Nightmares Should Really Stay in the Fade Re-write
Chapter 5
The warrior grabbed Annabelle's arm roughly and wrenched it behind her back until she cried out. Fenris tried to stand up, but Hadriana pinned him down with her foot. The head slaver they'd failed to kill clapped a manacle on each of Hawke's wrists, chaining her hands tightly behind her back using much more force than necessary.
Then she sobbed a little as he gagged her with a piece of cloth, and started to lead her away. She kept trying to turn and look back at Fenris, the gag muffling her screams and cries, but he just closed his eyes, sorrow and defeat written all over his face.
As Hawke was led away Danarius grabbed Fenris by his hair and pulled him up. "How splendid." he marveled. "Two birds with one stone." Hadriana smirked, but said nothing.
Danarius motioned for his remaining henchmen to step forward. "Chain him," he commanded, but as they moved to obey he added. "Use caution, this one might try to run, and if he does, you'll all pay."
"Never." Fenris said solemnly, looking the magister in the eyes. "Not while you have Annabelle."
The magister chuckled. "So be it." Then Danarius' men used huge, heavy chains to retrain the elf. The entire time, Fenris glared daggers at the man he'd been running from for so long, who had finally recaptured him.
Annabelle was led aboard a large warship and taken immediately below deck. There was a large Mabari standing in a big wooden cage, with massive paws and even bigger teeth. There were a few elves placing piles of hay in a small cell near the Mabari's cage.
A little blonde elf stood near the open cell door moving aside when the two guards led Annabelle near. The young girl could not have been more than thirteen or fourteen and Hawke saw how thin and pale she was. Despite all her worries about Fenris and what was going to happen to the two of them, and everything she thought she should feel, Belle immediately pitied the young elf, knowing she'd probably never seen life the way a free person had.
She let the guards unceremoniously shove her into the cell, slam the door and lock it behind her. This was when the real tears started coming, and it began to sink in that she was not going to wake up from this nightmare in her bedroom, or drunk at the hanged man surrounded by her loyal friends.
She leaned on the slanted wooden wall at the back of the cell. Upon hearing her cries, the elevn girl who had been silent up until the guards left, spoke up.
"Don't cry…it's all right! " the elf cooed as she knelt to Hawke's level on the outside of the cell. "You're going to be alright, ma vhenan."
Hawke lifted her head and stopped sobbing for a moment. She scooted towards the girl.
"Here, let me get that off you," the elf offered. She waited, and the Champion leaned forward slightly so the young girl could reach through the bars and untie the cloth bound into Hawke's mouth.
As the tight pressure was released and the cloth fell to the floor, Hawke took a few deep breaths, and sniffled a little. "Thank you, dear…" she thought of Merrill, and the girl calling her 'my love' in the Dalish tongue. "Da'len." she corrected herself and the young girl looked puzzled.
"It's no trouble." the little elf said. She seemed genuinely sweet, and innocent. It was sad, really, that she thought nothing was wrong with her situation. "My name is Orana, what's yours?"
"Hawke." Annabelle managed, before she started crying again. There was a pause, then down the steps from above deck stepped Danarius, followed by Fenris, Hadriana and a helmed guard flanking him.
Fenris' furious expression was replaced with one of pain and hopelessness when he spotted Annabelle, sitting in a pile of hay near the door of the cell. Orana stood up quickly, not looking anybody in the eyes, and she greeted Danarius and Hadriana with a small curtsey.
"Mistress Hadriana, Master Danarius." she did not address Fenris or the guard, but she looked briefly at the guard, her face softening. He nodded to her. It made Annabelle sort of sick to her stomach the way the elf greeted the magisters. If she knew the guard, she was barely even allowed to make eye contact with him, which made her fear for Fenris and herself.
Hadriana nodded to the little elf. "Leave us, slave." she commanded. "We've business to attend to."
Danarius shoved Fenris forward and down onto his knees as the petite elven girl made haste to get above deck. "You, my pet, have a weakness for a pretty face."
Hawke glared at the magister angrily through the bars as he spoke to Fenris like the elf was a small child.
Fenris did not respond. "Answer me, you stubborn fool!" Danarius reached down quickly and slapped Fenris hard across the face, leaving a big red handprint on his cheek. The warrior grunted but said nothing.
"Then we shall flog the rebelliousness out of you!" the magister said. This, whether or not it was his intention, got quite a response from Annabelle.
"No! I haven't watched him heal over the past week only to see his body broken!" she cried, desperately. She hated pleading with the magister, but she felt powerless to protect Fenris otherwise.
Danarius laughed cruelly and all eyes were on Annabelle. "And I do thank you for keeping my pet in top condition and good health. That is the only reason I have not had you killed, but my dear Champion, I have been watching you. And the way you treat him has me quite fascinated indeed!"
Annabelle froze, slightly confused. "Your tenderness, my dear, his quite understandable, noble, even! Ah, but it is sadly misplaced." the magister continued. "Hadriana, go and fetch the whip!"
Annabelle's heart sank. Hadriana went above deck. "No, don't do this!" she cried. Fenris grimaced at the sound of her cries, but he didn't speak. She struggled against the chains binding her hands behind her back, mumbling profanities directed at the magister under her breath, and causing the older man to look at her with amusement in his cold eyes.
Then, finally, Fenris spoke up. "Hawke, I refuse to see you like this! Promise me you'll close your eyes," he said, half begging, because in reality he didn't want her to see him suffer either.
"And you, Danarius, are not to harm her, touch her, or look at her! Because if you do, I swear on my life, I will kill you!" Fenris snarled angrily.
A/N: And so we have the fifth chapter. Danarius is such a prick. He almost reminds me of the Sheriff from Robin Hood BBC, the sadistic…jerk. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for chapter 6!