Under Darkness [AU]

[GamesMaster]

"Do you want to hear the rest before you start replying?" he asks, gently. He watches as she begins writing, but when she looks up from that and nods to him, he gives an amused smile and continues. 

"She writes, 'Papa would be furious to see me speaking this way. But I don't deserve to be in a Clan with you, not after how badly I hurt you. I'm so, so sorry.'" He clears his throat. "As I said, she's still recovering. Ah, this next bit is more upbeat: 'I haven't been well enough to knit, but I've been reading a lot, and playing Chess with Papa. I'm thinking about writing a book, but I don't think I'd be any good at it. Mostly I sleep a lot, and read. I am always curled up in the blanket you sent, ever since the Delve.'"

[Tethras Clan]

Merrill nods her head as he talks, still writing. "Inbee... how do you spell imbecilic?"

[GamesMaster]

He laughs, spelling it out for her. 

[Tethras Clan]

"Stupid, moronic, foolish, dumb, inane, imbecilic and otherwise not good plan," she announces, clearly pleased with herself. That done, Merrill looks back up at Anders. "Right then. Good. I'm glad she's reading and... chessing. And a book? I'd like to read it... wait, who needed to Delve?" A beat and she strides towards him, fire in her eyes.

"You let her Delve someone! You let her go adventuring! How could you!" she shrieks.

[GamesMaster]

Anders holds his hands up in an appeasing gesture. "I assure you, she has not been adventuring!" 

[Tethras Clan]

"Delves are adventures! Hawke died! Saving you!"

[GamesMaster]

"Merrill!" he snaps. "I promise you, she has not been on a Delve." He takes a deep breath, trying to calm the irrational rage he feels at the idea of Pet going anywhere near adventuring. "She... I suppose since she wrote to you, it's alright to disclose, but she was the subject of a Delve." 

[Tethras Clan]

Merrill takes a few deep breathes. Her hands flex slowly- rather worryingly in gestures that Anders recognizes as the ones for that lightning spell of hers- but she just nods curtly.

[GamesMaster]

"She's recovering," he says quietly. "It helped tremendously. She's really turned a corner since." 

[Tethras Clan]

"She was delved. By... By Papa? And... Clan. Was... did anyone..?" I would have noticed, right? I... even if I was having a bad patch, I would have... I would have... if one of them was... gone, for a while. wouldn't I have... right? But if it was Zevran then... would I have...

[GamesMaster]

"Everyone's fine. There wasn't a whole lot of fighting. Mostly talking things through." That's basically true, really. There was only the one fight. "Shall I continue reading out the letter?"

[Tethras Clan]

"Everyone's fine? And she's better for it?" At each positive reply, she gets a little calmer. Merrill paces a little afterwards, then nods at him. Then, "wait." She heads for the desk and writes something. "Okay go."

[GamesMaster]

"There isn't much left at this point," he cautions her. "She writes, 'If you need anything, anything at all, you have only to ask and I will do anything in my power to get it for you. If I could take it all back I would in a heartbeat. I'm going to stop now before I make things worse. I love you forever and always, Hawke.'"

[Tethras Clan]

"Forever and always," Merrill repeats, sniffling. "Can- can I see that? I want to see it. Please?"

[GamesMaster]

Anders hands over the letter, now that she's heard the contents. "Of course."