Geeky momma: not much longer than usual im afraid, getting back into the swing of things.

Fiery shorti: I'll be sure to include that, though the next chapter is going to be gory, i've decided. Then maybe a bath ;P

Chapter eight

'Somewhere quiet, somewhere hidden,' Catherine says to herself as they walk up from the Hanged man a while later. She bit her nail as she absent mindedly followed Garrett up the stairs. She stopped in her place and sighed knuckling her head.

'What's the matter?' Hawke asked turning to look at her. 'We shouldn't dawdle, it's getting dark.' He placed a hand on his sword and kept looking around. 'We'll find her, don't worry, and Fenris has given his word not to hurt her. He won't break that,' he reassures. Catherine sighed and twiddled a bit of her her in thought.

'Now, I don't know a lot about, mages,' she says quietly. 'But, if I remember correctly, Amelie can't go far when she does that zippy thing. Like not far at all,' she says looking at Hawke in worry. 'I can't believe I didn't remember that!' She swore.

'Wait, are you saying that she could still be in the mansion?' Garrett says in panic. 'Is that truly what you're saying?' He clarifies.

'Somewhere quiet, somewhere hidden, where would that be in that place?' She asks quickly. Garrett shrugs. Catherine brushes past him as she begins to run up the stairs, taking two at a time.

'It's a large building, there's several rooms and a cellar,' he says simply, but he quickly caught up. Catherine stopped again and looked at him.

'An attic?' She said her face paling.

'Aye,' said Garrett weakly. 'There's an attic. It's got a secret passage to get there though. How would she know about it?' Catherine began to bolt up the stairs. Garrett had to follow quickly or be left behind.

'She was very close to our Fenris, if he knows about it, so does she,' Catherine's words came out in haste, her footsteps as she ran echoing down the town. Garrett swore heavily as he ran after her. He didn't doubt Fenris' word but Amelie tried to defend herself against him, his friend couldn't be held for his actions. He wasn't the most mentally stable person in the city. Plus they had all been drinking and that always does something stupid to the rational part of the brain.

-x-

He placed her on his chair and moved it closer to the fire. They hadn't said anything else to each other and the silence was almost comforting. He'd get answers once they both calmed down. She was still sniffling and holding her wrist delicately, he left the room and he knew that she watched him leave. He returned with a bowl of warm water and a cloth and without looking her in the eye; he began to wipe the grime from her cheeks with a damp corner. She watched his every move and when he dared to look at her, her amber eyes had turned into a deep honey colour thanks to the fire. Her breath tickled the back of his hand as he moved the cloth closer to her lips trying to remove a stubborn bit of dust.

'Thank you,' she murmured, her eyes intently fixed on him.

'It does not forgive what I did,' he replied moving away. Amelie sighed and shook her head. She thought that his reaction was justified to a point. To a broken man like him, the thought of someone being able to get inside of his head was too much. She simply leant forward and touched his shoulder lightly with her good hand.

'There's nothing to forgive,' she said quietly. He turned back to her and didn't say anything, he couldn't think of a reply. Instead he switched his attention to her wrist.

'May I?' He asked directing it at her injury, he wasn't looking forward to the physical contact, though her hand on his shoulder was almost tolerable. He could see that her wrist was swelling badly and it needed to be looked at. She nodded, taking her hand from his shoulder and slowly holding out her injured one. It hurt like the blazes and she held it tenderly. Amelie had to force herself not to wince and swear as he gently took her hand. 'You dislocated it, but you did not set it properly,' he says simply. Amelie swore mentally. She really was rubbish at the whole healing lark, magic or no. 'I can set it properly for you,' he offered. 'But it will hurt. A lot,' he adds, feeling like he should warn her. Biting her lip she closed her eyes and nodded. 'Brace yourself,' he says without feeling and twists her wrist.

-x-

Catherine heard Amelie scream just as Garrett picked the lock to the mansion. They stopped looking at each other before running in and up the stairs. The sound had come from Fenris' bedroom. 'I swear I'll kill him!' Catherine cursed as she ran, her legs feeling as if they were on fire.

'You'll have to beat me to it first!' Garrett promised. They ran across the landing, hearing Amelie sob and tore open the bedroom door, seeing Fenris crouched in front of the mage and her hunched in the chair in tears.

'I'll kill you!' Catherine screamed throwing herself at him. Her fingers had barely touched his shoulder before he grabbed her, using her momentum to throw her over himself into the wall. His markings lit up defensively. He spun around and saw Garrett draw his sword.

'You broke your promise,' he said quietly. Catherine was in tears as she got to her feet and drew her dagger.

'You bastard!' She said angrily, spitting the words at him. Fenris turned so he could see both of them at once. They both looked incredibly pissed, Fenris assumed that Catherine was the more dangerous of the two, seeing as she was more likely to try and stab him. Garrett hadn't moved yet, which means he was giving him a chance to explain himself.

'It was not intentional,' Fenris began before Catherine snorted in disbelief.

'Yeah right,' she hissed, 'you just couldn't stand that she was a mag-'

'ENOUGH!' Amelie said sitting up and holding her wrist. 'Both of you shut the fuck up! Otherwise someone is going to get struck by lightening!' She promised, ignoring Fenris' reaction. She winced as she stood up and moved over to Fenris, shielding him from them both. 'This is what happens when people jump to conclusions! Haven't you learnt that yet?' She sighed, she was favouring one leg to the other and held her arm close.

'We heard you scream,' Garrett points out slowly putting his sword away.

'Yes well if you hadn't assumed the worst of him and just barged in you would have known why,' Amelie rolled her eyes. Fenris looked down at the woman; she was a few inches shorter than himself. She was standing up for him despite what had happened. He was more confused than ever. Amelie looked over at Catherine. 'Put the knife away, you silly slattern,' she scolds. Catherine raises a brow but does as she asks and slips it back into it's sheath.

'So what happened?' Catherine asks, but it was more of demand. Amelie, sensing that the worst was over, limped back to the chair and sat down gingerly. Garrett took off his sword and placed it to the side, Catherine perched on the edge of a dresser and Fenris hadn't moved.

'I dislocated my wrist when I fell over and Fenris was resetting it for me, seeing as I bodged it up when I was hiding,' she says simply. 'Now it just burns like Andraste's holy knickers.' She sighed rubbing it lightly. 'He warned me it was going to hurt but I didn't realise how much.'

Garrett relaxes, 'well that explains enough for me. Apologies friend, I did not mean to insult your character,' he said softly to Fenris.

'You have not. I would not expect anything less from you,' Fenris says reasonably. He rubs his eyes before bending over and picking up the bowl and cloth, which Amelie gently took a hold of as it passed her. A silent exchange happened regardless of the other two and he let her have it, leaving the room with the bowl. Catherine raised a brow at Garrett who was leaning against the wall.

'Well, what's that for?' He asked nodding at the cloth.

'Oh,' Amelie smiled to herself. 'After he carried me down here, he went and got this and that water and washed the dust from my face,' she said quietly. 'I'm just hoping that's the end of the drama,' she adds.

'Knowing these people?' Catherine laughed. 'Unlikely.' Which made Amelie laugh lightly as Fenris entered the room. He looked between them before going to a bottle of wine that was sitting on the mantelpiece.

'Well, it's time I explained what Cat was going on about earlier. I can read minds, and um, see through people's eyes,' she spoke quickly, trying to get her explanation out before anything else happened. She refused to look at anyone as she spoke. 'It's a two way thing though. And I have to have permission, otherwise there's nothing I can do. If I were to keep trying I would just run out of mana and have a massive migraine.' She said simply. 'Besides, you would know if I was trying. It's like you feel my presence in your head asking, and you could say yes, verbally and mentally, but it doesn't let me in. You have to let me in mentally, like open your mind to me. Trust me, you'd be fully aware if I was in there with you. Apart from the fact that I practically glow with mana when I try to do it.' She adds.

Fenris listened to her explanation and it made sense to him, some Magisters were able to do it back in Tevinter, but as they used blood magic they could force their way in. But, as far as he was aware Amelie was a normal apostate. He settled for nodding and took a sip out of the wine.

'It's true, I let Amelie connect with me once and it took about an hour, we both ended up having migraines,' Catherine nodded. 'I mean it got easier over time and she can connect with me without too much effort. But it's a bond of equal trust. She can't make me do anything, because my mind rejects it. It's not my original idea and so it doesn't work,' she smiles at her friend.

Garrett chuckles, 'well, I've learnt more about magic than I ever wanted to know. Just gotta check no-one is in mortal danger?' He said looking at them all. 'Well if everything is good, I wanna go home, get something to eat and sleep. Sound good?' He asks Catherine who takes a moment to look at Amelie who smiled, reassuring her best friend that she was in no danger.

'Well, alright, but I'm keeping an eye on you,' she says to Fenris who simply rolls his eyes and ignores her. Catherine hops off the edge and gives Amelie a quick hug, following Hawke who picked up his sword, holding open the door for her as they left. When Amelie heard the front door close, she let out a large breath of air.

'Oh maker,' she giggled. 'Whatever did I do to deserve this?' She said to herself.

'Is that a rhetorical question, if not I may have some answers,' Fenris said stiffly as he took a seat opposite the fire, and next to her, as he soundlessly offered her the wine. She gave him a look and took the wine from him, mentally refusing to give it back.

'Am I forgiven for being a mage or do you still have that stick up your arse? Am I to sleep at night, or beware that you might suddenly have a change of heart and kill me?' She snapped back at him.

'I do not trust you, but I am inclined to believe your explanation for now,' he says raising a brow at her. He holds out his hand for the wine and she pouts, almost making him smile. Then she does something that he didn't expect. She took a sip from the bottle and kept going. Which figuratively speaking impressed him, seeing as there was over half bottle left. She passed him the empty receptacle and smiled.

'There, that's what I think of your answer,' she says tartly.

'Point taken,' he says feeling the weight of the empty glass. He sighs and rubs his eyes, he wished he had more to drink before he even attempted to say this. 'Look, Amelie,' he says not prepared for her full attention to be on him, she even leant over the side of the chair to look at him better. Her hair fell over the side in gentle waves as she tilted her head. 'I um. I have met a lot of mages in my life and uh,' he faltered clearly shocked with the intense gaze she had fixed him on the spot with. 'I mean. You are, not so bad,' he finishes feeling rubbish.

'But you still don't trust me,' she adds sadly.

'No.' He says firmly, turning back into his usual self. Amelie nods and sits back in the chair.

'That's okay, I mean trust is earned not given right?' She says half to him, half to herself. She sighs and gets up wandering out the room with her limp. Fenris tilted his own head but left her be, there was no need to follow her unless she left the mansion, and something told him that she wasn't going to do that. Amelie wandered across the hall, she knew this house like her own and made her way to the balcony on the other side of the building. She at this moment in time, just wanted to be alone. Be a home with her own friends and not be wound up in this mayhem. The ripped robes weren't doing anything for the cold, but she ignored it. She wasn't bothered by the breeze, it just kept her awake. Sadly, she looked over Kirkwall, seeing the city lit up like a field filled with fireflies. The familiar smells and sights just made her feel more alone than she already was. She could go talk to Catherine about this, but she didn't want to rain on her friend's happiness. She was, Catherine was happier than Amelie had ever seen her. Garrett seemed to always be able to make her smile or laugh. Such small things that Amelie could only wish for. Being a mage here, seemed to be a bigger problem than ever before. Guilt ran through her mind, what was her Fenris thinking? Probably that she had abandoned him, all her friends would be worried sick. They wouldn't stop searching either, they weren't like that. These thoughts raced around her head and she felt sick. Amelie pulled her knees up to her chest for warmth. She didn't realise how long she had been out there when she fell asleep, huddled for heat.

Amelie felt her position move and a source of heat overwhelm her. She wanted to open her eyes, but she was far too tired to do so. Instead she reached out for the warmth and touched skin and cloth. It was Fenris, he had picked her up and was now carrying her. She couldn't help the way her heart began to beat faster around him. She felt him place her gently on the bed, then pull a blanket over her. She almost stopped breathing as she felt him trail his fingers over her cheek, catching loose curls and tucking them behind her ear. Too soon she felt his presence become distant, and she risked opening her eyes slightly. She saw him on his chair by the fire, hunched over head in hands. Any other time she would have broken the pretence of being asleep, but a sense told her, that this time. This time he needed space.

So, next chapter is gore and going to try and get that bath scene in ;P

Review and let me know what you want/think.