She teased the edge of her bracers as her stomach decidedly started to turn over with nervousness. Tetras whistled happily in the cool night air, apparently not noticing her inner turmoil. He was taking her to see Fenris, though he insisted she rest after her long journey and did not take her until she had slept off her pints of ale. Much to her dismay she slept all through the day up till now.
Would he still like her? It has been almost three years since she saw him drift away from her on that stormy night. She may have aged badly, it's not as though she has thought to look in a mirror lately. Maybe he has found someone else? She shook her head as though that would rid her of negative thoughts. Tetras said he is here in Kirkwall, and they were to meet in Kirkwall if they got separated. Besides she was pretty sure he wouldn't run off with another woman so soon.
Before she could swim in her unending thoughts Tetras stopped in his tracks and held up a hand motioning for her to do the same. She peered around the corner they stopped at from above the stout dwarf and saw a group of thugs beating someone up. The poor man only whimpered when struck, though in the dark she could not see much of the scene from a distance.
"Well Starlight, you better ready your blades," he quietly took up his crossbow and aimed, "because we look to be in for a tumble in Hightown tonight."
As instructed she unsheathed her blades and made ready to follow her short companion into battle. He launched a bolt into the group landing a blow in one of the thugs' chests and Sera started to close the gap keeping low, Revas at her heals.
"Well so much for a quick reunion with our favorite elf." She said a worried crease in her brow.
The large shadow cat simply growled in grievance before pouncing onto the closest thug, his powerful jaws claiming the man's bare throat with an effortless snap. The others quickly backed away from the feline and Sera wasted no time in plunging a dagger into an enemy gut before slicing him up to his neck. Bolts rained down around the large group while Sera parried an oncoming attack from a crude throwing knife. Through the confusion the poor man that was being beaten could be seen running off and she was happy to see that he had gotten away. Before she could properly engage her next opponent, time seemed to slow and the looks of confusion around her seemed to match how she felt.
She urged her muscles to move faster as a small group rushed into the slowed fray. Arrows found foreheads at an alarming rate, a young man cleaved half the group with a broad sword and bolts of magic had men falling down in agony. She panicked and as time quickened she turned only to find one of the thugs had been right behind her. Her arm was still heavy and the enemy was gaining more momentum, she knew that she would not be able to block the inevitable blow. Squeezing her eyes shut she prepared for the worse while moving sluggishly to try lessening the impact for a glancing blow. But when she opened her eyes next a figure blurred into view and sliced through her attacker and launched a powerful fire spell on the last thug standing.
The spell lifted and she jumped back towards Varric, regaining her former speed.
"Hawke!" The dwarf exclaimed happily, slinging his crossbow onto his shoulder casually.
The familiarity with the newcomers made Sera stop and look back at the Dwarf who was smiling and caressing his weapon. She looked back to the group who intervened and bowed slightly, though her suspicious nature kept her hand close to her hidden dagger.
The group consisted of four males the first two looked similar, the third an archer clad in white armor and the fourth a mage in robes. The brothers seemed to be almost a matching set, one in templar armor and the other though obviously a mage wore more of a mixture between rouge leather and warrior plate. All were quite handsome but she found the leader to be the most striking with his confident smirk and masculine rustic features.
"Thugs, they just rub me the wrong way." Presumably Hawke stated before looking to Sera, "but you… you can rub me any way you like."
She sighed, "So much for being saved by a group of gentlemen, why is that so rare these days?"
"Please do not lump all of us in with Garrett," The templar responded wiping off his blood soaked weapon.
"Too late," she chirped sarcastically while the archer merely acquainted his palm with his face and the rest simply chuckled.
"So Varric," Garrett motioned toward Sera, "I thought the only woman you enjoyed the night with was Bianca." His grin was charmingly lopsided and though the man was quite imposing he did a terrible job of concealing his amusement.
Varric simply stroked his chin and smiled, "Bianca is the only one for me don't you worry Hawke. None the less I was on my way to Broody's place."
"Fenris is getting deliveries? Why was I not informed of this development?" Garrett pouted. "And why don't I get any?"
"Pardon me?!" Sera asked, furious with the assumption that she was some sort of hired lover.
"Hawke you can be so crude." The mage quipped with a shake of his head.
"She is obviously not from the brothel brother."
"Of course you would know wouldn't you Carver?" Garrett poked his brothers' side with his elbow.
"Maker," The archer half-whispered before addressing Sera and ignoring the others snicker at the blushing templar. "Just ignore Hawke, he simply cannot help himself when it comes to what he believes is a witty comment."
"He is even more compelled if he is in the presence of a beautiful woman." The blonde mage added.
Sera coughed once to hide her embarrassment and she hoped her blunt, red tipped ears were unnoticed. Revas trotted over then with a bloody corpse in his mouth and plopped it at Sera's feet.
"Revas put him back you can't bring him with us." Sera stated sternly and the large cat put his ears back disappointedly while returning the dead thug back to the scene of the fight.
The group looked slightly tainted with fear as Revas came back licking the blood off of his fur next to his master.
"Are all pets extremely large and carnivorous in Tevinter?" Hawke asked kneeling down to get a better look at the shadow cat.
"Nope I am just special, and I wouldn't get that close to him." She warned and Hawke just smiled and took a step back. "Now I am all for being civil and diplomatically polite, however I just want to see Fenris."
Varric chuckles and waves away Hawke, "Don't worry your pretty little head Hawke, I will take her to Broody's."
The group quietly shuffled nervously and Hawke let out a shaky laugh, "Now would not be a good time Varric."
"Why not?" Sera snapped starting to lose her patience while Revas growls, feeling his masters frustrations. "Was three years not enough time to wait?"
Another shaky laugh, "it is not that, just..ah, he is not home."
One thing for sure was Hawke was a terrible liar.
"Then I will wait for him at his lodgings, unless you know where he is." Sera asked crossing her arms and waiting for one of the men to crack. Varric seemed to share a knowing glance with the group and rolled his eyes.
"Stupid elf." The dwarf muttered under his breath before turning to Sera, "Star—
"Now Varric, I could care less to where he is. I want to see him now!"
Revas perked up and sniffed the air before whining at Sera and nudging her hip with his nose. Sera smiled, ignoring Varric all together. Following the large feline the men curiously follow while offering up random little quipped against finding Fenris tonight.
She ran behind Revas as he kicked up speed, and the group following could not keep up quickly falling behind.
"You catch his scent?" she asked breathlessly as Revas stopped outside a rundown shack. The surrounding area was devoid of life besides a large tree in the center. What is this place? She asked herself before seeing a scared elf slam closed the shudders to their hut. Slowly she padded closer to the door Revas was pawing at. Suddenly Revas turned with an alarming hiss but the warning was not enough. Someone grabbed her wrist and yanked downward causing her to lose balance. Sera stumbled to one knee, drawing a dagger in time to jab in between the plate mail of her attacker. Revas lunged, knocking over at least three other men. Sera looked around and saw twenty maybe thirty men, among them was a grey haired man with cruel eyes and a sadistic smirk. Frozen in a paralysis rune she could do nothing as Denarius waltzed up to her and place a rough hand under her chin.
"My little doll, finally I have you back."
His hot breath encircled her and she cringed. Denarius pricked his forefinger on a small blade and drew something on her cheeks then across her nose and finally down the center of her mouth. With that he placed a hand against her eyes and she blacked out.