Meet Hawke

"You must be Hawke?" Valera asked, her arms crossing across her breastplate, leaning slightly on her right leg. It was the posture her underling's like to call "The Templar Pose."

Hawke was a tall man, broad of shoulder, with a head of messy brown hair and a full beard. His eyes were a piercing golden hazel, with a slightly narrow look. Slung casually over his shoulder was a very large bow, possibly as long as Valera was tall.

"Sir Thrask told me that you were the templar in charge of Feynriel's capture?" Hawke replied, his arms crossing his chest as well. He definitely made a more imposing figure then her, his broad shoulders and large chest and arms giving him the edge.

He was also accompanied by three others.

One, an elf of fair hair, large green eyes and strange whitish blue markings running along his neck and plunging down into his breastplate. The markings could be seen swirling around both well toned arms and legs, where his flesh was exposed by his armor.

Another elf accompanied him. A Dalish, from the looks of the blood markings on her face. This one was shorter then the rest of the party, her eyes were also large and green, though a deeper, more forest colored green then the other elf. Her hair was short, and braided, and dark brown in color. Instantly Valera knew she was an mage, as she was carrying a staff and the feel of magic was literally oozing out of her.

The last member of the party seemed to be hiding from her gaze, ducking behind Hawke, only the crown of it's head visible.

Raising an eyebrow at the last hidden member, Valera shook her head with an internal laugh. She looked back to Hawke, who seemed to be slightly annoyed with the hider. "You are correct Messer, I am Valera, the first to Knight-Commander Meredith. I was put in charge of capturing Feynriel and bringing him to The Circle."

"Of course it would be you, out of all the Templars in the whole world." The hiding last teammate finally stood, and Valera had to catch herself from showing too much surprise.

"Anders." She breathed, her heart clenching in her chest.

It had been nearly two years since she had last seen the apostate. The last time they had encountered each other had been when Anders had first taken the Joining to become a Grey Warden.

Knight-Commander Greigor of the Ferelden Circle had contacted her via messenger, and had requested she make the journey south to assist in locating Anders once again. Each time he had escaped, his return to the Circle had been because of her efforts. It seemed no matter how much they tried to avoid each other, Valera always ran into the apostate, in some way or another.

When she had arrived to Wardens Vigil, Anders had already been changed into a Grey Warden, essentially making him a free man. Grey Wardens were technically immune from most laws, and that included mages from being returned to the Circle.

Anders was a free man. Valera no longer had to be the Templar and he the apostate. All the years of cat and mouse, a grudging respect, an affection even, had grown between the pair. An affection that had blossomed into passion one night.

She still wasn't sure exactly how it had happened. One morning, after staying in the keep for a few days, she had found herself in his bed. Their limbs were intertwined, their bodies bare. Stealth had never been she strong suit, but she managed to sneak out, never waking him.

To this day, she still didn't understand why she had left.

Anders, apparently hadn't forgotten. The look on his face told her just that. "Taking more children from their mothers? How very like you Valera." Came the cold, hard snip.

Val narrowed her eyes at him, the fight rising in her. "Taking them where they can be taught how to control their powers, so they can't become a danger to themselves and others."

"To a prison of stone and solitude."

"A place to learn and grow. A place where they can be protected."

"The Templars protect? Hah! The way the Templars protected your sister!?"

An ugly emotion streaked through Valera's heart and settled in the pit of her stomach. A rage so red filled her vision. How dare he!? How dare he bring up the lowest point of her life, and in front of strangers!?

"HOW DARE YOU!" She roared, taking a threatening step toward him, her hand suddenly resting on the hilt of one of her blades. "HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OF HER SO!"

Hawke blocked her warpath, and Valera nearly drew her blade.

"How dare I!?" Anders shouted back over Hawke's shoulder, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You ask how dare I!? YOU'RE THE ONE THAT LEFT!"

Valera gave pause, wanting, needing to protest her innocence. She had hurt him and wanted to make it better, but she still didn't know the reason why she had left that day.

More calmly then she felt, Val took a deep breath in though her nose and exhaled, centering herself. Her hand fell from the hilt of her sword.

"Well apparently you two have some stories to tell!" Hawke seemed to force a laugh, trying to ease the tension that had settled over the group. "Perhaps we can all have a drink at the Hangman later!"

Valera turned from the group, not even slightly amused by Hawke's humor. "If you're looking for Feynriel, speak to Samson. The son of a bitch has been helping apostates since he left the Templars a few months back. If anyone knows anything it's him… Now get out of my Gallows."

BREAK

~Secret Revealed

"NO ANDERS! NOOOO!" Valera screamed at the top of her lungs, struggling hard against the blighted elf who was holding her back.

Garret drew back his arm, the small wicked dagger in his grasp, before driving it home.

Anders fell over without a sound, his form unmoving.

Tears began to stream down the Templars face as her heart shattered into a million pieces.

Gritting her teeth, she gave her head a jerky thrust backward, her skull cracking the elf in the face. His grip loosened immediately, his hands covering his nose with a loud foreign curse.

Darting from his arms, Valera was at Anders side in a second, her arms curling around his blond crown. "Anders! Anders! Stay with me it'll be okay!?" Brown eyes did not open to her command. His body was too still, his chest not rising. Biting her lip, Valera did something that she had never done before in front of anyone.

She used magic.

Laying the hand not cradling his head on his chest, her palm began to glow a bright violet. She forced the healing magic deep into his flesh, commanding his heart to start again.

The stubborn organ refused her prompts. Anders was bleeding out profusely from the wound in his back.

"You're… a mage?!" Hawke sputtered in disbelief, his blue eyes wide. "A Templar Mage!?"

Ignoring Hawke, Valera gave her lover all her power. "Don't leave me!" She wailed, the tears blinding her vision.

Without him her life was nothing. He was all she had left.

But his stubborn body refused to respond.

Anders was dead.

And there was nothing she could do about it.

Then the world froze around her, the landscape becoming blurred. The sky turned to gray, the buildings, the people becoming foggy. Small curls of blue rose lazily from cracks in the ground.

"You can save him." A powerful voice echoed in her mind. "I can give you power to save him."

A demon.

Clutching the dead man in her arms, Valera clenched her eyes shut, the tears still flowing. The demon would tempt her, and she would accept. She would give herself, her soul for him to live again.

"Want do you want demon?! I will give you anything! Anything to save him!"

"Your eyes mortal. Give me sights of the living world."

"Anything. Anything you want." She agreed, holding Anders close, her head touching his own softly.

The world returned to normal, the heat of the flames hitting her face, the sound of screams echoing in her ears. Hawke and party were still in their same spots, not having moved and inch during her transition to the Fade.

Anders took a breath.

"Makers breath!" Hawke exclaimed, taking a step away from Valera. An expression of pure horror on his face. "Your eyes!"

Blinking slowly, Valera looked down at her lover, whose large brown eyes looked back up.

"Black." Anders, a living, breathing Anders' hand touched her cheek, his thumb stroking the corner of her brow.

"Your eyes are completely black…"

BREAK

~Caught Ya!

"Stop struggling!" An armored woman commanded, her tone frustrated. She was crouching over something that was thrashing around while a bit of rope flew around.

"They're too tight!" A voice whined pathetically.

The Grey Warden approached, his brow raised in question. "Something we can assist with?"

The armored woman gave pause, her head turning to see who had been addressing her before turning back to whatever she was working on. "I have it under control!"

"Val OW!" The voice squealed as the armored woman "Val" gave a good hard yank on the rope in her hands.

"What are you doing?" The Warden asked, his eyebrow still raised.

"Hmm oh." Val stepped aside, revealing a man turtle tied, his arms and legs completely covered in rope, just his head was poking out. "I'm a templar, and this here is an apostate that I'm returning the Circle. FOR THE 7th TIME!" She yelled, kicking the apostate who yelped.

"NOT SO HARD!" The apostate whined, a small tear in his eye. "I have ribs under all these ropes!"

"Well damnit Anders!" Val put her hands on her hips and glared at the blonde man. "If you would just stay at the Circle I wouldn't have to travel all the way down here just to throw you back!"

"Its boring there!" Anders protested with a roll of his eyes. "You should take me to Kirkwall with you, I've never been on a boat before! Imagine the sights we'll see, we could watch the sunrise together, eat lots of strange cheese and not to mention all the pretty ladies-!"

Val slapped him upside the head before he could finish his comment. "Anders… my mother is Knight-Commander of Kirkwall, how well do you think me housing a apostate would fly by her!?"

BREAK

~Not Anders, Justice

"What have you done?" Valera muttered in acute horror, seeing the man she once thought she could love change, his skin illuminating to the color of pure lyrium.

"You will never take another mage as you took him!" Anders roared, blue black flames flaring from his aura.

"Commander?" A nearby Templar asked her, fright clearly written across his features.

Anders, glowing blue with the power of pure lyrium launched a fireball at the man, his body being instantly incinerated.

The battle was over before she could even blink.

Valera stood alone in the middle of the group of dead templars. The little party that had followed Anders had given pause, none of them approaching to attack her. The whole time, she was so shocked and mortified at Anders, she couldn't even lift her weapon to assist the men that had depended on her.

Anders was normal once again, facing the man that had been made tranquil just a few days ago. The party that had accompanied him had turned, obviously consoling him on the loss of his friend.

His complete disregard for the men he had just killed burned through her like white hot fire. Vengeance burned through her as she drew her blades, the runes flashing to life at her touch. All she could see was red, her anger so ferocious she felt as if her heart would explode.

"ABOMINATION!" Valera roared, charging the man she thought she had once known, her intent to kill.

Anders swiveled around quickly as if expecting her attack. He made no move to defend himself as her blades stopped on either side of his throat.

Then he caught her eye in his hazel gaze and she felt herself freeze.

It would take only the slightest bit of effort and she could kill him, kill him as he had killed her men. But her muscles refused to move.

"WHY!?" She screamed the question, her voice ragged with the pain she felt in her heart. Something warm streaked down her cheek and Valera realized she was crying.

But why?

Anders looked surprised, then ashamed. "I didn't want to kill them." He said, his voice monotone. "When I was in Amaranthian, I met a spirit of justice trapped outside of the Fade. We became friends and I offered to become his host. He said we would take back justice for every mage that's ever been taken to the Circle. But the hate was too strong in me. When we merged his ceased to be my friend Justice and transformed into a spirit of Vengeance. And when I see them…" he motioned to the templars. "I can't no longer control myself, and he breaks free."

Valera's blades clattered to the floor, the tears running in rivers down her cheeks. What could she possibly say to that? He had rescued a friend with the best of intentions, intentions that had morphed into something that had changed his life forever. This was something he had brought upon his self, yet Valera had the urge to comfort him. Comfort a man that had just murdered men in cold blood.

"I can barely control him when your around Val." Anders shook his head, his hands resting on his blonde crown. "Every part of Justice is screaming for me to kill you, make you suffer like all the mages you have made suffer."

"I gave the order." Confession.

"The order…?" Confusion.

"To have Karl made tranquil." Regret.

Brown eyes lit again with righteous fury. The lyrium quickly streaked over his skin giving him a blue glow. The form of Vengeance was before her, staff ready in his hand.

Valera didn't stop him.

The man she had once loved more then anything was gone. All that was left was a shell, filled with hatred for her and her 'kind'. There was an abomination in her lovers skin, and she wanted nothing more then forget.

"Kill me."

Spreading her arms in defeat, Valera closed her eyes, wanting the image of her Anders to be the last thing in her minds eyes. She didn't want to see this thing that he had become.

"You can't kill her!" Someone shouted before Valera heard a heavy swish of air and then everything went black.

~END