Together Or Not At All

by RogueHunter06

"What in the Maker's name were you supposed to do when you liked a woman?" It's a question Alistair has asked himself far too many times since unexpectedly meeting her in the Wilds. And though he knows he should be focusing on the Blight, he can't seem to help himself around her - from falling deeper into his attraction for her. *OC, Cousland Warden with Morrigan, M for lemons*

11. A Castle, A Demon, and A Kiss

Author's Note: Okay, so this chapter is really long. By the time I got to the end of it and realized how long it was, it was too late :). I considered splitting it up into two, but couldn't really find a place that I wanted to cut it in half. So, you get two chapters for the price of one this week. As you can tell by the title, there was a certain scene I wanted to get in by the end of the chapter, and with all the dialogue and things that happened in Redcliffe, it took a while. And I really wanted that scene to happen before they go to the Circle, for reasons you will later see.

Again, there is a fair amount of game dialogue in this chapter, all main quest stuff, for several reasons. One, I want to include Ayla's reactions to the events and her original dialogue. Two, I want to show what's going on in the head of whichever character we're currently following while this stuff happens. And three, I want to show what sort of Warden character that Aedan is. You may notice he's getting some original dialogue as well, expanding on the limited Warden answers. Anyway, if anyone's sick of reading the game dialogue and doesn't like it, you can review the story and let me know ;). Otherwise, I'll keep going as is. I really want to see if I can fully novelize this, anyway.

As usual, thanks to all those who have favorited, followed, and even read so far, I'm glad you enjoy it and take time out of your lives to read it! However, I didn't get any reviews for the last chapter :( which was very sad. I may have to have an artistic tantrum and stop writing if I don't get a review for this chapter ;). Seriously, though, even a few words would be greatly appreciated, whether praise or criticism! I'll shut up now ;). Enjoy!

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own Bioware, but I do own my character and her world.

Chapter 11: A Castle, A Demon and A Kiss

It didn't take long for them to reach the house that Teagan had offered them the use of. They had met up with Sten and Striker along the way, before Aedan brought them to the place, which was one of the bigger houses in Redcliffe. Once inside, they'd found that there were several small bedrooms that they could each use to have a few hours of rest before they would have to move on. Leliana and Sten immediately picked out rooms and shut the doors, leaving Alistair and Aedan alone in the main room of the house.

"Aedan, can I talk to you for a minute?" Alistair asked, halting Aedan before he left the main room to find a bed. He knew now probably wasn't the greatest time, given that they were both exhausted, but when would he have such a prime opportunity again where Ayla couldn't hear them?

Aedan sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Fine, but could you make it quick? I would really like to get a few hours' sleep before we go to the castle."

Alistair nodded. "Right, of course!" He hesitated, unsure of how exactly to phrase his question. "What exactly do you do when – well, how exactly do you tell a woman –"

"Is this about you telling Ayla you want her?" Aedan interrupted.

"I – what –" Alistair stammered, his face flushing bright red. He wouldn't exactly have put it that way. He sighed in defeat. "Is it that obvious?"

Aedan grinned mischievously. "To anyone who's met the two of you for even a few seconds? Yes. To me? Completely obvious. I'm pretty sure even Striker knows." The dog barked in seeming agreement from his place at Aedan's side.

Alistair folded his arms and glared at his fellow Warden and his too-smart dog, willing his face to stop being so red. "Yes, well, anyway, I came to you for advice. I'm . . . not really sure what to do."

"Honestly, my advice would be to just kiss her. Ayla's plenty capable of stopping you if she isn't interested. Not that I think that will be a problem."

"What, you mean I should just grab her and kiss her?!" Alistair exclaimed in disbelief. When Aedan nodded in answer, Alistair felt his face go an even more interesting shade of red. "I – I couldn't do that! Without even saying something to her first? Shouldn't I – I don't know!"

Aedan grinned and shook his head. "You really were raised in the Chantry, weren't you? I take it that you want to woo her, then? In that case, get her a gift. Tell her how you feel about her. It really isn't all that hard." He shrugged as if to say he couldn't believe Alistair would have trouble with this.

A gift? Alistair thought. That might actually work. That part also sounded simple enough. But – "What do I say to her, though? What did you say to Morrigan to get her to smile at you the other night?"

Aedan thought for a second, and then started laughing. "I don't think you would be able to repeat that without lighting on fire, Alistair. Just be yourself, tell her how you feel. She seems to enjoy talking to you, so you must be doing something right."

"Really?" Alistair thought about it. She had said she enjoyed talking to him, after all. And oddly enough, she really did seem to. Could he really figure out what to say to her? "But, honestly, what did you say to Morrigan? You've got me curious now."

Aedan shrugged, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "You asked for it. I told her if she didn't stop tempting me the way she was, that I was going to bend her over the nearest log and –"

"Whoa! Whoa!" Alistair threw his hands up. "I take it back! I don't want to know!"

Aedan chuckled. "I didn't think so." He sobered and looked at Alistair. "Seriously, though, just give her something nice and tell her she's beautiful, if nothing else. You at least can manage that, right?"

"Well – yes, I think so," Alistair said slowly. That didn't sound so bad. Surely even he couldn't screw that up, right?

"Good." Aedan clapped him on the shoulder. "Now that that's settled, can I get some sleep?"

"Wait, I should probably tell you something about Ayla." Alistair knew it wasn't really his secret to tell, but Aedan of all people should probably know about it. So he gave Aedan a quick version of what Ayla had confessed to him the night before. He was surprised when he was done talking to see that Aedan didn't look shocked, only thoughtful.

"Hmm, so she told you about it, did she?"

"You already knew?" Alistair exclaimed, shocked. Had Ayla told Aedan before she'd confided in him? He felt hurt just thinking about it.

Aedan shook his head. "No, not for sure. Morrigan suspected she might be, given what Flemeth had told her about the possibility of different worlds and that Ayla didn't belong. And like you said, it makes a certain kind of sense, when you think about how we found her and everything she didn't know. I admit, I found it a little hard to believe at first, but Morrigan seemed very certain."

"Oh." Alistair was relieved, both because he was the only one she'd confided in, and that both Morrigan and Aedan seemed to think she was telling the truth, as well. It made the whole thing much more probable, especially if Flemeth already knew about the existence of different worlds. "But aren't you going to tell me I shouldn't get involved with her?"

"What?" Aedan scoffed. "Why would I do that? I assume you've thought the whole thing through already. And personally, I am of the opinion that if a person has a chance to enjoy themselves, they should take it. You know as well as I do that our chances of making it through this Blight alive are minimal. Why shouldn't we take whatever shots we have at happiness in the meantime?"

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Alistair felt better that Aedan had essentially given him permission, but it depressed him to think of how bleak their future was. He'd been trying not to think about it, and it had been pretty easy, considering all the other things that had happened and were happening. But he knew Aedan was right. The task ahead of them was daunting, and if they made it through alive, he'd consider it a miracle.

"Now I am seriously going to sleep, and you should too," Aedan prompted. "We only have a few hours before we need to head into the castle." He turned and went to find a room, Striker trailing behind him.

Alistair headed to find his own room as well, even as he thought over in his mind how he would tell Ayla how he felt. He already had the perfect gift in mind to give her. He would just have to find an opportunity sometime soon to give it to her.

---

They approached the Chantry a little before noon to attend the memorial service, as planned. Though Alistair could have used more sleep, considering he'd only got about five hours before washing up and coming here, he still felt fairly refreshed and ready to see just what was going on in the castle.

He felt even better when he saw Ayla come out of the Chantry, her slightly damp hair pulled back in a fresh braid. She looked completely herself again, and he felt the last traces of his worry about her disappear.

"Good morning, everyone." She smiled at the party as she approached. Morrigan was with them, having apparently come into the house to rest sometime after Alistair had fallen asleep.

The others all greeted her in return, other than Sten, who merely grunted. "Good morning, Ayla." Alistair smiled at her in return. "Are you feeling better?"

Ayla nodded. "Thanks to Morrigan's spell and the leftover potions she had, I'm completely back to normal."

"My healing would not have been necessary at all if you hadn't had some foolish notion to risk your life for some stranger," Morrigan grumbled. Alistair raised an eyebrow. If he didn't know better, he'd almost think the witch had been worried about Ayla.

Ayla opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, Teagan began to address the crowd of waiting villagers from the top of the Chantry stairs. Mother Hannah was next to him. The party all stopped talking and turned to watch.

Teagan proceeded to lead the village in thanking the group for their aid last night, though Alistair noted that most of his praise went to Aedan. Regardless, it still felt good to be thanked, especially when all the villagers cheered them after Teagan's speech. Teagan wound up by saying that they would be heading into the castle next to hopefully rescue the Arl.

Mother Hannah then led the actual memorial service, lamenting the villagers who had been lost in the previous fights, as well as the two militiamen that Alistair and the others had been too late to save last night. Once the service was done, and the villagers had started to disband to begin cleaning up, Teagan gestured to their group to follow him up the hill to the windmill. Aedan led them up the hill after Teagan.

Teagan had his back turned when they reached the top, standing on the edge of the cliff by the windmill, looking across to the castle. As they approached, he turned back to them. "Odd how quiet the castle looks from here. You'd think there was nobody inside at all. But I shouldn't delay things further. I had a plan, to enter the castle after the village was secure. There is a secret passage here in the mill, accessible only to my family."

"I thought as much," Aedan replied. "Our own castle had a similar passage. Why didn't you mention this before?"

Teagan frowned, shaking his head. "I knew you would choose to enter the castle instead of staying in the village, and we needed warriors. I'm sorry if I –" he suddenly halted what he was about to say, staring past their group with wide eyes. "Maker's breath!"

They all turned to look at what had startled him so, and Alistair groaned inwardly as he saw an all-too-familiar figure running down the hill towards them, followed by a knight. A woman with strawberry blonde hair in a severe bun, wearing a tight-fitting red and pink Orlesian-style dress came to a stop directly in front of Teagan. "Teagan! Thank the Maker you yet live!" she cried in her thick accent.

"Isolde! You're alive! How did you – what has happened?" Teagan sounded more at a loss for words than Alistair had ever heard him. He couldn't blame Teagan, considering that it looked as though the undead had come from the castle last night. Personally, he'd been expecting the worst case scenario when they finally did get in there, to discover that Arl Eamon and his entire family were dead. Obviously, though, at least one person wasn't.

Lady Isolde shook her head. "I do not have much time to explain! I slipped from the castle as soon as I could following the battle, and I must return quickly. And I - need you to return with me, Teagan. Alone."

Aedan snorted at the same time as Alistair did – still inwardly, because honestly, he was still a little terrified of Lady Isolde. "We will need more of an explanation than that." Aedan folded his arms, staring at Lady Isolde.

"I – what?" Lady Isolde turned to look at Aedan, a sneer passing over her features. "Who is this man, Teagan?"

Seeing Aedan's shoulders tense at the rude address, Alistair decided he should try to intervene. Sighing, he turned to Lady Isolde. "You remember me, Lady Isolde, don't you?"

She turned her gaze on him, and her eyes widened after a moment in shock and recognition. "Alistair – of all the – why are you here?" The scathing tone of her voice was exactly what he'd expected.

"What a bitch," Ayla murmured from his side, so quietly only he could hear. He looked down at her in surprise, noticing that her eyes were sparking with fury again. Was she angry for his sake? He felt warm just at the thought, and not for the first time, noticed how desirable she was when she was furious. At least, when her fury wasn't directed at him.

"They are Grey Wardens, Isolde, and furthermore, he is Aedan Cousland," Teagan stressed, staring pointedly at Lady Isolde. "I owe them – and their friends – my life."

Lady Isolde turned to Aedan, eyes wide with shock and dismay. "Ah, my Lord Cousland, pardon me! I would exchange pleasantries, but considering the circumstances –"

Alistair rolled his eyes. Of course, she would forget to include him in the apology. Feeling like a glutton for punishment, he interrupted her. "Please, Lady Isolde, we had no idea anyone was even alive within the castle! We must have some answers!"

Lady Isolde shook her head again, turning back to Teagan. "I know you need more of an explanation, but I do not know what is safe to tell! Teagan, there is a terrible evil within the castle. The dead waken and hunt the living. The mage responsible was caught, but still it continues. And I think – Connor is going mad. We have survived, but he won't flee the castle. He has seen so much death! You must help him, Teagan! You are his uncle, you could reason with him! I do not know what else to do!"

"Why do I get the feeling that you aren't telling us everything?" Aedan demanded. "I mean, Connor is only a young boy, correct? Surely you could make him go with you if you wanted."

"I – I beg your pardon!" Lady Isolde exclaimed angrily, seeming to forget who she was talking to again – and completely ignoring Aedan's perfectly good point. "That's a rather impertinent accusation!"

"Not really," Aedan said tightly. "Do not forget that you are merely an Arl's wife, while I am the son of a Teyrn. When I accuse you – especially if it's true – it is most certainly not impertinent to do so."

Alistair had never heard Aedan sound quite so much the nobleman before, and he found it a little intimidating, to be honest. Obviously Lady Isolde did too, because her anger quickly crumpled and her eyes began to fill with tears. "An evil I cannot fathom holds my husband and son hostage! I came for help! What more do you want from me?"

Before Aedan could respond – and Alistair could tell he wasn't impressed by Lady Isolde's waterworks – Teagan interrupted. "But – I do not understand what you mean by this 'evil'. Did it create the walking corpses? What is it?"

"Something the mage unleashed," Lady Isolde replied slowly, as though trying to control her tears. "So far it allows Eamon, Connor and myself to live. The others – were not so fortunate. It's killed so many, and turned their bodies into walking nightmares! Once it was done with the castle, it struck the village! It wants us to live, but I do not know why. It allowed me to come for you, Teagan, because I begged, because I said Connor needed help."

"Enough questions," Aedan snapped, obviously exasperated with Lady Isolde's theatrics and lack of useful explanations. "We need to decide what to do."

Teagan nodded, obviously having come to a decision himself. "The King is dead, and we need my brother now more than ever. I will return to the castle with you, Isolde."

"Oh, thank the Maker!" Isolde cried, clasping her hands together. "Bless you, Teagan! Bless you!"

"This is a mistake," Aedan sighed in exasperation. "You're going to get yourself killed."

"I cannot let Isolde return alone," Teagan replied, and Alistair could see by the determination in his eyes that unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to talk him out of it. "Perhaps I can help Connor or Eamon. Perhaps this really is a trap, but this is my family. I must try. I have no illusions about dealing with this evil alone. All of you, on the other hand, have proven quite formidable. Isolde, can you excuse us for a moment? We must confer in private before I return to the castle with you."

"Please do not take too long. I will be by the bridge." Isolde turned and headed back the way she'd come, the knight following in her wake.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Teagan turned to Aedan. "Here's what I propose: I go in with Isolde, and you enter the castle using the secret passage. My signet ring unlocks the door. Perhaps I will – distract whatever evil is inside and increase your chances of getting in unnoticed. What do you say?"

Aedan nodded slowly. "It does not seem like we have much of a choice, and it seems as though this is our best chance."

"Good. I would prefer to go inside with you, but I agree I have no choice in the matter. Ser Perth and his men can watch for danger at the castle entrance. If you can open the gates from within, they can move in and help you. I don't think anyone else can help you. Here is my signet ring." He handed a ring to Aedan before continuing, "It will open the lock on the door in the mill. Whatever you do, Eamon is the priority here. Isolde, me, and anyone else . . . we're expendable."

Aedan shook his head, frowning. "While I agree we need Eamon, I will do my level best to get everyone I can out of there alive." The others all nodded in agreement, Alistair especially. He didn't want to even think of leaving Teagan or anyone behind if he didn't have to.

"Thank you, my friends," Teagan smiled wearily at them all.

"So we are just going to send him with that woman?" Leliana asked incredulously. "It seems so dangerous!"

"I agree," Ayla added. "This could not more obviously be a trap even if that Isolde woman had come out and said it."

"Oh, I'm quite certain it's a trap," Aedan agreed with them. "However, I will not stop a man from going to help his family. We'll just have to sneak in and do our best to spring the trap."

Teagan nodded to him. "Thank you again, but I can delay no longer." He was already starting down the path. "Allow me to bid you all farewell . . . and good luck."

Aedan turned to them all as Teagan left. "All right, I think what Teagan mentioned would be a good idea. I'll have Ser Perth and his men wait at the front gates so we can let them in if we get the chance. Sten, I'd like to send you and Striker to wait with them. I doubt you will fit in the tunnel, and there's likely a ladder leading down into it, which will be difficult for Striker. The rest of us will enter through the tunnel."

Sten nodded. "As you wish. I will wait with these others for the opportunity to strike."

Aedan quickly took Sten and Striker with him over to where Ser Perth and his men were, and after a brief conversation with Ser Perth, left them there, returning to where Alistair and the others were waiting by the tunnel. They entered the windmill, and Aedan found the trapdoor set in the ground, using Teagan's ring to open it.

As he'd said, there was a ladder leading down into the darkness. Aedan quickly climbed down it, signalling the others to follow. Alistair waited until last, and once Morrigan had lit up the end of her staff with her magic, he closed the door behind him before climbing down.

The tunnel was barely wide enough for one person to walk through without having to turn sideways, so Morrigan took the lead with her light, followed by Aedan, Leliana, Ayla, and Alistair in the rear. He tried not to focus too much on the movement of Ayla's hips as she walked in front of him, although he caught himself looking several times.

After what seemed like forever, they finally reached a wooden door at the other end, which opened up into the castle dungeons. Morrigan put out her light, as the walls were lined with torches and they could see properly again. As they moved forward through the cells, they heard a man screaming for help, and saw a few of the undead attacking a cell at the furthest end of the dungeons from them.

The group raced forward, and between the five of them, easily finished off the three undead corpses. They all turned to look at the man inside the cell. It was obvious that he was a mage; both because he was wearing robes Alistair recognized as being from the Circle, and from the fairly weak aura of magic he was giving off. He was probably only about twenty, and had dark, shaggy hair. It appeared as though he'd been down here for a while; his face looked sunken and haggard, and his robes were torn and covered in blood. What could be seen of him was covered in bruises.

"Wait – you don't look like the Arlessa's guards!" the mage exclaimed as they approached the front of his cage. "Are you from outside the castle?"

"Are you the mage Lady Isolde mentioned?" Aedan demanded, not bothering to answer the man's question.

"You've spoken to her?" the mage asked. He looked down, his face falling. "Then you know what I did."

Aedan shook his head. "No, she didn't actually mention exactly what it is you stand accused of."

"I – I poisoned the Arl," the mage confessed. "Lady Isolde had hired me to tutor her son, but she didn't realize that I'd been hired to poison the Arl. I – I thought I was helping."

Alistair felt his mouth drop open in shock. He'd known the Arl was sick, but he'd seriously been hoping it was just a normal illness. Somebody had actually poisoned him? Had Loghain been the one to hire this mage? He felt Ayla take his hand and squeeze it, though he couldn't feel it as much as he would like because of his gauntlets. Not wanting to hurt her, he didn't squeeze her hand back, but smiled down at her gratefully. She returned his smile before turning her attention back to the mage.

"You thought you were helping? By poisoning the Arl and raising the dead? Tell me why I shouldn't kill you now," Aedan growled, reaching for the hilt of his sword.

"I – I know it looks suspicious," the mage exclaimed, coming forward and shaking his head. "But I'm not responsible for the creatures and the killings in the castle! I was already imprisoned when all that began! At first, Lady Isolde came with her men demanding that I reverse what I'd done. I thought she meant my poisoning of the Arl. That's the first I heard of the walking corpses. She thought I'd summoned a demon to torment her family and destroy Redcliffe. She – had me tortured. There was nothing I could do or say that would appease her. So – they left me to rot."

Aedan relaxed his stance, though he still looked suspicious. As horrified as he was that Arl Eamon had been poisoned, Alistair had to admit that this mage didn't exactly strike him as a malicious killer – or a mage powerful enough to wreak havoc on Redcliffe. He found himself almost wanting to trust what the man said. "So if you're not trying to destroying Redcliffe, why did you poison Arl Eamon?" Aedan demanded.

"I was instructed to by Teyrn Loghain," the mage answered. I knew it! Alistair thought, feeling an unreasoning fury boil through his veins. Loghain seemed determined to destroy everything he held dear! He looked down at Ayla and saw the grim set to her face as she nodded back at him. "We'll make him pay for all of it," she whispered to Alistair, and somehow, he felt better, even though he knew the thought of revenge shouldn't be something to look forward to.

The mage continued, "I was told that Arl Eamon was a threat to Ferelden, that if I dealt with him, Loghain would settle matters with the Circle. You see, I'm a maleficar: a blood mage."

"Truly?" Morrigan snorted sceptically from next to Aedan. "You are a blood mage?"

Although Alistair tended to agree with Morrigan's scepticism, as the young mage was not at all how he'd pictured a blood mage would look, he still couldn't help his response. He tried his best not to have Templar prejudices against mages, but he couldn't help it when it came to blood magic. As far as he was concerned, it couldn't be used for anything but evil. "A blood mage! Well that isn't good."

"I dabbled in the forbidden arts," the mage said, shame apparent on his features, "and they condemned me to death for it. I thought Loghain was giving me a chance to – redeem myself . . ."

"You were going to redeem yourself by poisoning someone?" Ayla scoffed.

Ignoring her, the mage cried out, "But he's abandoned me, hasn't he? Everything's fallen apart, and I'm responsible! I have to make it right somehow, I have to!"

Aedan frowned, crossing his arms. "There's something I don't quite understand. Why did the Arlessa hire a mage to tutor her son?"

"Connor had started to show . . . signs," the mage replied. "Lady Isolde was terrified the Circle would take him away for training."

"Connor? A mage? I can't believe it!" Alistair exclaimed. He'd never heard of any of Arl Eamon's family possessing magic before. The news would be devastating for Arl Eamon, as Connor was his only child and heir. It seemed as though everything Alistair had thought he knew was being turned upside down.

"She sought an apostate, a mage outside the Circle, to teach her son in secret so he could learn to hide his talent. Her husband had no idea," the mage concluded solemnly.

"So, perhaps her son is responsible for what happened," Aedan suggested thoughtfully. "It would certainly explain why she seemed to feel she couldn't make him leave the castle."

"I thought so, too!" the mage exclaimed. "Connor has little knowledge of magic, but he may have done something to tear open the Veil. With the Veil to the Fade torn, spirits and demons could infiltrate the castle. Powerful ones could kill and create the walking corpses."

"The so-called maleficar speaks truth," Morrigan said when Aedan turned a questioning glance to her. "With the Fade torn, 'twould be a simple matter for a demon to raise the dead and attack the castle and village."

Aedan nodded, turning his attention back to the mage. "I think I understand."

"I never meant it to end like this, I swear!" the mage said earnestly. "Let me help you fix this!"

"He wishes to redeem himself, doesn't everyone deserve that chance?" Leliana looked pleadingly at Aedan, who had turned to check everyone's reactions.

"I don't know," Alistair said hesitantly. He didn't really want to outright kill the man, but he didn't think it was the best idea to set him free to do what he liked. "He is a blood mage – but this is an unusual situation."

"I think he's sincere in his desire to help," Ayla offered. "I don't sense that he's a danger."

Morrigan shrugged. "Do as you like – but I think he could possibly be useful."

"Give me a chance, please!" the mage begged.

Aedan turned back to him. "I think you'll stay in your cell for now. Once we've determined what's going on up there, we may be able to find some use for you."

"All right," the mage replied, looking saddened. "If you think that's best, I have no choice but to remain here until you decide what to do with me."

Aedan waved to the group to continue on. Past the mage's cell was the door leading into the next section of the dungeons. Ayla let go of Alistair's hand as they followed, and he sighed, missing the contact already, though he knew it obviously wasn't practical to continue on through a hostile castle like that.

This was proven true, when in the very next room, they ran into several more of the undead, which began to rise from the ground around them. There were far more then there had been in the previous room, but they were still able to dispatch them without too much difficulty. Alistair made sure that this time, he didn't lose track of Ayla during the battle. He was determined to make sure he was there to shield her next time she tried something reckless. He did not want to experience that panic ever again.

Once they'd gotten rid of all the corpses, they found the stairs leading up into the rest of the castle, which appeared deserted. They began to make their way through the hallways, checking all the rooms for possible survivors. It seemed everywhere they turned, there were more undead of varying stages of decomposition, as well as formless shades that Alistair had only ever seen in books before.

Morrigan came in handy fighting those; while the others did their best to keep the shades distracted and off her, she would freeze them with her magic so that they could be shattered. Otherwise, regular weapons didn't seem to pose any threat to them. They continued on once the shades had been dispatched, checking for any more people, or the Arlessa.

In one room, they found the daughter of the blacksmith, miraculously still alive. By this time, the way behind them was clear of any danger, so Aedan told her about the secret passage, and to run back to her father. The girl was only too happy to do so, and Alistair was relieved that they'd at least managed to rescue one person so far.

When they found the door leading from the other rooms to the main hall, it was locked, and no one could get it open. Alistair knew that if they went around to the main doors of the castle, they should still be able to get in the main hall, so he led the others through the kitchen and down to the basement storage area, knowing that there was another way up to the courtyard from there.

Finally, they emerged in the courtyard, coming out of the stone wall to the right of the main doors. To their left was the portcullis leading out of the castle, and the gate was still down. To the right was the staircase leading up to the main doors.

"All right," Aedan whispered to everybody, "let's get the gate open so we can let in Ser Perth, Sten and the others, then we'll make our way into the main hall and see what's going on."

Everybody nodded in agreement, and with weapons out, they began cautiously crossing the courtyard, making their way over to the gate. As they were nearing it, Ayla cried out, "Something's here!"

The party whirled around to see an immensely tall, hideous, black-cloaked creature with an oddly spiked helmet and glowing red eyes. It bore a shield and a wicked-looking longsword. It was surrounded by more undead.

"'Tis a Revenant," Morrigan hissed. "They are extremely powerful, and hard to damage. You must beware their –"

Before she could finish her sentence, the Revenant made a pulling motion with its hand, and the whole party was knocked off their feet and pulled along the ground towards the creature. Fortunately, everyone was able to get to their feet fairly quickly. "I'll keep it busy!" Alistair exclaimed, catching the Revenant's sword on his shield, which sent vibrations up his arm. "Somebody get the gate!"

"I'll go!" Ayla sprinted off in the direction of the gate.

Aedan helped Alistair with keeping the Revenant busy, while Morrigan and Leliana stood back and fired arrows and spells at the undead surrounding it. Aedan and Alistair had just been thrown back from the force of one of the Revenant's blows when they heard the gate creaking up.

"For Redcliffe!" Ser Perth and his knights bellowed from behind them. Striker came running past, launching himself at one of the undead. In no time, Ser Perth, Sten, the knights, and Ayla joined the fight against the Revenant and the undead.

Though it took a long time, as they couldn't seem to do much damage to the creature, even with the help of Morrigan's weakening spells, the combined force of all of them eventually took down the Revenant. With Sten's last massive blow, the Revenant reeled and fell to the ground with a thud. Everybody stopped, panting and fighting to catch their breath, drinking health potions to restore themselves from the minor wounds received. Fortunately, nobody was badly injured, and when Alistair looked for Ayla, he was pleased to find her unharmed.

"'Twould seem that there is indeed a powerful demon here," Morrigan said at last. "Only such a being could summon and command a Revenant."

"Of course there is!" Aedan grumbled. "Why wouldn't there be?"

"Shall we accompany you to the main hall?" Ser Perth hefted his sword and shield. "My men and I are eager to see our Arl again."

"Yes, please do." Aedan gestured for them to follow as he made his way up the stairs. "If there is a demon in there, I suspect we could use all the help we can get."

They all made their way up the stairs and through the doors into the main hall. As they entered, Alistair was astonished to see a very strange sight – Bann Teagan was jumping and tumbling around like a jester. Connor was standing facing the doors in front of the fireplace, clapping his hands with glee as he watched. Lady Isolde stood next to him, looking defeated, her shoulders hunched. Several guards stood behind the two, at attention, not watching Teagan at all.

"What is going on here?" Ayla whispered, sounding shocked. Alistair could only shake his head in disbelief – he had no idea.

As they approached, Teagan stopped his actions with a flourish and went to sit by Connor's side. As Aedan stopped directly in front of him, Connor spoke. His voice was a horrible duet of a young boy's and the deep tones of a demon. "So these are our visitors, the ones you told me about, Mother."

"Yes, Connor," Lady Isolde replied fearfully, not lifting her head or making eye contact.

"This is the one who defeated my soldiers?" Connor continued in his horrible voice. "The ones I sent to reclaim my village?"

"Yes."

"Now it's staring at me! What is it, Mother? I can't see it well enough." Alistair could only stare in horror at the boy. Connor was – possessed? But he still looked like a young boy. From everything that he'd heard about mages turned into abominations, they were supposed to change into horrible creatures.

"This – this is just a man, Connor. Like your father . . ." Isolde said shakily, as she indicated Aedan, standing out in front of the others.

"Oh, I'm tired of hearing about him!" the demon Connor retorted angrily. "Besides, he's nothing at all like Father. Look at him! Breathing and not dying in the slightest. I could change that, mind you . . ."

Lady Isolde finally approached her son, tearfully trying to get him to look at her. "Connor, I beg you, don't hurt anyone!"

Suddenly, Connor put a hand to his forehead. The voice that came out this time was that of an ordinary young boy. "M-mother? What – what's happening? Where am I?" Definitely not an ordinary abomination, Alistair thought. Not if Connor could go back to being himself. But then, what exactly was going on?

"Oh, thank the Maker!" Lady Isolde cried, kneeling down next to him. "Connor? Connor, can you hear me?"

Connor, who had put his head into his hands during her pleas, suddenly turned to her and shouted in his demonic voice, "Get away from me, fool woman! You are beginning to bore me."

Lady Isolde got to her feet, looking shocked, but she turned to Aedan. "My Lord Cousland, please don't hurt my son! He's not responsible for what he does!"

Aedan scowled. He didn't have his hand on his sword hilt yet, but Alistair noticed the clenching and unclenching of his hand, as if he wished he was holding it. "It looks like he's the evil force you spoke of, and you've been protecting him this entire time?"

"Connor didn't mean to do this!" Lady Isolde cried. "It was that mage – the one who poisoned Eamon, he started all this! He summoned this demon! Connor was just trying to help his father!"

"And made a deal with the demon to do so? Foolish child," Morrigan sighed heavily, almost sympathetically, Alistair thought.

"It was a fair deal!" The demon Connor shouted, glaring fiercely at Morrigan, who was standing just a little behind and to the right of Aedan. "Father is alive, just as I wanted. Now it's my turn to sit on the throne and send out armies to conquer the world! Nobody tells me what to do anymore!"

"Nobody tells him what to do! Nobody!" Teagan laughed in a strangely jovial voice from his seat beside Connor. The demon had to have influenced him somehow, Alistair guessed, making him into some sort of mindless jester for its amusement. At least he was still alive. Maybe they could get the old Teagan back still.

"Quiet, uncle," the demon growled, turning to Teagan. "I warned you what would happen if you kept shouting, didn't I? Yes, I did. But let's keep things civil," it continued, turning back to Aedan. "This man will have the audience he seeks. Tell us . . . what have you come here for?"

"I . . . came here to see Arl Eamon," Aedan said warily. Alistair could tell he wasn't sure if he should anger the demon quite yet.

"So you're a concerned well-wisher! Why didn't you say so in the first place? All this sneaking around and killing is so unnecessary! But Father is so very ill. We really shouldn't disturb him. Isn't that right, Mother?" The demon demanded of Lady Isolde. Alistair could tell it was going to attack them soon, whether they directly provoked it or not.

"I – I don't think –" Lady Isolde began.

But the demon cut her off. "Of course you don't! Ever since you sent the knights away, you do nothing but deprive me of my fun. Frankly, it's getting dull. I crave excitement! And action! This man spoiled my sport by saving that stupid village, and now he'll repay me!"

Alistair reached for his sword as soon as the demon said this, as did all the others, but was surprised to see the demon Connor suddenly run off and leave the main hall through a side door. Teagan, however, had gotten up and drawn his sword, and was advancing on Aedan. So were all the guards behind him. Lady Isolde fled behind Ser Perth and the others.

"Try not to kill anybody if you can help it, especially Teagan!" Aedan yelled. "Maybe if we knock them out, they won't be under the demon's influence anymore!"

Alistair raced forward between Aedan and Teagan, blocking the Bann's sword. "I'll take Bann Teagan!"

Aedan nodded quickly. "All right!" He raced off to engage one of the other guards, as everyone began to fight the six guards behind Teagan.

Alistair continued to block the Bann's blows, trying to bash the man with his shield or get an opening to strike him with the pommel of his sword. Teagan was more skilled than he'd thought, however, and was so far proving quite capable of holding him off. Suddenly, he noticed Ayla sneaking around behind Teagan. He did his best not to alert Teagan to her presence, trying to focus on the fight instead.

Suddenly, Teagan crumpled in front of him. Ayla had brought the pommels of both swords down on top of his head with significant force, knocking the man out. "Thanks!" Alistair said. She nodded and grinned, making him feel that now-familiar swell of post-battle lust. He did his best to shake it off, telling himself sternly that now was not the time. They both looked around the hall for other opponents, but it appeared that the others had managed to subdue all the guards, using similar tactics.

Lady Isolde raced over to Teagan's side as soon as she saw the battle was over. "Teagan! Teagan, are you all right?"

Morrigan came over and cast her simple healing spell on Teagan at Aedan's request, and the man groaned and sat up. With help, he regained his feet, looking around at everyone. "I – am better now, I think. My mind is my own again."

"Blessed Andraste! I would never have forgiven myself if you had died, not after I brought you here. What a fool I am! Please," she pleaded, turning to Aedan. "Connor's not responsible for this! There must be some way we can save him!"

"I am not about to kill a child!" Aedan snapped, sounding disgusted at the mere thought.

"Clearly, the child is an abomination. There is only one way to stop it." Morrigan said this in a surprisingly gentle and regretful tone for her, but she didn't sound as though she knew any other way.

"He is not always the demon you saw," Lady Isolde said quickly. "Connor is still inside him, and sometimes he breaks through. Please, I just want to protect him!" This last statement was possibly the most sincere one he'd ever heard from her, Alistair realized.

"Isn't that what started this?" Teagan demanded angrily. "You hired the mage to teach Connor in secret . . . to protect him."

"If they discovered Connor had magic, then they'd take him away! I thought if he learned just enough to hide it, then . . ." Lady Isolde trailed off, looking defeated.

Aedan sighed, pushing a hand through his hair. "Where is Connor now? Why did he run?"

"I think he ran upstairs, to the family quarters," Teagan replied.

"Violence . . . scares him. I know that sounds strange. He may have run up to his room, or . . ." Lady Isolde shrugged, as if not knowing how to finish the sentence.

"Where is Arl Eamon?" Aedan asked.

"Upstairs, in his room. I think the demon has been keeping him alive," Lady Isolde said reluctantly.

"So, if we destroy the demon, then . . .?" Teagan began hesitantly.

"Then my husband may perish, yes," Lady Isolde finished for him.

"What are our options?" Aedan asked heavily, turning to look at the others.

Alistair hesitated. He had never heard of any abomination like Connor either, so he had no idea of any alternative to killing the boy, much as he hated the thought. "I wouldn't normally suggest slaying a child, but . . . he's an abomination. I'm not sure there's any choice."

Ayla nodded. "I'm not happy with the idea, either, but the child does seem . . . unnaturally dangerous. If none of you know of another way to stop this demon, it seems like that is the only way."

"We can't kill a young boy, demon or no demon," Leliana declared passionately. "Please don't say we're considering that!"

"Connor is my nephew, but . . . he is also possessed by a demon. Death would be . . . merciful." Teagan was looking at Lady Isolde as he said this, obviously trying to convince her.

"No!" she cried in response. "What . . . what about the mage? He could know something of this demon! If he still lives, we could speak to him!"

"He's down in the dungeon. We left him alive when we found him there," Aedan informed her.

"Then we should bring him here immediately. I – I do not know how much we can trust him, but we must find out what he knows. Teagan, could you find him?" Lady Isolde looked at Teagan hopefully with this question.

"I . . . will try," Teagan replied hesitantly, "though if he resists I will not hesitate to kill him. I'll return shortly."

Teagan left the main hall, while Alistair and the others remained there waiting for him, and true to his word, he returned within a few moments with the mage in tow.

"You are lucky to be alive, Jowan, after all you've done," Lady Isolde declared, her voice vibrating with hatred.

"I didn't summon any demon, Lady Isolde," the mage, Jowan, protested. "But I did poison the Arl . . . and that started all this. I'm . . . willing to help, if you'll let me."

Alistair felt suddenly hopeful. Maybe Jowan knew something that he and Morrigan didn't. Maybe there was some way to save Connor, after all.

"The demon in Connor needs to be destroyed," Jowan declared, turning to look at Aedan. "Killing Connor . . . is the easiest way to do that, certainly . . . But there is another way. A mage could confront the demon in the Fade, without hurting Connor himself."

"What do you mean?" Teagan demanded. "Is the demon not within Connor?"

"Not physically," Jowan explained. "The demon approached Connor in the Fade while he dreamt, and controls him from there. We can use the connection between them to find the demon."

"You can enter the Fade, then? And kill the demon without hurting my boy?" Lady Isolde cried, sounding truly hopeful for the first time.

"No, but I can enable another mage to do so," Jowan responded. "It normally requires lyrium and several mages, but I have . . . blood magic."

What? No! Alistair thought. They couldn't allow him to perform a blood magic ritual, even if it would save Connor! To his relief, Aedan spoke up before he had a chance to. "Blood magic is forbidden. It's not an option."

"If there's a way, I must know it," Lady Isolde said desperately. "Please! Tell us what you mean, Jowan."

Jowan turned to Aedan to make his explanation. "Lyrium provides the power for this ritual. But I can take that power from someone's life energy. This ritual requires a lot of it, however. All of it, in fact."

"So . . . someone must die?" Teagan said slowly. "Someone must be sacrificed?"

"Yes," Jowan nodded. "And then we send another mage into the Fade. I can't enter because I'm doing the ritual. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. It's . . . not much of an option."

"No, it's not," Aedan snapped. "Is there truly no other option?"

"The power has to come from somewhere," Jowan explained. "That means either lyrium or . . . blood."

"Then let it be my blood," Lady Isolde said with conviction. "I will be the sacrifice."

"What?! Isolde, are you mad?!" Teagan shouted. "Eamon would never allow this!"

"Either someone kills my son to destroy that thing inside him, or I give my life so my son can live. To me, the answer is clear."

Alistair found he was impressed with her answer in spite of himself. He had truly not thought Lady Isolde would ever be so selfless as to offer her life up for someone else's. He still didn't think it was a good idea, though. Saving someone with blood magic would not bring about anything good. So he offered his own opinion. "Blood magic! How can more evil be of any help here? Two wrongs don't make a right."

"But," Ayla said softly, "is it really our business to stop her if she wishes to trade her life for her son's?" Alistair stared at her incredulously. He understood her point, but still, how could she support blood magic? Maybe they didn't have it in her world, and she didn't understand how evil it could be. Yes, that must be it, he thought.

Morrigan nodded in agreement. "It does seem like a sensible choice, with a willing participant."

"Connor is blameless in this," Isolde declared. "He should not have to pay the price."

"It's – it's up to you, my friend." Teagan looked at Aedan as he said this. Alistair could see that Aedan's brow was furrowed with tension, as everybody looked to him to make the decision. "You know more about such things than I do, and it will be your companion going into the Fade. The decision is yours."

"There must be another way to enter the Fade," Aedan said at last, with a touch of desperation in his voice.

Alistair had never heard Aedan desperate before, and it rather alarmed him. But an alternative suddenly occurred to him as he thought of what Jowan had said earlier about power to fuel the ritual. "You can find lyrium and more mages at the Circle of Magi – if they would even do it."

Aedan suddenly looked hopeful, straightening up, his face clearing of tension. "The Circle is not far from here."

Alistair smiled, feeling sudden relief as he realized Aedan had made his decision. "That is an excellent point. One of the treaties is also for the Circle of Magi, after all." They'd have to go there eventually – why not right now, and get their support and save Connor all at once?

"The tower is about a day's journey across the lake. You could attempt to get the mages' help," Teagan said, looking suddenly relieved as well. "We could loan you a boat to get you there."

"But what will happen here?" Lady Isolde asked uncertainly. "Connor will not remain passive forever."

Aedan turned to Morrigan. "Morrigan, do you think you might be able to keep Connor in check? Jowan should be able to help you, as well, if he truly wishes to help as he says he does."

Morrigan nodded slowly. "I could use sleep spells to keep the boy unconscious while you are away. If this Jowan and I take turns, we should be able to keep him that way until you return."

"Excellent," Aedan smiled in relief. "Sten, I would also like you to remain here and keep an eye on them. If something happens, and Connor can no longer be controlled, you know what to do. But unless that happens, you are simply to watch. I will leave Striker with you as well – he hates boat rides."

Sten nodded. "I will guard the two mages while they watch over the demon. If need be, I will eliminate it." Lady Isolde gasped at this, but made no further comment.

"Then the rest of us will head to the tower," Aedan looked at Alistair, Ayla, and Leliana. They all nodded in agreement.

"Very well," Teagan agreed also. "Go to the tower quickly, then. The longer you are away, the greater the chances of disaster."

"Right," Aedan nodded. "Teagan, can you show Morrigan, Jowan, Sten and I to where Connor is? I'll make sure that he is under control before I leave. Alistair, can you take the other two and wait out by the front gates? I'll be out as soon as we're ready."

Alistair nodded. As they were all going to part ways, Morrigan dug in her pack and passed out a supply of more healing potions to the four who would be going to the tower. Then she followed Teagan and the others as they left the hall and went upstairs. Alistair, Ayla, and Leliana headed for the main doors back to the courtyard.

As they entered the courtyard, Leliana looked over at Alistair. "Why don't the two of you go on ahead? I'm going to gather up some more arrows. It looks like there's a practice field over by that wall. I'll join you in a few minutes."

They both nodded as they reached the bottom of the stairs and Leliana headed over to the wall. Alistair and Ayla continued forward to the gate. When they reached it, Alistair suddenly thought of the gift he wanted to give her. It was in his pack right now. It was probably not the most appropriate time, but they were alone and they had to wait for Aedan before they could leave. He decided it might as well be now, before he lost his nerve.

He reached into his pack and took out the red rose he'd picked in Lothering, which was still as perfect as the day he'd picked it. He turned Ayla towards him with a gentle hand on her arm, trying to calm his nerves. He was breathing too fast, and his hands were sweaty inside his gauntlets. "Here, look at this. Do you know what this is?"

Ayla looked at the rose with a startled face, then back up at him. She grinned suddenly. "Your new weapon of choice? Personally, I think you'd do better with the sword, but . . ."

Alistair laughed, suddenly feeling a lot less nervous. This territory he knew! "Yes, that's right. Watch as I thrash our enemies with the mighty power of floral arrangements. Feel my thorns, darkspawn! I will overpower you with my rosy scent!" Sobering as he suddenly remembered his purpose in bringing the rose out, he continued, "Or, you know, it could just be a rose. I know that's pretty dull in comparison."

"You're – going to give me a flower?" she said slowly. "I've never had a man give me flowers before."

Alistair looked at her in disbelief. He was so indignant on her behalf that he forgot to be nervous or embarrassed. "You haven't? But surely the men from your world must have realized how beautiful you are! Surely some of them must have expressed an interest in you!"

She shrugged, seeming to be embarrassed as she didn't look him directly in the eye. "I didn't say that none of them were interested in me. Just, none of them were . . . sentimental about it." She smiled suddenly at him, her eyes lighting up. "You think I'm beautiful?"

"Of course you are and you know it!" Alistair exclaimed. He simply would not believe that no one had ever told her she was beautiful before. "You're also ravishing, resourceful, and all those other things you'd probably hurt me for not saying." He grinned at her, to let her know he wasn't serious about that last bit.

"I would never hurt you. Not much, anyway," she added with a suddenly wicked grin.

Alistair found himself flustered and blushing again, since he was pretty sure he knew what she was referring to. "I – I would never hurt you either, my lady," he managed to get out at last, proud of himself for only stumbling over the words a little bit.

Watching her smirk at him, he suddenly remembered his original purpose. "Anyway, I picked it in Lothering. I remember thinking, 'How could something so beautiful exist in a place with so much despair and ugliness?' I probably should have left it alone, but I couldn't. The darkspawn would come and their taint would just destroy it. So I've had it ever since. And, I did want to . . . give it to you, actually. In a lot of ways, I think the same thing when I look at you."

Now she was blushing, he noted with surprise, her wicked grin totally gone. "Thank you, Alistair. That's a lovely thought. I . . . I appreciate it."

He smiled. If he was making her blush this time, he must be on the right track. "I'm glad you like it. I was just thinking . . . here I am doing all this complaining, and you haven't exactly been having a good time of it yourself. You've had none of the good experience of travelling with Grey Wardens, not a word of thanks or congratulations. It's all been death and fighting and tragedy, the undead and demons. So, I thought maybe I could say something. Tell you what a rare and wonderful thing you are to find amidst all this . . . darkness."

"You – wow," she said at last, as she gently took the rose from him, smelling it before carefully tucking it in her own pack. "Do you . . . really think of me that way? I just – I don't know what to say. Thank you."

She was looking at him so intensely, with such surprise and gratitude, that he started to feel horribly nervous and awkward again. At the same time, he wanted to touch her so badly he didn't know what to do. The two thoughts combined into his mind and he blurted out, "I'm glad you like it. Now if we could move right on past this awkward, embarrassing stage and get right to the steamy bits, I'd appreciate it."

A sudden wide and wicked grin spread across her face again as she closed the distance between them so that she was only standing inches away from him. His whole body tightened at her nearness. "Sounds good. Off with the armor, then."

He chuckled nervously, clenching his hands into fists to keep from touching her. "Bluff called! Damn! She saw right through me!"

"Or," she looked up at him, her blue-green eyes darkening, "if you're not going to do that, you could at least kiss me."

And just like that, he was lost. The intense urge he'd been feeling to kiss her senseless over the past few days, especially following battle, won out over everything else, and he pulled her to him, pressing his lips to hers. Her arms went around his neck, one hand tangling in his hair, as she pressed herself against him. He groaned, kissing her harder as he slid one of his hands to the back of her head, keeping her in place. The other went to the small of her back, trying to press her even closer to him.

Her mouth opened beneath his and her tongue ran along his lips. Taking the hint, he opened his mouth in return, and suddenly their tongues were duelling together. She tasted amazing, he thought hazily. So heady, and sweet, and his whole body was on fire, going up in a blaze of lust. His hand drifted from her back down to her backside, squeezing of its own will, and she moaned, pressing herself more tightly against him and kissing him harder. He suddenly wished he wasn't wearing his chainmail. He couldn't feel her properly when she pressed against him like that.

It was the sudden realization that he did want to strip off all his armor, and have her right there in the courtyard, along with the fact that he could no longer breathe, that made him break off the kiss. He didn't let go of her right away, though, just stood there for a moment breathing heavily and trying to gather his scattered thoughts.

She smiled up at him, her eyes blazing with passion, her lips swollen, her cheeks flushed, and Maker, but he wanted her more than ever. She suddenly took her arms from around his neck and stepped back from him, though, as he reluctantly released his hold on her.

"That – that wasn't too soon – or too much, was it?" he asked breathlessly, praying that she would say no.

She smiled, her eyes sparkling. "No! You should have done that days ago. Feel free to kiss me exactly like that as often as you like. Just – maybe start somewhere more private, next time."

"Good to know," he murmured, pleased beyond measure that she enjoyed it, and she wanted him to do it again. "I'll have to arrange that."

Then he suddenly realized he could hear the sound of someone walking towards them, and looking over, spotted Leliana approaching with a quiver chock full of arrows and a knowing smile. He could see Aedan a good deal further back in the distance, coming towards them. "I do hope I'm not interrupting anything," Leliana said cheerfully.

Alistair was now bright red and couldn't have formed a coherent sentence to save his life. Taking pity on him, Ayla intervened. "No, not at all. We were just waiting for you and Aedan."

Leliana's smile stretched wider, and she winked at them. "Of course. Well, he's right behind me."

By the time Aedan reached them, Alistair had managed to compose himself somewhat. He was now grateful for the fact that he was wearing his armor, so that no one could see just how aroused he was. He studiously set himself to thinking about unattractive things to dampen his arousal as Aedan gestured them to follow him through the gate. The four of them then headed for the lake, so they could make their way to the tower of Magi and save Connor as soon as possible.

Author's Note: Just in case anybody was curious, there is going to be smut in this story. It just won't be for a little while yet, because it's Alistair after all. I will put a heads up when we do get there, in case anybody doesn't want to read it. Anyway, next time we'll be back to Ayla's POV.