"If it hurts, why do you-"
"Look, Kid, I know you mean well but let's not delve into my personal life right now."
Hawke ducked aside as a brute of a Venatori swung for her head. Sidestepping behind him, she forced her dagger into a gap in his armor and twisted. The man gurgled as she kicked him away from herself and right into Cole's awaiting weapons. Cole finished the job with ease and danced past some flames from a nearby mage to join Hawke's side again.
"But I don't understand," he tried to start once more.
Hawke grunted as she rushed past him right for the mage. She feinted to her left while Cole took advantage of the opening and swung around behind the mage. He made short work of the man before looking at Hawke again with those big, innocent eyes of his. Hawke wanted to scream. Again. As she often did when around the spirit.
"There's nothing to understand. Down!" She cried, flinging her murder knife at another Venatori trying to get behind Cole. The man crumpled and Hawke stalked over, yanking her knife out from his eye and wiping the blood off. Concealing it again, she turned to find the others of their party.
"It hurts. Maker, it hurts." Cole babbled suddenly. Hawke caught sight of his wide eyes as she turned slowly to look at him. Sorrow and compassion both seemed to fill his pale gaze. "Why does it hurt?" he continued, unprompted. "Take it away from me. Please. I'm not strong enough for this." He paused then, tilting his head ever so slightly and blinked at her. "But He can't, because you are."
Tears burned behind Hawke's eyes as she stared, utterly dumbfounded, at the spirit. With a shaky hand, she sheathed her daggers at the straps on her back.
"Let's… let's just find the others." Hawke inhaled a rattled breath, trying to steady herself. Then we're going to have a chat with Varric over what you like to talk about in the middle of a damn fight.