All right, I'm going to need some help for the next chapter. Jowan makes a return, but I have two scenarios that might occur. The question is: Should Jowan be redeemed, or betray the others? Thanks!

Chapter 12: Old Friends

Almost a year had passed since they'd come to Soldier's Peak, and things were running rather smoothly, given the circumstances: Only a week after they'd arrived, word had officially come from Kirkwall about what had happened there. The Divine immediately sent soldiers, but Viscount Hawke and Prince Sebastian quickly got the situation under control. They jointly ruled Kirkwall and Starkhaven now, and had even officially married. Meanwhile, Circles all over Thedas had risen up at the outrage that had befallen their brethren, and tensions soon turned into full-scale fighting. Cassandra organized groups of her fellows to go out and render assistance to whoever needed it, and they'd managed to acquire quite a collection at the Peak. Along with Bodahn, Sandal, Wade, and Herron, she'd managed to contact a few other groups to help them. The Hooded Couriers, Mages' Collective, and Blackstone Irregulars now also ferried letters, goods, and people to and from the school. All in all, life was beginning to feel normal. She rolled over and stretched, feeling strong arms wrap around her waist from behind. "Good morning."

"Morning," Alistair mumbled, still not quite awake. She had suggested allowing Caden to bunk with the students, and the Prince looked forward to his visits when he got to be just a "normal" boy among his friends instead of Prince of Ferelden. That it also gave her some quality time with her lover was an added bonus. She reached out, her own arms tugging gently on the man in front of her. He rolled over with a groan, one eye cracking open as he mock-glared at her.

"It's too early," Anders protested, pulling the blankets over his head. She smiled at the two of them, laughing to herself.

"Mama?" a small voice called out. Cassandra sighed and wiggled out of the King's grasp, shimmying to the edge of the bed and heading for Deborah's room. She opened the door, smiling at the sleepy face that greeted her from the small bed.

"Well, someone's up early," she teased, lifting the child into her arms. Immediately, Duchess and Squire Purrington peeked up from the blankets, nestling further into them now that they didn't have to worry about the girl being there. "I might have known you two were the cause of this," she told the cats, shaking her head. Turning back to her room, both Deborah and Cassandra started laughing at the scene before them: Alistair was still curled up on his side of the bed, but his arms were stretched across her spot, his hands gripping the blankets that Anders was hiding beneath. Slowly, the mage was losing his covers, and just kept rolling to the other side, trying to wind the sheets tighter around him. His hair was hopelessly tousled, and kept falling into his face, but he paid it little mind. Setting the little girl on the bed, Cassandra watched as she crawled over to Anders, rocking him back and forth as hard as she could.

"Papa," she called. "Up!" He turned his head back, opening one eye again and giving her a quizzical look.

"Cats wake you up again?" he wondered, as she nodded and smiled. "I guess that means we all need to be up?"

"Well, classes will be starting in a little over an hour," Cassandra reminded him, beginning to get changed for the day. "And breakfast would be a good idea."

"Did someone mention food?" Alistair asked as he sat up, stretching. His eyes found Deborah, and he smiled. "What's this? Did Cassandra suddenly shrink? Who's this pretty little lady?"

"Uncle, is me! Deborah!" she replied, laughing. At the same time, Anders tossed the covers aside and lifted her into his arms, and she gave a delighted shriek as his stubble tickled her cheek. "Prickly!" Cassandra stood watching them, a sense of completion settling on her.

"Come on, everyone rise and shine! We've got a busy day ahead of us."

"Yes headmaster," the two men said in unison, rolling their eyes. She put her hands on her hips, lightning beginning to crackle around her.

"Everyone who isn't cute and blonde had better be up by the count of three." They all looked at one another, and she saw the grins that told her snarky comments were forthcoming from her boys.

"Last I checked, I wasn't a brunette," Anders quipped, tugging on his hair as he gathered it back and quickly tied it.

"You mean I'm not cute?" Alistair pouted, eyes wide.

"Mama loses!" Cassandra threw up her hands and sighed heavily.

"I'm outnumbered! My own child even turns against me." The smile never left her face though, and Deborah wiggled off the bed and stood next to her.

"Love you." She bent down and lifted the girl into her arms, kissing her forehead.

"I love you too. Now let's get you dressed and down for breakfast. Papa and Uncle Alistair can fend for themselves." They were out of bed, in clothes, and out the door before she even had Deborah's nightgown off, and she chuckled.

"Mama happy?"

"Mama is very happy, sweetie."


It was later that day, and Cassandra was in the middle of teaching one of her advanced classes on shapeshifting, when Caden suddenly burst through the door, out of breath. "Aunt- I mean Headmaster! Master Levi requires your presence downstairs." She immediately got a bad feeling, and looked at her students.

"All of you are dismissed for the day. Tell the other teachers that something is wrong, and meet me in the courtyard."

"Yes ma'am!" they chorused, racing out of the room. Cassandra smiled at her "nephew", who had regained his composure.

"Any extra details?"

"He just said that they found two people in the caves, trying to get to the Peak. One is unconscious, and the other…" Caden pursed his lips, not sure how to phrase what it was he'd seen outside. "The other says his body is not effected by the cold because it's dead." Her eyes widened, and fear stabbed straight through her.

"Where's Anders?"

"Father was getting him, to take a look at the unconscious man."

"Andraste's flaming knickers. Let's go!" She shifted quickly, the black cat leaping onto the boy's shoulder and hooking her claws into his cloak as he raced through the halls of the Peak. Once outside, she returned to her natural form and practically jumped over the stairs to the courtyard proper. There was a small crowd gathered, mostly younger apprentices and a few of the Drydens. Levi saw her and waved her over, and she spotted Anders and Alistair on approach as well. "Everyone who isn't an Enchanter, back to your rooms this instant!" Her voice thundered across the expanse, and the children all scattered. Levi's kin also hightailed it, leaving only the merchant, the three of them, the unconscious man, and…

"Justice?" Anders called out, tilting his head. The body turned, a smile causing the flesh around his mouth to pull oddly, showing more teeth and jawbone than was normal. She stepped in front of the Spirit, and his eyes shifted to her. He seemed to be in almost the same state as when he'd left Kristoff's body years ago, but the robes he wore hid most of the decay from view.

"I am sorry to intrude like this," Justice began. "I was bringing a fellow mage to this sanctuary, but the cold seems to have gotten the better of him." Anders dropped to one knee beside the man on the ground, quickly scanning him with his magick. Pulling back the scarf wrapped around the man's nose and mouth, theWarden suddenly shouted and stood up like he'd been bitten. Alistair had his sword drawn, but Cassandra waved him back, a flame already in her hands.

"Where did you find him?" the healer demanded, fists clenched at his side. The Spirit shrugged, meeting his gaze.

"He was wandering, and ran afoul of a group of Templars. I killed them, and we got to talking. He told me he'd heard of a place in the mountains where mages could go to find sanctuary, and we began asking around about it. A mercenary pointed us to the caves, but he collapsed before we could get through."

"I found them on my way back," Levi explained. "Figured we should bring the one in for healing, and this other… Well, I'm not sure what he is, but I thought you might." Cassandra nodded, inching closer to the Spirit and the mage on the ground.

"Do you have any idea what he is, Justice?" Anders fumed.

"He is a mage, like you."

"He is nothing like me!" Alistair put a hand on his shoulder, and Anders pulled back, beginning to pace. Now that he was out of the way, she could see what had spooked him, and her eyes darkened as she looked at Justice.

"He's a blood mage," she told the Spirit, who scoffed.

"How do you know?"

"Because I know him. He grew up with us in the Tower." She stared at the still form of Jowan, feeling the hurt and anger she'd experienced back then come crashing over her in a wave. "Get him to the infirmary. We'll deal with him later." She glared at Justice as Levi and Alistair picked up Jowan and headed off, Anders at their heels. "You and I have some things to discuss as well."

"Yes Commander," the Spirit replied, bowing his head slightly. "We did not end on friendly terms last time. I would like to rectify that."

"We'll see. Follow me, and don't wander off. The last thing I need is for you to scare these kids." She turned, seeing the other teachers gathering at the top of the stairs. "Emergency meeting in my office, now!" They all obeyed, following the Warden mage to more private quarters. This was going to be interesting.


Jowan stirred, groaning softly as he came to. Everything hurt, and he was still freezing cold. He opened his eyes, expecting to see the caverns, but instead found himself staring at a ceiling. Trying to sit up, he found that he couldn't move his arms and legs, and looked down at his body. A blush colored his cheeks as he realized that he was naked from the waist up, and he was strapped down to the cot he was lying on. Movement in the corner of the room grabbed his attention, and a man stepped into his field of vision, arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face. Jowan stared at him, realizing the man looked familiar. Had he been part of the Circle, or maybe from Redcliffe? "You're awake," the man said flatly, coming to stand next to him.

"Where am I?" he asked softly, trying to move his hands. "And why am I tied down?" The stranger tugged at his short ponytail, sighing in annoyance. A cat suddenly leapt down from a nearby shelf and landed on his shoulder, and he scratched the creature's head affectionately. That jogged a memory, and it was Jowan's turn to sigh. "Anders. Fancy meeting you here."

"I live here," the blonde mage shot back, eyes narrowing.

"Look, I can explain-"

"Save it," Anders said, turning away from him, the cat now in his arms. "I don't want to hear anything from you except when you'll be leaving. You'll need a day's rest to recover from the frostbite and exhaustion, but after that, you need to go." Jowan lifted his head, shaking it even though the gesture wouldn't be seen.

"You can't kick me out! I'm a fellow mage!"

"You're a blood mage. We don't tolerate your kind here. Especially after everything that you did during the Blight."

"You're one to talk! Always running away and getting dragged back by the Templars! Your antics made them watch us like hawks, you know. We could barely get out of bed without them wanting to know where we were going."

"They just needed to lock the doors better," he quipped, beginning to mix some healing potions. "Besides, you were still able to sneak out and meet your Chantry bitch."

"Don't you talk about Lily like that!" Jowan struggled against the bindings now, but Anders shook his head and ignored him. The cat sat on the table beside him, dark eyes watching the restrained mage like he was some sort of guard dog. "What's with the cat? He doesn't seem to trust me."

"Ser-Pounce-a-Lot doesn't trust you," Anders said without turning around. "None of us do."

"I never hurt any of you! All I did was attack Greagoir and his men when they went to take me and Lily."

"Irving was there too, remember? So were Neria and Cassandra." Jowan made a derisive sound, which made Anders turn to look at him.

"What, Amell? Some help she was. I thought she was going to defend-"

"You used blood magick! Cassandra would never willingly help someone who sold themselves for power. Letting you go at Redcliffe is something she still regrets."

"She let me go because they were going to execute-"

"Maker's breath, you poisoned the Arl of Redcliffe!" Anders stood up, anger clear on his face as the Pounce hissed softly. "You poorly taught his son about magick, and the boy almost became an abomination. It's only thanks to Cassandra and the Circle that he's a normal mage now." Jowan bit his lip and looked down for a moment.

"Is… Is Connor here?"

"He is, but you'll never see him. There's no point in bringing up painful memories. You're not worth it."

"You never liked me," the dark-haired mage said with a scowl. "I don't know why, either. You were better at magick, at healing, and the girls all seemed to love you. What did I ever do?"

"You chose the easy way out. I hate the Rite of Tranquility, but you would never have passed your Harrowing, 're too compliant, and the Demons would've tripped over themselves to get to you."

"I'm surprised they never made you Tranquil, what with all the escape attempts." Anders just shrugged and turned back to his work, laying a gentle hand on Pounce's back. The cat stopped hissing and rubbed his face against the mage's arm. "So…" Jowan said after a few minutes of silence. "You mentioned Cassandra and Neria. Anyone else here that I might know."

"A few people."

"What, you mean I can't see them before you throw me out of here? You know, that Spirit or whatever that came with me was wrong. I knew I'd never be accepted here."

"If Justice had known what you were, he would have killed you himself."

"You talk like you know him." Anders' fists clenched for a moment.

"I do know him. We were Wardens together."

"You joined the Wardens? That seems uncharacteristic of you."

"I was conscripted." Jowan closed his mouth for a moment, a smirk tugging at the corners as he stared at Anders.

"Oh, I see how this went. Cassandra conscripted you, didn't she? Was she that desperate for help that she wanted to risk having you around? I'm surprised you stayed."

"I don't have to justify myself to you, of all people."

"There had to be some reason you stayed," Jowan continued, grinning now. "What could it have been?" Anger caused Anders' magick to flare slightly, but he shook his head and got himself composed. Suddenly, the door to the room creaked open, and his eyes went wide as Deborah walked in, smiling when she saw him.

"Papa!" she called, running over.

"Andraste's knicker weasels!" he swore softly. "What are you doing here?" He lifted her into his arms, and could almost feel Jowan's smirk get bigger.

"What's this? She yours?" the blood mage wondered, lifting his head. Anders turned, scowling at him, but he felt Deborah cling tighter to him, and tried to relax.

"Yes, she's mine," he said flatly.

"Who's her mother?"

"None of your business."

"Why so defensive, Anders? You think I'm going to summon Demons to whisk her away when you're not looking? I would never hurt a child."

"Connor." Jowan frowned.

"I didn't hurt him. I just… You're right, I didn't properly teach him. But Lady Isolde was very particular about what I could show him. If anything, it was her faith that caused the issue."

"Don't try and blame this on others!" Anders set Deborah down and walked over to him, grabbing his bare arm and pressing down on a scar. "You still practice blood magick, and don't think I can't tell. Some of these scars are less than a month old."

"It's the damn Templars!" Jowan shot back. "When the Divine sent people to Kirkwall, all the Circles went insane. There are Templars in every town and village now, rooting out apostates and children with newly-awakened powers. I was just trying to protect myself."

"Liar!"

"Papa!" Deborah shouted, tugging on his pants. "Calm please? No angry?" Anders looked into her eyes, fighting with his emotions for her sake.

"Please just let me up?" the other man pleaded. "I won't do anything."

"You make one motion towards my daughter, and I will break the healer's oath and throw you out the nearest window." His voice was low and dangerous, and Jowan swallowed nervously as he saw the dark light in his eyes. Anders was very serious.

"I swear I won't touch her." As the healer undid the bonds on his arms, Jowan felt the little girl's eyes on him, like even she was assessing him. When he was free he sat up, smiling at the child. "Hello there. I'm Jowan."

"Deborah," she said softly, hiding behind Anders' leg.

"He's your father?" She nodded, blushing a little. "Who's your mother?" Deborah tilted her head, confusion on her face.

"Mama is mama," she replied. Anders started laughing, seeing the defeated look in Jowan's eyes.

"Nice try," he commended, scooping up the little blonde. "Someone will be around shortly to talk to you. Probably the headmaster."

"You left my legs bound." Anders paused at the door as Pounce followed him into the hall. The healer grinned, but it wasn't friendly.

"You're right. I did." Then the door shut, and Jowan was alone again.


The mages crowded into the headmaster's office looked nervous as Cassandra paced back and forth, occasionally glancing at the walking corpse who stood against the wall, a calm look on his face. "So, you're the Spirit that was in Anders?" Merrill eventually asked, Finn's arms around her protectively.

"I am Justice," he replied, nodding. "Anders offered himself as a host, and we were going to set all mages across Thedas free."

"With all due respect, Ser Justice," Alain spoke up. "That was not the best way to start." The Spirit folded his arms across his chest, dead eyes narrowing.

"And what better sign would you have sent that the opression needed to end?"

"Something that didn't involve forcing the Divine to declare a war on magick?" Richard offered with a shrug.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Cassandra finally wondered. "You just randomly found Jowan being accosted on the road and he told you about this place?"

"That is an over-simplification of events, but yes. Jowan and I have traveled for many weeks together. I cannot believe that he is a blood mage."

"So was I," Merrill reminded him. "And you didn't know until I used the magick. Blood mages know to hide what we are."

"He does not have the same demeanor I am used to encountering with maleficars. But he said he wished for sanctuary, and I vowed to help him."

"He's not staying," Cassandra told him.

"But-" She turned to face her Elven friend.

"Neria, don't start. He lied to us! Jowan swore on the Maker and Andraste that he had only been sneaking out to see Lily. And when the Templars confronted him, he used blood magick and then ran like the entirety of the Fade was chasing him." Neria nodded, hugging her arms to herself.

"Because you helped him destroy his phylactery… At my urging."

"You wanted him to be happy," Petra intervened, putting an arm around her friend. "None of us had any idea what he was."

"What's done is done, but he's not staying with us," Cassandra again stated. "I won't have him potentially corrupt any of the children we have here. Merrill and Alain fought their Demons and won, and that's the only reason they remain."

"Thank the Maker for that, too," Finn said as he kissed the Dalish girl. She giggled, cheeks turning scarlet.

"What if Jowan fights the Demon he made a pact with?" Justice proposed, pushing away from the wall. "You say that others here have, so why can't he?"

"I don't trust him," she shot back. "He almost killed the Arl of Redcliffe during the Blight, and what he taught Connor was…" She turned to look at the boy in question, and he just shook his head, eyes darkening.

"Too much power, not enough control," he finished. "If it wasn't for you and First Enchanter Irving, I'd be an abomination still. Or dead."

"Commander, you cannot just turn your back on him."

"That's very funny coming from you, Justice," she replied, glaring at him. "Regardless of who first proposed that assanine merge, you allowed yourself to be overwhelmed with emotion. You let it rule you."

"I thought I could fight it back," he explained. "Anders did too."

"And instead, you two spent nearly ten years making a mess of things in Kirkwall." The Spirit frowned and shook his head.

"He had his clinic still, and the refugees needed him. I did not take him away from that. I merely insisted that he work harder to free his fellows."

"You almost killed him!" she shouted, hands balling into fists. Petra put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off. "You took him over and forced him to do things! For the Maker's sake Justice, you killed a girl he was trying to save."

"I am sorry for that," he said, lowering his head. "That almost destroyed Anders, even moreso than Karl's death."

"Yet you still kept going, still made him be the villain that the Chantry could point to and say "this is why mages must be caged". If anything, you made it worse."

"I thought you said you would have helped?"

"I said I would have gone along with most of your plan. The part about turning the Chantry into flaming bits of debris would not have happened had I been there."

"Then what would you have done, Commander?" He sounded exasperated, which was unlike the Spirit. Had he kept some of the emotions he'd picked up from Anders?

"I don't know," she told him. "I can stand here now and say "I might have this", or "I could have that", but it won't change what happened."

"But you have barricaded yourself in this fortress. You seem unaffected by what is going on out in the world."

"That's not true!" Richard said angrily. "We're protecting the younger mages here, and teaching them to control their powers. And Cassandra sends people out to help when she hears about a fight."

"She goes herself as well," Petra told the Spirit. "We aren't living like hermits up here. Soldier's Peak is a refuge and sanctuary, and we will defend it."

"Anders feels the same way?" Cassandra tilted her head, wondering why he asked the question that way.

"Yes, he does. Why?"

"Maybe he will allow me to-"

"No." Everyone stared at her, and she walked up to the Spirit, eyes narrowed. "Whatever you were about to say is unimportant. You are not staying, you are not helping, and you are not going anywhere near him."

"You have fear in your voice, Commander. What do you think I will do to him?"

"I don't want to find out. Look Justice, I appreciate whatever help you've given to mages since you got your own body again. I still respect you from when we traveled together in Amaranthine. But make no mistake: If you even think about asking Anders to merge with you again, I will drop you where you stand and send you screaming back into the Fade. He has a new life, and a family now." He had a puzzled look on his face.

"You have had a child, Commander?" She blushed in spite of herself and shook her head. "Then what-"

"We took in a little girl from Kirkwall whose mother was a mage. She was killed, but I couldn't let a child that young be without parents. Deborah sees us as her mother and father now."

"And that is enough for him to stay?" Cassandra was taken aback by the question, but thankfully the door opened, saving her from answering it. However, Anders entered the room, holding Deborah in his arms. Alistair was right behind him.

"Well, this looks like a pretty packed party already," the King teased.

"Mama!" She took the little girl, holding her tight.

"Everyone else, out," she ordered.

"Sis, are you sure?" She nodded, trying to fight back tears.

"Please go. I'll see you all later." The other mages left the room, leaving only the three Wardens, Justice, and Deborah. The child stared at the Spirit, eyes wide.

"What are you?" she asked, reaching out. Immediately, both Anders and Cassandra grabbed her outstretched hand, and she whimpered. "Sorry."

"I am Justice," he told her, bowing slightly. "I am a Spirit from the Fade: The place where you go when you dream."

"Cassie, do you want me to take her?" Alistair offered, seeing the pained expression on the mage's face. She shook her head, almost afraid to talk. "I'll be right outside if you need me, then." The warrior closed the door behind him, and silence descended on the room. Finally, Anders sighed heavily.

"So Justice, what have you been up to recently?"

"I have been traveling across Thedas, helping any mages I can stay one step ahead of the Templars and Chantry. Most seem grateful, and are willing to overlook the condition of this body."

"It's good that there's someone else helping the other mages." Justice raised his eyes to meet Anders', shaking his head.

"You should be out there too, my friend. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"I…" He looked over at Cassandra, who was staring at him, tears in her eyes. Deborah had her arms around her neck, and she was whispering something he couldn't quite hear. "As much as I want to fight the Templars directly, I'm needed here more."

"I thought you favored and wished for a more direct approach?"

"Justice, look around you: There are young mages here who need my help; my guidance to find their own way. This is what I wished the Circle was, and I'm helping create that for the next generation."

"You should be worried about-"

"Stop!" Both the adults stared wide-eyed at the little girl, and Justice closed his mouth as well. Deborah wiggled herself down to the floor, hands on her hips. "You make Mama sad! You make Papa grumpy! They stay here with me!" She turned and threw her small arms as far around their legs as they would go, tears trailing down her cheeks. Both Anders and Cassandra dropped to their knees, embracing her tightly.

"Sh, sweetie, it's all right," Cassandra assured her.

"We're not going anywhere," Anders added, kissing the top of her head.

"The child knows your feelings?" Justice sounded both bothered and intrigued.

"Yes. We think she's a mage," the healer told the Spirit, not looking up.

"I am sorry for thinking you were not doing enough, my friend. It seems there was more here for you than I ever thought." Anders stood, Deborah in his arms as Cassandra pressed herself against his side, resting her head on his arm. "They need you here, just as I must be out there. But together, we will make a difference."

"Together?" Cassandra's voice sounded slightly annoyed, and she turned her head to look at Justice, who smiled as best as he could.

"I meant that in doing our parts seperately, we would see change come faster. Don't worry Commander, I believe you would carry out your threat, and I have no desire to test your resolve." Anders looked confused for a moment.

"Did I miss something?"

"I'll explain later. For now, I need to go talk to our other guest."

"I still think you should give him the opportunity to confront his Demon."

"Justice, you do know what will happen if he can't defeat it, right?"

"Yes Commander. Jowan will turn into an abomination, and you will have to kill him. Rest assured that if that were to happen, I would strike the blow myself. Anyone who submits to a Demon is not worthy to live." She nodded, satisfied for the moment.

"You may wander the grounds, Justice, but stay away from the children. That body is starting to fall apart, and we don't need them too scared to sleep."

"Yes Commander," he replied with a bow. She opened the door, and Alistair glanced up as they all walked out.

"Everything all right?" he wondered.

"For the moment," she told him. "I need to speak to Jowan. Want to come?"

"Oh sure, I always enjoy discussing betrayal and blood magick before dinner."

"I'll sit this one out," Anders said, giving her a quick kiss. "So I'll get Deborah fed and then ready for bed."

"Thank you. Come on, my King. We have a maleficarum to deal with." Alistair sighed and followed, having seen the dark look in her eyes. However, she took his hand and squeezed it, smiling up at him.

"Alistair, do you ever regret only having Caden?" He seemed surprised at her question, jaw hitting the floor for a moment.

"I… No, I don't. I love my son, Cassie. Sure, maybe I would have wanted more kids, but the Joining took care of that. I wouldn't trade him for all the babes in the world, though. What brought that up?"

"I guess I was just wondering if you ever wanted to have children with me…" He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight against him for a moment.

"Cassandra, listen to me: I'm just glad to have you here beside me. We both knew that it would be next to impossible for you to conceive, and I came to terms with that long ago. Does it bother you, though? I know you love Deborah and all, but-"

"Only when someone brings it up," she admitted.

"Let me guess: The talking corpse?"

"Justice, yes. He asked a rather personal question, and I didn't know how to answer. I'll be all right though."

"You make a wonderful mother, Cassie. Especially because she's not yours."

"Thank you, love. Now then, did you want to look the part of the stoic, brooding warrior in the corner? Or will you try and counter my aggression with your charm?"

"I'm just tagging along, my dear. Short of killing him, he's all yours." She grinned; a wicked smile that sent shivers up his spine.

"Good. After that talk with Justice, it'll be nice to be able to let loose a little."


Jowan was starting to get hungry, and wondered how long they intended to leave him stuck where he was. He'd tried to undo the bonds on his legs, but they required a key, and no amount of magick he tried was getting them to loosen. Suddenly, he heard the door open, and braced himself for another round with Anders. However, the two people who walked into the room were far worse than the healer: Cassandra Amell and Alistair Theirin, the King of Ferelden. His eyes bugged out of his head as his jaw hit his lap. "Seems we've been recognized," Cassandra said with a smirk, closing the door behind her. Alistair just nodded, standing against the wall with his arms folded.

"What are you two doing here? I thought… Aren't you both Grey Wardens? And he's the bloody King!"

"This place belonged to the Order a long time ago," Cassandra told him. "But when we cleared it of Demons and helped seal the Veil tears, I was given full rights and access to it. Now it is a school and a sanctuary for mages."

"Then I did make it. Maker be praised, I'm safe!" Her eyebrow arched.

"Safe? Here? Jowan, you must be kidding me. There are at least four people who would like nothing more than to dangle you out the nearest window and watch you drop." He grimaced, shaking his head.

"Four? I only thought that idiot Anders-" She was next to him faster than he could blink, one hand on his wrist. Her eyes were dark and narrowed as he looked up at her, and Jowan failed to repress the shudder than ran through him.

"Don't you start the name-calling, maleficar. Why I thought you deserved freedom at Redcliffe, I'm still not sure. You got involved with a Chantry initiate, smashed your phylactery, attacked a bunch of us at the Circle and then ran, tried to kill a good man, and almost turned his son into an abomination."

"I wouldn't have needed to use blood magick if you had just defended me to Irving!" he shouted, hands clenched as he pulled out of her grasp. "You were his pet, Cassandra. But you thought I was guilty too, didn't you?"

"You were guilty! It was bad enough that I got you into the basement in the first place, but when you proved Greagoir right…" She paced back and forth for a moment. "You broke Neria's heart, you know that? She cared about you."

"Then why didn't she help me?"

"She got me. Seeing you and Lily together was too much for her to bear, but she still wanted you to be free and happy. It took Petra and Deborah over a week to get her to realize she wasn't to blame." She'd gotten the rest of the story from her friends on the trip to the Peak, as she'd been taken into the Wardens the very day of Jowan's betrayal.

"Oh, yes, those two. Are they here too? Anders mentioned that Neria was around, but no other names."

"Petra is a teacher here," she stated, hoping he didn't press the subject.

"And what about your lover? Surely you didn't leave her at the Tower?"

"Drop it," Alistair ordered, coming to stand next to her. "We're here to discuss what to do with you, Jowan. Though I must admit, that window option is looking mighty appealing right now."

"Tell us how you got here," Cassandra ordered.

"All right, all right! Maker's breath, I can't even wonder about my old friends." He laid back down, staring at the ceiling for a moment. "I was traveling around, trying to stay one step ahead of the Templars. Some of them have started to rebel against the Chantry, but most are still loyal. I wasn't fast enough getting out of a town one day, and three of them surrounded me. I thought I was done for, until what I thought was another mage attacked them. But I'd never seen spells or power like he wielded, and he killed all the Templars pretty quickly. We got to talking, and he said he was Justice, a Fade Spirit. I'm not sure if I believe him-" She waved her hand, and he paused.

"He told you the truth." He nodded, still not sure about what he'd seen.

"Oh… Anyway, I told him that I'd heard stories of a refuge in the mountains, where mages would be safe. We asked around, and finally a mercenary from the Blackstone Irregulars told us that the Hero of Ferelden had built a safe haven, but we would need help navigating the caverns leading to it. Justice thought we could do it on our own, but we ended up getting lost. And that's the last thing I remember before waking up to see Anders glaring at me."

"He doesn't like blood mages. We're all a bit wary since Uldred."

"I'd give it all up, if I could! If only I could slay the Demon I made my pact with." He sat up, hands pressed together in what looked like prayer. "Please Cassandra, I need your help! Once the Demon is dead, I'll be free, and you won't ever have to worry about me again. I'll even leave, if that's what you still want." She pursed her lips, glancing at Alistair, who shrugged.

"He sounds genuine to me," the warrior confessed as she sighed and nodded.

"Fine then. Tomorrow, we'll enter the Fade and help you kill your Demon. You'd better be ready for this, Jowan. Because Andraste as my witness, if you so much as stutter when we're there, I will cut you down without any hesitation."

"I… I won't fail. I swear it." Cassandra turned to go, but he cleared his throat, and she turned back to face him. "I just have one question."

"What is it?"

"There was a little girl who came here to find Anders. He said it was his daughter." Her eyes widened, but he didn't seem to notice. "I was just wondering who her mother was? Anyone I know?"

"I'll answer two questions in one, Jowan: Her name is Deborah, and that's to honor the memory of the love of my life." He pulled back, surprised. "Remember, tomorrow we'll get this taken care of. After that, you will leave the Peak and never come back. Are we clear?"

"Completely clear." She and Alistair left the room, and Cassandra rested her head on the nearest wall.

"Was that wise? Telling him about the baby?"

"It's not like he can do anything to her. By tomorrow, this will all be over. One way or another. Now let's go grab some dinner."

"Yes ma'am!" he said happily, taking her hand as they headed off.