FF net has been doing some crazy stuff to my story. Hopefully it is fixed now. I do apologize. Fenris did it.

Special thanks to Letticiae for answering my annoying DAO questions and for being an awesome person. :D

Recap: Since it's been awhile between updates I thought this might be useful.

Previously, on Lyrium Ghost (I couldn't resist) Cue exciting music. Burgamond openly attacked Hawke estate. Fenris was forced to flee and went in search of Hawke. Bodahn rescued Hawke from the warehouse with Anso's help and they have taken her to Gamlen's house. I think that covers it.

Thanks everyone!

Chapter 21: A Mage's Touch

"And this is why people wear shoes." Anders handed Fenris a pair of tweezers. The elf examined them with a studious eye. It was as if he were convinced they held some foul magic that would turn his feet to stone. "They are simply tweezers, Fenris."

"One can never be too cautious when it comes to a mage," Fenris stated. For six years Anders and Fenris had been at each other's throats. Magic was at the center of their disagreement, the catalyst that fueled their mistrust. Through the years, Hawke had shown Fenris that not every mage was irresponsible with their gifts. Being attractive and the key to the elf's heart had also helped her cause. "Marian, of course, is the exception."

Anders threw his hands in the air. He traipsed around in a circle like a harried chicken. "Do you really believe that she is incapable of being possessed by a demon? She is just as susceptible as the rest of us."

"You did not listen to my words, mage. I said nothing of demonic possession." Fenris pulled two large shards of glass from his foot without the slightest indication that it hurt. "Marian, I trust, you, I abhor."

"You do understand that she could cave to temptation?" It was Anders hope that maybe somehow Fenris had overlooked this fact or that he was in denial. If he could instill a morsel of fear, he believed it had the potential to grow and send the elf running away from Marian once again. Anders doubted she would end up in his arms, but annoying Fenris had its own entertainment value.

Another piece of small glass was added to the bloody pile on the floor. "Of course she could cave to temptation," he stated without hesitation. Fenris locked eyes with the mage. "Marian has agreed that I should kill her if such a thing were to happen."

"I..." The power of speech eluded Anders. "You would... kill her?" He snarled. "You're a monster. Do you know that?"

"So you tell me, and often." One foot was now clear of glass. "I did not come here to sate your curiosity as you well know. I need to find Marian quickly." Where is she? If I find her at the Hanged Man playing cards I will... But, Fenris refused to show his growing anxiety in front of Anders.

"You told me that Burgamond said he had killed her. Why aren't you... I don't know... worried or out mutilating something?" said Anders, and his eyes drifted to the ceiling. How can one man be so infuriating? What in Maker's name does that woman see in him? He looks like a scruffy, underfed dog.

Fenris observed the mage, who was verging on the hysterical, with bored disinterest. "I am concerned, as always, for Marian's safety. But I..." Fenris was angry with his feet. "I am no use to her until this glass is removed. Would you..."

"What?"

The elf sighed. He would give Marian hell for this later. "Would you heal this quickly?"

Not once in their long and unpleasant association had Fenris asked Anders directly for his aid. Elfroot was his mainstay unless Marian insisted that he be healed by a mage's touch, and even then he was reluctant. How he stomached drinking the extract of that particularly fleshy tuber in abundance, Anders could not fathom. It tasted like freshly dug dirt.

"No," Anders answered in a flat tone.

Fenris's ear twitched. "What?" he roared. "You do this to spite me when Marian may be in danger or possibly," he hesitated to admit it, "seriously injured. I should cleave that ridiculous ponytail from your head and shove it down your throat with my fist."

"You only need to say the magic word and I will heal you."

The silence grew thick. Fenris dropped his gaze to the floor which gave Anders the impression that the elf might actually utter the word please. In one fell movement, Fenris had him by the throat. Anders sensitive skin blanched against the pressure of the prickly gauntlet.

"Give me what elfroot you possess and I will let you live," Fenris demanded between clenched teeth. "If you dare to strike me down I will run you through." He let his grip relax; visible marks remained. "Were those words magical enough for you?"

Anders shoved Fenris away. The incident had shaken him, though he would never admit it. Denial was his strongpoint.

"Anders!" a voice called from the clinic entrance. Varric struggled to catch his breath between words. "Thank... the Maker... I found you."

"What's wrong Varric?"

"Elf, you're alive!" said Varric. The relief in his voice put Fenris on edge. "I thought for sure... after seeing the estate and..." Varric doubled over panting while holding his stomach. "Well that can wait."

Fenris ignored the pain in his feet and stepped forward. "You came here for Anders. Why? What has happened? Is it Marian?"

Varric managed a nod. "It's not good, elf."

Their eyes met. Fear and panic rose above Fenris's emotional barriers. Until this moment, Varric had never seen true terror in the elf's face. The sight of Hawke's trampled body would surely bring him to tears.

Fenris used the chair to steady his stance. "Where is she?" His eyes were wild with fear. "I have to see her now!"

"She's at Gamlen's house. We don't have much time," Varric said. "Bodahn thinks she's not going to make it."

Anders used his healing power on Fenris's feet without asking permission. The leftover glass was ripped away from the flesh and the wounds healed. The two adversaries shared a brief glance. There was an unstated agreement to work together and put aside their grievances when a friend was hurt. Marian's welfare was now their shared concern.

"You two run ahead. I will catch up," said Varric. When they were out of earshot he mumbled, "Those two bastards will never grow up."

Fenris and Anders raced through Darktown together. After rounding the first corner, the mage realized he could not keep up with the elf. A blur of blue in the distance was the only trace of him that remained.

"Hurry Anders!" Fenris yelled. "The way is clear."

That's what he was doing? He was scouting ahead? Anders was shocked by the thoughtful gesture. Wait... he's concerned about Hawke not me.

"Not all of us have lyrium powered legs you lanky bastard!" Varric yelled. He was now running aside Anders. The mage could hardly believe his eyes. "What? Cat got your tongue?" The dwarf managed to edge in front of him for a brief moment.

The three men did not stop running until they were standing at the bottom of Gamlen's stairs. Anders allowed his body to recompose before entering the hovel. A small stubby arm prevented Fenris from following.

"Listen, elf... I mean, Fenris." Varric felt the situation was too serious for nicknames. "When you see Marian, try to stay calm. I know that word isn't in your vocabulary but the last thing the healers need is you giving them hell and throwing things."

"Healers?" Fenris was surprised that there would be another tending to Hawke. "There is someone else besides Anders?"

Varric bit his lip. Even he realized it was an inappropriate time to smirk. "I don't know how, and I suspect it's one hell of a story, but Isabela managed to get Sol out of the gallows."

"An anecdote is the furthest thing from my mind right now, Varric." Fenris removed his metal gauntlets. Varric absorbed the entire scene, every emotion that fleeted across the elf's face and he found that he had to look away. "I would like to see her now."

The low timbre of Fenris's voice and the simple respect he showed humbled Varric. This was a man who was familiar with many varieties of pain and suffering. But regardless of his past experience, Varric believed nothing would compare to the grief Fenris was about to experience once he saw the condition of Marian's body.

The dwarf allowed his arm to fall to his side. He waited until Fenris was at the top of the stairs to speak. "I'm sorry about Marian. We all are."

There was no acknowledgement. Fenris pushed the splintered door to the hovel open. The scene inside was not what he had expected.

Merrill was ripping sheets into long strips and soaking them in boiling water. When she noticed Fenris she forced a thin-lipped smile.

She pointed to the backroom. "They are in there, but if you're going to see her you need to be quiet. Sol doesn't like to be bothered when he is working." Merrill stirred her pot of rags. "I..."

Fenris held up his hand. He could not endure more condolences. Merrill's eyes are bloodshot and swollen and I can see more tears waiting to fall. In the corner, Gamlen was sitting in a chair cradling his head in his hands; the stench of alcohol and sex perfumed his body. The scene was reminiscent of the day Leandra had died. Death and fear and the turmoil of ramshackle emotions weighed on each person. This felt like a wake to Fenris.

The door to the backroom was slightly ajar and he could see the two healers and a smidgen of Marian's body. "May I enter?"

"Yes," Sol said in a stressed voice. "But please keep your distance. I need the area to remain unobstructed."

A table had been lined with a multitude of potions; almost every color of the rainbow was present. There was an odd smell in the air that overpowered Fenris and made his eyes start to water.

Sol looked over his shoulder. "Close the door please. We need to keep her warm." A bloody rag made a splattering sound as it hit the floor. "Before you ask, yes she will live." The herbalist noticed Fenris had yet to take in the full view of the body. "You might want to cover your nose. She's been covered in cloves."

"Why?" Fenris was building his strength. Normally, a body whether whole or dead, did not bother him and he would have paid little heed to any wounds that had been inflicted. But this was different. This was his Marian lying naked and uncovered in a decrepit room on a bed of dirty rags. Gamlen never cleaned nor did he care if he laid in his own filth. "I do not understand."

Sol grabbed a potion from the table. "They were intended to preserve her body... for a time. Maybe we should discuss this when things are less tense."

Fenris stopped in front of the worn cot where she lay and his mind stumbled to a halt and his emotions boiled to the surface.

This woman could not be Marian. The strong pigheaded mage that he had met six years ago was nowhere to be found. This body was broken, deformed, and foreign to him and he refused to acknowledge it. It held little semblance to the one he loved.

Fenris searched the whitewashed body for any sign of vibrancy, for the flawless feminine beauty of his lover. He would prove it wasn't Marian. His mage was strong and unstoppable, a champion of the people and an enemy to those who abused power. He shook his head. This was not his Marian. She did not have holes in her back, disjointed limbs, missing fingers and broken teeth.

"This is not..." The words hung in his throat. He had seen it lying on the table: the necklace Leandra had bequeathed long ago.

He could not fathom why his cheeks had started to burn until he noticed the tears falling through the opening in his hair. There were others present, the tears should be wiped away, hidden before seen; a lesson learned from his days as a slave. He held his hands in front of his face ready to remove any trace of what he considered weakness. But he could not. His eyes studied his palms and long slender fingers. They were useless… he was useless.

Sol, the herbalist and healer took notice of Fenris for the first time. He had seen the helpless look before on the faces of men who had failed to protect their family. Guilt and shame mixed together in a poisonous concoction that would eventually lead to anger. But this man, unlike the simple people who came to him, was volatile and capable of getting revenge.

"How could anyone..." Anders tried to steady his hands. They were shaking from a mixture of anger and grief. "That man must suffer for this." Justice came forth and Anders body began to change.

"Not now, Anders." Sol smacked his hands to get his attention. "Bring Justice out later when you go and kill the man that did this to our poor champion." The herbalist examined the wounds on Marian's back. "They have healed nicely."

Anders massaged the bridge of his nose. It had taken all of his effort to make Justice recede. "Did you check for arrowhead fragments? She will continue to bleed internally if they are still present."

"There was no need to check. The silk from her finery would have ensured a clean exit wound." Sol continued to admire his handiwork. "We should turn her over and begin fusing the broken bones."

Together, the two men carefully lifted the body and repositioned it. Her face was clearly visible. Sol, ever mindful of his patient's needs, grabbed the sheet and covered her exposed body. He would have no one say that she had been disrespected while in his care.

"Something is not right," said Anders. He studied her face. "It's as if..."

"You mean besides the obvious condition of her body?" Sol said.

Anders folded his arms over his chest. "This isn't the time for jokes, Sol." A brief pause followed while he tried to sense Marian's magic. "No, it's as if... wait," his eyes widened, "there's nothing."

"I noticed that too." Sol concentrated on his potions and left Anders to ponder the matter. Sol had no personal dislike for the apostate, but the merger with Justice was not something he condoned. "I suspect blood magic; a very ancient and powerful type that has been all but forgotten in Thedas."

Anders rolled his eyes. "You sound like the Knight Commander." The thought that someone could take magic away was bewildering for the mage. To live with it was a burden, but to have that power ripped from your being and not become tranquil was unthinkable. "Why didn't you tell me you knew her magic was gone?"

Sol wiped a spot of dried blood from her nose. "It did no t seem very relevant while I was saving her life, Anders."

"But, she is not tranquil," Anders said and he gestured to her forehead.

Fenris had been listening intently to the conversation. The confrontation with Burgamond was still fresh in his mind. "He took it from her."

"Who took her magic?" Sol was intrigued.

"Burgamond," Fenris growled. "He showed me an amulet and said it was Marian's magic."

Anders dismissed Fenris's words. "Impossible," said Anders. "You can't steal someone's magic. You have to be born a mage to wield it."

"Then explain how he was able to cast spells," Fenris refuted. "I know you believe you are the authority when it comes to mages, but you have not witnessed the power of a Tevinter magister. They have knowledge at their disposal that dates back to the days of Arlathan."

"He is an apostate then." Anders refused to believe that Fenris had a well rounded opinion of Tevinter. "Obviously, he has used his wealth and influence to keep the templars from taking him to the gallows."

"Can we come back to this later Anders?" said Sol. "Right now I need you to focus."

Fenris cleared his throat. "May I have a moment alone with Marian?"

"Yes," Sol said. The answer had taken Anders by surprise. There was still much work to be done to her body. "But it will have to be brief."

"Sol," Anders whined, "we need to finish."

"The immediate danger has past, Anders." Sol gestured to the door. "The man deserves five minutes with his loved one." He turned to Fenris. "You have that time and not a minute more, my friend."

Fenris nodded and then pulled a chair next to the bed. Sol took one last look at the elf and the woman lying on the bed. The truth is, thought Sol, I saved her because I was too selfish to let her go. I pray she will forgive me.

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