WALKING CANVAS
A Fenris/OFC Fanfiction
By
Viperqueen13
Author's Note: Any character apart from my original creations belong and are created by the team at Bioware and EA Games
*CHAPTER ONE: BROKEN CHAMPION (ODE TO THE FALCON)*
The moment Meredith fell was when everything changed.
There was a period of time when the throughout the lands, chaos ensued almost as bad as if it were a Blight, where Mages and Templars were at each others throats as well as fighting amongst themselves; it seemed as if the mere utterance of the name Hawke became a powerful weapon as well as a beacon of hope.
It was the Champion herself, who came out of hiding from the world, to end the conflict by constructing a peace Treaty between both parties, which came to be known as the Oath of Tears. Overseen by both the First Grey Warden, High Enchanter, Supreme Knight Commander and Sovereign Grand Cleric. It was an oath similar to the treaties used by the Hero of Fereldan in her battle against the Archdemon, as well as functioning as a kind of law; whilst acting as a judge upon war crimes amongst two or more parties, it entitled a party to call for aid from the other as well as those from outside the signing of the Treaty when in a circumstance most dire. For the next two years, a shaky order was kept under the watchful eye of the Grey Wardens, The Hero of Fereldan and the Champion of Kirkwall.
Then... the Great War began.
After the assignment of a new Arishok, the Qunari of Par Vollen began a mass onslaught from Tevinter to Antiva City, wiping out entire bloodlines and crippling Mage Circles with little casualties of their own. Even with the Oath of Tears in full force, calling aid from parties from all over, the entire antaam of the Qunari was considered a difficult foe to defeat, especially since the new Arishok was twice as vicious as the one who was stranded in Kirkwall for four years and died at the hand of the Champion. It soon became apparent what the Arishok's main goal was; as well as crushing Human spirit and submitting Humans to the rule of the Qunari, he wanted to make Hawke suffer greatly for the loss of his predecessor, who turned out to share his blood as both brother and teacher.
In the dark of night, a lone Sareebas snuck into the Champion's secret camp whilst she slept and took her without a sound or struggle. Fenris, who was the only companion at the time that was still with Hawke, was left sleeping, and in turn felt weak and hopeless at not being able to help his friend and lover. Thankfully, one of the strange gifts bestowed to him via his lyrium tattoos, was the ability to detect the usually invisible trail left behind by Magic users, and follow it for several days to a fortified stronghold situated in the Free Marches. He had managed to send word to Varric Tethras, who happened to be the closest in Minrathous, but with him being a few hours away at least, Fenris was all alone for that moment.
It wasn't until he heard the sound of drums and horns erupting from the fortress that his heart practically stopped beating.
Daor Dia ní
, Fenris thought in horror. They are preparing her execution!
His gut screamed at him to wait for help, but all his blood ran from his head to his heart as he began his trek into the Qunari stronghold, alone and enraged like a wounded animal.
The moments from him reaching the gate to the centre of the fortress were all but a blur that
night; all he could remember were the sounds of clashing swords and the streaks of crimson that splashed across the Elf's face, for every moment was insignificant in comparison to the horror that he saw that starry night.
On a platform surrounded by spikes and shreds of bloody carcasses, was a bonfire of wood and straw. Standing erect amidst it all was a wooden star, with an unconscious victim tied spread-eagled across it like a martyr being crucified, stripped naked and covered in blood and bruises for the world to see. Standing next to the slumbering creature was the new Arishok, holding a flaming torch in one hand and a blood-coated dagger in another, dripping crimson on the wood as if to further feed the flame that was to come.
"HAWKE!"
The Champion of Kirkwall stirred only slightly, followed by a cough, splattering more blood on to her scarred bare chest. As the lone Elf charged to his lover's rescue, a voice began to whisper his name in a barely audible whisper.
"Fenris... Fenris... Fenris..."
...
...
"...Fenris... Fenris... Fenris... Fenris!"
Fenris jolted out of his daydream, a vivid memory that still haunted him from time to time. He remembered that he was in the Hanged Man, and that it was Varric who had been trying to shake him out of his reverie. The sun had already set by the time they had arrived at the tavern, and amongst all the reconstruction and demolition of Kirkwall's Lowtown, it was one of only two buildings that was left standing in the vicinity after both the Great War and the battle against the corrupt Knight-Commander Meredith.
Although the battle that was dubbed the Great War had only lasted four blood-soaked years, the destruction of the major cities across the lands made it seem like a century, and slowly but surely Man, Dwarf and Elf had banded together to fix the world anew; whether it was in the memory of the Champion, or that they were sick of the death and bloodshed that had spread across both their hearts and doorsteps, no one could really say nor want to. The other faint silver lining, was that with mass devastation came much employment; those that were living on the streets or had lost their jobs could quickly pick up a hammer or piece of wood and being rebuilding the city bit by bit and in turn earn money and bread, something that would make Hawke very happy if she were still alive...
Varric had arrived a minute too late with reinforcements that dark night; by then the crazy Arishok was freshly killed in a frenzied rage, and the remainder of that part of the antaam were rearing to kill the Elf that invaded their fortress, whilst others branched out to cause their own destruction across the world as well as gather reinforcements. As the dawn began to rise on a blood-soaked field, Varric had found his Elven friend clutching the fading body of Marian Hawke; the warrior that had a humble beginning in Lothering, had defeated various creatures from darkspawn to ogres and abominations, and also succeeded in instigating the Oath of Tears just two years before, soon began her journey to the Maker's side from blood loss in her lover's cradled arms. Marian's ashes were soon scattered across the oceans in memory of both her accomplishments and her ability to bring together companions from various walks of life. Even though the Great War went on for a few more years, Hawke's name once again lit the beacon of courage and strength, which eventually led to the overall defeat of the Qunari and the erection of a statue on the site of Lothering in her honor.
The next few years, the companions of the Champion saw more losses, whether it were by death, or fleeing to the ends of the world never to be seen again.
Aveline Vallen, who had first met the Hawke family when they were fleeing Lothering during the Blight, had returned to Kirkwall with her husband Donnic, and assumed the position of Viscountess to the public's request. Under her guidance, the city of Kirkwall had begun reconstruction and repopulation almost immediately, and because of her trade had flourished and crime had started to lessen to a record low for the first time in centuries.
Merrill the Dalish Blood Mage, had decided to set out on foot and see the world for the first time. That was three years ago, and no one had heard from her since. In a way, a few were grateful; whilst Merrill was at heart a kind and gentle soul, she had become increasingly bitter and angry since Hawke's death, and her 'disappearance' was a welcome comfort, as many still remember the stories that circulated about the vanishing of her entire clan, who were last seen on Mount Sundermont.
The pirate Isabela, had paired up with Andraste disciple Sebastian and took to the seas finding and battling Qunari warships in Hawke's name, until at last they died like heroes blowing up one of the giant ships with explosives and getting caught in the blast.
Carver, the last of the Hawke family bloodline, who had become a Grey Warden whilst on a journey to the Deep Roads, had decided of his own free will to journey down to Orzammar and join the Legion of the Dead, and his contact with the remainder of his sister's companions grew less, until eventually everyone assumed he had died in the Deep Roads after no response for almost a year.
Varric and Fenris decided to stick together and also travel the world, even spending a time in Fereldan with the Grey Warden King and Queen, only returning to Kirkwall just five months ago. Much had changed, and yet it wasn't until they got into a scuffle with a group of bandits that littered Darktown that they felt at home.
Sitting in what was still Varric's old palatial suite at the Hanged Man, the Dwarf and Elf had began knocking back ales and eating a meal, when they heard whispers outside the room door. The two barmaids of the tavern, Edwina and Norah, were quickly talking excitedly about an incident in Darktown, where a group of bandits had been killed in their stead. Varric and Fenris began smirking, a little proud of their handiwork, when the conversation started going in another direction entirely.
"...I'm telling you Norah, I saw him with my own eyes!"
"Oh honestly! You're telling me that the great Black Falcon assassin managed to take out a dozen Coterie, mage included, without so much as getting a scratch? It's ridiculous!"
"It was him I swear! He left his signature at the scene as well, the one were it went-"
"Yes, yes Edie I know; 'To those who hunt and kill with passion-'"
"-Shall soon feel my wrath, so says the Black Falcon.'" Varric continued as the two women's voices carried down the hall and he sipped his ale. "Not exactly a master poet, but it gets the message across."
Fenris drained his mug and looked at the Dwarf with a puzzled look.
"So who is the Black Falcon anyway?" he questioned, "Is he another bandit we shore be wary of?"
"It's hard to say," shrugged Varric, "We have not been back in Kirkwall for six months, and most of my old contacts are either dead or left for greener pastures; all I know is that this guy is some kind of vigilante that has made it his mission to get rid of any riff raff in the Undercity. Since Hawke died, a lot of thugs have moved into Darktown and the outer lands of the city, and whilst Red is doing a fine job as Viscount, there's only so much she can do."
Fenris nodded in silence. "This 'Black Falcon' sounds like someone we should keep an eye on very closely, in case he becomes an enemy or an annoyance. Do you have any idea where he could be?" Varric rubbed his temples, an indication that it was getting late and the alcohol was slowly starting to seep in.
"As far as I know Broody, that Falcon has been popping up all over the place; thugs and gangs have bolt-holes all across Kirkwall, so him being in one place twice in a row is as unlikely as me giving up ale and joining the Chantry."
"Well, we'll need to keep our ears to the ground so to speak," Fenris continued, a slight smirk at that last comment, "Something tells me that we will cross paths again, and when we do, it would be best that we have him as an ally. There may be a storm coming, my friend, and we may need to prepare ourselves for it..."