I spent an hour after tracking down the man who Anders had given his letter to. And then, I hit him with the blunt end of Vigil.
Had a couple Carta thugs carry him to their boss, asked if I could dole out some punishment. Asked, because he was technically not my subordinate, and I didn't want my actions to come back to bite me on the butt.
After getting the go-ahead, I had the thugs follow me to my home. Where I had them tie him up.
Only a little more time passed before he stirred, opening his eyes.
"Well, look who's awake." I smiled brightly, sitting across from him.
"Wha-"
"You were given a letter from the man down in the clinic." My tone was cold, the smile on my face not matching at all. "What happened to it?"
"I..." He struggled against the binds.
"Tsk, tsk." Standing, I pulled Vigil free. Placed the tip of the blade against his Adam's apple. "What would you do, if you got free? There's nowhere to run."
A knock on the front door had me tilting my head.
"Don't go anywhere." With a chuckle, I went to answer.
Athenril stood on the other side.
"Oh." I glanced over my shoulder, toward the man. Full view of the door, tied to a chair. "This is a weird time."
"I can see that. What did he do?"
"Stole from the man who runs the clinic."
"I can have a few of my people come over, to rough him up some." The hard edge to her voice was proof enough that Anders was well-liked in the city. She'd rather stick to the shadows, hating to use violence. It wasn't even a last resort, with her. She just didn't want it tied to her in any way.
"Now, hold on! Don't do anything hasty!" He was trying to persuade us not to harm him.
"You're doing a bad job." She snapped, following the same train of thought as me. "So, shut up."
Walking over, I hit him with the blunt end of my dagger again. He slumped over, the ropes the only thing keeping him from sliding off onto the floor.
"What can I do for you, Thenie?"
She rolled her eyes, grinning. "I hate that."
"I know."
"I heard you're going to be lending a helping hand to the Hawkes."
"Word travels awfully fast in Kirkwall."
"Marian told me." An offer of information. "She wanted to know more about you and how you work. I told her what I know."
I nodded slowly.
"I've heard of what you're going to be helping with, and let me just say, it's not what it seems."
"Oh?" Glancing over, I motioned for her to come in. "Do you want some tea? We can talk over that. They won't be here for a few more hours."
"Are you going to deal with that?" A gesture toward the unconscious man.
"Eventually. You know me, I'll do the usual."
A nod. She came in, sitting on one of the chairs, while I went and made some tea.
The next hour passed with her telling me what I needed to know, no strings attached. It was nice, being able to share without anything being expected in return. She was good, when it came to that.
...
Late Night
A knock on the door, and I was on my feet.
Garrett, Marian, Varric, and Aveline stood beyond it.
Aveline was there so none of the guards would give them any trouble for seemingly skulking about, I was sure. Not only that, but this was procuring stolen goods within the city she was protecting. It was technically guard business.
As far as they knew, anyway.
"Alright, lead the way."
"You're not going to tell me what this is about?" The guard gave me a slow perusal. "She's a child. We shouldn't involve her."
"It's alright, Aveline. Trust us." Garrett's deep voice was calming, his smile reassuring.
It eased her clearly frayed nerves.
A few minutes later, we were in Lowtown, heading into the Alienage. Nothing but junk was in the lockbox, much to their dismay.
A lot of dead bodies for an empty box.
"I don't understand." Aveline sounded frustrated.
Marian shook her head, frowning. "Maybe one of them got away with it."
"How about," I suggested, not even trying to hide my smile. "we just go back?"
"That's all we can do, really. We've searched the whole building."
A man stepped around the corner, coming down the steps into the Alienage as soon as we left the building.
"I don't know who you are, friend, but you've made a serious mistake coming here. Lieutenant! I want everyone in the clearing! Now!"
No one came for a solid minute.
When someone did, it was a man. A man who was holding his stomach, blood pouring from a wound.
Oh, this was getting good.
He collapsed, revealing an elven man behind him.
"Your men are dead. And your trap has failed." A smug tone. "I suggest running back to your master while you can."
The newcomer stepped past the first man, facing us. Putting his back to the other, like he wasn't important. Ouch. Poor guy.
"You're going nowhere, slave." A hand reached out and grasped the elf's shoulder.
I threw a dagger at him, hitting him squarely between the eyes. "Ass."
He went down like a sack of potatoes.
A glance at me, his eyes roaming our party. "I apologize." We weren't going to talk about the child in the group who just murdered a man? Okay, cool. I liked him already. "When I asked Anso to provide a distraction for the hunters, I had no idea they'd be so... numerous."
"I take it these men were looking for you?" Varric raised an eyebrow.
He walked a few steps away, his back to us now. "Correct."
"We do this sort of thing often." A joke from the warrior twin, her chuckle at the end endearing. "We've faced worse."
"Impressive." He finally turned back around. "My name is Fenris. These men were Imperial bounty hunters seeking to recover a magister's lost property, namely myself. They were trying to lure me into the open. Crude as their methods were, I could not face them alone." Smart man. "Thankfully, Anso chose wisely."
"That seems like a lot of effort for one slave." Marian mused.
"It is."
"Does this have something to do with those markings?"
"Yes. I imagine I must look strange to you." A gesture toward himself. Toward the tattoos adorning his body. "I did not receive these markings by choice. Even so, they have served me well. Without them, I would still be a slave."
Wait a minute... Were they... Was that lyrium as the ink?
"We don't appreciate being lied to." Garrett spoke up for the first time since we entered Lowtown. "We would've helped, if someone had explained the situation."
"...Perhaps the deception was unnecessary..." Fenris acquiesced. "I am sorry. I have become too accustomed to hiding."
"If they really were trying to recapture you, then I'm happy we helped." The other two nodded in agreement.
"I have met few in my travels who have sought anything more than personal gain." He looked down, glancing up under his lashes with a kicked puppy expression. "If I may ask: What was in the chest? The one they kept in the house?"
"It was empty." Marian said gently.
It was clear he was hoping something specific was in there, from how he deflated.
"Ah."
"Well, our job is done, then." Aveline was quick to point it out, now that there was a lull in the conversation. "We should go."
"Not just yet."
Crouching, Fenris dug through the fallen man's pockets. Found a paper and a key. Straightening, he pulled my blade free and held it out. I took it and slid it back into its sheath.
"It's as I thought. My former master accompanied them to the city." Well, that sounded like fun. Were we going there next? "I know you have questions, but I must confront him before he flees. I will need your help."
"Confront him?" A snort from Marian. "It sounds like you intend to do more than just talk."
The elf came closer, scowling. "Danarius wants to strip the flesh from my bones and has sent so many hunters, that I have lost count." Maybe humor wasn't the best approach. "And before that, he kept me on a leash like a Qunari mage, a personal pet to mock Qunari custom."
"Ouch."
I let out a choked noise, trying to swallow a laugh. Maker, she was something else. I loved her.
"So, yes, I intend to do more than just talk." The scowl deepened.
"If it means killing more slavers, we're in." Garrett, the peacekeeper, getting them back on track.
"I will find a way to repay you. I swear it." A bow of his head, determination shining on his face when he raised it. "The magister is staying at a mansion in Hightown. Meet me there as soon as you can. We must enter before morning."
"We-"
"It's okay. We should help him now." I waved away whatever Marian had been about to say. "We'll have time." A smile at my own words. "Don't worry."
She glanced at the others, who all nodded.
We all wanted to help him.
"We'll go now, then."
"Okay."
The trek through the streets was uneventful, surprisingly. I'd expected to be ambushed at least once. What was this magister doing, sleeping on the job? He was making the night awfully boring for me.
"Danarius may know we're here. I wouldn't put it past him."
It wasn't like we were hidden or anything. We'd literally marched right up to his front door. If he didn't know we were here... Well, he'd be stupid, really.
"I'll see you all inside." With that, I called the shadows to myself. Melted out of sight before their eyes.
"That's another reason why we brought her." Marian pointed out to Aveline, who just blinked at where I'd been a second before.
Ah, a room with an unlocked window. Easy peasy. Until I was standing inside, and four shades were summoned by the defenses that the mage had placed.
I mean, they were dispatched easily enough, since they couldn't see me and seemed very confused to be called forth without any noticeable intrusion. But still.
I cleared out the next room, too. Four more shades appearing when I eased the door open.
The sounds of fighting reached me, coming from beyond a door that, with the layout of these houses, was probably the main hall. Living room. Something like that.
It was chaos, fire flying everywhere. Rage demons. I was honestly a little surprised the house wasn't burning down around us.
But Garrett, it turned out, knew a wide array of spells. Including ice and water-based ones. He worked at snuffing them out, while his sister and Aveline protected him. Varric taking out the shades on the balcony. Fenris cutting down anything that came near him.
Upon opening the door, because of course he ran up and threw it open, hoping to... what? Find the magister trembling behind it? An arcane horror launched him backward, over the edge of the balcony, and down into the main room.
It wasn't an easy fight but, much like the drake, it wasn't overly difficult. Just a lot of deflecting magic missiles.
Unfortunately, a glance in the room after the fight proved that there was no magister.
"Gone..." He looked so defeated. "I had hoped... no, it doesn't matter any longer. I assume Danarius left valuables behind. Take them, if you wish. I... need some air."
He walked out without a backward glance. Poor guy.
Varric took him up on the offer, finding more than a few shiny baubles that would fetch a decent price. Along with some gold pieces.
"Are you alright?" Marian softly asked the man leaning against the façade of the building.
"It never ends. I escaped a land of dark magic, only to have it hunt me at every turn. It is a plague burned into my flesh and my soul. And now, I find myself in the company of yet another mage." A heavy sigh, a glance toward Garrett. "I should have realized sooner what you really were. Tell me, then: What manner of mage are you? What is it that you seek?"
"I'm just trying to get by."
"Yet, I have seen many crimes done in the name of survival."
"I want to protect my family."
"He's not the only mage around here." I spoke up, despite my anxiety at admitting it. If he was going to start something, he had to know that Garrett wouldn't be alone.
A look of... something flashed across the elf's face. "I imagine I appear ungrateful. If so, I apologize, for nothing could be further from the truth." A hard nod. "I did not find Danarius, but I still owe you a debt. Here is all the coin I have, as Anso promised."
"Keep it." Marian pushed his outstretched hand back toward him. "If you're staying in Kirkwall for any length of time, you'll need it."
"And these'll sell for a pretty silver." The dwarf handed over a bag. The bag he'd put all the trinkets in.
I knew they were good people.
Fenris looked at a loss, it taking a few minutes for him to pull himself together. "Should you find yourself in need of assistance, I would gladly render it."
Smoke rose up from... about where the Chantry was.
"That's our cue." I motioned toward it.
"Maker..." Marian's eyes met mine, hers wide. "What..."
"C'mon. I'll explain on the way."