Blooming
Chapter one
Recalling
Lothering was gone, and we were stuck fighting our way through darkspawn trying to get to safety. Our eldest brother Gam was the lead, he normally went by our last name Hawke, he had a battle axe strapped on and a new scar on the bride of his nose. Carver was a few feet behind him looking more than annoyed at his back. Not that I could blame him they were both warriors and very much alike though Hawke tended to shine where he did not and thus he resented him. Bethany was walking next to mother who had tears threating to fall, poor mother. Then lastly there was my dog Leo and me. I was two years younger than the twins, and the only rouge in the family I was shorter than Bethany by an inch or two, but other than that looked like a female version or Hawke. Who also was the only person in his family to acknowledge that I could hold my own in a fight that had been clear since Ostagar. Glancing over my shoulder I cursed.
"Incoming!" I called unsheathing my daggers and dropping into a stealth mode with the help of the nearby shadows, there were only a few but the taint they carried it only took one. It was amazing how well we worked together as a team and as soon as we took out the last one I sighed.
"That looks like the last of them." Carver stated walking over to mother.
"For now anyway." Bethany stated shaking her head. Mother sighed shaking her head and dropping her arms.
"Maker save us, we lost it all. Everything your father and I built." Mother stopped unable to finish her sentence.
"I'm sorry mother but we need to move." I spoke up as Leo whined rubbing is head against my hand.
"Yes your right." Mother sighed once again I glanced at Hawke who was looting some nearby corpses.
"Lothering is lost, why didn't we run sooner." Bethany asked glaring at Hawke carver and I.
"Don't look at us we've been running since Ostagar." Carver snapped back.
"Wait where are we going we can't keep wandering aimlessly." Bethany suddenly asked.
"Away from the Darkspawn dose it really matter?" Carver questioned annoyed.
"Of course it does." She shot back and sighed, we going to die at this rate.
"We can go to Kirkwall." Mother suddenly stated getting a unsure look from Hawke.
"That wouldn't be my first choice." Hawke stated with disapproval as he came and stood by Craver and I.
"There's lots of Templars there." Bethany mumbled.
"Yes but we have family there and an estate." Mother reasoned.
"Fine we need to get to a ship then." Bethany muttered nodding.
"We don't have time for this." Hawke growled out.
"please listen to your brother." Mother urged.
"Right. lead on then." Carver nodded at Hawke who looked down at me.
"Neria, Stay to the shadows take out the archers when you can." Nodding we headed on cutting down any that stood in our way. That was until we reached two fighters a Templar and a woman fighting a group of darkspawn.
"So that's how you met our lovely Guard captain. Varric mused as we sat in his suite in the hanged man drinking. I nodded smiling as he went on. "So what happened with the ogre I heard Hawke mention?" My expression Darkened a bit. There was so much that happened and telling Varric exactly what happened was against Hawke's rules, though as much as my brother would deny it he loved having stories told about him, so nodding the smile returned to my face and I continued the story.
Wesley was wounded and even though most of us knew he wouldn't make it Aveline pushed on keeping him as safe as we kept mother. As we cleared the area out we took a small breather as mother tended to a gash on Cravers arm with Bethany at her side trying to heal it. I scouted up ahead and was surprised that I found nothing other than an uneasy feeling. Hawke looked at me expectningly as I came into sight.
"It's clear." I stated uneasy.
"Clear? Must be a break among them, we should move." Craver stated.
"Well it's not like we can wait them out." I muttered get a less than amused look from mother. As we headed up the small path the ground started to tremble. Franticly looking around nothing came into view as we spread out waiting blades drawn. The Orge came into sight charging at Craver who stood in front of mother. He attacked which only seemed to anger it more. As it reached for him I threw my dagger at its heading hoping to draw the attention. Quickly turning as my dagger dug into the flesh in its back it screamed and swung an arm back knocking Carver back. Fearing the worst we attacked the beast as mother stayed near him tears in her eyes. We managed to take him down, but more and more darkspawn showed up we were being overrun and quickly.
"Then a dragon swooped down saving our hides and helped us to a ship the end." Hawke's voice cut into my story glaring at me as I grinned at him, Varric smiled as well looking at him.
"Hawke you sister was just telling me about your wondrous escape from the blight." Varric stated.
"Its for a noble cause, lighten up." I offered.
"Telling stories is far from a noble cause and it doesn't help us get to the deep roads any faster." He muttered sitting down and stealing my ale.
"We just need to raise a little bit more and were set." I glared at him taking back my ale forcefully. He eyed me before just shaking his head and seeming to relax.
"True, there's plenty of work to be had around here, and you don't complain nearly as much as Bethany, Carver and mother." Hawke growled out making Varric laugh.
"Norah drinks." Varric called out to the waitress who barley nodded.
"And you wonder why I volunteer to go do all the stuff you don't want to, and why im here." I laughed out.
"Yes and mother yells at me for it every time." He stated blankly taking the ale he was handed and downing it.
"Maker don't start I hear it everyday." I groaned out looking over at Leo who whimpered and hid his head under his paws.
"see even Leo is tired of hearing it." I stated.