This story follows BioWare's DA:O story line and game play, using the characters, locations and some backstories, but not strictly as I have added bits that of my own imagination and characters that are my own. I have rated this M for mature for blood, strong language and sexual content. All comments are welcome. Thank you!

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I watched as the sun sank lower over the lake and knew the time had finally come. Soon we would see if what Bann Teagan and the rest of the villagers said were true, that the dead were indeed returning to life and attacking from the castle. Upon my own survey, I could find no evidence of corpses lying about the village from the previous battles, such as some rotted flesh or dismembered parts strewn about. I felt it might be possible they were taking the fallen bodies back with them and it was only a matter of waiting to see what horrors awaited us come evening.

Morrigan was still uncertain what magic she was feeling from the castle and decided to make her stand with Alistair, Sten, and the bulk of the Templars, along with Dwyn, the dwarf I found locked up in his home with his personal guards, on the path below the gates. Leliana, the spy Berwick, a few of the remaining archers and I were positioned on the landing outside the tavern, with the view overlooking the square in case stragglers somehow made it passed them towards the village. I was concerned that they would come up through the lake and had the man keep watch from all sides. The remaining militia, along with Murdock, stood vigilant in front of the Chantry.

I had walked Bella and a few of the women to the Chantry, making sure that the door was firmly secured from the other side before making my way up the hill back towards the tavern. The men looked around anxiously as I glanced towards Murdock, knowing the old veteran would demand hold their position or die trying. He had survived the nightly attacks and his will alone had kept the men from running away from the ghouls that refused to stay down. I admired his rough exterior as he reminded me of the Armor master at Highever.

It was well past midnight when I took my place beside the resentful elf, who wished to keep his involvement a secret from the rest of the village and I had agreed only if he stayed to defend it. In the distance, I heard the alarm and looked towards the castle path, waiting to hear the explosion of the oil barrels to signal that they had begun to engage the unknown enemy. I could see the flames in the distance as I heard another distinct call and turned as Owen the blacksmith drew our attention towards the lake. There were creatures coming towards the men in the square and it took me a moment for my mind to acknowledge what they truly were. As they ran to attack the militia, I could hear Leliana mutter blessings and we each let our arrows rain down on them.

With what seemed like ages, I sent arrow after arrow into the skull of each shambling creature I spotted, seeing that hits to the bodies had little to no effect. Leliana, Berwick and I had the best aim, while the other archers settled for trying to pin them for the others to attack. I watched the men in the square vigilantly taking aim if any of the creatures tried to surround the men. Finally I spotted Alistair, Morrigan and Sten rushing down the castle path and knew it was time to join in the battle below, leaving what little arrows I had left with Leliana as I unsheathed my swords and ran to join the others.

As I was closer, I came up just as one of the creatures was about to overwhelm Tomas, the villager we met earlier that day and quickly cut off its head. I turned as another crashed bodily into me and I looked closely at its hideous face as its lips pulled back into a snarl before falling down from the arrow that pierced its skull. I looked up at Leliana and nodded briefly to her before moving on to the next creature, hacking and slashing limbs to slow them down before striking a head blow. Soon I was covered in cold slimy filth but grinning as it appeared that we were turning the tide, and soon there were fewer of the creatures left to face. Many of the men were fatigued and it was left to the few of us left to dispatch the last of the creatures.

Well before the sun was up, I looked around to see if there were any casualties and was happy to see that there were none, only a few wounded, covered in the same icky substance as I was that had come from the dead. I watched as all the bodies were gathered and taken down to the lake shore to be set aflame in the hopes it would keep them from returning again should we fail to breach the castle later, with or without the help of the Bann.

I walked up the path to the tavern, grinning at Leliana and the other archers for a job well done. Berwick reluctantly clasped my offered hand as I was covered in the vile blood and grinning, I pulled him into a tight embrace. He yelped and squirmed to get free of me while the rest of the men laughed. I looked down as the doors to the Chantry creaked open and Bevin, the young boy I had found hiding the day before, stuck his head out to look at the now clear square.

"Where will you go now?" I asked the elf, who was desperately trying to remove the filth on his armor and failing.

He glared at me briefly and thought on the matter, realizing that if word got out that he helped defend the village he was paid to watch…His shoulders fell once he realized he would be hunted for failing to stay out of the fight.

"Truly, I don't know. I had hoped this job would help me…"

"You seem like a good man, Berwick and in all honesty, I had not expected you to stay," I admitted to him. "It seems to me that you are a man without a home and as you are rather useful with a bow, I propose this: stay here in Redcliffe and teach the men."

He stared at me dumbfounded until he noticed the faces of the men who stood behind him. They agreed with what I said to him and I put my hand lightly on his back to move him away from them.

"Leliana and I will not tell the Bann about your dealings with Loghain if you agree to this," I said and Leliana nodded in agreement. "Men of your caliber with a bow are rare, Berwick, and Redcliffe could use someone like you. Think on it, elf, but do not take long. I will not be here long."

Leliana and I took only a few steps away from him when he put his hand on my arm to stop me. "I'll do it," was all he said and I smiled.

"Good. I'll inform Murdock and the Bann immediately," I said and we continued down to the square where everyone from the Chantry gathered.