Kira Cousland was drunk. No, not drunk; positively smashed.

After defending Redcliffe Village from the siege of the undead, the Grey Warden thought she had seen it all. She had, after all, slain darkspawn in the Wilds and at Ostagar. The undead had been unsettling at first, but had been relatively easy to kill. When they came across more walking corpses in the castle, she was unshaken.

Then she saw Connor.

The Arl's son was possessed. He was an abomination. Kira knew this, but when she looked at him, she saw little Oren. Connor couldn't have been much older than her nephew, she thought. She was not about to slay a child.

The blood mage they had found in the dungeon had suggested a ritual. He could send a mage into the Fade where they would meet the demon and free Connor. This ritual, however, would come with a heavy price: a sacrifice. The Arl's wife had offered herself up as the sacrifice, but Kira would not allow it. There had to be another way. They would seek the help of the Circle of Magi.

The Circle was only a day's travel around Lake Calenhad, but the party was weary. When Kira announced they would be camping for the night, her companions offered a simultaneous sigh of relief. Even the Qunari, Sten, seemed pleased at the prospect of rest. Kira had just finished tying down her tent when Leliana approached her, holding two bottles of wine.

"Kira, have some wine!" Leliana sang. "It's good!"

"Where did you get this?" Kira asked, eyebrows raised.

"From the barkeep at Redcliffe!" Leliana giggled. "I charmed three bottles out of him."

Before Kira could protest, Leliana shoved a bottle in her hand and scampered off toward Morrigan's tent in the distance. Kira snorted, and regarded the bottle in her hand. Maybe a little wine would help her keep her mind off of things… but she couldn't drink it alone.

She spotted Alistair playing fetch with her Mabari hound, Isaac, and went over to them. The hound abandoned Alistair immediately, and trotted over to his master, body quivering with excitement.

"Who's a good boy?" she cooed, scratching Isaac behind his ears. The hound groaned happily, and sprawled out on ground.

"You know, he's only Mr. Cute and Cuddly when you're around," Alistair laughed. "Although I think I might be growing on him."

"He's a pretty good judge of character," Kira said, smiling. "Leliana got some wine in Redcliffe. Want some?"

"Oooh, wine?" Alistair looked at the bottle. "And it's Orlesian wine? Lead the way, my lady."

The Grey Wardens sat down by the camp fire, taking turns with the bottle. Before long, the bottle was empty, and Kira was drunk. No, she was smashed. Kira had had wine before, of course, but never that much at once. She'd have been lying if she had said she didn't enjoy it the warm, fuzzy feeling spreading to her limbs.

Alistair had fared much better, having spent six months of hazing with the rest of the Grey Wardens. He'd have been lying if he had said he didn't enjoy his fellow Warden's reaction to Orlesian wine. She was giggly, and he loved the sound of her laugh. It was even better because she was laughing at his jokes, and he knew most of them were pretty terrible. Still, he'd take what he could get.

Alistair was in the middle of a particularly bad joke about darkspawn when Kira drunkenly turned to him.

"Has anyone ever told you how handsome you are?" she slurred.

"Um, no… not unless they wanted a favor," he stammered. "Well, there was this one time in Denerim, but those women were… not like you."

Kira cocked her head and smiled, but did not speak.

"Wait, is this your way of telling me you think I'm handsome?" Alistair raised an eyebrow.

"My lips are sealed," Kira replied, zipping a finger across her lips.

Alistair knew it was the wine talking, but he couldn't help himself.

"Oh, I see," he crooned. "I'll get it out of you yet. So… is this the part where I get to tell you the same?"

"Not if you don't think so," Kira replied, leaning toward him.

"Oh, I think so," Alistair whispered. "I'll just spring it on you when you least expect it."

Kira felt her cheeks burning. She was so close to him, she could almost feel him. All she had to do was lean just a little closer and…

"Hic!" Kira squeaked, slapping a hand across her mouth.

Alistair roared with laughter.

"I think you've had a little too much wine, my lady," he chuckled. "Here, I'll help you to you tent."

Kira walked unsteadily to her tent, Alistair holding the flaps open for her.

"You'll probably have a headache in the morning," he said. "Nothing a little elfroot won't fix, though."

Kira smiled, and disappeared into her tent.

Alistair sighed, rubbing his chin absentmindedly. He looked at his fellow Warden's tent once more. She'd forget the whole conversation by morning, he thought, as he drifted off to sleep.

Kira was up before he was the next morning. She greeted him with a smile and a plate of breakfast.

"I meant it, you know," she whispered, passing the plate to him.

Alistair's cheeks flushed.

Oh, it was going to be a good day.