Chapter 1 Fun Sized

It is a bright and early morning when Hawke awakens. She gives a light yawn as she looks around. It has been several weeks since she and her younger sister quit working for Meeren. She wondered what her new friends Varric and Anders were up to. She met them a few weeks back. She looked at her younger sister who slept beside her last night. Hawke never liked sleeping alone. Call it a childish fear, but she was afraid of being alone when she slept. Though the childish fears were common with Hawke. She hopped off the bed and scurried up to the table on the other side of the room. Climbing on it to sit down before the mirror. She wasn't very tall nor was she well-developed. She stood at most four feet and six inches. She was very lightly built. Flat chested with a delicate frame that lead down to wide shapely hips that unfortunately didn't push her rump out like she wanted. It probably wasn't enough to make her older even remotely. Being only fourteen to begin with. Her platinum curly hair was a mess and she pouted. Brushing it out and fixing the mess. Tieing up a bright red bow to the right side to keep her hair out of her face. Letting extra length of the ribbon dangle down to her shoulder. Her icy blue eyes looked over the bow and she poked at it making sure it would stay upright. She bobbed her head to the left then right to watch it bounce and sway. Satisfied with the flow of the accessory she picked up her make up. She enjoyed wearing the color purple on her lips and as eyeshadow. It made her eyes even brighter. She smiled brightly as she turned and hopped off the table. Her sister still asleep. Hawke hurriedly changed her clothes. The dress like armor was a brilliant red with purple rods. It was in four parts. The chest plate, plated bodice, plated skirt with slits up the sides, and shorts underneath. She pulled on the vambraces with the neon purple fluff on the inside. She didn't like gloves but she did wear gauntleted rings. She then pulled on her knee-high boots that had a six-inch metal spiked heels in the back. They also had ribbons attached. The toes of the boots had three affixed claws. She picked up her bag and the belts with it. Attaching the main belt around her waist. The other two being affixed to the metal diamond plate of her skirt in the middle. That where her skirt wouldn't fly up. Once she was happy with how she looked she walked over to her sister Bethany. Trying not to wake her sleeping sister. She reached over and picked up the small puppy that was cured up on the pillow. "Shush, shush Fuzz Muffin, No wakie sister." She whispered to the small Hinterland wolf pup. He gave a tiny yawn as his small tail wagged. She turned to slip the pup into her pack. Latching it so he wouldn't fall out. His little head poking from the opened end. Giving another yawn he pulled his head back in but let his nose sticking out. Hawke went back over to the table to pick up a large ribbon. It was stiff as it made a metallic noise. She fixed it to the top of her pack. Letting it dangle down. It made a light jingling noise. Hawke giggled lightly as she snuck from the room.

"Fenrial. You're up. How was your sleep?" Leandra asked looking at her daughter. Who was just a foot and a half shorter than her. Hawke looked up to her mother. "It was wonderful!" Hawke said happily. Leandra nodded and then looked sad. "I wish you wouldn't be running off every where." Leandra said worriedly. Hawke put her hands behind her back and twirled a bit where she stood. "It okay momma. I'm a big girl! Papa is counting on me! I'm gonna provide a lot of stuff for the family! Just like papa said." Hawke spoke with a nod. Leandra looked at her sadly. Her dear daughter was growing up. She even managed to become a soldier at so young just to help fight the blight. She came back out of worry and to get the family from Lothering. She really was a brilliant girl. Despite her inability to concentrate on things. Her daughter's attention was always scattered. But her daughter was still able to get things done. After all Malcolm had taught her everything on fighting. Though what Leandra didn't like was that her little girl dealt with poisons unimaginable and was one of Kirkwall's most deadly assassins. She still held it against Gamlen for the servitude that her daughter had to do. She would have done it herself had she not had troubles with her own body. Leaving her eldest child to do the work. It broke her heart. "I know you went through a lot. I just don't want to lose you. I know you are old enough to make your own decisions, but must you go into the Deep Roads?" She asked her daughter. Hawke stopped twirling back and forth. "It's okay momma. I will be okay! Besides. You really, really want your old home back right? Well I'm going to get it for you! You deserve it." Hawke said brightly before turning to skip her way to the table looking for letters. Leandra couldn't help but wonder what sane mother would let their underaged child run off into the world with a small animal in their pack.

Hawke began humming as she read through the letters. She found on from Meeren. It requested that she meets a dwarf by the name Anso tonight. A scheduled night visit. She tilted her head and then nodded as if answering someone speaking to her. She decided this little thing could be done alone. She didn't need to bother any of her friends. She turned to her mother then. "Momma! I'm gonna be with a friend tonight, okay?" She asked. Her mother sighed but gave an okay. Hawke nodded and quickly left the house. Leandra gave off another sigh. Her brother Gamlen walked up to her. Having watched everything that transpired. "You don't see people like her anymore in this world. Not even from children in this damned city state." Gamlen said with a huff. "She is stronger than I am. At least she doesn't dwell on all the horrible things that happened to us. Or even herself..." Leandra said.

Several hours pass and it starts to get darker within the city of Kirkwall. Hawke says goodbye to her friend Varric. She spent the day with him listening to him ramble on of many different stories he had heard of her. She was surprised at all of the outlandish things people say of her. It made her laugh. She even went over the many things they could do to raise money for the expedition. Hawke looked around and looked at the letter she received and gave a nod. She walked her down the stairs to where she was supposed to meet this Anso. She saw a dwarf passing back and forth. He looked to be on edge. She hopped up to him and went, "Hi you must be Anso!" He panicked and spun around falling to the ground. "Great mother of Partha. Don't do that! Are... Are you the one that Meeren called Hawke?" He asked almost confused. Hawke nodded and smiled. "Yup! I'm Hawke the one and only!" She said twirling around. Anso stared as if he was being played but he was too afraid to even try saying anything in case she really was as dangerous as they say. "Y-yeah... S-so... You're Hawke. I-i... By the Stone. I feel like I am going to fall up into the sky any moment now." He said hunkering down while holding onto a nearby stall. Hawke tilted her head before looking up. "Wha? You can't fall up, silly." She said with a smile. Anso shivered and took a breath. He needed to tell her what needed to be done and get back inside. "Look. I require your assistance with a very... delicate matter... I have lost some property which I need returned. It is very important." He forced himself to say. Hawke tilted her head and listened. As best as she could. Good thing there was nothing shiny nearby to distract her. "What kind of stuff, Anso?" She asked. He started laughing nervously. "W-well it isn't like I am smuggling lyrium! I-i mean. Look I really need my stuff back. And the people who have it might not give it up easily. If you have to kill them. Well. That can't be helped." He said. Hawke pouted a bit as she looked at him. He was acting very strangely. But something wasn't right about how he was talking. It sounded like he was telling the truth. But it sounded like he was worried. Hawke thought that it might be a trap. Though she was bored and she didn't want to go to bed just yet. She decided to help him. "Okay, Anso. I'm gonna get your stuff back." She said brightly. He looked up at her wide-eyed. "Really!? Oh thank you!" He said handing her a piece of paper before darting off.

It took Hawke a while to figure out something. If she found the stuff. How would she give it to him? She shrugged and walked to the alienage. That was where the paper told her to go. She wandered past the houses humming pleasantly to herself. A low whine coming from her pack. "It okay Fuzzy. You safe. I will make sure of it." She said cooing gently to the little pup. They continued till they walked into the alienage and looked around. Fuzz Muffin began whining again. Seems he disapproved of her being by herself in a place that now smelled dangerous. "It a trap. I know. But I still want to see, Fuzzy." She told the whimpering pup. She walked up to the house that she was supposed to look in. She took a deep breath and pushed open the door. She peeked her head inside cautiously. Quickly looking at the ground. The sight of something gleaming right before her. She giggled lightly with a smile. "Sharp and pointy. It digs in to take a bite." She sang in a whispered voice as she walked in and hopped over it. That was when she heard footsteps. "It's a little girl. Where you think you going girlie?" A voice said roughly to her. She looked up to the tall men standing before her. Their weapons drawn. She tilted her head and smiled brightly. "I'm here to play with you!" She exclaimed with the brightest of smiles. The men started laughing. "Such a cute little thing ain't cha girlie? I wonder what they would pay for ya?" One man said taking a step towards her. Hawke closed her eyes then. Her sweet smile ever-present. She started to twirl back and forth. Her skirt swishing to and fro. Her hands interlacing behind her back. The gauntleted rings digging into a ridge on a small golden diamond-shaped plate of her vambraces. She began humming before opening her eyes suddenly. A small chilling laugh came from her. "Let's play a game!" She exclaimed before darting forward into nothingness. The men were stunned as she just disappeared from sight. "Where she go?" One called out. The men heard one of them give off a strangled groan of pain. Turning around to see one of them stumble forward. His throat slashed wide open. A seemless and clean cut. His blood shooting forth with each breath he took. He collapsed to the floor. Reaching out to his comrades in vain. A pool beginning to surround him. The men flinched when they heard a laugh. "One down, more to go~" A childish voice rang out. The men began to look around to try to find her. Another man cried out as he covered his face. Small cuts stretch across his face. He took a breath as he turned to look at where the attack came from till he stilled. He started to scream. A strong burning feeling engulf his face. He began to panic and claw at his own face trying to relieve the fiery sensation. He stumbled backwards and knocked his comrade into the bear trap they had set up. Another scream of pain. The man in the bear trap fell backwards. His hands flailing helplessly at the metal that dug into his leg. He heard something land behind him. He turned. Looking away from his panicked allies trying to deal with the one pawing at his face. He looked up to a soft face smiling down at him. "You have pretty eyes." He heard her say as a dagger slammed into his eye. His screams got the others' attention before his eye was ripped out. Something ran through his blood then causing him to foam at the mouth before he collapsed. Hawke looked up to the other men. They were shocked. The man with the cuts across his face suddenly lashed out at the others. Stabbing one man through the lower back, the dagger coming out of his stomach in a spray of blood. The man's other hand swung the other dagger across the nape of the neck of another man. Both men fell with a thud. Hawke hummed as she lunged forward. Scratching another man across the side of his face. The same things happened to him. An intense burning feeling before he too drew his sword and swung about. Hawke dodged them as she hide in an empty room. Avoiding the trip wire. She looked up at two stunned men. They looked at her in fear. They heard the screaming coming from the other room. The screams continued until it died down. Blood seeping into the room beneath the door. One man spoke up. "W-what are you?" Hawke tilted her head and put a finger to her mouth. Licking the tip of the ring's sharp edge. She shivered and laughed. "I just want the chest, mister." She said looking at her finger. The poison was harmless when ingested. But should it enter the blood directly... Se walked her way towards the men. On hand still behind her back. The men drew their weapons against her. More so out of fear of what she would do. Hawke flung her arm forward. Blood erupted from one man. A dagger was now jutting from his forehead. He fell forward with a heavy thud. The other man backed up. Now shaking he dropped his weapons and held his hands up. She smiled at him then and walked over to the chest and kicked it open. He smile faded. "They went night-night for nothing? Aww..." She whined. She turned to him with a pout on her face. She seemed irked by this. She started to make her way over to him. The man panicked and darted off trying to pass her. He reached out and clawed him through his thin armor. The man froze in place. He found he couldn't move his body ike he wanted to. It was slow and it pained him to move. "The poison sets in fast by blood." She said calmly. She walked over to the other man. Pulling the dagger from his head. Wiping the blood on the dead man's clothes before slicing it across the diamond plate of her vambrace. A dull green purplish color tints the blade's edge. "This will kill you, but slowly. If I don't poke your face or chest." She said walking up to the paralyzed man. She reached up and gently sliced upwards across the man's chest. He gave a hiss of pain as a strong burn went though his chest. For some reason he felt like his skin was melting. "Bye-bye, mister." She said before walking away. Stepping over the wire. She began humming as she went to the front door.

Opening the door and walking out with her eyes closed. She heard someone yell at her causing her to jump. "That isn't the elf! Who are you!?" A woman yelled. A masked man beside her yelled out. "Doesn't matter! We were told to kill who ever entered the house!" He shouted as Hawke drew back. She swallowed a bit as she backed up. There were so many of them. Much more than was in the house. She turned around jumping at the building and used her shoes along with her gauntleted rings to climb it. "Get back here!" The woman yelled. "Nope!" Hawke shouted back as she clung to the building. Thanking the Maker that the building was made with odd-shaped bricks sticking out of it. She whined a bit. There were far too many people here. She could jump and blend in with the darkness like she did with the house. She could make use of her poison again. She smiled then. She jumped off the wall backwards and flipped. One man tried to catch her. She moved her body to a point where she landed with her legs wrapped around his head. Twisting her body quickly she snapped the man's neck. This made the mob of people pause. Just what she needed. She jumped off of the man and landed. Running her daggers across her vambraces before lunging herself at the nearest hostile. Slashing them in the stomach and ducking to the ground to jump to the side. Just missing a blade. Though one person managed to land a heavy kick to her stomach. She staggered trying to keep from falling to the ground. She darted out of the grasp of one of them. Running quickly towards her next opponent. She ducked out of the way and slashedat them with her daggers. The poison seeping into their fresh wound. The ones she clipped once were starting to collapse on themselves. The poison eating away at them. Hawke made sure that none of this particular poison touched her exposed skin. It wasn't just poison. She snapped out of her musings as a fire-ball whizzed past her. She looked over to see a mage firing at her. Panicking she jumped back and mindlessly lead te attack. Dodging at just the right time for the fire-ball to strike an enemy. Effectively using their power against them. Though in all honesty she was just trying not to get hurt. The strain of having to continuously dodge so many enemies was starting to take its toll. She disappeared into the darkness and quickly made her way towards the mage. Coming up behind the mage. She jumped forward and latched onto the man. She slit his throat before jumping back into the darkness. She couldn't keep up this running. She was bound to tire out completely. She rushed her way up the tree in the center of the alienage and hid among the branches. Breathing heavily and sweating. She wondered how come there were so many. Why were they here. Just what did she get into? She put her main daggers away after cleaning them and reached for the giant ribbon upon her back. She pulled something inside it a loose to reveal the multiple small daggers attached to a metal chain. Her personal daggers were well and good in all but she need some distance between her and those weird people. There was only a few more and they were looking for her. She removed the smaller ones from the chain before taking aim. She threw them with precision and took out the remaining enemies. "Yes!" She exclaimed. She suddenly lost her balance and tumbled out of the tree. "Eeek!" She landed hard upon her chest and whined in pain. She began crying lightly. Fuzz Muffin pulled out of her pack and licked at her face. "I got a owwie Fuzzy..." She whined. He barked at her relentlessly till she got up. He huffed and pawed the concrete. "I'm fine... I guess... What were those people doing here? Why were they trying to hurt me?" She picked him up and put him back in her pack and went to collect the small daggers. Cleaning them off and then putting them back onto heir metal chain. They once again hid in the giant bow.

She looked around and winced from the fall she had. Dusting her dress off. She wandered towards the staircase while humming. She paused suddenly as Fuzz Muffin growled from her pack. "I don't know who you are friend but you made a grave mistake coming here... What the? Is this some kind of joke?" A man said leering at her from the stairs. Hawke looked around as if wondering who he was talking to before pointing at herself. "Me?" She asked dumbfounded. The man began to walk forward. "You really have got to be shitting me...Lieutenant! I want everyone in the clearing! Now!" He yelled. Hawke paled there was no way in the void she would be able to fight even more people. She was already drained and situation began to make her cry and she collapsed to the ground on her knees. Though for some strange reason. Only the lieutenant walked forward. His stomach cavity torn wide open as his insides were held in by just his hands. Blood spilling every step he took. "C-captain..." The man uttered before dropping to the ground. His movement ceased. A dark and sultry voice unlike any Hawke has ever heard sounds out in the silence. "Your men are dead." Hawke went quiet as she looked up. She saw a tall elf with shock white hair and piercing jade eyes walk forward. "And your trap has failed. I suggest running back to your master while you can." He said. His voice seemingly unreal. He walked past the so-called captain and glared down at her. For a moment he looked confused. As if he wasn't expecting to see her. He tilted his head to the side as if trying to figure out some complex question burning in his mind. The captain walked up behind him and roughly grabbed him. "You're going nowhere, slave!" The man shouted angrily. Slave? That dark looking elf was a slave? She was fighting slavers this entire time? That thought alone sent chills down her spine. If she had messed up. She would have been captured. She snapped out of her thoughts when she saw a bright light envelope the elf. The elven man whirled around grabbing hold of the slaver and slamming his fist into the slaver's chest. The man couldn't even scream out due to how quickly the elf moved. Hawke's eyes widened as she saw the elf rip the man's heart from his chest. It was still beating when he dropped the man. The elf gave it no regard as he crushed it within his hand before dropping it as well. "I am not a slave." He growled. He slowly turns to her then. Hawke starts to panic and push away from the elf. She ends up squeaking loudly while saying, "No hurt me!" Curling up while starting to cry. The elf pulls back as if he was struck.

Upon seeing the small child nearly curl in on herself and crying out. The first thing he says is, "I apologize." He didn't mean to scare her. He didn't even understand why this girl was here to begin with. He was told by Anso that some one went to the house. He wasn't far behind. Though he didn't get to see the person enter the house nor witness the fight with the other slavers waiting in ambush. He gave out a sigh as he wondered if he had missed them somehow and this poor girl was likely caught instead. He walked up to her slowly and knelt down. "I am not going to hurt you. Now where are your parents?" He asked lightly. The girl turned towards him slowly. He heard a growling coming from her pack. A small wolf pup poked its head from the pack and growled at him. "Y-you aren't going to hurt me like the other bad people were?" She said looking over to the dead slavers. He paused and stared confused at this girl. "No. I'm not." He said now completely unsure of everything. "Who are you mister?" She asked her tears starting to dry. He sighed as he spoke. "I am Fenris. Tell me. Do you know anyone by the name of Hawke? A friend by the name Anso told me that Hawke had agreed to help him." He said standing up and looking around. The girl tilted her head before popping up to stand in front of him. "That my name!" She exclaimed. Fenris had to do a double take on this. He looked at the girl before him. There was no way in the void that this was the rumored Red Iron Maiden. It just couldn't be. He simply looked at her not believing what she just said. "I'm Hawke! Anso told me to look in that house over there for his stuff. The chest was empty though. And there were mean people in there. I dealt with them and walked out. Then more mean people tried to hurt me!" She explained. As she explained her arms twirled about her sides as she rocked back and forth. At one point she looked like the situation distressed her greatly. "I thought more mean people were going to hurt me when that man showed up. But then you did! You stabbed him and made his heart go squish! How you do that?!" She seemed to get more excited by the minute. He held up his hand to her as if trying to calm her down. "So you're telling me that you did this?" He asked. She nodded and went, "Yep!" He sighed before looking at the bodies. How could someone so small do something like this. On her own even. He needed help. Any help. He never expected it to come in such a fun sized package. She stared up at him with her mouth wide in awe as she looked him over. "Were the bad men trying to take you away? Was it because of those?" She asked suddenly placing her hand upon his arm. Clearly suggesting the markings. He gave off a pained hiss and reeled from her. "Don't touch! It... hurts..." He said trying to not alarm her. His reaction to her touch caused her to jump back anyway. "Sorry!" She said with sadness written on her face. "And yes. It is because of my marking. And they were trying to take me back..." He said slowly. He might as well fully explain the situation to her now that she was involved. She gave nods of understandment and curious gazes. She grasped what he was saying. She ended up reciting ever thing he told her. In her own way that is. He couldn't believe he was asking a child to help him. But if she was the infamous assassin everyone in this city was talking about. Then her ability in combat should surpass even the most skilled. Especially considering the damage on the corpses. It was of the poisonous kind. Some of the corpses had already begun to rot. Just what dangerous materials was this girl using in a fight? He didn't know. And he sure didn't want to know either. He quickly made his way to the mansion with her following ever step of the way. He was very wary about the turn of events. Wondering if this was just the Maker's way of toying with him. He must have been truly desperate to ask a child for help. But he needed to hurry none the less to get to Danarius before he leaves.

A/N This story is going to be a bit similar to Hostile Territory. Violence wise. It will follow the story more. This Hawke has the humorous dialogue. I always found the humorous Hawke childish and what better way to accentuate that trait than to make her younger. So everything is relatively the same just the Hawke siblings age is different. And before you ask. No. Nothing mature until she is of age. Though there is mature content such as language in this story. A mature romantic relationship will be in Act 2. Thank you. If you had read Touching is Good before I deleted the chapters. Then you saw how poorly it was written. It was good for laughs however. But I wished to improve it. I believe this story wil do it justice.