OPENING

"And as the black clouds came upon them,
They looked on what pride had wrought,
And despaired."

- Chant of Light

There was a breath caught whisper upon her lips, a hard lump in his throat, and for a moment there was only silence.

There was a smell of ash upon the wind as the two stared at one another, the gold of his eyes searching the dark of hers. They had seen a lot, more than they ever should have seen, but the only comfort they could find was that they saw those things together. Even now as the city burned they found a certain solace in each other's company, warmth in the idea that they stood at one another's side. The tide upon the water rocked the little boat and from where he stood on the dock he could still see the shaking in her limbs. She was hardly a woman that was so easily frightened and he felt sorrow for the fear that dressed her like mourning silk. It made his heart hurt to even think about it.

"Come now don't cry Vi, I'll be safe." Hawke said softly as he pulled his lips to her hair, a scent of flowers stronger than death upon the wind. "I promise."

Vivial didn't doubt he'd be safe, he had better luck than most, but it was the fact that they hadn't been separated since the Blight that unsettled her. At this point they were about the only family that the both of them had and it was an unsettling thought to think that they were possibly about to never see one another again. Carver to the Wardens, Leandra to a murderer, Maker knew where Gamlen was and here now they said their goodbyes. His lips to her hair, she bit back welling tears and instead concentrated on her fingers upon his arm. Through the cries of terror and the sound of swords off in the distance the young woman told herself to center her thoughts to his heartbeat. A heavy smile twisted her red lips upward, beneath the darkness she felt her own heart become heavy. "I'll hold you to that promise," she said with a whisper, the tears warm on her rosy cheeks. "You better come find me when this is all done."

Behind the girl the sound of the boat keeper made a light noise signifying that it was time to go. Hawke and the young Amell couldn't find it in themselves to say goodbye quite yet but the city was getting much worse and the longer they stood saying their goodbyes, the more people died. What Anders had done, all the countless, innocent lives lost, no mage was safe and Hawke needed Vivial out of the city before things got worse. She knew this and as much as she hated to admit it, she knew she had to leave if they were to ever meet again. Her fingers lingered upon his arm and he brought her chin upward so their eyes met, the gold glinting with the fires that raged on.

"I promise to find you, now go."

Vivial gave one last smile in spite of the sad tears and moved her lips to his, something that Hawke reciprocated immediately. The hairs of his beard tickled her chin and in spite of herself she smiled softly. Fleeting, their moments were fleeting and as quickly as it began it ended. There was a taste of hunger but it was overpowered by a worried quickness as his lips left hers, it settled upon her tongue like light upon dark waters. In her heart the girl knew he would come for her, she just couldn't stand the absence that was looming. The young Amell knew loneliness before, understood what it was like to live in solitude, and now as a runaway mage it was going to be a dangerous journey on top of solitary. It left a dark feeling at the pit of her stomach with the very thought.

There were no words that followed her this time and as he stepped back to push the boat away from the docks their eyes lingered. She felt like a moth trapped in a glass jar watching him stay, her heart fluttering like butterflies and her stomach full of bees. Behind him stood his companions, all of which were silent as the two said their farewells, and they were ready to fight for what mattered. Fenris, Merrill, Varric, everyone else whose eyes held the same strength Hawke's did. They would win their fight and in no time he would come for her, that was a promise, and if there was something about Hawke that she knew it was that he was good to his word. Memories of the Blight lingered, they came to get her through it all. Watching him from the little boat gave her hope as the city burned.

"I will wait for you," Vivial said and her words carried to him upon the wind. "I promise that I will!"

It would be a long time before they would see one another again, however, and along the way old faces would return.

Some she never thought she'd ever see again.