Jowan, Wills and Varel had returned tired but happy with their efforts of rebuilding the gates and walls of the city. Jameson was telling them where Marina was and why.
"How long have they been gone?" Jowan asked.
"About an hour, it would take roughly half that time for the trip there and back" Jameson explained.
Jowan nodded "well no need to worry just yet then" he put his hands behind his head.
Varel nodded "she is more than capable of taking care of herself" he opined.
The four men stood together companionably watching the general activity in front of them. At first they ignored the bird that was flying frantically towards them, when it transformed into Jenna before them they stepped back in surprise.
"Hurry" she gasped "the Commander had disappeared."
"What do you mean she has disappeared" Varel demanded.
"No time to explain, quickly follow me" she started running gesturing to them to follow her.
"Wills take charge" Varel yelled as he ran past him.
They came to the scene of the battle, the patrol had returned unable to find her and unsure of what to do were waiting for someone to give them direction. Jameson ran over barking questions at them while Varel spun trying to find some sign of where she might be. Jowan felt a hard tug on his finger and looked down at the ring that Marina had put there. They had never been apart for very long so he had forgotten about the legend. It tugged at him and he knew which way to go.
"This way" he yelled running through the copse of trees.
Varel and Jameson ran after him trying to keep up with his frantic pace. It was hard going as he kept changing directions following the rings urgent pulls. He started to slow as the tugging became fainter and a familiar voice slipped through his mind. He shook his head trying to clear it, it couldn't be he thought, he had beaten it, he was free.
"You are never free Jowan" its voice curled around his brain seductive, like a lovers embrace. "I can help you find her" it dug further in.
"No" he muttered.
"I can all it takes is just a drop of blood."
"No" his voice was a rasp.
"He is violating her Jowan, please let me help you" the voice was supplicating.
"Get out" he yelled.
"She is worth more to you than a silly principle is she not?" the voice was now demanding.
"She would never forgive me" he fought the temptation.
"She won't be alive to forgive. She is dying Jowan" it played to his greatest fear.
A glint of metal caught his eye and he saw with shock his knife in his hand. He didn't remember taking it out. He tried to drop it but his hand wouldn't obey.
"Use it Jowan, if not your blood then one of theirs" it was teasing now.
Blood rushed to his head and spots blurred his vision, he shook his head, the pounding of it filled his ears.
"So easy my love, one cut and you will be with her" the voice was getting stronger.
His mind was racing, the part that had protested was getting weaker and he was seeing sense in what the desire demon was telling him. One cut and he would be with her, he twirled the knife, just a little blood and she would be saved, he raised it in the air, the soft flesh of his hand beckoning to him. A sharp pain shot through his head and he collapsed forward to his knees a pained groan slipping out.
Jameson had been watching him, having worked closely with mages he had seen it before. He saw him struggling with the demon and had concentrated on closing the gap between them. He knew the powers of the ring on Jowan's finger and they needed him aware enough to let the ring guide them. Doing the only thing he could think of he picked up a piece of timber as he ran swinging it and letting it connect with Jowan's head.
Jowan was stumbling to his feet "Maker, I nearly… I was about to…" he was up and looking at the man who had saved him "thank you" he said humbly hanging his head. He pushed his hand to his wound quickly healing it.
"You can thank me later" he pointed to Jowan's hand "which way?"
Jowan got his bearings "this way" he panted.
They found themselves at a small hut nestled in the woods, seeing the fresh corpse lying on the doorstep they surmised that this one hadn't been abandoned. The three men looked at each other and quietly opened the door wincing as it creaked loudly. Sneaking through they barely avoided the piles of papers and rubbish that were collected there. Jowan walked into what looked like it should be a kitchen, opening the newly cleared cellar door they jumped nimbly down taking their weapons in hand.
Jowan tempered his steps not wanting to alert anyone to their presence. "I hope we're not too late" he muttered fearfully.
"If we are you're taking me with you into the fade so I can stab that demon multiple times" Jameson's voice was a low rumble.
"You and me both" Varel joined in.
They could hear a man's faint voice "you are mine now. They will never find you."
The sound of a muffled protest could be heard. They crept closer trying to see if he was alone.
"Hush… hush… I won't hurt you anymore. We will live here away from the madness, just us forever. A Templar protecting a mage just as the Maker wants" he was clearly insane.
A man was crouched down in front of Marina the moonlight shimmering over armour that was dented and grimy. His hand was stroking her face while his other hand was holding her shoulder so she couldn't move. Jowan moved forward preparing an attack.
Marina couldn't see them and in a desperate bid for freedom raised her hand trying to conjure a rock fist. A white light emanated from her captor and her mana drained as the cleanse area took effect. It reached Jowan's feet and he was left swaying helplessly. Jameson seeing this nodded to Varel, they raised their swords closing in on the crazed Templar. So intent on keeping his victim powerless he didn't hear the soft steps coming toward him and only knew a blinding pain as two swords plunged through his armour and into his back.
Jowan regained his senses and was dashing toward them, he stepped over the dead body making sure not to slip in the bloody pool that was forming. Pulling the cloth that had been stuffed in Marina's mouth out and uncorking a lyrium potion he tipped it gently into her mouth. He was looking her over for injuries and asking frantic questions becoming increasingly panicked when she didn't answer. Looking at her he saw that she was fully aware, her mouth kept moving but no noise came out. He took her in his arms murmuring words of comfort in her ear. Her trembling started to subside and gut wrenching sobs heaved out of her.
Varel and Jameson were crouching over the man they had just killed. Jameson stood and started kicking the body sharply.
"He's already dead" Varel pointed out.
"I know but if I had known it was him I would have prolonged it to cause him as much pain as possible" he growled.
This got Jowan's attention and he looked at the man who had nearly destroyed everything.
"Dawson" he grunted resisting the urge to get up and join Jameson in his kicking.
He stood and helped Marina to her feet, her legs sagged as they couldn't hold her weight so he swung her into his arms nestling her head against his chest.
After settling Marina in bed and thankfully getting her to speak he left the room to inform the others of the situation. They were waiting impatiently outside pacing around each other.
"Physically she is fine and with some rest will fully recover" Jowan announced.
They stopped pacing identical expressions of relief on their faces.
"What about mentally?" Varel asked noticing how Jowan had phrased his diagnosis.
"She is speaking again thank the Maker but as for lasting effects that remains to be see. But she is a strong woman and that will help her get through it. His being dead made her happy though" he said.
"His being dead makes us all happy" Jameson smirked.
Marina was up and about the next day much to Jowan's chagrin as he wanted her to rest more.
"Stop it Jowan, I am fine and there is still much to be done. Sitting in here moping does no good for anyone" she waved her hand impatiently at him.
He gave up and accompanied her to her office. She sat at her desk going over the strategy they had developed in case of attack. Her belief that the fighting would get to Redcliffe before them was now shaken when she had seen the arsenal from the day before. Not that it was there anymore, Wills had already taken guards and collected all the weapons bringing them back to the Keep's dwindling armoury.
She looked up and noticed Jowan staring at her worriedly. "Can you do something for me?"
"Anything" he leaned towards her.
"Go and find Wills and ask him to come and see me."
After he left she leaned back in her chair staring at the ceiling. Her mind went back to the previous nights events which made her shiver. She had faced overwhelming odds and thought she was going to die many times in her life but had always been able to fight back. Being trapped and powerless at the mercy of a madman was something she had never had to deal with before. Thank the Maker that her rescue had come when it did as she had been terrified of what Dawson was going to do to her.
"Commander?" Wills was standing in front of her desk.
"Did you find any reason for them to be there, any evidence of a planned attack" she queried.
"I didn't find anything like that it seems that they were a group of rogue Templars and the weapons they had collected were from people that they killed. We found… other things that we think were trophies" he looked grim.
"Trophies? Trophies of what?"
"Of kills Commander"
"You mean like armour, things like that?"
"No I mean fingers and teeth, things like that" he shuddered remembering the horror of what they found.
Marina's face went white, she knew that things were bad but what he described was too gruesome to even imagine.
"Thank the Maker we found them when we did then" she whispered.
"Indeed Commander" Wills appeared to be thinking "what should we do with the house? It seems… wrong to just leave it as it is."
"Burn it."
"Yes Commander" he turned smartly and walked out.
Jowan was looking for Jameson when he spied a huddled form shaking and sobbing, he walked over concerned to see someone so upset.
"Jenna?" he was crouching in front of her.
She looked up her face red and blotched from tears, loud hiccups were coming from her as she tried to calm down.
"What has made you so upset?" he held his finger under her chin to stop her from looking back down.
"I went to help with getting the weapons and things and…." her voice cracked as more weeping overcame her.
He waited patiently for her to regain some control.
"It was horrible, there was blood everywhere, skulls hung from the ceiling and there were other body parts around the room like… like decorations" she finished weakly.
He helped her to her feet and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.
"What makes people do things like that?" she was still hiccupping.
"I do not know, a question best left unanswered I think" he replied quietly.
She buried her head in his chest still crying, he was feeling very uncomfortable but seeing her need for comfort didn't have the heart to push her away. After a few minutes he grasped her gently by the shoulders and putting a few precious centimetres between them looked down on her kindly intending to say something comforting. She returned his gaze and misreading the look in his eyes planted her lips firmly against his.
"You bastard" Jameson was storming across to them murder in his eyes. Not heeding Jowan's protestations he punched him as hard as he could on the jaw.
Jowan fell hard to the ground his head ringing, he could hear Jenna's screams in the background as Jameson picked him up by his shirt hitting him again and then everything went black.
He awoke to the tingling of healing magic and Marina leaning over him worriedly. He rose to a sitting position and saw Jameson hovering nearby a sheepish look on his face. Jenna was nowhere to be seen and he blinked recalling what had led for him to be in this position.
"Maker, Marina it wasn't what it looked like" he exclaimed.
"Uh huh" she crossed her arms a mischievous look in her eye.
"It wasn't, I swear before the Maker I was just…" he stopped when he realised she was laughing.
"I know Jenna explained it. I just couldn't help myself" she chortled.
"You have a strange sense of humour woman" he grumbled good-naturedly.
"Sorry about that old chap" Jameson apologised awkwardly.
"You seem to take pleasure in hitting me lately" Jowan wasn't about to let it go easily.
"What other time did he hit you?"
The two men stared at each other remembering that Marina had no idea of some of the previous night's events.
"Well, I'll leave you to it then" Jameson walked rapidly away.
"Well?" Marina was staring at him.
He sighed taking her by the arm he led her to the little garden that they used as their sanctuary. He sat with her under the tree and told her about the desire demon that had nearly brought him down and how Jameson had saved him.
"I am sorry I should have told you but you had already gone through so much I didn't want to worry you further" he was staring at his hands waiting for her to speak.
When she didn't speak he mustered his courage "if you want me to leave I wouldn't blame you. I honestly thought I had beaten it but what if I do fall? I am dangerous" he finished miserably.
"I don't think so" she murmured.
"How do you come to that conclusion" he gave her a sidelong glance.
"How long have we been together, do you think?" she laid her hand on his.
"I don't know seven, maybe eight years" he saw her looking at him shocked "what? Time is funny in the wilds" he said defensively.
"True and close enough, anyway my point is I have seen you face many adverse things and not once did you turn back to blood magic."
"Yes but I nearly did this time and it takes only once for it to become a downhill slide" he pointed out.
"Jowan I love you and I will not let a demon take you" she said firmly.
"But what if…" he began.
"If we live our lives by what ifs imagine all the things that would never happen. We would all be too scared to leave our houses" she stood and helped him up. "Come on I need to find a certain young woman and make sure she is alright. Varel said she flew into a tree and won't come down" she laughed at the strangeness of their lives.