Chapter 3 - Secrets and Lies

Ewan was the one to make the choice again. Who knows when he became the mental leader of the group?

"Well, as Jowan owes us, we could just simply go to him and ask for him for supplies, while we are at it. The Chanter's board can wait… Or, Ser Templar can go to the Chanter's board, while we talk to Jowan. Less worries then."

"Nice try. As if I'd let you walk into a maleficar's house without a Templar." Evarist answered shaking his head. The three mages rolled their eyes. They had asked Jowan and he said he wasn't a blood mage. Of course, they also thought that their friend wasn't smart enough to learn the forbidden art. That's why they helped him.

"All right. Any idea where he is?" Ewan asked, but they all looked absolutely clueless.

"Let's think this out logically: He is an apostate mage, hiding in the capital with his wife. He probably doesn't have a lot of money and he can't show his talents to anyone. He can't do proper physical work, but knowing him, that would be his choice anyway." Aed started.

"Um…" Sylverin was about to cut in, but Aed didn't let her and Evarist and Ewan were both looking at Aed.

"Wait! I'm concentrating."

"But…"

"No! Shut it! Jowan could probably manage some work at a shop. Packing and unpacking crates and Maker knows what. It would have to be a shop he'd be familiar with…"

"Oh for Andraste's sake! Look at me for a second!" Sylverin lost her cool, stomping with her foot impatiently. "We can just ask Lily!"

"What?!" the three companions looked at her and she pointed behind them. They turned around and saw Lily disappearing behind a corner, carrying some food.

"Like I said, we go after the fat cow and ask her for some hospitality." The little girl said slowly as if she were talking to children. Aed and Ewan, however, burst out laughing at the reminder of Eloise's nickname for Lily.

"Let's go then, before we lose her!" Evarist said and started running, but Sylverin caught his arm.

"A Templar running at a fugitive might not be the best idea." She said and let Aed and Ewan run after her. "You come slowly with me. If I'm not about to burn you, even Jowan might believe you are not here to execute him." She added as they walked.

They got around the corner exactly when Lily hugged Ewan.

"One mage is not enough?" Sylverin asked with an evil grin.

"Says the mage with yet another Templar follower."

"Are you mixing me up with Eloise?"

"Same thing. You are sisters after all."

"Um… No. We are not related at all."

Lily was about to answer something, but Ewan cut in.

"Could you take us to Jowan? We have a bit of business with him."

"Does that business have to include a Templar?" Lily asked.

"Now it does." Evarist said with a sharp look. "We need help with something. I will not act against him as long as he doesn't give me a reason to."

"Please Lily! Don't forget you owe us!" Ewan added. Lily sighed and led them home. Much to the surprise of the mage trio, their house was really close to the Chantry.

"The closer you are to trouble, the harder it finds you." Lily said as she opened the door. "With enough donations to the Chantry, they never ask questions you don't want to hear."

"Honeypot, is that you?" the mage trio almost didn't realise what they just heard, but once they did, it was catastrophical. Sylverin felt tears in her eyes from holding back laughter, Ewan and Aed, however, giggled and were afraid this might turn into an all-out laughing fit.

"Yes, Jowan. And I brought some guests."

"Oh? Who are the---?"  Jowan walked into the room and stopped, shocked at seeing the guests. He was happy to see his friends, but the Templar companion was more than a big worry for him.

"As long as you don't do anything stupid, he won't try to cut you down." Sylverin said with an angelic smile.

"That's comforting…" Jowan seemed just even more worried at that.

"Can we talk?" Ewan asked. Jowan let them into the house. It was small, but had everything the couple needed to have a good life.

As the apostate led them around the house, Sylverin was walking at the back with Aed.

"I think she is pregnant." She whispered to the mage next to her.

"What makes you think that?" Aed asked looking at Lily

"Don't you see? Her ass and stomach seem to be bigger than before. Also, she has this unusual shine around her." She answered, holding back a smile as if she was completely serious.

"Hey Lily… Congratulations! How far along are you?" Aed went up to her and Sylverin had to hold back laughter even more now.

"What?"

"With the baby…"

"I'm not pregnant." Lily said with a sharp look. Jowan and Ewan rolled their eyes and Sylverin burst out laughing.

"You evil little witch!" Aed shouted at Sylverin and ran after her, while Sylverin was laughing like a kid, running from him.

"Calm down!" Ewan raised his voice and the other two settled down. In fact, they had stopped screaming and running, but Aed did catch her and started tickling her.  "Jowan, we need to talk about a couple of things. Just us, mages." He added looking at both Lily and Evarist.

Both stared at him, but while Lily sighed and walked out, Evarist just stood there.

"Do you think I'm just going to let you stay alone with a maleficar?"

"Okay, first of all: You don't have any proof he is a blood mage. If we are not allowed to make accusations without proof, you aren't either. Second, we are just talking. You will be standing in front of the house, so if we use magic or anything like that, you'll feel or hear. Can you please let us talk to him alone?"

"Fine! I'll be right outside the door. If I feel anything suspicious, I'm coming in." and with that, he joined Lily outside.

"Wasn't that a bit too easy?" Sylverin asked shocked, with Aed behind her, stuck in a 'tickling her stomach' position, also completely shocked.

"Let's just make the best of it!" Ewan said quickly.

"We need some information. As an apostate, you surely heard rumours of strange happenings around Ferelden including blood magic."

"I'm not sure… I had heard rumours of strange happenings in the Alienage and blood mages recruiting apostates all over Ferelden, but nothing certain."

"Where did you hear about the apostates?" Aed asked.

"The Mages' Collective. They work in almost every major town. They are a group of mages that operate outside the restrictions of the Chantry and the Templars."

"I heard about them. The Chantry labelled most of them apostates and maleficars since the war started. It's risky working with them…" Sylverin said thinking.

"They don't write your name down when you join them." Jowan shook his head. "But they keep you in loop and you know if something happens that threatens your daily life."

"Does Lily know about this?" Ewan asked suspiciously.

"It was her idea actually. Even though I don't use magic anymore, she wanted me to know about things, in case the Templars get too close."

"Why would she worry about that? I thought you were safe living here next to the Chantry…" Sylverin asked confused.

"Well, before we got here, we got into a fight with a couple of Templars… In the fight, Lily ended up unconscious and I had to fight them off." Jowan answered, nervously hopping from one foot to the other.

"Woah! You managed to fight off Templars?" Sylverin asked disbelieving.

"No way." The half-brothers nodded.

"But I did!"

"How?" the three asked in unison.

"I… Does it matter? I managed to fight them off and got Lily to safety!"

"Jowan!" Aed looked at him. All three knew he was hiding something. They looked at each other, afraid to ask him, but had no choice. They had to know.

"Jowan, look me in the eye and tell me you didn't use blood magic." Ewan looked at their friend, who then, instead of looking into his eyes, started staring at his own foot.

"Oh you BIG IDIOT!"

"Sylverin, calm down." Ewan put his hand on her shoulder.

"I will not! He lied! To us! How could you treat our friendship like this?!"

"I didn't have a choice! This wasn't something I wanted to tell anyone."

"We are not just anyone. We were your friends and wanted to help you. But you betrayed our trust." Ewan said looking at Jowan with cold eyes.

"We won't betray you though. Ser Barandt doesn't have to know about this." Aed added for which he received a look from Sylverin. "We won't sell him out!"

"When did you learn blood magic and how?" Sylverin asked shaking her head. She still wasn't sure she wasn't going to tell Evarist about Jowan.

"Magdalena and Uldred taught a couple of us. But Irving and Gregoir found out about me and I had to leave."

"What do you know about Magdalena?" Aed asked quickly.

"I don't know much. But she knows how to get people to join her cause. Although, it seemed to me that she was working for someone."

"What makes you say that?"

"She sometimes mentioned that there were others. Also that she wants to make 'him' happy."

"Him?" Sylverin asked confused.

"She never said a name."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know."

"Is there something you do know?"

"I don't need your cocky comments. I cut all ties with them and I don't use magic anymore."

"Fine! Let's go." She said turning around.

"Where?" Aed asked.

"The Alienage probably." She answered and the two brothers followed her.

"Look for Knoll! He's a liaison of the Mages' Collective, usually coming to Denerim around this time of the month. He might have more information." Jowan added as they walked out.

Evarist noticed the others approaching and said, "I heard shouting.

"He's an idiot who barely knows anything." Sylverin said quietly.

"We probably won't see you again." Ewan looked at Lily. "I hope you'll have a great life together."

"Thank you. May the Maker watch over you all."

"So… Alienage?" Aed turned towards the gates and suddenly went pale.

"What's wron---?" Ewan turned around too and stared shocked at the three Templars walking towards them.