I was able to get this chapter out faster than I expected. Thank goodness! It seemed appropriate to write in Alistair's point-of-view as I had finished with his in the last chapter.

I want to thank everyone that put me on their favorites list. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Not to say that I have had difficult periods.

I wanted to work out Chandra and Alistair relationship much quicker than this, before I got to the major part of the story; however, it was feeling like a wham-bam-thank you-ma'am kinda love. So, I hope to finish this out in a couple of more chapters.

Please feel free to comment or complain. Thank you for your time. Galesong

Chapter 4

Things that Go Bump in the Night

I immediately looked behind me to see what Chandra was so frightened of. The lake remained calm even in the presence of her agitation. Only the gentle lapping waters against the bank could be heard. I reached for Chandra, "What is there to be frightened of?"

"Please, Alistair. No!" Chandra pulled away once more. Her eyes darted from me to the lake and then back again. Clearly, she was shaken.

"I've seen you dispatch darkspawn and demon alike without as much as a thought. It's only water," I assured her. To prove my point I picked up a stone the size of my fist and chucked it into the water. I watched it sink deep into the lake. I thought it odd that there weren't any ripples and then I heard it, a loud shrilling wail. It caused the glassy waters of the lake to swell into waves that crashed against the shore.

I looked down at the rushing water that swirled around me and then at the cephalopod arm that had glided through dark depths to wrap itself around my feet. "That can't be good," I surmised.

"No, it's not," I thought to myself as I was flung into the air, "I hate it when I'm right," and then it pulled me down into the icy waters.

I pulled out the dagger I had strapped at my side and drove it into the large rounded shadow before me. It connected with soft tissue before I was tossed into the air again. I was caught at the ankle by another tentaculoid arm as I dangled high above the shadowy waters below.

I inhaled deeply and took a moment to survey my surroundings. From my inverted position the scene before me played out at a heart-stopping pace. I saw Chandra stand immobile, petrified by her own fear. I recognized Sten wading into the lake carrying his two-handed broadsword overhead. Another arm had plucked Oghren off the shore as he cursed and fought. Leli was discharging arrows as fast as she could engage them. Bolts of light curved around Morrigan's raised hands. Surely that marsh witch was not going to electrocute me? Was she? I made a hasty effort to hack away at the creature that restrained me.

A blast of cold whipped through me the same time I heard the pain-filled scream of the leviathan. I stiffened my body against the chilling wind and then it was silent.

"Really…was that necessary," I questioned through chattering teeth.

"Would you rather I had electrocuted you, Alistair?" taunted Morrigan.

There was no time to react as Leli aimed her arrow just beyond the confines of my ankle. I fell onto a hard slab of ice as the creature's arm shattered around me. I yielded to the pain for a moment as I laid there exhausted. My chest constricted in pain as I sat up. My breathing came in small gasps as I tried to take in air.

"Where's Chandra?" I huffed. The dread on their faces confirmed my own.

"Chandra!" I screamed out once and then twice. It was all the pain would allow. I scanned the frozen surface of the lake. The chill in the air could not disguise my fear and apprehension, apprehension over Morrigan's display of power and fear for Chandra's safety.

I felt a thunderous crack as the ice fractured and separated. The force of the implosion from beneath toppled me from my icy raft and I was left to the mercy of the churning waters. A heavy inky substance floated to the top. It coated everything in its wake as it threatened to pull me under. Another wave passed over me and I narrowly escaped being hit by a chunk of ice.

Hoping to avoid further calamity, I ducked under the frigid surface. That's when I spotted her, a pale apparition against the black abyss. I reached for her, but she slipped from my grasp. She floated away like the specter she had become. I reached further until the pain ripped through my chest like magma exploding from a volcano. I caught her to me and kicked to the surface with all my might. I broke through; I felt many hands pull us out of the water and onto the shore.

"Do something," I implored as I leaned over Chandra's lifeless form. She was unrecognizable through the black inky substance. It clung to her body like a second skin.

"She is the healer. What would you have me do?" replied Morrigan as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Give me something," I demanded as I held out a shaky hand. Somebody, Leli, gave me a cloth. I started clearing the inky sludge from her air passages. It continued to run down the side of her mouth. There was no telling how much was in her. I gave up a frustrated cry, but refused to give in.

"Wake up! You promised me you wouldn't leave. I can't do…this…on my own," I pleaded. I shook Chandra until she slipped out of my hands. She fell back to land hard on the ground. This time a larger stream of inky substance bubbled out of her mouth. I pressed down on her chest and more oozed out. It fueled my hope and I pushed down again, this time harder.

"Alistair, she is gone," consoled Leli, "There is nothing else you can do."

"No!" I pushed the bard's hand away, "She still lives." I clasped my hands together and brought them down hard on Chandra's chest. Her body convulsed with the impact. I ignored everyone's concerns and continued my assault.

"Breathe," I screamed into Chandra's motionless face. I ignored the pain in my chest and shook her until my strength was spent. "Breathe," I screamed out one last desperate plea until my voice was hoarse and then I just held her close.

"That's it, my love," I whispered into Chandra's ear while spasms wracked her body as she coughed up the remaining poison. I silently thanked the Maker a second time that night before I finally succumbed to the pain and fatigue in my own body.

Healing magic covered me like a warm blanket against the midnight chill. Its soothing power engulfed my entire being as it knitted together my broken body. It no longer hurt to breathe. Cold hands gently caressed my upper body. My breath caught in my throat as they paved an icy-hot trail towards my exposed abdomen.

My state of undress, in the presence of her, did not seem to cause me any embarrassment. Chandra was alive, everything else was irrelevant. Sometime during my convalescence Chandra had cleaned up. She now sported a loose linen shirt and soft leather leggings. Her chestnut hair hung to her shoulders in soft waves. All that mattered was that she was here with me now.

"Hello," I responded as I reached for her hand and brought it to my lips. The sudden movement startled her and she gasped in surprise. Or was it pain?

"Alistair?" It was barely a whisper.

I tucked an errant strand of hair behind Chandra's ear and looked into her large expressive eyes, "What happened?" They had a haunted far away look, "Never mind, you're safe now."

I drew her down and placed a protective arm around her. For one unguarded moment, Chandra gave into her silent tears. I gently stroked her hair and shushed away her fear. After a time, Chandra became quiet and I thought she had fallen asleep.

In a subdued whisper she spoke into the dark, "The hardest part about dying, is finding your way back." I kissed the top of her head and held her closer to my heart.