Cat walked back into the Hanged Man feeling weary, both mentally and physically. Trying to get Fenris to speak to her was a battle of wills, and he was much more stubborn than she was. Not to mention all of the fights and walking to and from the wounded coast.

At least I'm not in my armor, she thought, which made her feel petty comparing that to the problems of everyone else. She followed the group over to the table and sat at the opposite end of Varric, with Anders and Olivia.

"I feel like I'm a part of the crew, sitting here," Olivia said with a chuckle.

"And who says you aren't?" Anders asked, pretending to be offended.

"I'm teasing, but it is nice to come along once in awhile, without being the one getting rescued I mean," she replied. "Though I probably shouldn't stay very long."

"Why not?" Cat asked.

"Olivia has a mission tonight," Anders said quietly.

"So I'll need some rest before hand," she added. "You never can be sure how long you'll be hiding in those caves, and being tired is not ideal."

"Understandable," Cat acquiesced. "Just let us know when you're ready to go then."

"I'll go when I'm ready, you stay and have a good time," Olivia replied with a smile. She leaned in and whispered, "and get Fenris to knock the chip off his shoulder too."

"I'll need more than a good time to do that," Cat answered, and they giggled.

After another hour, Hawke and Sebastian entered the tavern, and Olivia stood as soon as she saw them.

"I'll get going, now that you all are going to talk business," she told Cat. Cat stood and walked her to the door, telling her to be careful. Olivia waved off her concerns but accepted the luck with a wink, and left.

Cat returned and sat in her seat. "She sure has come a long way, hasn't she?" Cat asked Anders as she sat.

"Olivia? Yes, it's incredible the bravery that she shows, especially like tonight," he answered.

"Do you two get these missions very often?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

"I do more than she," he answered. "But she's been asking for more and more responsibility. I'm really proud of her."

Seeing the commotion around them, as everyone was standing and moving, Cat and Anders looked up and around in confusion.

"We're moving to Varric's" Merrill said to them, and they quickly grabbed their mugs and followed suit.

Once settled, and the door closed, Hawke cleared his throat to gain their attention, and everyone quieted down and focused on the head- or just slightly to the left of the head of the table.

"I've… seemed to make matters even worse today," Hawke began, and everyone looked concerned and confused but waited for him to continue.

"After reporting to the Viscount, Dumar was insistent on seeing the delegation for himself. Sebastian and I took him to the scene where he promptly fell apart. The man is terrified of the Arishok, but trying hard not to show it."

"That's not exactly a surprise," Aveline commented. "Considering he got you involved in the first place."

"How is that worse than before?" Isabela questioned.

"That's not the worst part," Hawke answered grimly. "The Viscount then asked what he should do with the delegation. His plan was to simply hide the bodies."

The group looked at Hawke in disbelief as he shook his head. "I know what you're thinking, but as I said the man is scared witless. Sebastian and I tried to convince him to return the bodies but he wouldn't hear of it. The compromise we came to was to burn the bodies before returning them in order to hide the torture they went through."

Hawke waited as several conversations burst out. He could tell that everyone agreed with his assessment that the plan was foolhardy, but there was little he could do now. He waited another few moments and held up a hand to silence them.

"This will not work Hawke," Fenris muttered grumpily. "It will only antagonize the Arishok."

"I agree, however it is already done," Hawke announced, and waited again as the others spoke their minds. "I only wanted to let you all know, so that you understand how strained things are in the city."

"I doubt the fanatics are finished either," Varric added. "So we'll probably see even more troubles in the future."

"I agree," Sebastian said with a nod. "Unfortunately or not, the Arishok will likely not involve us again if there were a problem."

"Unfortunately or not?" Anders asked in disbelief. "Hawke here was the only thing keeping him somewhat calm!"

"Agreed," Sebastian replied. "But these fanatics already see Hawke as an enemy because of that. Either way, he is gaining enemies."

"If Hawke is, that means we all are," Varric stated, and they turned back to look at Hawke who was rubbing his face, showing his weariness. He looked around as everyone nodded along to Varric's assessment.

"Thank you everyone, that means a lot," he smiled, seeming less burdened. "Now… what happened with all of you?" he asked as he sat down to eat.

Varric began, as he always did, but there were many interruptions and accusations of embellishment, as there always were. The room was lighter though, as they enjoyed each others' company, and they all took some pleasure in seeing Hawke laugh at some exploit or another.

Cat for her part, didn't add much to the story, she just reveled in the atmosphere. However when Isabela asked her about her morning, she turned to Anders with a wicked smile, watching as his own faltered.

"I went to the clinic, but the healers were still asleep, so I jumped in bed with Olivia to take a nap," she said looking over to Isabela.

"Cat, shut up," Anders said quickly, which brought several interested looks from the others.

"Well, I was only going to tell what Olivia did, but just for that…" she teased, seeing his face flush red.

"Fine, I'm not ashamed," he said in challenge, which had Cat laughing.

"Your face belies your words my friend," she replied with a chuckle.

"So what happened?" Isabela asked with a grin.

"Nothing much," Cat answered. "Olivia was dreaming about somebody, and ended up grabbing me pretty hard. I yelped, she woke up and screamed, and Anders came running from his bed to save us."

"That's not very exciting," Varric commented. "Wait, was he glowing? Like all abomination-y?"

"What?!" Anders cried. "What does that even mean?"

"You know, all Justice-y," Isabela added. "That other guy in there."

"No, of course not," Cat said with a laugh.

"Oh! Did he accidentally cast a spell on you, thinking you were a thief?" Merrill guessed, and Cat kept laughing.

"No, really, it was nothing like that…"

"Well then, it must have been-" Aveline began, as Anders interrupted with a shout.

"I SLEEP NAKED!"

The room was silent as they all stared at him, before all but a few started snickering.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Sebastian asked primly.

"I'm saying, yes, I sleep nude, and yes, I heard screaming, so YES, I ran over to help my friend, who happens to sleep in the next bedroom. AND YES," he continued, "Cat and Olivia saw me naked." He whirled on Cat, "are you happy now!?"

Cat laughed even as she looked offended. "Me? I didn't tell them, you did!"

"Oh please, you were going to," he grumbled, even as everyone continued to laugh.

"Remind me to come visit you some evening," Isabela teased, and Anders glared at her.

"Remind me not to wake you up," Hawke added, and Anders groaned.

"How long will I have to live with this?" he questioned the ceiling.

"So Kitty, how was the show?" Isabela asked, hearing the groaning from several others.

"Even better than you'd think," she answered with a wink to Anders, who sat up a little more proudly.

"Not to dampen the mood, but we still need to tell Hawke about the hunters," Aveline said gently, and crew quieted considerably, and Fenris tensed.

"Hunters?" Hawke asked.

"Slave hunters, coming after Fenris," Aveline said. "They ambushed us on our way back from the Wounded Coast."

"We handled them quickly, but it seems it was only a small part of the group that is actually here," Anders added, looking at Fenris in concern, as he had yet to do anything but drink.

"Danarius?" Hawke asked Fenris. Fenris glowered, his fists clenched atop the table beside his bottle.

"No, not yet anyway," Cat answered, also looking to Fenris in concern. It was more than obvious to everyone how upset he was, but that he wasn't trying to take action, or even tell Hawke about it had her even more worried. "What we got out of one of the men was their leader was a woman named Hadriana. Fenris told us she is Danarius' apprentice."

"He also knows where her base is, some specific slaver cave on the coast," Aveline continued. "We want to go and take them out before she tries anything else."

"Good idea," Hawke said, as he rubbed his chin in thought. "The sooner the better too."

Cat was still looking at Fenris, and saw the shock on his face at Hawke's words. Had he been thinking we were all going to abandon him or something? she thought. The thought had her a little mad at his stupidity, but she quelled it instantly.

"You... you'll help me then?" Fenris asked quietly, and Cat's anger was back in full force.

"Of course you idiot!" she said as she punched his shoulder. He turned to gape at her, as she shook her hand out from the pain, while he hadn't seemed to even notice she hit him. "How could you even think that we wouldn't?!"

"I… am used to being alone."

"Well, you're not anymore, so get used to it!" Cat said with finality, then huffed and got up and left.

"You punched me when I hurt her feelings," Hawke said with a smirk to Fenris. "Does that mean I get to punch you now?"

"Try it," Fenris offered, and stood up to follow Cat. "I guess we'll meet tomorrow?" he asked.

"I've got a few things to do for the Viscount," Hawke replied. "But we'll go see these slavers as soon as we can."

"Very well," Fenris said, and left.

"That's what he's been so moody about this whole time?" Aveline groused. "He thought we would leave him to deal with slavers alone?"

"It seems as though it has happened before," Hawke replied with a frown. "If anyone can convince him though, it's Cat."

"Sure, after she tears into him," Isabela added. "Varric!" she called. "We're out of drinks!"

Fenris was on his last straw, and he knew it. He was ready to explode, and was trying hard to keep it in. He told himself over and over that these people were his friends, his family even, but another part of him whispered to prepare himself for betrayal.

He expected it from some, after all, the blood mage and the abomination hardly cared what happened to him, and would gladly see him gone. The others may care, but would easily forget him and the problems he brought to their group. Having a warrior to help with the fighting didn't outweigh the fights he brought to their doorstep.

Even Cat's words from several days ago couldn't penetrate through this barrier of self loathing. They had spoken for some time after she stormed off from the tavern and he had followed her home. Her accusations had not been misplaced, and he realized he had hurt her as he had sworn he never would.

That is what monsters do, he told himself. It was better to be alone.

He glanced around in anger, wondering why he was still following Hawke on these useless errands. Meeting with the Arishok, or trying to at least, asinine deliveries such as pick axes for laborers out at the Bone Pit. Patrolling the city streets at night and removing gangs that preyed on the weak. And now of all things, they were heading to take care of a thief who had been stealing from one of Hawke's business ventures.

As soon as we can… isn't that what he said?! Fenris thought as his anger grew. As soon as youdecide it is worthwhile anyway.

He followed the group through a sewer in Darktown, as they turned a corner and stopped. Since he was taller than most of them, he was able to see the group of fighters before them.

"Stop stealing from my shipments," Hawke said sternly.

"You're that upstart Fereldan," the man in the front said snidely.

"And you must be Brekken," Hawke answered just as rudely.

"No one comes to my territory and orders me around," Brekken said as he pulled out his daggers.

That was all the invitation Fenris needed, as he had to get some of this anger out somehow. With a roar, he moved into the melee, striking out ferociously. The fight was over much sooner than he wished, and he stood panting in disappointment.

"What in the hell has gotten in to you?" Hawke asked him in surprise.

"This," Fenris answered on a growl. "This is more important than my life?!"

Hawke stepped back, instantly on the defensive. "Of course not Fenris," he said calmly, and the others looked on in shock.

"Tell me then," Fenris growled. "Why have we not gone after the slavers!"

"I did tell you, but I will say it again," Hawke replied testily. "We needed everyone with us, which didn't happen until today. And we came here first, because we knew he was here now, whereas he might have moved if we waited."

"The SLAVERS might have moved since we waited!" Fenris roared at him.

"Not without their slave they wouldn't."

Hawke stood his ground as Fenris screamed out his frustration. He understood it, but he was the leader for a reason. He had to make the hard decisions, and not everyone would agree with him. Like now.

"Let me make this very simple," Fenris growled as he got up into Hawke's face. "Either we go now… or I do."

Hawke heard the gasps, and he saw red, and a small part of him wanted to deny him simply for giving him an ultimatum. But his rational side came back to him as Cat spoke up.

"Fenris, you don't mean that," she said pleadingly.

"Of course I do," he spat at her, and she recoiled back.

Hawke looked over at the devastated look on her face, and wondered if even Fenris would be able to be forgiven for what he was doing. "Of course we'll go," he said calmly. "It is all we left on our plans today, and we have everyone with us so that we can wipe out these slavers once and for all."

"Hmph," Fenris grunted as he stepped back.

"Will you lead us there?" he asked, and Fenris stormed off. He went after him gesturing for the others to follow as well. He gave Cat's shoulder a squeeze as he passed her, seeing her smile gratefully at him. "Let's get this done," he said as they rushed to keep up with their friend.

Cat had no idea how to even process what she was seeing. Since coming to Thedas she had seen her share and more of blood and death, knowing inside that it was inevitable here. Kill or be killed had been drummed into her since that first day when she met Zev.

Here in this awful cave however, she realized that there was an entirely new set of rules for those that chose to lord themselves over others. The needless death surrounding her was appalling, and the fact that the slaves went begrudgingly, even if not willingly, made her sick to her stomach.

She could see that she wasn't alone in her horror, though the others hid it much better than she had. Once she even ran from the room to be sick, and had to stare at the ceiling as she finally went past the carved up bodies sprawled before her.

She listened as Fenris explained what they saw, and she was furious and saddened that he had been forced to live with this depravity. She tried to remember that as he accused Merrill of being the same as these animals, but thankfully Hawke came to Merrill's defense.

She knew that Fenris had a darker side that he tried not to show, and it hurt her heart to see it firsthand. She steeled herself against the pain, chanting in her head that it wasn't his fault, and he would be able to get past it because of his friends. He sure wasn't making it any easier though.

Room after room, they made their way through the slavers. Only once did they find an actual slave, and having her ask Fenris if he was her new master had all of their hearts breaking. Hawke offered her a place in his house, and while Fenris was furious at first, after Hawke explained, he was remorseful and grateful.

But now, the time had come. Cat recognized the end of the cavern, knowing the awful mage was hiding there with her men. They were taking it slowly, watchful for traps, but she could see the determination on everyone's faces. They were ready to finish this.

"All clear," Isabela said, and she and Varric waited as the group joined them. Together, they turned the corner and faced the magister's apprentice.

"You made a grievous mistake in coming here, slave!" she shouted as she spotted Fenris.

"Not as much as you have, witch!" he retorted, running into the fray.

Several of crew fell throughout the course of the fight, but Hawke was like a whirlwind, getting others back to their feet. The sheer amount of power Hadriana wielded was amazing, and Cat fought for her life to survive, unwilling to let her win.

Round after round of enemies came at them, first slavers, then shades and corpses alternating while Hadriana would barrier herself away from their attacks or deliver sweeping area attacks that would scatter them away from protecting each other. Many times they tried to use their combined attacks, with very little luck.

Finally, the tides turned in their favor as Anders caught Hadriana in a winter's grasp spell right after her barrier dispelled. The nine of them immediately went for the woman, attacking with gusto even through the ice.

As the spell dispersed, she fell over to the ground, reaching with one hand for her staff that Fenris quickly kicked away. He stared at her as he lifted his sword, ready to chop off her head.

"Wait!" she called. "You do not want me dead!"

Fenris scoffed. "There is only one person in this world that I want dead more than you."

She struggled to sit up, and no one came to her aid. "I have information, elf," she spat as if it were a nasty word. "And I will trade it, for my life."

"No information would be greater than the pleasure of your death," he replied.

"You have a sister!" she said quickly before he could swing. Looking up since the blow did not come, she added. "She is alive."

Fenris turned his head to look at Cat, and she froze at the emptiness of his stare. Turning back to the woman he sheathed his sword. She smiled as she realized she had gotten his attention. "Let me go, and I will tell you where she is."

"How do we know you're even telling the truth?" Hawke asked, since Fenris was silent.

"You don't," Hadriana replied. "But I know Fenris. If we wants me to betray Danarius, then he'll have to pay for it." She smiled coldly at Fenris, knowing exactly what the thought of losing her death was costing him. She felt the same way, after all.

"Your call Fenris," Hawke said as he stepped back.

Fenris seemingly made up his mind. He stepped forward and crouched in front of Hadriana.

"I have your word?" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded, looking her dead in the eyes. "You have my word."

She eyed him, looking for hints of betrayal, and finding none, began to speak. "Her name, is Varania. She is is Qarinus, serving a magister by the name of Ahriman."

"She's a servant?"

"Yes," she replied with a nod. "A servant, not a slave."

Fenris eyed her as well before nodding. "I believe you."

He didn't move, but he didn't have to either. His tattoos lit up, and Hadriana looked at him in confusion. His hand whipped out, and she gasped as he gripped her heart. She couldn't look away from his eyes… so cold, so… dead. And then everything went black.

Fenris stood and turned, and began walking away. "We are done here," he announced to the shocked crew.

"Uh… Fenris?" Cat asked, wondering why she was. "Are you okay?" She regretted it instantly.

"Okay?!" he fumed as he whirled on her. "NO! I am not OKAY!" He was staring down at her like he wanted to punch her. "This could be a trap! This entire thing could have been Danarius sending her here to tell me about this "sister", but even if he didn't trying to find her would still be suicide!"

"I'm-" she started.

"Danarius has to know, and he has to know that Hadriana knew. But all that really matters, is that I killed her. May she rot in peace, along with every other mage…"

Cat's inner monologue was screaming don't cry, don't cry! But she felt the tears falling anyway. Fenris was looking at her as he had only in nightmares.

"I'm so sorry," she said as she put her hand on his arm, which he immiediately shrugged off.

"Don't comfort me," he spat. "Look around you! This is what mages do, what mages are! And you come along and tell us that things can be different, and I almost believed you! But this is the reality. THIS is what will happen and I will not let you convince me otherwise!"

Cat was frozen, looking at him, wondering when it was that he had become so hard and cynical, wondering what he had been like as a young elf and full of dreams, and she continued to cry, for that poor elf that was lost.

Fenris, on the other hand, saw her looking at him as if she didn't recognize him, and he wondered if she finally saw the monster he had been trying to hide from her. The thought grieved him more than he expected.

"I have to go," he said quietly, and rushed past everyone to the exit.

Cat waved off the others' concerns, letting them know she didn't blame Fenris, and speaking a little about finally understanding what he had really been through. Most of them seemed to feel the same way, and there wasn't much conversation on the way home.

Knowing Fenris would be waiting for Hawke at his home made it easier to refuse going to the Hanged Man. She wanted to get home, get clean, and sleep for a very long time. There was little she could do now, and until Fenris calmed down, she wouldn't be able to speak to him.

She walked to the door, opening it and pulling it closed behind her. Walking past the foyer, she headed for the staircase, only to see Fenris sitting at the bottom, waiting- for her it seemed.

She hadn't prepared herself for that, and backed up a few steps as he came near.

"I deserve that," he mumbled. "Though all I can say is that I am sorry."

"Sorry?" she asked. "For what?"

"I… took my anger out on you, though you did not deserve it."

"You have absolutely no need to apologize Fenris," she replied. "I know what killing her meant to you."

"Of course you do," he muttered. He tried a step forward, and seeing that she didn't back away, took another. "This… hate… I carry, I thought that I had gotten away from it, but it dogs me no matter where I go."

Cat worried about saying the wrong thing, but it was worth it to try. She stepped forward, and put her hand on his cheek. "Perhaps you weren't quite ready to let it go," she said quietly.

"You think I want this?!" he asked as he moved forward, pushing her up against a wall. "This evil crawling through me at every turn, making me the monster you shy away from?!"

"What?" she asked. "How can you say that?"

"I see it, every time we quarrel," he spat in disgust at himself. "As you look at me and wonder where your friend has gone."

"Oh Fenris, no," she said, reaching for him again, putting her hand on his chest. "That's not it, I swear!"

"How can I deny what I see with my own eyes?" he muttered.

"I don't see a monster," she said quietly. "I see a younger version of you, before these people took control of your life, and I feel such sorrow that he had to suffer through such awful things."

She put a finger under his chin to get him to look at her. "I see who you are, struggling past these things that were out of your control, and I wish I could find that magister," she said as her voice turned hard, "and strangle him with my own hands!"

He backed away from her this time, confused at her unexpected words. He had hoped to somehow explain himself and beg forgiveness, and found himself at a loss. How he wanted to believe her, yet it seemed too impossible.

"You… you're too generous," he said, causing her to look confused.

"We're friends Fenris," she replied, as if that explained it all.

He closed his eyes briefly, and opened them again to look at her. "I'm not sure I know what that means," he answered, and rushed up the stairs to his room.

Cat sighed, no longer wanting to be home. She wasn't much of a drinker, but perhaps a night of forgetting her troubles was in order.