A/N: Here we go folks: my promised chapter. Sorry it took so long to get out…but a one-year-old learning to walk, and move….leaves very little time for writing because I'm always running after her keeping her from getting into too much trouble or hurting herself too severely. So life got in the way of creativity, and though I don't want to promise when it'll come out, I do know the next chapter will be out soon (ish), since it's mostly written in my head and I just need to get it down on metaphysical paper (i.e. my word document).
Thanks to horselover90, Anna Sheridan, Neos the Final Builder, and abbiedavis33 for the favorites. A hearty welcome to MerelyLily, abbiedavis33, Asheelaz and Secret Companion, my new followers. Also thanks to Guest for your review (and even I can admit I didn't like what Mari did to Anders either), as well as Pintsizedpsycho, Apollo Wings, anesor, Elara Dreamstar, alyssacousland, and Secret Companion. Thank you to those of you who continue to support me through this story. I appreciate every word you pass along when you review.
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That night after the four mages had been snuck out of the city, Anders returned to his clinic in Darktown. The blonde felt a twinge of surprise when he found Varric waiting for him inside the dimly lit confines of his locked clinic.
"Blondie," the dwarf greeted him, his familiar grin plastered to his square features, before he glanced around at the sight of the familiar damp-soaked walls.
"You don't look like you need healing, so what can I do for you Varric?" the healer asked, closing the door before lighting a few more candles scattered around the room with his magic and putting his staff away.
"I always thought Hightown suited you better," the merchant prince hedged, finally looking back at his fellow misfit.
"Oh I don't know," the blonde smirked, taking in the dirty walls that always seemed to seep filth no matter how much they were cleaned. "There's a certain kind of appeal here in Darktown-"
"You met Hawke here," the dwarf supplied with a salacious grin.
"The dirt and the muck may be a draw back for some and it's true it doesn't get a lot of fresh air or sunshine," Anders ignored his friend's suggestion. "But my patients are kind and I'm needed."
"I see," Varric glanced around as if taking in the clinic with a new light. "Look, I don't know what happened between you two. Hawke's been silent about the topic of your disappearance, just says you two have come to an understanding."
"And you came to get the real story from me?" Anders growled, turning to open the door again in an effort to usher out the nosy dwarf.
"Ancestor's no!" the crossbow wielder proclaimed, his hands rose defensively in an attempt to deny the question. "Well, okay, that's not completely true. As your friend, I want to know but as that same friend I also know one of you will crack eventually."
"I've had a trying evening Varric," the blonde mage stated, motioning towards the door with one hand while pinching the bridge of his nose with the other.
"Alright Blondie," Varric moved towards the door. "We're meeting Edge tonight, a contact of mine. She's been off since you left, so I'm asking you to come with me to the Hightown market tonight. I thought it might give you two a chance to talk once the meet was done."
Anders pinched the bridge of his nose harder, his mind roiling in tumultuous thoughts.
Do I really want to confront her tonight? The blonde thought to himself. Perhaps, she no longer cares for me. Am I ready for whatever answer she gives me? What if I don't like those answers? But if she does still care, I need to know why she did this to me, to us.
"Fine," Anders agreed, a large sigh escaping him before he thought to hide it. The reluctant answer didn't escape the sharp-witted dwarf but a raised eyebrow was the only unvoiced question. which the blonde ignored with a feeling of thankfulness settling into his soul.
Grabbing his staff from the top of a shelf, the healer followed his friend to the Hightown market. There stood Hawke with Fenris at her side, and despite himself, he let out a displeased growl in response to the sight of the warrior elf standing so close to his beloved's side.
"And of course there's no one," Mari's voice sounded tired, displeasure deepening her voice when the rogue and mage finally joined them. But she refused to meet Anders' questioning gaze.
"All I know is it had something to do with you and nobles," Varric shifted and his voice conveyed his surprise that his informant wasn't here to talk to the quartet. "Edge is usually very reliable."
"This is normally when we're ambushed," Fenris pointed out, his voice deep with its normal uneasiness as his mossy eyes settled on the short crossbow wielder.
"Why?" Varric's normally deep voice seemed high-pitched with the question as he defended himself and his many informants. "It's not always an ambush."
As if in answer to his ironic statement, dark clothed people landed all around the courtyard. Arrows and daggers trained on the quartet, giving them all pause as they took in not only the attackers on the ground but those still on the roofs above their heads.
"Okay," Varric stated on a sigh. "Maybe sometimes it's an ambush."
A blonde assassin dropped down from the shadowy branches of the tree above, a sneer marking what would have been an otherwise handsome face.
"Ahh, the Champion of Kirkwall," he purred as he stalked towards the group, his movements liquid, almost boneless, in their grace as he fingered the hilts of the daggers on his hips. "You die her-"
His declaration of intent was cut short by a carved dagger flying over their head and penetrating the leader's shoulder. Everyone's surprise at the sudden timely rescue was evident, even Fenris' eyes widened slightly before he could school his emotions again, but before they could contemplate their apparent savior in the red-headed elf. She kicked down the body of the assassin's whose place she had taken, watching it land with a sickening thud, a smirk stretched across her thin features before launching herself from the courtyard roof, landing with a graceful roll that put her right at the feet of the leader's feet.
"Kill them," the blonde assassin spat, anger twisting his face as he sneered at the woman who held a knife to his throat. "Kill them a-"
His last order was cut off when she slit his throat, but not before they were left fighting for their lives as the rest of their would-be assassins took action. Whirling his staff, Anders focused his attacks of the trio of rogues behind the surrounded group. A cone of ice, carefully placed, ensured only their foes were frozen behind them, allowing the blonde to unleash his magic through his staff and take them down quickly before they were freed from their ice prison. He felt Mari's magic being used on other opponents but didn't have the opportunity to check on her before an arrow buried itself in his shoulder.
Hissing in pain, the healer turned unleashing elemental fury on the bow wielders stationed on the stairs. The lightning arced between the two rogues, their bows useless in their hands as they quaked from the power of the electricity running through their bodies. A crossbow bolt found its way home in vital places on the attackers, killing them before the spell wore off.
Turning his attention from the dead assassins, he checked on his group, ignoring the pain that still bloomed from his shoulder. He knew it was a wound he wouldn't be able to fix on his own, so there was no point in dwelling on it now. He watched Varric pick off the assassins around the edge of the courtyard, noting the gash in the merchant prince's neck, but knew the wound could wait as well. His eyes flitted over Fenris' lithe form attacking a dagger wielding rogue, the warrior seemed to have a few knicks and scratches but you would never have guessed from the way the ivory haired warrior continually schooled his features. He watched Mari climb the short flight of stairs, her movements quick and sure, as she made for the balcony over their heads and the group of assassins raining down more arrows from above. Their red-headed rescuer picked off the rogues firing down on the group from the roof tops high above their heads, her throwing daggers taking them out with precisely aimed flips.
All too soon the battle ended, and the healer found their sudden defender bent over the leader of this assassin group. Her brow was furrowed, clearly concentrating on the dead blonde in front of her, and not the group of well armed people behind her.
"Sloppy," the red-head finally voiced, still digging through his pockets but only Anders was at an angle to notice the folded paper she shoved into the bodice of her armor after quickly glancing over it. "You think the Crows would be better at this."
Finally the rogue with crimson hair stood and turned to Hawke and her friends. Her eyebrows rose when she found their weapons still drawn, trained on her, and ready to strike.
"A gift from you I assume," Hawke hissed, her bright eyes narrowing on the lithe elf rogue as her hands tightened around the shaft of her staff.
"Gift? From me?" the scarlet-haired elf raised her hands, showing they were no where near her weapons. "I imagined an introduction with a lot less blood. Maybe some fine cheeses and dancing."
"Why would you want to meet me?" Hawke seemed surprised, her stance slipping causing her weapon to dip as she eyed the female in front of her.
"Who better than the only Fereldan to ever earn an invitation to Chateau Haine?" the red head cocked her hip and threw a wink at Mari, which made her stance slip even more and a slow blush to suffuse her cheeks.
Anders shifted uneasily, he knew from experience rogues were quick fingered and it wouldn't take much for this strange elf to reach for any of the weapons hidden about her body and kill the woman who still held his heart, even as she refused to acknowledge his existence and was flirted with by another. The slight movement caused the arrow protruding from his shoulder to shift, making him hiss in pain and consequently drew the eyes of all those left alive in the courtyard.
Marianna's eyes narrowed slightly, as he reached up to steady the wooden shaft causing it to dig even more into his flesh and the warden gritted his teeth against the pain. She looked torn between helping him and continuing her conversation, but eventually Hawke motioned to the stairs and set about healing him. Her movements lacked the warmth they usually contained they few times she had healed him in the past and Anders felt his heart stutter in pain at her easy detachment. He was so caught up in watching her as she helped him with his injury; he missed most of the words exchanged except the few flirting comments that passed between his Mari and the elf now known as Talis.
"I'm right here, you know," he muttered angrily despite his desire to stay quiet, and garnered some satisfaction watching her plump lips form a surprised "oh" before she recovered herself.
"I just think it would be wise if we got to know each other better," Hawke murmured, her words doing little to reassure the injured mage.
"I'd like that too," Talis whispered, her grey eyes flicking between the two mages, a mixture of amusement and lust clearly written in their colorless depths. The blonde healer tuned out again, frustration in this situation causing him to turn inward at examine his "relationship" with the raven haired mage shamelessly flirting in his midst. It was clear from her behavior she didn't care for his feelings or what she had done to hurt him into moving out. He was so lost in his contemplations that only his name from his love's lips broke Anders from his tormenting thoughts.
"Anders I want you to stay here," his Mari's sudden declaration caused pain to lance through his heart once again.
"Not bloody likely," Anders growled, unable to keep his anger and frustration from his voice. He wasn't about to let his love run off with someone with such dubious intentions, especially when the two were openly flirting with each other in front of him. "I'm not thrilled with the idea of you running off with this elf."
"And what about you?" Hawke's nose flared in anger at his attitude, but he couldn't help his mounting anger at this situation. "Was it supposed to thrill me when you've moved on to a woman the nobles swear looks exactly like me?"
"Are you talking about Revka?" Anders asked his arms crossed over his chest, in an effort to shield himself from her anger.
"Revka?" Marianna paused in her onslaught, puzzling over the name before her anger rose. "And just who is this mystery woman and why is that name so familiar?"
"She's your cousin, named herself after her mother," Anders answered simply. "And a warden from Orlais."
"Is she a mage too?" Mari sneered up at him, and Anders was struck dumb by the suppressed fury blazing within her eyes. His mouth hanging open when his voice didn't work, he could only nod to her question. A bitter laugh erupted from her throat. "I see. I hope the both of you will be happy together."
His love turned from him and impotence turned to rage as she jumped to untrue assumptions once again. She was once again attempting to turn the situation into a bad light for him.
"No," he growled, surprising them both with the venom in his words. He grabbed hold of her arms, and pressed her back against the column near the stairs. "You don't see. Once again you make assumptions based on half-truths and unknown leaps in logic. She is a warden. A sister in the order. She came because she knew Sennet and owed him a favor. You don't get to be angry at me for this. I'm the one who has every right to be angry at you."
"Why is that?" He watched her chin tilt in defiance, and in that moment it took every ounce of effort not to claim her lips in a bruising, anger filled kiss.
"Where do people go when the sleep?" he demanded, knowing it was remedial knowledge for any mage.
"The fade," she scoffed up at him, her face set in a petulant scowl.
"And what's in the fade?"
"Demons," her scowl deepened at his questions. "I'm not stupid."
"Are you certain?" Anders boldly questioned, not even caring about the audience they had watching scant paces away, no doubt watching the exchange eagerly. "When you put me to sleep, did you even think about the repercussions? You sent me right into the arms of a desire demon. She fed off my feelings for you. But I realized it too late because she wore your face."
He watched Mari's eyes finally widen in understanding before a choked cough broke the stillness of the courtyard. The blonde didn't bother meeting anyone else's gaze as he released Marianna and turned to the stairs.
"Anders!" the commander heard his love call out as he fled but he could hear her feet following behind.
"No Mari," the healer declared turning back but unable to meet her eyes knowing his resolve would crumble. "I love you but I can't do this anymore. I can't keep fighting you in this. We have enough to deal with in this city without fighting our own kind."
The stairs to Lowtown seemed endless as he ran towards the safety of his clinic. He turned back once more when he reached a landing in the stairs to confirm no one was pursuing him but fought back the pang of disappointment when a familiar head of black hair wasn't bobbing down in her haste after him. He could see the group at the top of the stairs, Mari at the front gripping the marble banister as she watched him from above. And just before he turned to flee once again, he thought he heard her voice carried by the breeze.
"I'm sorry."
….
A/N: Please don't hate on the break-up. It needed to happen. And who knows, if Mari plays her cards right, gets the help she needs…
I changed Talis' intro just a bit because I'm sorry, a good assassin, a good Crow, wouldn't allow her to kill all those men before ordering their deaths, no matter how surprised he is. So I wrote a little less death from her hand before she gets to the group.
As always review and let me know what you think.
