I am Hawke...

Marian grinned broadly as she threw the coin purse on the old wooden table. The coins inside clinked softly, suggesting that there wasn´t a lot of room left in the sack for more money. The Hanged Man was warm and gloomy as usual, her regular clientele going about their business in a quiet austere way. A few heads looked up to see where the sound of coin came from. Athenril glanced up from her books and raised an eyebrow at the sight of the full purse. She put the quill down and grabbed the spoils from Hawke´s latest venture. Staring at Hawke, she pulled the strings and opened the sack, tipping the coins on the scarred wooden surface of the table.

Marian's smirk grew bigger when she saw the big pile of gold gleam in the soft light, not too bad for barely an hour work. Some merchants really should mind their pockets better.
"Thanks. You can go now." Athenril waved Hawke away with a gesture of her hand, or at least tried to. Marian grabbed a chair and straddled it, her arms resting on the back.
"Now, now Athenril, is that any way to treat me? Invite me to take a seat, offer me a pint! We could become buddies before you know it! What are you doing the Hanged Man anyway? I thought you hated this place. Too common for the likes of you, I believe you told me."
"The weather. Books and rain don't mix. What do you want, Hawke?" Athenril sighed, glaring at the beaming woman in front of her.
"Or maybe not buddies. What I want? Oh, just the regular. A hot meal, a warm house to call my own and an inexhaustible stallion in my bed. Or, hey, let's start with something simple. My freedom." At the last remark Hawke's expression grew serious.

"Freedom? You make it sound like I have you chained up against some wall. Cut the crap Hawke and get to the point." Athenril leaned back, eyeing Hawke apprehensively.
"I am getting to the point, Athenril. In fact, I'm getting to a point where I'm very pointedly getting tired of this line of work." Marian said, standing up and pacing in front of Athenril's makeshift desk.
"There's still the matter of a debt, as you are well aware…"
"Not anymore, there isn't." Marian interrupted Athenril, eyes blazing as she turned to face the elf. "Bethany and I paid off that debt a month ago, and you know it. In fact, we paid off that debt twice if you add that little pile of money to the heaps we already brought you."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Athenril said, "When you take into account all those hours we spent teaching you the finer details of the profession, wear and tear on poisons and daggers…"
"Enough!" Marian slammed her hand on the table, getting the attention of several people around them.
"We worked for you for over a year! We held up our end of the bargain. Now you can either accept that and acknowledge it formally, or Bethany and I will leave without your permission."

Athenril narrowed her eyes at Hawke's outburst, choosing her next words carefully, "Very well. Have it your way. On one condition though."
Hawke stared icily at Athenril and shook her head before turning her back on the smuggler, "No conditions, we're done talking. I'm out of here."
"Hawke!" Athenril stood up from her chair, her eyes shooting daggers at the raven-haired woman, "It's only one condition, I get to call on you one more time if I need you. That's all."

Marian didn't move for a few seconds but finally shrugged and answered, "Fine. One job, but I'll decide which one. You know where to find me when you need me." She started towards the door, but Athenril called her name once more.
"Hawke? Be very careful, you do not want me as your enemy."
Marian turned around before leaving the Hanged Man, grinning cheekily at Athenril, "Oh, I don't know about that. I didn't want you as a friend to begin with." With a last wink at the startled elf, she ducked out of the door.

...

"Bethany!" Marian waved at her little sister who was waiting impatiently in a nearby alley.
"Sister!" Bethany walked quickly towards Marian, an anxious look on her face, "How did it go? Did she agree to your proposal?"
Marian smirked and nodded, "Of course she agreed. It was a lovely conversation, we laughed, we cried, and now we are best friends for life!"
Laughing softly, Bethany shook her head at her sister's obvious sarcasm, "So you got her angry, then forced her to let us go anyway and now we'll have to go to bed with a dagger underneath our pillow?"
"Ah sister dearest, how little faith you have in me! I am shocked!" Hawke exclaimed in mock dismay, "But you are, in fact, spot on. Although I wouldn't recommend sleeping with a dagger, you might stab uncle Gamlen if you start sleepwalking again."
Bethany snorted, "Trust me, if I stab him it won't be when I'm sleepwalking. I want to be awake for that."

Together they walked in silence, towards the cleaner streets of Hightown. Bethany seemed ill at ease, she kept looking around as if she expected someone to come around one of the many corners.
"Marian?" She finally spoke up, "What are we going to do next? The templars are starting to become more and more of a nuisance. I need to hide for a while and soon!"
Marian smiled and produced a leaflet, waving it at her sister while walking backwards. "Don't you worry your pretty little head, Bethany! I've got just the solution for our predicament! Athenril had this lying on her table and it magically appeared in my pocket during our exchange. Isn't it miraculous?"
Scowling at her elder sister, Bethany snatched the pamphlet from her hand and read it quickly, "An expedition in the Deep Roads? Are you insane?"
Marian laughed out loud, "Yes I am. Always have been. But seriously Bethany, can you think of another place to hide for a m—"

Being so absorbed in their conversation, neither of the sisters had noticed the templar standing in their path. With a metallic clang Marian walked backwards into the templar's armored chest.
"Ho there, watch where you're going Serah." A gloved hand grabbed her arm to steady her.
Bethany stood frozen to the spot, staring with big eyes at the templar. The templar furrowed his brow and looked Bethany up and down.
"I seem to have interrupted your conversation," he said slowly, not taking his gaze from Bethany, "You were talking about what better place to hide for a…"
"A maiden, Messere." Marian interrupted, wearing her most charming smirk. "She's being pestered by some suitor; you know how these young lads can be. We were just discussing that she could hide at our family's place in Starkhaven."
"Hmm." The templar seemed to be in thought, much to Bethany's growing discomfort.

"Messere?" Marian asked, shaking the templar from his reverie.
"Yes?"
"You can let go of my arm now, I think I can manage without falling down instantly." She playfully tapped him on the arm.
"Oh! Of course. My apologies, Serah. I shall let you and your companion be on your way. Be careful though, I came here to track a dangerous apostate. You should not wander these alleys alone."

Hawke opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind about so-called dangerous apostates, but Bethany seized her arm and pulled her along. She nodded at the templar, her face beet red, "Yes Messere, thank you. We will be going now. May the Maker watch over you."

Knight-Captain Cullen watched the two girls go, listening to their faint bickering as they went. Before they rounded the corner he could faintly hear the sassy one exclaim in triumph, "Very well, let's go find this dwarf!".
Hm. It was worth watching those two for the time being. He could've sworn the shy girl was a mage, although the cheeky one gave him pause as well. He sighed and combed his fingers through his hair; this was no time to get distracted. He had to investigate his missing recruits, a troublesome matter to say the least.
As he walked on, he glanced over his shoulder one last time. He somehow got the feeling that he would be seeing more of those girls soon.