Hawke waited patiently for everyone to arrive at the foot hills of sundermount, her foot thumping against the moist ground. She hated it when they were late. Especially when they were late from creeping from the hanged man.

Huffing in frustration she kicked a pebble across the path as she flicked her staff about. She wished they would hurry up. In fact the only reason she was early was because Bohdan was acting like a father and pestering her to take warm clothes, take enough food and make sure the elf and healer didn't hurt each other too much. This whole thing was the elf's idea to begin with. Him with his "We aren't prepared enough" after the last slavers they disposed of. She had almost been shot to death, only just dodging because Fenris smacked it with the flat of his blade. She'd been frozen to the spot. It had never come that close to her before. She always frozen the archers first, but there was just so many of them.

She knew she'd given him extra work, but to be honest she was glad he was there. He'd all but circled her as she stood in shock, and made damn sure nothing got to her. And then she turned into a flurry of anger and all but destroyed them. Fenris was right, they needed to practise. They needed to learn each other's weaknesses, so that if someone was in danger they could defend them better and not be the frenzied mess they have been thus far.

Hawke paced across the track, every other minute glancing down the hill to see if at least one of them were coming this way. It wasn't until a hundred paces later did Aveline arrive with Sebastian and Anders, Fenris trailing along behind them. She couldn't help the sudden pull in her chest when she noticed he was avoiding her gaze. So nothing had changed then, she wondered sadly. He was so angry with her, for loosing focus. Grabbing her by the shoulders and asking, begging to know why she almost let herself die.

"Hawke, where's Varric and Merrill?" Aveline wondered. Coming to a full halt in front of the tamping mage. Even when practising, she still wore her full armour.

"I don't know, getting pissed at the hanged man? Visiting the blooming rose?" Hawke suggested flatly. From the corner of her eye she noticed Fenris chuckle, his hand to his mouth to cover his obvious smile. Obvious because Anders noticed and smirked.

"So Hawke," he drawled sauntering over to her and throwing his arm over her shoulder. "As we are both, brilliant, mages shall we go practise together?"

She could practically hear Fenris' jaws lock and grind together. Inwardly she cringed. She knew Anders liked her. Too much than what was comfortable for her. Especially when her heart so desperately clung to the fact Varric knew Fenris … cared for her. She wouldn't say love. She couldn't give herself that much hope. But she knew deep down, that him, staying there meant he loved her still.

"Actually And's I was thinking more like, all of us… taking turns against each other." Anders shifted slightly too look at her in surprise, only to frown when he thought more about it. He would have to go against Fenris. Which would be a problem. Considering they loathed each other. Despised the very air which the other dared breathe. She sighed untangling herself from him.

"Now that's more like it Kitten!" Isabella purred from beside her ear making her yelp. She hated that rogue sometimes, the way she made no noise at all whenever she moved. Suddenly she found her thoughts drifting to if Isabella made any noise in a certain department. But she didn't need that mental image so early in the morning.

"I like the idea Hawke. It's new, it's fresh, it's..." Varric stared, listing each point whilst clicking a finger.

"It's totally going in one of your ridiculous stories." She finished for him.

"Now now, Hawke you wound me." He chuckled, taking her outstretched hand to help him up the pass. Merrill skipped along then humming softly to herself as her staff swung loosely on her back.

"Surely Hawke, you didn't come up here on your own?" The deep voice of Starkhaven's prince questioned. She glanced over her shoulder to stare at the handsome man. She wasn't that weak.

"She better not have" Fenris growled. She'd always loved his protective side. For her it showed the heart she knew he could find in himself. To care about others. Something he'd never had to do before her and her motley crew.

"Of course not, I uh…I, came, with… uhm…" she started.

"Kitten, you can so not lie. Oh that reminds me, that dress honey he'll love it. Probably drop dead just from the length of it. Even I don't go that short." Isabella snickered. Yeah she definitely hated that rogue. She couldn't help the smile though, at Fenris' inconspicuous choke turn cough.

"Shall we get started?" She said clapping her hands together, walking to the front of the group and steering them to a small clearing just east of the pass.

She always went there when she needed to think. The cool brook which passed on through used to sift away the nightmares from losing Bethany, carver… her mother. Sometimes she would lie there for hours just thinking. Clearing her mind, it wouldn't be until she thought Bohdan would send a search party out for her would she eventually crawl back to her house. She loved it here, her new place of refuge. Since the old one was not welcome to her anymore. Where she would spend her free time with Fenris, she now had to spend it alone.

"By the maker… How did you find this place Hawke?" Sebastian's astonished voice questioned from behind her. She smirked.

"I was travelling on my own one day, letting off some steam." She dared a quick glance at the true reason of the venture, Fenris. "and I decided to be adventurous and stumbled on this"

Hawke loved the way their faces lit up, even Fenris smiled slightly. The edges of his lips toying with the thought of moving up, instead of down. But Merrill… Hawke could tell she was in her element. The way as she circled the clearing her fingers trailed along the low hanging branches of trees. Making them bloom from the heavy rain droplets that lived on them.

Since Fenris left her, her and the slightly airy elf had been close. Closer yet since they were both mages. Even if Hawke despised her form of magic.

"Ander's do you want go first? Against me I mean" She started shyly. She could feel everyone's eyes on her and she felt self-conscious. Especially when those moss green eyes eyed Anders up when he stood in front of her, his staff twisting in the air.

"Ready Hawke?" he grinned, and without warning flung a ball of fire directly at her head. She ducked, spinning on her heel as she grabbed her staff from her back and twisted it in the air. She could feel the cold channel its way through her and she slammed her staff to the ground. Before Anders could even think spikes of deadly ice shot from the earth and he was flung backwards with an arcane bolt Hawke had managed to conjure whilst he was distracted. She grinned.

"You'll have to do better than that Andy-kins"

Anders huffed and picked himself off the ground. "Really Hawke?" he asked as electric bolts flew at her head. She panicked, building a wall of ice in front of her. Anders groaned and blasted fire from his fingertips melting the wall of ice. He was losing energy, where as she had only just started.

She grinned making vines grow from where he stood. They wrapped around his arms pinning him to the spot. Huffing, he thrashed against them, making more fly at him until he couldn't move a muscle. Mummified by thick vines. He couldn't move, it was perfect.

Stone fist flew at him and sent him flying across the clearing. He sprawled across the grass, groaning as he tried to get up. But he didn't. Hawke looked over to Merrill, silently thanking her for showing her the Dalish magic. The blood mage grinned and waved.

"You're lucky I'm a healer Hawke" Anders growled getting up, dusting off leaves and Brecon off his front. She was spent. The mana had literally drained from her and she slumped to the floor. She needed to work on her stamina. To increase the amount of lyrium she could use before she completely collapsed. Something she would have a word with Anders later.

"Who's next?" she wheezed, her hand clutching her chest in a feeble attempt to breathe easier.

Fenris stepped up, watching her warily. His sword ready as he crouched into a predatory position. She faltered for a second, grasping her staff even tighter than what she originally was. She knew how relentless he was when he was fighting beside her. She only had enough mana for at the most two or three spells, and then she'd be on her potions. She gulped. Pushing her weight against her staff she got up, shakily. Fenris was watching her intently from across the other side of the clearing. His sword pointed upwards read to cause as much damage as he could. She didn't want to admit it, but she was a bit afraid he'd forget who she was and just see the mage in her. And kill her cold.

Warmth enveloped her hands and she smiled softly to herself. She'd be ready for him if he did.

No one moved around her, not even the trees swayed in the relentless breeze that made her flaming red hair sweep across her face.

"Hawke," Her name was like a caress on his lips. "You should rest; let someone else fight for a second." His moss green eyes were full of worry, and only on her.

"Oh alright then, seen as you asked so nicely." Isabella sighed dramatically, sauntering over to where Hawke stood. Even though the rogue knew Hawke loved Fenris, she still flirted. Even though she swore that night at the hanged man she wouldn't do anything. But that didn't really put her mind at ease.

Fenris nodded frowning.

"Don't worry kitten, I won't do anything … to bad" she whispered in her ear, and then she was off. Sprinting full towards the startled elf before throwing down a smoke bomb. Fenris coughed and sputtered, his hands clawing at the smoke. Only when Isabella dived onto his back from behind did he even show any sign of fighting back. His sword swung backwards around him, missing her head by inches. Hawke could see Isabella press her lips to his ear. She was whispering something. The look on Fenris' face didn't make her anger towards her best friend any better. His cheeks crimson from blushing from whatever she said. His long ears bent downward. Shame? Why was he ashamed. And then his green eyes looked up at her, and in that second she knew what Isabella had said. They were sad. Dark pools of emerald screaming for her to love him back. And she did, but she respected his privacy too much. She smiled sadly at him, and then the look was gone as quickly as it had come and his stone cold frown was there in its wake.

He shrugged Isabella off, throwing her to the ground. She landed with a huff on her behind and only just dodged his blade slamming down on the ground. "You don't know the half of what I feel!" he growled, his lips snarling. The usual flirtatious smirk Isabella wore was gone. Pure and horrific fear was written all over her as she tried to scramble to safety. She looked at Hawke, her eyes pleading to make him stop.

"Fenris!" She called. His head snapped up, pure rage like hot lava in his eyes. "Fenris stop. Please"

Isabella scrambled to her feet, running as fast as she could to Hawke's side.

"Well rivaini. I've never seen you so scared." Varric chuckled, but the look on the duellists face showed no room for laughing.

"Hawke, remind me to never accuse him of hurting you. Ever again." Isabella breathed clutching at Hawke in an awkward hug, gripping her so tight; Hawke swore her eyes almost popped out.

Aveline coughed, "I'll go next." Fenris shrugged and they started.

It was noon before Hawke knew it, and she'd gone against everyone, but Fenris and Sebastian.

The prince grinned at her, his bow ready, an arrow notched. Hawke gulped. She could do this, she told herself.

Sebastian pulled back the string of his bow and fired, the arrow whistling through the air. Cold whooshed out my hand a pillar of ice froze the arrow dead in its tracks. He shot again; more ice coming from the ground stopped that one next. He was relentless in his attack, as soon as one arrow left, he notched another and another. Hawke could feel her strength waning. But if she gave up, one those arrows would be embedded in her skull.

Sebastian growled slightly when Hawke petrified him to the ground. Surrounding his feet with unmovable rock. He shot again at her, steel she only saw on the battlefield.

"By the mother Andraste, you will be punished Apostate!" He yelled. Hawke flinched, frozen to the spot. Apostate? Fenris growled from where everyone was standing. But didn't move.

"Hold your tongue" Anders said through grounded teeth. The prince wasn't acting as if it were training. He saw Hawke as an actual threat, making everyone on their guard. From the corner of her eye she saw Aveline's hand hover over the pommel of her sword, Isabella's fingers dancing over her twin blades. Hawke was scared. She could see Sebastian loosening from the rocky grip and pull an arrow from his back. She couldn't do anything, she was exhausted. Her spells were sloppy, using the last of her strength to block the ferociously precise arrows.

"Sebastian that's enough!" Fenris snarled, his lips quivering with an unsaid threat.

But Sebastian kept coming. Each arrow drawing more power, more precise than the last. All she could do was hope that the thin walls of ice that she made with the swish of her hand would last longer then she thought. They were taking all her strength to make, and it was draining her.

"Andraste forgive me!" He yelled. And then it hit her. Square in the chest.

The cold on her hands dissipated. Warmth treacled down her chest. She looked around her, everyone was in a panic, Fenris running to her, his eye's wide and oh so scared. Aveline was running at Sebastian with such anger on her face, Sebastian coward earning a punch to the jaw from Isabella.

She had no idea why everyone was so flustered. Why Anders was running to his pack and then sprinting to her side. The heat grew even more and hot liquid pooled at her hands.

Only when she looked down did she realise what had happened. An arrow stuck in her chest, almost to the red and white feathers that steadied the arrow. And then pain shot through her whole core. Screams ripped from her throat as the world tilted.

Strong warm arms caught her before her head hit the floor. Pain was everywhere and nowhere all at once, originating from the centre of her chest. "Make the pain stop!" She chocked to whoever was cradling her. Her eyes were scrunched closed but she would remember that touch anywhere, the way that clawed hand caressed her face. Holding her as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

"Hawke, listen to me," Anders said from somewhere "It's going to hurt much more before it gets better. We're going to have to pull the arrow out"

"Fenris!" Hawke cried.

"I'm here, Marian I'm here." Fenris was clutching her. Crying in front of everyone. She could hear the hysteria in his voice.

"Fenris I need you to hold her shoulders still. Make sure she doesn't move." Anders said, tipping his pack upside down. She could hear Merrill from beside her, muttering soft words as her hands hovered over where the arrow stuck. The clang of metal filled her ears and suddenly Fenris' bare hands were digging into her shoulder's, her head falling onto his lap.

"Hurry up mage please…" His voice was desperate, full of panic and fear. She heard Anders mumble something and then there was a pressure on her abdomen. She screamed out, so much pain. She could feel herself slipping, the dark abyss of the fade calling her to it.

"Hawke, listen to me… I'm going to pull it out now okay?" Anders soothed, stroking her hair. She could feel Fenris stiffen and growl. And then there was such a pain from her chestthat the fade disappeared completely, whatever deamon . Her body jolted upwards as he pulled and she could the ripping and tearing of skin. As soon it was out Anders got to work. She could feel the warmth of healing magic and the small sounds of skin sewing itself back together.

"I'm sorry Hawke... I don't…" Sebastian started. She could hear him coming to her, closing in on her. She tried to say it was okay, to try and reassure him but no words came out.

"Stay away Chantry boy." She was surprised to hear Varric grumble. She moaned rubbing her chest trying to get up.

"Oh no you don't you need rest. I'll carry you back to your house." Always trying.

"No mage I'll carry her back." Fenris warned. And then she was in the hair, cradled by his strong arms.

I know i know... the ending suck's but ill update this tomorrow.. anyway Review :D! please