Trouble Brewing
Late that very night, Mel and Fen were roaming around the Wounded Coast, not hunting or patrolling but just enjoying the cool night air. Mel thought back on the events earlier in the compound and on Fenris’s explanation for the claim he gave the Arishok. He had explained how the Qun demands control, even over chaos, and that all should stay within their intended role. Because she claimed to be a woman but yet fought like a man, she was a sign of rebellion against the Qun. And because Fen, a wild beast of great strength, fought beside her, he was seen as a potential threat against the Qun as animals are thought to be ruled by their instincts yet he has gone against those in his accompany of her across Thedas. So to the Qun, she was viewed as in possession of a chaotic power and without a handler. By claiming that she followed his command, Fenris was claiming to be Mel’s, and through her Fen’s, handler. Mel hadn’t like how any of that sounded and when he continued to explain how this was how the Qun dealt with their mages, she had felt sick and had abruptly left, running back to the Coast and the safety she felt whenever she was with Fen.
Fen stopped moving and sniffed the air, letting out a low growl and informing Mel that there is something up ahead. He led them along the cliff and when he stopped, they peered over and saw a group of Qunari gathering about a fire. Mel the spotted what appeared to be the bodies of many slain Qunari, not Tal-Vashoth, and wondered what the Void had happened here. And what were the survivors waiting for?
The answer came to her when she then saw another group, this time of all too familiar figures plus one unfamiliar, exit a cave just uphill from the Qunari. She watched as Hawke, Varric, Merrill and Anders appeared to escort a Qunari bound in chains and wore a heavy collar. Remembering Fenris’s description of the Qun’s treatment of mages almost made Mel gag and she and Fen quickly made their way to Marian’s group as the waiting Qunari spotted them and all stood.
Merrill smiled at Mel as she approached. “Veni’vheraan!”
“Merrill. What are you doing out here again? And with one of those?” She indicated the bound Qunari, noticing his stitched lips and feeling sick again. Fen rubbed against her side in comfort.
Merrill looked at the Qunari, her eyes tearing up. “Isn’t what’s been done to him horrible? Just because he’s a mage! We’re taking him to his freedom.”
“What? How…”
“This Chantry lady asked Hawke to help with taking the guy outside the city and away from the Qun,” answered Varric. “Anders thinks it’s a trap. And it looks like he may be right.”
Anders glanced at him as they all slowly made their way down the hill towards the waiting group. “Don’t sound so surprised.” Marian shushed them all as they drew nearer. The Qunari all gather behind a particular one that wore a helm and held a strange rod. All of the warriors were heavily armed.
“You will hold, basra vashedan!” commanded the group’s leader. “I am Arvaarad and I claim possession of Saarebas at your heel.” Hawke looked to the bound Qunari who remained silent and Fen let out a soft growl. “The members of his karataam were thought to be killed by Tal-Vashoth but their disposal leads only here, to Saarebas and you.”
Mel wished Fenris was present to translate.
Marian spoke cautiously, “I just got here, coming from the other way. If there was a trail, we did not leave it.”
“I saw them exit that cave just now,” added Mel, pointing back up the hill. Fen sniffed the air and growled softly. “And Fen doesn’t recognize the scent on your dead, so it wasn’t her nor was it likely Tal-Vashoth.” To Marian. “Who’d you piss off now?”
Before Hawke could answer, Arvaarad continued, “Yet you are here with Saarebas. The crime is his freedom, his leash held by unknowning basra. We will not allow that danger to continue.” Mel thought back to Fenris’s words and true understanding of her stand with the Qun and the danger there began to dawn. “Let your own mages doom you – Saarebas will be properly confined.”
Marian refused to stand down. “And if he doesn’t want to go back?”
Arvaarad breaks from the group abruptly and advances on chained Qunari, startling Mel and Marian into drawing their weapons. Anders and Merrill gripped their staffs and Fen’s growl grew in volume. But Arvaarad stopped in front of the Saarebas and commanded, “Saarebas! Show that your will remains bound to the Qun!” Immediately, the Qunari mage knelt, growling. Fen answered with his own. Arvaarad waved a hand at the kneeling Qunari. “He has only followed you because he wants to be led. He is allowed no other purpose.”
Marian frowned at the sight of the kneeling Qunari and then she looked over the slain Qunari that hadn’t even been moved by their brethren. “You don’t care that someone abused your dead to get you here?”
Arvaarad didn’t even look behind him. “No doubt they were cast from your shoulders as you or your partner thieves grew weak.”
“You still think they were responsible for their deaths!” Mel said, outraged. Fen began to snarl.
“Tell your beast to heel!” the Qunari warrior demanded.
Mel almost instinctively shouted back she didn’t command him but she remembered Fenris’s words and fearful for her partner, she placed a hand to his head and murmured, “Fen.” The red lion immediately fell silent but remained on high alert.
The Arvaarad turned back to Marian. “It is a crime whose victims are beyond caring. It will be dealt with but the greater threat is clear. It is my role to secure Saarebas. It is the role of another to purge the perversions of your kind.”
“I’ve met with your leader. The Arishok would not want a potential ally challenged in this way.”
Varric leaned toward Marian. “That may be a little presumptuous.”
The Arvaarad didn’t appear impressed. “Claiming to know the will of the Arishok with Saarebas in your care is maraas imekari, a child bleating without meaning.”
“Apparently he thinks so too,” said Mel.
“The Arishok knows what is to be done with Saarebas who lose their Arvaarad. There is no greater threat to their control.”
Marian shook her head and begged for an explanation. “He is bound and abused and you want him caged? Why?”
The Arvaarad turned away and began to pace. “The power that he had, that all Saarebas have, draws from chaos and demons. They can never be in control.”
Marian sighed in sorrow. “So you fear them.”
“Like so many others,” muttered Anders.
Arvaarad turned and approached them again. “We leash Saarebas because they are dangerous and contagious. Not even your Templars fully grasp that threat.”
Mel couldn’t hold back her anger any longer, the image of Dayton collared and chained with lips stitched shut too much for her to bear. “Not all mages are dangerous! My brother, he is a healer! He’s given no reason to be feared!” In her desperate attempt to defend her family, she missed the looks of surprise from the others aimed at her when she spoke of her brother. It further surprised them when it was Anders that placed a comforting hand to her shoulder.
“You waste your breath,” he gently spoke while glaring at the Qunari. “He will never tolerate my kind.”
“It is a shame,” added Merrill. “We’re nice people.”
Varric noticed how this startled the Qunari. “Uh Daisy…”
“You… are Saarebas? Bas Saarebas?” Mel wondered what he had thought the staffs were. He turned back to the rest of his party. “Vashedan! Nehraa sataa karasaam!” He turned back to Hawke and spat, “You spewed your words at me, like a demon trying to poison my control. Like these mages, the Qun requires your death!” He drew his weapons as did the others.
Marian got into position but tried one last time to end this without a fight. “Okay, first of all, I’m not a mage. Secondly, they are no threat to you or anyone!”
“Bas Saarebas! They shall be no threat to anyone!” He waves the strange rod in his hand and they are startled when Saarebas collapsed with a groan. The Arvaarad gave the command to attack and the Qunari charged forward. Mel quickly dived to the side and spent most of the fight throwing her daggers and retrieving them from their intended targets. The fight soon ended mostly due to Merrill and Anders’s attacks as it was clear that their unleashed magic unnerved the Qunari. Mel grew worried part way through the fight when she noticed Anders’s eyes glow a brilliant and unnatural blue but when the fighting stopped, they had returned to normal. She snapped around when she heard running and saw a Qunari attempting to flee. She knew if he made it back to the compound, the Arishok may demand their heads. As if he knew what she thought, Fen surged forward and took down the fleeing warrior, cutting his cry short.
Marian approached Saarebas. “Can you stand?” He grunted and indicated the rod now laying in the dirt. Anders used his magic to destroy it and the Qunari stood.
“I am… unbound,” he said, his voice sore from years of silence. “Odd… wrong… but,” he faced Hawke, “you deserve honor. You are now Basvaarad, worthy of following. I thank your intent, even if it was… wrong.” He began to walk toward the cliff’s edge that jutted out over the sea. “I know the will of Arvaarad, I must return as demanded. It is the wisdom… of the Qun.”
Marian and Mel shared a disbelieving look and hurried after him. “So after all of this, now you want to die?” Marian asked.
“I do not want to die, I want to live by the Qun.”
“Which means dying.”
“It is not death if the spirit never lived,” muttered Mel. Varric and Fen attempted to offer her some comfort, each standing by her side.
“Yes,” Saarebas answered, stopping to face Hawke. “Is that hard to grasp?”
Marian attempted to persuade him to reconsider his actions, promising to help him find a new life or offering to allow him to join her group, but nothing could shake him of his faith and duty to the Qun. “Patrice might take you back if death is the only other option,” she tried once more.
“The sister was not honest.”
Marian jolted in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“I cannot say what she wanted but it was certainly not of the Qun. And her guard smelled of death. The beast would recognize it I believe.” He turned and walked once more.
“I can’t let you do this,” Marian protested, but she didn’t move to follow, accepting there wasn’t anything she could do.
“If you force choice, it is not choice. Your doubt does not make me wrong.”
“My head hurts. And my heart,” sniffed Merrill. Varric took her hand and squeezed it.
The Saarebas faced Hawke one last time. “Certainty is comfort. That is the way of the Qunari. The way of the Qun.” He turned back to face the sea and set himself a blaze. Everyone faced away, unable to watch as he silently burned to death. Marian turned into Anders’s arms, Merrill collapsed into Varric’s and sobbed into his shoulder while Mel sought comfort in Fen’s fur.
When the fire had died and only ash remained, Merrill spoke softly, “That was not right. It wasn’t, was it?” Varric shook his head as he patted her back.
Marian stepped from Anders and glared in the direction of Kirkwall. “She may not have known about this,” indicating the dead Saarebas, “but clearly Patrice set a trail right to us.”
Anders gripped his staff tightly and his eyes flashed bright blue. “If this was her doing, I have a few questions for her.”
Mel stood up. “Me too.”
***
Mel followed the others into the abandon building where they said they had met the Chantry sister. Mel had doubted whether she would still be there but then they heard voices upon entering. As they passed through the front room towards the back, they witnessed the Chantry woman ordering about a Templar. Mel felt Merrill tense and moved just in front of her.
“Leave nothing,” commanded Sister Patrice. “It must be clean with no ties. It…” She had turned and stumbled back when she saw the group waiting in the door way, surprised to see them. “Hawke!” Mel felt dark amusement at watching the woman attempt to recover from her shock. “It was Hawke, right? From the streets?” Marian crossed her arms but remained silent, staring the woman down. “You… took the Qunari from the city? Without incident?”
Merrill peeked over Mel’s shoulder. “Don’t be like that.” She hid again when the Templar looked her way.
Varric leaned against a wall. “I think the ‘incident’ was rather your idea.”
The Templar snapped at Varric, “Mind your tongue dwarf.”
Varric’s brow rose, not taking it personally, but Mel did. “Mind yours!” she shouted.
Patrice held up a hand, halting everyone’s movements. She looked to Marian. “Please. Do speak your mind.”
Marian glared at her. “Don’t string me along. You know that I know.”
The Chantry sister shook her head in false regret. “Whether you believe it or not, I wished you no harm. That might have been useful for someone but still regrettable. A massacre of citizens protecting a slave might have forced the Chantry to doubt appeasement, to see Qunari for the monsters they are.”
Mel and Anders both start to move forward in anger, but are held back by Varric and Merrill. Mel wasn’t a fan of the Qunari way herself but she could see similarities between how this Sister was attempting to portray the race and how the Chantry has portrayed mages for generations. All while shedding innocent blood, disregarding all lives involved and saying it was the will of the Maker. It was no wonder she no longer held any faith in the name.
Patrice gazed at them with mocking understanding. “Perhaps finding the mage was a rushed opportunity. If such a plot existed, I see how it might be… disagreeable to you.”
“’Disagreeable’… Your ‘Ketojan’ killed himself rather than be free. Because of the position you put him in!” argued Marian.
The Sister spread out her hands. “I assumed he wanted to escape just as I would. My pity is genuine but they are not like us.”
Marian shook her head. “If? Perhaps? Why continue to dance around this lie? I am standing right here!”
Patrice smiled, as if in victory, “If a member of the Chantry admitted instigation, I have no doubt it would result in more appeasement. But an accusation from a Lowtown thug… You are hardly that important.” She looked to Hawke’s companions. “And no one will listen to illegal mages nor a known vigilante.” Back to Hawke. “That is not an insult – it’s why I chose you. Rest assured, excuses, real or imagined, are not for your benefit.”
Marian’s glare filled with hate as she realized that she couldn’t win this one. “I won’t forget this, Sister.”
Patrice tossed a coin purse. “Take your coin. Disappear back into Lowtown.”
Marian let the bag fall to her feet. “I don’t want your coin.”
Surprise registered in her eyes before they turned cold again. “Very well. Rest assure, I will not make the mistake of looking for help outside the faithful again. The stakes – eternity – are just too high.” The Sister and Templar moved to leave but Mel stepped in front of the door, blocking their way.
The Templar growled, “Move.”
“No.”
“The Red Hood,” Patrice said smoothly. “Been to the Gallows lately?”
Mel froze up and paled slightly. “What?”
The Chantry woman smiled. “The Templar Order and thus the Chantry know of your comings and goings. Just who are you visiting? Friend? Family?” Mel moved to draw a dagger but her arm was caught in Marian’s grip.
“Do not threaten her,” warned Marian.
“Merely conversation Hawke.” Marian dragged Mel from the door and allowed the two to leave.
Varric looked to Mel in concern. “I think you should stay the night, kid. I don’t trust that woman not to try something if you attempted to leave the city tonight.” Mel stared at the door and nodded. It appeared she had made herself another powerful enemy.