Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age and/or related characters, nor am I receiving any sort of compensation for writing about these characters. It's all just for fun! Enjoy!
Marra Hawke awoke to the growls of her mabari. The war hound stood on her bed barking toward the bedroom door. Hawke gripped the small dagger under her pillow and slipped out from under the covers.
"Hush, Leo," she commanded, whispering. The dog quieted, looking between her and the door with his ears swiveling. Without the barking, Hawke could hear a muffled thumping. Someone knocking at the estate's front door.
Hawke rolled her eyes and set the dagger on the bedside table, grabbing her red house robe off the back of the chair by the fireplace. The dying embers put the time well past midnight, much too late for a social call. But Hawke was used to late night visits from those in need of her help. She pulled the robe on over her knee-length nightshirt, then sat long enough to pull on the soft boots she wore at home. They reached her knees, as she wanted them long enough to conceal a dagger. She grabbed the dagger from the side table and slipped it into the sown-in sheath within one boot – better to be safe.
The knocking was louder now, more insistent. Leo growled again. Hawke patted him on the head. "Come on, boy. Let's see what's so important," she said, resigned to the likelihood she would not be returning to bed tonight. The mabari whined eagerly, jumping off the bed to follow her out the bedroom door.
As she descended the stairs Hawke could make out yelling along with the knocking. Bodahn scrambled toward her from the foyer. He had dressed hastily it seemed, as his shirt was on backwards.
"Oh, Messere Hawke. I was just coming to get you," he said nervously.
"You didn't let them in?" Hawke asked, surprised. He always welcomed guests into the house before finding Hawke, even the seedier looking ones. "Who is it?"
Bodahn glanced back at the door leading into the foyer, just as a shout from beyond the exterior door reached them. "Champion! The templars require a word with you! Open up immediately!"
Hawke narrowed her eyes. "Ah. Best I handle this, then," she said. She moved past him, Leo at her heel.
"Oh, Messere," Bodahn said before she reached the foyer. She turned back to look at him. "Your, uhm, robe…," he stammered, embarrassed.
Hawke looked down. She had left her robe open, revealing the short white tunic beneath it. Not exactly appropriate for greeting templars. With a grumble she pulled and tied it closed. For good measure she ran her fingers through her jaw-length black hair.
"Leo, stay with Bodahn," Hawke ordered the mabari, pointing at him. The dog whimpered in disappointment, then slinked over to the dwarf who was stoking the front room's fire back to life.
Hawke caught sight of Orana, the slight elven woman peeking around the corner of the doorway that led toward the kitchen. Hawke gave her a reassuring smile, then turned and stalked through the foyer. The knocking was insufferably loud now.
"Champ – " the voice had started again, just as Hawke opened the door. "Ah, Serah Hawke," Cullen said, recovering quickly from his surprise. He was flanked by seven templars, each with sword drawn.
Hawke took in the scene quickly, assessing her possible opponents. She did not like her odds, if it came to a fight. "Surely it doesn't require eight of you just to 'have a word' with me," she said, glaring at Cullen with her icy blue eyes. "Unless what you really mean is that Meredith has finally decided I am indeed too troublesome as Champion, and you are here to remedy the situation."
Cullen's frown deepened. "Of course not. The Knight Commander…" Cullen stopped, refusing to argue, and returned to the task at hand. "I would prefer we speak inside, Serah Hawke."
"Oh, no fighting in the streets then?" Hawke taunted, arms crossed, not moving from the doorway. "You'll excuse me if I seem hesitant to invite armed templars into my home in the middle of the night."
"This concerns your sister," Cullen said, voice low.
Hawke's eyes widened at this, shock showing on her face. She searched Cullen's face, looking for duplicity. Seeing only impatience, and perhaps concern, she narrowed her eyes again. "Fine. But put away your weapons. I won't have your men scaring my servants to death," she answered, crossing her arms and not budging from the doorway. She didn't mention it would also be easier to take out one or two of them if they needed time to draw their swords, just in case.
Cullen hesitated a moment, then nodded to his men. Metal scrapped across leather as swords were sheathed. Satisfied, Hawke pushed the door open wide and stepped aside to allow them entry. Hawke closed the door behind them, then turned to see the templars marching through the foyer toward the front room.
"Where do you think you're all going?" she demanded angrily. Quick steps brought the rogue before them, standing between them and the door into the front room.
"Champion, we – " Cullen started, obviously exasperated with her suspicions.
"No. They stay here," Hawke snapped. "You, follow me." She turned and entered the front room, hearing Cullen order his men to stay put until he called. He followed Hawke a moment later.
"Serah Hawke. Your sister –" Cullen tried to start again. Hawke whirled around, cutting him off with a gesture.
"Is she dead?" Hawke demanded bluntly. A cold fury filled her eyes as she glared at the templar second-in-command. If they had harmed her sister, Maker help them.
"Not that I know of," Cullen answered. "But she is missing."
"Missing?" Hawke hissed, pulling back in surprise.
"She was not in her room during the lockdown," Cullen continued. "We have searched the entirety of the Gallows, and she is nowhere to be found."
"Did Meredith…," Hawke narrowed her eyes at the thought. Had the woman done something to Bethany? In retribution for Hawke's actions? Because she had tried to keep the peace between mages and templars instead of embracing Meredith's increasing restrictions?
"No," Cullen said definitively before Hawke could put her concern into words. "The Knight-Commander is sure she's escaped. She sent us to investigate."
"She thinks I'm hiding Bethany here," Hawke concluded.
"Or that you helped her escape," Cullen added. "That you are here is a good sign, however."
Hawke turned from Cullen, placing one hand on the fireplace mantel and leaning forward. Bethany certainly wasn't at the estate. And Hawke doubted her sister had escaped. The mage was a bit too law-abiding, always preferring to avoid trouble if she could. And running from the Gallows was most definitely trouble. What, then? Where could she be?
"Oh, Bethy," Hawke muttered, looking into the flames. Her free hand gripped into a fist as fear gripped her heart. They had lost Papa, then Carver. Then Mama, in such a horrific way. Bethy was all Hawke had left of her family.
"Serah Hawke," Cullen said, almost gently. "We need to search the estate, to be sure she is not here."
Hawke unclenched her fist, waving the hand dismissively. "Go ahead. She's not here. I never would have let you in if she was."
Cullen left her at the fireplace, returning to the foyer to issue orders to his men. Hawke didn't turn around as heavy footsteps carried the templars throughout her home. Hawke thought hard, wracking her brain. Had Bethany said anything out of the ordinary last time she had visited her in the Gallows?
Hawke turned around, finding Cullen standing near the door leading to the foyer. To watch her, Hawke realized. She was under suspicion, after all.
"Could someone have taken her?" Hawke asked, approaching him. "Bethany has no enemies that I know of, but there is a long list of people I've pissed off." Her voice was distracted as she mentally ran through that list. Would any of them risk infiltrating the Gallows to kidnap Bethany, in order to get to Hawke?
"It is possible," Cullen allowed, looking troubled himself. "But to enter the Gallows, capture a mage, and leave, all unseen and with no sign of struggle?" He shrugged, showing his doubts about the idea.
Hawke smacked her forehead. Cullen referring to her sister as a mage had reminded her of an obvious question. "Her phylactery. Why aren't you using that to track her?"
Cullen lowered his voice. "I trust you will not widely distribute this information, as it would likely cause panic or further unrest. The vault where they are kept was broken into, the templar guard killed. Dozens of phylacteries were destroyed, including hers. We locked down the Gallows as soon as it was discovered several hours ago. That is when we discovered your sister was missing."
Hawke was surprised once again. "How could someone manage that? I thought only a few even knew where they were kept."
Cullen nodded. "You can see why the Knight Commander is concerned."
"Did any other mages escape? Did a group orchestrate this?" Hawke asked.
"No. Bethany is the only one missing. Mage or templar," was Cullen's solemn answer.
"I have a hard time believing Bethany could, or even would do such –" Hawke started, cut off by a strangled yell and high-pitched squeak from the kitchen. Hawke dashed off, Cullen following close behind.