((A small Dragon Age 2 ficlet from my depression of not having my mother here with me anymore. Fenris was romanced, and I do think Hawke would come to think of the others as her family. This would take place shortly after dueling the Arishok and winning, as this is heavily themed from my first play through.))
It was the third night in a row, a terrified, broken scream being ripped from a dark haired woman. Her body bolting up in bed, sweat soaked into her night clothes. Off the blankets were flung, bare feet running across the ground to throw her bedroom door open.
Soon she would find herself outside her mother's room, her throat feeling as though a hand was wrapped around it and she couldn't breathe. A strangled sob was all she could manage before crumpling to the ground, her arms wrapped around her knees as she sobbed.
Her family was gone. Carver killed before they could escape the Blight, Bethany infected and begging for death at the hands of her sister in the deep roads, then then only a few months later, her mother. Oh how she wished she were a Mage, so she could burn that blood magic scum to a crisp.
It had taken Fenris and Aveline both to pull her from pummeling the corpse that had been the Mage. He had taken her mother, along with many other women to 'reconstruct' his dead wife, all of those poor women trapped and begging for death.
Her grieves and face were splattered with the blood of that blood magic user before she was finally dragged home. Her lover Fenris made sure to clean her up, tending to her and then just holding her close as she bawled into his chest like a child. The strong Champion of Kirkwall, was no more than a terrified child it seemed.
She had been suffering more than usual with memories of her mother, the beautiful bedroom still untouched. No one was allowed to enter, and as she was now lady of the house, the few that lived with her respected her wishes.
Oranna, the elvish slave she had taken in and made a servant kept Marian cleaned and fed, keeping her comfort. Bodan and Sandal, the two dwarves from the exposition also stayed with her. Sandal tried his best to make her smile with little enchantments, even if he didn't fully grasp what happened. And Bodan was ever kind to her, often giving her a large hug and reminding her how proud Leandra was of her.
Her companions were all handling Hawke's grief and the loss differently. Anders, being one of the three there when Leandra was found as a corpse, was careful around Hawke, and even more so with his magic. Merril didn't fully understand, but comforted Hawke to the best of her abilities. Isabela took Hawke to one of the best taverns to drink until she couldn't see straight, and had passed out, she spent the night curled against the pirate turned family. Aveline posted extra guards around Hawke's estate, constantly coming to check in on her and offer as much comfort as possible. Varric had taken the news hard, but he did everything in his power to make Hawke smile, telling her silly, exaggerated versions of their exploits and letting her stay in his room when needed.
But Fenris had been her rock through it all. He had been there to clean her up and spend multiple nights holding her as she fitfully slept. He dried her tears and calmed her if she woke screaming for her mother to come back.
Struggling from her spot outside Leandra's door, she moved almost as though she were half dead, going to change into her armor. She could go to the Hanged Man and drown her sorrows in a few pints of their signature ale, or maybe going to the Wounded Coast to get fresh sea air would be better. She opted against going to Fenris yet again, she felt horrid having been as emotional as she had been.
Strapping her daggers to her back, she headed out, avoiding the sympathetic gazes from her housemates. Yet outside her door stood Fenris and Aveline, both warriors giving her comforting looks.
They would follow her, help her even if it was with silent comfort. It never was safe to travel alone, but with her companions, no her family, she never really was alone.