~Jealousy
Valera tapped her foot in slight impatience. She had arrived at Anders Clinic nearly half an hour ago in need of healing. She and her mother had had another fight and a recently purchased vase had found its way off the nice table it had been sitting on and had gone flying toward Valera. Fighting instincts had kicked in then and Valera had block the vase… with her arm. And well… she kind of needed both arms to be a duel wielding templar, and like Greigor had always said, two swords were better then one and Valera could not defend herself with a wounded arm.
Besides… the woman who Anders was currently healing was making this face at the apostate, one that included surly eyes and a pouty mouth, and it made Valera's stomach turn funny.
My apostate. Valera's mind snarled rather un-nice like.
The blond mage seemed either very much into his work healing or completely oblivious to the woman's attentions. Though his back was turned to the Templar, Valera could assuredly claim that she knew the man's body language better then anyone and that to her, he seemed to not be interested by the big brown eyes that were looking up at him adoringly.
At least it seemed that way…
Valera's booted foot tapped a bit more forcefully on the rotted floorboards of the clinic.
Within minutes the apostate was finished with caring for the woman -whatever she needed! Valera didn't think she looked very ill in the first place- and stepped back from the wooden table that he most frequently used. Apparently, he had used a bit too much magic on healing this one because the apostate stumbled and barely caught himself on the support pillar.
Before Valera knew what she was doing, her feet had moved before her mind had registered him tumbling, she had moved to cover the distance between herself and the apostate only to pause rather abruptly. The girl who had just recently been healed leapt up from the healing table and caught the blonde, wrapping her arms around the mage completely.
"Oh Anders! Are you alright?" The girl cried, her voice grating on the templars near shot nerves.
Valera ground her teeth together in frustration when she noticed the girl clinging to the mage. Anders, undeterred, stood shakily not really shrugging the girl off but not leaning into her grip either.
"I'm fine..." Anders answered seeming weak and out of breath.
"Oh Anders… you're so tired…" The girl had her arms still wrapped around the apostates shoulders; Valera felt one of her teeth possibly chip, as she ran one through the bound blonde locks. "Is there anyway I can help you? I'd do anything to give you a hand."
That. Was. It.
Valera stomped over to the pair, "Hey! What are you doing-!", and roughly yanked the girl away from the mage. The girl cracked her head on the wooden table as she tumbled away from the apostate and Valera felt a small ugly twinge of satisfaction as Anders blanched.
The Templar towered over the little girl who looked up at her fearfully. "Listen here missy… First of all, you have nothing to offer Anders that a more experienced woman couldn't give him, and second of all BACK OFF!" Valera swiveled on the healer who was looking her with an infuriately handsome smirk like he definitely knew something she didn't. "And you-! What are you smiling at!?"
Anders crossed his arms across his chest and the smirk grew. "Back off?" He asked.
"Well… erm…" Valera blinked and she could feel her cheeks grow warm. She tried hard to look anywhere but the mages knowing gaze. "I've been waiting for nearly an hour… bitch was taking too long is all."
"Is that so?" The mage asked softly taking her injured arm gently and Valera allowed him to examined the long cut that ran up her forearm. "Whatever you say Val."
"My apostate." She grumbled softly and caught his lips lifting into another grin. Her heart sped up -just a little- and Valera's hand curled around his bicep and blushed when he mumbled something like,
"Don't make me kiss you in front of all these Lowtowners lady knight."
BREAK
~Most Wonderful Dream
"Do you think, one day there will be a pair of people like us, able to live and love without fear of the Chantry?" Anders asked Valera looking up into the millions of tiny stars that littered the night sky.
Valera snorted and rolled on her side propping her head up on her elbow to look at the mage. "If there is a pair like us in the future, I pray for them. Future me with have so much fun looking after future you."
Anders eyes rolled in his head. "In that future there will be no templars. They will won't have need for that. No Circle, no templars… equality for all."
"No mages?" Valera asked quietly. "If you could somehow change your fate… would you choose to be born without magic?"
"No." Large brown eyes looked up at her and love shone so brightly in their depths Valera felt her heart skip. "If I had been born without magic I would of never met you. I would of stayed home in the Anderfels and never ventured to Fereldan. I would never know Valera. I would gladly take this magic of mine that had caused me nothing but hardship just to love you again."
Anders sat up and his thumb brushed across her cheek gently. "Don't cry, love."
"How can I not?" She asked in return only to bury herself into him. "I love you, you silly mage!"
Said silly mage chuckled and embraced her tightly laying a kiss on her hair. "And I love you, Valera."
Valera suddenly shot up and out of her dreams, the open starry skies gone and cold ceiling of her home greeting her and the warm stream of tears on her cheeks.
BREAK
~Innocent Spell
"Yes Ser." Valera saluted Greigor before turning and stepping out of his office.
Valera barely made it past the doorframe, before a pair of warm, broad hands shot out and grabbed her around the chest, the other hand clamped over her mouth, stifling any cry for help. The offender dragged Valera to the shadows of a nearby stairwell, as Valera lay still, playing possum until they considered her docile enough to loosen their grip.
Once safely in the shadows, the attacker released Valera who immediately flipped around and slammed her plated fist in her kidnapers face. Gathering power in her legs, preparing to run, Valera paused only once she heard the familiar cry of pain.
Valera's expression flattened into something akin to annoyance as her arms crossed her chest. "Anders... what in the Maker's name are you doing?"
Anders made a grunting noise of pain, fingers pinching his now bleeding nose. He held up a hand, silently asking her to wait as he snapped the delicate bones back into place with a solid crack. Green healing magic glowed at his fingertips as he ran them gently up and down the bridge of his realigned nose.
"Nice right hook Val."
Valera rolled her eyes. "What is so important that you need to grab me like that without saying anything? Oh, you deserved that by the way."
Anders nodded, as if in agreement, the green dying from his fingers. Besides a little blood, his nose looked just like it had before. "I need you to do me a big favor."
"No." She replied instantly, turning to leave.
His hand shot out and grabbed her retreating arm. "You haven't even heard my request!"
"And I won't." Valera countered, but paused mid step. "You know I can't be doing you any favors. Then I would have to do them for all the other mages as well."
"I won't tell anyone! I swear on Mr. Wiggums!"
Val raised a blonde eyebrow. To swear on Mr. Wiggums was akin to her swearing on her oath as a templar. This must have been really important to the mage.
"I'll hear your request, but I can't promise anything, okay?"
"Great!" The mage rubbed his hands together excitedly before pulling a list from the folds of his robes. "Since you have free reign to the outside, I was just wondering if you could get some of these for me?"
Valera took the list and scanned it quickly. "A handful of bird feathers, ten pebbles from beneath a boulder, four leaves from a willow tree, a pair of ladies underwear… Anders, are you screwing with me?"
"No!" Anders waved his hands defensively at her annoyed expression. "I do actually need them!"
"For what? Something bad?"
"No! They're components to a harmless little spell. But I can't get them inside. You wouldn't believe how hard the leaves are to get!"
"Oh yeah? What spell?" Valera asked skeptically.
Anders waved her toward him as he left from beneath the shadow of the stairs.
Cullen, who was heading up the stone steps, paused and eyed Valera following Anders, surprise written across his face. She waved him off casually, and Cullen shrugged and continued on. Ever since Valera had sat with Anders through his one year solitary confinement, Anders had been stuck on her side like a bur. Easily peeled away, but a pain in the ass regardless. Seeing them together at most hours of the day (though it had raised suspicions at first, suspicions that were quickly squashed beneath Valera's heel) was a common thing in the Circle now.
Anders led Val into the library, weaving between large piles of books that were stacked as high as she was tall. Between two towers of books lay a simple spell book, the page open to where Anders must have been working. The spell was labeled, "For Slow Fall and Levitation."
"See?" Anders chuckled nudging her arm slightly, his grin good-natured, as Valera compared the ingredients. They matched to a T. "Nothing bad can come of that, right?"
Valera knew better then to underestimate the mage and his craftiness. But, Anders had just been released from confinement just mere months ago, and the templar knight didn't think he would be dumb enough to try another escape while the embers from the last were still burning.
She'd give him the benefit of the doubt.
For once.
"Well… alright… I guess." Valera conceded hesitantly. She just knew this would come back and bite her in the ass somehow.
..
Three weeks later, when Anders bodily leapt from the opened windows in the Harrowing Room and neatly floated across the lake, Valera grit her teeth, strapped on her swords and chased after her apostate.
BREAK
~Chaser
Valera shoved her matted hair roughly out of her face. It had been raining hard for the past hour, and the templar cursed her terrible luck for getting stuck out in the spring storm. Even more then cursing herself, she curse Anders, the apostate that she was currently out in the rain chasing.
She had followed some trustworthy rumors (bought with a heavy bag of coins) about a man with reddish blonde hair and brown eyes. Apparently, he had just come into Loithering, offering services as an herbal healer. A local farmers daughter had been injured recently by a horse, so the brown eyed man had been staying with the family on their farm in exchange for helping care for the hurt woman.
Blonde hair, brown eyes, herbal healer and young women? That just screamed Anders.
If anything, Valera was slightly disappointed that he hadn't hidden himself better. After four escape attempts, the templar figured he would have wised up a little by now.
Stepping into the local Chantry, the Templars at the door greeted her with comrade-like ease. She was wearing her travel gear. A light scale mail suit with the Sword of Mercy emblazoned on her red tabard. Her duel swords were strapped crossed on the leather belt of her pants, protected from the rain by her heavy dark brown cloak.
A small knapsack with provisions and dry clothes rode on her hip. Hidden in its depths was Anders phylactery. But Valera would only use it as a last resort. It was much more fun to hunt him without the vial. Only if she had been at the hunt for months with no clue in sight would be use the blood.
Valera stepped into one of the empty chapels in the Chantry, closing the door behind her before stripping away the wet armor. Sliding into some simple dry linens, Val thought over all that she had learned today.
The farmers family had denied any association with a healer, an obvious lie, but Valera didn't feel the need to force her way into their home. She merely needed to stick around for a few days, stake out the property and watch for any movements. If she could catch him alone things would go much simpler for her. She'd rather not have an angry farmer rushing her with a cattle prod while she hog tied her prey. As much fun as that sounded.
There was also a good chance Anders had already heard of her presence in Lothering and was preparing to make a run for it. She didn't try too hard to hide, her curiousness about a certain man staying at the local farm would quickly spread. Especially, if they were trying to hide him.
Once she hit up the local tavern and had a warm meal and something cool to drink would she begin her hunt again. Sleep could wait for tonight, despite how her body tugged at her to just please rest. She had been pushing it hard, making the journey on horse to Redcliffe and then on foot to Lothering in just under two weeks.
The Templar at the door (William was his name, a rather handsome young fellow) offered her a polite escort to the inn under his shield where she would stay dry, maybe just get a little mud on her boots and Valera accepted graciously.
She held her pack close, her armor folded just right to fit inside, her swords wrapped and tucked inside carefully.
William, a man of his word, kept her close and mostly dry on the way to the inn.
At the door he offered to buy her a drink, and his companionship for the night with a subtle look in his pretty green eyes, his shift having just ended.
Valera briefly considered taking the offer of company, especially in such a little town where everyone knew everyone, she would look less suspicious if she was with a local, but regretfully declined. Sadly, this was a job, and Greigor had always taught her to never mingle work with pleasure.
The inn was warm from the nearby fire, effectively warding off the chill of the rain as Valera stepped in the door. No one even blinked an eye in her direction. Valera was suddenly thankful she had declined William's offer.
Templars were generally disliked and the newbie (she could tell, he still had that I Am Invincible attitude about him) had been wearing his armor, a sure chance that attention would have been drawn to him, and indirectly her.
Quietly, Val approached the man behind the oak desk, laying down a few gold sovereigns and requesting a room for the night. She could have easily stayed in the Chantry for the night, but the Inn is where all the juicy gossip would be. Better to be in the know, then safe in the church.
"Ain't cha a wee young to be travelin by yerself missy?' The Innkeeper asked, eyeing Val's youthful face. "Don't cha have ya a sweetheart waitin fer ya back home?"
Valera smiled at the man. Right now she did appear as wealthy merchants daughter. Her long blond hair was braided into a simple plait and thrown over one shoulder. The two piece outfit she wore was made of more expensive stuff that well traveled persons wore. The pants were a simple brown hide tucked into fine leather boots. The top was a white and billowy linen, with loose sleeves, and cuffed wrists, the front gaping open with lace strings. A plain leather corset wrapped around the outside of the shirt, lifting her breasts and thinning her waist.
"Now that you mention it ser, I am actually traveling to find my sweetheart. You see, we were engaged to marry, but the poor sod got cold feet at the last minute and ran off!" Val lay a hand across her chest, dramatically sighing with woe. "He ran off and hasn't returned! If he didn't want to marry me, I would at least like an explanation! Or mayhap he's lost somewhere and can't find his way home to me!"
The Innkeeper nodded sympathetically, and Valera almost felt bad for lying. "I bet he's come through here lass, what's he lookin like?"
A feral grin curled on Valera's lip briefly before smoothing away as she described the apostate to the Innkeeper. "About this tall, broad shoulders with large hands, orange blonde hair, the most beautiful brown doe like eyes I've ever seen!" She fluttered her eyelashes and pretended to near-swoon at the thought of Anders eyes. "Like a lost puppy. Those eyes are what sealed my love for him!"
The Innkeeper rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Ya kno lass, your sweetheart sounds exactly like that lad the Pattons took in just two weeks ago. He said he was an traveling healer, down on his luck, looking for work when the Pattons picked him up."
Valera nearly cackled in success. Ander WAS here. There was no doubting it now.
Instead, she clasped her hands together, her eyes growing wide as she forced fake tears of happiness from their shining bicolored depths. "That sounds exactly like something my silly darling would do! He does get lost often, and forgets what he's doing, but it's part of his charm! Oh thank you Ser! My darling is here! I can't wait to meet him again."
The smile that broke out on the innkeepers face nearly broke Valera's heart. He looked so pleased with himself as he pointed behind her. "That swell lass, lucky you won't have to wait long, because he just walked in."
BREAK
~Chaser Part 2
Valera flipped around to see Anders step inside the door with two other men. One was older, his hair graying, his skin tanned from long hours in the sun, small crinkle lines around his eyes suggesting he smiled a lot in his life. The other was obviously the son of the first, his features similar in appearance though much younger. Anders walked between them, seeming comfortable in their presence.
Valera subtly slid against the wall, watching the apostate with stealthy eyes. The Innkeeper gave her an odd look and she tried to smile reassuringly, putting a finger to lips as if saying shhh, I want to surprise him.
Thankfully, the older man got the hint and stayed quiet.
Valera was calculating a strategy in her mind. She could easily draw her swords now and arrest him under her Templar Oath with little interference from the locals. Alas, that could also backfire and the locals could easily overwhelm her if they truly wanted to protect him.
Griegor had always warned her of capturing apostates in highly populated places. He had told her horror stories of Templars torn to shreds by an angry mob trying to protect a mage. That was something that she'd rather not find out herself.
Instead, she would play it safe. She would watch the mage for a few hours and try to catch him alone.
Maybe if she could convince one of the other women in the room to seduce the mage away from the other men… Valera shook her head. That wouldn't work. The women in the room would quickly grow suspicious of her if she even suggested a thing. Women could typically smell a ploy a lot swifter then a man.
Valera paused. Why should she convince another woman to do what she was fully capable of doing herself? Anders had never seen her out of her uniform. There was a good chance that if she waited, with enough booze he wouldn't be able to easily recognize her face and eyes.
Perfect.
Several hours later , Val stepped up to the bar that the apostate and the farmers had sat at, Valera cut between the farmers son and Anders smoothly, her arms clenched tight against her body, making her breasts much more obvious with the corset. "Barkeep, a mug of ale please." She called, seeming to ignore the two men on either side of her.
Out of the corner of her eye she could see Anders giving her the one-over, the look in his eyes telling her he was wondering how she had slipped under his play-boy radar, while the farmers son was watching her with blatant sexual interest.
~END