Author's Note: here I am again everyone with Chapter Seven. There's a fight scene in this chapter that I actually spent a combined total of seven hours on! At the suggestion of one of my reviewers, I decided to stop making my battles so short and one-sided. I can't promise they'll all be great, but I'll will be trying and listening to your feedback to improve. There's also a special prize to anyone who can count how many times I used the word "templar" in this chapter...not really though, but by all means, give yourself a pat on the back afterwards XD

UPDATE: While I was working on the next chapter, I realized the first six hundred words or so were not suited as an introduction to a chapter. The next chapter was basically going to pick up directly where this one left off with Garrett returning to Anders clinic to confront him about what happened in the Chantry. I decided that wasn't a good way to start a new chapter and since I didn't want to update this story with a six hundred word chapter, I added the first page the next chapter to this one to serve as a conclusion. That being said, I'm sorry that this isn't a "real" story update, just an addition to the latest chapter.


Every time Garrett saw a Fereldan sitting on some street corner in Lowtown begging for food or a few coppers, he felt a pang of sadness. His countrymen had been in Kirkwall for a year and were worse off than when they had first arrived. They had sold all of their possessions when they first arrived to survive and it hadn't gotten them anywhere.

When he walked into Lirene's Ferelden Imports with Bethany, Varric and Fang, he was unprepared for the dozens of Fereldan's that were in there. Lirene didn't just sell and purchase Fereldan made items, she also provided food and shelter to any Fereldan that came into her door. It didn't take a genius to see that she was in way over her head, which was probably why she had a donation box off to the side on top of her desk. When Garrett gently pushed his way to the front and took a peek inside, he was saddened to see only couple dozen silvers and a handful of coppers.

Garrett knew how to think business; being a mercenary taught him the value of reason over emotion. However, when he saw next to nothing in a donation box that was meant to help people that had lost everything, he to thought 'to hell with reason'. He reached for his coin pouch and pulled out twenty-five silvers; that should have been enough to get everyone in the room some food. Bethany followed his example and tossed in some silvers as well. He looked to Varric and expected indignation, but the dwarf surprised him and tossed one sovereign in into the box. Garrett shot Varric a look of confusion, but the dwarf just grinned and shrugged.

Lirene looked like her eyes were about to pop out of her skull. Three people had just walked in to her store and in ten seconds just filled her donation box with enough money to provide the bare necessities for everyone under her care for months.

"Alright, you have my attention," she said in awe. "How can I help you?"

"We hear you know where we can find a Fereldan Grey Warden," Garrett stated. Lirene was immediately put on the defensive.

"Only Fereldan Grey Warden I've heard of is sitting on the throne. Where out of the Blight's path now so why would you need a Grey Warden?" she asked with a scrutinizing stare.

"The healer was one once, wasn't he? A Warden?" a woman behind Garrett asked out loud.

Garrett looked back at Lirene with a raised brow while she looked at the poor women with a look that could kill.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you: it's rude to eavesdrop?" she asked angrily causing the woman shrank back in embarrassment.

"Something you want to share with us?" Garrett asked patiently. Lirene sighed in annoyance before speaking again.

"Look, dozens of people come in here every day either to weak or too sick to help themselves," she explained. "The Warden you're looking for, Anders, he helps these people out of the goodness of his heart. He's closed their wounds, delivered their children! He's a good man and I will not lose him to the blighted templars!"

"Templars?" Garrett asked in confusion. Then realization dawned on her face. "He's a mage!" he exclaimed quietly.

"Would I stick my neck out for some purveyor of hensbane and leeches?"

"Relax, miss, I don't want cause trouble for anyone," Garrett explained calmly. "We just need his help with something, nothing more."

"How can I trust you?" she asked still skeptical. "I'm grateful for your contribution to these people, ser, but I hope you can understand my distrust of Kirkwallers."

"I'm not a Kirkwaller, miss. My name is Garrett Hawke; I was born and raised in Fereldan, in the village of Lothering. And like you, I can understand not wanting to lose someone to the templars," he said as he placed a hand on Bethany's shoulder.

"You mean she's…"

Lirene looked at them in shock. She had guessed that by the amount of money they had that they couldn't possibly be one her fellow countrymen or a hiding apostate for that matter . She relaxed upon hearing this new information.

"Your intentions are not ill?" she asked

"I give you my word," Garrett said sincerely.

"Alright, then," she said as she ushered Garrett to the back room out of hearing range of anyone like that nosy woman. He and Lirene returned a minute later.

"Information hardly seems like a fair trade for your generous contribution," Lirene stated. "You look like a man of action. Perhaps you'll get more use out of this than anyone else," she said as she reached out from underneath the counter and laid down a crossbow and a small quiver of bolts.

"You'd just give me this?" Garrett asked in surprise.

"We Fereldans should look out for each other," Lirene said with a smile.

Garrett smiled back and picked up the weapon. He had some experience with crossbows from his time in the Cailan's army and from a few jobs with the Red Iron. This weapon was definitely good to have in the field.

"Varric, what's your professional opinion?" Garrett asked as he handed the crossbow to the dwarf.

Varric examined the weapon like a jeweler examined diamonds. He checked the weight, the sight, the bolts, everything. When he was finished, an appraising smile crossed his features.

"Whitewood… light… iron knockback bolts… this is a finely made weapon, Hawke… but of course it's got nothing on Bianca," Varric stated.

"In that case, we'll take it. Thank you Lirene," Garrett said as took back the crossbow.

He placed the bow on his back using the harness Lirene provided along with quiver before leaving the store.

"I'm impressed, Hawke; I thought I was going to be doing all the talking, but you got some decent negotiating skills," Varric commented.

"Don't forget that I got a free weapon too. It's great being so charismatic," he said cockily.

"Oh get over yourself!," Bethany said before punching her brother in the shoulder. "And thank you for making that donation, Varric. I know we're supposed to be saving our money, but-"

"Don't mention it, Sunshine," Varric said dismissively.

"Hey you!"

The group turned around to see three men walking out of the Imports Shop. One of them carried a pair of daggers, one carried an axe, the last one held a rusty short sword.

"We know you're looking for the healer!" their apparent leader said angrily. "We know what happens to mages in this city. We won't let you make trouble for the only man in this city who gives a damn about us refugees."

Garrett didn't want to fight these men; they wouldn't stand a chance. He could tell these men weren't fighters, but they were still willing to lay their life down for this healer, Anders.

"As I said to Lirene, I mean no harm to your healer," he said calmly.

"Why should we believe you?" the man snarled. "You Free Marchers have done nothing but treat us Fereldans like Darkspawn shit since we got here!"

"We're Fereldans trying to avoid the eyes of the templars as well," Garrett stated "I won't hurt your healer, I just need his help."

"Y-You're Fereldan?" The man asked in surprise. "But you're clothes! I-I thought for a Kirkwaller, sorry! Maker bless the rule of our King Alistair," he said with a proud smile.

"Long live the King," Garrett said with a smile of his own before continuing on his way.

"This Anders must be a great man if people are willing to lay their lives down for him," Bethany stated.

"He's the only one helping them," Garrett said with a hint of irritation.

"Let's hope that generosity extends to lending us those maps," Varric said with a chuckle.

"Wouldn't it be great if it were that easy," Varric said sarcastically.

"If only, Hawke," Varric replied with a sigh.


Garrett often wondered how the mere stench of Darktown wasn't enough to kill everyone down there. As he and his group took the lift downward into Kirkwall's bowels, that familiar odor of sewage and human waste invaded his nostrils. Having done quite few jobs for the Red Iron down there, he had grown use to it, but always had to brace himself for the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that led to him retching upon his first visit there. He pitied Fang, who was doing his best to cover his nose. Only in Darktown would a mabari's keen sense of smell be a liability.

As they got off the left, Hawke heard a familiar voice calling him over.

"Hawke is that you?" asked a scrawny elf behind a table across from the left.

"Tomwise," Hawke greeted. "Still dealing in slow painful deaths, I see."

"Well, ever since you showed up in Kirkwall, business has never been better," the elf said with a friendly grin. ""By the way how did that wasp spider poison I gave you work out?"

"Like a charm, Tomwise. As always you outdid yourself," Garrett said with a grin.

"So you're done with the Red Iron?" the elf asked curiously.

"Fortunately, yes."

"That's too bad; you were my best customer, Hawke," the elf said slightly disappointed.

"Don't give up on me yet, Tomwise. I still might need poisons in the future and when I do, I'll know who to visit."

"In that case, you can have these on the house," Tomwise said happily as he laid down a small satchel. Garrett peeked inside and found three miasmic flasks and one vial of wasp spider poison. "Call it a gift for my number one customer."

"Thanks, Tomwise, I owe you," Garrett said before and his party continued on their way.

"Your reputation precedes you," Varric commented.

"It's always good to have friends," Garrett replied with a grin.

The group had to remain wary as they walked through the streets of Darktown. The people down there were more desperate than the people in Lowtown and would do anything to survive. They also had to keep an eye out for the Coterie who were supposedly more prominent in Darktown than any other part of Kirkwall. Garrett had managed to avoid dealing with them since he arrived in Kirkwall and he wanted it to stay that way for as long as possible. The Coterie was the most notable criminal organization in Kirkwall and the last thing Garrett wanted was to wind up on their shit list.

He remembered what Lirene had told him back at the shop. 'Look for the lantern' she said, but she provided no specific location. The last thing he wanted to do was waste an entire day in Darktown looking for a damn lantern. Fortunately, it seemed the Maker would be giving him a break today. About twenty yards away he spotted it: a single lantern hanging near the entrance to what appeared to be a dilapidated warehouse of some kind.

"This is it!" he informed the group. "If what Lirene told me is true, our Warden should be in there."

"Then what are we standing around here for? Let's get those maps!" Varric said excitedly.

They walked towards the building and looked inside to find a small group. Two of them, a man and a woman, were standing over a cot that was occupied by a small child. On the opposite side of the cot was a blonde man with a stubble and wearing a jacket with feathered pauldrons. Once Garrett saw what the man was doing to the boy, he understood why this man was such a renowned healer. The blue mana that perspired from his fingertips and radiated over the boy's body proved that this Grey Warden, Anders, was a mage. Now all the secrecy made sense; the last thing the destitute of the city wanted was the one man that was providing them with free health care to be taken by the templars.

When the Warden finished healing the child, he almost immediately fell back on his ass before catching himself on the pillar behind him. Obviously this particular healing had drained a significant amount of his energy. After giving this man their gratitude, the family left the make-shift clinic.

Garrett and his group made their way to the Warden, who appeared to be still catching his breath. Before Garrett could even open his mouth, the Warden grabbed his staff that had been leaning against the wall and turned to face them.

"I have made this place a sanctum of healing and salvation! Why do you threaten it?" he demanded.

His outburst made Garrett take an involuntary step back. Fang growled audibly at the Warden, looking like he was ready to pounce on his master's command.

"Easy boy," Garrett said to his loyal hound. Fang stopped growling, but kept his eyes on the Warden, just in case.

"Are you the Grey Warden, Anders?" Garrett asked calmly.

"Former Grey Warden," Anders responded, though his posture remained rigid.

"We have something to ask you."

"Did the Wardens send you to bring me back? Forget it! Those bastards made me get rid of my cat!" Anders said angrily. "Poor Ser Punce-a-lot; he hated the Deep Roads," he muttered, with a hint of sadness this time.

"You brought a cat named 'Ser Pounce-a-lot' into the Deep Roads?" Garrett asked fighting back the urge to laugh.

"He was a gift and a noble beast!" Anders stated proudly, his posture finally relaxing some. "Almost got ripped in half by a gunlock once. He swatted the bugger on the nose. Drew blood too. But the blighted Wardens said he made me too soft."

"I can't imagine why?" Garrett heard Varric mutter sarcastically.

"Sounds like you have no love for the Wardens," Garrett commented. "Is that why you came to Kirkwall?"

"You say that like it's a small thing!" Anders said disdainfully. "Yes, I'm here because there's no Warden outpost, no Darkspawn and a whole bunch of refugees to blend in with. And some reasons of my own. But I doubt you're here to know my life story, so why are you here?"

"We're interested in getting into the Deep Roads," Varric explained. "We heard you were a Warden and thought you might now of a good way to get in."

"Any information you have could help save lives down there," Garrett added, trying to appeal to this man's nature as a healer.

"I will die a happy man if I never have to think about the blighted Deep Roads again," Anders said coolly.

"We can make it worth your while," Garrett tried again.

"Don't try to buy me!" Anders said, offended. "I'm not interested in…" A look of contemplation suddenly crossed Anders features. Maybe these people were just what he needed. "Although…a favor for a favor? You help me, I help you? Does that sound like a fair deal?"

Garrett let out a an annoyed sigh.

"It's always something…" he mumbled.

"What was that?" Anders asked.

"Nothing, what do you need me to do?"

Garrett couldn't imagine what a Fereldan Grey Warden apostate could want with him, but he needed those maps. As long as Anders didn't ask him to march up to Knight-Commander Meredith's office, knock on the door and throw a pie in her face when she answered, Garrett was sure he could handle it.

"I came to Kirkwall to aid a friend. A mage and a prisoner in the wretched Gallows," Anders explained with a scowl upon mentioning the Gallows. "The templars learned of my plan to free him. Help me get him safely past them, and you shall have your maps."

Garrett shook his head in frustration.

"Is there anything else, you could have me do? Preferably something that doesn't involve the templars? You're not the only one that needs to avoid them."

"What reason could you possibly have to avoid the templars?" Anders asked curiously.

"He doesn't, I do" Bethany spoke up.

Anders looked to her curiously and then noticed the staff strapped on her back.

"You're harboring an apostate?" he asked sounding somewhat impressed and relieved.

"No, I'm protecting my sister," Garrett clarified.

"Oh!" Anders said, suddenly feeling a little awkward. "Well in that case I can understand your reservations about this task, but I also hope that you can understand my need to protect someone I care about from the templars as well."

"…I don't know," Garrett said still unsure.

"Well think about it." Anders said. "I've already sent word to Karl to be in the chantry tonight. If you want my maps meet me there. If not, then good luck on your expedition," he said with finality before tending to his next patient that walked in.

Garrett and his group left the clinic and decided to discuss their next move at the Hanged Man since they deemed Darktown too risky to discuss business. Once they made it to Hanged Man and entered Varric's suite, the dwarf addressed the main issue.

"Look, Hawke, I know how you feel about this and believe me, I understand, but we need those maps. Without them, we might not be able to get into the Deep Roads safely," he said.

"I know that and I agree, but what about Bethany?" he asked.

"I don't want trouble with the templars, but if it needs to be done, then I'll do it," Bethany said, even though her face gave away her obvious apprehension of the idea.

"Are you sure, Sunshine?" Varric asked.

"I am," she replied. "I've been fleeing from the templars my whole life, but that doesn't mean I'm afraid to fight for my freedom like father did."

"I guess it's up to you, Hawke, she's your sister," Varric said, looking up at his partner.

Garrett looked to his sister. "Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked. Bethany only nodded. "Alright then, but the second- I mean the very second- it gets bad, I want you to hide. Do you understand?"

"Yes, brother."

"Good. Then we'll meet Anders at the chantry tonight."


When Garrett and his group arrived at the chantry, Anders was pacing outside in front of the chanter's board waiting for them and looking rather nervous.

"You decided to help?" he asked, his tone hopeful.

"Yes, we'll help your friend escape, but I better see those maps when this is over," Garrett warned.

"You will, I promise," Anders said sincerely. "Were you followed?"

"No, that's what I brought Fang for," Garrett said indicating to the mabari at his side. "If we were followed, he would have alerted us."

"Perfect, now quickly, let's get inside. I'll handle the talking, you watch and the dog watch for templars," Anders said briskly.

The five of them entered the chantry as quietly as they could. It seemed all the sisters, mothers, and the Grand Cleric were asleep. Still, they had to tread softly; the Kirkwall chantry was cavernous and even the soft steps of Fang's paws hitting the tiled floor created a soft echo.

"Where is he?" Garrett asked quietly.

"Follow me," Anders replied and led them up towards the staircase to their right, which led to the personal quarters of those that lived within the chantry.

In one of the open bedrooms, they found a man with their backs to them staring at an armoire. Based on the robes he was wearing, he must have been the mage they were seeking.

"Karl!" Anders called out, clearly happy to see his friend, but Garrett noticed that Karl didn't even react.

He then heard Fang growling and looked down to see his loyal mabari facing the banister. He also heard the light clanking and shifting of armor.

"Anders, I know you too well," Karl stated stoically, still keeping his back to the group. "I knew you would never give up

"What's wrong? Why are you talking like-"he stopped midsentence when Karl turned around and revealed and dull read sun engraved on his forehead.

"I was too rebellious. Like you. The templars said I needed to be…made an example of."

"No!" Anders said in horror.

"Anders, we need to leave! Now!" Hawke said as he grabbed Anders arm.

It was too late, however. Half a dozen templars quickly appeared behind them, four with drawn swords and two with crossbows.

"How else will mages master themselves?" Karl continued. "You'll understand Anders, once the templars teach you to control yourself."

"Shit!" Varric cursed.

"I'll say!" Garrett said as his fingers tensed, itching to grab his daggers.

"This is the apostate," Karl stated as pointed to Anders.

"No!" Anders roared before falling to the floor. The air suddenly became heavier and Anders began radiating with a blue and black aura. Cracks in his skin began forming and started leaking mana. Even his eyes glowed bright blue. When Anders stood back up, he gripped his staff and spoke to the templars in a loud, chilling voice that was not his own. "You will never take another mage as you took him!"

Garrett and the others didn't even have time to be astonished before one of the templars shouted "Abomination!" and began charging at them.

"Varric, Fang, protect Bethany!" Garrett ordered as he drew his daggers.

"You got it, Hawke!" Varric said as he drew Bianca while Fang gave an affirmative bark.

Without her magic, Bethany was given a severe handicap. Their father had taught her how to use her staff as a melee weapon, but she was still pretty green and their enemies were trained warriors. He wasn't taking any chances with his sister, so he would have her sit this fight out.

Anders made the first attack on a templar that had gotten to close by unleashing a powerful bone crushing blast of physic energy that sent the unfortunate man flying over the banister and onto the ground floor.

The impressive feat had made Garrett take his eyes off the two templars that were charging him. Both lashed out with their swords, immediately putting Garrett on the defensive. He parried and overhand slash from the right while he held off a blow from the one on his left. He quickly sidestepped a thrust from the templar on the right and quickly took old of his outstretched arm and kicked the other templar back on his rear. He just barely managed to miss a bolt that whistling by his head from one of the other two templars. The templars whose arm he had tucked under his arm suddenly struck Garrett in the side of his head with the shield causing him to loose hold of his arm. The room was now spinning and Garrett could feel blood drip down the side of his head for where the edge of the shield had connected. He almost wasn't able to deflect the blow from the templar he had kicked to the ground. Luckily the templars with the crossbows had taken cover behind the nearby pillars from a both Varric's cover fire and Anders current rampage otherwise he wouldn't have been able to dodge another bolt. The templar continued his assault on Garrett, who was still disoriented from the blow to the head. Garrett could see the other templar coming up from his right flank out of his peripherals and realized he had to kill the templar quickly. When the templar thrust his blade forward, Garrett placed his dagger on top of it and deflected it towards the floor. Garrett followed up by quickly weaving around the templer and embedding the dagger into a weak spot in the center of the templars back, effectively severing his spine. Garrett quickly removed the dagger and allowed the dead templar to fall to the floor before blocking another sideswipe from the other templar. The templar followed up with a shield bash that nearly broke Garrett's nose and cause him to lose focus and then another that pushed him up against the wall. He was tired of being pushed around by this templar. Though his vision was a little blurry, he still managed to move away from the powerful thrust of templar's sword, allowing the weapon to imbed itself in the wall. Garrett didn't let up. As soon as the templar's sword stuck itself in the wall, Garrett lashed out with a powerful kick against the templar's outstretched arm. The force caused the templar's elbow to break and left his arm limp and useless. The templar screamed in agony as his broken arm dangled at his side. Before Garrett could celebrate, he saw one of the crossbow templars peek out from behind the pillar with his weapon aimed at him. Without a second though, he grabbed the injured templar next to him and used his body to shield him from an incoming bolt. The bolt pierced through the templars back and out through his front where his heart was causing his now dead body to go limp.

Before the templar could fire off another bolt, Varric fired a clean shot into his neck just below his helmet. The templar dropped his crossbow and collapsed to the ground, dead. Garrett looked to see the lifeless body of another templar close to Anders, who was preparing to finish off the last one. Anders unleashed a much more powerful form of the Winter's Grasp spell Bethany used, which froze the templar in an instant. Anders finished him off by taking the butt of his staff, where Garrett saw a blue ethereal claw form, and smashed the icy templar to pieces using the disembodied appendage.

When it was over, the ethereal aura that had consumed Anders dissipated and his eyes returned to normal.

"A-Anders?"

The former Grey Warden turned around to see Karl staring at him in bewilderment, something a Tranquil shouldn't have been able to express.

"Anders, what did you do?" he asked his voice devoid of its previous monotone. "It's like…you brought a piece of the Fade into this world. I had already forgotten what that feels like!"

Everyone in the room stood in shock. Anyone who knew anything about mages knew that once they were made Tranquil, they lost all connection to the Fade and with it, their magic and emotions.

"Aren't the Tranquil supposed to be cut off from the Fade for good?" Garrett asked his sister who only shrugged in confusion.

"When you're Tranquil, you never think on your life before, but…it's like the Fade itself is inside Anders, burning like a sun!" Karl explained.

Garrett had to wonder about that statement. The Fade was inside Anders? He supposed it made some sense since Anders had just revealed to them that he was an abomination. He was going to a few choice words for the apostate Grey Warden, for concealing this fact from him and for forcing him to kill the templars.

"Please, kill me before I forget again!" Karl suddenly begged as he grabbed hold of Anders' shoulders. "I don't know how you brought it back but it's fading!"

"Karl, I…I can't!" Anders exclaimed looking as if he was on the verge of tears.

"Maybe there's a way to keep him from becoming Tranquil again?" Garrett suggested, though he knew it was probably fruitless.

"Can you cure a beheading?" Anders asked angrily. "The dreams of Tranquil mages are severed; there's nothing left of them to fix."

"I would rather die a mage then live as an… an empty puppet to the templars!" Karl declared.

Garrett could understand Karl's desire. He wanted to die a mage, as a free man, and being able to feel happiness one last time. He took his dagger and pressed the handle in to Anders palm. The mage looked up at him with hopelessness in his eyes.

"It's what he wants," Garrett said.

Anders looked at the dagger in his hands and knew that Garrett was right. He would rather die than live his life as a Tranquil. He wouldn't let someone so dear to him live such a pathetic excuse of a life.

"I'm sorry, Karl," Anders said as he hugged his dear friend. "Goodbye."

With that, he stabbed Karl in the side. Karl let out a pained cry before slowly smiling. "Thank you, Anders," was the last thing he said before the life left him.

Anders laid Karl's body down on the ground and tried to his best to hold back the tears. He wanted to bury Karl properly, but he knew they had to escape from the Chantry before more templars showed up.

"Let's get out of here."

The group then fled the Chantry, leaving the massacre behind them.


The group had been quiet ever since they fled the Chantry. The air around them had been tense. So many question flooded Garrett's mind about what had happened back there along with the anger he felt towards Anders for nearly getting them arrested by the templars and having his sister pressed into bondage at the Gallows. When they got back, Anders would have some serious explaining to do and he damn well had better hand over those maps.

When they made it back to the clinic, Garrett let Anders have it.

"What the hell happened back there?" he demanded as he grabbed a hold of Anders and slammed into a nearby support beam.

"Look, I know you have questions-" Anders began, but Garrett cut him off and jostled him once more.

"I have more than questions for you, mage!" Garrett snarled. "You almost got us killed! What, did it just slip your mind to tell us that you were an abomination?"

Thankfully the clinic was empty and Anders didn't have to worry about his patients discovering his secret.

"Hawke, calm down," Varric said calmly. "He can't tell us if you break his neck."

"Listen to your friend; let me go and I'll explain," Anders stated evenly.

Garrett continued to glare at the ex-Grey Warden, but after taking a deep, calming breath, he released his hold on him.

"Start talking," he said.

"It's difficult to explain…" Anders said with a sigh. "When I was in Amaranthine, I met a spirit of Justice who was trapped outside the Fade. We became good friends who recognized the injustices mages face every day."

"A spirit or a demon?" Garrett asked with a scrutinizing stare.

"Believe it or not, there are beings in the Fade that stand in opposition to demons. Instead of embodying the vices of man, the spirits embody our virtues. They are the Makers first children…and they have all but left this world."

"I've never heard of this," Bethany said in wonderment.

"The templars don't want you to. They believe a mage that would accept a virtuous spirit is just as bad as a blood mage who gives themselves to a demon," Anders said with a hint of irritation.

"So this Justice is inside you?" Garrett asked.

"To live outside the Fade, he needed a host," Anders explained. "I wanted to help him, so I volunteered to become his vessel."

"Something tells me it didn't turn as good as you probably hoped, though," Garrett stated.

"Not exactly. When we joined, he…I guess I just had too much hatred. He changed," Anders said sadly.

"How?" Bethany asked.

"My hatred towards the templars corrupted him," Anders stated. "Whenever I see templars now, things that have always outraged me, but I've never been able to do anything about…he comes out and he is no longer my friend Justice. He is a force of vengeance…and he has no grasp of mercy."

"So when you discovered what they did to your friend back there- that was Justice?" Garrett asked.

"Yes it was," Anders replied with a nod. "I'm sorry about what happened, I truly didn't know."

Garrett considered everything Anders had told them. The man had clearly took a great burden upon himself in order to help a friend. From what Garrett knew of mages, he knew that dealing with the creatures of the Fade was never something you could predict the outcome to. As undoubtedly skilled as Anders was at magic, there was no way he could possible have predetermined the outcome of his current predicament.

"Well…I suppose it wasn't entirely your fault," Garrett admitted. "Your apology is accepted."

"Thank you," Anders said with a light smile. "You're the first people I've ever told this to. Can I trust you to keep this a secret?"

"Of course you can," Bethany spoke up then looked to her brother. "Right?"

"Sure, what's one more secret to keep from the templars?" Garrett asked sarcastically with a grin.

"This is one hell of a story, but for your sake Blondie, I'll keep it to myself," Varric added.

"I'm grateful," Anders said before heading for the small desk and retrieving something from one the drawers. "My maps are yours," he said as he handed the vellums to Garrett, "as am I if you wish me to join you."

"Well, why don't we discuss that over drinks at the Hanged Man?" Garrett suggested with a friendly smile.

"You'd drink with an abomination?" Anders asked in surprise.

"If he buys us a round, sure," Garrett said mirthfully.

"Fair enough," Anders said with a chuckle.