Gray eyes stared out over the edge of the chasm. Tears streamed down blood covered and dirt stained cheeks. The entire world seemed like it had just rend Leigh's heart apart. She could hear the others looking for her since she had run off. She did not care if darkspawn found her, on the contrary she would relish tearing them apart. She hated they before for destroying her home, killing her brother, but now they would take the man she loved as well. Not right away, but slowly. Anders would become just like the twisted heap of a man they had met down here. Her heart went out to Larius, it really did, but the sight of him turned her stomach. The man, if he could be considered a man anymore was mockery of life. His hair, what was left of it was matted and dirty. His skin looked like that of the darkspawn, bumpy and graying. His eyes were the worst part, black and blood shot. They were cold and dead just like the darkspawn. Leigh's arms instinctively crossed over her stomach and her hands began to rub against her skin.
"I refuse to lose him like this little one. I will find a way to...Maker, why? Haven't I suffered enough? Haven't you taken enough from me? I...I hate you." Her voice was a whisper at first, but her temper flared. She screamed loudly and the echo made everything down here pause. "Do you hear me Maker? I HATE YOU!" "Leigh this is not..." "I don't care if this is not the time or the place, Pash. I'm..." "Upset, yes I can tell. The Maker had nothing to do with this Leigh, it is just what is." "You can't tell me he doesn't plan all this Pash." "He has turned his gaze from mortals. He does not make choices for us. Anders made a choice to become a Warden or perhaps he did not chose it. That is something you should ask before you turn away from him." "I did not turn away from him! I just...I couldn't...Balls! I'm such a sodding mess. I can't even think straight. Why didn't he tell me?"
"I was afraid to." Leigh spun around quickly and saw Anders standing half in the shadows. His face was a mask of utter sadness and regret. She could see the gleam of tears swimming in his eyes and it spurred her to run up to him. Her hands framed his face pulling him down til his forehead rested against hers. "Leigh, I'm so sorry...I..."
"Shhh, love."
"I keep hurting you. How can you stand it?"
"Because I love you and I can't see living my life without you. It just...it hit me hard knowing I will lose you much sooner than I had planned. This place has me such a mess. I can't think straight, I guess I should chalk it up to..." Leigh bit her lip hard to stop the next few words from coming out. She did not want to tell him here of all places he was going to be a father.
"Chalk it up to what?"
"Hearing my father's voice again, seeing what it is doing to Bethany, to me." His face softened and his body relaxed a bit. Leigh hated keeping the truth from him, but for now this was the way it had to be. She knew him too well. He would try to keep her out of the fighting and get himself killed trying to keep her safe. "I can't figure out why the Wardens wanted my father. I knew he was a strong mage, but he was a healer not a fighter."
"I can't answer that for you love. Larius would know why, but his brain is scrambled eggs from the taint. I 'm surprised he can still talk let alone not attack us on sight." Leigh saw the look in Anders eyes and knew what he was thinking.
"I will never let you get like that. I will end it first before I let you suffer like that."
"You won't be with me when I go to my Calling Leigh. Your not a Warden. It would be a fate worse than death for you." Again the image of the Mother flashed in his head making him cringe. A wounded expression crossed Leigh's face. She wanted to ask him why she couldn't go with him to his Calling, but she was too tired to fight with him about it.
"We will talk about this later. This is not the time or the place for this. We should...we need to get back to the others." Leigh turned quickly and tried to walk passed Anders before she broke down again. Her emotions were chaotic at best at the moment. She wasn't sure if it was from the stress of this place or the fact she was pregnant that was causing it. All she knew was she did not want to fight him. Even fiber of her being screamed for her to throw herself in his arms and let him be the strong one for a change. Let him take the brunt of everything like she had always done. She had only got a few paces away from Anders when he pulled her back and crushed her to him. Leigh could feel him shaking or maybe it was her that was shaking. She couldn't tell. Her head tilted up searching for his lips. She reveled in the fact that his kisses seemed to make everything feel better. Like they had a magic all their own to cure her wounded heart. It reminded her why she kept fighting to keep him even when she could tell he was trying to make her leave him behind.
"Promise me you will not run off again."
"I promise." They found the others standing around waiting for them near another demon trapped by the same wards the shade had been. Again Leigh heard her father's voice loud and clear. She longed to keep hearing it. Bethany stepped next to her and gripped her shoulder.
"I'll break the wards this time sister. Be ready." Leigh smiled and pulled her daggers. "Everyone ready for this?"
"Just break the bloody wards already and let's get this over with."
"Easy Junior."
"Sod off dwarf, I want to get the hell out of here before one of us gets killed." Varric opened his mouth then shut it not wanting to waste his breath. The crack of the wards breaking was the only warning they had before the abominations and profane attacked. The fight went much faster this time around much to Leigh relief. When the last of the profane turned to rubble Leigh saw the blue glow again. Her heart sputtered when Malcolm Hawke's voice sounded again. Her hand lifted up as if she was going to reach for the glowing apparition, but it stopped just shy. The phrase he had used over and over when Bethany and Leigh were children rang out from the glow.
"My magic will serve what is best in me, not that which is most base." The sisters could only exchange glances and smiles.
"He use to say that all the time to me when we practiced magic. It never made sense when I was younger, but Maker I understand it now."
"He was so proud of you Beth. Both you and Carver."
"He tried so hard to spend time with all of us. Whether it was dagger practice with you or swords with Carver."
"Carver was so proud the day he beat father with his sword. Papa held back his magic, but not his use of the sword." Inside his helmet the warrior smiled.
"He should be here with us Leigh. It feels empty without him." :Leigh wrapped her sister in a tight hug knowing the twins had a special bond she would never understand.
"He is here Beth. I am sure he is watching us and cursing about how stupid we are." A small giggle broke from Bethany and she nodded. "Come on, the keys are glowing we must be near the next seal."
"Larius said there are three seals hopefully the other one is close by too so we can get out of here."
OoO
Everything happened so fast that Leigh did not get a chance to comprehend what she was doing. All she saw was the ogre picking up the warrior to bash him into the ground and something in her snapped. She let out a roar that caught the ogre attention as she flew at it. Her daggers dug into the creatures arm enough to sever the tendons. The ogre roared in pain and lost it's grip on the warrior before it could slam him into the ground. With it's good hand it grabbed Leigh and flung her into the air. She twisted her body to try to land at a better angle, but soon realized she was going over the side of the chasm. Her hands clawed the air trying to get a grip on anything to stop her falling. She heard the screams of her companions and had a very funny feeling it would be the last sound she would ever hear.
"Gotcha!" Leigh felt her shoulder pop and blinding pain shoot up her arm as her descent was abruptly stopped. Through tear stung eyes she saw the warrior had a death grip on her arm. She also noticed he was hanging over the edge with only his feet holding on to the railing. "You have to climb up."
"I...I can't. My shoulder...I think it is dislocated." She heard him curse and yell up to the others. His grip on her arm slipped a bit and Leigh shrieked as she fell a few inches, "Give me your other hand." The warrior was using his other hand to hold his helmet on him head, but let it go to take her hand.
"Just hold on I'm going to try to lift you up." Leigh's eyes were slammed shut as fear gripped her harder than it has ever had. Leigh felt something hit her already wrecked shoulder and she opened her eyes to see what it was. She was just in time to see the warriors helmet fall down into the chasm and disappear into the dark. The warrior grunted as he pulled her up so she could get a better grip on him.
"Maker I don't want to die down here."
"Your not going to die, not if I have any thing to say about it. Now fucking climb." She shook her head and closed her eyes again. The warrior growled and screamed at her. "Dammit Leigh stop being scared and climb. I remember you being a lot more fearless than this. Where is the damn girl who faced down six Templars alone? Where is the girl who saved my sorry hide at Ostagar?" Leigh opened her eyes, but did not believe them. The blue eyes that stared back at her she knew very well as well as the sour face the warrior was making.
"Ca...Carver?"
"Yeah, now move your sorry arse Leelee and climb. I'm strong, but I can't hold on forever." Determination took over her fear and she climbed up as best she could with one arm. She felt hands grab her and pull her up over the railing. She was in a daze as she waited for Anders and Cullen to pull the warrior back over the railing also. Once he was safely over Leigh just stared at him. Bethany had been too busy fussing over her sister's arm to notice the warrior no longer had his helmet on.
"This is going to hurt Leigh. I have to pop your shoulder back in." She just nodded numbly and continued to stare at Carver. Cullen was the only other one beside the sisters who would know who Carver was. "Cullen, Anders I need you to hold her arm straight so I can do this.." Cullen was rooted to the spot having seen his friend that was thought to be dead.
"I'll help them Cullen you look like you've seen a ghost." Carver laughed and knelt beside his two sisters and smiled at Bethany. Bethany's eyes went wide and she stumbled backward.
"Carver!"
"Hello little sister." Bethany squealed and threw herself at her brother. Her fists pounded his chest plate out of anger at first. "Ouch Beth knock it off. Did Leelee teach you how to hit finally?"
"You...how..."
"Heal our sister and I will explain." Varric and Anders look thoroughly confused.
"Someone want to fill us in on what in the Void is going on." Leigh stood up cradling her injured arm. She could not take her eyes off of her brother.
"Anders, Varric I would like to introduce you to my brother Carver." Anders looked at Leigh in disbelief.
"Leigh?"
"What she said is true Anders. This is Carver Hawke." Cullen had come out of his shocked stupor. Bethany leaned into him for comfort and Carver narrowed his eyes at his old friend.
"What is it with this family and it's inability to find someone normal to be with? I mean Bethany a Templar, really?"
"I love him Carver. Cullen was you friend back in Lothering. You know him."
"I thought I did til he and his friends came to our house and offered to put or father down like a bloody lame horse!" Bethany turned to her sister to see if what Carver said was true.
"Carver that was the lead Templar who said that not Cullen. He didn't know they were coming to our home til he got there. I trust him. If I didn't do you think I would have let him anywhere near Bethany."
"Yeah, alright. Cullen you hurt her I swear to the Maker I will kick your arse." Cullen chuckled darkly.
"Leigh already made that threat and more Carver. I am sorry to say I fear her much more than I fear you." Carver shook his head and matched Cullen's chuckle.
"True my darling sister is very scary. I feel sorry for you Anders she is a hand full." Leigh huffed and glared at her younger brother. Anders could only laugh, he knew full well what a hand full she was, but he would have it no other way.
"I am not! At least I am not right now with my shoulder wrenched out of it's socket."
"Let's get that arm fixed love. Varric hold her arm and pull when I say." Varric took Leigh's wrist and pulled her arm out straight for Anders to pop it back in. Leigh clamped down her teeth to keep from screaming. She felt her shoulder slide back into position and the warm feeling of Anders' magic seeping through her skin. The pain eased, letting Leigh relax into Anders embrace. "That should do it. It is going to be tender for a while love."
"I'd rather have a tender arm then the alternative. I don't think you can fix a..." Leigh shivered and could not finish her sentence. Death came to close again for her liking. "I guess we are more than even for Ostagar Carver."
"No, I still owe you a few more saves for that battle. I would have been dead at least ten times over if it hadn't been for you coming to find me."
"Only to leave you behind after that ogre..."
"That was not your fault."
"How can you say that? We left you there for dead and you weren't." Carver held up his hand to silence his sister.
"Leigh I was dead. At least I thought I was. I woke up in this place and a woman in a silver dress told me my time was not up yet. She smiled and waved her hand, the next thing I remember is Ori and Wynne hovering over me at Kinloch Hold. They said they found me barely alive, but Ori did not want to leave without trying to help me." Orianne took her husband's hand.
"I remembered what you and he did for me at Ostagar. Carver took me to Wynne after Addler hurt me. He stayed with me the entire night holding my hand. Other than my friends in the Tower I had never met someone who was kind enough to do that for a complete stranger. It took us months to heal him enough for him to be able to wield a sword again."
"Didn't help I got caught up in the demon problem in the Tower."
"Wait he was in the Tower during Uldred's coupe of the Tower. How in the Void did I miss he was there?" Ori blushed and bit her lip before answering Cullen.
"Wynne and I had to get Irving to sneak him in past the Knight Commander. I owed Carver my life and did not want them to send him away. We had him in the basement. Since he was hurt by darkspawn we feared they would just kill him outright in case..."
"In case he was tainted. Maker's breath Ori, you both were very lucky he didn't have it."
"I know it was risky Anders, but he was well worth it. Everything he has done for me, for Ferelden. He is now one of the most respected and powerful army leaders. Teryn Cousland trusts him completely as does the king and queen." Leigh could not help but grin from ear to ear. Her brother did what he always wanted to do, make a name for himself.
"Our father always said Carver would make a name for himself. His little warrior, both of them would be so proud of you."
"I hope so. I was afraid once I found out you both were still alive that you would not like the fact I...married an elven mage."
"Carver, why in the name of the Maker would you think we would not want you to be happy. From what I have seen Ori is wonderful."
"Carver and my marriage has been a fight against the Chantry and some closed minded people. His position is the only thing that has kept them at bay for now."
"Ori you are married to a Hawke. Our family sticks together and defends our own. I'm just sorry to say you became part of a very unique family."
"So I have seen." Anders had not seen Leigh smile like this in a long time. It warmed his heart even with the whispers getting louder. The voice was promising if he brought Bethany to him, he in turn would give Anders a free life with Leigh. It's voice sounded like nails on a chalk board. Justice squirmed in the back of his head in pain. Whatever the voice was saying to him it seemed it was talking to Justice as well. He was so busy fighting both Justice and the voice that he did not notice Leigh touch his face til she pinched his nose.
"Did you hear me?"
"Sorry love Justice was talking to me rather loudly. What were you saying?"
"We are going to move on to the next seal. It looks like it is in that next room across the bridge."
"Alright lead the way." Her eye brow rose and she opened her mouth to say something, but Anders cut her off with a kiss. It was the only thing that silenced both the voice and Justice, giving Anders a small reprieve. It was enough to steel himself for a while longer til the next bought of whispers. He felt Leigh's fingers lace with his as she led him toward the seal. It gave him a small amount of comfort, but he feared if he lost himself to the whispers Leigh would pay the price and that was something he would not be able to live with.
OoO
"Bring me the young woman. Her blood will free me and I will help you free the mages. You will be free to be with the woman you love. No Templars, no Wardens, just you and her together. Only I can grant you this. Only I can help you. I can feel the blackness in your veins. I can cleanse it away. You will not become twisted like the creature you follow. I will make you whole again, alive again. You will grow old and gray with her in your arms. Bring me the younger Hawke and all your dreams will come to to light."
"Do not listen to him Anders. He means to bring the world to it's knees. You can't..." In his head Justice was drowned out by the voice of Corypheus. Anders head ached and no amount of magic was helping to quell it. He tried to keep Leigh from see it, but it was getting harder since Carver broke the second seal. The voice now was a dull roar instead of a light whisper.
"Hey Hawke, it looks like there is another bound demon here." Leigh ran to Varric followed closely by Carver and Bethany. The desire demon that was bound there sighed and cooed at them trying to gain freedom. Pash growled in Leigh's head and asked to be let out to deal with the demon.
"I take it you know her?" "Well enough to know she is very strong and very devious. Many mages fell to her siren's song. I owe her this." "Let me at least warn them before I let you out to play." "Thank you Leigh."
"Pash said she want to handle this one."
"Then we will wait over there out of the way. Come on Blondie let's let your girlfriend's other half have some fun." Carver shook his head and pushed Bethany and Orianne back to the hallway they had come from. Anders stayed behind to watch just in case.
"Leigh are you sure Pash should handle this?"
"She wants to take care of it. I trust her."
"I know you do love. I'll be over there just in case she needs help." Leigh closed her eyes and let Pash take over. The desire demon hissed and backed away from the barrier.
"Ah I see you know what I am."
"Yet you haunt a mortal. You are no better than I." Pash just gave a predatory sneer. She placed her one hand fisted against the other which she held flat. When she pulled them apart a flaming longsword appeared in the space between the hands. Anders let out a small gasp having never seen anyone produce a weapon out of thin air like she just did. Pash waved out her unoccupied hand and broke the wards.
"Come out and play demon. I will show you just how unlike you I am."
"You think since you are who you are, you can bend the rules to your own whims. You are just like us spirit, jealous of mortals for the favor the Maker gave them."
"You know nothing of me demon. I have no need of jealousy. Mortals are his chosen, who am I to question his will?" The demon laughed cruelly and stalked around Pash. It took all of Anders and Justice's control not to jump in a rip the demon apart.
"I know who you are Compassion. Mortal made spirit. I was a spirit of your kind. I found it tiresome watching mortals wander our home like they owned it, but you were the worst of them. You had a place in the Golden City and you left it to what help your kind take over our home? Now you judge me, call me fiend. I will enjoy ripping that pretty body you inhabit apart. Your dying screams will be a lullaby for me."
"You don't have the strength to kill me demon." Pash waved her hand to egg the demon on as she took a defensive stance. "Come and try if you'd like." The demon smiled and cast a spell calling forth a group of skeletons to do her fighting for her. Pash growled and swung her sword out in a wide arch. Two of them shattered at the force of the hit, but the others kept coming. She let them get close enough to mind blast them turning them to dust. Pash had lost sight of the demon who floated up behind her and hit her from behind with a spirit bolt. The room filled with a ear shattering scream. Pash fell to her knees grimacing her sword skittered away from her on the floor.
"You have lost your edge spirit. That will cost you and your pretty little host. I wonder will the Maker take you back into his house." The demon started to cast laughing evilly as she did. "I will enjoy this." A flash of blue caught the demon attention before the flaming longsword pierced her through the middle. Her her tilted up and saw Anders or more correctly Justice standing in front of her with the sword in hand.
"You will die long before she ever will. Back to the Void with you." With a flick of his wrist the sword twisted and the demon gurgled a scream. Pash got up on shaky feet and threw a fireball to finish the demon off. Justice turned to Pash and wrapped his arm around her to steady her. "Are you alright?"
"More frustrated than anything. I am very rusty when it comes to fighting in this way." Pash sent a strong healing wave through Leigh's body fixing any damage done by the desire demon. "There that is much better."
"Why did you want to fight her at all? This group could have easily made short work of her."
"I needed a reminder Justice. I had to see what would happen to me if I gave into Leigh's emotions instead of helping her through them. There have been many times I have wanted to take over and let her have peace, but this life is hers. Mine ended a very long time ago." Sadness crept on Pash's face as she took a step away from Justice.
"I do not understand."
"Did you not hear the demon when she spoke to me? I was a mortal made into a spirit of compassion. I was born like any other mortal and died by flame."
"Why have you never told me this?"
"I did not think it mattered, I am what I am now. My mortal body is dust and ash. My soul the Maker took and made me like you. I retained my memories to an extent."
"This is why you have fought to save mortals in the Fade, because you were one." She could feel the anger from Justice and Pash backed away a step. "You said you died by flame when?"
"After Andraste was put to flame. I was one of the faithful that tried to carry on her message. It was never to be like it is now. Templars ruling over mages, the Chantry running everything with a strangle hold. She never wanted this. I tried to stop it and paid for it with my life and I would gladly do it again even with the outcome I faced."
"Does Hawke know of this?"
"Yes. I have told her. She understands and wants to help." The look of pure anger and hurt on Justice's face was clear. He glared at Pash and turned away. "Justice please, I never thought it was important to tell you of my past. I never meant to hurt you."
"I followed you and never questioned what you asked of me. I fought along side you for over a thousand years and you never told me any of this."
"I have always been an outcast. In my mortal life and in the Fade. You were the only one that never treated me like I was a mistake. I was afraid you would if you knew what I had been. You were the only anchor I had left. You are my friend, my protector and so much more than that. When I thought you had died fighting the Baroness I...I wanted to cease to exist."
"Why?" His face had softened a little seeing tears running down her cheeks.
"You were the other half of me. Part of my very soul. I felt alone, empty and I blamed myself for asking you to help those people. You freed them, but at the cost of your life. I could not forgive myself. The only thing I had left was Leigh and protecting her, but even that felt hopeless. Seeing you in the Fade when we were helping that young man made my heart wake up. You were alive, changed, but alive."
"I did not think I would ever see you again." His hand brushed her face and Pash leaned into Justice's touch. "Being in the mortal world was strange. All I wanted was to come back to the Fade. When that wasn't a option and the body I inhabited began to decay Anders offered to help me. This was a mistake for both of us. I thought I could help him, best his anger, but I failed. I am more demon than spirit now."
"You are still Justice, Vengeance is a part of you and Anders, but it is not all of who you both are. He was born of fear and hate, you are stronger than both. I know you are or I would have given up on you years ago." Pash took his hand and pulled it up to her lips. "I will never give up on you Justice, as Leigh will never give up on Anders. Love is stronger than vengeance. I should have said this eons ago, but I knew you could never return it. I love you. You are my soulmate for lack of a better word and I will fight to keep you from falling."
"I never understood what love was til I fused with Anders and Kristoff before him. The feeling is uncontrollable and frightening."
"Love is powerful. It breaks down barriers and makes you do things you never thought you could do. The danger in it is there is a darker side to it just like anything else." Justice nodded and looked back to where the rest of the group was hiding. He was them all staring at both him and Pash with wide eyes. He felt Anders trying to take back control, but he held him back. Justice wanted so badly to do what he never could have done if he had not been trapped in the mortal world. He had seen memories of it from Kristoff, but they were hollow. With Anders being his host he had been able to experience more of what love was. He let his hand reach back to twist his fingers in Pash's hair before pulling her closer.
"I wish I had been able to say this to you a long time ago, I love you." Pash froze as his lips brushed hers. To Justice she tasted like lyrium and the Fade. Pash melted into his touch and kissed him back. Their kiss ended much sooner then either of them would have liked, but here was not the time or the place for lingering kisses. The glow from both of them faded letting their hosts have control back of their bodies.
"That was..."
"Completely romantic."
"I was going to say creepy, but romantic works." Leigh sighed and pushed Anders forward. The voice of her father made her turn back around. Bethany and Carver ran to join her.
"It is done Leandra, we can go home, us and the baby. I pray it takes after you love. I would never wish this cursed magic on anyone." Leigh and Bethany both flinched hearing their father say that. Carver wrapped his arms around both his sister's shoulders and gave them both a reassuring squeeze. "I pray you never learn what I have done here. I crossed a line I never wanted to cross. I can't wait to come home to you and leave this place. You are the only bright light I found in Kirkwall." The glow faded leaving the three Hawke children in various forms of emotion. Bethany broke out of Carver's embrace and threw herself into Cullen's waiting arms. Orianne took her husband's hand that he had balled up into a fist. She knew him too well and knew he would start hitting things til he broke his hand. Leigh stood stark still staring at the place the ghost had been. Shaking her head to clear it, she felt sick.
"Hawke you don't look so good."
"Hearing your father did blood magic tends to do that Varric. What did the Wardens hold over him to make him do that? He never would have used blood magic willingly. He taught both Bethany and I that blood magic was wrong, evil, to never under any circumstance use it."
"The Wardens could have threatened him with taking him back to the Circle Hawke. He did what he had to, to stay free."
"If they did I have a few select words for Larius. None of which will be gentle." Anders knew full well that the Wardens did not discourage blood magic. Quite the opposite they used any mean necessary to defeat the darkspawn. Using a mage for strengthening blood wards was not far fetched. He knew Ashlyn would never do anything like this, but other Wardens did not have her moral compass. He could tell Leigh was trying to rein in her emotions and make sense of what was going on. He had no answers for her and it killed him. "Anders would the Wardens do such a thing just to get what they want?"
"I'm afraid they would, but I know my commander wouldn't. Fighting darkspawn it...to survive Wardens will do anything even use innocent people."
"Is that how you ended up a Warden?"
"No love, Raven saved my life by making me a Warden. I would have been on the end of the hangman's noose otherwise." He had never told her the circumstances that led to him becoming a Warden. Anders had just told her he was at the right place and the right time and wanted to help. That explanation sounded more noble than having been saved by them. He saw her cringe and her expression soften. "I'm not saying what Wardens did to your father was right, for as much good as we do, we can also do a lot of damage."
"So the Wardens would sacrifice innocents to achieve their goals?" Bethany had stepped up to join the conversation. Anders sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose to ease the throbbing headache he had from the voices yelling in his head.
"They are known for that, yes. It depends on the Commander and how askew their moral compass is. Let me put it this way, when I joined the Wardens we had to defend Amiranthine from darkspawn. The next to last battle took place in the city. The Commander, Nate, Justice and I went to try to help. When we got there the city was completely overrun. It was a hopeless battle, we were told to burn the city to the ground and go back and defend Vigil's Keep. Raven refused to abandon the poor souls that were left in the city. Even after we got word the Keep was under attack she still would not leave the people to their fate. We fought and saved dozens of innocent people, but the Keep was ravaged. A lot of soldiers died so that the people of the city lived. Sometimes there is no perfect solution Bethany. People die, innocent, wicked, it was Raven's choice and she decided with her heart. Most commanders don't think that way."
"No wonder the people under her command are so loyal."
"We were a family of sorts, but that took some doing, mostly because of her. We were lucky she has the patience of a saint." Bethany just nodde and turned to her sister who was now leaning against Anders.
"Well Leigh we have one more seal to get to and Maker willing we can get out of this nightmare. I am looking forward to seeing the sun again."
"Just be thankful little sister you did not come with us the last time we went to the Deep Roads. It was far longer a trek, though I would give almost anything to deal with that place again instead of this one." Anders wrapped his arm around Leigh's waist. Both of them shared a look before walking on. Leigh half expected to see Larius skulking in the shadows, but he was blissfully absent. Seeing the pained look on Anders face made her want to stay close to him. He had been acting strangely since they got down here, but now it seemed it was getting worse. The deeper they got the more he mumbled to himself or had a far away look. A cold feeling of dread hit her like a ton of rock right in her gut. It was a feeling she always got before everything went totally wrong. Leigh had learned long ago to trust that instinct. It had kept her alive and now she prayed it would help her keep all of them alive to see this Corypheus dead. She would not let her father's sacrifice go in vain. Corypheus had no idea who he was dealing with and she was going to show him, whether he liked it or not.