They ran for their lives. They fled their home, burning to ash in the wake of the horde, running as fast as they could from the onslaught of the darkspawn. Panting, Leandra fell to her knees, the darkspawn closing quickly. Bethany threw a fireball at the darkspawn, burning only one. Melisandria slashed at another with the blade end of her staff while Carver jumped over her and slashed the last darkspawn in half.
As the fire from Bethany's spell still burned, the Hawke family- what was left of them- gathered together for a moment.
"I think that's all of them." Carver said.
"For the moment." Bethany added.
Leandra, rather heavily, said, "Maker save us, we've lost it all. Everything your father and I built..."
Melisandria looked at her mother, feeling sorry for her and her family. "I know how much Lothering meant to you, but we have to move."
Sighing, Leandra agreed. "Yes. You're right."
Bethany, angrily looked at Carver and said, "We should have run sooner! Why did we wait so long?"
"Why are you looking at me? I've been running since Ostagar!" he replied in defense.
Being the older sister and the voice of reason at the moment, Melisandria said, "Listen, you two. The darkspawn could be on us any minute."
Behind them, a few darkspawn danced on the other side of fire barrier. Leandra, desperate for her children to listen to Melisandria, said, "Please! Listen to your sister."
"Then let's go." Carver said, looking at his older sister. "Lead on."
They started to run again, trying to get even further from the horde as possible. After some time, though, Bethany stopped. "Wait! Where are we going?"
"Away from the darkspawn. Where else?" Carver replied.
"And then where?" Bethany asked. "We can't just wander aimlessly!"
Melisandria came up to her siblings. "Wherever we go, what's important is that we don't separate."
Leandra, thinking for a moment, interjects. "We can go to Kirkwall."
"Kirkwall?" Melisandria asked. "Are you sure that's wise?"
"There's a lot of Templars in Kirkwall, Mother..." Bethany pointed out.
"I know that," Leandra said, "but we still have family there- and an estate."
Sighing in defeat, Bethany replied, "Then we need to get to Gwaren and take ship."
Then, being his solemn and broody self, Carver said, "If we survive that long. I'll just be happy to get out of here."
They continued down the pathway, fighting any darkspawn that got in their way and protecting each other and their mother. After a while, they came across a red haired woman and a Templar that were fighting a losing battle against a large group of darkspawn. They both seemed to be rather skilled warriors, but a Hurlock came up behind the Templar and sliced into his side. The Templar fell to his knees, backed up against a stone wall. As the Hurlock advanced, the woman tackled it and beat it.
"You will not have him!" she cried as she grabbed her blade and cut off the Hurlock's head.
She grabbed the Templar's shield and ran to him. "They will not have you." she said to him and took a defensive stance. "Not while I breathe."
Melisandria and her siblings ran to aid them. They helped fight off the rest of the group of darkspawn. When they were all dead, the woman went to the Templar.
"Stop squirming, Wesley. You'll make it worse." she said as she began to examine his wound.
The Templar stood and glared at Melisandria and Bethany. "Apostates, keep your distance."
"Well, the Maker has a sense of humor." Bethany said in response. "Darkspawn, and now a Templar. I thought they all abandoned Lothering."
"The 'spawn are clear in their intent, but a mage is always unknown. The Order dictates..." Wesley retorted.
"Wesley." the woman started.
"The Order dictates..." Wesley tried to continue.
"Dear, they saved us. The Maker understands." the woman said, stopping the Templar.
"Of course," he replied, backing off a bit.
"I am Aveline Vallen." the woman began, introducing herself. "This is my husband, Ser Wesley. We can hate each other when we're safe from the horde."
"A strange time to be hunting apostates. His fellows left with the Chantry priests." Melisandria stated.
"I was traveling to Denerim on business for the Order, but I had to turn south when I heard of Ostagar." Wesley explained.
"Bad luck- and judgment- brought us together here before the attack." Aveline added.
Bethany, rather sarcastically, said, "The nice Templar has been convinced to postpone his hunt for illegal mages. So let's not dwell upon it, shall we?"
"Wise girl." Aveline remarked.
Still unsure of how to take the company of the Templar and his wife, Melisandria continued to find out more. "You're quick to offer your allegiance."
"Another blade between us and the darkspawn?" Carver commented. "Yes, please."
"So long as the horde is their first concern." Bethany said.
"My duty is clear, but that..." Wesley started, "is for another day. If we are granted that opportunity."
"We will be fine... We all will." Aveline said in agreement.
"For a while it looked like we were the only ones to escape the darkspawn." Melisandria mentioned to the others.
"We aren't free of them yet. You didn't see Ostagar. This is just the start." Carver pointed out.
Surprised, Aveline said, "You were there? Yes, I see it now. Third company, under Captain Varel."
"Then you saw how the whole of the army was defeated." Carver replied.
"We fell to betrayal, not the darkspawn. This arm of the horde will not have the same advantage." Aveline replied.
Still uneasy about having a Templar in their midst, Melisandria said, "I'm watching you, Templar."
"And I you. Terms I am sure we both expected." Wesley retorted.
"For now," Aveline said, "we move with you. North is cut off. We barely escaped the main body of the horde."
Suddenly sounding more fearful than before, Carver said, "Then... we're trapped! The Wilds are to the south! That's no way out!"
"We have no choice." Melisandria replied. "The darkspawn have us fenced in. We go south."
They continued their way through the outer lands to the Wilds. As they fought their way through more and more darkspawn, they finally come across a large clearing. There was not a darkspawn in sight and it looked like they might finally be safe. But then the ground started to shake and up the hill came the largest ogre Melisandria had ever seen.
It roared and turned to face the Hawke family and their companions. Bethany, trying to be the hero, cried out, "Maker give me strength!" And with that, she threw every ounce of magik she could muster at the ogre, but to no avail.
The ogre brushed off her spells like they were merely flies. It grabbed Bethany and shook her violently, smashing her against the ground several times before throwing her broken body aside. Leandra ran to her baby girl's side, calling out her name. Shielding her daughter's body, Leandra watched as Melisandria and Carver slay the ogre that murdered their sister. After the ogre was dead, Melisandria and Carver ran to their mother.
"Bethany, wake up!" Leandra said, calling for her daughter. "The battle's over! We're fine!"
Aveline came up to Leandra and said in sympathy, "I'm sorry, Mistress. Your daughter is gone."
Leandra burst into tears, hunched over her dead daughter's body, shoulders heaving with her sobs. "No!" she cried. "These things will not take Bethany!"
Kneeling next to her mother, Melisandria said, "Bethany risked her life to save us."
"I don't want a hero! I want my daughter!" Leandra retorted through her tears. "How could you let her charge off like that? Oh, my poor little girl. My sweetheart."
Even through his own sadness, Carver said, "If we stand here weeping, the darkspawn will take the rest of us, too."
Wesley came up and offered to say a prayer for Bethany, despite her being an apostate. "Ashes we were, and ashes we become. Maker, give this young woman a place at your side. Let us take comfort in the peace she has found in eternity."
Leandra moved Bethany's head from her lap and onto the ground, whispering, "I will never forget you, Bethany."
Waking up in a cold sweat, Melisandria looked around. It was just a dream. Another restless night filled with nightmares of their escape from Lothering. She swung her legs out of her bed and let her feet touch the grimy, dirty wooden floors of her uncle's home. Rubbing her eyes, she pulled her long hair over her shoulder and braided it into a loose braid, which made her hair look almost half the length it was usually. She looked at her mabari, Hammer, fast asleep on the floor.
"Good boy." she whispered, lightly rubbing his head. Hammer grunted in his sleep. Melisandria went to find something to eat, but seeing nothing in her uncle's stock, she decided to get dressed and go to the Hanged Man. She saw Carver passed out in his bed, then went to check on her mother. Satisfied, Melisandria left her "home" and walked to the Hanged Man.
When she reached the Hanged Man, she said good morning to Varric and grabbed some breakfast. Finishing her breakfast, Melisandria went to Hightown to get some decent food for her family with the coin she and Carver had earned from one of their last jobs. She bought enough food and supplies to last a few weeks. As she was making her way back to Lowtown, a group of children ran passed her, one of them bumping into her. The child fell hard to the ground and wounded his knee. He had managed to knock some of the sacks Melisandria was carrying out of her grasp.
"Are you alright, child?" she asked, ignoring her things and hurrying to the boy.
"It hurts..." his whimpers turning into sobs.
Melisandria recognized the boy and his friends from Lowtown. They loved to run all over the city, playing together and stirring up small trouble. They had nothing better to do and most of them were orphans. She looked around and it appeared that no one was watching.
Melisandria pulled the boy into her arms and sat him on her lap. She placed her hand over the boy's knee and used a simple healing spell to heal the wound. The boy seemed frightened and his sobs had grown silent, but when he felt no more pain, he stared at her in awe. She put a finger to her lips, helped the boy stand, and looked at him.
"What is your name, child?" she asked him.
"L-Liam, serah." he stammered.
Melisandria smiled and placed fifteen silvers in his hand. "This will be our little secret, Liam. Now go and have fun." She handed him a small sack of provisions and a tiny coin purse. "Take this food for you and your friends and use the silver sparingly." she said, softly.
Liam smiled and thanked her before he ran off to his friends. Melisandria smiled as the children disappeared. Turning back to her sacks, she picked up the things that had spilled out of them and put them back into the sacks before tying them, then hoisted them onto her shoulders. She hadn't realized that Fenris had watched the entire thing.
Fenris was a new companion. He was an elf from Tevinter and an escaped slave who had fought for his freedom from his former master. He was still being hunted by hired thugs, but so far he had managed to give his former master and his hunters pause.
She had only walked a short way before Fenris came up next to her and grabbed one of the sacks from her.
"Allow me to assist you." he said.
Not knowing what to do or really what to say, Melisandria thanked him and they walked silently backed to Lowtown.
"I am curious." Fenris started to say. "I saw what you did. Why did you help that child? Why would you risk exposing yourself for a random child that had such a minor wound?"
Melisandria stopped and looked at him. "That child is Liam, and I helped him because I felt like I should. He was hurt and crying, and he is nothing more than a child, and an orphan. Someone had to help him, else it would have gotten infected and with the way things are in Lowtown, I may never have seen him again."
"Why did you give him food I assume you bought for your family?" he asked.
"Someone has to look out for these children. Most of them are orphans." she replied. "No one takes the time to give them a second glance, but I understand their pain. They are refugees, fighting to make something better for themselves. If the children here can find a way to smile and have fun, why shouldn't we?"
After that, they returned to walking silence. Fenris followed Melisandria to her uncle's home and helped her carry things inside.
Leandra, Carver, and Gamlen all looked at them-having gotten up sometime before they returned- as if they were surprised to see them together.
"There's another letter for you on the desk, my dear." Gamlen said, sounding annoyed that she received yet another letter.
Carver came and took the sacks from Fenris and his sister as Melisandria went to the desk to have a look at the letter.
"Anders needs me to meet him in Darktown." Melisandria murmured to herself as she read the letter.
"What is it, dear?" Leandra asked.
"Oh, nothing, Mother. A friend just needs some help. I'm going over to Darktown to see what they need." she replied.
Carver looked at her in a way that showed he knew that she was speaking of Anders. Melisandria bade her family farewell and took Hammer with her so that he could get some fresh air.
Fenris continued to walk with Melisandria and Hammer as the mabari trotted a little ways ahead of them. They walked in silence, Fenris acting his broody self. Melisandria nodded hello to the people she knew as they passed by. Making her way to Darktown, Melisandria stopped for a moment and turned to Fenris.
"Why are you still here, Fenris?"
"I choose to be."
"Please forgive me if I seem ungrateful for the company, but you don't seem to favor mages." Melisandria pointed out.
Fenris chuckled, surprising Melisandria. "I understand. You have helped me in ways that I would never have expected. You have been a good companion and I have not seen any glimpse of you turning into the monster Danarius is."
Melisandria smiled, feeling relieved. "I am always willing to help. It is good to have you along, though. I appreciate your skills and your company."
Fenris' face softened. "You have a beautiful smile, Hawke."
Blushing slightly, Melisandria replied, "You don't have to call me Hawke. It's so formal. We're friends now, Fenris. You can just call me Mel."
"As you wish, Mel." Fenris said with a smile.
They continued on their way to Darktown to find Anders. Many of the children that passed them- Liam amongst them- bade them hello and ran around a bit with Hammer, playing catch before Melisandria called Hammer away. She promised that she would bring him by later so that they could play more. It was strange that a mabari could be so free spirited like a normal hound. A mabari was bred for war, yet Hammer could be as gentle as a kitten with people he knew posed no threat to him or his family.
When they reached Darktown, Melisandria waved briefly to Tomwise, the elf merchant who sold poisons. Fenris walked silently beside Melisandria as they made their way through the tight hallways and tunnels that led to Ander's clinic. Fenris watched how Melisandria interacted with everyone passed by, saying hello and good day to acquaintances and hugging the children that gathered around her. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, Fenris couldn't help but see that Melisandria was truly a good person, despite her being a mage. She used her magik to help others, never using it in anger or frustration and only to protect herself and those she held dear to her and only to survive. He respected her for that and felt as if he could truly have a friend, even if they were a mage.
As soon as they walked through the doors of Anders' clinic, Anders looked up and called her over.
"Hawke, I am so glad you're here. We have been overrun with refugees coming in. I am overwhelmed and I know you can use healing magik. Please, help me heal these people?" he asked in desperation.
"Of course, Anders." Melisandria replied, setting her staff against a nearby wall. "Where do you need me to start?"
Anders pointed to a mother and her child. "That child was brought in with a head injury. It seems like there may be some internal bleeding."
"I'll take care of it, don't worry." Melisandria smiled and went over to the mother and her child.
Fenris watched as Melisandria asked the mother what her name was and what her child's name was. He watched as she rolled up the sleeves of her tunic and began to search the child's body with her magik, looking for any further damage.
"What happened to your daughter, Mistress?" Melisandria asked, placing a hand on the girl's head.
"She fell. I told her not to play in the window, but she..." the mother tried to explain.
Melisandria put a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright. Your daughter is strong, I can feel it. I can fix her injuries."
The woman nodded and Fenris watched as Melisandria placed her forehead against the girl's, closing her eyes. He watched her breath in deeply and his eyes widened as she began to glow. It seemed as if the room became silent, all eyes turned to gaze at Melisandria as she used her magik to heal the head injury of this child, bringing her back into perfect health. Fenris watched as the child began to breathe normally again as Melisandria's breathing grew ragged from exhaustion. She sat up and sighed, having put a lot of her energy into healing the injury.
Fenris glanced at Anders, who was gazing in amazement as the little girl sat up and hugged Melisandria. Smirking, Fenris looked back at Melisandria and watched as she hugged the child tightly in return, told her to be more careful and somehow manage energy enough to get up and move on to the next person. He watched in amazement as she wandered from person to person, using her energy to heal these refugees, people that no one would really miss. When everyone had been healed and were on their way, Melisandria sank to a bench as Hammer came to set his head on her lap.
"Hey, boy. I'm alright." she said reassuringly.
Hammer whined quietly, making certain that she was doing OK. She ruffled her mabari's ears and smiled as he licked her hand.
"Thank you, Hawke." Anders said as he came up, just as exhausted. "I appreciate your assistance down here."
Melisandria smiled tiredly and nodded. "Of course, Anders. We are friends; you should know by now that you can always count on me."
Anders smiled in return, having really grown fond of her in ways that he didn't think possible but just as he was about to say something, he was pulled away for another refugee. Fenris helped Melisandria to her feet.
"You need to get home and get some rest." he said as he put an arm firmly around her waist.
"I won't be able to make it to Lowtown from here in this state, nor can I stay here with Anders. Having two apostates in one area together like this for much longer and there could be problems."
"Agreed." Fenris replied. "I will take you to Hightown. You may rest at the mansion."
Melisandria knew he was speaking of the mansion he took from Danarius. It was closer than Lowtown was, but it would still be a long trip.
"I have an idea." she said. "Help me over to that opening there." She pointed at the entrance to the cellar of the Amell Estate, the one she and Carver had used to find their grandfather's will.
Fenris helped her walk over to the entrance and watched as she took the key from her pocket. Unlocking the cellar door, he helped her inside. She locked it behind them and insisted on using her staff to walk the rest of the way by herself. Fenris looked around as they went through the rooms to the vault door.
"What is this place?" he asked.
Hammer trotted next to Melisandria as they made their way forward. "It is the cellar of my family's estate."
"You have an estate, yet you live in Lowtown?"
"It's not that simple, Fenris. When my mother left Kirkwall to marry my father, she left everything. Her family, the Amells, owned this estate. With my mother in Lothering, my uncle was left to care for my grandparents when they became ill. On his death bed, my grandfather called out my mother's name. This infuriated Gamlen, so when both his mother and father had passed on, he gambled away the estate and the money that belonged to my mother. He lost the estate to slavers, and as such, it soon became a base for their trade. Carver and I wanted to find our grandfather's will, find out what really happened with the estate and the money."
Fenris smirked at the thought of Melisandria hurling balls of fire or ice at the slavers, incinerating or freezing them to death.
Melisandria continued, "Mother gave us her old key to the cellar door and we managed to get rid of all of the slavers. We found the will and learned that everything had been left to Mother and that Gamlen was only given a stipend, to be controlled by Mother. We had everything, but that idiot of an uncle of mine lost it all. Now, Carver and I are going on these jobs to earn enough coin to help Varric and his brother, Bartrand, fund their expedition into the Deep Roads. Mother has an audience with the viscount to petition for the rights to the estate, but the treasure that we could find in the Deep Roads could give us enough coin to buy back the family estate. It would be nice to live here, but at the very least, Mother deserves much better than the hovel Gamlen calls home."
Fenris, at that moment, realized how much family really meant to Melisandria. She was willing to go into darkspawn infested tunnels to seek treasure that may or may not even be there. She was willing to risk her life in order to try for a chance to give her mother back her home, for a chance at a better life. Either she was incredibly brave, or she was incredibly foolish.
Fenris helped Melisandria up the stairs, though she had regained enough energy and strength back to not need much assistance. They left the estate through a back door and Melisandria locked the door. She looked at the estate, a longing in her eyes.
"One day, soon, Mother, you'll be back home." she said to herself.
She started to walk and Fenris guided her to his mansion- borrowed or not, it was still his at this point. It was dark outside, so it must have been hours that they were in Anders' clinic. Fenris never thought to have ever spent this much time with a mage, with a woman in fact, but here he was, helping her to his home and offering her a place to rest and regain her strength. He opened the door for her and let Hammer in first before he helped her inside. It seemed as if her energy was gone again as she sank to her knees, trying to support herself on her staff.
"Are you alright, Mel?" Fenris asked, kneeling next to her.
She nodded, but he could see that she was drained of her energy. He scooped her into his arms and lifted her as if a man would do for his newly wedded bride. He carried her into his chambers and set her gently on the bed. He set her staff next to her against the wall and grabbed a blanket from a nearby chair. He pulled it over her and made certain that she was alright.
"Thank you, Fenris. I'm glad I have you to look after me." Melisandria murmured as Fenris tucked the blanket in around her shoulders.
He smiled softly, not sure why or what to say or do at that point. Melisandria fell asleep rather quickly, but Fenris felt the need to stand guard, to keep close to her just to be safe.
Fenris sat in a nearby chair and watched Melisandria sleep. She was a very beautiful woman. She was kind, strong both physically and mentally, had an amazing control over her magik, and always looked out for everyone she met. Whether they were an enemy or not, she always tried to find the most diplomatic solution. He found that the more time he spent with her, the more he grew to respect her. Here was a woman barely twenty years old, trying to survive in a world that outcasted many mages, a world in which she had lost her father, her sister, and her family's home and heritage. She was fighting for what she believed in, always helping those in need. There weren't many people like that anymore, but Fenris was glad to have met her. He didn't even mind her nature as a mage so much anymore. He had seen how firm of a grasp she held on her magik and how hard she tried to keep it in check.
Hammer came to sit next to Fenris.
"You are a lucky hound, Hammer. You have a truly remarkable companion." he said to the mabari, nodding towards Melisandria.
Hammer seemed to smile and licked Fenris' hand. Fenris in return rubbed his ears as he looked at Melisandria. She slept peacefully, curled up silently into a ball for warmth. She seemed content. Fenris didn't know how long it was that he sat there and watched her sleep, but eventually he too slipped into a deep slumber.
Hours must have gone on before Fenris awoke, but it was to the cries of Melisandria as her nightmares of escaping Lothering came flooded back. Fenris rushed to her side and tried to call to her, grasping her shoulders. He shook her slightly before she woke with a start, calling out for Bethany.
Melisandria looked around, seeing that is was just a dream. Fenris was sitting next to her on the bed, a worried look in his eyes. She tried to show that she was alright, but the pain of watching her sister die over and over again was too painful. She could feel the tears brewing, spilling over and down her cheeks. She put her face in her hands and began to cry silently. Fenris had never been in a situation such as this before, not even when he was still a slave. He had no idea what to do, so he just pulled her into his arms and held her, allowing her to cry into his chest.
The cold touch of Fenris' armor seemed soothing to Melisandria, as it cooled her face and gradually dissipated her headache. The comfort of his arms holding her made her feel safe, like everything bad in the world would simply disappear. Fenris continued to hold her, trying to comfort her in a way that he was unsure that he could. When the tears finally stopped, Melisandria looked up at Fenris.
"I'm so sorry... I never meant for that to happen..." she said, a little embarrassed.
"Are you alright?" he asked, clearly concerned.
Melisandria nodded and sat up a little bit, though Fenris seemed to want to hold onto to her for a bit longer.
"I keep having these nightmares about when we escaped from Lothering, usually the center of it all being Bethany being killed by that ogre." she tried to explain. "Every night, it's the same dream, but it keeps getting worse and worse."
"You never talked with your family about this?" Fenris asked, loosening his grip slightly.
Melisandria laid her head against Fenris' chest again. "I don't want them to worry. I always try to put on a happy face, be strong for Mother; not show Carver that I'm just a blubbering idiot girl crying for her baby sister. I try so hard that I seem to have kept bottled up inside far too long. This time it was too much for me to bare."
Fenris hugged her before she pushed away gently, sitting back to look at him.
"I appreciate this, Fenris." she said. "You being here, allowing me to stay here for a while to regain my strength, letting me cry my eyes out over something that doesn't even involve you."
Fenris stood and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. "We are friends, Mel. I do not normally deal with matters such as this, but I am willing to try." Melisandria touched his hand in thanks before he smiled and walked away. "Get some rest, Mel. I will be in the next room, should you have need of me."
Fenris left the room, closing the door slightly behind him. Melisandria wondered what was going through his head. Here she was, a mage, in the home of an elf who had such hatred for mages for the horrifying things they had done to him, yet he treated her like anyone else. She pulled the blankets close to her chest and stood. She walked quietly to the door and opened it. It was silent, surprising as the mansion was very old. She made her way down the hall to the room where she had first spoken with Fenris after he agreed to join her group. She saw him standing by the window, looking out over Hightown. He seemed to always be on guard, but he seemed to have also gotten comfortable in this new home.
She watched him move from the window to a chair near the fireplace. He sat down and put his head in his hands. She wasn't sure, but she heard him mutter her name to himself. Hammer had come up behind her and pushed his way into the room. Melisandria was still far enough away to where Fenris could not see her, but when he scratched Hammer's ears, he looked up as if he expected to see her standing there. Sighing, she went back to the chambers and sat on the bed.
There were so many things running through her head that she felt as if it would begin to spin and just pop right off her shoulders. She felt a strange sensation in her stomach each time she was near Fenris. 'Am I falling in love with him?' she wondered. 'Would he even care to look at me the same way? He hates mages, yet he treats me no different than the others treat me. We're friends and companions, yet somehow he seems OK with my being a mage at this point.'
Shaking her head, Melisandria tried to sleep, but could not. She sat there for some time before she felt the sudden urge to check on Fenris. She went back to the room and found him asleep in the same chair he was sitting in before. Smiling as she saw Hammer next to him, she pulled the blanket from her shoulders and laid it gently on Fenris, covering his body and shielding it from the cold. Hammer lifted his head sleepily, knowing it was time to leave and wandered off to the front door. Melisandria wrote Fenris a quick note, thanking him for everything and told him how much she truly appreciated his friendship. They had only known each other for a few months, but it was enough to where Melisandria had grown fond of him. She placed the note in his lap and placed a soft, but warm kiss on his cheek before she left.
"Sleep well, Fenris, my friend. I shall see you soon." she whispered as she closed the door.
Hammer followed her outside after she had grabbed her staff. They walked the streets of Hightown, making their way through and on down to Lowtown. Melisandria figured her mother and brother would be worried, fearful the Templars may have gotten her. Smiling, she looked back towards Fenris' mansion before she sighed and continued on her way.