Anders pulled on his good clothes to wear to the chantry, feeling even more unsettled than he had on his first trip there with Sebastian. Knowing that templars were after him now, even worse, a seeker, and that they knew he was to be found in Starkhaven... it made him even more nervous about leaving the castle grounds, even in Sebastian's company.
Though he was looking forward to seeing Sebastian again. He hadn't seen him since the prince had left him here at the cottage with the dogs. At least the dogs were tolerably good company, he found himself thinking, smiling as he turned his head to look at where Ganwyn was sprawled on his back on the bed, Ashes crouched up by his head and industriously grooming the dog's floppy ear.
He'd been... rather unsettled, the first night here, unable to bring himself to even enter the bedroom, much less lie down and try to sleep. Then the dogs had shown up at the cottage door, wanting in, and seeing Haelioni stretching out comfortably on the floor in front of the big fireplace in the main room, while Ganwyn scurried around sticking his nose curiously into everything... something had eased a little then, inside his chest, and when Ganwyn had eventually started sniffing curiously along the bottom of the bedroom door, he'd gone over and opened it. And followed the dog in.
Ganwyn had promptly jumped up on the bed, dirty feet and all, and made himself at home, and Haelioni had followed them in and stretched out along the wall between the closet door and the bedroom door, and between the two dogs and Ashes the bedroom had felt an awful lot smaller, and somehow a lot friendlier. He'd gone to bed fully dressed, but at least he'd finally managed to lie down, Ashes purring away on his stomach and Ganwyn stretched out nearby, warm brown eyes watching him attentively.
He'd still tossed and turned for hours before finally sleeping. He'd waken the next morning to the sound of birds out in the garden, with Ashes curled up under his arm, and Ganwyn stretched out along the back of his legs, long elegant head resting on his hip, Haelioni lounging watchfully on the floor nearby, head raised but otherwise looking utterly relaxed. Seeing the two dogs so obviously unworried somehow made him feel safe, as no amount of guards or bars or boltholes could.
They'd quickly sorted out a routine, the dogs and cat all wanting out first thing in the morning to take care of their business. Ganwyn went romping around enthusiastically burning off some of his excess energy while Haelioni took a more sedate turn around the edges of the garden, clearly patrolling the bounds to make sure nothing had slipped in over the walls overnight.
Afterwards they'd breakfasted together, him sitting at the table with his tea and bread and cheese, while the two dogs hungrily ate their way through bowls of food brought over from the kennels for them by one of the dog-boys. Ashes crouched on the table begging bits of cheese from Anders at first, and then jumped down to go over and investigate the dog's breakfasts, sticking his head in and eating right alongside of Ganwyn, who looked surprised and worried to see some of his breakfast disappearing into the tiny feline, but was easily appeased with an offering of bread and cheese. And then Haelioni needed some as well, just to be fair about it, and an awful lot of bread and cheese had disappeared before they'd finally finished eating. After which he'd gone up to the loft, and written a little and drawn a lot, with the big dog sprawled out on the rug nearby and Ashes and Ganwyn playing some complicated kitten-and-dog game around the furniture.
He'd stopped feeling scared at some point, and not quite so alone. Though he did miss having someone to talk to, and was very glad the next day to head off to the clinic, even if it meant leaving the dogs behind in the garden. He took Ashes with him though; nothing, he felt, could possibly separate him from his cat, now that he finally had one again. He refused to entertain the idea. The kitten napped quietly on one end of a bench in the examining room while Anders caught up with Sister Maura and Dugall about happenings in the clinic during the two weeks he'd been... indisposed, and he spent a couple of hours there seeing patients, before finally returning to the cottage.
And today he'd see Sebastian again, at least briefly. Though there was still the problem of how to manage taking Ashes with him to the chantry. He was too large and leggy to be stashed in one of the coat pockets. The sleeves of the coat were rather full and loose, though... a little experimentation later and he was holding one arm carefully crooked, Ashes stretched out contentedly in the drape of sleeve between elbow and wrist.
And just in time, the dogs both suddenly looked around, Haelioni rising to sit upright while Ganwyn scrambled off the bed and dashed out to the front room, both looking expectantly at the front door. Ganwyn gave a single loud bark.
"It's just me," a familiar voice called. Sebastian. Anders hurried to unlock the door and step outside, the two dogs following along, wagging their tails welcomingly at the sight of Sebastian. He was looking tired, with bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept, and more than a little harassed as well, his hair mussed and his mouth frowning slightly. He still took the time to pat the dogs each on their heads, then looked Anders over, and nodded in approval. "You're ready, good," he said, and turned away.
"What's going on, you look... a little tired," Anders said worriedly.
Sebastian grimaced, as he hurried back across the garden. "Refugees from Ansburg started arriving late yesterday. With more to come; they're coming by both the river and overland, and Maker only knows how many we're going to get. The coast is a mess right now, different factions fighting everywhere, and the Tevinter slavers are reportedly out in force, so very few wanted to attempt fleeing downriver."
"Damn," Anders said.
"Yes, well, at least we already had things set up to handle the influx," Sebastian said, smiling humorlessly. "Only a couple of people have needed to go into the quarantine area yet, but that will likely increase when the people who are walking start to get here; I just hope they make good enough time to beat the winter here. We don't get much snow, thankfully, but the cold rains will be miserable, and it's all too easy to get fatally turned around in the fogs we sometimes get."
Anders nodded, hurrying along at his side down the hill from the castle toward the chantry. The chantry was more crowded inside than he'd ever seen it before, with many clusters of people in intent conversation. Several well-dressed men and women hurried over to speak to Sebastian as soon as he entered; some he gave hurried answers to, others he asked to speak with at later times. It took them almost half an hour to get from the front door to the royal box. Only then did people reluctantly move to their seats and the service finally get underway.
Sebastian frowned at Anders as the choirs rose to sing towards the end. "Is something wrong with your arm?" he asked in a low whisper. "You've been holding it stiffly all morning."
"No, nothing," Anders hurriedly assured him, pretending great interest in the singing. Which was actually quite nice, a fairly jubilant song of thanksgiving.
Ashes grew tired of hiding somewhere toward the end of the service. Anders felt the cat shift, then wiggle and crawl forward to peer out the cuff. He hastily blocked the cat's exit with his other hand, scratching the kitten's chin soothingly.
The movement caught Sebastian's notice. He glanced over and down, then his eyes widened almost comically. "You brought your cat to the chantry!" he hissed in disbelief.
"Of course," Anders murmured back, keeping his attention on the lectern, where a short-sighted sister was laboriously chanting her way through a reading from the Canticle of Trials. "I wasn't going to leave him behind on his own. You're missing the reading."
Sebastian gave him a look, then turned his attention politely back to the speaker. "We will speak of this later," he muttered back.
After the service ended, Sebastian was again inundated with people wanting to speak with him; then a young priest pushed through the crowd, and asked Sebastian to attend on the Revered Mother.
"Of course," he said, and turned to bow slightly to the people trying to get his attention. "I am sorry, I will try to find time to speak with you all later," he said, raising his voice to a carrying tone. "Revered Mother Glynis requests my presence right now. Thank you."
They were disappointed, but finally withdrew, some few remaining to talk in groups while most exited the chantry at last. Sebastian followed the priest away, Anders and their guards perforce accompanying him. They went out a side door, then through a maze of corridors and staircases before being shown into the Revered Mother's office. She was standing near a group of seating around the fireplace, and smiled warmly at Sebastian as the two of them entered, their guards remaining outside the room. "Prince Vael, thank you for coming."
"My pleasure, your Grace," he said, the two exchanging formal little bows. Glynis motioned towards the seating. "Please, join me," she offered, moving to take a seat. Sebastian moved to sit as well. Anders hesitated, not quite sure if he should sit as well, remaining standing, or even have remained out in the hallway with the guards. Sebastian solved his dilemma for him, gesturing for him to sit down as well. Glynis glanced curiously at him – this was her first time seeing the man awake and well – then dismissed him from her notice for now.
"I wanted to talk to you about the Ansburg refugees, of course," she said, frowning slightly and leaning forward in her chair. "I fear what a destabilizing influence they may become here, especially as there are likely to be representatives of all different factions among them, templars and mages both."
Sebastian nodded grimly. "I, too, fear what this could bring. I am hoping that you will be able to exercise some control over whatever templars arrive. As to any mages – I am at a loss to decide how they can best be handled," he said, and explained his fears about both the lack of a proper circle in Starkhaven to control such mages, and what a target such a circle would be if they formed one.
"We will need to find some solution quickly, I fear," Glynis said. "One of the refugees that arrived by boat yesterday had been sent on ahead by the templars who had been defending the Ansburg circle. Such templars and their charges who escaped the devastation plan to make their way here, by foot since they had no hope of making it to the riverside docks. He estimates it will take them at least two weeks; it is a long way on foot, and they have young children among them, which will slow their travel. They must also travel cautiously and by back roads, in hopes of avoiding any who wish to harm the mages – both the remnants of the opposing faction of templars and frightened townspeople may seek to do so."
Her lips thinned. "I have also received a rather odiously worded letter from a templar claiming to be the Knight-Commander of the 'legitimate' faction, demanding that I turn over any mages that arrive in Starkhaven to him to face summary justice. Summary justice for what, he neglected to specify."
"For being mages," Anders said bitterly, voice quiet. Sebastian shot him a reproving look for interrupting, but Anders didn't see it, having his head down, concentrating on petting Ashes, who'd crawled out of his sleeve at some point and was now sitting quietly with paws tucked under in his lap. Glynis gave Anders an equally sharp look, looked briefly amused as she noticed the kitten, one eyebrow arching just slightly, then turned back to Sebastian.
"I fear the mage is right. There have always been those among clergy and lay-folk both who have interpreted mage powers as a curse, who feel that the Maker will not return his attention and affection to us, that the Golden City will not be restored, as long as mages are allowed to live. Who feel that since it was mages who caused the Black City and the blight, that only their blood will cleanse these things. This is not a belief I subscribe to – I cannot believe the Maker has any wish to see his children at odds with each other, slaying their brothers and sisters." Glynis said, sitting sharply upright.
"In the long term, we must find a way to dwell peacefully together," she continued. "And in the short term, we will have to decide how to handle the remnants of the Ansburg circle once they reach here, and any other mages currently at large within the general population. I am sure there must be many of them now, both mages who have grown up or remained hidden here since the Starkhaven circle burned, and among the refugees from Kirkwall and elsewhere."
Sebastian frowned. "What exactly did lead to the fire in the Circle here, anyway?" he asked. "All I know is that it burned during the year of the blight, that some of the mages escaped in the confusion – we ourselves encountered some of those in Kirkwall later – and that the remaining templars and mages were relocated to the Gallows in Kirkwall."
Glynis frowned, and glanced uneasily at Anders again before continuing. "I am not entirely sure. It appears to have been caused in part by fearful townspeople attacking the tower when word of the blight in Ferelden spread; the old fear, that mages are responsible for and may even cause the blights. But I have heard that several of the leaders of the mob attack on the tower were not people that anyone was later able to identify. Whether they were merely protecting their own, or whether it meant there were foreign instigators involved... well, whichever it was, a fire then broke out in the tower. Reports vary as to whether it was caused by an apprentice mage panicking and losing control of their powers, an organized attempt by frightened mages to drive back the mob, or even set by the mob themselves in an attempt to burn out the mages."
Her lips thinned, and she paused for a moment before sighing and continuing. "In any case, the tower burned. Some small part of the mob tried to harm the mages when they began emerging from the tower, driven forth by the flames, but most of them put aside their anger when they saw there was children among them, and between those and the templars the greater part of the mages were saved. In the confusion many of them fled; some scattered and remained in Starkhaven, and we know of at least two distinct organized groups that remained together and travelled away – one south to Kirkwall, and another that was tracked heading north to Tevinter."
Anders looked up at that, startled. "I'd forgotten how close this is to the Imperium," he said quietly.
Glynis nodded at him. "Yes. It is my belief that if there were foreigners involved in the burning of the tower, that they most likely originated there. We have had problems with the Tevinter magisters before, this being one of the closest circles to their lands prior to its destruction, and doubtless a considerably easier target for them than the circles in Nevarra City and Hossberg. They see our mages as more properly belonging within their domain."
Anders smiled crookedly. "I could almost agree with them. Life as a magister is doubtless considerably more salutary than life as a circle mage," he said lightly, with a faint air of challenge.
Glynis snorted. "You are a fool if you think that life as a magister is what awaited any mages foolish enough to flee from Starkhaven to Tevinter," she said sharply. "The magisters are ever hungry for slaves, and those who are mage-born are among the most prized. Perhaps one in a thousand mages becomes a magister – the rest are lackeys, slaves, and thralls."
"Blood magic is outlawed in Tevinter..." Anders began, almost hotly.
Glynis laughed. "And do you believe that means anything? A law means nothing if it is not enforced. No, Anders, if you wish a true picture of life in the Imperium, speak to those who have left it, not those who wish to go there, or those trying to lure unsuspecting mages into fleeing there. I have a considerable library of writings based on interviews of those who have fled over our borders from the Imperium over the years – I grant you leave to make free of it. Truly, I think such should be required reading for all mages," she added, voice hardening. "Save that those who most need to have their eyes opened are least likely to believe the words of escaped slaves and fleeing farm-folk, believing it chantry lies and propaganda."
"You know Fenris spoke of this, Anders," Sebastian said softly. "Of what life in the Imperium is truly like. You just didn't want to believe him, wanted to believe that his master was at worst an isolated case."
Anders subsided, frowning. "I... would appreciate being able to read such works as you've collected," he said to Glynis, with surprising humbleness. He glanced at Sebastian. "Sebastian has asked me to think on the question of how mages and men might live together peacefully. I should be better informed, first, I think," he said quietly, looking back down at Ashes again, gently running his hand along the kitten's back.
Glynis smiled. "That is a good start, then – admitting your own ignorance is never an easy thing."
She rose to her feet and tugged on a cord to summon her secretary, then stepped to her desk and scribbled out a note. She handed it to the woman when she entered. "Fetch these books for me, please," she asked, then returned to her seat. "You may borrow them for as long as you need them. I will be interested to hear you thoughts later," she said, then turned back to Sebastian.
"That aside, we must still decide what to do with the mages and templars that are on their way here now. I do not think putting them in with the other refugees would be a good idea, for their safety as much as anything else. Emotions will still be running high among those who lost their homes and livelihoods in Ansburg or Kirkwall."
Sebastian nodded. "We will need some place that can be rendered reasonably secure for them to live, while a more long-term solution is sought," he agreed. "I have several manor houses and fortified keeps in my possession, as Prince of Starkhaven – normally these would house collateral lines of the Vael family, siblings and their families, close cousins and so forth, but as the Harrimans killed almost all such, many of them are currently empty apart from whatever servants and guards remain to safeguard and maintain them. Perhaps one of those might be suitable."
Glynis nodded. "A good thought. The chantry also has a few minor holdings throughout Starkhaven, though those are mainly small rural locations where sisters and brothers can retire to a contemplative life, and support themselves though simple crafts or agricultural pursuits. No one of them could take in all of the mages and templars, but they might be safer scattered anyway."
Sebastian nodded. "Well, we have perhaps two weeks to come to a decision, by what you said. I will spend this week looking into what of my properties might be suitable, and we can discuss a choice after next week's service, perhaps?" he suggested.
Glynis nodded in agreement. "That would do well."
Her secretary returned with the books she'd requested just then, and they decided that was as good a point as any to end their meeting, Sebastian saying formal farewells before the two men returned to the castle.