This is my first attempt at a fan fiction, so comments and suggestions are most welcome. I'm not really paying close attention to grammar, spelling I'm trying my best for only having notepad so be patient with me :).
I don't own the characters they all belong to Bioware.
Enjoy! 3
She was fire and ice, compassionate and deadly, the calm before the storm. She was Aliceira Hawke (Alice to her family and friends) and she was no ordinary woman. Or so Varric said. Wheter she believed it or not was yet to be seen. Yes as a warrior she could weild a sword in deadly fashion, even more so as a trained and skilled beserker, but she didn't see herself as anything beyond ordinary. But here she was, Champion of Kirkwall, the great and powerful Hawke as her friends called her when they thought she wasn't listening. Sometimes she wished she felt like the woman Varric portrayed in his valliant stories. The firey eyed, white haired, goddess of death. He made her sound invincible, and oh how she wished she felt that way, especially now. Sighing heavily as she leaned back in the chair at her desk she stared down at her journal. Her records of what had really happened in her years in Kirkwall, beginning to end. She knew they we're scewed by her predjudice and her lack of self confidence, but as far as she was concerned it was the most accurate accounts. She reached out and picked up the journal, opening its well worn pages she skimmed over the fist few. The fall of Lothering and the loss of Carver was still too tender for her to read. No matter how many times she was told it wasn't her fault she couldn't bring herself to believe their words. He was her baby brother, Bethany's other half, and she had failed him. But that was a different time, a different story. She skimmed over her first year in Kirkwall, the struggles she had getting her family and Avaline into the city. Her time as a mercernary was not a pleasant one, and she regretted pulling Bethany into it. Beth was such a gentle soul and not the sword for hire type like she was. She had left Beth to look out for Mother when she could help it, but she still couldn't get the thought that she had made the wrong choice out of her mind. She continued skimming until she found the place she was looking for. It was just after her year as a mercernary was completed, and she was looking to make some coin to help get her family out of that hovel her uncle called home. She had heard a rumor about an expedition into the deep roads and was determined to be a part of it. She smiled as she began to read:
I couldn't believe it. I had dragged Bethany all the way to hightown to meet that sodding dwarf, and he had all but laughed in our faces. I could hear Beth's conserned sigh as I turned and stormed of towards lowtown, intending to get drunk...very, very drunk. I wanted to forget the dwarfs words, the feeling that I was inadequate to accompany his expedition. I was so lost in my own mind that I almost didn't realize that someone had just rammed into me, streaking off in the opposite direction. I brushed it off but automatically reached down for the meager bag of coins I kept at my belt, and quickly spun around when I realized that he hadn't run into me by accident.
"Hey! Stop!" I screeched in the direction of the thief. Just as I was reaching for my greatsword and take chase of the thief, I heard the unmistakeable sound of a crossbow, and flinched as the thief was pinned to a wall a bolt in his shoulder. I was mildly taken aback as a dwarf stepped out of the shadows, a crossbow in his hands. He walked right up to the thief appraising him casually, and I listened carefully when he began to speak.
"Awfully brave of you to be scoping Hightown in broad daylight dontchya think?" I could tell by the way the dwarf spoke that he knew how to turn a phrase and he knew how to do it well. I heard the dwarf begin to speak and I returned my attention to his words.
"You may want to find a new day job my friend." With that he snatched the coin purse out of the thiefs hand, ripped the bolt out of his shoulder, and shooed him on his way. He turned towards Beth and I with a mischevious grin. "I overheard you speaking with my numbskull of a brother, and I think I may know a way to help you out." He tossed my coin purse as he was speaking. I caught it marvelling at the suave way he handled himself, he wasn't like any dwarf I had ever met. He had no beard, unusual for a dwarf, his crossbow was a marvellous piece of work beautifully crafted and cared for, and he seemed to have a brazen love for his chest hair seeing as it was proudly on display for the world to see. I nodded my thanks to him as he continued his speach.
"My name is Varric, and he nodded to his crossbow, and this is Bianca. And my brother wouldn't know a good thing if it came up and bit him on the ass. However, I do. You have made quite a name for yourself here in Kirkwall, and I think you are just what this expedition needs. We don't need another hireling, what we need is a partner. If you we're to bring gold to the table Bartrand would have no choice but to take you with us."
"And how do you suggest we go about retrieving the amount of gold necessary?" I had only just met this dwarf, but I couldn't help but find myself willing to trust him.
"You leave that to me my friend, and we will have all the gold needed within a couple of weeks. Come by my suite at the Hanged Man later tonight and we will talk somemore." And with that, Varric turned and walked back in the direction of his brother and the rest of his party, only pausing briefly to wink at both of them.
"That was the strangest thing thats happened to us yet I think." Beth giggled as she looked towards me. "Do you think we can trust him to help us?"
"I think so Beth. He seems like he's genuinely interested in helping us out. Here's what we will do, I will go and talk to Meeran to reassign my final mission, I will say something came up with the family. Would you be willing to stay with Mom and make sure Gamlen doesn't do anything stupid tonight? I will go and talk with Varric, I know how much you dislike the Hanged Man."
"Of course sister. Mother likes it best when I'm home anyway, and I enjoy her company."
With that we walked back to our hovel hand in hand, ready for what the City of Chains had in store for us next.
Alice sighed as she turned the page, remembering how innocent those first days we're. Before Kirkwall drained her of everything. As she reached the top of the next page she lost herself again in memory.
"Are you sure you want to go alone?"
"Yes Beth I'm sure. Mother needs you here more that I do, I'm just going to the Hanged Man to discuss business. What could happen its not that far from here and its not even dark yet. Don't you worry about me I'll be fine." I chuckled at my sisters worrysome nature. I knew why she was so worried, only having just lost Carver, she wasn't willing to lose me either. I strapped my greatsword to my back as I headed for the front door. I called over my shoulder as I opened it, "I won't be to long, but if it gets too late don't wait up for me Beth."
"If I know you my dear sister, you won't be home at all tonight." She said it with her knowing smile, and I knew she was probably right.
"We shall see dearest Beth. Be safe." And with that I headed off for the Hanged Man.
As I pushed my way through the Hanged Man I spotted Varric at a table in the back, and made my way towards him. A wide smile spread acrossed his face when we locked eyes, and I knew we we're going to be great friends. He motioned for me to join him, and I took the seat opposite from him as he pushed a tankard towards me.
"So Varric, what do you have in mind for our little business venture?"
"Well Hawke, do you mind if I call you Hawke? Its so much easier than your name...what was it again?"
"Aliceira, and Alice or Hawke will be just fine by me."
"Hawke will work I think. Well Hawke, I have a system of contacts throughout the city, and as you know Kirkwall is a magnet for trouble, I think a person like you is just what this city needs. Someone to act on behalf of the citizens of Kirkwall, someone to fight for them...basically someone to fix their problems. I know where to find them, how to connect you with them, and I am willing to help you every step of the way? What do you say?"
"And what is in this for you Varric? I don't see much benefit on your behalf?"
"I get a good story my dear. Nothing is better than an epic portrayal of a beautiful heroine fighting against insurmountable odds to save a city she barely knows! That is pleanty reward for me."
"Ah, so you are a story teller, I see; and do you think I am worthy of being an epic heroine?"
"I think you can do anything with a handsome dwarven sidekick and his beautiful crossbow."
"Well then Varric, where do we start."
As the night wore on we discussed our plan of action. First we would need to find a layout of the deep roads. There was no point in wandering around darkspawn infested passageways without knowing where we we're going, and the ever daunting prospect of getting lost with no way out. Luckily Varric had a remedy for that, I was starting to believe there was nothing that dwarf couldn't do. His contacts had told him that they had heard of a Grey Warden taking refuge in Darktown. A Grey Warden we hoped would have a better understanding of the deep roads than they had any hope of ever having. The next challange was finding said Grey Warden, if he even existed. Varric suggested we started with Lirene, a woman who was known for helping Ferelden refugees. He had said if anyone knew where they could find a Grey Warden, it would be her. They parted ways that evening with the plans to meet up the following day to track down Lirene. I left the Hanged Man only minorly drunk, ok maybe a little more than minorly (and here Alice stopped to chuckle at the way the words wobbled on the page, indicating that she indeed was more than just a little drunk), and ready to concour the world. Or so I thought, maybe just concouring the door handle on Gamlen's house, that seemed like a more feesible goal. Once I had finally made it through the door, making what I thought was as little noise as possible (I later found out it was equal to a herd of dragonlings) I recieved a sharp reprimanding from Gamlen as he grumbled about not being a post office and letters had arrived for me in my absence. I stumbled over to the desk intending on reading the letters, but just managed to tip over the ink well and smear it all over my face, I decided those would best be left for the morning...everything would be better in the morning.