Fanfic: Escape
Title: Escape or The Seven Times that Anders Ran - And the One Time He Didn't
Fandom: Dragon Age
Rating: M
Characters: Anders
Summary: A brief telling of Anders' seven escapes from the Circle Tower and the Templar that was charged with bringing him back.
The first time she caught him it was a fluke.
He didn't expect anyone else to be out so long after dark. Obviously she hadn't either because she started when he accidentally ran into her.
"You're a mage!" It was an exclamation, not a question.
"And you're a ....girl!" Had been his bumbling reply.
She'd thrown her hand to her bony hip, only slightly rounded from the early stages of womanhood. Begrudgingly she'd agreed to let him sleep in her family's barn. It had been the best night's sleep Anders' had had since he was taken into the circle.
The next morning the rough grasp of the Templar's hand jolted him awake. She stood at the door, beaming with pride as the Templar praised her for doing the right thing. His eyes met hers as he was dragged passed her, back to the Tower. She never stopped smiling.
That was the first time that Anders decided he hated girls; especially her.
~
He broke out again at fifteen. This time he only made it as far as the training yard. Again he made the mistake of thinking he would be the only one out that night, but this time he had the luxury of spotting them first.
She was practicing then as she had been the first time he saw her; training at night so she could prove herself to the boys during the day. He almost didn't recognize her, her body further progressed into womanhood and brown hair longer. But then he saw her smile and an instinctual hatred filled his blood.
In hindsight he realized that could have been from the Templar guard whom he had snuck passed earlier and was now sneaking up on him. Anders' yelp of surprise as the Templar's cold gauntlets touched his shoulder caused her to turn and look at him.
Again their eyes caught each other's gaze. Again she smiled.
Again Anders decided that he hated her.
~
His third escape was a present to himself, celebrating his sixteenth birthday.
This time he was braver, sneaking out during midday and making it to the far shore before he heard the Templars raise the alarm. He ran until his legs gave out and he collapsed in a farmer's pasture.
If only he had run a little further he would have recognized the barn.
This time it wasn't a Templar that jerked him awake, but the dull tip of a boot.
"You're going to keep getting caught if you choose to hide in obvious places." She told him, no humor written on her face.
"I only get caught because you show up." He replied, also without humor.
She only bothered to roll her eyes as she hauled him to his feet by his arm.
"So why did you run this time?" Her hair had gotten darker, the same shade as the dirt. And her body had finished filling out. Even in a pair of her father's slacks her femininity was obvious.
"Because its my birthday." He replied, surprised by his honesty. "Why aren't you in Templar classes?"
"Because its my birthday." She shrugged and started walking him back to the Tower.
On the way she stopped and bought two sweet pastries and a bottle of spiced cider for them to share. They sat on the shore of Lake Calenhad and celebrated their sweet sixteenth birthdays.
After that Anders decided that, maybe, he didn't hate her quite so much.
~
He ran again after rumors began to spread that he was to take his Harrowing. No mage took their Harrowing before the age of twenty. He was going to be taking it two years early. The thought terrified him.
"Anders, if I have to climb this tree I swear you are going to regret it."
He looked down and saw her, standing with her hand on a fully armored hip; the Templar crest stamped onto her chest. She was a Templar now.
"And don't tell me its your birthday again, because I know it isn't."
And she was alone.
"Where are the others?" He asked, not moving from his perch high up in the oak tree.
"There aren't any. I told the Knight-Commander I could get you myself."
"Trying to score brownie points so the boys don't tease you for your monthly mood swings?"
He could feel her glare rising up at him.
"Trying to get an apprentice mage back to the Tower so he can take his Harrowing." Again her voice lacked humor. She needed to loosen up.
"I...don't want to take my Harrowing."
"Why?" Her voice was incredulous, as if she understood exactly what a Harrowing was.
"Because..." Not even he knew the reason why he was afraid, but he was. And that was all that mattered.
There was quiet from the floor and Anders dared to look down again and saw that she had taken a seat against the tree's trunk, looking out at something he couldn't see.
"I was scared to take my vows." Her voice was quiet when she spoke again, thoughtful. "Scared that I wouldn't be good enough to live up to them. I know its not the same thing, but everyone is afraid."
He let himself laugh a little. "Does that mean you'll let me escape?" He asked with only a hint of hope.
She snickered and looked up at him, smiling. "Not a chance."
But she did let him sit in that oak tree until he had overcome he accepted his fate. They camped beneath the tree that night and began the trek back to the Tower the next morning.
As they walked Anders decided that hate was a strong word. As far as Templars were concerned, she wasn't so bad.
~
When it was time for him to take his Harrowing he was escorted by a pair of Templars to the top of the Tower, where Irving and Knight-Commander Greagoir waited for him. He also noticed that, in the corner, stood another Templar, the one who would be responsible for killing him should he take too long.
She wore a helmet but he recognized her immediately. He felt her smile and couldn't stop himself from smiling back. Suddenly he wasn't so afraid.
~
A year after becoming an official mage he ran again. It took her a week to catch up to him.
"Life in the Tower slowing you down? Usually you catch up to me earlier than this." He mocked as she came upon his camp one evening. While he was thankful, he also worried that she had come all this way alone.
"Don't go getting cocky, mage." She said as she took a seat next to his fire. "Did you stop and think that maybe I let you get a head start?"
"Oooo, someone's been a naughty Templar." He teased her with a grin. If he was willing to admit it, he would tell her that she was one of the reasons that he ran in the first place. Just so they would have a chance to talk in private again.
She snorted. "Hardly. The real reason it took me so long is because I had to stop and get food. I actually enjoy having a meal in my belly every night before I sleep. "
From beneath her shield she produced a cloth bundle and handed it to him. It smelled of warm bread, fruit, and meat. A better meal than anything he had been able to scrounge up on his own.
"You are too skinny, Anders, even if you are a mage."
"That's not my fault! You're the ones who feed us gruel." Although he knew that if she could have it her way they would all eat the same food at the same table, just like the two of them were doing now.
"Hey, that's not my fault." She laughed, smiling as she watched him scarf down the food. "Its just my job to catch those of you silly enough to leave."
"Ah! So that's why you left the basement door open!" He exclaimed with a grin.
Her smile grew and she only shrugged. "You caught me."
They sat by the fire and talked about their lives, the families they left behind, and how pretty the stars were. He discovered that she had a brother, Karl, who was in the Circle too. He was the reason she joined, because she wanted to make sure he was safe. That was when he decided that she was a Templar only in title. She was far too gentle to really be a Chantry guard dog.
When they finally slept they put their bedrolls next to each other, said goodnight, and quietly slipped into the Fade.
He never figured out how, but when he woke, his hand was wrapped around hers and in her sleep she was smiling.
~
"If it was alcohol you wanted, I could have snuck you some." She said as she took a seat next to him. Somewhere along the way she had disposed of her armor. Smart. People would wonder at the sight of a mage and a Templar sharing a drink.
"And risk my fellows discovering my secret? Never!" He told her as he passed her the tankard he'd been saving for her. He knew she would show up. She always did.
"Isn't that what private quarters are for?" She asked as she drank her ale. He was impressed that she didn't sputter. He never took her to be someone who could hold her alcohol.
"That among other things." He said with a sly grin.
"Such as?" The low tone of her voice and the look in her eyes made him quake with a desire he hadn't realized existed.
"Why don't we go upstairs and I'll show you." He purred, leaning in close enough to inhale the scent of her.
"A few more tankards, then we'll talk." She'd told him, drowning that sly smile of hers in ale.
~
It only took another tankard and a half before they retreated up to the room he had rented for the evening. As soon as the door was shut she was on him in a flurry of hands and smoldering kisses. Clothes were torn from their bodies in a frenzy to explore everything and commit it to memory.
When he finally laid her on the bed he entered her gently, realizing that he was more experienced than she. He watched her with concern until the pain written on her face gave way to pleasure and she begged him for more. He did not hesitate to give into his Templar's demands.
She accepted his magic as he brought her to completion twice before he finally gave himself over to the pleasure. His name was still falling from her lips in soft pants when he collapsed on top of her, resting his head between her breast. He listened to the beat of her heart as he came down from his high, savoring the feel of her fingers gently threading through his hair.
Emotions were left unspoken, expressed in the warm gaze they shared as he pulled her against him and kissed her goodnight. He watched her slowly doze off but remained awake, dreading the rising of the sun.
~
He paid heavily for that night. Upon their return to the tower he was banished to solitary confinement for a year. It was not a pleasant experience, but he had the memories of that night to get him through the worst of his loneliness. She came to see him when she could, but only had the sound of her voice to keep him company. Many nights she lamented that only the Knight-Commander had the key, otherwise he would be free again.
Anders told her that he didn't mind so much. His night with her was more than worth it.
~
He hadn't known about Uldred's attack on the tower until the smell of smoke reached him, followed shortly after by the screams of mages and Templars alike. It seemed like ages before someone finally came down into the dungeons. Together the two mages managed to blow the door off of his cell and he immediately ran back to the Tower.
"You're going the wrong way! There isn't any way out through there!" His fellow mage yelled after him.
"I'm not running away!" He yelled back before disappearing into the fire.
~
He found her on the second floor, close to his quarters. She was leaning against the wall in a pool of blood, a sword protruding from her stomach. Anders felt the breath leave his lungs as he looked at her, afraid he was already too late. But then she coughed, a weak, pathetic sound, and hope sprang anew in his chest.
"Its not fair to change the rules of the game without telling me." He teased lightly as he dropped to his knees next to her. "I'm not used to having to find you." He hoped that she couldn't hear the panic in his voice.
Slowly her eyes opened and she tried to smile at him, but it was weak and frail, just like her. "You're the one who didn't run away." She retorted and he thought he heard pride in her dry voice.
"Of course not. I can't run without knowing you're going to chase me down." He felt liquid in his eyes as he looked down at her. The sword was a Templars sword. But why?
"Uldred. He and his followers are using blood magic to control some of the others. They turned on me and I wasn't quick enough." She answered his silent question.
"Well its a good thing I'm here then. I can heal you." Even as he said the words he knew that it wasn't true. She had lost so much blood and though he couldn't see, he had a horrible feeling that the weapon had been driven all the way through.
Tears pricked the corners of his eyes and blurred his vision but he blinked them away, refusing to have any memory of her marred.
"Just give me a minute and let me heal-"
Her hand on his cheek cut him off and she shook her head slowly. "Its too late for me, Anders. They are going to start killing every mage here if the situation isn't brought under control. I won't....I won't die knowing that I couldn't get you out."
"I'm not leaving you!" He told her firmly, holding her to him tightly.
"Shhh, Anders." She cooed. "It's okay. I'll be okay."
"But I won't be. I need you." His confession was soft, desperate. He was begging her to stay.
She closed her eyes and for a moment he became terrified that she had gone. But then her eyes slowly opened again and he sighed in relief.
"I'm not leaving you." He told her again, moving so that he could more comfortably pull her into his lap. Her head fell against his chest and he began brushing her hair away from her face, wishing to wake up and find this all to be a dream.
"Promise me one thing, Anders." She said, her voice even smaller than it had been moments ago.
"Anything. Just stay with me a little while longer." He cried, burying his face into her hair.
"Promise me you will run and never look back." She chocked out, moving ever so slightly so she could look up at him.
He let out a chocked sob and hugged her tighter. "I promise." His voice failed him and he promised again. "Just please stay with me a little longer." He pleaded.
Looking down at her he saw the smile that she had worn since the first time he met her ten years ago. Back then he decided he hated her, but now that couldn't be further from the truth.
"I love you, Anders." She said with a smile.
"I love you, too."
He brought his lips to hers one last time, savoring her kiss.
Then she was gone.
~
The last time he ran it was with tears in his eyes. he didn't have the desire to keep moving, not when he knew it wasn't her who was going to be following him.
But she'd made him promise and he wasn't going to break his promise to her now or ever. He had sworn to her that he was going to run, to fight for his freedom, and that was exactly what he planned to do.
Fandom: Dragon Age
Rating: M
Characters: Anders
Summary: A brief telling of Anders' seven escapes from the Circle Tower and the Templar that was charged with bringing him back.
The first time she caught him it was a fluke.
He didn't expect anyone else to be out so long after dark. Obviously she hadn't either because she started when he accidentally ran into her.
"You're a mage!" It was an exclamation, not a question.
"And you're a ....girl!" Had been his bumbling reply.
She'd thrown her hand to her bony hip, only slightly rounded from the early stages of womanhood. Begrudgingly she'd agreed to let him sleep in her family's barn. It had been the best night's sleep Anders' had had since he was taken into the circle.
The next morning the rough grasp of the Templar's hand jolted him awake. She stood at the door, beaming with pride as the Templar praised her for doing the right thing. His eyes met hers as he was dragged passed her, back to the Tower. She never stopped smiling.
That was the first time that Anders decided he hated girls; especially her.
~
He broke out again at fifteen. This time he only made it as far as the training yard. Again he made the mistake of thinking he would be the only one out that night, but this time he had the luxury of spotting them first.
She was practicing then as she had been the first time he saw her; training at night so she could prove herself to the boys during the day. He almost didn't recognize her, her body further progressed into womanhood and brown hair longer. But then he saw her smile and an instinctual hatred filled his blood.
In hindsight he realized that could have been from the Templar guard whom he had snuck passed earlier and was now sneaking up on him. Anders' yelp of surprise as the Templar's cold gauntlets touched his shoulder caused her to turn and look at him.
Again their eyes caught each other's gaze. Again she smiled.
Again Anders decided that he hated her.
~
His third escape was a present to himself, celebrating his sixteenth birthday.
This time he was braver, sneaking out during midday and making it to the far shore before he heard the Templars raise the alarm. He ran until his legs gave out and he collapsed in a farmer's pasture.
If only he had run a little further he would have recognized the barn.
This time it wasn't a Templar that jerked him awake, but the dull tip of a boot.
"You're going to keep getting caught if you choose to hide in obvious places." She told him, no humor written on her face.
"I only get caught because you show up." He replied, also without humor.
She only bothered to roll her eyes as she hauled him to his feet by his arm.
"So why did you run this time?" Her hair had gotten darker, the same shade as the dirt. And her body had finished filling out. Even in a pair of her father's slacks her femininity was obvious.
"Because its my birthday." He replied, surprised by his honesty. "Why aren't you in Templar classes?"
"Because its my birthday." She shrugged and started walking him back to the Tower.
On the way she stopped and bought two sweet pastries and a bottle of spiced cider for them to share. They sat on the shore of Lake Calenhad and celebrated their sweet sixteenth birthdays.
After that Anders decided that, maybe, he didn't hate her quite so much.
~
He ran again after rumors began to spread that he was to take his Harrowing. No mage took their Harrowing before the age of twenty. He was going to be taking it two years early. The thought terrified him.
"Anders, if I have to climb this tree I swear you are going to regret it."
He looked down and saw her, standing with her hand on a fully armored hip; the Templar crest stamped onto her chest. She was a Templar now.
"And don't tell me its your birthday again, because I know it isn't."
And she was alone.
"Where are the others?" He asked, not moving from his perch high up in the oak tree.
"There aren't any. I told the Knight-Commander I could get you myself."
"Trying to score brownie points so the boys don't tease you for your monthly mood swings?"
He could feel her glare rising up at him.
"Trying to get an apprentice mage back to the Tower so he can take his Harrowing." Again her voice lacked humor. She needed to loosen up.
"I...don't want to take my Harrowing."
"Why?" Her voice was incredulous, as if she understood exactly what a Harrowing was.
"Because..." Not even he knew the reason why he was afraid, but he was. And that was all that mattered.
There was quiet from the floor and Anders dared to look down again and saw that she had taken a seat against the tree's trunk, looking out at something he couldn't see.
"I was scared to take my vows." Her voice was quiet when she spoke again, thoughtful. "Scared that I wouldn't be good enough to live up to them. I know its not the same thing, but everyone is afraid."
He let himself laugh a little. "Does that mean you'll let me escape?" He asked with only a hint of hope.
She snickered and looked up at him, smiling. "Not a chance."
But she did let him sit in that oak tree until he had overcome he accepted his fate. They camped beneath the tree that night and began the trek back to the Tower the next morning.
As they walked Anders decided that hate was a strong word. As far as Templars were concerned, she wasn't so bad.
~
When it was time for him to take his Harrowing he was escorted by a pair of Templars to the top of the Tower, where Irving and Knight-Commander Greagoir waited for him. He also noticed that, in the corner, stood another Templar, the one who would be responsible for killing him should he take too long.
She wore a helmet but he recognized her immediately. He felt her smile and couldn't stop himself from smiling back. Suddenly he wasn't so afraid.
~
A year after becoming an official mage he ran again. It took her a week to catch up to him.
"Life in the Tower slowing you down? Usually you catch up to me earlier than this." He mocked as she came upon his camp one evening. While he was thankful, he also worried that she had come all this way alone.
"Don't go getting cocky, mage." She said as she took a seat next to his fire. "Did you stop and think that maybe I let you get a head start?"
"Oooo, someone's been a naughty Templar." He teased her with a grin. If he was willing to admit it, he would tell her that she was one of the reasons that he ran in the first place. Just so they would have a chance to talk in private again.
She snorted. "Hardly. The real reason it took me so long is because I had to stop and get food. I actually enjoy having a meal in my belly every night before I sleep. "
From beneath her shield she produced a cloth bundle and handed it to him. It smelled of warm bread, fruit, and meat. A better meal than anything he had been able to scrounge up on his own.
"You are too skinny, Anders, even if you are a mage."
"That's not my fault! You're the ones who feed us gruel." Although he knew that if she could have it her way they would all eat the same food at the same table, just like the two of them were doing now.
"Hey, that's not my fault." She laughed, smiling as she watched him scarf down the food. "Its just my job to catch those of you silly enough to leave."
"Ah! So that's why you left the basement door open!" He exclaimed with a grin.
Her smile grew and she only shrugged. "You caught me."
They sat by the fire and talked about their lives, the families they left behind, and how pretty the stars were. He discovered that she had a brother, Karl, who was in the Circle too. He was the reason she joined, because she wanted to make sure he was safe. That was when he decided that she was a Templar only in title. She was far too gentle to really be a Chantry guard dog.
When they finally slept they put their bedrolls next to each other, said goodnight, and quietly slipped into the Fade.
He never figured out how, but when he woke, his hand was wrapped around hers and in her sleep she was smiling.
~
"If it was alcohol you wanted, I could have snuck you some." She said as she took a seat next to him. Somewhere along the way she had disposed of her armor. Smart. People would wonder at the sight of a mage and a Templar sharing a drink.
"And risk my fellows discovering my secret? Never!" He told her as he passed her the tankard he'd been saving for her. He knew she would show up. She always did.
"Isn't that what private quarters are for?" She asked as she drank her ale. He was impressed that she didn't sputter. He never took her to be someone who could hold her alcohol.
"That among other things." He said with a sly grin.
"Such as?" The low tone of her voice and the look in her eyes made him quake with a desire he hadn't realized existed.
"Why don't we go upstairs and I'll show you." He purred, leaning in close enough to inhale the scent of her.
"A few more tankards, then we'll talk." She'd told him, drowning that sly smile of hers in ale.
~
It only took another tankard and a half before they retreated up to the room he had rented for the evening. As soon as the door was shut she was on him in a flurry of hands and smoldering kisses. Clothes were torn from their bodies in a frenzy to explore everything and commit it to memory.
When he finally laid her on the bed he entered her gently, realizing that he was more experienced than she. He watched her with concern until the pain written on her face gave way to pleasure and she begged him for more. He did not hesitate to give into his Templar's demands.
She accepted his magic as he brought her to completion twice before he finally gave himself over to the pleasure. His name was still falling from her lips in soft pants when he collapsed on top of her, resting his head between her breast. He listened to the beat of her heart as he came down from his high, savoring the feel of her fingers gently threading through his hair.
Emotions were left unspoken, expressed in the warm gaze they shared as he pulled her against him and kissed her goodnight. He watched her slowly doze off but remained awake, dreading the rising of the sun.
~
He paid heavily for that night. Upon their return to the tower he was banished to solitary confinement for a year. It was not a pleasant experience, but he had the memories of that night to get him through the worst of his loneliness. She came to see him when she could, but only had the sound of her voice to keep him company. Many nights she lamented that only the Knight-Commander had the key, otherwise he would be free again.
Anders told her that he didn't mind so much. His night with her was more than worth it.
~
He hadn't known about Uldred's attack on the tower until the smell of smoke reached him, followed shortly after by the screams of mages and Templars alike. It seemed like ages before someone finally came down into the dungeons. Together the two mages managed to blow the door off of his cell and he immediately ran back to the Tower.
"You're going the wrong way! There isn't any way out through there!" His fellow mage yelled after him.
"I'm not running away!" He yelled back before disappearing into the fire.
~
He found her on the second floor, close to his quarters. She was leaning against the wall in a pool of blood, a sword protruding from her stomach. Anders felt the breath leave his lungs as he looked at her, afraid he was already too late. But then she coughed, a weak, pathetic sound, and hope sprang anew in his chest.
"Its not fair to change the rules of the game without telling me." He teased lightly as he dropped to his knees next to her. "I'm not used to having to find you." He hoped that she couldn't hear the panic in his voice.
Slowly her eyes opened and she tried to smile at him, but it was weak and frail, just like her. "You're the one who didn't run away." She retorted and he thought he heard pride in her dry voice.
"Of course not. I can't run without knowing you're going to chase me down." He felt liquid in his eyes as he looked down at her. The sword was a Templars sword. But why?
"Uldred. He and his followers are using blood magic to control some of the others. They turned on me and I wasn't quick enough." She answered his silent question.
"Well its a good thing I'm here then. I can heal you." Even as he said the words he knew that it wasn't true. She had lost so much blood and though he couldn't see, he had a horrible feeling that the weapon had been driven all the way through.
Tears pricked the corners of his eyes and blurred his vision but he blinked them away, refusing to have any memory of her marred.
"Just give me a minute and let me heal-"
Her hand on his cheek cut him off and she shook her head slowly. "Its too late for me, Anders. They are going to start killing every mage here if the situation isn't brought under control. I won't....I won't die knowing that I couldn't get you out."
"I'm not leaving you!" He told her firmly, holding her to him tightly.
"Shhh, Anders." She cooed. "It's okay. I'll be okay."
"But I won't be. I need you." His confession was soft, desperate. He was begging her to stay.
She closed her eyes and for a moment he became terrified that she had gone. But then her eyes slowly opened again and he sighed in relief.
"I'm not leaving you." He told her again, moving so that he could more comfortably pull her into his lap. Her head fell against his chest and he began brushing her hair away from her face, wishing to wake up and find this all to be a dream.
"Promise me one thing, Anders." She said, her voice even smaller than it had been moments ago.
"Anything. Just stay with me a little while longer." He cried, burying his face into her hair.
"Promise me you will run and never look back." She chocked out, moving ever so slightly so she could look up at him.
He let out a chocked sob and hugged her tighter. "I promise." His voice failed him and he promised again. "Just please stay with me a little longer." He pleaded.
Looking down at her he saw the smile that she had worn since the first time he met her ten years ago. Back then he decided he hated her, but now that couldn't be further from the truth.
"I love you, Anders." She said with a smile.
"I love you, too."
He brought his lips to hers one last time, savoring her kiss.
Then she was gone.
~
The last time he ran it was with tears in his eyes. he didn't have the desire to keep moving, not when he knew it wasn't her who was going to be following him.
But she'd made him promise and he wasn't going to break his promise to her now or ever. He had sworn to her that he was going to run, to fight for his freedom, and that was exactly what he planned to do.