Whew! This was a tough one! There was a lot of little information I wanted to get out into this chapter, so hopefully it all flows well enough. As always, thank you thank you for your comments and kudos! I know I say it every time, but they are that special!
If you've been keeping track, you know there isn't much left in Act 2, and we're reaching the climax! No worries, I still have some tricks up my sleeves, so don't pop that popcorn just yet!
Enjoy!
"This is amazing…" Hawke said as he performed the spell again. He kept it small since he was still practicing it, but the insects that had been scurrying around were now moving as if they were slugs.
"You didn't know this spell before?" Fenris asked, uncertainly.
Cat, sitting next to him, could feel the unease he radiated, and gave his arm a pat. The three of them were crowded onto a cot, sitting rather than laying down as the rest of their comrades were doing. Anders was bustling from bed to bed, trying to make the injured members of their crew comfortable as they healed.
Once finished making his rounds Anders came over to sit on the ground in front of them, looking exhausted.
"I'm sorry about all this Anders," Hawke said, canceling the spell. Cat watched amused as the insects suddenly altered their courses and sped away, now that Anders was suddenly blocking their path.
"I'm just glad you weren't unconscious also," Anders said again. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't strong enough…"
"Oh stop it already," Cat groused. "We heard this back and forth, apologizing the entire way to the clinic."
Both men gave her a wry smile. "Sorry," they said in unison, and Cat struggled not to smile. She didn't win that particular battle.
"There's nothing to apologize for," Cat replied. "No one died, and everyone will recover, right?" she asked Anders.
"Yes," he answered, looking back around the room. "In fact everyone is healed, and just resting now. Except one…" he looked to Fenris.
"Stay back mage," Fenris grumbled, giving Anders a dark look.
"It doesn't have to be me," Anders replied with a glare. "Hawke can heal you. But if we don't take care of that slice down your back, it will get infected and you'll die," he said matter-of-factly. "Not that that would be a problem…" he mumbled.
"I'll be fine," Fenris said stubbornly.
"Hawke? Cat?" Anders said, ready to wash his hands of Fenris completely.
Cat turned to Fenris, giving him a questioning look. "Are you really fine?" she asked. "Honestly?"
"Uh…" he started, but was unable to agree. "I don't want magic to touch me ever again," he said softly, but earnestly.
"I'd have to see it before making any promises," Cat replied.
"Very well," he answered, turning sideways on the cot, and showing her his back. She lifted the sliced armor out of the way, and grimaced at the dirty cut.
"It doesn't look too bad," she said, "but it has to get cleaned if nothing else."
She leaned over the other way to whisper to Hawke. "Can we do this without magic?" she asked.
Hawke looked at the cut as well and nodded. "It would take much longer and be much more painful," he whispered in warning.
"I think he would still prefer that," she whispered, and jumped when Fenris spoke up.
"I would," he said.
Hawke laughed at the blush blooming on her cheeks, and came up to whisper again in her ear. "Oh, and elves have really good hearing, in case you didn't know," he said as he chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered. "I'll need moral support if I'm going to do this," she said, looking to Anders and Hawke. They both stood, Anders going to retrieve clean water and towels, and Hawke directed Fenris to remove the top portion of his armor and lay face down on the cot.
"Thank you Cat," Fenris said as he took his place.
This time, it was Cat that looked uneasy, but Hawke and Anders stayed by her and helped her as she cleaned the gash on her friend's back. Fenris, for his part, stayed still even when she could hear his sharp intake of breath, and knew that it was hurting.
Cat couldn't help but think of the difference between this and the healings she and the others had received, realizing just how badly the misuse of magic had scarred Fenris. And yet, he had befriended Hawke, trusted him, and because of that, trusted Anders- to a lesser extent.
She hadn't realized that a tear had rolled down her cheek until Anders tried to take over for her, and she shook her head, wanting to see it through, and knowing Fenris wanted her- the non-mage- to do it. The tears weren't for what she was doing after all, just her own thoughts. Hawke took over once the wound was clean, helping wrap a bandage around Fenris' ribcage in an effort to keep the wound clean.
Fenris stood and acted as if he wasn't wounded at all as he put his armor back on, and Cat just smiled at his stubborn bravery. Knowing they all needed a subject change, she glanced around the room and asked, "Anders? Where's Olivia?"
She didn't expect the look of fear on Anders' face, and was also surprised when instead of answering, he started pacing around the room. It seemed to surprise Hawke as well, who stepped over to block his path.
"Anders?" Hawke asked. "What is it?"
Anders looked up at Hawke, and then over at Cat. "It's been too long, I'm worried. Really worried."
"What do you mean?" Cat asked, stepping forward. Fenris followed behind her though he stayed silent.
"She's been gone for days," Anders replied. He too glanced around the room, and they waited. "It was another mission… another chance to help free some mages. This time however..."
Cat reached out to place her hand on his arm, getting his attention. "This time?" she asked. "What changed?"
"The templars are much more vigilant now," he replied. "We knew it was a risk, but she wanted to go." He walked over to his makeshift desk and shuffled through some papers, bringing back one sheet and handing it to Hawke.
"One in particular has all the mages worried," Anders said to them. "Ser Alrik."
"Tell me about him," Hawke said, his brow furrowing as he looked over the paper.
"He's a sadistic bastard," Anders spat out immediately. "He is the one that made Karl tranquil, and he won't stop there." He glanced left and right as if worried there were spies nearby listening in. Cat worried for her friend, knowing that this was a major step down his path of destruction, and she didn't know how she could stop it- or if she should.
"He has a plan you see… a plan that would make every mage in Kirkwall tranquil, within the next year. Olivia and I have heard about it extensively over the past few weeks, and decided that we needed to find the evidence to bring to the Grand Cleric."
"Every mage?" Hawke asked in disbelief. "Are you certain about this?"
"Absolutely," Anders replied. "The last time I was in the Gallows, I looked for the evidence, but found nothing. One mage volunteered to stay behind in order to find what we needed, and Olivia went four days ago to bring him back out. I… I expected her back yesterday morning."
"What does that mean? Shouldn't we go find her?!" Cat jumped in.
"It doesn't necessarily mean anything," Anders replied, though his expression was troubled. "Some times you are forced to wait for the right time to move, especially now when the templars are so focused on catching escapees."
"It sounds as if you are trying to convince yourself, not us…" Hawke said.
"I had planned to go look for her once we had finished in Darktown," Anders replied angrily. He gave a huge sigh. "But now?"
Hawke put his hand on Anders' shoulder. "Now, you have help."
Anders led them down a flight of stairs, and Cat covered her mouth and nose with her arm. The stench down here was positively awful, but she knew it was just another deterrent for those that were keeping this a secret.
Opening a door that had been camouflaged to blend into the wall, Anders paused and looked over at Cat and Fenris.
"You must never tell anyone of this entrance to the Gallows," he said. "Many innocents would die if the templars were to find out."
Cat nodded, but that didn't appease him. "I need you to swear it Cat."
"I swear, I will never tell another soul," she said to him, and he seemed to relax. In fact, he didn't even ask that Fenris give the same, and she wondered why she had been the one to give him worry.
"You have templar friends," Fenris said, answering her unasked question in his uncanny way.
"I have one templar friend, and I'm trying to get him to see mages in a better light, not trying to turn mages over to him," she replied, pouting slightly.
"He knows that," Fenris answered, and Anders shushed them from his place ahead of them.
"We must be silent from here on," he said in whisper. "We do not know who may be in these tunnels with us. The templars are known to patrol down here," he said.
Fenris and Cat nodded, and they continued to follow Anders through the winding passageways underneath the city and to the Gallows. They moved quickly but quietly, occasionally hearing others, and hiding to keep undetected.
Eventually, they heard voices, though they were too quiet to understand. Hawke instinctively took the lead, with the others close behind as they snuck forward to investigate.
Cat couldn't see anything, with the two broad-shouldered mages in front of her, and since the people in the room ahead were not speaking loudly, she couldn't hear anything either. Placing her hand on a shoulder in front of her, she stood on her toes of her feet to see over them.
There wasn't much to see, just the backs of armored templars, though that was a daunting view. There were at least six of them, and knowing that they could cut off a mage's mana, that would leave all six of them to Cat and Fenris.
Resting back on the soles of her feet, she glanced back at Fenris, to see the steely determination in his face. She worked on having that same focus now.
Oddly, she could begin to hear the conversation in the next room, almost as if the speaker was talking loudly on purpose so that the entire room could hear his voice.
"So, the good little mage girl decides to finally show her true nature," the man spoke. "You know what happens to mages who lie?"
Cat focused hard to hear a response, but only caught Anders whispering to himself. "No, we cannot. This is their place."
She looked sharply over to him, noticing the small cracks of blue light on his skin, and worried even more.
"I know you," the man's voice said in delight. "Oh, and here we thought you had done your father the service of killing yourself. How happy he will be when he can hold you in his arms again. Unfortunately, you will not recognize him."
"I am dead," came the response. "I am no longer that girl."
Cat nearly called out, recognizing Olivia's voice, but Fenris held her shoulder to keep her steady.
"Get up!" the man ordered snidely.
"I will not take orders from the likes of you!" Olivia growled back.
"Oh, but you will," the man Cat knew was Ser Alrik crowed. "Once you're tranquil… you'll do anything I want!"
"Naughty, naughty," Hawke spoke up, stepping forward with a smirk.
"Who's this?" Ser Alrik asked his men.
The light burst brightly in front of her, and Cat could hear the other-worldly voice of Justice mixed with Anders call out. He stalked forward as a predator seeing its prey frozen in fear before it. "YOU WILL NEVER TAKE ANOTHER FROM ME AS YOU TOOK HIM!"
Cat gulped, as Vengeance started casting spell after spell. She could hear the shouting of the templars, and felt Fenris push past her, which spurred her into action. She was not at her best, and knew that both Fenris and Hawke were the same.
Anders must have been exhausted, but he didn't look it as the spirit took over his body. The spells he cast were devastating, and Cat had to remind herself over and over to focus on the fight or she would get herself killed.
There were no templar survivors but Anders/Justice continued to glare around the room looking for more to take his vengeance upon.
"A…Anders?" Olivia said in fear, her eyes widened even further as the blue swirling depths that were where Anders' warm eyes had been peered at her. She shrank back, uncertain of how to proceed.
"WHY DO YOU COWER?" the spirit inhabiting the mage questioned. "ARE YOU ONE OF THEM, THAT WOULD LOOK UPON ME IN FEAR?"
"You're not my friend, what did you do to him?!" Olivia yelled suddenly, holding out her hands in a way that a mage would when about to cast a spell at another.
"Wait!" Cat called, and Hawke began moving forward as well.
"YOU WOULD DARE?!" Anders/Justice hollered. "YOU HAVE BECOME THEIR SERVANT!"
"Anders, it's Olivia!" Hawke bellowed, trying to get through to him. "She fights along side you! She's your friend!"
"I FEEL THEIR HOLD UPON HER," the mage/spirit spat out disgusted. "SHE SHOULD BE DESTROYED, EVEN AS THEY!"
"So that is your answer?!" Hawke demanded. "ALL mages deserve freedom, do they not? Even if they do not agree with your views? Are they not who you are fighting for?"
Cat wanted to run forward to Olivia, but Fenris held her back. Anders/Justice was casting something, and Olivia stood there, closing her eyes, waiting for the end. Hawke crossed his arms, and glared at Anders, feeling he had said his piece.
"NO!" Cat yelled, even as the blue light flickered on Anders' face. As swiftly as it had started, the light was gone, and it was just Anders standing before them again. He staggered backward, looking aghast.
"Maker no…" he uttered, looking around at his friends, and down at his hands. Cat thought he looked like he would be ill. He finally looked up again, and turned, and ran away.
Olivia looked relieved, but no less ill. "What… was that?" she asked as Cat came to her.
"I think you know," Cat said gently, putting an arm around her.
"I ….I …." Olivia stammered, and began shaking. "I'm sorry," she said in defeat. "I've never seen him like that before, and…"
"Not many have," Hawke said softly. "He's upset with himself, not with you."
"After all we've been through…" Olivia said as tears came to her eyes. "And I turned on him…"
"I'm sure he's telling himself the same thing," Cat replied.
"We should find him," Olivia said resolutely. "I need to apologize."
"Fenris?" Hawke asked.
"Ready," Fenris answered, having found a small ledge and had thrown the bodies over it.
"Then let's get going," Hawke said, and he led the way out.
Cat listened in awe as Olivia shared what had happened. She and a few young mages had been sneaking out when they discovered the templars on their tail. She had sent the mages another way, and had been leading the templars in circles, casting spells when necessary to keep the trail fresh.
She had been unaware however, of how well the templars had known the paths of the cave network, and had found herself being slowly cut off and surrounded throughout the day. She had been certain that she was about to become tranquil, and had wished for death.
"And that's when I looked up, and saw Anders," she said quietly. "I thought I was dreaming, but knew something was wrong when I looked closer."
"We'll get it all worked out," Cat responded soothingly. "Anders is a good friend, he'll understand."
"I guess…" Olivia said, though obviously not convinced.
"It seems pretty obvious that you and Anders haven't talked about Justice before," Hawke said. "That seems odd since you are so close."
"He tried once, but I wasn't really interested," Olivia said sheepishly. "It was against everything I had ever been taught…" she sighed. "Oh, this is all my fault."
"No it isn't," Cat said with a smile. "It's just a misunderstanding, and we'll get it cleared up in no time."
Cat knew Anders would be packing to leave when they found him, but even she was surprised at the state of the clinic. Several of the crew were awake and trying to get answers from Anders, who was ignoring them.
He had gathered several items in a pack, but the room looked like he had been trying to wreck it. Everything was overturned, items were covering the table and desk, and even the floor. Anders himself looked haggard and worn, with a crazed look in his eye.
"Anders," Hawke called as the group stepped into the clinic. Anders stopped what he was doing and stood, looking similar to Olivia when she had accepted her death earlier that evening.
"Hawke, I know I messed up," Anders said, standing still with his eyes shut. "I almost killed my best friend. There's no excuse for that." He dropped his bag, yet still didn't open his eyes. "I… wanted to simply leave…. but if you've come to kill me… I understand."
There were stunned looks, and a few gasps from the others in the room. A few of them even looked to Cat, but she was watching Olivia, who was trying to hold back her tears. She gave Olivia a small nudge, and the girl didn't hesitate any longer as she went to Anders.
He stiffened as he heard the footsteps near him, but opened his eyes in shock when he felt the hand on his cheek. Seeing Olivia, he shrunk back, ashamed.
"I'm so sorry Anders," she said, hanging her own head. "All this time, I refused to understand what it was you were going through, what… you are. I'm sorry that I didn't see you through that… uh, spirit form?"
Cat and Hawke smiled, but Anders just shook his head. "How can you apologize to me?" he asked. "If it hadn't been for Hawke, I would have killed you!"
"No," she replied. "Justice would have. He didn't seem to recognize me either, and that's my fault. I never got to know him."
"This isn't a joke!" Anders said dramatically, and Cat felt like rolling her eyes. But she refrained as she remembered how scary it must have been for him, watching himself do things that were beyond his control.
"No, it isn't," Hawke said, stepping into the conversation. "It's true, this is on both of you."
They looked at Hawke, then each other, then hung their heads as they would if they were getting scolded by their father.
"Olivia, as a friend and partner in the clinic, Anders relies on you to have his back," Hawke said to the younger mage. "That means you need to understand his situation, not ignore it."
"Yes Hawke," Olivia replied softly.
"And Anders," Hawke continued, turning to the healer. "You chose to merge with Justice… only you can make this work."
"I am trying," Anders said sadly.
"I know," Hawke replied. "Keep trying, I know it's difficult, but you can do this."
Cat couldn't stop the grin on her face. Hawke was a natural leader, someone that the others gravitated towards. He wasn't all fun and games, and knew when to reprimand, but there was no doubt in any one's mind that he believed in his crew, and he just proved it again.
"Uh, anyone want to catch us up?" Varric said from his bed, where he was sitting up.
"Evil templar, Justice got a little carried away," Cat said before anyone else could speak up.
Anders and Olivia looked at her, gobsmacked, and Hawke just chuckled.
"It was a bit more complicated, but that covered the finer points," he said.
"An evil templar?" Merrill asked with wide eyes.
"You went and fought with templars?" Sebastian asked.
"Evil ones, apparently," Isabela told him with a smirk.
"And… Ser Alrik?" Anders asked. "Did we find the evidence we needed?"
Olivia looked discouraged. "I couldn't find anything concrete," she said. "Just rumor."
"Does it matter?" Hawke asked. "He's dead now."
"We were hoping to take the evidence to the Grand Cleric… get her aid in having the templars take it easier on the mages," Olivia answered.
"This may help," Fenris said, pulling out a paper, and handing it over to Hawke. "Found it on the body."
Hawke read the letter quickly. "Seems you were right," he said to Anders. "Ser Alrik suggested a 'tranquil solution' to Meredith. He then wrote to the Divine herself, saying that tranquil mages would be better servants to the Maker." He looked up to see the angry and confused faces around him.
"He suggested that all mages be made tranquil once they reach the point of their harrowing," Hawke explained. "Whether they pass the test or not, he says that there would be less of a problem if the mages were simply made tranquil."
"That's barbaric!" Aveline exclaimed, and the mages in the room smiled. Aveline wasn't always on the side of mages, but they knew she cared about their rights as citizens.
"However…" Hawke said, and other conversation stopped. "This letter is written by Ser Alrik, begging the Divine to reconsider. It seems not only the Divine, but Meredith too rejected his idea."
"What?" Anders said, shocked. "Let me see that!" He grabbed the paper from Hawke, and he and Olivia looked it over eagerly. "I… I can't believe it!" he exclaimed once he was done.
"They actually… rejected it…" Olivia mumbled.
"Perhaps the Grand Cleric would be as reasonable…" Anders said.
"The Grand Cleric is a wonderful and just woman, who cares for all the Maker's children," Sebastian said proudly.
"It's something to think about," Hawke suggested with a smile.
"Thank you Hawke…" Anders said, his whole persona filled with hope instead of despair, and Cat smiled to see it. "Now… everyone back in bed!" he called out, and the others' groaned, even as they obeyed. Olivia and Anders began making the rounds, while Cat and Fenris got comfortable on their cot.
"Hawke?" Cat asked. "Aren't you joining us?" She patted the spot next to her where he had been sitting before.
"I'm going to check on Mother," he said with a smile. "But thanks."
"No problem," she said with a yawn, and leaned her head on Fenris' arm. The arm moved as he put it around her, bringing one of the clinic's blankets up to tuck around her. She smiled at the gesture, knowing both of them would be uncomfortable but both preferred it to the floor.
Hawke looked back at the empty spot by her side, looking wistful for a moment, before Olivia walked over and claimed it for herself. He shook his head, remembering his responsibilities, and headed out the door.
Cat awoke feeling overheated, and wondered why as she opened her eyes. At first she wondered where she was, and blinked in surprise when she couldn't sit up. As her eyes adjusted, she found herself in bed with Olivia, and while she couldn't remember how she got there from the cot, she assumed Fenris moved her. He was always more concerned with others' comfort before his own.
Cat started to try to extract herself from Olivia's hold, but finally decided to just wake her up. Olivia's eyes popped open once she moved around some, and she grinned at her friend.
"After last time, I didn't think I'd get in bed with you again," Cat teased.
"Well, I can't help it if I have sexy dreams when you're here," Olivia quipped back.
"Is that what that was?" Cat asked with a grin. "Do tell! Was it Mr. You'll-never-tell?"
"Is there anyone else to dream about?" Olivia asked.
"Well… there are plenty of attractive men, and women, as Issy would say," Cat answered.
"Not for me," Olivia responded.
"And you won't tell me anything?" Cat pouted.
"Actually," Olivia started quietly. "I've been asking him if I could, but he's adamant."
"Wait…" Cat stopped, looking at her friend as she blushed. "I thought you were just interested in the guy, I didn't know you were actually involved!"
"SSHHH!" Olivia hissed at her, and Cat was immediately contrite.
"Sorry," she whispered.
"It's nothing," Olivia backtracked. "I shouldn't have said anything."
"Olivia…" Cat pouted.
"I've already said too much," she replied, and getting up, walked out into the clinic, Cat following behind her.
The next few weeks had Cat busier than she had ever been. Hawke and Fenris were still assisting Isabela with her relic search, and dealing with the Qunari. Anders and Olivia were so busy with the mage underground that she often had to enlist Merrill's help to gather herbs and make the concoctions herself that she needed to deliver to the Rose each week.
Sebastian was constantly requesting that she practice with him, and after being accidentally dragged into several conversations with Chantry mothers about either mages or Qunari, she finally insisted that if he truly wanted to practice, they could go hunting, but that was all.
Now, she was visiting Cullen, and had spent the last half hour listening to him rant about the wicked mages that were plaguing the streets of Kirkwall.
"I'm just saying, if you had a bodyguard…"
"What?" she asked in shock. "Cullen, I can take care of myself."
"Against a mage?" he shot back. "How in the Maker's name will you be able to shield yourself if one of them decides to hurt you?" He stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders, not seeing the wince as his gauntlets dug into her skin. "It is common knowledge that we are friends," he said seriously. "They would hurt you in order to wound me!"
"Cullen," Cat sighed. His paranoia was getting worse. "I have lived here for years now, no one is out to get me. Besides, I'm part of Hawke's crew. If anyone wanted to harm me, they'd be declaring war on Hawke! No one would dare."
He grunted in disgust as he turned away. "These mages do not care who is in their way!" he said, his voice raising. "They would do anything, and harm anyone to achieve their goals!"
Cat looked at him in concern, noting his pale and sweaty face. "Are you… all right?" Cat asked.
"It is past time for my lyrium," he muttered. "But I cannot leave until you agree to this!"
"I'm not going to agree to this," she replied firmly. "Our crew has fought mages and demons before. We'll be fine."
"You take these mages too lightly," he scowled at her. "You do not understand the blackness of their hearts. They are not the people they seem, they are monsters!"
"Cullen!" Cat said in reprimand, thinking of her mage friends, and how wrong he was.
"Don't 'Cullen' me!" he said, stalking away from her. "You have not seen, not what I have seen! You could not possibly understand!" He swung back around, nearly crashing into her, as she had been following after him. "Obviously, you care more for these mages… these…. creatures… than you do those that care about you."
"What?" she gaped at him. He was showing her a side of himself she had never seen before; a side that she wouldn't have believed existed before.
"Go then!" he said loudly, as they neared the gate to the Gallows. Several others turned to stare. "Go back to the mages you care for so deeply! I will not stop you! But I will not protect you any longer either!"
She just stood there in shock, as he stalked away from her. There was movement to her left, and she could see the templar guards coming near with uncertain looks on their faces.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I wouldn't accept his help in guarding me in town, and he started talking about being in league with mages…" she shook her head, showing her disbelief.
One of the guards still looked at her warily, but the other stopped in her tracks. "I'm sorry Miss Lewis," she said quietly. "It's been a rough few weeks, what with the mages escaping and we've had several templars go missing… the Knight Captain is taking too much on himself."
"Shut it," the other guard glared. "That's templar business," he muttered.
"And she's the Knight Captain's business," the female guard shot back. She turned back to Cat. "He won't be coming back, you should probably go," she said, though not unkindly.
"Thank you," Cat replied. "Can you tell him I'm sorry we argued?" Cat asked. "Ser…" she left it hanging, so that the woman would supply her name.
"Still a recruit I'm afraid," the woman said as she gave Cat a wink. She was hardly more than a teenager. "Just call me Lysette. I'll be sure to let him know."
"Thank you Lysette," Cat replied, trying to place why the name sounded so familiar. She gave a look back as she headed away from the Gallows.
The next day, Cat was still brooding over her argument with Cullen. It was his attitude more than his words that worried her, and the fact that such a drastic change came when he missed his lyrium did not bode well.
The nudge brought her out of her thoughts, and she looked over to see Fenris giving her a look.
"Sorry, thinking about Cullen."
"Still?" he asked though not surprised. "You cannot fix things by brooding about them," he said, and laughter rang out.
"You're the last one to talk, Broody," Varric said as he chuckled.
"Yes, but I enjoy it," Fenris said with a smirk. "Cat is not made for brooding."
"He does have a point Little dove," Varric commented. "You could always share your troubles… that will help."
"Thanks Varric, but I'm not ready to share just yet," she answered with a smile. Of course, she had already spoken of what had happened in general terms to Fenris, and he had been ready to fight Cullen. She could just imagine what her overprotective friends would say, or do, if she were to share what had happened.
"Sorry I'm late," Hawke called out as he entered the clearing where they practiced together. "Ever since Mother decided to help Aveline with the wedding, I've been dragged into far too many conversations, and asked my opinion more than I can count!"
"Oh it can't be that bad," Cat smirked.
"It's worse," he deadpanned.
"Oh, poor Hawke," Isabela cooed to him. "The least you can do is make sure this party will be fun. Though with Aveline, I'm sure that's a lost cause."
"Be nice," Cat said in reflex.
"I'm just being honest Kitty," she replied, and Cat rolled her eyes.
"So what are we working on today?" Merrill asked, changing the subject. "We're missing a few of us though," she said.
"Yes, Aveline won't be coming either," Hawke said as he looked around, noting the absence of both Anders and Sebastian which was no longer a surprise as both had been absent for the past three sessions.
"Sebastian still in the Chantry?" he asked.
"The templars are no closer to finding their missing members, or the mages," Varric said. "He feels he must guard the Grand Cleric, even though she sends him away."
Hawke shook his head. "He knows full well what happened to them," he muttered. "Why the sudden panic?" He shook his head again. "And Anders?" he asked.
"Working on his manifesto, I think…" Cat replied. "He believes he shouldn't be out in public until he gets a handle on the 'Justice thing,' she quoted. "I think he'll see reason, but someone else will have to point it out, because apparently I didn't do it right."
Isabela make a comment about finding Cat a tutor to teach her how to "do it right," which led to several eye rolls and chuckles, and Merrill asking what she had missed.
"Well, let's get started then. I want to show you all the new spells I've learned from that book in Darktown."
Fenris and Cat were the only two that didn't look uneasy at the idea, having seen the spell in action before.
"I think you should demonstrate," Cat spoke up. "I'll be the enemy for this," she said.
"What?" Isabela asked, as Hawke appraised her.
"Why?" he asked.
"Two reasons," she answered as she stood and got her daggers out. "One, while it was interesting to see on insects, I think the impact will be stronger on a person. And two…" She looked around as she continued. "We may not be part of the problems that are growing here in Kirkwall, but we'll inevitably find ourselves in the middle of them. We need to prepare counter attacks to the attacks that could come our way. We can't do that until we experience them."
The others picked up on her seriousness, and Hawke studied her face a moment more before he nodded. Cat jogged about fifty feet away before turning back. "I'm coming at you full speed," she warned Hawke.
Hawke stepped forward from the group, pulling out his staff and readying himself.
Cat wasn't sure what exactly would happen, but wanted to understand it completely. "Come at me once you cast it," she hollered to Hawke, who paused, and then nodded again.
Taking a few deep breaths, Cat adjusted the grip on her daggers, and burst forward, running full speed at Hawke. She didn't feel anything hit her, and wondered if he was holding back. The thought pissed her off, and she let the anger fuel her speed.
She could see she was coming closer to Hawke, and almost fell over in shock as she saw a blur next to her, and she was stopped short with Hawke behind her, his arm wrapped around her arms.
She panted, trying to get her racing heart to slow, and she realized the spell had struck, and she hadn't even noticed. She grinned as she turned to head to look over her shoulder at Hawke. "That grip won't stop me from stabbing your leg," she teased. "And this time it would be more than a poke."
He chuckled, and she felt her heart speed up again as his breath hit her ear. His free hand moved forward to show he had taken one of her own daggers from its sheath. "You're already dead," he teased back.
"Get off," she said grumpily, shrugging him off of her. Sheathing her blades, she held her hand out for the one he had taken. He simply stepped forward and reached around to her back to slide it into place.
"Better luck next time," he said with a wink, and she punched his shoulder before heading back to the group.
"What exactly was I seeing just now?" Varric asked with a smile.
"Hawke's new spell," she answered, looking confused when he just shook his head. "Looks like you're a student of the Force school now," she told Hawke, trying not to giggle or call him a padawan. She stood facing the others even as she spoke to Hawke about the experience.
"It was strange, I didn't feel a difference. I couldn't have told you when you cast the spell… in fact, the only reason I knew you had was when I was caught. Up until that point when you moved, I thought I was going to run right into you."
"You were running full speed the whole time?" Merrill asked surprised.
"Yes, in fact when Hawke stopped me, it felt jarring, like running into a wall or something."
"Oh, sorry," Hawke said contritely.
"Not your fault," Cat replied. "And when you moved, all I saw was a blur, just a second before you caught me."
"He walked up to you, calm as could be, once the spell was done," Fenris spoke up.
"Really?" Cat asked. "Huh, this could definitely be useful during a fight, especially if we can somehow get the enemies into a group." Cat turned back to the open field. "Let's try another."
"What?" Hawke asked, eyes wide.
"You didn't only learn one spell did you?" Cat asked. "So show me another."
"The other spells are meant to wound, Cat," Hawke replied.
"I told you, I need to experience them if I'm going to come up with a defense," she said. "You don't have to pull punches with me, I can take it."
"Little dove, this sounds like a bad idea…" Varric cut in.
"Look, I appreciate your concern… all of you," she said as she looked around. "If one of you wants to take a turn after this, that's fine. But I can't continue to reply on what I already know. I need to get stronger. Those demons almost took us all out a few weeks back, and the only reason I wasn't in one of those beds with you all, was because I was in the hold of a desire demon."
She looked around, and they could all see the determination on her face, even if they didn't like it. "We're making good progress with our combined attacks, but you all know we need to keep improving. This is the next step."
"You want me to openly attack you, but I won't," Hawke said defiantly.
"Some friend you are," Cat shot back. "It's just like in a spar. You don't have to use all your power, but I need to know what I'm up against."
"I'm a great friend," Hawke argued. "Just look as I don't attack my friend."
"Hawke…" Fenris spoke up. "She's right." He looked over to Cat, then over to Merrill. "Will you show me that Petrify spell of yours?" he asked.
"Is everyone insane?" Varric asked.
Hawke walked past Cat, back to the field. "Let's go," he said. "One time only."
Cat nodded, breathing deeply as she walked, steeling herself. It was a victory yes, but she knew what some of these spells did in the game. She was always thrilled when her Hawke character took out large groups of enemies with a single spell. And she had seen this Hawke in action on many occasions. This is going to hurt… she thought.
Hawke debated with himself. Part of him wanted to give her the Fist of the Maker spell, so she could learn her lesson. But, another quieter part of him knew he couldn't. He settled on a telekinetic burst, knowing it would simply fling her away instead of pound her into the ground.
He watched as she readied herself, not bothering to pull out her daggers this time. He brought his staff out, and brought his mana forth, ready to cast. Cat started running at him again, and he shot the spell directly in front of her. The small burst knocked her off her feet, and she rolled over, and back on her feet.
He could see her expression darken, and she came running at him again, looking more angry than he'd seen in quite awhile. He knew instinctively that he shouldn't have done such a small spell, it was exactly what she didn't want.
He moved without thinking, powering the spell again with more mana this time. He faltered as he realized she was almost on top of him, and he flung the spell out in front of her again.
Too late, he realized how much faster she was moving than before, and the burst set off behind her, and shot her into the air straight at him, knocking them both over, and rolling on the ground.
Finally coming to a stop, he groaned as he sat up, looking around for Cat. She was several feet past him, having had the momentum. He went over to her, even as the others made their way across the field to where they were.
"Cat?" he asked, hobbling over and wheezing like an old man.
"Go away."
"Cat, you okay?" he asked, standing over her. She glared up at him.
"Why do you have to be an idiot?" she groused.
"Yeah, realized that after the first one…" he said with a wince, rubbing his gut where she had slammed into him.
"Not too bright putting it behind me," she wheezed out as the others made it to them.
"What happened?" Isabela asked, seeing Cat looking like she wanted to stay down for awhile longer.
"I uh…" Hawke stammered.
"Genius here decided to use such a small amount of mana that the spell was basically non-existant," Cat said loudly.
"Which of course, only pissed you off," Isabela surmised.
"Naturally," Cat replied. "So he tried to do it again, and this time put it behind me, so I'd go flying right into him."
"That is… not exactly accurate…" Hawke said, and everyone looked at him in question. He rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "Cat got back up after the first one, looking like she was going to murder me. I knew I'd better do it again."
"Good thought," Cat interrupted. "Because I would have murdered you."
"Any way… so I did it again…but," he paused, uncertain if he actually wanted to admit it after all.
"But?" Isabela asked.
"She was moving faster than I expected…"
The laughter from Varric stopped Hawke this time, and he looked up at the sky… the trees… anywhere but his crew.
He looked back at Cat as he heard her stand up. She walked right up to him, and poked her finger at his chest. "Are you telling me that you meant to put it in front of me, but you missed your mark?" she demanded.
"Uh… something… like that… yes."
Her face didn't change, but he could see the amusement sparkling in her stormy eyes. It amazed him how gray they could look when she was angry, and how the blue in them would peek out when she was happy… just like the sky after a storm.
Her lips twitched, even as the Varric and Isabela laughed, and swapped insults of Hawke's aim, but she just watched him. Finally she smiled slowly.
"I hope you learned your lesson," she said finally, and he smiled too as he nodded.
"Never piss off Catarina?" he asked in jest.
"Always a smart move," she replied, and she let Fenris help her to the side of the field to rest while he worked with Merrill.