A/N: Welcome to NerdLord2nd and PirateQueen06, my new followers (squee!). As well as thanks to anduilas, athena9090, and spacecats for the favorites (double squee!). And as always a special thanks to eibhlin13, pintsizedpsycho, Apollo Wings, Elara Dreamstar, and anesor for your reviews.
My apologies this took so long, I went on family vacation with no access to internet. Seriously, no internet. Who goes camping and likes it anymore?! Well, I had my smart phone but trying to type a story on my tiny QWERTY keyboard held very little appeal. So with no access to the cyber highway, it strangely gave me a lots of chances to stew on story ideas, which is good, since the last chapter ended up not going in the direction I had planned and veered off into unknown territory. Also gave me a chance to figure out how to get a new character written into the story. That's right, new character, all thanks to my 150th reviewer: alyssacousland, her character will now be making repeat appearances in this story as a reward. So see, it pays to write reviews, because then you get amazing rewards. (Hint, hint, nudge, nudge, wink, wink)
In any case: on with the craziness that has become my story! (Side note: it seems the more I go off-kilter with this story, the more interest I dredge up….strange…. *wink*) It's not as long as my last chapter, but that was just almost epic for me. HA! Well, I hope you enjoy!
Never before had the tunnels the mage underground used to liberate circle mages from their captors seemed oppressive. Until this moment. Anders could hear the shouts of their templar pursuers echo off the rough hewn stone walls, but dared not look back, knowing it would slow him down. Small arms encircled his neck, from the elven mageling the blonde currently carried. He was barely aware of her tiny whimper as it vibrated against his skin after she buried her slim face into the crook of his neck. No doubt she had caught sight of their pursuers, which only caused the warden to quicken his pace, hoping the rest of the group could continue to keep up.
The healer found himself praying they could reach safety before anyone's legs gave out from exhaustion. The terrain became difficult as stones seemed to rise up from the very ground in front of them, blocking a quick retreat, forcing the group of mages to dodge the moss-covered stationary targets. Anders could hear the shouts of alarm over the thudding steps and panicking breaths when the templar's quarry disappeared from view in the craggy turns, and he knew it was their time to act. With a burst of speed, the blonde directed the other mages towards a grotto hidden by stalactites and stalagmites, hoping to throw their pursuers. He had used it only a few times in the past when ferreting out mages from under templar noses was easier. Tucked back amongst the rocks, it was out of the way and only those who knew of its existence ever seemed to find it. The healer's only hope lay in the belief the templars didn't know of its presence.
Placing the child he carried on the floor behind him, the rest of the mages scampered into the hidden space crowding behind him for protection. The group huddled as far towards the rear of the cavity as possible, frantic hands gripping arms and clothing in an effort to stand even closer together in their mounting anxiety and desperation. Anders became aware of a female form pressed up against his own, one slender arm encircling his waist trying to tuck back into the small space as far as possible, while the other tried to silently comfort another scared mage hidden behind the would-be liberators. A body that was achingly familiar but wholly different and strange at the same time. Anders glanced down, noticing not for the first time the subtle differences between these two female mages in his life, a square jaw always set at a defiant tilt when he was used to an ovular face. Her slightly larger bust left a primal part of the healer aching to slowly uncover the globes under the layers of her mage robes in what was becoming a surprisingly celibate life for the former playboy mage. Her voice lilted like the stuffiest nobles of Hightown, owning to her Orlesian upbringing but it was still just as hypnotic as her cousin's.
But it was the eyes that called to him. Those were familiar, too similar to his Mari's. Liquid pools of lyrium that he knew marked this mage as an Amell. Revka Amell tumbled into his life at one of his weakest moments, shortly after the disaster that had been the best and worst dream of his life.
Weeks had passed since the fateful night Anders left, he hadn't seen his Mari in all that time, and found himself wondering, not for the first time, if he had made a mistake leaving her without any chance to explain or apologize. But then he would remember the horror of realizing he had made love to a desire demon, and the blonde would know he made the right choice in leaving. Pain lanced through the healer's heart with the knowledge that his love no longer trusted him, no longer desired his company or his willing ear.
Can I even call her mine anymore? Anders thought with a snort and a small shake of his head. He turned his gaze outward, watching the ship carrying the newest brothers from Orlais, Sennet standing vigilant at his side. The bustle of the docks seemed to rush around the two stationary figures, as they waited for the men who would join them on their newest deep roads foray.
"I have something to confess," his second in command leaned closer, talking to be heard over the bustle around them.
"I am not a brother of the chantry," the healer couldn't help but snort out a bitter laugh, his tawny gaze flitting over his second in command.
"There's something you should know," Sennet reiterated, after he laughed at the mage's poor joke. "I knew the name Amell before we met."
"What do you mean?" the blonde paused in smoothing out his robes, his eyes wary as they watched the brunette rogue as his side.
"I know an Amell, in Orlais, a sister mage in our order."
"And you never thought to tell me?"
"We all have secrets, my friend," Sennet's words came across with his usual brash lilting tone, but his elven eyes held sorrow for keeping this information hidden.
Anders only grunted in reply, knowing it would be futile to argue the truth.
"I tell you now because she's on that ship," the rogue continued when his commander gave no further reply.
"You-she-what?" Lost in this sudden realization, the mage could feel his jaw drop as he stared at the elf at his side.
"She is to travel the deep roads with us," Sennet stated, fidgeting slightly under his leader's confused stare. "I thought you would be happy to have another circle mage around, no?"
"You should have told me, Baneux," Anders tone was clipped; the only way he could show his displeasure at this rude surprise. His second caught the use of his last name, a formality long forgotten by the two brothers, and flinched slightly from its usage before smoothing over his face and turning back to the now nearly docked vessel.
"My apologies Commander," the rogue stated, his posture rigid despite his seemingly neutral face. "It won't happen again."
Not even bothering to issue a reply, knowing the brunette elf would keep his word, silence reigned amongst the duo as they waited for the ship to finish its final preparations, even as the chaos of the docks continued around them, they remained waiting until the landing plank sounded out with a hollow thud.
Anders watched as his trio of brothers and single sister in grey filed off the ship to stand before the two of them. There were hearty greetings between the Orlesians, and the blonde could tell the group worked well together just from their interactions. However his eyes were transfixed on the slight form of the obviously female, cloaked figure bobbing amongst the taller heads. Before she began catching up with her friend Sennet, the healer had seen a flash of familiar blue that left him aching.
The blonde mage stayed back, allowing his second this time to catch up with old friends, but he found his eyes tracking her. A flash of a smile, a tilt of the chin, and in that moment guilt gnawed at the single Fereldan in the group because he wanted her just like he had wanted Hawke the first time he saw her. Uncomfortable with the sudden realization, Anders looked down at his shuffling feet, trying to overcome the desire to bed the woman, the cousin, who looked so much like his Mari. When he was in the circle, he wouldn't have given the urge a second thought or bothered feeling guilty over his natural desires, the blonde would have charmed his way into her robes before the week was out. Now, however,
"Commander," a female voice, her voice, broke through his inner conflict and he glanced up to find her standing in front of him. The hood of her cloak thrown back now, and he was drawn to the familiar raven locks tumbling in soft waves around her shoulders and flashing with shades of navy in the brilliant sunlight. Tearing his gaze from her hair, he finally met her eyes and thought he saw a flash of anger in those familiar depths. "I must beg your forgiveness for what I am about to do."
"About to do? Umm-" Anders broke off, watching the woman in front of him, but unable to read the expression on her face and she seemed unwilling to continue or elaborate on her meaning so he was left with one alternative. "Of course you're forgiven."
The blonde watched her smile slightly, the corners of her mouth lifting the tiniest fraction, from his words before he felt the familiar tug of a mage using mana, but before he could react to the use of magic, pain seared through his head as her palm, enhanced by magic, connected with his cheek. Staggered from the spots in his vision and the force of the blow, Anders could barely make out the uproar of male voices shouting. He was aware of firm hands on his back steadying him as he swayed from the force of the blow. Injuries were common amongst Hawke's group, and the healer was no stranger to them, but never before had he been slapped with such power behind the blow. Anders doubted even Fenris would have been able to make his vision dim like that of warden who just struck him.
"Anders," Sennet's voice finally broke through the buzzing in the blonde's ears and he turned searching for the voice, only to realize it was his second holding him steady as he continued to sway in agony. "Will you be alright?"
The healer attempted to nod but stopped when the world tried to spin out of control once again. Bringing his hands up to cushion his head, Anders activated his magic soothing away the pain and healing the future bruises. When he finally raised his eyes once again, two of the wardens were holding his attacker by her arms, surprise and alarm evident in the expressions of his new brothers while she glared at him but held steady not even bothering to press her attack.
"Revka, what is wrong with you?" the elven rogue demanded, as he held his commander ready to move the mage should she try to attack again.
"He conscripted my cousin," the raven haired cousin spat, her chin tilting in defiance with her proclamation. A look Anders was all too used to seeing from Marianna, and it made him want his warden sister even more. "She was a free mage, yes? She didn't need the wardens to escape like so many of us. As a mage, you should know better!"
"She wasn't fr-" Sennet started to speak but Anders held up his hand, and the elf quieted before continuing his sentence. The healer noticed the crowd of dock workers, sailors, and town citizens pausing to watch the scene unfold around the well-known apostate warden in their city.
"We can tell her later," Anders stated, his head clearer now with the pain gone. He turned from the group of fellow wardens but instead of leading them to Hightown and the new house recently requisitioned for the wardens, he headed towards the privacy of his clinic.
The group followed but only Revka seemed wary as she moved through the underground muck and filthy denizens of Darktown. As they passed a single templar on patrol near one of the service elevators, Anders noticed her flip back her cloak, boldly showcasing the blue, black, and silver of her warden mage robes before giving the lone patroller a wink and wave, much to the templar's surprise. It left the blonde shaking his head, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, realizing there were more differences between the two than he originally saw.
Even when dressed in her leather outfit, draping herself all over Isabela, no one outside their group or the people they saved knew Hawke's true abilities until her defeat of the Arishok and her crowning as Champion. Even then, her upbringing as an apostate in hiding kept her from using magic outside of combat. Her cousin seemed to flaunt her status as a mage, relishing in the joy of leaving templars impotent in their inability to police her anymore. He found himself wishing her reckless behavior wouldn't cause him problems in the future, but a strange sense of foreboding filled him and he knew he would be unwilling to stop this warden mage.
The screeching clatter of the sound of metal grinding against metal, the groan of leather scabbards, and the creaking clatter of wooden crossbows broke the blonde from his thoughts and brought him crashing back to the present. The templars grew closer, their shouts of pursuit died down as they tried to locate their quarry of mages, listening for the faintest noise from the prey.
"Perhaps this was not my best idea?" Revka whispered to him in an apologetic tone, her mouth close to his ear and as her breath ghosted past Anders' ear, it caused him to shiver in anticipation.
Glaring at his fellow warden in an effort to silence her and his budding desire, Anders could only hope the sound of dripping water echoing through the tunnels would be loud enough to drown out the sounds of the ragged breaths from his fellow mages. He glanced at the group of four mages ranging in ages from seven to one defiant male lucky enough to make it to over three decades without being made tranquil.
The blonde wasn't entirely sure how he had landed himself in this desperate situation but he was sure it stemmed from Revka's influence and a large amount of guilt over his reaction to her arrival. Perhaps it was the way she demanded his cooperation freeing more mages once she discovered his ulterior motives for conscripting Mari.
Now he was trapped with her body pressed against his and, despite the desperately terrifying situation, blood rushing to parts of the blonde's body that would quickly leave him embarrassed. In order to divert his attention, the healer once again checked on his charges pressed against the stone as if trying to melt into the imposing wall. Fear and horror mirrored in each face gave him the distraction he needed, and he watched as the little mageling he had been carrying stuff a mouthful of Revka's robe in her mouth to keep from sobbing too loudly and alert their would-be captors to their presence.
Seconds stretched out as their fear grew, the group could only wait in silence. And so the group waited, barely breathing, for the templars to give up their hunt and return to the tower. Wide, panicky eyes met his own caramel gaze, seeking reassurance they would in fact be free, just like their own Champion.
The sounds of the templars died away so only the gentle dripping of water could be heard echoing throughout the tunnel system and into the grotto they cowered in. Straining to hear as the minutes passed without hearing the templars, Anders motioned to the rest of the group before silently creeping to the opening of the grotto.
Instead of the empty tunnels like he was expecting, he found Ser Karras and Keran. Blue met hazel as the blonde templar met the would-be liberator's eyes, but surprisingly instead of pointing out the hiding mage, Keran spoke quickly with his fellow templar.
"I think they managed to elude us, ser," the young recruit spoke with humility before redirecting his eyes to his superior. "Perhaps we should report the situation."
"Those mages couldn't have disappeared into thin air," Kerras spat at his fellow before pacing across the tunnel passage. "They have to be somewhere."
"Yes ser," the recruit answered without hesitation. "But we should expand our search, get more men, and check the exits of the city. They can't get far, they were on foot."
"Fine," grumbled Kerras before issuing a sharp whistle. Soon half a dozen templars filed behind their leader and began marching back towards the tower.
Keran glanced back over his shoulder once last time and mouthed "run" before disappearing with his brethren around a tunnel crag. Moments stretched out as Anders waited for the blonde recruit to change his mind, tell his fellow templars, and return to clap them all in chains. But the moment never came, leaving the healer reeling over a templar's rescue. A tiny hand tugging at his belt pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned to look at the elven child clutching at his clothing.
"Have they gone?" she whispered to him, her deep blue eyes filled with hope instead of fear.
"I think so," Anders answered, kneeling down to talk better with the seven year old.
"Can I see my mum and dads?" was the timid question, as joy suffused the willow child, making the blonde grin at her happiness.
"Of course, little one," the healer couldn't keep the smile from his face, sharing in the giddiness that bubbled up from the child in front of him. She let out a tiny squeal of glee before wrapping her thin arms around his neck in a hug.
"Thank you messere," she breathed into his ear, and Anders could hear the joyful tears in her broken speech.
"You'll have to tell me what you have over that templar," an Orlesian voice broke the revelry, and Anders turned to see Revka standing behind him with the other mages waiting for him to let them pass.
"Another time," the blonde bypassed the unspoken question, knowing it would be better to hear the tale from Varric. "We have friends to get out of here."
Aquamarine eyes blinked back at him slowly, before she glanced at the four other mages in their company. She nodded once at the group watching her, before brushing past her commander and into the tunnel network once again. The black haired mage led the way out of the tunnel network, using memory as her guide, and Anders was left wondering if the need to lead was an Amell trait or a Hawke one.
A/N: I should have the next chapter written soon, I was going to continue with this one but it just got so long...and I was leaving huge bits out because I needed to do a bit of research (and by research I mean watching youtube vids). So the next one should, hopefully, be up in the next week.
So leave me a review, let me know what you think, and just maybe good things will come your way. ;-)
