Fenris took a deep breath as he followed Hawke into the Hanged Man. The blonde rogue had agreed to accompany him into the tavern to meet his sister, and Isabela and Varric were already waiting there. Hawke stopped by the bar and she nodded to Isabela. The pirate stood and joined the pair as they made their way towards one of the back tables, where, sure enough, there sat a lone elvhen woman, with red hair, dressed in commoners' clothing.
Fenris' heart beat faster now, his nerves getting the better of him. Hawke spared him a side-glance and he nodded, and stepped forward towards the table, attempting to gulp down the lump in his throat."Varania?" he asked, unsure of how even to greet this woman, for at first he had no memory of her, but she looked up in response to his voice, and she stood up. Her emerald eyes were identical to his own.
She had the same facial structure...he wondered how old she was, if, maybe they were even twins-"It really is you..." Her voice was solemn, but the underlying emotion was evident in her tone. She was about to cry, barely holding it together, while he stood before her, a shadow of the brother she once knew. "Leto..."Her voice, and that name that was so foreign to his ears, yet at the same time so familiar, brought back a memory.
"You shouldn't run in the courtyard, Leto! Master will be angry!"Fenris shook his head slightly, almost as if he was trying to get rid of the memory. A few more flooded back, briefly, of Varania, their mother, and their childhood. When they passed, Fenris spoke again.
"Sister?" The other elf nodded and he replied, "I...remember you. We used to play in our master's courtyard while mother worked...you called me..."
"Leto." Varania repeated. "That's your name."
"Should we leave you two alone?" Isabela asked. Fenris turned back to face his companions, who had been silent up until this point. Hawke shook her head at Isabela, indicating that it was a bad idea.
"No, please, don't go, Annabelle." he pleaded, looking into the sea blue eyes of the woman he loved. She sensed his panic and stepped forward, taking his hand, intertwining their fingers. Fenris was a little surprised, but her words put him at ease; "It's all right. I'm here for you, Fenris."
"You...have friends, here in Kirkwall? A lover?" Varania looked uncomfortable, almost like she was guilty of, or dreaded something."That isn't...a problem, is it, sister?" Fenris asked suspiciously as he raised a dark eyebrow.
Varania smiled nervously, raising her hand slightly to reveal a deep cut on her palm, and Fenris could smell death, and blood magic, all around him. His first instinct was to run, to get out of there and take Annabelle and anyone else he cared about with him. "Actually, I think...master will like this even better!" Varania said looked behind him only to find Hawke, Isabela, Varric, and everyone else in the tavern slumped where they had been standing or sitting, and he did not anticipate the blow to the head that knocked him down. He was out cold before he hit the he awoke the first thing he noticed was that he was already standing, or rather, hanging by his arms, his feet barely touching the ground. He opened his eyes as quickly as he could but his vision was still very blurry. His head was throbbing, and he could feel the power of his lyrium markings being drained. He knew right away this was Danarius' work. The chains binding his hands to the ceiling of wherever he was were infused with some kind of rune, rendering his markings pretty much useless.
"Venhedis, festa vas!" He growled. His vision began to return, and he was horrified at what he saw. Danarius, in all his horrifying, filthy Tevinter robes, circling three figures on the floor. Boxes and crates surrounded them, and he didn't have to wait until his vision was flawless to know what was going on here. Varania. That treacherous bitch! She had done this to him, and then he realized, to his horror, he wasn't the only victim of her treachery."Ah, good to see you are awake, my pet." That voice made Fenris' skin crawl. Memories of things Danarius had done...made him do, crept back into the elf's mind, and they were much unwanted. "I would not want my property damaged in the process of my reclaiming it."
Fenris' blood boiled, and his heart sank when he heard a muffled cry coming from the cluster of three, it sounded like an accusation, and there was no doubt who it was directed at, or who the voice belonged to."Aha, and the Champion has awakened as well. What a pity it would be to see her die." Danarius teased, approaching Fenris. His top armor was gone leaving him only in his trousers, and exposing most of his markings. Isabela and Varric were stirring now too, realizing they were gagged and their hands were bound tightly behind their backs. Hawke was the closest to Fenris and there were tears in her eyes now, as she realized their grave predicament."You wouldn't dare harm her!" Fenris roared, startling Varania, who stood next to one of the four guards standing watch in the warehouse. She looked down at the floorboards when Fenris scowled furiously at her.
Danarius chuckled cruelly and stopped at Annabelle's side, kneeling. Fenris' eyes widened, and Hawke's gaze flickered wildly towards her captor. "You see that, my dear?" the Magister asked Hawke as he tweaked her cheek. He pointed at Fenris, not taking his hand off Hawke, despite her cringing away from his touch."That is a fool, who puts others in danger for his own gain. Watch. He would see you and your little...crew, here... killed, if it meant he would be legally freed from servitude, forever, and never troubled again by his rightful master." Danarius spoke to Annabelle as if she were a child, the same way he would have spoken to Fenris when he was a slave.
The elf's stomach churned. This nightmare couldn't be real. But he didn't need to be pinched to realize that it was as real as the nose on his shook her head wildly, and she sobbed now, through the piece of cloth that prevented her from saying anything anybody in the warehouse could actually understand. If they died, if Hawke died, Fenris knew he would have to live with it for the rest of his life, and that would be a miserable life without her.
Fenris struggled against the chains that bound him, but to no avail, and when he gave up that struggle he looked at Annabelle apologetically. Danarius stood up and finally reached him. "You've got some decisions to make, my pet. Your freedom, or their lives. Which would you give up?" The magister spat in his face. Fenris looked Danarius in the eye and snarled fiercely. "Let. Them. Go." The magister laughed coldly in Fenris' face.
"As if you've ever given a damn about anyone but yourself. You've grown weak, my pet. Your newfound compassion for others, your love for Miss Blonde-Hair-Blue-Eyes, here? They'll only weigh you down more. Only hurt more when you're a slave. When you've got nobody left but your own miserable self. Really, I'd be doing you a favor, severing your bonds with these pathetic little scamps. But I'll leave their lives in your hands."
Danarius ran a hand down the elf's arm so softly it tickled, and Fenris began trembling. "Oh, what's the matter, pet, are you cold? Say the word, they die, you're free, and we can all move on. You can get a nice coat. I'll even pitch in enough coin to buy you one before I sail back on my merry way back to Minrathous. It's up to you."
Hawke finally managed to work her gag loose enough that she slid it out of her mouth with her tongue."Fenris...Aveline's guards will be looking for us!" She cried.
"Aye, shut up!" One of Danarius' guards shouted as he gagged her again, tighter this time.
"It matters not, Fenris. The guard captain is good, but not that good. She'll never make it in time to save them, and you will not be linked to their deaths. We can even give you enough coin to start a new life, in a new place...""SHUT UP!" Fenris cried so abruptly that Danarius nearly jumped, but instead he punched Fenris so hard he nearly broke his jaw. The elf suppressed a cry, and he looked past the man who had caused him so much pain and anguish, and he looked at Hawke's face. Her beautiful eyes. They were now full of tears and Isabela and Varric had stopped struggling against the cords binding their hands and feet and they looked to him. As much as he hated to admit it, Danarius was right. Their lives were in his hands. And he wasn't about to let any of them down.
"What will it be, Fenris? I haven't got all day."
Fenris didn't take his eyes off Annabelle, as he tried to convey strength to her through his gaze.
I'm here for you, Fenris. Maker, why was she so perfect? And now he had to be there for her, even if it was the last time. "Let them go, Danarius...I am yours."
"Splendid." A surprised Danarius chirped, and he gave the order for Hawke, Isabela and Varric to be led outside and released once they reached Hightown.
But the last phrase was not meant for Danarius, he recalled as they dragged him off to their wretched ship.