A few months later, Anders found himself hunting slavers in a cave along the Wounded coast with Hawke, Varric, Fenris and Merrill. It wasn't his ideal, having to listen to Fenris and Merrill bicker, but he could at least trade jokes with Varric. How could Hawke stand to have them all together? Him, a possessed mage, with a blood mage who loved demons, and an elf who feared and despised mages and everything they stood for? Come to think of it, why did he even accept Hawke's invitation?
Varric's sources had said a shipment of slaves was about to leave from the cave, and at least none in the party agreed with slavery. It was probably the one thing they all agreed on fighting against. Hawke wouldn't befriend anyone who thought slavery was a good idea, anyway, so there they were, killing slavers again. Anders wiped the sweat from his brow as he surveyed the chaos they'd caused, making sure the slaves had escaped unharmed, once the slavers had been killed.
"Does anyone need healing?" Anders asked. A small elf from the back spoke up, just a child judging by the voice.
"There's more slavers!" He cried.
"Where?" Hawke demanded.
"They chased a woman down that path." Another elf pointed. "She hadn't been captured with us, I think she was trying to help..."
"She was..." A mournful voice said. There was a human girl, maybe twelve years old, sitting off to the side. "It was my fault, she'd be fine if it wasn't for me." The girl started crying.
"I'll stay with them." Merrill said. "You go and find this other woman." Not wasting any time, Anders followed Hawke down the path the elves had pointed to, hoping they'd find the woman safe.
"What kind of crazy woman would go after a group of slavers on her own?" Varric asked.
"She may be a mage." Fenris said. "We'd best be careful." Anders wanted to argue the point, but knew Fenris might be right. Who else would think they could have a chance? As they got down to a particularly deep and dark section of the cave, they could hear voices up ahead, but they were too muffled to understand. Eventually, they could make them out.
"Where could she have gone?" An angry man yelled.
"She just got Tyrus!" Another screamed.
"I can't see her!" That was followed by a gurgling sound and a body hitting the ground. Anders saw an area ahead of them light up with a fireball, coupled with loud curses.
"Who are you?" One asked.
"Got you!" They heard a woman cry out, and several men cheer, but the cheer was short lived as they heard another man die. Hawke and company burst into the room and saw the slavers had cornered the woman, who was glowering like a trapped tiger as she held one of the slavers by the collar, his neck obviously broken.
"Claire!" Anders cried out. The slavers turned, surprised at more people to fight. Claire took that advantage to snap the neck of another, and charged a third while Anders started roasting the others. The instant the last slaver fell, he turned to Claire.
"Claire, you're alive!" He said. He'd given up hope on finding her long ago and wondered at her fate, never believing he'd ever learn of it. She looked at him confused.
"You... remember my name."
"That's the first thing you think of?" Hawke laughed. She bristled at the question.
"Of course I remember." Anders said. "I never thought I'd see you again." He took a better look at her and saw she had gotten injured so he stepped towards her. "Here, let me heal that." She stepped back a little and looked at him suspiciously.
"Why would you care?" She asked. "I can understand being a healer and having a patient disappear, but... why would you, outside of that?"
"He's just hoping to change your mind about mages." Fenris said. She quickly turned to glare at Fenris.
"You don't even know what I think of mages." She snapped. "Yes, magic can be abused, but that goes with any sort of power. You think you're completely innocent? You've never hurt any innocents in your life? I've heard stories about you too. Hypocrite." She spat.
"You know nothing of my life!" Fenris charged her, his tattoos glowing.
"I heard about the Fog warriors." She held his gaze. "You didn't need magic to slaughter them, did you?" She turned and ran past them, towards where the slaves were being held, and Fenris just stood there, shocked and angry. Anders went after her, wondering at her strange outburst. She didn't hate and fear mages then, she just feared everyone. He refused to think on what she'd accused Fenris of at that moment. When he got back to the slaves, she was hugging the girl, who was crying. As soon as the girl saw Anders, she pointed at him, tugging on Claire's shirt.
"He's a healer!" She said. "He can help you!"
"I know, Elodie." Claire sighed. "Fine, if it will make you feel better, I'll ask him." Most of the other slaves had already left, leaving the area quiet and empty. Varric busied himself helping the last ones figure out their path.
"I already offered." Anders said. Claire looked down and blushed.
"I know... I like to think I'm capable on my own." She said. "I have survived this long without your aid. I feel like it's a waste on me. I'll be fine." He wondered if it was because it was magic, or she was just being stubborn.
"Considering the condition you were in when we first met, you might benefit from having a mage around more." He smiled as he started healing her. Did he really just hit on her? She continued to look at the floor.
"I would benefit from a lot of things, I think, but beggars can't be choosers." He was surprised she didn't outright hate on the idea of having a mage around, so maybe she was just stubborn. "
You could at least stop in and say hello now and then, I think I deserve that much." She finally looked at him, confused.
"Why do you care? You have enough problems to worry about without me getting in your way."
"You're no bother." He said. "Is it so wrong for me to want to get to know you better?" She seemed to get more upset at that and pulled away.
"I don't understand why you want to." She said. "Come on, Elodie, let's go."
"Shouldn't that be my choice?" He asked, grabbing her arm. "Or are you forever going to stop yourself from getting close to anyone for fear of getting hurt?" She pulled away and hurried to the cave entrance, with the young girl in tow, leaving Anders wondering if she'd ever give in and just come visit now and then, or if she'd wall herself off from any sort of friendship. She'd been plaguing his mind since he first met her, a mystery he wanted to solve. He got the impression that she didn't actually hate magic after all.
"Well that was awkward." Merrill said. "Say, where are Hawke and Fenris? They didn't come back with you? Are they all right?"
"I'm sure they're fine, we killed all the slavers." Anders said, distracted. "That woman, Claire... she said something about Fenris, about something he'd done. I think it upset him. Let's leave them for a moment, I'm sure they'll be out soon."
Another month had passed before Claire saw Anders again, and it wasn't the way she was wanting to see him. Elodie had come running up to Claire while she was cooking, looking extremely panicked. Claire quickly put the spoon down as the girl grabbed her by the shoulders.
"The Templars got the healer!" She cried. Claire wasted no time in grabbing her daggers and going after them, making Elodie stay behind. When she got near to where Elodie had said they were, she could hear Anders crying out in pain as they tortured him, and it made her blood boil. There were two Templars, fully armed, meaning she'd have to play it smart to save the mage. I can do this... I can save him... I have to save him. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and crept up behind the Templars.
"Wow, what's this?" She said, forcing herself to sound happier than she felt. "Templars! In Darktown! And look, you caught a mage!" She grinned and clapped the Templars on the back as Anders, who'd been stripped and bound, and was bleeding all over, glared at her with such a hurt expression. Don't worry, Anders, I'll get you out, just bear with me.
"Who are you?" One of the Templars asked, a dangerous growl to his tone.
"Oh, just some nobody, like everyone else down in this hole." She shrugged. "I'm surprised it took you so long to get this one, honestly."
"You...!" Anders seemed to be too flustered, making him have difficulty with his words. "After everything I've done!"
"Shut it, mage!" The other Templar kicked the healer's already bleeding leg. Claire was a bit worried at the amount of blood he was losing and figured she didn't have much time. The healer was wearing a strange black collar with a rune on it, and she wondered if that was why he was without magic, or Justice. She managed to place herself between the two Templars, resting her hands casually on her daggers as she stared him in the eyes. The pain and anger in those amber eyes was intense and she almost lost it and broke character. She had to stay strong, for him.
"You should be running along now." The first Templar said. "A pretty thing like you shouldn't see such things as this." She nodded.
"Forgive me, Anders." She said. I mean that, please believe me. "Sometimes we just have to accept that things are done a certain way for a reason. You're an abomination. You knew they would find you eventually." Oh how it pained her to say that, and it obviously pained him to hear it. "Well, boys, I'll let you get back to it." Then as quick as she could, she stabbed both Templars in the necks and yanked her blades out through their throats, spraying blood all over Anders. She suddenly felt something behind her and just barely dodged a third Templar's sword.
"You bitch!" He yelled as he charged her. She deflected and stabbed him in the left armpit while there was an opening. He dropped his shield and swung at her madly, losing control. She managed to get his sword out of his hand, but he was able to punch her straight in the face. Her world exploded in stars and she hit the wall behind her, knocking the wind out of her. Trying to get her vision back, she stumbled around and he punched her again, in her back. This is not how I die! She screamed in her head, gripping a dagger tightly as she forced herself up. She growled as she charged the Templar, no longer caring if she died in the process, and shoved her dagger straight through his chin and into his brain. She watched him fall, then stumbled over to Anders, who was still lying on the ground, staring at her in shock.
"Let's get that damn collar off you..." She mumbled as she cut his hands free. "Nobody touches you and gets away with it..."
"Be careful, it might shock you." He said. She practically had to lay on him and was having a hard time staying conscious as she fiddled with the strange locking mechanism on the collar. At least if I die, I can die on top of Anders... and he's not even wearing clothing... She nearly laughed out loud with that thought. She couldn't imagine what her face must look like. "Almost got it..."
Anders stayed as still as possible while Claire worked to get the collar off, so many emotions going through him he couldn't sort it out. When he'd first seen her, hope had flared in him, until she spoke. She'd warned him off enough times, he felt like she was really siding with the Templars, but then to see her just kill them, even after calling him an abomination... He'd barely understood her mumbling, but it sounded like she'd said no one got away with touching him. What side was she really on?
Electricity shot through him and he heard Claire cry out in pain, then it was over and his mana came rushing back to him, as Claire fell unconscious on top of him. He cautiously rolled her off, then healed his leg so it would at least stop bleeding, before tending to her. It took a lot out of him to keep her from dying. The Templar had cracked her skull, and she was bleeding inside. Any longer and she would have died.
"Anders!" Hawke's cry rang out, startling him. The warrior knelt down and grasped the mage in a tight hug. "When that girl came to get me, telling me you'd been captured... I hadn't dared to hope..."
"What is she doing here?" Fenris asked, pointing to Claire.
"I told her first." Elodie's voice squeaked with nervousness. "But... I wasn't sure she'd be able to do it on her own. Please, messere, please tell me she's all right!" There were tears in her eyes and Anders wished he could give her better news.
"Well she did beat them on her own." Anders said. "Scared me to death at first, acting like she was siding with the blighted Templars. If we can get her back to the clinic, I should be able to heal her, but her skull was cracked."
"Can you walk?" Hawke asked, handing the mage his clothing.
"I'll manage, but someone will have to carry her." Anders tried healing his leg a little more, but he was drained. At least he'd gotten Claire stabilized. Again. Was she going to make that a habit? Not that he was complaining... it allowed him more time with her, and with how she'd risked her life to save him, he was even more drawn to her, wanting to get to know her more.
He had Hawke take Claire to the back room, where he locked the door, stating he didn't want her to run off again. Elodie took off to tell the others that Claire was staying with the healer, and Hawke again made sure Anders was going to be all right. He assured the Champion he would be, and watched Hawke walk out with Fenris, leaving the mage to himself. After cleaning himself up and bandaging his leg better, he went in the back and stared at Claire. Her face was still so swollen, black and blue and scabbed over, and he was certain she'd gotten another broken rib or two, and there he was, unable to help her more until he'd rested and replenished his mana. Part of him didn't want to leave her side, just in case something happened in the night where she'd need care. He was certain he'd gotten everything that could be fatal, but he was exhausted and emotionally strained as well. He sighed and dragged some blankets and a pillow into the room, laying down beside her, hoping he could get some rest.
Surprisingly, when Anders woke up and peeked outside, it was morning. Claire was still asleep, but her breathing sounded fine and she wasn't as pale as death anymore. The swelling in her face was still bad, however, so he focused on that first. He'd only been at it for a couple minutes when a small knock on the door interrupted him.
"Excuse me, messere..." Elodie was there, holding two bowls of food. "Is she any better?" Anders got up and took the bowls from her, gesturing for her to come in.
"She is a little, but I need to get this swelling down." He put the food on the table, only then noticing it was some sort of porridge full of fruit. Where did she get this? It looks like something Hawke would have.
"I can't believe she did that..." Elodie took Claire's hand and stared at her swollen eye. "When I told her, I was just desperate for someone to help you... I never thought she'd actually sacrifice herself. I thought... I thought she'd get someone else, but I had to..."
"To be fair, I don't think she was planning on it either." Anders said. "The third Templar took her by surprise, while the other two she was able to trick into thinking she was on their side. She was good, I actually believed she was going to help them myself." Elodie laughed.
"I think it's because she's spent so long hiding herself." The girl said. "I know she acts a lot around me, but I've been figuring her out. Maybe one of these days she'll open up... but even with how protective of me she's become, she won't show any weakness." She looked at Anders and hesitated, then shook her head. "I should get going. But... um, thank you. I'll come back later to check on her." He watched her run out and decided he needed to eat a little before helping Claire more.
Whatever the porridge was, it was a pleasant change from his normal fare, which was often nothing. The bits of apples and other things in it made it so much better, and it was gone before he knew it. He went back to healing Claire, wondering what her reaction would be when she finally woke. He was fairly certain she'd try to run again, but if he continued to lock her in, she'd be more like a prisoner than a patient, and she'd never forgive him for that.