She found him leaning on the balcony, thought furrowing his brow. He looked at her when he noticed her approach.
"I had hoped prayer would cleanse me of the desire demon's touch, but I still hear her voice so clearly. I feel like I've bathed in filth that will never come off." He said in a whisper. Kierrai frowned.
"You acted honorably. Why are you ashamed?" she asked. He faced her.
"The demon didn't lie. I used to be bitterly jealous of my brother. I wanted to be prince. Now everything he had is mine, and he lies in ashes. I keep asking myself, 'Do I want this because it's right, or simply to have what I never thought I could?'" he explained. Kierrai raised an eyebrow.
"Aren't you your parent's heir?" she asked. Politics clearly ran differently in Fereldan.
"I'm the youngest son of three. My parents were rather traditional: They wanted the heir and the spare, and I was left in the cold. As I told you before, they put me in the chantry to prevent my competing with my brothers. It's funny, when I wanted to rule I would have been terrible at it. Now that I might be decent, I don't know if it's the right thing to do." He said. She nodded in understanding.
"It's the wisdom not to want power that lets you use it wisely." She assured. He shook his head.
"You didn't feel what that demon stirred in me. It cannot be right to lead any army to Starkhaven with such doubt in my heart. I owe you more than I can say, Kierrai. I will offer my service to you and Hawke before I move on." He said, remembering the demon's words. Kierrai quirked an eyebrow.
"I can think of a few services for you to perform." She replied wryly. He stared at her for a moment.
"What? Why are you smiling like…? Oh. Ohhh my. That's…not what I meant. I…I think I need to pray. A lot." he stammered, blushing furiously. Kierrai giggled and ran a teasing hand across his chest as she passed.
"If you say so. My offer stands." She teased. She thought she saw him shudder behind her as she walked out of the chantry. She paused at the doors and turned back to him. "We are going to hunt down a possible murderer tonight, if you want to join us." She offered. He nodded at her before hurrying to his rooms. She chuckled and went to prepare for a long evening.
Over the next few weeks, Sebastian joined them on their excursions on a regular basis. He and Kierrai grew closer than ever, and she felt her love for him grow constantly. She had decided to give him the bow she found in the Harimann estate, and to her surprise, it had originally belonged to his grandfather. He had thanked her profusely, and she was warmed by his response. She was frustrated, emotionally and physically, because all she wanted was him. She had long since stopped sleeping around because she didn't want him to feel betrayed.
Kierrai looked out the window of her small home and sighed. She was bored, and she needed something to distract her from thoughts of the Archer Prince. Their group did not have anything planned for the evening, and she could not get him off her mind. Suddenly, there was a loud knock at her door. She opened it to see Sebastian standing there.
"Sebastian?" she asked, wondering why he was there so late at night. His face was grim.
"Put your armor on. Leandra is missing." He said sadly. Kierrai felt her heart drop.
"What do you mean missing?" she asked as she quickly strapped herself into her armor. He sighed.
"Kierrai, she received white lilies earlier this evening, and now no one can find her." He said, his voice quieting to a whisper by the end. She froze. White lilies were the signature of the murderer they had been searching for weeks ago.
"No. No that cannot be. We killed him." She protested. He shook his head.
"We killed an unrelated blood mage, Kierrai." He corrected.
"Where is Hawke?" she asked. He frowned.
"I'll take you to him." He replied. They quickly left her house and sprinted to where Sebastian was supposed to meet Hawke. They found Gamlen standing there, interrogating an urchin. Hawke approached with Isabela and Aveline soon afterwards.
"I told you already, I saw her!" the urchin said irritably.
"Did you see where she went?" Gamlen demanded. The urchin raised an eyebrow.
"What do I get for telling you?" he asked slyly. Kierrai stormed forward, but Hawke beat her to him.
"Here's a few silver. Buy yourself some food. And new shoes." He said, his voice calm. Kierrai knew it was all a façade, but she said nothing. The urchin gasped.
"That's real silver, that is! I'm your man, through and through. Tell you everything I know! That lady was 'ere. She looked like she was gonna take the bridge to Hightown, but then a man came up to her. He stumbled and fell over right in front of her feet like he was dead. His hands were all bloody, like he'd been in a fight. The lady shook him, and I think he said 'Help!' She got 'im to 'is feet, and he was wobbly, it was funny. Anyway, they left and, that's all I know." The boy said, rushing through the story in his excitement.
"It's not too late. She could still be alive." Hawke said, the worry in his voice betraying his words. Gamlen shook his head.
"Why would anyone take her? It doesn't make sense!" he exclaimed. The urchin pointed to a nearby building. Kierrai followed his gesture and blanched upon seeing a massive puddle of blood on the ground.
"The man left some blood where he fell over. You could follow it." He said helpfully. Kierrai had already started to make her way over there, Sebastian close on her heels.
"Why don't you do what the boy says? I'm going to go home in case Leandra shows up." Gamlen said.
"I never thought I'd say this, but Gamlen's right. My men can look for Leandra while we check the blood. Any lead helps." Aveline said. Hawke nodded in agreement and joined them.
"What do you see?" he asked Kierrai, his voice rough. She glanced up at him.
"The trail goes that way. I'm not certain where it leads or how far, but I can see more blood ahead." She answered quietly. He nodded and the group began to follow the trail.
"This blood is fresh." Isabela said quietly.
"There's another!" Sebastian said, noticing the next pool of blood.
"More blood. We're on the right path." Kierrai said a few minutes later, outside the Hanged Man. They continued their search.
"Where is he taking her?" Hawke asked no one in particular. They saw that the trail led to the foundry. "There! I hope I'm not too late." Hawke murmured. They followed the trail straight into the foundry where they were attacked by a small group of shades. They dispatched them quickly and discovered a trapdoor that they hadn't seen before. The group went into it, and after a few more fights with demons, they came across what looked like a living area. Hawke walked up to the mantle, where they found a portrait.
"What…is this?" he asked in confusion.
"That woman in the portrait, looks like Leandra doesn't she?" Aveline asked. Kierrai noticed the resemblance as well, and her stomach filled with a cold dread.
"I need to find her, now." Hawke said, angrily turning and leaving the room. The group followed silently. After wandering through a few rooms, they encountered a man talking to a woman who was seated with her back turned to them. The man looked up at their approach.
"I was wondering when you'd show up. Leandra was so sure you'd come for her." He taunted in a nasally voice. Rage filled Kierrai from top to bottom.
"Where is she?" Hawke growled threateningly. The man, Kierrai was certain he was a mage, smiled at them.
"You will never understand my purpose. Your mother was chosen because she was special. And now, she is part of something greater." He crooned. Kierrai felt Sebastian step closer to her protectively. She felt comfort at his presence, but her dread was overwhelming.
"I don't want to hurt anyone. Release my mother, and we'll go." Hawke said, perpetually calm in the face of danger. The mage turned to look at the seated woman.
"She is here. She is waiting for you." He said in a strange tone. "I have done the impossible. I have touched the face of the Maker and lived." He ranted. Kierrai could feel herself trembling. Part of her realized what was happening, and she fought against it with every fiber of her being.
"Do you know what the strongest force in the universe is?" the mage asked. The group stared at him, waiting for an answer. "Love." He told them. Kierrai could not move.
"Please, Maker, no." she said under her breath. The mage continued his rant.
"I pieced her together from memory. I found her eyes, her skin, her delicate fingers. And, at last, her face." He said emotionally as he touched the woman under her chin. "Oh, this beautiful face. I've searched far and wide to find you again beloved. And no force on this earth will part us!" He cried as the woman stood. She turned to them on unstable legs, and Kierrai felt the blood drain from her face. Leandra, or rather, Leandra's face, stood before them. She was crudely pieced together with body parts of other women, and Kierrai choked on a sob at the sight of her. This monster had used dark magic to resurrect his dead wife, and Leandra was only a piece of his puzzle. Kierrai's knees buckled, but Sebastian caught her. She looked to Hawke, who was stiff with rage. The mage moved his arm in a sweeping motion, and various corpses and demons rose up from the ground. Kierrai drew her daggers, wanting to end the life of the horrible murderer. Hawke took his staff from his back and roared in a fearsome rage.
Even Kierrai could feel the crackle of magic around them as Hawke summoned a terrifying storm of lightning and fire. Everything in his path was destroyed, from corpse to demon, until finally only the evil mage stood before him. The rest of the party stood aside and allowed Hawke to get his revenge on his own. Tears flowed freely down Kierrai's face as she watched Hawke annihilate the monster that caused this. At the death of the necromancer, Leandra stumbled over to her son.
"Mother!" Hawke cried. He caught her in his strong arms and gently lowered himself to the ground. Kierrai resisted the urge to go to her. Leandra needed her last moments to be with her son. Sebastian put a strong arm around her and she lay her head on his shoulder as silent tears ran down her face.
"There's nothing I can do. His magic was keeping her alive." Hawke whispered.
"I knew you would come." Leandra said in a strained voice. Revin stared down at his mother.
"Don't move mother. We'll find a way to-" he said, refusing to let her go.
"Shh." Leandra told him. "Don't fret, darling. That man would have kept me trapped in here. Now, I'm free." She whispered. Kierrai put her fist in her mouth to keep from sobbing out loud. Both women who she had seen as a mother were going to be gone forever. Eleanor had died just before the Blight, and Leandra was leaving her too. "I'll be with Bethany and your father. But you'll be all alone." She murmured sadly. Hawke shook his head.
"I should have watched over you more closely. I should have…" he said, trailing off as his grief became too much for him.
"My little boy has become so strong. I love you. You've always made me so proud." Leandra said with her last breath. Kierrai saw her head roll back, and Hawke hunched over in defeat. They stood in silence for a very long time, and Kierrai could not believe what had happened. After an eternity, Hawke stood, still holding his mother against him, and walked out of the accursed place. Everyone returned to their own homes, but Sebastian would not leave Kierrai alone. They arrived at her home in Lowtown, and he held her as she sobbed over her loss. They sat like that for hours, crying together in their time of grief. After a long time, she looked up into his eyes.
"I have to see Revin." She said quietly. He nodded in understanding, and the two of them made their way to Hightown together. Kierrai saw Gamlen exiting the mansion in tears, and she walked into the house without knocking. They found Hawke sitting on his bed, staring into the fire. Sebastian waited in the doorway while Kierrai sat down next to him on the bed. She said nothing, but waited for him to talk to her.
"I didn't try hard enough to save her." He said softly. Kierrai shook her head.
"Don't do that to yourself, Revin. This was not your fault. If it's anyone's fault, it is mine! She told me that she had a suitor and I thought nothing of it! I could have done something!" she protested. Revin started at her.
"If I don't get to blame myself, than you do not get to blame yourself either, Kierrai. This was the fault of the bastard, Quentin, and now I hope he rots in the worst of hells." He growled. Kierrai hugged him quickly, when someone cleared their throat from the doorway. They turned to see Isabela standing beside Sebastian. The pirate walked in slowly, and Kierrai stood and walked over to the archer to see what would happen.
"I…I feel I should say something." Isabela said. Revin looked at her with sadness in his eyes.
"I know you're not good at…emotional stuff." He said with understanding. Isabela walked closer to him.
"At least your mother loved you. Not everyone can say that." The rogue said honestly. She sat next to him on the bed, and Kierrai could see how much they loved each other, even though their words were awkward.
"So this is what it's like to be an orphan." Revin said. Isabela sighed.
"Family is not just the people you're related to by blood. There are other people who care about you." She said sincerely. Realizing what she was implying, Isabela quickly looked away. "Like…Aveline!" Kierrai felt Sebastian's hand on her elbow and she turned to him. He nodded his head toward the exit and they left the estate together. Sebastian walked her to her home.
"I don't want you to be alone, Kierrai." He said, his accent thick with worry. She smiled sadly at him.
"I can take care of myself, Sebastian. You don't have to worry about me. I will see you in the morning, all right?" she assured. He stared at her for a long time.
"Just…be safe. I don't know what I would do without you." He admitted. Before Kierrai had time to react, Sebastian leaned in and planted a kiss on her forehead. He turned and headed back to the chantry, leaving Kierrai dumbfounded on her doorstep.