I do not own any characters, places, items, or plots seen in Dragon Age 2.
About two weeks after they'd found Amilee, Garrett was ready to pull out his hair. The girl was a nuisance at best, weaseling her way into going to the Hanged Man with them for cards each night, wandering away when they were out in the city during the day, and waving him off every time he tried to convey his authority to her.
In the meantime, he was trying his best to scrape up this money for the expedition. He'd already gotten twenty-nine sovereigns, but with having to feed another person, it was taking more time than he'd thought to reach fifty. Thankfully, there were plenty of jobs to do and he'd left Gamlen's with two more. One was a brisk note from Athenril speaking about a contact in need of assistance, and another from Ser Thrask asking him to meet at some cave off the Wounded Coast. He gathered up Varric, and Anders, leaving Bethany to watch Amilee, and set out for the coast.
Turned out, there were mages holed up in the cave, trying to escape the templars. Garrett was needed to go in and convince the group to surrender peacefully as a neutral party. He ended up helping them escape, although he had to kill their leader who'd gone mad from blood magic, and came away with two more sovereigns from Thrask.
When they returned home, Gamlen was in a foul mood. "That bloody sprite has been climbing the walls since you left and refuses to sit still. Take her out of here! Give me some peace and quiet for a change!"
Bethany shrugged her shoulders when Garrett looked at her with disapproval. "The girl has a mind of her own, brother. I can't do much more than make sure where she is."
The girl in question jumped down from the rafter beams and gave him a cheeky grin. She had gained color and a little weight since they'd been feeding her. She must have been half starved when she'd been in Tevinter, something he didn't mind giving remedy to. Her hair was pulled to the side under her ear in a loose fashion and her new tunic had been cinched by a large belt to emphasize her… bosom and her thinness. Though she acted strange, she had a certain charm. No matter how angry she made him, he still felt a twinge of protectiveness for her, like he did for Bethany.
He brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I guess we have no choice then." He pointed at his sister. "We'll take her with us but make sure she stays close."
And after giving Gamlen reassurance that they wouldn't be back till the morning, they set out for the next job.
Meanwhile…
Amilee was going stir crazy. She could understand that Garrett was busy doing dangerous stuff, trying to make money for them. But she was getting tired of this place fast. And Gamlen was very gruff and obviously didn't approve of her being there, which he had no problem arguing with the others about.
She thought about just leaving. Getting on a boat somehow and going somewhere else. But she could only make out a few words so far and it wouldn't do her any good if she got on the wrong kind of boat to be sent right back to Tevinter. So she stayed.
One day, a week after she'd woken up, they'd taken her to stay for a few hours with their new friend Anders, who had actually been very nice to be around. After noticing her unease around him, he made a point to lighten her mood, showing her how to make a healing potion with an herb he called an elfroot, and making small magic tricks for her. He'd had a sweetness about him that attracted her, though at times when he didn't think she'd been watching, he'd had a look on his face so grave it made her heart ache. The buzz in her head continued when he was near as if he was different from other mages somehow. He never showed any signs of hostiliy, and by the end of the visit, she couldn't wait to return.
She hoped that she would get to see him again as they left Gamlen's. It was getting dark as they made their way to the Hanged Man. Upon entering she saw a familiar dwarf wave a hand at them near the back, Anders smirking in the seat next to him.
Everyone sat down and began talking and playing cards. Amilee sat off to the side trying to listen and watch. Varric would ruffle her hair or pull the ponytail every once in a while to let her know they knew she was there, and that was fine with her. Seeing them all content with each other was… heartwarming. It made her feel like somehow, she could belong with this ragtag group.
Anders was a bad player, which could be assumed by the way he looked miffed after every play. Garrett was reserved with his hands and Bethany didn't seem to care either way. Varric was a seasoned player, dealing out the cards and winning most hands with skill. Whatever game they were playing, it took twenty minutes per round, and after four rounds, they packed up the cards and headed out the door.
At the same time...
Damn if he wasn't smitten. He couldn't even play a decent hand of Wicked Grace, he was so focused on her. Amilee was a beautiful young woman and there was something about her that drew him in. Her eyes were the color of a clear blue lake in summer, her skin a clear cream kissed with a bit of tan from the sun, the spatter of freckles along her cheeks all the more endearing… Her hair was always pulled back in a strange fashion but it always framed her face perfectly. Her voice held a wisdom that didn't show in her face and none of them could tell how old she was.
When he'd first met her she'd seemed frightened, though after Garrett explained her origin, he couldn't blame her. He tried his best to make her more at ease, to show her that not all mages were as horrible as she'd witnessed. The first time she smiled, he was dazzled. He'd just taken a near dead elfroot that he'd potted and brought it back to life before her eyes and her face broke out in unabashed pleasure. When he'd shown her how to take the roots of the plant and make a healing potion with it, she had been attentive and quick to learn, repeating his actions efficiently. They had made five potions by the time Garrett returned from getting his grandparents will and she had been reluctant to leave.
He wasn't able to see her again until tonight. Maker help him, he knew he shouldn't be feeling this way. When it came to love, him and Justice had agreed it wasn't a distraction he needed. So he tried his best to find other things to occupy him. It wasn't working.
When they left the Hanged Man, he took up the rear, shadowing Amilee without looking overly protective. Just down the steps to the market place and there was the contact, a dwarf with his back facing to the group.
Garrett walked up slowly and spoke, "Are you Anso?"
The man cried out in alarm as he turned. "Sweet mother of partha! You can't just run up on someone like that. Are you the human Athenril told me about? The one looking for work?"
"Did you think I was going to attack you?"
"Oh, no no. Or I hope not anyhow. My apologies human. I haven't been on the surface very long. I keep thinking I'll fall up into that sky any minute."
Bethany said confused, "What a bizarre thing to be scared of."
Varric laughed, "Bartrand used to be like that. Got jumpy every time he stepped outside."
"But I digress. I need some help, rather badly in fact. Some product of mine has been… misplaced. The men who were supposed to deliver it decided not to. If you retrieve my property, I could reward you handsomely."
"Just what did these men steal?"
Laughing, Anso replied, "Did I say steal? I don't know if I would go that far. They seemed like perfectly reasonable smugglers, they smiled and everything. The goods are valuable however. And illegal. And my client wants them very, very badly. You know how these templars can be."
"You're smuggling lyrium to the templars?"
"Maker's breath! Between the Chantry, the Carta, and the Coterie…" Varric grumbled.
"Shh! By the paragons, not so loudly! My word, I'm not cut out for this. I should've taken that job sweeping stables like Mother insisted," Anso mumbled.
"Make it worth my time and I'll help you."
"Oh, I will. Or I'll try. The gentleman conduct there business at night in a little hovel in the alienage. If you have to kill them, then I guess it can't be avoided. But I'm sure they'll be reasonable."
With that, Garrett turned to the group to plan their next move.
Anders was less than pleased with the situation, but money was money and they needed it for the expedition. They decided to go ahead and get it over with.
Amilee's POV
The dwarf had seemed too nervous for Amilee's liking. When he'd spoken to the group, none of them seemed impressed by his explanations as far as she could tell. It was a job offer, it looked like, and once the others were finished talking they turned back to head towards where they lived.
She hoped they didn't plan on dropping her at the house again. Frankly, she was tired of being left behind and wanted to spend more time outside rather than cooped up.
When they passed the place she tensed up, waiting. But they continued on and she breathed a sigh of relief. A few more turns and steps and they had made their way to the elven alienage. She hadn't seen it yet, but knew by the tree and the offering tables with blue fire lamps that elves lived in this place. The buildings were worse than the neighborhood they lived in, boarded up windows, garbage along the sides and the smell of sewer filth in the air.
Her heart ached at the sight. Elves were fabled to be a part of nature in her world, at one with the trees and the earth. All the nature that was in this place was the tree, alive but certainly not thriving. The idea that the elves lived in a place like this was disheartening, to say the least. Distracted by her thoughts, she ran into Varric as they stopped. He turned and gave her an encouraging smile and then Garrett called her name softly.
She walked up to him and he pointed at a bench near the tree, indicating for her to sit. Then he motioned for her to stay and be quiet with his hands and the others followed him as he approached a building nearby.
Apprehension gripped her as they snuck inside, leaving her alone out by the tree. She prayed they would be alright, whatever they were doing.
Garrett's POV
When they entered the hovel, the first room was empty. Upon closer inspection, Varric had spotted a trap laid out in front of the door to the right and swiftly disabled it.
They then charged the door, three street thugs waiting with their weapons drawn. Garrett swung wide and knocked the three to the floor, giving the others time to come through as well.
Bethany stayed back giving cover fire as Anders moved alongside him using Spellsword, a gift he'd received from a friend back in Amaranthine. Back to back they fought, quickly subduing the attackers.
Bethany yelled out warning when four more thugs entered the place. He prayed Amilee hadn't been spotted. After dispatching them as well, they discovered the crate Anso's goods would have been in and checked it. It was empty, and no other valuable goods were in the place.
When he stated as such Varric lifted and dropped his arms in exasperation. "Waste of bloody time! Who put us up to this?"
Garrett shook his head, more worried about Amilee still outside, confounded. "I guess we have no choice but to go back to Anso and tell him."
When they exited the house, Garrett stopped in dismay.
At least ten men surrounded the building in full armor. One of them had Amilee by the arm, who was bound and gagged, screeching and writhing in their grasp.
"That's not the elf!" a female snapped, stepping forward. "Who is that?"
Anders shouted, "Let her go, bastards!"
The woman sneered and waved over to the girl in question. "And why would we do that? She has a handsome price on her head. A wanted criminal for killing a renowned magister and of all places she is here. This is turning out better than expected. Now, where's the elf?"
"What elf?" Bethany countered.
One of the men next to the woman leader replied, "It doesn't matter. We were told to kill whoever enters the house."
The hunter with Amilee dragged her away as the others closed in on Garrett and the rest of the group. Within minutes, the bodies of the assailants littered the ground, and Anders moved to go after Amilee. But when he reached the stairway out of the alienage, he was stopped by another hunter coming down the stairs.
Scowling, the man said, "I don't know who you are friend but you made a serious mistake coming here."
Garrett came to stand next to Anders and glared.
"Lieutenant, I want everyone in the clearing now!" the man ordered.
From behind him there was a short yelp and Amilee came dashing back down the stairs, running to hide behind Garrett. Anders took her in his arms briefly in a reassuring hug and pulled her behind him as well.
Following behind her was another hunter, who staggered as he choked out a response, "Captain!" He fell forward as blood gushed from a wound on his back.
A deep voice rang out, "Your men are dead and your trap has failed." It was an elf, calmly walking down the steps. "I suggest you run back to you master while you can."
The elf stood facing Garrett. He was tall, for an elf, with a brown jerkin with a steel plate attached to the front, sharp fingered gauntlets, and simple leggings. But what struck him as odd was the markings that ran along his arms and on his neck. They didn't look like ink, like the tattoos some sailors had.
Grabbing the elf by the shoulder, the captain snarled, "You're going nowhere, slave!"
The elf's right arm lit up and began to glow a bright, pale blue, a murky haze coming off the markings in small waves. He jerked around, grabbed the man and shoved his fist through the man's chest, then releasing him to fall to the ground dead.
"I am not a slave," he growled absently as he turned back to face the group.
Garrett stepped forward to face the newcomer.
"I apologize. "The elf stated. "When I asked Anso to provide a distraction for the hunters, I had no idea they'd be so numerous."
"You were responsible for this?" Garrett asked.
"I am the reason you're here, yes. My name is Fenris. Those men were Imperial bounty hunters seeking to recover a magister's lost property, namely myself. They were trying to lure me out into the open. Crude as their methods were, I could not face them alone. Thankfully, Anso chose wisely."
"If you couldn't fight them why not just run?"
"There comes a time when you must stop running. When you turn and face the tiger."
Garrett looked around and shook his head. "This seems a lot of effort to find one slave."
Fenris nodded, "It is."
"Does this have something to do with those markings?"
"Yes." He held up his arms to gaze at them as well. "I imagine I must look strange to you. I did not receive these markings by choice. Even so, they have served me well. Without them I would still be a slave."
Nodding solemnly, Garrett replied, "If they were really trying to recapture you, then I am happy I helped. Amilee here is no stranger to a magister's cruelties. Thank-you for saving her."
Fenris gazed at Amilee, who blushed from everyone's scrutiny. "You're welcome." He replied. "She wears a collar distinctive of a slave belonging to a well off magister…"
"Is that what it's for? It cannot be removed, from what we can tell."
Varric offered, "The letter that came with her mentioned she had killed the magister holding her captive. It seems to be why they were after her."
Fenris agreed with this. "It isn't rare for a magister to take on a human slave, if it's for a 'good' reason." He walked over and examined her neck without touching her.
Garrett frowned in concentration, then asked suddenly, "So you speak Arcanum?"
Surprised at the question, the elf nodded.
Amilee caught the word Arcanum and spoke to him, "You can understand me?"
"Yes."
"Thank. The. Maker." She stated, throwing her hands up, and grinning widely. "It has been so long since I've been able to talk to someone. Thank you for saving me…"
"You are quite welcome." He said simply. "May I see the collar?"
With a look of confusion, she pulled up her hair and he reached around to the back of her neck. His tattoos activated and he touched the catch that unlocked the device. With the sound of a click, the collar fell to the ground.
The girl squealed with delight, danced in place, picked up the collar, and chucked it across the clearing crying, "FUCK YOU!"
Everyone laughed quietly for a moment, except for the elf who only smirked. He then returned to speaking with Garrett, his voice grave, "We are not done yet."
He bent down to the captain's body and began to search the pockets for evidence. After finding a note and reading it, he stood up again. "It's as I thought. My former master accompanied him to the city. I know you have questions but I must confront him before he flees. I will need your help."
"What's going on?" Amilee asked. Fenris gave her a short recap and she smiled tentatively. "Garrett will help."
His mouth twitched again over the girl's confidence, as he waited for a response from the man himself.
"Let's do this."
"I will find a way to repay you, I swear it. The magister is staying at a mansion in northern Hightown." He spouted off an address. "Meet me there as soon as you can."
With that the elf left the way he came.
Amilee hoped up and down with excitement and Bethany shook her head, "Looks like we won't be getting any sleep tonight."
"Oh, sunshine, you know you'd be bored otherwise," Varric chided.
The mage giggled as they began their journey to Hightown.
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