She stepped up to Cullen, peering up at him. "I am the mage."
Anders flinched like he had been slapped and Hawke made a move to stop her, but she turned to give him a piercing look.
Cullen looked at her and nodded. "Thank you for coming forward. You have saved your friends by being complacent." Cullen signaled other Templars, one gripped her by the arm just above the elbow while the other prodded her forward.
Anders stepped forward but Hawke stopped him, he struggled against Hawke reaching for Jennifer. "Stop it! You don't understand!" He shoved Hawke in the chest and paced. "Shit! Andraste's knickerweasels!"
"You should be thankful she saved your hide, once they find out she isn't a mage they will release her and be none the wiser." Hawke responded.
Anders looked frantic, he pulled at his hair harshly. "You don't understand. She IS a mage!" He turned to face Hawke, closing his eyes to calm himself. "I lied when I said before she wasn't a mage. She…" He paused, acting like he was going to run after her before turning back. "She seemed so happy, I didn't want her mind soiled by the persecution of mages. I didn't want her to hate magic all the more. Or worse, do something she may regret because she didn't know. Because she wasn't from our world."
Fenris peered at Anders. "You would hold this from her? Are you insane? She could have fallen prey to demons BECAUSE of her ignorance! You fool!" Fenris made the move to attack but Hawke stepped in his way.
"Enough! There's nothing we can do about it now. He wave to find a way inside, and get her out." Hawke looked around and quickly hurried out of the Gallows and into Lowtown, he would talk with his friends at the Hanged Man. They needed a plan.
-ooo-
Jennifer was escorted further into the gallows. She was nervous, and rightfully so. When Anders spoke of the Circle his voice turned hard and hateful, this was a place of scorn for him. Gave him nightmares and plagued him constantly. The Templars that surrounded her were stern faced and unreadable. Cullen lead her through the corridors to a holding cell, he unlocked the wooden door with a barred slit at the top, he gestured her inside looking at her. "Wait here for the Knight-Commander, she will want to speak with you."
"Please, no. I-I can't face her by myself." Jennifer pleaded. Perhaps I was rash in thinking I would be okay. She hadn't thought it through, the Knight-Commander of all people was the last one she wanted to meet, especially if she found Jennifer not to be a mage. The whispering of Meredith were not ones she wanted to experience first-hand.
Cullen turned towards her with a sincere smile. "You will be fine, mages within the circle are protected." That's not what I heard. "She will be with you momentarily. I will alert your family of your whereabouts.
Jennifer smiled ruefully. "I have no family. I was staying in Lowtown and knew Hawke for only a short while.
Cullen nodded. "Very well. Maker bless you." He bowed and left, shutting the door behind him. Jennifer sat on the bed heavily and placed her head in her hands, and began to cry. What have I done?
-ooo-
"How could you let her turn herself in like that? How could you keep something like that from her?" Aveline glared at Anders her muscled body tense with apprehension.
"I didn't think she would turn herself in to save my hide!" Anders exclaimed, taking the full brunt of misery as every person glowered at him.
"You are a fool, mage. If anything happens to her-" Fenris began.
"You'll what? You should be happy, she's where she belongs according to you. Why would you care of her plight, of what happens to her?" Anders retorted, standing and squaring off to the elven warrior. Fenris glared at the apostate and snarled.
Anders skin cracked as Justice made himself known, Anders struggled with control as Fenris ignited his markings, glowing in tandem with Anders. "Enough!" Hawke yelled. "This isn't helping anything."
Fenris and Anders lowered their heads. "I apologize." Fenris exclaimed.
Anders sighed. "I may have a solution. A way to get Jennifer out of the Gallows, but what I'm about to tell you will not leave this room." Anders sat at the table as Hawke and Bethany looked at him intently. "I've been a part of the mage underground. A group helping mages escape the circle. There are ways of getting her out of there, but it will be dangerous."
Hawke nodded. "There were rumors going around about it not too long ago."
"There are contacts within the circle but it will take a while." Anders confessed.
"Then let's not waste time." Bethany declared.
Aveline stood. "Agreed. Anders if you let me know when you can do this, I'll arrange for me to guard the surrounding area."
Hawke smiled. "Aveline! I didn't know you cared!"
-ooo-
It was hours before the Knight-Commander entered into her holding cell, she was a stern woman with piercing blue eyes, a shrew mouth and a perma-frown. She carried a large sword and donned a metal crown that only accentuated her scowling brow. "So this is the mage that had been accompanying Hawke. I hear his name often."
She stepped closer to Jennifer and eyed her suspiciously. "I have a mind to try him for helping an apostate."
Jennifer stood, astonishment written across her features. "You can't! He… he didn't know." Jennifer swallowed hard. It's easy to see why people fear her so much. I feel like she could wallop me with her pinky.
Meredith waved her hand dismissively. "So you say." She peered once at Jennifer's maces. "If you are indeed a mage would it not be more beneficial to carry a staff? Unchanneled power is dangerous, even for an experienced mage."
Jennifer looked away to hide her worry. Crap, crap double crap! "I…. I didn't want to be discovered, so I hid my magic as well as I could, and learned how to fight with weapons to fool those around me." I hope that's enough. Please let it be enough.
Meredith seemed suspicious. She stepped forward her frown deepening. "We will see if what you say is the truth." She spun on her heel and mumbled to the guard waiting outside the cell, he was a bald man with pale blue eyes and a mustache and goatee. He smiled wickedly at Jennifer as Meredith left to attend other business.
He stepped into the cell along with two other guards. They flanked either side of him before removing their helms, one was a kind looking red head and the other bore plain features and dull brown eyes. They both grabbed Jennifer by her arms and escorted her from the holding cell. Someone called to the leading Templar, the bald one, and he nodded. The other two, the red head, Jennifer dubbed as Sweets and the plain one she dubbed as Brown-Noser, looked ahead stony faced.
They lead her through the grey stoned corridors, some of the rooms had the doors propped open, Jennifer peered as she passed and saw the young mages practicing their trade, small orbs floating about the rooms. They proceeded through to an unventilated windowless hall, torches flickered along the wall giving the area a foreboding feeling. They came upon a metal door and Alrik, the bald one, was his name stepped forward to open it.
As Sweets and Brown-Noser stepped forward, Jennifer stilled, within the center was a wooden chair with leather restraints. To the side, sat a worn table, it was empty, but Jennifer's imagination ran wild and she pulled against her Templar escorts. "N-no… please."
Sweets peered down at her and smiled softly, though his eyes told something different, something unwelcome. "Do not worry. Everything will be alright." She still struggled as they pulled her towards the chair. She struggled and kicked out with her legs. Brown-Noser's grip became harsh and Jennifer gritted her teeth at the pain of the metal gauntlet squeezing her arm.
They strapped her to the chair, much to her dismay. Jennifer fought against the restraints till her wrists and ankles ached fiercely. She glared at the Templars as Alrik sent the others from the room, they bowed, holding their right fist over their hearts before retreating, Sweets chanced a look towards Jennifer that did not go unnoticed before shutting the door behind him. Jennifer could hear the tell-tail latch of a lock slide into place, and a small keening noise escaped her.
Alrik turned towards her with a wicked glint in his eyes, "We shall test you, for the fade, for magic." It was all he said, the only warning Jennifer received before, searing pain lanced at her brain, her mind, reeled, and she screamed.
Pain lanced at her again and she pushed against it, she screamed as a pressure built within her, What's happening? She screamed as the pain grew, but with the pain, came the pressure. It built to an overwhelming height, and when she thought she was going to die, the pushed against the pain again, and the pressure erupted into a force of flame, filling the room with fire that roared through her veins, through the room, through the fade…