Authors Note: So, I was struck by my muse to try something off the wall and crazy. I'm not sure if it works, but I'm going to give it a whirl. If you don't think it's a good idea I can always go back and change it. You'll know what I'm talking about halfway through the chapter.
Chapter 4
River and Isabella ran through the wilderness as fast as their legs would carry them. They were on borrowed time and they knew it. If the Templars were chasing Thad, it was only a matter of time before he was caught.
They spotted movement ahead and skidded to a halt, hiding behind a large flowering bush off the side of the path. Isabella looked at River and brought her finger to her lips signifying River to keep quiet. River rolled her eyes because she wasn't stupid and the act of subterfuge was not new to her.
They waited until the movement drew closer. River could make out two sets of footfalls; one heavily armored the other barely heard of the clanking of the heavy armor of the first. River's eyes widened when she spotted a man not much older than herself with golden brown hair and matching golden eyes. He was clad in silver armor with a long red skirt fashioned around his waist. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the symbol etched into his armor. Templar.
"Shit." Isabella swore beside her.
River glanced over at her companion. "What?" She whispered.
"That's Knight-Captain Cullen."
"I take it that's a bad thing."
Isabella shrugged. "For a Templar he's sweet, but he's nobody you want on your bad side."
River spotted the source of the second set of footfalls and her heart sank. It was Thad. He was unbound and walking behind the Templar with a strange look of curiosity on his face. He didn't look upset or hostile. She couldn't understand what she was seeing. Why was he going with this Templar? Didn't they all kill mages on sight?
Rage filled River quickly, pushing all logical thought from her mind. She reached into her boots and pulled out both of her daggers. That Templar was not taking Thad anywhere. He would have to get through her first. She jumped out from behind her bush and lunged for the Knight –Captain.
"River!" Thad shouted when he saw her.
River ignored Thad and did her best to slip her blade into the soft skin of his throat, her favorite kill spot, but the Templar was prepared. He stepped aside, throwing River off balance long enough for him to draw his sword and pull a large silver and red shield off his back.
"What in the name of Andraste are you doing woman?" The Templar asked as River regained her balance and turned to face the Templar.
"Shut your mouth you filthy Templar and release Thad this instant!" River spat.
Cullen regarded the Thad and looked back at River. "This boy will be taken to the Gallows."
River launched herself at him again, barely ducking under his shield as he swung it out to knock her back. She brought her dagger up and caught the metal of his chest plate hard enough it left a nice gash in it. Cullen stepped back and brought his shield up again, this time connecting with her chest, forcing out all the air in her lungs. She fell backwards, dropping her daggers in the process.
"River!" Thad yelled her name and tried to rush to her side only to be held back by Cullen. "Let me go!" he squirmed and tried to go to her despite the firm grip the Templar had on him.
River coughed and hacked until her body relearned how to breathe. She struggled to sit up and looked at the Templar and Thad. Her eyes darted to the grip the man had on Thad's shoulder and fury filled her once again. Like a demon, she jumped to her feet, grabbing her weapons in the process.
"Don't touch him, don't ever touch him!" River screamed.
Thad stopped squirming and tried to meet River's wild, hysterical silver eyes. He'd never seen her so worked up. He barely recognized her anymore. He had to stop her, or this Templar would surely kill her. She didn't stand a chance against that shield and sword with her two small daggers. Even if she used her magic all he would do is strip her of it in an instant.
"River, stop this." Thad said louder than he meant to. He could hear the fear in his voice. She looked at him, her eyes still filled with hatred and vengeance, but he continued. "Don't do this. This Templar isn't going to hurt me. He's taking me to a place where the other mages live. I'm tired of running. I can't do it anymore." I'm not as strong as you. He thought to himself, not wanting to say it out loud. She had yet to use any of her magic, so the Templar wouldn't know what she is.
River's posture stiffened and her eyes flickered to Cullen. She remained silent, but he could still tell she was ready to gut him.
As if sensing her intention, Cullen spoke up, removing his hand from his shoulder. Thad watched the tension in River's shoulder lessen considerably. "The boy speaks the truth. As long as he cooperates, he will not be harmed."
"Thad…I…" She stuttered, her eyes moist, "You're leaving me?"
He nodded. "It's for the best. I can't keep putting you in danger."
She took a step closer, a tear slipping down her right cheek. "I can't lose you. I'm supposed to protect you…"
Cullen stepped up beside Thad and held his forearm over his chest. "You have my word, my lady, that he will be safe, even if I have to protect him myself."
River looked at the templar and regarded him carefully. Thad was worried for a second she would fly off the handle again and start attacking, but she didn't. A second tear fell, followed by a third. She slumped to her knees and dropped the daggers on the ground.
Thad looked at the Templar and motioned with his hands that he wanted to go to River. The Templar nodded and let him go. Thad knelt beside the weeping River and draped his arm over her shoulders. "Listen to me, River. I know you take your job of guarding me and Dustin seriously, and I appreciate it, but I can't keep doing this. If there is a place where Mages belong where we don't have to run and hide from Templars, I'll gladly go. I'm not suited for a life on the run like you are." He gave her a squeeze, not liking how pliant she was. She should be scolding him and tell him how stupid he was being. "If you find a way to take us home, then come get me and I'll come back with you, but until then, I'm going with him."
She wiped away a few tears and looked at him. "Thad…I'm sorry."
"Don't be." He stood up and walked back to the Templar and gave him a nod, letting him know everything was good to go.
Darkness swelled around her. She could hear her pulse in her ears and her heart was beating rapidly. Everywhere she could feel darkness brushing against her skin, her mind. She couldn't brush it off, she couldn't find the light. Whispers echoed off the walls, sounds of scratching, hissing, and snarling. She brought her hands to cover her ears, to block out the sounds, but it did no good. She wasn't hearing with her ears, but her mind. She fumbled through the darkness, stumbling over debris in the walkway, rocks, and bundles of what felt like clothing and possibly even bodies to her bare, aching feet.
Light. She could see light ahead. Dim and blue, barely illuminating the dark passage in which she traveled, but bright enough to cause her eyes to water. She lowered her hands from her ears and picked up her arduously slow pace to almost a sprint. She needed that light, needed it to remain sane. She couldn't handle the darkness any longer.
Closer and closer she came to the light, her hopes igniting further with each step. She reached out to take the source of her hope. A small glowing rock. Her fingers brushed its surface only to have the light disappear.
River screamed.
A pair of large red eyes appeared in the sudden darkness, causing her to stumble backwards and fall. The large eyes came closer, a deep rumbling coming from the darkness. A pulse of air brushed across her face, stale and putrid. A loud roar echoed off the walls, terrible and frightening, forcing another terrified scream from her throat.
River thrashed on the cot, trying to get away from the hands that restrained her. She bucked and kicked, doing everything in her power to throw off her attacker.
"River!"
The voice made her pause. She realized her eyes were still closed and opened the slowly, not wanting to see the large, evil red eyes. Instead of red ones, she was meat with a pair of concerned warm brown eyes. She stopped struggling and relaxed her muscles. She remembered now. She was staying with Anders until they could find her a safer place to live. A week had passed since Thad left her. She took in a deep breath, thankful she wasn't being assaulted by the smell of decaying bodies and something far more vile and disgusting.
Anders removed his hands from her upper arms and brushed a strand of her red hair out of her eyes. He tucked it behind her ear and offered her a hesitant smile. "Bad dreams?"
River nodded and sat up slowly. She pinched the top of her nose between her forefinger and thumb. "I've had bad dreams before, but nothing like that."
Anders nodded at her grimly before turning and walking over to his medicine cabinet. He pulled out a small vile of liquid and offered it to her. She took it from her and looked at the contents. "It's for your nerves."
She nodded and drank the liquid, still wondering how he managed to make the medicine fruity and good tasting. It was better than any medicine she had in modern day.
Anders rubbed his hands together nervously as he paced back and forth in front of her cot. "Why didn't you tell me you were a Warden? I can't believe I didn't sense it before. It's so faint. It's barely noticeable even when you were thrashing about in your sleep." He turned back to face her.
River gave him big, question filled eyes. "A Warden? What's that?"
"What's that, you ask? How do you not know what that is? Why would you drink magic enhanced darkspawn blood and not know the possible outcome?" He asked, anger quickly filling his eyes.
River, not sure why Anders was upset, shook her head. "Darkspawn blood? What the hell are you talking about? I've never drank blood."
His skin took a sudden light blue hue and his eyes emitted a dangerous blue light. Not unlike the blue glow of the rock in her dream. She couldn't help her scared reaction. She jumped off the cot and stepped away from Anders in fear. "Anders…?"
He took a threatening step closer, pulling his staff off his back and holding it in his right hand. "You are nothing more than a viper placed here to deter us from our path!" Anders boomed in a voice that was not his own. It was deeper, more malign.
River could feel the pull of magic around him, sensing darkness in him that she hadn't sensed before. "Anders, what are you talking about? What path?"
He advanced towards her, his magic building when suddenly it disappeared along with the glowing eyes and aura. Anders fell to his knees, cradling his face in his hands. He let out a heart wrenching wail and Rivers was officially confused.
"Did I?" He paused. "Did I hurt you?"
"No."
He lifted his face from his hands and looked up at her. His eyes were filled with grief and regret. He didn't say anything. He just looked at her, searching her face for something. She didn't move, just stood there, unsure of what to make of his erratic behavior. She wanted to be scared of him, yet she was having a hard time doing so with the look he was giving her.
Anders rose to his feet and turned his back on her, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "I suppose I should explain."
River still stayed silent.
"Almost eight years ago I took a spirit of Justice into my body. He was trapped outside the Fade with nowhere to go but a slowly decaying body. He was my friend and I couldn't stand to watch him suffer. He would have perished if he remained without a host too long and Kristoff's body wasn't holding up very well. We spent many nights together talking about the plight of mages, how mistreated we are and came to a conclusion. I would play the willing host to Justice and he would help me with the mages plight. But, there was too much hatred in me. That hatred warped Justice into a being of Vengeance instead of Justice." He stopped to allow the information to sink in. "Justice comes out randomly and as the years go by I'm having a harder time keeping him under control. There are several times where there are lapses in my memory. He's uncontrollable and violent and will not hesitate to kill all those he thinks are a threat to him and me."
River finally found her voice. "So that was Justice I was just talking to. When your eyes were glowing and your body was encased in light?"
He nodded.
"And he would have hurt me had you not wrestled control from him?"
He nodded again.
"That is really messed up." She ran her fingers through her hair, not sure what to think about what she was told. She never would have believed him had she not seen "Justice" in the flesh. Yet again with her modern mind she also thought maybe he was perhaps Schizophrenic. Another idea hit her. Maybe all Schizophrenics were mages who were possessed in some what shape or form, like Anders. Now that was a weird possibility.
Anders turned to face her finally, searching her face once more for something, anything that would prove to himself that she was scared of him. She offered him a gentle smile and a pat on the arm. "Anders, I'm not scared of you. Sure, you scared the crap out of me with that little stunt, but I wasn't expecting it either and with my nightmare…" she trailed off, but found her voice again. "You did a favor for a friend. I can't fault you for that."
She was rewarded with a half smile. "You know, you're the second person to tell me that."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. Hawke's sister, Bethany said the same thing."
Feeling the need to change the subject, River moved back to the cot and sat down. "So, about this whole Warden thing…"
He nodded. "So, you never drank darkspawn blood or did a Joining?"
"Nope. No clue what a darkspawn is to be honest." River shook her head.
"Wow." He ran his fingers through his unbound hair. "So, if your story about being from the future is true, then by that point all of the Old Gods have been defeated."
"I'd assume so, yet again I'm not well educated. For all I know we were taught about it in school. I never finished because I was being chased by Templars."
"I know you've avoided talking about your home since the incident with Thad, but I think it needs to be told. Maybe I can help sort things out, maybe find a way to send you back. Two minds are better than one." Anders sat beside her.
River felt the familiar knotting of her stomach and the sting of tears, but she nodded. He was right. It was now or never. "Well, in my time, magic is different. Most mages only have one ability at their disposal. Take Thad for instance. He was able to move things with his mind. Another boy I traveled with could communicate with animals. Me, however am different. I'm like you. I can wield the elements, heal, put people to sleep and paralyze them with a thought. There is no such thing as the Fade for everybody else. According to Flemeth I still have the connection and that's why I dream of demons and spirits. And why I can wield magic as fiercely as I do. Templars are vicious people who hunt mages and kill them on sight. There is no parley or being taken to a place like the Gallows. There is only murder. It doesn't matter if you are a woman, child, mother, father or an infant." She explained.
Anders's hands clenched tightly at his sides, fury evident in his eyes and posture. River thought for a moment she was about to receive another visit from Justice. "What about your parents?"
"My mother was normal, no magical talent at all. I never knew my father. Mom always told me she met him at a bar one night, had a fling and I was the outcome. I probably got my magic from him. I know I don't look a thing like him. I'm almost the splitting image of my mother. Grey eyes and red hair. Mom told me my father had gold eyes and dark hair. I don't know if I act like him though, I was ripped from my mother at the age of twelve, forced to live on my own."
"If you don't mind, how old are you now?" Anders asked.
"Twenty-five." She replied. "Long enough that I'm so very tired of running. Surprisingly enough, this is the longest I've ever stayed in one place since I started running. I know you hate your situation and the situation between mages and templars, but to be perfectly honest, it's a lot safer and better here than my time."
He scoffed, but didn't say anything.
River stood up. "I'm going to get some air. Care to join me?"
"No. I have a lot to think upon."
