The Champion and the Dalish

Chapter Seven

The White Wolf

The dark nights in Kirkwall were often the best time of day to meet with a shady dwarf merchant, as Isabela would say. Hawke would say it was also a great time to be mugged, stabbed and/or captured.

So needless to say Merrill was less than thrilled when Hawke told her this was the plan for today. She liked her late walks sure but namely when she safe and away from the streets that would namely spell misery for her. She and Isabela stood by the steps while Hawke and Varric were speaking with Anso, the dwarven merchant who was hiring him.

She had little dealings with dwarves back in the clan, as the small people were less fond of trees and mud than the humans, even merchants rarely dealt with the elves. She grew up with the stories of them though, that they had the largest underground empire that spread across the world, created the most beautiful of things.

Sadly all great empires fall to armies, namely the darkspawn. She still shuddered at the thought of the deep roads, why would anyone go there is beyond her. Surrounded by stone, cold murky paths, horrible monsters, and that's not just the darkspawn that are said to corrupt anything and anyone. Yet the lure of gold and riches is often stronger then common sense, so it's not so much of a surprise that Varric's brother would risk it.

Yet her biggest worry was for Hawke's safety. She watched the human speak with the dwarf, his friendly smiles and harmless jokes were visible to her as he negotiate the deal with the jumpy dwarf. She still couldn't get over that silly rumour among the dwarves about being sucked into the sky like that, talk about living under a rock.

'He's a charming fellow isn't he?'. She turned to Isabela, who was smirking at the elf. 'I don't think he is, he's a bit jumpy', Merrill replied. 'Not the dwarf you goof, Hawke', scoffed Isabela, who pointed at the human. Merrill blinked before realization washed over her face along with red making home upon her cheeks.

'W-Well, yes he is charming', she said. 'Not to mention clever…'. 'Yes he is', Merrill agreed, looking at the mage, 'He's also quite the looker huh? That amazing stubble beard thing, his sky blue eyes, luscious black hair', she went on, her smirk widening as Merrill gave the mage a doe eyed look, nodding and saying "yes" to every listing off.

'Plus that body~ Strong hands, arms…that ass'. Merrill nodded eagerly sub-consciously as her eyes fell upon said backside. 'Also not to mention his staff~', she mused. At this, Merrill blinked in confusion and looked at her oddly. Realizing the elf wasn't catching on, Isabela gave her a dirty smirk as she gestured a…act with her hand.

Merrill's face turned red as a tomato at the gesture, NOW she got what she was referring to. The elf stammered and tried to form some coherent response but now with that little unneeded act, it had the poor thing flabbergasted. 'Plus he looks nice without his shirt'.

Overload has begun…

Merrill placed her hands over her now searing red hot ears as Isabela begun to go on about their leader's body, not wanting all her blood to go her head. It didn't help also that she now had the mental image in her head of a shirtless Hawke and his…staff…

'He's got magical hands too Kitten~', she further tormented the elf as she delicately removed her hand from her ear and whispered the sentence into her ear. 'WHY!?', she cried. 'Why do you do this?'. Isabela laughs at her shyness as the elf tried to think of unsexy images, failing as everyone she thought unappealing linked back to Hawke and the nude images she could make up.

'Are you two having fun over there?'. They saw Hawke and Varric approach the two with the human carrying a note that contained the details to the location. 'One of us is~', Isabela chimed as she gave the elf a wink. "She's evil, she's a demon", the elf thought as she glared at the human. 'Daisy, your nose', Varric spoke. She turned to the dwarf, a worried and confused look was on his face. 'What's wrong with my nose?', she questioned.

'You're bleeding', he explained. Now that he spoke of it, the elf placed two fingers under her nose and felt a wet substance on it, which upon look, was blood. 'You're sure okay Daisy?'. 'Oh she's just a little, frustrated Varric', Isabela helpfully. She glared at the human as she playfully shrugged at the glare. "The day I become an abomination I'm coming for you first!", the elf thought darkly.

'Here, wipe yourself before someone mistakes it for blood magic', Hawke chuckled as he handed the elf a handkerchief. The elf took it and wiped the blood clean from her nose, keeping her plans for revenge for the human later. 'Right, the warehouse is located in the alienage. Let's get going before someone else shows up', he explained.

Merrill stood up from the steps as she grabbed her staff and tied it to her back. 'Kitten, why don't you guard the rear?', Isabela asked. Blinking in confusion at first, before she saw Isabela in front with Varric and…Hawke…

The human unaware of her devious plans had his back turned to Merrill as he and Varric walked ahead, not knowing of the green set of eyes watching his behind. The dark flush formed itself once more on the poor elf's cheeks as Isabela wiggled her eye brows.

'You're a bad person. You are the scourge of humans everywhere', she mumbled bitterly as she walked past the human who was still wearing that large grin on her beautiful features. 'His eyes are a little higher Kitten', she teased. 'Shove it!'.

This was going to be a long night she was sure…

Warehouse

Merrill blasted the last slaver through the wall with a sweep of her staff and magical force, breaking his neck. She wiped the sweat off her brow as she saw Isabela approach her while cleaning her daggers from the gore and blood. 'So that all of them?', she asked as she sheathed her daggers.

'Looks like it, Varric check the chest', Hawke said as he casted a healing aura around himself. The dwarf approached the chest and after picking the lock, he slowly opened it up. He made a loud exaggerated gasp, earning everyone's attention.

'Its…', he started. The trio of taller people approached him, his back blocking the view of the chest. 'Its...', he said. 'Its?', the trio asked.

'Empty'.

He turned to give them a view of the empty chest. '…Son of a bitch', Hawke cursed. 'You're telling me we killed these guys for an empty box!?'. 'Unless it's invisible, yeah pretty much', Varric said. 'All in favour of breaking Anso's legs say revenge'. 'Revenge!', they replied.

Outside

'Well that was a waste of time', Hawke grumbled as he opened the door. 'Well we're paid regardless, we'll have to break the news to Anso', Varric spoke. 'Umm Hawke?', Merrill piped. The three turned to the elf, who was pointing in front of them. They turned and saw several more slavers in front of them, ten in total armed and armoured to the brim.

'…So what are the chances that these slavers are with the ones we just killed?', Isabela asked, drawing her daggers. 'Probably a good one', Varric replied. 'That's not the elf, who are they?', the woman asked. 'Doesn't matter, we were told to kill anyone who enters the building!', another one said, drawing his sword.

'Should've brought Aveline', Hawke said as he and Merrill grabbed their staves. One slaver ran at them only for Varric to pierce his forehead with a bolt as Isabela ran past him and lunged towards two. She flew past them, slitting their throats and rolling onto her feet.

Merrill fired a chain lightning through the four that tried to attack her, killing them as Hawke froze two more and firing a shock wave that shattered them to pieces. The captain attacked the mage, but Hawke parried her attack and bashed her head with the top of his staff, sending her to the ground. Before she could try and attack him, Hawke pierced her chest with the blade.

'Well that was unneeded', Varric groaned as he placed Bianca upon his back. 'Did Anso send them?', Hawke asked, now questioning the whole job. 'If they were sent by him, he has a whole lot more coin then he let on', Isabela chimed. 'Come on, we're owed answers', Hawke said. They approached the steps, only for a single guard stood in front of them.

'I don't know who you are but you made a serious mistake friend', he threatened. 'I've been getting that a lot', Hawke shrugged. He sneered. 'Lieutenant, I want everyone in the clearing, NOW!', he ordered. "Why does everyone hate Hawke?", Merrill thought to herself as she slowly reached for her staff as everyone else reached for their own weapons.

However, a single man stepped out from the corner, stumbling as the group saw him bleeding profusely. 'C-Captain', he coughed. He fell on his knees before he collapsed to the ground. 'Your men are dead and your trap has failed', a voice spoke. A man appeared from the corner and walked down the steps, walking past the slaver. 'I'd suggest you run back to your master while you can'.

He was an elf, wearing green spiky armour with long snow white hair with dark green eyes, spiky greaves, a large great sword strapped to his back. Merrill saw silver on his neck and under his greaves, were those vallaslin?

'You're not going anywhere slave!', he said, grabbing the elf's shoulder. Suddenly, the elf turned around, knocking the arm off his shoulder as his body gave off a blue glow around him as he raised his hand up. Without warning, he pierced the man's chest, his hand clenched in a fist. The slaver gagged and wheezed, before he collapsed as the elf pulled his hand out.

'I am not a slave', the elf growled as he turned to Hawke and co. Merrill froze with shock as her eyes fell upon the dead man, trying to wrap her mind around this. The elf just punched him through his chest yet not a drop of blood was on his hand, not to mention the bigger question, how in the name of the Creators did he manage to do this?

'I apologize', he said. 'When I asked Anso to provide an distraction, I hadn't thought the hunters would be so numerous', he explained as he approached one of the dead men. Merrill blinked in confusion, he goes from brutally killing a man, to now this reasonable clam elf?

'Well just as well we're used to this sort of work otherwise we'd be dead', Hawke joked happily. 'Impressive', he replied. He turned to the group. 'My name is Fenris, I was a former slave from Tevinter, and to clarify, your employer', he said.

'So Anso was what? Your disguise?', Varric asked. 'Yes, I needed someone to play the employer lest the slavers find me. He's no carta, but he chose well enough'. 'Yup, thank Andraste we didn't die!', Isabela chimed happily. 'I'm going to go out on a limb here and say those markings have something to do with your capture?', Hawke asked, pointing at the lines on his arms.

Fenris chuckled and lifted his arms to show them. 'I imagine I look strange to you. Believe me, I didn't ask for them but they have served me well', he said. 'Lyrium', Merrill spoke, recognizing the strange musical sound in her ears. Fenris nodded, though she swore his glare darkened when it fell on her, she guessed he saw the staff.

'Yes…by my former master, who at the moment', he started as he begun to search through the corpse. He nodded to himself and stood to face Hawke. 'He's still in Kirkwall. Listen I know you have questions, but I need your help to find him', he spoke.

'Will it led to killing more slavers?', Hawke asked. 'Most likely yes', Fenris replied, forming a smirk as Hawke begun to make a smirk of his own. 'Led on then'.

Hightown

Merrill rarely visits the Hightown part of Kirkwall, mostly because she rarely had a reason to venture to the noble side of this ill city. Of course elves were here but they were servants or cleaners that were spat upon and/or bullied. Not to mention the nobles treat any elf that just wandered in like filth and are more than happy to call the guards and arrest them for simply walking around.

Now however she and the group were helping a runaway slave hunt down his former master in his mansion. Along the way, Fenris explained the man in question was a tevinter magistrate named Danarius, to which Varric declared his opinion of this being more of a hassle than ever. Though Fenris assured them he was no more than another mage here, Merrill had a suspicion that he wasn't a magistrate for nothing. He was a blood mage as well, so that almost guaranteed demons would be stalking the halls of the mage's home.

They entered the house with Isabela and Fenris at point while Hawke and Merrill covered the rear with Varric in the middle, Bianca up and ready for some action. They arrived in the foyer and like Merrill had feared, they were welcomed by demons. Shade demons accompanied by two rage demons and finally an arcane horror, who stood up the top of the stairs.

Isabela and Fenris tore through the shades as if they were paper, daggers flashing amidst the shadow creatures with the sound of steel easily tearing them apart. Fenris fought like a wild beast, snarling like a tiger as he demolished demon after demon and was seemingly growing faster and hungrily for more to kill.

His sheer hate for magic and demons was unlike anyone Merrill had ever seen. He spoke the tevinter language as he fought, cursing the demons while yelling as he stood over their ashes. The markings glowed as did his power, as if it fed his body the energy to slay more.

Varric was firing bolts at the horror hoping to keep it occupied while Hawke dealt with the rage demons, freezing the molten creatures until their liquid forms solidified. Merrill channelled her magic to the stone ground beneath her feet, plucking large fist shaped rocks and firing them at the frozen demons, obliterating them and creating thousands of tiny shards.

The arcane horror turned its empty dead eyes on the two mages, ignoring the dwarf as it floated towards Merrill. She spun around and blasted it with several bolts of energy. Each bolt was blocked by an invisible shield that surrounded the demon as it got closer to the elf. Quickly, she summoned a large rock and sent it flying towards its head.

It however froze the rock in mid-air and decayed it with its mind, sending the earth to the ground. Hurriedly she tried to think of another spell but before she could even think of a word, the demon stood in front of her. She decided to risk it and swung her staff at it, only for the demon to lift up a single to freeze the staff in mid-air and use a powerful force to push it from her hands.

Then it grabbed her by the neck with its cold clammy hand, easily lifting her like a doll as she struggled to free herself from it. It bore into her eyes with its ghostly empty eyes, as if peering into her bloody soul. She could feel the cold seep into her body, her blood froze as she felt her will being pounded like a battering ram against a gate.

Her hands which she used to pummel it's bony arm start to miss and ultimately her will to fight grew weaker. She could see its cold grin as it knew she was losing.

'Give in to me…I can grant you the power you seek', it whispered into her mind like a snake. She tried to fight, anything to resist it's dark offer. As if the creators heard her plea, the demon released her when she saw a large ball of fire hit its back. She fell on her side, the cold seemingly vanished from her body and her will restored. The demon turned to see Hawke's palms surrounded by the flames, his eyes bore into the demon.

'Go back to the fade and STAY THERE!', the human roared as he cupped both hands together and fired a torrent of flames at the demon. Its shield was broken upon impact as the flames consumed the demon like ants, completely burning the abomination to ashes.

Merrill slowly stood up as she shook. Hawke approached the elf and held her just before she fell, worry was clear as day on his face. 'You alright?', he asked soothingly. She nodded, taking a shaky breath. The keeper wasn't joking about the possession, she felt as if it was inside her head, her limbs felt like dead weight and all she could hear was the whispers of its cold tongue licking her brain.

'Gone', Fenris spoke. Everyone turned to him, then to the room he walked out of. Danarius had escaped or left long ago, judging by the mess. 'Must've gotten away or someone tipped him off about the slavers', Varric said helpfully. Fenris didn't seem to be comforted by that though, as he turned for the exit, muttering something about needing air.

Merrill watched him go with a sad look. To always having to watch your back and look over your shoulder, she didn't know how he could do it. It must be a horrible thing. 'Come on, I think we've had enough of demons', Hawke said as he helped Merrill to the exit.

Outside

Fenris stood by the door, looking up at the stars with a contemplative look on his face. 'Stars are nice tonight huh?', Hawke asked as he and co exited the house. Fenris turned to him with a glare. 'I didn't notice you were a mage', he spoke with venom. He pushed himself off the door as he stood in front of Hawke. Before he could, Hawke put up a hand. 'Lets get this out of the way. Yes, I am a mage, and so is the elf beside me. I'm not a blood mage, I've never used it nor do I intend to, no I do not own a slave, all I am using my magic for is to make I don't die', Hawke spoke.

Fenris blinked at him, not used to having a mage publicly announce they were mages nor explain what kind of mage they are. However when Merrill looked away, he figured she was one of those things Hawke wasn't. His glare intensified when she nodded to the question, but Hawke stood in front of her. 'You defend a blood mage?', he asked incredulously. 'I defend my friend', he replied back.

This was not a regular human the elf mused, he was loyal to his group. Remembering this was also the man who he not only put in more danger then he had thought, but also had gained his help and return his freedom for a while. He stepped back and kindly bowed. 'I apologize, I don't mean to sound ungrateful', he spoke. 'Could've fooled me', Varric muttered as Isabela snickered at his joke.

'Thank you for your help. If you ever require my help, I'll lend my aid', he offered. Hawke smiled at this offer and offered a hand. 'I'm planning an expedition into the deep roads, we could use someone with your talents', he said. The deep roads expedition had caught the white elf's ears several times, and with the small amount of coin he had, he could do with some for his well-being, plus he'd be able to pay Hawke back.

'Help with it and I swear fifty-fifty for each of my group', the human added. 'Deal', Fenris said, grabbing his hand with tight grip. 'Well if we're done here, I'll see you guys later', Isabela chimed as she patted Hawke's shoulder. 'Same here, be safe you three', Varric said. He gave a kind nod to Hawke and Merrill as he followed Isabela back to Lowtown.

'So where will be staying?', Hawke asked. Fenris hadn't thought of a home here, namely due to the fact he may have to keep moving. Now though with Danarius gone, he could stay here and who knows, maybe make a life. 'I think I can use this as a home, without him or his men, it may be safe', Fenris said. 'From former slave to now owning a mansion, moving up in the world', Hawke joked.

Strangely, Fenris found himself chuckling at the joke, the irony would probably kill any slaver. 'Oh, hang on your payment', Fenris spoke. However, before he could grab the coin, Hawke shook his head. 'Keep it. You're gonna need it if you wanna stay here', he said, patting his shoulder. 'Right, we'll meet you at the hanged man tomorrow for a job, let's go Merrill', he said.

The two mages proceeded down the steps while Fenris stood there in astonishment. This was not a mage he had ever encountered, a good man who treated him like a man…a friend…

Smiling to himself, Fenris had a good reason to finally stay in a place.

Alienage

Merrill unlocked her door as Hawke awaited for her to open her home. 'Get some sleep all right, we're gonna see if we can find out more about that Javaris dwarf', Hawke said. 'Oh right', Merrill mused with a smile. Hawke nodded and made a turn, before he felt her small arms around his waist. He froze when he felt her cheek on his back.

'Ma Serannas…for saving from the demon', she said quietly. She felt a tiny hue of red forming across her cheeks for the hundredth time again from being close to this human. Then, to her surprise, the human spun around and hugged back, placing her head on his chest.

'Don't you worry about that. I take care of my friends', he spoke in such a gentle tone Merrill felt the sheer sincerity in his voice, it shook her. She smiled happily at this, this sort of caring was like the keeper's growing up, just more…personal.

It only reassured her, that she made the right choice in leaving her clan.