A/N: Written from a prompt for anything "Meresino" for Mahuika. As always, everything belongs to Bioware. (Dear Maker how did this end up so long? I was expecting to write MAYBE 500 words max on this prompt!)
Hawke stared at disbelief at the two letters on her desk. The first was terribly messy—almost unreadable—from the First Enchanter, and the second was almost painfully neat, signed by the Knight Commander. Both insisted that she, as Champion, come to the Gallows immediately on a matter of utmost importance to the safety and security of all the citizens of Kirkwall.
"Bodahn, the messenger didn't say anything? Just dropped these off and left?"
The dwarf coughed a bit uncomfortably. "It was actually two messengers, messere, and no, there was nothing but the letters. There's not any problem, is there?"
"No," she sighed, "I just was hoping for a nice, quiet afternoon for a change. With Meredith and Orsino both summoning me, though, if I don't get to the Gallows soon the whole city's likely to catch fire. Remind me again, Bodahn, why I let them name me Champion after the Qunari incident?"
"Actually, messere, I believe you were unconscious at the time. You had a nasty gash in your belly."
"Someone could have objected on my behalf," she half muttered as she gathered up her daggers and a light coat. "With luck, I'll be back by nightfall. If not, send someone down to the Hanged Man for Varric; he ought to be able to create distraction enough for me to make my escape."
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
She paused in the corridor to consider the two doors, one on either side of her. The one on the left lead to the First Enchanter's office, and the right would send her to Meredith instead. Hawke had wondered once before about the proximity of the two offices, but Elsa never answered her.
Which one did I visit first last time I was here? she wondered idly. She always tried to alternate who to visit first whenever she received summons from Meredith and Orsino both, just to prevent any appearance of preference. The door to her right began to open while she hesitated, and the choice was made for her as Elsa exited Meredith's office without a word. Slipping through the door before it shut behind the Formari, she waited patiently while Meredith finished the wax seal on the letter she was finishing.
"Champion," Meredith nodded when she finally glanced up and noticed Hawke waiting. "I'd not heard you enter."
"Not being noticed tends to keep me alive on the battlefield. After a few years, it's become a bit of a habit. A bad one, my mother used to say."
"Thankfully, I don't foresee you needing such skills on this particular errand, Champion." She picked the letter back up again, the wax cooled, and handed it to Hawke. "Deliver this to the First Enchanter for me, and return with his reply."
Hawke raised one eyebrow curiously, but took the letter from the Knight Commander. "Anything else I should be delivering while I'm out? A fruit basket to the Grand Cleric, perhaps?"
"That will be all, Serah Hawke."
Rolling her eyes a just a bit, Hawke let herself out of Meredith's office and crossed the few yards to the heavy door to Orsino's. Not even pausing, she knocked as she cracked the door itself open and found the mage trying to keep balance as he carried a stack of books that extended well over his head. He tried to turn as she entered, and the stack came tumbling down around him.
"I expected you sooner, Champion," he scowled, stepping over and around the mess of tomes and leading her to his desk. "The task I had for you has already been completed by another."
Sighing dramatically, Hawke shook her head. "Well then, it's a good thing the Knight Commander needed my help delivering a most important letter then, isn't it? My trip would have been wasted otherwise."
She presented the letter to Orsino, who took it and broke the seal absently. Shaking his head, he angrily scribbled out a response, folding the page and sealing it with wax much as Meredith had her original letter.
"Here," he said abruptly, shoving the paper into her hands before the wax was even cold. "Take this back to that insufferable woman."
"You do realize that your doors are only about fifteen feet apart, don't you?" she smirked back at him. "I'm sure it'd be much more efficient if you just sat down for a nice little chat. Maybe tea? I have some lovely tea at home that Oriana asked Bodahn to import from Tevinter; I could bring some next time if you'd like."
Orsino looked up from his desk at her wearily, and she almost felt guilty for teasing—almost. "Just deliver the letter, please."
"Only if you promise to not let Varric hear a word of this," she called behind her as she made for the door. "I'd rather not have delivery girl extraordinaire added to the list of tales he tells about me."
Not bothering to shut the door behind her, Hawke heard it slam as she let herself back into the Knight Commander's office. "I brought the reply, as promised," she said, placing the sheet on Meredith's desk. "Is that all?"
Meredith appeared to be ignoring her, so she began to head for the door when the templar called her back again. "Please deliver this last note for me, Hawke. I'll have Elsa send your compensation to your estate the first chance she gets."
Hawke was out of the office, across the hall, and was just about to open the door to Orsino's office before she realized that Meredith had failed to seal this particular note. Glancing to either end of the corridor briefly and confirming she was alone, she let curiosity get the best of her as she flipped open the page to see what the Knight Commander had written.
O,
Tomorrow evening I have an appointment with the Grand Cleric, but I have no such obligations tonight. You can find me in the usual place.
M.
Staring in shock at the note in her hand, the Champion twisted around to glare at first the Knight Commander's office, and then back again to the First Enchanter's. Swearing under her breath she crumpled the paper into a wad and threw it in the first brazier she passed on her way out of the Gallows.
She considered briefly stopping by the Hanged Man as she made her way back up to Hightown, but decided at the last minute to just go home instead. Varric would want to know what she had been called to the Gallows for, and she wasn't certain that even embarrassing Meredith and Orsino by having the dwarf spread the tale of what had happened this afternoon was worth the headache she'd been through already today.
