Alistair stood on the bridge that connected Redcliffe Castle with access to the village and gazed up at the sky. It was a strange colour, the dawn creeping upwards from the east and bleeding into the blue-black of the night sky. The stars had faded but the sun had not yet lifted from the horizon. It was strange to think they had arrived at Redcliffe a few hours before sundown and now sunrise was seeing them prepare to leave again.

Dusk had fallen before Teagan had been able to regain enough semblance of order to fulfil his promise of hospitality. But once communication had been re-established, Teagan had ensured that all of Redcliffe's remaining resources were at Alistair's command. It had seemed wrong to accept the materials and equipment offered when it was clear that the villagers had just a great a need for them. As a compromise, he had ordered that his men remain at Redcliffe and help bolster its weakened defences. But it wasn't entirely a moralistic decision. With Eamon and the men promised to fulfil the Warden Treaties in Denerim, most of the horses had also been taken. Teagan had succeeded in sourcing three capable of galloping to Denerim but it would have been an impossible task to find replacements for the whole regiment, small as it was. But the villagers had seemed pleased with the exchange and even at this hour, Alistair could hear the rhythmical beating of metal on metal ringing out from the smithy.

His eyes strained to follow the movement of the small shape which sped away from him. Healing Morrigan had exhausted their supplies of lyrium but Wynne had succeeded in restoring her health and with a few hours rest, the Witch had seemed no worse for wear. She had listened to his request with a sullen look but had not argued. All she had requested was that he find a vial of lyrium. The small number of mages travelling with the army would have some lyrium to sustain her but not enough to replenish the amount of mana that shapeshifting required. He had sent orders that the bodies of the darkspawn Emissaries be searched before they were burnt.

She had taught him that.

Unable to distinguish the silhouette of the hawk against the sky any longer, Alistair allowed his thoughts to turn to Elissa. Riordan had not questioned his explanation as to why she was not in Redcliffe. He had no reason to distrust either Alistair or Elissa after all. And Elissa's legendary status amongst the villagers had helped. Listening to the stories they comforted one another with, it was no surprise that even an experienced Warden such as Riordan would believe Elissa capable of confronting the Archdemon alone.

Alistair allowed a smile to push through the weariness he felt. He had especially liked the tale that she could turn a darkspawn to dust with only a look. He had been on the receiving end of some of those looks and there was definitely some merit in the claim. It was extraordinary to think that even though she was now gone, the reputation she had left behind was able to sustain the faith she had been unable to maintain within herself.

The faith that he had in her.

He suppressed the thought before it could rekindle the dull ache into something more. Exhausted from the journey, bruised from the fighting and faced with the possibility that Denerim would be destroyed before they could reach it, Alistair was at the end of his resilience. Thoughts of her were of no use.

"Riordan is making the final preparations. He says we will be ready to leave once the blacksmith has completed the repairs." Wynne had approached without him noticing.

Alistair nodded in acknowledgement. He was surprised she had sought him out rather than let Riordan do so. Things had been strained between them since their last conversation and the exhaustion she had suffered from after healing Morrigan had prevented any chance at clearing the air.

"Perhaps it is time we had another talk." Wynne made her tone almost conversational but there was an edge to it which betrayed her.

Alistair braced himself. "A talk?"

"Yes." She allowed time for a loaded pause. "About where babies come from."

"Andraste's blood, not this again!" He groaned, the blush creeping up his neck and across his cheeks.

"Well it seems you did not listen." This time she didn't bother to disguise her anger. "And now Morrigan is pregnant."

It was fortunate that Wynne was now in full flow because Alistair had no idea what to say.

"Not only pregnant but with dark magic coursing through the child. And don't you dare try and tell me that you know nothing of it! So yes, I think it is time we had a talk."

He was silent for a few minutes, looking back out to the sky. "It seems there is little else to add."

Wynne glared at him. It seemed as though Elissa was not the only one capable of turning things to dust with a look.

"How do you know, anyway?"

"I sensed something when she asked me to heal her eye but it was too soon. Today however..."

"You realised there was more than just a scratch?" Wynne's words came back to him and he was able to hear the hidden meaning in them.

"Yes."

He continued to stare out ahead of him, still with no idea what to say. No wonder Morrigan had agreed to leave.

Wynne let out an exasperated sigh, sensing that he was as surprised by her knowledge of the revelation as she had been at discovering it. "Alistair. Talk to me, please."

"It's complicated." He shrugged but turned his head towards her. "All you need to know is that Morrigan must be kept safe."

"And if she is not?"

"Then either Riordan or I will have to sacrifice ourselves to kill the Archdemon."

"And Elissa knew?"

Alistair whirled round fully and glowered at her, resenting the implication in her question. Through clenched teeth, he hissed his response. "Yes."

Wynne held her hands up as a gesture of apology. She knew he resented what she had said to him previously in camp but she had not intended the current question as a slur on his fidelity. If anything, it was further proof that Elissa was his weak point. But now without her, he was finally searching for his own identity. As painful a process as it clearly was.

"Promise me you will protect Morrigan to the best of your abilities once she rejoins us," Alistair regained his composure with an obvious effort.

"You have my word."

Alistair looked back at the horizon. A sliver of the sun had crept above it. "Then we leave for Denerim."