Isabela ignored the protests around her, focusing only on the problem at hand. She knew where the trap door should open, but she was having an immeasurably hard time finding it. If it was any other situation, she would have denied there being a door there.
She looked behind her, seeing the scowls of her companions, and immediately putting that out of her head. If I wanted to have a trap door that was basically invisible… she thought.
She suddenly whirled around, an idea so simple she wondered why they didn't think of it. "Varric? If you wanted to conceal a door from prying eyes, how would you do it?" she asked, as she continued to run her hands along the walls in front of her.
"Me, Rivaini? I'd hide the switch far…from…" he stopped as he realized what she was suggesting. "You've got to be kidding me."
"Unfortunately not," she responded. "We've been looking for something advanced, but it's really so simple."
"I'm not following," Hawke called out.
Varric turned to explain, while Isabela kept searching. "Basically Hawke, whoever built this door, made it with an extremely simple catch. The trigger is far from the door, so that if anyone found the switch, they wouldn't notice the door."
"Got it!" Isabela called, and everyone looked over to see a large piece of the floor slightly raised in the corner of the room. Isabela walked back over, and pulled up on the door gently, searching for a trap. "The barrels and the sacks kept the door from being visible if the switch was activated," she explained. "No one would be able to find this, if they didn't know what to look for."
She noticed the appraising looks, and smirked at the others. "I knew there had to be something. I couldn't go back to Kitty empty handed. I promised."
She could tell they each wanted to ask questions, so she started walking down the steps under the hidden door. "You guys coming, or am I doing this alone?" She asked, and turning, headed down.
They took it slowly, hardly making any noise, with either Isabela or Varric in the lead to disarm traps. After an hour, Hawke called a break.
"I cannot believe how many traps there are," Hawke commented quietly, as he stroked Hafter's head.
"Definitely paranoid," Varric agreed.
"With good reason," Aveline added. "After the body parts we found, I'm ready to tear this man apart. He doesn't deserve to be taken in."
"There's no way to tell how many women he's killed, since all there was were pieces," Carver added morosely. "I'm suddenly glad we don't have women with us."
Everyone's eyes turned to him, and not realizing his mistake, he asked, "what?"
"I'm sure Aveline and Rivaini have something to say to that, but we should move on, or we'll be here all night," Varric said, rolling his eyes to Hawke.
"Yes, let's go before Aveline or Isabela kill my brother for his thoughtless words," Hawke replied dryly, earning a smirk from both women as they stood up. Carver looked from Garrett to Hafter, the confusion evident. Hafter gave him a look, then looked over to the two women and back again. Garrett tried to keep from laughing as his dog rolled his eyes at his brother. It took another minute, but Carver finally understood, and started sputtering.
"Well, obviously I didn't mean you two…" Carver tried to explain, but he was silenced with a look from all the others, and just huffed and muttered under his breath.
Cat sat up and watched as Anders escorted the last of his patients outside, and with a wave of his hand extinguished the lantern hanging outside the clinic.
"I'm sorry to intrude in your home Anders," Cat said again.
He smiled tiredly at her, but she could see it was genuine. "Cat how many times do I have to say it? I'm happy to have you here."
"I know, I just feel like I'm imposing…" she replied with a frown.
He came over to her, lifting her head with his hand under her chin. "You're not imposing. I'm glad you're here, and you can stay as long as you need to," he said softly.
"Thanks," she replied, returning his smile. She noticed him hesitating, like he wanted to say something. "What is it?" she asked.
"Look, I do not really know how to say this, so I suppose I will just be blunt, and hopefully if I offend, you will forgive me."
"Whoa, okay. That's not ominous at all." Cat scrutinized his face, but only saw the worry and hesitation. "Anders, I can't promise not to get upset, but I promise I'll forgive you."
That seemed to settle his mind, and he stepped back from her. She looked at him, confused as his cheeks went pink, and he started pacing back and forth. "Uh, Cat… I mean, I wanted to ask… that is…"
"Anders, just spit it out."
"Are you really working at the Blooming Rose?" he blurted, looking in her eyes. He immediately blushed brighter, and hid his head in his hands. "I'm sorry," she heard, though it was hard to make out from behind his hands.
"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific, Anders. You've already heard me say I work there," she replied though she was smiling slightly with hope.
Anders sighed hugely, hoping she would just understand, so he didn't need to elaborate. "I know I've told you before, I feel protective of you, Cat. You're like my good friend and my little sister all rolled into one. And while I find it hard to believe that you are selling yourself… " he broke off at her sudden grin, uncertain of why she was smiling at him. "… if… if that is the truth, then I can only in good conscience insist that you let us help you find another job. You deserve so much better than that life."
His tirade over, he grabbed her hand. "Please tell me," he asked. "I do not like this feeling of failing you, if it is true."
Cat couldn't stop grinning, even when she tried. She knew, she knew! True friends wouldn't just accept rumors. She felt vindicated in her earlier anger and disappointment. She stood slowly, and gave Anders a hug.
"Of course I don't sell myself, silly. You saw me, I couldn't even take my shirt off for a healer without blushing."
Anders returned her grin with one of his own. "I must admit, it had me perplexed."
"Thank you so much for asking. When Varric made a comment the other day, and I realized that that was what everyone thought, I was so upset."
"Well, to be fair, you did tell us you were working there. What else would we think?"
"I guess…" Cat put her chin in her hand, staring across the clinic in thought. "Oh! I guess I'll have to swear you to secrecy, just like Varric."
"What? Why?"
"Because Madame Lisene asked me to say that I do work there now. Apparently people are asking for me? I don't really get it, but, I said I would."
"Asking for you? As in wanting your services? Are you crazy? What happens when they find out they can never have you?"
"Madam says that only her special clients get to see me, and there are no special clients, so everything is fine."
"You actually think it is a good idea to keep pretending you work there?"
Cat nodded with a grin. "Yep."
"No, it's ridiculous! And you could get hurt, or worse."
"Anders… please?" Cat employed all her wiles, uncertain though she was that she had any. But she stuck out her bottom lip, and tried to look like she was going to cry.
"You cannot really think that will work on me, do you?" He asked skeptically.
"Argh!" She huffed in frustration. "Please Anders, I'm asking as a friend."
"That's really all you had to say," he replied. "Of course. But!" He added before she could cheer, "the moment something goes wrong with this whole plan, we find you a different job. Agreed?"
"Uh," Cat thought quickly, but didn't see a down side. "Agreed."
"Good." Anders nodded, then gestured for Cat to get back into bed. "You still need to rest, so your body can heal."
"Okay, but can we still talk? Or if you're tired, that's okay."
"No, that would be fine," he replied, looking around the clinic. "How about we move your cot into my room though? That way we can both rest while we talk."
"Okay!" Cat jumped up enthusiastically, and instantly regretted it. She held her hands to her head as it swam. Anders helped to steady her during her dizziness, and clucked his tongue at her.
"You need to take it easy Cat. Just because the wound is healed doesn't mean you are back to full health."
"Yeah, sorry." Cat put her arms down, as the dizziness passed and nausea took it's place. "Wow, I didn't feel this bad when we first met and you healed that cut in my leg."
Anders started hefting her cot to his room. "Actually, you probably did and just slept through it. That is what most people do after a more complicated healing." He set up the cot in his room, though across the room from his own. While he didn't care, and she most likely didn't either, he didn't want anyone thinking he was taking advantage of her… or worse.
He helped her get situated, then sat sideways on his own cot, his back against the wall. "So? What should we talk about?"
"Hmm, well, I didn't really have a topic in mind. I just wasn't sleepy after the nap I just had."
"All right. How about we learn more about each other then? While I feel a definite affinity for you, there are many things I do not know. I am sure you feel the same about me?"
"Oh, um, yes of course." Anders gave her a questioning glance, before turning and flopping down to lay on his cot. Cat did the same, laying on her back to look up at the ceiling. Fenris seemed to take it pretty well… maybe Anders can handle it too? She thought.
"Cat?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Just getting lost in thoughts."
"They must be pretty deep thoughts then. Care to share?"
Cat went silent again as she gathered her thoughts together. "Anders… have you ever heard of people using magic… to travel great distances?"
"Hmm, you mean like fade stepping?" He asked. "I confess, I did not know much about it, though Justice has enlightened me. The idea is that the mage bends the fade, placing two spots that were once far apart, now next to each other." Anders, also lying on his back, looked over as he demonstrated, spreading his hands apart, then mimicking a folding motion bring the two back to together. "The mage can then travel from the first to the second point in a single step."
"Could the mage do this for someone else?" Cat asked.
"Like bringing someone else along? I am not certain, though it certainly seems plausible."
"No… I mean, could the mage place the fade point in front of someone else? Causing them to cross a great distance without realizing it? Finding themselves somewhere completely foreign, not knowing how it happened?"
Anders sat back up, and turning, faced her. "I… cannot say." He pulled the tie from his hair, shaking it out and returning to his back. "Though I must admit this is sounding less and less like a hypothetical question, Cat. Can you not share your burden with me?"
Cat turned her head to see Anders looking back at her. He looked at her with such concern and caring, her face brightened slightly. "I want to… I just worry."
"If you are concerned that I will tell others, let me assure you that I will not."
"No, that's not it. I'm more worried that you'll think I'm crazy, or worse, under some sort of spell." Anders' eyebrow winged up at that.
"Perhaps I can relieve your anxiety," he replied with a wink. "I already know you are not under a spell. I found no trace of magic on you, besides my own. And besides that, I find you to be an honest and logical woman. If you tell me something is true, I will not dismiss it out of hand."
Cat gazed at him, scrutinizing his intentions before finally relenting, and laying back again with a sigh. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."
"Very well."
Cat started at the beginning, telling him of how she woke up in Antiva, finding herself in different clothes, in an alleyway in a foreign land. She didn't give any specifics of Zevran, the months and months of keeping secrets was now practically ingrained, and she wanted to focus on her travel, not her previous companions.
"Wait."
Cat stopped mid-sentence, looking over at Anders.
"So what part of Thedas are you from then? You woke in Antiva, but how far did you travel?"
Cat steeled herself. It's now or never. "I'm… not exactly sure."
Anders' head turned to her as well. "You don't know where you are from?"
Cat shook her head. "No, I know where I'm from. I'm not sure where it is located in relation to Thedas."
Anders brow lowered for a moment in confusion, then his eyes widened as he realized what she implied.
"Are you telling me that you are from somewhere outside of Thedas?"
Cat looked at him, keeping her eyes steady as she nodded.
"Cat, that… that's just not possible." His voice lowered until he was practically whispering. He looked concerned. "Are you certain about this?" he asked, somewhat skeptically.
"As certain as I am that you're a Grey Warden."
"Wha-?" Anders looked at her, shocked. "Oh. Hawke must have told you." He laid back down, confusion and curiosity warring in him. "Right?" He asked, looking back at her again.
"Sorry, but no." She held out a hand, as he looked about to bolt up again, and she remained calm, speaking low to keep him calm as well. "There is no good way to explain, so I'll just tell you bluntly."
"All right…"
Cat used the same explanation she used with Zevran, speaking of a story, its cast of characters, including Hawke and his troupe.
"Let me see if I understand this…" Anders asked sounding exhausted again. "You know all of us, things about us that we don't know about each other even." She nodded. "From a story you heard in your homeland, which is some unknown distance from here." Cat nodded again. "And in the most likely scenario, you somehow travelled here magically, though you don't know how because magic doesn't exist where you are from."
"Yes."
"I…" Anders pinched the bridge of his nose, then rubbed his forehead as if to get rid of a headache. "I am sure you can understand how… fantastic this all sounds?"
"Yes, I do."
"Well, that's something at least," he murmured.
"But sometimes, we have to take some things on faith, believing in others. Not unlike the Warden Commander conscripting you. He had no reason not to believe the Knight Captain, but he went with his gut."
He looked at her in surprise, then turned back, gazing at the ceiling. She stayed quiet, knowing he was thinking through everything, and needed time.
His eyes came back to hers, and his face was sad, and guilty, she thought. "Cat, I think… I need to sleep on this. It's not that I don't believe you! It is just a… lot to take in."
"Oh, well yeah! I mean, of course!" Cat stared as hard as she could at the ceiling, telling herself to not be hurt or disappointed. How could Fenris believe me and Anders not?
"You haven't told anyone else this… have you?" he asked tentatively.
"Of course not," she replied without looking at him.
"All right," he responded quietly. "Let's get some sleep, okay? Things will look better in the morning."
Instead of replying, Cat turned to face the wall, so that Anders couldn't see her face. She was determined to not be upset, but found that she was merely disappointed. He didn't say he DIDN'T believe me, she told herself. He just needs time to process it all. But however she spun it in her head, she couldn't help feeling let down.
After she finished brooding, tossing and turning for what seemed like hours, Cat got up off her cot. She looked over at Anders, seeing he was fast asleep, and hearing his soft snores every so often. She looked around the room, realizing that she just wanted to be home, and she wasn't sure exactly where that was.