This chapter starts off with a little taste of what action scenes will be like and then delves further into the friendship Fenris is beginning to form with Hawke. Enjoy!
(4) Cloudreach 11th
"VARRIC! DUCK!" Hawke screams as a fireball explodes against the cave wall over the dwarf's head.
Varric falls to the ground and rolls out of the way. Quickly jumping up, he launches a crossbow bolt back into the fray.
An ember veers off and scorches my bicep. "Blasted apostates!" I shout as I dash forward.
"Hey!" Hawke yells back from somewhere to my right.
I growl even though she can't hear me through the chaos. How am I somehow fighting apostates with two apostates? No time. Fighting is what's important. I spot Merrill facing me a few yards ahead; she's oblivious to the person rapidly approaching her from behind. I charge towards Merrill, sword gripped tightly in both hands, and leap over her head. I swiftly bring my blade down into her attacker's neck, slicing cleanly through the robes. Blood squirts from the mage's jugular, and he falls to the ground. One less to deal with. I look back at Merrill, and she smiles at me from ear to ear. That is not necessary. I didn't save her. I'm just doing my job. I see an enemy, I kill. My gaze moves from Merrill to survey the cave. There are three more mages firing spells from various cover throughout the cavern. Hawke and Varric are at a distance returning fire from behind some crates. Seriously? I'm the only one here with a sword? Ranged idiots. Oh well, I've handled far worse. I direct my attention to the apostate nearest me, and she crouches behind a boulder at the cave wall to my left. She fails to notice me as I rush towards her, my lyrium markings powering every step. When I am only a few feet away, she spots me, and a shriek leaves her lungs. Magic shoots from her fingers, and a dagger of ice pierces through my left foot. I feel it just in time to bring my other foot down safely away from the spikes. Jerking my injured foot from the icy snare, I lunge forward with my sword and impale the woman against the wall. She screams and grabs at the blade, trying in vain to pull it from her midsection. Her hands grow bloody, and I quickly put her out of her misery with a quick upward flick of the blade. I withdraw my sword and whirl around to relocate the other attackers. The remaining two apostates, a man and a woman, huddle together behind some rubble at the far end of the cavern. They look at me with horror and fear.
"No! Stop! Don't come any closer!" The woman squeals, hiding behind the man.
I begin walking across the cave towards them, oblivious to the pain from my bleeding foot. This will be fast.
The two fling down their staffs and press themselves up against the wall. "Please, no! We surrender!" The man whimpers.
"Fenris, wait." Hawke says, stepping out from behind her cover. "We should let them speak."
"They tried to kill us. They don't get to speak. Either we kill them, or we send them to the circle." I stop and give Hawke a harsh look.
The man stands up and says, "Please let us go! We were trying to protect our lives! We just want to be free!"
"And how many innocent people have wandered into this cave to be killed for your freedom? You attacked us without cause, apostates. You're too dangerous to allow to go free." I level my sword at the man. "It's your choice, Hawke."
She sighs and looks at the ground. "As much as I hate it… The circle is more of a life than no life at all…" She murmurs and then looks up sharply. "You will come with us and turn yourselves in. This way, you keep your lives and greatly reduce the risk of being made tranquil."
The woman begins weeping, "You can't do this to us! How can you not understand?!"
"I understand perfectly, but I can't allow you to be a continued threat." Hawke says firmly.
I lower my blade and clean it with a rag from my belt before returning it to my back. I'm glad that she's being reasonable about it. I could not have stood by and let them go free.
(4) Cloudreach 11th
We approach Lowtown as the sun is setting. It took longer than anticipated to track down a few Templars to take the mages off our hands.
"Those poor mages. They must be so sad going to live in the circle. Oh! But there they will have real beds to sleep in and not a dusty cave! I suppose that's nice." Merrill spouts as she skips along beside me.
I grunt in response. Their feelings don't matter. They were needlessly endangering others; they got far better than they deserved.
"Oh! But Hawke! Did you see?!" Merrill bounces up and down excitedly.
From my other side, Hawke looks at Merrill sweetly, "See what Merrill?"
"Fenris! He saved me! Someone was behind me and I didn't see em, so he jumped right over my head. I never seen anyone jump so high!" Merrill prattles excitedly.
"Did he now?" Hawke asks with a giggle. "You helped our little blood mage?" She looks at me coyly.
I glare intensely at the ground in front of me and say nothing. Of course not. She's a monster.
Varric laughs. "Are you sure he wasn't going for your head and missed?"
"No, that's not it at all! Fenris is great at fighting, he wouldn't have missed!" Merrill looks at me kindly with her big eyes, "Thank you for saving me." Before I can move, her arms are around my waist, and she pulls me into a hug.
"Festis bei umo canaverum!" I shout angrily and leap away from her. "Stay away from me!"
Hawke moves between Merrill and myself. "Um, Merrill sweetie, please don't touch Fenris. He hates that."
I hate everything.
"I'm sorry! I really didn't know! Please forgive me." Merrill pleads with me.
"No." I veer away from the group towards an alley I know will lead me home. "Goodnight."
"Varric, can you take Merrill home?" Hawke calls over her shoulder, running to catch up to me.
"Sure thing." Varric nods.
Hawke moves to walk on my left.
"Leave me." I tell her. I maintain my pace and train my eyes on the path ahead.
"I'd rather not. You should know by now that I don't do anything I don't want to do." Hawke says with her usual playfulness.
She always tries to make everything better. Somethings can't be fixed. I don't know why everything is funny to her. It's irritating! I just want to be left alone. "Hawke. I am not in the mood." I warn her.
"Fine. I'll be quiet, but, I'm still coming with you." She states before falling silent.
Ugh. So persistent. We keep walking in silence until we arrive at my house in Hightown. I pause outside the door, neither of us saying a word for a minute. Finally, I ask, "Are you coming inside?"
"Would it be alright if I came inside?" She looks me in the eyes seriously.
"You're asking?" I thought she would just push her way in. How odd.
She nods. "Yes. Fenris, may I come inside? Or would you like me to go home?"
I take a moment to think. Well, I was going to demand her to leave… but since she asked… It couldn't hurt to let her in for a bit. The curtesy is nice. "Fine." I nod and open the door for her. "Go on in."
With a smile, she enters the dark house, and I follow. She turns to me. "Where should we go?"
It's difficult to see much, as the house is nearly pitch black. "Follow me. There are chairs and a fireplace upstairs." I lead the way to the bed chamber and begin putting logs into the fireplace.
Hawke drags the two large chairs close together and nearer the hearth. With a flick of her wrist, she ignites the fire. "Mmmm! Much better!" She says settling into one of the chairs.
Magic! In my house?! If it were anyone but her… "That wasn't necessary." I tell her, taking the other seat. I try to keep the bite in my voice down to a minimum.
"Magic isn't something you approve of, is it?" Hawke looks at me quizzically.
"No. I don't care for it. Seems to be a common opinion among the slaves, or former slaves, of Tevinter magisters." I gaze into the fire.
"Fenris… I didn't even think… I'm really sorry." Hawke manages.
"Don't be. You can't help what you are. And you're not him." I move my eyes to hers so that she can see that I don't blame her. We sit quietly for a little bit before I break the silence. "If anything, I should be thanking you."
Her eyebrows raise in surprise. "What for?"
"We may disagree often. You are pushy, and a mage, but you are also the only thing in my life that isn't horrible. You're good Hawke. That means a lot," I tell her, and it's true.
The corners of her mouth lift and her eyes are full of emotion. "I'm glad you let me be in your life."
"As am I." Slightly uncomfortable, I return my eyes to the fire.
Hawke snickers. "If you wouldn't punch me, I'd kiss you right now."
Not this again. She is beautiful, I'd be a fool not to want to… I just can't.
"I wouldn't punch you," I say.
She straightens up, and her voice turns silky, "Oh, really?"
"I would throw you into the fire." I mean it as a joke, but it comes out as a threat.
She freezes, looking really concerned.
"I. No. That was…" I stammer, my ears burning red. This is why I don't make jokes.
"Oh!" Hawke bursts out laughing. "You just made a joke! I'm so proud of you!"
This is horrible. "It won't happen again," I say, but I can't put any real anger behind it.
"Okay, I'll get out of your hair before I embarrass you anymore." She winks at me. "Thank you for inviting me in." She stands to her feet.
I stand as well to walk her to the door. "You're welcome." It isn't that late, maybe I should ask her to stay a little longer. No. This is good for now.
"Can I have another handshake?" Hawke says slyly.
I let her see me roll my eyes and then hold out my hand. She laces her hand tightly with mine. Again, I feel my palm come to life against her touch. It burns, but I kind of like it. She keeps my hand longer than necessary, and the pain starts to intensify. I keep myself from flinching. When she lets go, my hand lights up the space between us with blue light.
"That's so cool," she remarks fondly.
I shrug.
She takes a pause and then, "Does it hurt?"
"You don't want to know the answer to that," I say as I curl and extend my tingling fingers.
"And that's why you don't like being touched?" She looks at me sadly.
"That's part of it. It's not as bad with you." My eyes find hers.
"That's good. Well… Goodnight. I'll get going." Her face is still sad, but I can see hope behind her eyes.
I walk her to the door and watch her until she's out of sight. This 'friendship' is strange. Not something I wanted or expected. Hawke is such a genuine person. The way she treats me… All of those emotions that she shows for me… Could she honestly care that much? What we have, whatever this is, I think it's better than I deserve.
