Garrett Hawke trudged purposefully through the dense underbrush, his armoured boots turning it to mulch beneath his feet. Hearing sounds of fighting ahead slowed his pace causing him to move towards the noise cautiously. What he saw sent white hot rage pulsing through his veins, a small group of Templars were surrounding a lone mage, his hands up in a warding gesture, pleading with them for mercy.
"There will be no mercy for you maleficar" the one closest to him boomed "your kind must be eradicated for the good of all."
Garrett growled low in his throat, unable to leave the mage to suffer at their hands he burst upon the scene, his father's sword glistening dangerously as sparks of electricity crackled around it. The Templars turned in surprise upon hearing the ominous sound behind them.
"Be gone stranger, this is of none of your concern" the Templar snarled.
"I am making it my concern" he snarled back "back away from the mage and I may let you live."
The Templars snorted in unison, one man and a mage against the six of them, they liked their odds. Garrett moved in with a speed that belied the bulk of his armour and the weight of his massive two handed weapon. Running into the middle of them he shouldered the mage roughly out of the way before executing a graceful spin that scattered the Templars as his blade met their armour. Moving towards the one that was closest to him he neatly removed his head from his shoulders, ignoring the fountain of blood that spewed forth. The Templars tried to close ranks around him momentarily forgetting about the hapless mage they had been hunting.
The mage swung into action unleashing a cone of cold on three of them, Garrett took advantage of their icy state and brought the hilt of his sword against one of them, shattering him into bloody shards of ice. He rushed forward managing to drive his sword through the heart of another before he thawed. Now the odds were more even, only three left and Garrett had hardly worked up a sweat. His experience at fighting with mages held him in good stead and the others were disposed of in short order with him only getting a small gash to his face. The mage cast a healing spell that took care of it and they both stared around them surveying the carnage. Garrett sheathed his sword and threw a careless grin at the mage before searching the corpses for anything of value. The mage stood there watching for a moment before helping with the looting.
"Well, seeing that we've shed blood and stolen from dead people together, introductions must be in order" Garrett stated easily. "Garrett Hawke at your service, former Champion of Kirkwall, now mage loving criminal on the run" he finished with a sweeping bow.
The mage looked somewhat taken aback by the expansive introduction "Umm, Jowan, former circle mage also on the run" he ran his hand through his greasy black hair.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance Jowan" he said while passing the lyrium potions and half of the coin he had collected to him.
"And I yours" Jowan said unsurely.
"Well as pleasant as this little interlude has been I must be taking my leave" he scooped up his share of the booty and threw it into his bag. With a nod he made to walk away.
"Wait" Jowan shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.
"Yes?"
"I was just thinking… that… well… we could… umm…"
"For the love of the Maker man spit it out" Garrett urged impatiently.
Jowan took a deep breath, organising his thoughts "I was just thinking that we could travel together."
Garrett snorted "and why would you think that then? I mean we only just met and in the most violent of circumstances."
"Safety in numbers?" Jowan answered hopefully.
"Look, I appreciate the offer but I am embarking on a dangerous quest, one that you would surely die in."
"Why would I surely die?" Jowan huffed indignantly. "I find that offensive you know, I have been on the run for more years than I can count."
"Really? Because it looked like your days of running were about to come to an end, namely an end of a Templar blade" Garrett laughed.
"Yes, but they didn't. What is this dangerous quest, if it is so hazardous then surely you could use some help?"
"Why are you so eager to help me?" Garrett asked suspiciously.
"You saved my life, and honestly I have nothing else to do. For so many years I have been running aimlessly and I am sick of it, I need… a purpose."
"And you feel that coming with me could give you purpose, as you put it?"
Jowan nodded enthusiastically "yes, yes."
"Alright there calm down" Garrett chuckled "I will tell you what I am planning and then you can decide if you still wish to join me. Maker knows that I can use all the help I can get."
"Sounds fair" Jowan agreed.
"I am travelling to Starkhaven" he stopped, looking speculatively at Jowan "you know that theirs is the only circle still standing right?"
When Jowan nodded he continued "I am going there to free my sister, Bethany, who incidentally is a mage, and kill the bastard who took her."
"Who took your sister there?"
"Prince Sebastian Vael of Starkhaven" Garrett snickered at the horrified look on Jowan's face.
"You are planning to commit regicide?"
"Pretty much, oh don't look so shocked, the mealy mouthed little arse has it coming."
"I do not doubt that" Jowan remarked doubtfully "but to plan a thing of such magnitude, do you really think it wise?"
"Probably not, but at this point I don't care, I mean to get my sister back or die trying" Garrett declared fiercely.
"Why would he take her? Was she in a larger group of mages, I mean it doesn't seem to make much sense" Jowan wondered confusedly.
"If you knew our history it would make perfect sense" Garrett answered cryptically "anyway that's the long and the short of it. Do you still wish to find your purpose with me?"
Jowan considered what the other man had said, it was a huge undertaking and he hadn't been lying when he said it was dangerous. He shrugged knowing he was going to regret what he was about to say.
"Well I would rather die on some heroic rescue mission than hunted down like a wild animal in the woods. Yes I am with you."
Garrett was startled, he had fully expected the mage to start running in the other direction "alright then, first things first, it's getting dark so we need to make camp. Oh by the way, we will be making a slight detour. I need to see a man about a dog."
"Is that some sort of shady phrase?"
"Some sort of shady phrase" Garrett chortled "no I am serious. My dog got left behind and is being looked after by a friend of mine. I am going to get her back."
"Oh good then" Jowan muttered feeling decidedly stupid.
Garrett took in his new companion's appearance, lank matted black hair topped a white pinched face that housed faded blue eyes giving him a look of an overgrown urchin. Garrett had seen that look in Kirkwall amongst the Fereldan refugees, haunted and hungry it never failed to pull at his heart strings. His dirty robes hung on what looked like an almost skeletal frame, Garrett shook his head, he had his work cut out for him to get this man in any shape to fight.
They found a suitable clearing and after establishing their camp Garrett announced he was going to the nearby river to bathe the gore of their fight from him.
"While I'm gone you can get a fire going, it's going to be a cold one tonight I think" he ordered over his shoulder.
Jowan watched him leave before gathering as much firewood as he could find. He created a small flame from his fingers and threw it at the wood grinning in satisfaction when it caught. Sitting next to it Jowan began wondering about the man he was travelling with. He had heard some things but not enough to have been able to form a real opinion. He knew that the circles were all but fallen and that Hawke had been instrumental in beginning it, but that was about it.
Garrett returned shaking droplets of water from his corn coloured hair, he gave Jowan a grateful smile when he saw the roaring fire and moved to it allowing the radiating heat to ease the chill that the cold river water had created. They ate in silence for a while until Jowan noticed that Hawke kept glancing at him.
"What?" he finally snapped.
"What… what?" Garrett asked mildly startled.
"You keep looking at me."
"I was just thinking that you could do with a wash, I can smell you from here."
"Is that so?"
"Yep, I keep looking for my hound thinking it's her, but she isn't here so that only leaves you" Garrett was enjoying teasing him.
"I… have no clean clothes" Jowan admitted reluctantly.
"Maker, how did you survive this long?" Garrett started fishing in his bag finally pulling out a clean shirt and breeches. He threw them at him as well as some rough brown soap.
Jowan took them and looked doubtfully in the direction of the river "maybe tomorrow?"
"No, now, I am not travelling with someone who smells as you do. Goodness have some pride, although not too much we don't you turning into an abomination now do we?" he laughed outright at the look of consternation on Jowan's face. "I jest, I jest, about the abomination part, not the washing part. You should totally do the washing part."
"Fine" the mage grumbled getting to his feet and stalking away.