The top of Redcliffe Castle appeared over the trees. Alistair stopped and turned to me. "Look, can we talk for a moment?" he asked. He seemed a bit anxious. "I need to tell you something I, ah, should probably have told you earlier."

"I'm not going to like this, am I?"

He gave a nervous laugh. "I don't know." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down. "I doubt it. I've never liked it, that's for sure." He looked back up at me. "Let's see, how do I tell you this? We're almost at Redcliffe. Did I say how I know Arl Eamon, exactly?" We'd had a conversation about the Arl at some point on the road. I'd wanted to know about the man that Alistair had so highly regarded. Although, he didn't hold him in as high regard as Duncan.

"You said he raised you," I answered.

"I'm a bastard," he said suddenly, deciding to stop beating around the bush. The words rushed out of his mouth. "My mother was a serving girl at Redcliffe Castle and she died when I was born. Arl Eamon took me in and raised me before I was sent to the Chantry." He paused. Was Arl Eamon Alistair's father? "The reason he did that was because...," He started hesitating again. "Well, my father was King Maric."

I just know the surprise showed clearly on my face. And I hoped my jaw hadn't dropped all the way down. Grey Warden Alistair was really Prince Alistair Therin? No wonder he never gave me his surname.

"Which made Cailan my... half-brother, I suppose."

Somehow, I managed to find my voice. Alistair's revelation had thrown me for a loop. A prince!

"So...," I managed to say. "You're not just a bastard but a royal bastard?"

Alistair laughed, seemingly relieved I wasn't yelling at him. I had no right to really. "Yes, I guess it does at that. I should use that line more often. I... would have told you, but it never really meant anything to me. I was inconvenient, a possible threat to Cailan's rule and so they kept me a secret. I've never talked about it to anyone. Everyone who knew either resented for it or coddled me. Even Duncan kept me out of the fighting because of it. I didn't want you to know for as long as possible. I'm sorry."

Was that the reason Cailan had sent Alistair to the tower with me? To keep his brother out of the fighting? Did he have more faith in my skills then I thought he had? Had he even known Alistair was his brother? So many questions and the only ones who may have known the answers were dead.

"But you thought Arl Eamon might out you and I would be angry for not hearing it from you?"

"I guess you could say that..."

Then I thought of something else. Something that could prove to be a problem.

"Does Loghain know?"

"Why wouldn't he? He was King Maric's best friend. I don't know if that means anything, though. I certainly never considered the idea that it might ever be important."

Being the bastard child of a king whose legitimate son had just been slain leaving him the only living child of said king wasn't important? On second thought, had Cailan survived Ostagar there would be no reason for this knowledge to have been important.

"Arl Eamon eventually married a young woman from Orlais, despite all the problems it caused with the king so soon after the war. He loved her a great deal. Anyway, the new Arlessa resented the rumors which pegged me as the Arl's bastard. They weren't true but they existed. The Arl didn't care. But she did. So off I was packed to the nearest monastery at age ten. Just as well. The Arlessa made sure the castle wasn't a home to me by that point. She despised me."

Now that his true identity was out in the open, he thought I needed to hear the whole story. Or he was just letting his words run away with him. He tended to babble sometimes.

"Did she know the truth about you?"

"She may have, but I think it's more likely she feared the rumors might be true. I can't blame her for that. I remember I had an amulet with Andraste's holy symbol on it. The only thing I had of my mother's. I was so furious at being sent away, I tore it off and threw it at the wall... and it shattered." I could hear regret in his voice. "Stupid, stupid thing to do. The Arl came by the monastery a few times to see how I was but I was stubborn. I hated it there and blamed him for everything and eventually... he just stopped coming."

"You were young," I tried to reassure him.

"And raised by dogs. Or I might as well have been, the way I acted. Or maybe all young bastards act like that. I don't know."

"Better than being raised by wolves."

He chuckled. "I'm not going to live that down, am I?"

I gave him a sly smile. "Probably not."

"All I know, Realin, is that the Arl is a good man and well-loved by his people. He also was King Cailan's uncle."

"As you and Duncan have mentioned before." I wish he would quit saying that like we all didn't know already.

"So he also has a personal motivation to see Loghain pay for what he did. So there you have it. Now can we move on and I'll just pretend you still think I'm some... nobody that was too lucky to die with the rest of the Grey Wardens."

"And what does that make me?"

"Some nobody who was too lucky to die with the rest of the Grey Wardens. Welcome to the club." He turned and we made for the bridge into Redcliffe Village.

He didn't really think that, did he?

~~~

A young man met us on the bridge. "I... I thought I saw travelers coming down the road, though I scarcely believed it. Have you come to help us?"

"What do you mean?" Alistair asked. "Is there a problem?"

"So you... don't know? Has nobody out there heard?" The man seemed about to go into hysterics.

"We've heard Arl Eamon is sick," I said. "If that's what you mean?"

"He could be dead, for all we know! Nobody's heard from the castle in days!" He seemed to calm down a bit after he took a deep breath. "We're under attack. Monsters come out of the castle every night and attack until dawn. Everyone's been fighting... and dying."

"Apparently everyone seems to agree that a Blight is the perfect time to start killing each other," Morrigan said, her voice cool as always. "Marvelous, really."

"We've no army to defend us, no Arl, and no king to send help. So many are dead and those left are terrified they're next."

"Hold on," I knew Alistair wouldn't remain quiet in this. Redcliffe had been his home, even if not a warm one, once. "What is this evil that's attacking you?"

"I... I don't rightly know. I'm sorry. Nobody does. I should take you to Bann Teagan. He's all that's holding us together. He'll want to see you."

"Bann Teagan?" Alistair sounded surprised. "Arl Eamon's brother? He's here?"

"Yes. It's not far, if you'll come with me." The young man led us into the village, where we could see barricades erected in various places.

"This isn't much protection for these people," Sten commented. He was right. The barricades seemed to have been thrown up and put together hastily. But these people weren't warriors or soldiers. They were simple villagers. He led us into the Chantry and approached a man in simple armor and a sword and shield on his back. When he turned to us, he looked worn and exhausted.

"It's... Tomas, yes?" he asked. "Who are these people with you? They're obviously not simple travelers."

"What gave that away?" Sten asked. This was the most I'd heard the Qunari speak since leaving Lothering.

"No, my lord," Tomas said. "They just arrived and I thought you would want to see them."

"Well done, Tomas." He turned to us. No doubt we looked to be an odd bunch. A Dalish, a Templar, a dog, a Mage, a Qunari, and a Chantry Sister traveling together had to stand out to anyone. "Greetings, friends." His voice showed how weary he was. "My name is Teagan, Bann of Rainesfere, brother to the Arl."

"I remember you, Bann Teagan," Alistair said. "Though the last time we met, I was a lot younger and... covered in mud."

The image of a young Alistair covered head to toe in mud was quite a funny one. A slight smile played at my lips.

"Covered in mud?" Teagan seemed to be searching his memory. And it didn't take long to find the mud-covered boy there. "Alistair? It is you, is it?" Teagan's face brightened, the previous weariness gone for the moment. "You're alive! This is wonderful news!"

"Still alive, yes, though I'm just as surprised about that as you are, believe me."

"Indeed. Loghain would have us all believe all Grey Wardens died along with my nephew, amongst other things."

"Why? What has he said about us?" I asked. We never did hear what Loghain had said about the Wardens. Only the Commander calling us traitors and the refugees trying to kill us for a bounty.

"That Loghain pulled out his own men to save them. That Cailan risked the entire nation's safety in the name of glory. Loghain called the Grey Wardens traitors, murderers of the king. I don't believe it. It is the act of a desperate man." He turned his attention to me. "So... you're a Grey Warden as well? A pleasure to meet you. I wish it were under better circumstances. You're here to see my brother?"

"Yes."

"Unfortunately, that might be a problem. Eamon is gravely ill."

"We'd heard from one of the Arl's knights."

"No one has heard from the castle in days. No guards patrol the walls and no one has responded to my shouts. The attacks started a few nights ago. Evil... things... surged from the castle. We drove them back but many perished during the assault."

"What evil things are you talking about?"

"Some call them the walking dead."

I looked at him. I had dealings with walking corpses in the ruins.

"Decomposing corpses returning to life with a hunger for human flesh." The ones in the ruins didn't try to eat us, though. "They hit again the next night. Each night they come with greater numbers. With Cailan dead and Loghain starting a war over the throne, no one responds to my urgent calls for help." He seemed hopeless. "I have a feeling tonight's assault will be the worst yet. Alistair, I hate to ask, but I desperately need the help of you and your friends."

"It isn't just up to me," Alistair said. "Though the Grey Wardens don't stand much of a chance against Loghain without Arl Eamon."

"Which is why we're going to help," I said.

"How pointless," Morrigan said. "To help these villagers fight an impossible battle. One would think we had enough to contend with elsewhere."

"We destroy the walking corpses we have a better chance of finding out why they are here and if the Arl still lives," I argued. Alistair had a grateful look on his face. Obviously, he'd hoped I choose to help.

"Thank you!" Teagan said, relief in his voice. "Thank you, this... means more to me than you can guess." He was worried about his brother, I knew. I knew how he felt. I had a brother once. "Tomas, please tell Murdock what transpired. Then return to your post."

"Yes, my lord." Tomas left to do as he was commanded.

"Now then. There is much to do before night falls. I've put two men in charge of the defense outside. Murdock, the village mayor, is outside the Chantry. Ser Perth, one of Eamon's knights, is just up the cliff at the windmill watching the castle. You may discuss with them the preparations for the coming battle."

"Very well," I said.

"Luck be with you, my friends."

I had a feeling we were going to need it.