Notes: Transitional chapter, but it takes care of some things that needed to be dealt with. We are rapidly approaching the endgame, as Asunder is soon going to conclude off-stage in Orlais and the rebel mages from there arrive in Kirkwall. But of course, the schism/rebel Templars will also get a new infusion of manpower when that happens. How might things go differently with solid, secure bases for the rebel mages and Templars, competent commanders for the mages, and weapons R&D ongoing? We shall see as the story continues. :)
The end of the chapter is NSFW.
Song: Nightwish – "Beauty of the Beast"
Chapter 81: Find Each Other in the Dark
As the one who had witnessed the worst of the Coterie execution and heard from Caitlyn of the violent fight between her and Anders, Aveline was extremely glad that Anders had recovered, and she was equally pleased that he and Caitlyn were on good terms again. She did have some advice to give her friend, and she hoped that Caitlyn would be capable of hearing it.
She was not mistaken in her hopes. As soon as Anders had recovered enough to participate, Caitlyn called all of her friends to a private meeting. It was not a Small Council meeting: no political allies, no Grand Cleric, just her oldest friends. The import was lost on no one.
"I've closed certain doors with my own actions," she acknowledged. "Perhaps they were unwise actions... that I can admit... and perhaps they were ugly and tyrannical. I can admit that too." She sighed. "But they are done, and I have to live with the repercussions. There are limited options available to me now because of the decision I made."
Aveline understood where this was leading. "Yes," she agreed, "you have to see through eliminating the Coterie. There's no other feasible choice now. If it survives, it will not let go of the idea of revenge against you for Harlan and Lusine."
"Revenge against me... by attacking my family," she said in a snarl. She gave Anders an apologetic look. "If they targeted me, that would be one thing. But they aimed their weapons at my children. It was deliberate, too. That Coterie thug even said so: 'You kill ours, we kill yours.'"
Varric spoke up reluctantly. "That's what organized crime does. They don't give a shit about children."
"No wonder these organizations have such close connections with slavers, then," Fenris growled. "They think in rather the same way."
"I think that the reason they didn't target you for assassination is that you are a head of state and engaged in a war," Aveline agreed dourly. "They know what it might mean if something happened to you without an obvious replacement who could either keep up the status quo or continue the fight. The 'Orthodox Chantry' and its Templars could devastate Coterie business if they were to win. The red lyrium that they can grow themselves from..." Aveline scowled. "From the dead bodies of Templars, the extreme danger in handling it at all, and the fact that they appear to mean what they say about rounding up every apostate in Thedas. The Coterie didn't target you because it would destabilize them further if you were killed—and they're already hobbled with the death of Harlan, of course."
"The Carta does similar things," Varric said. "Hawke, I'm afraid that you do have to finish the job now. Otherwise they'll continue trying to hurt you. They'll go after the children, Anders, your other relatives, even your friends."
"I can't let that happen," Caitlyn said feelingly. "The Coterie has to be destroyed now. I've committed myself to this course by executing its leaders, I know. It's going to be grim."
They all thought about that. Isabela, to Caitlyn's surprise, was the one to speak up first with ideas.
"It need not be entirely grim," the pirate said. "Some of them will have to be imprisoned, no doubt. Some won't be taken alive. But we came out of a long siege, which harmed trade and the economy. I'd expect a lot of people joined the Coterie simply because it was a way to stay alive and keep their homes. You could destroy the Coterie by offering them a way out."
"True," Varric agreed. "The Coterie itself doesn't usually offer its people a way out—except in a shroud."
This was like a lifeline for Caitlyn, who had dreaded the thought of harsh punishment of every member of the criminal syndicate even while believing it necessary. "You're right," she said gratefully. "This is a chance to offer mercy—to offer a better way." She thought about it. An idea had come to her, one that felt very strange to her now after she had grown accustomed to harsh measures and even despotism lately—but one that made her feel warm inside to contemplate. She took a deep breath to utter the strange words. "A blanket pardon for anyone who joined the Coterie after the war began if they leave it. Not just the siege, but the war."
Fenris spoke up in objection. "If they dealt in slaves—"
Caitlyn amended her words, seeing his point and agreeing. "All right, not a blanket pardon. I'll compile a list of crimes that won't be forgiven, but it will be a short list, Fenris. If they're only guilty of fraud or smuggling illegal goods, not trafficking people or certain other things, they're pardoned if they joined since the war began—and if they repudiate the Coterie freely."
Fenris nodded, mollified.
"We'll need to be able to offer them protection," Aveline said. "Fear is a reason why a lot of people who join the Coterie remain."
"I can't guarantee anyone protection," Caitlyn said, "and you know that."
"But neither can the Coterie," Anders pointed out. "From death or arrest."
She gazed gratefully at her husband. "You're right, love. So I'll offer them what I can. We do have a standing army now, with hundreds of mages, and at the moment they're not needed to fight a battle or defend against a siege. They could protect the people who leave the Coterie. Mages and trained soldiers as defenders would have to give even that organization pause." She gathered her thoughts. "Longtime officials will still be targeted for arrest, though," she said in harder tones. "And members who refuse the pardon will not receive mercy."
Aveline nodded in agreement. "I can work with that."
"Justice and mercy," Anders agreed. He smiled at her encouragingly.
Caitlyn took a deep breath. "So be it," she confirmed. "We'll work on a detailed plan for how to do this. But..." She hesitated. There was something else, another issue lurking in the background, and even now, it worried her to do what she knew she would have to do. It was challenging. Lady Harimann had attempted to assassinate her, and her family members were either lying about what they knew or had been so enthralled by the demon that the state of their minds was itself questionable. And this was personal.
But the Coterie made it personal too, she thought. They targeted Mal and Jo. They almost did kill Anders. And I've committed to offering mercy to most of them. I can do this.
She took a deep breath. "If the three Harimanns have nothing new to say, and their house has been cleared of demonic influence, they'll be released from the city prison and returned to their home. With my apologies," she added.
Aveline smiled approvingly. She knew what it must have taken for Caitlyn to say that. "I'm glad you're going to do that, Hawke," she said. "I really do think they are innocent of involvement in the matron's crimes."
"I want them examined by expert mages," she said more harshly. "If they are indeed innocent, it means that demon thoroughly mucked with their heads. I want them declared clear of influence—by an expert—before I release them into their own home. If they're not clear, they will stay in the Gallows under magical care until they get clear."
Fenris nodded in firm agreement with this course. To Caitlyn's surprise, so did Anders. It was quite rare to see those two agreeing on anything.
"I would do it myself," Anders spoke up, "except for the fact that I'm not sure I'm fit for it right now. You know why. That darkspawn voice..."
Caitlyn sighed. "I know. I'll look to the Markham mages. They know a lot about thaumaturgy. Or if we have any necromancers in the city..."
"I doubt it," he said. "Outside Tevinter, they're basically all Nevarran, and they're treated with high honor and privilege in their country, serving the well-to-do. Not too likely to join an army of rebels. But I would agree there's probably a lot of expertise among the Markham lot."
"I'll talk to Caspar Waite, then," she said, rising from her seat. Her friends followed. "Thank you, all of you, for continuing to support and stand by me all these years."
Every one of her friends could tell how heartfelt her words were. Anders turned to her as they headed out the door, that encouraging smile still on his face, as he squeezed her hand affectionately.
Caitlyn's meeting with the former First Enchanter of Markham went well; the Markham mages did have immense expertise in spirits and entropy, and there were thaumaturgists and Spirit Healers who could examine the Harimanns and offer a confident assessment of whether the desire demon had left any sort of magical compulsion in their minds.
Caitlyn felt a bit of a hypocrite as she concluded the meeting. She had attracted an envy demon to herself in the Fade, after all. But it wasn't influencing my thoughts, she recalled. That isn't how envy demons operate. They let their mortal targets think and act naturally so they can understand us better. I can't blame any of my despotic conduct on that demon. It was all me.
When the Markham leader had returned to the Keep with his chosen experts, Caitlyn bade them wait outside the entrance to the dungeons. She knew that she should face the Harimanns herself. It was on her orders that they had been locked up without evidence for months. It was not going to be easy to do this, but she knew she ought to. Justice would want me to, she thought, remembering her journey in the Fade to save the spirit.
Anders understood how hard this would be for her, and although he wanted to spend some time with his children—with another relative or friend present, as he had insisted to Caitlyn—he also wanted to be there for his wife. There would be other opportunities today to speak to the children, but she would have only one chance to speak to the Harimanns as she released them. He approached her as Aveline prepared to escort her to the prison entrance.
Caitlyn's face lit up. "You're coming with me?" she exclaimed.
He nestled her arm in his, smiling gently. "I thought I might. For moral support."
She beamed back. This would make it easier for her. Aveline unlocked and pulled open the main entrance, and Caitlyn tramped down the steps to the prisons, her husband and her closest friend by her side.
She passed several prisoners who glowered at her, as well as a handful of guards—mage guards, in the case of the supremacists who had been involved in the Keep attack and were therefore still imprisoned. She then passed by a cell where a dark-haired elven woman glowered out at her.
Tallis, she thought, recalling the events that had led to Elthina's arrest and escape from Kirkwall. Tallis had provided the note that implicated Elthina in treason. It would have been harder to get rid of her without that evidence. Maybe I should release her too, Caitlyn thought. She's Tal-Vashoth now. It's not like she can rejoin the Qunari and continue to make trouble. Maybe I should let her out and let her fend for herself. She's served enough time.
But that would be a matter for another time. Caitlyn took a deep breath as she approached the cell block where the Harimanns were imprisoned.
All three of them stared back at her with frightened, hollowed eyes. The young woman—Flora, Caitlyn recalled was her name—looked terrified. It was clear that they all believed the Viscountess had come to order their executions at last. Perhaps they had even heard guards talking about the brutal executions of Harlan and Lusine.
"Ruxton Harimann," she said to Lady Harimann's widower, facing him. Her gaze flitted to the children. "Brett. Flora. I am here to offer you my personal apology for your long imprisonment here without evidence... and to order your immediate release."
The Harimanns gasped. This was clearly a complete shock to them all.
As Aveline withdrew the keys to unlock their cells, Caitlyn continued to explain. "Your house and property will be returned to you, and you'll be permitted to live there again as soon as some of the Free Mages have examined you for lingering influence of the desire demon. They won't harm you," she assured them. "There won't be any torture or anything like that."
Flora Harimann gaped at Caitlyn. She was the first of the trio to gather enough courage to speak. "Thank you, Your Grace," she said. "I promise you, we're innocent. And if the mages find that the demon did anything to us that we don't know about..."
"Then we want to be rid of whatever it may be," her father said. "I lost my wife to that thing. If there's anything left, I want it gone. Thank you for your mercy."
Caitlyn did not think she had been particularly merciful with this family, but she supposed that they had no choice but to say these words. And I guess I can start showing mercy now.
Caitlyn also decided that it was not enough simply to put her new policies into effect quietly. She needed to announce it to Kirkwall, by holding a speech in Hightown—though it would not be closed to the common folk either—and by having criers send the message throughout the city afterward.
Three days after she had brought Anders back to health, she stood at the top of the Keep steps to give the speech. The great doors were slightly open in case she needed to make a quick escape, magical wards imposed in front of her to deflect projectiles. She wore her drakeskin armor and red cape, knowing that it made her look impressive—and provided additional protection. A large crowd had gathered in the square, and Caitlyn had to cast an amplification spell to be sure that her words made it down the tall stairs and through the crowd.
"People of Kirkwall," she began. "In recent days, our great city has begun its recovery from the months-long siege. With a new day come new policies—policies of justice and mercy, of liberty, of a return to normalcy." She paused. "This war has affected Kirkwall's economy. We all know it. The siege shut down outside trade for three months, but even before that, fear of the Free Mages—or of retaliation by the heretics—caused some merchants in other nations to stop trading with us. Our economy suffered. You suffered.
"In nature, there are creatures that find weakened hosts and attach themselves to lazily feed, too perfidious and cowardly to be predators. Instead they are parasites," she said, emphasizing the word. "We had parasites in Kirkwall who fed off your suffering. Their names were Harlan and Lusine."
Rumbles sounded through the crowd at this. Caitlyn's lips narrowed grimly. She had decided not to apologize for executing them, not only because it would project weakness, but because she still did not actually think it had been morally wrong to do so. The method of the executions was another matter, and she did feel guilt about that now, but she had also decided not to discuss or belabor it before the crowd. It was done. Better to move on.
"The Coterie took advantage of our hard times," she said in strong tones. "Harlan offered work to your children, who took it to put food on the table and keep roofs over your heads. But what was the price? The only way to leave the Coterie was, as one of my friends put it, in a shroud—though that was often more dignity than defectors were truly given. More often, the way to leave the Coterie was at the bottom of the Kirkwall Harbor. Harlan lied to you that he was your families' savior. He merely wanted to use your families for the acquisition of more gold for himself, and was willing to murder them if they tried to turn away from him."
More rumbles came from the assembled crowd. People were contemplating her words.
"And what of his mistress, Lusine? She lured in your daughters and sons with the promise of gold for a safer, more comfortable line of work than Harlan could provide directly. But what did she deliver? All too often, trauma, abuse, danger, social ostracism! She too created a situation where those who turned to her could not leave, not because they were threatened with death, but because they would be treated with contempt elsewhere in Kirkwall after working in a brothel. And what else did she often deliver to your daughters and sons? Disease that she refused to have treated—which would devastate their romantic and marital prospects. Who did treat them? The Healers of the Free Mages."
It was shocking, especially to the Hightown nobles, that the Viscountess of Kirkwall would speak openly of such matters. The rumble in the crowd rose to a din, and hundreds of pairs of eyes widened in awe.
"And then at last, what did Harlan and Lusine do? They took advantage of your anger and led you to the steps of the Keep. They told you that it would be an opportunity to petition me with your grievances, but they let traitors with effigies enter the crowd and make death threats! Then, when these voices of treason and violence overtook those of peaceful protest, Harlan and Lusine attempted to flee, leaving you, the people of Kirkwall, to be punished instead.
"The Coterie is not your friend," Caitlyn said loudly. "It is not just. The Coterie cares nothing about your families. That was always a lie. I put Harlan and Lusine to death for their many crimes, and what did the Coterie do almost immediately? It targeted my children, age twelve and age three."
This made an impression. Rustlings and murmurs came from the crowd.
It was not easy to say this. The horrible memory of Mal and Jo's danger was at the forefront of her mind. But she knew that it was important to say. "The Coterie thug who attempted to take their innocent lives made it plain that it was no accident. 'You kill ours, we kill yours,' he said to me. They targeted my children on purpose. They targeted my husband when he interceded, though their complaint was with me, not any of them. Innocent children and an innocent Healer, your new Champion, who saved this city from the enemy by his ingenious weapon that broke the siege!"
That made an even bigger impression. People began to cry out in outrage.
"This is what they do," Caitlyn continued fiercely. "This is what they would do to your families as well. They are not your friends. They are not a source of justice." She paused again, gathering her thoughts and her breath. Beside her, Anders squeezed her hand in support. "The Coterie did not just wrong me or my family. They wronged you too. I have directed the Guard and the Militia to hunt down all the Coterie officers who have been working for it since before the war began, as well as all of those who are guilty of certain grave offenses. But I recognize that for many, perhaps most, joining the Coterie was a means to survive in hard times. Therefore, I offer an unconditional pardon to any Coterie member who repudiates their affiliation under oath, if they joined after hostilities began in 9:37 Dragon and did not commit slave-trafficking, rape, or the murder of those who could not defend themselves."
Before writing the speech, Caitlyn had discussed with her friends exactly which crimes were unpardonable. She had wanted to crack down on anyone who had killed for the Coterie, and Aveline had agreed, but Varric had pointed out that some of the killings would have been Coterie-on-Coterie and such violence was quite common. Reluctantly Caitlyn had agreed to include in her pardon those who had "only" killed in such situations.
"Now, you may be wondering what will be the path forward for Kirkwall. We have the momentum and the advantage in the war now, and we are going to build up arms and continue training. And an opportunity has arisen due to the protracted enemy occupation of Lighthouse Point and the farms between here and there. Much of this farmland and the village need to be restored. Those farmers who already owned property will be reaffirmed in their possession of it, provided that they did not willingly deal with the enemy, but some did betray us, unfortunately. I have decided to offer ten-acre farmsteads for free to anyone who signs up for one. Anyone," she emphasized. "Human, elf, dwarf, or Tal-Vashoth; mage or non-mage. The only stipulation is that homesteaders must agree to contribute ten percent of their yield to the city for the food kitchens."
This made the biggest impression of all, particularly among the attendees who were from Lowtown or Darktown. Caitlyn had decided on this course after obtaining a rather dire report of the state of the land and town of Lighthouse Point. The enemy had plundered the area during their three-month-long occupation. The only good thing about it was that there had not been any Red Templars in that part of the enemy army to befoul the land. But something would have to be done, and she finally saw the wisdom of offering opportunities to her people instead of taking them away.
As she concluded her speech with the expected closing remarks, she felt good about what she saw. The crowd had received the speech well. Pointing out the abuses and betrayals of the Coterie had turned these people toward her side, and offering the pardon and the farmsteads had pleased them as well.
She wondered, with a pang, what might have been possible if she had taken this type of approach from the beginning.
There were two other matters that she needed to attend to, and they could be private matters between herself and the parties involved. First was to make a change in the Kirkwall Militia. She summoned Aveline in her capacity as General, as well as the Fereldan officers who had come to train the Militia.
"I'm taking you off your duties as law enforcement," she told the Fereldans. "The time has passed for needing Fereldan officials to arrest Coterie. I trust the Kirkwall Militia now, and it is better for public opinion that they do it. Continue to train the Militia as you deem necessary, but they will make arrests."
Aveline clearly approved of this order, which she had pushed for all along. Caitlyn recalled that these officers were mostly loyalists of Teyrna Cauthrien, and that they would have strong opinions against Orlesians acting as law enforcement in Ferelden due to their loyalty to Cauthrien and Loghain. She added quickly, "You wouldn't approve of Orlesian chevaliers making arrests in Ferelden. Let Kirkwallers do it." That seemed to persuade them all.
The other matter was less agreeable, but Caitlyn kept her foot down in the figurative sense as she spoke to Grand Cleric Petrice, Ser Varnell, Orwald, and Keili.
"I want to see written, documented proof of every heresy conviction from now on," Caitlyn told them firmly. "I want proof that everyone the Chantry Suprema burns really was a supporter of the northern schism."
Petrice scowled. She could tell that Caitlyn had become distant from her after the violent Coterie retaliation following Harlan and Lusine's executions, though she did not know about Caitlyn and Anders' marital troubles arising from the same situation. "The Seekers that Cassandra Pentaghast sent here are overseeing the trials," she said curtly. "They have a right to know of the proceedings. What is your interest, Your Grace? Do you not trust them?" She paused. "Or do you not trust me? I regret that if so. We have been allies for many years."
Caitlyn bit back a retort. The truth was, she didn't trust that Petrice would convict only the guilty. Indeed, she knew that at least two—the seditious Coterie playwrights—had been innocent of the heresy charge. But she did trust Cassandra's Seekers to at least ensure that Chantry law was followed, even if the playwrights' trials showed that that law had its limitations. "It's not about distrust," she said. "Whether it should be so or not, the fact remains that the public closely associates us. I believe they think the burnings are being done with my intimate knowledge. If that's what they're going to think, I do want to know exactly who is being put to death and for what."
Varnell spoke up with a growl. "The secular authorities don't have the right to interfere with heresy trials. That's a matter for the Chantry alone."
"It's not about interference either. I just believe I should know what is being done, if I am going to be associated with it in public opinion." Caitlyn gave them all a level look. "I'm fighting a war for fellow mages—and at this point, for the independence of Kirkwall and its allies—but because the enemy declared a second schism, it's also a religious war even if Divine Justinia cannot help us with armed forces. The lines are blurred. There's not a clear distinction between the secular and the religious on the battlefield, so neither is there a clear boundary on the domestic front."
Petrice sighed. "As you say. That is a valid point. I will make sure you are informed of the evidence behind each conviction just as the Seekers are."
A day later.
Reliable communications by means other than raven were able to enter and leave Kirkwall again. At last, information reached the city about the capture of Hasmal. It came from an unexpected source and location: the mages and Templars of the Hasmal Circle, who had fled to Seleny, Antiva. In retrospect, Caitlyn was not surprised that the propaganda Elthina had sent out during the height of the siege had omitted that little fact. It must have soured their triumph to add not one single mage or Templar to their force.
.
Your Grace,
We have learned of the lifting of the siege of Kirkwall with great relief and thanks to the Maker. We, the mages and Templars formerly of the Hasmal Circle, wish to inform Your Grace of the truth of what transpired in Hasmal in Haring 9:39. In short, the city was not sacked. The leaders capitulated, economically strained due to the blockade of Kirkwall and threatened by the size of the Orthodox Chantry's forces.
The Templars of the Hasmal Circle are well aware of the infamous red-lyrium Templars of the Orthodox Chantry. Rather than allowing the mages to fall to their brutality, the Hasmal Templars enabled the escape. The mages have held a vote to join Your Grace's army and the Templars are not going to prevent that. They have split their own decision about what to do. Some have opted to join the small force remaining in Kirkwall under Ser Thrask and Ser Cullen Rutherford, others are going to Val Royeaux to protect the Divine, and others intend to return to Hasmal to foment rebellion against the schism. We give Your Grace our word that the Templars will not interfere with your actions or seek to control the former Hasmal Circle mages who join Your Grace's army. The Templars of this Circle respect the outcome of the mages' vote and hope to find a new place for themselves holding back chaos and magical crime.
We knew that Kirkwall was under siege, so we traveled well north of the Minanter to Seleny, Antiva, hoping to communicate with the mages of Dairsmuid about our status. Now that we have learned Kirkwall is free, we seek to join Your Graces' army as soon as we arrive.
First Enchanter Morris
Knight-Commander Brycen
.
Anders scowled at the letter as he passed it back to Caitlyn. "I don't want there to be a buildup of Templars here again. I doubt this Circle was that large, so it wouldn't be more than a handful if they split three ways, but they had best recognize that they are not in charge of anything here."
"I'll make sure they do," Caitlyn said firmly. She considered the rest of the letter. "I wonder if Hasmal could be co-opted to our side, since the city wasn't sacked."
"The leaders are weak, obviously."
"True. Weak and unreliable. We'd want new people in charge." She chuckled as she realized how she sounded. "Listen to us—shapers and puppeteers of the Free Marches."
Anders smirked. "We have the magic and firepower to back it up. Or... well, we will, once we've created more blasting powder. But we don't have to limit our mining to the caves under Darktown now that the siege is broken." He paused. "And on that note, I think we need to consider if there are other things that can be done with the blasting powder. We did what we needed to lift the siege, but I think it holds greater potential."
Caitlyn set the letter aside. "I agree. Are you thinking about duplicating the Qunari cannons?"
"Actually, I don't know if that would be the most useful thing for us. The reason we haven't marched on Starkhaven and Tantervale is that they are extremely well defended. Starkhaven has thick earthen walls, and Tantervale's are made of granite. I'm not sure if cannonballs could break through either, depending on what they are made of. Iron is brittle."
"True," she agreed. "We need a way to get through those walls."
Anders had other ideas. He could not forget the explosion of the Vengeance that night. "Through them or over them."
"Over them?"
"Why not consider that?" he shrugged, eyes gleaming. "It might be easier than getting through them."
"The higher a trebuchet can loft a projectile, the bigger and heavier the trebuchet itself must be. Maybe the force mages could get it moved north, but they'd spend all their magical energy doing that. Perhaps they could expand its vertical range with force magic too, I suppose..."
Anders raised his eyebrows at her. "Actually... I don't think that's the answer. You saw as well as I how the explosions lofted material skyward."
"In all directions! Only a small amount would make it over the walls."
"But that goes back to what I said. We need to consider other things that can be done with the blasting powder to harness its full potential." He was getting excited. "We mentioned the Qunari cannons. They're able to control the path of their cannonballs. Why wouldn't it be possible?" He recalled someone he had known from almost a decade ago, someone who was quite good with explosives. "When I served under the Hero of Ferelden at Vigil's Keep, there was a family of dwarven engineers, two brothers and a—a cousin, I think," he said, straining for the memories. "There was one in particular. Dworkin Glavonak, that was his name. He was a genius. A mad genius," he said with a chuckle, "but I think developing new weapons requires a touch of madness." He smirked knowingly. His experiments during the siege had certainly had a touch of madness to them.
Caitlyn decided to leave him to it. This was his brainchild, his pet project, and he knew this Dworkin Glavonak's work and she did not. "Write to him, then," she said. "Invite him to come and offer his expertise to developing more with the blasting powder."
"I believe I shall." Anders leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Anders received a reply to his letter rather quickly—not from Glavonak himself, but from Elissa Cousland via Carver, who came to Kirkwall for a visit and to deliver the note. It was apparent to Caitlyn immediately that he had been very worried for the family during the siege.
"Oh, Carver!" Leandra exclaimed when she learned of his arrival at the Keep and came there herself. She wrapped him in a hug, which he quickly returned—and rather more effectively wrapped her, as a tall muscular warrior. "I'm so happy to see you! It's been a hard winter for us."
Carver patted his mother on the back with one arm, keeping the other in the embrace. Caitlyn noticed how he did not seem to want to let her go. "We'd gathered that much in Ferelden," he managed to joke. "Everyone was worried about you. It looked bad for a time."
"The siege was broken due to Anders," she praised her son-in-law.
Carver gave Anders a quick nod. "Yes. We heard about that too."
Caitlyn and Anders bristled at his tone. "Do the Fereldans have a problem with our new weapon?" she asked.
"Not that I know of, but you have to understand it's startling—even to your allies," he said. "Loghain thinks it's great, though. He would, I guess. Pragmatic man when it comes to warfare. And the Warden-Commander has some familiarity with explosives herself."
Anders perked up at this. "Yes, she's worked with Dworkin Glavonak. I wrote to Vigil's Keep to invite him to come to Kirkwall and work with us. Is he still there, or has he moved on?"
"He's in Gwaren, but he got your offer. He's going to take the job, but he has to wrap up his current work first. Contractual obligations."
"Of course," Anders agreed.
Carver pulled a sealed parcel from his pack and handed it to Caitlyn. "This is from the Warden-Commander."
As he moved to set his gear down and allowed his mother to fuss over him, Caitlyn and Anders read the letter.
.
Your Graces,
I congratulate you on your successful breaking of the siege of your city and routing of the enemy. It is in Ferelden's interest as your ally that you win, of course, but also the personal interests that my family and yours have through our shared ties with the Grey Wardens, politics, and common ideals.
Dworkin Glavonak received Anders' invitation to work with the Kirkwall blasting powder and is... disturbingly enthusiastic about the prospect. He has a current contract with the Grey Wardens to equip Warden Loghain's Gwaren post with upgraded defenses, but that should be completed soon, he informs us.
But although the war is going well, I unfortunately have had to continue looking into the matter of our mysterious darkspawn harasser. Loghain's Wardens in Gwaren are still free of its influence, and I've discovered that by sending others there, they can largely escape its voice too. But I cannot leave Vigil's Keep or Soldier's Peak undefended. It is a conundrum.
I've looked into lore about Magisters Sidereal and have found one account in Valammar Thaig, an ancient dwarven settlement forgotten by all except Grey Wardens and some dwarven historians. Its entrance is located in the Fereldan Hinterlands, which are only just now recovering from the Blight—an additional reason why few have ventured there in recent years. The account I found indicates that (presuming Corypheus and the Architect both were Magisters Sidereal) there is at least one more at large in the Deep Roads and possibly two. It was a dwarven account of a group of three, one of them apparently murdered by another's hand, one running away, one cannibalizing the dead one. The Architect might have been one of the survivors, but Corypheus couldn't have been, since he was in the Vimmark prison for ages.
I propose that the one who ran away might have been the Architect; the description of its cowardly behavior sounds just like him, but I hypothesize that the cannibal was the priest of Zazikel, Old God of Chaos and Freedom. My research into lore of the Old Imperium—and very unsavory reading it is—suggests that revelers worshiping Zazikel had such practices. In any case, that creature is my suspect for the Wardens' current problems. Delightful, is it not?
Avernus has confirmed that he hasn't been able to restore the Song of the Archdemon once it is ended, but he was able to create a potion for enhancing willpower. The Fereldan Wardens who took it seem better able to understand when the magister is speaking to them and therefore to resist him. I now send Anders a bottle, and I strongly urge him to drink it.
I will continue to keep Your Graces informed of developments in this matter. As much as we may wish to focus exclusively on the war, other enemies still lurk in the deep. The Grey Wardens must, as our words declare, ever stand vigilant in the shadows.
Respectfully,
Warden-Commander of the Grey Elissa Cousland
.
Anders tilted the opened parcel, allowing the aforementioned bottle of potion to slide out. He pocketed it, then motioned for Caitlyn to step aside for a bit of privacy.
"This makes a great deal of sense," he told her in an undertone too low for Leandra or the children to hear. "Justice is a very strong-willed being too, and he thinks he can resist the magister better than I could."
"At a very high price," Caitlyn replied.
Anders nodded morosely. "But hopefully this potion will help my own mental resistance—and give him a bit of a break."
"Do you agree with her assessment of which Magister Sidereal it is?"
He shrugged. "Who in the Void knows? They're all loathsome. I think they need to focus on hunting it down... but I'm sure they are."
"It's probably extremely challenging."
He nodded. "Probably. Even if they know that a dwarven scout saw three of them near Valammar Thaig years ago, that doesn't mean anything. I suspect this one is rather farther west than that by now."
"I don't suppose you ever saw this thaig yourself as a Warden."
He shook his head. "No, too far south. I think I recall seeing it marked on the Grey Wardens' maps, but it's in an area that... well, honestly, I would be perfectly fine never seeing again." He sighed. "Too many bad memories."
"You know," she said, frowning in contemplation, "unless this account says that the dwarves saw these talking darkspawn in Valammar itself, they might have seen them somewhere else and simply left the document there before it was abandoned. The magisters might never have been there at all. Or they could have been there and moved on long ago. This is interesting as lore, but I can't see it being particularly useful to the Wardens to locate this thing now."
Anders sighed, but he could not disagree with her. He pulled the willpower potion out of his pocket and regarded it. "And in the meantime, all I can do is take this and hope it works." He popped the seal and downed the liquid. "Here's hoping."
Anders felt mentally stronger by that evening. Caitlyn was delighted.
"I still don't want to be left alone with the children," he warned her, a sad look on his face. "I don't want to do that until this thing is found and killed—or until I no longer hear its voice in my dreams at all."
"It's your decision," she said gently. "But I'm glad that the potion appears to be helping."
"The real test will be how I fare when I'm sleeping. But for now, I do feel stronger." He gave her a sly look, all regret and sadness temporarily leaving his visage. "We didn't get to celebrate the lifting of the siege properly."
"Too much stress?" she retorted. "Most of which was my fault for creating a dark situation on the domestic front?"
He tentatively placed his hands on her shoulders, not in an aggressive manner as he had done during the awful fight, but as a gesture of affection and comfort. She knew it; she knew the difference, and encouraged him with a smile. He smiled back in relief and solidified his embrace. "Don't do this to yourself," he said in quiet tones.
"I do need to reflect on what I became so that I don't fall again."
"But now is not the time for it, I meant. This evening... with Carver visiting, Mal and Jo want to spend time with him anyway, so I think you and I should take advantage of that. Our marriage took some serious hits, love. We still need to restore and rebuild."
She understood what he was hinting at. "Well, we do have a rather large Keep to 'restore and rebuild' in..."
His expression grew quite wicked indeed. "Oh, I wasn't thinking about the Keep. For the first time in three months, we can leave the city walls. I think we should do just that."
Her eyes widened. "Go to the Wounded Coast, perhaps?"
He grinned. "That's an excellent idea."
They managed to sneak out of the Keep and travel alone, with only a small escort, to an area of the Wounded Coast. The area was rather different from how it had been when they had first come to Kirkwall. In earlier years, pirates, smugglers, and Tal-Vashoth mercenaries plagued the coast, making it rather dangerous for travelers. But the Tal-Vashoth were either dead or moved on, and Caitlyn had long ago suspected that some of their aggression had been defensiveness from the presence of the Arishok and his force of loyal Qunari. Pirates were essentially absent from this stretch of the Waking Sea after Caitlyn instituted the patrol at Lighthouse Point—and although the schism fleet had destroyed that patrol, they had not allowed pirates through the blockade either. Smugglers continued to be a concern, but it was still soon enough after the siege that smuggling had not returned to its prior levels.
The guards, who included Aveline and Donnic, gave the Viscountess and Consort a respectable amount of privacy, guarding the entrances to the cliffs and giving the mage couple a wide berth.
This was a good idea, Caitlyn thought, taking Anders' hand as they walked beneath the moon and stars. These cliffs were really quite picturesque, and even in late winter, there was a certain stark beauty to the crashing waves and white-capped crests. The moon was reflected in ripples at sea, the mirror shattering as the violent waves neared the shore.
A cold breeze whipped at her. She pulled her coat tighter around herself as a reflex; it would not do much for her actual problem. For this outing, she had forgone her drakeskin armor, opting instead for warm clothes. The heat enchantments kept most of her body warm, but the wind was biting, and it could chap her face if she let it. She shivered and huddled closer to him.
Anders wrapped an arm around her as they sat down in a sheltered enclave, a shallow cave that had long ago been cleaned out. There was no danger; they could see the back wall easily, and no hidden tunnels lurked in the shadows. It was safe, and it was shelter from the wind. He and Caitlyn each cast small magically-contained fires to keep themselves warm. In a few minutes, the little cave was quite comfortable—cozy and well-lit, but also providing a nice view of the natural sights.
"This was a good idea," Caitlyn said to him, voicing her thought at last. "We needed it."
He pulled her into a comfortable embrace and smiled at her. "That was my thinking."
"Very different scenery, of course, but otherwise it reminds me of those first weeks in Lothering," she mused, gazing at the large moon as the waves crashed against the shore. "Just the two of us, talking, cuddling, making love under the stars..." She broke off as her voice grew husky.
He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. But as he cradled her, something funny occurred to him. A chuckle escaped his lips.
"What did I say?" she said indignantly.
He smiled at her, tilting her chin upward so they could look at each other. "We didn't ever actually make love under the stars," he said. "Whenever we were outside to do it, it was daylight."
Caitlyn could not believe that he would break the moment with a factual correction—but that flicker of annoyance passed as something else occurred to her. "Well," she said, "in that case, I'm glad that after thirteen years, we're still finding things to do for the first time." A crooked smile spread over her face.
Anders gazed at her. They could not ignore reality forever, but for this brief moment, they would pretend that time had fallen away and they were just the innocent young couple of 9:27 Dragon, just two freedom-loving mages with simple dreams and hopeful hearts. No responsibility to anyone except their own family, no grim and terrible moral choices facing them, no darkness from struggling spirits or Blighted creatures... and no blood yet on their hands.
Anders took her face in his hands, caressing her cheeks as he leaned in to kiss her. Caitlyn wrapped her arms around his shoulders, threading her fingers into his hair, closing her eyes as their lips met. She felt him guiding her to a smooth spot, softened by the layers of clothing that she wore, and allowed him to lay her on the cave floor to intensify the kiss.
He was determined that there would be nothing but the two of them. We can't stay here forever, he thought. But we will take this moment.
For at least a brief time, they did not want to be the war-weary, ruthlessly pragmatic, darkened Viscountess and Consort, leaders of the Free Mages of Thedas. That was something they had wanted to leave behind at the Keep. Those parts of their lives were necessary for the cause, but they were also the ultimate source of the distance that had come between them—and the decline into darkness and moral ambiguity that both Caitlyn and Anders had experienced. Those were parts of their lives and identities that they temporarily wanted to leave behind. Tonight, they wanted to be just Caitlyn and Anders again—and Anders reflected on their long-ago dreams as he broke the kiss and gazed into her green eyes beneath the moonlight.
When we first fell in love, you didn't even think of becoming a war leader—the controversial, infamous Mage Viscountess, he thought. You wanted to be a wife and mother. You just wanted me, and I wanted you.
He reconsidered at once. No, even in those days, you wanted to be a free mage who could choose your own destiny and pursue your own dreams, with the same rights and opportunities as anyone else. You always wanted that.
And yet... this is what it took to have a chance of getting it. For both of us. The heaviness of the years, the losses—of their loved ones, their innocence, their moral purity—seemed to weigh him down again for a brief time. He thought, as he gazed into her pretty eyes, that he saw that heaviness in her too.
No, he resolved at once, I will not think of this right now—as their lips crashed together again.
The comfortable magically warmed air of the cave became downright balmy as they wrapped into each other, clutching, grabbing, kissing, devouring, pressing against each other as though their lives depended on it. At some point, they both stopped telling themselves that they would forget the reality that awaited them back in Kirkwall and did forget it—however briefly.
At last they broke apart, gasping and breathing heavily. Anders gazed at her, his skin glowing—not the stark bluish-white light of Justice, but a warm, natural glow of the firelight.
"We came here to do more than this, didn't we?" he murmured to her, a sly smile on his face.
Caitlyn returned the smirk. "I'd say we did." She felt warm, not at all concerned about unbuttoning her clothes for him—not anymore.
Even with the magical fires they had lit and the natural warmth of their eager bodies, they did not want to strip nude. He unbuckled the front clasps of his coat, leaving the heavy suede-and-linen sides open but still covering just enough to provide some protection from the chill outside the cave. Caitlyn popped the buttons on her blouse top and unfastened her belt. She wore a heavy skirt, so he could just hike it up, but she wanted him to minister to her body too, and she noted with satisfaction that his eyes gleamed in approval as she untucked the blouse and opened it to give him a view.
He had gotten his boots off and was breathing heavily when he finally snapped, descending upon her with a vengeance. The cliched description passed through Caitlyn's thoughts, almost provoking a smile as she considered the specific meaning of that word to them—especially now, after her sojourn in the Fade to save him—but she could not focus on it long. Her eyes rolled back in bliss as her husband began to lave at the smooth skin and hardening nipples.
"I love you," she moaned, tangling her fingers in his hair, forcing him in place until she decided she'd had enough. Perhaps it was greedy, but she had every intention of giving him just as much pleasure as he was giving her. With that thought, she rose up slightly to lick at the shell of his left ear.
Anders groaned at the touch on the sensitive thin skin. His ministrations to her chest were interrupted as he tensed, and Caitlyn felt a sudden very familiar hard bulge through his trousers, pressed against her. That brought another smirk to her face. She gave his right ear a lick in turn, then drew his earlobe gently between her teeth, sucking on it. He muffled a half-gasp, half-yowl.
"I love you too," he managed to gasp out.
His breathing was short and desperate, and it drove her half mad with desire. She pulled away, smiling crookedly and knowingly at him, and pushed upward slightly with her hips to apply pressure to his growing hardness.
"Maker," he swore under his breath. "All right, Cait, if that's how it's going to be—" He broke off with an unspoken but very exciting implicit threat. Caitlyn watched in anticipation as he pulled himself off her and unbuttoned his trousers, freeing his manhood from its confines.
"You should know well enough by now that it is how it's going to be," she replied as he turned back to her, lust blaring from his eyes.
"And you should know how it's going to be in return," he growled. He crawled over her, pushing her against the cave floor, pinning her down as he yanked her skirt up and her smalls down in two sweeping, skilled motions. He could guess from the body heat radiating from her, but it still pleased him to find just how eager she was for him.
Thirteen years of intimate knowledge of each other's bodies and specific personal tastes, Anders thought in blissful satisfaction as he pushed into her. He did not subtract the four years of separation. They had known each other intimately for thirteen years, and that, he had long known, was the life he wanted—the same partner each night, love and trust and fidelity, secret knowledge of his beloved that could only be gained from many years together.
That is what we're fighting for. Whatever we have to do, it will be worth it if mages everywhere in Thedas can have what we do. The overpowering urge to push aside the realities of life back in Kirkwall was fading. This was what their lives were, and it was good.
Anders watched as Caitlyn rapidly approached her peak from his motions, her breaths growing short and rapid, her lips parting as she lost control. Her eyelids fluttered closed. The sights drove Anders wild, bringing him to a frenzy of passion as she came apart first. He followed soon after.
They embraced and cuddled tenderly in the heated cave following their releases until, at last, the moon began to set. It was time to return to Kirkwall. But as Caitlyn and Anders pulled their clothes back on and made ready to go, they found that they did not dread the return. This outing had done what they had hoped for and brought them back together as a couple and a partnership. They could face whatever Kirkwall, Val Royeaux, or Tantervale threw at them.
Notes: The Hasmal Templars never joined the Templar army in canon, so I've retained that reasonableness here.
The account Elissa found is the codex entry "A Different Darkspawn?" from DA:I. Poor Elissa. She's nailed the general problem, but she's pursuing the wrong specific lead.
It is possible to make a shrewd guess about what I am doing with the blasting powder and Dworkin Glavonak. I will not confirm it until the next chapter. If you have guessed where this is going and don't care for it, please give it a chance first.