"What is going on? The village looks nearly deserted from here," Alistair remarked, seeing the town below devoid of much movement.
"We've been attacked for the past few nights by horrible apparitions. The dead walk and have slaughtered hundreds," the man replied, coming down the hill slowly.
"Walking corpses?" Temene wondered. "It seems there is magic afoul here as well. When did this all start?"
"The Arl got sick a few weeks ago, then these things started coming out of the castle at night. The Arlessa sent all the knights away to look for a cure. She left us to be slaughtered," the man recalled frantically.
"The Arl is ill? What plagues him?" Alistair asked.
"No one knows. Someone said they saw a mage up there, but no one has been heard from the castle in days. You should speak with Teagan. He wanted anyone coming into town to go directly to him. He is in the Chantry."
"Teagan is the arl's brother, he should be able to tell us what is going on," Alistair replied.
They headed down into the village which was shut up tightly. The smell of blood and death lingered in the air. They found Teagan coordinating supplies and medical aid inside the Chantry. He almost didn't recognize Alistair, as it had been years since Alistair had left Redcliffe. Teagan had just returned from Denerim where he informed the party that Loghain had declared himself regent. He knew little about what had transpired in the castle or the cause of Eamon's illness.
He seemed heavily distracted, trying to prepare for the night's inevitable assault by the walking corpses. The party promised to help with the assault and helped make preparations for the upcoming fight. At dusk, the group paired up and took positions of watch, ready to signal the small militia.
Alistair and Temene stood watch atop the shipwright's trellis that overlooked the village. The sun was only a small slit on the far side of the lake as they climbed to the top. "I wonder how they get the boats from here, all the way to the lake," Alistair remarked in the growing cold.
"Brute strength I suppose," Temene replied, shivering slightly.
"Are you cold?" Alistair asked.
"I will be fine," Temene replied, crossing her arms against her breasts. The cold air crept under her robes, worsened by the fact that she still hadn't acquired another pair of small clothes.
"No, look, you are shivering," he replied, rubbing his hands along her shoulders to warm her. "Let me run down and find you a coat."
"I am fine. I just need to find some, small clothes," she paused. "The darkspawn are probably sorting through all I left at Ostagar."
"Oh, oh I see," Alistair blushed, taking his hands off her. "You should have said something. We could have stopped at Fancy Pants and Things along the way."
"It is quite freeing actually, besides having a frozen bottom," Temene smiled.
"Well, I will only rub that if you ask me to," Alistair joked.
"And if I asked you to?" Temene challenged him.
"Um, uh," Alistair stuttered. "I'd give you best damn bottom rubbing you've ever had!" he laughed.
"Really?" Temene raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him.
"Okay," Alistair laughed, feeling suddenly more warm over his entire body. "You've called my bluff."
Temene said nothing, but felt slightly hurt at his rejection. She wrapped her arms around her chest tighter and walked towards the edge of the thick wooden scaffolding. Alistair frowned, knowing he had put an abrupt end to their flirtation. "Temene, I don't want you to get the wrong idea or anything," he began finally, breaking the silence that lingered in the air. "I adore you, immensely. We've been through a lot in the short time we've known each other."
He paused for a moment, embarrassed to utter the words he needed to say. "It is just that I have, never been with a woman," he paused again. "I don't know exactly how to proceed with things."
"You are a virgin?" Temene asked with slight surprise, though it seemed to make perfect sense with his fumbling, however.
"Um yes," Alistair said, his face flushing. "It isn't that I've never considered it, I just never had the opportunity I suppose. And I have never felt like this before," he continued.
"So this is why you have been such a buffoon," Temene laughed with a sense of relief. She returned to his side, relaxing her arms around her chest.
"Yes, my laughter keeps me from ravishing you," he sighed nervously.
"We will save the ravishing for later then," Temene smiled, taking his hand.
"Your hands are like ice," Alistair replied, wrapping his arms around her lightly. "You will be no good fighting darkspawn as a block of ice," he looked down on her with a smile.
"Alistair, we will take things as slow as you want them," she said, reaching up to caress his face.
"Would kissing you right now be considered moving slow?" he smiled, looking into her eyes.
"I'd think you were a cad and slap you across the face," Temene smiled, bringing her face closer to his.
Alistair leaned in a gave her a short kiss, filling her body with warmth temporarily. "And now that we are thoroughly distracted, the corpses will strike," Alistair sighed, looking into her eyes with admiration.
"Let them come," Temene grinned excitedly. "I could fight the entire darkspawn army right about now."