The Estate of Hawke
Aeryn Hawke stood looking out her window, her rather small window truth be told looking down on some of the rooftops and other homes in the district she lived in being one of the upper crust of society. Thanks to her wealth, thanks to her position and her deeds. Home sweet home.
Yet, the home had become dusty and oppressive. She sighed. The streets of Kirkwall had lost almost all of their life, a constant over cast had settled down on the town, only the people who absolutely had to be out on the streets, were. The rest? Hiding. Waiting. Continuing to take their long breath. Waiting for the hammer to fall.
Hard to believe it's been two months. Two months since Anders blew up the Chantry, since the Mages rebelled, since few survived, and the city was ripped apart in the cross fire. And still no Viscount. Little of the damage had been repaired. Even after the battle with the Qunari the Templar Order drove the repair efforts, the City Guard, herself, Anders. Now, there was no unifying authority to rebuild the city and try getting things back to normal. The city was just paralyzed, waiting.
She heard the door open and close behind her, but no greeting, Sandal and Bodahn had left long ago. She waited though, ignoring, whoever it was was probably more than welcome. No one had dared enter her home who wasn't a friend.
"They're coming." Anders's voice spoke from behind her.
"Oh? The Templars? I thought they would have been trotting along long before now. Cullen must be a really, slow, runner."
"Well…Orlais isn't exactly next door my love." Anders snorted. "But, Varric's network says that a Templar battalion had stopped in Starkhaven. They should be here in about a week."
"Wow, a whole battalion, now I feel important."
"This is not a joke!" Anders snapped with a certain electric whir to his voice, causing Aeryn to spin on him.
"Sorry." He sighed his muscles relaxing.
"It's alright Anders," she smirked at him, moving to place a hand on his shoulder…trying to comfort the troubled soul "just relax."
"But what are we going to do? We are all that is left, well unless you count Varric, and he is in no rush to leave. Isabella…well who knows where she got off to. Merrill fled. Aveline took Donnic and they both went into hiding…pity that she wouldn't have made a bad Viscount. Fenris took off almost as soon as the battle ended…I mean we are the only ones who are left. The ones who did it. The ones the Chantry is looking for. Who knows what we started here, but the Chantry may not take kindly to us when they get here. We have to go."
"I know we have to go…but where do we go? I really don't like the idea of running without a plan. I did that once and almost ran head long into the center of a Darkspawn hoard."
Anders diverted his eyes and looked at the floor, biting his lip, suddenly he looked pensive and thoughtful, but in such a way that Hawke knew he was about to suggest something she wouldn't like. It was a similar look that passed, briefly, over his face, before he lied to her down under his clinic. Before he enlisted her help in blowing up the Chantry.
The whole thing really did seem insane to her on a second viewing of the situation. By rights she should have turned him over to the Templars and washed her hands of it, fled Kirkwall while she still could. But Meredith had to declare the Right of Annulment. Had to turn against the Circle blaming every single mage for the actions of one, thus starting a war. Threatening to kill them all. Even her own sister. Hawke couldn't have stood aside, and she couldn't have killed Anders. She needed him.
So it seems whatever she wanted to do, the feelings of betrayal, of hurt, of love, whatever her feelings her course was set. She was a renegade, an outlaw, the Templars would have been screaming for her blood as an accessory to murder, rebellion, for harboring several apostates, on and on it went.
And the Templars still had the divine authority of the Chantry behind them.
Plus, she really did love the man, still, she had fallen hard and fast and nothing was going to be able to save her soul in that regard. On top of all those feelings a nagging part of her brain thought, he was even right. But the more rational part of her felt that sounded like a justification. Justifying his actions because she felt strongly for him and felt he was a good person underneath it all.
And a part of her was disgusted with him, that he used her, and what he used her to do.
All of these thoughts rolled through her mind, she was hurt, confused, and sick of it all.
"Tevinter," Anders uttered snapping her out of her trance, "We could go to Tevinter."
Her mouth opened wide for a second, she could almost feel a bit of drool running down it, she had to wipe it while clearing her wits. "Maker's Breath Anders, whatever for?"
"It's far," he smiled with an ironic grin, a ghost of what she came to know and love, but other reasons were hiding in his eyes.
"Anders…"
He sighed, "I didn't lie to you…not fully anyways. There was a small kernel of truth in the plan. If anyone has knowledge of a ritual to separate me and Justice, it would be in the Imperium."
"And you would want that…why?" She asked. "After all you and Justice were getting along, so you said when you blew up the Chantry." Her tone slashed through the air bitterly, more so then she had intended. She sighed.
He whirled around and faced the door, head lowering, arms going around his chest. "We are…sort of. But I want to be free, that wasn't entirely a lie either, and Justice…I think he thinks I have outlived my usefulness. Now that I have gone through with the plan, he thinks I am compromised, he wants out…and it's making things…awkward."
"Well, it was just peachy before, Anders." She teased.
He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her, "true," he admitted.
She nodded, then cocked her head at him. Her hands went about her body and rocked slightly, it felt cold in here.
"Plus the Imperium is outside of normal Chantry authority, we'd be safe, distant, even if we can't find a cure to my problem we'd still be on the outside of society. Safe."
"Yes," Aeryn scoffed, "a pantheon of blood mages at every turn. Plots, conspiracies, and a hostile environment…what could go wrong?" She smirked. "And you'd be a celebrity, there would probably be more than one Magister who would want a crack inside your skull to get at the Justice inside."
He smirked, "And true again."
She sighed and started pacing. Her Mabari hound glanced up at her and whined curiously, then started panting, she shot the mutt a grateful smile but kept on at it. In truth she didn't want to leave Kirkwall, it had become her home, despite the relative size of it…how much could they carry with them? Not much. Aeryn admitted to herself. Most of it would get left behind.
The could rent horses, donkies, the Mabari could travel with them, but in the end they would have to travel light, to avoid suspicions of them being less than honest.
"It's settled then, by night fall we'll set out for Tevinter, but we'll need to travel as light as we can, avoid Starkhaven, and escape before the Templars arrive."
"I will go tell Varric and get my clinic ready, I'm sure he could make a few preparations for us."
She nodded, "Good," Smiled, and the two leaned in for a quick kiss, Aeryn felt a warm blush rise to her cheeks. Just like old times…I miss the old times.
With her decision made they moved to get ready for the road. Aeryn let Anders go to his clinic while she stayed to sort through her stuff.
She took one last tour of the mansion seeing every nook and cranny, even what Isabella had carved into her railing, the hand prints from Sandal doing his thing, and everything else of note. I have to leave a lot of it behind. She thought, again. But this time the thought seemed more real, more final. She had lived in Kirkwall for upwards of seven years, almost as long as her conscious memories of Lothering.
But, she had no time to reminisce further, as she stopped at the old bits of her keep sakes from Ferelden, the one which used to hold Flemeth's amulet in it. It still gave her the creeps thinking about it. Can't take the statues with me, she thought with a smile.
Finally, she got ready, looking through her dresser debating on which piece of armor to take. It took her a moment, between the armor of the Ensalin, and her Champion Armor gifted to her for saving the city from the Qunari. Something she had to find, but it was still hers. Practical versus blending in? She plucked the Ensalin armor off of its holster and began tossing the items in a pack, quickly, getting it ready.
With the Champion armor anyone might be able to put the pieces together. It was distinctive, deadly looking, and someone could recognize it as being from Kirkwall, and this might raise questions, or at least get her noticed. While the Ensalin armor, while not as thick and strong, served her well. The leather strong enough to deflect almost any arrow or blow, at least giving her time. And it looked simple, comfortable, something any adventurer would wear doing their travels. Any highwayman.
In truth she preferred it to the Champion Armor but that Armor was stronger, and allowed her to flaunt her position.
No, this called for her blending in, being inconspicuous, and being most importantly comfortable as they made their way ever northward.
With that decided she plucked out a few more pieces of clothing and folded them into her travel bad.
Now for the bow, she decided quickly, a lot more quickly then she had the armor decision. She decided on both her primary Long bows she still had on her. The Hawke's key she obtained during the adventure hunting down the Ancient Magister Coryphaeus, and the Jackal Longbow. The Key could identify her as a Hawke, to anyone who knew, but for sentimentality she had to take it with her. And it was her best Longbow, the most damaging, the most capable.
I can buy arrows before we head on out, she thought.
Next came the supplies for her Dog, Dog treats, and the like, and finally after that her supply of runes. There, all settled. She smiled, exiting the door to do her 'shopping'.
…
"You sure you don't want to come with me Varric?" She asked the diminutive Dwarf as he came up to them making their final preparations.
"Nah, I am fine Hawke."
"Are you sure, it could be awfully lonely in Kirkwall…all by yourself." Her eyes twinkled.
"What?" Varric barked a laugh and glanced over at Anders. "Afraid Justice will come out and ruin your romantic trip to Tevinter?"
"No, it's not that, I feel I could use to hear your stories…he is occasionally…terribly boring."
"Heh," Varric murmured.
And then he took her gently by the arm and dragged her off to the side. Around one of the corners, away from their horses, and away from Anders's prying eyes or prying ears.
"How are you two doing?"
"Couldn't be better." She smiled cherrily.
"Hawke." Varric graveled.
She sighed, and glanced through the building as if she could see the blond haired mage. "It's…complicated…confusing. I am afraid of him, I afraid for him, and I still can't help but love him…but part of me wants to see him pay for the crimes he has committed."
"But yet if he pays, then you'd pay to."
Hawke nodded, "That's part of it," She admitted.
He nodded, and sighed, "I am no expert in matters of love…I have made…plenty of mistakes all on my own in that regard. But…if you love each other…if he loves you…he will look after you. You've saved him once before, maybe you can do so again."
She nodded, and flashed him a small smile, "Take care of yourself Varric."
"Eh, don't worry about me Hawke. If the Templars do come I can always claim to be a Dwarven dupe, just a simple bard. Who got caught into a vile conspiracy between a Roguish lady and an insane mage. And then point them in the direction of Orlais, just for kicks."
She grinned, "Good luck with that."
"I'm sure it will be a smash hit," Varric said as they both returned to the horses and got ready to depart.
"Varric…I hope to see you again…but in case we don't…goodbye."
"Hell of a goodtime knowing you blondie." Varric teased.
Anders turned to Hawke, "Are you ready to go my love?"
Hawke nodded, "Set."
She climbed up into her saddle, mounting the horse and straddling it, towering over the diminutive dwarf. Her Mabari picked that perfect moment to start whining. She shot him an appreciative look, and nodded. She waved bye to Varric, who did the same to her. He and Anders traded a nod.
And they were off, rapidly leaving Kirkwall at the dead of night, their two Horses and a supply Ox. Leaving so no one could hopefully make notice of their passing. Though if there were prying eyes about it wouldn't do them any good.
Next stop, Tevinter, Hawke thought bitterly.