I leave the charging headlong into places to armies, Evelyn. My symbol is that of a wolf, not a bull. If I retrieve slaves, they will simply be... gone. Stolen away in the night while the Magister and his guards sleep in the deepest slumber. After all, the Magister cannot learn the error of his ways if he is dead.
And what happens while you take that time? What is the cost to those who can least afford to pay it? Words can be powerful, yes, but sometimes words are not enough. One must always weigh the price of using words against the cost of action, even more so if it is not you who will be paying that price.
And yet, would not the people of the south be sympathetic to an escaped Tevinter slave, especially a human one, given their antipathy to slavery? Yes, a Tevinter mage would face anger and prejudice as Dorian could no doubt attest but a slave escaping the tyranny of their Magister owner?