Adia awoke the next day to find a naked Elf in her bed. She smiled and rolled over; snuggling closer to him as she idly traced the markings on his face. Fenris stirred, blinking for a moment, and then smiled. "Good morning, little rogue."
"Good morning to you too. Sleep well?"
"Very well. After you nearly wore me out, that is," he added with a smirk. Adia blushed until the tops of her shoulders turned red.
"I... I'm sorry?"
"Do not be," Fenris assured her with a chuckle. "After all, I think I managed to do the same to you."
"Yes, well I'm not complaining. I think I could get used to waking up to you in my bed every morning. It beats a cold nose on the backside anyway." Diego whined from the end of the bed, and Adia sighed. "Oh... Come here, boy. You're not being replaced, don't worry." The Mabari rubbed his head against her, licking her face. Fenris stood and put on his pants, tossing the archer her robe.
"We should get breakfast."
"Do we have to? It's cold out there..."
"It will be warmer if you put clothes on," he teasingly shot back. "Besides, you should probably check on your sister. She was still writing when we went to bed." Adia stuck her tongue out at him, but threw on her nightgown and tied the robe around her.
"I hate when you make sense."
"Ah yes, logic: Enemy to the Hawkes."
"Well... My biggest enemy." Adia padded across the floor, wrapping her arms around the warrior's waist. "So you're going to stay here... With me... From now on?"
"For as long as you wish me to remain here, I will," he vowed, returning the hug.
"Forever. You're not allowed to leave me again." She leaned up and kissed his cheek before pulling away.
"As my lady wishes." He pulled her close and kissed her properly, and Adia turned scarlet once more.
"I... I think we better go check on the others. If we stay in here any longer we're going to have a repeat of last night."
"While I would not object, you are right. There will be time for that later." He gave her a devilish smirk, and she tugged him out of the room, shaking her head.
"You... Are an evil Elf."
"So I've been told..." They headed into the main section of the house, Adia wondering if anyone had stayed the night, and if Isabella had made off with any other valuables again. Other than a vase missing from next to the fireplace, everything seemed in order, though. Bodahn came out of the library, jumping when he saw the couple.
"Oh, Mistress Adia and Master Fenris! You gave me a fright you did! How are you two this morning?" Adia smiled at the Dwarf.
"We're all right, Bodahn. Have you seen Amber this morning?"
"She's in the library. Poor thing only fell asleep a few hours ago, after Orana tried to get her to go to bed. She said she had too much work to do. Sounded like Master Anders; insisting she needed to finish writing just one more argument before she forgot it." The way Bodahn said it made him seem like a worried parent.
"She is trying to avoid the problem, no doubt," Fenris guessed.
"Thank you, Bodahn. I'll see if I can get her to go to up to her own bed. It has to be more comfortable than the sofa." Adia and Fenris headed into the library, where Adia was slumped over the desk, and blanket draped around her shoulders. There was a quill still loosely gripped in one hand, the manifesto serving as her pillow. Shadowfade was pacing back and forth behind her chair, and looked up at the archer. The redhead went to her twin and carefully pulled the quill away, placing a gentle hand on Amber's back and shaking. "Amber... Amber wake up. It's time to go up to bed." The mage stirred and sat up, rubbing her eyes. There were ink stains on her cheek.
"Adia? What time is it?"
"Early morning. You've been down here all night. You even fell asleep on your papers." Adia used part of the blanket and rubbed the ink off her sister's face. "C'mon. I'll help you to bed."
"No, I can't..." Amber turned back to the papers. "I have work to do. I can't-"
"You are exhausted, Amber," Fenris argued, coming up beside Adia, who hauled the mage up under her arms.
"No," the rogue countered. "You need sleep. This can wait."
"Okay..." Amber sighed in defeat.
"Adia, do you need help getting her upstairs?" Adia grinned at her sister as she shrugged at the Elf.
"You can carry her if she's going to protest..."
"I can walk. By myself," the red-eyed girl snapped with a scowl.
"As you wish," Fenris said, smirk firmly in place.
"C'mon. Bedtime for the sleepy mage." The twins got up to the second-floor landing, when a loud THUMP came from Amber's room, followed by:
"Andraste's flaming... Knicker weasels!" Amber's eyes went wide, and she all but threw Adia off to get to the door.
"Anders!"
"Eep!" Fenris caught the archer before she toppled down the stairs.
"Knicker weasels?" he asked, completely confused.
"...Apparently Anders seems to think that Andraste had weasels living in her knickers." Adia explained as they also got to the door. The healer was lying on the side of the bed, tangled in the sheets. Amber was at his side, holding him tightly.
"You're awake," she whispered.
"And apparently on the floor," he mused, looking up at Adia and Fenris. "Um... Hi?" Adia raised an eyebrow as she took in the scene.
"First day with a new pair of legs?"
"Tried to get up, but my body decided that wasn't in its plans for today. Maker, I feel like I've been run-through..." One arm snaked around to hold his midsection.
"You were stabbed with a dagger when the Templars attacked the clinic," Fenris reminded him. Anders pursed his lips and frowned.
"...I don't remember that. Just them showing up and smiting me."
"You don't remember us getting to you?" Amber wondered, looking even more concerned. The fact that he'd had… Mostly lucid conversations with them made her wonder if Adia's teasing of brain damage had been correct after all.
"No..." the healer admitted, shaking his head. "I guess I was still conscious?"
"Well, you managed to keep that wit of yours going despite having gaping wounds all over the place," Adia dryly informed him. "Aveline carried you upstairs." Anders' eyes went wide, and he blinked a few times.
"…Aveline?"
"Carried you quite easily," Fenris continued. "Even remarked that you were lighter than she thought."
"She's never going to let me live that down..." the blonde realize, managing to sit up against the bed, one hand pressed to his wound. "Anything else I should know about?" Adia sighed heavily and looked at the floor for a moment.
"...We know who signed the raid order. How they found out about you." Anders raised an eyebrow.
"...Oh?"
"Anders, promise you won't do anything foolish if we tell you," Amber said.
"Sweetheart, I can't do anything, much less something stupid," he shot back.
"Justice has to promise too," Adia quickly added.
"Justice is... Resting, for lack of a better term. He pulled me out of this nightmare I was having. Didn't even know he could access the Fade anymore. But trust me, neither of us- Wait..." The healer got a thoughtful look and glanced up at the redhead. "It's someone we know, isn't it?"
"We can make it a game," she shot back, her tone anything but playful. "We'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count." Adia folded her arms across her chest and looked away from the mages. Anders watched the younger girl for a moment before sighing and shaking his head.
"Your brother…"
"How did you determine that so easily?" Fenris questioned, obviously surprised.
"No one can piss off Adia quite like Carver. I learned that years ago."
"Varric got a copy of the raid order. Carver turned you in and accused you of trafficking with Demons," the rogue explained.
"...Because of Justice," the blonde realized after a moment of silence.
"Adia... You didn't tell me that," Amber said, slight accusation in her voice.
"Would it have made a difference, Amber?" Fenris asked. "The raid was still carried out, regardless of the reason."
"It was in the order," Adia attempted to explain, reaching for her pocket, but blushed when she realized she didn't have her pants on. "...It's down in my room. Somewhere..." Amber sighed heavily and shook her head, and Anders started snickering.
"Ow... All right, no laughing," the healer said after a moment, feeling a twinge run through him.
"Do you want to read it?"
"...There's no point, really," Anders replied as he leaned on Amber. "But... Now what? Was that squad all killed?" The red-eyed mage narrowed her eyes.
"Yes."
"We tend not to leave people alive when they make us mad, Anders," the rogue elaborated with a half-smile. "But... We can't let Carver get away with this."
"Now that are you are calmer, what is the plan?" Fenris asked.
"Lock the Templars in the Chantry and set it on fire?" The Elf looked down at the redhead, realizing she was mostly serious.
"I could go along with that," Anders quipped with a grin.
"...Me too," Amber agreed. However, the warrior was going to be the voice of reason as he glanced at all of them, but centered his gaze on his lover.
"Adia, we cannot lock innocents up and burn them merely because Carver might be among them."
"Okay so we don't burn the two Templars we like."
"Adia..." She smiled innocently at Fenris and shrugged.
"What? You said we couldn't burn innocents. So by your logic, if we don't burn Keran and Thrask we can burn the rest of the Templars."
"Others could be innocent as well, we just don't know them," he continued to argue. "What about Keran's friend, the one who told us about him and that boy Wilmod years ago? He defied orders because he was worried about his friends."
"All right, we get it," Amber admitted, waving off any further logic. "But we need to... Confront Carver about this. He can't get away unpunished."
"I can agree with that," Fenris acknowledged.
"We can have a nice little talk with him," the archer suggested. "In a secluded area. Where no one would see. Or hear him scream."
"Are you really going to hurt your brother because of this?" Anders wondered, feeling slightly guilty that this was because of him. Amber wrapped her arms gently around him and closed her eyes.
"I don't know..."
"Yes," Adia stated, not even pausing to consider. "I could easily hold him down under a bucket of water and keep him there 'till the bubbles stop." Both men shivered at the tone in her voice, and Anders cringed at the movement, a pained sigh escaping him.
"Perhaps this is a conversation best saved for another day," the Elf realized, ears pricking up. "The mage still needs rest."
"Anders, do you want help back on the bed?" Adia wondered, trying to figure out if he would admit to needing the help. The blonde shook his head, gripped the end of the bed, and hauled himself up on it in one motion. He managed to make it, but then crumpled onto the blankets, curling up.
"Bad idea..." he whispered, pain clear on his face.
"Anders!" Amber cried, immediately making sure he hadn't further hurt himself.
"I'm okay..." he assured her, trying to catch his breath. "I wasn't expecting... Who stitched me up?" Adia stepped up behind her sister.
"I did. It was too deep to be left alone."
"Then thank you. Seems your time at Ostagar wasn't a waste, if this is what you picked up."
"Adia is full of surprises, isn't she?" Fenris teased.
"She's the reason this group stays together," Amber informed them, a smile showing for a moment. However, the archer shuddered and frowned as she flashed back to those months at the ruins and that final battle.
"The things I saw at Ostagar are things I wish I could have forgotten." Now she smiled slightly. "But, I did overhear one of the Grey Wardens talking the night before the last battle. It was something to the effect of if King Cailen ever asked him to put a dress on and dance the Remigold, he'd draw the line there."
"Sounds like something I would've said once," Anders said, blinking at the amusing thought.
"I thought Wardens were supposed to be serious?" Amber asked. But the healer shook his head and chuckled.
"One day, I'll take you to Amaranthine, and you can meet my unit. And Elissa and her husband. He's as much a smart-ass as I am."
"Wonderful…" Fenris quipped, rolling his eyes.
"It'd be fun and you know it," Adia informed him with a grin.
"Maybe one day. Right now though, you should rest," Amber told the healer, pulling the blankets back up onto the bed and over him.
"Stay with me, please?" he asked, taking her hand. For a moment, she saw fear in his eyes, and her heart felt heavy. But she smiled reassuringly and climbed in beside him.
"Of course." Amber turned to Adia and smiled. "Wake us for dinner, okay?" The twins shared a hug as the redhead pulled the blankets over Amber.
"We will. Get some sleep." She and Fenris left the mages, Adia casting a glance back at them, and the Elf giving her a concerned look. Carver would pay for this, there was no question. It was just a matter of how badly…
The following day, Fenris was in the library, making his way slowly through a rather large book on Rivain. Though he doubted he'd ever actually see the country, it was nice to read about it. Adia and Amber were out, the rogue having to practically drag her sister away from the sleeping Anders. Hopefully the market did the two of them some good, since Adia herself had been doing nothing but worrying about all the mages in their group since Carver's betrayal had come to light. A loud thump caught his attention, and as he rose to investigate, he heard Orana's rather concerned voice. "Master Anders! Are you all right?"
'What is that fool doing now? He should not be walking around yet.' Fenris headed for the stairs, quickly ascending them until he got to the landing. Orana was standing in front of Anders, who was sitting against the wall next to his and Amber's room. The healer was slightly curled up, eyes closed, and he seemed to be in a bit of pain, what with the way his chest was heaving.
"Please Master Anders, let me help you," the Elf servant said as she bent down.
"Orana, no," he sternly replied, eyes still closed. "Just… Just leave me, all right? I'll be fine."
"You don't look fine, mage," Fenris shot back, folding his arms across his chest. Orana stood with a small squeak and bowed to him.
"Master Fenris! Perhaps you could help him?"
"He doesn't seem to want help, Orana." Fenris turned to leave, but a nagging thought in the back of his mind gave him pause. Anders was obviously trying to prove that he didn't need help, and could solve this himself. A line of thinking that the Elf warrior often had, and he sighed heavily. "I will stay with him. Return to your duties."
"Yes Master Fenris." She curtsied and quickly headed downstairs, no doubt to the kitchen to start dinner. Fenris turned back to face the mage, who had neither moved nor opened his eyes. Tilting his head, the former slave walked to Anders' side and crouched down, staring at him until the blonde turned his head to face him, and amber eyes opened to meet his green ones.
"What?"
"I was merely curious: Do you intend to sit there until Amber returns and scolds you for getting out of bed?"
"I don't need her permission to walk around." Fenris smirked and shrugged.
"If you were walking, we would not be having this conversation, would we?" The mage frowned and looked down, sighing heavily. A moment later, he grit his teeth and tried to stand, only to have his stomach muscles violently protest the movement, and he dropped to the floor again, biting back a curse as he pressed a hand over the wound.
"By the Void!" he managed to mutter, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. A hand was suddenly on his chest, and his eyes snapped open, seeing Fenris' face a foot away, the Elf frowning as he kept his hand pressed to the mage's chest.
"Your heart is racing."
"I know…."
"That is usually a bad thing, mage." Anders' eyes narrowed, and he shook his head and tried to twist away.
"Why do you care? If I die, it's one less mage; one less abomination to worry about. You could just save me the time and crush my heart now." Fenris pulled back at the bitter words, his own features darkening.
"Contrary to your beliefs, I won't harm you. Not only are you injured enough as it is, but both Adia and Amber would have my head if anything happened to you while they were out." Truth be told, the Hawkes frightened him in a way that few other people could. He had been on the receiving end of their anger too many times over the years to want to see it again. The healer shrugged and once again shut his eyes.
"Then just leave me alone. I don't need you standing over me like some tattooed nursemaid." Fenris was about to retort, when an odd thought occurred to him.
"Mage, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were intentionally trying to anger me."
"It rarely takes a lot, at least where I'm concerned." Anders had just gotten his heart rate back to normal, when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his back, pulling him up. Opening his eyes, he saw the Elf standing in front of him, feet braced as he continued to pull Anders up. "Fenris, I'll just fall on you! Stop!"
"You are not that heavy that I will lose my balance. Now either help me get you standing, or be quiet." The healer was in slight shock over this, but did his best to shift his weight so that he was partially balanced. Fenris put an arm around his waist, one of Anders' arms across his shoulders as he took most of the mage's weight onto his own frame. "For someone so tall, you are rather light."
"Isn't that a good thing? Imagine if Bodahn or Sandal were in this position."
"I'd rather not." Making slow but steady progress, the two men made it back to the bed, where Fenris deposited the mage. Anders sat on the edge, catching his breath for a moment before collapsing against the pillows, huddling in on himself again. Fenris watched him, concern furrowing his brow. "Mage?" There was no response, and the Elf sighed heavily. "Anders?"
"Should I be concerned that you used my name?" came the soft reply. Fenris met the amber eyes, and saw the pain sitting so openly in them that he had to look away. "I'm all right."
"You are many things, but "all right" is not one of them. You are in pain."
"Funny thing about being injured is that pain usually follows."
"How you can continue to be flippant is beyond me." Anders chuckled, grimacing as that brought on a new wave of agony.
"My way of… Dealing with it, I guess." He rolled to his back, a gasp issuing from his mouth as his body protested even that slight movement. Fenris moved without thinking, prying the healer's hands back and quickly lifting the bloodstained shirt to see the bandages beneath, which were also stained red.
"Idiot. You are making it worse." Anders tried to push at the Elf, but the warrior merely leveled a stern gaze at him, and he stopped. "I may not be a trained Circle healer who runs a clinic, but I do know about wounds and generally how to deal with them. Unless you wish to wait for the girls?"
"No," he managed to get out; teeth now clenched as he fought back the throbbing ache from the wound. Fenris frowned as he carefully unwound the bandages, having to bring his arms under the healer's back each time so as not to force him to move more than was necessary. The stitched-up puncture was bleeding again, though none of the stitches were broken, which the Elf was thankful for. He had neither the patience nor the skill that Adia or Amber had when it came to something as… Delicate as this. Grabbing a nearby washcloth, he gently brushed it over the wound, eliciting a pained moan from Anders. "Just-"
"If you are telling me to leave you like this, I will not." Silence descended on the room as Fenris wiped all the blood off, and then rummaged in the nightstand drawer for a roll of clean bandages. "Can you sit up?"
"I can try," the mage whispered. Fenris grabbed the healer's shirt, hauling him into a sitting position, and Anders braced himself on the bed once he was up. The Elf worked quickly, seeing the tension in the other man's arms. The moment he was done, Anders dropped back down, gasping for a moment. "This is… By far… The worst I've ever felt in my life." Then he frowned, closing his eyes as he got his breathing back under control. "Thank you." Fenris' eyebrow went up, and he smirked a bit.
"You are welcome. Perhaps next time you will remain in bed until you are fully healed. Or at least stronger than you are now."
"Now isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" Anders shot back with his own smirk. "How many times did you refuse my help when you clearly needed it?"
"A few," The warrior replied with a shrug. "Had Adia not been so clearly worried, it might have been every time."
"Fenris… Why did you help me?" The Elf tilted his head and stared at the blonde, who was looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and awkwardness.
"I… Do not know. But you have helped me numerous times, even when I did not wish it. And you have healed Adia on several occasions as well. It seemed like the right thing to do." Anders nodded, eyes shifting towards the wall. "But what were you trying to prove by moving around? Surely you must have known that it was a bad idea."
"I wanted to show Amber that she didn't need to worry so much. I thought I would be stronger than this."
"Because you are a Warden?" Anders nodded, looking back at Fenris.
"I was always the one the Commander worried about. Mostly because I would make comments that I was nervous, or that I should stay behind when the others went out on patrol. I think that was part of the reason why Nathaniel and I were rivals for a while. He never seemed to be afraid of anything, and took to being a Warden better than any of us. I envied him sometimes." The Elf pulled up a chair, and Anders watched him curiously. "Um, what are you doing?"
"You seem to be in a chatty mood, so I thought I might indulge you for a while."
"You… You're actually going to listen to me?" The healer tilted his head, and Fenris shrugged.
"Well, I imagine that one of the other reasons you got up was because you were bored. However, if we are going to talk, I require a drink." The warrior headed for the door, and then glanced back at the mage. "Did you want anything?"
"Maybe some tea? Whatever Orana feels like making." Nodding, Fenris descended the stairs and made his way into the kitchen. The servant girl and Bodahn were both busy preparing dinner, and the smells made his mouth water.
"Oh, Master Fenris," the Dwarf said as he turned and saw him at the door. "Orana told me you helped Master Anders before. Is he all right?"
"He is better, but still needs rest. At the moment, I need a drink, as does he. Orana, is there any hot water ready for tea?" She looked confused for a moment, and then realized that the tea would be for the mage and not him.
"Yes, I actually set the kettle on right after I came down. I'll brew up a cup right now. Will you be having your usual wine, Master?"
"Yes, but I will fetch it myself." He still wasn't used to all the bowing and talk of "master" yet, even though he knew that the Hawkes treated their servants more like friends. It would be something that would more than likely become normal to him, now that he and Adia were back together. Once he had his wine, Fenris headed back upstairs, followed by Orana carrying the tea and a small kettle full of hot water. Anders was still in bed, which was a good sign, although the healer had taken all the pillows on the bed and used them to prop himself into more of a sitting position. Orana handed him the teacup and set the kettle on the nightstand.
"Will you be needing anything else?"
"No, thank you, Orana," Anders said with a small smile. The girl curtsied and left quickly. Fenris resumed his position in the chair, taking a swig from the bottle as he observed Anders staring into his cup, a frown on his face.
"Mage, what is the matter?"
"I've made a mess of things, haven't I?"
"What are you talking about?" Fenris leaned forward, trying to figure out what Anders was referring to.
"Being found out, getting injured, worrying not only Amber but Adia as well… Now that you're back, everything was supposed to be… Better. Instead, I made it worse." Fenris snickered, and Anders looked up, puzzled. "What's so funny?"
"Tell me, did you tell Carver to sign that raid order? Was it your idea for the Templars to stab you instead of capture you? Did you expect that it would take this long for your magick to return?"
"No, how could I have known any of that?"
"Then why are you blaming yourself?"
"Because that's what I'm used to?"
"Wallow in self-pity later. It will not help you recover, and will only serve to further worry Amber."
"Much as I hate to say it, you're right." Anders sighed and took a careful sip of the tea, feeling it warm his insides, and reminding him that he hadn't had any sort of sustenance in a while.
"So, you were saying that you envied this Nathaniel?" Fenris prodded.
"Hm? Oh yes… After he was injured by the Templars trying to protect me, we ended up finally talking. Normally any of our "talks" would end in arguments, but for some reason, my taking care of his injuries made Nathaniel more inclined to chat. So we traded stories about our lives as children, and then he ended up telling me about his days as a soldier in the Free Marches. He had even been to Kirkwall, but didn't stay long."
"You never talk about your life before the Circle."
"There isn't much to talk about. I was raised on a farm in the Anderfels, along with my brother and sister-"
"You have siblings?" Fenris sounded surprised at this, eyes widening slightly.
"Well, you had a sister. Is it so hard to imagine me having family?"
"I… A bit, actually. Are they still in the Anderfels?"
"I guess," Anders replied with a shrug. "Mages aren't allowed any contact with their families once they're taken to the Circle. For all I know, they're dead." The Elf looked away for a moment, taking another drink from his bottle.
"You haven't tried to search now that you're free? At least you remember having a family." The healer scoffed, shaking his head.
"I'm not free, Fenris. Not while my phylactery is still out there. Eventually I'll be dragged back to either the Wardens or the Circle."
"You really think Amber will let them take you?"
"They won't give her much choice. And neither Justice or I will let anyone harm her. I'd rather be locked up in solitary again than see her hurt."
"Speaking of Justice…" Anders looked up, and Fenris sighed before continuing. "Do you have any idea what was happening to your body while you were trapped in your nightmares?" When the healer slowly shook his head, Fenris pursed his lips. "I see."
"What did he do?"
"Other than scare everyone the other night? Nothing." Terror flashed through Anders' eyes for a moment, and he paled.
"Wait, you mean he became Ven-"
"Venhedis, no!" Fenris swore, raising a hand to silence the mage. "Had that creature shown itself, I would not be sitting here talking to you."
"Then what happened?"
"He… He thought you were being attacked, but it was a nightmare that he saw, about when the Templars came for you. He was reluctant to let go of Amber, and it took some effort to get the body back into bed. After that, Amber did not leave your side, and Adia told me her sister hasn't slept well, either. When you finally awoke, I know that both of them were relieved. I admit that it was strange to see you in such a state, when normally you are the one to bring us back from the brink of death."
"Well, it's nice to know I'm needed." A smile graced Anders' face for a moment, and he sighed and shifted slightly, taking another sip of tea. "You know, one of the things Nathaniel and I talked about was the idea Justice had about me fighting for mages' freedom. He said that if I had a cause I believed in, it would give me resolve and strength. Sometimes I wish I hadn't listened to that advice…."
"And the other times?"
"I'm glad I did. Even though it hurt us both at first, I think Justice and I are finally getting better at not only sharing my body, but controlling our anger."
"What was it like?" Fenris wondered, finding it odd to be asking this line of questions. "When you first merged with him? Do you remember anything?" Anders shuddered, setting the teacup down and wrapping his arms around himself for a moment. The warrior sat in silence, waiting for him to answer, and curious as to the reaction.
"I remember wondering where I was, and then there was someone yelling at me. Since I didn't answer quick enough, they attacked me, but…" The mage trailed off, swallowing nervously as he rocked back and forth. "I know now who it was and why they were yelling, but it doesn't make it any better."
"Who was it?"
"A Templar, sent by the Order to become a Grey Warden to "watch over me". He could sense what I'd done with Justice, but thought I'd merged with a Demon. Roland then did what he'd been trained to do… He tried to kill me." Fenris' eyes widened.
"But you are still here, so obviously he failed." Anders looked at him, pulling his shirt up to expose his chest. Along with the scars on his side from the wyvern attack years ago, Fenris saw that there was a small, straight scar across his heart, and looked back at Anders' face as the healer grimaced.
"Not for lack of trying." He dropped his shirt back down. "He drove a sword into my heart, but by that point, Justice was in full control. Roland's sword…. Melted, I guess you could say. I felt no pain, and it did no permanent damage to me other than leaving the scar. After that… After that I only know that Vengeance took over, and we slaughtered the entire camp. Innocent men and women of the Wardens whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When I finally came to my senses, it was morning, where it had been night when the merge took place. I was so horrified by what we had done that I ran, and never looked back. So I figured that I'd come to Kirkwall, save my friend that I knew was here, and live life as a fugitive until the end of my days."
"Instead, you met a woman who cared about you and wanted to help you in every way. Not to mention her ever-cheerful sister."
"Who found her own man to worry about," Anders added with a grin. He picked at the blanket for a moment, before meeting Fenris' gaze again. "You know, it's been nice talking to you, instead of our usual cynical banter."
"I was wrong about you regarding a few things. In the past week, I have done a lot of… Thinking. Though I do not agree with Adia's view that mages need to be free, I can admit that the three mages in our "family" are not evil. Though Merrill's blood magick use still irritates me, she is a kind person."
"She'll wise up one of these days," Anders predicted.
"I hope so, for our sake as well as hers. Nothing but trouble can come from what she is trying to do with that mirror."
"Well, hopefully Amber and Adia can talk some sense into her. Wouldn't be the first time they've had to do that for this group." Fenris smiled slightly, thinking back to when his and Adia's "talks" would devolve into shoving matches that ended with one of them against the wall. Usually he would also end up rather frustrated after that as well, but that had at least ended with Danarius' death. After three years of trying to stay away from Adia, the Elf knew he never wanted to be apart from his little rogue again. He glanced down for a moment, finally sighing as he decided to share something with the mage. After all, Anders was more than likely in the same boat as he on the subject.
"Mage, do you know anything about courting women?" The healer sat there for a moment, eyes wide as he stared at the warrior.
"I'm sorry, Fenris, I don't think I heard that correctly."
"I will not repeat myself." Anders grinned and shook his head.
"I wouldn't know the first thing about that, to be honest. "Courting" and "getting them in the broom closet before the Templars found out" are two very different things."
"Ah yes, you did not exactly need to prove yourself before Amber fell for you."
"Apparently not…" The mage had the grace to look embarrassed, and a blush tinted his cheeks for a moment. "Even Justice didn't do anything special to get her attention." That sparked Fenris' curiosity, and he raised an eyebrow.
"So he does truly care for her? I had wondered about their… Closeness the other night. Does she return his affections?"
"It's not my place to say anything about that." A smirk curled Fenris' lips for a moment, but he dropped the subject.
"You have been with Amber for quite a while now," he continued, folding his arms. "Are you content like this, or have you considered the possibility of marrying her?" Anders paled, twisting the blankets in his hands as he looked down. "Mage?"
"Fenris… Are slaves allowed to marry in Tevinter?" The question was an odd one, and he frowned as he thought about it.
"They are, but families do not always stay together, depending on what type of slaves the parents are. A mine worker married to a house slave will be kept away most of the time. But slaves do marry, and children usually result from it. Born into that life, we are less likely to try and escape. I am an exception to that. Why do you ask?"
"Mages cannot marry. We cannot have children. If a child is born to a Circle mage, it is taken away before the mother even knows whether it was a boy or girl. The Chantry takes those children, and turns them into Templars, Sisters, Chanters, and the like. And as you know, if the child has magick, they are sent to the Circle. But not usually the one their mother is in, lest she discover them and try and run." His voice was soft, but Fenris could hear the anger building behind his words, even as he thought he caught a hint of Justice's deep bass.
"Have you seen this firsthand?" Anders gave him a sideways glance.
"I'm a healer, remember? I was present at a number of births in the Circle, and the first time I saw it happen, the Templars had to hold me down while one of the Sisters took the baby and ran off with it. The mother… She was distraught, and took her own life the next day. I swore that if I ever fathered a child, I wouldn't let them be taken."
"Have you any children, then?"
"No." Anders shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "I doubt I ever will now. Becoming a Warden makes it more difficult for men, and almost impossible for women to conceive. I… Haven't told Amber that yet. I know she wants a family one day, but part of me is afraid that she'll leave when she finds out that I probably can't give her one."
"Mage, she is not a Warden. And you have Justice, which could very well render this whole "Warden taint" a moot point."
"Maybe," he replied with a shrug. "But why the questions, Fenris?"
"I… Have been thinking, as I said. Mostly about Adia and myself, and where to go from here. I suppose I was hoping you would have some… Advice."
"Sorry, but this is one area that we're both new to. But if you figure anything out, I might just ask you for advice." The two men smiled, and then they heard footsteps coming up the stairs.
"Anders, I'm-" Amber stopped in the doorway; eyes wide and mouth hanging open slightly. "Fenris, is everything all right?"
"It is now. I will leave you to tend to him." Fenris stood, even as he saw Adia come up behind her sister, one eyebrow raised as she took in the scene as well.
"The world is going to end. Quick! Amber! To the windows! I think pigs are flying!" The red-eyed girl giggled as she headed for the lone window, casting a quick glance outside and shaking her head at her twin.
"Nope, all clear."
"Hey!" Anders said with a frown, not sure how to take the exchange.
"You aren't happy, but merely surprised?" Fenris asked.
"Oh no, I'm happy," the rogue assured them. "I'm sure Amber is too, but it was a little bit of a shock to see the two of you talking and not trying to freeze or fist the other one." At that last comment, both men blushed and cleared their throats.
"What prompted this, anyway?" Amber wondered, crossing to the bed.
"He decided to try and get up before he was fully ready to," the Elf explained with a slight smirk. The female mage crossed her arms and sighed heavily.
"Anders..."
"I... I just feel so useless and weak laying here."
"But you need to get better," Adia countered. "We've all been laid up at one point or another." The healer shook his head.
"I'm not supposed to be, though. I've never been hurt like this. I don't like it..."
"Few people enjoy being hurt, mage."
"And since you still don't have all your magick back, you have to heal like a normal person," Amber gently reminded him. While his magick had been returning, the healer still had nowhere near enough to fully take care of his injuries.
"I don't like being normal..." the blonde stated with another frown. Adia walked into the room and reached the bed, patting Anders on the top of his head.
"You'll get all your magick back soon enough and you can go back to saving us all from the stupid situations we put ourselves in. Let us take care of you for once."
"I'm an awful patient, if you hadn't guessed by now," Anders explained as Amber sat next to him. "Don't even take my own advice."
"You are lucky you didn't pull any stitches earlier. You scared Orana half to death," Fenris added.
"...I know." The look on the young servant's face had made him feel so guilty, but by that point it had been too late to get back to bed under his own power.
"The more you rest, the faster you'll heal," the archer reasoned. "...Or does Amber have to strap you to the bed?" Anders considered those words for a moment before breaking into a devilish grin.
"That's not exactly a threat." Amber immediately turned scarlet, wishing she could hit her lover for that statement.
"Ah, I see Isabella rubbed off on you," the warrior quipped.
"...Why is Amber blushing?" Adia had a confused look on her face, and her twin tried in vain to stop the conversation cold.
"No reason!" she insisted. Alas, Anders was healed enough to be smart-ass.
"Your sister isn't as innocent as she appears," he told Adia, giving Amber a sly smile. When the archer turned to the Elf, still not getting it, Fenris was suddenly very afraid of where this was going. Anders started snickering, and Amber let her curiosity get the better of her.
"...You two never "play" in bed?"
"Play? Play what? We talk sometimes, or he'll tickle me. Is that what you mean?" Adia looked like she was trying to solve a complex puzzle.
"No "Runaway Slave and the Irate Mistress"? Or how about "The Rogue and the Ruffian"?" Anders asked with a smirk. Amber blushed again, instantly sorry she had let this get potentially out of hand.
"Anders..."
"...Are those books?" the rogue wondered, tilting her head. Fenris sighed heavily and out a hand on the redhead's shoulder.
"Adia, those are games in which one person pretends to be one thing, the other person the other role, there is some "talking", followed by sex."
"It's fun!" the healer insisted with a grin.
"So... Acting? In bed?" the archer was still trying to process all of this, and obviously wasn't coming to the same answer as all of them.
"...Yes," Amber finally spoke after a few moments. "Usually the roles are those which tend to have some conflict associated with them. Like "The Templar and the Apostate"." Fenris raised an eyebrow at the mages.
"Your favorite?"
"No!" Anders scoffed, waving a hand. "I prefer "The Desire Demon and the Naive Apprentice"." Amber felt her blush hit her neck as she looked over at the wardrobe where that particular costume was hidden. Adia glanced up at the Elf.
"So what would we play?" He was taken aback for a bit, but then shrugged.
""The Slave and the Mistress", no doubt. Though we'd need to change it to "master" when I have the role." Amber blinked and wondered if she shouldn't stop this before she learned things about her sister she shouldn't.
"But... You're not a slave," the younger Hawke argued.
"Not anymore," Fenris agreed. "But that's what pretending is for."
"Besides, the "slave" part is more that it means the person playing it is restrained," Anders piped up. "Usually with manacles." At the mention of those, Adia's eyes lit up, and she looked at her twin.
"You have manacles? Where did you get manacles from? Oooh! Can I see them!?" The previous conversation was left alone as the rogue focused on this new thing.
"...From Isabella..." Amber answered, hesitantly heading to her wardrobe and fishing out a pair of thick leather manacles, held together with a short length of chain. She looked at Anders. "This is your fault."
"What? It's not like she's bothered by this," he insisted.
"I have yet to determine if that's good or not," Fenris quipped. The redhead took the manacles from Amber and somehow managed to get them on herself. She kept staring at her wrists, trying to wiggle out of the cuffs.
"These are pretty neat!" She gave an innocent giggle, and Amber dropped her gaze to the floor.
"I feel so dirty... Like I'm helping corrupt my sister..."
"You are," the Elf reminded her.
"Not helping..." Anders realized how bothered she was by all this.
"Sweetheart, come here." He held out his hand, she went over, and he pulled her next to him. "It's fine. It's not like we're talking about this with Merrill or Aveline. And Varric isn't here, so there won't be anything written about this conversation." Adia frowned at her sister, realizing what was wrong.
"I'm sorry... Don't feel like that. I was just curious..." She held her hands out at her. "Do you want them back?" The mage considered it, but then shook her head.
"...You can keep them. I'll get another pair from Isabella. Anders isn't going to be up for anything like that for a while." The rogue's eyes widened.
"Wait... You... You've used them on Anders?"
"...Yes..." And then realization hit home. "Oh no... Did you just now realize?" Anders started laughing as Adia began turning red.
"I would imagine he's used them on you as well, yes?" Fenris inquired, looking at the elder Hawke. She gave a shy smile and nodded. Adia's jaw hit the floor as she looked at the cuffs and swallowed nervously.
"Oh... Oh my... So... Who wants to help me take them off now?" The Elf smirked and quickly released her from them, wrapping his arms around Adia's waist and nuzzling her neck from behind.
"My innocent little rogue." She tilted her head and smiled at him.
"I'm not so innocent anymore. You've already seen to that." He shrugged, Amber looked away, and Anders kept laughing. "Anders, do you want anything to eat?"
"I probably should. Haven't had much-"
"Mage, you haven't eaten anything since you woke up," Fenris broke in. "Except tea." The healer ducked his head and blushed, and the archer sighed.
"Right then. Food it is. Amber, are you hungry?"
"I could eat, sure."
"Food it is. I'll have Orana bring it up to you two. Get some rest, Anders. No more escape attempts."
"But... That's the one thing I'm good at. At least the attempt part."
"Should I have Diego stand guard at the door?" The thought of the hound being in that close proximity made Anders pale. While the Mabari had never tried to hurt him, he still didn't trust the big brute the way Fenris did.
"...No."
"I'll just have Shadowfade in here to watch him," Amber told them as she giggled at her lover's expression. "I'd be afraid Diego would jump on him if he tried to leave."
"He only jumps on people if I let him," Adia scoffed. "He'd just bite Anders on the butt and drag him back to bed."
"No... Keep your hound away. I like my butt without teeth marks."
"I doubt he'd like the taste of you, Anders. You taste like despair, remember?" The redhead started laughing, and the healer looked confused for a moment.
"...I taste like-" He turned slightly red at the memory. "Oh... THAT."
"Don't worry... I'm not going to lick you again," Adia promised.
"Good, because I'd be afraid Amber might lick me again," Fenris added.
"No, you make my head hurt..." the red-eyed mage reminded him with a grimace. Adia started grinning, and licked Fenris' cheek before zipping out of the room yelling something about sending up food. The warrior paused only a moment before raising an eyebrow at the mages.
"...Excuse me." He chased the rogue out of the bedroom, and Amber turned to Anders with a sigh.
"I'll find Orana. Those two will just get distracted... Again."
"At least they're happy," he pointed out.
"True. And once you're better, we'll put this whole mess behind us and start living life again." The healer smiled, and Amber headed off the find their young servant.