WARNING
I do not own the characters of Dragon Age. Some dialogs, words and phrases were created by Bioware and belongs to them. This fic was written with the purpose of providing a fun time to everyone.
ALL THAT REMAINS:
HAWKE
by
Airshadow
The Chantry's clock announced the last hour of the evening, but an estate in Hightown was already cloaked in darkness. The House Hawke was mourning the horrible death of its Matriarch: Leandra Amell. Everyone there was devastated for such a tragic event and showed it in different manners: Orana, who usually was smiling and sang Tevinter folk-songs while she was cleaning, was very quiet; Bodahn had a sad look in his eyes while Sandal looked around and asked everyone who passed, "Old Mistress?"
Fang, Dionne Hawke's trusted mabari, ran towards Leandra's bedroom every time that its door opened, looking for her. When the loyal hound realized that she wasn't there, whimpered and came back to its favorite spot in front of the fireplace. It happened so many times that his mistress closed it.
Dionne was distraught. After her uncle Gamlen had left the mansion, she sought refuge in her dormitory, remaining in a corner close to the window that overlooked the garden. In those moments, she was the living portrait of the grief: her long chestnut hair was in disarray, her blue eyes had lost their usual bright twinkle, her smile had faded, while her slender body trembled with every sob.
Visions of death were haunting her mind since the reanimated corpse of Leandra fell into her arms. She remembered how her mother's life, magically retained, was slowly fading. Then she watched her beautiful hands...all that power at hers command, useless when she wanted to save one of the most important being of her life: her mother.
Dionne Hawke started to cry loudly, while she tried to recall the tragic chain of events that ended some hours ago. They started with the White Lilly Murders and Ser Emeric, who tried to stop that monster. The young mage smiled bitterly as she remembered him. Even though he was a Templar, he was an honorable man. He knew that she was an apostate... But in spite of that decided to make a blind eye and let her go. Why? She would never know. She only could hope that the Maker had him at his side.
"What if one of the women who died was someone you loved?" he had said once, but she couldn't remember when. What a sick twist of fate that made his words come true.
But those words represent all the reasons what she was fighting for all those years: Protect her family and friends. She couldn't protect Bethany from the Ogre... She failed Ser Emeric when she allowed a dangerous blood mage fool her and let him go, in spite of all the warnings that the Chantry and her father told about the forbidden school... and then her bigger distress: Carver.
When she was adamant that he remained in home instead go with her in the ill fated expedition to the Deep Roads, that stubborn little brother of hers joined the Templars. Maker have mercy, how he could have done something like this? What if one day, she was forced to fight him? The worst of all was that she just wanted to protect him... because he was the only family she had left. Well, besides Gamlen.
Hawke shook her head, that didn't matter right now. Nothing seemed to matter at all. A sound behind her caught her attention, and saw that Merrill and Isabela had just entered.
"Andaran atish'an, lethallan" spoke Merrill while they walked slowly towards her friend and looked with sadness at her "When we heard the news about your Mamae, our hearts were full with sorrow".
"She's gone" whispered the young mage.
"At least your mother loved you, not everyone can say that" replied Isabela.
"Now... I'm alone" muttered Dionne, while a tear rolled down in her cheek.
"Family's not just the people you're related to by blood" responded Isabela. "It's all the people that care of you". It was funny, in a totally non-funny way. The person who chased tails and spoke bluntly about things no one wanted to hear, also gave advice on family. Perhaps she was right, though.
Dionne walked slowly to her bed and sat down; she was followed by Merrill, who remained close. Hawke started to cry.
"Hawke, if you allow me... I can cast a spell that will let you sleep without dreams... You need rest, lethallan, we will take care of everything", the elf said kindly.
Dionne agreed with a nod; the only thing that she wanted right now was to fall into the abyss of sweet unconsciousness. Merrill cast the spell and the young mage fell in a deep dreamless sleep. Isabela and the elf covered their friend with thick blankets.
"Stay here, Kitten " whispered Isabela "She needs a good friend at her side right now".
"I'll be quiet like a mouse" replied the young elf, who was very willing to help. Merrill stood up so quickly that without willing she hit the nearby nightstand. A glass of water that was on top of it fell to the floor and broke. Merrill looked at Isabela with embarrassment and stuttered "Well... I will be more quiet".
Isabela's lips held a chuckle. Thank the Maker, the spell worked very well and Dionne didn't wake up. Slowly, the sensual rogue left the room and carefully closed the door behind her.
- o0o -
Downstairs in the studio, three men were watching the fireplace lost in their own minds. They looked at the room's entrance when they heard Isabela arriving there. Sebastian and Anders were surprised to see the Isabela's amber eyes shining with anger, while Fenris look at her, colder than usual. The pirate walked straight at the ex-slave and looking forthright, said bluntly "Tell me... Tell me that whoever did this to her is dead!"
"He is dead", he replied.
"That's good" said Isabela "The only thing that I regret is that I wasn't there to help you slit his throat."
"We have important matters to attend to now" spoke Sebastian, who always has been the party's voice of reason. "I'll go to the Chantry to make the proper arrangements, and after that...someone has to tell Carver what happened..."
"I thought that the dear Uncle Gamlen would do that", she said with a tone of annoyance.
"I was thinking to talk with him and convince him allow me to do it", replied Sebastian "Carver will require spiritual aid, and as Lay Brother, I'm qualified to provide it ".
"It's a pity that we won't send the mage to do the job, with a little luck..."
"Fenris, please, this isn't the moment neither the place" interrupted Sebastian. Anders was mad with the elf's comment, but the last thing that he wanted to do in that moment was add fuel to the fire.
"I have a stretcher in my clinic", Anders said softly. "We will need it when...when we bring Leandra back home. I guess that Aveline should know what happened as well... She's almost a member of Hawke's family."
"Isabela, could you be so kind to talk with her?" Sebastian asked.
"Oh! Go to the Griffon's Lips lair without doing something to deserve it... It's so wrong, like diddling a sister." sighed Isabela and added with a mischievous smile, "Has anyone told you how cute you look when you blush, Sebastian?"
The group slowly left the room and headed towards the exit; Fenris deliberately stayed behind and stopped just in front of the staircase that lead to the second floor. For few minutes, the Tevinter elf was tempted to run towards Dionne's side, but in the end, he walked away and left the estate.
