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Chapter Eight – A Thousand Burned Out Yesterdays

Fergus,
How can I even begin to tell you what I've seen?  The marvelous things… The terrifying…  I don't think I will look at the world through sane eyes ever again…
-Alessia

Alessia didn't know how to describe what she was looking at.  She could tell that they were once people, but whether they were once male or female, young or old, was no longer apparent.  And even though they looked to be falling apart, the creatures marched down the hill at an alarming pace

"Now Leliana!" Alessia called out to the Orlesian.  Leliana and a few of the knights loosed fire-tipped arrows into the oil barrels arranged on the slope, setting the hill ablaze.   The walking corpses did not stop, but they were slowed, giving Alessia and everyone else an advantage.

Zevran moved silently around two of the creatures and cut his daggers across their throats, spraying black bile across the ground as they fell.  Hermes took position next to Sten, knocking the monsters off of their feet as Sten brought his heavy sword down in strong blows, hacking many of them apart.  Alistair stood with Ser Perth, knocking the walking corpses back into the fires.  Morrigan froze many of the creatures so Wynne could bring her Stone Fist spell down upon them, shattering them into tiny bits.

Alessia took Zevran's approach and twisted her way through the mass of creatures, cutting at limbs, making them useless as they approached her companions and the knights.  She liberated the heads of quite a few of the monsters before one knocked her backwards.  All the air left her lungs as she hit the hard ground.  The corpse that knocked her over was looming over her, raising its arms to bring its fists down on her.  Before she could gather herself to kick its legs from underneath, the creature's arms fell from the rest of its body, followed very shortly by its head.  Alessia stared at the pile of rotting flesh, momentarily stunned, when a gauntleted hand offered itself to her.  She looked up and saw a pair of familiar hazel eyes twinkling from behind the steel grating of a helmet.

Alessia took the hand, "Thank you, Alistair."

"Anytime," he voice echoed from inside the helmet, "Now, let's get rid of these ugly bastards!"

They both closed in on the small cluster of remaining creatures; slicing them apart until the clay was littered with their foul flesh.

"Warden!"  Alessia turned on her heel to see a lightly armored man running across the bridge.  "Murdock sent me! There's more coming from the docks!  You must come!"

She called out to the knights, "Ser Perth!  You and your knights hold this position!  Everyone else, come on!"

oOo

The last of the walking dead fell with a sickening thud at Alessia's feet.  They kept a vigilant watch for the rest of the night and when the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, the militia roared with cheers.

Redcliffe had survived.

After a short speech to the townspeople, Bann Teagan asked Alessia and Alistair to follow him up the hill and over the bridge to the mill.  They walked together in silence.  When they reached the mill, Teagan finally spoke.

"I cannot thank you two enough.  It is nothing short of a miracle that Redcliffe still stands, though we did lose that Lloyd fellow and…oh for Andraste's sake, I never did get that elf lad's name…"

"Berwick," Alistair volunteered.

"Berwick.  Though their loss is regrettable, you saved the town Lady Cous—forgive me, Alessia.  We could not have done this without you."

Alessia bowed her head to the Bann, "You humble me, my lord.  It was my honor.  And I'm sure Alistair feels the same way."

"Yes!  Of course I do…Redcliffe was the closest thing I had to a home before the Wardens."

"Again, I thank you both.  Now, the other reason I asked you two to follow me is I know a back way into the castle.  It's through the—what in the name of…Isolde?"

Alistair and Alessia turned in the direction of Teagan's stare.  A well dressed woman and an armored guard were jogging down the hill towards them.  Both were out of breath by the time they reached them.

Teagan placed his hands on the woman's shoulders, bracing her, as she looked about to collapse from fatigue, "Goodness, Isolde!  Are you alright?  We have not heard from the castle in days!  Where is Connor?  Eamon?"

Isolde answered in her thick Orlesian accent, "Teagan, you must come with me to the castle!  Please, or the demon will hurt Connor!"

Alistair furrowed his brow, "Demon?  What demon?"

The Arlessa seemed to ignore the question, so Alessia spoke up, "Would you care to explain what is going on in the castle?  As Teagan said, there has been no report of what has happened up there.  What is this demon you speak of?"

Isolde focused her attention on Alessia and arched a well-groomed eyebrow, "Who is this woman, Teagan?"

"This is Alessia, a Grey Warden.  Thanks to her and her companions, Redcliffe was made safe enough for us to check on the castle.  Now, what is this about a demon, Isolde?"

Isolde sighed and began to relay the events of the last few days in the castle.  She told them that a mage in the Arl's employ had poisoned Eamon and summoned a demon to terrorize the castle and town and it was now holding Connor hostage.

After she stopped speaking, Alessia asked, "Is that everything that happened?  Why would the mage poison your husband?  And summon a demon to terrorize you?  Something about this does not make sense."

The Arlessa scoffed, insulted, "Excuse me?  Are you accusing me of lying?  Who do you think you are?"

Alessia schooled her features to conceal the resentment building inside of her, "I am just curious, if we are to assist you and get to the Arl, we need all of the information."

Isolde began to choke back tears, "I came here for help, not to be accused!" she turned back to Teagan, "Please, Teagan, you must come with me!  What if it thinks I am betraying it?!"

Alessia watched as Teagan shifted from one leg to another, he was clearly as uncomfortable about this as she was.  Finally he spoke, "Okay Isolde, I will go with you.  But please, let me speak with the Warden first."  He motioned for Alessia to walk with him.  When they stopped about ten paces away, Teagan spoke in a whisper, "I must go with her."

Alessia whispered back, "I don't like this.  She's not telling us everything…Maker knows what you are walking into."

"I know, but what choice do we have?  Here take this," he placed a ring into her palm and closed her fingers over it; "This is my signet ring.  There is a passage through this mill that leads to the dungeons of the castle; this ring will open the way.  I'll go in with Isolde and you take a couple of your companions with you through the passage and sneak into the castle.  With any luck, Isolde is telling the truth and we will meet in the great hall."

Alessia looked at her closed fist for a moment before looking back at the Bann, "I suppose this would be a bad time to mention the good run of bad luck I've had lately?"

Teagan smiled softly, "I know that you can handle anything that may happen in that castle.  But remember, if the worst should occur, Eamon is the priority.  He must get out of there, the rest of us are expendable."

She shook her head slightly, "I don't believe that.  I will make sure that everyone makes it out alive."

The smile on his face grew, "It seems that you are brave as well as beautiful, a credit to Bryce and Eleanor, surely.  The Maker smiled on me when he sent you…"

Isolde shouted from the hill, "Teagan!  We must go, Teagan! Now!"

"I'm coming!" he turned back to Alessia, "Remember, it's through the mill into the dungeons.  From there you can get to the rest of the castle.  Maker watch over you."

And with that, the Bann trotted off with Isolde to the castle.

oOo

"Hmm, it smells like death down here," Zevran mused as they entered the dungeon.

"Well, what else would a dungeon smell like?" Alistair retorted.

Alessia snickered as they walked through the dingy stone corridor.  Just before attempting to open the heavy wooden door in front of them, a voice screamed from the other side.

"Get away! Help!  Please, someone help!"

Alessia drew her weapons, an action quickly followed by Alistair, Zevran, and Wynne.  She motioned for Alistair to break the door down.  Alistair signaled for the others to stand back, braced his shield over his left shoulder and slammed into the door with all of his strength.  The worn wooden frame gave way easily, letting the young warrior to kick the splintered door the rest of the way in.

Their small party was greeted by more walking dead.   "Oh, for the love of…" Alessia swore as she and Zevran slinked around Alistair and began attacking the gruesome creatures.  After the last one was dispatched, she heard a small whimper coming from one of the nearby cells.

"W—who are you?  Where did you come from?"

Alessia stepped closer to the cell and peered inside, "My name is Alessia.  Come out where I can see you."

A young dark-haired man stepped unsteadily out of the shadows and into the dim light.  He was bruised, filthy, and resembled an abused animal.  Alessia studied his face, "What is your name?"

The man lowered his eyes to the floor, "Jowan."

"Jowan?  Alright, Jowan, how did you come to be in that cell?"

"Y—you mean you don't know?"

Alessia raised an eyebrow, "I suppose I do not."

They listened as Jowan confessed that he was the one that poisoned the Arl of Redcliffe, at the behest of Loghain.

"Why would you do this, Jowan?" Alessia asked.

"He kept me out of the Templars reach," he turned his face away, "I am a maleficar…"

Alistair went rigid, "You're a blood mage?!"

Jowan looked back at them with sad eyes, "Yes.  I escaped from the Circle of Magi.  When I was captured, Loghain intervened and granted me my freedom in exchange for coming to Redcliffe as a tutor for Connor…so I could poison the Arl…"

Alistair reached for his sword, but Alessia turned and raised her hand for him to stand down.  He stopped and paced behind her, trying to control his breathing.

Alessia turned back to the mage, "Isolde told us that you summoned a demon.  And the walking corpses."

Jowan's eyes widened, "No!  I didn't summon anything, I swear!"

"Then what brought the demon here?"

"I—I really don't know.  I've been telling Isolde this for days.  She has been having her men torture me to confess to something I did not do.  I don't know what could have summoned…" Jowan rubbed his temples in frustration, and then his eyes lit up as though he had come to a realization, "Connor!"

Alessia cocked her head to the side, "Connor?  How could Connor bring a demon here?"

"Connor is a mage," Jowan sighed, "That's the reason that Isolde agreed to bring me to Redcliffe.  She wanted a mage outside the Circle to teach her son enough to hide his magic.  I think she was ashamed to have a child with magical talent, she's a very pious woman…"

Alessia's face twisted in disgust, "Her actions were what were shameful.  She should not have had him try to hide it."

"She was afraid that the Arl would send Connor away to the Circle."

She shook her head in disbelief, "Which means she was afraid that she would have to face embarrassment of having a mage for a child.  I would say that I can't believe that someone would do that, but then again, from I've heard of Isolde from my parents…well, never mind that.  Does Connor know enough magic to summon a demon?"

"No.  We had barely scratched the surface.  It would be more likely that he tore the Veil on accident."

Zevran piped up, "Well, accident or no, if the child did summon the demon, that means your Bann Teagan has walked into a trap."

She turned to the Antivan, "Yes, I believe so.  We need to get moving.  Jowan," she turned back to the dark-haired mage, "I believe your story.  And while that doesn't excuse your actions against the Arl, I may need your assistance later on.  I am going to leave you here for now, but I will be coming back for you, I promise."

Jowan shook his head somberly, "Yes, it is probably best that I remain here."

Alessia turned to her companions, "Alright, let's go."

oOo

Walking dead lurked in every corridor they trekked through, but in the closed spaces of the castle, Alessia and her small infiltration group was more than a match for the foul creatures.  Slowly, but surely, they made their way through the castle.  Alessia was relieved to find one survivor amongst the dead, it was the blacksmith's daughter, who promptly ran back the way they came to flee the remaining monsters.

When they made it to the courtyard, Zevran managed to get the front gates open to let Ser Perth and the knights in.  With the knights providing their assistance, making it to the great hall was much simpler, but when she stepped into the hall, Alessia could scarcely believe what she was seeing.

Teagan was somersaulting and tumbling about the floor like a court jester while a child clapped his hands in a happy rhythm.  Isolde looked down at the child with tired and sorrowful eyes.  This was not the idyllic picture of a family, something was definitely wrong.  Alessia, her companions, and the knights approached slowly.

"Teagan?" Alessia called out tentatively, "Teagan, are you alright?"

The boy raised his eyes to meet hers and she could feel her blood turn to ice under his gaze, "What is it, Mother?  I cannot see it well enough."  His voice carried an echo, just like Duncan's and Dairren's in the fade.  Her heart sank at the sound of it.

'More demons to haunt my dreams,' she thought bitterly to herself.

Isolde's sad eyes never left the boy, "This is a woman, Connor, just like I am."

Connor chuckled darkly, "She's prettier than you, and younger.  I'm surprised you haven't ordered her executed, Mother."

Tears fell down the Arlessa's cheeks, "Please, Connor, don't do this…"

"Quiet!" Connor shouted at her before turning to Alessia, "Come closer.  So you are the one who has been spoiling all of my fun.  What do you want?"

Alessia stepped closer to the child, "I am here for Teagan," she looked at the Bann, who looked back at her with an unnerving grin plastered to his face, "and to find the source of the evil that has fallen over this town."

Connor smirked at her, "Uncle is safe, he has come to entertain me, haven't you, Uncle?"

Teagan grinned at the boy, "Marmalade!"

"As for your other purpose, well, I do not think you will be able to complete your task…"

Alessia narrowed her eyes at the child, "Release the child, demon.  Perhaps you might be able to slip back into the Fade with your life."

Connor laughed maniacally, "You are threatening me, mortal?  This child is mine, and through him I will send out armies to conquer your pathetic world!"

Isolde dropped to her knees in front of the child, "Connor!  Please, Connor, stop this!"

The boy's eyes glazed over for a moment and then he looked down at the Arlessa and spoke with a voice far more human than he had previously, "Mother? "  He looked around at everyone in the hall, "What is going on?"

Isolde began to sob and she threw her arms around Connor, "Oh, thank the Maker! My boy!"

Connor's face hardened and twisted with anger as he pushed his mother away, "Get off of me, fool woman!" Isolde fell backwards on her rear as the child turned to the guards behind him, "Kill them, they are ruining my fun!"

Alessia had barely drawn her sword when Teagan swung his blade at her.  She blocked his advance and placed her boot into his stomach, pushing him away.  The Bann was not dressed for battle and she did not want to gravely injure him.

"I sincerely apologize for this," she said as Teagan charged again.  While parrying his attack, she kneed him hard in the groin, making him buckle and double over.  She kneed him in the chin and sent him to the floor in a heap.  He was alive, but he wouldn't be getting back up for a while.

The attacking guards were not as lucky, the floor and walls were covered in splashes of blood by the time the last one fell.  Connor witnessed the scuffle and the glazed look came back to him.  He looked around for a few short moments before shaking his head violently and sprinting off away from the hall.

Groaning came from the floor; Alessia looked down to see Teagan trying to stand.  She offered her hand down to him, "Are you okay?  I didn't…permanently damage anything did I?"

Teagan grimaced as she helped him to his feet and slowly shook his head, "I will be fine.  I haven't had a woman knee me in the nether regions since, well, since I was your age" he looked at her and gave a small smile, "And I had it coming that time, too."

Isolde rushed over to Teagan, "Praise Andraste, you are safe! "

The look on Teagan's face quickly changed to frustration as grabbed Isolde by the shoulders, "Why didn't you tell us that it was Connor that did all this?  Why did you keep his magic a secret?"

Tears fell from Isolde's eyes, "Eamon would have sent Connor away!  I was trying to protect my son!"

Alistair looked around, "Where did Connor go?"

Zevran responded and pointed to the dimly lit corridor, "He went that way."

Teagan followed with his eyes, "That goes to the family quarters."

Isolde was wiping tears from her cheeks, "The real Connor shines through sometimes.  Violence scares him; he just wants to be where he feels safe."

"Or he could be laying another trap," the Antivan chuckled darkly.  Isolde stared daggers at the elf, but he merely shrugged and nonchalantly studied his blades.

Wynne stepped forward, "Alessia, as much as it pains me to say it, if that child is possessed, then we need to stop it."

Alistair turned to the elder mage, "You can't possibly be suggesting we kill him?"

Horror swept across the Arlessa's face, "No, please, it's not his fault!  It was that mage, Jowan!  He is to blame!"

Thoughts of Oren crept into Alessia's mind.  Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head, trying to banish them, "Teagan, I left Jowan in the dungeon.  He may be able to help us."

Alistair looked at her, "He is a maleficar. Do you really want to trust him?"

"I know what he is, but before we decide, I need to know if there is anything we can do.  Jowan seems to think that Connor tore the Veil on accident.  He may know a way to reverse it."  She furrowed her brow as she thought, "Can you and Teagan bring him up here?  I do not believe he will give you any trouble, but if he does, use your Templar training to bring him under control.  I would like to speak with him."

Alistair opened his mouth as if to argue, before promptly closing it.  He just looked at her for a long moment before turning to the Bann, motioning for him to walk with him.  The two men left the hall in the direction of the dungeons.

They returned a short time later, Jowan in tow.  The dark-haired mage cowered as Isolde glared at him.  Alessia stood between him and the Arlessa and began to address him, "Jowan, you think that Connor tore the Veil.  Do you know how we can fix this?"

Jowan stared at the floor and was silent for a few long moments.  He lifted his eyes to Alessia's, "If the demon approached Connor in the Fade, then, in theory, another mage could confront it in the Fade and try to destroy it."

Hope glimmered in the Arlessa's eyes, "We can kill it without hurting my boy?"

"In theory, yes," Jowan continued, "It would usually take a lot of lyrium and several mages…" The mage paused and looked back at the floor, "But I can use blood magic to send someone into the Fade.  It would require a lot of blood from another person, all of it, in fact…"

Alistair clenched his fists, "Blood magic!  How can bringing more evil solve this?"

Jowan flinched, "I am merely presenting it as an option."

Isolde spoke up, "Let it be my blood."

Teagan looked at her in shock, "Isolde, no!  Eamon would never allow this!"

The Arlessa looked at him with somber eyes, "If I have to die so that Connor may live, I would do it gladly.  Eamon would understand…"

Everyone began talking at once.  Alistair and Teagan were trying to talk Isolde out of believing she had to sacrifice herself while Jowan and Wynne discussed the validity of Jowan's plan.  Everyone's words blended together and images of Oriana and Oren crumpled on the stone floor inched in from the edges of Alessia's thoughts.  She swayed on her feet slightly and felt a pair of gentle hands on her shoulders.

"Are you alright, Alessia?" Zevran whispered to her in Antivan.

She turned to look into his gold eyes and slowly nodded her head.  Turning back to the argument in front of her, she shouted, "Quiet!"  Everyone froze and stared at her.  Alessia turned to Ser Perth, "When some of the knights returned to Redcliffe, did they return with their horses?"

The knight nodded, "Yes, and a few of the horses have survived the attacks on the village."

"Good," she looked to Jowan, "Jowan, I appreciate your insight and your suggestions.  And Isolde, while volunteering your life is noble, I do not believe it is the best way to handle this."  She clasped her hands in front of her and continued, "Alistair, you and I are taking two of the knights' horses and we are riding to the Circle.  We are going to appeal to the First Enchanter for aid."

Teagan rubbed his brow with the back of his hand, "What of the rest of us?  There is no way of knowing how long this demon is going to remain dormant."

Alessia took a deep breath, "I know.  The rest of you will remain here and keep watch.  I will send Morrigan, Sten, and Leliana to the castle to assist you.  Wynne," she turned to the mage, "can you place a barrier over the doorway like you did in the tower?"

Wynne smiled softly, "Yes, but I am not sure how long I would be able to hold it."

Alessia nodded, "Morrigan should be able to help with that.  Perhaps the two of you can switch off."

"I can do that, too," Jowan spoke up, "I would like to help any way I can."

She smiled at the blood mage, "Thank you, Jowan."

Alistair pinched the bridge of his nose, "I hope this works."

Alessia looked up at him, "As do I.  Now come on, we have a hard ride ahead."

Description
Chapter Eight – A Thousand Burned Out Yesterdays

Fergus,
How can I even begin to tell you what I've seen?  The marvelous things… The terrifying…  I don't think I will look at the world through sane eyes ever again…
-Alessia

Alessia didn't know how to describe what she was looking at.  She could tell that they were once people, but whether they were once male or female, young or old, was no longer apparent.  And even though they looked to be falling apart, the creatures marched down the hill at an alarming pace

"Now Leliana!" Alessia called out to the Orlesian.  Leliana and a few of the knights loosed fire-tipped arrows into the oil barrels arranged on the slope, setting the hill ablaze.   The walking corpses did not stop, but they were slowed, giving Alessia and everyone else an advantage.

Zevran moved silently around two of the creatures and cut his daggers across their throats, spraying black bile across the ground as they fell.  Hermes took position next to Sten, knocking the monsters off of their feet as Sten brought his heavy sword down in strong blows, hacking many of them apart.  Alistair stood with Ser Perth, knocking the walking corpses back into the fires.  Morrigan froze many of the creatures so Wynne could bring her Stone Fist spell down upon them, shattering them into tiny bits.

Alessia took Zevran's approach and twisted her way through the mass of creatures, cutting at limbs, making them useless as they approached her companions and the knights.  She liberated the heads of quite a few of the monsters before one knocked her backwards.  All the air left her lungs as she hit the hard ground.  The corpse that knocked her over was looming over her, raising its arms to bring its fists down on her.  Before she could gather herself to kick its legs from underneath, the creature's arms fell from the rest of its body, followed very shortly by its head.  Alessia stared at the pile of rotting flesh, momentarily stunned, when a gauntleted hand offered itself to her.  She looked up and saw a pair of familiar hazel eyes twinkling from behind the steel grating of a helmet.

Alessia took the hand, "Thank you, Alistair."

"Anytime," he voice echoed from inside the helmet, "Now, let's get rid of these ugly bastards!"

They both closed in on the small cluster of remaining creatures; slicing them apart until the clay was littered with their foul flesh.

"Warden!"  Alessia turned on her heel to see a lightly armored man running across the bridge.  "Murdock sent me! There's more coming from the docks!  You must come!"

She called out to the knights, "Ser Perth!  You and your knights hold this position!  Everyone else, come on!"

oOo

The last of the walking dead fell with a sickening thud at Alessia's feet.  They kept a vigilant watch for the rest of the night and when the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, the militia roared with cheers.

Redcliffe had survived.

After a short speech to the townspeople, Bann Teagan asked Alessia and Alistair to follow him up the hill and over the bridge to the mill.  They walked together in silence.  When they reached the mill, Teagan finally spoke.

"I cannot thank you two enough.  It is nothing short of a miracle that Redcliffe still stands, though we did lose that Lloyd fellow and…oh for Andraste's sake, I never did get that elf lad's name…"

"Berwick," Alistair volunteered.

"Berwick.  Though their loss is regrettable, you saved the town Lady Cous—forgive me, Alessia.  We could not have done this without you."

Alessia bowed her head to the Bann, "You humble me, my lord.  It was my honor.  And I'm sure Alistair feels the same way."

"Yes!  Of course I do…Redcliffe was the closest thing I had to a home before the Wardens."

"Again, I thank you both.  Now, the other reason I asked you two to follow me is I know a back way into the castle.  It's through the—what in the name of…Isolde?"

Alistair and Alessia turned in the direction of Teagan's stare.  A well dressed woman and an armored guard were jogging down the hill towards them.  Both were out of breath by the time they reached them.

Teagan placed his hands on the woman's shoulders, bracing her, as she looked about to collapse from fatigue, "Goodness, Isolde!  Are you alright?  We have not heard from the castle in days!  Where is Connor?  Eamon?"

Isolde answered in her thick Orlesian accent, "Teagan, you must come with me to the castle!  Please, or the demon will hurt Connor!"

Alistair furrowed his brow, "Demon?  What demon?"

The Arlessa seemed to ignore the question, so Alessia spoke up, "Would you care to explain what is going on in the castle?  As Teagan said, there has been no report of what has happened up there.  What is this demon you speak of?"

Isolde focused her attention on Alessia and arched a well-groomed eyebrow, "Who is this woman, Teagan?"

"This is Alessia, a Grey Warden.  Thanks to her and her companions, Redcliffe was made safe enough for us to check on the castle.  Now, what is this about a demon, Isolde?"

Isolde sighed and began to relay the events of the last few days in the castle.  She told them that a mage in the Arl's employ had poisoned Eamon and summoned a demon to terrorize the castle and town and it was now holding Connor hostage.

After she stopped speaking, Alessia asked, "Is that everything that happened?  Why would the mage poison your husband?  And summon a demon to terrorize you?  Something about this does not make sense."

The Arlessa scoffed, insulted, "Excuse me?  Are you accusing me of lying?  Who do you think you are?"

Alessia schooled her features to conceal the resentment building inside of her, "I am just curious, if we are to assist you and get to the Arl, we need all of the information."

Isolde began to choke back tears, "I came here for help, not to be accused!" she turned back to Teagan, "Please, Teagan, you must come with me!  What if it thinks I am betraying it?!"

Alessia watched as Teagan shifted from one leg to another, he was clearly as uncomfortable about this as she was.  Finally he spoke, "Okay Isolde, I will go with you.  But please, let me speak with the Warden first."  He motioned for Alessia to walk with him.  When they stopped about ten paces away, Teagan spoke in a whisper, "I must go with her."

Alessia whispered back, "I don't like this.  She's not telling us everything…Maker knows what you are walking into."

"I know, but what choice do we have?  Here take this," he placed a ring into her palm and closed her fingers over it; "This is my signet ring.  There is a passage through this mill that leads to the dungeons of the castle; this ring will open the way.  I'll go in with Isolde and you take a couple of your companions with you through the passage and sneak into the castle.  With any luck, Isolde is telling the truth and we will meet in the great hall."

Alessia looked at her closed fist for a moment before looking back at the Bann, "I suppose this would be a bad time to mention the good run of bad luck I've had lately?"

Teagan smiled softly, "I know that you can handle anything that may happen in that castle.  But remember, if the worst should occur, Eamon is the priority.  He must get out of there, the rest of us are expendable."

She shook her head slightly, "I don't believe that.  I will make sure that everyone makes it out alive."

The smile on his face grew, "It seems that you are brave as well as beautiful, a credit to Bryce and Eleanor, surely.  The Maker smiled on me when he sent you…"

Isolde shouted from the hill, "Teagan!  We must go, Teagan! Now!"

"I'm coming!" he turned back to Alessia, "Remember, it's through the mill into the dungeons.  From there you can get to the rest of the castle.  Maker watch over you."

And with that, the Bann trotted off with Isolde to the castle.

oOo

"Hmm, it smells like death down here," Zevran mused as they entered the dungeon.

"Well, what else would a dungeon smell like?" Alistair retorted.

Alessia snickered as they walked through the dingy stone corridor.  Just before attempting to open the heavy wooden door in front of them, a voice screamed from the other side.

"Get away! Help!  Please, someone help!"

Alessia drew her weapons, an action quickly followed by Alistair, Zevran, and Wynne.  She motioned for Alistair to break the door down.  Alistair signaled for the others to stand back, braced his shield over his left shoulder and slammed into the door with all of his strength.  The worn wooden frame gave way easily, letting the young warrior to kick the splintered door the rest of the way in.

Their small party was greeted by more walking dead.   "Oh, for the love of…" Alessia swore as she and Zevran slinked around Alistair and began attacking the gruesome creatures.  After the last one was dispatched, she heard a small whimper coming from one of the nearby cells.

"W—who are you?  Where did you come from?"

Alessia stepped closer to the cell and peered inside, "My name is Alessia.  Come out where I can see you."

A young dark-haired man stepped unsteadily out of the shadows and into the dim light.  He was bruised, filthy, and resembled an abused animal.  Alessia studied his face, "What is your name?"

The man lowered his eyes to the floor, "Jowan."

"Jowan?  Alright, Jowan, how did you come to be in that cell?"

"Y—you mean you don't know?"

Alessia raised an eyebrow, "I suppose I do not."

They listened as Jowan confessed that he was the one that poisoned the Arl of Redcliffe, at the behest of Loghain.

"Why would you do this, Jowan?" Alessia asked.

"He kept me out of the Templars reach," he turned his face away, "I am a maleficar…"

Alistair went rigid, "You're a blood mage?!"

Jowan looked back at them with sad eyes, "Yes.  I escaped from the Circle of Magi.  When I was captured, Loghain intervened and granted me my freedom in exchange for coming to Redcliffe as a tutor for Connor…so I could poison the Arl…"

Alistair reached for his sword, but Alessia turned and raised her hand for him to stand down.  He stopped and paced behind her, trying to control his breathing.

Alessia turned back to the mage, "Isolde told us that you summoned a demon.  And the walking corpses."

Jowan's eyes widened, "No!  I didn't summon anything, I swear!"

"Then what brought the demon here?"

"I—I really don't know.  I've been telling Isolde this for days.  She has been having her men torture me to confess to something I did not do.  I don't know what could have summoned…" Jowan rubbed his temples in frustration, and then his eyes lit up as though he had come to a realization, "Connor!"

Alessia cocked her head to the side, "Connor?  How could Connor bring a demon here?"

"Connor is a mage," Jowan sighed, "That's the reason that Isolde agreed to bring me to Redcliffe.  She wanted a mage outside the Circle to teach her son enough to hide his magic.  I think she was ashamed to have a child with magical talent, she's a very pious woman…"

Alessia's face twisted in disgust, "Her actions were what were shameful.  She should not have had him try to hide it."

"She was afraid that the Arl would send Connor away to the Circle."

She shook her head in disbelief, "Which means she was afraid that she would have to face embarrassment of having a mage for a child.  I would say that I can't believe that someone would do that, but then again, from I've heard of Isolde from my parents…well, never mind that.  Does Connor know enough magic to summon a demon?"

"No.  We had barely scratched the surface.  It would be more likely that he tore the Veil on accident."

Zevran piped up, "Well, accident or no, if the child did summon the demon, that means your Bann Teagan has walked into a trap."

She turned to the Antivan, "Yes, I believe so.  We need to get moving.  Jowan," she turned back to the dark-haired mage, "I believe your story.  And while that doesn't excuse your actions against the Arl, I may need your assistance later on.  I am going to leave you here for now, but I will be coming back for you, I promise."

Jowan shook his head somberly, "Yes, it is probably best that I remain here."

Alessia turned to her companions, "Alright, let's go."

oOo

Walking dead lurked in every corridor they trekked through, but in the closed spaces of the castle, Alessia and her small infiltration group was more than a match for the foul creatures.  Slowly, but surely, they made their way through the castle.  Alessia was relieved to find one survivor amongst the dead, it was the blacksmith's daughter, who promptly ran back the way they came to flee the remaining monsters.

When they made it to the courtyard, Zevran managed to get the front gates open to let Ser Perth and the knights in.  With the knights providing their assistance, making it to the great hall was much simpler, but when she stepped into the hall, Alessia could scarcely believe what she was seeing.

Teagan was somersaulting and tumbling about the floor like a court jester while a child clapped his hands in a happy rhythm.  Isolde looked down at the child with tired and sorrowful eyes.  This was not the idyllic picture of a family, something was definitely wrong.  Alessia, her companions, and the knights approached slowly.

"Teagan?" Alessia called out tentatively, "Teagan, are you alright?"

The boy raised his eyes to meet hers and she could feel her blood turn to ice under his gaze, "What is it, Mother?  I cannot see it well enough."  His voice carried an echo, just like Duncan's and Dairren's in the fade.  Her heart sank at the sound of it.

'More demons to haunt my dreams,' she thought bitterly to herself.

Isolde's sad eyes never left the boy, "This is a woman, Connor, just like I am."

Connor chuckled darkly, "She's prettier than you, and younger.  I'm surprised you haven't ordered her executed, Mother."

Tears fell down the Arlessa's cheeks, "Please, Connor, don't do this…"

"Quiet!" Connor shouted at her before turning to Alessia, "Come closer.  So you are the one who has been spoiling all of my fun.  What do you want?"

Alessia stepped closer to the child, "I am here for Teagan," she looked at the Bann, who looked back at her with an unnerving grin plastered to his face, "and to find the source of the evil that has fallen over this town."

Connor smirked at her, "Uncle is safe, he has come to entertain me, haven't you, Uncle?"

Teagan grinned at the boy, "Marmalade!"

"As for your other purpose, well, I do not think you will be able to complete your task…"

Alessia narrowed her eyes at the child, "Release the child, demon.  Perhaps you might be able to slip back into the Fade with your life."

Connor laughed maniacally, "You are threatening me, mortal?  This child is mine, and through him I will send out armies to conquer your pathetic world!"

Isolde dropped to her knees in front of the child, "Connor!  Please, Connor, stop this!"

The boy's eyes glazed over for a moment and then he looked down at the Arlessa and spoke with a voice far more human than he had previously, "Mother? "  He looked around at everyone in the hall, "What is going on?"

Isolde began to sob and she threw her arms around Connor, "Oh, thank the Maker! My boy!"

Connor's face hardened and twisted with anger as he pushed his mother away, "Get off of me, fool woman!" Isolde fell backwards on her rear as the child turned to the guards behind him, "Kill them, they are ruining my fun!"

Alessia had barely drawn her sword when Teagan swung his blade at her.  She blocked his advance and placed her boot into his stomach, pushing him away.  The Bann was not dressed for battle and she did not want to gravely injure him.

"I sincerely apologize for this," she said as Teagan charged again.  While parrying his attack, she kneed him hard in the groin, making him buckle and double over.  She kneed him in the chin and sent him to the floor in a heap.  He was alive, but he wouldn't be getting back up for a while.

The attacking guards were not as lucky, the floor and walls were covered in splashes of blood by the time the last one fell.  Connor witnessed the scuffle and the glazed look came back to him.  He looked around for a few short moments before shaking his head violently and sprinting off away from the hall.

Groaning came from the floor; Alessia looked down to see Teagan trying to stand.  She offered her hand down to him, "Are you okay?  I didn't…permanently damage anything did I?"

Teagan grimaced as she helped him to his feet and slowly shook his head, "I will be fine.  I haven't had a woman knee me in the nether regions since, well, since I was your age" he looked at her and gave a small smile, "And I had it coming that time, too."

Isolde rushed over to Teagan, "Praise Andraste, you are safe! "

The look on Teagan's face quickly changed to frustration as grabbed Isolde by the shoulders, "Why didn't you tell us that it was Connor that did all this?  Why did you keep his magic a secret?"

Tears fell from Isolde's eyes, "Eamon would have sent Connor away!  I was trying to protect my son!"

Alistair looked around, "Where did Connor go?"

Zevran responded and pointed to the dimly lit corridor, "He went that way."

Teagan followed with his eyes, "That goes to the family quarters."

Isolde was wiping tears from her cheeks, "The real Connor shines through sometimes.  Violence scares him; he just wants to be where he feels safe."

"Or he could be laying another trap," the Antivan chuckled darkly.  Isolde stared daggers at the elf, but he merely shrugged and nonchalantly studied his blades.

Wynne stepped forward, "Alessia, as much as it pains me to say it, if that child is possessed, then we need to stop it."

Alistair turned to the elder mage, "You can't possibly be suggesting we kill him?"

Horror swept across the Arlessa's face, "No, please, it's not his fault!  It was that mage, Jowan!  He is to blame!"

Thoughts of Oren crept into Alessia's mind.  Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head, trying to banish them, "Teagan, I left Jowan in the dungeon.  He may be able to help us."

Alistair looked at her, "He is a maleficar. Do you really want to trust him?"

"I know what he is, but before we decide, I need to know if there is anything we can do.  Jowan seems to think that Connor tore the Veil on accident.  He may know a way to reverse it."  She furrowed her brow as she thought, "Can you and Teagan bring him up here?  I do not believe he will give you any trouble, but if he does, use your Templar training to bring him under control.  I would like to speak with him."

Alistair opened his mouth as if to argue, before promptly closing it.  He just looked at her for a long moment before turning to the Bann, motioning for him to walk with him.  The two men left the hall in the direction of the dungeons.

They returned a short time later, Jowan in tow.  The dark-haired mage cowered as Isolde glared at him.  Alessia stood between him and the Arlessa and began to address him, "Jowan, you think that Connor tore the Veil.  Do you know how we can fix this?"

Jowan stared at the floor and was silent for a few long moments.  He lifted his eyes to Alessia's, "If the demon approached Connor in the Fade, then, in theory, another mage could confront it in the Fade and try to destroy it."

Hope glimmered in the Arlessa's eyes, "We can kill it without hurting my boy?"

"In theory, yes," Jowan continued, "It would usually take a lot of lyrium and several mages…" The mage paused and looked back at the floor, "But I can use blood magic to send someone into the Fade.  It would require a lot of blood from another person, all of it, in fact…"

Alistair clenched his fists, "Blood magic!  How can bringing more evil solve this?"

Jowan flinched, "I am merely presenting it as an option."

Isolde spoke up, "Let it be my blood."

Teagan looked at her in shock, "Isolde, no!  Eamon would never allow this!"

The Arlessa looked at him with somber eyes, "If I have to die so that Connor may live, I would do it gladly.  Eamon would understand…"

Everyone began talking at once.  Alistair and Teagan were trying to talk Isolde out of believing she had to sacrifice herself while Jowan and Wynne discussed the validity of Jowan's plan.  Everyone's words blended together and images of Oriana and Oren crumpled on the stone floor inched in from the edges of Alessia's thoughts.  She swayed on her feet slightly and felt a pair of gentle hands on her shoulders.

"Are you alright, Alessia?" Zevran whispered to her in Antivan.

She turned to look into his gold eyes and slowly nodded her head.  Turning back to the argument in front of her, she shouted, "Quiet!"  Everyone froze and stared at her.  Alessia turned to Ser Perth, "When some of the knights returned to Redcliffe, did they return with their horses?"

The knight nodded, "Yes, and a few of the horses have survived the attacks on the village."

"Good," she looked to Jowan, "Jowan, I appreciate your insight and your suggestions.  And Isolde, while volunteering your life is noble, I do not believe it is the best way to handle this."  She clasped her hands in front of her and continued, "Alistair, you and I are taking two of the knights' horses and we are riding to the Circle.  We are going to appeal to the First Enchanter for aid."

Teagan rubbed his brow with the back of his hand, "What of the rest of us?  There is no way of knowing how long this demon is going to remain dormant."

Alessia took a deep breath, "I know.  The rest of you will remain here and keep watch.  I will send Morrigan, Sten, and Leliana to the castle to assist you.  Wynne," she turned to the mage, "can you place a barrier over the doorway like you did in the tower?"

Wynne smiled softly, "Yes, but I am not sure how long I would be able to hold it."

Alessia nodded, "Morrigan should be able to help with that.  Perhaps the two of you can switch off."

"I can do that, too," Jowan spoke up, "I would like to help any way I can."

She smiled at the blood mage, "Thank you, Jowan."

Alistair pinched the bridge of his nose, "I hope this works."

Alessia looked up at him, "As do I.  Now come on, we have a hard ride ahead."