A Tale from Tevinter

Chapter1

End of the Road

"There it is, little Sparrow!" Malcolm turned to his raven hair daughter. He leaned down, brushing his thumb over the dirt that had gathered on her cheek. Lifting her head from the backrest of the wagon, amber eyes looked on following her father's indicating gesture. The sun was low, setting behind a dark shadow on the horizon.

"Minrathous?" Leandra breathed, ducking her head out from under the wagon's canvas to see the destination they had set upon so long ago. Amber eyes watched as her mother, Leandra, shivered at the approaching black spiraling towers on the horizon. Her lips held in a thin line as her arms pulled the napping twins, Caver and Bethany, closer to her breasts.

"We're almost there Marian," Her father gave her a pensive, yet hopeful, smile. Marian returned the smile, though it never lit her eyes. Malcolm gripped the reins in his hands, flicking them against the oxen's backs.

"We've made it though, haven't we?" Caver's young face popped up, a yawn dropping his mouth as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"We're in Tevinter now, are we not?" Bethany finished, the girl twin doing a mirror rendition of Caver's yawn. "No more running?" Her blue eyes glanced around, but instinctively she directed her gazer to her elder sister. Her blue eyes looking for reassurance. Marian gave a thoughtful pause. Finally, she nodded to Bethany. They younger girl let out a cheer as she wrapped her arms around her elder sister. Pulling her into a tight embrace, Bethany squeezed at Marian's shoulders. It was impossible for Marian not to share in some of the relief, the hope, that exuded from her sister.

"We've been in Tevinter's borders for three days now," Malcolm chuckled as Caver moved to join his father in the front seat. Glaring at Marian, Carver shoved his older sister over to take his place by their father. Marian sighed, letting herself be pushed. Carver could be such a jealous ass. Opting to ignore him, she instead directed her attention to the embrace of Bethany. Marian reached up, grasping a hand to Bethany's arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze before pushing her sister back. She moved to get into the back of the wagon, desiring nothing more then to sleep and leave Carver and her father to share the last leg of the journey.

Marian was tired. She'd ridden up front with her father since they took the road from Kirkwall when it had bent around the mountains. She'd kept him awake, and kept her eyes keen for danger for three days. She was more then readying to leave the front seat to Caver when her father called her to stay.

"I want you to see this Marian," Malcolm said warmly, smiling at his child. She could see the tired, worn lines around his eyes and she nodded as she returned to maintaining her current seat. Caver growled, folding his arms and puffing his chest out. No doubt he was jealous, again, that father wanted her near. Marian didn't blame him. Her father did rely on her, but that was simply because she was older. She may have been just fourteen, but the simple truth was that she was better equipped to help protect their family. Better suited for the task then Carver, or even her mother.

"It's not like we're going to be beset by wolves," Leandra clucked her tongue, putting a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Honestly, Malcolm! Let us camp for the night. You are tired, and the oxen are beyond worn down. A good rest," She smiled as she kissed her husband's cheek, "and then we may all enjoy the arrival to our new home. Let us see it with eyes wide awake, and while the sun is still in the sky."

Marian sent a glance to her mother, a small unspoken relief in her eyes. Malcolm sighed, seeing the reason in his wife's request. He examined his family, his eyes lingering on Marian who looked extremely exhausted though she sat ridged in the wagon. His pride welled in his chest, as he hurried the oxen onward. There was a nice grove near a stream, and it would make a fine place to camp. His daughter had done well. She had been dependable, strong, throughout the journey. She had never complained, and had aided in keeping their family safe. His eldest was truly worthy of their family name Hawke.

"I'm not tired," Carver scoffed, glaring at Marian, knowing that it was for his sister's consideration alone they would camp tonight. Leandra dismissed Carver's whine while Bethany rolled her eyes, but Marian simply kept her gaze set upon the road. The sun was too bright over the horizon, and it seemed magnified as though reflecting off a mirror.

"I smell the ocean," Marian mumbled, pulling her cloak about her frame. She felt her head bob once, the world slipped into blackness. A feeling of disorientation, of falling, and her head jerked up. Blinking her eyes, gasping a little, she shook her head for good measure. The world was very bright, even as the sun was setting. It seemed odd, but she knew it was just the lack of sleep catching up with her.

"Now, now," Leandra crooned, whispering softly into Marian's ear as she wrapped firm hands around her daughter's shoulder's. Marian felt her body lifting, and wondered for a moment how it was that she was levitating That was until she found herself pulled into the back of the carriage. Her mother smiled at her and kissed her cheek, wrapping a thick fur around her daughter as she hummed lightly. "You've done so very well," Her mother's sweet voice played in her ear as her long fingers combed slowly though her dark hair. "Sleep, my darling."

As though it were a command spell, Marian's world went black once more, and she laid in a dreamless sleep. She knew not how long she had been out, but when she awoke she was still in the back of the wagon. She felt warm. Looking to either side she found her brother and her sister were curled around her. All three siblings laying under the furs that lined the carriage. Marian could hear a crackling fire in the distance, and see star light that glistened though the flap of the wagon's covering.

"She's just a child!" Marian heard her mother's voice in a hushed whisper. "You drive her too hard. She nearly fell today from exhaustion. You know she's never been so vocal as Carver or Bethany. You need to make sure that you don't wear her out so!"

"She's not just a child," Malcolm's calm, deep voice echoed in return. "She's a Hawke. Dear, I wish I did not need her help so, but you know there is nothing to be done of it. When we are in Minrathous, and I have settled a house for us, you and the children can have a normal life."

"Normal?" Leandra scoffed. Marian could not hear what her father said, his voice a low, gravely sound. She could make out sobs mixed in under his tones. Closing her eyes, she focused on the underside of her eyelids.

(zXz)

"Hey, Sis," Bethany's voice called to her, a sweet sensation of warmth brushing against her cool cheek. "Sis, you should eat something." Marian opened her eyes, spying the hand of her sister as it brushed the hair from her face. "I'll take your order," She chimed sweetly. "Would you like bread, or bread?" Marian chuckled in her throat.

"Oh the choices are too overwhelming," Marian smiled lightly at her younger sister, "Would you pick for me?" Bethany shrugged and handed over a cloth wrapped scrap of bread to her sister. Marian sniffed it, the bitter smell of dried bread that was starting to turn curdled her stomach. "No helping it is there?"

"Father and Caver went to see if they could pull some fish out of the stream," Bethany offered apologetically. Marian coughed, choking on the dry bread. Bethany handed her a water flask, helping her drink as she rubbed her back. "Yeah, I know," she rolled her blue eyes and smiled, "Carver working..."

"I'm good," Marian breathed, handing the flask back to Bethany.

"Really?" Bethany asked, her big, blue eyes flooding with concern. "It's just, you look so worn," Bethany's young face scrunched in a frown, her fingers fumbling with the water skin. "I wish I was stronger, that I could have helped more. If I had better control, I could have helped keep watch," There were small tears of frustration in Bethany's blue eyes, lightly breaking onto black lashes.

"It's fine," Marian sighed, giving her sister's hands that grasped hopelessly at the water skin's cork. "There's no need to worry about that anymore. We made it. No more running, remember? That means no more tears." Marian slipped a hand behind Bethany's neck, pulling her sister's face toward her own. She brought their forehead's together so she could stare directly into Bethany's sea blue eyes. When she had her sister's attention, she offered her the usual half cocked smile brimming with bravado that seemed to always make the younger girl laugh. It had always worked, thus far, whenever she needed to help ground her sister who was so often caught in a torrent of emotions. Bethany relaxed, and giggled a little, sniffing at the tears as she enjoyed her sister's strong reassurance.

It would be alright, because Marian would make it so.

"Hey!" Carver's voice bellowed, his mop of disheveled hair bobbing into view as he yanked up the flap of the wagon. "I caught some fish while you were busy sleeping. Shouldn't you be up by now? Mother shouldn't have to clean them all by herself."

Marian sighed as Bethany scowled. Pulling sore, overworked muscles up, Marian made her way out of the wagon's shaded covering. Their mother was sitting near the fire. Leandra was scraping her knife along the skin of a fish, scales flaking away under her blade. Carver stood proudly, his chest puffed out at the string of fish laying near their mother's feet.

"Morning, sleepy head," Malcolm smiled at Marian, his own dagger coming out as he joined Leandra in the cleaning of the catch by the fire.

"Morning," Marian drawled, testing the knot in her shoulders as she lifted her arms over her head. Straightening some, she made her way off behind some shrubs that laid near the tree line to relieve herself. Upon returning she went for the stream to wipe down her hands and face in the cold water. Straightening her robes, adjusting her belt until it sat comfortably around her hips, she considered the sight of the distant city. The building were black, even in the morning sun. The tower's reaching up like claws against the blue sky.

"Come sit by me, Sis!" Bethany waved Marian over from the stream. The older girl's feet felt rooted, though, as she looked off into the distance. It was hard to pull away from the notion of the black claws that pierced the sky.

"I swear," Leandra mumbled, "If I weren't the one who birthed you lot, I would say that it were Bethany and Marian that were twins."

Carver huffed, standing from his spot near his father as he went to gather his short sword from the wagon along with a wet stone. "Carver, you need your father with you if you are going to mess with that!" Leandra fumed. She quirked an angry eye at Malcolm. She had disagreed with the birthday gift, thinking a sword for a boy just turned twelve was too dangerous.

"I'm just sharpening it," Carver growled, setting to spitting on his stone.

"Ew, Carver! By the Maker, there's a stream just a few feet over there!" Bethany whined, scrunching up her face as her brother's spit dripped down his chin.

Marian was too lost in her own thoughts to notice as Bethany tried to get her sister's support in admonishing their brother. They were so close to Minrathous now, and something in her core felt like it was being whittled away like the fish in her mother's hands.

She had heard about Tevinter. The cities that were ruled by the magisters. The stories that ran through out Ferelden told of blood magic, demons, and of the Altus mages; the dream walkers. She thought them no more than stories to scare children of the evil of mages that lay across the sea to the north. Part of her, though, was afraid of the city near the sea where they were headed. She was strong enough to help protect her family from bandits and wolves, but from mages? Signing, she hung her head, trying to keep her thoughts from running down the 'What if's' that tended to absorb her.

A finger poked her side, and looking up she saw Bethany's blue eyes shining with joy as she handed her a cooked fish. How would she protect her sister? Marian shook her head, accepting the fish and ripping it apart. What was she thinking? Coming to Minrathous was protecting Bethany. Her father was right to take them to a place mages were not locked up, nor killed outright.

They would be safe in Tevinter.

TBC~

Disclaimer: Dragon Age and all of its character's and places are property of BioWare and the respective copyright holders. OC(s) Include Artamus Dolan, and (sorta) Anitra.

Notes: I actually had to breakdown my writing for this chapter as it was getting too long for an intoduction. Also, I had to fiddle a little with the age difference of Bethany and Carver from Marian's age. They are actually around 8 years apart and I placed them at only two. Since this is an AU I can get away with it.

Anyway, I couldn't shake this idea that there was a possibility that Malcolm could have taken his family to Tevinter. Hence the story. Please let me know what you think, good or bad. I Should have another chapter up sooner than later.