The Youngest Hawke

Chapter One

I watched as my home was burnt to the ground by the darkspawn. My mother burst in to tears, my eldest brother Garret calmed her and then we fled. We stopped for a quick break and I heard my brother Carver and my sister Bethany arguing.

"That's easy for you to say Bethany! We've been running since Ostagar!" Yelled Carver, while gesturing to himself and Garret.

They continued to argue till Garret and mother convinced them to worry about the situation at hand. We were about to start running again, however the darkspawn surrounded us. Garret's Mabari hound, Thorin defended us as mother shielded me during the fight. My siblings have been fighting tooth and nail for our survival. Once the fighting was finished we ran ahead for twenty minutes or so. "We have to get away." stated Carver, thank you captain obvious! "To where?" questioned Bethany, She does have a point even if we do get away from this horde, we have nowhere to go. I wish father was here. "As long as it's away from the darkspawn, does it matter?" joked Garret... He always likes to lighten the mood, but our lives are hanging in the balance. Even if I say that I can't help at the smile tugging at my lips.

"We could go to Kirkwall." suggested mother. All my siblings stared at her like she had grown a second head.

"There are a lot of templars in Kirkwall mother..." explained Bethany, with her being an apostate mage and the thought of her being surround by templars is bound to cause worry. The adults stared to discuss their options; they aren't any to be honest. While they were talking I spotted two people fighting more darkspawn. My brother Garret also saw and rushed to help them, he may be a sarcastic and a joker but he also as a knack for being reckless and running in to trouble. Mother grabbed my arm and we took cover away from the fighting. I wish I was older, because then I could fight to.

The fighting took forever, it didn't help that more darkspawn kept appearing from out of nowhere. I saw one of the people we spotted get hurt, it looks really deep... I hope he will be okay. When the darkspawn had all been struck down everyone came together. It seems we the people we spotted were a templar and a solider. They introduced themselves as Aveline and Wesley and explained that Aveline was at Ostagar and Wesley was worried for his wife and abandoned his duties as a templar to look for her. Wesley being a templar was weary of my sister, but they came to an agreement. We began to flee once again, I'm guessing to Kirkwall.

"What is your name child?" asked Wesley, he was leaning against mother.

"My name is Elise..." oh great! Now I get shy!

Wesley chuckled "How old are you?"

"I'm eight. I'll be a grown up soon, then I'll protect my family."

I will protect those who are important to me. Father always said you must protect those you hold dear at all costs. Father...

"You will indeed, however try not to grow up to fast or you're whole childhood will pass in the blink of an eye." I stared at him in confusion. What's so great about being a child, you're weak and powerless. That's why I have to grow up and get stronger.

"If you grow up to fast you'll miss important life lessons." that is something to ponder I suppose. I nodded in understanding.

After a few more encounters with the darkspawn we reached a mountain top. To everyone's horror a very large ogre was rushing towards us. Wesley quickly pushed me out the way. I heard Aveline cry out his name and I looked up to see a Wesley being snapped in half by the ogre... I made my way to Wesley, he was dead... Thorin killed any darkspawn that dared attack us. After all the remaining darkspawn had been killed, Aveline rushed towards us. She burst in to tears as she cradled Wesley's unmoving body, everyone stood there in silence. We were about to keep moving again, but the darkspawn had other ideas because they had surrounded us again. I thought we were done for, but a dragon swooped down and killed all the darkspawn in the area.

The Dragon however was no dragon at all, it was a mage. She introduced herself as Flemeth the witch of the wilds; I can't believe I'm in the presence of The Flemeth! She also explained that Wesley had been corrupted by the darkspawn taint and was going to die very soon anyway, although I don't think it comforted Aveline at all. She also tried to bargain with us, safe passage to the ship to take us to Kirkwall in exchange for delivering her necklace. Brother agreed. I can scarcely believe what happened afterwards, I rode on a dragon! I do wish we had rode her all the way to Kirkwall though, instead of just to the docks…

I wish my first experience on a boat was as positive... it smelt, it was crowded and we rode on it for two weeks. During those two weeks I apologised to Aveline, it was my fault Wesley had to die like that. He died protecting me. She shook her head tears forming in her eyes "it wasn't your fault little Hawke, it was the darkspawn." she hugged me as she cried and I hugged her back.

Once we docked in Gallows of Kirkwall, we faced a new problem. They weren't excepting any more refugees. Can't we catch a break? We were told to go and see the knight in charge; however that didn't go over well... The refuges started to fight against us, once we mentioned that we had family in Kirkwall. "They've only just got off the boat! We've been here for four stinking days! Come on boys!"

Since the darkspawn has come, there has been so much fighting...

The knight agreed to go get our Uncle Gamlen. It was ages till he came to the docks, ugh so much waiting. Why are our choices always either fight or wait? He and mother quickly ran up to each other and embraced in a big hug. He and the others were discussing ways to get us in to the city. Our options were to work for a smuggler or mercenary for a year... I can't wait till something good happens... because we seem to be only having bad luck! After a long debate Garret, Bethany, Carver and Aveline agreed to work for the smuggler Athenril. I heard mother whisper "my children... are being sold in to servitude..."

Gamlen was talking to the knight about our entrance.

"We've made it. We're safe!" sighed Bethany in relief.

"Well for at least a year." added Carver.

"Yes. Well let's not do that again" said Garret

"Wish Malcolm could be here with us..." whispered mother. Me too...

"And Wesley." added Aveline. Me too...

We've lost so much...

"Well there's nowhere to go but up from here."

End of Chapter One

SPOILER ALERT: Carver or Bethany will not die here.

Default Hawke male appearance.