So how did you like Chapter 3? Sorry it took so long, but I just started a new job. I'm sure you don't care, but I needed an excuse. Lol! Anyway, enjoy chapter 4!

Bioware owns Dragon Age. Lucky them.

Chapter 4:

It had been two weeks since that day, and Saura was as busy as ever trying to find decent work to pay the innkeeper for her constant presence. Her shoulder was healing beautifully without further use of magic, and she was pleased to find that her secret remained so. With the exception of Fenris of course. Saura hadn't even had the opportunity to ask Fenris what he'd been doing in the outskirts of the city near that abandon warehouse. Not that it really mattered in the end, Saura thought. She was just curious. But she would try to remember to ask him this evening during his first "visit".

She couldn't pinpoint why she was so nervous exactly. She only knew that she was worried he would imagine blood magic where there was none and run her through with his sword. Or worse, that he'd delved into her past somehow and was now on his way over to kill her. Oh Maker! What had she done? She was quite skilled, yes, but she doubted she could match his prowess in battle. Nor did she ever want to find out. Despite her moment of weakness the day Fenris had come to her rescue, her will to live was strong. She couldn't allow herself to rest yet. There was still one more thing she had to accomplish…

Saura paced the small area that made up her current living quarters. She'd tidied up so that it looked halfway decent and waited impatiently for her "guest". Her mind drifted back to the job that had taken her out of the city that day. Marzemer, the merchant who'd hired her had been notified as soon as she'd returned to the city. He'd immediately sent a team out to retrieve the goods, which thankfully, were in tact when the team arrived. Marzemer had refused to pay her the amount he'd promised, saying she hadn't held up her end of the bargain. Saura sighed heavily as she remembered the way his face had contorted in rage when she'd relayed the news. His screams still echoed in her skull. He'd called her everything he could think of and more, but settled with what touched the biggest nerve with her—an incompetent, inadequate warrior who was incapable of saving a blasted horse. Great. Just what she needed. A rich, influential enemy.

A knock on the door nearly startled her into a heart attack and she jumped a mile. Taking a second to breathe deeply and center herself, she then made her way quickly to the door. She opened it to reveal a particularly ill-tempered looking Fenris. His arms were crossed over his chest and his face was already molded into a full-blown sneer. His white hair was swept back in a way that told Saura it must be windy outside. She also noted the sword slung across his back and the armor he'd dressed in. Just in case. Great. Their eyes met an instant before he looked quickly away, as if eye contact could leave him susceptible to possession.

" Come in." Saura stepped aside to allow him entrance. His keen eyes swept across the room in the slight hesitation it took him to cross the threshold. His long legs only required two paces before he was in the center of the room. Saura shut the door and turned to face him. He looked very out of place all decked out in his armor and yet surrounded by her ordinary room. She suddenly felt awkward standing there and felt the need to fill the silence…but what did one say in a situation such as theirs?

" Would you like something to drink?" She asked. " I can make—"

" No." He replied flatly.

"Umm…alright. Have a seat." Saura indicated to one of the two chairs at her small round table situated in the tiny kitchen area.

" If it's alright I'd like to take a look around." He said sharply, not waiting for her permission and instead watched as he strode quickly over to a small desk and open the drawer.

" Yeah, go ahead." Saura's tone lowered to a pitch that matched her change of mood. One of defense and business. " I have nothing to hide."

Fenris didn't reply and continued rifling through all of her belongings. She was surprised to see him setting things back where they belonged instead of leaving a mess for her to clean up. He didn't speak as he worked and Saura sat back at the small table and watched. She drummed her nails on the table, a nervous habit she'd developed over the years. She stopped the moment she realized what she was doing.

" What do you think you'll find?" Saura asked with honest curiosity. He didn't bother turning around when he finally decided to answer her.

" As the ex-slave to a Tevinter magister I am quite familiar with the necessary tools for a blood magic ritual or spell. And any pendant or jewelry infused with blood magic I can easily detect given my many years of close contact with them. I know the signs, I know what to expect, and I am well versed in determining the influence of a demon." He finally stood and faced her.

" You have nothing here in this room that points to blood magic or corruption." He fixed her with his unflinching gaze. " However, I am no fool." Fenris closed the space between them before she could even finish blinking. His face was a mere two inches from her own and she resisted the urge to back away. To do so would show cowardice, and she could not afford that. He was searching her eyes with his own, and between the eye contact and close proximity, she could feel a blush creeping into her cheeks. Damn it! She was being ridiculous!

Suddenly his hand grasped her wrist and gently turned it over. He must be looking for cuts—healed wounds, she thought idly. He did the same with her other, but as he was turning her arm over she flinched. His head snapped up at this.

" An arrow to my shoulder. Took it two weeks ago." She looked up into his suspicious eyes and sighed. Saura took a step back and pulled the collar of her tunic down to reveal the healing wound. It had scabbed over and she was well aware that she would be left with a jagged scar. But at least she'd survived. She replaced her tunic.

" You've experienced enough battles to know what an arrow wound looks like I suspect."

" Yes." He replied curtly. He turned on his heels and with his back turned to her said—" I have seen nothing to suspect you of corruption, but I have found that when mages are pushed, they will resort to just about anything to survive."

Saura was well aware of the dire situation she was in. He was keeping her secret when all he had to do was open his mouth once on the street and she'd be whisked away to the Circle. She was also very aware of the fact that when pushed, Fenris could be very, very dangerous, if the tales were true. She knew she should have kept her mouth shut…but that just wasn't her style. Regardless of who he was, she didn't need him assuming anything about her.

" Don't speak as if you know what to expect of me. You speak in generalities, and until you know me personally, I ask that you keep your predictions to yourself." Saura growled. Fenris whirled around to face her, giving her a look that told her she'd just made a huge mistake. And yet in knowing this, it seemed to have the opposite effect on her and gave her courage to keep going. " And as for the label 'mage', you can shove that up your ass. I'm no mage." The rage she felt at his words burned hot throughout her body, sending adrenaline coursing through her veins. She gave him the fiercest glare she could muster and for once, turned her back on him. The demand that he leave was on her tongue when he took her wrist again and spun her back around to face him. His face was so close to her own that she could feel his breath on her face, his green eyes had brightened to a shining emerald in his rage. She could feel his pulse against her wrist, which was drumming against her rapidly in his anger. He looked positively frightening.

"Are you sure it's wise to provoke me?" He asked quietly. And again, she knew she should have answered with an apology, but her anger matched his.

"I could care less." She retorted. " I know what I am, and I am no mage. I am a warrior. And if you were so intent to label me corrupt, you should have done us both a favor and killed me yourself that day." She continued to glare up at him and waited for him to draw his sword. He made no move to do so. " I may possess magical abilities, but I refuse to acknowledge it. I struggle against its call every single day. I fight it so hard that after weeks of disuse, it turns against my body in its battle for release. It feels as if it is eating away at my insides, clawing for escape. And still I do not give in. The only time I allow the use of magic is when I am in mortal danger, or the pain of holding it back becomes so unbearable that I have no choice but to give in." Saura was horrified to find tears were once more threatening to spill over onto her cheeks. Andraste's ass! Why in damnation did she lose her composure so often lately? She noted through her haze of tears (which she fought to hold in to the best of her ability) that Fenris' narrowed eyes had eased up into a look that was unrecognizable to her. " I know the monster I am better than anyone. This damned taint has stripped everything that I care about away from me. I fight against it with every breath I take, and yet here you are accusing me of blood magic!" Saura laughed bitterly and dropped her head. " And I suppose I cannot even blame you." I will not cry again, she vowed. Not in front of him.

His gaze locked onto her own as she again raised her head and they stood this way for what felt to her like several long minutes. She understood why she was so angry with him. Because she feared the same things he did. She feared she would somehow succumb to the magic that coursed within her.

" Why do you deny yourself such power?" He asked slowly.

" Because I have power enough with my blade." Saura said abruptly. But looking up at Fenris, she knew that he required more of an explanation than that. She sighed.

" Alright. Years ago, when I was just a child, I watched as my mother was murdered at the hands of a Tevinter magister. He used a horrible spell using blood magic. It was…awful." The shudder that traveled through her, and the unspeakable amount of pain that crossed her face as she said this told Fenris all he needed to know. He did not doubt the truth of this confession. "Ever since that day I swore I would never use my magical abilities. I would never allow myself to use such a powerful and dangerous weapon. A weapon that could change me into something as cruel and heartless as the man that killed my mother."

Fenris let go of Saura's wrist. She was looking down at the floor with a look of such sadness that for a moment, Fenris was transported back to a time when pain was all he knew. He could understand such sorrow, because he too had lived it.

"You are unlike any mage I have ever known. You have all the power you could ever dream of at your fingertips, and yet you refuse to use it. Many would not hesitate to utilize such power." Fenris paused and studied her as if she were a complex puzzle he could not yet decode. He caught himself after a moment and looked away. " I…apologize for my forwardness today. I am just making sure you aren't dangerous. It is unlike me to let an apostate run free, but again…you are very different from any apostate I have ever encountered. It seems you have changed all the rules." It looked to Saura as if he were trying to convince himself. He looked away and slowly shook his head. He then turned to the door as if to leave and with his hand on the doorknob, he paused. " And…I am sorry about your mother. I have lost much at the hands of a Tevinter magister as well."

Saura blinked in shock. Did she hear right? Had he just apologized and given his condolences? Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. I mean…he had saved her to begin with, and was now keeping her secret.

"Thank you." She said to his back awkwardly. He nodded swiftly and pulled the door open.

"Fenris." Saura called before he could disappear down the hall. He turned back ever so slightly to look back at her. "Will you be returning?" She asked, and all at once reddened as she realized how that must have sounded. " I mean…to check in? To make sure I'm no abomination…" Her voice trailed off.

Their eyes locked again and there was a moment of silence as Fenris considered.

" I may stop by now and again to make sure I do not regret my decision." He said finally.

Saura's face split into a magnificent grin, which had Fenris once again looking puzzled.

" Great! I'll make sure to have something to eat next time. It's nice to have visitors…even in this situation." Her eyes sparkled excitedly at the thought. She could have sworn she saw a bit of pink rise in his cheeks, but later dismissed it as the lighting. He grunted, turned, and walked down the hall and out of sight.