Travis watched the glow fade from the phylactery in his hand. "She's dead." He shoved the Templar walking next to him. "Damn it Garon, why can't you keep your temper?"

Garon snarled back at him. "That little bitch kicked me in the balls. She deserved everything she got."

"But now we're going to have explain to the Knight-Commander how she got out and what happened to her," Travis complained.

Geron shrugged. "When we find her body, we just put a sword through her gut and say she was an escaped maleficar."

"First we have to find her though," one of the other Templars said. "She obviously didn't make it this far on her own. You saw the footprints leading from that pool of blood we found. What if she told whoever helped her what happened?"

"Shut up Rory, you whiner," Garon said. "If we find him, we kill him. Even if we don't find him and he tells someone in the Chantry, Knight-Commander Meredith isn't going to do anything about it anyway."

"You know," Travis said thoughtfully, "There's supposed to be an apostate healer down here somewhere. Maybe that's where she is."

"If there's an apostate down here, why haven't the Templars been sent after him?" Rory asked.

Travis shrugged. "No one's been able to find him. Every time we get a lead, he slips away."

Garon chuckled. "If we find him tonight, the only slipping he'll be doing is onto my blade." He gave Travis a knowing smile. "And who knows, maybe he'll have some lyrium stashed in his little hidey-hole that we'll have confiscate."

Travis looked back at the young Templar walking behind them. "What's wrong Devin? You haven't said much."

Devin shrugged nervously. "Maybe we shouldn't have done the girl like that. She was so young."

Garon stopped walking, turned around and shoved the younger man into a wall. "She was old enough to act like whore that she was. She was a mage. No one cares what happens to mages."

The four men came to a set of stairs that led down to a platform that overlooked the water. On the other side of the platform, another set of stairs led up to a pair of doors. The trail of blood led right to those doors.

#

Fenris heard enough of the Templar's conversation to know that these were the men responsible for Leah's death. He let them walk past his hiding place and down the stairs before he emerged from the shadows at the top of the stairs behind them. "Which one of you is Travis?" His deep voice startled the men. They whirled around, all four drawing their blades at once.

One of the Templars stepped forward. He was handsome, with thick blond hair and boyish good looks. "I'm Travis. Who the hell are you?"

Fenris walked slowly down the stairs into the dim torchlight. "You are responsible for the death of an innocent girl. Justice demands that you pay the price."

Garon stepped forward. He was taller than Travis and broader in the shoulder. He had close cropped dark hair and a thin, cruel-looking mouth. "I don't know who you think you are elf, but I'm going to teach you how to talk to your betters."

Fenris let out a low chuckle that sent shivers down Garon's spine. "You can try, Templar." His lyrium tattoos began to glow as he stalked the first of his prey.

Rory gasped. "Maker's Breath, what is that?"

"It's some kind of abomination!" Devin shouted.

The young Templar started to back away from Fenris, but Travis grabbed him by the arm. "Get back here you coward. There's four of us."

Sparks flew when Fenris' and Garon's blades met. Garon was bigger, but Fenris was much faster. He dodged and danced around the Templar's attacks, fading in and out of sight using the power given to him by the lyrium embedded in his skin. The other Templars tried to surround him, but a sudden pulse from the elf sent them stumbling back, stunned.

Garon roared with rage and tried to overwhelm Fenris with his shield attacks. The smaller man staggered momentarily, then came back stronger, redoubling his strikes on the Templar's shield and armor. Finally the bigger man's shield dropped low enough for Fenris to get a clean strike at his neck. He swept his blade up and across, hitting him just above the collar. Blood sprayed all over the elf as Garon's head went flying to one side and his body fell back and was impaled on the railing of the platform.

Fenris narrowly missed getting his own head taken off by a Templar blade. He ducked and rolled just in time, but a smite from another Templar sent him flying back into the wall. His head hit the jagged stone and he saw stars. He felt blood start to trickle down the back of his neck. He blinked several times to clear his vision and dodged another strike, this time from Travis. The Templar's blade struck the wall where Fenris' head had been a moment before. The elven warrior kicked out and swept Travis' legs out from under him. The Templar went down flat on his back. His head hit the ground and he lost consciousness.

Before Fenris could reach the fallen man, the other two Templars rushed him. Devin and Rory were younger and less experienced than their compatriots and the two of them were no match for the enraged elf. No matter where they struck, their blades always missed. Fenris got under Rory's guard and took off his sword arm. The young Templar screamed as he watched blood pump from the stump of his arm. He backed away from Fenris into the railing. The elf kicked him in the chest and sent over the side into the water below.

Fenris quickly turned back to defend himself against Devin and found the young man down on knees. His sword and shield lay discarded in front of him and his head was bowed in prayer. He looked up when Fenris stepped in front of him and said, "I know I am to blame for my actions. It is my duty to protect the mages and I failed. I only ask for a quick death." Then he bowed his head again and waited for the final blow.

Fenris raised his sword, but then lowered it again. He grabbed the Templar by the hair and pulled his head up. "Look at me," he growled. When he had the young man's attention he said, "Leave Kirkwall and never return. Find a way to earn your forgiveness."

Devin blinked in disbelief. "You're letting me go?" He scrambled to his feet. "Thank you. Maker bless you."

Fenris grabbed his arm. "If I see you again, I will kill you." The Templar nodded in understanding then turned on his heel and ran away as fast as his heavy armor would allow, leaving his sword and shield behind.

"Traitor." Travis tried to get up, but his head was still spinning. "Bloody little traitor. He'd better hope I never find him."

Fenris strode over to the Templar and shoved him back down. "He won't need to worry about that. You can't chase him if you're dead." The lyrium tattoos of his right hand glowed bright blue-white. He shoved his fist right through the heavy steel of Travis' armor and into his chest. He heard the Templar screaming as his hand wrapped around the man's heart and squeezed. And then all was silent.

Fenris stood up and cleaned his sword on the dead Templar's robes. He heard a noise above him and turned to see Anders glaring at him from the top of the stairway. "You let one of them go," he said harshly.

"Yes, I did."

"Why?"

The warrior sheathed his sword before he answered. "Because Hawke would have asked me to. She's a better person than both of us."

Anders nodded slowly in acknowledgement. "Do you need healing?" he asked reluctantly.

Fenris lip curled in distaste. "No. I'll be fine."

The mage shrugged. "Goodnight then." He turned to leave, then turned back again. "Thank you." The words sounded forced.

"I didn't do it for you," Fenris said.

"I know," Anders replied. After a short pause he said, "Don't hurt her again. I won't waste another opportunity."

The elf glared at mage then hurried back up the stairs and out of Darktown.

#

Evleen's Mabari hound, Oberon, was barking and whining at the front door. She grabbed his collar and pulled him back. "What is it you rotten beast? What could possibly be that interesting this early in the morning?" She opened the door and Fenris almost fell into the entry hall. He was covered in blood and looked paler than usual. She grabbed him under his arms and helped him stand. "Fenris, what happened? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," he muttered. "I'm just tired."

She saw the back of his head. "You're bleeding. Where were you? How did this happen?"

He straightened up and caressed her cheek. "Beautiful Evleen. Always so caring."

Hawke let out a sigh of exasperation. She threw his arm over her shoulder and guided him to the stairs up to her bedroom. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Bodhan came out of his room and asked, "Is everything all right messere?"

"It's fine, Bodhan," she replied. "I'll take care of him."

Once in her bedroom, Evleen sat Fenris on her bed and started removing his armor. She took off his gauntlets, his breastplate, and finally the padded undergarment. He remained silent throughout the whole process. She examined his body for wounds and found only a few scrapes and bruises and the cut on the back of his head. She stood in front of him and took his face in her hands. "Fenris, say something. What happened last night?"

The elf opened his eyes and she was shocked to see tears in them. "You were right. Hatred poisons everything, even things that are meant to be right and good." He closed his eyes again and bowed his head. "Evleen. My Evleen. Can you forgive me? Can you help me?"

Her own eyes filled with tears and she lifted his face again and tenderly kissed his lips. "I love you. Of course I forgive you. I'll do whatever it takes to help you."

Fenris slid his arms around her waist and pulled her closed.. "I love you, Evleen. I loved you from the moment I saw you. I was just afraid to let anyone in."

Evleen pulled him to his feet and kissed him again, more deeply this time. Fenris moaned softly against her mouth and slipped his hands inside her dressing gown. He raised his head and saw that he'd left streaks of blood on her face. He took a step back from her. "I'm filthy."

A wicked smiled curved her lips. "I haven't taken my bath yet." She took his hand and led him into her bathing chamber.