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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
Disclaimer: Bioware owns everything Dragon Age. I claim no ownership and make no money/profit.

Chapter List
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Mercy

“And you get mad at me for coming to Darktown by myself.” Jordan glared down at her little sister who was currently healing a decent sized gash on the forearm of a little boy.
“I know, I know,” Bethany said as she smiled up at her sister. She then focused back on the little boy, finishing her healing. “There you go, sweetie.”
“Thank you, Miss Bethany,” the little boy said as he rubbed his arm. “It don't hurt no more.”
“You're very welcome. Just make sure to be more careful next time, okay?”
“Okay!”
“Good. Now go ahead to your mother.” She patted him on the back as he ran over to his mother, brandishing his arm to show her there was no longer an ouchie.
Jordan was happy to see her sister smiling so broadly as she watched the little boy and his mother walk out of the clinic. It was good that Bethany had finally found an outlet that allowed her to use her magic without fear. To allow her to help others in need. Even if it still wasn't fully out in the open, it was enough for Bethany.
“So how long do you plan on staying down here today?” Jordan asked.
“Hmm? Oh. I don't know,” said Bethany, turning to her sister. “I guess until Anders is ready to close the clinic for the night.”
“That doesn't give me a time. I need to know when to come back down here to get you.”
“You don't need to do that, Jordan,” said Anders as he passed them carry a basket full of herbs. “I'll make sure she gets home safe.”
“Oh?”
“I've done it before, haven't I?”
“Okay... I would just prefer she arrive home before sunset, if you don't mind. And if he is going to bring you home, Bethany, then you'll need to stop at the market on the way. Here, Mother wanted you to pick these up for her.” Jordan handed her the list.
When Bethany was done looking it over she frowned at her sister. “Something tells me Mother asked you to pick these things up.”
“Yeah, she... might've,” Jordan said scratching the back of her head. “But I'm going to be busy.”
“Doing what? You already went to the Gallows, right? Your tasks are complete, what else is there for you to do today?”
“How about go and look for more work. I haven't collected all of the sovereigns yet, ya know.”
“Ah yes,” Bethany sighed. “But you've been working so hard since we last talked to Bartrand. Can't you take a day off?”
“Only people who live in Hightown can take days off. And we don't live in Hightown. Yet.”
“Jordan,” Bethany pouted.
“Stop it, Bethie. I promise, after the expedition and after we've secured our ancestral home, then I'll take a day off. Until then, I need to get back out there and look for more people who may need my services.”
“Alright,” Bethany said defeated. “Knowing you, you won't stop until you get what you want.”
“You know me all too well,” Jordan smiled.
“Just be careful, okay?”
“Will do. Love ya, Bethie.” Jordan waved at her and at Anders before she left the clinic.
“Love you, too, Sis.” Bethany sighed again before she turned to see Anders standing at a table where he had several herds and flasks. He was staring off, out of the clinic at where Jordan had left. “Do you like my sister?” Bethany asked him.
“What?” Anders shook his head, coming out of a slight daze. “Uh...” He cleared his throat. “Yeah... I-I like her.” He looked down at the table and started choosing ingredients and placing them in a mortar. “As a friend,” he added after a moment of silence.
Bethany stared at him curiously. She then went over to the table, grabbed her own mortar and pestle and a few herbs to grind together. “Are you sure? Sometimes it seems as if you might want to be more than friends.”
“Bethany, I don't really think this is something we should be talking about.”
“And why not? Are you embarrassed by it?”
“No,” Anders said as he started grinding the herbs. “I mean... it's not what you think.”
“Well, I don't know if I should be telling you this, but I know Jordan likes you. And I would just like to say that I wouldn't mind having you as a brother-in-law.” Bethany smiled sweetly as Anders stopped his grinding and stared at her.
“Bethany, it's...” He put down the pestle and rubbed between his eyes. “Maybe I do like your sister, but it's something that can never happen.”
“Oh. Why not?”
“You know why not.”
“You can't tell me Justice doesn't like her.”
“It's not if Justice likes her or not, but it does have to do with him. I... We can't—shouldn't—become involved.” He looked down at the table, saddened.
Bethany could feel him hurting, see it in his face and hear it in his voice. “Do you think you don't deserve to be happy?”
“Happiness, love... I gave those up when I let Justice into me. It's not that I don't think I deserve it, it's that I know I can't have it.”
“That's so sad,” Bethany whispered. “That can't be right.”
“Sorry, but it is.” Anders lifted his eyes from the table to hers. “Stay innocent, Bethany. Justice may have been a benevolent spirit, but even they can be dangerous.”
Bethany nodded, her face full of sadness.
“Do you mind finishing here?” Anders said as he scanned the table.
“Yeah, I can finish. What would you like me to make?”
“Elfroot, restoration, whatever you can and however much you can.” Anders pushed himself from the table. “I just have some... things to check on. Excuse me.” He walked to the back of the clinic and into his room. Bethany hoped she hadn't upset him too much, but she didn't fully understand why he thought he couldn't be happy. Maybe it was something she couldn't understand. She didn't have a spirit in her, after all.
***
Jordan sat herself at the bar in the Hanged Man and gestured at the barkeep for a mug of ale. It wasn't a place she should have been, but she couldn't really encourage herself enough to go out through Lowtown looking for work. Anything she might have found wouldn't have paid her enough. She needed at least ten more sovereigns, and with only a few days left until the deadline, she wasn't sure how she was going to get it.
“Your deal, Rivaini,” said Varric. He, along with Isabela, Merrill, and Aveline, were playing Wicked Grace in a corner of the tavern. From what Jordan could see, Varric and Aveline were partnered, and they were losing.
“Make sure you let someone cut the deck this time, Isabela,” said Aveline as she glared at the rogue.
“You can cut it personally, Big Girl.” Isabela placed the deck in front of Aveline and she cut it before Isabela dealt out the cards. “Aveline, did I ever tell you I really like your hair?”
“No, you haven't,” Aveline said as she took her cards.
“Well I do. Your hair is very pretty. I love the color. It's like an organism-red. I don't think I've ever seen a shade like it.”
“You like my hair?” Aveline raised an eyebrow at her. “I never thought you'd say something like that. When I was young, other children used to make fun of me for having ginger hair.”
“Really? Aww, I bet you were cute. Did you have pigtails?”
“Sometimes.
“How precious!” Isabela smiled. “Little Aveline, running around the village with her flaming orange pigtails streaming behind her... and little boys all scattering and screaming for mercy as she approached.”
Aveline glared at her. “Shut up, whore.”
“Oh, Aveline. Have a sense of humor.”
“I will when you stop trying to distract me so you can cheat.”
“Cheat? Who says I cheat?”
“Don't act stupid. One day I'll catch you.”
“I'm sure one day you will. Even if it takes ten years.”
Jordan turned away from their game as the barkeep placed her ale in front of her. She took the mug and stared in at the murky contents. “I guess today's just going to be one of those days. Boring.” She drank down the whole mug.
“Excuse me, Jordan Hawke?”
“Hmm?” She swallowed what was left in her mouth as she stared down from her stool at a young boy standing beside her. “Who wants to know?”
“Message for you, ma'am.” He handed her a closed envelope.
“Who's this--?” The boy darted off before she could finish the question.
Opening the envelope, Jordan found a letter inside. As she read it, a smile began to crawl up her face as she realized the day wasn't going to be as bad as she thought it would.
“Your move, Kitten,” Isabela said to Merrill. “Choose wisely, now.”
“I'm trying, but I still don't think I'm understanding this game, Isabela.” Merrill looked confused as she stared at her cards. “Which one do you think would be the best for me to play?” She flipped her cards over to show Isabela who was on the other side of the table.
Isabela placed her hand on her face. “Oh, Kitten...”
“What? What did I do?” Merrill glanced around the table, seeming even more confused.
“You're not suppose to show your cards, Daisy,” Varric laughed. “Or at least not to me and Aveline.”
“This is why I know you're cheating, Isabela,” said Aveline.
Isabela shook her head. “Kitten, I love you and all, but next time just throw down any card.”
“Alright. I'm sorry.” Merrill looked downcast.
“It's okay, Kitten. I'm not mad. Now just give me all the cards and I'll deal out again.”
“No need,” Jordan said as she went to their table. “I've got something much better than another hand of Wicked Grace.”
“And what would that be, Hawke?” Varric asked. They all looked to her, wondering what she meant.
Jordan placed the letter down on the table. “Things just got interesting.”
***
“I'm not so sure about this, Jordan. This seems suspicious to me.”
“What's suspicious is that you came.” Jordan stared over at Aveline as the warrior scanned the area. “I thought you said you didn't want to leave the city yet.”
“I shouldn't, but when one of my friends gets a suspicious letter to ask them to come out in the middle of the wilderness to meet an anonymous source for an unknown reason, I will follow.”
“I'm not even sure we're in the right area,” Merrill said as she studied the letter. “These directions are very vague. It's almost as if this person didn't know himself.”
“That's because whoever wrote it wanted to confuse us, Kitten,” Isabela explained. “I'm sure we're walking into an ambush.”
“I wouldn't be surprised,” said Varric. “How many enemies have you made, Hawke?”
“I don't know,” Jordan said as she took the letter from Merrill and went over it herself. “I don't have many, or at least, I don't think I do. But I think we need to go... that way!” She handed the letter back to Merrill and lead the way down the road. She came up to a worn path on the right, almost missing it due to the thick amount of foliage. The path lead up a slight hill, the foliage becoming less dense and the terrain more rocky before Jordan spotted something ahead of her. There was an entrance to a cave, and standing in front of the cave was a templar. A familiar templar.
“Okay, what's he doing here?” said Isabela.
“That's a good question.” Jordan looked back down at the letter. It had been written, asking for her by name, to come to a secluded area on the Wounded Coast. There wasn't much else expect that the writer needed her help in dealing with a matter. One that involved life and death. “Shall we find out?” She smiled at the others before making her way to the templar.
“Daisy, you stay behind us, okay?” said Varric.
“I understand, Varric,” Merrill nodded. “I'll stay in the background and try not to be noticed.”
“Greetings, Ser Thrask,” Jordan spoke as she held up her hand in acknowledgment while approaching the templar. “Fancy meeting you out here.”
Thrask turned to her, slightly alarmed at her sudden appearance. “Mistress Hawke.”
“Aye, that would be me. Are you the one who wrote this?” Jordan held up the letter.
“It was, and I am glad you were able to follow my directions. I am in need of your assistance.”
“Yes, I read the letter. Why do you want my help? And with what?”
Thrask sighed as he looked down into the cave. “I know what you did for Feynriel. I spoke to Arianni. She tells me you sought a better path than the Circle for him. You showed him a kindness, as well as to my daughter, even if you weren't able to save her. I thought perhaps, you might show more kindness to a few more mages.”
“Mages?” Jordan also stared into the cave. “I'm already nice to mages. You're the templar. You be nice to them.”
“I try to be,” said Thrask. “But as a templar, I can't show too much leniency. It is a badge of shame within the Order. But you, however, can do what I cannot. You see in that cave,” he pointed. “Right in there is a group of apostates that came from the Circle in Starkhaven. They have killed every templar who has tried to approach them so far. Either to capture or just talk. I believe they are using blood magic according to the reports. I was hoping you might be able to go in there and speak with them. Convince them to come to the Gallows and rejoin the Circle.”
Jordan blinked a few times from all the information. “Let me get this straight... You want me to go in there, where there's blood mages who have killed templars, and try and convince them to go back to the Circle?”
“Yes,” Thrask nodded.
“How did they escape in the first place? Starkhaven's Circle isn't the Gallows, but it's still not an easy place to get away from.”
“I don't know much, all I know is that their Circle burned to the ground and the templars from there sent word they believed a few of their mages might have fled our way. They want us to locate them and take them in if we can. It was nearly impossible to find them, due to their phylacteries having been burned with the Circle, but I was able to find them. They've been hiding in this cave for a long time now.”
“I don't know,” said Jordan. “I had Feynriel go to the Dalish. I don't believe in the Circle, why should I force them to go back?”
“Because if you don't, they will be killed,” Thrask said seriously. “Knight-Commander Meredith has already given us permission to use deadly force if necessary.”
“To kill them?”
“If they should attack and use blood magic. I like to think I'm a rationale templar, that I wouldn't go straight for the kill. I want to negotiate with the mages first, have them see reason. But other templars see the permission to use deadly force as justification to kill and torture them. I know Ser Karras is one of them, and he is on his way, right now, with several other templars to apprehend the apostates.”
“And you don't think they're just going to try and capture them?”
Thrask shook his head. “I found the apostates, then sent word to you first, hoping you would arrive before he would. Now I hope you will have enough time before he arrives to convince the mages to surrender so there is no bloodshed.”
Jordan wasn't liking this. She stared from the cave to Thrask, then to her friends as she thought. “More templars are coming, you said?”
“Yes.”
“Shit. Alright, I'll do it, but me and all my friends are to leave without incident. Is that understood?”
“It is,” Thrask bowed. “But you must be careful when Ser Karras arrives. If he notices your friend, then there will be nothing I can do.”
Jordan nodded. She then made her way past Thrask and went into the cave. It was dark within, quiet except for the occasional drop of water in the distance. Jordan stepped slowly, her eyes adjusting to the lack of light. She gestured for the others to step lightly, and for Merrill to not cast any type of light. She didn't want to startle the mages, but she also didn't want to give away they were coming.
“Careful,” Merrill whispered. “I can already sense them. There are traps around, and--”
Jordan took a step and felt something snap beneath her feet. When she looked down, she saw what appeared to be a broken arm bone covered in a thin film of mummified flesh. The rest of its body was contorted, the skull separated from the body and missing the bottom jaw. There were many other similar skeletons laying about the chamber.
“Perfect,” Jordan muttered. “No wonder these mages chose this cave. They have a whole army in waiting.”
“Which is why I suggest we hurry,” said Aveline.
“Of course. Merrill, take us around the traps. Lead us to them.”
Merrill went in front of Jordan and took them through the cave, into chambers filled with more corpses. She had to occasionally stop and study a new area as the traps became more and more numerous and complicated.
“They must really not want any templars sneaking up on them,” said Isabela as she studied a corpse at her feet. “Ooh, this one has a really nice ring on its finger. I wonder how much it would be worth...”
“Don't touch it, Isabela,” said Merrill, seeing the rogue was about ready to take the ring. “That might set off the trap.”
“By taking a ring?” Isabela did have her hand out, ready to grab the ring, but only kept it hovered over the corpse. “It's just a ring.”
“Just don't touch it, please.”
“I don't see the harm in it, but all—Hey!” Isabela screamed, and everyone turned to see her fighting the corpse that had reached up and grabbed around her wrist. “Get it off me!”
“Isabela, what did you do?” Jordan heaved.
“I didn't do anything! I swear!” She pulled on her hand to get it loose. Grabbing one of her daggers, she then cut the corpse's hand from its body. The corpse hissed, which caused the other corpses laying about the chamber to stir and rise from the ground.
“Damn it, Isabela!” Aveline yelled as she pulled out her own weapons and began defending herself from the corpses. “Can't you ever keep your hands to yourself?”
“I seriously did not touch that damn corpse or the bloody ring around its finger!” Isabela yelled back as she stabbed two corpses in the chest, then kicked the head off of a third. “Merrill told me not to, so I didn't! The thing just grabbed me!”
“Well you did something to provoke it!”
“I did nothing!”
“Help! Help me, please!” A young boy suddenly appeared in the chamber, screaming as several more corpses chased after him. He was in foreign mage robes that were too big for him. He tripped on the hem and fell over, crashing to the ground. One of the corpses chasing him lifted its sword to strike down on him, but was blasted away by one of Merrill's arcane bolts.
“Stay down!” Jordan yelled at him as she jumped on the back of another corpse going after him. She swung her legs out, using the momentum to toss the corpse to the side. It stumbled as she pushed it, cracking its skull against the wall. Another corpse hissed and knocked its shield against her. Jordan twisted to flank it, cutting its shield-arm off with Edge. Its head then exploding when Varric fired at it.
Despite how many corpses there were, they were all taken care of fairly quickly. Jordan checked to make sure none of them would get up again before focusing on the boy.
“Th-thank you,” he stammered as he got to his feet. “I thought I was going to die down here in this... this tomb!”
“Who are you?” Jordan asked.
“I...” The mage stared at her, scared. “Are you with the templars?”
“I'm here to help you.”
“Yes, you did help me with those corpses. Can you take me back to the Circle? I'll go back. I don't want to be here anymore. Not with... him!”
“Him?”
The boy looked down at the ground. “Decimus... it was his decision. He kept saying the templars would label us blood mages if we fled—why not use it if it's our best tool? He slit his wrist, and the magic... it rose from the blood and woke the skeletons in the cave. I ran. Decimus is wrong—blood magic is a work of evil, not just a power the templars keep from us for spite!” He rose his gaze back to hers, tears in his eyes. “Please, my name is Alain. I want to go back to the Circle. I know I'll be safe there.”
“Do you really fear this Decimus that much?” Jordan asked.
“I just want to go home,” Alain sobbed.
“Okay, if that's what you wish,” Jordan said sympathetic. “Then go out that way. Outside is a templar named Thrask. Tell him what you told me. He'll take you to the Gallows where you'll be safe.”
“I will,” he nodded. “Thank you. And... please. If you are going in there, be careful. Decimus is crazy, and the others follow him blindly.”
“So they are using blood magic?”
“Yes. To its full extent.” Alain sobbed again as he looked in the direction he had come from.
Jordan could see the fear clearly on his face. “Go on, Alain. Thrask waits outside.”
“Th-thank you... again.” Alain then took off toward the cave entrance.
“Joy. We get to deal with blood mages now,” said Isabela.
“Hopefully we won't have to deal with them,” said Jordan. “But be prepared just in case.”
***
The chamber the mages were in wasn't far from where they had fought the corpses. Jordan saw they were all huddled together in the middle, a light surrounding them as the man standing in the center appeared to be the source. What he was doing, Jordan couldn't quite understand. The mages around him took everything in, praising and bowing to him as if he was their savior. As Jordan and the others got closer, the man snapped opened his eyes, ceasing the light, and glared at them.
“They're here!” he yelled, pointing an excusing finger at Jordan. “The templars have come to take us back to the Circle!”
Some of the other mages gasped and stood. Others prepared themselves, grabbing their staffs and summoning magic around them.
“Hold up!” said Jordan. “We're not templars, and we're not here to force you back to the Circle!”
“Decimus, stop!” one of the women cried. “I believe her. She is no templar!”
“What do I care what shield they carry?” Decimus raised his hands, strong magic began to flow about the chamber. “I will not go back. I will not let them take you. I do this for you, love. I do this because it is the only way!”
“Decimus, no!”
He didn't hear her. Decimus took a knife and slit it across his wrist. The blood flowed, magic grew and twisted. His body began to twist and glow. Shrieks from some of the mages, including the woman, as they backed away from him. Others grinned with satisfaction as they, too, began cutting their wrists and sent deadly magic Jordan's way.
“Maker, damn them!” Jordan cursed as she moved, barely evading an arcane bolt. “Come on, people. I'm trying to help you escape!”
Decimus's form finally stopped glowing, stopped twisting. What stood where he was, was an abomination of pride. His skin was frozen with cracks all around draining dark red blood. His eyes were hard set, nothing about them human. They bored into Jordan's before Decimus screamed and ran right at her.
Jordan didn't wait for him to reach her. She jumped to her feet and headed for him, meeting him halfway. As her friends took care of the rest of the mages and corpses that had started rising from the ground, Jordan collided with the abomination Decimus had made of himself. His claws raked against Edge and Ripper. Jordan's muscles strained as she fought the abomination back, trying to keep him from overwhelming her. He thrashed at her. She would duck and block, going around him, but never being able to catch him off guard. The pride abomination was strong, and his icy skin protected him better than Jordan thought it would.
Decimus hissed and struck. Jordan didn't move fast enough. His clawed hand raked against her face, cutting across her check and barely missing her eye. Jordan backed off, feeling the blood spill down her face. There was a chuckle from the abomination as he laughed at her. As he tasted her blood on his fingertips.
“Your life ends here, mortal.”
Jordan felt her face, saw the blood on her hand. “That's just wonderful. Thank you. My sister's going to love hearing how I got this.”
Decimus growled at her. He then went to swipe again, but Jordan was able to block him. His other claw struck, but she was able to twist away from it. In her spin, Jordan took Ripper and raked it against the icy skin. The serrated edge caught on one of the cracks and ripped it open even further. Decimus screamed and whirled, further opening the break in his skin. Blood spilled down and he used it to hurl a spell at Jordan. She moved fast, but was only saved by holding Edge out to defuse the spell. Roaring with anger, Decimus lunged at her. He grabbed onto her wrists and forced Jordan to the ground, but she placed her feet in between their bodies. Pushing them into his abdomen, Jordan tossed Decimus over her head. He landed on his back, more blood squirting from the cracks in his skin from the impact. Jordan quickly jumped on top of him.
“I tried to tell you,” she said. “But as always, no one listens to me. Sorry, but you're making me do this.” The abomination sent out an angry hiss. He stirred under her, but Jordan planted Edge deep in his heart before he could fully get her off him. Decimus choked, his eyes rolling in the back of his head before stilling. Jordan removed herself from him as his body began to disintegrate.
With the death of Decimus, the corpses still fighting suddenly stopped and fell to the ground, back being dead. The other mages also stopped, feeling Decimus was no longer with them. They all stared at Jordan horrified, not sure if they should attack or not.
“Can I speak now without being attacked?” she asked.
The woman who had tried to keep Decimus from fighting slowly made her way over. She fell to her knees next to the pile of dust that was left of the blood mage. “You killed him,” she said through tears. “Oh, Decimus, you should have listened to me, love...” She then stood and stared at Jordan. “What is it that you want? Are you here to take us back to the Circle?”
“No, I'm here to warn you.”
“Warn us?”
“Yes. Templars know you're here. They also know you're using blood magic and have been given permission to use deadly force if they wish.”
“That's means they'll kill us for sure,” said one of the mages.
“We're doomed!”
“We need to fight back!”
“No, that's not what you need to do!” Jordan held up her hands. “Listen to me, please. I was sent in here by a templar named Thrask. He does not wish to kill you. He only wanted me to try and convince you to come back to the Circle peacefully. But that's not what I'm going to do.”
“So do you plan on killing us like you killed Decimus?” the woman asked.
“Kill her, Grace!” shouted another mage. “End her before she ends us!”
“I don't want to kill any of you,” said Jordan. “I didn't even want to kill Decimus, but he forced me. Becoming an abomination and trying to kill the person that wants to help you isn't the best thing to do.”
Grace seemed to relax as she studied Jordan and her friends. “You want to help us?”
“Yes.”
“Then... let me apologize. We did not mean to attack you.” She stared down at the pile of dust. “Decimus gave us the courage to face the templars. Without him, we would be prisoners still.”
“If he taught you any of that blood magic, you could have him up and walking in no time.”
Grace glared at her. “I don't see any humor in this. I warned him. I told him, once he marked himself as a blood mage, that was all anyone would see. Please... we only want our freedom.”
“And that's what I want to give you. Do you know if there is another way out of these caves?”
“There is.”
“Then take it. I'll go back to Thrask and tell him you're all dead. No need to go searching for you anymore.”
Grace didn't look convinced. “Your confidence almost makes me believe you...” she said softly. “But I spent two weeks traveling with these templars. They strike first and think after. They are far easier to kill than to fool.”
“I'm not killing any templars,” Jordan said firm.
“I hope you know what you're doing, then.” Grace nodded at her. “Thank you, Serah. We will head off deeper into the Free Marches.” She waved for the rest of the mages to follow her as she lead them to a tunnel at the back of the chamber.
“Was that the right thing to do?” Aveline asked. “That mage, Grace, I don't think we'll see the last of her.”
“Why would you say that?” Jordan said, staring at Aveline funny.
“Because it almost seems as if she has a vendetta out for you now. You did kill the man she loves, after all.”
“Wonderful. As if I don't have enough of those hanging over my head.”
***
“There are no more mages. They're all dead. The only one we found was this young man.” Jordan gestured to Alain who stood next to Thrask with his head down, staying quiet.
“You can't possibly believe this?” said Ser Karras. He was a man who appeared to have an itch to kill. He wasn't at all convinced. “It's clearly a lie. This woman is hiding those mages!”
“And why would I hide mages?” Jordan asked. She stared back at Varric, Isabela, and Aveline. Merrill hiding in the cave. “Can you believe this guy?”
“I don't even know who you are,” Karras said as he got in Jordan's face. “Why are you even here?”
“Excuse me, ser knight, but please... step back,” Jordan said, not backing down. “People who get this close to me usually regret it.”
“Just tell me who you are, woman.”
Jordan turned to Varric. “Please tell him,” she gestured.
“Of course,” Varric bowed. “I'm astonished Ser Thrask didn't mention that Ser Hawke, knight-lieutenant of the Order in Ferelden, was here at the knight-commander's personal invitation.”
“Uh, yes,” Thrask stumbled a little. “Yes, I was just about to tell him.”
“We've completed our investigation of the mages in those caves. There is no one left inside.”
“Really?” Karras said as he eyed Varric. “How come the knight-commander never mentioned her?”
“Because it was suppose to be kept quiet,” Varric explained. “Don't ask me why.”
“If you seriously don't believe me,” said Jordan. “Then go in the caves and see for yourself. You'll see the bodies. I obviously didn't receive these scratches from a bear.”
Ser Karras battled with himself. “Fine. If that's what you say, Ser Hawke.” He nodded her way. “Come you,” he said to Alain, pushing the young man. “Let's get you to the Gallows.”
“Y-Yes, ser. I'm coming,” Alain said as he kept his head down.
“Thank you for your services, Ser Hawke,” Thrask nodded before he went to follow Karras and the rest of the templars.
Jordan sighed. “So now that's over with. And I didn't get any coin for it!” She threw up her arms in frustration.
“I don't know about that,” said Isabela.
“Really? Unless Ser Thrask gave you something, this whole thing was a bust!”
“No, Ser Thrask didn't give me anything, but I do have something you might like.”
Jordan looked over to Isabela and saw in her hand was the ring she had been wanting to get from the corpse. “Isabela, I could kiss you!” Jordan said as she took the ring from her. It was a gold ring, one that looked valuable.
“Maybe later,” Isabela smiled. “Let's get back to Kirkwall first.”

Paraphrasing from Dragon Age 2
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Blood Promise