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Enthralled	By : celtwolf79 Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 6184 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
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She was so cold, so incredibly cold.  She had set herself up for this.  This was her fault.  Had she not been so stupid as to go to confession for the first time since she was a child, none of this would have happened.  The one she should have trusted most, the one who she'd foolishly placed her hopes and dreams on, was the one who broke the sanctity of the confessional and now it was all crashing down.  She felt numb and let that sensation soak further into her soul.  Her eyes closed from their sightless perusal of the wall in front of her, no longer hearing the voices that surrounded her.  It was over.

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"C'mon, Kitten, you have to eat," Varric pushed the tray of food toward her.  She curled up tighter in the chair and nudged it away from her.

"Not hungry."

"You're not doing yourself any favors if you won't eat."

"What's the point?  Eating isn't going to solve my problem."

"While I abhor the thought of doing this, do I need to get Merrill in here and have her force you to eat?" Anders asked.

Siobhann shrugged and pulled the blanket further over her shaking limbs.  Sebastian and Carver entered the room moments later, a bit out of breath.

"He still hasn't returned home.  Can't find trace of him anywhere," Carver gasped.

"Maker's breath!  Has she not moved since the last time we were here?" Sebastian walked around to the chair she was sitting in and as he tried to capture her gaze, she turned her face away from his.

"She won't eat either," Anders sighed.

"Your fault, Choir Boy.  I know Kitten well enough that from the first moment he had her in his clutches she was looking for an out and you took that away from her.  Good job!"

"It needed to come out, Varric!  How long was she to suffer until something was done?  Now everyone knows and we can be more vigilant!"

"You broke the sacred trust of the confessional, Sebastian.  I trusted you.  Now look where it's gotten me," she sighed, her eyes fluttering closed.

"I will keep you safe, Siobhann, I promise this.  With the Maker guiding my path, you will get through this!"

"Oh go stuff your Maker!" Carver growled, "I've never seen her like this before.  Even when things seemed to be their worst, she found some way to find hope - and if she couldn't find it within herself, she looked elsewhere.  She's not even bothering now."

Fenris looked around the room as he padded in on bare feet, his eyes zeroing in on Siobhann and he slipped around the others to kneel in front of the impossibly small ball of mage.  Leaning forward, he whispered in her ear.

"When we find them, do you want me to do the deed?  Do you want me to fist them to death?"

He pulled back to watch her for a reaction and her eyes just focused downward off of him as she nodded slightly.  He sighed as it wasn't the reaction he was looking for, wishing for the woman who made perverted remarks about his lyrium abilities to return.

"Please?" her voice was soft and tiny.

"As you wish," he bowed to her, his eyes never leaving her pale face, even when he left her side.

The routine continued every day for the next week; Varric, Carver, and Sebastian being the only constants at her side - the others flitted in and out when their schedules allowed.  At one point Merrill was even brought in, only to shake her head later with the reply that Siobhann's mind was so blank there was nothing there for her to grab a hold of to even try to control for something as simple as a meal.

"She's dying in front of my eyes and I can't do anything to stop it.  I wish I could find my uncle and kill him for this," Carver whispered, kneeling in front of her, "I already lost Bethany.  I don't want to lose her too."

"It's in the Maker's hands now, not ours," Sebastian sighed, resting a hand on Carver's shoulder.

"Would you shut up about the Maker?  Siobhann's a real person, not some plaything for a god who could care less about those he abandoned so long ago," he hissed, standing and shrugging Sebastian's hand off.  His body stiff and rigid, he stalked up to the brother until they were nose and nose.

"You caused this, you're going to help fix it, not leave it up to some mystical being to decide the outcome, if I have to stand there and make sure it's done.  Now, you and I are going to get back out there and see what we can find."

He turned to place a kiss on Siobhann's forehead before pushing Sebastian out the door.  Varric looked down at the woman curled up in the chair and sighed, reaching out to rub her shoulder gently.

"I'll be back soon, Kitten.  I need to check on a few things.  I'll make sure Nora and Edwina come up every so often to check on you until I return."

He slipped silently out of the room, Bianca strapped to his back, and gave the waitresses instructions regarding the mage prior to leaving the establishment.  Siobhann shivered under the blanket, waiting a while until she was sure they were all far enough away from the tavern, then stood on shaky legs.  Stretching, she padded over to where her staff and boots were stashed, slipping her feet into the worn leather and buckling them up.  Sheathing her staff, she snuck out of the tavern, stopping a moment to let the heat of the day soak into her skin.

"I'm coming for you, uncle," she whispered as she slipped down the alleyways and side streets.  She already knew that, thanks to Sebastian's betrayal, Gamlen would be aware that he was living his last few days.  She wondered if he'd have templars waiting for her at the Rose when she came for their appointed meeting.  Shrugging, she continued on her way.  Unbeknownst to her, a shadow followed her as soon as she entered the alley leading to the establishment.

"You've missed our last two appointments, niece," his voice rasped along her skin.  He stretched out in the chair, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I was under lock and key, uncle," she retorted, "Blame the brother who learned of our arrangement, not me."

"Secret got out either way, m'dear.  And, oh look, our friend Alrik has arrived with his friends.  You're not getting out of this so easily, sweets.  I told you what would happen if anyone learned of this."

"I won't make it easy for them, or for you," she growled, unsheathing her staff and extending it to its full length.  As she called forth lightning to spear the rushing templars, she was caught off guard by Fenris dashing into the room.  Her attention elsewhere, Alrik and the others grabbed her and pulled her arms behind her, her grip on her staff lost.  As she kicked and screamed to get out of their grasp, her only relief was in watching Fenris wrench the heart of her uncle out of his body.  By the time he had grabbed her staff and run after the templars, they had disappeared.  Cursing, he ran back to his mansion to grab his sword before heading to the Hanged Man.

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"I got it!  I got what we need to neutralize Ser Alrik!" Anders exclaimed as he ran into Varric's room.  He skidded to a stop at the sight of the empty room.  Confusion wrinkled his brow.  He looked over to where Siobhann had kept her things, fear mounting as they were missing.

"Shit," he whispered.

"What's up, Blondie?" Varric asked from the doorway.

"She's gone and so is her staff."

"Damnit!  What do I bet you she decided to take care of him herself.  Sebastian's blabbing probably forced her into a confrontation before she was ready," he sighed.

"We need to alert the others."

"Alert the others about what?" Carver asked, shoving a weary Sebastian into the room.

"Kitten's gone, probably after your uncle.  Damnit, I should have just waited for one of you to return before I went off to do my business instead of leaving her alone."

"Not like you knew she'd up and run, Varric.  With how she'd been acting, none of us would have expected her to bolt," Anders said.

"Probably felt she had no other choice.  Not like we let her out of our sight so she could try and fix things before now, and she's missed what, two? three? visits with him and we're all over the city looking for him," Carver stated.

"What's going on now?" Isabela yawned as she walked into the room.

"Sister's gone."

"Shit."

"They've got her!  The templars have her!" Fenris gasped as he ran into the room.  The others stared at him blankly, his words not quiet yet sinking in.

"What's that in your hand?" Sebastian asked as he looked at the blood dripping from the elf.

"Gamlen's heart.  Didn't realize I still carried it.  I have her staff with me too," he nodded his head back to where it was strapped next to his sword.

Varric blinked a few times then shook his head, staring at Fenris.

"Repeat that again?"

"The templars have Siobhann.  By the time I had ripped into Gamlen, they were dragging her out.  They were gone before I had a chance to do anything," he sighed, slumping against the door frame.

"Damnit, we might not have enough time to get her before they do any permanent damage," Varric kicked the nearest chair, sending it crashing against the wall.

"I think I know where Alrik takes them.  There's a tunnel we use to sneak mages out from the Gallows.  We can use it to get to her," Anders looked at the others gathered.

"Lead the way.  They're not making my sister tranquil."

"I'm with you," Sebastian stated.

"Damn straight you're coming with.  You started this, you're going to help fix it, Choir Boy," Varric's voice was hard as he stared up at the man.

"Like I said, it needed to come out!"

"And now she's in the hands of the templars because of your big mouth!  I don't know what it is she sees in you, I really don't," he shook his head.

"We should get going.  It's not exactly a short walk from here to Darktown, y'know," Anders reminded them.

"Right behind you, Blondie."

"Not without me, you're not.  I don't take the kidnapping of friends lightly," Aveline stood at the doorway, her arms folded over her chest.

"How did you…?"

"I saw them dragging her away.  While I could not, officially, do anything at that moment,  I'm doing something unofficially right now, got it?"

"What's going on here?" Merrill's cheerful voice broke through the crowd.

"Just follow us and we'll fill you in on the way," Anders answered as the group left the tavern.

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"Do you know what we do to apostates, especially those accused of blood magic?" Alrik crooned to Siobhann.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, ser," her eyes blazed into his.

"Oh don't play games.  We know what you are and that your uncle was unfortunately under your blood magic curse.  Don't think we don't know that you tried to use sex to keep him from reporting you."

She began to laugh, a bit hysterically, her body shaking in its bonds, as the irony of the situation hit her.  She looked up at the templar from the chair she was tied to, mirth in the violet-blue depths.

"Then shouldn't there be proof of my supposed blood magic?  Scars and the like?"

"The really good ones don't leave markings behind, as you should well know.  Even so, you're still an apostate who's never seen the inside of a circle.  That right there is crime enough to make you one of the Tranquil."

"I'll take as many of you down as I can before you even think of trying to brand me."

"Oh and what can the little girl do with her hands tied behind her back, hmmm?"

Her grin was feral as she pulled at the power within her, then she let it explode, the men flying back, some of them smacking hard into the walls.  The others staggered, dizzy from her onslaught.

"Not all spells require hands, y'know," she chuckled.  As he stalked toward her, she brought a finger to her rope bindings, and began whittling it down with bursts of tiny flames.  By the time he reached her, the rope had burned completely through and she brought her hands up in front of her, catching him and the others in a circle of ice.

"You will not touch me!" she screamed.  She dashed out of the room just barely making it into the cavern below before she was grabbed.

"We can do it just as easily here as up there," he growled in her ear.  She looked around at the group of templars surrounding her in the dank tunnel.  One of the men twisted her arms and clamped them to her sides, earning a cry of pain that echoed through the underground passage.

"That's it!  That's her!  We're going in the right direction!" Anders whispered hoarsely as the others increased their pace.

She slumped in the templar's arms, the group so tight around her that she knew she had no means of escape.  She hung her head, her eyes closing as Alrik stepped up to her.

"That's right, don't fight it.  You know you can't escape," he whispered in her ear as he tilted her face up to his.  He reached his hand out to one of the men, palming the brand, his eyes locked with hers.

"Interesting isn't it, how it's lyrium that you need for your spells, but that it's also the component used to lock you from the Fade," he smirked as he pressed the brand against her forehead with his thumb.

If anything was said afterward, she didn't hear it.  Coldness seeped into her being.  Tears slid down her cheeks as she was released.  Her eyes stared sightlessly at the stone wall in front of her and her body crumpled to the soft moss beneath her feet.  This was her fault.  She wasn't strong enough to escape.  She was the one who let emotion rule her actions, the one who trusted in the sanctity of confession.  She was so cold, so incredibly cold.  Numbness swept through her body as she curled up tighter, the laughter of the men surrounding her barely audible.

"Pick her up.  We need to get back to finish the rite.  The brand only does so much, but is reversible.   This one is finally docile enough now that we can complete the rest without her fighting us."

"You will never touch another mage as long as I live!" Justice's voice rang out in the cavern.  She could hear the sounds of the battle raging around her.  One of Bianca's bolts whistled above her head as it connected with the man trying to lift her.  Her eyes closed as she let the numbness overtake her, blocking out the shouts and clanging of weapons.

The last templar downed, Varric and Carver rushed over to Siobhann.  Kneeling beside her, Varric brushed her hair out of her face and a low moan escaped him at what he saw.  Carver's eyes hardened and he stood up, striding over to Sebastian, his fist connecting with the man's jaw before anyone knew what was happening.

"What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his jaw.

"She's fucking branded!"

"Shit," he sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"My sister is tranquil and it's your fault!" he yelled, drawing back to hit the man again then stopped by Fenris's grip on his wrist.

"Beating him to a pulp won't help matters.  Let's get her out of here before we take the chance of anyone coming down here to see what's going on."

Carver sighed and nodded, then turned back to where Siobhann and Varric were.  He stood, watching, as the dwarf sat there, her head pillowed on his thigh, as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Let me have her, Varric.  We're getting her out of here," he murmured, "And for what it's worth, I wish it was you she was so intent on, not Andraste crotch over there."

Varric nodded, standing as Carver lifted her into his arms.  The group was somber as they trudged back the way they came.

"Anders's clinic or the Hanged Man?" the dwarf asked.

"Hanged Man would probably be safer.  There aren't any templars skulking around there," Aveline answered.

"According to a letter I found in his pack, Alrik was the only one who Gamlen was in touch with, so with him dead, no one else will be coming after her.  Also looks like the threats of Tranquility against even Harrowed mages were all his idea and rejected by both the Divine and the Knight Commander.  Good to know," Anders sighed in relief.

"I wish she'd open her eyes," Carver whispered.

"I wish we'd gotten there sooner," Fenris muttered.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry this happened.  None of this was my intent," Sebastian stated.

"You should have listened when she asked you to keep quiet.  I might not like mages, but she's different.  She didn't deserve this."

"No she didn't, but I still stand by my decision.  I'm sure something can be done for her, but both Gamlen and Ser Alrik paid, didn't they?"

"You can't cure Tranquil, Choir Boy," Varric growled.

"It's like trying to heal a beheading.  Can't be done," Anders shot back at Sebastian.

"Then we take care of her.  It's not like she can't have a normal life.  I've seen these Tranquil owning their own businesses, working jobs…"

"Perhaps that's normal to you, but how would you like to live out your life with no emotions?  Unable to feel love, or joy, sadness, or anything else?  That's the price a mage pays when they're cut off from the Fade, from their magic," Anders said sadly.

"You… you have no emotions as a tranquil?" Sebastian's eyes went wide.

"None at all."

"Maker, what have I done?" he asked.

"Enough," Carver spit out.

"I think I'll head back to the Chantry.  Maybe I can find some guidance while there…"

"Good.   We don't need you, she doesn't need you.  We take care of our own," Carver stated, looking down at his sister.  Sebastian sent one last sad look at the group as they entered the tavern before shuffling off toward Hightown and the Chantry.

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"Put her down on the bed," Varric said as they entered his room.  He helped remove her boots and tuck her under the sheets.  His hand lingered on her hair, his thumb brushing lightly over the brand on her forehead, before he stepped back, his eyes downcast.

"I wonder…" Carver began, then sighed as he looked down at her.

"What?" Aveline's voice was gentle as she walked up beside him and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Remember what happened when Justice came out as we were fighting the templars, the night Anders tried to help his friend Karl?"

"He came out of his tranquil state for a while," Anders breathed.

"If Justice could be called forth enough times, think it might help break her of what they did to her?"

"It might work…" Aveline murmured.

"Anything's worth trying, if it helps Kitten," Varric sighed.

Anders concentrated on his hatred of templars, of the sight of them surrounding Siobhann, the brand on her forehead, and Justice broke through.

"I will kill them all!"

"They're already dead, Justice, but they've damaged Siobhann," Carver said.  Justice stalked to the bed and lay his hand on her head.  She sucked in a breath and opened her eyes, the numb state retreating.  Her gaze darted around at those surrounding the bed.

"Before… before I go back…it's not permanent.  Heard them say brand can be reversed but they didn't do the whole rite.  Fix it please!" she sobbed.  Varric crawled up on the bed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

"We'll fix it Kitten.  Shhh, we'll take care of it," he whispered, his hand running down the length of her hair.  She clutched at his back as she cried on his shoulder, her sobs weakening as she slipped back into her previous state.

"She speaks the truth.  I can still feel a tie between her and the Fade," Anders said as Justice calmed, "It's faint, but still there."

"While I wouldn't trust going to the Knight Commander with this, think that Knight Captain Cullen, or perhaps Ser Thrask, might help?  We've done them favors in the past," Aveline pondered.

"It's worth giving it a shot.  Not like anything worse can happen," Carver replied.

"I'll send them a request to meet in the morning.   Until then, all I can suggest is we all try to rest up and keep her comfortable.  Anyone who wants to be there for the meeting, be at my office three hours past dawn."

Aveline squeezed Carver's shoulder gently before making her exit.  Varric shivered as he lay Siobhann back against the pillows.

"I don't know if it's because they didn't finish the rite, but by the Ancestors her skin is like ice!"

"She's caught in an in-between place.  They were in such a hurry to subdue her that they screwed up.  She's not here but she's not in the Fade either.  Not cut off, but not fully able to reach it.  I think what she's dealing with is worse than being Tranquil, to be honest.  We just need to keep her warm, body heat being the best."

"I'll take care of it," Varric said.

"I'll be in my room if you need me," Carver walked over to kiss his sister on the forehead one last time before turning toward the door.

"Other than myself, you're one of the few people I trust to be alone with her," he said before exiting.

"I've got it from here, Blondie."

Anders nodded before leaving the room himself.  With a gentleness that would surprise most, Varric set about undressing her, then grabbed a few extra blankets from his trunk.  Stripping himself, he curled under the sheets and piled the blankets around them.  Gathering her close, he closed his eyes, but not before uttering a prayer of his own.

"While I might be a surfacer, if you're listening, Ancestors I ask that you be with her.  She's the only good thing I have to hold onto in this life."
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Enthralled