Chapter 1

Annette Hawke looked at the blonde man who was bent over a small unconscious child, an essence of magic surrounded him and blue light escaped his fingertips. Annette had seen similar light escape Bethany's hands when she would cast a similar spell – and from her father when he was alive.

She watched as he withdrew his hands away from the boy; the boy gasping for air as he sat up and his mother pulled him into her arms.

The Warden Mage turned away from the scene, his back hunched over and he pinched his nose to at least try and ease the headache that had formed. The sickness the boy had suffered from was strong and took a lot of energy and magic. It was just a good thing that Anders had grown strong after the past year.

His back straightened when he sensed more beings in the room and grabbed his stave. He whipped around and faced the three people that had entered his clinic, his right hand clutching his stave and his left palm facing the group; ready for casting a spell if needed.

"I have made this place a sanctum of healing and salvation!" he called with a hint of anger in his voice. "Why do you threaten it?"

Annette had been studying the mage the entire time. The way his stance changed when he sensed danger and how his voice may sound angry and strong but she could see he wasn't like that at all behind the voice. She left her weapons sheathed to show that she wasn't a danger to him and to hope that he would lower his hand and put down his stave. No such luck.

"I'm just here to talk," she cautioned and raised her hands in defence. She reached one had, slowly, to one of her blades and unsheathed it. She watched as the mage stiffened and took a more defensive stance. "I'm putting my weapons on the floor to put your mind at ease," she told him as she continued at the slow pace and removed both of her weapons. She made eye contact with the Warden and held it as she bent her knees to lay her blades on the floor and added her gauntlets to the weapons.

Varric copied Hawke's actions before speaking, "We're interested in getting into the Deep Roads. Rumour has it you were a Warden once," Varric studied the male to check if his appearance matched the description his 'sources' gave him. Human, a mage, blonde. "Do you know a way?"

The Warden lowered his hand but kept a firm grip on his stave. "Did the Wardens send you to bring me back? I'm not going! Those bastards made me get rid of my cat!" Annette was slightly taken aback by this. She blinked a few times out of confusion and turned to look at Varric who just shrugged his shoulders. "Poor Ser Pounce-a-lot; he hated the deep roads," he continued.

"You had a cat named Ser Pounce-a-lot in the deep roads?" Annette asked in disbelief.

"He was a gift!" he said in his defence, "A noble beast – he almost got ripped in half by a genlock once! He swatted the bugger on the nose – drew blood too!" a smile had appeared on his face as he spoke of his former pet. "The blighted Wardens said he 'made me too soft' soo I gave him to a friend In Amaranthine."

Annette shook her head discretely and continued with the purpose of her visit. "I'm part of an expedition into the Deep Roads. Any information you have could save people's lives," she said persuasively.

"I will die a happy man if I never think about the blighted Deep Roads again," Anders said harshly. "You can't imagine what I've come through to get here; I'm not interested…" he thought over what he had just said and how he could get help. "Although…" he started. "A favour for a favour; does that sound like a fair deal?" he studied Annette's face. "You help me, I'll help you?"

Annette narrowed her eyes slightly as to try and understand where he was getting at. "Let's be more specific, I don't do anything involving children or animals."

Anders rolled his eyes internally at the comment. "I have a Warden map of the depths in this area – but there's a price." Annette nodded to signal for him to carry on. Anders turned his head to look at the floor before he continued. "I came to Kirkwall to aid a friend – a mage – a prisoner in the wretched Gallows. The Templars learned of my plans to free him." Anders brought his face up soo he was making eye contact with Annette again. "Help me bring him safely past them, and you shall have your maps."

Annette looked at the pleading in his eyes and then thought of Bethany. What if it was Bethany stuck in the Gallows and Annette wanted someone to help rescue her?

"Tell me about you friend," Annette said to the mage.

His eyes lit up a little and a smile threatened his lips. "His name is Karl Thekla. He was sent from Fereldan when Kirkwall's Circle required new talent. His last letter said the Knight –Commander was turning to Circle into a prison. Mages are locked in their cells, refused appearances at court, made Tranquil for the slightest crimes." He held the gaze of Annette, the pleading look back in his eye. "I told him I would come."

"I'm not sure about attacking Templars…" Annette said. "I might rather take my chances with the darkspawn."

"If we fight the Templars it is because they decided that anyone who befriends a mage deserves death without questioning," Anders said confidently. He knew what he was talking about from his experiences in the Circle.

Bethany Hawke touched her sister's arm in an attempt to get her attention. An attempt that worked, Annette turned to face her mage sister and walked a fair distance away from the male mage.

"As just as his cause is, it scares me," Bethany confessed. "I don't want to give the Templars another reason to hunt us."

"Don't worry Bethany, we'll be careful," Annette vowed. "We need those maps, we need this expedition, for Mother."

"For Mother…" Bethany sighed.

Annette patted her sister's shoulder gently before turning and walking closer to the male mage.

"These are my terms," the mage said, "If you want my aid with your expedition; meet me in the Chantry tonight. I have sent word to Karl to be there." He looked down at the floor once again. "Maker willing, we will leave free men."

"I will meet you there," Annette assured. "Seeing as we are now working together, you can call me Hawke."

"I am Anders," the mage held his hand out for the rogue to shake. His stave was still upright and in his hand.

"He certainly has some trust issues," Varric pointed out as the three left the little clinic. "I wonder why…"

"When you're an apostate it's hard to place trust in anyone," Bethany told Varric.

"Bethany, I think you should stay home tonight," Annette told her sister.

"What? No, you cannot do this without me, we are a team," Bethany protested.

"Bethany," Annette sighed. "If Templars find us there and you're casting spells they'll know that the sister of Hawke is a mage and will take you to the Gallows and arrest Mother and I, you need to stay home with Mother for the safety of us all."

Bethany sighed in defeat as she knew her sister was right. "Shall I cover for you with Mother? Tell her you are going to The Hanged Man to talk to Varric?"

Annette nodded slowly. "We do not want her worrying, she'll try to stop me, I think…" Annette knew her mother thought more of Bethany. Even when her younger brother, Carver died her mother tried to place the blame on Annette by asking how she could let her brother charge off in front of them all.

"Mother does care for you," Bethany assured.

Annette nodded slowly and glanced at the dwarf that had made a bit of distance between him and the sisters. He didn't want to seem intrusive in their conversation.

"Varric, don't worry, I'm sure you're the same with your brother," Annette told him.

"We're similar – not the same," he corrected with a smile.

Annette smiled fondly at the dwarf before continuing with their plan, "I will escort Bethany home and join you in the Hanged Man, yes?"

"Sounds like a plan, Hawke," Varric agreed with a grin.

Hawke didn't want to set foot in her Uncle's home. She hadn't actually been inside at all, being on the road with the Red Iron Mercenarys for a year didn't even give the two sisters a chance to settle and now they moved in with Gamlen, Hawke didn't like it one bit. It had been two days since the two had finished their work with the Mercenarys and neither of them had actually visited their mother. They were visiting Varric the night before in The Hanged Man and this second night; Bethany would be going to her uncle's house.

Annette wasn't the best at getting sleep at night soo staying up until early hours of the morning was easy for her. Bethany would hassle her into sleeping and getting a little rest here and there but Annette would always wake up with flashbacks and nightmares playing in her mind.

She didn't like to confess it, but she feared dreaming.

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age or the characters.

I'm new to this, please don't eat me x3

And if you read could you review and tell me what I could work on please?