Author Notes: FINALLY. Fenris and Anders first meet. Sorry for the slow start.
Again, I will be switching out POVs between Anders and Fenris.
Chapter Four: Of Abominations and Feral Dogs
Hawke had proven to be a formidable find in the corrupt city of Kirkwall. He had proven to be a fierce warrior against those slave-hunters from Tevinter and even from against the affects of blood magic. Hawke was a suitable ally to have against Danarius whenever the cowardly magister would dare to finally show his face. Even if Hawke's company were of the questionable sort. Sister a mage and comrades with that naïve blood mage. Questionable indeed.
Then again, Fenris had met Hawke under rather questionable circumstances. He had tricked the warrior into a trap that had been meant for him. Not the noblest of things, but it worked for his benefit. He had helped in disposing of the slavers that had tracked him down, but never would he have thought the man would offer to help confront his former master. Hawke was different from most he had met. He vaguely reminded him of Haydn back in Seheron.
The elf had been so moved by Hawke's actions that in return for his aid, he would pay the man back with his own services.
Like today, he was accompanying Hawke along with the guardswoman, Aveline, and the dwarf, Varric, into Low Town to seek information about a grey warden. He had never met a warden before, but had heard of the order before in the Imperium. They were an order of strong warriors who would give their lives to fighting off darkspawn, from his understanding. He would be lying if he wasn't in the least bit interested in meeting this warden.
"You're brooding again, Elf." Varric called out from over his stocky shoulder, which caught Fenris' attention with a small scowl of his own. Why was the dwarf so adamant in calling him broody?
"I am not 'brooding', dwarf. This is my natural face." Fenris snapped back grumpily.
"Really? Aveline, he's starting to scare me more than you do." Varric chuckled out jokingly, which earned a laugh from their leader and an agitated groan from the tall guardswoman.
"According to some of the refugee's around here that warden is running a clinic down in Darktown." Hawke suddenly spoke out towards both Aveline and Fenris, as Varric had tagged along earlier for that bit of new information on Deep Road maps.
'A clinic? Interesting.'
"Oh, I've heard of it… The templars have been stalking around it for some time now. The refugees are adamant on keeping him safe it seems. I can't really blame them." Aveline spoke about the matter as the group continued to walk in the direction winding stairs that led to the undercity of Kirkwall.
Fenris' brows scrunched together a moment at that comment. Templars were only concerned when mages were involved. Did that mean that this grey warden that they were off to meet was a mage? And Hawke knew this and brought him along anyway? "Venhedis…" The elf cursed lightly as he padded behind the group down the stone steps to the underbelly of the city.
The stench was what caught Fenris' attention first. It was a sour smell of sweat, despair, and not to mention the rotten odor of what he could have been horribly decayed carcasses. As to what, he could only hope that they were animal remains. Darktown was also filled with refugees. Squatting in Hightown really did have its benefits, not that he really had complained before.
The group stood out amongst the refugees and Fenris could feel certain eyes upon them, which made him, feel uneasy.
"That Linelle mentioned a lit lantern… there we go. Isn't that just a quaint picture?" Hawke joked gruffly as they passed on through to the back of Darktown, coming upon a shambling building with two lit lanterns that hung outside. Outside the clinic was a small group of sick-looking refugees, waiting their turn it seemed.
'So the grey warden is a healer… but still a mage.'
Fenris opted to hang back from the group as they entered into the clinic; it was surprisingly tidy considering where it was located. His lips turned into a stern line as the elf witnessed a human mage performing magic upon a young boy. His own body tingled against the magic that loomed in the air around them, causing him to inwardly hiss in discomfort. One wrong move from the mage and he wouldn't hesitate to cut the man down. Fenris' hands were ready to make a grab for the broadsword that hung so easily upon his back.
"I have made this a place a sanctum of healing and salvation, why do you threaten it!?"
Oh yes, things were going swimmingly. Fenris growled lightly, but Hawke was quick to interfere.
Since coming to Kirkwall and opening up the clinic in Darktown, the last few months had been draining. All of the refugees from Ferelden were sure to keep the healer quite busy. Running from the blight had caused many to leave all their possessions behind and so they came with nothing but the clothing upon their back and if they were lucky a pieces of silver in their pockets. Day in and day out he would open his clinic to the poor and with little payment he would heal those in need.
'Helping these dredges is not a part of our plans…' The familiar voice spoke in the back of Anders' mind as he was currently an arm deep in blood of a young boy. Thankfully the healer ignored the fade spirit. Those thugs that hung around Darktown had gone and attacked the child, severing a serious artery in the process. Thankfully he did not immediately bleed out due to his parents' quick thinking.
Wisps of healing magic transferred from his fingers as they repaired the severed artery. However, the boy was far from the dangers of dying in the cot due to blood loss. Hours later, and a number of lyrium potions, Anders had managed to suture together the nasty slash in the boy's chest and soon the boy gasped from the brink of death and looked around a moment before feeling his mother's warm embrace.
"Oh, Aeden! Thank the Maker! Thank you, healer!" The woman cried out almost at the brink of hysteria from nearly losing her child. A shadow of a smile graced Ander's lips before he stumbled back and turned away from the woman and child, feeling the husband catch his elbow and whisper his own thanks before attending to his family once more.
Anders merely gave a nod of acknowledgement as he grasped hold of the nearby staff against the wall and supported himself as he caught his breath a moment. He was utterly exhausted from that expulsion of power.
'There are people here who threaten us!' Justice warned in his mind. Anders could only inwardly sigh and wonder if it was more thugs to harass him or, Maker forbid, the templars had found him. The fade spirit within him bided him to fight for his survival. With renewed energy Anders twirled the staff in his arms and faced the intruders and found that it was thankfully not templars, but perhaps a group of thugs.
"I have made this a place a sanctum of healing and salvation, why do you threaten it!?" The blonde demanded of the group, eyeing them for a moment.
Something seemed off. They were not the usual thugs that hung around Darktown. Except for the elf in the back. That man just screamed intimidation and looked eager for a fight.
It was the leader of the group, a tall dark-haired man with an equally large sword strapped to his back. Thankfully he did not look as if he was there to fight, which put him a little bit at ease.
"Whoa there, we mean you no harm. Come in peace and all that." The man joked lightly with a small gesture that could have been considered to be comical. And normally it would have been something Anders would have snickered about, but perhaps under better circumstances. It was then that the dwarf that stood beside the human warrior spoke up for his friend as to the reason of their presence.
"We're interested in getting into the Deep Roads, and rumor has it you're a Grey Warden. You wouldn't happen to know a way?"
Andraste's perk tits! These people must have been barking mad to want to go into those blighted Deep Roads. Anders cringed slightly at their mentioning and lowered his staff in the process. They weren't wardens; he couldn't sense the taint within them. So why would they want to know how to get down there? Anders frowned sourly as he shrugged them off a moment.
"If you're working for the Wardens, I am not going back. Those bastards made me get rid of my cat, poor Ser Pounce-A-Lot." Anders spoke with a soft huff, which warranted him more than a few strange looks.
"He was a gift...but that's not the point. Why do you want to go into the Deep Roads?"
When the group explained that it was for an expedition that they were planning, it did little to convince Anders. He scoffed lightly and shook his head. "I have no interest in going back into that blighted underground—"He began to utter but stopped mid-sentence as mumblings from Justice invaded that back of his mind. "—however, a favor for a favor seems fair. If you help my friend escape the circle, I'm afraid the templars are going to do something drastic to him."
With a little more explaining he was surprised to learn how sympathetic this Hawke was to the mages' plight. Or at least, for his friend. It was a nice little surprise indeed.
"I am not going to be helping this apostate." A deep and gruff voice uttered, which caused the rest of the group to go quiet and glance back towards the scary looking elf. Anders scowled himself at the term and gripped his staff tightly in his hand.
"All right, I understand Fenris. I'll just bring Isabella or Merril along."
"Hmph, do what you want. This will only end badly." The elf retorted before practically storming out of his clinic, hearing a few gasps from waiting patients.
Just great. Hawke was friends with a mage-hater.
Hawke had to be crazy to help that apostate! Fenris could only think that the man's judgement had been clouded by his own personal experience with mages. Namely his sister and his father. Wasn't any old entrance good enough for getting into those Deep Roads?
What had gotten to Fenris more, was that Hawke had visited him after helping that apostate and told him what had occurred at the Chantry. He wanted to not freak out if he and that Anders were paired together and if the mage would suddenly glow. The mage was an abomination. Not that Hawke said that, but it was the only thing Fenris could think. A spirit of 'Justice' possessed the mage. That was just another fancy way of saying demon.
When Hawke had left Danarius' mansion, he left a very disgruntled Fenris. The elf had drunken enough wine to be more than tipsy. And now he was upset. "Urrg… Maker take them!" he cursed loudly with a loud crash of glass against wall. There was just no way he'd take this lying down. Hawke did not know what he was getting himself into. Possessed mages were the most dangerous.
He could not just stand by and let Hawke make such a perilous mistake.
Anders had been crying. Ever since Hawke and the others had left his clinic. What had happened at the Chantry had affected him greatly. How could Karl have been made tranquil? He had never once tried to escape the circle in Ferelden! A model mage and the pride of First-Enchanter Irving.
'He is free now.' Justice spoke in his mind and caused Anders to sob all the more. He had ended Karl's life in the Chantry. His blood now stained his hands. For a healer he had so much blood on them! The familiar embellished pillow was hugged against the mage's chest as he quietly wept for his friend, when there was a bit of noise from the front of the clinic.
Another addict trying to get in? Or maybe another thug wanting to take what little supplies he had left? Anders quickly wiped the tears that stained his redden-eyes and grasped his nearby staff. Shakily he stood and swiped back the curtains that separated his room from the rest of the clinic and found a familiar elf standing in his clinic.
"…Fenris?" He spoke aloud with a slightly hoarse voice.
"Do not think I won't be watching, abomination." The elf spat out towards him, with a bit of a slur in his voice.
He had been drinking it seemed. A rise of mild fear rose up as he wondered why the elf bothered coming all the way down to his clinic. Then it clicked. Hawke and told him. What in the Black City was that man thinking!?
"…I am not an abomination." Anders all but hissed back as he gripped the staff in his hands. Hawke had also mentioned a few things about his elf friend and the mage was rather set on not having his still-beating heart literally ripped from his chest.
He watched Fenris warily as the elf half-way stumbled towards him, though made no motion towards the large sword at his back. Anders wondered briefly if that was a good thing or not. "Spirit or demon does not matter. I will protect Hawke from you." He growled out before thusly falling forward against a very startled Anders who yelped out as he dropped his staff and caught the elf's shoulders.
Anders remained tense for a long moment and wondered if his heart would be ripped from his chest, but no such action occurred. He released a steady breath as he glanced down towards Fenris and noticed that he had passed out. You had to be joking! "Now what…?" He grumbled as he glanced around his clinic a moment.
'I enjoy his song… keep him here.'
That line of thought startled the mage greatly and wondered what it was that Justice was referring to until he noticed that his fingers were tingling with power. Those intricate tattoos that complimented the elf's skin were reacting to his touch and glowing. Hawke had mentioned the lyrium. "…Justice, stop being a pervert." He muttered as he pulled the elf over to a cot and laid him down upon it.
No choice, he'd have to leave the feral beast in his clinic for the night. How lovely!
Anders shakily sighed from the depression and exhaustion and fixed the front door the best he could. When that elf woke up he was going to make the bastard pay for a new door and lock! Done with what he could do for the night he shakily moved back to his own room and lay down upon the bed with pillow clutched in hand.
That night Anders had little sleep and by the time morning had come, Fenris was long gone from the clinic.