CHAPTER 22: SOLONA

Garrett came to a stop crouching down behind two boulders, of which had a gigantic tree growing between them. He drug the back of his gloved hand across his forehead and took a look around the tree. He held a hand out telling his group to keep still. There was nothing in his sight to tell him the quarry he was tracking was near by. He relaxed only for a moment and resumed following the footprints dug out in the loose mud.

The mage had ran through not long before slinging mud in all directions in haste.

"We shouldn't be doing this! We're hunting down one of our own. How can you turn another mage into those inhumane barbarians!?" Anders was none to quiet, voicing his opinion highly and not backing down once Garrett turned to face him. Anders refused to step down as he usually did when the man gave him that look. He wouldn't be afraid for just this one moment.

"You think I like doing this?" He folded his arms across his chest looking Anders directly in the eye, one of the few that could, and waited for the other man to protest against him again. When he didn't Garrett continued on. He turned again to continue tracking the apostate.

Fenris and Varric followed behind him leaving Anders to continue or leave. He followed behind silent but incontinent. Keeping his opinions to himself for just a moment longer.

When the mage-Warden finally caught up to the small group they had found the apostate. He cowered in fear barely able to hold onto his warn makeshift staff, with a weapon that was no more than a random stick he picked off the ground in his haste he trembled holding it out.

"I-I'm warning you, don't come any closer!" His voice shook as he took a step to the side nearly sliding down into the mud as he went. Garrett sighed and held his hands out to seem less threatening, but it just made the large man seem even larger in the frightened mages eyes.

"Look I won't hurt you." The apostate shook his head and slipped again as he tried to find a way to escape.

Fenris groaned loudly shaking his head, there was no use trying to talk the mage down. He was afraid and on the verge of attacking.

"I don't believe you! You're just trying to trick me. To take me back to the circle!"

"Don't make me force my hand boy, you can be calm and leave here unharmed or fight back. I warn you now I am not in the mood for games." Varric rubbed at the bridge of his nose, so much for trying to keep the kid from fearing them even more. Now he had a reason to worry with that threat out.

"We don't want to take you back, it wasn't our first choice."

The mage turned his frightened eyes down to Varric for only a second. For that moment it seemed as if he were going to listen, but his flight instinct began to kick in once more. "No I won't go back!" These were heavily armed men. He had no reason to trust them.

He held his head as he mumbled to himself. Garrett narrowed his eyes feeling a shift in magic around the boy's body. "Don't make me warn you again!" He barked taking his staff. The apostate gave a scream and ran. He slipped at first on the slick mud before gaining his feet and the group ran after him.

He once more slid to a stop against an outcropping of stone. There was nowhere to run any longer. He turned pressing his back into the jagged stone. The four men circled around him blocking his only escape. Sweat poured down his face, he knew that his fate was sealed; these men were going to take him back to that awful Circle. He would be turned Tranquil for certain if they got him.

One last time Garrett tried to reason with him. "You need to go back to the Circle, it's not safe for you here."

"I will never go back!" He pulled a crude hand made dagger from his robes. Anders and Garrett looked to each other knowing what was about to happen. Anders heart fell as the mage gave a blood curling scream as the dagger drove into his flesh.

The group brought their arms over their eyes as the runaway mage's body began glowing. It lit the dark area up in a fiery burst of heat and light. Garrett did want to help the young mage, he never wanted this to happen but it had. Forcing his own hand he had forced the frightened boys into a place where he could no longer be saved.

As they lowered their arms there was no longer a human standing trapped.

Now possessed by a demon of Rage the once human gave a bellow summoning demons to his aid. Garrett's group was surrounded on all sides. They pulled their weapons to the ready, waiting for the moment to inevitably come.

"You thought you could keep this mage prisoner, now feel his agony..." Came the ethereal voice of the demon. It floated through the swampy forest barely above a whisper over the growls of it's fellow demons. It's hulking form charged forward, leaving a trail of cinders in it's wake, and burning a path in the dense muck.

Calmly Garrett lifted a hand to his forehead, and gripped his staff tightly in the other hand. Releasing a long breath he tensed up as the small band of demons closed in. With a low grunt he caused a wave of energy to be released. Varric jumped back giving a curse and checking his coat for mud that had been flung by the blast meant for sending the demons backwards.

Fenris, without waiting for the demons to regain their senses, charged in flaring up brightly slicing through demon after demon. Varric continued to mutter how 'Hawke owed him a new coat, and Bianca had better not have mud in her gears.', and gave the elf cover fire from his position.

Garrett replied idly to the dwarf. "You know I'm good for it."

Standing on the sidelines Anders watched the exchange. Did they not care about what just happened? Was this all just some job to them, did that poor boy not even matter at all. His life was just some game now that they could take without looking back.

It made him sick.

When the demon finally fell in a pile of blood and gore, he looked up at Fenris through rage filled eyes. A gurgled and strangled growl escaped only to be cut short by Fenris' gigantic sword. The elf gave his weapon a twist, causing bones to loudly crack as they were broken, and pulled it free from it's temporary sheath as the demon disintegrated into a pile of mush. He turned his back thoughtlessly as the former human's possessed body merged with the swamp; no one ever to even know what had happened, no one to ever know that a human had died there. No one but the four that had caused his untimely death.

The three that had fought began heading back to Kirkwall, Garrett only stopped to give Anders a look when the other man hadn't followed.

"We're done here, let's move on." The dark haired mage rested his staff on his shoulder as he resumed his pace.

Flashing an angry shade of electric blue Anders drove Justice back for a moment, and kept his anger his own. "This is just some game to you, isn't it!? Some job, you care nothing for your fellow mages, or our plight!" Garrett stopped turning his head slightly, but not enough to see the other mage from.

"The Circle is a better solution than what just happened here. He obviously couldn't control himself, why do you think we need the circle."

"Not all mages want to become demons." Anders threw his arms out fighting back the cracks of blue forming across his skin.

Garrett simply began to walk on, catching up once again to his other team mates. "No. But fear can corrupt even the purest soul."

"As much as I hate to agree, Hawke is right." Fenris crossed his arms against his chest daring Anders to retort again. Varric sighed from his side, choosing not to take sides among his friends. It wasn't like they would consider his own view.

X-x-x-x-x-X

Feng trotted close in front of me as I walked around Low Town. After a day with Isabela and Merrill I was all 'girl timed' out. There was nothing more than I'd rather do right now than spar with someone, but considering my situation I can't.

It was a nice day out, the sun was warm and the air free of the thick fog that usually hung over the city.

"Wait, Feng!" The big war dog suddenly gave a bark and charged through the crowd. People jumped out of his way as he nearly knocked people over in his haste. I half waddled, half ran after him easily making my way around people still picking themselves up off the street.

Several people grumbled and gave crude remarks about being human bowling pins, or at least something to that effect.

I finally caught up to the crazy mutt when he sat down in front of a man. His tail wagged, what little their was, as the man scratched behind his ear. "Anders?" I asked sitting beside him glad to be able to catch my breath. "What's up, I thought you went with Garrett."

The small, obviously forced, smile faded at the mention of the other mage's name. He continued to scratch behind Feng's ear for a moment. "I was."

I waited just a moment for him to say anything else. Something was wrong with him, that was very clear. "Penny for your thoughts?" He stopped his affection toward the dog to give me a perplexed look. "What's with the sullen expression, you can talk to me you know." I crossed my legs as best I could and rested my hands on my knee.

He sighed slowly, a weary sound that made him seem like the world was bearing straight down on his shoulders. Feng whined loudly and nudged Anders' hand to get the man to continue his scratching session. Anders ignored the massive pooch though.

"Everyone is so afraid of mages, afraid of what they don't understand. Not all mages are evil, but no one wants to help." He grunted holding his head in his hands. "No one is on their side."

"Their side, or yours?"

"I don't know anymore." I placed a hand on his arm, he tensed up nearly flinching away from the light touch. "Will nothing I do ever matter, am I truly fighting a losing battle? Or am I truly the wolf among sheep?" Their was such depression in his voice it nearly broke me to tears.

I reached over forcing his eyes toward mine. "You're a good man, Anders. Don't let anyone tell you differently." His eyes flicked away searching for something else to stare at, but eventually returned to mine. "Even if you don't personally free the mages, you'd create the stepping stones for the next to try. You can't take this all on yourself."

"You've been there for me since the beginning. If you ask me too, I'll follow you."

His smile was genuine this time as he sat a heavy hand against the one on his arm. "Thank you, to know I have brought even one to our cause is enough, but I could never ask you to bring yourself into this."

"You're my friend Anders, I'll do what ever it takes to keep you free." I stood yanking on his arms as I went. "Come on lets go harass Isabela and Varric."

"Fine just don't pull my arm from it's socket. I need that you know." His smile was bright and warm.

I continued to tug him to his feet, but before we could get started on our way to the Hanged Man we heard a shout. Someone, a shop keeper I think, started yelling for someone to stop and for the guards to help him. We looked around trying to find the source of the voice, but the cause of it found us first.

At least that's what I would like to think.

A pile of silvery hair and fluttering robes slammed into Anders' side nearly knocking him over and taking me with him. He released me in order to catch the person that had so rudely bumped into him. "What do you think you're... doing...?"

He cut his own sentence short to stare at the woman he had caught.

"Anders?"

"Solona?"

So they knew each other or something? What am I missing here? Before their oh so glorious reunion could be to drawn out the silver haired Solona grabbed onto Anders hand and drug him behind her, and he grabbed onto my hand. She pulled us like an unwilling train in and out of crowds of people. The crazy lady pulled us behind her for what felt like an eternity before she pushed us into an abandoned building and slammed the door shut and blocked it off.

She stood with her back to us giving the rickety barricade a nod of satisfaction and dusting her hands off. She ran from one side of the room to the other checking the boarded up windows for signs of anyone following her.

Feng pushed his way up to me bumping his side into my legs standing between me and the other woman. I put my hands on his massive shoulders to keep him there feeling vibrations throughout his body as he growled. "What the hell is happening, who are you?" She continued to peek out the window before slowly turning to me with a look of pure aggravation and brought her hand up to her mouth shushing me.

I gave a loud gasp which earned me a, "Are you daft, be quiet!" From the same woman. I cross my arms sitting down on an old dusty couch stirring said dust around me. Feng stopped growling in favor of pacing around and lay down at my feet.

Anders waved his hand in front of his face and shook his head at Feng's and my antics. "Solona, is it really you?" He ignored me as I began coughing and sneezing to go to the other woman.

"Who else would I be. Now unless you want to have the guard break into our lovely little abode I suggest being quiet!" She ducked under the window again to keep watch on the outside.

Anders walked over behind her to pull her away from the window. "What are you doing here, why aren't you back in Fereldan?" He whispered. "Please don't tell me you're on the run." He drug a hand across his face.

She gave him a glare pulling her arm free from him.

"What did you do this time Solona." He sighed and leaned against the wall. "You ran didn't you."

"Perhaps..." She looked away from Anders.

"Who's following you."

She huffed. "No one. I destroyed my phylactery." The look on Anders face was so bewildered that he looked like he was going to faint. "They don't know I'm here Anders, I'm free."

"If they ever find you they'll kill you." He seemed worried about that.

"You weren't killed." He didn't look happy about that statement. "Anders you should know how bad it is there. To never be allowed to see the sun, never feel the grass or run through a brook. Anders I felt the grass beneath my feet and how warm the sun is!"

"How did you get away with that."

"There were two of us. Jowan and myself." She sat down beside Anders and fidgeted with her robes in favor of constantly checking the window.

"Really? Jowan... I didn't think he had it in him."

Solona gave a snort. "No one else did either." Wow, get pissed at me for asking a simple question, and this lady just keeps ratteling on.

"What happened to Jowan?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"We went our separate ways almost a year ago. Figured it would be harder for them to find us that way."

"Do you have any way of contacting him? Maybe if you two let others know how you escaped more will be able to free themselves."

Solona rejected that idea before Anders could get his hopes up to much. "That little stunt nearly got us both killed. If Jowan didn't..."

Anders pressed her to continue on.

"Look it was a risky move, and if someone else tries it they won't be so lucky." Even with the lack of light it looked like she was about to cry, but she held herself back. "Can we trust your little friend here to not rat me out?"

She stood back up and pointed a finger at me. Wow did someone finally remember that there was a third member to this little runaway party of mages.

"Don't worry, she's on our side."

I waved a hand around in the air. Yay go team.

It didn't surprise me when Solona looked ready to send my ass across the room. Then she said something that I didn't expect. "Then I'm glad to call you friend."

Hope everyone is still enjoying this! It's getting close to the end so hopefully it pans out right and doesn't just take a turn for the 'what the hell is happening' train. Just fyi Solona is not the warden commander nor a grey warden at all. That spot belongs to Elissa Cousland. unlike me just randomly throwing Sebastian in the last chapter I hope I can figure out something for Solona. I do plan on doing their side of the story as well; how you ask? well it depends, please let me know if you guys want the other side of this story as well. I do want to do that one as well but that may mean this story will end and then the other would start as a separate story and the two would combine into a third; if anyone gets what I'm meaning.

Please review and let me know about the other 'doomsday' characters story, and have a great day! :D