"Please tell me you don't really intend to drag these mages back to the Circle, Hawke." Anders trailed closely behind Hawke, his tone growing combative as they drew closer to their destination on the Wounded Coast. "You know how things are. Are we just supposed to trust this 'sympathetic' templar? He's not even loyal to his own order."
"Even if I wanted to let them go, do you really think I have a say in the matter, Anders?" Hawke snapped, not turning to look at him. Sand was already grinding in the creases between the plates of her armor, and that was making her cranky enough without having to listen to Anders' endless preaching. "Thrask asked for my help, and it's better than letting the other templars get to them first."
Varric and Fenris plodded dutifully along behind Hawke and Anders, keeping close, but at a safe enough distance to avoid potential fireworks should Anders push Hawke just a little too far.
"Of course you have a say! You either turn them in, or you don't! How is that not an easy choice?"
Hawke sighed and rubbed at her temples, pointedly refusing to answer. Arguing wasn't going to help anything, and trying to reason with Anders on this particular subject was completely pointless.
"I see how it is," Anders spat after a few moments of silence, turning away from Hawke and flashing an angry glare at both Varric and Fenris. "What about you, Varric? Do you agree with this... this complete travesty of Justice?"
"Pick your battles, Blondie," Varric sighed evasively before falling silent again, pretending to polish a dirty spot on Bianca's frame.
Anders snorted angrily. "I won't even bother asking Fenris. He'd just as soon see every mage with his heart ripped out of his chest."
Fenris did not confirm or deny the accusation, nor did he voice displeasure at being spoken of as though he were not present at all. He simply plodded along behind Anders, who continued to fume and mutter loudly to himself.
When they stopped a short time later to get their bearings and check Hawke's map, Anders started in again with seemingly renewed vigor.
"Why do you even bring me on these jobs?"
"I didn't force you to come."
"I was hoping to be able to talk some sense into you."
"You're the only one I see carrying on, here," Hawke sighed, exasperated by Anders' incessant provocations.
"Yes, because defending the lives of innocent people clearly constitutes 'carrying on', as you so generously put it."
"It would be wise for you to remember your place, Mage," Fenris spat from behind, finally fed up with the nonsense and noise.
"I don't see that it's any of your business, Fenris," Anders shot back, exaggerating the fact that Fenris refused to call him by name. "Hawke and I are having a discussion."
"And I believe that Hawke has made her decision on the matter clear enough, and that some of us wish to finish the journey in peace."
"How is it that none of you can see how wrong this is?" Anders grit his teeth in frustration, clenching his fists at his sides. He did not notice Fenris stalk up from behind him and grab him swiftly by the collar of his coat, yanking him around so that they stood face to face.
"Is there nothing that will make you cease your endless protestations?" Fenris growled, his lips pulling back to bare his teeth.
"I will defend the cause of mages as long as I have a mouth with which to speak the words. I hardly think anything the likes of you could do would ever be enough to 'shut me up'."
Fenris only gripped Anders' collar more tightly, pulling him close enough to smell the reek of the sewers that radiated from his clothing. Roughly, angrily, Fenris crushed Anders' mouth against his own, their faces pressing together for only a moment before Anders' hands shot up and pushed violently at Fenris, shoving him backward and loosening his grip on Anders' tattered coat.
Anders roughly wiped the back of his mouth with his hand. It took every bit of restraint he had not to simply spit toward the sand at his feet in disgust. His face burned with anger, and he couldn't look Fenris in the eye.
Hawke and Varric prudently pretended not to have noticed anything amiss as they continued to walk, leaving the other two lagging behind. Fenris quickly regained his balance, choking back his own feelings of revulsion in favor of a little peace and quiet as he brushed arrogantly past Anders, seeking to catch up to the rest of the group.
"Your move, Mage," Fenris taunted under his breath as he walked away, leaving Anders standing flustered and slack-jawed and red-faced in the sand.
Shock and Awe - (Anders/Fenris, PG)
"Even if I wanted to let them go, do you really think I have a say in the matter, Anders?" Hawke snapped, not turning to look at him. Sand was already grinding in the creases between the plates of her armor, and that was making her cranky enough without having to listen to Anders' endless preaching. "Thrask asked for my help, and it's better than letting the other templars get to them first."
Varric and Fenris plodded dutifully along behind Hawke and Anders, keeping close, but at a safe enough distance to avoid potential fireworks should Anders push Hawke just a little too far.
"Of course you have a say! You either turn them in, or you don't! How is that not an easy choice?"
Hawke sighed and rubbed at her temples, pointedly refusing to answer. Arguing wasn't going to help anything, and trying to reason with Anders on this particular subject was completely pointless.
"I see how it is," Anders spat after a few moments of silence, turning away from Hawke and flashing an angry glare at both Varric and Fenris. "What about you, Varric? Do you agree with this... this complete travesty of Justice?"
"Pick your battles, Blondie," Varric sighed evasively before falling silent again, pretending to polish a dirty spot on Bianca's frame.
Anders snorted angrily. "I won't even bother asking Fenris. He'd just as soon see every mage with his heart ripped out of his chest."
Fenris did not confirm or deny the accusation, nor did he voice displeasure at being spoken of as though he were not present at all. He simply plodded along behind Anders, who continued to fume and mutter loudly to himself.
When they stopped a short time later to get their bearings and check Hawke's map, Anders started in again with seemingly renewed vigor.
"Why do you even bring me on these jobs?"
"I didn't force you to come."
"I was hoping to be able to talk some sense into you."
"You're the only one I see carrying on, here," Hawke sighed, exasperated by Anders' incessant provocations.
"Yes, because defending the lives of innocent people clearly constitutes 'carrying on', as you so generously put it."
"It would be wise for you to remember your place, Mage," Fenris spat from behind, finally fed up with the nonsense and noise.
"I don't see that it's any of your business, Fenris," Anders shot back, exaggerating the fact that Fenris refused to call him by name. "Hawke and I are having a discussion."
"And I believe that Hawke has made her decision on the matter clear enough, and that some of us wish to finish the journey in peace."
"How is it that none of you can see how wrong this is?" Anders grit his teeth in frustration, clenching his fists at his sides. He did not notice Fenris stalk up from behind him and grab him swiftly by the collar of his coat, yanking him around so that they stood face to face.
"Is there nothing that will make you cease your endless protestations?" Fenris growled, his lips pulling back to bare his teeth.
"I will defend the cause of mages as long as I have a mouth with which to speak the words. I hardly think anything the likes of you could do would ever be enough to 'shut me up'."
Fenris only gripped Anders' collar more tightly, pulling him close enough to smell the reek of the sewers that radiated from his clothing. Roughly, angrily, Fenris crushed Anders' mouth against his own, their faces pressing together for only a moment before Anders' hands shot up and pushed violently at Fenris, shoving him backward and loosening his grip on Anders' tattered coat.
Anders roughly wiped the back of his mouth with his hand. It took every bit of restraint he had not to simply spit toward the sand at his feet in disgust. His face burned with anger, and he couldn't look Fenris in the eye.
Hawke and Varric prudently pretended not to have noticed anything amiss as they continued to walk, leaving the other two lagging behind. Fenris quickly regained his balance, choking back his own feelings of revulsion in favor of a little peace and quiet as he brushed arrogantly past Anders, seeking to catch up to the rest of the group.
"Your move, Mage," Fenris taunted under his breath as he walked away, leaving Anders standing flustered and slack-jawed and red-faced in the sand.