When we exited the temple doors I was very suddenly reminded we were far from home free. We had a ridiculously huge and inordinately angry high dragon to try and sneak past. Again.

"Okay, guys. Just like before. We'll sneak… where's Zevran?" I asked as I looked around.

"Oh no…" Leliana replied as she looked past me and into the distance.

"What? What do you mean? The nest of a fucking high dragon is not the place for 'Oh no's, Leliana!" I whispered as loud as I could without going into full voice.

"You remember how good it felt to be near the ashes? Well… for some reason, the effects of the ashes made Zevran a little… giddy. And hyper. He's up ahead running around and doing cartwheels."

"WHAT?!" I tried to run to him as fast as my legs would carry me, before he did something supremely stupid.

"Zev! Calm yourself! High dragon, right over there, remember?!" I half-whispered, half-shouted at the elf as soon as I was within earshot.

"Bring it on!" Zevran shouted. "I feel wonderful! Not even a high dragon can bring me down! Come on, you ugly purple son of a bitch! Have at thee!" He shouted as he took out his daggers and began twirling them in his wrists to show off. His shouts echoed and were amplified ten-fold as the sound bounced off the rocky cliffs and ledges surrounding us. Somehow, however, the dragon still hadn't awoken. It was a damn miracle.

"Zevran, I swear to the Maker, I will tie you down myself if I have to. I don't have time for your bloody shenanigans. We need to get out of here right now." I whispered as I attempted to grab his wrists and stop him from creating even more of a spectacle.

"Oh, is that a promise?" he grinned as he evaded all of my attempts to grab at him. Gah! That elf was too damn quick.

While I was preoccupied with Zevran, Sten took it upon himself to bang his sword against a rather large gong—the tinny sound of which could have awoken the Maker Himself. Who put that there?! Perfect. Just peachy. Sten, always the strong silent type, had decided to take it upon himself to make enough noise to disturb all of Thedas. GRRRRRRRR! You've got to be fucking kidding me! Time was not exactly on our side here. Alistair's life was hanging on by a thread. I did not have time to dither around with a damn high dragon! I swear, I am going to kill that Qunari.

"Why the fuck did you do that?! We don't have time for this!" I shouted as I began to hear the dragon stir on her perch. Welp, there would be no sneaking past her now. That dragon was awake and ready for a fight. Only… I wasn't. I was petrified of going anywhere near her. That fight with Flemeth really had messed me up something fierce. Everyone else readied their weapons. As for me? I searched for something to hide behind. Some leader I was.

"You need the practice." He explained matter-of-factly.

"That is not your fucking call to make. Alistair is dying. We need to go. NOW!"

"Your love can wait. You once told me the Archdemon takes the form of a dragon—only it is harder to kill. How do you expect to win that fight when you do nothing but run from this lesser one?" Sten asked, his sword at the ready.

"You don't understand. I… I can't do this. I can't fight her. I'm not ready. I—"

"You assured me we are not running away from anything back in Haven."

"We… we're not. I just—"

"You either prove yourself a liar and run or stand and fight with us and be the leader you were born to be. There is no middle ground. What is your choice?" The Qunari presented my options quite plainly. Well then. I guess I was going to slay me a dragon—and try not to almost die in the process this time.

"You have the ashes, Scarlett. 'Tis an advantage. Be brave. We will get through this." Leliana assured me.

I suppose she had a point—the ashes could provide minor healing powers just because I was in such close proximity to them—though given the paltry amount, the effects would very much be diminished. Still, if Wynne couldn't be with us, this was a close second. But if the worst should come to pass, the true power of those ashes was not meant for me. Ferelden would need Alistair, not only the Grey Warden but also the future king. I'd accepted that long ago—that when push comes to shove, his life is worth more than mine. Not to mention, I simply did not want to go on living without him. I don't think my already fragile heart would ever recover from yet another catastrophic loss.

"Leliana, if something happens… save Alistair. Not me. Do you understand?" I barely got the question in before the dragon let out a deafening roar and landed right in front of us.

"I—" she began to respond but had to roll out of the way of the dragon's fiery breath.

"This is the supposed Andraste, yes? Would the cultists have brought Her offerings? You know, gold, silver, jewels…" Zevran asked while doing his best to stay out of the fray.

"I… guess? I mean, that would make sense, but…" and before I could finish, daggers still twirling dizzyingly, he hopped onto the dragon's back, slicing and dicing away at her scaly aubergine flesh. Maker's breath, that foolhardy spendthrift is going to get himself killed one day. Welp, no going back now, that's for damn sure. I closed my eyes for the briefest of moments to try and form some kind of plan.

If Zev was going to join Sten and I at close range…

"Leliana, find some higher ground and get her with your arrows. Do not stop loosing them until they're gone. At that point, join us at close range. Morrigan, fire will be all but useless against her. Find a decent vantage point and use your frost attacks. Sten, take her left. I'll take her right. Stay on her flank or rear. Do not get in front of her." I ordered.

And so we split up and began doing what now needed to be done. I don't know if it was because I was now more experienced in battle, or because we now knew our respective roles in combat when it came to tactics, or if it was because this dragon was merely an animal rather than a cunning immortal witch, but she seemed to be much more susceptible to our attacks than the last time I'd faced one of her kind. But that's not to say she didn't give us one heck of a challenge. She clawed and roared and gnashed her teeth and kicked and swiped—Maker, there was seemingly no end to her veritable cornucopia of assaults. The mere flap of her wings created so much wind it was enough to knock even Sten down. Still, we kept on fighting.

Zevran was holding on for dear life as she thrashed beneath him, as though he were trying to tame some giant wild stallion. Somehow, he still managed to stay on her back and continued cutting away at her. Sten and I kept our focus on her hind legs, trying our damndest to get the fuck out of the way whenever she stomped her feet or tried to turn around and burn us alive. Leliana shot arrows into the underside of her belly whenever she had a clear shot—an area that seemed slightly more vulnerable than her hardened, scaly exterior. Morrigan's frost attacks did slow the dragon down a little, but only a little. Still, whatever advantages we could get were definitely of use.

After what felt like hours the dragon finally began to lower her head and no longer seemed to be able to take flight. And that's also when I couldn't help but get horrible flashbacks of when Flemeth had been in the same damn position—right before she wrapped her jaws around my body and broke it in several places.

"Warden! Now!" Sten cried as he dropped to his knees and ran his sword repeatedly into the dragon's side. I wasn't going to get in front of her. That was one mistake I did not care to repeat. Instead, I sort of… climbed Sten. I used his back as a stepping stool to climb the dragon herself, then with a thunderous cry, I ran my sword through the spot where her spine met the back of her skull. That seemed to do the trick. The dragon's head lowered completely and after a long rattling sound escaped her throat, she no longer drew breath. It was over. And somehow, we were all still standing.

"We… we got her." I put my hands on my knees and tried to catch my breath.

"Yes. Perhaps you are not a completely lost cause after all." Sten commented with… was that… I think it was. The smallest of smiles. I could not share in his sentiment. Ringing that gong was just about the stupidest thing he could have possibly done. Not only did he further endanger Alistair, he endangered all of our lives as well.

"We're going. Right now. If Alistair is gone by the time we get back, no second chances this time, Qunari. You're gone." I glared at him as I spat out the words.

"You need me. You cannot simply surround yourself with flatterers, Warden. Flatterers will strengthen your imperfections and correct you in nothing. You need those who challenge you. Who question you."

Damnit. I didn't like arguing with Sten regardless, but I especially hated it when he was right. I just gritted my teeth and balled my hands into fists before grunting, "Let's go."

"Surely we're not leaving now! Look at all this!" Zevran explained while gesturing to the loot the dragon had been hording near her perch. I suppose the cultists had been bringing her offerings rather regularly after all. The riches were considerable, but I didn't care a lick about them.

"We don't have time, Zev. I need to get back to Haven. Immediately."

"Then I will catch up, my dear. I promise to share whatever riches I manage to carry back."

"Suit yourself." I called dispassionately as I began to leave him.

"Stupid elves and their preoccupation with treasure. How can anyone be so—Is that an onyx necklace?" Morrigan asked as Zevran held the piece of jewelry in an offering to her.

"Onyx and citrine, I believe. It matches you perfectly, my raven-haired beauty. As though it were made only for you."

"Perhaps I should stay with the elf. You know, in case he runs into any trouble. 'Tis a far walk back to Haven and he should not be left alone." Morrigan offered, not fooling anyone for a second.

"How very selfless of you." I rolled my eyes.

"I saw what appears to be a shortcut through the mountains over there. It should cut our travel time down considerably." Leliana explained.

"Thank the Maker for that." I sighed in relief.

And so it did. The hidden cave led right back to the entrance of the temple. All we had to do was descend an ice-covered mountain and walk back to the village after being awake for two days straight and completely malnourished. Piece of cake.

To this day I couldn't tell you how we pulled it off, but we did manage to make it back to Haven without stopping. My love for Alistair was driving me, beckoning me back to his side, and nothing in this world or the next was going to delay me further.

"Wynne!" I cried as soon as I pushed the door to the abandoned house open. "I have them! I—" And I looked behind her to see an unconscious Alistair, seemingly devoid of all signs of warmth and life. "No. I can't be too late. Tell me I'm not too late! Please!" I gasped and fell to my knees as the tears already began to fall.

"He's been that way for a few hours now… I… I believe he's gone." She admitted barely above a whisper.

"No. No no no! Please! You have to try! Try anything!" I begged.

"Give me the ashes and leave us. If we are to act it must be now." She demanded. I handed her the pouch.

"Try to save some for Eamon, but if you need to use all of them, do what you must." I instructed.

She nodded in acknowledgement and closed the door to the bedroom. I just collapsed on the floor from hunger and exhaustion.

I awoke to the muffled groans of a man who sounded as though he were bound and gagged. I could hear the creaking of his chair, the rustle of his clothes as he struggled to break free. So, that's always a fun thing to wake up to. Then I saw Morrigan approach me with a hot bowl of… something… in her hands.

"Here. You must eat." She explained as she handed me the bowl.

"I'm not hungry. Is Alistair—"

"Wynne is still with him. Give your body some sustenance before you lose consciousness again. You are of no use to anyone in such a state."

"Thanks." I offered as I grabbed the bowl from her hands.

"I swear, Scarlett. Why is it that all common sense seems to elude you when it comes to that fool of a man?"

I just shrugged. "Perhaps the same reason all your common sense goes out the window when you see something pretty. Nice necklace, by the way." I smirked. She just scoffed.

"My reasons to stay with Zevran were perfectly sound."

"Ah yes. To 'protect him.' You're such a martyr. The jewels were just the icing on the cake, I suppose." I paused as she glared at me icily. "Look, I'm not saying I blame you. I'm just saying we all have our vices, our weaknesses. You have finery. I have him."

She let out a heavy sigh. "I do believe I am getting the better end of the deal."

"We can agree to disagree. By the by, since I have you here, would you happen to know anything about our captive in the next room?"

"No." was all she said. Great.

"Where are the others?" I asked.

"Asleep, of course. You dragged us across a frozen tundra, made us climb and descend a gargantuan mountain, fight cultists, beasts, spirits, ourselves, and a high dragon in a completely unreasonable amount of time and you expect us to what—be throwing a party? Dancing a jig?"

"I was just asking. Sheesh. If you're so exhausted, why aren't you asleep, too?"

"Well, you certainly were not going to take care of yourself when you awoke. Someone had to."

"Aww, Morrigan. I'm touched." I opened my arms and pretended to lean in for a hug.

"Touch me and you die." She deadpanned. I couldn't help but smile.

"Go get some rest. I'll be fine. I might wear a hole in the floor from all the pacing I intend to do outside of Alistair's door, but you know, other than that."

"Very well." She took my bowl from me before heading into another room.

Then, true to form, the pacing commenced. I wasn't much for prayer, but ever since we came to this Maker-forsaken village, that's all I seemed to be doing. Wishing and hoping and praying that things will turn out alright. It was incredibly frustrating—trying to resolve things that are totally beyond your control, completely out of your reach. Give me darkspawn any day. Fate and circumstance were the real villains of this story.

Then I heard the door slowly creak open. I stared at Wynne with wide, anticipatory eyes.

"Well?"

"He's sleeping."

"Sleeping? As in, that thing we do when we're tired but still very much alive and breathing, right?!"

She gave me a slow smile. "Yes. It seems our Alistair will live to fight another day."

I opened my arms and gave her the biggest, tightest, warmest hug I possibly could. "Oh thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you thank you thank you!" Maker, my chest was so full of happiness and gratitude I thought my heart would burst.

Wynne let out a slight chuckle. "I barely did anything, my dear. You brought him those ashes. You saved his life."

"We did. We saved him." I smiled. Then we heard a loud thud.

"…Wynne?"

"Yes, I suppose I should explain that."

"That would be nice."

"Alistair was poisoned, Scarlett. By the man in the next room."

I unsheathed my sword immediately and made my way over to the door.

"Wait! There's more. This man… he's not a stranger." Wynne explained.

"Why should I care?" I asked coldly, fully intent on ending his life as soon as possible.

"You should care because there is more to this plot than lies on the surface. It would be wise to see how deep the water runs before diving in."

I took a deep breath, put my sword away, and counted to 10 to calm down. I was seeing red. I couldn't help it. The man in the next room had almost successfully murdered the love of my life. I wanted nothing more than to end his. But Wynne was right. What if there were more assassins? More threats? Why kill Alistair in the first place? I needed to get as much information out of him as possible.

"Tell me exactly what happened while we were gone." I demanded.

Wynne explained that this individual had apparently been following us for some time, casting his nefarious magic and poisoning Alistair little by little each night. He was obviously a rather powerful mage—his spells had range and potency. Meatball had actually been the one to sniff him out. Found him hiding on the roof of this very house, in fact. The dog's barking startled him so that he fell off, and that's when Wynne managed to capture him.

"So, to be clear, thus far all he's confessed to is poisoning Alistair. We do not know his motives, where his allegiance lies…"

"Yes. I tried to get more out of him but—"

"Oh don't you worry." I cracked my knuckles one by one. "I can be very persuasive."

I opened the door to see none other than Jowan staring at me in horror. Yep, Jowan. The mage I'd set free back in Redcliffe. You hear that? That's the sound of me kicking myself. Hard. I removed the cloth gag from his mouth so he could answer my questions.

"Jowan, was it?" I asked coldly.

"Y-yes…" He was already shaking. This might be easier than I thought.

"Wynne here tells me you tried to poison Alistair." He opened his mouth but I raised my hand in the air to signal him to stop. "Before we begin, let me explain a few things. I am no longer the girl you met in Redcliffe. I have faced unimaginable horrors to get to be where I'm standing today. I've become… a cold-blooded warrior, Jowan. A valkyrie forged in the heat of battle. I am a serious fucking force to be reckoned with. And guess what? There are literally two things that matter to me in this ugly, war-ravaged world: saving it, and the man sleeping in the other room; the man you tried to kill."

I squatted down so my eyes were level with his so he could see just how serious I was. He could barely stand to look at me he was so frightened.

"Now, we can do this with violence, or without. But I will come to know what I want to know, sure as the sun rises in the east. What's it going to be?" I asked barely above a whisper. Yeah, I laid it on a little thick, but I was tired and not really a fan of torture. Words were my sharpest weapons. Sometimes the pen truly is mightier than the sword.

"W-w-without please." He stammered.

"A wise choice. Why are you here? Why have you done this?"

"If I tell you, will you let me go?" he asked.

"Oh you're in no position for bargaining. Let's just say if you don't tell me, you're far more likely to become rather intimate with my blade. How's that for a deal?" I unsheathed my sword to show him I was not fucking around. He gulped audibly.

"Isolde… she… she promised me amnesty. She said if I did this for her I wouldn't hang for poisoning Eamon. She said I owed her this much."

"Isolde wants Alistair dead? Why?"

"Sh-she wants to be queen. Alistair is a threat to Eamon's claim."

"But Eamon isn't even conscious… how could she possibly..."

"My orders were to kill Alistair, not you. She figured you would take care of Loghain after bringing her the ashes."

"That is one heck of a fucking gamble, Jowan. Not sure I buy it."

"Look at the big picture. That was only a best-case scenario. If Eamon didn't wake up, she had Loghain to fall back on. Anora would fall by the wayside and Isolde would still be queen, just with a different king."

"It's still a shoddy plan. She was merely relying on her feminine wiles to win Loghain's hand if Eamon died?"

"Isolde is many things; modest is not one of them. Besides, it would be a good match. With the Couslands gone, the Guerrins are more powerful. Eamon is beloved by his people. Isolde was likely hoping to take that love with her as a bargaining chip."

"Oh that wretched, treasonous little viper." I gnashed my teeth.

"That's it, that's everything."

"How did you even know where we were? You couldn't have possibly followed us all the way to Denerim and back without one of us noticing."

"Isolde has spies in her employ. When you returned to Redcliffe, she knew immediately. That's when she told me to get to work."

"And so you slowly poisoned an innocent man night after night to save your own skin? You're pathetic."

"Look, I'm not proud of it, okay? I was just doing what I had to do to survive. If Eamon wakes up, what do you think his first order of business will be? Punishing the one who made him that way in the first place, that's what."

"Your life is forfeit, Jowan. But it won't end tonight. I need you to come back with us to Redcliffe. Without you, it's just Isolde's word against ours, and I'd be willing to bet Eamon will trust his so-called loving wife over a bunch of strangers."

"So, what? You're just going to keep me tied to a chair all night?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do." I placed the cloth back in his mouth and left the room.

"It's Isolde. It all leads back to Isolde."

"But…why? You saved her life. The life of her boy." Wynne asked, clearly puzzled.

"Ambition knows no loyalty." I stated bitterly.

"Ah, her eye has fallen on the crown."

"You put that together fast." I noticed.

"I've been around long enough to see my share of royal squabbling." She explained.

"Wake Sten up and ask him to guard the mage. We'll take it in shifts for the rest of the night."

"I shall. By the way, I do believe I heard someone stirring in his sleep. Would you like to check on him or shall I?"

I felt my whole face light up at the prospect of seeing him.

"Thanks, Wynne. For everything." I smiled before opening the door. Meatball jumped off the bed to greet me. I knelt down and scratched him behind his ears before giving him a big hug. Maker, we might have never caught Jowan if it hadn't been for him. I owed that mutt a whole boatload of treats and then some. I took what was left of the stew Morrigan gave me and set a bowl on the floor for him. He wagged his tale and happily gobbled it down as I entered Alistair's room.

I looked over at him lying in bed but he still appeared to be sleeping, so I decided to quietly remove my armor and slip into my nightshirt—aka the shirt formerly known as Alistair's, still stained with the wine he'd spilled all over himself that night at the Spoiled Princess. It wasn't pretty but I so didn't care. It was comfy and it always somehow managed to smell of him. Then I undid my braid reached for my hairbrush, running it over my loose strands in long strokes.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

I jumped a little before looking over at him. Alistair just grinned as he sat up in bed, apparently naked from the waist up—I couldn't tell if he was wearing anything more beneath the sheet covering his lap. And Maker preserve me, from what I could tell from his candle-lit visage, it really looked like Alistair. My Alistair. The color had returned to his skin, the gleam had returned to his eyes, the playfulness with a hint of seduction had returned to his irresistible smile.

"You're one to talk." I smiled back before running over and giving him the biggest, tightest, most comforting embrace I possibly could. He hugged me back just as snugly and I just melted into him and lost track of where my body ended and his began. I took a few moments to just breathe in the musky scent of him. It felt so amazing to be back in his arms I never wanted to let him go ever again.

"Scarlett… the ashes don't cure the need to breathe." He teased.

"Sorry, sorry." I let him go and moved to sit beside him near the foot of the bed. "How are you feeling, my love?"

"Like a new man. I can't believe you actually found it. The Urn of Sacred Ashes. The remains of Andraste Herself. What was it like?"

"To be perfectly honest, I'd rather not relive it just yet."

He let out a slight chuckle as he tucked my hair behind my ear. "Fair enough."

"I'm just… so relieved you're all right. The thought of losing you… I couldn't bear it." I admitted barely above a whisper.

"I felt the same way, back when you were hurt in The Wilds. I was going out of my mind. I'm sorry I put you through that." He found my hand and laced his fingers with mine. "But we're both still here, despite some rather impossible odds." He smiled.

"Yes, we're both still here. But one day our luck is bound to run out." I observed glumly.

"Ever the optimist." He smirked. "You may be right, but I have you now and I don't intend to waste a second of the time I've been blessed with." He paused. "Come closer. Let me get a good look at you."

I scooched up the side of the bed so I could get closer to his face.

"Closer." He whispered.

"I can't get much—" before I could finish he just patted his lap for me to come sit. That could get tricky. No way was I going to put my full weight on him; not after how weak he was only a scant few hours ago. I decided to straddle him so the majority of my weight was still resting on my own legs.

He grabbed my face in his hands and ran his thumbs over my cheeks, my jawline, my lips.

"And to think I might have never looked upon this lovely face again…" he whispered as he planted soft kisses on my eyelids, my cheeks, the tip of my nose...

I felt myself blush as a soft smile graced my lips.

"And somehow it's made even lovelier when you smile." He whispered between kisses.

"So many of my smiles begin with you." I smiled wider as he moved his hands and rested them on my thighs.

"And with every single one I manage to fall deeper in love with you." He whispered against my lips as I felt his hands begin to creep upward and his hips start to move beneath me.

"Alistair…" I whispered as I placed my hands over his to stop him. He moved his hands from beneath mine and pulled the sheet out from between us. Oh, I guess he wasn't wearing anything under there after all. The only thing separating us now was my underwear. Then his hands went back to making their way up my legs.

"We… we shouldn't. It's too soon. You almost died." All valid points, Scarlett, but I panted against his lips and began rocking against him despite myself as I felt him grab either side of my panties.

"If I'm not inside you soon I'll die anyway." He whispered as he nibbled at my lips and ripped the fabric off me like it was nothing. I wanted to protest but Maker, was that move hot. It drove me crazy. I couldn't help it. Then he gripped my hips with a strength he'd never before shown and guided me exactly where he wanted me. I let out a sharp gasp as I felt him slip inside me. He just let out a deep, satisfied groan, as though he had been dying of thirst and my body was the only thing that could possibly quench it.

"Slowly." I ordered in a whisper. It was the best I could do. He kept his grip on my hips and moved me in rhythm with his unhurried, measured thrusts.

"As you command."

I wrapped him in my arms and held him close for fear I would wake and find all this a dream.

"Oh Scarlett…" He called out in a heated whisper.

"Alistair…" I panted against his skin.

"I missed you. Oh Maker I missed you so much." He moaned beautifully as he kneaded the flesh of my buttocks and pulled my hips into his over and over and over again at an ever quickening pace. I crushed my lips against his as our breathing became ragged and we reached our climax in unison. As the waves of pleasure ebbed I just kept holding his body close to mine and planted a soft kiss on his now sweaty brow.

"When are you going to start listening to me, huh?" I chided with a smirk and another kiss on the cheek.

"Funny, I didn't hear any complaints a few seconds ago." He looked up into my eyes and gave me a wicked grin.

I let out a defeated sigh. "What can I say? My desire for you almost always outweighs my resolve."

"What? Not my Scarlett. Surely you jest!" he teased.

"Oh don't act like it's some big surprise. I'm wise to your act. You know exactly the power you have over me. And you play on it." I accused playfully.

"I simply don't know what you're talking about." His expression was the very definition of innocent as he thrust up into me again, causing me to give him an involuntary moan.

"Suuuure you don't." My eyes fell to the floor to see the scrap of fabric that formerly made up my underwear. "You owe me a new pair of panties, by the way."

"Well I honestly very much prefer you without them. Besides, you're wearing my shirt so I'm going to go ahead and call it even." He grinned.

"Ugh. You're impossible." I smiled before giving him a quick kiss and climbing off to lay down beside him. Without missing a beat, he put my arm around him and rested his head on my chest. I instinctively began stroking his hair and humming a familiar song.

"Mmm…" he purred. "Just when I thought it impossible for you to get any more beautiful, you sing to me." I could feel him smile as he moved to hold me tighter. Aaaand I was blushing again. Blast!

Then, just as we were about to drift off to sleep, we heard some rather unpleasant noises coming from the room where Jowan was being held.

"Scarlett… what is that?" Alistair asked.

"Well," I began, "You're not going to believe this…"