A/N - As the story is complete, and editing doesn't take that long, have two updates a week. Tuesday and Friday. This doesn't mean the third story will be uploaded quickly though. I'm probably going to take a complete break from writing after this for various reasons.
Kirkwall settled down over the next few days. There were no reprisals from the Qunari, at least they did nothing visible. Tension remained in the air, but the whispers of possible Qunari retaliation disappeared, and life slowly returned to normal. Or as normal as life ever was in Kirkwall. Hawke even received a letter from Knight-Commander Meredith Stannard in regards to the actions of Ser Varnell, claiming he operated without her nor any other commanders' permission, and while his death was felt, she would apportion no blame either her or myself. I didn't receive such a letter, so figured she still felt slighted by my actions in rescuing Solona long ago.
Still, at least the templars were not after our blood, so we didn't have to walk around Kirkwall continuously glancing over our shoulders.
Hawke and I continued to basically patrol the streets of Kirkwall, taking on the occasional job, but we found more time to spend with our friends and companions without staring death in the face. Bethany would sometimes join us for that, even coming down to the Hanged Man on occasion. She enjoyed hanging around us, but when we started to drink and be rather merry, that's when she'd call it a night. Sometimes I'd join her, sometimes she'd whisper for me to enjoy myself, though I'd often go with her regardless.
One evening, though, Anders gave us some bad news for us, and I wondered what we were going to be in for next. It was rather late, plenty of drinks had been consumed, and he had been swinging through various different emotions. Anger. Melancholy. Joy. But I knew, deep inside, there was a burning sense for… something. His feelings regarding the templars, Circles and Chantry were well known by us all.
"I had templars practically on my doorstep the other night," he stated.
"The templars are hunting you?" Hawke asked.
"I thought it would be the Wardens," I muttered quietly.
"No, they were not hunting me specifically. They were just checking the refugee camps. But it's not like my clinic is any sort of secret. I get people coming to see me from all over Kirkwall, because I offer a good service and don't ask for much in return. It's only a matter of time before someone let's slip."
"Anders, it's not like you go out of your way to keep a low profile. They are bound to hear rumours and come looking," I stated.
"True. But I think it's obvious that the knight-commander is out of control. Even her own people have been talking about it."
"How do you know?"
"Come on, Hawke. Kirkwall is a city of secrets, and if you know what to listen for, you'll hear of sort of gossip, rumour, innuendo, even facts with evidence. But look at the city at times. The curfews. The midnight raids on mages' families. Nearly everyone I know, forced into hiding so they won't be made Tranquil."
"What about Justice? How is he dealing with all of this?" I wondered. I hadn't seen the spirit inside him exposed in quite a while.
"In the Fade, there is no 'time'. Emotion rules everything. Justice doesn't know how to sit idle until the right moment to strike. And I can't say I have any greater patience. I fear what my anger has made of my friend."
It was interesting how he spoke of the spirit within him as a friend. It was beyond my realm of understanding. I'd tried my best to understand the Fade and how mages related to it, but although I understood the basics, I didn't really bother with it too much. I basically went with spirits equal good, demons equal bad. Blood magic no, all other magic okay. Circles suck, Tranquil is evil, and the templars are bastards.
"You chose to merge with him," Hawke warned, "Only you can make it work."
He nodded. "I am trying, Hawke. I have not attacked the templars openly. I've helped the mages here as best as I can. But this impasse cannot last."
He was right. The city appeared peaceful, on the surface. Behind the scenes, the rumours about what happened in the Circles had everyone wondering what was going on. Knight-Commander Meredith denied any of the more heinous rumours, but claimed anything that occurred within the Circle was simply for their own protection, both the mages and citizens alike. As most people had at least some fear of magic, they were more inclined to agree with her.
"Your sister is a mage, Hawke, and she will be the mother to your child, Uhtred. What if the knight-commander turns on you? You have power, Uhtred, and you have influence, Hawke, but those will only protect you for so long."
"If or when she does, Anders, we'll be ready for it. But the templars have been warned. Come after Bethany, come after my friends, do anything to rile me, and then they'll see the full power of the Dragonborn. Until that moment, I will keep the peace between us."
"Just don't lose yourself, Anders," Hawke added, "You're a good man, and you are fighting the good fight. But you can't give in to the templars or Justice. The former wants to provoke a reaction from mages such as yourself so they can claim what they do is righteous. And Justice… I'm not sure what he wants, but you need to control him, as best as you can."
He finished his tankard, gently placing it down, before he released a sigh. He was obviously feeling the effects of the booze, but his mind was surprisingly clear. He looked up at both of us. "There will be more violence. I know that, and surely both of you know that. And the longer you are friends with me, the increased chance you will find yourself involved whenever it blows up."
"As long as you're careful, Anders. We don't want to be dragged into a mess. Protect your fellow mages and help the helpless. But don't go starting a war," I warned.
He nodded, I hoped in understanding, before he wished up both goodnight and staggered towards the door, leaving Hawke and I alone. I grabbed another round from the bar, handing one to her before sitting down next to her. We drank in silence for a little while. "What do you think?" she finally asked.
"I think he's angry and getting angrier. You protect your sister because she's a mage. That's obvious. I will never forgive them for what they did to Solona. But Anders has a real axe to grind. They basically murdered his friend. He's seen other friends taken into the Circle, possibly seen others killed. Thing is, the templars here seem to be a different breed. I remember the templars in Ferelden. They seemed to care about their mages, only invoking the Rite of Annulment because some stupid mage decided to rebel and a lot of them because abominations or turned to blood magic. Fire met fire, and it took a few of us to sort it all out."
"Anything I do for mages, I do because of my sister. I remember what it was like for her to grow up, never revealing her gift to anyone. Mother and father had to teach her everything, how to control it. Thing is, she's a tremendously gifted mage, as you've seen. She would be wasted in the Circle, but out here, she's basically considered a criminal. The whole thing is just… wrong."
She drained her tankard rather quickly and disappeared, returning with another one. She drank nearly half of that before she slumped against me. Wrapping an arm around her, she sighed. "You know; I occasionally have thoughts where I think 'Damn shame I'm not interested in men.'" I couldn't help chuckle. "But you've been nothing but good for my sister, Uhtred. It's clear how much she loves you, and I see the love you have for her in return. I think I'd go fight for her but I almost dread what you'd do if they came to arrest her. Ever heard of an Exalted March?"
"Aye, I have."
"Yeah, that's what I think would fall upon this city if that happened."
"Well, let's hope that doesn't happen. Don't really want to be responsible for that many deaths. I kill enough people as it is."
"You ever think about it? All that death, wondering if it stains your soul?"
"No. I only ever kill those trying to kill me. I live and let live, but if you pick up a weapon and want to fight, then it's to the death, unless you drop said weapon and surrender. The gods understand."
"It's why I go pray at the chantry. Absolving my sins. We've killed a lot of people, Uhtred. A lot of people. I just wonder what the Maker thinks of me now."
"I had no idea you were this pious."
She laughed. "I'm usually not. I'm drunk and rambling." Despite leaning against me, she managed to grab her tankard and drained it. "And I should probably go home. Finish yours and you can escort me."
I drained my tankard quickly and, after helping her up and watching her almost topple over, I wrapped an arm around her waist and led her outside. She almost fell over once the cool night air, and it was a case of half-walking, half-dragging her back to Hightown. She gave me the key to get into her mansion, opening the door, one of her servants approaching. By now she was half-asleep, so I carried her upstairs, placing her down on the bed.
"I'm going to be sick," she mumbled.
There was a bed pan nearby, so put that in front of her, trying not to listen as she released the contents of her stomach. Her servants walked in a minute later with a pitcher of clean water as I was in the middle of helping Hawke undress. She was now giggling away about something as I helped her into bed, sitting her up for a moment so she could drink some water, before she lay down.
Leaning down, I kissed her forehead before stepping back. "Good to see you relax for once, Hawke."
She grabbed my hand. "You're a good friend, Uhtred. Thanks."
"No problem. I'm sure you'll have a raging hangover come the morning. If you want to come around for breakfast to help it go away, you're more than welcome."
"I doubt I'll be out of bed before the afternoon, but thanks for the invite."
I'm sure she had probably passed out by the time I walked out the front door, chuckling to myself before walking in my own front door. The house was quiet, though Gawen was awake by the time I'd kicked off my boots. "Do you want anything, lord?"
"Go back to bed, Gawen. I'm fine, but thanks."
"Thank you, lord. Sleep well."
"You too."
Bethany was fast asleep as I slid under the covers, though briefly woke as I moved towards her, feeling her shuffle back towards me. I kissed her cheek, sensing she smiled, before she fell asleep again. Once I was comfortable, I definitely fell asleep quickly myself.
I knew that conversation with Anders was going to snowball into something. The first we knew of a situation developing was when most of group headed down to his clinic. We hadn't seen him in a few days, figuring he was probably busy, so thought we'd at least show our faces and keep him company, even if only for a short while. Instead, we found his clinic rather isolated. He was at his desk, though stood immediately as we approached. We didn't even have time to ask how he was before he was raising the same issue again.
"Have you noticed how many Tranquil are in the Gallows courtyard lately?"
"I think we could all admit that none of us are frequent visitors," Hawke replied. I only went there when I had to, which was almost never. Very few people chose to go to the Gallows unless they had a relative in the Circle.
"Don't tell me I'm just sensitive to it. I've been watching and every day there are new Tranquil, selling their bloody wares. The thing is, these were good mages. I knew them. They had passed their Harrowing."
"Doesn't Chantry law say that mages who passed their Harrowing can't be made Tranquil?" Varric wondered. I looked at the dwarf in surprise at the fact he was up to date with Chantry doctrine.
"Exactly!" Anders exclaimed, "The templars are using the Rite of Tranquillity to silence those who speak against them. They're working on a deliberate plan to turn every mage in Kirkwall within the next three years."
"That's one hell of an accusation, Anders. You got any proof?" I demanded, albeit gently. Part of me was willing to believe him immediately. And I remembered Solona. But I still believed that was about who she was, whether an Amell, or perhaps a way at getting at me. Part of me still liked to believe the Templar Order wasn't full of sadistic bastards on the ultimate power trip.
Hawke simply didn't believe. "Whatever you think of templars, Anders, you can't imagine they'd be so heartless…"
Anders snorted in derision. "No, they're worse, Hawke. There are groups in Kirkwall who help those fleeing the Circle. We helped one, remember. Miss Selby?"
"I remember."
"Well, I know others, people on the inside, who know the truth. I even have a name, the templar who is behind it all. Ser Alrik."
"How do you know him?" I wondered. His voice suggested this was somewhat personal to him.
"I've had a run in with him myself. He's the one who did the ritual on Karl. Nasty piece of work, likes to make mages beg. So, because of that, and other obvious reasons, I've been involved in an… underground resistance." My eyebrows definitely rose in surprise. I had no idea. "Mages, who are living free in Kirkwall, are helping others escape."
I don't think any of us had a clue. Anders helped us out from time to time, but it was obvious he kept his distance, even from Hawke. There was trust there, but considering other friendships, particularly with Aveline, it was no surprise he kept that to himself. No doubt he'd tell us much more, simply to protect those he was helping. Hawke raised suspicions as it was considering her own viewpoints regarding mage suppression. No point even asking about me. I made opinions clear.
"Look, I've been to the Gallows, Hawke. I've seen his work first hand. I don't like the knight-commander but at least she believes she's helping people, however misguided she is. Ser Alrik is a sadist. He likes to experiment on mages, find out what it takes to push them into the arms of demons."
"I'm sold. Kill the bastard," I muttered.
"Okay, so this Ser Alrik sounds like a nasty piece of work. But that doesn't mean they all are," Hawke stated.
Anders remained silent for quite a number of seconds before nodding. "To be honest, that's what I hope too. I'm hoping that if we bring evidence of this plan to light, there must be people who will be willing to stand against it. Perhaps even the grand cleric will finally be forced to act."
I doubted that, considering the whole Qunari business. But if it gave him hope…
"My friends in the mage underground know a way inside. A secret entrance under the walls of the Gallows. Can you all come with me tonight. Help me find evidence of Ser Alrik's 'Tranquil Solution'."
"Tranquil Solution?" Varric asked, "Seems a bit… final."
"It is. He plans to sunder every mind of every mage in the Free Marches. Rumour has it that he'll bring his proposal to Val Royeaux, to the Divine herself! He would turn every mage into Thedas into a drooling simpleton under his command!"
"Who of us isn't going to help?" I wondered. Even Fenris, who I knew distrusted all mages, was willing to help. Even he had limits at what he'd listen to regarding mages. I liked to believe he didn't want them all killed or what made them unique destroyed.
We agreed on a time to meet, believing it best to return home, meeting at the Hanged Man at sunset before we met Anders at his clinic. I headed home first, had a chat with Bethany, before heading to Hawke's mansion, where I sat with her and Isabela, passing the hours chatting away about nothing before it was time to leave.
After meeting everyone outside the Hanged Man, admitting surprise that Fenris had actually shown up, we headed back into Darktown. Anders was ready and raring to go upon our arrival, pacing his clinic, adrenaline already surging through his body. He looked like a man who wanted a fight and would go looking for one. Hawke and I had discussed our options, and we were honest in that Anders knew far more than us. We'd have to follow his lead and simply hope he didn't drag us into a fight against every templar in Kirkwall.
The tunnel was a good twenty-minute walk away, situated a distance away from any foot traffic, and the entrance was covered. It took a good bit of strength to lift the wooden lid before we could climb down into the tunnel.
Any thought it would be an easy in and out, hopefully with what we required, perished when we ran into Carta. "Lyrium smugglers!" Varric cried before the fighting broke out.
"For crying out loud, can we not get an easy mission?!" I muttered, taking a good swing and connecting with one of them.
In addition to the Carta thugs were the usual mercenaries that came with them, Carta being dwarves, mercenaries generally being human, the occasional Qunari. With all of us involved this time, we could hold our lines, the enemy falling at our feet. The enemy had no mages, so ours could help out, launching the sort of attacks that would affect a number of them at once.
Hawke and I worked with Fenris is funnelling the enemy into lines where Varric could knock them out with a bolt, or Isabela could take them down with an arrow. Otherwise, Fenris took delight in swinging in his broadsword in giant arcs, blood and limbs flying, while Hawke and I were a bit more technical, I would state. Fenris ended up covered in a lot more blood though.
We moved forward with caution, the noise of battle having attracted attention, so any other Carta now lay in wait, hoping to spring a surprise. None of us were born yesterday, though, so knew a trap when we saw one. Varric and Isabela inched their way forward, firing their weapons, before our two mages rained down destruction. That's when Hawke, Fenris and I broke from cover and slaughtered them. Definitely no chance of anyone surrendering, not that we would have accepted it anyway.
Being so far underground, I knew we'd run into them eventually, so when we did finally run into spiders, I wasted no time unleashing my Thu'um. I burned the bastards, though those which descended from their webs behind us soon found themselves lit on fire by the mages, Varric peppering them with bolts. The poisonous little bastards were the real problem, so I burned them too. We quickly left the cavern as the smell of cooked spider flesh was disgusting.
After the spiders, I'm sure I wasn't the only one hoping we'd have some peace and quiet before reaching our destination. I should really stop having those thoughts. We didn't run into Carta again, but we ran into more mercenaries. I figured they might have been bandits or… gods only knew what, I stopped caring and started fighting. It was the usual fight, none of them being particularly talented, certainly nothing that worried us more than a few seconds. One or two might have a modicum of talent where I was forced to take more than half a dozen swings, but that was rarely. Most had no training, and no real idea of battle, believing they could charge at us with swords raised and we'd break and run away.
Idiots.
"How much further, Anders?" I wondered. It felt like we'd been walking for hours, and I was ready to fight templars if necessary. I was rather fed up. Didn't help that it was late, probably early morning by now, and I wasn't the only one feeling a little grumpy.
"Shouldn't be too much further," he insisted, "The Gallows is rather isolated, of course, so the tunnel will be long."
We walked for at least another twenty minutes in relative silence before we heard a scream and someone cry, "No… please!" We broke into a jog as we heard another cry of, "I haven't done anything wrong!"
I think Anders was already on the verge of changing into Justice. Our jog turned into a sprint as another voice echoed. "That's a lie. What do we do with mages who lie?"
Anders exited the tunnel first, Hawke and I right behind him. The templars had their back to us. The young female mage cowered away from them. "I just wanted to see my mum. No one ever told her where they were taking me."
I wasn't the only one to sense Anders starting to transform. He shook his head though. "No. No, this is their place. We cannot…"
The templars still hadn't noticed our arrival, all of them focused on the mage in front of them. "So, you admit your attempted escape? You know what happens to young mage girls who don't toe the line around here, don't you?"
I growled and, if not for Hawke and Isabela grabbing a forearm each, I'd have stabbed the bastard in the back. I knew bullies when I saw them, and this arsehole was a perfect example. We watched as the mage fell to her knees, pleading with him. "Please, no! Don't make me Tranquil! I'll do anything!"
He stepped forward so he stood over here, grabbing a handful of her hair, making her look up at him. "That's right. Once you're Tranquil, you'll do anything I ask."
"Uhtred," Hawke hissed, as I felt more hands grab me.
"Let me go," I growled, "I'm going to kill him first, then the rest."
Anders got in before me. Justice was unleashed and you could hear the change in his voice as he stepped forward, staff held in his right hand. "You fiends will never touch another mage again!" he roared.
I agreed with Justice, and the templars felt the full force of my Thu'um. Raising my sword, I cried, "For mages!" and ran towards the enemy.
Blood flowed in that small cave outside the Gallows. The men alongside Ser Alrik were the first to fall, Justice dispensing swift… justice, while I simply went templar hunting, cutting down anyone dumb enough to get in front of an enraged Dragonborn. The rest of our companions barely needed to get involve as Anders and I cut them down. I didn't always see eye to eye with him, but that early morning in the cave, we were allies, colleagues and in complete agreement.
Ser Alrik fought well, that's the only compliment I will pay him. But backed up against the wall, he tried to surrender. Once I'd disarmed him, I put the blade to his throat. "I know why you were making them Tranquil," I stated quietly, "I've met people like you before. Let me guess, most of the Tranquil are women, right?" His eyes widened as I'd figured him out easily. I took the blade from his throat and stepped back. "Personally, I'd rather you see a jail cell, but you see my friend here? He's a little pissed off right now. Not sure I can stop him. Not sure I want to either." Then I paused and thought about it. Making mages Tranquil. Was he the one responsible for Solona?
"You?" I growled.
The bastard smirked. "Wondered when it would get through that thick head of yours," he stated, "Oh, I definitely got to enjoy her more than once before you turned up."
My blood turned cold in my veins. To use my Thu'um on him right away, to watch him burn... I turned and looked at the others. "Leave now. Take the mage. I will join you shortly." I glared at Anders. "You go, too. I will deal with this personally."
I met the eyes of Hawke. She would have joined in but I could see she was going to leave this for me. Solona might have been distant family, but she'd been my best friend and lover. I would have done anything for her. Hawke spoke quietly to the rest, made sure she grabbed Anders, leaving me alone with Ser Alrick.
"I know I'm already dead and will be with the Maker soon. But I at least made one of your whores Tranquil. Shame I didn't get to deal with the rest of them. That whore with you was next, and I was definitely going to take that whore you're with, and your heathen spawn. And you are affront to the Maker himself, Uhtred Dragonborn. You are a danger to all of us here. I should have made sure we dealt with you first before anyone. Pity."
I could only look at him, feeling a little stunned. Criticism of me, even Hawke, was expected. "Why? Solona wasn't even part of the Circle?"
He shrugged. "I can start with her surname. Nothing but scum. Every single Amell deserves nothing but death, or close enough to it. I know that she was part of the Circle in Ferelden and deeply involved in the rebellion that occurred. Don't think the Order wasn't aware, we keep records of such matters. I've kept an eye on all your movements since you returned with her. And the Wardens are a danger." He smirked. "Not only was I hoping to provoke you, I was hoping to provoke the Wardens. We would wipe out any challenge to the holy light of the Maker. The Templar Order would reign supreme across Thedas, just as it should."
"You're insane."
"We should have retaliated the night you attacked the tower, but Meredith wouldn't hear of it. She knew I'd provoked the response. I would have ensured her replacement eventually if she didn't see the light." He sighed. "Oh well, pity I haven't managed to complete my task. Do what you must, heathen. My heart is filled with the Maker's light. I will be by his side soon."
Putting my sword to his throat, I growled, "Oh, you're not going to your Maker. I'm making damn sure that I'm sending you to Oblivion."
I slammed my forehead into his face, knocking him unconscious. Then I got to work, taking off his armour and clothing until he was naked before I tied his hands behind his back, leaving him sat back against a wall, waiting for him to wake up. I sat on a rock and was patient. I had all the time in the world for what I wanted to do. He eventually came around as I played with a dagger. "I'll admit one thing, Ser Alrick. I've tortured someone before. Rendon Howe. King Aedan and I did that. He did most of the work, but I've seen what a dagger can do to a man, how much pain it can cause, where to use this dagger on your body. I can assure you, the rest of your short life is going to be nothing but incredible pain. I will make you scream. I will make you beg for the end. Your last thoughts as this dagger is burrowed somewhere into your body will be wishing you had not taken on the Dragonborn."
I took his fingers. Slowly. One at a time. I took his toes, enjoying his cries and screams. I took his eyes and ears as he started to whimper. I took his tongue. I took his cock and balls. I covered his body in small cuts. I made sure her was simply coated in blood. When I was satisfied, I jammed the dagger into his throat and slowly decapitated him. Only when I had the head detached did I stop and just drop it to the ground. I looked down at my armour and saw nothing but blood. My hands and arms were covered in it.
I knew I'd just crossed a line I'd always set myself.
Yet... I felt righteous.
Picking up my things, I walked out and found Hawke and the others nearby. They looked at me, my arms and armour, all of them wide-eyed as I reckon I looked a little feral after what I'd just done. "He's responsible for Solona," I explained, "He did things to her afterwards. He was never going to live. He deserved every single thing he just suffered."
Justice turned back to us and he was now firmly in control of Anders. "They will die!" he cried, "I will have every last templar for these abuses!"
"It's over, Anders. They're all dead," Hawke stated, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.
He shrugged her off, swinging around on all of us. His eyes glowed blue. I won't say they were evil. I didn't believe Justice was an evil spirit. But he was no doubt effected by two things, the first being the anger that burned with Anders, and the second being the crimes committed against the mages of Kirkwall. "Every one of them will feel justice's burn."
Ella, the young mage we'd rescued, looked up and backed away from all of us. "Get away from me, demon!"
I sensed Justice close up towards the girl. I stood up, took a few steps back, putting me between him and her. "I am no demon! Are you one of them, that you would call me such?"
I unsheathed my sword, something Justice noticed. Then he met my eyes. "She is a mage, Anders. We just rescued her from being made Tranquil. She is one of you."
He shook his head. "No! She is one of theirs! I can feel their hold on her!"
Hawke stepped closer, again resting a hand on his shoulder. One of comfort, a gentle squeeze. "She's the reason you're fighting, Anders," she stated softly, "Don't turn on her now. You turn on her, you turn on them all."
Anders raised his staff as to cast a spell. I raised my sword. "Do it, Anders, and I will cut you down."
"Please, Messere," she whimpered behind me.
Anders released a cry… the staff from his grip and he backed away. I had no idea the internal conflict, but he was clearly fighting to regain control of himself. He slumped against a wall, falling to his arse, head in his hands. Then there was silence before there was a faint cry. As Hawke dealt with him, I turned to the young mage, getting down to one knee. "What's your name?" I asked.
"Ella."
"Okay, Ella. You keep the jacket for now. Head to Darktown. Wait there and we'll come talk to you. We've got things to deal with here. Is that okay?"
"I'll take her," Fenris stated, "I would eventually like my coat back."
The soft joke relieved some tension, Ella wiping her tears as I helped her to her feet, Fenris resting an arm around her as he led her away. Turning around, Anders was back on his feet, crestfallen by what happened. "I… I need some time alone. Time to think. Is that okay?"
"Head home, Anders. We'll sort this mess out then have a chat," Hawke replied.
Anders waited a few minutes before following Fenris and Ella. That left the rest of us to deal with the templars. "Shit," I muttered.
"Let's check Alrik. That was the whole point of this, right," Hawke stated.
Hawke and Varric glanced at me for a moment as they noticed what I'd done to Alrik. I stated it was righteous, the pair agreed with me, so they picked up his armour and clothing, looking for any evidence. Varric eventually found a somewhat blood stained letter inside a pocket. He read it out for the rest of us.
To Her Excellency, Divine Justinia,
I am well aware both you and Knight-Commander Meredith have rejected my proposal, but I beg you to reconsider. The mages in the Free Marches are past controlling, their numbers have doubled in three years, and they have found a way to plant their abominations in our ranks. They cannot be contained!
The Tranquil Solution is our answer. All mages at the age of majority must be made Tranquil. They'll coexist peacefully, retain their usefulness—a perfect strategy! It's simply the best way to ensure mages obey the laws of men and Maker.
I remain, as always, your obedient servant,
Ser Otto Alrik
"Anders was right. This arsehole was going to commit… I'm not sure what to call it," Hawke muttered.
"Maybe Meredith isn't as bad as people think?" Varric only half-joked, "I mean, if you believe all the rumours, this is something she would have been all for. The fact she rejected it would suggest she doesn't want the same thing as this lunatic."
"At least I'm not going to war against the Templar Order now," I muttered, "I honestly thought Meredith would have agreed. Maybe she's not completely insane."
"How are you feeling?" Hawke asked. I understood the concern.
"He admitted to being responsible. I have taken care of him now. Solona is… safe where she is. For the moment, that's what matters. I'll inform Aedan and the Wardens that the Templar Order as a whole was not responsible. Maybe that will ease any tensions and unhappiness over what happened."
"At least we finally found who was responsible," Varric muttered, "Hopefully that will put an end to some of the madness."
It was something to consider, but for now, it was time to head back. We did nothing about the bodies. The templars would find them eventually and be left with nothing but questions. I did suggest we spread some rather nasty rumours about Ser Alrik, mostly as a joke, as I would sure news of his timely demise would spread.
Returning to Darktown was far quicker than leaving, and we found Ella being cared for by some of the kindly souls that inhabited the place. She was thankful that we had arrived when we did. When she asked what she should do, we had a decision. Send her out into the world on her own, or should she go back to the Circle. For the first time I could remember, I agreed the Circle was the best option. "Ser Alrik is gone. It was clear he had other nefarious reasons for making you Tranquil," Hawke stated, "It seems Meredith does care for her charges. You should be safe from now on."
Thanking us again, we at least escorted her to the edge of Darktown so she could make it back to the Circle. Then we went looking for Anders. He was pacing his clinic again, though this time his face was one of abject sorrow, muttering away to himself.
"It's all gone wrong, Hawke. Justice and I. We're just a monster, same as any abomination."
"So you're giving up now, Anders? You're going to let the templars win?" she asked. This is what Anders needed now. Tough love.
"Maybe they deserve to win. Maybe they're right."
"The Anders I know would never speak in such tones," I stated.
He sighed, slumping onto a nearby bench, the fight completely drained from him. "How can I fight for freedom of mages when I am the example of the worst that freedom brings?"
"Look, Anders, we know mages can be dangerous," Hawke replied, "But not all of them are. Most live peaceful lives. But the fact so many consider them dangerous and that's it, that's why this has been so hard. So, make yourself an example that other mages can be proud of. Fight, but fight the good fight. Lead by example. Control your powers."
"I just don't know if I can even trust myself anymore. I'm not sure I can even call him Justice. He seems to be more a… a creature of vengeance. What if turns on someone else innocent? You won't always be around to stop me."
I handed him the papers we found on Ser Alrik. "Anders, you were right. This letter is written by Ser Alrik to the Divine herself. The 'Tranquil Solution' was true, but began and ended with him. Meredith wasn't interested, nor was the Divine. The man responsible, the man who wished to commit this horrific act, the man who kidnapped and made Solona Tranquil, now lays dead."
He must have read the letter two or three times before he looked up. "I will admit, that is not what I expected. The stories you hear of Meredith…" He shook his head. "Maybe I've had this all wrong. Maybe I should try talking with the grand cleric. Maybe she's more reasonable that I thought."
"Those are some good options, Anders. Perhaps you need to sleep on things, see how you feel later," Hawke suggested.
"I will. Thank you, all of you. At least we know the mages are now safe from Ser Alrik."
We headed out of Darktown to be greeted by the first rays of sunshine. No wonder we were all feeling exhausted. Without needing to report to anyone, though Hawke mentioned perhaps handing the letter over to a templar friend we did have in the ranks, we split up and headed home.
Heading inside, I did not expect the commotion I walked into. There were plenty of strangers about, no-one I recognised, and if I didn't know any better, a couple of them were mages. They all stopped and stared at my appearance. The silence attracted attention, as Gawen appeared at the top of the stairs. Before I could even ask, he bounded down the stairs, preventing me walking up them. "My lord," he started to say.
"What's going on?" I asked carefully. I glanced around. No-one seemed able to move a muscle. The overriding emotion I sensed was… fear. "Gawen, what's going on?"
"Lady Bethany, lord… She woke early this morning… terrible cramps… blood…"
I made to brush past, but Gawen stood his ground, pressing his hands into my chest. "Lord," he said.
"Gawen, if you don't move…"
He nodded, putting his hands to his side immediately. "Very well, lord. If you wish to become violent, so be it. But…" He put a hand back to my chest, forcing me to meet his eyes. "Uhtred…" He never used my name… I didn't mind, but why now? "Lady Bethany is alive, but the healers need to do their work. She is very ill. If they don't work, she may die. But… the child…"
I didn't really hear much else of what he heard. Just… white noise. I saw his lips moving and understood, but I didn't really hear it. I staggered backwards until my back hit the wall and slid to the ground. He followed me, crouching down so he met my eyes again. "How…" I didn't even know what to ask, trailing off…
"This child is lost, Uhtred. I am sorry."
I blinked rapidly, feeling the tears build, yet they did not come. "Bethany?"
"Alive but unconscious. The healers are working to save her now." I nodded, understanding somewhat. "Uhtred, her mother and sister. Should someone get them?"
"Um… Aye, I'll…"
He rested a hand on my shoulder. "Stay there, lord. I will get them myself. Should I tell them?"
I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't have a clue. He patted my shoulder and he disappeared, noticing him walk past. Two of our other servants appeared, helping me to my feet, basically dragging me into the study so I could sit by the fireplace. They offered me a drink, but I turned it down, and the thought of eating simply made me sick. I sat with my elbows on my knees and head in my hands, just feeling… lost.
Leandra and Hawke arrived quickly. Leandra headed straight upstairs. Within seconds, her wails of despair echoed through the house. Hawke came to me, weeping as I held her in my arms. I thought I'd felt heartbreak when I'd lost Alexandra. This felt… a million times worse. I knew, in that moment, that the gods, the Maker, anyone with Divine power, hated me. They mocked me by offering what I wanted, then snatched it away when it was close.
I'm not sure how long I sat there with Hawke until one of the healers walked in. She didn't even bother saying her name, doubt I would have remembered. She tried talking to me, but she gained no real reaction, so she spoke to Hawke. I heard her mention that Bethany was now out of danger, and all she needed now was care. Hawke thanked her as I heard footsteps down the stairs, disappearing outside, before the doors finally closed. I glanced out the window to see it was almost night time already.
Finally, Hawke grabbed me by the hand and led me upstairs. The door to the nursery Bethany and I had put together was closed. I doubt we'd ever open it again. I knew that was it. The fact she'd fallen pregnant, considering she was a Grey Warden, had been a miracle. I'd been told that males found it easier to sire children than women, the latter effected by the darkspawn blood differently. If we tried again, and this happened again, it would kill us both.
Bethany was cocooned in the covers of our bed, looking deathly pale, a cloth on her forehead. Leandra sat beside her on a chair, holding her hands. She looked at me, tear streaked cheeks, her bottom lip trembling at my appearance. She stood up and hugged me, hearing the heartbreak in her cries. She had been even more excited than us about the news. She knew the chances of having a grandchild had dimmed significantly.
She gestured that I should sit and take her place. Hawke sat next to me, hearing her cry quietly beside me, so I grabbed her hand too. I'd never seen Hawke as vulnerable as she was in that moment, eventually wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close.
And still the tears wouldn't come. I'd take a deep shuddering breath, wanting, almost pleading for some sort of reaction. Burst into tears. Get angry and smash up the house. Just… something… But it's almost as if my body knew that if I started, I'd probably never stop.
It was the worst day of my life.