A/N: I apologize in advance for this chapter. It's got a lot of canon dialogues in it. My inspiration is ebbing rather than flowing lately, and I think it's evident in the quality of my work, and I still don't have a beta. So, I hope you enjoy it anyway. I do like the conversation at the end though. This chapter contains, what I think, is Carver's defining moment in the game.

Please read and review! I love hearing what people think of my story, what I'm doing right and what I could be doing better. A big thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far.

—

Act One

Chapter Twenty

Three Spear Alley

The long, quiet walk back to the city did Paden some good. She was able to sort out her thoughts and let her anger subside. Anders and Carver hadn't been difficult with her just for the sake of it. They cared about her, and didn't want to see her come to harm. Realizing that made her feel good, but she still had a hard time believing that Cullen was as ruthless as they claimed. She hoped, for all their sakes, that they were wrong.

It was late afternoon by the time they made it back to Hightown. Paden was not looking forward to entering the Blooming Rose again, especially so soon after the last time, with the memories the exotic atmosphere still fresh. She held her breath as they walked through the door, but then exhaled when she realized she wouldn't be able to keep that up for more than a few seconds. She put her hand over her mouth and coughed lightly.

"Ugh, that smell goes right to my gut. Let's find someone who would know anything and then get out of here."

"Madame Lucine runs the place for Harlen," Varric said. "Or…with him, or…on him. It's a Coterie thing."

They walked into the main lounge area.

"If someone here tries to hire me again, I'm leaving," Anders muttered.

Paden looked at him in surprise. "Hire you?" She laughed. "As in for the night? Aww." She laughed again.

Anders arched one eyebrow at her. "You think that's funny?"

Paden nodded. "I would have loved to see how you handled that one. Of course, I can see why someone tried to hire you; you're such a looker."

"Oh Maker," Carver groaned, rolling his eyes.

Anders grinned. "A looker, eh? I'll try not to let that go to my head."

"There's Viveka," Varric said, pointing to a woman near the bar. "She's one of the senior girls here. If anyone can help us it'd be her."

Paden approached the woman, who saw her coming. "Do you need something, Honey?" Viveka asked.

"A couple of Templar recruits went missing," Paden said. "Wilmod and Keran? They were last seen here."

Viveka narrowed her eyes at Paden. "We make a lot of coin off nervous Templars who expect some privacy."

"I'll be discrete," Paden assured. "The Templars are the ones who want this information,"

Viveka sighed. "Let me look through the books." She went over to the bar where a large open book sat. "Wilmod…Keran…" she muttered as she scanned the pages. "Here we go. Wilmod came in here a lot." She glanced back at Paden. "You sure he had time to be a Templar?"

Paden didn't dignify that with an answer.

Viveka looked at her book again. "The both of them last saw Idunna, the 'Exotic Wonder from the East'."

"That's quite the stage name," Paden said.

"It sounds better than 'The Tramp from Darktown'," Viveka said. "You should hear what some of the others are called."

Paden would rather not. "Thank you for your help," she said.

"Sure thing. And listen, you didn't hear any of this from me. We clear?"

"Of course," Paden assured.

Viveka directed them to a room upstairs, which was open when they arrived.

Paden poked her head in and saw a woman with red hair and way too much makeup sitting at a vanity on the other side of the room.

Paden knocked lightly, and when the woman turned to see who was there, said, "Idunna, right?"

The woman stood up to face her guests. Paden got right to the point.

"Do you remember…entertaining a Templar named Wilmod a few weeks ago? Or Keran?"

"Wilmod…Wilmod?" Idunna said, making a show if giving it a lot of thought. She had a staged, sultry voice that irritated Paden. "That doesn't sound familiar," she finally decided.

"Do your clients like this charade?" Paden asked, her tone one of thinly veiled contempt. "It must get dreadfully tiresome."

Idunna sputtered for a moment, caught off guard. "Whatever do you mean?" she asked, and then turned around and walked slowly over to her bed. Paden and the others came all the way into the room. Idunna sat down on her bed and stroked the covers seductively. "Questions are boring," she said. "Why don't we have some real fun?"

Varric grinned as he gazed at Idunna. "Hawke, go easy on this lovely creature."

Paden looked at him. He seemed to be fixated on the whore, as if he wouldn't, or couldn't look away. "What's the matter with you?" Paden said. "We've got a job to do here."

"Right," Varric agreed. "But why not mix business with a little pleasure?"

"You should listen to your friend," Idunna said.

Paden frowned. "I'm here on business," she said firmly. "Keran. Wilmod."

"Answer one of my questions first," Idunna said, meeting Paden's eyes. Then she continued speaking slowly, almost hypnotically. "Who told you about little old me?"

Paden was sick to death of this woman's games, and was about to tell her so. She opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly the words she had in mind to say were gone. She tried to say something else, but nothing would come to her. A huge pressure seemed to have been applied to her mind, and the only thought that would enter her head was Viveca's name. She tried to resist the overwhelming urge to tell Idunna what she wanted to know, since she gave Viveca her word. But the words just escaped her mouth anyway.

"It was…Viveka," she gasped, still trying to fight it, still losing the battle. "She showed me…her books."

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Idunna said with a smile. She stood up from the bed. "So, Viveka sold me out, did she? That drab, pathetic little sewer rat. She will be dealt with."

The whole time Idunna was talking, Paden's mind was in a foggy bind. She could hear what the other woman was saying, but she was unable to respond in any way. Did her friends not notice?

Idunna walked over to Paden, still looking into her eyes. For all Paden's effort, she couldn't look away. "Just do one more thing for me," Idunna said. "Draw your blade…" she mimicked drawing a blade and slicing it across her own throat. Paden's hand unwittingly went to the knife at her belt. She drew it from its sheath, unable to do anything else. "…and bring it gently across your throat," Idunna finished.

Paden obeyed her, bringing her knife all the way up to her own neck. She couldn't stop herself, but surely one of her companions would be thinking something was strange by now. But no one was even making a comment about it.

Then Paden felt the cool steel of the blade against her skin and she knew she had to do something to stop this. Idunna must have been using some kind of magic to control her. Mind control spells could be broken if the victim had enough willpower to withstand them. Realizing that one was under a mind control spell was the first step, and Paden had already accomplished that. So she focused, putting all her willpower into her one desire of removing the knife from her throat.

"I will not…be toyed with!" she exclaimed, and at the same time yanked her blade away from her neck. Idunna jumped back in alarm, the spell broken.

"How did you? Oh shit…" She fell to her knees. "Spare me, messere."

Paden glanced at the others and noticed that they seemed disoriented, as if they had fallen asleep and were only just waking up. They must have been under the same spell. That's why no one came to her rescue.

She glared at Idunna. "What foul magic was that?" she demanded.

Idunna bowed her head. "Blood and desire in equal measure," she answered. "An art I learned from…elsewhere."

"Blood magic then," Paden said, her anger building.

"Yes, messere. Please, don't kill me."

"You're going to answer all my questions," Paden said, clenching her fists to keep herself steady. "And if there's even a hint of magic…"

"Tarohne put me here," Idunna replied willingly. "To send biddable Templar recruits to the sanctuary. Three Spear Alley, in the Undercity. I enchanted Wilmod and Keren weeks ago. But after they left these walls, I know not what came of them. Please, let me live. It's not my fault. It was all Tarohne's idea."

"Tell me about Tarohne," Paden demanded, her fist still clenching her knife tightly.

"She put me up to this," Idunna insisted. "She said we could recreate the ancient Imperium. That mages could rule again, not serve. She says the Templars cannot hold against us if we stand up and fight."

Paden clenched her jaw and glanced back at Anders. He looked disgusted. This was just the kind of behavior that was sure to bring the Templars down even harder on all mages. Nothing good could come out of a cause like this. Not to mention that it was all being accomplished with blood magic. This little resistance cell needed to be wiped off Kirkwall's map, the sooner the better.

"This base of yours. How many other mages are there? Any other defenses?"

"People go in and out all the time," Idunna said. "Sometimes a handful, sometimes more. There are traps—magical traps. There's a hidden switch at the front. It turns them off. That's all I know."

Paden looked down at the blood mage and quickly contemplated what she should now do with Idunna. This woman had lured at least two innocent young men to horrific ends, was a collaborator in an evil plot to overthrow the Templars and the chantry, and was also a blood mage, which made her a very dangerous and unpredictable individual. If the Templars knew about her they would execute her immediately, or else make her tranquil. But she would be better off dead.

Idunna had told Paden everything she knew, willingly, probably hoping it would save her life. But there was nothing that would save her life now, because there was no way Paden would let her go free. The angry side of her wanted to kill Idunna herself, and the merciful side of her wanted to kill her to keep her from being made tranquil. Since both sides agreed, Idunna's fate was sealed. She came forward with the knife.

Iduna put her hands out in front of her and shook her head, eyes wide with fear. "No, please don't kill me," she begged.

"I'm sorry, you're just too dangerous to be kept alive," Paden said.

Idunna stood up quickly. "No. No…" she begged. But Paden made it quick, running the knife into Idunna's chest. Warm blood spilled onto her hand, and her stomach nearly rebelled. Iduna gasped, eyes widening before rolling back into her head. She sank to the floor. Paden let her fall and then stood there looking down at her, the bloody knife in her hand.

She felt sick and horrified, and strangely justified all at once.

She had killed many people, but only ever in self defense. Had she done the right thing? She had been so sure of herself before committing the act, but now she wasn't as confident. Her hands began to tremble and she dropped the knife as she stared down at Idunna's body.

Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She could smell the familiar scent of herbs and tallow that always seemed to accompany Anders.

"She would have killed you," he said softly. "She tried to kill you. She would have killed many others. You did what had to be done."

Paden drew a ragged breath and nodded, trying to convince herself of those facts again.

Varric picked up Paden's knife, wiped the blood off on the edge of the bed, and then handed it back to her. "Let's go, Hawke. We need to find this sanctuary, and some answers."

Paden felt a little better knowing that her friends supported her decision. She nodded. "Yes, let's go," she said, her voice catching in her throat. She put her knife away and left the room and the brothel as quickly as she could.

Once she was outside in the fresh air she stopped in the street and took several deep breaths. "Let's please never go back in there again," she said.

The men stood behind her silently, giving her the time and space she needed for a moment to compose herself. But finally she cleared her throat and turned to face them.

"I know where Three Spear Alley in Darktown is," Anders said. "We can go there right now if you're ready."

Paden glanced at the sky to note the time of day. It was still several hours before dark. She nodded. "We might as well. No point in putting it off." She could use the distraction anyway. Otherwise she would probably just end up brooding over what she had just done.

—

Three Spear Alley wasn't too far from Anders' clinic. In fact, he probably walked by there often in his comings and goings. The only problem was it was a long, winding alley with many doors coming off it. They still had to find the exact location of the blood mage sanctuary.

"I wonder if these are the same blood mages that Athenril was trying to trade with," Carver said.

Paden considered that. "If so, then I am happy to have the chance to pay them back."

They went along carefully, checking each door for signs of the magical traps that Idunna had mentioned. Anders apparently had skill in detecting such things. He placed his hands on each door and concentrated for a moment. Then he would shake his head and they would move on to the next.

"How did you acquire this skill anyway?" Paden asked as she watched him move his hands lightly across a closed door. "It's an unusual skill for a mage to have."

"I learned it out of necessity," Anders answered, not taking his attention from the door. "In the Circle Tower, magic and enchantments were used all the time to lock doors and windows, and to create barriers across forbidden areas. Sometimes, if repeated break-ins were attempted, they would set magical traps to catch the perpetrators—nothing lethal—but still, you wouldn't want to be caught."

Paden arched an eyebrow. "You were caught in one, I assume? And discovered?"

Anders glanced at her over his shoulder and quirked a wry smile. "More than once, until I learned what to look for." He stood back from the door. "This one's clean; let's move on."

They continued down the corridor and Paden frowned as she looked up at him. "How did you get yourself caught in one of those traps?" she asked.

"By trying to climb through a window on the third level of the Tower," Anders said. "I used it to escape through twice, and I guess they finally caught on."

"A third floor window?" Paden said, looking at him incredulously.

Anders shrugged. "It had a broken lock."

"Yes, but how did you get down?"

"The Circle Tower wasn't a real prison, you know? I had access to all kinds of things to use for climbing. In this case I used a combination of short ropes and sheets tied together."

"The old climbing out the window using bedsheets trick," Varric said, shaking his head and grinning. "I can't believe that worked twice."

"As vigilant as Templars are, it's amazing what you can get away with around them," Anders said. He paused at another door and rested his hand on it lightly. After a moment, he opened his eyes and smiled faintly. "There is magic behind this door," he said. "I can feel it strongly. There are a lot of mages in there somewhere."

Paden came forward and tried the door latch. It opened easily. She waited, but nothing happened. She frowned at the others, having expected some sort of explosion or something. She took a step forward but Anders grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back.

"Wait, there is a trap here, somewhere," he said. "I can feel it. Look for the switch she mentioned."

Paden glanced around at the sides of the door and on the walls. Finally she noticed a small lever near the floor. She pressed it with her foot and they heard a mechanical noise, as of something disengaging. Paden glanced back at Anders.

The healer nodded. "Yes, I think that worked. But we should go carefully. Who knows what this many blood mages have summoned to defend themselves."

"You mean we might encounter more demons?" Paden asked.

"Chances are there will be many more. I wish I had had the time to teach you that spell to deflect their magic."

"So do I," Paden said. "I guess I'll just stick close to you then."

"What about us non-mages?" Carver asked.

"You aren't as susceptible to a demon's influence," Anders said. "And are less likely to be a target. A demon will go after a mage first every time. Your sister and I are at our most vulnerable when encountering demons." He looked at Paden. "Just remember, a strong will is your best defense."

Paden nodded, and then they set out down the passageway that had been revealed beyond the door. It twisted and turned, going up one set of stairs and down another. Eventually it opened into a large, empty room. The moment they entered Paden felt the air tingle like static electricity.

Paden and Anders both took their staffs into their hands and assumed defensive stances back to back. Carver and Varric followed suit simply on impulse, even though there was no apparent sign of danger, since they couldn't sense the presence of the demons like the mages could.

But demons there were. And a moment later they revealed themselves, rising up out of the floor on all sides of the room. There were at least six shades. Though after that initial estimation, Paden didn't bother keeping track, though she was sure more joined the fight later, since their numbers didn't seem to decrease, even after killing some.

Paden and Anders remained fighting at each others' side, throwing ranged spells across the room to take out the demons before they got too close. Varric remained by the door to the room, using Bianca from a distance; while Carver took a defending position near his sister, drawing any attacks that might have been directed at her. Anders' comment about Paden being at her most vulnerable right now must have struck a chord in him.

But after the last two fights where Paden hadn't been allowed to use her magic, she felt particularly powerful now, casting spell after spell, and using fireballs and lightning bolts like it was her last chance to ever do so.

A few times during the battle Paden ran low on strength, and had a difficult time drawing power from the fade. She still wasn't used to using her powers this way, and her skills weren't honed enough for continuous use in battle. That's why she had bought the lyrium potion, to augment her powers. But in this fight, whenever she started feeling weak, a wash of cool power would flow through her and she would feel energized again. She had felt that the first time she had fought along side Anders in the Chantry, and wondered if it was he who was doing it, and what exactly he was doing. Fighting along side another mage in a real battle was a new experience for her. She didn't really know what to expect.

Whatever was happening, though, she was grateful, as she was able to make it through the entire battle without falling. They managed to defeat all the demons, and then they took a moment to rest and catch their breath.

"Was that you doing that?" Paden asked Anders.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Me doing what?"

"In the battle, whenever I would grow weak, I would suddenly regain my strength."

"Oh, yes, I suppose that was me," Anders admitted. "It's second nature, I don't even think about it really."

"What exactly are you doing?" Paden asked.

He looked at her, surprised she didn't know. "Well, I just transferred some of my power to you is all."

"But don't you need it?"

Anders shrugged. "You needed it more. It's a basic healer's skill. I learned it a long time ago, and it's just an impulse now, whenever I feel another mage's powers growing weak, I give them a little help."

"But don't you ever run out of strength yourself?"

"If the battle is especially long and I have to use extra powerful spells or do any healing, yes," Anders said. "But that hardly ever happens."

Paden considered that and then gave him a grateful smile. "Well, thank you," she said.

Anders gestured ahead of them. "We should get going," he said.

Paden agreed and they set out again, working their way through the passages. They came to a particularly narrow tunnel, and when they reached the midway point Paden felt the static in the air again.

"Not again," she groaned, and brought her staff around.

A shade rose up from the ground at each end of the tunnel, blocking both passages.

"Oh, that's too easy," Carver called as he rushed forward to meet the one ahead of them. Varric turned Bianca on the one that was coming up behind. Anders helped Varric while Paden protected her brother. The two shades were gone in moments, and no more took their place.

Carver rejoined them, rubbing a hand across his face. "That black smoke they put out stings! Is there a way to avoid it?"

"Not for you, unfortunately," Anders said. "But I know a cleansing spell if you're interested."

"Does it work?"

Anders arched an eyebrow at him. "Of course it works."

Carver stood straight and spread his arms slightly, palms out. "All right, then, cleanse away."

Anders made a gesture at Carver with both hands, and a faint glow emanated from his palms. Then a similar glow swirled around Carver briefly, and Anders lowered his hands. "There," he said. "Feel better?"

Carver focused on the stinging feeling for a moment and then smiled slightly. "It's gone," he said. "Hey, you're sort of handy to have around."

"Oh yes, mages are useful as long as they're serving," Anders said. "Glad there's one thing about me you don't hate."

"Oh please," Paden intoned.

Anders spread his hands. "I'm just saying."

"Let's get going," Paden said, and led the way forward.

The passageways continued to twist and turn for what seemed like a mile at least. Definitely a good place to hide an evil blood mage sanctuary; no Templar would bother searching this deep in the Undercity.

At last they came to another large, empty room, and even Paden could feel the magic in the place. The room was L-shaped, and when they rounded the bend they beheld a strange sight.

Suspended in the air above their heads was a man in a fetal position, seemingly frozen in place and surrounded by a swirling, glowing column of light. Paden walked up to it slowly and stared for a moment. She had never seen anything like it before.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice nearly a whisper.

"It's a magical cage," Anders said. "A mage is holding this man here, but why?"

The sound of footsteps drew their attention to a doorway across from them. A woman and three men entered, all of them mages. Paden turned to face them, and the woman approached, a sinister smile on her face.

"How wonderful. More vessels for our experiments," she said, her voice just as sinister as her smile. There was something not quite normal about it. "Perhaps the demons will find one of you suitable."

Anders shook his head. "Always the demon thing. Can't you people say 'no'?"

The woman—Paden guessed her to be Tarohne—scowled at Anders. "I am not some hopeless waif that ran crying to a demon," she spat. "I sought them out and embraced them!"

Paden exchanged a glance with Anders and he rolled his eyes. She glanced up at the man in the magical cage, and then back to Tarohne. "Why have you taken the recruits?" she asked. "Where is Keran?"

"Demons can inhabit much more than mages and corpses," Tarohne answered. "With assistance, they can control anyone I ask. Any Templar…any noble…any well-meaning meddler."

Paden narrowed her eyes at the blood mage. "That's a new one. No one's ever threatened to possess me with a demon before. You do know we cut a path through your abominations, right?"

Tarohne laughed. "Good, good, the demons like spirit."

"So that's what you do here?" Paden said, glancing around the room. "You possess people with demons, why? What does that accomplish?"

"If a few more Templars fall to the demons, we can seed chaos in their ranks," Tarohne said. "How many abominations can they discover amongst their own before it drives the Knight-Commander crazy?" She spoke with such enthusiasm and glee, as if she were a child set loose in a pastry shop. Only she was a demon and the pastries were people.

On a roll, Tarohne didn't stop there. "In days of old, the Tevinter Imperium spanned the known world. Demons were their allies—held in check by power and knowledge." The more she talked the louder and more excited her voice became. "With a wave of a hand I could do more than a Templar can achieve in a lifetime. Yet they command us? Absurd! We should be ruling them. We should rule you all!"

Paden sighed and shook her head. "Good to know you're barking mad, that makes things easier." Not like it had been with Iduna. No, there were no gray areas in this situation; it was very black and white. She would feel no qualms about ridding the world of Tarohne and her kind. And it also made her feel better about Iduna's fate at her hand as well.

Paden took her staff into her hand and glanced back at Carver. He gave her a slight nod and unsheathed his sword.

Tarohne brought her staff into her hand as well and assumed a defensive stance. "Kill the vessels only if you must!" she shouted to her men as they came forward to take Paden and the others into custody.

"We're not going with you that easily," Paden said. She conjured a fireball and threw it at the approaching blood mages. One burst into flames and writhed on the ground in screaming agony while the other was thrown backward against the wall, also in flames, but he did not move. Just as the fireball left Paden's hand, she switched her staff and threw a lightening bolt at Tarohne with her other hand.

But the blood mage threw up a spell shield just in time, and Paden's lightening was absorbed harmlessly. By this time Carver was already out ahead of Paden, easily cutting down Tarohne's two other accomplices.

Just as Paden was starting to think this fight was too easy, abominations and a demon appeared from somewhere and began attacking them with magic. In the fight that followed, Paden lost sight of Tarohne. The blood mage had snuck to the other side of the room, and Paden noticed her just as Tarohne's spell shield collapsed.

Paden threw a fireball toward the blood mage, but she was out of range by now and it fizzled out before reaching her.

"Don't let her get away!" she shouted to her companions as she ran toward Tarohne. Both Carver and Varric broke off from the fights they were having and came to Paden's aid. As she came within range again, Paden threw another fireball at Tarohne, but again the blood mage threw up a spell shield just in time.

"For the love of Andraste!" Paden swore in frustration. She threw a couple lightening bolts at Tarohne anyway to let off steam, but of course the spell shield absorbed them. And then a shade was on her, swiping at her with its huge claws. Paden sidestepped the demon and threw two consecutive fireballs at it, and then put some distance between it and herself. Carver cut it down seconds later.

Then Tarohne's shield went down again, but before Paden could make another move, the blood mage cast a very strong repulsing spell. Paden felt it hit her like a brick wall and she blacked out momentarily. Sounds became muffled, all except for a persistent ringing in her ears. She could feel the blood rushing through her veins and heart throbbing like it might burst through her ribs. The world was a spinning confusion of black and white spots, and all she could do was lie still for a moment and wait for everything to settle.

The next thing she knew was the light touch of a hand on her shoulder, sending the tingle of magic through her body. Her head began to slowly clear and she opened her eyes. She was lying on the ground up against a wall, several yards from where she had been standing.

"Hawke, are you all right?"

Paden looked up to see Anders crouching beside her. She nodded carefully and glanced around, looking for Tarohne. "Don't let her get away," said, trying to sit up. Anders left her side and Paden glanced around for her other companions. Varric was lying on his back a few feet away from her, rubbing his eyes; and Carver was on the other side of the room, sitting on the ground with his hands pressed to his temples.

Paden pulled herself to her feet and forced her eyes to focus on the far side of the room where Anders was casting a spell at Tarohne as he closed the distance between them. Paden didn't recognize the spell, but whatever it was it froze Tarohne in place. Then Anders swung his staff, striking the blood mage in the head with the blunt end once, twice, and then he spun the staff around and ran the long bladed end clean through her stomach. Tarohne's eyes bulged and she grunted in pain before collapsing to her knees. Then she toppled to the side and lay still.

Anders bent down and pulled the blade from her body, then turned around to face the others. All three of them gaped at him in shock.

"Where'd you learn how to fight like that, Blondie?" Varric asked.

"Not exactly a common skill for mages," Carver agreed.

"I want to learn it," Paden quipped.

Anders smiled slightly, and if Paden wasn't mistaken she thought she saw a blush touch his cheeks. "Well, I guess serving with the Wardens was good for something, right?" he said.

Before they could comment further, a bright flash of light came from the magical cage and it collapsed. The man who had been trapped inside fell to the floor. Paden and the others rushed to his side.

He was a young man—maybe Carver's age—with short blond hair, and dressed in nothing but a pair of breeches. Paden crouched down and rested a hand on his shoulder. He groaned in response and turned his head to look at her.

"Is…is it over?" he asked.

"Keran?"

The young man attempted to get to his feet, and Paden grabbed his arm to help him.

"Yes, that's my name," he said, bending his head from side to side and rubbing his neck as if it were sore. "Oh, thank the Maker. I thought he had abandoned me."

"We've been looking for you, Keran," Paden said.

"But, is it only Keran?" Varric asked. "It could be Keran plus one, a very nasty plus one at that."

"That's a good point, Varric." She looked at Keran. "What do you remember about how you got here?"

"I…I was with a lady," Keran said haltingly. "And then things got fuzzy." He furrowed his brow as he tried to recall. "Nightmares then. On fire for days…a demon laughing. A naked lady with her razor claws…in my chest." He closed his eyes and clutched the sides of his head. "I'd wake and hear screams," he continued, his voice strained from intense emotions. "Maybe my own." He shook his head and dragged his hands down his face. "I'm sorry…it's all a tangle in my head."

Paden considered the young man's words for a moment. Clearly he had been tempted by a demon for days at least, but it was still unclear whether or not he submitted to it. She had no experience in how to tell if someone was possessed, so she looked to Anders for help.

"Any chance you can tell if Keran has an…extra passenger?"

Anders scratched the stubble on his chin as he looked at Keran. "Well, there's one sure way," he said, and then he threw his hands forward, shooting a small bolt of electricity at the boy.

Keran jumped backwards with a cry, but it had been a minor shock and he was not harmed. "What was that about?" he demanded.

Anders turned to look at Paden. "If there was a demon in there it would have defended itself. Looks like he's clear."

Paden let out a soft sigh and then gave Keran a smile. She was very glad she didn't have to run a knife through him as well.

"So…what happens now?" Keran asked.

"Go ahead and leave, Keran," Paden said. "You've been through enough."

"Don't tell the Templars," Keran begged. "Please, I don't know what they'd do to me. Just tell them I'm all right? Tell my sister I'm all right."

Paden nodded. "You have my support, Keran, don't worry."

"Oh, thank you," Keran said, huge relief in his voice. "What is your name, messere? I am in your debt."

"It's Hawke," Paden said. "Maker go with you, Keran."

They watched the young man leave the way they had come in, and once he was gone, Paden sat down on the ground, leaning her back against the wall. She sighed deeply and buried her face in her hands, feeling emotionally and physically drained. There had to be a better line of work.

"Hey, Hawke, are you all right?" Varric asked.

Paden nodded, then rubbed her hands down her face and looked up at the ceiling. "Yes, I'm fine," she said softly.

Anders crouched in front of her and rested a hand on her knee. She felt the gentle tingle of magic rush up her leg from his hand and into every corner of her body, soothing away her aches and clearing the cobwebs from her mind.

"How do you feel?" he asked, looking into her eyes with concern.

Paden gave him a grateful smile. "Better now," she said.

Anders shifted position, sitting on the ground next to her, his back against the wall. "When you talk to Ser Cullen, maybe downplay the blood magic angle? We don't need the Templars cracking down even harder."

Paden nodded. "I agree. This one was a close one to be sure. I'm just glad we were able to get to Keran before it was too late."

Carver crouched down in front of Paden, resting his arms on his knees. "I never…I never understood why people could be so terrified of mages," he admitted haltingly. "Our family had three; Father, you…Bethany…" he swallowed and glanced away, eyebrows knit with sadness. "But this…" he shook his head as he gazed at the spot where the magical cage had been. "Andraste was right to warn against magic."

Paden frowned at him. "Tarohne made a choice to practice blood magic," she said. "Most mages are good people."

"You don't think I know that?" Carver said. "It's just that I never really thought about their side. Now I see."

"What do you see, Carver? That Templars are right? You know, mages are no different from a trained warrior with a sword or an archer with a bow. Those kinds of weapons in the hands of a lunatic are just as dangerous."

"Except only mages are locked away for what they might do," Anders added.

"I know that already," Carver said, growing frustrated and defensive. He stood up and took a few steps away. "I've just never had to think about all this before. All we've ever done is hide from Templars. I'd never met any bad mages before, I couldn't understand the use for Templars. Now I'm starting to see it, that's all."

Paden looked up at her brother in silence for a moment, wishing she could go over to him, wrap her arms around him and hold him close and convince him that what the Templars do is not a solution to the problem. But she couldn't do that. Instead she sat where she was, staring up at him helplessly as he paced.

"Then think on this, Carver," Anders said. "Maybe it was the Templars and the Circle that caused Tarohne to resort to such drastic measures."

Carver glared at the healer. "So you think she was justified in what she was doing here?"

Anders shook his head and held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "Certainly not. What Tarohne did here is unforgivable. You're right, it's mages like her that caused the original fear that made the Chantry create the Templars in the first place. But they are a minority. What of all the other mages out there who would live normal, happy lives of peace if they were only allowed to? I'm sure even Tarohne was a good person once. But she was a desperate person. Desperate for freedom. And sometimes normal people will resort to drastic measures to gain freedom." He paused and looked down at his hands. "I can identify with her in that respect, without condoning her methods."

"It's a vicious cycle," Varric said softly. "Templars exist to control bad mages, but good mages become bad in order to escape the Templars." He shook his head. "Can it ever end?"

"It has to end," Anders said, staring at the wall across the room. "Somehow it has to end."

Carver scratched the back of his neck for a moment and then announced, "I'm going home. I've had enough of this place." And with that he turned and walked out the door.

Paden stared at the open doorway in silence, not sure what to think or feel. So much had happened that day, she felt pretty numb. Anders finally stood up, and then offered his hand to Paden. She took it and he helped her to her feet. "You still have to go back to the Gallows and tell Cullen," he reminded.

Paden sighed. "Yes, there is that," she said, not hiding the dread she felt.