Life was the beginning and the end of each story. It gave birth to the people that would shape the history of Thedas, it provided the opportunities and the conditions, and then, when it all wound up in stories, with the heroes sailing off in the sunset, life just moved on.
Mages had listened to the retellings of how the whole city of Kirkwall had gone up in flames, how the chance of a compromise had been eliminated by Anders, an apostate healer, and by Champion Hawke, a mage who had never known the oppression of the Chantry. Mages had listened, the templars had not liked it, and the mages had risen in defiance. A bloody rebellion had swept Thedas.
But, as Red Garry would say, leaning on his garden fence and chewing on a straw, that was another world, another story. It might concern people in faraway places with magics and templars, but, apart from the occasional trouble with some misguided bandits, in the small village of Vantage life simply went on.
Even with all the Circles in Thedas annulled or gone apostate, there was still a silverite mine to be managed, a daughter to be raised and window shutters to be replaced. There were still pancakes to be had on Thursdays, the chant on Sundays and a mind-numbing boredom that always accompanied such calm and sensible life — every damn day from Monday to Sunday. Although, Mondays were a bit better — the militia training was on Mondays.
As the sun set behind the Frostbacks, Garry tore his eyes away from the dusty road leading up into the mountains and went inside where his housekeeper, miller's daughter Cadrine, was laying table for supper.
As always, it tasted like memories.
A/N: After reading one story too many about Hawke's familial bliss with Anders or Fenris, I was pondering what a happily ever after would be for Hawke and Isabela. Especially if Hawke backpedals after that first night together, resulting in a slightly broken romance... Anyways, big thanks to lilpumpkingirl who kindly reviewed this story! It's more or less finished in about 4 chapters, so I'll be adding them steadily. I hope you enjoy it! :)
Cover picture, characters and the world of Thedas (c) of BioWare, of course.
