I'm sorry it's been a while, guys! I've been decorating and my laptop has been buried under mounds of rubbish :0 BUT, I'm back now! :D

Also... reviews! (well, 101 :L) Thank you for all the support and ideas! You're the best, guys :D

Dedicated to Sakura, for yet another great idea and all the gratefully received reviews :D

A Girl Worth Fighting For Pt. 1 (Mulan) – The Male Companions of Origins

The group had been somewhat dismayed after leaving Redcliffe. It had been nice, just for a while, to live in a real house – a castle, no less – rather than tents, and to have small luxuries like hot water and home-cooked meals. Now they were back on the road – back to fighting hurlocks, and getting covered in mud and blood that never washed off, and eating Alistair's terrible rabbit stew in freezing cold wind.

Leliana had been especially mournful. Even Morrigan, who swore blind that she was glad to be back in her natural habitat and away from such ridiculous human frivolities such as spices, had looked longingly at the last piece of meat they had taken from the castle before taking a melancholy bite.

Right now, they were picking their way across a snow covered track dotted with frozen puddles – or, as Alistair referred to them, invisible death traps.

"For a long time we've been marching to fight the horde," they sighed, eyes downcast and glum.

"In our tiny group, we feel a bit outnumbered," admitted Oghren, heavily. Little droplets of ice were forming on the ends of his beard, and his nose was the same colour as his hair.

"Like the pounding beat," they groaned, "our aching feet aren't easy to ignore –"

"Hey!" shouted Zevran, ever the optimist, suddenly. He was grinning. "Think of instead, a girl worth fighting for!"

Sten raised his eyebrows, and made a curious, if cynical, grunt.

Zevran grinned, motioning to throw an arm over the kossith's shoulder, but seeming to better of it. "That's what I said!" he grinned. "A girl worth fighting for!"

He turned away, looking into the distance. "I want her paler than the moon!" he sighed, "with eyes that shine like stars!"

"My girl will marvel at my strength," nodded Oghren, grinning lecherously. "Adore my battle scars!"

Alistair smiled goofily. "I couldn't care less what she'll wear, or what she looks like," he admitted, dreamily. "It all depends on what she cooks like!"He licked his lips. "Beef, pork, chicken, mmm…"

They continued walking, the women sharing exasperated glances.

"Is this really the time to indulge in such fantasies…?" grumbled Morrigan. She was pointedly ignored by the male members of the group.

Oghren nudged Alistair in the rip. "Bet the local girls thought you were quite the charmer," he said, seriously, then burst into chuckling at Alistair's expression.

"And I know the ladies love a man in armour," commented Zevran, flexing a wiry, rather than muscular, arm and grinning lasciviously.

"You can guess what we have missed the most since we went off to war!" they chorused, sharing knowing looks.

"What do we want?" asked the elf, turning to his fellow men.

"A girl worth fighting for!" they replied, gleefully.

"My girl will think I have no faults!" boomed Oghren, puffing out his chest.

"That I'm a major find," sighed Alistair, a thoughtful smile playing on his lips.

The three then looked to Sten, who raised an eyebrow.

"What of a girl who knows her place," he proposed, "in the Qun and in her life?"

Dwarf, elf and human shared a despairing glance. "Nah!" they snorted, turning away from the stony faced warrior.

Zevran struck a pose, leaning on Alistair's shoulder. "My manly ways and turn of phrase are sure to thrill her," he boasted to his support, examining his fingernails nonchalantly.

Oghren snorted. "He thinks he's such a lady killer," he muttered in an aside to Alistair.

"Bet you've a girl back home who's unlike any other," giggled Leliana, nudging Sten timidly.

"Yeah, the only girl who'd love him is his mother," grunted Oghren, hoping to the Stone that the giant wouldn't hear him.

"But when we come home in victory," the men agreed, "they'll line up at the door!"

"What do we want?" asked Zevran, vigorously.

"A girl worth fighting for!"

"Wish that I had –"

"A girl worth fighting for!" they bellowed, grinning wildly with arms around each other's shoulders. Oghren had his arm around Alistair's hip, grimacing.

They looked at each other, grinning as they whistled in harmony.

"A girl worth fighting –"

Then the Warden held his hand up, and the group fell quiet.

The horde had arrived before them.

-0-0-0-0-

And then the Fire Nation attacked.

Part 2 – i.e. the redux from Mulan II – is coming soon! :D

Apollo - You know what, I've had an idea using that very song...

Ously Salvation - That's because the 100th review makes me so happy. Thank you :D

Sakura - OH MY WORD, THAT IDEA. Yes. All the wins.

Up Next: Isabela sums up her favourite assassin for the benefit of her friends.