I'm really sorry about the wait. I had no idea what I wanted to do with this chapter for the longest time, so I eventually just went with the first thing that came to mind.

I don't know if I like it.

But here we are! Enjoy ze chaptah!

Avina

It feels as though the entire Keep is preparing for her child.

Nathaniel makes a cradle for her just a few weeks before the baby is meant to come. It's good; she wasn't sure where the babe was going to sleep until he did.

The servants help her prepare, and the entire time Anders drops hints that he thinks the baby should be named after him.

At this point, Avina is just ready for this to be over. She's more than eager to get the kid out and start living separate lives.

She misses sleeping on her stomach.

Daylen

Avina barely leaves her room anymore. At least that Daylen sees; but then again he's busy being arl of Amaranthine while fighting darkspawn.

She's gotten so large, her belly lifting the covers of her bed much higher than he would have thought. And though he rarely sees her out of bed, she has dark circles under her eyes.

He can't imagine it's fun or easy to sleep with that weight on her front.

Every time she groans, or gasps, or makes any sort of noise, the servants squeal and run about and worry that the baby will be arriving soon. Alas, the baby stays put, and everyone seems less excited every time it happens.

On one of the few occasions that he catches her around the castle, she is in the library, sitting in a chair before the fire, singing a soft song in Elvish as she strokes her mountain of a stomach.

She tells him she wants him to be the godfather. And he's so unbelievably touched by this that he can't help but say yes.

He hears her crying sometimes. He doesn't have to ask to know that she's missing the one who should be here with her.

Daylen wants to scream in frustration.

He'd been tricked.

Amaranthine had likely fallen before he'd arrived, and now... now he's here, while the Vigil is under attack.

Avina within.

He knows that if she was here, she would demand that they split up, half going to protect the Vigil, the other half remaining to clean out Amaranthine and save any innocents within.

But... he can't do that.

Call him selfish, but Avina is at the Keep at this moment, mostly unable to fight, with an army of darkspawn marching towards them. Maker forgive him, but he'd rather save her and his friends than the city.

He calls the retreat, and sets the city alight with a heavy heart.

The army is gathered, as strong as it can possibly be on such short notice.

The explosives are ready in the catapults. The archers wait in the tower.

Avina is up, and looks ready and capable to slaughter every single darkspawn that comes through the gates, but Daylen will not allow her to be in harms way. He places her in the towers with the archers; she'll help, and won't be in immediate danger.

Oghren, Nathaniel, and Velanna stand with him there, with the others scattered about the rest of the Keep.

If he dies this day, he'll be taking as many darkspawn with him as he can.

The front gates are the worst. Darkspawn of ever sort come pouring in there, childer grubs, hatchlings, hurlocks, genlocks, disciples. The come and come without stopping, and even the rain of arrows and magic do little to slow the army.

They manage to fight them to a stop, cutting off the attack from this direction.

Captain Garavel does not allow them to relax, however. "The Children are attacking the East Wall! Commander, we must aide them!"

Panting for breath, Daylen nods in understanding.

They charge to the East Wall.

It's only when Varel falls to an ogre that Daylen starts to truly worry.

Not one, not two... but three ogres storm the gates, charging straight for them.

The one in the middle heads straight for Daylen himself.

Before it stops, spasms wracking it's massive body as it unleashes a terrible scream. Then, it turns to it's comrade, smashing it's fist into the beast's skull.

Stunned, Daylen glances around him, wondering what could have possibly cause this ogre to turn on it's own kind... only to see Avina standing behind him, at the doors to the Keep's interior, her hand weeping blood.

Unwillingly, a smile tugs his lips.

Varel dies before Avina can reach him, and Daylen gestures wildly at her to get back to the towers. She refuses.

One by one they fall, but still more come. Too many for the few men left at the Vigil, and both Daylen and the Captain know this.

"The courtyard is overrun! We must fall back to hold the Keep's gates!"

"Right!" Daylen responds. "Everyone! Fall back!"

Just as the words leave his mouth, an armored ogre alpha crashes through the gates.

Daylen starts only a moment before he smirks. "Fire the catapults!" He bellows.

When it's over, Captain Garavel stands over the corpse of the burned and battered armored ogre in awe. "We've... we've won?"

Daylen holds a hand over his bleeding eye. "Yes."

He knows now that if he had not come, the Keep would have fallen without a doubt.

The captain nods. "The price was dear, but the Vigil holds. Varel... Varel would be proud."

A soldier runs up to them, out of breath with her short hair wild. "Captain! Commander! I've news! We know where the darkspawn came from! Their retreat left a trail even the greenest of recruits could follow."'

Daylen sighs. "We've got to do something about the Mother."

"We've seen you in action, Commander. You and your companions are an army all on your own."

A cry of pain cuts them off, and Daylen whirls around to see Avina, hunched over with a hand on her stomach.

Everyone rushes over to her, checking her for injuries. "Avina," Daylen says urgently. "Are you hurt?"

Avina shakes her head slowly. "I... I think..."

"What? Think what?"

"It's time, Commander," the Vigil's healer tells him. "The baby is coming now."

"Fuck."