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Blood Promise	By : Hikari86 Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 4556 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
- 19
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- 21
Raging Fires

When they finally reached the docks, it was much darker outside, the clouds rolling in fast and covering everything in deep shadows. Jordan wondered if it would rain considering how thick the clouds were, but she heard no tell-tell thunder booming across the sky.
Well, if it does rain, at least we'll be indoors. Or at least that's what she hoped. Jordan wasn't exactly sure what a quays warehouse was. Or if it was any different than a regular warehouse. It was Isabela who explained to her that it was just a warehouse on the water's edge, with one side of its wall removed to allow ships to dock and unload their cargo. Isabela, too, was wary about the clouds, but reassured Jordan that even with one wall missing, the warehouse should have a roof. But the thought on whether they would get rained on or not wasn't what concerned Jordan the most. Samson had told them it was a warehouse dockside, but there were many warehouses dockside. And they didn't have all night to check them all out.
“Aveline, do you happen to know any suspicious warehouses we could check first?” she asked the warrior.
“They're all suspicious, Jordan,” Aveline sighed. “I don't really know any warehouse or foundry that doesn't have something going on with it.”
Jordan sneered. “Varric, what about you? Do you maybe know something that could help?”
“Sorry, Hawke,” said Varric. “I'm in the same boat as Aveline. I know things, but nothing that would help us find this warehouse where Feynriel might be.”
Jordan continued to think as she looked at her other companions. Isabela and Fenris weren't going to be much help, and if Jordan had thought first, she might have been able to grab something of Feynriel's from Arianni. That way she could've had Chance sniff the boy out, but it was too late for that now. She brought her gaze to Anders. He was her last option.
“You don't happen to have the ability to search for other mages, do you?” she asked hopeful.
“I hope you're not serious,” Anders said, cocking an eyebrow at her. “If mages were able to find other mages, then templars would probably not need phylacteries.”
“But you can sense when someone is a mage.”
“Close up. Not at a far distance.”
“Well, shit...” Jordan cursed, not knowing what to do now. They were already wasting time, but going through every warehouse might be an even bigger waste.
Fenris cleared his throat, causing Jordan to stare over at him.
“Yes?”
“Have you thought to ask me?”
“I didn't think you would have any information.”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” His eyes bored into hers. “I happen to know there's a warehouse right down at the far end of the street where slavers like to take their cargo.” He pointed down the street, past the Qunari Compound. Jordan followed the road all the way down to a dark cul-de-sac that was at the end.
“How do you know?”
“When it comes to slavers, I make sure to know.”
“Okay, I guess we can start there. If you're right, then we're good. If you're wrong-”
“I'm not wrong, Hawke,” he nearly growled. “Your mage will be there. I guarantee it.”
“Fine. Shall we?”
Fenris gestured for Jordan to take the lead. Taking them down the street, Jordan didn't even bother to hide. The darkness was deep enough to hide them even in the open, and there was no one out at the moment. Not even the Carta or the Coterie. It probably had to do with the storm, which according to Isabela, was blowing in from the Waking Sea. A low rumble could now be heard in the distance, telling Jordan the storm was still far off, but if it was coming in from the sea, it wasn't going to be pretty.
When they reached the cul-de-sac, the main entrance to the warehouse stood before them, doors closed, and with no one standing out in front. Jordan didn't really want to enter from the main entrance. It would more than likely lead them straight into danger. Finding another way in would be best. She didn't have to look far, however, as Chance sniffed the ground and went right up to a door hidden in a small alcove. He growled at the door but then looked up at Jordan and started panting.
“Did you find something, boy?” Jordan patted Chance on the head as she slowly opened the door to see a set of wooden stares leading up to the second level of the warehouse. As they ascended the stairs, Jordan placed her finger to her lips, indicating to her companions to walk quietly. She could hear soft voices, but was unable to understand them. As they came to the second level, Jordan lowered herself and crept over to a doorway that lead out onto a balcony that overlooked a loading area. Right across from where they were was the dock, empty of any boats but it did have a few crates about. In the open area between her and the dock, Jordan counted at least fifteen to twenty slavers standing about. In the middle of the room, curled in a ball with her knees to her chest was a young girl. A man, in Tevinter robes and a cowl about his head, circled her.
“There's nothing you need to fear,” he said. “You're pretty and young. I'm sure a magister will buy you up quick. If you're lucky, he might even make you his apprentice instead of his slave. Can't give you any guarantees, though.”
“Please... just let me go,” the girl sobbed. “I promise I won't tell my father about you. I just want to go home.”
The man laughed. “Do you think I fear your father just because he's a templar? Ha! I would skin him alive.” He stopped right in front of her and forced her to look him in the face. “Besides, wasn't it your father who did this to you? Didn't he send you to me so you would be free of the Circle? Interesting thing to do for a templar.”
“He didn't send me to you,” she said, ripping her face from the man's grasp. “He thought a friend of his could help me. He was wrong. And I begged him not to send me to the Circle. Now I'm regretting that. The Circle really might be the only safe place I can go.”
“Oh you poor thing,” the man said mockingly. “Don't worry, you'll be safe with me, at least. My men know they're not allowed to touch you. Virgins are a lot more valuable. I can't necessarily say you'll be safe after being bought, however. There's really only one reason why someone would pay such a price.”
The girl started crying again, burying her face in her knees. “Daddy, I'm sorry. I just want to go home.”
The man rolled his eyes as he turned away from her. “You are going home. To a new one.” He then gestured to the men standing around. “Tie her up and let's get going. I would really like to reach the Wounded Coast before this storm rolls in fully.”
“No!” the girl shouted as she stood fast. “No, I'm not going! I won't let you take me!” She began backing away, looking around, but saw she was completely surrounded.
“Don't make this more difficult than this needs to be,” said one of the slavers. “If you get roughed up too much, then your value goes down.”
The girl began to panic. A slaver grabbed her from behind, but she threw him off with a quick spell. More slavers grabbed her, keeping her hands down. “No!” she screamed. “I won't go! I won't let you touch me!” Flames suddenly burst from her skin, catching fire to the slavers holding her. They quickly let her go, screaming as they ran to put out the flames.
“Maker, no!” cried Anders. “We have to get down there and help her!” He didn't wait for any approval, only stood and ran across the balcony to the stairs.
“Hey, leave her alone!” Jordan yelled, standing and showing herself. The man in the Tevinter robes turned and spotted her. He stared at her and the others dumbfounded.
“What is this?” he shouted. “Who are you?”
“The one that's going to put an end to this. Now!” Jordan leaped down from the balcony, landing right in front of the man. “Danzig.”
“So you know me?” the mage sneered. “No surprise there. I'm sure it was Samson who sent you.”
“I'm here for Feynriel. Now where is he?”
“Feynriel? You mean that half-breed?” Danzig smirked at her. “He's already gone. Out of your reach.”
“I don't believe you. So you better tell me where he is. Or else.”
“Or else what?” Danzig fired a bolt from his hand. At such a close range, it would have killed Jordan if she hadn't pulled Edge out to block it from hitting her chest. She flipped out of the way, just as another bolt came at her, at the same time pulling Ripper from its sheath. Taking Danzig by surprise with her quickness, Jordan rolled to his side and ripped his robes open with Ripper. A small amount of blood coated the tip of the blade. Danzig cried out and backed away, hastily putting up a shield that kept Ripper from striking at him again. He then grabbed the staff that was strapped to his back and swung it at Jordan's head. She ducked the blow, rolling again on the ground and right to his back. Taking Edge, she brought the dagger down, fixing it in his back. Danzig screamed, but whirled, fire following his staff and hands. Edge was pulled out, and even with Jordan's quick movements, she was unable to move out of the way in time. His staff hit her in the side, fire engulfed all around her, and Jordan felt herself being flung forward. She landed in a crate, breaking it to pieces. The fire burned, but was quickly disrupted as she swung Edge in an arc.
Jordan cursed as she pushed herself to a sitting position, not liking the fact a mage had almost taken her by surprise. The room about her was in chaos, Aveline and Fenris had split off, driving most of the slavers to opposite sides of the room. Chance was right next to Aveline, the large canine leaping into the air and pulling down two slavers at once. One was able to get away, while the other struggled to un-clamp the teeth that were around his throat. Jordan also looked around for Isabela and Varric, finding Varric had stayed on the balcony, using the position to snipe any slavers that might try and take any of them out from behind. Isabela was on the side with Fenris, watching his back as many of the slavers seemed to be going straight for him.
An ear-splitting shriek went about, making Jordan cover her ears. She looked over at where the girl was, seeing she was still on fire. Anders was in front of her—or Justice, as his eyes burned blue—holding her shoulders. “Fight him, Olivia!” Justice yelled at her. “Fight him! Do not let the rage in!”
Olivia screamed again, not sounding human as the fire about her skin grew and burst. Justice was forced to let go, backing off and protecting his face from the wicked flames.
Jordan watched in horror as the flames completely surrounded Olivia, screeches coming from the burning figure she had become. When the fires finally fizzled out, what stood before Justice was no longer the young girl, but something sinister. What once was Olivia was now a creature, its skin covered in black and purple splotches, some oozing a green pus. Eyes red and full of fury, tears of blood going down its checks. It snarled, showing rows and razor sharp teeth, the bottom row swimming in dark blood that dribbled down the creature's chin. It grunted before poising itself and stared Justice down. The abomination then screamed, ear-splitting, before racing right towards him.
Justice put out his hands and an invisible force knocked the abomination back, sending it flying several feet. He grabbed his staff before the creature could get back on its feet and fired ice, but the abomination killed the spell by swiping at it with a fire-coated hand. It screamed again, shaking its head with intense rage before sprinting toward the spirit again.
“Hawke!”
Jordan wanted to watch the fight between Justice and the rage abomination, maybe even get up to help, but Fenris's shout brought her attention to him. He wasn't in any trouble, but if he needed her, she would go. “Fenris, I'm coming!” she yelled, pulling herself to her feet. Her body hurt, especially her back and the side that was hit by Danzig's staff, but she wasn't going to let the pain stop her from helping her friends.
“No!” Fenris shouted as he kicked a slaver off of him. “He's getting away! Don't let that mage get away!”
“What?” Jordan looked around to see that Danzig wasn't within the fighting anymore. She spotted the flutter of his robes as he went through a doorway. She raced after him, only barely seeing the trapdoor he had gone through close. When she opened it to go after him, Jordan nearly had her face burned off as a massive fireball shot right up through the hole. She backed away and covered her face. When the fire stopped, she cautiously went to the hole and looked down into its dark depths. It wasn't going to be easy, and she hated going after him alone, but there was no way Jordan was going to let Danzig get away.
***
Is there nothing we can do? I don't want to kill her!
“There is no choice. The rage demon has fully taken control. She must be destroyed!” Justice braced himself as the magical shield protecting him was bombarded by more fire. It was beginning to weaken, but the rage abomination wasn't relenting in its attacks enough to give him a chance to counterattack. To him, this was a creature needing to be destroyed. No longer was there anything left in it that was human. Rage had completely taken over, its instinct driving it to kill. If he didn't do something about it soon, it would terrorize the city, and make it even harder for mages to become free. Yet Anders's emotions, the concern for the girl who's body the demon was using, was almost overpowering. He needed to fight it back, keep Anders from ruling at the moment, so he could depose of the creature without interference.
The fire finally stopped, the rage abomination shrieking as it ran straight for him again. Demons never learned, especially those of rage. The same attack again and again wasn't going to work. Justice disbursed the shield and called upon the sense of his own spiritual energy, mixing it with the flow of Anders's mana, and summoned a spell right at the end of the staff. He released it, hitting the abomination right before it could reach him. The creature screamed as the crushing prison around it forced it to the ground. The unseen magic tightened, forcing more pus and blood from its cracked skin. One of the creature's eyes burst open, spilling blood and yellowish liquid on its face.
No, stop it! Stop the spell! Anders cried.
“It needs to be done,” Justice said, pushing Anders back, keeping him from taking control. “There is no other way!”
The abomination screamed, fighting against the spell, forcing itself off the ground. Its arms were forced to its side, one becoming twisted in an awkward position. Its chest caved in, neck bending at different angles. A leg snapped, and the abomination collapsed to its knees. The creature moaned, its cries starting to sound more and more human.
If it must be done, then end it. Don't make her suffer!
“That, I can do.” Before the spell could fully end. Before the abomination could be released, Justice took his staff and jammed the blade end straight into the abomination's chest. It wailed, the cry a shriek from a dying girl. Justice then ripped out the blade, the spell ending, and Olivia fell backwards. Before she could hit the ground, Anders caught her. He looked in her face, seeing her pain and knowing there was nothing he could do.
“Thank... you,” she said harsh, the one eye she still had focusing on him.
“I'm so sorry we couldn't do more, Olivia,” Anders said softly.
“Tell... tell my father, please...” she choked out. “Tell him... I'm sorry. I should've... listened...” She took one last haggard breath and fell limp in his arms. Anders closed his eyes, fighting back the rage that was beginning to build inside him. This was not what he wanted. This was not suppose to happen to poor, scared young mages who had no one to turn to.
We will not let this happen again, said Justice. Together, we will end the tyranny.
“Anders! Is everything... all right?” Aveline ran to his side, Isabela, Varric and Chance right behind her. She stopped short when she saw the girl and the way he looked. “There was nothing you could do.”
“No, unfortunately not for her,” he said opening his eyes. He laid her gently down on the ground and closed her eye, only then noticing there was something in her hand. It was a letter, crumpled and stained with her blood. He read it was addressed to a templar. He took the letter and placed it in his pouch.
“Are you going to be all right?” Isabela asked, seeing the hardness in his face.
Anders stood and looked at the four of them. “Where's Jordan?”
“Danzig ran off, so she and Fenris ran after him,” Aveline answered.
He suddenly became concerned. Anders had seen Jordan be thrown into the crate, but was unable to help her due to Justice being in control and trying to help Olivia. “Where?”
“There's a secret passage right this way,” said Isabela. “If we hurry, we can catch up with them.”
“Then let's get moving. Danzig is a lot more powerful than he looks.”
“Right. It's this way,” Isabela said as she started leading them to the trapdoor in the other room.
“Wait, what about her?” Aveline gestured to Olivia on the ground. “Are we just going to leave her here?”
“We'll come back,” said Anders. “I don't want to leave her here, either. But Jordan is the priority at the moment.”
“And Fenris?” Isabela asked.
Anders didn't answer her. He forced the trapdoor open and jumped down into the darkness without hesitation.
***
The ceiling just above her exploded. Jordan rolled herself forward to avoid the large chunks of stone that fell to the ground. She popped back up and continued her pursuit. She could see Danzig right ahead of her, even in the dark of the tunnel they were running through. He sent another bolt of magic at her, this time Jordan had to sidestep to avoid it. The bolt hit the wall, showering her in dust and stone shrapnel. She raised her arms to protect her face, feeling the shrapnel cut into the skin of her forearms. She didn't let it slow her down, deftly picking up her feet and chasing after the mage. He sent bolt after bolt toward her, each only nearly missing. Several times she tripped when the bolts hit the ground, but she kept herself balanced and never landed on the ground completely. The tightness of the tunnel wasn't helping. With each explosion, more dust coated her already burning skin. There was also the fact that if Danzig kept at it, he may collapse the entire tunnel. There was no telling how stable the tunnel really was, but the mage didn't seem to care. His only concern was getting away from her.
Another blast to her right sent dust and debris straight into Jordan's face. She quickly closed her eyes, feeling something cut directly under her right one. Dust choked her lungs and she coughed violently, but kept going, never letting her pace slacken. Light soon filtered through the tunnel's end and Jordan saw Danzig pass through it. She followed him, finding they had traveled right to Darktown. A hermit sleeping next to the tunnel entrance was startled awake. Jordan ignored him as she found Danzig making his way up a few steps and into the more populated portion of the undercity.
“Oh no you don't!” Jordan shouted as she ran after him. She knew what he was doing, trying to lose her in a crowd, but it wouldn't work. With it being night, there were barely any people around, only those sleeping against the walls.
Danzig cursed at her in his Tevinter language, which only made Jordan smirk. She was having enough of this. Still chasing after him, Jordan gripped Edge in her hand and tossed the blade hard. Danzig screamed as the dagger entered his calf, making him fall to the ground in a heap.
“Bitch! I'll have your head for this!” Danzig yelled as he flipped to his back. His anger was soon replaced with fear when Ripper's serrated tip was pressed against his throat.
“Not unless I get yours first.” Jordan heaved a little, sweat pouring down her face, mixing with the dust. “Now tell me, where do you take the mages before you send them off?”
Danzig huffed. “And why would I tell you that?”
Jordan pressed the dagger harder against his throat. The blade cut his skin and a small amount of blood flowed down his throat. “Because if you don't tell me straight forward, I'll get it out of you another way.”
“Do you think you scare me? You are nothing compared to my power!” His hand balled as if he were about ready to summon a spell, but nothing formed. He stared at his hand confused.
“My blade does more than cut,” Jordan smiled.
Danzig quickly realized what she meant. He moved to remove Edge from his calf, but Jordan pressed him down further into the ground, Ripper cutting deeper into his flesh.
“And don't even think about trying blood magic!” said Jordan. “My blade disrupts that too. Now tell me where Feynriel is!”
Danzig clenched his teeth. “You'll learn nothing from me!”
“Hawke!”
Jordan was starting to get frustrated, but hearing Fenris behind her gave her an idea. With Ripper securely placed against his throat, Jordan glanced in Fenris's direction before looking back at Danzig. “Glad you could make it.”
“You said you would let me at the mage,” he said, glaring down at Danzig.
“Oh, and you most definitely shall have him! But first, I need him to talk. Think you can get him to do that?”
“It'll be my pleasure.”
Jordan moved out of the way, letting Danzig move. The mage tried to get up but was forced back on the ground when Fenris grabbed his chest. His hand sank deep within, his markings glowing all around his body. Danzig screamed and stared at Fenris's arm in his chest, horrified. The elf then pulled the mage off the ground, causing him to scream even louder in pain, and slammed him against the wall.
“Talk, mage. Now!”
“Alright, alright!” Danzig heaved. “I'll tell you. I've stashed the boy in a cave. A smuggler hideout on the Wounded Coast. That's where the slaves are picked up by Tevinter merchants who then take them to Cumberland and up the Highway to the Imperium.” He groaned as Fenris's hand moved in his chest.
“When's the next pick-up?” Jordan asked.
“It was suppose to be tonight, but with the storm coming...”
“How long will the merchants wait?”
“Until the following night, as long as the storm is gone,” Danzig struggled as he held his chest. “Now please, let me go. I promise to leave Kirkwall. Alone. No slaves.”
“Thanks for the information,” said Jordan. “But your fate isn't up to me. Fenris?”
Fenris smiled almost too happily.
“No! No!” Danzig pleaded. “I told you everything!”
“Do you think I care?” said Fenris. “You're a slaver, and a mage. I have no sympathy for you.” He's hand inside the mage's chest jerked. There was that sickening thud and crack. Danzig cried out, his eyes rolling in the back of his head. Fenris removed his hand, markings fading, and Danzig slide down the wall and collapsed limply on the ground.
“Jordan!”
“Fenris!”
Taking Edge from the mage's calf, Jordan looked over to see the rest of their companions finally joining them. Anders was in the lead, reaching her before the others. “Jordan, is everything all right? Sweet Maker, look at you!”
“What?” Jordan wasn't sure what he was talking about. She felt sore, but there was nothing that needed immediate attention. But as the adrenaline in her veins began to subside, Jordan was starting to feel the sharp sting under her right eye. She placed her hand on her check, taking it away to see her fingertips covered with blood and dirt. “Oh, that. It's not so bad.”
“Not so bad? With all that dust and dirt, you could easily get an infection. Now let me see.” Jordan let him take a look. He gently pulled her head back so he could see the cut better while also taking out a tin from his pouch. Opening the lid, Jordan noticed there was a paste-like substance within. Anders collected some of the substance on his fingertips and rubbed it into her cut.
“Owh!” Jordan yelled, taking her head away. “That stings!”
“Sorry,” said Anders as he steadied her head again. “I know it stings, but it'll clean out the wound and kill any infection that might have gotten in there. You're lucky whatever cut you hit you where it did. Just a hair of an inch higher, and you might have lost your eye.”
“Ah!” Jordan moaned. “And I was so looking forward to wearing an eye patch.”
“Keep moving your head like you are and you might get your wish.”
Jordan smirked but kept her head still while he finished with her cut. After rubbing the paste into the cut and cleaning around the wound, Anders then closed it with magic. He then began healing her side and back, seeing huge bruises had started to form in the areas that had been impacted. Once he was done with Jordan, he made sure everyone else was all right, and healed any wounds that needed to be healed.
“So are all the slavers dead back in the warehouse?” Jordan asked after Anders was done with everyone.
“All that were there, at least,” answered Aveline.
“And what about the girl, what happened to her?”
“She's dead,” said Anders as he sat on a broken piece of wood. “There was... nothing I could do.”
“I'm sorry.” Jordan could see he was distraught about it. She had seen what the girl had become, and from what she knew about abominations, when a mage got that far, there was no turning back. “Do we know who she was?”
“She was holding onto this.” He handed her the letter. Jordan took it and began to read.
“'I know the sacrifices you've made to conceal my secret, but I am a child no longer. I cannot burden you my whole life, lest my secret destroy us both. I must live my own life as a woman... and as a mage. It is oddly freeing to write the word. Farewell, Father. I hope one day you make peace between what you have been taught and what you have seen. All my love, Olivia.'” Jordan looked up from the letter at Anders who was staring at the ground. “This is addressed to a templar. Thrask.”
“Really? Thrask?” said Varric. “I know him. I never knew his daughter was a mage.”
“Isn't that the templar who we saw talking with Arianni?” Isabela asked.
“Yeah, he was,” answered Jordan.
“We should go and tell him about her,” said Anders.
“Really?” Jordan said surprised. “You want to go and tell a templar about his daughter?”
“Tell him what he drove his daughter to become.” Anders stared up at her with a hardness she wasn't exactly sure she liked.
She sighed. “I need to go to the Gallows anyway. Might as well try and find Thrask at the same time. But first I need to figure out what we're going to do about Feynriel. Danzig said he was in a cave off the Wounded Coast, and that his pick up was suppose to be tonight. If we go now-”
“Jordan, no,” said Isabela. “Do you not see that storm out there?” She gestured to the large windows. Through them, Jordan could see a thick sheet of rain falling at an angle from the sky. Fast and hard winds rattled the chains hanging above the canal. There was also a quick flash, followed by a crack and a loud boom that filled Darktown. Both Danzig and Isabela were right. Feynriel would be fine, or at least until the following night.
“Okay, I guess we don't have to go and rescue him tonight, then. But we will have to find him before tomorrow night. That's when the slavers move, under the cover of darkness.”
“Sounds like a plan,” said Varric. “So are we done here? Not that I don't like following you around, Hawke, but I did sort of leave in the middle of a Wicked Grace game.”
“Sure,” Jordan chuckled. “Let's get back. Besides, I don't want my sister to start looking for me, worried just like I'm sure Mother is.” Chance barked and licked Jordan's hand. “Yes, I'm sure you're anxious to get home too. What, do you miss Uncle Gamlen?” The dog growled and sneezed, pawing at his muzzle. “Of course,” Jordan said, scratching behind her dog's ears.
As they started to make their way out of Darktown, Jordan noticed Anders still seemed distraught. As the others started making their way up the stairs to the Lowtown entrance, she stayed behind.
“You should go,” he said, not looking at her.
“I don't really know what happened,” she said slowly. “But I know you did what you could.”
“It's not that,” he sighed. “Killing her should never have been an option. Turning to a demon for help should never have been an option.” He was starting to get upset.
“I know,” Jordan said softly, trying to get him to calm down. “But what other choice did she have? It wasn't like she planned on calling that demon. She went to Samson thinking he was going to help her, Samson thinking he was helping mages escape the Circle. Neither one of them knew what was really going on.”
“But does that make it right?” Anders came close to her. She could see his eyes burning. “Mages should not be forced to choose a life of either living in the Circle, or of living in fear. Always on the run, hiding, as if their Maker given powers were more of a curse than a blessing. They should not have to depend on men like Samson, be tricked by men like Danzig, thinking their going to have a free life. No mage is free. No mage will ever be free until the Circle is destroyed!”
“Anders,” Jordan said firm. He was starting to go beyond reason. His fists clenching, eyes getting a slight hint of blue. “I know. I understand. I lived that life. I'm still living it with my sister. If she was ever forced into the Cirlce, I... I don't know what I would do. Which is why I agree with you. The Circle does need to be destroyed. But...” She focused her gaze on him completely. “Now is not the time to lose yourself. Olivia's death was horrible, and it could have been avoided if things were different, but it's something that can't be taken back now.” Jordan placed her hand on his chin, feeling his stubble on her palm. His eyes began to soften, closing at her touch. “Please don't lose yourself. There's still a long way to go.”
“You know, it's... odd,” Anders sighed. “We only met a short time ago, yet I already feel... close to you. And it's almost as if you... understand me.” He opened his eyes to gaze at her, tender, caring.
Jordan smiled sweetly at him. “You know I'm always here for you.”
“I...” He took her hand from his face, putting it down by her side. “We can't... We shouldn't. I don't want to hurt you.”
“You aren't going to hurt me, Anders. I'm a big girl. I can make my own decisions.”
“No.” He shook his head and backed away from her. “You see what I become. Justice... that's who I am now. Maybe a year ago we could've had something, but I'm not that man anymore.” His face became stricken as he looked to the ground. “I'll break your heart. And that might kill me as surly as the templars.”
Jordan couldn't agree with him. He would only hurt her if he wanted to. But she couldn't force him to be with her. Or force him to love her. She just hoped he wouldn't run away from her now. “Alright. If that's what you think is best.
He stared back up at her, seeming unsure.
“Can you still help me, at least?” she asked with a wary smile. “I could still use you.”
“Of course,” he said, smiling slightly. “Whatever you need, I'm here.”
“How about tomorrow? To the Wounded Coast?”
“And the Gallows.”
Jordan frowned at him. “I suppose.”
“I'm going to the Gallows with you whether you like it or not.”
“Looks like I don't have a choice in the matter.”
“Nope.” His smile widened and Jordan could see he was back in high spirits. Or he was doing a lot better job at hiding his true feelings.
“Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow. To the Gallows, then the Wounded Coast. You know, I've always wondered why they call it the Wounded Coast... Is it near the Injured Cliffs? Or the Limping Hills? Massive Head-Trauma Bay? No? Just me?”
Anders laughed at her.
“Right,” Jordan smiled. “Forget I said anything.”

Paraphrasing from Dragon Age 2
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Blood Promise