Thank you so much to Jen, Shakespira, Nithu, CCBug, voltagelisa and cousland1982 for reviewing regularly and inspiring me to keep writing!
To my almost-angelic twin Jen, you had your work cut out on this one! Thank you for your hard work! :-*
O~~~~~~~~O
The village of Redcliffe was as ready as it would ever be for the coming night's attack. The Wardens and their companions had been of immense help in several ways. They had procured morale-boosting holy pendants for the Redcliffe Knights, and they had persuaded the grief-stricken blacksmith to make repairs to the Militia's arms and weapons, in return for which they had promised to search the castle for his missing daughter. They'd found a lost child, and had even persuaded several townsfolk to fight with the Militia, either through persuasion, courtesy of Zevran, threats from Sten or cold hard coin when the other two options had failed.
Bann Teagan had wanted to fight, but Alistair persuaded him to remain at the Chantry, as Redcliffe could not afford to lose him should Eamon not survive. Alistair also did not relish the prospect of Isolde ruling over Redcliffe should anything happen to both Guerrin men.
Allis had put down a minor rebellion amongst their group, when Morrigan and Sten made it clear that it was pointless to fight a hopeless battle, when they should be invoking the Grey Warden treaties and building an army. Allis had calmly told them that they were free to do as they wished, and could go and find the Archdemon on their own if they liked, but the rest of the group would be staying to defend Redcliffe. Morrigan and Sten uttered a few choice words in response, but ultimately agreed to stay with the rest of the group.
They all stood now at the foot of the slope leading to Redcliffe Castle, waiting for sundown. Allis, Blythe and Morrigan were the only mages in attendance. Ser Perth, realising their value, had instructed them to stay well back from the fighting, and to cast spells from a distance. He further assigned one of his men to each mage to protect them during the battle. Alistair, Sten and Reaper stood with the Knights and some of the Militia, closer to the castle's entrance. Zevran and Leliana, along with the other archers, had found positions above ground, from where they could attack in relative safety.
The rest of the Militia was stationed outside the Chantry, where most of the townsfolk were sheltering, in order to deal with any stragglers from the Castle. The mages were positioned near the top of the hill leading down to the village, so that they would be the first to reach the Chantry and attack from a distance, should it become necessary.
The tension became palpable as the sun began to set, and a heavy silence hung in the air, only broken by occasional coughing or shuffling. Blythe cast Flame Weapons on the melee fighters, and she and the other two mages cast Glyphs of Paralysis at the bottom of the slope.
"There!" cried Ser Perth, pointing to the top of the hill. "Here they come!"
The first few creatures emerged, skeletal beings, all wearing cumbersome armour. Seeing how clumsily they moved gave Allis an idea. He cast a coating of frost along the slope, causing the creatures to lose their footing and slide down the hill, hitting the Glyphs and becoming frozen in place. The melee fighters laughed and set to work immediately as the archers and mages joined in with arrows and bolts. The mages moved around the battleground, taking care not to hit any of their allies with spells.
More creatures poured forth from the Castle entrance, and the mages renewed their spells, but soon there were so many undead that they broke through the Glyphs. The warriors and melee fighters charged forward and engaged them. Morrigan and Allis fell back to the crest of the hill leading to the village and renewed their Glyphs, and Blythe cast a Glyph of Warding around the melee fighters to boost their attack and defence.
Soon the numbers of undead lessened and, with the help of Alistair and Sten, Blythe moved any injured fighters to one side where she began healing them. A cheer rose up from the Redcliffe soldiers as only stragglers now appeared at the top of the hill.
"We are victorious!" cried one of the Redcliffe Knights.
"Wait…!" shouted Allis as he looked down the hill leading to the Village. A lone Knight struggled to run up the hill towards them.
"The monsters are attacking from the lake!" the Knight cried breathlessly. "We need help!"
"Knights! Stay here and guard the path!" Allis commanded.
"Yes, Warden!" cried Ser Perth as he rallied his men.
The three mages were closest and headed the charge down the hill, with Reaper soon overtaking them. They held position halfway down, covering the melee fighters as they joined the fray. Allis and Morrigan could only use projectile spells for fear of striking their allies.
"Stay close together!" Blythe yelled at Alistair, Sten and Reaper as they passed. "I'll protect you!"
Zevran, Leliana and the Redcliffe archers reached them and began firing off arrows and bolts. When Sten, Alistair and Reaper reached the bottom, Blythe cast a Glyph of Warding around them and Heroic Defence on all three.
"Stay back, Reaper!" yelled Allis, as the Mabari kept leaving the confines of the Glyph to attack. Hearing his master's voice, he did as instructed and stayed close to Alistair and Sten.
It took all of Blythe's concentration to see who needed healing, rejuvenating or regenerating. She cast Mass Rejuvenate on the mages and archers then drank a Lyrium Potion. As she did so, her Glyph of Warding wore off and her three allies on the ground were overwhelmed by undead. She quickly cast a Glyph of Repulsion, which threw several undead backwards to the ground. Alistair fell back with them. She watched for a moment, holding her breath. He wasn't moving. Then his arm came up to his throat, which was gushing with blood.
"Alistair!" she cried as she ran down the hill.
"Blythe! Come ba…" Allis began, then saw why she was running.
"Stay where you are, Allis!" she yelled. "I'll take care of him! Take over the Regeneration for me!"
Sten saw her coming and cleared a path for her with almighty swings of his sword. He dragged Alistair, using one arm, to the doors of the Chantry before rejoining the fight. A thick trail of blood marked Alistair's path. Reaper stood before the two of them and fiercely defended them.
"Move your hand, Alistair, just a bit," she said softly. He complied and a torrent of blood flowed from his neck.
"Shit!" Blythe muttered, quickly replacing his hand on the wound. "Press down as firmly as you can, Alistair!" she instructed, placing her hands over his.
"Got it," he whispered, making a horrible gurgling sound as he spoke.
Blythe concentrated with all her might, willing her strongest Heal spell into force. She had no doubt she could heal the wound, but was gravely concerned about the amount of blood he had lost.
Allis had long since lost concentration on the fight and watched from halfway up the hill as a green glow enveloped Alistair and Blythe, then he noticed the trail of blood leading to their location. He saw Blythe sit back on her heels and put her hands to her face. Alistair was not moving.
"Bastards…" he whispered, his breathing rapid and irregular. He stepped forward and held his staff aloft. "Fall back!" he yelled at the top of his voice. His allies on the ground did as he commanded and stepped back towards the Chantry. Allis raised his arms and closed his eyes. A grey, swirling cloud appeared directly above the position of the undead horde. A bitterly cold wind swept through the valley and around the undead, severely slowing their movements. As huge chunks of ice rained from the sky onto the skeletons, Allis collapsed to the ground, his mana depleted.
Morrigan ran to him and put a Lyrium Potion to his lips. "Foolish boy!" she remonstrated. "Drink!"
The archers ran down the hill to support the Militia, as all of the undead creatures stood frozen solid. They charged through the alleyways of Redcliffe, picking off the rest of the horde as they approached from Lake Calenhad.
Morrigan and Allis ran down the hill, Morrigan running ahead to assist the archers. The Militia, Sten and Reaper, having dealt with the frozen creatures, joined her. Allis walked in a daze towards Blythe and Alistair, who lay motionless on the ground. Blythe had removed the top half of her robes to cover him, and shivered in her petticoat. Allis removed the top half of his robes and offered it to Blythe, who promptly placed it over Alistair.
"He's alive, but barely," she said quietly, shaking her head. "I can't do any more for him. He's lost a lot of blood. Some bastard stabbed him in the neck. We need to get him inside."
Allis ran over and banged on the Chantry doors. "Open up!" he cried. "It's Allis Surana!"
He heard several bolts and locks being undone. After what seemed like an eternity, the doors slowly opened. Bann Teagan ran out and assisted Allis to carry Alistair inside. They placed him on a cot and stood guard by the doors as Blythe made Alistair comfortable and placed a Lifeward on him.
Very soon, the Redcliffe Militia and the Warden's companions returned. Blythe took the injured to one side as they spilled into the Chantry. Allis offered to help, but she told him she could manage and he should go and sit with Alistair. Morrigan, who had minimal healing skills, tended to the less seriously injured, with Leliana's assistance.
Allis knelt down besides Alistair's cot and put his hands to his mouth. Alistair was now unconscious and his skin, normally a golden hue, was ashen, his lips blue. With tears springing to his eyes, Allis climbed onto the cot alongside Alistair, not caring what anyone thought, and wrapped his arms around him, rubbing Alistair's arms in an attempt to keep him warm.
"Come on, big man," he whispered, kissing Alistair's icy cold cheek, "I can't do this without you." Leliana brought some blankets over and covered them both up, giving Allis' shoulder a squeeze before walking away.
Bann Teagan instructed some of his people to take over from Morrigan and Blythe as soon as the seriously injured were tended to, as they both appeared exhausted. He walked over to Allis and Alistair and his face fell as he noted the Templar's condition.
"Is there anything I can do to assist, Warden Surana?" he asked gravely.
"No, My Lord, but thank you," Allis replied. "It's in the Maker's hands, now."
O~~~~~~~~~O
Cullen and Anders made excellent progress on their journey to Lothering. They spent their time on the road productively, with Cullen teaching Anders a few basic sword fighting techniques. Anders had left his staff behind at the inn, in order to detract attention from the fact he was a mage, and carried an old sword and dagger, which he had no idea how to use effectively.
Although Cullen fought with a two-handed sword, and therefore couldn't teach Anders any involved techniques, he taught him some defensive stances and strikes. Cullen surmised that Anders would be well suited to fighting with two daggers, and they resolved to acquire a second dagger as soon as they could.
They arrived at Lothering at teatime on the second day. They froze for a second as they spotted a Templar standing close to the village's entrance.
"Can he sense I have magic?" Anders whispered to Cullen, checking that his helm was sufficiently concealing his face.
"Only if you use it, Anders," Cullen replied. "Remove your Rock Armour."
"Good thinking," Anders grinned as he closed his eyes and dissolved the spell.
They walked forward as nonchalantly as possible, although they were both sweating under their armour.
"You there!" called the Templar. They continued to walk forward, but their hearts raced.
"If you're looking for safe shelter, you'll find none here. Lothering's lost," the Templar warned.
"Lost?" asked Cullen. "What do you mean?"
"Look around you," the Templar replied with a sweep of his arm. "The place is full to bursting with refugees, all fleeing the darkspawn. Within a day or two, the darkspawn will be here. I'd advise you to move on, if you know what's best for you."
"Thank you for the warning," said Cullen.
"Maker watch over your path," the Templar replied, crossing his arms and bowing.
"The same to you," Cullen replied, jumping as Anders kicked the back of his leg.
"What was that for?" Cullen asked as they walked away.
"You were about to bow to him like a Templar," Anders whispered.
"Oh, Maker…I was, wasn't I?" Cullen whispered back. "I'll have to watch that."
Anders folded his arms, looking towards the Chantry. "We'll both have to watch ourselves," he muttered as another Templar escorted some injured people inside. "I'm fighting the urge to go and heal those people over there. Blast it!" he muttered in frustration.
"How about you treat me to that ale you promised me, Anders?" Cullen asked, diverting his attention toward the tavern.
"Yes, alright," Anders agreed. "I can't believe you've never tasted ale before. You'll love it!" he promised.
They entered the tavern, which was heaving with people, most of whom were not drinking. They approached the proprietor at the bar.
"Sorry, lads," he said, holding his hands up, "we don't have no more room for no one. Unless you're drinking, I'll have to ask you to move on."
"Two bitters, please," asked Anders.
"Ah!" the man exclaimed happily. "Certainly, lads. I'll even give you the stuff without sawdust in it. Here you go," he said as he placed two frothing mugs on the counter. "4 silver, please."
Anders paid him from the small amount of money Dav had provided them.
"Know you of any well-paid work in Lothering?" Anders asked.
"Well, there was the Chanter's Board, but them Wardens took all the jobs on that," he replied.
"Wardens?" asked Cullen, he and Anders standing bolt upright. "What do you mean, Wardens?"
"Now, hang about!" the proprietor exclaimed. "I don't want no trouble in here! The last time there were soldiers looking for them, the Wardens nearly destroyed this place!"
"We're not here to cause trouble, friend," Anders replied.
"But you're looking for them Wardens, too!" he replied angrily. "Well, they've gone, I tell ya! I don't want no more fighting in here!"
"Please," said Cullen softly, "we weren't looking for them in particular, we just knew a couple of Wardens. We'd heard that they'd all been…killed at Ostagar."
The proprietor eyed them suspiciously. "Why haven't you two removed your helms?" he asked. "What are you hiding?"
Anders looked around the room. He couldn't see any Templars or guards. "Keep this to yourself," he whispered, "but we're Wardens, too. We thought we were the only survivors, but apparently there are others. We'd just like to know who they were, that's all."
The proprietor took a deep breath and relented. "You're not going to start a fight in here, then?" he asked.
"No! Why would we?" Anders asked, confused.
"Well," the man whispered, beckoning them closer. "A few days ago, two Wardens showed up in here. Mages, they were…"
Anders and Cullen shot glances at one another.
"…some of Loghain's men were in here, waiting for them," he continued.
"Loghain?" said Cullen. "You mean Loghain Mac Tir, of River Dane?"
"That's the one," he replied. "Loghain put a bounty on all Grey Wardens. Says they were responsible for the King's death, he did."
"What?" Anders cried in horror. "That's ridiculous!"
"What happened in here?" asked Cullen.
"Huh!" snorted the proprietor. "Well, the Wardens set the bloody place on fire, that's what happened! Then they threw a few Sovereigns on the counter, and pissed off! Bah! They let the soldiers go, though. I was thankful for that, I suppose. No corpses to clean up…"
"You said they were mages," Cullen interrupted. "Can you describe them?"
"Yeah," the proprietor replied. "There was an elf, with brown hair, wearing a red robe, and a lady, very nice she was too. Brown, wavy hair, and the biggest blue eyes you ever saw! I wouldn't have minded having a go on that, I tell you! Know what I mean, lads? Heh heh."
Anders quickly grabbed Cullen's arm as the Templar reached for his sword. "Is there anything else you can tell us?" he asked charmingly.
"Well, I overheard them say they was from the Circle of Magi," said the proprietor, "and they'd only come from there a few days earlier."
Cullen's hands went to his helm as he leaned heavily against the bar.
"'Ere, is your friend alright?" the proprietor asked.
Anders slapped Cullen's back and grinned at the man with moist eyes. "He'll be fine!" he replied.
"There was another Warden, too," said the proprietor helpfully. "A big bloke in splintmail armour." He leaned down and whispered, "Saw him and that elf kissing outside, I did. Disgusting!" he snorted, folding his arms.
"Good old Allis!" Anders laughed. "He didn't waste any time!"
"Did they say where they went?" Cullen asked, his voice thick with emotion.
"Aye, they did. Heading for Redcliffe, they was. Left a couple of days ago."
"Redcliffe?" Anders repeated. "Well, my friend," he said to Cullen. "I think we know where we'll be heading to next, don't we?"
Cullen nodded silently, reaching inside his helm to wipe away his tears.