should go Alistair."
Alistair let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. Hammer was certainly the best candidate for watching over Sparrow while her condition was so critical. Alistair didn't know if he'd be able to hold himself together to give her the care she needed. Plus the thought of hitting something without everyone looking at him like he was a big jerk sounded nice.
"Alright," Concluded Alistair. "How do I get in?"
Hammer shrugged. "I took an oath to be a pacifist remember. I never did get the chance to enter." Alistair almost felt guilty taking the opportunity away. But, then again, if she was meant to be a pacifist, then she wouldn't have as much combat training as Alistair did in his years training as a Templar and a Grey Warden. "I think I saw someone standing up at the top of the Crucible. Maybe you could talk to him."
Alistair stood up and made his way towards the Crucible. On the way he couldn't help but wonder what was at stake if he didn't succeed. The destruction of Albion was a major one, everyone would perish to make room for a new world. But what did Alistair know or care of in Albion that he felt the need to fight and, very possibly, die for? The answer kept popping in his head, despite how he tried to push the thought away. He knew it all came down to one person. Sparrow.
Ever since the day they had met, Alistair had felt a warmth in his chest he hadn't felt in over a year. The careless days he had spent drinking his self to death, and hoping that death would come to claim him, came to a close as he found another reason to fight.
She had saved his life from a fate far worse than death, now it was his turn to do the same for her.
(A/N: FRIGGEN-A WHAT AN ORDEAL! Geeze, well I'm glad I finally finished it. This was such a slow chapter you have no idea how many times I wrote and re-wrote this chapter. Well this is it, and no I'm not a big fan of it, but you know the drill. Read, review, and remember: I love you.)
