Chapter 11

Anders looked Nate and Fergus, then down at his now empty goblet. Upending the empty bottle, he watched the last two drops of wine slowly make their way into his goblet. Shrugging he said, "I am a totally uninteresting person. I have no fantastic stories of adventure and bravery to share."

Nate raised an eyebrow and said, "That's not what I heard. You escaped from the Circle seven times, you must have stories about that."

Fergus laughed, "Troublemaker, huh? The Templars must love you."

Anders shrugged, "Everyone is so afraid that mages are going to change into demons before their eyes, so they lock us away the second any evidence of magic is seen. I was eight and living with my family in the Anderfels. I don't even remember my home, it was so long ago. I don't like confinement and they keep you under guard so you have to stay in the Tower. There aren't as many Templars in the Anderfels, so they shipped me to the Circle here in Ferelden. I had several teachers I liked, but I still hated being trapped. I would get caught outside the tower, fishing or playing in Lake Calenhad and scolded. As I got older, the Templars became less gentle with their punishments. I hated every one of them." Anders was looking down at the table and when he looked up he saw compassion in the eyes of the two men. "Now don't you pity me. I don't want pity." He pulled another bottle of wine from his satchel, opened it and filled his goblet. He passed the bottle to Nate, who took it, filled his own goblet and passed it on to Fergus, who did the same, setting the bottle on the table.

"After I passed my Harrowing," Anders resumed, "the Templars eased up on me. That was my first real escape. I made it all the way to Lothering before I was caught. Each time they locked me up in a room on the upper floors of the Tower. I would wait weeks, months, sometimes years before I would try again. This last time, I almost was on a boat to Kirkwall when I was caught and then, well, you know, the Commander conscripted me." He swallowed a large gulp of wine and looked at Nate and Fergus. "Now I'm in a different sort of cage, but I don't feel trapped yet."

Nate sighed as he sipped his wine, "You aren't trapped. When Beth conscripted you, she gave you a new lease on life. Don't waste it looking for ways out."

"Give her some more time," Fergus said, "She saw something in you worth saving. But if you ever hurt her, you will have me to answer to."

Anders looked up and met Fergus' stern gaze, "I wouldn't...I couldn't hurt her...I just...I don't trust anyone. And she had Templar training. She might decide I'm not worth the risk and..."

Fergus shook his head, "Never. She would never go back on her word. Besides, her Templar training must have been during the Blight. She was never formally trained before, so she doesn't have any allegiance to the Templars."

Anders drained his goblet, then he smiled at Fergus, "So, what's a guy gotta do to get a bath around here?"

Fergus laughed and called for a maid. When she entered, he said, "Macy, this is Anders. Could you show him to his room and have a bath fixed for him?"

The maid nodded and said, "Follow me, serah."

Anders stood and bowed, "G'night boys."

They watched him leave. "Quite a fellow." Fergus remarked and swallowed the last of his wine.

Nate yawned, "Yes. It will be interesting. That was the most serious I've seen him since I met him. He's usually all jokes and flirtations."

Fergus yawned and stood, "Nate, it's great seeing you again, I'd love to stay up and chat more, but I've got an early day tomorrow."

Nate drained the last of his wine and said, "Yeah, I want to be up for the fireworks when Beth gets a hold of Anders."

Fergus called a servant to take care of Nate and the two friends went to their respective rooms.

...

Beth sighed as she woke in the soft feather bed. Without opening her eyes she reached out to for him. Panic washed over her like a tidal wave when she found no one with her. As she softly called, "Alistair?", the memory of that terrible night crashed in on her and she curled into a ball, muffling her sobs into her pillow.

The dragon that the archdemon inhabited lay in a heap in front of them, breathing raggedly. Beth turned to Alistair and said, "Ferelden needs you my king, I'll take the final blow." She turned to pull a great sword from a nearby corpse.

Alistair pulled her into a fierce hug and kissed her deeply. Looking into her eyes, he said, "Do you really think I'm going to let you, my love?" and reaching around her, grabbed the great sword from her grasp and ran at the dragon.

"NO!" Beth screamed out as she watched Alistair slide underneath the beast, slicing it open from jaw to throat. He jumped onto the creature's head and looked directly at her. She saw the words, 'I love you, always,' on his lips as he drove the blade deep into the beast's skull and twisted.

A great wave of energy resounded from the dragon, knocking everyone off their feet. As Beth stood, she frantically searched around the dragon and cried out when she saw his body. She raced over, knelt down and cradled him in her arms. Tears flowed as she rocked him and repeatedly said, "No. Please, Maker. No."

Beth's sobs had dried to hiccups and she slowly got out of bed. Washing her face in the cool water calmed her and as she took deep breaths, her grief slowly grew into great anger. She got dressed in her armor as the anger built and as she left the bedroom she became a volcano ready to explode.

...

Fergus walked into the dining room and clapped Nate on the back. "It is really good to have you around again, Nate," he said, smiling broadly. He looked over at Anders, who was shoveling food in as fast as he could. "Did you two sleep well?"

Anders nodded with a mouthful of food. Nate smiled and said, "Best night of sleep I've had in a long time."

Fergus sat down and began eating. A servant came up and whispered in his ear. He quickly stood up, his face going from happy to gravely concerned. "What's wrong?" Nate asked.

"Beth," was all Fergus could say before she stormed into the dining hall.

She grabbed Anders by the collar of his robe, pulling him out of his chair. Nate stood, not sure what to do. Beth shoved Anders against the wall, a blade to his throat. "How dare you?" she seethed.

Anders sputtered, "What did I do?"

"How dare you?" she asked again, clenching her jaw.

Fergus put his hand out and gingerly touched her arm. "Beth? Please calm down."

She ignored him and growled, "Well, Anders. Answer me!"

Anders cowered against the wall. He had never been so afraid in his life. The anger in this woman's eyes was so violent. He couldn't think, no smart remarks came to mind, so he whimpered, "I was only trying to help..."

Nate was standing behind Fergus and if the situation wasn't so serious, he would have laughing. Anders was not built like a normal mage. He was tall and broad shouldered, much bigger than Beth, but there he stood, quaking, terrified of the petite woman who held him against the wall. Nate had no idea how to diffuse the situation.

"Help?" she repeated, "Help? How does giving me a sleeping potion without my knowledge, help?"

Anders pleaded with her, "You looked so tired and we're safe here, so..."

"Safe?" Beth interrupted, "We're not safe anywhere."

"But, in your own home..." Anders looked at Fergus and Nate. Their faces showed concern and he began to wonder if she would actually kill him.

"My own home..." she said, slowly, "It was in my own home that my father's best friend attacked in the middle of the night. It was in my own home that my family and friends were slaughtered as I slept. If I hadn't been celebrating with Darrien, my fiance, I wouldn't have had so much to drink that night and I would have woken up in time to save my five year old nephew from being killed in his own bed."

Anders looked in shock at Beth's face. She was struggling between anger and grief as she continued speaking faster, "My own home...where Darrien died, trying to save me. Where my father lay dying in a pool of his blood, my mother standing guard over his body and me being dragged away. If I had only..."

Fergus grabbed Beth, pulling her from Anders to face him. "Stop it! None of what happened was your fault! You are not to blame!"

Beth looked at Fergus, her eyes slowly refocusing and wrenched herself from his grasp. "No? What if there are still Howe sympathizers out there? I was drugged and wouldn't have been able to save you. I can't lose you too, Fergus."

Fergus sighed, "Beth. I am well protected. There are soldiers who are loyal to me, protecting me. Please, don't worry."

"What if the Crows are still trying to fulfill their contract on me? You could end up as collateral damage...it was a mistake to come here. I put you in needless danger." Beth turned and marched out of the dining room.

Fergus sighed unhappily. Anders looked at Fergus and Nate and tentatively asked, "Should we follow her?"

Nate nodded. "Bye Fergus, thanks for everything."

Fergus shrugged, "Good luck. I'm sure she'll calm down eventually."

...

Nate and Anders followed Beth through the city. It had been dark when they had arrived last night, but now in the bright sunshine, Nate could see the devastation from the battle that was more than six months ago. Repair work was proceeding, but it was evident as they entered the marketplace, the hardest hit area was near Fort Drakon and the Royal Quarters. Beth spoke quietly with the Guard Captain as Margaret, Ohgren and the four Keep soldiers rejoined the group.

Two soldiers would stay behind in Denerim to begin patrols along the Wending Road. Another pair of soldiers would leave from the Keep once they returned and hopefully these patrols would keep bandits off the road and commerce could begin to flow again between Amaranthine and Denerim.

Beth was moving at a fast pace which didn't give anyone time for idle chatter. The two remaining soldiers from the Keep walked in the back of the group, protecting their flank. Nate, Anders and Margaret were in the middle of the group and Ohgren had paced himself next to Beth in the front. He had seen the look in her eyes before and it worried him. Something had happened last night to set her back emotionally to the days just after the archdemon's death.

He cleared his throat and said, "We could use some of that ale I had last night back at the Keep." He looked hesitantly at her when she didn't respond. Quietly he asked, "You okay there, Warden?"

"I'm fine, Ohgren, but keep quiet. We're being watched," she responded.

He looked around the woods on either side of the road. "Darkspawn?" he asked.

She suddenly stopped, "No," and took off into the woods to the right.

Margaret had been watching Nate and Anders and knew something was up. Anders was not his usual flirtatious self and Nate seemed very absorbed in some problem. She almost walked into Ohgren, before she realized they had stopped. She drew her sword and followed Beth into the trees with the rest behind her.

Beth shadowed herself in the trees. She used the Templar skills Alistair had taught her, and sensed the mage high in a nearby tree. As she maneuvered her way, she heard the group following her and knew her cover would be blown soon. Just as she was about to locate the source of the magic, a huge tree burst into life in front of her. She ducked as it swung its branches at her, trying to knock her down. She couldn't suppress the magic, if she couldn't find the source, and frustrated she hacked at the tree. A fireball passed to her left and soon the tree was frantically shaking its branches, raining burning leaves down around her.

Beth spotted movement and darted after it. More trees were coming to life as she chased the shadow through the dense forest. Ahead was a clearing and an old stone chapel. She caught the mage and put a silence spell on the female elf that was wriggling in her grasp. Beth put a knife to the elf's throat and said, "Hold still, I don't want to hurt you."

The elf stilled her movements but spat, "Sure. All you Shems are alike. You see 'knife ears' and you want to kill us."

"No. I just want to know why you were following us." Beth said, sighing. Then she felt the presence of darkspawn and let the elf loose. "Darkspawn," Beth hissed and turned to see a group of them coming toward her.