She laid in a heap on the floor, exhausted, and thoroughly satisfied. Her muscles were sore, the sparring was exactly what she needed. The pull of muscle and tension of joints almost a euphoric bliss. Fenris laid beside her panting and sweat soaked. He turned towards her with a slight twitch of his lips. "You've improved since before the Deep Roads, I trust the darkspawn were a sufficient target for practice?" He chuckled softly.
"Ugh… please, if I see a darkspawn again it will be all too soon." She scrunched her nose and groaned as she sat upwards, stretching the muscles in her back. Fenris followed suit using his sword as a weight. "I'm surprise you can still hold that monstrosity. My hands are shaking from going so long." She giggled and stood. "Thank you, Fenris. I needed this."
He stood as well, shuffling from one foot to the other. "I know I asked before, but are you sure there was no other reason for sparring, you mind seemed… elsewhere."
Jennifer visibly cringed as she placed her maces back in their holsters. "Just some… issues. Someone told me that they liked me. Well, I'm hoping it was only liking me…" I would feel so much worse if he actually loved me.
Fenris shifted his weight again. "I do not mean to pry, but what did you say to them?" He laid his sword against the wall, taking the utmost care. He then turned back, fidgeting.
"I told him I there was someone else." She smiled at him, a deep blush creeping up her neck.
Fenris cleared his throat nervously. "Good to know."
Hawke decided that it was a good time to suddenly barge into the manor, "Fenris! Are you awake? I got a job…to…..do…. Jennifer? What are you doing here?" He asked, an unrecognizable expression on his face.
"Fenris and I were just sparring. That's why I'm all sweaty and gross and out of breath. And you are a pervert thinking I would be doing that!" She gasped and turned to Fenris. "Not that I don't want to. Ack! I mean I don't want to! Not yet!" She looked quickly between Hawke and Fenris. "Holy crap… someone kill me now." Jennifer picked a flagstone from the floor and held it above her head as she sat on the ground. "If anyone needs me I'm going to die of embarrassment under this rock." Her face was a deep crimson as Hawke started a great guffaw.
Fenris' skin matched Jennifer's as he stood with hands clenched at his sides. "Was there a reason you're here, Hawke?" He asked curtly.
"Right! I have a job. And it involves the Wounded Coast, and I'm bringing you because I know how much you love to get sand out of the crevices you never even knew you had!" He sniggered. "C'mon Jennifer, you're coming to. Perhaps some time fighting might help you two love birds." He stood and closed his eyes, making sickening kissy faces till Jennifer slammed the flagstone into his chest.
"I hate you." She grumbled as she headed out the door.
"I love you too!" Hawke cried back.
-ooo-
"Nevermind, I take it back. NOW I hate you, Garrett." Jennifer declared as she pulled the spider entrails from her corset. "This smell is never going away. You know that right?"
"Smiles, I think that's why he does it. I still have blood on my coat that I can't get out." Varric grumbled as he grabbed a rag to wipe Bianca clean.
Fenris flicked his blade sending most of the filth from his weapon to the sandy floor, as Jennifer walked up to Hawke and punched him in the shoulder lightly. "When we get home YOU are cleaning this corset. Don't even THINK about asking Bodahn to do it!" She walked ahead in a huff.
The rest found her as they rounded a cliff's corner. She stood still, with hands clenched. When Hawke stepped forward to see what was wrong, he heard Fenris growl behind him. "Hunters."
"Stop right there!" A hunter yelled from the cliff head above. "You are in possession of stolen property!" He was an elder man with a handlebar moustache and beady eyes and he grinned as he pointed at Fenris. "Back away from the slave now and you'll be spared."
Jennifer turned sharply towards the hunter glaring daggers into him. "I already told you! He's not a slave!" Rage and fear consumed her as she saw the sheer number of people against the four of them. The rage built until it burned, and when she thought it would consume her, she poured it into the hunters, willing them to burn from her hatred. She flicked out her hand, and on top of the cliff's head, the hunters and slavers screamed in pain and horror as they burned. Without thinking Jennifer turned and darted towards the nearest group, bringing her maces forth and fighting with her might.
One of them disappeared into the shadows, Jennifer continued to fight, not noticing they were gone. Fenris lunged forth, his blade colliding with that of the rogues as he brought his daggers down towards Jennifer's back. They stood there back to back, Jennifer could feel the heat from his battle ready skin and she smiled to herself. Aww, he really does care.
The battle was over before it began. Hawke began pilfering the bodies even before the last of them fell. Fenris looked around, and noticed a young mage man, crawling to get away. Quickly he stepped towards him, grabbing him by the hair, his gauntlets cutting ever so slightly into the man's skull. "Where. Is. He?" Fenris demanded and slammed the man's face into the dirt laden path.
"Please don't kill me." The mage pleaded, his voice gruff with pain, Fenris grinded his knee into his back before slamming his face down once again.
"Tell me!"
"I don't know. I don't know, I swear!" He tried to roll his eyes to look at Fenris, but the elf was too far behind him to be seen. "Hadriana brought us. She's at the holding caves just north of the city. I can show you the way!" Tears spilled down the mages eyes as they grew in fear.
"No need. I know which ones you speak of." Fenris replied darkly.
"Then let me go, I beg you! I swear I won't-" He pleaded.
"You chose the wrong master." Fenris snapped the young man's neck, leaving him on the dirt path.
Jennifer cringed and turned away, the sickening sound of neck breaking forever lodged into her memory.
"Hadriana." Fenris glared at the carnage strewn out along the path. "I was a fool to think I was free. They'll never let me be!" He seethed, clenching his fists at his sides and grinding his teeth.
"Who is she?" Hawke asked.
"My old master's apprentice, and I remember her well. A sniveling social climber that would sell her own children if she thought it would please Danarius." He spat in disgust. "If she's here, it's at his bidding." He kicked the dirt and growled. "I knew he wouldn't let this go!"
Hawke smiled. "Then why are we standing around?"
Fenris nodded and they left with Fenris leading the way. "The holding caves held slaves in the old times, but apparently they are no longer abandoned. We must hurry, before Hadriana has a chance to prepare… or flee."
They quickly made their way through the mountain ridge towards the holding caves, there were guards posted, slowing their approach, and no doubt that is what they were meant to do. Jennifer fought beside Fenris, but didn't look towards him. Fenris noticed this, but said nothing, his attention drawn intently upon his next target: Hadriana.
When they finally reached the mouth of the caves, Fenris stopped the group. "We must be careful." He looked towards the cave. "There were many such holdings once, especial in the mountains, where individual slavers kept private pens." He ground his teeth again, fury shaking him to his very core. "They were designed to protect against raids by fellow slavers. No doubt it's why Hadriana chose this place."
"Hadriana won't escape us." Hawke prepared his blade, ready for the encounters to come.
"Let's hope this isn't a waste of time." Fenris mumbled following Hawke into the caves.
-ooo-
Jennifer could now see why Fenris despised magic so fiercely. Hadriana was heartless and cruel. She sacrificed those unwilling, using blood to fuel her spells, she dabbled with demons and reveled in it. As she fell to the ground, Fenris was upon her with his sword raised. She held out a hand to stop his cutting blow, "Stop! You do not want me dead!"
"There is only one person I want dead more." Fenris declared.
"I have information, elf, and I will trade it in return for my life." She backed away hesitantly.
Fenris scoffed. "The location of Danarius? What good will that do me? I'd rather he lose his pet pupil."
"You have a sister. She is alive." Fenris dropped his blade a fraction and his body went rigid. He gazed upon Hadriana in surprise.
"You wish to reclaim your life?" Hadriana stood. "Let me go and I will tell you where she is."
Hawke looked to Fenris worriedly. "This is your call."
Fenris stepped forward till he was nose to nose with the blood mage. "So I have your word? I tell you, and you let me go?" She asked, panic striking her shrewd features.
"Yes, you have my word." Fenris' fingers itched, twitching for his blade.
"Her name is Varania. She is in Qarinus serving a magister by the name of Ahriman." She pleaded.
"A servant. Not a slave." He looked off in thought.
"She's not a slave." She pleaded again, and whimpered as Fenris glowed dimly.
"I believe you." Hadriana gasped as Fenris, too quick to be seen, plunged his hand into her chest, gripping her beating organ and slowly crushing it between his digits. Blood dripped from his hand as he removed it from her chest. "We are done here." He proclaimed as he moved to walk away.
Jennifer turned quickly. "Fenris, do you want to talk about it?" She asked.
Fenris turned towards her, throwing out his arms. "No! I don't want to talk about it! This could be a trap! Danarius could have sent Hadriana here to tell me about this 'sister.'" He held up a clenched fist. "Even if he didn't, trying to find her would still be suicide! Danarius has to know about her and has to know that Hadriana knows." He looked down defeatedly. "But all that matters is I finally got to crush that bitch's heart. May she rot and all the other mages with her."
Jennifer stepped back, shocked but as Fenris turned away, she moved to place a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe we should leave…"
"No! I don't want you comforting me." And Jennifer removed her hand as if she were burned, she folded her arms around herself protectively. "You saw what was done here. There's always going to be some reason, some excuse why mages need to do this!" He flexed his hand. "Even if I found my sister, who knows what the magisters have done to her. What has magic touched that is doesn't spoil?" Jennifer gasped, backing away from Fenris and into Hawke.
Hawke glared at Fenris as Jennifer turned her face into Hawke's chest, completely deflated. "I… need to go." Fenris stated simply. I was such a fool to think we could be more…
AN: So my stories are turning out longer... don't know why, maybe there's just more to write. But I hope you all enjoy! This is more of Fenris' continuation, more for Anders in a short while! 3 Later my pretties!