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A Match to Tinder	By : Anesor Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 4095 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age 2, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. Aldera is my character, as are a few new ones.

Chapter List
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The Dragon Age world, plot, and their characters aren't mine but belong to Bioware. I get no money for writing this sequel.
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-- The Dale Lands
Anders:
Despite our hurried travel, we'd gradually cleaned up well before we found the new Dalish camp. I had to stop wearing my own pauldrons and robes again, but it hadn't hurt as much this time. I still had them, the leather only a disguise. I could change back anytime.
Merrill was excited by the ancient tome, and she stayed up even later to study and take notes from it every night. Her enthusiasm completely ignored the sour disposition of the hunter.
So then Harjen was irked that Merrill wasn't even noticing her sour words. I began trading smirks with Hawke when it happened.
Hawke had switched armors too, so neither of us were wearing our best protections as we reached the Dalish camp. The Hunter guided us along a different trail that had been further west than the first one. Not that even I might have been able to follow it the trail, wagons with sails still left an obvious trail for a time. I could hear a waterfall nearby.
Our welcome was a little warmer than before, maybe because Merrill led our way into the camp, almost bubbling with her excitement. This time Harjen led us to the far side of the camp, without telling Hawke and I to stay behind. I could see Hawke was still watchful.
The Keeper and her First were already together, either awaiting us or discussing something else. On seeing us and taking a quick glance at the Hunter, the Keeper smiled a bit more warmly than she had before. The First looked both relieved and concerned.
“Welcome, Merrill. I see the Creators looked on this with favor...” the older woman greeted her.
I started to speak about the darkspawn, but Hawke had stepped closer and squeezed my arm. Her gaze was pointedly on Merrill and the Keeper. Merrill was not bubbly, but determined in her stance. Some balance had shifted with our return. Merrill took out the ancient tome and reverently gave it to the Keeper.
The Keeper held it like a beloved child and said, “Ma serannas, children. Aroste and Cerite will begin preparations to give relief to what remains of Sabrae clan.” She nodded to the First, saying, “Please inform the Halla keeper, Aroste.”
With a bow to the Keeper, the First said wryly, “Cerite will grumble at it, but she has already reported that some of the Halla were interested in new horizons.” Bowing to us more shallowly after a careful look at the tome, he left.
“Can you explain what happened to our hunters?” the Keeper asked the Hunter gently.
Harjen shook her head, flushing. I wasn't about to help with that as she had decided to play it safe outside the ruins. Neither Merrill nor Hawke helped her either. I wanted to laugh at her irritation, but only smiled as she'd put herself into this hole.
After a long moment where the disapproval of the Keeper became obvious, Merrill said, “I believe the Gray Warden should report on this...”
My urge to smile disappeared, “There are darkspawn, and a fissure in the inner section that must link to the Deep Roads somehow. There were too many for the three of us to root it out with only one of us being a Warden. We collapsed their exit, but I don't know how long it will hold them down there.”
“The Varterral attacked one of the People, but we believe it has been holding them in as well,” Merrill said sadly. “It may not be safe to return unless the Wardens can do something more permanent.”
“Will they?” the Keeper asked.
Hawke slid an arm around me as I said, “They will, but I don't know where the nearest Warden outpost is located. The one I trained at was near Amaranthine.”
The Keeper considered only an instant. “Then we will do what we can to speed you towards other Wardens if the need demands it. Merrill, you may trade with our maker. Sabrae will get relief in a matter of weeks.”
Merrill gave a sigh and relaxed, saying, “Ma serannas, Keeper. I hope they find their way.”
I had to envy her a little, as she had now saved her clan as she had sworn on Sundermount. My... our oaths were still unfulfilled. We had made a good start, but...
Freedom for mages will come.
I hope to live to see it.
If they slay you, they will drown in my vengeance.
Even so, I'd still prefer living my remaining years with Hawke.
With that, our audience seemed to be over. Harjen stalked off and Merrill waved us to follow her to a wagon where a craftsman worked on a bow. I didn't think we should try to buy food here, nor did it look like they would offer any.
Looking over the elfroot concoctions, I wondered if they were the same as I made. Hawke reached up to my twig-thick braids, so I looked at her face, but she was concentrating on whatever she was doing with my hair. “What are you doing, love?”
Her face got softer and she looked at me with big eyes, “Since we are heading into barbarian Ferelden, shouldn't your braids have some decoration?”
I could see her using those eyes, something she didn't do much. I never could decide if she learned it from her mabari or the other way around. Touching her nose lightly I asked with mock seriousness, “What kind of decorations? I draw the line at bones...”
Hawke grinned at that, relieving my half-formed fears, “Nothing that bad. Since you like feathers, maybe we could get small, black feathers for your braids. Not as noticeable as your pauldrons, but...”
That was much better and echoed my robes, so I smiled back. “Much better than tying them with cord.”
Once we'd bought some feathers from the trader, I had a score of them, which included a few spares. We had as much as we thought we could carry safely.
When we finished, Hawke pushed for us to leave even if we'd have only a little while to travel before dusk. To my surprise, Merrill did not object. North and we should reach the Imperial Road again. I thought we were south of Lydes, Hawke believed Halamshiral, while Merrill only smiled when we took turns arguing our points. I offered that we could trade cities we were arguing if Merrill wanted, and Hawke immediately stated a great yearning to see the famed herbal market in Lydes.
Which city didn't matter much, as we planned to go east into Ferelden next. I hadn't been there for years, growing close to as long as I'd been a prisoner in their Circle. I didn't really know it as well as Kirkwall for all that, not like the Warden had, she'd whiled away many evening campfires with stories of crossing the land many times during the Blight, telling us about the lonely Wilds, to intrigue-ridden Denerim, to the remote villages in the Frostbacks, to the lycanthrope-stalked Brecilian Forest. Those were places I knew mostly through maps and travel stories. I'd been to larger settlements, but never very long, and most of the places I'd stayed had been dingy and dangerous enough that Darktown had been little different.
Living with Hawke these years was a slow eduction in how others, non-mages, lived. Not that Hawke wasn't nearly as wary as I, but I could see how people on neighboring estates lived. I'd had neighbors when I'd lived in Darktown, but we'd all been more secretive in the darker parts of the city. Hawke was of the sun and wind. She was flying home, her growing excitement obvious even if she hadn't said anything.
Nowhere had felt like a home to me, I wasn't sure what 'home' meant. For so many years after I'd lost my family and home, I'd been surprised when I'd turned around and realized I'd been living and working in Darktown three years after that bloody expedition. It still hadn't felt like a home, though. Hawke would visit me in those years, bringing the sunlight down with her. I was the bruised herb turning towards her light, or so I'd thought morosely after sending her off yet again like a fool. When she started dragging me out again, that wore away my resistance.
Merrill led us to a place that even to my eye, spoke of a long used campsite, though empty. While Merrill was removing Paws' empty basket, I moved over to Hawke where she was laying down some wood and tinder into a campfire. Mew nicked my ear before he dropped off as I knelt down beside Dera.
Once she'd finished, I supplied the ignition and pulled her close to ask, “Glad to be going home, Love?”
“I hadn't wanted to be that obvious.” Settling close, Hawke wryly admitted with a caress of my cheek, “Kirkwall had some very nice things, but it never became home the way Lothering and Ferelden was. There we only had to worry about the occasional Templar finding us. Not angry Magister slavers, Qunari, or lyrium poisoned Templars. Even if Father, Mother, and Carver are gone, I'd like to try and locate where Carver died outside Lothering. We couldn't pause long enough to return him to ashes, like we had for Mother and Father.”
I didn't know what to say for this. I hadn't been close to anyone else other than Karl, and I'd never quite wanted to see his life reduced to bare numbers. The date he'd been made Tranquil was truly his date of death, his empty body like one healed when the living spark was gone. I hadn't quite dared to approach the Chantry when they should have had a ceremony for his death, that would have been too much a trap. I'd grieved, but it never felt complete; going to the Chantry to grieve when they caused his death rankled.
After Leandra had died I'd gone there with Hawke, and her light dimmed. My own heart ached for her, and Karl again, too. Now I wondered if that Hightown memorial for Leandra had survived the destruction that Justice and I had wrought.
Again I had to say it, “I'm sorry, Hawke.”
No, that was wrong. “Dera, I'm sorry, I hadn't meant to take that away.”
Stiffening in my arms, she twisted to look me in the eye. “What are you talking about, Anders?”
Looking at the fire, I rested my chin on her shoulder and sighed, “Your mother's memorial. I doubt it survived the explosion. I'm sorry...” I didn't know what else to say.
“Oh,” she said, plainly surprised at the idea. Glumly she added, “They might have vandalized it afterward anyway.”
That didn't make me feel any better. Leandra had nothing to do with what happened, I just held Hawke and looked at the fire with her for a while.
In the morning, Hawke and Merrill redid my braids to include the small feathers. I didn't know how it looked, but I felt better to be wearing feathers again. They both teased me on and off for days about it. Ser Mew found them much more fun to play with. Only Paws left my feathers alone, even though I thought he was laughing at them too.
The old Imperial Highway didn't have a sign saying how far we were from the next town where we climbed up. The stairs and landing had been overgrown over the years. Once we had climbed to the main roadbed we started east. Travel was much easier, and we caught up with a dwarven merchant caravan also traveling east. They didn't question a couple of mercenaries guarding a Dalish elf, not with the troubles. They reminded me of Bodahn far more then Varric or even Oghren.
We had no problems until we reached Halamshiral and the caravan moved towards some warehouses.
This was a trade town and the usual divisions into districts a little less obvious than other cities. The richer buildings looked much more Orlesian where we entered from the west. There was a Chantry there, humming with activity, and I tried to ignore how Hawke and even Merrill watched me at first.
Justice hummed with anger, but Hawke took my hand, which helped. This was no center of Templar power, just another example of how the Chantry had used the threat of their Marches to browbeat any who might be more moderate than they liked. The stamp of the old Dales was still visible in the crowds, many had that trace of finespun appearance that Feynriel had had. Some who wore wealthy clothing or exited richer homes had that trace too. They'd never do as well in a human city like Kirkwall or Denerim, but here?
Merrill turned us off to visit the much larger Alienage. I'd been tolerated in Alienages much better than most humans. They weren't necessarily as afraid of magic and some referred to both the Maker and the Creators.
She'd been welcomed a bit like Keeper Marethari had been in Kirkwall, but dismayed when some needed healing. Then small Merrill demanded my help, as if I needed to be asked. There were only a few cases that needed more than brief attention, more they needed time to heal. After that, the elder wanted to speak with her as an equal, and I could see how she needed that recognition.
Hawke and I were not exactly welcomed as overnight guests among the elves when we looked around the street for an inn or place to stay. Some spat at us in our armor, and I was tired enough to only be irritated. It was getting to be past a chill sunset when we looked outside the Alienage to find an inn or even abandoned shed well away from the Chantry.
Perhaps it was our need for us to see in the dark street, but I heard a bellow of “Apostate!”
It all happened in an instant, like the slow fall of a thick and golden honey, or dark and stifling tar. My thoughts raced and it seemed like I could have finished another manifesto in that month of its fall. Standing there, just outside the pale light from my spear were a several helmed Templars, armor glowing with their default outrage.
Hawke barked at Paws, “Back!”
As loud as she was, Justice's roar filled my mind. The bastards suddenly had plenty of light to see us by. Weapons were drawn even as we called on Fade energy for my magic.
The tar had fallen and the instant was over and I looked around in horror.
Hawke's face was covered in blood, the sword that she'd had prominently displayed was missing. She had her arms around mine and was holding tight. I was alarmed at how much the whites of her eyes were showing.
The narrow street was empty of everything but blood. The corpses weren't just dead with the efficient wounds that Dera or Aveline would leave behind. They were... I lost count of the injuries as I looked around. Even so, I cataloged them as a healer does without thought: amputation, evisceration, castration. My staff was covered in blood which was still was pooling in the street, even if their spirits were gone.
Tasting copper even if I was not in pain, I almost shouted inside myself. What did you do?
They are as guilty as any we fought, attacking innocent travelers without even lip service to anything other than their hate!
My throat hurt, from either that slaughter, or Dera looking at me like this. You told the Warden over and over that you weren't a demon. But Dera's afraid of us now. Dera!
A weighted silence rang inside me and I dropped my head on her shoulder to say, “I'm sorry, Love.” over and over.
Finally I heard Justice speak. I don't understand what. Then came a first from him out loud, “I'm sorry, Hawke.”
Loosening her grip encircling me cautiously, Hawke took a deep breath without really meeting my eyes. “We have to get you away and washed up.”
Her voice was so flat that it nearly broke my heart. I'd somehow thought as long as she believed in me, that I wasn't a monster. But we had become one, hadn't we? I had no idea what to do now, Justice knew whatever I thought.
Keeping my own voice level, I told her, “Whatever you decide, Love. Whatever.”
Our eyes finally met in the near darkness and she let my arms free finally. I couldn't see much of her expression since our light had faded. I considered turning my back again just to make it fast, but that was pointless as she could have done that before I got control back. She was always fast.
Sadly, she only said, “For the rest of our lives...”
Remembering her nightmare if I died, my gesture might have been stupid. Mustering a fleeting smile. I had to say, “I will have to make sure I get killed in such a way to not leave you with a good looking corpse.”
The smile was only a lie, as I wanted more to weep with mourning my infant hopes.
An uneasy laugh and Dera hugged me close to her, but this time was a happier embrace than a moment ago as we both relaxed a little. She whistled and Paws edged out of the shadows, looking at me warily. He and his basket with Mew looked intact.
I almost demanded of my spirit what could be unjust or deserving of any vengeance as a dog and cat, but his silence was already heavy.
Hawke stripped the corpses of anything valuable and located her sword which had ended up a distance away. A few words from her, and Paws led us away to the nearest water fountain, a trough for dray animals. Hawke had little beyond blood splashed on her face. My armor and clothing would be damp until dawn.
A inn that seemed very like the Hanged Man for noise and run down appearance wasn't far away. When we went in, Hawke was wary as she got us a room from a drunken innkeeper with plainly elven blood. Hawke glared at anyone who looked askance at us, but the others there seemed to be mercenaries, guards, or travelers. A snicker and rude comment at Hawke came from a man at the bar as we pushed out way towards the rooms.
Hawke nearly stopped to start a brawl, but only grabbed my arm to pull me towards our room with Paws joining us at the stair.
Once in our room where Mew and Paws were freed from each other and our packs were dropped, Hawke helped me spread out my things so they could dry. Then we just looked at each other.
My words had run out.
I hadn't wanted to face this, but couldn't wait for 'someday.' I held my hand up, in a wordless plea for a moment. I had to talk to her, but it depended too much on what happened next.
Dera nodded gravely, and led me over to sit on the edge of the straw mattress. Her mobile face being so flat and still, like when she'd dealt with Templars, hurt me to see. What gave me hope was that she had taken my hand in a firm clasp.
Spirit! We must talk! I cannot go on like this! The mages need allies, and Hawke has never been less than that. If we lose allies like her, our cause is lost.
Yes. That was not right.
You have to know this, you gave heart to those villagers in Blackmarsh. You understood then, while that bitch only used her power to crush them down.
Templars are not like those villagers, they attacked immediately. If this had been someone weaker like Terrie of Starkhaven, they would have been killed without any regret.
Just because they are idiots, doesn't mean we have to be. You... we made Hawke and a mabari fear. What does that say about us? We know what they have faced without fear. We need allies, not making everyone we meet fear us. I remembered the look of fear when Trask's daughter had been cornered. I didn't want to become that kind of monster, the kind that enjoyed fear.
He next sounded as uneasy as ever was heard from him. I don't know. Something is wrong, and it is not the tainted Veil in Kirkwall...
There was a pause, even for the speed our thoughts usually were.
Templars should fear mages, fear us, for all they have done!
I still agreed, but he almost sounded confused again, like he'd been so often at the Vigil. Will you be more careful? Hawke is not just my love, but an asset for our cause long before we met her.
I feel a fondness, like that for Aura.
That and his earlier apology was all I thought I could hope for. I looked up at her, patiently holding my hand, and brought hers up for a brief kiss. “Thank you for staying, Dera. I do not understand this bloodthirst. Neither of us were like that... before. We might kill, but...”
What I was beginning to fear was that maybe the Chantry might be right, that no spirits were relatively safe. I shouted at a rumbling inside, but it was getting harder to deny. It also bothered me that the Dalish teachings may be closer to the truth, even if I had already rejected so much of what the Circle taught me.
Hawke pulled me into her arms and I took comfort in that. As the moments passed, my exhaustion resurfaced, and I began yawning as I tried to stay awake.
Perhaps I had dozed briefly, but I grew alert when she pulled back to look me in my face. She looked so worried, even to my sleepy self.
“I'm going out to the bar, to get some food and check to see what kind of rumors there are. Winter's coming, so mercenaries like us should be looking for a place that's quiet and cheap. News about the towers too.” Her voice was soft and hesitant. “I'll leave Paws and Ser Mew to keep you company and keep watch.”
Brushing her cheek with sleep-shaky fingers, I had to smile. “We will be fine. Be careful. I will be waiting for you, even if I might be resting. You really should wake me, we don't want to waste our privacy.”
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A/N: Thanks to my beta readers who have been kind enough to read this and point out stupid flubs. Any typos that remain are not intentional... Reviews or a PM to let me know what you think would be very appreciated.
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A Match to Tinder