Chapter 10 - Have A Little Faith In Me
"When your back's against the wall just turn around and you will see I will catch your fall,
Have a little faith in me, have a little faith in me, have a little faith in me
When the road gets dark and you can no longer see, let my love throw a spark,
Have a little faith in me, have a little faith in me, have a little faith in me
I've been loving you for such a long time, expecting nothing in return
Just for you to have a little faith in me, you know time, time is our friend
I will hold you up, I will hold you up, your love gives me strength enough
Have a little faith in me"
Have A Little Faith In Me by Jewel
Stupid, idiotic, hero complex, templar obsessed, son of a filthy whore...
The adjectives that continued to flood Willa's mind were plentiful and very colorful as she stood frozen in place looking as if she were about to kiss her imaginary lover. If Fergus walked in right now and saw her he would never let her live this down. However, instead of her brother it was Tyce that rushed into her room, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw her predicament. He quickly waved his hand releasing the spell. Willa, who had been leaning into Anders when he had cast it, stumbled forward into Tyce's arms.
"My Lady, what happened?" He asked as he caught her.
"Anders, paralyzed me to keep me from going after him to save Trent. Did you know? Did you know that Trent was an apostate?"
Tyce nodded slowly.
"Do you know that templars are in the village looking for an apostate?"
"Yes, I came here looking for Anders to warn him. Lady Willa, Anders was only trying to stop you from making a huge mistake. When the templars are tracking an apostate you do not want to interfere in what they consider their sacred duty. They won't care that you come from nobility, they could kill you and justify it by saying you were helping an apostate escape. Anders is only trying to protect you."
"And who is going to protect him?" Willa demanded as she stepped behind her changing divider and began putting on her armor. She selected the all black one with black cloak to help conceal her in the shadows.
"No one," the elderly mage said solemnly.
"Exactly. He went storming off without a plan, without resources and he is going to get both of them caught because he isn't thinking clearly," Willa exclaimed.
"You can't save him," Tyce said earnestly.
"The hell I can't," Willa yelled. "I am the only chance he has." She said as she stepped out from behind the divider sliding her daggers into place.
She stepped up to him, her expression hardening as she spoke, "I need you to gather as many lyrium and healing potions you can spare and meet me in the stables..."
"Lady Willa, I can't let you go off after..."
Willa glared at the old man. "I am going after him. I am going to free him. If you go to my father or brother, you know they will personally come after me and you will have single handily placed this whole family in danger. Do you want that burden resting on your shoulders?"
Tyce's eyes widened, but he continued to press the issue. "What about what Anders wants? He didn't want you involved. He wanted you as far away from the harm magic can bring. Do you have no respect for his wishes?"
Willa paused at the man's words, tears filling her eyes. "I have a great deal of respect for Anders' wishes and I understand why he doesn't want me involved, but I also know that his greatest wish was to never return to the Circle. He would rather die than go back to the prison that seemed determined to break him. I will honor that wish. I will make sure that he can escape so that he can have a chance for a free life."
"No mage is ever free, my Lady," Tyce said sadly as he paused to collect his thoughts. "Anders is a very lucky man to have the love of woman so fiercely driven to see him remain free even if that freedom takes him away from her. You, my dear child, are the perfect example of unconditional love..I will met you in the stables with the items you requested."
Willa grasped the mage's shoulders and looked into his eyes. "Thank you, Tyce."
"Let's wait till the end of the day to see if I deserve your thanks, my Lady" he said as he turned to leave her.
True to his word, Tyce had met her in the stables and gave her all of his supplies. He said that Anders would need them more than he did, besides he had enough herbs to make plenty more. Willa thanked him and then hugged him. The old mage seemed to be taken back in surprise, but eventually he returned the hug and made her promise to return home safe.
Willa headed out the back gate. It was longer, but there were fewer guards and the path couldn't be seen directly from the castle. She rode Taboo, but had Mojo tethered to her. This slowed down her progress, but she knew if she was able to free them they were going to have to quickly get away.
When she was just outside of Highever Village she found a grove of trees to secure the horses in so that they would remain relatively unseen. She slipped into the shadows and entered the borough. The small town was in a panic. The Highever guards were working hard to keep the peace and to maintain a semblance of order, but it was a difficult task and she understood why as she silently eased her way into the town square.
Two templars and Addie McAvey, Trent's mother, lay dead in the center of the market district. The first templar had a dagger protruding from his heart, the other looked like he had been blown up and Addie...Maker's breath, Addie had been decapitated. Willa had to cover her mouth to stifle the horrified cry that was rising in her throat. What the hell had happened here?
Fear gripped her at her mind clouding her vision and judgement. She leaned back against the building, trying to take slow, deep breaths as she begged the Maker to keep Anders safe. She was about to turn down an alley when she heard the distinct, deep voice of her father. She froze in place, pressing against the building as he, Fergus and Captain Ulric passed by her. She quietly fell into step behind them. Careful to remain cloaked in darkness. "Give me your, report Captain," Bryce said.
"Eight templars showed up this morning in the village looking for an apostate. Addie McAvey willingly turned herself in..."
"The village midwife was an apostate?" Fergus asked interrupting Ulric's report.
"Yes, it would appear so," the captain replied.
"Did you know this, Father?"
Bryce said nothing, but there was a slight curve to his lips. When it was apparent that he wasn't going to answer Ulric continued with his report.
"It would also seem that her son was one too although the templars were only aware of Addie. They had only come for her. If the boy had just remained calm none of this would have happened, but Trent seeing his mother in the hands of the templars refused to allow them to take her. He began shooting lightning and fireballs at them. One of the overzealous templars drew his sword and charged Trent. Addie pulled out a dagger threw into the chest of the knight that was closest to her then she cast some kind spell at the templar charging her son that caused him to blow up...that's where most of the mess came from. I'm afraid they will be finding pieces of him for quite a while," Ulric surmised.
"And how did Addie's head become separated from her body?" Fergus asked.
"Well, the templars didn't take too kindly to seeing one of their own made into tiny pieces. They quickly attacked and killed her. I do believe the Knight-Captain wishes to speak with you regarding the matter, your Grace," Ulric said.
Bryce nodded and then asked, "And what happened to Anders?"
"Well, after witnessing the death of his mother, Trent sort of went crazy and began casting every spell he knew. Anders grabbed the boy from behind, trying to get him away from the villagers, but the templars smitted both of them."
"So both of them are in the templars' custody?" Fergus asked.
"Yes."
"Damn it! That's just lovely. Well, thank the Maker Willa isn't here she would go crazy," Fergus hissed.
"You underestimate your sister, Fergus. That has always been you're problem where she is concerned," Bryce said calmly before turning his attention back to his Captain. "Where are they know?"
"Four of the templars have already left for the Circle with Anders and Trent. The Knight -Captain and one other templar are waiting for you in the Chantry," Ulric explained.
Bryce nodded his head. "Thank you, Captain, for your report. Will you please inform the Knight-Captain that I will be there shortly to speak with him?"
"Yes, your Grace," Captain Ulric said as he bowed then walked off in the direction of the Chantry.
Bryce turned in the direction of where she was standing. "Well, I do believe the templars are hauling off an innocent man and traumatized child back to the Circle."
"Anders is hardly innocent, Father. He is a wanted apostate," Fergus said.
"A wanted apostate who could have run away at any point, but stayed on in Highever to cure as many people as possible during the plague. Many of our people owe him their lives."
"I believe it was the charms of your daughter that kept him here, not some grand sense of duty to humanity," Fergus chuckled and Willa had to restrain herself from kicking him.
"I hope that they took West Hills Passage and not the North Road. The Passage maybe longer, but I heard the North Road received a large amount of snow last night," Bryce said as he turned toward the Chantry.
"I believe I heard Ulric inform the Knight-Captain of that just before they left," Fergus replied.
"Good, very good. Well, let's get this over with. It's freezing out here and I'm ready for a nice hot toddy," Bryce said as he looked over his shoulder in Willa's direction and winked.
Willa couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. Her father never ceased to amaze her. She quietly made her way out of the village and back to her horses. If they were heading on the West Hill Passage they should be fairly easy to track. She took off in the direction they would have headed. Even though she had a horse tethered to her she was still able to move quicker than four templars transporting two unwilling travelers.
Within in an hour she was able to spot their traveling party on the horizon. She moved off the main path and into the woods for cover. When she had caught up with them, she followed them in the shadows of the forest always maintaining large amount of distance between them. As the sun began to sink below the treeline the templars finally made camp.
Willa stopped about half a mile away from their camp, tied the horses to a nearby tree then silently moved through the forest toward their camp. When the glow of their fire came into view she nimbly climbed into a nearby tree so that she could survey her surroundings.
Anders and Trent were in the middle of camp both looked weak and disoriented. Anders had told her that when a templar smits them that draining their mana also drains their strength since they draw their stamina from their mana. He also told her that some of the other side effects are disorientation and nausea and in some mages it is physically painful although he had never experienced that.
There were two templars in camp closely guarding their prisoners. She looked around, but didn't spot the other two knights. She knew they probably had first watch and were walking the parameter which meant eventually they would have to walk underneath her tree. She just needed to be patient.
Willa waited for seemed like an eternity before she heard the birds in the distant trees begin to call out warning cries. The calls moved toward her growing louder. She scanned the forest floor below looking for signs of movement. She finally spotted the knight cautiously moving through the trees. He would take several steps forward before spinning to check his rear flank before continuing forward. The templar had been well trained, but he was still no match for her. As he passed underneath her, she began to count. She made it to three hundred and sixty when the second templar came into view from the opposite direction. She smiled.
"Perfect!" she thought with a smile. Their passes were six minutes apart that gave her plenty of time to incapacitate the first guard, tie him up and hide him before the second guard arrived.
She pulled her hood up to cover her face then slipped down to a lower branch; one that was high enough provide her with enough momentum to drive the templar to the ground, but low enough not to create a lot of noise. When the bird calls grew louder again she spryly she slid to the edge of the branch and quietly drew out one of her daggers. As the knight passed below her she slipped off the branch and landed directly on top of him.
Willa's weight drove the air out of the knight's lungs and he silently crumpled beneath her. Without hesitation, Willa pulled back her arm and drove it into the side of the templar's head, knocking him unconscious. She quickly pulled the rope at her waist free, bound both of his hands and feet. She was about to gag him when she heard the bird's calling out again.
"Shit!" she hissed at not having enough time to conceal the body so she did the next best thing. She pulled it directly into the oncoming templar's path then she slid into the shadows just as the second knight came into view.
He rushed up to his fallen companion and as he bent down to examine his fellow templar Willa emerged from the shadows, bringing the pommel down on the back of the man's head. He collapsed on top of his friend and Willa swiftly tied him up and gagged both of them.
"Two down and two to go," she sighed just as she felt the tip of the blade slide under her chin.
"Not so fast, my sweet thing," a voice hissed in her ear.
Willa didn't even think, she just reacted. She knew she needed to eliminate his range of motion. She gripped his knife hand firmly while her opposite hand struck back at his groin. The Maker was smiling on her because he had removed his codpiece while he had been at camp. He groaned as Willa shifted away from his body and pivoted underneath his knife arm twisting it as she spun out in front of him. His wrist and arm were now pointed toward the ground in a very unnatural position. Willa then turned back towards the templar's body, still firmly grasping his knife hand she slammed her free elbow down on the knight's upper arm. The bones in his wrist snapped and he screamed as he fell to his knees in pain. Willa brought down the hilt of her sword against the back of his head, temporarily relieving him of his agony as fell to the ground unconscious.
Willa bent down to tie the knight up when a loud cry came from the camp. Willa spun in that direction and through the trees she could see the fourth templar dragging Trent to his feet by his hair. He slid his dagger under the young boys chin as he cried out, "If you don't want me to slice this boy's throat you will drop your weapon and show yourself."
Willa drew both of her daggers. She didn't want to kill these templars. That would have the Chantry doubling their efforts to find Anders and hunt down the templar killer. At the same time if he left her no choice she would choose Trent's life over the templar who was now using the boy as a shield. She slipped into the shadows and nimbly moved through the woods so that the templars' back was to her then she began to silently advance toward him.
"I mean it. Reveal yourself or I will slit him from ear to ear," the templar threatened.
As Willa drew closer she could see the stricken look on Anders face, but he didn't look as drained as he had when she had first arrived. She picked up a stone and threw it to the templar's left side. The knight spun toward the sound still clutching Trent tightly against him, but his back was now to Anders. She agilely slid beside Anders and dropped a bottle of lyrium into his lap. His eyes widened with shock as he glanced around. He slipped the vial into his palm just as the templar spun again to face him.
"So one of your friends are trying to save you," he spat.
"I'm an apostate. I have no friends," Anders muttered.
"Well, that's for certain. They obviously don't give a damn about this boy's life," he growled as he began to slid the dagger across Trent's throat.
"Nooo," Anders cried out as Willa lunged for the templar's arm, pulling it away from his neck, but she wasn't quick enough and the blade opened a small wound in his neck, blood began to spurt out. Turning to face his attacker, the templar released Trent letting him collapse to the ground. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Anders open the potion bottle and drink it as he crawled over to Trent. She turned her attention back to the advancing templar that had thrown his dagger aside and opted for a rather large, long sword.
"Come sweetheart, let's see what you got," the templar bellowed as he swung the sword at Willa's waist. She easily leapt backwards missing the blade by inches. He growled and charged her again, but she rolled under his arm. As she came up behind him she slashed the back of his legs with her blade. It cut through his leather armor, but not deep enough to do any real damage. The man stumbled, but remained upright and turned to face her.
"Quick little thing aren't you," he roared as he began to circle her. He swung his sword low towards her knees, she jumped over the blade, twisted around to his side. Still not wanting to kill only wanting to incapacitate she delivered a hard blow to his back with the flat part of the short sword. He stumped forward, but remained on his feet, quickly spinning towards her, he once again began to circle her.
Willa concentrated on his body language so that she could read his attacks. He lunged, she parried, he swung, she blocked and when he lunged forward a little too deep she side stepped him, it caught him off balance, and she brought her blade down on his arm and shoulder. He growled as he swung his sword around and hit her in the back. She cried out as pain shot down her spin. The blow had knocked her down, but she quickly rolled onto her knees and crossed her sword and dagger above her head just in time to stop the templar's blow to her head. Pain lanced through her body as her vision began to blur. She was certain that if she didn't end this soon she was going to pass out from blood loss.
She heard Anders yell something in the background, but she had no idea what he said. She pushed off the templar's sword, rolled backwards and was quickly back on her feet. Not giving her a moment to catch her breath, he roared as he charged again, but Willa once again rolled under his charge and as she comes up behind him she delivered a powerful blow once again to the back of his knees. This time cutting more deeply, the knight staggered forward, Willa twisted around using his forward momentum she hit him in the back with the blunt side of the blade. The templar fall forward his sword flew out of his hand landing a few feet in front of him. The templar scrambled to reach for it, but Willa was there too quickly and kicked it out of reach. She placed her boot between the man's shoulder blades to steady him as she aimed and brought the hilt of her sword against his temple. The knight instantly went limp and Willa collapsed beside him.
"Willa," Anders cried out, rushing to her side, he scooped her into his arms. His eyes furrowed as he pulled out his hand from underneath her and saw her blood on them. Tears welled in his eyes as he buried his head in her hair. "No...no, Willa...please..."
Her head was swimming and she couldn't focus, but she tried to smile as his warm breath washed over her. "I-it's okay... if y-you can't heal me...I saved you..." She reached up, her fingers fisting into his hair.
Anders breath was ragged against her ear as he tried to speak. "It's not that I can't heal you Willa. It's that my mana isn't fully restored. The lyrium helped with Trent, but I need more."
"Trent...is he..."
"He's fine, but I don't have enough mana to h-heal you. I need lyrium," Anders cried out.
"M-my bag..."
"Where is your bag?" He demanded.
She tried to speak, but her tongue felt like it was glued to the roof of her mouth. She threw her arm back in the direction of where the horses were tied up. "M-mo..Mojo," she stammered.
Anders nodded in understand. "Trent?"
"I'm on it," the boy called as he raced past them.
Anders began to undo the fastens on her vest. She tried to speak, but her mouth refused to corporate. Anders smiled at her. "Save your strength. I know you were trying to make some comment about me just wanting to stare at your breasts and as much as I enjoy the sight of your beautiful..."
Willa shook her head. "T-trent." She muttered.
"Oh yes, I'm positive he will enjoy the sight of them too," Anders said as gently rolled her over and lifted her tunic.
"Bloody hell," he muttered as he packed cloth into the wound trying to stifle the bleeding. "What were you thinking, Wills?"
"N-no...C-circle," was all that she could manage.
"D-don't you know..." Anders voice broke as his emotions got the better of him. He drew in a deep breath before continuing. "Willa, I could endure the Circle as long as I knew you are safe and alive. T-the thought of you not being in this world..."
"A-anders," she stuttered, interrupting him. With his hand still holding the packing on her back, he tenderly turned her over so she could see his face. She knew that she had lost a lot of blood, her limbs were becoming cold and numb and she couldn't hold on much longer. With her last bit of strength, she reached up to run a finger along his cheek.
"I...I love you..."
"No! Don't you give up. Do you hear me? Fight Willa..."
"I got them!" Trent yelled as he entered the camp and raced over to them. The last thing Willa remembered was Trent bending down beside her before everything went black.
The sound of raised voices pulled her out the darkness that had surrounded her. "You have to go, Anders. You have done all that you can for her," a voice said sternly. It sounded so familiar, but her head was still groggy and she couldn't quite place it.
"She has lost a lot of blood. She almost died," Anders demanded.
"You have stabilized her and you confirmed that she can be moved back to the castle. She will be fine once she is there and Tyce can finish what you started," another voice familiar voiced stated trying to reason with him.
"No...I can't leave her like this," Anders cried out in frustration.
"Damn it, Anders, she did this for you. She risked everything for you and your freedom. Don't make her sacrifice be for nothing," the first voice argued and now she recognized it was Rory.
Willa opened her eyes and saw Anders standing toe to toe with Rory and Alistair; all three of their eyes blazing with anger and frustration.
"Anders," she murmured. He turned to look at her and then immediately fell on his knees beside her.
He tenderly brushed back her hair as smiled down at her. "How do you feel?"
"Like my back was sliced open with a sword," she muttered.
He chuckled. "I have applied a healing poultice, but you are going to be sore and weak for several days. You lost a lot of blood."
"Anders...you need to go. You need to take Trent and leave immediately. I brought Mojo for you. Take him, get to Amaranthine or Denerim and take a ship as far as you can from here."
"I-I can't leave you like this," he whispered.
"You have to. There is a very small window of opportunity here. In Mojo's saddle pouch there are ten sovereigns. That should be plenty to buy passage for both of you and to help you begin a new life," Willa instructed.
Anders leaned down, burying his head in her hair, she could feel his warm tears running down the side of her neck, "There is no life without you."
Willa brought her hand up, twisting her fingers into his hair. She always loved the feel of his soft waves entwined around fingers. "Anders...for now this is how it has to be. I know this now and you've known this all along."
She felt his lips lovingly brush up the column of her throat to her ear. "I'll come back to you. Somehow, I will find away, but I'll always come back to you, Leanánn."
He pulled back from her briefly as his arms enfolded around her, lifting her up to him and then his lips tenderly pressed against hers. Willa knew this was goodbye, she had no idea when or if she would ever see this beautiful man again so when his hand slid into her hair and he softly nibbled at her lower lip, teasing her mouth apart, she forgot that there was anyone else nearby and she lost herself one last time in the exquisite pleasure that only Anders' mouth could give her.
There was only Anders, only his warm, solid body, pressed against hers, his soft, moist lips full of tenderness and passion and his gentle, healing hands caressing and teasing her. With each stroke of his tongue, electric shocks rippled through her, with each caress of his hand agonizing pleasure scorches her flesh. Eventually he pulled away from her, both of their breathing erratic and ragged with need. Anders...only her Anders could turn a simple kiss into erotic bliss leaving her starving and craving for more.
"I-I need to go," Anders growled. His voice rough with emotion and hunger. Willa couldn't find her voice so she just nodded in agreement.
"Damn, now that's what I call a kiss," Rory chuckled from behind them.
"No wonder, there was no passion behind those lips when she kissed me. She was saving all of her best moves for Anders," Alistair added.
"I'm just surprised he didn't send a fireball up your arse after that display on the tournament field," Rory stated.
Anders smiled, but his eyes never left hers as he replied, "I was definitely tempted too."
He leaned down, kissed her forehead and whispered, "I know you don't want me to say this, but I nearly lost you today, Wills, and I can't leave you without telling...I love you. I will always love you. For me there, there is only you."
Willa brushed her lips against his. "I love you too, Anders."
He grabbed his bag and rifled through it until he found his sketch journal. He tore out two pages then he handed the journal to her. "Something to remember me by."
"I could never forget you."
"Me neither," he whispered then quickly kissed her again before he stood up. He slung the bag and his staff over his shoulder as he turned to Rory and Alistair. "Thank you for coming for her."
"You can thank Fergus the next time you see him. He knew she went after you and sent us to check up on her. Good thing we did," Rory explained.
"Take care of her for me," Anders said.
"I will. You have my word, " Rory replied.
"Come on, Trent, its time to go," Anders instructed.
"I don't get you, Anders. You leave her in a pond half naked obviously wanting you. Now you plant the end all be all of kisses on her and once again you're leaving her. I truly think your insane," Trent surmised.
"I do believe for once you're right," Anders muttered as he turned and with one last glance over his shoulder at Willa, he blew her a kiss then headed out of the camp toward Mojo with Trent following closely behind him shaking his head. Willa forced the tears back, afraid if she allowed them to fall she wouldn't be able to stop.
Rory's brow furrowed as he leveled his stare at her. "He left you half naked in a pond. I have to hear about this."
"You don't have to hear about anything," Willa shoot back.
"Oh yes I do! Unless you want me to mention it to Fergus."
"I'm glad to see that bribery and extortion happens even amongst the nobles. Kinda warms the heart," Alistair chuckled.
"Where have you been Chantry boy? Living under a rock? The nobles invented bribery and extortion. Its practically an art form to them," Rory shot back.
"It's true," Willa said in agreement as Rory and Alistair helped her to her feet and led her over to Taboo. They helped her into the saddle both of them quickly mounted their rides and moved up beside her.
"So Will, tell us a tale," Rory said with a grin.
Willa sighed, feigning exasperation, but secretly happy for the distraction so as she lead them out of the forest she told them about the pond incident secretly delighted to relive that happy memory of Anders again.
A/N- I want to thank all those who have reviewed, alerted, favored and those who are just lurking. Please continue to share your thoughts with me, I love hearing from you. It always brings a smile to my face.