Royal Palace, Denerim - 9:31 Dragon
{ Starter for @blightcdâ - âLoghainâ }
 Outside the palace, the wind whistled and howled through the narrow streets. The rain poured from the sky in relentless, heavy sheets - but none of those sounds could soak through the thick stone walls. No, oppressive silence hung very heavy in the small, windowless room, save for the soft crackling of the fire and the muted, raspy sounds of a manâs breathing.
 Elissa Cousland sat in a chair next to his bedside, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, and her chin resting against her clutched hands as she watched Loghainâs chest rise and fall. Even her friends who still held her dear and supported her choice thought her a bit mad for choosing to forsake rest in favor of this. Memories of her own Joining had driven her, or so she told herself. She hadnât had to wake from those nightmares alone - she would not let him do so either.  For a short few hours at least, this bedside vigil had given her a twisted sort of reprieve from the death and chaos thatâd been forced on all of them by the Blight. Nothing else existed outside of this room, in these moments. Not until he woke. Not until the dawn broke and a host of new difficulties and challenges lay before them.
 Until dawn broke on the first day without Alistair...
 The thought drive a hot spike of pain into her chest, and she drew in a sharp breath through her nose, clenching her jaw tightly enough to hear it pop in an effort to choke back her grief. Heâd been her friend. Her brother. Her sweet, shining light that gave her hope everything could be alright in the end. And with a single choice, heâd turned on her like a rabid dog, unable and unwilling to listen to any reason.
 Now their numbers were no better off than theyâd been at the start. Exhaling with a shudder, she did her best to clear the overwhelming clouds of doubt and pain from her mind. It would serve no one, least of all herself, to get lost in them.  For now, all she could do was watch... wait... and pray to the Maker that sheâd made the right choice.


















