A/N: Whenever I play DA2, I usually go rivalry with Merrill, because how else are you going to get her to break that accursed mirror? So I see this happening as a "side quest" if you refuse to help her talk to Marethari about the arulin'holm.
Also, I fully intend to bring all my "Possibilities" stories into one long chapter story, I'd prefer is to be a linear tale, not episodic. And currently the muses see fit to bounce me around the tale.
Disclaimer: DragonAge is owned by Bioware, I just like it here.
Fenris glowered from his corner in The Hanged Man, watching the three mages talk, the ale in front of him all but forgotten as he watched her. Hawke, their leader, the mage he hated but didn't. Hawke and the abomination were facing off with the blood mage, trying to convince her not to fix her tainted mirror in the middle of Kirkwall.
Venhedis! He swore to himself. How does she always manage to distract me?
Since the first moment he had met her, she had seen him, seen his pain. And though he felt she could never understand, she tried. He didn't trust her, though he could not help but be drawn to her. She was different than other mages, she didn't like to flaunt her power, but she used it when needed and defended those she loved vehemently. It baffled him, how a mage could not want to flaunt their power. He supposed it came from her upbringing, having to hide her abilities all the time as an apostate. And for some reason he felt the need to protect her. He couldn't explain it yet, but when they battled together he often found himself throwing his body in the path of enemy weapons and taking hits for her protection. He found he enjoyed her chiding him after battles, saying she could handle herself. Sometimes when the battle went badly, she would threaten him with no more healing. He knew she never meant it, even if he still preferred the elfroot potions to her magic.
He watched the exchange between the mages become more and more heated, until the blood mage tried to turn and run. But even for a mage, Hawke was quick. She leaned forward and grabbed the blood mage's hand, making Fenris tense. He was sure the blood mage would lash out at Hawke, and hurt her, even if they were in the middle of the crowded bar. Hawke said a few more words to her, and the blood mage sat down again, looking tired and sad. The abomination meanwhile had slung his arm over the back of Hawke's chair, while the two women talked to each other. It looked as though Hawke gave the blood mage's hand a squeeze before she let go and leaned back again.
Surprise etched her face as she hit the abomination's arm. She turned to look at him, gave a little smile and leaned a little toward him. Triumph was evident on his face as he smirked at Fenris across the room. Fenris growled deep in his chest. He wasn't sure when the competition for her had began, but he and the abomination were both fighting for her it seemed. As if she heard his quiet growl from across the crowded tavern, she looked up and met his eyes. She appeared puzzled and then as his scowl registered she shrugged out of the abomination's arm, getting up to order more drinks. The abomination looked shocked, and then hurt as she left his space to go to the bar.
Now it was Fenris' turn to smirk at the abomination as he got up to follow Hawke to the bar. Corff noticed Fenris' approach and was reaching for a forth mug when Fenris shook his head no, the barkeep nodded, and then went back to the other three he was getting ready for Hawke.
"After almost four years, you two still don't like each other much, do you?" Hawke asked, not turning around.
"No." Fenris said, stopping just behind her. Usually when he was this close to her, he could smell her, the smell of cinnamon and sunshine. With the crowding, and vomit stench in the bar, he could not and it drove him mad. It made him want to step closer, but he stood his ground. "Did you convince her?"
"No, we couldn't. Merrill is dead set on this blighted path. We agreed to head to the Dalish camp tomorrow morning. I'm hoping Keeper Marethari, Anders and I can convince her to not do this. Will you come?" She asked finally turning around, after gathering up the three mugs and paying Corff well for the drinks in hand.
He looked in her eyes, before he dared answer. Those turquoise eyes had long ago begun to haunt the few dreams he had. He watched them dilate slightly when he met her gaze, which had him puzzled. He wanted to say no, even though they still intended to talk her out of it, he did not like to spend time with the blood mage. Her incessant question would plague him all the way to Sundermount and back. His mouth betrayed him.
"If you need me."
Hawke's smile beamed up at him, making his heart skip a beat and heat flood through his body.
"Great, Varric already said he wants to come too. Something about 'Daisy needs some of the rainbows and fluff knocked out of her and some guild sense put in instead.'" She said trying to do her best Varric impersonation, giggling at her inability to match his low voice. Fenris couldn't help but smile at her attempt. "Did you want to join us? We've given up talking about it."
Fenris looked at the table; the abomination was still glaring at him from across the room. The blood mage was engrossed watching Isabela surrounded by a group of men somehow managing to flirt with all of them not far away, as she watched she occasionally sipping from her mug and making a face each time she took a drink.
"There you are!" bellowed a familiar voice from the entrance to the tavern.
Fenris and Hawke both turned toward the door, though Hawke had to step around Fenris to see Varric come sauntering over to the two of them.
"I went to your house first but your mother thought you were here. I have news. Come."
Varric didn't stop to see if Hawke followed, he just made toward the stairs and the direction of his suite. Hawke followed, pausing at the table to pass around the drinks to the abomination and the blood mage before following Varric up the stairs. She paused to say something to Fenris, and then noticed he was still by the bar. She looked at him puzzled and then tilted her head up the stairs telling him to follow. The abomination's scowl deepened, which only made Fenris chuckle to himself as he ascended the stone steps after Hawke.
"What's the word Varric?" Hawke asked, after Fenris had closed the door behind him.
"He's alive and he's close to Kirkwall." Varric said, grinning at Hawke. "My contact finally came through for me. I didn't tell your mother because I thought it would be best to hear it from you."
Fenris watched as relief washed over Hawke's face, followed very closely by tears in her beautiful eyes.
"Oh Varric," she whispered. "Thank you. I can't ever repay you for finding this out. Mother has been frantic with worry, wondering why he never writes. At least now we know for sure he survived. Thank you."
"It's not me you should be thanking Messere, you should be thanking Blondie out there."
Fenris watched as Hawke bolted for the door flinging it open only to find a surprised abomination with his hand raised to knock on the door. Fenris had never seen Hawke display such emotion before so it even caused the abomination some surprise when she threw her arms around him in a big hug and kissed him on the cheek.
"He's alive," he heard her repeat over and over as she continued to hug the abomination. His surprise at the hug was short lived, and he wrapped his arms around her and began smiling as well.
"I'm glad to hear it, I knew he was strong."
"Thank you Anders, thank you so much. I have to go tell mother. Good night everyone."
Fenris watched as Hawke practically skipped down the steps and across the bar to the tavern door. He shook his head, glad to hear Carver had survived after all. He stepped to leave and found the abomination still in his path. He raised his eyes to the abomination, cursing the fact that the human was taller than him. They squared off, staring each other down before Varric jumped in clapping them on the back at the same time trying to break the tension.
"Let's get Daisy in here and teach her to play Diamondback."