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The Last of the Couslands	By : MistressofMagic Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 4401 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Bioware and EA own everything associated with the Dragon Age universe. I am making no money off of this fan fiction.

Chapter List
- 58
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Chapter 58
The Battle for Fereldan
Bridget opened her eyes slowly the next morning, having to squint in the darkness as the candle had burned out. She knew the time must've been well before sunrise…for the entire room was encompassed in darkness. Bridget took a deep breath, and wondered briefly how many times she would breathe that day before drawing her last breath. She felt Alistair's arm securely holding onto her, as it was draped over her waist. Bridget placed her hand atop his and threaded her fingers through his.
"Is it morning already?" she heard him mumble against her ear.
Bridget nodded.
"Barely…but yes." She replied softly.
She turned to look into his eyes and found herself somewhat comforted by his honey orbs.
Alistair swallowed.
"I guess it's time for us to save the world then…huh?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.
Bridget nodded. There was an unsaid fact lingering in the air…and that fact was one of them would die this day. Bridget made it her top priority to make it to the Arch Demon before Alistair did…if it came down to that. Although Riordan had assured them both that they should be fine…Bridget didn't have much faith in his confidence. Alistair moved his hand up to the side of Bridget's face, and cupped it.
"I love you, Bridget. I will always love you." He whispered.
Bridget leaned forward and kissed him deeply. She let her eyes flutter close and savored the moment. Although neither of them would say it…this kiss was a kiss goodbye. Bridget moved her mouth over Alistair's slowly and let her tongue slide against his one last time before she pulled back.
"And I love you, Alistair. Always." She replied.
Alistair embraced her tightly and stroked her long hair for a moment before sighing sadly and pulling away. Bridget swallowed and blinked a few times to regain her composure. She sat and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
"We need to make preparations."
Alistair nodded and stood as well. They both redressed and Bridget headed back to her room to dress in her armor. After splashing some water on her face, Bridget pulled on her leggings and cotton shirt and then strapped on her scale armor. She brushed her hair slowly as she shifted through memories in her head before twisting her hair back and pinning it in place. She eyed her journal sitting on the side of the desk and picked it up. Bridget opened the thick book and sifted through the pages, scanning over a few entries and chuckling softly to herself. She then pulled out the rose Alistair had given her, still just as fresh as the day he picked it. Bridget held the flower underneath her nose for a brief second and took a breath, smiling at the delightful smell of the flower. She placed it to the side and picked up the nearby quill. She dipped it into the ink and placed it to the blank page. Bridget's hand was still for a moment before she moved it and began to write what she intended to be her last entry. Nothing made a sound in her room save for the scratching of the quill tip against the parchment and the occasional snort from a still sleeping Zeus. Once Bridget finished writing, she placed the quill back in the bottle and closed her journal. She took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror one last time. The Darkspawn would not win this battle today, she just knew it. Although she would have to give her life in the process, she would make sure those horrid creatures scurried back to the Deep Roads. Bridget nodded at her reflection and stood. She was no longer scared, in fact, she was at peace. Fereldan would not fall to the hands of darkness. She promised herself that.
Bridget whistled for Zeus, who immediately poked up his head and was at her side. She exited her room to find Zevran standing in the hallway. He smiled and nodded at her.
"How do you fair on this day of battle my Warden?" he asked.
Bridget returned his smile.
"Not half bad, actually. Do you think you could do something for me, Zevran?" she asked.
Zevran nodded.
"Of course, what is it you need?"
Bridget thought a moment before answering.
"Can you round our party up? I want to say something to all of you before we join the rest of the armies." She stated.
Zevran gave her a slight bow.
"As you wish. I'll bring everyone to the library."
Bridget thanked him and headed off to the room in question. She was only there for a few minutes before Zevran returned with the rest of their party. Once everyone was in the room, Bridget closed the door and moved to stand in front of them. Bridget smiled at each of them and said,
"I just wanted to tell each of you before we got into the heat of things that…I consider myself one of the luckiest women in Thedas to have gotten to know each and every one of you. I am honored to call all of you my friends. As you all know I lost my family…but in all of you…I have gained another."
She turned to Morrigan who was at the front of the group. Bridget took her hands in hers and smiled at the baffled looking mage.
"Morrigan…although you and I may not have seen eye to eye on some things…I have the utmost respect for you and consider you the closest thing I could ever come to a sister. You are a strong and powerful mage and a wonderful friend. I know most of us probably got on your nerves more times than you can count but…I just want to thank you for sticking it out with us till the end."
Morrigan drew her brows together and looked extremely touched.
"I…growing up in the Wilds…I never had friends apart from the animals but you…you have shown me friendship despite how cold and cynical I am. You have shown me that there is good in this world apart from all the bad that I have seen. I too, am honored to call you a…friend…a sister, even."
Bridget gave her hands a light squeeze before dropping them and turning next to Leliana.
"Lel…if it weren't for your tales and songs, all of us I am quite sure would have gone mad with boredom. From the very beginning you proved to be a true friend. Through some of our most trying quests you have always kept a positive outlook, and your cooking goes without saying that you are skilled in other things than just spinning tales and throwing daggers. Thank you for everything you have done for us."
Leliana threw her arms around Bridget in a tight hug.
"You are most welcome, Bridget. I'm so glad you happened to stumble into that tavern in Lothering all those months ago! If you had not…I don't know where I would be today…but I am glad to say that I am with you."
Bridget hugged her back and then pulled away, turning her attention to Zevran who crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows.
"And what does the lovely Warden have to say about me?" he asked.
Bridget grinned.
"Zevran, all I can say is that I am so glad that I didn't kill you the first time we met. You have proven to be one of the best friends I have ever had. With your remarks and flirtatious demeanor, there is never a dull moment with you around. Thank you for staying with us even after we helped you kill Taliesin."
Zevran took Bridget's hand and pulled it to his lips.
"You are welcome my beautiful fire cracker. Say, when this dragon is slain and we begin to celebrate…why not reward me with a glimpse of that bountiful bosom of yours, eh?"
Bridget rolled her eyes and chuckled before turning to Wynne. As she began to thank the mage for all of her help, Alistair kept his eyes on her. Even with the impending battle drawing closer with each passing moment, she still managed to keep calm. Alistair looked down at his feet and frowned. He knew how much she wanted to join her family…especially now…but he couldn't allow her to sacrifice herself today. He just couldn't. Alistair didn't hear Bridget finish speaking with Oghren and was a little surprised when his head lifted up. Bridget had placed her fingertips underneath his chin so that she could look into his eyes.
"All I have to say to you, you already know, Alistair. You know that I love you still despite recent events. I just want to say thank you for always being by my side…and for helping me unite all of Fereldan to stand with us today. I have no doubt in my mind that you will become one of the strongest kings in Fereldan's history. You will lead the entire nation to prosperity…I have no doubt. I love you, Alistair Theirin."
Alistair drew his brows together and cupped the side of her face. He was about to say something before the nearby door opened and Eamon poked his head in the room.
"Ah Alistair, there you are. Do you have a moment? There is...something I would like to discuss with you."
Alistair turned back to Bridget for a second before he drew his brows together and nodded. He slowly pulled away and followed Eamon out. Bridget stared after them for a moment as her other friends began to exit the room. She found it odd that Eamon had not thrown a fit at the fact that she and Alistair were so close…since he hadn't known about what nearly happened back at Redcliffe or what occurred the previous night. Perhaps he had too much on his mind to even realize it. Bridget was about to leave as well before she noticed that Morrigan still remained in the room. Bridget furrowed her brow. She had never seen Morrigan look quite this troubled by something. The mage looked to be at war with herself, but over what?
"Morrigan…is everything alright?" Bridget asked softly.
The mage lifted her gaze and stared at her friend for a long moment. She sighed and shook her head.
"No…I…I have to tell you something." She whispered.
Morrigan moved to sit on the nearby loveseat. Bridget copied her actions and sat next to her. Morrigan closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I'm afraid that once I tell you this you will hate me…and that is the last thing that I want. I…as I said before you are my only friend, Bridget…and I don't want anything to take that away…"
Bridget drew her brows together.
"Whatever you have to say Morrigan, I will listen. I won't judge you and I certainly won't hate you. What's wrong?"
Morrigan turned and looked at her.
"I know why a Grey Warden must slay the Arch Demon…and I know that it would come down to you…you have to understand Bridget that I didn't want to lose you, not to the hands of that monster! So I…I knew of a way that could ensure yours and Alistair's survival if one of you kills it."
Bridget's eyes widened.
"You…you have a way that can prevent our deaths?" she asked softly.
Morrigan nodded.
"Yes…though it should be 'had a way'. It has already been done…but…how it happened will greatly upset you, I am sure."
Bridget looked confused, so Morrigan continued, turning her gaze back into her lap.
"The ritual required me to lie with a Grey Warden who had not had the Taint in their body for very long. From this I conceived a child…and the child will be the one to absorb the Arch Demon's essence when it falls."
She paused for a moment to let her words sink in before continuing.
"As you know, Riordan has been a Grey Warden for some time…but Alistair has not. I…told him about this last night and he refused to go through with it…but I slipped him a potion to fuddle his memory…and then I transformed into you so he would think that he was lying with you instead of me…and now I am carrying his child. I didn't want to approach you with this because I know that pregnancy is a sensitive topic where you two are concerned but…I couldn't let you die today, Bridget…not when I had the option to prevent it."
Morrigan closed her eyes, expecting a slap or for Bridget to break down or blow up next to her…so she was rather surprised when she felt her arms around her.
Bridget hugged Morrigan tightly as she felt a few tears fall from her eyes.
"Thank you so much." She whispered.
Morrigan, still shocked, slowly moved her arms and patted Bridget on her back. Bridget pulled away and stared at Morrigan.
"Morrigan…I was so scared that I might die today. I told myself over and over again not to be, that I could be with my parents again…but the thought of never seeing Alistair or the rest of you…I couldn't bear it."
Morrigan nodded and gave her a small smile.
"I am glad that I could help, then." She replied.
Bridget sighed and looked down into her lap.
"Though just because I live doesn't mean that Alistair and I have any hope of being together again."
Morrigan shook her head.
"I am not so sure. If you do slay the Arch Demon…you will be 'seemingly' dead for a few hours, perhaps less. I believe thinking that you had died and are now back to life, Alistair will realize that he can't live without you."
Bridget looked at her.
"Does he have any memory of the ritual?" she asked.
Morrigan shook her head.
"No…he shouldn't. The potion I gave him was supposed to wipe his memory of that completely…or make him think it was all a dream. Given that he isn't the brightest flame to begin with, he shouldn't have any recollection that I even approached him with this matter."
Bridget nodded.
"And what about you and the child?" she asked.
Morrigan was quiet for a moment before replying,
"After the battle I will disappear from here…and I ask that you do not seek me out. Alistair shouldn't remember anything…but on the off chance he does, you must persuade him to leave me and the child be. I can tell you now no matter how hard he may try to find us, he will not succeed."
Bridget took a moment to process everything before she looked at Morrigan again, hope shining in her eyes.
"Morrigan…is there a way you could help me conceive? Is there anything in Flemeth's Grimoire that could help Alistair and I have a baby?"
Morrigan drew her brows together and sighed.
"I am not sure. As you know, the Taint is like a slow poison…if you were to conceive, I do not know if the embryo would be able to sustain life within you. There are herbs that could be crushed to make potions that you could drink…but this is common knowledge to any mage. I'm afraid I can't help you any more in this matter than a mage from the Circle Tower can."
Bridget nodded and looked into her lap. Morrigan could tell that she was upset, so doing her best; she placed her hand on her shoulder.
"All is not lost though, Bridget. There are certain mages who only study pregnancy and fertility charms and potions. I believe it will happen…it will just take time."
Bridget looked at her and gave her a small smile.
"Thank you, Morrigan. You have done so much…I will respect your wishes and let you leave after the battle without any trouble."
Morrigan smiled and stood.
"Thank you…and I am glad that this did not cause a rift between us." She stated.
Bridget shook her head.
"Not at all. You have saved me and Alistair both, Morrigan. I can only be forever grateful to you."
Morrigan bowed her head as Bridget stood. They both exited the room together and joined the others down in the main hall.
xXx
Alistair followed Eamon into his office, dreading what the Arl could possibly have to say to him now. So many bad things were discussed while in Eamon's office before, so it was perfectly normal for Alistair to be wary of what the Arl had to say. Eamon closed the door behind him and walked over to his desk. He sat behind it and looked up at Alistair, a faint smile on his lips.
"You may sit." He stated.
Alistair did so, still wary. They were quiet for a few minutes before Eamon cleared his throat.
"I asked to speak with you, Alistair, because I must admit my mistake."
Alistair lifted his head and looked at him as his heart skipped a beat.
"Mistake?" he asked as he sat on the edge of his seat.
Eamon nodded.
"Yes. I realize now that I can't take Bridget away from you…you love her far too much. I am already placing the burden of running a country on your shoulders…I shouldn't take away the one thing that can help you cope with that. I was going to wait to tell you this…but I believe knowing this now instead of later will make you fight harder, fiercer, because you have something else to fight for. Once this Blight is over and after you are king…you may marry Bridget."
Alistair stared at Eamon for a brief second as he felt his heart soar…only to have it come to an abrupt halt. Yes he was thrilled, ecstatic even…but he was going to die today…what good was this news now when Death was breathing down the back of his neck? He couldn't let Eamon know this, however, for Eamon would probably tell Alistair that Bridget should sacrifice herself…and he wasn't going to allow that. He forced a large grin on his face and stood.
"You don't know how much that means to me, Eamon."
Eamon stood and nodded.
"I apologize for being so overbearing and prejudice before…it was foolish of me. Is there any room in your heart to forgive a stubborn old fool?" he asked.
Alistair nodded, seeing as how his forgiveness wouldn't mean much in a few hours anyway.
"Yes Eamon, I forgive you." He stated.
Eamon looked as if he were about to say something else when there was a knock at the door. Riordan poked his head through and said,
"We need to assemble the armies. They're coming." He stated grimly.
Eamon nodded. He stood quickly and exited the room as Alistair followed behind him. They made it into the main hall where all the other armies were already in formation and marching outside. He walked over towards Bridget who stood with the rest of their party. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile before following the other armies outside into the chilly air. They marched through the market place and towards Denerim's city gates. Once there, Bridget took to the front of the group and looked out at all of them.
"Friends, today is the day we take Fereldan back from the snares of the Darkspawn. They will not win this battle. We will stand together and fight, till the very last man! If we are all to die here today…then we can be at peace and know that we didn't just hand over Denerim to the Darkspawn, we won't go down without a fight! May we celebrate joyously in victory…or may we meet again at the Maker's side." She shouted.
The armies all shouted back and raised their arms and weapons. The elves quickly climbed up onto the nearby buildings and onto the walls surrounding the entrance. The dwarves marched off and headed towards the alienage along with the soldiers from Redcliffe who went off to the Market Place. Palace guards then marched into view, led by the young boy who helped Alistair and Zevran rescue Bridget from Fort Drakon.
"We will help defend Fereldan to the very last man!" he shouted.
Alistair grinned and nodded at him. Bridget turned to face the city gates. She withdrew her sword and shield as her heart pounded in her chest. She didn't need the elves' warning that the Darkspawn were approaching, as their stench had given them away. Lanaya stood at the top of one of the nearby building's and raised her hand.
"Ready arrows! Fire!" she screamed.
The elves released their arrows and watched as they rained down on the Darkspawn. Not many were affected, but a few were. The hundreds of ogres decided to fight back by throwing large boulders at the walls of the city, which they did…taking out a few of the elves as they did so. The Darkspawn horde busted through the crumbling walls, shouting their strangled battle cries and running forward to destroy everything in their path. Bridget took on a Hurlock alpha as Alistair was busy with a Genlock alpha. Morrigan thrust her staff to the ground and conjured a lightning storm. She struck a few of the ogres with blasts of electricity, and Zevran came to her aid since her back was vulnerable and took down any Darkspawn who tried to interfere with her spell. Wynne casts enchantments on the party's weapons to enhance their attacks. Leliana and Oghren were back to back as a wave of Genlocks rushed towards them. Zeus showed no mercy as he pounced on a Genlock Emissary and tore out it's jugular vein.
Bridget thrust her sword into a Hurlock and tore through it's flesh. As she pulled out her weapon a loud roar erupted through the battle cries. She looked up and saw the Arch Demon fly overhead, unleashing it's fire and burning down some of the buildings. Thankfully the elves that were atop those buildings were able to get to safety…at least some of them did. Bridget narrowed her eyes at the monster and watched as it flew over what she guessed was the Market Place to breathe more fire onto the soldiers and buildings that were placed there. The sky was black as thunder and lightning erupted against it. Bridget was able to tell that the Arch Demon flew off in the direction of Fort Drakon, just as Riordan had predicted. She turned her attention back to the battle and came to Wynne's aid as the mage had been surrounded by Hurlocks. Her arms ached from the force of swinging her blade and bashing with her shield. These creatures, in the presence of their master, were very tough to kill. Once she had taken care of those, Bridget looked around. Nearly every building was in flames, bodies of her allies and Darkspawn alike were strewn across the dirt as blood coated any and everything. For the moment, no more Darkspawn came through the main gate, Bridget took this brief moment to gather her friends around. Riordan ran up to her.
"The Arch Demon is at Fort Drakon just as I predicted. You must go through the Market Place and Alienage to get there, as you know. Take no more with you than three others, and leave some of your party behind to help the palace guards defend the gate."
With that, Riordan took off for the Market Place. Bridget turned to her friends who were covered in dirt and blood.
"This is it. Who's with me?"
Alistair, Morrigan, and Zevran stepped forward. Bridget nodded and turned to Oghren.
"I know full well that you can lead the men here, Oghren. Protect the walls at all cost and hold them for as long as you can."
Oghren gripped his axe and nodded.
"You got it, Warden." He stated.
Leliana kissed Zevran before running to catch up with Oghren who had already began to walk towards the palace guards. Wynne wished Bridget and the others luck as she went after them as well. Zeus whimpered slightly as he stared up at Bridget. She scratched his ears.
"Don't you worry about me, boy. I'll be fine." She stated.
He barked happily and bounded off after the others. Lanaya hurried towards her.
"What shall we do? Do you wish for us to remain here or go elsewhere?" she asked.
Bridget looked over the number of remaining elves and shook her head.
"How many have you lost?" she asked.
Lanaya looked down.
"About fifteen. We could split up the remainder if you wish and send the other half to help the mages hold the Fort…Gods know the monsters have probably gotten to them already." She stated.
Bridget nodded.
"Good idea. Split them up and send the others on ahead. We'll try and clear out the Market Place."
Lanaya nodded and turned to her troops and issued the order. Bridget turned back to her friends and nodded.
"Let's do this." She stated.
Bridget ran as fast as her feet would take her into the Market Place. Once there, she skidded to a halt. Three ogres were present, and the Redcliffe soldiers were doing all they could to hold them off. One ogre picked up a soldier and crushed him in his hand before biting off his head. Bridget gripped the hilt of her sword and rushed forward, taking on that ogre head on. She rolled out of the way as he reached for her and took that opportunity to climb up onto it's back. Bridget thrust her sword into the creature's head and jumped off of it as he crashed to the ground. She looked over her shoulder to see the soldiers from Redcliffe and the rest of her friends slay the last one before she turned to see another Darkspawn emerge, only this one was different from the rest.
Bridget could tell by his ornate armor that he must have had a very high rank and came to the realization that this Darkspawn was probably one of the generals that Riordan mentioned. The Darkspawn shook it's head and withdrew it's large axe.
"We will show you fear." His strangled voice whispered.
Bridget's eyes widened. In all of her travels she had never heard a Darkspawn actually speak before. She didn't think they were capable of speech…but this general certainly proved her wrong. Bridget charged for him but he dodged out of the way, fortunately into a fireball that Morrigan had just tossed. While he was preoccupied with that, Bridget ran for him again, and grazed his armor with the tip of her sword. The fire did not subdue the general long, however, and he was back to fighting within moments. More ogres burst into the area, roaring and beating their chests. The remaining soldiers took them on as did Alistair and Morrigan. Zevran remained behind to try and help Bridget with the general. He swung his axe and nearly landed a hit on Bridget's shoulder, but thanks to Zevran jumping in and blocking it, she was alright. Zevran continued to attack him, his quick arms dizzying the general and allowing the perfect distraction for Bridget. She was able to sneak up behind him and bash him with her shield hard enough where he was completely thrown to the ground. Bridget wasted no time and thrust her sword into its back while Zevran severed his head with a forceful slice from his daggers. The moment the general died, Bridget heard a devastating roar from the direction of Fort Drakon. She looked at Zevran and grinned.
"The Arch Demon felt his death! His defenses are beginning to weaken!" she exclaimed.
Zevran smiled.
"That is wonderful new-"
He didn't get to finish his sentence as Bridget had thrown him down and out of the way of an incoming crossbow bolt that she took in her shoulder. She winced and pulled it out quickly. Thankfully her armor took most of the blow and it only nipped a part of her skin…but she still felt blood rushing forward. Zevran helped her stand.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
Bridget nodded.
"Yeah, come on let's get the others." She stated.
For now the market place was quiet. Bridget regrouped with the rest of her friends and the soldiers from Redcliffe. They did good to only loose about five men and eagerly marched into the Alienage with Bridget and the others. Upon entering the Alienage, Shianni ran forward.
"You have to help us, the Darkspawn are trying to break down our gate, the dwarves have been able to hold them off so far, but if that gate falls they will no doubt swarm the homes!" she shouted frantically.
Bridget nodded.
"Stay back here and defend your homes, we'll stop the Darkspawn."
The rest of the group hurried forward and met up with the dwarves who were pushing up against the gate so that the Darkspawn wouldn't break through. Orvond, the dwarven commander, through his arms up in the air at the sight of Bridget and the others…
"Thank the Paragon's you finally showed up, Warden! It's all we could do to keep this gate closed."
Bridget nodded and looked at Morrigan.
"Light 'em up." She stated.
Morrigan stepped forward and grinned.
"My pleasure."
She thrust her staff to the ground and then waved it in the air in a circular motion.
"Call off your men in…three…two…"
Orvond whistled.
"Move yer asses let's go!"
The dwarves scattered away from the gate and just as they did so it gave way. The Darkspawn finally broke through but were greeted with a rush of flames in their faces. They screamed and cried as they fell to the ground, the flames eating away at their rotting flesh. Bridget and the others jumped over the bodies and threw themselves at the oncoming wave. The Redcliffe soldiers and the dwarves took on a nearby ogre alpha while Bridget and the rest of the party stopped the other, lesser, ranked Darkspawn. Morrigan was dueling with a Hurlock Emissary, shooting fire and lightning and dodging his swarm and entropy spells. Alistair bashed a Genlock with his shield and ducked as the next general swung his axe at him. Bridget rushed towards his aide and together they took on the general while Zevran and Morrigan kept the other Darkspawn at bay with the help from the dwarves and soldiers.
"One of you will fall at the feet of my master…and he will tear you limb from limb, rip you in half and consume your body. You pathetic humans have no hope on this day. We will ravage your land and kill every man, woman, and child that dare cross our path." The general snarled.
"Like hell you will!" Bridget growled.
She charged at him only for him to dodge out of the way. Alistair bashed him with his shield as Bridget dodged another swing of his axe. Bridget swung her blade and nearly hit Alistair.
"Where'd he go?" she shouted but received her answer just a few minutes later when she was thrown to the ground. Bridget winced as she landed on the stone walkway hard. She looked up to see the general atop her, raising his axe only to have Alistair yell and tackle him off and away from her. They wrestled a few minutes in the dirt and blood mixture before Alistair finally stabbed him in his chest. The general sputtered up blood and Bridget ran forward and sliced off his head as well. Once again another roar was heard in the distance as the Arch Demon was weakened by the loss of its last general. Bridget looked around to see the other Darkspawn in the area look up towards the cry of their master. The others took this opportunity to slay them and finally all the Darkspawn in the Alienage were vanquished. Bridget rubbed the side of her head where she landed before and winced. She shook her head and ignored the pain and looked at the others.
"Orvond, leave a few of your men behind in case more Darkspawn should come as well as a few Redcliffe soldiers. The rest of you, follow me."
Orvond nodded.
"You all heard the lady. Geralt, I want you and your squad to stay behind, the rest of you follow me…err the Warden!" he shouted.
Bridget ran forward and crossed the bridge linking the Alienage to the Palace District. Upon entering, she and the others ducked as the Arch Demon flew overhead, unleashing more fire on the buildings and the armies below. Bridget looked up then and saw Riordan standing atop one roof.
"What's he doing?" Alistair asked frantically.
Bridget gasped as Riordan jumped from the roof and landed on the back of the Arch Demon. Although it was hard to see, she could tell from the flashes of lightning that Riordan had indeed stabbed the Arch Demon! However, the only thing it seemed to accomplish was angering the great dragon even more so than it already was. It turned sharply in the air, casting Riordan off of its side. Bridget ran forward but it was too late, Riordan crashed into the stone ground, every bone within him shattering upon contact. Bridget and Alistair knelt by his side and looked at each other.
Alistair knew this would happen…he just knew it, and he already knew what was running through Bridget's mind. There was no way he could let her kill that monster…she could not sacrifice herself for him…he would not allow it. Bridget touched the side of Riordan's face and was shocked when his eyes turned to look at her.
"I…ack …s-orr…y…"
With that…Riordan slipped into the Maker's hands. Bridget closed her eyes as she rested her hand over Riordan's, sealing them shut forevermore. Although Morrigan told her earlier she wouldn't die…that didn't help with Bridget's nerves in the least. What happened if the ritual didn't work? Morrigan never did say it was completely guaranteed that they would survive…
Bridget shook her head. No. She wasn't going to dwell on this any longer. Her country, her people needed her, and she was sure as hell going to protect everyone she could. Bridget turned and drew her blade and shield, as did Alistair. They looked at each other and then turned to look at the nearby ogre alpha that stood atop the nearby stone steps throwing boulders down at the rest of the armies who had begun to defend themselves against the Darkspawn that were rushing in. Bridget gripped her sword.
"For Riordan!" she shouted.
She and Alistair ran forward and took on the alpha ogre head on. Although Bridget was beginning to feel herself tire earlier, having Riordan die in front of her made her call upon energy she didn't know she had. All the Darkspawn before her blade fell before they even had a chance of defending themselves. At the entrance to Fort Drakon's grounds, they were overwhelmed by Shrieks and several Genlock Emissaries. They also had some archers as well, and Bridget was nearly hit with another crossbow bolt before Zevran took care of the Darkspawn that shot it at her. Morrigan downed a lyrium potion and conjured a fierce blizzard that froze all the nearby Darkspawn and Shrieks in their place, making them much easier to kill. Once they were defeated the area was still and quiet before the Arch Demon roared again. Bridget stared up at Fort Drakon and swallowed.
"Let's go!" she shouted.
Just as she and the others entered the fort, a wave of Darkspawn swarmed into the district again. Orvond looked over his shoulder at her.
"You four go on ahead, we'll hold the district. Go slay that ugly son of a bitch!" he shouted.
Bridget nodded.
"Right, come on let's move!"
She and the others headed into the front grounds of Fort Drakon to find it covered with dead Darkspawn bodies. Morrigan smirked.
"Looks like the mages certainly did their part. My guess is they have joined the others at the top of the fort where the Arch Demon is." She stated.
Bridget nodded.
"Let's press on." She stated.
She led the others swiftly up the nearby steps and they slipped into the fort quietly. Bridget gasped and stopped in her tracks. Dead soldiers were spread out across the floor like crumbs. Zevran bent down to inspect one of them.
"These are the Fort's personal militia…I recognize this one from when Alistair and I broke in to rescue you." He stated.
Bridget looked around at all the dead bodies and noticed a few Chantry sisters as well. She shook her head and sighed.
"Those bastards…come on we can't afford to waste any time."
And so they began the long trek through the many floors of Fort Drakon, running into trouble every way they turned. Darkspawn were hidden throughout the fortress, but none of them lasted very long. Bridget was hit in the side with the hilt of a Genlock's axe at one point, but pressed forward anyway, despite the pain. At the last floor they were overrun by Darkspawn of all types, Genlocks, Hurlocks, alphas of both classes, and finally an ogre. Bridget and the others fought bravely, admirably, and showed no mercy to the sick and twisted creatures. Alistair kept a watchful eye over Bridget as she turned and dodged and attacked with the force of a hundred men. He thought back briefly to when he first met her back at Ostagar and had made the foolish mistake of almost underestimating her. He shook his head. She was really something else. Once the ogre and other Darkspawn were defeated, Bridget turned to her friends and took a deep breath.
"Once we step through these doors…there's no coming back. Good luck to each of you and please be careful." She stated.
She briefly glanced at Alistair and threw herself in his arms. Bridget kissed him deeply one final time before turning her back to him and throwing the doors open. She ran forward, yelling out at the top of her lungs as the others followed her.
They had finally made it to the top of the tower.
Bridget burst threw another doorway and ran out into the freezing rain that was now falling from the sky. She noticed Eamon, Teagan, Lanaya, and First Enchanter Irving were already here along with the other mages and a handful of elves. A nearby door flew open and Orvond and his troops rushed in followed by what remained of Eamon's men. The area was filled with Darkspawn, Shrikes, and a few ogres. But the one thing that Bridget was after was not present…at least for a brief moment. She looked up and saw the Arch Demon circling the top of the tower before it landed off in the nearby distance, the force of it's landing nearly throwing everyone nearby off of their feet. The Arch Demon roared and breathed fire.
"What's the plan?" Zevran asked.
Bridget scanned the battlefield for a moment before she noticed a ballistae positioned nearby and ready to fire. She pointed to it and turned to Zevran.
"Aim the ballistae at the Arch Demon, Morrigan will cover you. Alistair, you and I need to help the others with the Darkspawn swarm below. We'll have to go through a lot of them before we can get to the Arch Demon itself. Ready?"
Everyone nodded and took their positions. Zevran hurried over to the ballistae and pulled the lever. He watched gleefully as the large bolt flew across the battlefield and into the Arch Demon's side. The beast let out a wail and then swung it's tail in fury, instantly killing the five soldiers that were unlucky enough to be skewered on the tail's spikes. Morrigan snarled and conjured another lightning storm as Zevran pulled the lever once again. Bridget found herself fighting back to back with Eamon of all people, and found that the old man still had some spark left in him. Eamon was ruthlessly slaying Darkspawn left and right with his large sword, showing the filthy creatures no mercy what so ever. Irving was taking on a small army of Shades and Shrieks singlehandedly. Bridget was going to shout to Alistair to help the elder mage, but the man needed no help. With a simple wave of his hand, the Shades bursts into flames, and with a wave of his other hand, the Shrieks were frozen in place, and were then crushed by the large rock fist he sent flying at them. Bridget smiled slightly. Her hope was beginning to grow as she heard another devastating roar of pain from the Arch Demon. Just then, the Arch Demon took up into the air again and fired up some more soldiers and a few elves this time. The mages quickly rushed to their aid and doused the flames before anyone was severely injured…but then those three mages that did that were knocked off the side of the fort as an ogre rushed towards them. The Arch Demon landed on the other side of the rooftop then, making Zevran have to switch ballistae. Bridget ran to help Morrigan cover Zevran's flank as he maneuvered through the battle and towards the other ballistae. Once he made it, Morrigan nodded to Bridget.
"We should be fine now, thank you."
Bridget nodded and once again joined the battle below. She rushed to help Orvond who was about to come face to face, literally, with a Hurlock's axe. She bashed it with her shield and helped him stand.
"Thanks Warden!" he shouted and dove head first back into battle. Bridget kept her eye on Alistair and noted that he was not too far away from where she was currently standing. She looked back towards the Arch Demon to see that the mages were giving everything they had against the monster to avenge their fallen friends. Eamon's men were also slashing their swords through the beast's flesh and dodging as best as they could when he lifted a leg to stomp on them. With their attacks, plus Zevran's blow from the ballistae, the Arch Demon was weakening. Bridget could feel it. Bridget took a deep breath and swallowed as it roared out in pain. She sensed it…he was dying. It was now or never. Bridget looked over at Alistair and their eyes locked. He shook his head.
"Don't you dare!" he shouted and started running forward.
Bridget tore ahead of him and ran towards the dragon. She raised her sword and cut underneath it's belly as she ran beneath it. The Arch Demon roared out in pain again as Bridget climbed onto it's back. She ran forward trying to keep her balance as the Arch Demon was now wavering in place. She held her footing and gripped the hilt of her sword.
"For Fereldan!" she shouted.
Bridget thrust her sword into the Arch Demon's skull and continued to push it forward until it would not go any further.
Alistair watched in horror as she stabbed the beast repeatedly, over and over again until it gave one, final strangled roar before a tossing Bridget from it's head. A bright light burst through the area and shot all the way up into the sky. From the force of the kill, Alistair and the others were completely thrown to their feet.
Alistair winced as he slowly stood. He shook his head to get his vision back into focus. He looked around him to see the Darkspawn fleeing, and the others cheering, regrouping, holding their friends and loved ones close. Alistair's eyes widened as he turned to wear the corpse of the Arch Demon lay. While everyone else ran in the opposite direction, Alistair ran forward, his heart, his soul crumbling with each step. Alistair stopped and looked around him. He turned to see Bridget laying nearby and ran towards her.
"No…no…please Maker no…" he whispered as he fell beside her.
Alistair rolled her over and nearly choked on his tears. Blood covered her face, her body, Alistair ripped off her gauntlet and pressed his fingers to her wrist.
"Please don't be dead…please don't be…" he whispered as tears fell from his eyes.
There was no sign of a heartbeat against his fingertips. First Enchanter Irving rushed forward with one of his best healers who knelt beside him and placed his hands on Bridget's chest. His hands erupted in a blue glow as he ran them over the length of her body. Alistair watched, dazed, his mind glazed over in memories of himself and Bridget, when they first met, all their conversations, her acceptance of his rose, the first night they made love, and all the many times after. He thought of her smile, her touch, those beautiful blue eyes that he would never see again…and shook with his sobs. The mage drew his brows together and shook his head.
"She is gone." He whispered.
Zevran, who was now at Alistair's side swallowed the lump in the back of his throat as he felt his eyes fill with tears. Eamon drew his brows together as he stared down at Bridget's broken body and Alistair sobbing over it. He looked at Teagan who was looking at him with the same amount of shock filled in his eyes. Bridget, who had fought so bravely, so valiantly…was dead…
Morrigan kept her distance and watched as Alistair took Bridget into his arms and rocked her back and forth as his screams and cries filled the air. She kept inching back until she finally disappeared into the shadows…knowing full well that soon enough, everyone would be at peace. Alistair was heaving now from the force of his cries. Zevran put his hand on his shoulder and shook his head.
"I am so sorry, my friend." He sputtered out in the midst of his own tears.
Alistair swallowed and lifted Bridget into his arms. He stood and carried her away from the corpse of that damnable dragon and slowly made his way back through the Fort and Palace District. Through the Alienage, the elves that had emerged from their homes stood, shocked at the image of Alistair carrying their savior's lifeless corpse through their streets. Alistair saw nothing, heard nothing, he just kept walking. Zevran was at his side, as were Eamon, Teagan, Lanaya, Irving, and Orvond. Upon entering the Marketplace, Alistair noticed Oghren and the rest of their friends standing in the distance. Zeus turned and bounded towards him, barking happily, but skidded to a halt as his eyes landed on Bridget's body. Alistair stared at the dog briefly to see him put his ears down and slowly sit. He lifted his head and howled loudly. Leliana ran forward and threw herself into Zevran's arms before she realized that Alistair was carrying Bridget's lifeless body. She and Wynne both gasped, and Oghren stared up at them in disbelief.
"She's not dead…jus pulling our legs…right…right?" he asked slowly.
Alistair continued to walk forward, towards the Chantry. The sisters and brothers were beginning to exit the establishment to help those who were injured, but all of them stood, completely still as Alistair approached them.
"May I go to the Dead Hall and prepare her body for burial?" he asked softly.
The chantry sisters didn't bother wasting time with questions and nodded solemnly. Alistair walked past them and entered the Chantry. He turned and descended the steps nearby and entered the preparation room. He slowly walked to the stone slab and gently lowered Bridget's body to it. When he pulled away, her arm fell and dangled over the side of the table…as if to mock him and remind him that her body was just a lifeless shell now…empty of that beautiful soul he had fallen in love with. His lip trembled as he slowly moved her arm and placed it atop the table, running his thumb over her chilly hand. Alistair turned and grabbed a nearby towel and dipped it into the basin of water. He turned back to Bridget and placed the damp rag against her face and slowly began to wipe the blood away.
He swallowed.
"You know…Eamon was going to let us marry after all? He told me right before we left the estate…but it's too late…" Alistair whispered.
He cast his eyes back to Bridget's now clean face…but failed to note the slight color in her cheeks since he began to cry again. Alistair dropped to his knees and buried his face on her torso.
"Bridget you are my life, my soul! H-how can I live without you?"
He threaded his fingers through her hand.
"Please don't…don't leave me! Take another form! Become a swallow…a flower…a butterfly…something! But please…please don't leave me somewhere alone where I cannot find you…or any essence of you. Please my love…please!" he begged and sobbed.
Through his tears, Alistair didn't notice Bridget's face twitch, nor did he realize that her hand was beginning to return to its normal temperature. However, he thought he heard a thump in his ear and lifted his head. Alistair stilled his sobs and held his breath.
"Bridget…?" he whispered softly.
Alistair swallowed and watched in awe as she drew her brows together. He thought he would nearly pass out as Bridget's eyes slowly fluttered open. She took a deep, rasping breath and let it out slowly, and repeated that process a few times…as if learning how to breathe again. Alistair watched, his mouth gaping open as Bridget turned her gaze to him. She gave him a small smile.
"I guess we saved the world…huh?" she asked softly.
Alistair shook his head as a large grin broke out on his face. He took her in his arms and hugged her tightly.
"Oooh…not too tight my love…I think I have a few cracked ribs…" she stated.
Alistair immediately loosened his grip and pulled back to look at her. He cupped the side of her face and shook his head.
"But…I don't understand…h-how is this even possible?" he asked.
Bridget looked at him.
"Perhaps the Maker had something to do with it." She replied.
Alistair hiccupped on his sobs before he lowered his face to hers and kissed her deeply. He broke the kiss and stroked the side of her face.
"Eamon has given us permission to marry, Bridget. He told me so just this morning…" he said softly.
She raised her eyebrows.
"Well are you going to ask me?" she asked.
Alistair nodded and chuckled.
"Right, right…sorry." He replied.
He cleared his throat and looked into her icy blue eyes…eyes that he thought he would never get to look into again, eyes that were the very windows to her beautiful soul…a soul that had captured him from the very beginning…and a soul that would spend the rest of its existence entwined with his.
"Bridget Elizabeth Cousland…would you grant me the greatest honor and become my wife?" Alistair asked slowly.
Bridget tilted her head to the side.
"If you promise me one thing." She stated.
Alistair nodded.
"Anything, anything at all."
Bridget looked at him.
"If you are ever going to break up with me again, let it be for your own reasons and decisions and not because someone else tells you too." She stated.
Alistair chuckled.
"I promise…but you won't have to ever worry about that, my love." He said.
Bridget smiled.
"Good, because if you did ever break up with me again I would be forced to cut off your dangly bits and feed them to Zeus."
Alistair laughed, but quickly stopped when he noticed the serious look on her face.
"I'm not kidding." She stated.
Alistair cleared his throat uncomfortably and smiled.
"Noted…so…?"
Bridget sat up a bit and ran her finger down his nose and lips. She looked into his honey colored eyes and grinned.
"Yes, my love. I am yours forevermore." She whispered.
Alistair grinned and dipped his face to Bridget's again and kissed her deeply. He picked her up in his arms and hurried back up the stairs and out of the Chantry where their friends stood, still in tears.
"She's alive!" Alistair shouted.
Everyone turned and rushed towards them, wiping their eyes and giving them forceful hugs. Zeus nearly knocked everyone else over as he bounded towards his mistress, little nub tail wagging as fast as it would go. Bridget smiled and hugged everyone while Wynne healed her injuries. When Oghren walked up to her, Bridget tilted her head to the side.
"Oghren are you…are you crying?" she asked.
Oghren frowned and shook his head.
"No! I…I jus' got a hornet in my eye, that's all."
Bridget smiled at him. It wasn't hornet season. Wynne stood and smiled.
"That's all I can do for right now…but you should be fine." She stated.
Eamon and Teagan walked forward as Alistair helped Bridget stand to her feet. Eamon smiled at her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"I take it Alistair has told you the good news?"
Bridget smiled and nodded.
"Yes." She stated.
Eamon looked at her.
"Can you forgive an old fool?"
Bridget wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"If I did not…I would not be any better than the creatures we slaughtered her today." She said softly.
Eamon pulled away and placed his hand on the side of her face.
"Your father would be so proud of you, Bridget. I know he would."
Bridget nodded and settled her back against Alistair's chest. She and the rest of her friends turned towards the rising sun as the clouds finally dispersed. With the dawn of a new day, the Blight was over…and Fereldan was saved. She turned to Alistair and smiled up at him. Alistair caressed the side of her face and smiled.
"I can't wait till our wedding, my love." He whispered.
Bridget grinned.
"You have to become king first, my dear. And during that time…well…let's just say you're going to have the wits teased out of you until then…after all, I never properly gave you a punishment for breaking up with me in the first place."
Alistair groaned.
"Cruel, cruel woman…we'll have to fix that…"
Bridget chuckled as Alistair took her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Zevran and Leliana turned to each other and did the same. Wynne rested her head on Irving's shoulder, Eamon and Teagan smiled at each other, and Oghren turned to see Zeus staring at him.
"Don't even think about, gah!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Zeus licked the side of Oghren's face, as the others chuckled. Bridget looked up into the sky and closed her eyes, thanking the Maker, and Morrigan, for having things go in their favor for once…and for having the opportunity to see another day.
A/N: Whew! I am so sorry this took so long you guys, but as you can see it was a rather long chapter! Anyways, Fereldan is saved and everyone made it out alive! Woo! Now this isn't the last chapter, I still have a few more surprises left! As always, thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, and adding this story to your favorites and alerts! I'll try and have the next chapter up as soon as I can! :)
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The Last of the Couslands