There were a few things he could always be certain of when it came to Marian Hawke. If pressed, Fenris could name five.
The first was that Hawke was dangerously clumsy. If she hadn't been born a mage, there would have been no chance of her reaching the battlefield without tripping into her own blade. Hawke was all elbows and sharp angles and knocking into anything that stood in her way. More than once, he or Aveline would reach out and spin her away from whatever sharp object she'd been about to impale herself with.
The second thing was her undeniable sweet tooth. That one had taken longer for Fenris to figure out. At first, he hadn't noticed how when she would come to his mansion with a book and a smile, a small cake or sugary pastry would inevitably vanish, leaving nothing behind but a few crumbs to suggest their previous existance. He'd blamed it on the rats when he did find out. It wasn't until she'd attempted to smuggle out a bulky raisin cake under her robe that he'd realized she was the culprit. After that, even if he'd kept a wary eye on her throughout her visits, something sugary and sweet would always make its way out of his pantry and into his pocket.
Third was that Marian never cried. From what Aveline had told him, Marian had remained strong when her younger sister was crushed by an ogre. She hadn't shed a tear when Carver had succumb to the taint. And though she'd huddled into his chest with an aura of grief and loss, no tears fell onto Marian Hawkes face the night her mother died.
The fourth thing is that Hawke valued the people she cared about above all else. She'd hosted Aveline's wedding, aided Anders in his clinic, walked Merrill hom when it was far too dark for the naive elf to go alone. She'd kept to Isabela's side when attacked by the Arishok, and had even helped him track down Danarius. Most evenings Hawke could be found at the Hanged Man with her friends, a surrogate family for the one she'd lost to darkspawn and taints and lilies.
The fifth thing is what goes above all else, something she will not, will never tolerate. Marian Hawke does not like being lied to.
So that is why Fenris is not surprised when the knife plunges into Ander's back, why the abomination finds no mercy in Hawke's will. That is why Fenris is not surprised when Hawke turns her back on the burning chantry, and the only thing glistening in her eyes is righteous anger and a sliver of sorrow. That is why Fenris is not surprised when she turns back, leaning over to shut her former friends eyes in a last gesture of camaraderie.
Hawke then comes towards their little group, stumbling slightly on a smouldering piece of wood (Fenris is not surprised). He catches her elbow and steadies her, earning a small smile in return. After a second, he releases her arm and she looks past him, towards the others.
"Let's just go."
AN: Review, please!