This one is a little shorter than the others only for the sake of pacing. The next couple of chapters are going to have some cliffhangers ;) Enjoy!

Hmmm... it looks like the site was a little wacky last night. My profile says that this was uploaded last night, but I do not see it on the live preview. So I am posting it again.

Fenris stared at the lone elf sitting at a table on the far side of the tavern. She didn't realize he was there, and he made no move to announce his presence. She looked sad and forlorn. Maybe she was skeptical that she would be reuniting with her brother. The more he focused on her, the more pieces of his memory came back. Varania was indeed his sister. She was a few years older than him, and she had always protected him.

"Brother…" Varania scolded. "You know better than to anger the magisters…" she was dabbing his back and shoulders with a warm cloth. His blood ran down the sides of his body and she did her best to clean him.

"We're not animals, sister," he said sucking in a breath. The beating he received was almost unbearable, but he knew that the blood mage would think twice before he touched his mother again.

Varania held him close. "As long as we are slaves, we are no different than cattle," she said sadly. "Promise me you will not do anything like that again."

He hugged her back desperately. There were so many times that he feared he would grasp at a ghost. Their master had threatened to separate them many times and each time he believed him. He couldn't afford not to. "I'll free you and mother both," he swore. "I promise. I'll do whatever it takes…"

Fenris shook his head. More words and faces flashed through his mind.

He and Varania were much younger, much more innocent. They were playing in a courtyard, chasing each other, laughing and giggling. Their mother was hanging clothes out on a line. His mother… she was beautiful. She had the same lips as Varania, and she had their eyes. She was tall and slender and she had an angelic voice. Her hair was long and silver like the color of the moon. "Darlings, don't stray too far away," she called to them. "Our master will be most displeased if you wandered off."

His hands tightened into fists. He was born a slave. It was the only life he ever knew. They never had a chance at a normal life.

"Leto?" said a voice.

Varania eyes were locked on him and she stood. Her hands were trembling and she made her way to him slowly. "Leto…" she repeated. Varania placed her hands on his face and it jolted another memory.

"You get your hands off him!" cried mother. She fought off the magisters and their other slaves. She was knocked to the ground with a slap, and a cruel magister placed a painful spell on her, keeping her rooted to the ground. "Leto!" she screamed.

Varania had her arms around him, but she was being pulled away. She was too weak to fight them off. She caressed his cheek and looked into his eyes one last time. "Be strong, brother," she said. Rough hands were on him and he was torn away from her. It was the last time he had seen her and his mother.

"I remember you," Fenris said in recognition. "You called me…"

"Leto," Varania said with a sad smile. "That's your name. I thought you were dead. I didn't think I'd actually see you here…" He could see tears and shame in her eyes. She pushed him away. "You shouldn't be here. Go. Now!" she commanded.

"Why are you-"

Then he heard the voice that had haunted him for so many years. "My little Fenris was always so predictable," said the cold voice.

No matter how long Fenris trained, no matter how strong he became physically, Danarius' hold on him made him weak. Danarius was walking down from the second level of the tavern, and he had hirelings with him. There was amusement in those old eyes and his lips turned upward into a cruel grin.

"Don't be mad at your sister. She did as she was supposed to," Danarius said, laying a possessive hand on her shoulder.

Fenris turned his hate for his former master onto his sister. "You led him here?"

Varania buried her face in her hands and cried. "Forgive me, brother. I had no choice."

"You always have a choice!" Fenris shouted. The patrons and customers of the Hanged Man wisely made their exit. There was going to be blood whether it would be his or Danarius' and his traitorous sister.

Danarius clicked his tongue, moving Varania behind him. "Now, little wolf, you know that a slave never raises his voice to his master."

"Shut your mouth Danarius! I never wanted this curse you bestowed upon me," Fenris growled.

"How little you know. And the word is master," Danarius said, glaring at Fenris. He raised his hand, and a hireling charged, raising a bloodstained axe.

He never reached Fenris. Before he was even within arm's reach, a dagger embedded itself into his neck. Fenris looked behind him and he saw Hawke, Varric, Aveline, and Anders near the entrance of the tavern. "Hawke…" Fenris whispered. She wasn't dressed in her regular plated armor. Instead she was wearing armor made of crimson leather.

She didn't acknowledge him; instead, she walked up to stand by his side and pointed her sword at Danarius. "Fenris doesn't belong to anyone," she declared.

Danrius raked his eyes over Hawke's body and licked his lips. "Your new mistress then?" he asked in amusement. "Quite lovely. I am sorry my dear, but you are in possession of my property and I will collect him with or without your consent."

Hawke's eyes narrowed and she lowered her stance, preparing for a fight. "He stays here," she threatened.

Danarius shrugged and the hirelings attacked.

There was too much to think about. Fenris dodged and block all of the attacks that came his way, but his mind was elsewhere. Why was Hawke here? And why was she fighting for him? He killed two more men while Hawke and the other were making short work of the other mercenaries. None of the mercenaries were able to touch Varric, and anyone who came close, Aveline defended against. Anders was keeping a protective spell constantly on Hawke, not bothering to attack the hirelings.

Danarius formed a ball of fire in his hands and threw it at Hawke, knocking her off her feet and throwing her over a table.

"Hawke!" Fenris and Anders shouted at the same time. Anders and Aveline were by her side in seconds; Anders protectively cradled Hawke's body while helping her to her feet. She was unharmed, but the fury that rose in Fenris' body was deadly.

"You're going to die for that Danarius," Fenris hissed. The lyrium in his body gave him the strength to kill the remaining mercenaries that were protecting Danarius. When he downed the last thug, Danarius' eyes were wide in fear. Fenris grabbed his throat and lifted him off his feet. "You are no longer my master." He dug his fingers into Danarius' neck, feeling the bones snap and watching as blood gushed from the mage's mouth.

Danrius' corpse fell to the floor in a bloody mess and Fenris turned his anger on Varania. She cowered in a corner and held up her hands, looking at him like he was a monster. He reached out, waves of power were emitting from the lyrium that tainted his skin.

Suddenly, his arm was pushed aside and Hawke stood between him and Varania. "Don't kill her, Fenris," she pleaded.

"And why not?" he snapped. "She was ready to see me dead. Any part of a sister I could have reunited with died once she decided to betray me."

"You have no idea what I've had to do when mother died," Varania cried. "The things I've done… what they made me do… you can't possibly understand, brother…"

"You have no right to call me that," Fenris growled. He was still angry, but Hawke drained his will to take his sister's life. The lyrium markings were silent, and his body returned to normal.

"Please, Fenris," Hawke said. "She is the only family you have."

He could hear Varric's voice behind him. "Listen elf… Fenris, it may not seem like it now, but trust me, this is the last thing you want."

He let out a long breath. They were right. When it came to matters of the heart, his… friends never led him astray. Whatever tortures he had gone through could very well have been worse for a female of his race. He stepped aside and allowed Varania to leave. "Get out," he demanded.

"Leto," Varania began, "you competed for that power. You intended to use the boon to have mother and I freed, but I look on you now and I believe you received the better end of the bargain. But once you were gone, they killed her, and though I was a servant officially, I was not freed from the cruelty of slavery."

He wanted the lyrium in his body? He fought for it? No, that was not possible. "Shut up," he said, looking away from her. Was there no end to his torment?

"You were alive, but you no longer remembered me. I was alone. I am… so sorry, Leto," Varania said, tears running down her face. She didn't say another word. She ran and left them.

And just like that, he was alone again. He had hoped that finding Varania would restore a piece of him, making feel like he belonged somewhere, but how wrong he was. His past was to forever remain a mystery, and he wasn't sure if he wanted his memories back. It didn't seem that it was worth the pain.

"I'm here, Fenris," he heard Hawke say. He lifted his head and saw her clearly for the first time since that night nearly a month and a half ago. He didn't forget how beautiful she was, only that he missed her and her touch. Without thinking, he lifted his hand and touched her cheek. She leaned into his touch and smiled. He saw Anders behind her, glaring at him but staying silent. That was enough of a reminder that he no longer could lay claim on Hawke. He pulled away.

"Thank you for being here," Fenris said. "I wasn't expecting you."

"That would be my fault," Aveline said, stepping forward. "What I told you about Varania appearing at the dock alone was true, but I had a feeling. Hawke overheard me talking to Varric, and well, you know Hawke."

"I couldn't let you face him alone," Hawke explained. "If Varania was truly alone, I would have let you be. But…"

"You are too kind to me," Fenris said.

"Yes, she is," Anders mused. His arms were crossed in that annoying manner of his when he was attempting to look intimidating or irritated.

"Say no more. I will be leaving Kirkwall shortly," Fenris announced. The sooner he could leave this forsaken place, the better.

Hawke reached out and grabbed his arm in shock. "You're what? But you can't," she almost begged. She looked around, looking almost embarrassed that she had lost her composure in front of her friends. "Can we… talk sometime?"

He could never deny her when she looked at him like that. Hawke had a powerful hold on him, and if she commanded, he would obey. Seeing her in front of him, feeling her touch on him again made him reconsider leaving. She could just believe that he was gone. He never really wanted to leave her. Perhaps, he could just watch her from the shadows. "As you wish, Hawke," he said. "But can we talk later? I have much to think about."

She looked relieved and she let go of his arm. "Of course. Take as much time as you need. You know where to find me." She retrieved her dagger and sheathed her sword, preparing to leave. Before she, Aveline and Anders left the tavern she looked at Fenris once more. "I'm glad you're back," she smiled. And then she was gone.

"I have a feeling this little ordeal will actually make the value of this place go up," Varric said stepping over several corpses to get to a chair. He sat on it and stretched his legs. "What a mess…" he whistled. "So then, your highness," he called to Fenris.

"Your… highness?" Fenris asked lifting a single eyebrow.

"Well, you are the King of Brooding, aren't you?" Varric chuckled. "I'll make this short and sweet, so we can get a cleaning crew in here. Now then. If you leave before you talk to Hawke, I'll see to it that either your ass is dragged back here or Bianca will chase you down. Savvy?"

Fenris nodded. He was a coward once, and it was a mistake he would not make again. "Understood."