Abigail, Varric, Aveline, Merrill and Anders went to go find Isabela. She was at her small house in the docks, and answered immediately when Abigail knocked on the door. She was pleased to see them.
“Been a while since we've seen each other,” Isabela said with a grin. “You need something?”
Abigail nodded. She explained about needing to speak to the people at the Rose, and Isabela's eyes narrowed in thought.
“It's more than one or two Templars that frequent the place. A lot of them do—or try to, anyway.” Isabela explained as she pulled her boots on. They were tall, made of oiled leather, and she needed to lace them up and buckle them from the bottom.
Aveline snorted. “How professional of them.”
“They're bad customers, too,” Isabela said. “Lusine can't stand them, and neither can anyone else.”
“Then why would they let them in?”
Isabela shook her head. “They usually don't,” she explained. “You can get sick servicing a full Templar—if they have a cut or a scrape, they can get lyrium on you. I don't need to tell you how uncomfortable that can be. And either way, if the recruits turn up, usually a full Templar turns up the next day to harangue Lusine and the rest of the workers about it.”
“Don't the full Templars take precautions?” Aveline asked. “Wesley and I had to—I never got sick, but it was always a possibility if we weren’t careful.”
“Who's Wesley?”
“My late husband,” Aveline explained. “A Templar.”
Isabela frowned. “I suppose these ones must not take enough precautions, then,” she said. “Probably why Lusine doesn't like them—she doesn't like any even slightly ill customers. Doesn't like to pay for healers, you know.”
Aveline sighed. “So, we should speak with her, then? This Lusine?”
Isabela nodded. “Though she probably wouldn't speak to you,” she looked Aveline up and down. “She doesn't much like the Guard—if you're around, she'll say a lot less.”
Eventually they decided that Isabela, Abigail, Merrill and Anders would go to the Rose. The mages would go in case they needed to defend against magic. The others would wait until they were done, and then they could discuss what they had found.
When they arrived, Merrill was absolutely enamored with the Rose.
“Oh, it’s so lovely!” she exclaimed upon seeing the perfumed and silken-bedecked interior. She watched a slender elvhen man in a short tunic walk by—he gave her a wink, and she flushed and giggled.
“Oh, Kitten,” Isabela laughed and clapped Merrill on the shoulder. “You’re awfully sweet.”
“Don’t you think it’s lovely?” Merrill asked.
“Oh, I do,” Isabela eyed a plump woman with long black hair. “Quite a bit. Here, let me talk to Lusine. You lot wait here.”
Lusine was the gray-haired woman standing at a counter by the front. She rolled her eyes when Isabela approached.
“Oh, Maker, Isabela, you were here just the other day!” Lusine said. “Not that I mind if you’ve the coin, but really...”
“I’m not here for that, Lusine. I hear you've been seeing more Templars than usual, is all,” Isabela said, leaning over the counter.
“Idunna's been taking them,” Lusine said with a shrug, leaning her head on her hand. “They pay good coin, and she can handle them—experience with them before, she says.”
“Can I see your books?” Isabela asked.
Lusine narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
Isabela sighed. “Some of the Templars who came here turned up missing,” she said, rolling her eyes. “A woman wants us--” she gestured to Abigail, Anders and Merrill. “To find her Templar brother, and, well, turns out there's a lot more that decided to drop off the face of Thedas than we thought. And some of them've been here.”
Lusine folded her arms. “And why haven't the Templars come to me about this?”
“They're idiots,” Isabela said, spreading her hands. “Apparently the Captain himself wanted to, but couldn't muster up the balls to do it.”
Lusine snorted. “Would this Captain be that blond Templar who stood outside here for an hour, badgering the customers?”
“Probably.”
“Ugh, anything to keep that man away from my bloody front door,” Lusine said, and brought out her book of clientele. “Let's see—what was the name again?”
“Keran,” Abigail said. “Also a Wilmod, a Petunia, and a Laurence, I think. At least, those are the names I remember.”
“Mm,” Lusine nodded. “Yes, Idunna's dealt with all of them—some more than once. And you say they came up missing?” she raised her eyebrows.
“Who is this Idunna?” Anders asked. “Do you know her well? Do you think maybe she had something to do with this?”
Lusine shrugged. “She hasn't been with us long, a month at most,” she explained. “Some woman from Darktown—you know how it is.”
“Can we talk to her?” Abigail asked.
Lusine's eyes flicked to Isabela.
“We won't do anything to her,” Isabela assured her. “Honestly, we just want our money from the woman with the missing brother.”
Lusine nodded. “Makes sense—up the stairs, third door on your left. I think she's in between jobs now.”
They went where Lusine indicated (Merrill remarking again at the prettiness of the Rose, much to Isabela's amusement), and Abigail knocked on the door.
“Come in,” a sultry, feminine voice called. The group walked in, and the dark-haired woman sitting on the bed raised her eyebrows. “Maker, but this is a party, isn't it?” she said with a sly smile. Her eyes flicked from Abigail, to Isabela, to Merrill and to Anders in quick succession.
“We aren’t here for that,” Abigail assured her. “We just had some questions about some of your clients.”
“Oh aye? How's that?” Idunna leaned back.
“The Templars,” Abigail said. “Lusine said you've been seeing them.”
“Well, they have good coin, don't they?” Idunna said with a shrug. “And I can protect myself.”
“Some of the ones you—ah—serviced turned up missing,” Anders said. “Want to tell us anything about that?”
Idunna got to her feet. “Oh, but this is so dull,” she said. “I can do a lot more than just talk.”
“Not here for that,” Isabela said, shaking her head. “Haven't paid—sorry. I mean, I would if I could, but we're a bit busy at the moment.”
Idunna sighed, and the Veil shuddered.
Abigail felt a sudden pain in her chest and staggered back, pressing her hands over her heart. Isabela put a hand to her breast, looking faint, and Merrill choked and went pale, curling her fingernails into her tunic.
Anders flinched, then the blue white of healing magic temporarily filled the room, and the pain eased, but the weakness didn't.
“What was that?” he demanded of Idunna. “What did you do?"
Idunna scowled, and moved back.
“That was—healing magic,” Anders said, moving towards her. “But used—wrong--” his eyes gleamed. “You're a healer?” Anders grabbed her by the shoulders. “A healer?”
Idunna lashed out again, and Anders yelped and snatched his hands back as if burned.
“Healer?” Abigail gasped. “How can a healer--?”
Merrill reached for her blade and cut open her arm, the color returning to her face and strength returning to her legs. Blood trickled down her arm, and she tried to help Isabela and Abigail, but Idunna bore down with her magic again and suddenly the two women found it hard to breathe.
“Enough!” Anders snarled, blue veins of white light creeping up his cheeks. He pushed Idunna back and bore down on her with his own magic, stunning her with a mind blast and allowing the spells to lift from Isabela and Abigail.
The four of them advanced on her, weapons in hand.
Idunna held her hands up. “You're a mage,” she told Anders. “You should understand--”
“Understand what?” he demanded. “That you're using healing magic to hurt people? That you somehow created an Abomination?”
“You don't care about the blood mage there?” Idunna jerked her chin in Merrill's direction.
“She's not the one who made the Abomination,” Abigail said. “Start talking, Idunna.”
“Templars don't trust any mages,” she said, then gave a hollow laugh. “That's what they all say. But all that fight and mistrust goes out of them the minute any mage lays a healing hand on them.”
She looked up at Abigail. “Healers know the best way to kill someone,” she said. “And we know the best way to hurt them. Pain doesn't hurt Templars. Do you know what frightens Templars, what sets off a light in those lyrium-addled brains of theirs?” she leaned forward. “Demons.”
“Oh,” Abigail whispered. “Oh, no...”
“You didn't,” Anders breathed. “You couldn't have--”
“Do you know how easy it is to ask a demon to live in someone else's body?” Idunna said. She looked Anders up and down. “You know, I'm sure.”
“But possessions have to be consenting--” Anders said.
“'Now, Ser Templar, I'm going to do something that will feel a little strange, but don't worry—it's just a healing spell,'” Idunna said in a mocking tone. “'Is that alright with you?' And of course it is. It always is.”
“Why are you doing this?” Abigail demanded. “What's the point?”
“They always want us, our magic, then blame us for having it!” Idunna snarled. “They just use us when they please—like we're their slaves, and they can hardly bandage a cut without crying to us about it! Have you ever seen a Templar going through withdrawals? Absolutely pathetic. They shouldn't rule us—we should rule them!”
“No,” Anders insisted. “This isn't right—a healer heals, you don't—you don't use your healing to hurt people!”
“Oh, and I'm sure you have room to talk,” Idunna rolled her eyes. “Spirit.”
“Are there any more of you?” Anders demanded. “Any friends?”
Idunna clenched her jaw and didn’t reply.
“Tell me,” Anders snarled, and his eyes went blue-white, his voice deepening to an unnatural level. Idunna recoiled and held her hands out, shielding her face.
“Don't kill me,” she hissed. “Don't kill me, spirit—I'll tell you—I'll tell you—”
Anders immediately went dark again.
“Terohne,” Idunna said. “My friend, Terohne—she's escaped from the Circle, her and two others, Maxwell and Belinda. They told tales of Tevinter, and how the mages there rule—we thought maybe we could escape there, but we just don't have the means—so Terohne wanted to take revenge on a few Templars.”
“And where can we find her?” Abigail asked.
“A safehouse in Darktown,” Idunna said. “Here—here, give me a map--” she indicated where Terohne could be found.
“We can take this to Aveline,” Abigail said. “What do we do about her?”
“We can't turn her in to the Templars,” Anders said. “Even if the Templars weren't awful, they couldn't handle her—they failed once already.”
“Don't kill me, please,” Idunna begged.
Abigail considered. “Why don't we turn her in to Aveline?” she suggested.
“That's as good as the Templars,” Anders rolled his eyes. “The Guard can't deal with magic at all.”
“I'll leave Kirkwall,” Idunna insisted. “I'll never come back—I won't touch another living soul, I swear--”
Abigail sighed. “Fine,” she said. “Fine. Leave and don't come back. And if I hear about this sort of thing again...”
Idunna thanked them profusely and left, not even stopping to pack her things.
“Don't know if that was the smartest move you could have made,” Isabela said with a grimace.
“How are we supposed to get a body out of here?” Abigail asked.
“Fair point.”
“The problem isn’t a blood mage, it's a spirit healer,” Abigail explained to Aveline and the others when they met back up with them again. “And some of her friends. We have a location for the friends here--” she put down the map and pointed.
“A healer?” Aveline frowned and examined the map. “What do you mean?”
“Some spirit healers figured out a way to hurt people with their healing,” Anders said, his eyes glinting.
“How?”
Anders sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “It—what she said is possible,” he admitted. “If you summon the wrong spirit, a demon—you can do it, I just...never thought...”
“It makes more sense than for a blood mage,” Merrill said, her tone very soft. “Blood mages—more blood magic makes it hard to feel the Fade. Maybe blood mages can learn from demons, or make their way into the Fade—but a spirit healer does it every time they do their magic. It would be easy.”
“But a healer wouldn’t do that!” Anders insisted. “A healer’s not supposed to—you wouldn’t--” he shook his head, eyes flickering blue and brown erratically.
“This one did,” Aveline said, her voice grim.
“Do you think Cullen knows?” Abigail asked. “Or Meredith?”
“I don't see why they wouldn't know about four missing healers,” Aveline said, her frown growing more pronounced.
“Why wouldn't they tell you about them?” Merrill asked.
Aveline shook her head. “I don't know,” she said. “Come on—let's go see what we can do about this.”
The safehouse was a tiny wooden building on the very edge of Darktown. When they found it, Aveline kicked the door down, and they went in. Immediately the mages could feel a change in the quality of the Veil.
“Someone's been doing demon summoning,” Anders muttered under his breath.
“Wonderful,” Abigail said. “Merrill?”
“I can help in case of traps,” Merrill said, drawing one of her long knives. “But probably not before we find them.”
Aveline sighed and eyed Merrill's blade. “Do you really have to do that?” she asked.
“You could hit the demons if you wanted,” Merrill pointed out. “But it's easier this way, don’t you think?”
Aveline looked dubious. “That can't be healthy for you, Merrill.” she said, in a forcibly gentle tone.
Merrill shrugged.
They crept through the safehouse until they found a most curious sight. A man, suspended in a peculiar beam of light.
“What is this?” Abigail breathed, looking up at the man. He was a human, tall and well-built, with light hair.
“A cage, I think,” Merrill said. She frowned, tilting her head to one side. “I smell...brimstone,” she said.
“I do too,” Abigail said. “Demons, do you think?”
“Definitely,” Anders said.
“I thought I heard someone sneaking around,” came a voice from the shadows behind them. Terohne appeared, her two friends flanking her.
Terohne was thin, wasted, with wild, long hair and enormous eyes.
“You're Terohne?” Abigail asked.
“What does it matter to you?”
“You've been killing people,” Aveline accused, drawing her sword and pointing it at the mages.
“Well,” Terohne smirked. “Templars.” she held out her hand, and the Fade rippled, and Aveline's knees buckled. She wheezed, tugging at her breastplate, face going blue as if she were being strangled.
“Aveline!” Abigail exclaimed, bolting forward, but she was stopped dead in her tracks by a pain in her chest. Abigail clutched her chest. It felt as if an elephant were sitting on her, and she couldn't breathe.
Anders' eyes went blue and Merrill immediately cut herself open. Anders fought the mages while Merrill tried to break the spells on the others.
One of the mages knocked Anders back, and he fell to the ground, his body seizing violently.
“In the days of Tevinter, mages ruled over everyone,” Terohne snarled, approaching them. “Then you decided that we needed to serve you—but that's wrong. We should rule you—we should rule you all!”
“Completely crazy,” Varric gasped, unable to get to his feet.
Anders finally stopped thrashing and stood up, slamming the other two mages with a fire spell. Merrill leapt to her feet, and ran to Terohne.
Merrill slashed her blade across Terohne's throat, and the woman choked for a few moments, before collapsing, blood pooling on the floor.
Everyone breathed in the sudden silence.
“Does anyone need healing?” Anders asked, breathing heavily. “Proper healing, this time?”
Aveline's chest was still tight and Varric's knees weak, but other than that they were little worse for wear. Anders took care of the worst of it, and then they were ready to move again.
“Come on,” Abigail said. “We should see what we can do about him,” she jerked her head towards the man in the magical cage. Now that the mages were dead, the cage was dangerously frail, and Anders carefully reached out to undo the spell while Aveline waited underneath the man to catch him when he fell.
It turned out that the man was indeed Keran, the missing Templar. He couldn't clearly remember what the mages had wanted him for, but Anders and Merrill both confirmed that he didn't seem possessed, not feeling any otherworldly presence about him.
They escorted Keran out of the building, where they, to their surprise, met Cullen, coming the opposite direction.
“I see you found Keran,” Cullen said.
“We did,” Abigail said. “And a few less-than-pleasant spirit healers. I see you found this place.”
Cullen raised his eyebrows, but other than that, didn't seem surprised.
“How did you find us, anyway?” Abigail asked.
“I...retraced your steps,” Cullen admitted.
“Finally decide to talk to the women at the Rose, then?” Varric said with a smirk. Cullen flushed.
“Did you know about this?” Aveline growled. “About the healers?”
Cullen looked down. “We did,” he admitted.
“You had an entire group of dangerous healers go missing, and you didn't think to tell the Guard?”
“We were dealing with it in our own way,” Cullen insisted, face going red.
Aveline's face darkened. “Not dealing with it very well, were you?”
“You knew?” Keran squeaked. “Why didn't you say? Apostates--”
“These particular apostates were too dangerous for recruits to go after, as you can clearly tell,” Cullen snapped.
“You didn't even tell your own people?” Aveline snarled. “They can damn well tell when people go missing! If they don't know, they can't possibly defend themselves! Hardly anyone can!”
“Apostates are dangerous, this particular ones especially, but--”
“But they are healers!” Aveline snapped. “Templars trust them more than any other mage! And you didn't think it pertinent to warn them?”
“Meredith felt that it would be detrimental for people who didn't need to know to be hearing about it,” Cullen hissed. “Imagine how it would look—not blood mages, not necromancers or the possessed, but spirit healers, hurting people and summoning demons? No one would ever trust the Templars again!”
“Why should we trust you?” Anders snapped. “You got your own people killed like this, and you didn't even bother to investigate it! The only reason we found him--” he pointed to Keran. “Is because we went looking, not you!”
Cullen shook his head. “This is none of your affair,” he said. “Keran—we should go back to the Gallows. The First Enchanter can tell if you are possessed.”
“I'm not,” Keran said. “I'm fine!”
“We shall see,” Cullen said.
“I'm taking this to the Grand Cleric, Captain,” Aveline said at Cullen's retreating back. “This isn't the last you'll hear of it.”
“Do as you see fit, Guard-Captain.”
“Are you really going to see the Grand Cleric?” Isabela asked once Cullen was out of earshot. “Not sure how far you'll get with that.”
“And what would you suggest?” Aveline demanded, folding her arms.
“You could contact the Seekers,” Varric said. “It's their job to watch the Templars, right?”
“Oh, Seekers are the last bloody thing we need around here,” Anders said, exasperated. “It's them that chased Surana out of Vigil's Keep.”
“I'll go to the Grand Cleric first,” Aveline said firmly. “I'm not sure if any of you should come with me...”
“I'll come,” Abigail said.
“Me too,” Varric said. “Everyone else should go home.”
The meeting with the Grand Cleric did not go well. Aveline explained about the missing recruits, and even mentioned the questionable legality of performing the Rite of Tranquility on certain mages, but Elthina did not seem to care.
“The Templars manage their own affairs, Guard-Captain,” Elthina said, getting to her feet.
“Manage their own--?” Aveline stood up. “Grand Cleric, at least one Templar is dead!”
“And so are the healers,” Elthina said. “I no longer see any cause for concern.”
“None?” Aveline's eyes were wide with shock. “The Guard know about blood mages and other apostates, but we've never even heard of healers like this--!”
“And it is not important for you or your people to know,” Elthina began to head for the door. “You may call upon the Templars if you are concerned.”
“But the point of this is the Kirkwall Templars are inept!” Aveline insisted. “Half the recruits were so terrified of Meredith they thought she was responsible for the disappearances, not a mage!”
“Recruits will talk,” Elthina said idly. “I see no reason to involve myself or the Seekers in this matter.”
“No reason--?”
“None, Guard-Captain.” Elthina said, and the matter was closed. Elthina left, leaving Aveline, Abigail and Varric alone.
Aveline shook her head, flabbergasted. “I don't understand,” she said. “This—this makes no sense.”
“Maybe they have a problem with the Guard getting involved,” Varric suggested. “I mean—you kind of shoved your way in anyway.”
“It's my job to get involved!” Aveline exclaimed. She shook her head. “It just...makes no sense why they would act this way.” they left the Chantry, and began to walk back to the Viscount’s Keep.
“Didn't Anders and Nathaniel say that the Chantry was on Surana even before Amaranthine burned, because she was a mage with a noble title?” Abigail asked, a frown drawing her brows together.
“What has that to do with this?” Aveline said, glancing at Abigail with a curious expression.
“What if it's more than just a problem with mages—what if the Chantry felt threatened by the Wardens, so they came up with an excuse to scatter them?”
“Why would the Wardens threaten them?” Aveline said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Surana killed the Archdemon, and in any case, that has nothing to do with this!”
“Maybe it's similar,” Abigail suggested. “The Wardens started to step on their laws, so they pushed back. You started to step on the Templars’ toes, so they push back again, because they don't like you coming in and interfering with their business.”
“I don't like them interfering with mine, but I would not do this!”
“No, no, this actually makes sense,” Varric said, a look of dawning realization crossing his face. “With the Wardens, and the Archdemon, and Ferelden being a mess—they're bound to get scared. Maybe this doesn’t even have to do with magic or how dangerous it is—maybe the Blight made them all jumpier, so they start getting spooked any time anything happens that they don’t like.”
Aveline stroked her chin. “I'll think about that,” she said. “Abigail, can you keep an eye out for any other dangerous apostates? I honestly don't think the Templars can handle them anymore. At least, not these ones.”
“I’ll try, for all the good it will do if more of these kinds of healers come around,” Abigail said. “Even Anders and Merrill have a hard time dealing with them, and Maker only knows what would happen if more healers found out they can do this.”
Aveline groaned and ran a hand over her head. “First Enchanter Orsino constantly complains about Templar maltreatment,” she said. “He and the Knight-Commander are always at each others’ throats. There is no possible way there isn’t discontent in the Circle. This is going to keep happening.”
“What do we do?” Varric wanted to know.
“Maybe there’s a way to compel the Templars to ease off,” Abigail suggested. “Terohne and the other healers had problems because the Templars kept coming to them for healing, and the mages will lash out in other ways if they’re being mistreated, like with Karl...” she turned to Aveline. “Perhaps you can talk with the Knight-Commander about it.”
“Not a chance,” Aveline shook her head. “Meredith won’t back off, not for anything.”
“Then what should we do?” Abigail wanted to know. “We cannot go barging around in the Templar’s business all the time. It’ll cause problems for my family, and for a lot of people we know.”
“I know,” Aveline agreed. “I’ll...think on it. There has to be a solution.”