I would like to thank dominicgrim for being my beta for this chapter.
The walk to the Templar's campsite was long. Garrett asked him to come in case there were blood mages at work. Anders had snidely suggested taking Merrill, but Garrett shook his head. Blood mages can counter other Blood mages, it would be better to have someone who knows about such things. Anders was surprised to say the least at how much Garrett, a non-mage, knew about magic. Anders agreed, but found out later that she was coming as well and her little brother. Garrett could have mentioned that. Even now as they walked, he would send death glares at the mage hating mage.
Marian would just smirked as if saying: Really, this is how you're going to be?
Anders wondered briefly as to why Marian hated her own kind so much. He wanted to ask her, but he hadn't exactly been very amiable today. So decided to ask Carver and all he got was, "Ask Garrett."
Anders walked to the front of the group and tapped Garrett's shoulder, "Garrett, could I speak to you," he noticed Marian quirk her eyebrow, "Alone, please." Garrett nodded a hung back while Marian led the group toward the campsite.
"What is it, Anders?" Garrett asked.
"It is about Marian," Anders started, "I was wondering why…"
"She hates other mages when she herself is one." Garrett finished.
"Yes actually, I thought you would know."
Garrett looked up the trail and back to Anders, "That goes way back before her magic manifested itself. She always wanted to be a warrior or rogue. She would watch the Templars or the city guard practice depending on where we moved to. Father thought it funny, when she told him. Well not told him, told him, but… gah you know what I mean. Anyway she ended up setting fire to the stables my father worked at when an angry customer came back complaining about his horse not working right or some dumb thing. I think he hit her when she wouldn't answer and he didn't know she couldn't speak. It was determined the cause was him being on fire and running about setting the rest of the place on fire. Father did his best to cover our tracks and we left that night. Marian watched him burn alive." Garrett moved to lean on large rock as Anders took in the news.
"So she killed someone with her magic, and she hates herself. What about other mages, why does she hate them."
Garrett's eyes became dark, "She has good reason. When we about eighteen, she met a boy from the village we were staying at. Marian fell head over heels for him."
"Let me guess a mage killed him," Anders said a little venomously.
Garrett continued despite the interruption, "Mother was ecstatic that Marian found someone. Father was curious and I was protective. I would watch them from a distance and he would always wave his hand a curtain way and it was if she fell in love for him even more. Luckily it happened to be around the time when father was teaching her and Bethany about mind domination and how to protect yourself from blood magic. I began noticed things that Marian seemed to acting stranger and stranger every day. I followed her one day and tracked her down to meeting place with her boyfriend. He did his hand waving thing again and she caught it his hand. I remember how the boy looked shocked when his spell didn't work. He pulled out a blade and sliced his hand. He tried to use blood magic on her. Marian must have not told him she was also a mage as she hid it well from the templars. I remember she tore him apart with an ice spell. When it was all said and done, she never trusted her own kind again save Bethy."
"Why didn't you help her?" Anders asked.
"It was over before I could even draw my bow." Garrett said, "If you haven't noticed, my sister is trained very well. So there you have it, why my sister hates other mages, because you tend over abuse your power, fall to demons, and take thralls. It's very endearing to your cause." Garrett mocked.
"We do not!" Justice broke the surface a bit.
"And you call her the hypocrite, look in a fucking mirror." Despite Justice being brought forth Garrett stepped up to him with no fear, "Ever sense we came here, we met very few mages like my sisters. Even you and Merrill are an abomination and a blood mage. You ask why she hates her own kind, maybe you should reevaluate your goals. Not all mages are good, I get that, and my own father told me that. Not all Templars are assholes either, because it was a Templar that helped my father escape the Circle to elope with my mother. You may think don't support the mages, but I believe there is still time for cooler heads to prevail." Garrett stepped past Anders who was still fuming.
Anders watched Garrett go and stood there. That was bullshit. None of them have been though what I have. They still don't know what it is like to grow up in a prison their whole lives. What the damn Templars put us though, day in and day out. Anders walked until he caught up with the rest of them.
He saw Marian looking at her brother, What was that about? He shrugged, "I'll tell you later." Marian shook her head and scowled at Anders. Ander glared back.
Varric walked up to Garrett, "Hey, Chuckles, how come Blondie looks even more about rip Marian's head than usual?" Garrett looked back at the two of them.
"I talk to you about it later as well, but right now we have a couple of templar recruits to save," Was all he said the dwarf.
…
Garrett shook his head, Marian did well not casting in front of the Knight Captain, but it was almost needed as the demons summoned by the processed Templar recruit were many. Knight-Captain Cullen never found out as Anders did most of the casting in her stead. Cullen recognized him from the Ferelden circle, but didn't try to turn him, mostly because Cullen felt he owed them for helping him with the demon processed recruit as the fact that Anders helped the Ferelden Refugees in Darktown. It was a lad by the name of Wilmod, poor sod. Cullen pointed them in the direction of the Blooming Rose. When they got to Hightown they were attacked by a bunch of Guardsmen Pretenders as they were called. If they weren't on the clock trying to find Keran before the bloodmages who planted the demons in Wilmond did the same to him, he would have wiped out the gang right there in Hightown.
When they reached the Rose, Marian opened the door and walked in first. Garrett walked in next, being no stranger to the place having drug his little brother out here a few times in the past year. Everything about the damn place screamed fake, but hey if you wanted a tumble, why the hell would anyone care about how the place feels. He talked to Viveka and she pointed him and his merry band to Idunna who was in her room sitting on the bed in her chambers. When he saw the woman on the bed, she looked up. She was pretty, but something was off like… her grey eyes gazed upon him and he was lost. He'd do anything she'd say and give her everything she wanted. Focus! He told himself, he had job… what was the job… missing recruits… what did it matter with this vision standing before him. Anders and Varric were just as enthralled. Marian seemed to be as him trying to overcome something. Idunna stood up and walked to him. She smiled and went on about dealing with Viveka later for ratting her out. She looked back to him and a cruel smile came to her face.
"I have an idea. Take your blade and bring it gently across your throat." He would do anything for her and brought his blade up to his throat. Wait! Something wasn't right about this, why would she want him to kill himself unless… she had something to hide. Garrett tried to resist. He looked out the corner of his eye and saw Marian still entranced as well.
"Marian," his voice was practically a whisper. Marian looked over and saw the blade next to his throat. She looked Idunna with a fury. She broke the spell and flung the young woman on the wall pinned her there. Idunna looked at her in shock.
"You're a… mage, but…" Garrett was angry and cut her off.
"She is not your biggest concern right now." He said as walked over to her and placed his blade on her throat, "Where is Keran?" His voice was calm, but there was ice in his words.
"Who?"
"The Templar recruit you saw last!" Idunna nodded understanding.
"We take the recruits to Darktown. We have a coven there. Tarohne told me we could overthrow the templars. Please spare me, messere!" The girl was hysterical. He didn't want to spare her, but something told him deep inside it would not be wise to do so, yet.
"What will we be facing when we raid your hideout?" Garrett said trying to pry a little more information out of her.
"Traps, magical ones. There is a switch when you enter that shuts them off. Now, what are you going to do to me." Garrett frowned, thinking.
"The Templars will be here shortly. I'll have Madam Luscine send word to them." Marian released the spell and the girl flopped on the floor painfully. Garrett didn't even bother looking down to see if she was ok as he walked out her room.
