Chapter 14: Blood and Desire

Sacrifice.

It was something that Merrill knew well, it was something that she had committed her life to. The restoration of the Dalish, the rise of the Elvhen, these were the things that drove the young Dalish now.

She sat at a small table in her hovel, before her lay the shard of the Eluvian, one of the mirrors that had allowed her people to communicate across their vast kingdom.

A kingdom destroyed by the coming of the shemlen, and the rise of the Tevinter Imperium.

It had cost her, her blood and a small piece of her soul, to cleanse the glass of the darkspawn taint.

Now she could begin the process of restoring the Eluvian, and with it her people's former glory.

She drew a small blade from her belt, it was her most recent purchase from the Black Emporium, the blade was known as a Magister's Fork, it was used to focus the essences of life into an inanimate object.

An object like the Eluvian.

Merrill closed her eyes , she bowed her head in reverence.

"I grant you this offering, I stand before you in humility and fear," Merrill chanted quietly, "Please accept it, and grant me the power I need to restore my people."

The Dalish slashed her hand.

The blood did not flow from the wound, but rose, it wrapped around her, the magic twisting and turning. It was a heady sensation, directing this kind of power.

She touched the glass with the tip of the blade, the blood flowed into the glass.

It slowly began to expand, Merrill had hoped this offering would allow the tiny shard to double in size…

Sadly, it grew barely a finger length, just short of her pinky, and then it stopped.

A Dalish curse fell from her lips, how was she supposed to do this? Even with Master Xenon's books it would take forever to repair the glass.

She was not sure the Dalish had that kind of time. The Chantry continued to push them back, farther and farther. The People needed something, they needed someone to put them on the right track again!

Merrill was sure that it was her.

A knock on her door drew her attention, she hid the glass shard beneath her bed…

She would have to continue her grand work later.

"Yes…" she called out in a quavering voice, one day she would have to add a peep hole to her door, "Who is there?"

"It is Bela kitten," The pirate queen announced, "I' m here to walk you to the Hanged Man."

Merrill smiled, she liked Isabela, she did not care that the Dalish was a blood mage, she could care less in fact. She was one of the few people, next to Hawke that Merrill considered a friend.

The young Dalish pocketed the Magister's Fork, she had an idea how to accelerate her work with the Eluvian…

With luck Hawke would give her the opportunity to test it.

She had debated telling her human friends about the mirror, but thought better of it. They would likely not understand.

Merrill left to join he friends at the Hanged Man.

She hoped that Hawke would have something useful for them to do today.

IOI

It was just after midday when Hawke's Flock Assembled in The Hanged Man. They had much to do today.

"How was your meeting with Jethann in the Blooming Rose," Hawke asked Isabela."

"I've had better," Isabela smirked crudely.

Bethany blushed, Merrill giggled, and Hawke rolled her eyes.

"I meant what did you learn from him?" Hawke sighed.

"Oh…that," the pirate queen smiled, "Jethann didn't know where this Ninette disappeared off to, though he did mention that a Templar was asking after her. What was his name…Emery…Avery…no…wait… Emeric, Ser Emeric that was who was asking after her."

Hawke paused to think.

Another disappearance at the Rose…could they be related? It was possible, she supposed, but what did a promiscuous wife and a group of Templar recruits have in common?

There was only one way to find out. She would have to go to the Blooming Rose herself.

Isabela volunteered, Merrill, Fenris and Varric did as well.

Bethany seemed a little bit hesitant.

"Don't worry sweetie," Isabela said trying to reassure the young apostate, "We won't tell your lovers that you spent an evening at the Rose."

Bethany blushed.

I've never…I mean…I don't have any…any lovers Bela," the younger Hawke confessed.

The response surprised Isabela; she assumed Bethany and Fenris were…

Wait? Did she say?

"Never?" the pirate asked.

Bethany's blush darkened.

"You're a virgin," Isabela cooed, "Oh Hawke you have been holding out on the poor girl. Tell you what sweetie, a free night at the Rose, my treat."

Marian glared at the pirate queen.

Bethany shifted uncomfortably, it wasn't that she did not think about…well…that, but she always felt that when she did…when she decided to give herself to a man, she wanted it to be with a man she loved.

Maybe she was being overly romantic, but that had always been her dream.

"That…is…um…that is very kind of you," Bethany stammered.

"What can I say…I'm a giver," the pirate shrugged.

"I'm sure that's what the workers at the Rose say as well," Fenris quipped.

"Ooh the broody elf got you there Rivani," Varric chuckled.

The pirate queen smirked.

"Maybe you should come with me one night," Isabela purred, "you can experience first had how…generous, I can be."

Fenris growled.

Isabela laughed.

IOI

Perfection.

That is what Idunna saw when she looked in the mirror. She had just turned eighteen, until recently she was an orphan living in Darktown. Her mother and Father had fled their home when the Templars had come asking about their daughter. Both of her parents had died of the fever a year ago. She had spent the last ten months scrounging for food, begging for coin and scraps, her beauty hidden under a layer of dirt and despair.

Then Tarohne had found her, and Idunna's life had changed forever.

She had been here in the Rose for about two months now. Tarohne had placed her here, but not before she had taught her young pupil the power of her blood, and the strength of her sex.

In both…Idunna was very strong, she was gorgeous with her dark crimson hair and silver eyes, combine those tools with her magics, and she was almost irresistible.

None of those Templar recruits had been able to.

Now, she sat before the vanity, running a brush through her copper colored hair. She was bathed and perfumed; once she was dressed she would be a delectable package.

A beautiful spider…her web spun for all those poor Templar boys and girls.

Idunna smirked.

She eagerly a waited sunset, Tarohne had sent her a missive, they needed more Templars sent to the sanctuary.

Idunna would be more than happy to acquire some.

She had delivered twelve Templar recruits to the sanctuary in the last few months.

She hoped to add one or two more before the night was out. It was stipend day at the Gallows, she expected an eager recruit or two to come and visit her tonight.

Then he would be theirs.

Tarohne would be very pleased.

A knock on the door shook her from her revelry.

Idunna smiled.

She slipped on her silken gown, and sat demurely on the bed.

It was Showtime.

"Enter," she purred in her low sultry voice.

IOI

Hawke swooned, the beautiful courtesan had bewitched her, she could barely take her eyes off of her. Why had they come here again? Something about Templar recruits…

But that did not matter now; she told Idunna everything, anything to please her. Hawke was surprised, she was not usually into women, but then again, she had never met anyone like Idunna.

Idunna…her world.

The others swayed as well, their eyes distant and glassy. The girl could have asked them to jump off a cliff and they would have done it…gladly.

A surge of jealousy ran through Hawke, Idunna was hers! She would do whatever the woman asked first!

"Now darling," Idunna purred, "Now that you have told me who sold me out. Draw you blade, and run it gently across your throat."

Slit her throat? What a marvelous idea!

Hawke did as the woman commanded, but as soon as the steel touched her neck…something stopped her.

Why was she doing this?

Because Idunna asked you to?

But I don't want to die!

You want to prove your love to Idunna don't you?

Hawke struggled, she tried to stay focused, but it was so hard…she couldn't take her eyes off of Idunna…she was bewitching.

Bewitching?

Magic!

Hawke struggled.

"Be…Bethany," she cried weakly, barely holding the blade from her neck, "Sister…please…stop her!"

Bethany looked dreamily at her sister; she saw the blade, an eyelash from cutting her sister's throat. The scent of Idunna's perfume teased her senses… and beneath it… the scent of something else as well…a copperish scent.

The scent of blood.

Realization swept over the young apostate; fear swept away desire…she struggled through it…drawing on her magic, and her will.

She glared at Idunna.

"Let…go…of…my….SISTER!"

Bethany cleansed the room of magic.

Her companions gasped, Marian's blade fell away from her throat.

Idunna's eyes widened in shock.

"How…how did you?"

Hawke glared at the girl.

"Oh shit!" Idunna shrieked.

Hawke crashed into her, her great sword pressed against the blood mage's throat.

"Spare me!" Idunna sobbed, "Please….I…I will tell you everything!"

"Go ahead," Hawke purred dangerously, "and if I sense even a spark of magic…"

Idunna swallowed hard, she knew the rest.

She told them about Tarohne, about the sanctuary, about everything.

She just wanted to live, please Maker, please just let me live!

Hawke released the sobbing girl, letting her sink to the floor.

"The Templars are coming for you," she growled.

Idunna's eyes widened.

"NO! No please!" she begged, "please let me go…I won't…."

Hawke cracked her in the head.

Idunna sank into unconsciousness.

Varric glared down at the girl, that had been close…too close.

"Now to the Sanctuary, and answers," the dwarf growled.

Hawke nodded, she intended to stop and get Anders, they would need him to fight the rest of Idunna's coven.

With luck they would be in time to save Keran.

IOI

Lightning exploded from Merrill's fingertips. The sanctuary had become a killing field shades, demons and Abominations that had once been citizens of Kirkwall assaulted their little group.

Merrill could not have been happier.

Before they had come here, she had attached the Magister's Fork to her staff, giving it a blade on one end. Every time someone got too close to her she would lash out with that blade. All it required was the slighted of touches, once the fork had drank of someone's blood it could take the rest even at a distance. Abominations and blood mages withered under Merrill's assault, their bodies sucked dry of their vital essences.

The life energies she was collecting not only fueled her own powers, but what was left could be directed into the Eluvian, the shard would likely double in size once she had placed the energies she was gathering into it.

Merrill felt no pity for these creatures, they had hurt people, and Hawke wanted them destroyed. She was simply making use of their raw materials.

It was tiring though, the power was a heady feeling, but holding it in check was exhausting, she would likely not be able to do this in every fight.

She would just have to pick the right ones then, the ones where she could drew in the most energy.

Tarohne was a mad woman; they found her and her few remaining followers guarding the boy Keran. The woman was unrepentant, she laughed at them…they would make good vessels for new demons. Bethany and Anders rained fire down upon the blood mages. Fenris and Hawke darted forward trying to end Tarohne's life, a pulse of magical energies flung the two warriors back. Varric and Isabela kept the demons the Blood Mages had summoned back.

Merrill cloaked herself in shadows she was quiet as a mouse as she crept up on the blood mage, Tarohne's magic pulses made her take a step or too back but that was all.

She had come too far to stop now.

She drove the Magister's fork deep into the blood mage's back.

Tarohne withered in seconds her life, her soul drawn from her body, into the fork's blade…and finally…

Into Merrill.

Oh Creators, it was so…so…so much power!

Merrill's eyes blazed red, it was all she could do to hold the madwoman's life energy in check.

Such power would likely cause the Eluvian to double in size!

Anders and Bethany freed Keran, the warden sent a jolt of magical energy into the boy, if he had been possessed, a demon would have defend itself against such an attack, it appeared that they had arrived in time.

The boy was safe.

Anders begged Hawke to down play the blood magic angle when she told Ser Cullen about this; the mages did not need to be punished further. Hawke agreed, but she would have to tell Cullen about this, Keran may have been safe, but there may have been a demon or two still hidden within the Templars in the Gallows.

They hurried from Darktown, Merrill staggered slightly, and the magical energies stored inside her were quite heady.

She giggled.

"You alright kitten?" Isabela asked a concerned frown on her face.

"Just tired," Merrill replied with a sheepish grin. She needed to return to her house quickly.

The Eluvian would feast on the energy she had collected.

One day her people would thank her for what she had done here in Kirkwall.

The Eluvian would restore so many things, and it would all be because of Merrill, and her sacrifices.

That would make it all worth it.

IOI

Idunna awoke.

The young girl was not sure where she was, a room with no windows, cold white stone surrounded her. A heavy wooden door blocked her exit.

She could hear no sound from beyond it.

What had happened? She remembered that woman and her friends entering her room. Telling her the Templars were coming for her.

Was that where she was?

She looked down at herself, she was dressed in drab simple robes, and her hand was bandaged where someone had cut her drawing her blood. Tarohne had told her about this, this was how the Templars made Phylacteries.

The girl shuddered; she was locked in the Gallows. What would they do to her? Kill her? Make her tranquil?

Perhaps it would have been better if that woman had killed her.

The door opened, two Templars stood there grinning at her.

Idunna tried to call on the power of her blood, but the Templars cleansed the air of her magic.

She was powerless.

"She is a pretty isn't she Hadley," one of the Templars purred.

"Oh yes Alrik," his fellow agreed, "So very pretty."

Idunna cowered, what were they going to do to her?

"Would you like to go first?" Alrik asked his friend.

"Don't mind if I do."

Go first? What do they….oh….oh…oh no!

She tried to dart past them, to get away, but they grabbed her, threw her hard against the wall. She gasped for breath; she tried to scream, to beg for help.

The Templars closed the door; the runes built into the doors of Quarantine cells blocked the screams.

No one would hear what was about to happen.

They threw her to the floor, tearing at her robes.

Idunna understood now what it was to be truly helpless.

She discovered that night one of the darker secrets of the Gallows.

Sadly…it would not be the last time.