Chapter 11
Leaning against a rock I took a drink of water and looked around camp. Varric was talking to Anders and Carver regaling a story of some kind. Hawke was intently talking to Isabella who was laughing and flirting with him. The sky was cloudless and the first signs of the stars were beginning to show. The crackle of the fire brought me back down and I saw Fenris watching me with a stoic face. I look away and close my eyes taking in a breath of clean air.
"Enjoying your time away from Kirkwall." I open my eyes to see Anders smiling at me softly.
"I am indeed and I am sure you are as well."
He laughs "Yes Kirkwall starts to stink after a bit."
"That it does."
"I saw the elf watching you." he glanced at me.
"Is that jealousy I hear?' my voice teasing.
He smiles blushing "I, it just worries me. I've heard of his dislike of mages."
"Well then its good you are here to protect me then isn't it?" I smile softly at him.
He looks at me under his lashes "I will always protect you Vi."
It took every ounce of will not to grab him and kiss him. "Thank you Anders." He squeezes my hand and walks back to camp I resist the urge to slam my head on the rock I'm staring at when I hear someone behind me.
Thinking it Anders I turn only to find Fenris in front of me.
"Oh, Fenris hello." he watches me carefully for a moment.
"Your tattoo that's lyrium isn't it." was he hissing, growling... or was that just his normal surly sound? I wasn't quite sure.
"If you must know yes."
"Did you receive that willing or unwillingly." was he clenching his fist? If he throws a swing he better pray I don't get back up.
"Willingly I had a Tevinter mage I met do it." my eyes flashing from his eyes to his fist.
"Why would you undergo something so painful?" He said in slight shock.
"To unlock a deeper pool of magic." I said and his lip instantly curled at the word.
"Mages and their incessant quest for power!" he growled.
"Of course! You do know I plan to rule all of Thedas with an iron or should I say magical fist... No? Huh I guess Hawke never mentioned it well now you know."
His already large eyes got larger, darker, and his lips turned to a frown and I swear that hand glowed. "I'd think twice about trying to crush my heart." I looked behind him to see everyone glaring at him.
He turned and walked away swearing in Tevinter.
Maker you'd think I would know better than to poke at the angry lyrium etched elf who hates mages. Meh I say to myself who cares. I walk back to the fire and sit lay down on my bedroll and close my eyes and let the warmth of the fire bathe my cool skin. Sleep was tugging at my weary eyes and so as I closed them I drifted into the fade and all around me faded into nothing.
Camp rolled out and as we began entering the Dalish camp an Elf stepped forward "Hold Shemlan your kind are not welcome here." he was glaring at Hawke and the rest of us.
"I've come to speak to your keeper Maratharie." Hawke said "I have been tasked with bringing her an Amulet."
The other elf looked shocked "Could he be the one the keeper spoke off?"
"I thought it would be an elf all right but keep your weapons sheathed and know that our arrows are pointed at you."
How comforting and welcoming I thought as we made our way into camp we were greeted with a mixture of disgust and curiosity. We reach the keeper and she looks at Hawke. "Tell me child how did this task fall to you?"
"This gigantic dragon came took out a few darkspawn saved us and gave me this amulet to give to you." she smiled slightly "So you are blessed with good fortune.'" She began telling him that he would have to go up sunder mount to perform a ritual and that her first would go with us to perform the ritual. Afterwards we were to take the girl with us. Strange Hawke thought but shrugged and agreed.
"I hate climbing!" I growled and Hawke just laughed at me.
"Come on Sparrow it's not that is bad."
We met up with the young keeper named Merrill she was talking quickly and apologizing every other word when the hairs on the back of neck stood up. I turned back to see Fenris glaring at me. Maker this was getting annoying so I turned and head to him and his eyes widen slightly as I stand in front of him.
"Fenris some reason you're boring holes into the back of my head?"
"I'm just watching you mage."
"Right but your nasty glare doesn't fall on Hawke or Anders just me is there a reason for that? Or is that you just an excuse so you can stare at my ass?"
I didn't think he could blush but he did "That is not the reason!" he sputtered.
"Uh-huh your rosy cheeks say otherwise. I'm on to you Fenris."
Heading back up I can hear him sputtering angrily and I smile that should keep him off my back for a while.
"What are you smiling about?" Anders falls in line with me.
"Oh nothing I just embarrassed Fenris by accusing him of looking at my ass."
"What? He was?" Anders voice suddenly sharpened and I my lip flickers.
"I don't know but its stopping him from glaring at me that's all I care about."
It felt like we had walked for an eternity but I could not dismiss the beauty of the mountain. Its moss covered stone and grassy pathways and snow tipped peaks it was breathtaking. We head through the inside of the mountain and emerge upon the other side. It was here that we saw a magical barrier.
Walking over to it I place my hand gently on it. Merrill walks over "It requires blood magic to open." she said.
"Why is that?" I asked "Was it made with blood magic?"
She shakes her head "No one is strong enough to open it without."
"Well I'm not a fan of blood magic so let's see what I can do shall we?" I close my eyes and place my hand on the ancient barrier. My magic forces its will upon it and soon the barrier breaks revealing the way.
"Creators bless us you did it! How, how did you do it?" Merrill said in awe.
"No idea, there is a lot I know that I don't know where it came from. Let's do this shall we the veil is thin up here and it makes me edgy."
Hawke heads to the podium and sets the amulet and Merrill begins the ritual when Flemeth appears.
Hawke backs up "Did I carry you all the way here?"
Flemeth smiles "Just a piece an extra security should the inevitable befall as I had expected."
Anders looks him over "What are you? A spirit an abomination? This is no magic I've ever seen."
"And you would know of sprits and abominations." she says mockingly.
"Of course I do I'm a mage." he says and she laughs.
"Maker Anders shut up she knows what you are." I hissed at him.
He glanced nervously at me and Flemeth walked over to me.
"So child it seems you have begun the first step, I wonder should I help you on your way?" She is eyeing me carefully "Well it has been interesting so far why not?" she says laughing. Her hand reaches over and her finger runs across my forehead and everything goes black.
I feel my mind bursting as if awakening to something new, spells I had never known existed suddenly appear and I am overwhelmed. When I woke my head was pounding "Maker your awake!" Anders quickly knelt down and brushed the hair from my face. Seeing my pain he ran his fingers long my forehead, down and around my neck. I felt the tingle of excitement at his touch and I gasped thankful that he thought it was from the relief of pain.
We were in the Dalish camp still; apparently Anders had carried me down the mountain on his own. Hawke and everyone had rushed over to check if I was ok even Fenris checked on me much to my surprise.
"What happened?" Anders asked me as we made our way back to Kirkwall.
"It's like she unlocked something I had always had in my mind...maybe..." I had forgotten it but could that have been it.
"What Vi?" he was looking at me intently.
"My mother...was a witch in the Kocari wilds an apostate...before she was killed by Templars she cast a spell on me I never knew what it was but I remember her telling me our family had a special way of passing down hundreds of years of spells and knowledge..I had just forgotten about I was only seven at the time."
"So you think Flemeth opened up the spell?"
I stare into his worried amber eyes. "Yes I do and you won't believe what I know."