They checked the guard roster to find out that Donnic had the Lowtown patrol tonight. Dusk had just fallen, so the guards would have just begun their patrols, if they moved quickly they could possibly make it before anything horrid could happen.
"This could get you in even more trouble, are you sure you want to do this Avaline?"
"If Jeven is misusing his place, I have to know Hawke. If he is using his power and expending guardsmen I have to do something about it. I can't stand by and watch."
"Alright then Avaline, lets get to Lowtown and find guardsman Donnic."
We headed off for Lowtown as fast as our feet could carry us. It helped to have Avaline with us, her knowledge of the patrols helped exceedingly. We found him rather quickly, he was surrounded by several bandits and had been knocked to the ground. Avaline jumped on them before Varric and I even had a chance to draw our weapons, but seconds later we joined her in the fray. It didn't take long to dispatch the offenders, and Avaline ran to check on her fellow guardsman while Varric and I rifled through the satchel he had dropped. She could hear Avaline and Donnic carrying on a conversation, she was making sure he was alright, and he seemed to escape the ordeal mostly unscathed.
"Avaline, you should see this." I showed her the papers that had been in the satchel. They we're political papers, obvious evidence of missuse of power. Avaline was turning various shades of red as she sifted through them.
"Jeven will pay for this believe me. I will bring this to the Viscount first thing in the morning. Guardsman Donnic, do you need help back to the barracks?"
"No thank you Avaline, I think I can make it on my own. Thank you, all of you for your help."
With that he headed off in the direction of the keep, Avaline shouting after him to make sure he sought medical attention when he got there.
"Well, that certainly was an adventure." Varric spoke up for the first time in awhile. "Whats on the agenda now Hawke. After all that excitement I'm not sure I can sleep quite yet."
"I'm with Varric on this one Hawke, I don't think I could sleep after all this."
"Well, I do think I have a remedy for that. Anybody interested in meeting a dwarf named Anso about a stolen delivery? He's here in Lowtown so we wont have far to go."
There was a murmur of agreement from my companions, so we headed off to find Anso and see if we could help him with his little problem. Anso was a jumpy dwarf, having only been on the surface for a little while. He explained the situation, and we agreed to help him out. He said we could find the theifs in the alienage here in Lowtown. He wanted us to find the shipment, and nothing more. Avaline was not too keen on the idea of recovering stolen property, which was probably illegal anyway, but she still agreed to help. So, we headed off to do someone elses dirty work yet again, but the coin was good, and they needed it for the expedition so she wasn't about to turn it down. We made it to the hideout in the alienage and dispatched the men hidden there, but when we opened the chest that supposedly housed the stolen goods, it was empty. I was furious, I couldn't believe that we had just done all of that for a dead end. I could hear Varric and Avaline's noises of dischord behind her as she stormed out the door and back into the alienage. We were not prepaired for the ambush that awaited once we were outside. They seemed to yammer on, something about an elf, and killing anyone who exited the house. I thought it was a bit strange, but we managed to dispatch them without receiving any major injury. I couldn't believe that this many people were guarding an empty chest looking for an elf, but just as we were about to round the corner our path was cut off. He began to ramble on about something, calling for his leuitenant, but before we could clarify, a man bleeding extensively stumbled around the corner, and an elf stepped stepped over him and moved towards the capitan. I had to repress the gasp that had risen to my throat. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. His snow white hair that covered his eyes, which dispite the darkness of the area I could see where a beautiful shade of green; and those tatoo's. I had never seen someone so beautiful, if I could truly call a man beautiful. I had to shake myself out of my reverie, and barely had time to grasp his words, watching as his hand and arm began to glow and he shoved his fist straight through the slavers chest. I was shocked to see this, but tried to keep it from showing on my face. This elf was dangerous despite his appearances, or so he seemed and I couldn't be too careful for the sake of my companions. I couldn't help but marvel at the gravelly tone of his voice as he began to speak.
"My Apologies. When I contacted Anso about finding a worthy distraction for the slavers, I had no idea there would be so many of them." I pulled myself out of my revery in time to respond to his statement.
"They were here because of you?"
"Yes. My name is Fenris, and these men were employed by a Tevinter Magistrate, my former master, to return stolen property to him. Namely myself. They had laid a trap in hopes of catching me, and as unskilled as their methods were I was no match for them on my own. I can see now that Anso chose my help wisely."
"If slavers were truly trying to recapture you, I am glad we stepped in. They deserve everything they received for their actions." At this the elf, Fenris, smiled slightly.
"I haven't come acrossed many people who would profess to share in your sentiments. Most people are just out for the coin, which from your actions I can see you are not. Pardon my curiosity, but what was in the chest? The one the slavers were guarding." He seemed genuinely interested in knowing, and I hated to have to tell him.
"There was nothing in it when I arrived." The look on his face at those words was alomst heartbreaking, I couldn't stop myself from wondering what he had been hoping for.
"Ah, well I suppose it was too much to hope for." I couldn't stop myself from asking after this enigmatic statement.
"What were you hoping was in the chest?"
"Nothing, it was silly of me to hope. They used it to bait me into the open, that is all." I could tell from his tone I wouldn't be hearing what he was hoping for. So I tried a different tactic to get information out of him.
"If you needed help, you could have just asked you know...for my help. You didn't have to lie."
"I haven't decided if that is true or not yet." With that he stooped down and began to dig in the pack of the dead capitan, finding what he was looking for he stood up with a look of disgust on his face. "Its as I expected, my former master is here in the city. He accompanied these men on their mission to recapture me. I know it is a lot to ask, and you have questions of me, but I must find him before he flees the city. I could greatly use your help." He looked at all of us with a hopeful expression.
"I could never let slavers take another human being, its not right." I could hear the murmurs of approval from my companions, and I knew they were with me on this mission. As eager as I was to see slavers pay for their crimes.
"I will repay you someday, I swear it. My former maste will be staying at his mansion in Hightown, can you meet me there as soon as possible? I would hate for him to slip through my grasp now. We must enter before morning, or risk being seen."
"Of course, we will be right behind you Fenris."
With that we split up, planning to meet near the mansion in Hightown. We headed off in the opposite direction of the elf, warranting time for the three of us to speak on our journey acrossed Kirkwall. I turned to my companions intent on getting their imput.
"So Avaline, Varric, what do you think about all of this?" Avaline was the first to speak up.
"I'm with you Hawke, slavers deserve their fate for their crimes against humanity. We have to stop them before they can hurt more people. Fenris may have run away, but we have to help him reclaim his freedom, if we don't we are no better than they are."
"I agree with both of you," Vaiic chimed in. "Besides I'm getting tired of my old stories, and with an elf like this Fenris around, I have a feeling life won't be dull for long. He would make an excellent addition, what with his dashingly beautiful looks and warrior strenght, not to mention exotic glowing tattoos. I can definately work with that." He gave me a knowing look which I pointedly ignored.
"Well then lets get a move on, don't want to keep a magister waiting now do we?"
We crossed the remainder of Kirkwall quite quickly, and found Fenris waiting for them just up the steps to the Hightown estates. As we got closer I heard him speak.
"No one has left the estate, or entered it for that matter. All has been quiet, not even a sound from within. Denarius may suspect that I know he is here, and may very well be waiting for us. I wouldn't expect anything less from him."
"He may have secured the mansion with magical traps and defenses."
"That will not stop me from getting to him. Let's go."
With that they neared the magistrates mansion and readied themselves for what lay inside. They burst through the door of the too quiet mansion. I held up my hand, a sign that we should use caution. I silently crossed to the nearest door and gently pushed it open, but just as I was about to step forward into the next room I heard Varric hiss from behind me.
"Hawke, you're not going to want to do that. There's a trap on the floor right where you are about to step. Here let me take care of it for you."
I marvelled at Varric's abilities. I hadn't even seen the trap and he had just saved me from one nasty lecture from my sister when I would have to explain to her why she was reattatching my arm. I gave Varric a look of thanks, he smiled in return. I was amazed at how much could be said in just looks between the two of us. We had only known each other for 24 hours and we could already have silent conversations. It was a marvel indeed, my sister and I couldn't even pull that off very well. I pulled myself out of my reverie and stepped into the room. No sooner were we all in the room than it was overrun with Shades. Great, Shades, my favorite. I watched as my small group set on them like wild dogs, Fenris cleaving them clean in two with single presise swings of his greatsword. I was right to think that he was stronger than his small frame showed. They slashed their way through the seemingly neverending shade, and when the last one fell she heard Fenris yell.
"He sends spirits to fight in his stead, how typical." And then he seemed to address the walls of the mansion with his upraised voice. "Do you hear me Denarius, I'm coming for you, and no matter how many of your pets you send they cannot save you. You will fall by my hand Denarius, that much I promise you."
They fought their way through the remainder of the mansion. More shades and even a few rage demons standing in their way but they seemed to have no problems with them, none too major anyway. Once they found their way into the main hall of the mansion, they came across the heaviest population of the demons. They made it through without any major injury amazingly and once the last demon fell Fenris sprinted up the stairs to the door in the middle at the top. Finding it locked, Varric took a look at it and soon had it swinging open so they could enter. The minute the door opened an Arcane Horror appeared, and I had to groan internally. I was exhausted at this point, and I knew my companions were too. We had been fighting all day and now this. It was perfect (massive sarchasm here). It took awhile, most of their elfroot and stamina potions, and all of them working toghether but the massive demon finally fell. The minute it hit the floor Fenris tore through the door the demon had come from. Finding it empty he turned and spoke.
"He's...gone. I was truly hoping...ah well it doesn't matter I guess. Denarius must have left some valuables behind, its the best I can do for payment, feel free to take what you wish. I..need some air, I will meet you outside once you are finished." I could tell he was extremely dissapointed, and watched him as he walked out of the house slamming the door behind him. We picked through a few chest, not taking everything of value, leaving some for Fenris himself and walked outside to find him leaning against the side of the mansion entryway. He looked at me when I exited and I could see the anguish and anger in his face when he began to speak.
"I escaped Tevinter and all of its evil magic just to have it follow me and haunt my steps. It is etched into my soul, and my flesh and I cannot scratch it out. There is nothing good that magic hasn't spoiled, myself included, and I will fight it until my dying breath. But I am rambling, thank you for your assistance, I wouldn't have been able to do it alone. If you ever have need of me you can find me here, I owe you a debt and I will be at your disposal."
"You are welcome Fenris. However I hope you know that I do ally myself with the mages. My sister is one of them, and I do not wish to put either you nor her in a position of discomfort or danger. Do you think you will be able to work with her and not jepordize he or your safety and wellbeing?"
"I do not see where that will be a problem as of yet Hawke. And I apologize if I seem ungrateful, for there is nothing further from the truth. I hope you will be able to understand my distrust of mages and their magic, but I promise you that no harm will come of your sister or any ally you may have, I trust you and your judgment. Again thank you Hawke, if you ever need me you know where to look."
And with that we nodded our farewell and he retreated back into the mansion. I looked at my companions that we're left at my side and we all exchanged looks, equal to goodbyes and parted ways until the morning, having already made arrangements with Avaline to meet at the Keep in the morning. I stumbled off to Gamlen's absolutely exhausted, my mind wandering over the events of the day and evening. I caught myself remembering pieces of Fenris' speach and the way he shaded his eyes with his hair when he was talking, as though he was hiding from the world. I couldn't help but wonder at him and his story. I was intrigued by the elf, and needless to say (though I wouldn't admit it to myself) more than a little attracted to him. But those we're thought for a different time, now it was time to sleep. There would be pleanty of time to think tomorrow.