The next day Adia, Amber, and Anders headed over to Fenris' place. The elder Hawke was still a little weak, and stopped to catch her breath every so often. "Sorry about this," she apologized for what must have been the tenth time.
"If you hadn't been so insistent to come, I'd have made you stay in bed," Anders told her, shaking his head.
"You're awful at following your own advice, you know," she shot back, giving him a sideways glance. "How many times should you have been resting or even eating something, and you didn't because "there was too much to do", or "people still need me", or-" The healer held up his hands in surrender.
"All right, I get it: I'm my own worst patient. I'm just worried about you, love."
"Still say we should have just strapped her down and had Mother check on her every few hours," Adia said as she frowned at her twin. "You really shouldn't be walking around like this."
"Not you too..."
"Yes me too," the redhead shot back as she stuck out her tongue "You still need rest. Going and watching this isn't going to do you any favors."
"There was no way I was going to sit home by myself knowing that Justice was fighting that prejudiced sonofabitch..." Amber huffed and smiled apologetically. "Sorry sister, but you know it's true."
"Give him time Amber... He'll come around," Adia said, wondering if she was trying to more convince herself or her sister.
"I'm sure everything will be fine," Anders spoke up. Amber raised an eyebrow.
"Do you really think that?'
"...No, not really. I'm frankly very nervous about all this. Justice isn't, though."
"And I don't like this either," the archer agreed. "I think it's stupid and it's just a way for Fenris and Justice to stroke their egos or something." "Oooo, look at me! I bested the broody Elf/Fade-creature. I are the awesome one." As Adia rolled her eyes, Anders blinked at her.
'Do you honestly think I will brag about this like that?' the Spirit demanded.
'Like that, no. But you will certainly never let Fenris forget if you beat him.'
'Would you?' The blonde paused for a moment, and then sighed.
'No, I suppose I wouldn't if it shut him up for five minutes.'
"There's really no way we can change Justice's mind?" Adia broke into their thoughts. There was another sigh from the male mage.
"He assumes it's the only way that Fenris might leave us alone. If Justice manages to beat him, I think it'll just make things worse. Right now, Fenris thinks he has the upper hand on me because I'm a mage, and therefore "delicate" compared to him. He's used to intimidating or using outright force to get his points across. That doesn't work with us, but I'm not willing to point that out quite yet. Unless Fenris becomes a Templar and Smites me, I can heal whatever damage he can dish out. Justice is under the impression that Fenris is an honorable warrior, and his word means something. So if he beats Fenris, he expects him to honor their bargain."
"And do you think he's an honorable warrior?" Adia seemed very interested in his reply, and Anders decided to be truthful.
"...I don't know. Do you?"
"I do, actually. But then again I tend to see the good in everyone at least once," the rogue replied with a shrug.
"Then hopefully this all goes relatively well, and Justice prevails," Amber stated. The other two stopped dead and stared at her. "What?"
"...That was a horrible pun," Anders finally told her. She gave him a goofy grin.
"I know."
"I'm starting to think I was adopted..." Adia groaned.
"Sadly, you were not," her sister informed her. "Unless Mother's been lying to us the entire time."
"No, Adia's definitely like your Mother," Anders countered. They arrived at the mansion, and saw that everyone was already there... Including Sebastian.
"WHY is the Choir Boy here?!" Adia demanded, eyes wide. The would-be prince seemed taken aback and slightly hurt.
"Fenris invited me to watch the duel between himself and Anders. Is there a problem with that?"
"No, there couldn't possibly be any problem with grown men trying to kill each other for fun..." Aveline griped.
"Oh, will this be like one of Isabella's duels?!" Merrill wondered, clapping her hands. "Will they cross swords?" The pirate began chuckling.
"That would be worth watching, Kitten." Immediately, there were various reactions. The strongest came from the healer and warrior, who shuddered and seemed absolutely horrified by the thought.
"Maker's breath, NO!"
"Venhedis, NEVER!" Varric, however, started grinning as he wrote in his notebook. Adia raised an eyebrow as she looked between the men.
"...Fenris uses a sword. Justice, I've noticed, uses a sword. I'm pretty sure you're going to be crossing swords." Amber smacked herself in the forehead, muttered a quick curse, and pulled her sister to the side.
"Adia," she whispered. ""Crossing swords" is another way of referencing two men having sex." Immediately her twin's face went bright red and her eyes crossed.
"HOW!?"
"I am not getting into any descriptions of that, thank you."
"How what, sweet thing?" Isabella wondered as she came over. But both Fenris and Anders knew the look on Adia's face, and dreaded what was to come next.
"Oh no..." the Elf murmured.
"This will be bad..." the mage predicted.
"Two men! How do they have sex?!" Sebastian fainted, Merrill turned bright red, Anders covered his face with his hands, Fenris stood there in shock, and Varric just kept writing. Isabella's eyes lit up.
"OH! Well-" she began, before Aveline tackled her.
"Shut it, whore! Adia does not need to be told any of that!" Amber stood staring at all of them, tilting her head at the chaos her sister had again caused by her innocence.
"What? What did I say?" Adia wanted to know.
"Can we please just get to the fighting?" Anders insisted, covering his face with his hands.
"That might be a good idea," Fenris agreed, blinking a few times to clear his head.
"Wake up, your highness!" the Guard captain commanded as she lightly slapped Sebastian. He roused quickly and stood up.
"Forgive me. That was just something I did not need on my mind... But I'm still curious Lady Adia: Why should I not be here?"
"Sebastian... Whatever you see here, you cannot go back to the Chantry and tell them. I want your word you will keep your mouth shut." He gave her an odd look.
"Lady Adia, I already know that Anders is an apostate, and I haven't turned him in to the Knight Commander. The good he does in Darktown far outweighs the crime of being an illegal mage."
"...Thank you?" the blonde said, starting to feel a bit nervous.
"Sebastian please…" Adia entreated, taking his hand and giving him a pleading look. "Promise you won't say anything."
"I..." He took a breath and nodded, smiling softly at her. "I promise, Lady Adia. I swear on the graves of my parents, I will not breathe a word about what happens in this house to anyone not in this group."
"Thank you, Sebastian," the other archer said as she hugged him.
"Thank you," Amber echoed, breathing a sigh of relief.
"You are most welcome," the almost-royal said he as returned the young woman's hug. Fenris was staring oddly at them, a feeling very much like jealousy clawing at his chest.
"Sure showed you, didn't she?" Isabella teased as she lightly elbowed him. Fenris recovered quickly.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Come mage, let us settle this."
"Are there any rules?" the healer wondered.
"No death, for starters," Amber stated.
"Death is bad," Adia agreed. "No maiming, no permanent damage, and if Amber or I call a halt to the fight you both stop. Because Maker knows you're both too stubborn to yield to the other if things start getting out of hand."
"Sounds good to me!" the healer accepted.
"Agreed," Fenris said as he nodded. Justice manifested more calmly than they'd ever seen, and also dipped his head in acknowledgement.
"Agreed." Sebastian's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as his jaw went slack. Varric looked up from his notebook and pointed his quill at the former slave.
"Oh, so you lied to us, Elf. At least partially."
"This is a bad idea," Aveline quickly spoke up. Adia's attention immediately shifted back over to Fenris as she glared at him.
"...Lied? What did you lie about now?"
"Fenris said the duel was between him and Anders," Merrill answered. "He never mentioned the Spirit would be fighting."
"Oh, now this is going to be interesting."
"That is one way to look at it, Rivaini."
"Are you both insane?!" the Guard captain demanded, looking around like they'd all lost their minds. "Fenris, you have no idea what that creature is capable of!"
Sebastian: "Is it from the Fade? It is truly a Spirit?" Sebastian added, eyeing Justice warily. Amber's eyes narrowed as she stood in front of the Spirit.
"Okay, I've had it!" she shouted. ""It" has a name: Justice. He agreed to duel Fenris, against Adia's, Anders', and my better judgment. If he wins, Fenris stops bothering Anders about him being a Demon, which he isn't. And if Fenris wins, this is the last time any of you will have to see him."
"I rather like him," the Dalish mage stated. "He's like a night-light, or a soft blaze on a summer evening." As everyone was processing that comment, Amber went into another coughing fit. Justice wrapped his arms around her, worry on his face as he held the mage until she was calm again.
"Amber, please sit down and rest," he implored. Aveline and Sebastian appeared stunned, while Varric and Isabella quickly put their heads together over the notebook. Merrill took Amber's hand and gently tugged on it.
"Oh, come sit by me on the stairs! We'll get a good view of everything." Adia sighed and helped the other mage and Justice get her sister to finally sit down.
"You should have stayed in bed," the rogue admonished. "After this is over that's where you're going, and no fussing about it."
"...Okay." Meanwhile, back on the floor, Fenris unsheathed his sword.
"So, what sort of magick does a creature of the Fade use?" he asked.
"None," the Spirit answered with a shrug. When the Elf gave him an incredulous look, he smirked. "Did you think that all Spirits used magick? Some of us use weapons."
"Then you shall fight with his staff?" Justice looked behind him at Anders' staff, unhooked it, and leaned it against the wall, shaking his head.
"No, that weapon is not for melee, but more for channeling and focusing mana." He looked at Aveline. "Guard Captain Aveline Vallen: May I borrow your sword?"
"My... My sword?" she asked, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice. "Do you know how to hold one?"
"I shall show you, if you wish," he replied with a curt nod. Aveline handed the weapon over, and Justice went into a few quick stances, slicing and slashing at the air.
"You hold your arm like it's supposed to bear a shield," the warrior redhead realized. Justice seemed surprised by her assessment of him, but smiled.
"Yes, I carried one for defense."
"Then use the shield of my late husband..." she offered, starting to hand it over. "That is, if you can look past the Templar insignia?" The Spirit considered the words, and what she was offering him. From what he had seen and heard of Aveline, she was good person who believed in order and justice. Surely her husband had been a good man?
"For you to have married him, he could not have been an evil person. It will be an honor to accept something that means so much to you, even if I only wield it for a brief period." Fenris was staring at the exchange like he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. Adia pursed her lips and elbowed him.
"I told you so." Then she climbed to the top of the stair case and sat on the railing with her legs dangling over the edge to watch the fight. "This isn't going to be pretty."
"Are you all right with this, Lady Adia? Do you know the strengths of this... Justice? Can Fenris win?" Sebastian asked as he looked up at her.
"...I hope not." Amber said softly.
"No, I'm not all right with this," Adia admitted with a frown. "But with any luck they'll knock each other out and we can get back to beating up thugs and bandits and wayward Qunari."
"Hopefully they listen if you call a halt to this," Aveline added. "But I have to admit: Seeing Anders' body fight with a sword and shield will be... Amusing."
"If they don't stop when we say stop..." The rogue's eyes narrowed. "...Maker help them." Fenris leveled his sword at Justice.
"Are you ready?"
"I am." And just like that, the fight began. The two of them attacked each other: Fenris with seeming fury, and Justice with a purpose. However, when the Elf's markings flared, Justice stepped back, seemingly transfixed for a moment. However, he managed to get the shield up in time to ward off a blow that came faster than most of the group could see. The Elf looked shocked by the move.
"You blocked that?"
"The point of this duel is to see who is better," Justice stated as he thrust the sword out. Fenris barely managed to backpedal, and the tip scraped across his breastplate. "Not to let you win." Everyone stared in awe at the display of skill, and Amber felt like cheering, but knew it wouldn't end well. Adia however, gripped the railing tightly and looked away from the fight, clenching her jaw. Merrill looked up and saw.
"Adia, are you all right?"
"I'm. Fine." But her sister heard the harsh tone in her voice and turned around, seeing the tension in the archer's frame.
"Maker's ass you are," she shot back.
"Just... Watch the damn fight," Adia ordered, hopping off the railing and going into Fenris' room. Isabella followed, her curiosity piqued.
"What's the matter, sweet thing?"
"It's nothing. I'll be fine." Adia smiled, but the pirate knew better. She sat down on a chair, crossing her legs over one another.
"You'll be fine, but you're not now. Come on, you can tell me." The other rogue leaned against the door frame, keeping an ear on the fight, but flinched every time the swords clanged against one another.
"I don't like the idea of them fighting. Fenris is too stubborn to realize he's not fighting Anders and... As much as I trust Anders... I'm wary of Justice. I saw what happens when he gets angry. I don't want him to hurt Fenris... Even if he does deserve it."
"Well, they do share a body and mind, if I'm not mistaken. Couldn't Anders pull Justice back? And if he can't, your sister can."
"I don't know. I don't know how much control Anders has over him and how much sway Amber does. There was only one time I had a real conversation with him and it was him admitting he didn't understand his feelings for my sister. But every other time I've seen him come out was to fight and it's... Something to see."
"How so?" Isabella wondered, raising an eyebrow. She didn't remember much about what had happened in the Fade; just that the Spirit had soundly beaten her.
"That Templar I claimed to have killed a while back? Justice did it. But it wasn't Justice. Anders called him Vengeance. He was merciless. He almost killed an innocent girl who was running away from the Circle. Amber put herself in between them."
"...But he obviously didn't kill her." The pirate was pretty certain that if their healer had killed an innocent mage, he would've still been whining about it.
"Because of Amber. And then Anders came back to his senses." Adia shook her head. "I'm just... Worried is all. If I watch it then my instincts and emotions are going to get the better of me and I'll just stop the fight prematurely and then I'll have one or most likely both of them mad at me." Isabella walked over and put a hand on the younger girl's shoulder, a teasing smile on her lips.
"Boys will always be boys, little bird. We can't save them from being stupid with steel. However, I don't think Justice is going to do anything to piss off your sister. He seems rather fond of her, from what I saw." Adia cocked an eyebrow at her.
"...I seriously doubt hurting Fenris will piss my sister off. Personally I think she inwardly wishes he'd just leave and then she'll be sneaky and try to find someone else to occupy my attention. Like... Sebastian or something." She made a face at the thought, even though she knew Amber would never do something like that.
"Regardless of Amber's feelings towards the Elf, she knows you like him," Isabella answered, stifling a giggle. "She's trying to put on a happy face for you concerning him. But no, she can't stand him. I did manage to get that much out of her during our "pillow talk"."
"...Pillows can talk?" The dark-skinned woman sighed and dropped her head.
"I meant that after I'd diddled her senseless, we gossiped for a bit before she fell asleep." Adia immediately blushed.
"OH. Oh... Well... I've uhh... I've lost my train of thought..."
"I thought you might." She steered the redhead out of the room. "Come on, I'm sure the fight won't last much-"
"Elf, will you yield already?!" came Varric's voice.
"You can barely stand!" Aveline added.
"Never!" Fenris shouted, sounding slightly winded.
"Justice…" Amber called out.
"You wish me to stop?"
"Yes."
"I don't need your charity!"
"No, you need a healer," Merrill countered. Adia was at the top of the stairs a moment later, slamming her hands on the railing.
"Fenris, stop!" The Elf was on one knee, sword at his side, trying to catch his breath. Slices and cuts were all along his arms, and the rogue saw that the breastplate was nicked in quite a few places as well. Justice stood a few feet away, sword at his side, but the shield up. He did not seem to be injured.
"Adia, I'm fine!" the former slave insisted.
"Fenris my friend, you did your best, but Justice is clearly the victor here," Sebastian gently argued.
"You are siding with the Demon?" The Chantry Prince frowned.
"He's not a Demon, Fenris. He does not have the same feeling as one. Trust me: If I thought he was, I would have joined you in combat."
"Listen to your friends, Fenris," the Spirit insisted. "There is no need to drag this out." He placed the sword and shield against the wall and turned away.
"I will not lose to you!" the Elf shouted as he dropped his sword. Phasing out for a moment, he dashed towards the Spirit. Justice turned at the last second, catching the Elf's arms and pivoting on his heels, slamming Fenris into the wall and holding him there.
"You have lost," the Spirit stated. "Do not injure yourself further." Adia felt her blood run cold as she leapt down the stairs, standing to the side of them.
"Fenris, please! Stop. The fight is over, just stop! You're going to kill yourself!" Amber was by her side a moment later.
"Justice, let him go." He nodded at her and stepped back, and Fenris slid to the floor. He tried to move, but winced in pain, and the red-eyed mage nudged her sister. "Go to him." Adia frowned and moved next to him, dropping to her knees beside him She was unsure of what to do.
"Fenris..." She placed a gentle hand on his cheek and leaned in, resting her forehead on his.
"I lost..." he whispered, closing his eyes. Behind her, Adia was vaguely aware that Anders has resumed control, and he took a deep breath before kneeling next to her.
"Fenris, please let me help you," he beseeched.
"Blondie, I wouldn't get too close," Varric warned.
"Fenris... I... It's okay," Adia assured him, running a hand through his hair.
"Sebastian, help me get him upstairs," Anders said.
"Aye, that might be best." The two men gently hoisted the Elf to his feet and got him up the stairs, placing him on the large bed in the corner of the room. Anders started to look him over, but Fenris grabbed the healer's wrist.
"I do not-" he began, before Anders interrupted.
"Yes you do need healing! Now shut up, lay there, and let me do my damn job!" Though he'd seen that sort of stubborn determination in the Deep Roads, the Elf still pulled back a bit. The others all stared in shock at the outburst as Amber smirked.
"There's the Anders I knew!" Isabella broke the silence.
"Wow... Anders has a backbone. Who knew?" Adia teased. The blonde frowned at her as he started to heal the warrior.
"I'm not a pushover, Adia."
"No, but you're rarely so forceful with us," Aveline pointed out.
"Because most of you have the good sense to let the healer actually heal you." He shook his head at Fenris. "You know, you remind me of someone in my unit with the Wardens. Stubborn, egotistical, and he would call me "mage" as well most of the time."
"Another Elf?"
"No, a former noble by the name of Nathaniel Howe. We hated each other when the Commander first conscripted us."
"The more I keep hearing about your time as a Warden the more I feel bad for your Commander," the redhead rogue said with a playful smile. "Did you two ever patch things up and eventually get along?" Anders closed his eyes for a moment.
"We did. After the Templars returned and tried to take me from the Commander. She told them no, they attacked us, and... Nathaniel and Justice both defended me after I was hit with a Holy Smite. When the battle was over, Nathaniel was gravely injured. I patched him up, and we started talking about how even though our lives began differently, we were now brothers-in-arms... And that meant something to Nathaniel. It came to mean something to me as well."
"What did it mean for you?" Adia pressed when no one else spoke. The healer opened his eyes and smiled at the assembled group. Amber saw the slight pain that was in his eyes as he answered:
"It meant I wasn't alone anymore." The elder Hawke wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his back.
"You won't ever be alone again, I swear." Fenris was looking at the exchange between the mages, and then Aveline stepped forward.
"Well, Fenris?"
"What, Aveline?"
"I think the words you're looking for are "Thank you"," Adia told him as she sat on the bed.
"...You did not need to heal me, but I... I appreciate it, mage." Anders took a step back and embraced Amber.
"I'll take it."
"I did not mean to worry you," the Elf apologized, taking Adia's hand.
"When you're feeling better I think we need to have a talk about what this was really about. You're never such a sore loser." Fenris sighed heavily.
"How can I possibly hope to kill Danarius, if I cannot even defeat Anders in a duel?" The mage in question threw up his hands in frustration.
"For the love of Andraste, you didn't fight me!"
"No. I doubt you'd even know how to hold a sword, let alone use one," Aveline teased. Isabella nodded and poked the blonde.
"Agreed. You rely too much on magick and not enough on blades."
"Mages aren't supposed to be trained to fight," Sebastian argued.
"In Ferelden we are," Anders shot back. "Never know when magick will be needed to settle a land dispute or heal a plague outbreak."
"Tell me, how did... Justice defend against me?" Fenris wanted to know. "I've never met an opponent who could see me coming."
"The lyrium. He has a connection to it, and can... Hear it. That's also how he could touch you when you phased out," the healer explained.
"That was neat, wasn't it?" Merrill brought up. Adia finally found her voice.
"Fenris... For Andraste's grimy underpants... If he came back for you, you wouldn't be fighting him alone. How many bloody times do we have to go over this? I understand that you think you have to do it by yourself, but everyone needs help sometime. Quit being so damn stubborn."
"You don't understand, Adia," he said with a shake of his head. "I have to be the one to kill him. I cannot let someone else do that for me. And he will not come alone. He will bring guards, or summon creatures."
"Elf, I think we can handle the peons while you go after the big man," Varric promised, still jotting notes down.
"Besides, you said it yourself: You've never met an opponent who could see you coming when you use your lyrium," Isabella reminded him.
"We've fought a lot worse than guards and summoned creatures, you silly Elf," Adia said with a half smile. "Now, what did we learn?" She leaned over him a bit, and he looked down for a moment, and then smirked.
"...That you have a nice bosom." Aveline and Sebastian looked mortified, while Anders and Merrill started laughing. Amber sighed heavily, and Varric's quill moved just a bit faster over the page.
"That's a good thing to learn!" the pirate agreed. Adia's eyes went wide as she blushed and smacked him on the arm. Then she quickly folded her arms over her chest with a huff. Fenris winced at the more violent contact, but still chuckled.
"I wouldn't piss her off, Fenris. You'll still be sore for a bit," Anders warned.
"I gathered that already." The middle Hawke gave him a half-hearted glare.
"Now, Mr. Smart-ass. What did you learn?"
"...Not to challenge Justice to a fight."
"Good," she told him, kissing his forehead. "So, are you two going to be civil to each other now?" Her gaze shifted between him and Anders. The blonde grimaced for a moment before shrugging.
"As long as he doesn't bring up Demons, "mages are power-hungry bastards" or that we all belong in the Circle, I can be nice."
"Then you must never preach about mage freedom around me."
"…Okay."
"One other thing, Fenris: Stop calling him "mage"," Amber stated.
"Why? He responds to it."
"Fenris, he has a name," Adia admonished.
"A name he will not share with us, might I add. "Anders" is a nickname."
"A nickname I happen to like, thank you.
"But you do have a real name, yes?" the Guard Captain pressed.
"...Yes. But I haven't used it since I was twelve."
"And if he doesn't want to share it then he doesn't have to," the redhead rogue told them, but looked specifically at the Elf warrior. "The point is he has a name and you should use it. Or call him Blondie like Varric does."
"True, he doesn't have an aversion to that name, either," the Dwarf added with a shrug. Anders grinned and tugged on his short ponytail.
"Well, I am blonde, so it makes sense. If you called me "Red" or something, that would be weird."
""Mage" is so much easier," Fenris said with a sigh. Adia opened her mouth to say something, but quickly stopped herself. She didn't want another argument to erupt with everyone there to witness.
"At least try? Please?" she begged. The Elf frowned and looked down.
"Thank you, Anders, for healing me."
"You're welcome, Fenris," he replied with a bit of surprise.
"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Merrill teased. Adia smiled and rewarded the warrior with a gentle hug and a long kiss. The Elf turned a fierce shade of crimson.
"Okay, everyone out!" Adia gave her sister a confused look.
"What? I just gave him a kiss for being nice."
"Oh, you mean it's not going to amount to more?" Isabella wondered, sounding disappointed.
"Is it?" Varric asked, quill pausing over the page.
"If it is going to, we should leave," Sebastian advised. The redhead rogue thought about what was being discussed, and tried to work through her confusion. Then she remembered what Anders had said about assuming that whatever she didn't understand dealt with sex. Her cheeks burned, her ears went red, and she shook her head so hard her braid whipped back and forth.
"MAKER NO! NO! NO! NO!" Fenris shrunk away.
"Does that thought abhor you?" he asked softly. Aveline saw where this was leading, and shooed everyone from the room.
"Out!" she ordered, closing the door behind the group. Adia looked down at Fenris, confusion cutting through her embarrassment.
"What do you mean?"
"Does the thought of us possibly being... Intimate bother you?" And now the blush went down to the tops of her shoulder.
"No, it doesn't... I just... I mean..." She sighed. "Fenris, I've never even had a man's attention before let alone been intimate with anyone. The thought of it is a little scary and I wouldn't even know what to do...not to mention that the only thing that I follow with the Chantry is to wait until marriage for that kind of... Thing."
"I see. Then you are safe from that, at least." He sat up slowly. "I'm not exactly marriage material for a noble, especially one from the Amell family." The redhead stared at him like he'd grown a second head.
"Fenris... If I cared about status and what other people think, do you honestly believe I'd be friends with anyone in our group? Let alone find a certain Elf incredibly handsome albeit stubborn and frustrating?" She helped him sit up, and he gave her a sheepish smile.
"I... Suppose you have a point."
"Besides, I'm not an Amell. I'm a Hawke. I'm the daughter of an apostate, and my own twin is a mage. I could care less about what any other noble in this city thinks." She rested her forehead against his. "So let's never bring status into this again, okay?"
"Fair enough."
"Good. Now, lay back down and get some rest. I'm going to go to the estate and get you something to eat and my sleeping pack. You're not staying alone tonight."
"...What will Amber say about that?"
"I'm a big girl, Fenris. I have an amazing bosom and everything, remember? For as much as Amber's the eldest she can't tell me where I can and can't sleep. Besides, she'll be with Anders tonight anyway. I doubt she'll notice if I'm not home."
"Good point. I'll be here when you return, little rogue."
"You better be, or else you'll be in trouble," She adjusted the blankets over him and bent down, giving him a quick kiss before leaving the room. Arriving outside, she saw Anders and Amber waiting.
"Everything all right?" her sister asked.
"He's resting. I'm going to make him something to eat and bring it back." She smiled shyly and blushed slightly. "I'm going to stay with him tonight." Amber gave her a sideways glance, and Anders chuckled.
"Oh, so you two are that close after all."
"NO!" she shouted, realizing what he meant.
"No? But you said-" the healer tried again.
"Maker help me... I'm going to sleep on the floor. In my bedroll." Amber put a gentle hand on the rogue's arm.
"You do what you feel is best. Maker knows I can't tease you about sleeping with a man, regardless of what you do or don't do."
"I'm not going to sleep with him. Not like that. I… I wouldn't even know what to do if I ever saw another man naked other than Carver. And we were just kids. I've never seen a grown man naked and I'd probably either die laughing or run away in terror. I'm leaning more towards the "in terror" option."
"Why, he can't be that big." Anders quipped as he raised an eyebrow. Amber immediately smacked his arm.
"Anders!"
"What?!"
"...Big?" Adia asked, tilting her head.
"Don't worry about-" her twin tried to say, before Anders cut her off.
"You know... His male... Part?"
"...What do you mean about it being big? I don't get it. Does it grow or something?" Amber put her hands over her ears and started walking to the Estate.
"No, no, no! We are not talking about Fenris like this!"
"...I am so confused!" Adia complained, following them back home. The healer pulled her aside and quickly whispered what he'd meant. The archer's eyes went impossibly wide, and she felt like her mind was about to explode.
"OH MAKER!"
"Anders..." Amber hissed, slowly turning around and glaring at her love. Adia used the distraction to hastily make her way into the estate. She was almost done packing, when Amber knocked on her open door. "Sorry about that."
"No, don't apologize. I... I have to learn this stuff eventually, don't I?" she gave the mage a small smile. Amber crossed her arms over her chest.
"And having Anders explain it to you is better?"
"Well, at least he's attempting to rather than keeping me in the dark," Adia shot back, sticking her tongue out.
"I needed to grow up fast," the red-eyed girl said with a sigh. "Even though you're an adult, I just... I'd rather you kept your innocence as long as possible."
"I understand, Amber," her twin assured her as she hugged her. "I know there were things Father had to teach you to keep you safe. And you don't have to worry about my innocence. It's very much intact... Physically anyway." The sisters shared a laugh.
"Father also taught me to be wary of strange men, but..." She glanced out the door to see Anders leaning against the wall, smirking. "We see how well I learned that."
"I wouldn't go with strange to describe him. Interesting is more like it. He makes life interesting for you."
"That he does... I'll leave you to go tend to Fenris. And I'll let Mother know you're all right if she asks. Have fun?"
"Oh yes, I'm sure to enjoy myself. Taking care of a broody Elf who just got his hind quarters kicked by a "Fade creature" in a "delicate mage's" body." The rogue grinned and giggled. "Thankfully he's not too much of a baby when he's hurt." She poked Amber's nose. "Behave yourself tonight."
"Actually sister, I intend to be rather wicked tonight," the mage retorted, a perverted grin on her face. Adia's jaw hit the floor as she grabbed her pack and dashed out the door.
Adia made it back to the mansion a little after nightfall. Fenris was already asleep by the time she got in. Quietly she set up her bedroll and changed into more comfortable clothing; a long nightshirt and black leggings would do to sleep in for the night. Deft fingers quickly undid the braid in her hair and combed it out letting the long locks hang down her back. Taking a book from her pack, Adia made herself comfortable on her roll. Several quiet minutes passed before a deep voice broke the silence causing the Rogue to jump with a squeak.
"The floor is no place for a woman to sleep. If you insist on staying the night you may have my bed and I'll take your spot." Adia shook her head, lifting it to look at the Elf. He had propped himself up on one arm looking down at her.
"You're injured. The floor will do nothing to make that better…it might make it worse." She frowned and moved to stop him from sitting up any further.
"Injured or not I will not allow you to sleep on the floor. It's not right." The Rogue huffed and blew a few stray pieces of hair from her face and wrinkled her nose in thought.
"Compromise then?" He quirked an eyebrow at her.
"What do you have in mind?" He watched with interest as a small blush seemed to creep onto her cheeks.
"How about I sleep on the bed with you? That way no one is on the floor and we're both satisfied." Fenris' eyes widened slightly.
"You wish to sleep with me?" Adia's cheeks reddened even more and she laughed nervously.
"We did it in the Deep Roads. Why not now?" He chuckled and patted the bed beside him.
"If that is what you want, then that is alright with me, little Rogue." Adia climbed onto the bed beside him and settled in with her book once again. Fenris watched her with curiosity.
"What?" She gave him an odd look. She wasn't accustomed to the Elf openly staring at her.
"Nothing. I was just curious as to what you were reading it." Adia held the book up.
"It's a book by Shartan. The Elf who helped Andraste free the slaves. I've read it a few times before; I figured you might like to read it while you recover." Fenris frowned slightly.
"Adia…I don't mean to seem ungrateful, but slaves are not permitted to read. I never learned." It was her turn to frown. "Slaves weren't generally granted an education. The Magisters didn't want us to be smarter so a lot of us were forbidden from learning anything that might give us the upper hand against our Masters." Ever the optimist, Adia's smile returned as she moved closer to the Elf closing the book and opening it at the beginning.
"I'll teach you then."
"What?" He stared at her as if she had just offered him her first-born child in sacrifice.
"I'll teach you. It'll be one more way for you to be free."
"Adia…" She turned her head and their lips brushed slightly. Neither of them moved for a while, eyes locked on one another. Fenris made the first move. His hand tangled in her hair, he pulled her face closer and captured her lips with his. Years of frustration seemed to play out in the kiss and it wasn't until the Elf was on top of her that Adia even realized what was going on. She tried to break the kiss, but he was having none of it. Keeping his hand tangled in her hair he held the kiss. Before long he released her hair and both hands began to wander down her sides only to be stopped by hers and a whimper of protest. For a moment the room lit up as his markings flared from her touch. He broke the kiss and stared down at her wide-eyed.
"Fenris…I…" She bit her lip and shook her head slightly. "Please, I'm not-" He silenced her with a finger on her lips and slid off of her.
"I'm sorry. That got out of hand faster than I expected…"
"Don't apologize." She smiled at him. "I'm just not ready for…that…" Fenris pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head.
"Then it will not happen again." He chuckled at the look on her face. "Okay…it will happen only when you are ready for it." Adia shifted slightly and retrieved her book holding it up with a sheepish smile. The Elf smiled and nodded; the idea of learning to read was appealing…even if it wasn't what he'd rather be doing at the moment. The red-head curled herself closer to him and began to read out loud until sleep began to overtake them both. Adia was the first to lose the battle and drifted off. Remembering what happened to Carver when he woke her up, Fenris was careful in removing the book from her hands and adjusting the blankets over them. The Rogue growled in her sleep but never woke, much to his relief. Wrapping an arm around her he watched her for a while before smiling and closing his eyes, a realization crossing his mind; losing the fight with Justice might not be so bad. After all, if he had won, his little rogue wouldn't be there.