Moonpriestess30: Today is hectic! But I've found ten minutes peace while they eat breakfast. So, I may have finished this Fiction, and I have others half finished... I may have started writing a new one. I know, so bad. It's an FenrisxOC again, but it's quite different in concept.

Judy: Glad to see that you're okay!


Chapter 185 – The wolf within.

Makatza shakes herself, trying to remove some of the blood that had landed on her fur. She sits and lifts the weight off her paw while looking around for Elgon and Ciere. They were sniffing around the lower dock with Bubble, investigating something interesting or rotting. Neither of them seem to be harmed so she exhales deeply in relief. Fenris walks over to her and checks her over, taking out a small cloth to wipe down her snout, he takes her paw and she whines, 'can you heal?' He asks carefully as he looks at her foreleg, felt like a fracture. Makatza nods, she was getting there. They look over to the sound of armour and another templar appears and starts to talk to Garrett. 'Keran?' Fenris says confused and looks at Makatza who does her version of a canine shrug.

'-What? Where is she?! So help the Maker you tell me now, Keran or you'll regret the day I ever let you leave that damn tunnel and you'll wish that demon gave you a sweeter ending,' Garrett snarled as he grabbed the recruit.

'The coast! They've gone to the Wounded coast!' He yelps as Hawke's fingers begin to burn him where they touch. 'That's where they took the pirate!'

Garrett throws him aside and grabs his staff turning around to Fenris and Makatza who was healing herself. Keran ran once on his feet and disappeared into the streets. 'They've taken her! They've gone too fucking far this time! Not her! I'll slit their goddamn throats,' he snarls as his eyes begin to glow and emit mana, it becomes stifling hot around him and the dirt around his feet begins to smoulder.

Fenris stands up and wipes down his blade before throwing the cloth to the side, 'Hawke, what are you talking about?' He asks as Makatza shifts form, holding her arm in support while she healed.

'They've damn well captured Isabela!' He snaps. 'They've taken her down the wounded coast to use as leverage against me or something,' he growls. Makatza's expression darkens and she whistles to the wolves who come running over.

'Well then, we're going to the coast,' she states simply as she begins to walk out the way they came in. Kidnap my best friend? I don't fucking think so, you've just made an enemy that you can't possibly handle, she mentally snarls, her inner wolf bayed for blood and she ignored everything around her. Garrett doesn't need any encouragement and catches up easily, Fenris a couple of steps behind him keeping an eye on their backs. Their journey to the coast was luckily pretty uneventful despite a few spiders. Makatza wasn't having any of it and the large splatter radius that was now decorating the sides of the hills and dunes said it all. Further down to the ruins they were interrupted by a small group of Templars and mages, to which Garrett dealt with, they were instantly surrounded by fire and very literally roasted alive. Fenris shared a look with Bubble at their loved one's reactions towards this situation. Garrett had mana pouring off of him in fury and Makatza was simply siphoning it from him. Both of them were were allowing their emotions to dictate their actions and bodies, Makatza's nails had grown long and sharp, her body shape had changed, it was almost like she had become a were-wolf. Fenris wasn't quite comfortable with the look of her, it worried him that she was only partially shifted but she seemed in control.

Fenris could see a group of people on the ruins below and managed to grab Makatza before she started to descend down the hill. 'Katza,' he says firmly, earning a growl from where he had stopped her. 'You need to regain one form or the other,' he says simply. 'Either turn into a wolf or become yourself. We do not need rumours or concerns that the Viscountess is a hybrid wolf or such ilk,' he says gently. Makatza looks down at herself and sighs, she hadn't even realised. With a deep breathe her body began to shimmer and she became her usual self once more.

'I'm sorry, I'm just so angry,' she whispers.

'Isabela will be fine, do not worry,' he says in reassurance. 'We will get her back and she will no doubt be asking to go the Hanged Man within moments of being free,' Fenris brushes her hair back from her face where it had become loose. 'I do not like the idea that you are being overwhelmed by your emotions,' he admits.

Makatza nods, 'I'm sorry. I feel on edge all the time, I don't know why-'

'It is a discussion for another time. Right now we need to save Hawke from himself,' Fenris comments as he sees the mage speaking to a templar. He didn't want to cut her off halfway but he couldn't see her cousin waiting for them to join him before he attacked. Fenris kisses her forehead to remove any harshness from his words and gives her a soft smile, before they continued on to where it looked like Hawke was getting into a rather heated argument. The wolves and Bubble had run ahead to stand next to the Champion who's temper was beginning to show, there was the occasional flicker and spark from him which stung when caught.

'Who's the Templar?' Makatza asks as they get close and the Templar ran past them with a couple of men on his tail.

Hawke glared at Makatza, in no malice but that was where his head was at. 'That was Samson, he has gone to get Ser Cullen,' he explains. 'I swear I will find whomever has Isabela and I will kill them,' he snarls before continuing down the hill.

Makatza sighs and nods, now that she had been separated from Garrett her emotions were much more her own, she was more worried than angry. 'This isn't going to help the mage's cause,' Makatza says quietly. She had tried to help improve relations with the mages in the city and managed to somehow convince Meredith to allow an open clinic where people could come to be healed once a month, that alone was a fragile standing. Fenris sighs and nods, he felt like a hypocrite when it came to the mages, on one hand he felt that the Gallows was indeed the safest place for their kind but he wouldn't want to see either Makatza or Garrett trapped there. 'Having Garrett on their side was really all that was keeping Meredith at bay. I have had to stay neutral as possible and this is just going to get messy,' she said as they walked.

'My Katza,' Fenris says as he sees that Garrett is speaking to another Templar, Thrask, if he remembered correctly. He grabs her by the arm lightly and listens out for any trouble that Hawke might be getting into. Pulling her to the side he looks her up and down, 'you will have to shift once more, we cannot allow you being seen here. It is bad enough that Samson saw you, though I doubt he will truly recognise you-' he pauses as he hears the sound of shouting and the thick feel in the air of blood magic. 'Stay here if you do not wish to fight but if you come out, shift,' Fenris commands as he places his hand on his pommel and looks around the corner. Garrett was fighting a pride abomination and he could see Isabela on the floor, suspended. He looks back at Makatza who had already turned into her wolf form and nods, drawing on his brands he threw himself into the battle. The large wolf jumped onto the abomination that was screeching and flailing it's arms around. Katza bit down on the, what she would call earrings and began to pull them out it's flesh and off it's head. Elgon and Ciere both run to her assistance and together they pulled the creature to pieces. Anyone who stood in Hawke's way was set alight in flame or thrown aside by a powerful kinetic blast. Bubble protected his master from anyone who got close while Fenris dealt with the Templars and their thicker plate armour.

Soon all that opposed them were dead and Garrett was free to run to Isabela's side. 'Why isn't she waking?' He asks. Makatza shifts and walks over looking her over, she seemed unharmed, that was a relief in itself. Garrett and Katza begin to test the spell and then her cousin swears. 'It's blood magic,' he snarls.

'What does that mean?' Makatza asks, not as well versed in blood magic as others.

'It means that only blood magic can free her,' the young mage, Alain, spoke. He walked over to Isabela and took out a dagger. 'I was not strong enough to stand against Grace, I was a coward. But at least I can give you back your loved one,' he says as he makes a slit on his arm and within moments Isabela began to glitter. Makatza exhales heavily and stands up as Garrett helps Isabela, she catches a look from Alain and smiles weakly. 'You're- You're the Viscountess!' Alain stutters.

Makatza goes a little red and clears her throat, looking down at herself she was covered in a lot of blood and no doubt had things stuck to her clothing here and there. 'Ah, yes. I am,' she admits as she looks at the scared mage. 'Here, let me heal you,' she offers as she takes his hand to see to his arm. I might not agree to blood magic, but even I can see that he only did it to help us, she thought sadly. Alain was shaking and staring at her.

'You're a mage. I didn't really believe it but you are,' he says as she heals him. 'You were that wolf! That's black magic! Forbidden magics!' Alain points out terrified.

Makatza exhales in a snort and gives him a look, 'I'm not a mage. I'm a naturalist,' she explains. 'It's different. Fenris places his hand on her shoulder and looks over to where Isabela was now speaking to Garrett about her capture. 'Excuse me, I need to see my friend,' Katza says softly to Alain who merely nods.

Fenris waited until Makatza was out of ear shot and distracted by her best friend before grabbing Alain by his clothing and lifting him up. 'Do you know who I am?' Fenris says simply, bluntly. Alain simply nods, his entire body shaking. 'If you tell anyone that you saw her here, or repeat anything that she said to you, I will hunt you down and kill you. Do you understand?' He asks not really asking the question. Alain frantically nods more wanting to claw at the elf's hands but knowing that it would be a bad idea. 'Good. Remember that. If you are lucky you may live to see another day,' Fenris says putting him down heavily.

'-I'm so glad you're okay,' Makatza says to Isabela as they share a hug. 'I was so fucking worried, so scared and oh Maker, you wouldn't believe how angry,' she said as Isabela held her tightly, the comforting smell of salt and sea washing over her. Her inner wolf whined and pawed at her mental barriers, she had been frightened that her pack had been hurt.

'I'm okay, I'm just angry at myself for letting myself be jumped and taken,' the pirate mutters. She lifts her head and looks around, she spotted a few shiny uniforms in the distance. 'Shit!' She swears making Katza jump.

'What-?'

Isabela didn't give Makatza a chance to ask any more as she tackled her to the right knocking her behind the ruins. Katza swore but Isabela placed her hand over her mouth and shook her head. It was quite a compromising position, Isabela was almost laying on top of her. 'Sssh!' Isabela whispered, placing a finger to her lips. 'Cullen! He can't see you,' she explains. 'Could you imagine how Meredith would twist this if she knew you were here?'

'Shit!' Makatza agrees and clamps her hands over her mouth. She listens carefully and they both try to stifle their breathing. Garrett was saying something about going easy on the mages that were left and the Templars that they conspired with. Cullen couldn't promise anything but he understood what Hawke was asking.

'You are here, not with the Viscountess,' Cullen says to Fenris, 'you even have her wolves,' he adds as he looks the elf up and down. Fenris crossed his arms and gave him a look, he wasn't happy about the insinuation.

'Hawke required my help, I have been out all night. Makatza is at home safe with her father. Unless there is any reason that she may require my protection in our own home?' Fenris states simply as he looks at the Templar.

Cullen chuckles and shakes his head, 'no. There should be no need, I am simply concerned. If something were to happen to you or one of her beasts I doubt she would be happy,' he points out. 'I have no fear that Lady Lorias can look after herself,' Cullen adds. His few brief meetings with the woman had impressed him, she was respectful yet firm and seemed to know exactly what she was doing.

Isabela smirked at Makatza who was rolling her eyes, 'he's got you down pat,' she teases. Makatza has to refrain from poking her in the side, it wouldn't be good to give away their position.

'Yes, she can,' Fenris agrees begrudgingly. 'As for the Viscountess, she will not be in office today, so if Knight Commander Meredith has anything she wishes to discuss it will have to be tomorrow,' he said simply. Cullen didn't enquire as to why she wasn't going to be about but took it at face value, he gathers his company and they begin to walk through the ruins keeping an eye on their charges. After about ten minutes Isabela risks poking her head out and then announces that it's clear. Makatza stood up brushing herself down and slapping Isabela around the arm making her laugh.

She walks over to her lover and checks him over for any wounds, 'I'm not going to be in office today?' Makatza repeats in question.

'Would you like to have some sleep at some point today? You have been up all night,' Fenris points out as he runs a couple of fingers down her cheek in his own comfort. Makatza pauses and then nods, she admits that he has a point and suddenly feels very thankful that he had spoken to Cullen about it. 'Now that the pirate is safe, your cousin is unlikely to get into trouble, do you wish to go home?' He asks as she falls into his chest, her weight reassuring and welcome. Wrapping an arm around her he kisses the side of her temple, 'shall we go home?'