Hawke knocked on the De Launcet's door. A tall pointy nosed man answered, but did not speak. "Um, I'm Hawke, and I am here…" The man stepped aside and an Orlaisian noblewoman greeted her, "my, what an honor it is to have the Champion visit!" The apostate resisted the urge to cringe at the woman's grating voice. "Come in, come in, you can tell me why you are here over a cup of tea." The Comtesse called for a serving girl, but was answered with silence, "I apologize, I can not find a worth while servant in this town."
Hawke recovered from her eardrums momentary revolt and forced a smile for the woman, "no need to apologize. I am actually here to speak with you about your son," the mage looked back to see the man servant had not permitted her friends to accompany her past the entrance hall, she was on her own.
"Emile? What ever for? I talked to the templars the other day and told them everything I know. I haven't seen the boy since he joined the circle."
"Dulci! That is enough,"
"Guillaume, darling!" Hawke gnashed her teeth together, her ears were not going to make it much longer.
"I am sorry Champion, my wife is just trying to be a good mother," he shot the Comtesse a disapproving look. "We saw our son just this morning. We didn't know what to do, Dulci gave him some money to buy passage out of the city. An associate of mine saw Emile wasting that coin in the Hanged Man…"
The noblewoman stood and staggered back, "Oh, he is at that disgusting bar?"
"Please, Champion, help our son," The Comte said as he reached for his wife.
"Is the Comtesse going to be alright?" Hawke asked.
"Dulci? Yes, she just needs to lay down," he took her into the den of their estate, and the man who answered the door escorted the companions out.
Once outside the apostate dabbed at her ears, "are you alright?" Anders concerned voice soothed her throbbing drums.
"Just making sure they weren't bleeding," Hawke replied. The men stared for a moment and then burst into laughter. She smiled, glad that they could still take pleasure in the small things.
Hawke and the companions walked into the Alienage to see Huon holding his wife against him. She sighed, glad that she wouldn't have to go to the Knight-Commander and admit she was right.
"I smell blood," Fenris whispered.
The wanted elf stepped away from his wife, and she fell lifeless to the ground.
Hawke stared in disbelief. She had promised Nyssa that they would be there to protect her. The Champion never thought that the man would actually harm her.
"That was your wife!" Cullen growled.
"She was too afraid to use all this power within herself. Look at it all," the man held up his hands that were dripping with blood.
So much for Meredith being wrong, she thought. Hawke opened her eyes slowly, drew her weapon, and began to cast. She couldn't find any words to speak.
"We should call it a night," Fenris walked up to Hawke. She stood over the body of Nyssa, and a single tear ran down her cheek.
"I promised…" She choked on the words and couldn't finish.
Cullen wrapped his arms around her gently, "you shouldn't be the one who is doing this. Meredith should have sent the templars to do it."
Anders snorted, "the Knight-Commander asked us to do this because she wanted to punish Hawke. These mages were doomed to give in and Meredith wanted us to see it. She wanted to prove that she is right."
"Maybe she is," the apostate whispered.
"You don't really believe that?" The healer asked in surprise.
"I am the only mage that I know outside of the Circle that is still on the straight and narrow. Merrill is a blood mage," Hawke said pointing to the elf's house, "you are an infamous apostate on good days, and in a losing battle against becoming an abomination ever other day!"
Anders took a step towards her, "let's get you home, you just need some rest."
"No, we need to go to the Hanged Man…" She pulled away from Cullen and pushed passed the healer. This wasn't over.
Her companions stood in stunned silence as they watched their leader. They looked at each other, then quickly moved to follow the Champion.
Emile swayed in his seat drunkenly, nursing a cup of wine. Hawke walked into the bar, her companions were still struck dumb at her admission. She quickly took a head count of the people in the bar, at least twelve people in the common room. Twelve people who's lives were in their hands if this mage turned out to be like the others. She cautiously walked over to the mage and his glazed eyes slide over her body.
"A-are you a mage?" He slurred.
"Yes," Hawke said.
"You must be, because you have just magicked my breath away. I am Emile De Launcet, a blood mage. May I ask your name, sweet angel?"
"Hawke," she rubbed her temples. Another blood mage?
"T-the Champion of Kirkwall? Oh, shit, I-I didn't, I am not a blood mage. I just have been telling people that."
"What? Why would you do that? You were raised in the Circle, you know what they do to blood mages," Anders remarked.
"I remember this one from the Gallows," Cullen said to Hawke. "He was very…sheltered."
"You don't understand what it is like in the Circle, I have never felt the rain on my face, have never tasted wine… never kissed a girl," Emile sobered quickly.
"You ran from the tower to…kiss a girl?" Hawke asked, shocked.
"Well, I have read the other things a man could do with a woman…but, I am too nervous to ask any of the ladies here in the bar. I told them that I was a blood mage, because I thought that it would make me seem more…dangerous."
Hawke wasn't sure if she could believe him, she cast a low power shock on the man. He and fell back a step, "what was that for?"
"A wise man once taught me that if a demon were inside of a mage, it would defend itself against attacks." She glanced back at Anders. He was still mulling over the leader's earlier episode, but managed a tight smile. Hawke stepped forward and kissed Emile on the lips in excitement. He blushed and reached around to cradle her rear and she slapped his hand away. "Easy, son!"
Cullen growled in his chest and Hawke started laughing, "don't get all territorial on me. He isn't a bad mage!" She glowed with joy.
The Knight-Captain couldn't help but smile at her, "you don't need to go handing kisses out to the good mages."
"If I'd have known that was the reward for mages that didn't turn to temptations, I would not be in the position I am in right now," Anders whispered so only the companions could hear. Cullen rounded on him, "kidding," the healer thrust his hands in front of himself defensively.
"Emile, let's get you back to the circle, you aren't ready for the real world, yet," Hawke winked at the man who was still blushing.
They arrived at the dock where the Gallows boat sat. There was a templar on duty, instead of the usual ferryman. The Gallows didn't allow visitors. The templar guard raised his hand to inform them of it, but stopped when he saw the Knight-Captain. "We have business with the Knight-Commander," the man stepped aside and the six of them piled onto the boat.
Cullen sent Emile to his quarters while they cleaned the mess up. Meredith stood next to her window that overlooked the Courtyard when the group of friends arrived. The door had been open, so the four of them let themselves into the office. "Well?" Meredith asked
"Evelina and Huon are dead, but Emile has willingly returned," Cullen took the initiative.
"What of the fourth mage?" Meredith asked.
"Ella," Hawke said.
"Excuse me?"
"The fourth mage's name is Ella."
"Irrelevant, any news on where she is?"
The apostate shook her head, wishing that she did.
"I will send my templars to see if they can dig up anything else on her. I will deal with Emile in the morning, that will be all." the Knight-Commander said to the window.
"No,"
"Champion, you have no power here."
"He is not a threat, Meredith, he escaped because he was curious about the outside world," she wasn't about to tell the Knight-Commander about the kiss scene.
"There are rumors that he is a dangerous blood mage!" The female templar retorted, turning to the apostate.
"He is naïve, if that is a danger, then yes. Other than that he is not a problem," Meredith nodded at Hawke's words.
"That is what the Comte de Launcet said. . . If he proves to be harmless in the days to come, I will spare him," the apostate's eyes widened in surprise. "Despite popular belief, apostate, I am not interested in mass tranquilization. I am just trying to protect the people of Kirkwall against the threat of these mages."
" 'these mages' are only a threat because your templars push them to that," Anders snapped. "Evelina would still be able to care for the children she brought here if she hadn't been backed into a corner and forced to defend them. Huon would never have turned to blood magic, if you hadn't torn him away from his wife!" Hawke stepped in front of the healer with her back to him. He struggled with Justice, but was able to keep himself in check.
"I don't deal in hypothetical situations, mage," Meredith spat. "I deal in cold hard facts, when no one else seems willing to do so!"
"What facts did you have that made Seth a threat?" Hawke asked coolly. The Knight-Commander wasn't trying to make Thedas a better place. She was taking a problem and making it worse. Mages were being turned Tranquil left and right. It was no wonder the mages were so hostile. Hawke mentally slapped herself, how could she have thought this crazy woman was right!
"The fact that you had poisoned his mind. He would have never been so bold if he hadn't met you," the Knight-Commander growled.
"You deal in theories, Meredith," the apostate said barely above a whisper, trying to contain her anger. She turned from the office and walked out of the Gallows.
Hawke sat heavily on her bed, and Cullen pulled his chair over to her. "Talk to me," he whispered.
She put her elbows on her knees and rested her chin in her hands, "I just don't know. Maybe I am the odd man out. How do these mages expect to earn their freedom if they keep going down the demon road? I have been an apostate my whole life, fought quite a few templars, and things worse than that. Am I a blood mage? No. Am I an abomination? No."
"Why aren't you?" The Knight-Captain asked. "How have you lasted so long without giving into the temptation?"
"I know it for what it is, a trap. At first, my father taught me about the dangers of the demons, and I was just scared. Then, my sister and brother were born, and Bethany was a mage. I didn't give in when things got tough because I was the mage she looked up to. After father died, I was in charge of my family. They needed me," she smiled weakly.
"You are very strong, Hawke."
"I don't want to have to be strong anymore," she whispered. "I am not saying that I want to give in, I have come to far. It is just a lot of work being the person people look up to. Why can't they just hold on to themselves?"
"These mages that come to the tower are taken from their families, and the Dalish elves that show signs of magic are destined to be Keepers. If their clan already has an apprentice Keeper, they are taken to another one that doesn't. Without a family, they have nothing to fight for but themselves."
Hawke looked up at Cullen, "then it is the templar's fault for taking the mages away."
The Knight-Captain hadn't meant that, but when he thought about it she had a point. He looked back at her, staring into her deep blue eyes, "maybe."