My party and I step into Lirene's Fereldan Imports and are greeted with a, "Well, what do you want, if you are sick or am in need of healing, you will have to wait in line," by who I am guessing was Lirene. "This is a cozy little place, isn't it," Avaline whispers under her breath. All the while my sister is looking around in awe at all the things she recognizes from Lothering. "Eion, look at all of this, it makes me miss home so much." "You know home is only through the market, down the stairs, and around the corner, right?" That earned me a punch in the arm and a look as if to say, you know what I meant.
As I walk up to the counter I state to Lirene, "I hear you know where I can find a Fereldan Gray Warden." "The only Fereldan Grey Warden I've heard of is sitting on the thrown. We're out of the Blights path now, why would you need a Warden?" she quickly retorts. "The healer was one of them once, wasn't he?",a patron quips in, "A Warden." "Well, he's not now," Lirene chimes back in, "and he is busy enough, without answering fool questions about it."
"Who are you protecting?" I ask, trying to get anything out of this woman. "You see what our people face in Kirkwall, they have no jobs, no money," she tries to explain, I nod, I know what it is like. I had to be sold into servitude just to get into the city. "This healer," she continues, "serves them without thought for coin. He's closed their wounds, delivered their children." Avaline looks skeptical, "And yet he needs to hide?" "He's a good man," Lirene shoots back; "I won't lose him to the blighted Templers!"
"You mean he's a mage?" I quickly ask. "Would I stick my neck out for some practicer of hindsbane and leeches?" she counters. "We would never turn someone over to the Templers, mistress," Bethany softly adds, "never." "He doesn't want to be locked up in the Gallows for the gifts that the Maker gave him." Lirene pleads with me. "Lirene, you healer is in no danger from me." "If this mage is an apostate," Avaline states," then the Templers will find him." Really Avaline, do you not want us to find him, I think to myself. If you continue to make comments like that Lirene will just throw us out without a second glance. "No mage should suffer for an accident of birth," Bethany whispers solemnly.
"I suppose it isn't my secret to keep," Lirene cuts in, "Anders has certainly been free enough with his services." So, we are going to be looking for a mage names Anders? "Refugees in Darktown know, to find the healer, look for the lit lantern. If you have need enough, Anders, will be within." Thank you," I say, "we won't trouble you any longer." I turn with my party and leave.
We don't take more than a few steps outside, before we are stopped my armed men. "Hey, we heard you in there," the leader accuses, "asking about the healer. We know what happens to mages in this town, and it ain't gonna happen to him." I take a step back, not wanting to start a fight, and put my hand up in surrender. I look for Bethany to say something, considering she is a mage. She rolls her eyes, but replies, "Look, we're Fereldans, just trying to keep out of the Templers sight, same as you." "But, Fereldans, you, your clothes, I figured you for a Kirkwaller for sure, sorry. Maker bless the rule of our king Alistair." He turns and walks off, not even glancing back. "Well," I address my party, " it looks as if we are going to Darktown." "Sweetheart, have you ever been to Darktown?" Varric questions with a curious look. "No," I answer quickly, "but you said that these maps would be helpful, and I need to get onto this expedition. No matter what. Besides, how bad can one Darktown mage be?"
Darktown in its self was bad, it almost made Lothering look clean, and that was saying something. Everything, people included, was covered in grime, dirt, dust, or a combination of the three. After seeing this, I was starting to doubt that one Darktown mage wasn't going to be trouble. Everyone here had this look about them that said; if you weren't always on your toes, you would be stabbed in the back, stripped of everything you owned, and dumped in some grimy back ally.
While walking through to the Anders' clinic I kept my eyes moving, watching for anyone who may cause trouble. Luckily, it didn't take long to get to the clinic. "This must be it," I blatantly state as I push open the door. I was greeted by a scene of the Anders using his magic to heal what seemed to be a dyeing boy. It wasn't much longer until the boy sat up and coughed. His mother, hugged him, looked gratefully at Anders, and picked her boy off the table to carry him out. Anders then turned around; looking quite drained and leaned against his staff. It didn't take more than a few seconds before he stiffened up, grabbed his staff while quickly turning around, and shouted "I have made this place a sanctum of healing and salvation, why do you threaten it?" "I'm just here to talk," I state in a soothing voice, trying to convince him of such. "We're interested in getting into the Deep Roads," of course Varric would get strait to business, "rumor has it that you were a warden, you know a way?" Anders stops threatening to blow off my head and straitens up, but he still looks suspicious of us. "Did the Wardens send you to take me back?" that would be why. "I'm not going; those bustards made me get rid of my cat. Poor Sir-Pounce-A-Lot, he hated the deep roads." I take a mental step back, and give him a funny look, "Wait a minute; you had a cat, named Sir-Pounce-A-Lot, in the Deep Roads?" I question. This seemed to help Anders relax some, "He was a gift, a noble beast. Almost got ripped in half by a Genlock once, he swatted the bugger on the nose, drew blood too. The blighted Wardens said he made me too soft, had to give him to a friend of mine in Amaranthine." I sigh, "Look, I'm part of an expedient into the Deep Roads, any information you have could say people's lives," I plead, trying to get something out of him. "I will die a happy man, if I never have to think about the blighted Deep Roads again," he sighs. "You can't imagine what I came through to get here, I'm not interested," he stops short, and crosses his arms.
"Although," he comes back with, and I do not like where this is going, "a favor for a favor, does that sound like a fair deal?" Of course, I think, but knowing me, something is bound to go wrong. "You help me, I'll help you." Just to be somewhat safe, "Let's be more specific, I don't do anything involving children, or animals." This at least brings out a small chuckle. "I have a Warden map of the depths in this area, but there's a price." Of course there is… "I came to Kirkwall to aid a friend, a mage. A prisoner in the wretched Gallows." I nod my head, silently asking him to go on. "The Templers learned of my plans to free him. Help me bring him safely past him, and you shall have your maps." I know, that I would want to do the same for my sister, "I will help you free you friend." Anders nods in thanks, but the rest of my party starts to shift uncomfortably behind me. "As just as his cause is," Bethany tries to reason, "it scares me, I don't want to give the Templers another reason to hunt us." I know, Bethany, everything will be fine," I answer back to her. I turn back to Anders, waiting of him to finish. "These are my terms, if you want my aid with you expedition, meet me at the Chantry tonight. I have sent word to Karl to be there, Maker willing, we will all leave free." I nod and turn to go outside to talk with the rest of my party.