Chapter 18

"There's enough for everyone, let the best dwarf win!" Oghren bellowed as he ran down the hill with his axe raised high over his head. News had come that more of the walking dead had come up from the lake and were attacking the town. While most of the party had left to combat this new wave, Leliana had stayed back along with a few others to put down the stragglers which remained from the initial attack.

She herself was too livid to bother with any new nuisances.

"Who does she think she is?" the archer grumbled under her breath as her arrow found the eye socket of a zombie. Reaching into the quiver at her hip, she drew three more, each between the gaps of her fingers and proceeded to nock and loose in rapid succession.

"One simply does not go up and kiss random people!" Thwack. "It's so... inappropriate!" Thwack. Thwack.

The zombie clutched its groin and succumbed to the flames of the oil pit. Leliana reached for more arrows.

"Leliana, are you quite alright?" Solona asked from behind her.

"Magnifque. Never felt better in my life." Thwack. Thud. "Though I must say, Solona, your potion helped plenty." Thwack.

"Yes, well, the monthly visitor was never a welcome guest," the girl answered while electrocuting the last clump of zombies. "We had to find a way to get rid of the cramps."

"When you cook up a way to do away with the mood swings as well, contact me first."

"Will do."

Magic existed to serve the mortal races according to the Chantry's teachings. If magic brought about an end to Aunty Flo's reign of terror, Leliana would really be impressed.

Looking around, the bard made sure that every last one of the zombies was down before she started for the town. The things were already dead. She'd found that the only way to kill them again was to keep hitting them till they stopped moving. To that end, she'd emptied three quivers already.

The fight was still raging in the town square, however. Leliana arrived on the outskirts just in time to see Aedan leap off a barrel and drive his knee into a zombie's face. Scanning the scene quickly, she found that Morrigan and Wynne were blasting away zombies, their backs to each other. Who would've thought. Off to one side, Sten held off the zombies as they gathered around him with his newly found old sword while Zevran and Faren cut them down as they tried in vain to reach the giant Qunari.

In the middle of it all was Oghren, as expected, chopping away while singing merrily in his deep baritone. It's good for boosting the militia's morale, at any rate, horrible singing as it is. Leliana looked for Alistair, and soon found him.

He'd lost his shield somehow, and had just swung his sword by the blade –double-handed– and driven the quillon into the skull of a zombie. He wrenched it out and then turned his back on the fallen foe to engage a new target. Behind him, however, the wounded undead was not completely dead yet.

Leliana readily rectified this by sending an arrow into the hole created by Alistair's sword. After decapitating the one in front of him the man looked behind him, saw the arrow, spotted her and nodded his thanks.

Her next arrow bonked him on the helmet and caused him to shake his fist at her.

The redhead smirked. That'll teach you to be more careful.

No matter how irrational her frustrations were at him for letting himself be kissed –his first kiss too! –by some random village girl, Leliana knew that she had overreacted somewhat. She wouldn't apologise, however. Let him sweat for what he's done.

As she provided cover fire from her position, Leliana caught herself thinking that no matter how many village wenches he encountered, none of them could hope to share what she shared with him; a bond forged on the road which ran stronger than blood. They'd come to trust each other with their lives over the course of the journey, and that was a feeling very few people knew or experienced.

She didn't think about why she had overreacted, however. There's a time and place for such musings, Leliana. Stay focused.

She already knew the answer to that particular question. To think that it'd take a random girl kissing him to make me realise. Laughing quietly, she shook her head.

For Leliana knew jealousy. She'd felt it before on numerous occasions. Whether it was caused by guilt or her... condition or for some other, deeper reason... well...

Thwack. Thwack. Thud.

I'll think about it in the morning. Maker, why must these things always be so complicated?