The rest of the walk to the Circle was - fortunately - less eventful. They encountered no further trouble along the way. Hawke wiped the sweat from his brow once they reached the top of the hill upon which the Circle had been built. From up here it was clear that the building formed the center of Minrathous; the hill offered an impressing view of most of the city. Fenris gazed in the direction of the sea, still wishing he could be anywhere but here, before he turned back to face the entrance of the Circle. Two guards were stationed next to the giant gilded doors, which were high enough to allow an ogre to enter without the need to duck. The guards themselves looked small next to the massive doors. Still, they seemed to think they looked impressive, dressed in their light plate cuirasses that appeared to have been made of gold as well and glistened in the lazy afternoon sun. The armor was purely decorative, Fenris knew: both men were mages. Instead of trousers the guards wore robes of expensive fabric in dark purple. Ironically, it reminded him of the templar uniform.
"How do we get in?" Hawke asked, his eyes on the two guards.
"We try your plan."
Hawke looked confused. "Plan? What plan? Freeze their toes and cook their brains?"
"No," Fenris said, suppressing a sigh. "Bluff our way in. Tell them you have an appointment with Feynriel."
"You think it'll be that easy?"
Fenris shrugged. "Those guards are mostly for show, and to keep the commoners out. The magisters think they have little to fear from others from outside their golden doors. Besides, this is not like the Circles in the rest of Thedas. At the end of the day all mages are allowed to return to their private mansions. That means it's easier to get in and out. Entrance isn't exactly forbidden."
Hawke inhaled slowly. For the first time Fenris thought he could detect a bit of nervousness. "Very well. Let's try it. And hope that Feynriel is actually inside."
After a confirmative nod from Fenris, Hawke strode to the giant, carved doors. He stopped right in front of them, looking like he expected them to open for him immediately and huffing in annoyance when they remained shut. Fenris stayed one step behind Hawke, on his right.
"Yes?" The right guard asked in a bored voice after they had stood there like that for almost a minute.
"I want you to open those doors for me."
Both Tevinters glanced at Hawke's clothing and smirked. "No commoners allowed," the left guard said, sounding equally bored.
"I am here to see an old friend of mine. Feynriel."
Now the guards paid a little more attention, albeit because they believed to detect an amusingly bad lie. "Is that so?" the left guard asked mockingly. "And what's your name?"
Hawke straightened his back to his full height, which was already greater than that of the average Fereldan and left the Tevinter guards in his shadow. "Feynriel and all the others will hear of this, serahs," he said threateningly. "You are certainly not contributing to a good first impression of the Tevinter Imperium. But if you insist: my name is Hawke, Champion of the city of Kirkwall in the Free Marches for defeating the Arishok in single combat." Hawke waved his arms around to accentuate every word. "Remember it well, because I'm certain you will hear it again from now on! My companion Fenris," Hawke stretched out an arm towards Fenris, "should already be known to you as the best warrior Tevinter has ever seen. So I hope you now both understand that neither of us are commoners, and if you know what's good for you, you stop scratching your butt and let us in. I have an urgent meeting with Feynriel and you are delaying me."
Fenris bit his tongue to control himself. He was not sure whether he should laugh at Hawke's theatrics or shake him because he had taken it too far and turned it into a joke. Shaking him was the most tempting... I have gone to one of the most dangerous places in the world with a comedian at my side.
The guards exchanged a brief look. They seemed to have lost most of their arrogance. Then, much to Fenris' surprise, the Tevinters took a step aside and faced the doors. Simultaneously they stretched out a hand and made a quick gesture. The doors swung open to the inside without making any sound. Their faces blank, the guards took in their old position on their respective side of the door.
"You may enter," the guard on the right said, in a tone that could not be any more polite and professional.
Hawke gave no sign that he had ever doubted the guards' decision. Head held high, back straight, he marched inside. Fenris followed him, his head held less high, his back less straight. He felt as if the weight of all the magic in this cursed city was bearing down on him. The weariness he had been feeling since the short fight with the abomination had failed to decrease with the walk up the hill.
When he went through the Circle's entrance, his markings immediately lit up. The place was filled with powerful magic, from the gilded, engraved doors to the high ceiling. The auras were not only caused by the mages who were present and the magical artifacts that were undoubtedly kept here. The building itself was emanating magic, with enchantments that were far more complicated than anything that Sandal would ever have put on a sword or piece of armor engraved in the stones. If history was to be believed, this building predated the first Blight. The combination of dwarven architecture and the power of generations of magisters had resulted in something indestructible. There was no doubt this was truly the domain of mages. Hawke's magical aura, which tended to overshadow other magical presences in a room, was reduced to a candle's flame in a raging fire. Fenris could sense a ripple of excitement going through the demons that were catching glimpses of the mortal plane through his eyes.
After they had taken three steps inside, the doors closed behind them as silently as they had opened. Hawke shot an unnerved look over his shoulder.
"They will let us out again once we're done, won't they?"
"We can only hope." They wouldn't have let me out.
"Oh, very reassuring," Hawke muttered. "Never thought I would voluntarily walk into a Circle."
About time you have to set foot somewhere you don't want to.
"You thought it wouldn't work, did you?" Hawke apparently decided to push his concerns aside for the time being and sounded rather smug. "You thought they would kick us down the hill. I could hear your teeth gnashing."
"You did move beyond what an ordinary man would consider to be bluffing."
"Nonsense. We're inside, aren't we? Now we only have to find Feynriel. Any idea where we should start looking?"
"If he is an apprentice the library would be my first guess." Danarius had rarely visited the library of the Circle; he had mostly relied upon his private book collection when he needed to research something, but Hadriana had often studied there with other young mages.
"Lead the way."
Ten years of absence had not changed Fenris' good memory of the floor plan of the Circle. While serving Danarius it had been essential for him to know how to get from one room to the next as fast as possible. If Danarius or Hadriana suspected that he was being slow, they had been quick to make their displeasure known. Fenris also recalled the time he had had to chase a slave who had attempted to assassinate his master. He had caught the man by accurately guessing where he would flee, taking a faster route and cutting him off. Needless to say the failed assassin had not left the building alive.
The vast halls were mostly empty, something Fenris was grateful for. Whenever he saw somebody wearing robes ahead, he expected it would be his sister. Would she study here, practice her magic? Or had her chance of becoming a magister died with Danarius? Had she even returned to Minrathous at all? To Tevinter? What would he do if he suddenly stood face to face with Varania?
"Kill her."
"Like you should have done."
"When you had the chance."
No. He had not come here to kill anybody. The only reason he was here was because of his markings. He had made his decision when he let her go. No reason to back down on his word. He had had the strength to walk away from it once - with Hawke's help - and he would do so again if need be.
But hopefully it won't come to that.
They got to the library - or rather, the most commonly used library out of the many rooms filled with books the Circle contained - without running into Varania or any magisters. Hawke's face brightened at the sight of so many knowledge written down and placed on shelves, but he was careful not to say anything to betray his enthusiasm. The library was not empty like the hallways had been. Although the majority of people studying here had already left, there were still several apprentices and some enchanters sitting at the large tables. Dark eyes looked up from the pages they had been reading and followed Fenris and Hawke as they walked past the shelves searching for Feynriel.
They found him alone at the table farthest away from the central tables, bent over a thick tome with pages that had been colored yellow by the passage of years. Hawke gave Fenris a relieved smile before he quickly approached the young mage, who did not look up until Hawke spoke. "Hello, Feynriel."
Feynriel's head whipped up and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw Hawke standing in front of him. "Hawke! I... what a surprise. I had no idea you would visit me!"
"I'm afraid I haven't had the time to write you a letter to alert you, Feynriel. We have come as fast as we could." Hawke cut right to the chase. "We need your help."
"Of course," Feynriel said while he looked like he was still trying to process Hawke's unexpected appearance. "You have saved my life twice. I owe you more than I could ever repay." Fenris wondered briefly whether Hawke would be keeping track of all the people who owed him something. He must have an impressive list by now. Feynriel closed the tome he had been reading. "What can I do for you?"
"You remember Fenris?" Fenris took two hesitant steps forward, so that he was standing next to Hawke. Unease marked Feynriel's features for a brief moment before he had himself under control again and forced a polite smile on his face that looked almost genuine. When Hawke had tried to negotiate with the slavers to free Feynriel, Fenris had forced them to attack, ignoring the threat of the leader of the group to cut Feynriel's throat. Obviously Feynriel had not forgotten that. His voice did not betray the holding of a grudge, though. "Of course I remember. I owe him my life too."
Fenris' attempt to return a small smile turned into a grimace when Hawke gave him a push to make him stand closer to Feynriel. "Fenris is the reason we're here," Hawke said softly, although Fenris had no doubt that all the mages in the room would succeed in hearing what they were saying nevertheless. "He used to be a slave of a magister here. That magister conducted some kind of ritual to create these." Hawke's finger brushed one of the thicker lines on Fenris' arm. "They grand special abilities, but I fear they have become unstable. You can probably sense that he forms some kind of tear in the Veil. He can hear demons call to him; they try to influence his actions. Neither of us has any idea how to control this or what the ritual involved besides lyrium. Because a Tevinter magister has done this, we-" Fenris glared at Hawke, "...okay, I thought this would be the place we could find answers."
Feynriel leaned back in his chair. He breathed in, puffing up his cheeks, and blew the air out again before he spoke. "Wow." He shook his head. "You really did not come here with an easy task to help with."
"I know that warriors like him are rare," Hawke started, "But surely someone-"
"Rare?" Feynriel interrupted. He pushed himself forward, though he remained seated. "As far as I know, he is the only one."
"But..." Hawke looked at Fenris. "You said it yourself that warriors like yourself are rare. You never told me you were the only one!"
"I have seen two or three others like me, though that was long ago. How should I know what has happened to them in the meantime?"
Hawke rubbed his face. "Alright, never mind." He turned back to Feynriel. "Do you know what to do about this?"
Through narrowed eyes, Feynriel quietly studied Fenris for a while. "I have learned a great deal about the Veil here," he finally said, "but I don't think the ways to mend tears in the Veil that I have been taught will work here. I also have never seen the other ones you speak of or even heard of them. Perhaps my mentor, Claudius, will know. I will ask him when I meet him."
"I'd prefer it if we could pay him a visit right now," Hawke said calmly. "Is he here?"
"Uhm... yes, he is in his office. But I think it's better if..."
"Take us to him."
Feynriel stared up at Hawke, contemplating whether he should give him his way. He was clearly torn between obedience to his master and doing something to repay the immense favor he owed Hawke. Hawke did not allow Feynriel's sense of obedience to get the upper hand. "Take. Us. To. Him." He repeated the words slowly, pronouncing them very carefully. It was unwise to resist Hawke when he had ice in his eyes, and the threat in those few carefully spoken words could not be missed. This was an order, not a request.
Feynriel barely lasted a second under the weight of Hawke's gaze. He dropped his eyes and mumbled an agreement. He got up, gesturing to Hawke and Fenris to follow him. Hawke only gave a nod in return. Feynriel's hesitance had apparently made Hawke lose what little patience he had had.
Murmurs rose up behind them as soon as they left the library. The apprentices could not withhold their eagerness to discuss the appearance of the two mysterious strangers long enough to wait for them to be out of earshot. Fenris thought he heard "Danarius", "unique" and "lyrium" a few times before they were marching through the hall again to magister Claudius' office.
None of them spoke while they walked. The tension between them had risen sharply with Hawke's unspoken threat. Fenris did not care much if Feynriel's feelings were hurt by the cold behavior of his hero. He used what little energy he had left to try to ignore the demons that continued to plague his mind. The whispers were an ongoing nuisance nibbling at his defenses.
After five minutes Feynriel stopped in front of a broad door made of an exotic type of wood. Various kinds of flowers and animals were carved in its surface, with much attention paid to detail. The birds had feathers, the fish had scales, mammals had hair. The result was almost lifelike, even with the lack of paint. Feynriel did not pause to admire the craftwork, though he did hesitate before he knocked. At an affirmative noise from the other side of the door, Feynriel pushed the door open and entered cautiously. Hawke immediately went in after him.
"Master Claudius," Feynriel said with a voice he could not keep all the nervousness out of. "I am sorry to disturb you, but some friends of me who need your help have just arrived..."
The magister did not look op from his desk. He mumbled something dismissive in Arcanum at his parchment and waved Feynriel away.
"Common tongue, please," Hawke said so loudly that Feynriel nearly jumped and looked at him in shock.
It did have the desired effect: magister Claudius slowly raised his head and sat upright. Only when he had carefully placed the tips of his fingers against each other, he spoke. "Ah, messere Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall. What a surprise to suddenly have you in my office."
Hawke, who had already been prepared to repeat the show he had given in front of the two guards, was left at a loss for words. That the magister was aware of who he was and did not show the slightest bit of surprise brought him off balance. Claudius took Hawke's appearance in, in a way that was a perfect mix of disinterest and disdain, while Hawke was trying to decide what to say.
Hawke's recovery was not very impressive. "You... you know who I am?"
"Of course I do. I consider it part of my duty to stay informed of events that take place beyond the borders of this realm. As you probably know, we are no friends of the Qunari, so," magister Claudius bared two rows of straight, white teeth in a smile, "when an outsider manages to kill the military leader of those blasted ox-men, I take notice. The whole Senate had a good laugh about it."
The possibility that Tevinter had somehow profited from his heroic attempt at suicide had apparently not really been considered by Hawke either. A little frown creased his brow while he let the magister's words sink in. Fenris had to admit that he too was taken by surprise that the magister immediately knew who Hawke was, but not as much as Hawke. Magisters maintained their power by playing vicious political games. Being one step behind an opponent could mean your end here. Fenris now cursed their blind optimism. This man would not be deceived by bluff.
"Did it help with your war?" Hawke inquired innocently.
Claudius' smile disappeared abruptly. With his dark eyebrows lowered, he said: "Not really. For a while the ox-men seemed at a disadvantage with their Arishok in Kirkwall, but the beasts are disciplined, and the Arishok's successor was quickly used to his new role." The last word was spat out in disgust. "So far we remain at an impasse. But I have no doubt we will eventually drive them back into the sea." Hawke nodded halfheartedly. "But I assume you are not here three years after your heroics to discuss the Qunari with me..."
"No," Hawke pulled his shoulders back. "No, I'm not. Like Feynriel said, I need your help." Hawke stepped aside to make room for Fenris, who had not passed the doorway yet.
Now that Fenris could get a clear view of the magister, he recognized him. More lines marked his face and his black hair had streaks of grey in it, but the overall sharp features had remained the same. Before Fenris' escape, Claudius had been one of the newer magisters. His star had been rising a decade ago, and apparently it had risen high.
The air of disinterest fell from Claudius when he saw Fenris. Greed sparked up in his eyes as he got up from his chair and leaned over his desk. "Is that... Danarius' slave?"
Fenris wanted to show that arrogant prick he was nobody's slave anymore, but Hawke, sensing the threat of Fenris' eruption, was faster and raised and arm in front of Fenris' chest to stop him. "Fenris is a free man," he said quickly. "Danarius made the mistake of trying to claim him as his property, and he paid for it with his life. Fenris has earned his freedom. He is here as his own person, as my equal. I expect him to be addressed as such."
Claudius' expression became perfectly cold and unaffected again. "Of course." He sat back down and assumed his old pose. "And what is it that you two need of me?"
With two large steps Hawke had reached the other side of the desk. "The markings are becoming unstable. I need to know what to do about that."
"Do they? How interesting." The magister's fingers tapped against each other while he thought about it. "Then again, it's not surprising."
"It's not?" Hawke asked eagerly. "So you know what can be done?"
"It's not," Claudius repeated dryly. "But I do not know what can solve the issue."
"What do you mean by that?"
"What I mean, is that it is only logical that the markings are becoming unstable now that Danarius is no longer alive to maintain them."
Fenris staggered, nearly fell against Feynriel. Of course. How could he ever have expected anything else? How could he have believed it would end with Danarius' death? As it turned out Danarius' death only meant his own end. His mouth twisted with the bitter irony of it all. He wondered if Danarius had known. He had never made a mention of it, not even in his last battle in an attempt to save his life. Perhaps Danarius had realized it would have made no difference. Fenris would rather be dead than continue to live as a slave, even if he would be a healthy slave. Still, the cruelty of fate caused bile to coat his tongue. The demons made no secret of their amusement.
His sister's accusing voice echoed inside his head. "You wanted it. You competed for it."
Hawke appeared to struggle with this revelation as well. His voice wavered when he tried to speak. "It must be possible to maintain them again. I could do it. Or undo the whole ritual. Just tell me how."
The answer was like a stone dropping on the last glimmer of hope they had. "As far as I am aware, there is no way. None of us have been successful at reproducing Danarius' remarkable results."
"You said you didn't ask for this, but that's not true."
"But... Fenris has seen warriors with markings like him!"
"They all died shortly after their ritual. The lyrium killed them within a few days, and that was the best we could do."
"You wanted it."
"In that case I want to take a look inside Danarius' mansion. Search for information about the ritual. He must have kept notes..."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible. Danarius' mansion is now the property of magister Gaius. I might add that we have found no documentation concerning the ritual among Danarius' belongings."
Fenris could tell by the tension in Hawke's back that he could barely control himself. "Feynriel wrote in a letter to me that you have killed another magister in a duel. According to Fenris the victor can claim possessions of the loser. We have defeated Danarius. Your own rules say that his belongings are now ours."
Claudius folded his arms across his chest. "Do not offend us by pretending to know our ways," he snapped irritated. "That was no official duel approved and supervised by the Archon. You can barely claim the rings on Danarius' dead fingers."
Hawke leaned over, placing his hands on the large desk without paying attention to the sheets of parchment lying there. He leaned over far enough to be nose to nose with the magister. "Then I will duel magister Gaius," he hissed. "And you. I will duel every one of you if need be. I have beaten Danarius, and I will defeat and kill you all if that will give me the answers I seek!"
Magister Claudius snorted, completely unimpressed. "Barbarians! Perhaps this is a normal way to handle things in your country, but here we are civilized people. Don't think you can intimidate me. Have you ever wondered why Danarius did not know you are a mage, Champion? Ever considered why you could take him by surprise? Why he did not squash you like the bugs you are?" When Hawke did not answer, Claudius flashed his teeth again. "It is because I paid his informants not to tell him."
"I like how you're revealing that right after you claim to be civilized."
Claudius' eyes flashed darkly. "Danarius dug his own grave by granting powers to a slave he could not control. His arrogance was his downfall. I only perfected the circumstances for his demise. This is how it goes in Tevinter. Now, we can try to resolve this situation our way, or you can leave. Blurting out threats will certainly get you nowhere."
It was obvious who had won here. Hawke ran a hand through his loose hair. "What do you propose?"
The magister considered for a moment. "I will speak to magister Gaius to see if he is willing to let you into his home to search for information. In the meantime you could try talking to Danarius' wife, to hear if she-"
"His wife?" Hawke gaped at Claudius before he spun around to look at Fenris. "Danarius was married?!"
Fenris stared back in Hawke's bewildered face. He did not understand Hawke's surprise. "He was," he replied hesitantly.
Had Hawke's jaw been loose, he now would have had to pick it up from the floor. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he produced any sound. "Why didn't you tell me this?"
"They are all married! Why did you assume differently?"
"But if he was married, then why did he..." Hawke swallowed what he was about to say. Did he what? "You never even mentioned her."
"Why would I? Do you want me to recite Danarius' hobbies for you as well?" At the look on Hawke's face, Fenris grudgingly elaborated: "I barely ever saw her. Danarius rarely spoke to her. She was in disgrace because she had failed to fulfill her duty."
"What duty?"
Fenris did not avert his eyes when he answered. "To produce an heir. With magical abilities, of course."
He thought this explanation would be sufficient for Hawke, but instead it only enraged Hawke more. "Produce an heir?!" he exclaimed. "What, and that was that woman's fault? Did it never occur to Danarius that he might have had plenty of babies if he hadn't been so busy with fucking you?!"
Fenris felt his cheeks grow hot from embarrassment. This was one of the things they should not speak of; a sensitive subject they both shied away from. And now Hawke just threw it out in the open! Blood pounded in his head, making him dizzy. He noticed Feynriel backing away from him before he noticed the glow of his markings. Hawke looked like he regretted his outburst already.
Fenris tried to think, determine how to react. Whether it was because of the lyrium, Hawke's words or simply being back in Minrathous, an old, almost forgotten - no, firmly pushed away - memory forced itself into his mind to be relived. Danarius after his wife had finally carried a child to term, had given birth to a living, breathing baby, and the child turned out to have no magic. It was the only time he had seen the calculated rationality disappear completely from Danarius' eyes. The only time Danarius had beaten him, scorched him, shredded skin with his nails while he took him with an animalistic desperation. The only time that instead of sweat, tears had landed on his bare back.
He sucked in his breath when he finally managed to regain his focus and lock the memory away. When his vision cleared, he saw that he was standing right in front of Hawke, one steel fist clenching his tunic. He could not remember getting closer to Hawke, or grabbing him. Hawke looked very remorseful. Fenris did not want to know what he looked like right now, sweaty and trembling.
Then Claudius' voice cut through tension. "Fascinating as this may be," he interrupted mockingly, "could we perhaps get back to business? If I lend you my aid, I expect something in return."
Fenris saw how Hawke closed his eyes for a few seconds before he freed himself from Fenris' shaking grip and turned to the magister. "I assume you don't want coin?"
"Indeed. I have no need for more gold."
Hawke waited for Claudius to say what he did want but the magister did not continue. Eventually Hawke asked flatly: "What do you want then?"
"Whatever information you find about the ritual, I want you to share it with me."
"And I thought Danarius was an idiot for granting his slave so much power."
"I have no intent to repeat the ritual. That doesn't mean I should remain ignorant. Danarius succeeded where everybody else failed. Consider my interest... professional curiosity. Now, do you agree?"Hawke nodded. "And I want to examine Fenris."
Fenris bared his teeth in a snarl. "I don't think so."
"Deal."
"What?!"
Claudius' dark eyes went from Hawke to Fenris and back, as if he was considering whose word he should rely on. Unsurprisingly, he chose Hawke. "Excellent," he said with a content smile on his face. "I'll see what I can do. We will meet again shortly. In the meantime, visit Danarius' widow and see what you can get out of her. Feynriel can tell you where to find her."
Another nod from Hawke, a little deeper this time, almost like a bow.
"Hawke," Fenris growled. "If you think I will let him-"
"Shut it, Fenris. We'll talk about this later."
Fenris bit his tongue at Hawke's crude reaction. This was unbelievable! After all those promises Hawke was making deals with a magister on his first day in Minrathous, and at Fenris' expense! He was seething with rage and felt his control slipping away with each passing second. The markings burned in his flesh while demons cackled in his head.
Hawke quickly bid magister Claudius goodbye and left the office. Fenris stormed after him. He wanted to yell at Hawke, but Hawke shot him a warning look and subtly gestured with his head in Feynriel's direction, who had closed the door to Claudius' office behind him and was now catching up with them.
"I'm glad he's decided to help you," Feynriel said. He looked relieved. Probably more for his own sake than theirs, Fenris thought.
Hawke smiled a tense smile. "Thank you for your help, Feynriel. I apologize for the way we barged in, but as you understand it's urgent."
"It's alright. I still owe you, Hawke."
"Don't worry about it. You have already done us a big favor. I hope Claudius can convince that other magister to cooperate."
"I bet he will," Feynriel reassured him.
"Can you tell us how to reach Danarius' widow?"
Feynriel explained where she lived. He was just finished by the time they reached the exit. The gigantic doors swung open when they approached. After another quick goodbye Fenris and Hawke were back outside. The sun had set during their time in the Circle. Small magical lights lit up in the evening, spreading a harsh, unnatural light.
When they were out of earshot of the two guards, Hawke opened his mouth. "You're mad. Again."
"You sold me out to the first magister you could find!"
Hawke sighed. Suddenly he looked almost as tired as Fenris felt. "I did not "sell you out"," he objected. "But we had to convince Claudius to help us somehow."
"You betrayed me!"
Hawke halted. "Think about it, Fenris! We are alone here. We have to get people on our side. Magisters won't help us for free. We don't have room for negotiation. Claudius had to believe he would get something that he wants if he aids us. That doesn't mean that he will get it."
Fenris eyed Hawke for a moment while he thought about this explanation. "You would break your word to magister?" he asked skeptically.
Hawke grinned. "Why not? He certainly looked like he was already trying to come up with a way to break his word to us."
That reassured Fenris a little. "It... seems I was too hasty in my reaction," he said awkwardly. "I apologize."
"I need to apologize as well."
Fenris looked away.
"Fenris... What I said... about Danarius... I'm really sorry. I went too far. It's just... for some reason I imagined Danarius as a lonely, sick bastard, and that that was why he..."
What is it, Damian? You were able to say the word in Claudius' study.
"Do you... do you still not want to talk about it? It's up to you, but maybe... maybe if I know... it will help."
Fenris clenched his jaw to keep every word that would try to escape inside. On this subject he should not and would not breach his silence. Hawke would never understand. The more he knew, the more disgust he would feel. His reaction to finding out that Danarius had had a wife had made that abundantly clear.
