We slept for most of the morning. As I woke I found myself wrapped around Anders kitten curled up under my chin and one asleep atop his head. When I moved the purring soon began and I smiled and pulled back. The small fat round one arched his little back and proceeded to kneed on Anders bare chest. "Ow Ow Maker!" Anders eyes shot open and as he sat up as the small skinny one fell off behind him.
He picked the little fat one and put her face on his nose. "You have sharp little claws kitty." He kissed her setting her down on the blanket. "Now where is your brother…" he reached behind him and pulled him out. The poor thing gave him a pitiful cry. "Aww I'm sorry." He kissed him on the head and set him next to his sister.
"Have you thought of names yet?" I looked over at him smiling.
"I can't think of any at the moment you?" He ran his fingers through my hair and pulled my chin closer to him and kissed me. "I do but you would think it silly." I said kissing him again. He pulled me over until I was on top of him. Sitting up I looked down at him and his warm hands went to my hips.
"So tell me love." He tickled my stomach and I bent over laughing.
"All right all right, I thought pumpkin for the round one and carrot for the skinny one." Anders laughter filled the room.
"Those are awful, but they do fit." He said.
I lay down on him yes they do. The two kittens crawled over to us meowing and purring. "Maker they are both to cute for their own good!" I said picking them both up and holding them close. "We should get them something to eat." I say getting off Anders.
"Oh I liked you where you were." He said walking up behind me and wrapping his arms around me.
"Yes but do you want our babies to starve?" I asked holding them close to my chest.
"They seem pretty content where they." He said looking down at my chest where the two had curled up sleeping. "I have to say I almost feel jealous."
Rolling my eyes I carry them downstairs to the kitchen and fill up a bowl with food for them. Heading over to my desk I take a look at new mail when I spot familiar handwriting. Pausing I pull it out and take a look at it. It was from the Tevinter Mage who had done the tattooing on my face. Reading it quickly I find out that he has new information on tapping into my knowledge.
"What are you looking at?" Anders asks.
I put in my drawer."It's nothing love just a message from an old friend." I turn and he's all dressed ready to leave. "Are you going to the clinic?"
"Yes." He kissed my forehead and then my lips. Grabbing onto his jacket I pull him into me.
"If you keep that up love I'll never leave the house." He laughed softly and nibbled on my ear.
"Would that be so bad?" I asked kissing his neck and collarbone.
"Not at all but as much as it pains me I have to go." Pulling away from he tapped my nose with is finger and gave me a wicked grin and a wink. "Save all that energy for later though love."
When the door closes I pull the letter out again. He was back in Kirkwall in his usual hiding place in darktown. After I get my clothes on I wrote a note to Anders letting him know I might be late.
When I reached Vane's hideout he was smoking his pipe reading. He looked up when he heard me and smiled. "If it isn't my favorite apostate." His wrinkled face pulled back into a grin. He was bald except for the Lyrium tattoo that swirled around his head. He had impressive long pointed beard giving him sage like quality. His eyes glowed an eerie green, but I never mentioned it not wanting to know really where it was coming from.
"How are you doing Vane?" I ask as he motions for me to sit down. Obliging him I sit and take a puff from the pipe he hands me.
"Still alive, still alive Navianna, how about you? You seem different." He cackled slightly and I eyed him curiously.
"I am good, I met Flemeth again and she opened up more of what my mother had placed inside of me but know the how." I rubbed my face. "I've been trying to figure out how to do some of these spells but it just not coming." I puffed on his pipe a few more times and handed it back to him.
"It is good that you came to me then. I have found another way to unlock more of your mind child." He said puffing on the pipe keeping me in suspense. "Maker what is it." I finally say and he grins at me.
"Always impatient, it will require more Lyrium tattooing on your casting hand. " He said grimly.
I looked at my right hand and frowned. Maker this would not be pleasant. "How long will it take?"
"Several hours." He said firmly.
"Let's do this then." I said quickly before I changed my mind.
"Are you sure? This will hurt Navianna far worse than the one on your head." He gave me a worried look.
"Yes let's do this before I change my mind." I took off the shirt I was wearing and laid down.
He used magic to bind my body down making it impossible for me to move. Vane grabbed the needle, and the bottle of lyrium. First he drew the necessary symbols along my arm and hands making sure they connected to the correct veins. Dipping the needle into the Lyrium he grabbed a piece of leather and placed it into my mouth.
The instant the needle hit my skin my body recoiled in pain. Vane was chanting as he pushed the needled rapidly into my arm stopping every once in a while to refill with lyrium. Sweat ran across my brow and down my face as I screamed silently. My teeth broke into the leather leaving a permanent indent. My back was arched slightly leaving a pool of sweat below it as he worked. Tears streamed down my face and I wept at the intense pain.
As the pain grew I wanted to jerk away to free myself and lash out at everything around me but I was fused to the ground by Vane. He kept chanting ignoring my whimpers and screams he kept working at his steady pace ensuring every line, every symbol would be perfect.
Unable to handle the pain anymore my body went limp and I passed out into darkness. As I dreamt, images of Anders passed by me, of Flemeth and then my mother leaning over and speaking to me. She was casting a spell, but she had rushed it and said something wrong. Her horror had been the last thing I remembered. Delving deeper I could feel the weave of magic surrounding the spell slowly breaking free.
Staring at the seal surrounding my mind I am overwhelmed with pain in my dream and as the pain grows the seals begin to weaken. When with a final scream the binding shatters and I wake to see Vane exhausted leaning against the wall.
"It is finished, my greatest work Navianna." He wiped his brow with a shaky hand. I sat up slowly grimacing and stared down at my arm. My magic seemed to burst at the seams as all spells seemed to open up before me. The knowledge of generations rushing through me, I was giddy with excitement. "Maker Vane this knowledge…" my voice drifting as I created a blue flame its burn was so intense. I shook my hand and smiled.
"Be careful now Navianna, here I got this for you." He tossed a long black fingerless glove to me. "Put it one." He said firmly. I nodded and slid it gently over the lyrium tattoos that still burned with pain.
"How much do I owe you Vane?" I asked and he shook his head.
"Nothing, I wanted to do this. You are my greatest work and now I can finally rest." He said smiling. "Perhaps even get a drink!" he cackled and relit his pipe. "Go on now no need to draw attention to me." I nodded and left him leaning against the wall smoking.
I made my way to low town and began looking at the shops when two men moved quickly behind me each of them a knife to my back. "Stay quiet, scream and we will kill you instantly is that clear?" I nodded and they moved me into an ally. The knife went to my heart and he pushed it in just enough to make his point. His partner pulled down the sleeve. "Yup she's the one."
He struck me hard and the world went black. When I woke I found myself shackled with irons they used in the circle, the kind that made it impossible to caste magic. My arms were stretched out and my feet barely touched the ground and only in my small clothes. I jerked my hand but it didn't budge. Growling I tried again only to find pain wracking through my body. Gasping for breath I looked up to see a young mage staring at me.
"Hello Navianna I am Hayden a magister of Tevinter and you are my newest acquisition." He said happily.
"What?" I snapped irritated at this imbecile grinning at me like a fool. His red hair was braided back and large golden eyes watched me with curiosity.
"I said I own you mage." He snarled walking over to me his heavily ringed hand slammed across my face breaking the skin.
"You hit like an old woman." I snarled.
He took his staff and slammed it into my stomach and as an added bonus he sent a jolt of electricity. "You will learn you place Navianna, even if I have to beat it into you." He grabbed my hair and pulled my head up. He smiled darkly "I think I will have fun breaking you."
His work was interrupted by a soldier "My Lord we should move out soon. They will come looking for her." He said.
"Yes yes soon enough I still want to play first." He said sighing. Snapping his fingers a servant rushed and filled the wine glass he picked up.
"See this is how you will become, at the snap of my fingers you will do whatever I ask." He drank his wine and my lip curled.
"Over my dead body you pathetic excuse for a mage." He sighed and spun his staff and once again slammed it into me and my body was pushed back by the force. I spit up some blood and laughed.
"Maker you call that an attack." I groaned why was I poking the angry mage? Because it's what I do best I said back to myself.
He tossed his staff down and grabbed his blade. "Did you know there almost a hundred places you can stab someone and you won't kill them, just cause them immense suffering? Well Navianna there are and I know them all."
The knife was hot as it sunk into my skin tearing its way through my flesh. I grit my teeth as he yanks it out. The wound had cauterized ensuring the wound would not become infected.
"Nice trick." I grunted as the sweat dripped of my brow.
"Oh I know a lot of tricks Navianna, and feel free to scream no one will hear you here." His smile was malicious as he sunk the blade in again. I gasped and looked down to see my blood spill over his hands, the burning of the blade and the pain of the wound was intense. He jerked his hand out and he laughed wildly "You're blood is amazing it holds so much power." I watched in horror as he began licking his fingers and it seemed what was on his hand was not enough.
His feverish gaze turned to me and his face darkened. Spinning the blade in he found spot near my heart and I tried to jerk away when he grabbed my face. "Hold still or I might miss." He growled and sunk his blade in. I screamed this time there was no cauterizing the blood rushed to the surface and I gasped when his lips pressed onto my skin. I felt him sucking and licking greedily at my wound. My stomach lurched sickened by his act.
When he pulled back I was still bleeding and his face was covered in blood…mine. "You are so delicious Navianna." He walked over and grabbed my face and kissed me. I kept my mouth firmly shut but that didn't seem to faze him he was in a different world. He was running his hands over the blood covering my body in it. When he stood up he pressed his body next to me and I could feel the hardening bulge in his pants. His eyes were greedy as ran his slick bloodied hands over my body. Placing his hands on the wound he healed it shut.
Exhausted my head hung down slightly. "I think that's enough for today my pet. Tomorrow will be much more rigorous. "He turned and walked away from me snapping his fingers to his servant who jumped and ran after him.
Left alone I sighed, well this could have been worse. I hear the rustling of armor and look up hopeful for a moment and then as quickly as it came it fell. A soldier was eyes me but said nothing just stood by watching me for escape. Damn it there went my chance. I sighed the strain on my arms was beginning to take its toll.
I hung my head trying to work my wrist out of the shackle but it was impossible it was far too tight. Growling I looked around for anything only to find the soldier staring at me.
"What?" I snapped at him.
"You are rather cocky for a prisoner." He finally said. His amber eyes reminded me of Anders and for a moment I felt like crying. I wanted to be home lying in bed with him.
"I don't plan to be a prisoner long." I said matter-of-factly.
He grunted and shook his head. "Hayden will never let you go he's enraptured with you."
"You do know you're so called master is crazy right?" I said thankful for some kind of conversation.
"No more so than some of the other Magisters." He said shrugging.
"So what you're telling me is most Tevinter Magisters get hard drinking mages blood and rubbing it all over the mage's body."
I watched his face turn several shades of red. "Well, I...uh…No." he finally said with a sigh.
Score one for me I thought. "So why are you with him you a mercenary?" he gave me an angry look. I guess it was a no to the mercenary.
"I work for his Father Lord Greaves, his father asked me to accompany him for protection." He said still glaring.
"Protection? Really?" he seemed irritated by my sarcasm and clamed up.
I closed my eyes Maker, what have I gotten into now. A wave of pain passed over and I clenched my jaw refusing to cry out. Everyone would be in an uproar by now I just needed to keep the bastard here long enough for them to find me. Closing my eyes I take in a breath and work on a plan.