Here's a Fenris fic. This comes directly from you saying you thought Fenris seemed lonely in his mansion all by himself. Hawke, Merrill and Isabela thought that too! And I might be tempted to continue this fanfic, Ariadne Hawke and Fenris spoke so loudly to me. Enjoy . (Originally written for FontBandit on the Dragon Age Holiday Cheer 2013)
It was the knock on the door that first prepared Fenris. Alert to any danger, he sat perfectly still in his chair but when there were no footsteps, loud or muffled, Fenris put his book and reader down on the table. Ariadne Hawke had been trying to teach him to read. Fenris was starting to recognise letters and words but it felt a slow process and the heavy book had bounced off the wall in frustration more than once.
"Yes?" Fenris's voice growled, echoing in the empty hallway as he made his way down the dusty stairs. Feeling faintly ridiculous at the way the echo caused him to shiver slightly, his attention was caught by a small whimpering noise coming from a wooden box close to the front door.
As he neared to the source of the noise, he saw a small mottled brown head stick above the edge of the box. It was a puppy, the same breed and colouring as Ariadne's dog, Momo. Fenris had heard that Ariadne's dogs had had puppies some weeks earlier but he assumed that the puppies, being in the high demand they were, would be sold off quickly. It seemed judging from the size of the puppy, that Hawke had saved the tiniest pup for him.
"Hawke!" He snorted as if the woman were hiding close by and strode to the door, flinging the door open to the unusally quiet streets outside the house. There was no one close by, indeed, he suspected, judging by the time that Hawke would have sent Orana over, told her to place the puppy quietly inside the door and run, in case she was caught. After all this time, he knew how Ariadne Hawke thought. Blasted woman!
Walking back into the house, he watched as the small puppy climbed out of the basket, nails clicking on the floor as the pup trotted over to the corner of the room – and promptly squatted on the floor to have a pee.
Fenris frowned. "I bet that wretched healer trained you to do that, didn't he?" Fenris growled, more to himself than to the puppy. Lately, he had noticed Ari's friendship with the mage growing deeper. The thought of those two being more than just being friends had Fenris in turmoil. Strangely enough, he knew that Isabela and Hawke had slept together on occasion, yet that did not concern him. Isabela was not a clingy apostate mage with the added danger of a vengeful demon inside of him – that made Anders unstable if not positively unhinged. Fenris feared for Hawke on quests without his warrior's sword with her. At least that was the excuse he made. Deep down, he knew he was jealous, scared he may have completely killed off any chance of something further than a friendship with Ariadne.
Rubbing his forehead to prevent the blooming headache from getting any worse, the puppy sat in front of her master and whined, "What? I've nothing for you!" Hands raised and then fell against his side in resigned frustration. Yet the pup still whined.
Fenris crouched and in a resignated manner said to the dog, "Fine, let's see what you came with." Inside the basket, along side a blanket, bowls and some dry food, packaged tightly up, there was a cream piece of paper that Fenris recognised. Had he had any doubt that this puppy was sent by Hawke, this was confirmation. When Hawke and what remained of her family had moved out of Gamlen's squalid house and into the Hightown mansion again, Leandra had insisted on having parchment, emboldened at the top with the family crest. Typically enough, Hawke had hated it but she continued to use the paper after her mother's death.
As he unfolded it, he noticed there were just a few words on the page that Fenris fought to read. Although he had been trying to read for some months now, he still felt reading was a battle, the letters seeming to change in front of his eyes, as he concentrated on what those letters formed into a word, could mean.
"H –ello, M – my name is," Fenris paused over the last word as he silently put the letters together in his mind, before saying, "S – Sukie."
The small dog gave a bark, on hearing her name. "Sukie? That's a strange name." The pup tipped her head to one side, as if trying to measure up the fighter. The small twitch of a smile that was on his lips faded as he realised mabari imprinted on people quite easily. He did not want this puppy imprinting. What could he provide for it? He was an ex-slave who followed Hawke round and would have been thrown out of Denarius's old mansion had it not been for Ariadne's connections.
Picking up the puppy, holding her at arms length, he put her in the box she came in. "Oh no. You can't stay here, puppy. I have nothing for you." Sukied whined as he picked up the box and Fenris muttered, "We need to go see a Hawke about a dog."
Varric clicked his tongue against his teeth. "It seems it's your night, Hawke." He threw the last of what had been a substantial pile of coins into the middle of the table. Ariadne Hawke brushed strands of long dark hair out of her face before reaching forward to pull the coins over to her, a laugh escaping her lips.
Aveline shook her head. "You're as a bad a winner as you are a loser, Hawke."
"You're just jealous she stripped you bare first." Isabela gave Aveline a wink to go with her innuendo laden words. Donnic looked hopefully at his wife.
"Oh shush, whore." Aveline hissed at Isabela, ignoring the looks both Donnic and Anders gave her.
Indeed, Donnic, Anders, Merrill and Isabela were now the only ones facing Hawke who had any money left. The rest were either watching or, as in the case of Sebastian, had left early, using some excuse about needing to pray to Andraste. "Though why he feels the need to pray to his belt buckle, I do not know." Isabela smirked, just after he left. "She's not going to give him his money back – that man takes navel gazing to a whole new level."
After another round that Hawke won, Donnic looked round and said, "It's quiet without Fenris tonight." The guard was one of the group who really got on well with the elf, going round for the occasional game of 'Wicked Grace'.
A chuckle could be heard from Varric's side of the table. "Quiet, hmm? Because Mr Broody Pants is a real talker when he gets going, isn't that right, Hawke?"
Ariadne shrugged, not playing into Varric's hands more than she needed to. "He has a presence."
Anders snorted. "Like a ghost haunting that old mansion in Hightown."
Ariadne looked up from her cards and moved to kick him, the mage barely dodging the kick but grinning at her. "Don't be mean about Fenris. You might not like each other but there's no need to be cruel, Anders."
"Besides," Merrill piped up,"He's probably busy now he has that puppy to look after." The noise volume dropped completely in the back room, mainly from the men as the news came as a total surprise to them. Fenris was many things but few would say he liked animals.
"Oh Hawke, you didn't?" Aveline's voice had a 'please say you didn't do that' quality to it. "We would have taken on the runt as well."
After an entanglement with a visiting noble's dog, Momo, Hawke's mabari, had a litter of four puppies. One dog was given to a relative of the nobleman, two were donated to the guard. And the runt was given to Fenris.
"It was a notion of Merrill's and I thought it was a good idea." Ariadne watched her friends as they all seemed shocked, especially Aveline. Had she been there originally, no doubt the Guard Captain would have said what a terrible idea she thought it was. Yet Fenris was not a cruel man. Ariadne knew first hand that he cared for people. He just had a strange way of showing it at times.
The Dalish woman nodded enthusisastically. "I said he seemed lonely in that mansion, all by himself. We thought a dog would be ideal for him." 'We' had been a drinking session with Hawke, Isabela and Merrill, a few days earlier. Aveline had also been invited but told Hawke she had 'something to do'. Isabela had laughed at that, saying it was probably her husband.
"And I even got to name the puppy, didn't I Hawke?" Wittered Merrill proudly.
Varric raised an eyebrow at this scenario curiously. "Daisy, just what did you name this pup?" Any idea of playing cards was now temporarily forgotten with this bizarre news.
The door slammed open, aided by a foot. "Sukie!" Fenris growled as he walked in angrily, having heard Merrill's high pitched voice through the door.
Anders especially looked like he was about to start laughing, yet Ariadne gave him a dour stare. The mood Fenris was in, he would likely take it the wrong way and start a fight with him. The last straw for Hawke came when Fenris planted the box roughly on the table in front of Merrill. "Here! You named the dog, you have her!" The lyrium tattoos tinged blue as he turned to Ariadne. "Hawke, a word in private – now!"
Fenris strode out of the room, Hawke patting Merrill on her shoulder as she went past, knowing the turmoil her friend would be going through as the room sat in stunned silence. As the door closed behind them, Merrill said softly, "I only did what I thought was best. I did the right thing, didn't I?" she asked imploringly of Isabela.
Isabela patted her friend on the arm. "Of course you did, kitten."
"Don't worry Daisy, that stubborn elf doesn't know what's good for him." Varric joined in trying to comfort the young Dalish woman.
Ariadne followed Fenris into the hallway. Sometimes, she did not understand this man. Like now, for instance when he'd made such an entrance and been so rude to Merrill. She watched him pace back and forth like a caged animal, seeming to want to say something but being so filled up with rage, he was unable to get the words out.
So Ariadne decided to step in, to get some form of a reaction from him. "You know, when someone gives a gift to another, it's customary to say thank you to the gift giver." Ari tried but failed to keep the anger out of her voice. Fenris stopped his pacing and stared hard at her, fury barely contained.
"Really? And what if this gift is neither needed nor wanted? Why did you not give this dog to someone who likes animals – like Anders?"
Ah, so this was what this was about. Fenris had disliked the apostate since he had joined their mismash of a group. Hawke was generous to all of her friends but she was not going to sleep with Anders. Among them, there was only occasionally Isabela and Fenris that she had shared her bed with – and Fenris had ran away saying it was too much too soon. Hawke had been badly hurt but she still wanted to be his friend, to wish for the best for him.
Ariadne stepped forward, her hand reaching out to touch Fenris on the arm. "Fenris, he neither needs nor wants a dog … You, you're all alone in that house and a dog would be good company for you."
"I'm fine with my own company, Hawke!" He yanked his arm out from under hers and Ariadne was not sure whether to cry or to hit him – hard.
"Fenris…" Her father had once told her in an argument, to look at the fight from her opponent's point of view, that was when Ariadne realised something about her friend.
Ariadne dropped her voice. "This isn't about you wanting to be on your own. You're scared, scared that you can't look after anything or anyone, that you'll do something to hurt it."
"No! You've got it wrong!" Ariadne could hear the pain in his tone as his voice cracked. Her wild guess had been correct.
"I don't think I have." He made a growling noise before he walked away from her.
She yelled,"Then why are you walking away?" His answer involved a fist connecting to a wall so hard it made her jump and she was sure Fenris must have broken something. But he did not wait around to find out and left before she could say anything.
Feeling as if she had failed, Ariadne went back into the room. The puppy had curled up and was sleeping on Donnic's lap, probably because he smelt of 'familiar dog' smell.
"No Fenris, Hawke?" Aveline asked curiously, though they'd all heard the argument.
Ariadne shook her head, "I'm going to call it a night." Suddenly, she was not in the mood for cards.
"We'll keep this little one with her brothers for tonight." Aveline said kindly.
Giving her friends a smile that did not meet her eyes, she slipped out and walked home. It was only when Hawke got into her room that she allowed the tears that had threatened to fall to come as she held onto her pillow.
Next day, Donnic called round at the dilapidated Denarius mansion to see Fenris, a box in his hands. He knew by now to knock then walk straight in. Fenris never opened the door in case it was someone he did not wish to speak to.
"Fenris?" Donnic queried as he put a foot on the stairs. A shuffling noise upstairs was his answer. The door to Fenris's main room was open, Fenris sat on a chair, looking more dejected than he normally did. "If you've come to bring me that dog back, you can forget it."
Frowning, he left the sleeping pup just outside of the door in the hallway. Sukie had not slept well. Her pitiful whining and whimpering had kept them all awake all night.
As Donnic walked into the room, he sat on a chair close by, without invitation. Crossing his legs, he asked, "So tell me Fenris, why has such a sweet natured puppy caused such a shit storm?" Donnic asked bluntly. The two men were more honest than they would be around the others. Fenris seemed to appreciate his guardsman humour and lack of tact, while Donnic liked his humour. He just wished Hawke and Fenris would not be so blind around each other.
Fenris gave Donnic a flatstare as he levelly stared back at his friend, waiting for an answer. Though he knew of Fenris's reputation, Aveline having told him of the elf's method of dispatching his enemies, that did not bother him. Besides, Aveline once told him she would kill him if he harmed Donnic, her station within the guard be damned.
Fenris brushed his hair out of his face with his unwrapped hand – and that was when Donnic noticed the bandages on his right hand. "It's not the puppy I have a problem with – it's others deciding what's best for me. Besides I'm quite content here by myself."
Donnic nodded, yet did not believe his friends words. "I admit Hawke and her buddies went about giving you the puppy in a stupid way but you know why they did it, don't you?"
Fenris paused, shook his head. Donnic thought best how to phrase his words. "They were concerned about you, Fenris. Merrill said you seemed lonely in this house all by yourself and Hawke and Isabela agreed."
"No, they saw me as a way to offload the puppy onto me and see how I'd react." Fenris stood, leaning against the unlit fireplace. "That's why they gave the dog such a ridiculous name!"
Donnic allowed the ghost of a smile to pass his lips, not wanting Fenris to think he was being laughed at. "Merrill said the puppy suited the name. Besides, that's Merrill for you." Pausing, Donnic continued to talk, "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is you have people who care for you, Fenris. Though Maker knows why." He teased lightly and saw Fenris smirk.
"Just like I don't know what the Captain of the Guard sees in you."
Donnic grinned at Fenris's rare tease. "Yeah, well, that's between me, her and the bedroom door, mate."
Fenris chuckled and sat back in his chair before frowning "I suppose you heard the argument I had with Hawke."
Donnic nodded, "I did. Hawke left just after you did – by herself."
Fenris looked surprised at this news. "I said something that may have hurt her." He replied broadly.
Donnic heard a scuffling outside the door and said, "We took the puppy home, hoping she'd be happy with her brothers. Not that that worked." He tried to hide a yawn, "That's why I've brought her round here now."
Fenris looks bemused as a small puppy trotted into the room and sat in front of Fenris, looking hopefully at him. Donnic smiled. Timing, puppy.
"She's imprinted on you, Fenris. Sukie here kept us both awake last night and I realised she already have imprinted on you in the short time you spent with her."
Fenris had a shocked look on his face. "You mean she's mine? But I can't… "
"If you tell me you don't have room, I'll hit you, your reputation be damned. Sukie is your dog, mate. Why don't you see how it goes, a month, say? We can help you with the training if you want and I brought a few things for her, a collar and lead, a blanket and a few days food."
Fenris did not object. As Donnic turned to go, before he went on duty the dog was sat, her head on his feet, the elven man reaching down to stroke at her ears.
Walking out of the door, Donnic turned to where a dwarf was stood. He gave Sandal a thumb's up and he returned the gesture before running off to tell his mistress the good news.
A few days later, Ariadne came through the door into the house, Momo at her side after a long afternoon spent discussing varying issues with Cullen. She liked the man but found him a little too dry for her tastes.
"Good evening Ma'am. There's a man here to see you, arrived not long before you did and is insistent he sees you."
Ariadne was weary but she knew she had better speak to whoever it was. "I'll just go and change. Would you ask Orana to make me some soup and bread for my dinner? I don't think I could manage much else right now."
A few minutes later, she wore the more comfortable clothes Hawke usually wore round the house and walked into the study, the warmth from the fire already starting to warm her as she walked over towards the fireplace. A man stood, facing the fire and even in the half-light of the room, his stance and the shape of his torso gave away just who it was. A puppy barked and came running over to her and Momo, mother sniffing at her pup before going into play mode, down on her front paws, tail wagging. Ariadne smiled as he turned to face her.
"Fenris. I have to say I did not expect to see you for a while." She knew from past experience that when she argued with her friend, he skulked away in his mansion and it was normally her that had to seek out his company. Seeing him here and in a relaxed mood made such a pleasant surprise for her, though Aveline had told Ariadne that the puppy was being trained along with her brothers. Pouring herself an Antivan brandy, she handed a glass over to Fenris.
Taking the glass, he motioned towards a bottle of wine on a table. "I suppose I owe you an apology. It was the last bottle in the cellar." Ariadne looked at the dusty bottle as the meaning of his words sank in.
She shook her head, agast at his generosity. "Fenris, I can't accept this."
Fenris looked out from under his hair and not for the first time she wanted to push his hair back, to see his eyes she had admired for so long. "You … were right." He took a sip from his brandy and she swore she saw a slight tremor to his hand. "I was scared I would hurt Sukie."
Ariadne walked next to him, seeing the still purple bruises on his hand. "Well, I suppose the way we went about giving you the dog was not great. I should have asked you first."
Hawke watched the two dogs play, Momo letting her daughter chew on her ear and she smiled unconsciously. Perhaps this had been the right thing to do. She touched his bruised hand gently.
"Come, let's share this wine and you can tell me about how the training is going."
Ariadne did not see the shy smile Fenris gave her as she poured them both a glass of wine.
The End (or is it?)