Hope you enjoy this chapter! It is very drama and banter heavy (banter is my new favorite thing to write).
(3) Drakonis 22nd
"Hawke, where are we going?" I look around disgustedly at our Lowtown surroundings, the same way I look at most things.
She looks back at me coyly as we walk, "Didn't I mention that I work best drunk?"
"Perhaps it slipped your mind." I reply with some humor. What am I getting myself into? Maker's breath, she's persuasive.
As we reach the bottom of a flight of stairs, she exclaims "There it is!"
Excitedly, she grabs my hand and starts to pull me behind her. I snatch my hand away and stop dead in my tracks. "Stop that!" I snarl. How dare she touch me with those spell casting hands?! My skin is my own, at last; no one has permission to touch it.
"Huh?" She whirls around with a terribly confused look on her face.
I glare at her. "You touched me. Why?" I am fully capable of getting where we're going without being dragged along like a dog. Must she think so little of me?
Her brow scrunches up and she frowns. "I wanted us to hurry up and get there. My friends are waiting inside, and I'm dying for them to really meet you." She puts her hands on her hips and leans into her left leg. "You don't have to get so upset about it. I wasn't trying to invade your personal space or anything." Her tone softens, "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
She's apologizing to me. I may have reacted too harshly. This is all so strange. "I see. Do you make a habit of dragging your friends around?"
"Yes. I drag, I hug, I poke, I high-five, and all other manners of physical contact. Plenty of which are annoying." She smiles.
Of course she does… "I don't." I tell her plainly.
"You don't touch people at all? I take it you don't like it?" Hawke looks both shocked and skeptical.
"No. I don't like it." My expression remains flat. So many questions. This would be a wonderful time to be ambushed by thieves. I would much prefer a slaughter.
Her eyes grow wide. "Like never? Not at all?"
"Never." Why does it matter?
"What about sex?!" She all but shouts.
My markings begin to burn ever so slightly with embarrassment. This woman! The nerve! I grit my teeth and then speak, "I wasn't aware that it was a required activity."
"A required…" Hawke's mouth hangs open. "You really are a strange elf. I don't suppose you want to tell me why?"
"In fact, not. Let's keep walking." I start making my way towards the nearby tavern, 'The Hanged Man,' that I assume is our destination. It must be a special skill of hers to be able to make someone uncomfortable every single time she sees them. Ugh. It could be her magic, mages do tend to infect everything with it.
"That's fine, you can tell me when you feel like it." She resumes leading me towards the tavern. "…going to have to do something… that no sex thing…" She mumbles under her breath.
I roll my eyes since she can't see me. Should I be flattered or offended? She is pretty for a mage, not that I'd ever sleep with one. I guess it's alright for her to find me attractive.
We reach the doors of The Hanged Man. Hawke pushes one open and strolls inside with me at her heels. The place is bustling as people talk and drink at the tables and bar. I notice a familiar set of pirate breasts just to our right.
"Isabela!" Hawke screams, running over to throw her arms around the pirate. "You remember Fenris right?"
Isabela smiles seductively at me. "How could I forget a sight like that?"
Okay. What is with these women? I'm pretty sure they have elves here. Does everyone in Kirkwall want to take my clothes off? I uncomfortably cross my arms, wishing I could hide from their view entirely. "Hello." I say.
A tough looking red headed woman dressed in full armor walks up behind Hawke and Isabela. She smiles and says, "Don't mind her, she's a whore. It's nice to meet you. I'm Aveline. I keep these geniuses alive."
"Yet, I'm still the leader!" Hawke butts in.
"Yes, for some unknown reason, we all listen to her and follow her around." Aveline shakes her head.
Isabela looks at Hawke, "I just stick around because watching her horrible plans fail is hilarious."
Hawke fakes offence. "I like to think you appreciate my company and the beer I buy you."
"Yes dear, those are nice too." Isabela winks at Hawke.
They're so comfortable with each other. How can they possibly trust each other that much? It must be nice. "Hello, Aveline." I finally get the chance to say. "That's a strong name. I like it."
Aveline smiles, taken aback by my compliment. "Why, thank you."
"It is a strong name, isn't it?" Isabela leans towards Aveline. "And look at her arms! They're huge! Aveline, are you sure you aren't a man under there?" She gestures at the crotch of Aveline's armor.
Face reddening to match her hair, Aveline responds, "I am a woman, and I was happily married to a man. You wouldn't know anything about that, seeing as you can't keep one for longer than a night."
"Meow!" Isabela makes a fake clawing motion at Aveline's face.
Hawke shakes her head. "Do we have to do this every time?"
"No!" "Yes!" Aveline and Isabela say at the same time correspondingly. They glare at each other.
Perhaps it isn't so nice.
"Come on, you're making Fenris uncomfortable. I do enough of that as it is." Hawke smirks at me.
"Fine, fine." Isabela turns around and motions for us to follow her. "Varric's over here at our table. It's his fault we started drinking without you. I told him it was rude but he just kept refilling my glass!"
"I'm sure." Hawke says sarcastically.
We all follow Isabela and take seats. Varric is at the head of the table near the tavern wall. Hawke takes the seat adjacent to him on the right side. I sit next to her and Isabela sits next to me, while Aveline mirrors Hawke's position on Varric's other side. Three seats are left empty.
I glance at the vacant chairs, "Where is your brother?"
"Carver wasn't invited on account of being a nug licker." Hawke giggles. "Hey, where are Merrill and Anders?" She asks the group.
Varric answers, "Merrill cut her foot open, frolicking or something. They said they would be here as soon as he healed it."
Healed it? Oh perfect. Sounds like there's another mage. This just keeps getting better! ARRRGGH! I internally scream. I clench my fist under the table, driving the claws of my gauntlets into the flesh of my palm. My face remains expressionless, however.
"Oh Merrill. Of course she did, poor thing." Hawke says.
Varric turns to me, "So, Fenris, I see you've decided to join us."
"You all did help me a great deal; it would be foolish to forget that. However, I have not been informed what it is this group does, and what I can do to repay you." I reply to him.
Varric chuckles, "Hawke, you didn't tell him anything?"
Holding up her hands in defense, Hawke says, "Hey, I told him we were a group, we needed his help, and in return we would help bail him out of trouble. Those are the important parts! I also made sure to be alluring."
Laughing, Varric answers, "I'm sure you did. Well, Fenris, since our fearful leader is no help, I'll explain it to you. Hawke here is trying to raise fifty sovereigns so that she can become somebody. You see, my brother Bartrand is putting together an expedition to the Deep Roads; the hope is, we join him as partners, and she comes out loaded. She's had enough of being pushed around as a bottom feeder. The way she goes about getting this money is doing anything anyone wants to pay her for. We aid and abet her. Need someone killed, found, kidnapped? No problem, we take all jobs. Isn't that right?" Varric raises his flagon of beer.
"Sadly." Aveline puts her face in her palm.
"Hey! I don't do anything involving children or animals." Hawke sasses.
Isabela raises her glass, "Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap!"
"Speak for yourself Isabela! You're the only one who goes that far for copper." Hawke says snidely, leaning across me to get in Isabela's face.
"Oh no, kitten. The things I do, you could never afford." Isabela licks her lips.
Aveline looks up from her palm, "Please shut up."
Isabela replies by sticking out her tongue.
"Thank you. Is no one going to get him a drink? I swear you were all raised by darkspawn." Aveline pushes her chair away from the table and stands up. "And no, I'm not getting you anything Hawke."
"Hey!" Hawke yells and runs after Aveline to the bar.
They really are just a mismatched group of nobodies doing what they can to survive. They care about each other, even if they have a strange way of showing it. I respect that. Clearly insane, but they appear to actually be good people. I wasn't sure that was something that existed. I watch Hawke's hips sway as she catches up to Aveline and the corners of my mouth turn up slightly. She is something else. I think I could like these people, eventually. Maybe this mage is different.
"Over here!" Isabela waves at an elf and a human entering the tavern.
They make their way over to us, and I notice they both carry staffs. No. Venhedis. No. Why is it two more mages? I grip the table tightly, and my gauntlets dig into the surface. What are we, a demon's dream?
The elf, a female, sits down beside Aveline's empty chair. The human, a male with an unsightly ponytail, takes the seat across from Isabela.
"Hello! My name's Merrill! It's nice to meet you, I'm an elf too! Dalish though, are you Dalish? You don't look Dalish." Merrill says, chipper. She waves at me, and I notice scars covering her palm.
Those scars are too perfect. They can only mean one thing. "Are you a blood mage?!" I spit.
Merrill smiles, oblivious to my outrage. "Yes! I know it sounds bad but it's not. I know what I'm doing. Anders is possessed by a nice spirt though! Its name is Justice—"
I leap to my feet, and my chair tumbles to the ground behind me. Of all the disgusting things! A maleficar and an abomination! Hawke can be no different! The thought of associating with such things! I glare at Anders and Merrill venomously. "Filthy monsters!" I growl.
"Where?!" Merrill squeaks and looks behind her, frightened.
I point at her. "The two of you! How dare you show your faces in daylight! I should rip your throats out right now!" I roar. "Do you not know the danger you are to yourselves and everyone here?!"
Anders jumps to his feet. "How dare you! Such accusations! What are those markings? Are you a slave?! If you can't control your temper any more than this, I'd say you're the monster! You're beneath us. Why don't you run back to your master?"
I let out a loud growl and leap across the table. Before he has time to react, I grab him by the throat and sling him past Merrill into the wall. My markings come to life, glowing bright blue from my adrenaline. "I am not a slave!" I run to where he remains stunned against the wall and punch him in the face with all my might. His nose snaps to the side, and the plates of my gauntlet slice through his cheek. Blood pours from his face and covers my hand. Anders' eyes turn solid blue, and light appears to shine through cracks in his flesh. He shoves me off him and pulls his staff from his back.
"WHAT IN THE MAKER'S NAME IS GOING ON?!" Hawke screams from behind me.
I turn and step back to fit both Anders and Hawke in my vision. My heart rate is still elevated, and my markings glow intensely. Rage blocks out the pain. I notice the others: Merrill is hiding under the table, Varric and Isabela's mouths hang open in shock, and Aveline stands a puddle of beer from the glasses she dropped.
Anders steps forward, his eyes returning to normal. "This beast attacked me!" He jabs a finger in my direction.
I growl and tighten my fists, my markings burning brighter still. "I should have killed you!"
"No one is killing anyone!" Hawke yells. Her eyes scald me like fire.
"I demand you have him dragged out of here! He's a danger to us all!" Anders spouts.
My attention snaps back to him, "Me?! You're the abomination! You're possessed by a demon right now!"
"Justice is a spirt, and he's under my control!" Anders strikes the bottom of his staff on the ground.
Isabela starts laughing and leans across the table. "Girls, girls, you're both pretty!"
Varric joins in her laughter, both cackling uproariously.
Hawke shakes her head. "Anders, go home and heal yourself. You look like you fell face first in a beartrap."
I'd rather kill him, but being out of my sight will do.
"What?! Aren't you going to do something about that?" He gestures to me.
"Go home Anders. I'll handle it." Hawke warns him.
Glaring at everyone, Anders makes his way out of The Hanged Man.
I relax slightly, and my markings die down to a faint itch. I look at Hawke. What will she think of me now? It doesn't matter, she's a mage too… Although, she didn't take his side and fight against me. Surprisingly, none of them did…
"And you." Hawke looks me in the eyes. "Outside. Now."
Telling me what to do… Ugh. But… I did attack her friend, that creature, and she didn't turn on me… She deserves an explanation. I nod and walk out the door. She follows me over to an alley beside the tavern. In silence, she plops down on the dirt and leans up against the stone wall. She pats the ground beside her. I pause for a moment, then sit next to her.
"I don't want to know who started it. And I don't care why it happened." Hawke says seriously. "I just want to know if it will happen again."
I pick up a small rock and turn it over in my hand. "Why didn't you attack me?"
Hawke looks at me. "What?"
I sigh. "In there. He's with you, right? You saw me attack him, but you didn't help him fight me. Why?"
"Just because he's part of my team doesn't mean he's right. I can't count how many times I've wanted to do that to his face." Hawke chuckles slightly.
I… I might regret this for the rest of my life… But I believe I can trust her…
"You didn't answer my question. Will it happen again?" Hawke asks.
"He's an abomination. Why shouldn't it? Why do you have him and a maleficar with you?" I continue to turn the rock over and over in my hand, refusing to look at Hawke.
Hawke leans her head back against the wall. "We all have dark secrets. Every one of us is seriously messed up in multiple ways. And we continue to do things we aren't proud of. Frequently. Anders and Merrill might be messed up differently than we are, but that doesn't make them evil. We're a team until the moment we're forced not to be. No matter who it is, from Varric to Anders, if they go crazy and murder a bunch of innocent people or sacrifice a child or rob us all blind, I promise you, I will kill them myself. Until that day however, we can hate them all we want but, they will still a part of the family. Does that make sense?"
Ugh. That makes a lot of sense. Hating people is so much easier than this. "Yes... But what about you? You're a mage; how do I know that you won't fall prey to a demon?" I look into her bright blue eyes.
"You don't know that I suppose. But, if my word means anything to you, I promise that I will do everything in my power to avoid that. Also, should it happen, I give you complete permission to kill me." She gives me the faintest of smiles.
That's… Completely reasonable. "Alright. I want in. I will not kill the maleficar or the abomination, but I cannot say I will do more than that. Understand that my trusting you is not done lightly. I have never trusted anyone for as long as I can remember. If you betray that trust, I will slaughter all of you and your families." I look at her, dead serious.
"That's fair." She grins widely. "Can I hug you?"
"No."
"Handshake?"
"…Fine…" I reluctantly hold out my hand, and she takes it in hers firmly. I feel the marking on my palm burn under her touch. It hurts, but it isn't something I can't get used to.
She lets go of my hand. "Are you sure I can't hug you?"
"I'm sure." I smile at her, certain all of this is a bad idea but not caring at the moment.
