A/N: I know, long chapter, forgive me. I changed some events around and used some game dialogue. Enjoy!

Chapter Fifteen: Redcliffe Castle

The next morning Yvaine woke before the sun had truly risen, from her spot on the floor she could see through one of the windows in the ceiling that there were pink streaks in the sky. She laid there for a moment and admired the colors, remembering the view from her old room in Highever, how the same colors used to reflect off of the water looking as if it were part of some dream world. Sighing she quietly sat up and looked around at her companions, smiling to herself: Fergus was curled up in his blanket snoring loudly as always; Leliana was daintily sleeping like she was a princess from a faery tale; Morrigan was sleeping prone on her back like she was lying on a pyre, which was admittedly a little creepy; Alistair was sprawled out on his bedroll beside hers with his limbs flung every which way, his hair was mussed and his tunic was pushed up to his chest. Her eyes roamed over him, taking in everything that she could see and maybe one thing that was well covered. She felt herself flush, she had never been with a man in that way before, she had not been interested in pursuing a relationship with anyone until now and she could have kicked herself for choosing now of all times to get involved with someone. Then again, the world was ending, so why not now?

"Enjoying the view?" asked Alistair in a slightly husky voice.

Yvaine instantly blushed and looked away, cursing herself for being so obvious and for blushing so sodding much. 'If only I weren't so damn pale,' she chided herself.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare," she whispered, tucking some hair behind her ear, knowing it was probably a mess.

Alistair chuckled warmly and put his closest hand on her knee. "It's alright, Yvaine, we're courting now it's quite appropriate."

"If you say so," said Yvaine with a small smile. "You certainly seem to know more than I do about these things."

"Umm well, probably not," said Alistair nervously, propping himself up on his elbows. "You see, I've never courted a woman before." She stared at him wide eyed and he sighed. "Don't look so surprised, I was raised in the Chantry for nearly a decade, there aren't ample opportunities to interact with beautiful young women such as yourself."

Yvaine smiled sheepishly, she had never been told she was beautiful before by any man that was not related to her. "You really think I'm beautiful?"

Alistair rolled his eyes and smiled. "Of course you are, and you know it," he said seriously, though his eyes gleamed playfully. "You're ravishing, resourceful and all those other things you'd probably hurt me for not saying. I've never met a woman like you in all my life."

"And I've never met a man like you before," Yvaine said in a slight whisper, not wanting to wake the rest of the group, enjoying her time with Alistair too much. "So, since you grew up in the Chantry, does that mean you've never . . . ?"

"Never? Never what?" asked Alistair slyly. "Had a good pair of shoes? Eaten a jellied ham? Gone dancing naked in the moon light? Licked a lamppost in winter?"

"Now you're making fun of me," said Yvaine with a small pout.

"Make fun of you, dear lady? Perish the thought," teased Alistair. "But then again, if teasing you gets you to pout like that, I might do it more often. What about you? Have you ever licked a lamppost in winter?"

She knew what he meant by that. "Not even once," she said, blushing furiously.

Alistair's eyes sparkled. "Well, that makes two of us then. Not that I haven't thought about it, of course, but . . . you know, never had the opportunity."

"Neither have I," replied Yvaine putting her hand on his. "Honestly, I never thought I would."

"Why not?" asked Alistair genuinely surprised. "You're a beautiful woman, Yvaine, surely I'm not the first man who's ever been interested in you. I mean Teagan was being a shameless flirt with you just yesterday."

"He was flirting, wasn't he?" chuckled Yvaine with a wink.

"Like you didn't know," said Alistair with a smirk then his eyes widened in realization. "You little minx, you were trying to make me jealous, weren't you?"

Yvaine tossed her hair. "Make you jealous? Perish the thought. I mean why would I do such a thing?"

"Because you thought I was interested in your cousin," replied Alistair and nearly burst out laughing when he saw Yvaine's face. "Don't look so impressed, Leliana told me about my faux pas. I didn't think I was actually flirting with her, I was just being nice, I swear."

"Alistair, don't worry about it," said Yvaine kindly. "I'm not upset with you anymore."

Alistair breathed a dramatic sigh of relief. "That's a relief, I was worried that might have come between us. Glad to see my stupidity didn't cost me something precious again."

"Again?" asked Yvaine with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean again?"

"Well," said Alistair, nervously running his fingers through his unkempt hair, "remember how I told you my mother died when I was young and I never knew her?" Yvaine nodded and he continued. "Okay, well, the only thing I ever had to remember her by was this amulet she had with Andraste's holy symbol on it. It was beautiful, white enamel on the front side with the symbol lightly engraved on it with silver, and set in a gold back with a gold chain. Anyway, the day I was told I was going to the monastery I was so furious at the Arl for being sent away, I threw it against the wall and it shattered."

Yvaine saw the pain in his face and wished she could do or say something to help him.

"It was a stupid, stupid thing to do," sighed Alistair. "Arl Eamon came round the monastery a few times to see how I was, but I was stubborn and refused to see him. I was determined to be bitter there and I blamed him for everything, eventually he just stopped coming."

He sat there for a moment and stared off into the distance, a sad look in his eyes.

"At any rate, it doesn't matter anymore," he said softly. "The amulet's long gone and soon we'll hopefully find out what happened to Arl Eamon. Let's hope we aren't too late."

"Thank you, Alistair," Yvaine said quietly.

"For what?" he asked, slightly confused.

Yvaine shrugged. "For telling me about all that, I can't imagine it's very easy for you."

It was Alistair's turn to shrug. "It's not that it's hard for me to talk about, it's just no one's ever really asked or cared to listen to what I have to say. My life isn't terribly exciting so I can understand why they wouldn't ask about it."

"Your life isn't exciting?!" exclaimed Yvaine in a low voice. "Alistair, you're the son of King Maric, who was trained as a templar, was recruited by the Grey Wardens and is now going to stop the Blight. What exactly about your life is dull?"

Alistair chuckled and grinned. "When you put it that way, I guess my life is pretty exciting. But you left out the part where I have a heavenly woman sitting next to me trying to make me feel better."

"I thought that went without saying," teased Yvaine and she kissed his cheek. When she pulled away they were both blushing but smiling. Alistair leaned in closer, his lips parted slightly and Yvaine followed his lead, not rushing into this as she wanted to savor the moment. They were so close now, she could feel his warm breath caress her lips, she slanted her head just slightly and was ready to kiss him.

"Maker," groaned Fergus as he sat up, his dark brown hair sticking up from all points on his head, his beard looking similar. "I'll never get used to sleeping on the ground."

Alistair closed his eyes in frustration as he pulled away, the fact he had been blocked again within twelve hours was infuriating beyond belief.

Yvaine gave him a sad smile and mouthed 'I'm sorry' yet again before she turned her attention to Fergus, rolling her eyes. "You didn't have any problems sleeping on Ori's floor before you two were married."

Fergus paused for a moment and considered her words. "Touche, little sister," he said with a smile and the he went about trying to flatten his hair. "I wish my hair was more like your's, Yvaine, it never looks like you spun on the top of your head while sleeping."

She unconsciously ran her fingers through her hair, not seeing how Alistair's gaze was fixed on her fingers. "It never used to be this easy to manage, remember when it went down to my waist?"

"You mean just a couple of weeks ago?" teased Fergus as he stood up from his bedroll, stretching his arms high above his head. "Has breakfast been by yet?"

Yvaine looked at Alistair with a mischievous smile. "Are you sure I'm the one with the Grey Warden appetite? Maybe I passed it onto my brother."

"Normally I would agree with you, Yvaine, but considering the loud noises coming from your stomach, I'm inclined to disagree," said Alistair with a wink before getting swat in the face with Yvaine's pillow.

Fergus laughed loudly which woke the rest of the group up, all except for Sten who was still outside with Bodhan and Sandal.

"I prefer being woken by the sounds of explosions from my mother's cauldron than that annoying noise you call a laugh," groaned Morrigan as she rose from her bedroll like how Yvaine imagined a corpse would rise from its coffin.

Leliana smiled at Fergus as she sat up, her red hair falling neatly into place. "Personally I don't mind it."

"Glad that my laugh isn't a bother to you, Leli," replied Fergus, flashing her a bright smile.

There was a knock on the door and Yvaine scrambled from her spot on the floor in order to answer it. She opened the door and was surprised to see Bevin and Katelyn standing there with a pot of porridge between them, and behind them was a little girl about Bevin's age whom had a tray carrying bowls, cups, a dish of maple syrup, and a jug of milk.

"I'm guessing this is breakfast?" asked Yvaine with a smile as she moved out of the door's entrance so they could enter, the smell of porridge causing her stomach to loudly remind her that she had yet to eat.

"Yes, messere," replied Katelyn. "The sisters were up early making this, at Bann Teagan's request of course. We took a pot out to your friends who were staying outside as well."

"Has there been any word from the bann?" asked Alistair as he eagerly waited for them to put the pot down.

Katelyn nodded though Yvaine saw how her cheeks flushed with a bright pink color. "Yes, he wants to speak with you after you've eaten and woken up a little more, he said to meet him by the windmill on the hill."

Alistair nodded. "I know where that is, I used to play up there when I was small."

"So did Yvaine and I," said Fergus as he helped the little girl with her tray. "We played in a lot of strange places when we visited Redcliffe. By the time we were older though, we used the windmill as a place to hide from our parents."

"Or as a place for Cailan to hide from Anora," laughed Yvaine as she gave Bevin a hug before he and the others left the room. "And you from Delilah Howe."

Fergus shuddered as he scooped some porridge into a bowl. "That woman was persistent to say the very least. What about you and Thomas? That boy followed you around like a love sick puppy."

Yvaine sat down beside Alistair and rested her head on his shoulder. "One, he was nearly six years younger than me. And two, he annoyed me. He was hardly the kind of man I'd want to spend the rest of my life with, and Nathaniel was just as bad. Of all your friends, Fergus, I preferred Cailan."

"'Tis strange, Yvaine, that your parents did not marry you off to him," said Morrigan as she poured herself a glass of milk. "From what little I know of your politics, a marriage between a teyrn's child and the heir to the throne would be a powerful one indeed."

"You're right, Morrigan, which is why Cailan married Anora," said Yvaine as she handed Alistair a bowl of porridge with extra syrup. "Her father Loghain is the Teyrn of Gwaren though he was made so by King Maric, my father's family has held the teyrnir of Highever for centuries. The only reason Anora was picked over me was because Loghain was Maric's friend from the war with Orlais, they had fought together while my father fought with Arl Howe and Bann Loren. According to a friend of mine, many of the people of Ferelden wanted my father as King instead of Cailan."

"Still, by right you should have been Cailan's wife," snorted Morrigan.

Yvaine shrugged and put her hand on Alistair's thigh. "As much as I agree with you, Morrigan, I'm glad things worked out the way they did." She smiled at Alistair as Fergus offered her a bowl which she accepted. "Besides, Cailan was more like an older brother than a lover, it would have felt like incest to me."

Morrigan made no remark, obviously she did not understand what Yvaine meant, instead thinking that she was being stupid for not fully agreeing.

"Alistair," said Leliana kindly as she moved closer to Fergus, "did you and Cailan have any sort of relationship?"

Alistair paused for a moment, his spoon still in his mouth. It took him a minute to collect his thoughts so he could actually answer Leliana's question. "We formally met once, he and Maric were visiting Eamon during a campaign, I said, 'Hello, your highness' and he said, 'Oh, sword!' and that was it. We drifted apart after that, shame really," he said in a slightly defensive tone.

"It is indeed," replied Leliana as she daintily ate her breakfast.

"He knew about you," said Yvaine calmly, bringing her spoon to her lips.

Alistair's eyes went wide and he stared at her in amazement. "What do you mean he knew about me?"

"Cailan came to us one day and said he had a little brother," said Fergus, quickly explaining while Yvaine ate. "It was right before his coronation, and he had found some of Eamon's letters to Maric about you. He felt bad about not getting to know you sooner, he wanted to make things right."

Silence followed his words.

"Did he really say that?" asked Alistair quietly after a few minutes.

Fergus nodded. "He really did, Alistair."

Alistair nodded and resumed eating, though Yvaine noticed it was with less zeal than usual and she regretted ever having said anything to him. The others followed suit and ate their breakfast though no one felt much like talking and Yvaine had lost her appetite. Calmly she put her half finished meal on one of the trays then gathered up her armor, she glanced at her family's sword in her sheath and at the one she had bought from Bevin and Katelyn against the wall. She pulled her family's sword out and picked up their sword then put it in the sheath she had carried her family's sword in.

"What are you doing, Yvaine?" asked Fergus when he saw what she was doing.

Yvaine did not speak, instead she walked over with the sword, the one that their ancestor had used during the time of King Calenhad and presented it to her brother. "By right, this is yours, as is the shield," she said sternly, motioning to the shield by the door. "I want you to have them, I know Father would have."

Fergus stared at her dumbstruck, not entirely sure what to say. "Yvaine, why?"

"You're the Cousland heir, and now Teyrn, you need their treasures with you," replied Yvaine stiffly, she did not want to part with the last things her mother had touched but she knew she had to do this. "Damn it, Fergus, take them."

Fergus stood up, nearly eye level with his little sister and took the sword from her hand. "I wish I didn't but I know I have to accept them. I'll honor them as you have, Sister."

"I know you will," she said with a small smile and she turned away, grabbing her gear as she left the room.

Yvaine leaned against the tree Alistair had the previous night and looked at the water, watching the mist shimmer in the bright morning light, it was as if the world did not know what was happening on its surface. These small moments of peace reminded her that there had not always been so much death, that there had been a time when everything made sense. Though standing there in full armor with a shield on her back and sword at her side with darkspawn taint in her blood, it was understandable that she was having a hard time recalling the past without these reminders. It seemed that even her memories had been tainted.

She heard movement behind her and when she turned she saw Alistair leaving the Chantry, also fully armored, and making his way to her. She noticed he had a small bundle in his hands and she was mildly curious as to what he might be carrying.

"Are you the only one who's ready?" she asked, turning her head so she was facing the water again.

"The others are finishing, but yeah, I am," he said as he stood behind her, wrapping one arm snugly around her waist. "Fergus is bringing your weapons, you left them behind in your hurry."

A small smile flickered across her lips, her older brother was always looking after her fool head. "I didn't mean to leave so suddenly, I just wasn't very hungry."

Alistair sighed heavily and extended the hand that held the bundle so it was out to where she could see it. "The baker gave me these and you're going to eat at least two before we go anywhere."

Yvaine raised an eyebrow as she took the bundle from his grip, opening it carefully. Inside she was surprised to see freshly baked yeast rolls, the steam hitting her in the face just as the smell hit her senses and her stomach rumbled loudly. Quickly she took a roll and started devouring it, not caring that this was not the most ladylike way to be eating, only caring about easing the pain in her stomach. When the two were gone she reached for a third one and it quickly followed the rest.

"Better now?" asked Alistair softly in her ear and Yvaine nodded. "You need to eat, Yvaine, even if you don't feel like it."

"I know, Alistair," replied Yvaine calmly. "I just . . . felt bad."

"About what?" asked Alistair, somewhat puzzled.

"About telling you what Cailan said," she said quietly. "I should have just kept my mouth shut, you didn't need to know things that can't be changed now. I'm sorry."

Alistair pulled her close and buried his face against her neck, breathing her scent in deeply. "Don't be," he murmured against her skin. "I'm glad to know my brother at least cared about me to a point."

Yvaine rested against him, taking comfort in his touch. "Still, I shouldn't have blurted it out like that and in front of everyone."

"Maybe not, but it can't be helped now," sighed Alistair, placing a small kiss on her pulse point. "How about we agree that any information about me you find, you tell me alone and not in front of the rest of camp?"

Yvaine shivered and not from the early morning chill of the air. She tried to control her swimming thoughts, grasping for something that would take her away from the pleasure of his touch. Now was not the time for this. "I promise," she breathed. "You know, for someone who's had minimal experience with women, you certainly are bold."

Alistair chuckled warmly. "That's your influence, I'm afraid. When I'm around you, I feel like I could conquer the world. I'm sorry if it's too fast for you, however, and if it is making you uncomfortable please tell me."

She shook her head. "No, it's wonderful. I was just a little curious as to why you'd be shy sometimes and then be bold, now I know."

"Yes, and soon you'll be under my spell, helpless to my manly wiles," he said with a laugh.

"I think I already am," replied Yvaine, pressing herself against him as close as she could.

They stood there together admiring the view of the village, enjoying the peace and serenity the morning offered, knowing that it would quickly end the moment their companions joined them. So they savored the moment for as long as they could, wishing it could last longer.

"Kadan," said Sten as he approached and Alistair released her even though he had no real reason to.

Yvaine turned around and smiled at the Qunari. "Sten, it's good to see you. I trust you had a restful night's sleep?"

He nodded. "I slept well. The dwarf told some interesting stories during dinner."

"That's great, I hope," said Yvaine with a small smile. "It seems he outfitted you in some new armor as well."

"Yes, he had some that was more to my liking," said Sten, glancing down at the silver armor with the vine etchings. "I offered to pay him but he would not accept my money."

"That was awfully generous of him," said Alistair thoughtfully. "And your new armor really suits you, Sten. Very masculine and intimidating."

Sten inclined his head slightly. "Thank you, Warden."

"Hello!" called Fergus as he and the others exited the Chantry. "I'm glad to see you haven't run off to storm the castle yet."

"Wouldn't dream of doing so without you, Fergus!" shouted Yvaine as they approached.

Fergus walked up to her and handed her her sheathed sword and what had been his old shield, he was wearing the family sword and shield already. "You forgot these inside," he said as she fastened the sword to her belt and put the shield on her back. "Thought you might need them incase we run into something dangerous, like an archdemon."

"Yes, these would be quite helpful," chuckled Yvaine as she readjusted her sword. "Are we all ready to go see Teagan?"

They all nodded and she lead them away from the Chantry, heading towards the hill.

When they arrived at the windmill, Teagan was standing with his back to them, his gaze fixed on the castle where his family was being held. Yvaine felt bad for him, it was one thing to lose your entire family and know you have, it was an entirely different thing to be so close to them yet left wondering what had happened.

He must have heard them approach though he did not turn around to greet them, instead he kept his back to them. "Don't you find it strange, Yvaine?" he asked, still not facing her nor did he wait for an answer before he continued. "How quiet the castle looks? You'd think that there was nobody in there at all. I hope that isn't the case."

"That's a hope we share, Teagan," replied Yvaine kindly. "I have a feeling it will prove to be true."

Teagan turned around at last and smiled at her. "You are too kind, Yvaine, and you bring me great comfort with your words."

Out of the corner of her eye, Yvaine saw Alistair glare at Teagan, he obviously thought the bann was flirting again.

"Anyway, I had a plan and it's time to enact it," said Teagan sternly, now pacing a small length. "Now that the village is secured, we can now enter the castle. There is a secret passage in the mill that is only accessible to my family."

Yvaine crossed her arms and furrowed her brow, she was not happy to hear that he had been holding a secret plan back from her and her group. "And you failed to mention this or your plan earlier, because?"

Teagan looked at the ground and shifted his feet before speaking. "I was . . . afraid that you would put finding Eamon above saving the village. I know now that would not have been the case but still, I feared."

"I can understand your fear, Teagan," said Yvaine, relaxing her posture. "You care for the people of Redcliffe, just as I care for the people of Highever, it's only natural that you want them safe."

"You understand perfectly," said Teagan with a smile. "I'm—Maker's breath!" He pointed to somewhere behind them and they all turned around. Yvaine's blood boiled at the sight.

A woman in a fine dress was running up the hill, a guard trailing behind her though he was having difficulty keeping up with her. Her face had aged since the last time Yvaine had seen her but there was no mistaking who she was: Arlessa Isolde Guerrin. She breezed by the large group of fighters, her eyes fixed solely on Teagan, she knocked into Alistair's shoulder as she rushed forward not even giving him a second glance.

"Tea-gan!" she shouted, her Orlesian accent grinding on Yvaine's ears like a stone on a sword. "Tea-gan! Thank the Maker you're still alive!" She stopped right beside Yvaine, her flowery perfume flowing off her in waves.

Teagan stared in disbelief at the presence of his sister-in-law. "Isolde!? You're alive?! How . . . what's going on? What happened at the castle?"

Isolde looked harried and had an almost wild look in her eye. "I do not have much time to explain," she said, her tone pleading. "I barely managed to slip away from the castle, and I must return quickly. And . . . I need you to come with me, Tea-gan. Alone."

Yvaine could hold her tongue no longer, this did not sound at all safe and she needed a more satisfactory explanation than that. "I'm sorry, Isolde, but I can't let you take him until you give us a better explanation, for all we know this might be a trap."

"How dare you!" exclaimed Isolde, her eyes narrowing at Yvaine. "Who are you to even speak to me in such a manner?"

"I am Teryness Yvaine Cousland," replied Yvaine and she watched as Isolde paled slightly when she recognized Yvaine. "If you have any further complaints with the manner in which I am addressing you, Arlessa Guerrin, I suggest you speak with my brother Fergus, Teyrn of Highever."

Fergus stepped forward and put his hand on Yvaine's shoulder, his violet eyes narrowing at Isolde, smirking when the woman took a step away.

"It seems you're all grown up and playing hero," sneered Isolde. "Tell me, do you still play with kitchen boys?"

"No, my playmates are Wardens now," replied Yvaine lightly, crossing her arms as she met Isolde's cold stare. "And that kitchen boy you're talking about is actually standing beside you, a full fledged Grey Warden now."

Isolde turned to Alistair and her eyes went wide for a moment before resuming their narrow squint. "Alistair," she said with a scoff, "of all the people that could have shown up, it had to be you. The Maker seems to have a sense of humor."

"I owe him and Yvaine my life," said Teagan crossly, "and you owe them the village. They helped us during last night's attack, if not for their bravery, we would have surely fallen."

"While I'm sure that's true, I have no time to be regaled with stories of valor," said Isolde dismissively. "The circumstances are too dire."

Alistair stepped forward and Yvaine cocked an eyebrow at him, he gave her a look that told her to trust what he was doing. "Please, Lady Isolde, we had no idea that anyone was even still alive in the castle, would it really be too much to tell us something?" he asked, his voice steadier than Yvaine was sure her's would have been.

Isolde sighed heavily, then hung her head. "There is a terrible evil within the castle walls," she said softly, "the dead waken and hunt the living, when they were done in the castle they went after the village! The mage responsible was caught and jailed, but still the hell continues. What's worse, I think Connor is going mad, he's seen so much death I think it has harmed his mind."

Yvaine's eyebrows shot to her hairline, hearing that Eamon's young son was still trapped inside was concerning, especially since it appeared that only his mother had been able to escape.

"That's why I need you to come with me, Tea-gan," continued Isolde. "You are his uncle, he trusts you, maybe you could reason with him. He refuses to leave the castle, even when we are able to. You have to help him!"

This was sounding more and more suspicious by minute.

"What about Arl Eamon?" asked Yvaine, trying to keep her voice even. "Surely he is alive."

"He is being kept alive, yes," replied Isolde in a shaky voice. "Thank the Maker for that, at least."

"Kept alive?" repeated Teagan, his face flushing with anger. "Kept alive?! By what means, Isolde?"

"By something the mage unleashed," she said with a tremble in her voice. "So far it has allowed Eamon, myself, and Connor to live but . . . the others were not as fortunate. I was only allowed to leave because I begged it, told it that I was going for help for Connor! I need you to come back with me, Teagan, now!"

Teagan sighed and nodded. "Alright, Isolde, I'll return with you."

"No!" shouted Yvaine, Fergus, and Alistair in unison.

"This could be a trap!" said Fergus sternly.

"He's right, you might get yourself killed!" argued Alistair.

"Redcliffe still needs you, Teagan, and you're of no use to them dead," said Yvaine with conviction.

Teagan ignored their protests, keeping his eyes on Isolde. "Please, would you give us a minute to converse? I will be with you as soon as I'm finished speaking with the Wardens."

Isolde nodded. "Yes, just don't take too long. I will be by the bridge when you're ready." She then motioned to the guard behind her and together they walked away to the bridge that led to the castle.

He then turned his attention back to Yvaine and the others. "Listen," said Teagan in a hushed but hurried voice, "I have a plan: I go with Isolde to the castle and you and your companions will use the secret entrance in the mill. My signet ring opens the door." He then pulled off the ring on his right hand and pressed it into Yvaine's hand. "I have no illusions about the danger I'm walking into, I know I might not be leaving the castle at all. You lot, on the other hand, have proven yourselves quite formidable and I'm confident that you'll be the ones to save us. I will try to . . . distract the evil entity, hopefully increasing your chances of getting in undetected. Are we in agreement?"

Yvaine hesitated, she did not agree with this plan at all, it was far too risky and so much could go wrong. "I can't let you do this, Teagan," she said softly, "you're too important to risk so needlessly."

"Is it needless to sacrifice oneself for their own family?" countered Teagan and her face fell. "I know you would do the same thing if you were in my position, Yvaine. Please understand why I must do this."

"I understand, Teagan," said Yvaine with a fleeting smile, "do what you can to save your family, we'll be there to pull you out of the fire if necessary."

That made Teagan smile. "I'm sure you will, which brings me to another point. Remember, Eamon is the priority, and if things should take a turn for the worst, get him out of there. Isolde, myself, and anyone else is expendable."

"He's right," piped in Alistair, "without Arl Eamon, we'll never get the support we need."

"What about Connor?" asked Yvaine, her eyes shining with determination.

Teagan sighed heavily. "I'm not sure, to be honest. If you're able to, save him, but if not don't worry about him. Like I said, Eamon is what's important."

Yvaine bit her lower lip, she could not shake this feeling that something bad was going to happen once they were inside but she said nothing about it. "Alright, we'll see you inside," she said evenly, not betraying her true feelings on the matter.

"Alright," said Teagan and he did something unexpected, he gave her a very tight hug. Somehow she knew he was just as afraid as she was for his safety. "Keep Alistair safe, in case I don't make it," he whispered.

"I promise," she whispered in his ear as she hugged him. He then released her and without another word he left them there, going towards the bridge and Isolde.

Alistair stepped closer to her and took her free hand in his. "What did he say?" he asked quietly.

"He told me to keep you safe," she said just as quietly and he squeezed her hand appreciatively. "Let's go to the castle."

He nodded and followed her as she went to the windmill, the rest of the group joining her as well. Carefully she opened the door and stepped inside, remembering just in time to duck to avoid the slightly low beam that she had hit her head against many times in her past. The windmill was just as she remembered it, and she knew if she looked hard enough she would find the crate full of treasure she, Fergus, and Cailan had collected over the years. There were no jewels in it, but books, handwritten stories, and some trinkets that they had found over the years during their visits to Redcliffe. They had similar boxes all over Ferelden, wherever they had spent a great deal of time there was one hidden in a secret place, but the largest by far was the one here in Redcliffe. Yvaine looked back at Fergus as he entered the mill, and from the look on his face, she knew he was thinking the same thing.

"I'll look for the door," she announced, trying to keep herself from crying. She moved away from the spot she knew the box was hidden and towards a large patch of floor with hay and sacks on it that she had always thought out of place. When her foot landed on it, she heard it creak loudly, it sounded hollow and she knew she had found the hidden door. Smiling she knelt to the floor and uncovered what she now knew was the door, finding a spot near the middle under an iron ring that appeared to be the lock. The spot where a key would go was raised up and rounded, a perfect fit for the ring.

"I found it," she said happily, "help me clear the sacks away."

Immediately Fergus and Alistair were at her side, pulling away the large sacks of grain that were resting on top of the door. Soon the door was clear and Yvaine once again knelt down though this time she pressed the ring into the keyhole, turning it until she heard the click of the bolt telling her the door was unlocked. Then she pulled on the iron ring and the door lifted, revealing a stone staircase contained underneath.

"Who's staying behind, Kadan?" asked Sten when he entered the mill.

"No one," replied Yvaine. "We're all going together. I have a feeling this might be bigger than Isolde said."

"I agree," said Leliana sternly. "Her entire story seemed entirely too convenient and she practically begged Bann Teagan to go with her."

"Surprisingly, I agree with Leliana's observations," said Morrigan flatly, "this Isolde woman is hiding something, and I have a feeling it has to do with the origins of that evil entity she mentioned. 'Tis likely she is referring to a demon."

Alistair's brow knitted together. "That's impossible, Isolde's not a mage and neither is Eamon."

"What about the boy?" asked Morrigan with a small smirk. "This situation sounds a great deal like the stories your Chantry tells about untrained, juvenile mages that have yet to be turned over to their . . . protection."

"If Connor is a mage and this demon is because of him, then we really need to get to the castle and find out what's been going on," said Fergus adamantly.

Yvaine nodded and motioned for Gawain to join her, then she looked to Morrigan. "Can you generate some more of those balls of light? We're going to need them to see where we're walking."

Morrigan nodded and immediately conjured half a dozen large balls of light then sent them down the dark tunnel, illuminating the space instantly.

"Thank you, Morrigan," said Yvaine and she started her descent into the tunnel, her hand firmly on Gawain's collar.

The walk was a silent and long one. It seemed that everyone was preparing for what might be to come in their own way, Yvaine knew she was at least. She was trying to conjure up mental maps of Redcliffe Castle, thinking about where they might end up and where Isolde and Connor might be holed up. Her immediate thought was the family quarters above the throne room, it was the logical choice.

"Our goal's going to be the getting to the family quarters," Yvaine called to the others behind her. "It's the most likely place that this entity is keeping the arl and his family."

"Sounds like a safe bet," agreed Fergus, the he tripped on an uneven stone.

"Be careful," said Leliana worriedly, catching him before he fell.

Fergus looked at her and smiled. "Thank you, Leli. Where would I be without you?"

"On the ground in filthy armor," she teased with a smile and they started walking again.

"Yvaine," said Morrigan from the rear, "I have a question, if you care to indulge me."

Yvaine shrugged. "Alright, what's your question?"

"If the child proves to be the source of this demon, are you prepared to do what is necessary to ensure he cannot harm another person?" she asked with a small hint of sadness in her voice though she was trying to cover it up with her usual droll tone.

"You mean kill him," said Yvaine flatly and she saw Alistair tense though he said nothing surprisingly.

"Yes, 'tis precisely what I meant," replied Morrigan airily.

Yvaine sighed then looked down at the ground as she walked. Could she really kill an innocent child even if it meant stopping a demon's wrath? "If it comes down to that kind of situation, Morrigan, I will look for an alternative," she said in a firm voice. Beside her Alistair smiled.

Morrigan snorted. "And here I thought Grey Wardens were supposed to make the difficult choices that we mere mortals could not."

"Killing innocents is not something Grey Wardens do," seethed Alistair. "We always look for the best option, not the easiest."

"'Tis not always a luxury you can afford," rebuked Morrigan. "The day will come when your way of doing things will no longer prove effective."

Yvaine was about to ask what she meant when they came to the end of the hall, a stone wall blocking their path. "Something tells me this is our exit," sighed Yvaine, feeling the wall for anything out of the ordinary that might be the door knob. She felt a rounded rock under her hand and pressed it in, a section of the wall raised into a doorway, though the exit was covered by a large, thick tapestry.

"Maker's breath," huffed Yvaine as she unsheathed her sword. "I hope this isn't important." She stabbed through the fabric and brought her sword down, cutting the fabric cleanly. Quickly she walked through, coughing slightly from the dust that had been shaken down when she cut the tapestry.

"That's one way to make an entrance," quipped Alistair as he stepped through. "Where do you think we are?"

Yvaine surveyed the area. "I think we're in the basement."

"Really?" asked Alistair as he looked around. "We're that far underground? Astounding."

"Agreed," said Sten as he stepped through the door, ducking so he did not hit his horns on the stone. "It is incredible that humans have been able to dig underground without it being observed from the surface."

"We learned a lot from the dwarves," joked Alistair as they started walking again.

"Impressive," said Sten, not realizing that Alistair was joking. "Perhaps coexistence between dwarves and humans is possible."

Alistair was about to tell him it was a joke but he stopped himself and shrugged. He then noticed that they were now in the dungeon. "I locked myself in a cage, once, when I was a child," he said casually. "For an entire day. Ahh, good times."

Yvaine raised an eyebrow. "You didn't lock yourself in, I locked you in. Fergus and Nathaniel dared me."

"Hang on, I distinctly remember . . . Oh Maker's blood, that was you!" he exclaimed as she laughed.

"Hello?" called out a timid voice from one of the cages. "Is someone there? Show yourself!"

Yvaine followed the voice to the cell nearest the exit door, stopping in front of the iron bars.

"You . . . you're not one of the arlessa's guards," said the man, and from his outfit Yvaine knew instantly he was a mage, probably the one Isolde mentioned earlier. "Are you not here to kill me?"

"Why would be here to kill you?" asked Yvaine sweetly. "Surely you're in here for your own protection."

The mage shifted nervously in his cell. "No, I'm not. I'm the mage that poisoned the arl."

Alistair's eyes went impossibly big. "Isolde mentioned a mage being responsible for the attacks on the village, but she never said you poisoned the arl!"

She ignored his outburst and pressed on with her questions. "Who are you and why are you here?"

"My name's Jowan," replied Jowan stepping forward so Yvaine could clearly see him. "I was hired by Lady Isolde to privately tutor Connor until . . . they, uh, threw me in the dungeon."

"Jowan?" repeated Yvaine, the name ringing a bell. "I know about you, you were friends with my cousins in the Circle."

Jowan's dark eyes widened. "Who are your cousins?"

"Adelais and Ian Amell," replied Yvaine and Jowan covered his mouth.

"Wait a minute, this is the man Addy wrote to you about? The really good looking one?" asked Fergus, wondering what his cousin saw in this scrawny man.

Yvaine shook her head. "No, no, that was Cullen. The Templar who guards her floor," she said with a wave of her hand. "Anyway, you said something about tutoring Connor? Does that mean the boy's a mage?"

Jowan nodded sadly. "Yes, he had started to show signs and Arlessa Isolde was terrified that he might be taken away. I was sent by Teyrn Loghain to come out to Redcliffe and poison Arl Eamon under the guise as a tutor. He said the arl was a threat to Ferelden and if I took care of him, he'd smooth everything over with the Circle."

"What happened at the Circle?" asked Leliana curiously.

"I . . . uh, disobeyed Circle law," said Jowan nervously. "I had carnal relations with a lay sister and convinced my friends to help me break into the vault and destroy my phylactery. We were caught and I used . . . blood magic to get out."

Morrigan cackled. "This fool is a maleficar? Truly? He can't even get out of this cell!"

"You're a blood mage," sneered Alistair. "Now the walking corpses make sense."

"No!" shouted Jowan, reaching through the bar and gripping Yvaine's hand with surprising strength. "I know it looks suspicious but I swear, I had nothing to do with what's been going on! I was already imprisoned by then."

Alistair jumped from his spot and nearly broke Jowan's hand in order to release his grip on Yvaine's. "How dare you touch her, you filthy maleficar!"

"Alistair, I'm alright," she said calmly, and she felt him relax. "Jowan, did Arl Eamon know why you were here?"

Jowan shook his head. "No, he had no idea. When Isolde hired me, she emphasized the need for absolute discretion, I was not allowed near the arl under any circumstances."

"Then how were you able to poison him?" asked Fergus, his arms crossed though his fingers were hovering over his sword's hilt.

"I was confined to the kitchens most days and slipped poison into his food," said Jowan with a sad shrug. "I'm not exactly proud of what I've done and all I want is the chance to fix this! Please, let me help you."

"I'm not really sure how you can," replied Yvaine honestly. "If you weren't responsible for this, then how could you possibly know how to reverse this?"

"I don't know," sighed Jowan sadly. "I just want the chance to reverse what I've done."

"You're a maleficar, you shouldn't even be allowed to live," snarled Alistair, pulling Yvaine closer, wrapping his arms protectively around her.

Yvaine looked at the dejected mage and felt a stab of pity, he might have done so much wrong but she had a feeling he was trying to make amends for everything he had done. "Alistair," she said so only he could hear, "we can't kill him."

He simply stared at her like she said she was actually a very tall dwarf that was half darkspawn.

"He's done nothing to us," she said seriously. "It's not our place to take his life, if anything what happens to him is up to Teagan and Eamon."

Alistair groaned and rested his forehead against hers. "Why do you have to be so damn reasonable?"

She smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. "Don't worry, it won't happen often," she teased and then turned to the mage. "Jowan, while none of us agree with your crimes, we are not the ones to judge you. Until Eamon is better, you will remain in this cell but you will not be harmed."

Jowan breathed an audible sigh of relief. "Thank you, sweet lady. I will never forget your kindness, and if I ever see the Circle again, I will do everything in my power to fix what I did."

"Fine," sighed Alistair. "Just don't do anything to make us regret letting you live."

"I swear I won't," said Jowan putting a hand over his heart.

Yvaine gave a signal and the group left the dungeons, no one speaking another word as they headed to the first floor of the castle.

When they arrived, they were all surprised by the unnatural quiet that had descended on the castle, likely the result of the death of the castle occupants. They all pulled out their weapons, the calm creating an aura of suspense and apprehension that made them uneasy as they walked through the empty halls. The slightest noise caused them all to jump, even if it was just a small mouse running across. Even Sten was jumping whenever there was a tiny squeak or scratching sound, this situation was definitely bad if a Qunari soldier was overcompensating defensively.

They had tried the side door to the throne room but found it locked, and even with Leliana's skill and Morrigan's magic, they were still unable to open it. Yvaine remembered that there was the main entrance that was accessible through the courtyard but that pathway was clear on the other side of the hall. They moved on, always vigilant in case there were more corpses hiding around a corner or in a room. When they finally arrived at the door that would lead to the courtyard, Yvaine heard a small stumbling sound behind a door to her left. Cautiously she moved to the door and gripped the handle, her sword raised, she leapt through the door only to hear a young woman shriek.

"Don't kill me!" the young woman pleaded and Yvaine instantly lowered her sword.

"Peace," said Yvaine quickly, going over to her and putting her arm around the woman, trying to calm her down. "I'm so sorry for scaring you, it wasn't my intention."

The girl calmed down enough to speak though she still looked quite shaken. "I didn't mean to scream, I thought you were a corpse. They've taken so many of us . . ."

Yvaine held the woman tighter, this must have been a terrible ordeal, and she was amazed that she had made it this far. "Don't worry, you're safe now."

"Thank you, lady," said the woman timidly. "Who are you? I've never seen you around here."

"My name's Yvaine, I'm here to save your mistress and her family," replied Yvaine, stroking the girl's hair. "I have a feeling you're Valena. You have your father's eyes."

"My father?" Valena said happily. "He's alright?!"

Yvaine smiled. "Yes, he's alive and well. He's missed you terribly, Valena and I promised I'd bring you home to him. We haven't had any run ins with corpses, so you can just go down to the dungeons, and you should find a torn tapestry on the other end. There's a doorway that will lead you to a tunnel and take you back to the village. Find your father as soon as you're back in the village, he's desperate for news on you."

"I will," said Valena brightly and Yvaine released her hold on her. "Thank you, Yvaine, you are most kind."

Valena charged out of the room a huge smile on her face, breezing by the rest of the group, leaving them all stunned.

"Was that the blacksmith's daughter?" asked Alistair as he watched the blonde haired woman dash down the hall.

Yvaine came out of the room and closed the door before answering. "Yeah, that's Valena. I'm afraid I might have scared her nearly to death."

"At least it was only nearly," teased Fergus.

"Well, at least she's on her way back to her father," replied Yvaine with a slight eye roll. "I believe we have a demon to fight, yes?"

They continued out to the courtyard, when they were outside they heard the familiar clanking sound corpse armor, though the smell of their rotting flesh in the heat would have given it away. From their position they could see the corpses but knew the enemy could not see them. Yvaine sent Leliana ahead to scout out what was ahead while the rest hung by the door, anxiously waiting for the order to attack. Leliana returned, looking rather shaken.

"There are maybe eight corpses and something large, it looked like a nightmare," said Leliana with a shudder. "Maybe Morrigan could take care of it."

Morrigan gave her a haughty look. "I'm going to ignore that slight against my personal appearance and tell you plainly that unless Yvaine tells me to attack, I won't."

"You will fight, Morrigan," sighed Yvaine. "We'll all fight, we have to get to throne room and the only way through is past those corpses. We fought them all night, surely once more won't be that much of a bother."

"She's right," said Sten sternly, wielding his sword. "These corpses will be nothing but clay added to the earth after they have felt the bite of our blades."

Yvaine beamed. "I couldn't have said it any better myself, Sten."

"Thank you, kadan," replied Sten with a small incline of his head.

"I think we should start off with a shower of arrows and that brilliant lightning storm Morrigan created last night," said Yvaine cheerily, knowing that this plan would at least work.

Shortly after the order, Leliana knocked her bow full of arrows while Morrigan started on the spell, the warriors watched as the clouds gathered and the lightning started and Leliana released her arrows. Most were a direct hit, hitting the corpses through the head just as the lightning struck each of them, the only thing that was not being hit was the large hulking beast in the back corner. Yvaine had a feeling it was probably resistant to magical attacks and would have to be taken down the old fashioned way. She gave the signal and those with a blade charged forward, focusing their energy on the otherworldly warrior though the moment they were close enough, it swirled its blade and they were knocked backwards.

'This might be harder than I thought,' she mused as she gathered herself from the ground. She stood back and watched as her fellow warriors tried to subdue the beast, each time being pulled close, hit and then shoved away. There had to be a way to get to it, even if it was just a brief window. The opportunity came when the creature put its sword down for a moment, lurching towards Sten and Gawain, she looked to Fergus who seemed to understand and they both charged the creature. Their swords plunged into its back and side, then they both swiped across and it gave out an unholy howl as its body disintegrated into a pile of ash, the only thing left behind was its helmet as even the sword had turned to ash. They all stared at the pile of ash, then they started laughing, all relieved that the monster had been defeated.

"Maker's breath, that thing was enormous," laughed Fergus as he took Leliana in his arms and started dancing with her across the courtyard.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Alistair with a breathy laugh as he held Yvaine in a tight embrace. "I guess we should go inside, find out what's really going on. I still can't believe Connor's a mage, it just doesn't seem real."

"He was such an average little boy," sighed Yvaine, resting her head on Alistair's shoulder. "I guess I was wrong about him. Come on, we need to get going."

The companions regrouped and they entered through the front entrance, their blades still drawn though they were not as apprehensive. They reached the door to the throne room and Yvaine felt a strange feeling in her body, it was as if tiny bolts of energy were traveling through her very blood, it was similar to what she felt every time she went into her uncle's old workshop. She pushed open the door and was immediately greeted by the strangest sight she had ever seen. Bann Teagan was dancing around like a court jester, doing summersaults and handstands, in between acts he was shaking his hands like a mad man. Behind him was a young boy with flaming red hair clapping and smiling at the performance, Yvaine knew it was Connor but his eyes were off, there was no light in them, they appeared dead. Isolde was standing beside him, her entire upper body nearly slumped over and she looked absolutely dejected.

Yvaine and her group approached though she was very careful not to rush too quickly, this situation had to be handled delicately. When they were close enough, Connor stared directly at her and motioned for Teagan to sit beside him on the floor, the dead eyes of the boy she knew looking at her as if peering into her very soul.

"So this is the person you spoke of, Mother," said Connor, his voice sounding otherworldly. "This is the one responsible for spoiling my fun?"

"Connor?" Yvaine asked softly though she was ignored.

"Y-yes, Connor," said Isolde timidly.

Connor surveyed Yvaine. "What is it, Mother? I can't see what it is."

"This is a woman, Connor, like me," replied Isolde. "You know her, she is Yvaine Cousland. She took care of you when you were a small child."

"This woman is nothing like you, Mother, she's half your age and nearly twice as pretty," said Connor smugly. "I'm surprised you don't have her executed for outshining you. And besides, I don't remember her, she is meaningless to me."

Isolde got on her knees, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Connor, I beg you, please don't hurt anyone."

Connor did not reply, instead he covered his face with his hands, his head moving from side to side. "Mother?" he asked, his voice sounding normal once again, when he looked up, Yvaine saw life in his grey eyes. "Mother, where . . . where am I?"

"Oh thank the Maker!" exclaimed Isolde, reaching to her son to embrace him. "I was so worried—"

"Get away from me, stupid woman!" shouted Connor, his voice now possessing the weird echo. "You are starting to bore me! Do not order me again, nobody tells me what to do!"

"Nobody tells him what to do! Nobody!" shouted Teagan maniacally and Connor slapped him.

"Be quiet, Uncle!" commanded Connor. "I warned you what would happen if you kept shouting, and you forced my hand!"

Yvaine simply stared at the three of them. If this had been a play, she would have laughed, but it was not and she did not. She looked at her other companions, they all seemed to be as lost as she was, maybe more so since nearly half of them had their mouths hung open. The only one of them who was probably the smartest was Gawain, he had started inching himself to the door, probably hoping to get away before things got too out of hand.

"Woman!" bellowed Connor. "You came here for a reason, did you not?"

"I did," replied Yvaine bravely.

Connor smirked. "Why are you here?"

"To save you and your family, Connor," she said kindly, hoping to coax the real Connor out from behind the demon. "I heard your father was ill, and I wanted to help him."

"Father's fine!" shouted Connor though he sounded slightly panicked. "He is alive, as I wished and now I have the power to command armies! It was a fair deal."

"No it wasn't!" argued Yvaine. "You sold your body, Connor, but at the cost of your home! This demon is destroying Redcliffe and will soon march on the rest of Ferelden. It is merely using you, Connor, please realize that."

The boy's eyes flickered and for a moment she saw the real Connor, her idea had worked but was not enough to bring him fully away from the demon's influence.

"This is starting to bore me," snarled Connor. "I crave excitement! Uncle, fight this woman! She must pay for ruining my sport by saving that stupid village!"

Teagan stood from the floor just as Connor ran by him, and Yvaine pulled down her shield, the last thing she wanted to do was harm him but she was not about to lose to him either. She held up her shield and charged forward, hoping to meet Teagan halfway, raising the metal shield just a touch so the top was angled. They met and Yvaine knocked him back with her shield, making sure the angled part caught his forehead and he went tumbling down to the ground.

"Maker, Yvaine, did you have to hit him so hard?" asked Fergus as they looked at the knocked out bann.

Yvaine rolled her eyes. "It was either the shield or the sword, the next time I have to save a member of Ferelden's nobility in a split second, I'll be sure to ask you for pointers."

Fergus smirked. "Thank you, Sister. I'll be happy to help."

She was about to say something when a groan came from the ground. Looking down she saw that Teagan was starting to come around, and there was already a large red welt forming on his forehead from where he had collided with her shield. Yvaine knelt to the ground and helped him sit up.

"Ugh, my head," groaned Teagan, putting a hand to his forehead.

"Yeah, sorry about that," said Yvaine apologetically. "It was either the shield or the sword and I wasn't sure how keen you'd be about the pointed one."

Teagan chuckled and together they rose from the ground though Teagan did wobble slightly more than she liked.

"Tea-gan!" cried Isolde as she rushed forward, embracing her brother-in-law. "I was so afraid for you. I'd never forgive myself if you died!"

"Yet you seem perfectly content on letting everyone else die for your mistake," snapped Yvaine.

Isolde faced her and scowled. "What was I supposed to do!? I couldn't let them take Connor away, he's my only child! All I wanted was for Connor to learn enough magic to hide his abilities."

"Oh is that all?" said Yvaine in mock sympathy which quickly turned to very real anger. "Because of you, your people were nearly wiped out! You have the blood of nearly an entire village on your pretty hands, Isolde, and the blood of your husband. It'll be your fault if either he or Connor dies!"

"I was only doing what I thought was best for my family!" shouted Isolde. "I was not about to lose my son to something as disgusting as magic! Besides, the mage Jowan is responsible for what's happened here!"

"The moment you decided to hide Connor's gift from Arl Eamon, you stopped doing what was best for your family," countered Yvaine. "You should've taken him straight to the Circle! Mages are most vulnerable as children and unless they get instruction at the first sign, they risk possession, you know this, Isolde."

"She's right," said Teagan sternly. "Your secrecy has brought this hell on all of our heads, not some would-be assassin."

Isolde's face contorted with rage. "If he hadn't poisoned Eamon, none of this would have happened!"

"If you had just let Connor go to the Circle, none of this would have happened!" shouted Teagan. "You allowed your damnable Orleasian pride get in the way of doing what was right, just like you always do!"

Yvaine smirked, she had been thinking the exact same thing, but now was enough. "As much as I enjoy watching Isolde get her dues," interrupted Yvaine, both Teagan and Isolde were now staring at her, "we do have the issue of Connor to deal with."

"Of course," said Teagan. "I know the only way of dealing with . . . situations like Connor is . . . death."

"No!" shouted Isolde. "He's not responsible for this, he shouldn't have to pay that price."

"Then what do you suggest, Lady Isolde?" asked Fergus calmly.

"There has to be another way, surely," pleaded Isolde. "Perhaps Jowan could do something, if he yet lives."

Alistair shook his head. "I know you're desperate, Lady Isolde, but he's a maleficar. Whatever his solution might be would only involve more evil, and two wrongs don't make a right."

"Alistair's right," agreed Teagan, looking helplessly at Yvaine. "The solution seems pretty clear."

Isolde burst into tears. "You can't kill him! He's just a little boy, he's done nothing wrong." She then turned to Yvaine. "Please, Yvaine, you have to do something!"

Yvaine looked at the sobbing arlessa, as much as she hated her, she was going to help Connor but that did not mean she was not above making Isolde sweat a little. "I'm not sure why I should do anything for you, Isolde," she said lightly. "You brought this on yourself and I think you should live with the consequences of your actions."

Everyone in the room looked at her with shock mingled in with utter disbelief.

"Yvaine!" shouted Fergus and Alistair in unison.

"Why would you say such a thing?" demanded Teagan.

Yvaine ignored their looks. "Isolde's done nothing to show that she is capable of learning from her mistakes and has ruined countless lives in the process, if this is the only way to teach her, then so be it."

Up until now, Isolde had said nothing, but now she felt compelled to speak. "You're right," she said softly. "I've ruined so many lives because I did not think beyond myself. I want a chance to atone, but please, don't let it cost me my son."

"Alright," said Yvaine in a tone that sounded like her mother's whenever she was lecturing a child, "it won't cost you your son, but it will cost you something just as dear: your pride."

Isolde blanched, this was obviously not what she had in mind.

"In return for saving your son," said Yvaine carefully, "you will be required to apologize to Alistair for the way you treated him."

"What?!" exclaimed both Alistair and Isolde.

Yvaine nodded. "That's the price for your son's life, take it or leave it."

"Do I have to apologize now?" asked Isolde, her mouth twisting around the words like she was chewing a root.

"Not yet, it must be public," replied Yvaine, smirking when she saw Isolde's face. "It's either that or your son dies, and keep in mind if you pick the latter, I just might kill you on principle."

Isolde was silent, obviously thinking about her options. "Fine, I will apologize to Alistair, in public. After you've saved my son."

"Good," said Yvaine brightly then she turned to Morrigan. "Morrigan, do you know of anyway other way that we could separate the demon from Connor?"

Morrigan nodded. "There is a way, though it requires a surplus of lyrium and several mages. Two items that we do not have with us, currently."

"The Circle has a lot of lyrium usually, and mages, of course," pipped in Alistair and Yvaine smiled.

"I think our path is clear, Teagan," she said confidently. "We have to go to the Circle and ask for their help."

Isolde looked like she was going to protest but Teagan cut her off. "Yes, if it is the only way to save Connor, then so be it," he said, glaring at Isolde. "It's a day's journey if you cross the lake, but I would suggest going with a smaller party. The rest can stay behind here."

Yvaine nodded. "That sounds like a plan." She thought for a moment and then spoke. "I'll take two other companions with me, Alistair and Leliana, the rest can stay and help you defend against the demon should it return."

"I think 'twould be best if I accompanied you," said Morrigan, her golden eyes now slits.

"No, you need to stay here and form a barrier between this room and the family quarters, I think I saw Connor run that way," said Yvaine firmly. "I will look for those ingredients you asked for while I'm there."

Morrigan's face relaxed a little, obviously getting Yvaine's meaning.

"Then you should not delay further," said Teagan sternly. "You must get to the boat and then to the Circle. I don't know how much time we have before the demon reappears."

Yvaine nodded and then she motioned for Alistair and Leliana to follow her. They quickly ran out of the castle and towards the dock that was at the end of the long walkway leading away from the courtyard. Time was of the essence and they had even less than they knew.