Anders hands rubbed the back of Leigh's shoulders as they headed for their home. They had spent the last half of the day searching for the blood mage Gascard Dupuis. They had found him hiding in Darktown from the Templars who think he was the one who murdered Ser Emeric. He had offered to use his blood magic to help them find the real killer, but Leigh had no desire to let him. Blood magic had always made her uncomfortable. She tolerated Merrill's because the elf did not use it very often and she had hope that maybe with enough support she would give it up.

"All I want to do when we get home is take a nice hot bath and slip under the covers. I don't care if it is not night yet, this hunt for the murderer is driving me nuts."

"How can you be sure that we just didn't leave the man who did this back in Darktown?" Leigh stopped walking and turned to look at Anders. He did raise a good point. For most people they would not be able to tell if the man had been lying or not, but she was not most people. Because Pash could look into the hearts of mortals. She could tell Leigh he was not lying.

"Just call it rogue's intuition." Anders rolled his eyes at her and pushed her forward toward home. "It is frustrating not to be any closer to finding this animal. It is tricky enough for people around here without having some deranged idiot making it worse."

"We'll find him Leigh. He will make a mistake sooner or later. Hopefully it will be before anyone else gets hurt."

"I hope so too. I have enough to worry about with the Qunari." She rubbed her temples as just the thought of them made her head ache. Anders covered her hands with his and sent soothing waves into her temples. The dull ache in her head began to ease. Leigh let out a content sigh as she leaned back into his chest. When he was done working his spell Anders wrapped her in a tight embrace. "You always know how to make me feel better."

"Someone has to. You run around helping all of us and never really ask for anything in return."

"I have what I need right in front of me." Her fingers played with the feathers on his jacket. The warm bright smile she gave him made Anders give her a soft kiss on top of her head.

"Is that why your mother sat me down last night and gave me the "if you hurt my daughter speech"?" Leigh looked up at him and her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"When did she do that?"

"After you went to sleep I went down to the larder. Your mother was sitting in the study and she told me she wanted to talk."

"Maker, what did she say?"

"She asked me if I was as serious about you as you are about me, to which I answered yes. Then she told me not to break your heart, to which I stated I would try my hardest not to. She talked about your father and what a great man he was. She told me I reminded her of him. She also told me she was happy you had so many friends to count on."

"Growing up we couldn't stay in one place to long for fear of the Templars. I couldn't make friends because I knew I would one day have to leave them behind. This is the first time I am not afraid to put down roots and let people in. So did she say anything else?"

"Just for me to take care of you. She worries when you go running out the door on some mission. She fears each time will be the last she sees you alive." Leigh frowned at that news.

"Why hasn't she told me that?" Before Anders could answer her a figure walking by them caught his eye. He cursed softly under his breath making Leigh look behind them. A small gasp came from her as she saw her sister. It had been over three years since she had last seen Bethany and in that time she had changed. Leigh wondered why Anders had cursed then she saw who was standing beside Bethany, Cullen had noticed them and stopped. He gave Leigh a polite smile as he walked toward them. Bethany on the other hand had a very sour look on her face. It was one her sister had never seen before. "Bethany!" Leigh went to hug her sister, but Bethany flinched away from her. "Bethany? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Ser Cullen can we go please?"

"In a moment. You should say hello to your sister Beth." Cullen gave Leigh apologetic look.

"Hello, there happy can we go?"

"Bethany why are you acting like this? I haven't seen you in years and you act like I am some evil creature."

"I am not acting like anything, sister. I wouldn't want to keep you from making a name for yourself."

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?"

"I have been in the Gallows for three years and not once have you come to see me. It is like you forgot I exist. You are too busy getting coin and making a name for yourself to be bothered with your baby sister."

"That is not true. I miss you every day Beth. There is not a day that goes by that I don't wish you were with me and Mama. How can you think I would ever forget about you?"

"Forget I said it then. I want to go Cullen please now!" Leigh grabbed her sister's arm a heartbroken look on her face. Bethany shook her off and glared at her. "I use to feel sorry for you having to give up your life to take care of me, but I wonder how long did it take you to forget about me. A day, a week maybe it wasn't even that long. I wish it had been you the ogre got instead of Carver at least he wouldn't have abandoned me. You go live your normal life Leigh, maybe if you had been born a mage you would understand, but then again maybe you wouldn't." Leigh backed away from her sister as if she had been hit. Anders stared at Bethany as she stormed away for them. He wanted to go after the girl and shake sense into her. How could she think Leigh abandoned her to the Gallows?

"Leigh I am sorry. I had no idea she was this angry at you. Had I known I would never have forced the issue." Cullen's voice was soft.

"She hates me. I haven't come to see her because that bitch Meredith won't let me. I..." Her voice died in the throat as she fought the tears that were starting to fall down her cheeks. Her body quaked with anger. To have her own sister turn on her was something she never thought would happen. Leigh's eyes narrowed at the retreating form of Bethany. She wanted nothing more than to run after her and make her understand. She wanted to tell her everything, but she couldn't. Being bound did not allow her to speak of what she was. It was a promise she and her father had made. To break it would have terrible consequences for everyone she held dear.

"I think you better go Ser Cullen." Anders took Leigh in his arms to lead her home. He tried to keep his voice level, but fell short. He hated to admit it, but he was jealous of Cullen for being with Leigh even if it was years before he had met her. He also loathed the Templar for hurting her both back then and when he took Bethany away. Justice screamed in his head to take vengeance for those trespasses alone, but for Leigh's sake he held Justice in check.

"I will talk to her Leigh. I promise." Leigh nodded and clung to her love's coat. Her hands twisted in the fabric as she tried to stop herself from shaking.

"Please just take me back to our home love, I want to forget this day ever happened." Cullen winced hearing her say their home. She had done what he hoped she wouldn't. She fell for Anders even after his warnings. Fire raged in him as he watched the mage kiss her forehead, whispering it would be alright. Without another word Cullen turned on his heels and followed after his charge. "I swear if I ever get the chance I am going to make Meredith pay for this."

"I will help you." She gave him a weak smile knowing full well he would make good on that statement. "I know what we can do, we can make a straw doll of her and place it in front of the Gallows. I will set it on fire and then we can watch her blow her top from a distance." Leigh stopped mid stride and stared at him opened mouthed. A small hysterical giggle escaped her lips before turning into a full out laughing fit. She could picture the Knight Commander raging and yelling. The picture in her head was priceless.

"Your utterly mad you know that right?" He gave her his signature smirk and his eyes twinkled with a mischievous light. "I love you for it though. Sane is boring."

"Then you will never be bored with me my lady. I have never been sane."

"I wouldn't have you any other way. I want to get home and talk to Mama, maybe she can talk some sense into my darling sister." He nodded and wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked back to their home. It was still strange to call it that. He had not had a real home since he was a boy, it was both comforting and a bit scary. It did not take them long to thread their way back home. Even from outside the thick door Leigh could hear her uncle yelling at someone. After the day she had this was not something she needed. She was quite prepared to go in there and throw Gamlen out on his ass.

"No Le- An- Dra. Stupid dwarf."

"Uncle do not ever call Sandal stupid again or I will kick you from one side of Kirkwall to the other. Now what are you doing here and why are you yelling at the boy?"

"I came here looking for your mother. She never showed up for her weekly visit. Do you know where she is?"

"I haven't seen her since we left this morning. Maybe she went out to the market and lost track of time. Let me see if Orana or Bohdan know where she might be." Leigh headed for the kitchen since it was close to dinner time. Both the dwarf and the elf were busy making different dishes. "Have either of you seen my mother since this morning?"

"She said she was going out to see your uncle, mistress. She left the house after the flowers arrived late this morning." Orana went to fetch the flowers to show Leigh.

"Flowers? Does she have a suitor that she hasn't told me about?"

"Here they are mistress. White lilies and so beautiful too." Ice shot down Leigh's spine and her stomach felt like it fell to her feet. "No, they can't be from that murderer. It has to be a coincidence that's all, right? Right?"

"Did you see the person who delivered them?"

"They came by messenger. It was one who has been here many times before. Jareth I think his name is."

"He is that young boy who I see running around Hightown right?"

"Yes messare."

"Bohdan could you please go and get Sebastian and Fenris for me? I am sure my mother is just shopping, but I would still like help tracking her down. If nothing else it will put my uncle's mind at ease." With a nod the old dwarf disappeared through to door to do as she asked. Without realizing it Leigh began to pace the kitchen. Her mind played out scenarios both good and bad.

"Love, are you alright?" Anders voice made her jump.

"These arrived for my mother this morning after we left." She handed him one of the lilies and it took him a moment before his eyes went wide.

"White lilies. Leigh you don't think..." She cut him off before he could put into words what she feared.

"No, they might just be from a suitor or maybe a neighbor. There would be no reason for her to be a target for that monster. Right?"

"We should go out and look for her. I sent your uncle home just in case she shows up there." Fear nipped at her mind, she gripped Anders hand tightly. She was happy to have him as support. If she had been by herself she would have gone over the edge by now. After meeting up with Sebastian and Fenris they went and searched Leandra's normal haunts. They headed to Lowtown last when everywhere else produced nothing. Varric and Merrill met up with them after running into Gamlen.

"We asked around if anyone had seen her Hawke, but nobody has." Leigh gave a stiff nod to the dwarf and kept walking. She feared if she stopped her fear would freeze her to the spot. As they cleared the lower part of the market she heard her uncle's voice. She found him standing in front of a young street urchin with his hands on the boy's already torn and tattered clothes. He shook the boy viciously as he screamed at him. Leigh grabbed her uncle and spun him away from the boy into a nearby wall.

"Enough, you can't expect him to answer you if you are going to throttle him to death."

"He said he saw your mother here earlier today, but won't tell me where she went or who was with her. Little bastard is holding out for coin when your mother's life is in danger." Gamlen glared at the boy. Leigh gave her uncle a warning look and turned to the boy. She knelt down to his level so she could look him in the eye.

"The woman you saw earlier was my mother and I am very worried for her safety. I will make it worth your while if you tell me what you saw." Leigh opened her hand and the boy's eyes widened. What was there could feed and cloth his family for almost half a year.

"I saw the lady walking to the slums over there and some bloke came up to her and asked her for help. He was bleeding so she let him lean on her. I didn't see his face, but I know he was human. He was too big to be an elf. They headed that way." The boy pointed in the direction of the foundry district. Leigh felt like her heart was hit by a frost spell. "He was bleeding pretty bad and stumbled a lot." She handed him the coin and gave him the best smile she could muster.

"Thank you now run along home the streets are not safe after dark." Her eyes scanned the street til they found a small puddle of blood. She torn off in the direction with her friends close behind her. The more blood she found the faster she ran. The trail led her straight to the foundry she had been in over three years ago searching for another lost woman. Now it was her mother who was missing and she prayed she was not too late.

The group fought their way through the tunnels underneath the foundry. There was no denying that the person responsible for this was a blood mage. They had already found the body of the woman they had seen in Gascard's home. The body was whole save for the feet were missing. Further down the tunnels Leigh found something that made her blood run cold, Her mother's amulet. It had been a gift from her father with three stones on it representing Leigh and her siblings. She clutched the trinket in her hand to her chest.

"This is my mother's. We need to hurry." She ran off ahead of the others. Varric and Anders shared a look. Both knowing if Leandra was hurt or dead Leigh would never forgive herself.

"I got a bad feeling about this Blondie."

"Me too, this place just feels wrong, evil." They heard Leigh scream and it set them all running. "Holy Maker!" Leigh was surrounded by shades, abominations, and a rage demon the two rogues broke to one side while the mages and warrior rolled to the other. "Leigh get out of there!" She did not wait for him to finish his sentence, a cloud surrounded her and she vanished only to reappear behind the rage demon. She struck with both blades in it's back twisting them as she went. The demon turned to attack her and was hit by a freezing spell. Leigh whipped her head around and saw Anders standing a few feet from her with his hand out.

"Hey Hawke, I could use a little help here." Shades surrounded Varric backing him into a corner. Leigh rolled around the frozen demon letting Fenris finish it off with a mighty swing. She raced across the room, flipping over the shades to land in front of of her friend. Her blades lashed out at a blinding speed, slicing and stabbing as they went. The sounds of arrows screaming past her head made her duck down to give Sebastian a clear shot. As the last of the shades faded back into the earth the group tried to catch their breath.

"Does anyone need healing?"

"I think we are all fine, but Hawke you will want to take a look at this." Leigh walk up behind Fenris and found him looking at a painting. Her hand flew to her mouth to stifle a scream.

"That looks like my mother! What the hell is going on here?"

"It looks like he lives down here. I found a few books on necromancy on the shelves as well as other volumes that should not have ever been written. I want to set fire to this entire library so it doesn't fall into anyone elses hands." Anders turned and gave Merrill a look and she just nodded. The look on Leigh's face made the elf not want to argue.

"When we leave here you can torch whatever you want love. Right now I want to find the animal who is doing all of this." "I feel blood magic up ahead and pain, so much pain. You must tread carefully." "If he has hurt my mother there is no carefully, he will pay in blood." "It will not ease the pain to kill him." "I don't care." "Yes you do."

"I can feel the blood mage ahead of us my friend." "So can I, he is powerful. We have to make sure we protect our friends." "They are your friends not mine, but I will do as you ask." "I am worried about Leigh, she looks like she is ready to explode." Justice stayed silent not knowing how to answer. He could feel her anger, her thirst for vengeance if her mother is hurt. Leigh headed to where the power was coming from, it did not take her long to find the mage.

"Leandra said you would come for her. She has so much faith in you." Leigh could see the form of a woman sitting in the chair right behind the blood mage. "Your mother has become part of something bigger than herself. I pieced her together from memory, now I have my beloved back with me. I have touched the face of the Maker and lived." Before Leigh could retort the woman rose from the chair, her movements choppy. The woman turned around, Leigh shrieked at the sight. It was her mother's head sewn onto a patchwork body. It was a cruel mockery of life. With a feral snarl Leigh flew at the mage daggers bared, he quickly threw up a shield around himself. She stopped just short of hitting the shield and watched him cut his palm open to call forth more demons before he backed away from the fray.

"Fenris watch out!" Merrill threw a stonefist spell at a the desire demon that appeared behind him. Sebastian and Varric covered Anders and Fenris as they cut through the swarm of demons. "Anders, move back and heal I will help Fenris." He nodded and fell back from the battle as Merrill stepped forward. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Leigh charge the shielded mage again this time she broke through his shield. She slammed into him throwing them both through a magic barrier that cut the room off from the tunnels.

"Leigh! We have to end this now. She doesn't stand a chance against him." Anders fought like a man possessed to get to the woman he loves. The waves of demons seemed unending and his fear began to rise.

Leigh shook her head to clear it after breaking through the barrier. She could hear Quentin laughing at her from a few feet away. Gritting her teeth she rose to her feet, her knuckles white from gripping her daggers too tightly. "Pash you have to unbind me." "Your powers are untested outside of the fade." "I don't care. This man butchered my mother, Pash. I can't defeat him like this. Please you have to let me do this. If I lose control you can rein me back in." "If you build up enough power I will not be able to stop you." "I can do this please."

"I will not let you take her from me little girl. You and your friends will die here and my beloved and I will live our lives in peace." Quentin stalked around her, sneering as a ball of lightning formed in his hands. "Don't worry I won't let your bodies go to waste. I will give my beloved a family to watch over." His maniacal laughter stoked the rage Leigh was feeling. Waves of calming magic from her amulet muted it down. "You need to keep your head and not let your rage dictate you actions here or you will lose control of your powers. Remember what your father taught you." Leigh took a deep breath and tried to center herself all the while keeping a eye on the mage.

"I will not let you hurt anyone else. You butchered these women. Your a monster." She felt a surge of magic begin to course through her veins. Pash has released her powers. Leigh sheathed her daggers and stood up to face her mother's killer.

"I am not a monster. Would you not give anything to have the person you love with you again?"

"I would not kill innocent people to bring back a loved one. You demean her memory with this senseless act. Now you will pay for what you have done to all those women." Quentin screaming with rage and threw the lightning ball at her. With one fluid motion she batted it aside. His eyes grew wide with shock, her eyes glowed a hellish red and a wicked smile crossed her lips. Her skin looked like it was cracking and red lines ran over her. "As you can see you I too can use magic and I am sure mine is stronger than yours."

"I doubt that child. You just got lucky blocking that blast. Though it seems you have communed with demons too. What right do you have to condemn me?" A low evil laugh sounded from Leigh, her hands became wreathed in flames. The flames made clawed gauntlets over her hands.

"I have communed with no demons. This power is all my own." She lashed out at him and the gauntlets left deep gashes on his chest. Quentin stumbled back holding his chest, fear shone in in his insane eyes. Desperate to stop Leigh he cast another blood spell. Tendrils of blood wrapped around her and began to squeeze. Leigh found it hard to breath, rage welled in her and her powers began to reach their peak. In the back of her head she heard Pash screaming at her to calm down, her survival instinct was taking over. Just before she gave in to her powers she heard her father's voice as if he was standing right next to her.

"Do not give in to you anger and fear. It makes your magic sloppy and unpredictable. You control it, it does not control you. Your power is a gift and a curse. Do not let it be more of a curse than it has to be. Always use it with a clear head, Leigh. Out of the three of you children you have the most level head on your shoulders. I am so very proud of you, never doubt that. Let your magic serve what is best in you, not that which is most base." With a deep breath Leigh reined in her magic and focused it on the blood ropes that held her. She dropped to the floor holding her side were the tendrils cut into her. She was bleeding , but not badly. Quentin was looking pale from blood loss and she could feel his magic fading.

"Wh...what are you? It can't end like this not when I am so close to having everything I want."

"I am the daughter of one of the women you murdered and it will end, you have a choice how it ends. You can surrender and I will let the Templars have you or you can fight and I will be forced to kill you. I will be far more merciful then the Templars since you killed one of their own." A look of hate stuck on the blood mage's face. he howled, running at her with a small work dagger. Leigh side stepped him and plunged her own dagger deep into his heart. His hand slowly touched her face before he fell limp in her arms. Leigh gently set him down on the ground and sank to her knees. The sounds of her friends battling echoed through the tunnels. On shaky legs she got to her feet and headed to help them. "Thank you Pash." "You are welcome and I am proud of you. You kept your anger in check." "He was insane with grief and not worth losing myself to."

Anders fought to keep his friends standing against the demons. His magic was almost spent and they were out of lyrium potions. His focus was pulled in too many directions. He wanted to go find Leigh, his fear made his magic not as potent. The fact he had felt a massive surge of magic from the direction he had seen Leigh disappear to did not help the situation. He saw the barrier that she went through fall and a dark figure moving in the tunnels headed toward them. A skeleton warrior ran at the tunnel and fell back with a dagger in it's head. Leigh limped out of the shadows holding her side and covered in blood. Relief washed over him seeing her alive. She looked at her friends and gave a weak smile seeing they were all alive and well. The sound of uneven steps behind her made her turn around. The patchwork woman with her mother's head stumbled and fell into her arms. Leigh sank to the ground cradling the woman to her.

"I knew you would come and save me." Leigh brushed some stray hairs from her mother's eyes as she shook her head viciously.

"I wasn't fast enough."

"This was not your fault Leigh. At least I will see your father again and Carver, but you will be here all alone."

"I am not alone. I'll be alright Mama." Anders felt helpless. He knew there was nothing he could do, but his heart hurt seeing the pain this was causing the woman he loves.

"His magic was keeping her alive Leigh. There...there is nothing I can do."

"I know, love." Leandra's clouded eyes looked up at Anders and she gave him a motherly smile.

"You take care of my little girl. Promise me."

"I promise." Leandra closed her eyes.

"I love you Leigh." Her mother took one more quivering breath then was silent. Leigh leaned forward and rested her head against her mother's shoulder and cried. None of her friends wanted to move or speak. The only sounds were from her sobs. Anders was the only one who stood close. He looked back at the others, Merrill was crying and Varric did his best to comfort her. Sebastian was on his knees giving a silent prayer to the Maker for Leandra's soul. Fenris just stared at the ground not knowing how to act. They all had cared about Leigh's mother. She had welcomed them all into her home, she fed them, listened to them. She was a mother to all of them and now she was gone leaving them all with a hole in their hearts.

With not knowing what else to do Leigh's friends began to search through Quentin's things. They found Leandra's body on a cot in another room. Fenris grabbed Merrill by the arm and made her look. His lyrium tattoos glowed with his anger.

"Do you see what blood magic does? Take a good look because this is where you are heading. No good comes from this."

"Fenris let her go." Leigh stood in the doorway her face tracked with blood and tears. "Sebastian I need you to go to the Gallows and talk to Knight Captain Cullen. Please tell him to bring my sister here. We are giving these women peace without having people gawk and gossip about what happened to them."

"I will be back soon. I will also find Aveline for you."

"Thank you, Varric please go get Isabela. I want her here as well. The rest of us will will begin to make the pyres."

"On it Hawke." He gave her hand a squeeze and took off. Leigh turned to Merrill who looked like she wanted to just disappear.

"Fenris should not have done that Merrill. You are nothing like that man and if I have anything to say about it you never will be. Help me make my mother's pyre." Merrill nodded biting back tears. Leigh slipped her arm around the elf, both of them leaning on the other for support. By the time Varric and Sebastian returned the pyres had been assembled. Bethany leaned heavily on both Sebastian and Cullen. She looked around the room for her sister who was finishing the pile of forbidden books that would be the blood mages pyre. Leigh dusted off her hands before heading into the tunnel where she had defeated Quentin. Alone she dragged his body to the pile. Anders ran over to help her lift the larger man.

"Your sister is here with Cullen. You should go to her. I can finish this."

"I don't think my sister wants me anywhere near her right now. Aveline and Isabela are with her, she does not need me." The tone of her voice and the blank look on her face worried him. She was pushing through her grief instead of letting it come. Grabbing both her hands he pulled her to him holding her tightly. She struggled a little then went limp against his chest.

"You do not have to be strong for any of us, even Bethany."

"I will grieve, but not here, not now. I have to ask Sebastian to give last rights." She tried to push him away, but his grip tightened.

"I will ask him to do that. Go to your sister or I will drag you over there." The finality in his voice told her he meant it. She gave a curt nod and went to Bethany. The younger woman threw herself into her sister's arms and sob openly. Leigh smoothed her hair, telling her everything would be alright. Even if she did not believe it herself.

"Why are you giving him a funeral? Let him rot he deserves no better."

"If I leave him here to rot I will be no better than him, Beth. I leave it up to the Maker to punish him. My conscience will be clear."

"You sound like father." This brought a smile to both the girls faces. "Leigh, I'm sorry. I didn't know she wouldn't let you see me. I thought you were glad to be rid of having to keep me safe."

"Your my sister I never want to be rid of you. We are all the remains of the Hawke family."

"What about Uncle Gamlen?"

"He is nothing like us Beth. He has no sense of what it means to live on the run or sacrifice for your family." Bethany just nodded and let her head fall back onto Leigh's shoulder. They stood in silence til the last ember burned out. Leigh thanked Cullen for letting her sister say goodbye to their mother. Half their mother's ashes went with Leigh the other half with Bethany. The walk home was long and quiet, no one wanted to fill it with useless chatter. Gamlen was waiting for Leigh when she arrived home. She told him Leandra was gone, but did not tell him all of what happened. He blamed her at first, but she knew he did not mean it.

"At least you killed the bastard. I hope he suffered. You girls are all the family I have left. I know it does not mean much, but I am here if you need me." Leigh walked him out and retired to her room. There she let it all sink in, there she let herself have her grief. She did not hear Anders come in their room. He just sat next to her and pulled her close. The tears flowed freely and he just let her vent and scream. Words failed him, but there were no words to make any of it better. All he could do was be there for her, hold her when she cried, let her beat her fists against his chest when her anger flared again. She fell asleep in his arms clinging tightly to him as if he too would vanish on her. She had lost almost every thing and with each thing taken from her, a piece of herself went with it.