Fists clenched in disgust and fury; Kara listened to Sketch's report regarding the injuries of the prisoners they had rescued. No matter how long it took, she vowed she would make Vaughan pay for all he had inflicted on them. She turned at the sounds of running, signalling to her people to be prepared for a fight, feeling a rush of relief as Gabriel's group came into sight, before anxiety caused a tight knot in her stomach. "Where is Will and what in the Void happened to Airyl?"

"He wasn't there." Gabriel snapped. "And she was caught in a blood magic trap. Sketch, help me."

Quickly scanning her, Sketch nipped at his lower lip nervously. "Crush injuries, Maker. We need to get her back to the base, I can't work on her here, once I start, we won't be able to move her."

"We can't leave yet." Leliana snapped moving back to the door, startled as Ilias closed it. "What in the Void are you doing! Will is still in there!"

"Perhaps, but we are out of time. The alarm was raised and the place will be flooded with guards. I suggest you concentrate on those we did rescue." He sighed at their obvious fury. "I realise this is difficult, but if I had left that door open, they would have found us far quicker than they will and we need time to get these people out of here. Once Vaughan is alerted, he will know we escaped this way and they will come in force."

Moving to Leliana, realising she was about to strike Ilias, Zevran gently held her back. "We will get him back, Leliana, but not today it seems."

"We can't just leave him in there." Terrance whispered in horror, looking over the bricks for some kind of mechanism perhaps Ilias was not privy to.

"We have no choice." Kara stated dully. "Ilias is right, we need to concentrate on the people we got out, we can't afford to get caught." She pressed her hand to the now inaccessible door. "Forgive me Will." She turned, regret clear in her expression. "Let's get these people out of here."

xXx

Vaughan stared in shock at the cells filled with his own men, groggy and disoriented from the sleeping darts that had incapacitated them. All of the Night Elves were gone. "Kara." He muttered angrily; turning sharply and moving into the office, the door to the lower level wide open. Hurrying down the slope he glared at the open doors and empty rooms, about to explode in rage as he reached the final room when Eloen suddenly appeared before him. He leapt back with an undignified squeal, stumbling and hitting the far wall.

"Really Vaughan, I thought you had more spine. It was a simple, but effective glyph to shield us from their hearing and sight."

Glancing into the room, he noted William was thankfully still restrained in the chair. Letting out a sigh of relief, he dreaded the rage Rendon would have fallen into if he had been rescued. "They had to have someone on the inside." He muttered.

"They did, Ilias." She smirked at his shock. "Did you know he is a Templar? He is powerful and might have discovered us eventually, but the glyph that ensnared the wolf held his attention."

Vaughan swallowed uneasily. Hiding herself from his sight was one thing, but from a Templar, the very people trained to sense magic and dispel it, terrified him. One quick jab to the heart and she would be dead, he could blame it on those who had carried out the rescue, but he was too afraid that if he tried, he would be the one who would end up dead and he imagined she would make sure it was slow and painful. "I better let Rendon know."

"Of course." Eloen turned back to her prisoner. "Shut the door Vaughan, I have work to do."

He glared at her realising there was no sign of respect in her voice, that her encounter with the Templar had made her bolder and with good reason. He hated himself for doing as she asked, but he had no means to protect himself from her. Hurrying back up to the office he took a moment to catch his breath, before steeling himself to inform Rendon of the escape.

xXx

Shifting slightly, Vaughan felt his irritation rise, Rendon had remained silent through his explanation of the escape, simply nodding as he reassured him William had not been discovered. "With the elves loose, Maker knows what trouble will come our way."

"It matters not about the elves, though if you had simply killed them instead of playing with them, we would not have this issue." He raised an eyebrow at Vaughan's scowl.

"I will step up security, they will come back for William."

"Their way in is lost to them, as far as they know he is not even here." He smiled slightly. "That actually works in our favour. Have Eloen make sure everyone who has come into contact with William has their memory of him altered. A prisoner whose face they cannot remember should suffice. Should any at the Landsmeet demand your people be questioned, William was never here."

"They took Gawain, he obviously knew William was here." He flinched at Rendon's scowl.

"Eloen has made William believe he is dead. Make sure he is before the Landsmeet."

"How am I …"

"I do not care how!" Rendon roared. "Just get it done. I will not have everything I have worked for fall apart because of a guardsman. Do not fail me Vaughan."

Backing out of the room Vaughan hurried through the corridors, anxiety causing a tight knot in his stomach.

xXx

Shuddering in pain Gawain tried not to flinch from the glowing energy pulsating around Sketch's hands.

"I need you to stay still." Sketch urged gently, exhaustion was beginning to take hold given the mana he had already expended with the Night Elves in the tunnel and then Airyl once they had reached the base.

Moments later Gawain gave him a tired forced smile as he stopped. "You can't fix this can you?"

Swallowing painfully, Sketch shook his head. "I can help with the pain and swelling, but repairing the damage to the bones, it is beyond my skill."

Leaning back, Gawain sighed deeply. "I didn't expect … thank you for trying. Have you been able to help Captain William?" He frowned when Sketch wouldn't meet his gaze. "How is he?"

"I …" Sketch forced himself to meet the guardsman's anxious gaze. "We didn't get him out."

"You got other people from the lower level out! Why not him?" He frowned at Sketch's obvious discomfort.

"We couldn't find him." Gabriel stated gently, leaning on the doorframe. "I went down there myself; he wasn't there."

"Please, you have to go back."

"We can't. Maker, I want to. I want to tear that building apart until we find him, but we only had one chance at rescuing you all. We can't go back."

"You don't understand. They kept taking me down there, trying to make me talk. They had him strapped to a chair and that bloody witch had her hands at his temples. He just kept screaming, I don't think he even knew I was there. Vaughan said she was making him relive a memory, Maker knows what would make a man scream like that." Gawain stared at him feeling useless. "Please, we have to find a way to help him. They ruined my hands, but they are tearing apart his mind. How can he heal from that?"

Moving into the room Gabriel pulled a seat up to the bed. "Listen to me Gawain, we are going to do everything we can to get Will back, but right now you need to concentrate on healing."

"Sketch has done all he can."

"I will talk to Kara, she has … connections. She might know someone who can help and once Dylan and Reece get back to the city, I am sure they can help. In the meantime, you need to rest."

Lying back after drinking the sleeping potion Sketch had brought to his lips, he closed his eyes feeling tears burn. "I was supposed to protect him."

"Gawain you are not to blame for this." Leaning back into the chair as Gawain sank into a deep sleep, Gabriel glanced at Sketch. "Keep an eye on him. I'll go and speak to Kara."

"Gabriel, wait. I'm sure Dylan and Reece are great healers and the Mages Collective have some powerful healers as well, but I'm not sure anyone can fix this."

"We have to try."

xXx

Kara sat in her office clutching a brandy, but yet to take a sip. The Night Elves were in safe houses under protection and she had sent word for help to the Mages Collective for those injuries Sketch and Dominic her healer could do nothing for. The elves liberated from the Alienage had been escorted out of the city and were on their way to meet with Larad's ship and those elves who had been rescued from the slave ship were also on board. She glanced up as Krul sat opposite her.

"What now, boss?"

Glaring at her trembling hands she drained the mug. "We concentrate on the people we can help."

Krul nodded. "Holy Andraste will be at his side through this trial."

"I'm sure that is a great comfort to him. We failed him, Krul."

"Perhaps we were not meant to rescue him."

Kara glared at him. "Bullshit!"

"It is a fact he is the only one we couldn't retrieve. Perhaps Holy Andraste has other plans for him."

"Well then I hope she is around to fix the broken pieces of his mind when that witch is finished with him." She snapped, pouring another drink. "Leave Krul, I need to think." Moments later she got to her feet grabbing a cloak and pulling up the hood to conceal her face. She was not looking forward to informing Moria of their failure, but she would face the older woman herself and take whatever storm came her way.

xXx

Staring at the Calling Crystal as it fell silent, Warin let out a shuddering breath. The rescue had been a success in all but one aspect, the one person they had needed them to get out had not been found. He raised his head meeting Cailan's intense glare.

"Where would they have taken him?"

"I would tell you if I knew."

Hissing in frustration, Cailan turned away, glancing at Eamon as his uncle gripped his arm.

"Now you have to accept that he is under their control. You heard what the Templar told them, they are not taken from those cells unless they are enthralled, or dead and I do not believe Rendon would kill the boy, he is too valuable as Andraste's Champion."

"If they are still interrogating him then he has not broken!"

"For Makers sake Cailan, see sense, the boy will not withstand it!"

"Then what do you suggest uncle?"

"Send Ellowyn back to Highever for her own safety."

"No!" Ellowyn snapped getting to her feet. "The only way to clear my parents is to …"

"You must accept that Rendon will know the truth before the Landsmeet. The element of surprise is lost to us."

"It does not matter; I will give testimony to what he did do; what he had that blood mage do."

Fergus moved to his sister's side, Edward already standing next to her. "We have to stop him; Eamon and we can only do that together."

"Then I suggest you have her guarded at all times."

"I can take care of myself." Ellowyn snapped.

"Clearly." Eamon muttered, shaking his head.

Clenching her fists, Ellowyn took a step towards the Arl, surprised when she felt Fergus's hand rest gently on her arm.

"My sister is proficient in the weapons of her choice Eamon and Fleta will not leave her side."

"Fergus …"

"It would be unwise of you to underestimate my sister." Fergus stated, a dangerous undertone to his voice. "Or any remaining Cousland for that matter. None of us are as we were, Rendon has seen to that."

Glancing between the siblings, Eamon nodded slightly. "As you say." He politely excused himself.

"Thank you." Ellowyn murmured to her brother, forcing a smile.

"I am not without my concerns, but they are for all of us." He swallowed painfully. "And for those he already has."

Edward cleared his throat. "I do not believe Holy Andraste would forsake her Champion."

"I pray for his sake you are right." Fergus stated. "But either way we must be careful, Rendon will kill us all if he gets the opportunity."

xXx

Slipping from the camp needing to be alone, Rathnal clenched his fists in anger, glancing up as Rinna joined him.

"Whatever Will has been through we have the means to reverse the blood magic and Serris and Morrigan can help to heal his mind."

"He should never have gone. We all know his weakness is how much he cares about people."

"Caring is not a weakness."

"It landed him in a dungeon to be tortured, what else would you call it."

"I call it the evil of other men."

Turning away, Rathnal closed his eyes, grateful when Rinna's arms wrapped around him, leaning against her, trying not to give into the fear that threatened to overwhelm him. "I hate feeling so helpless."

"Then perhaps we need to change that."

"What do you suggest?"

"Send Morrigan on ahead. With her shape changing abilities she stands a better chance of finding him, she can go where the rest of us can't. It surprises me she has not left already."

"Not really, she knew he was going to be tortured, she probably knew about this too." He met her confused gaze. "A spell from that damn tome let her see into the future."

"I don't understand, if he was warned …"

"He wasn't."

Rinna paled and glanced in Morrigan's direction. "I … I do not understand."

"I don't understand it either, but she wanted this to happen; said it needed to. I have no leverage over her to make her help him."

"Well, that is not strictly true." She smiled as Rathnal raised an eyebrow. "When we heard about Will and Morrigan was distracted, I took the liberty of taking the tome into my custody. She might not do it for Will's sake, but I am willing to bet she would do almost anything to get this tome back."

xXx

Glaring at the fire, Aedan shifted slightly to allow Alistair to sit on the log next to him. "I should have killed Vaughan when I had the chance." He growled. "Just threatening him was never going to be enough."

"Then Rendon Howe would have found someone else to do his dirty work. Maybe this Eloen would have tortured him from the start."

Aedan shuddered. "Rath cannot let her join us." He glanced over to Jowan who was sitting at the far side of the camp, Serris and Ayanna with him. He was pale and his anxiety was clear.

Alistair's expression darkened slightly. "He probably is, wardens do what they must, that's what we were always told." He shuddered. "We both know the memory she is making him relive in these interrogations. The one the Archdemon gave him. I saw it Aedan, having that replayed over and over … it will be real to him, as real as we are sitting here."

"It might not be that memory." Aedan stated weakly.

"The Archdemon is the only thing that has been able to break down the barrier of his mind. This collar might be doing something similar, but it won't be as powerful. I think the rest of his mind will be protected, but that was a memory created when the barrier was broken and it was deeply traumatic. I don't know how I know Aedan, but I know that is what she is making him experience."

"He was so afraid that if they had stayed in Cailan's mind any longer the Archdemon would have replayed it over and over. Giving him back his hands just to take them again. I … I do not know how many times you could experience that and still retain your mind. I hope Morrigan has something in that damn tome of hers that can help him."

"Don't look to her for help." Alistair snarled bitterly. "She knew what he was going to be walking into and she never warned him."

"Ali, do not be ridiculous. I do not pretend to like Morrigan, she is as prickly as they come, but if there is anyone, she would protect with her life it is Will."

"Not if him being tortured gets her something she wants."

"What could she possibly want that she would allow this to happen if she could have prevented it?"

"I don't know, but she admitted to me she knew he would be captured and tortured."

Aedan stared at his shaking hands. "No, he adores her. She is family to him. Why would she betray him?"

"I wish I knew."

"Then let's damn well find out."

Getting to her feet at their approach, Morrigan glared at the pair just wanting to be left alone, her guilt over Jayden's current situation making her feel nauseous. "What?"

Glaring back Aedan stopped barely inches away from her. "If you knew what would happen, why did you not tell him? Will has experienced enough betrayal without it from those he considers family?"

"You know nothing."

"So explain it to me!"

Glaring, Morrigan suddenly turned away. "T'would be a waste of time trying to explain it to you." She turned sharply as Aedan grabbed her shoulder, sending a magical shock through him strong enough that he hit the ground hard. "Do not touch me again!"

"What could you possibly get out of him being tortured?" Aedan demanded, struggling to his feet, accepting Alistair's hand.

"As I said, t'would be useless to try to explain it to you."

Alistair glared, clenching his fists. "Maker, I wish he had never met you!"

Morrigan gazed in the direction of Denerim. "Perhaps he will wish that too, in the end." She turned around glaring as Rathnal and Rinna approached. "Leave me be!"

"No." Rathnal stated coldly. "I don't see you doing anything of importance, but you are going to." He ignored her glare. "You can get to Denerim faster than us if you change form and it gives you an edge in finding him."

"To what purpose? I cannot change his form to enable him to escape."

"You are going to find him and give his whereabouts to those already there." He moved closer as she opened her mouth. "You did this to him by keeping silent so you are going to Denerim and you are going to help find him and if you don't, I will do everything in my power to find a way to destroy that damn tome you care so much about."

"T'is unlikely."

"Try me." He snarled. "You might not care what happens to Will, but I know you care about that damn book."

Morrigan saw Rinna move and glared in fury to see the tome in her hands, stopping short from moving to her as Aedan's blade pressed to her throat. She met the warrior's furious gaze and kept still.

"If he knew you had betrayed him it would break his heart." Aedan growled. "So, you are going to do everything you can to help him, or that tome is going right back to the Circle and I will make damn sure they shoot any ravens that approach on sight."

Rathnal firmly put his hand on Aedan's wrist and applied a little pressure until he lowered the blade. "Morrigan, I have no idea why you have remained silent, but like Flemeth you do not do things without reason. Some are terrible reasons of course, so I ask you this. Whatever this leads to is Will completely broken?"

"No."

"Then this does not have to go that far wouldn't you agree? Perhaps in that future going and finding him is exactly what you do."

Morrigan remained silent, her eyes locked on the tome. Her mother had been right, seeing the future was one thing, but she had not seen all of the events that led to it.

"You get it back when Will is safe." Rathnal stated. "You better get packed." A short time later he watched a raven flying in the direction of Denerim. He turned to Serris who had approached him after the conflict. "Find me a way to destroy that tome, because if she doesn't help him, she is never getting it back."

xXx

Jowan shuddered, wrapping a blanket around himself as a chill wind entered the camp, anxiously watching Ayanna. "She … she wouldn't do such awful things unless she was being forced. I swear, once she knows I am safe …"

Ayanna gazed at him compassionately. "Sometimes the ones we love go down a dark path too far to return."

"I won't give up on her, not ever. The Commander, he will still recruit her, won't he?"

Ayanna glanced at Rathnal, not sure how to interpret his expression. "To be honest Jowan, I am not sure what he will do, but I would start praying that Will survives this with his mind intact."

"I won't let anyone hurt her; she has been hurt enough."

"That doesn't give her the right to do what she has been doing Jowan."

"She did it to protect me!" Jowan whimpered, tears slipping down his cheeks.

"Let's just concentrate on getting to Denerim. Once there we can sort this out."

Nodding Jowan retired to his tent, curling up and struggling against the tears. "If the Warden's won't protect us, we will just have to protect ourselves." He shuddered and it was a long time before he fell asleep.

xXx

Sitting on the edge of a bed that was not her own, Moria glared at the door. It was not that the room was sparsely furnished, she couldn't boast of having much furniture herself, nor was it the statue of Andraste that had looked down over her as she slept before she had turned it around and when that hadn't pleased her, she had wrapped it in cloth and put it under the bed. It had been the annoying interruptions of people checking on her, as though her age meant she needed to be treated as a child. Grabbing her stick, she left the room taking her usual walk around the inner courtyard of the Chantry, taking absurd pleasure when a young Sister saw her coming and hurried in the other direction. Two templars even stopped their conversation and straightened up as she passed; that she took particular pride in. They just saw her as an old woman with a stick and a temper and it was enough to keep them polite and distant which suited her just fine.

Easing onto a bench she sighed. The one place no-one would expect her to be, she saw the sense of it, but had given Brom a piece of her mind, Acting Captain or not, her stick somehow coming down hard on his foot making him limp worse than she did. She smiled slightly remembering his yelp and how red his face had gone to stop himself from cursing in front of her. Her smile faded, despite her anxiety about being in close quarters with Templars, she had promised not to leave their protection for William's sake. The rescue attempt had failed regarding him, though many others had been liberated. Kara had left only a short time ago, her promise to find him having a desperate edge. It made her sick to think of him still in Vaughan's clutches, wherever that was and when she got out of here, she was going to give Vaughan more than bloody nightmares. She wished she had been younger, still in the prime of her magic, she could have taken animal form and found and rescued him herself. Sighing, she looked up at the statue of Andraste in the centre of the courtyard. "I'm not one for praying, never have been, but you healed the lad once, maybe you could help him get through this. He won't be quite the same, but don't you dare let that compassionate heart of his die." She cleared her throat roughly, brushing tears away, ignoring the concerned look of a Templar and stomped her way back to her room.

xXx

Looking up as the door opened, Zef grinned and managed to get to his feet as Shianni flung herself into his arms.

"Zef!" Tears slipped down her cheeks as she hugged him.

"Easy sweetheart." He held her closer as she moved to pull back. "I'm alright love, just be gentle with me." He laughed at her lascivious grin, their kiss hungry and desperate.

"I was so scared they would kill you." She whispered, her hands resting on his chest, feeling the reassuring beat of his heart.

"Just roughed up a bit, nothing that won't heal. They told us they got everyone left in the Alienage out." He gently cupped her cheek as she nodded, tears in her eyes. "We survived Shianni and they will be safe in Highever until this is over."

"Watching that ship leave, all I could think was what if it is a slave ship, but I couldn't leave you."

"I believe we can trust Kara." He pressed his forehead gently to hers. "And I am glad you stayed."

"Darrian did too, he will come and see you later, he is just checking on the others."

"And Soris?"

Swallowing painfully, Shianni shook her head. "His parents were killed in the purge. He blames Darrian and myself."

"Why?"

"Because we were involved in bringing the Night Elves back."

"Sweet Maker, you weren't the only ones and this would have happened even without that. We all know what a sadistic bastard Vaughan is, he would have created another reason."

"I know, but Soris is grieving." Sighing she nestled into his arms. "He wouldn't speak to us before he left, he just looked right through us."

"Perhaps in time …"

"I don't think he will ever come back." She shuddered painfully. "But right now we have to concentrate on you and the others healing."

"Then what?"

Closing her eyes Shianni buried her face into his neck. "I wish I knew."

xXx

Sitting opposite Kara, Darrian accepted the brandy, taking small sips and trying to ignore the tremble of his hands. Soris wouldn't even acknowledge him as he had got on the ship with the others. He would be safe in Highever, but Darrian had a terrible feeling his cousin would make sure they never saw each other again. Brom had made sure Shianni and himself had got back to the city safely and he had been taken to see the other Night Elves, horrified by their injuries, yet no-one was complaining, they were all too grateful to be alive and at least for the moment, free. He was also surprised that none of them had any intention of leaving the city. They wanted vengeance and with Kara's help they all hoped to bring Vaughan to his knees. "So, what now?"

"Now those who need to heal rest and recover."

"And the rest of us?"

Staring at her own brandy Kara didn't bother to hide her anger. "We find a way to destroy Vaughan and our new Regent, preferably before the Darkspawn come knocking."