Chapter 4: How to Trap a Hawke
A/N: I had fun writing this one and I hope you all like it. Sorry it took a while to update, school makes it hard for me to write more often.
Three years passed, though it felt like only a moment. Around Hawke things always happened and the swiftness with which they occurred was frightening. It was in this way that the next three years passed.
Adele Hawke had gone from lowly mercenary, to revered noble, but now she was raised even higher. These days she was known as the Champion of Kirkwall. It was Isabela she had to thank, more or less, for the title. The relic Isabela had stolen before she had met Hawke was the reason the Qunari had come to Kirkwall, they wanted it back.
Isabela had come to Hawke to petition her help in following another lead to find her Relic; that turned out to be the Tome of Koslun, the book upon which the Qun is founded. Hawke tried to convince Isabela to return the tome to the Qunari, but once she had it in hand, the pirate ran off with it, leaving Hawke to deal with a blood hungry Arishok.
That was when the Qunari attacked. The Arishok wanted to cleanse Kirkwall and make its citizens submit to the Qun or die in its wake. Hawke ran through the streets of Kirkwall, finding the Knight-Commander Meredith, First Enchanter Orsino and her sister, Bethany, among the survivors of the attack on her way to the Viscount's Keep. On the steps they formulated a plan and as Orsino distracted the Qunari; Hawke, Aveline, Anders and Varric were able to slip past and into the Keep.
They were just in time to see Viscount Dumar's head fall from his shoulders.
The Arishok demanded that they submit to the will of the Qun as well as return the stolen tome. It was then that Isabela made her timely appearance, throwing the book at the feet of the Arishok. The Qunari expressed their plans of taking the tome and Isabela back to Par Vollen, now that the reason they had come to Kirkwall was complete.
They had destroyed the city, killed the Viscount and thought that they could just walk out of the city and sail away on their ships, Hawke was not going to allow it.
She argued with the Arishok. If she couldn't take all the Qunari, then she would settle for their leader. Isabela was her friend and she was not going to let that murderous Qunari walk off with her. Thus, Hawke and the Arishok fought to the death, the victor won the city and Isabela.
After a long, painful fight, Hawke rose victorious, saving the city. She sent the Qunari on their way with their tome, never wanting to see them in the city again.
Hawke was now the Champion of Kirkwall and everyone in the city knew her name.
In the next year the fight between the mages and templars only got worse. Knight-Commander Meredith ruled the city, using her power to suppress the mages even more. The more she pushed them; however, the more they fought against her hold. The mages were losing by inches against the templars, and it didn't take long for those inches to become miles.
Despite her best efforts, Hawke was not entirely able to stay out of the arguments. She was often forced to moderate the two, but never took a public stance for either side. Often times she would tell Varric that when she saw Meredith and Orsino fight, it was like watching two years olds fight over a broken toy in the street. She would then laugh and say, "sometimes I just want to put them with their noses in a corner and make them think about what they've done."
Her friendships changed as well, she had grown closer to all of her companions over the years, but there was still a distance between herself and Fenris that seemed to be as large as the Waking Sea itself. They would speak, but only when they others were around. Gone was the time of friendly visitations just to say hello.
Both felt responsible for what they had falling apart, but neither could gather the strength to try to repair what had been broken. It was for those reasons and others, that Hawke was more than a little surprised when Fenris was on her door step asking for her help.
Hawke sat by the fire in the common room, wrapped in a blanket reading one of the books Isabela had given her over the years. It was mid-winter in Kirkwall and the weather that day was miserably cold and wet. Without any adventures to be had in the middle of the day, a book had seemed to be just the thing she needed to pass the time. Honestly, who doesn't enjoy reading a dirty novel in the middle of winter.
She had given Bodahn and the others the week off, so the house was silent, except for the soft crackle of the fire. She missed the company, but at least she knew they'd all be back the next day and the house would seem alive again.
A loud knock at the front door caused her to jump. Who could possibly be calling in this weather? She closed her book and extracted herself from her blanket, tossing it over the chair as she quickly walked to the front door. She unceremoniously threw the door open to find Fenris, drenched from head to toe.
"Fenris?" she asked incredulously, ushering him into the house, "You must be freezing."
"Thank you, Hawke," he said wiggling his toes to regain feeling and running his fingers through her hair to shake away some of the water.
They walked into the estate, Hawke quickly darting into one of the bathrooms to fetch a few towels, before setting Fenris down on one of the chairs in the common room and giving him the towels to dry himself off.
"Are you insane? Walking around Hightown in this weather is bound to get you killed. I'm surprised you didn't freeze to death on the steps," Hawke admonished as she walked into the kitchen to put a kettle on the fire for tea.
"There is an issue… I couldn't wait for the weather to clear," he said moving the chair closer to the fire to get warm.
"What kind of issue?" she asked coming back in with two cups and taking a seat, setting the cups on the table before them.
"I wouldn't ask for your help if I didn't need it. You must remember when Hadriana told me that I have a sister. A few months ago I finally found her. Varania was a tailor in Minrathous, which only made it more difficult to contact her. Once she believed I was her brother, I sent her money to come here to Kirkwall. She arrived last night and will be here in the Hanged Man for the next week," he had something else to say, but seemed hesitant.
Hawke picked up on it immediately, "You think it might be a trap," she said, a statement, not a question.
"Yes, I fear that Danarius may have sent someone with her, or had someone follow her from the Imperium. What better way to get a slave back than to have bait, they've tried it before."
"I'll take care of it," Hawke said smiling, getting up as she heard the kettle screech. She returned in moments pouring each of them a cup of tea, pushing Fenris's cup closer to him. "If the weather clears up tomorrow, I'll get Varric and Isabela to help me snoop around. If there is a trap, human or mechanical us rogues will find it. In the meantime," she sipped at her tea, "let's enjoy the hot tea and warm fire."
"You are right, Hawke. There is no need to worry needlessly over something I cannot control."
"I hope that nothing is amiss. You've had enough to deal with since we've met. We don't need more slavers bothering you."
"I don't know how to thank you, Hawke."
"Well, a smile wouldn't kill you, but I'll settle for you promising to stay here and dry off and warm up before you go back into that awful weather."
"I think I can do that," Fenris said, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. He enjoyed the chance to be in her presence; even now he still felt the guilt of never telling her that he still wanted to be with her. He wanted to go back in time and change that moment, to stay with her and use his words instead of his anger and pain.
They sat there, drinking tea and talking for the better part of three hours. When the Chantry bells tolled the hour of five, Fenris excused himself and returned to his mansion. All the while a smile plastered on his face, knowing that the next time he saw Hawke, he was going to put things right and start over with her.
He swore to the Maker himself, that this time everything would be perfect.
What Fenris had said worried Hawke and she didn't want to have to wait to snoop around the Hanged Man. She had a feeling that this wasn't going to go well, the whole thing just didn't sit right. She picked up a pendant from the table beside her bed, fingering the chain, she had always hoped she would never have to use this.
She put the pendant around her neck and then put on her armor, making sure she had enough padding to keep her warm out in the freezing rain. She took her time, as she figured out her plan of action, nodding to herself. Hawke slipped her daggers into their sheaths as she left the estate.
The walk to Lowtown was wet and miserable, but Hawke was happy when the Hanged Man came into view. She checked the few windows the tavern did have and was more than surprised to see that neither Varric nor Isabela were in their usual spots. It must have taken a lot to get those two to vacate the tavern in this weather. This stunk of a trap.
Before she even dared to cross the threshold, Hawke left the Hanged Man and went to the Alienage in search of Merrill. Unfortunately the elf wasn't home. Did everyone decide running off in the rain was a good idea today? She removed her pendant and left a note for Merrill. She hoped that she wouldn't be forced to use it, but it was always better to be safe than sorry (or dead).
Hawke then made her way back to the Hanged Man, entering the tavern without fear of what might wait inside.
The tavern was almost entirely empty, a few drunkards were about, and Corff still stood behind the bar. Hawke spotted the elf she was looking for sitting in the back of the tavern, her red hair starkly in contrast with her pale skin.
She sat down across from her, "You are Varania, yes?" she asked, already knowing the answer to her question.
"Yes," the elf said, confused as to who Hawke was.
"I know your brother. I'm here on his behalf, we are to go to Hightown to meet him," if this woman was bait, then she wouldn't want to leave the cage. Hawke scanned her face searching for any signs of deceit.
Varania flinched and shook her head, "But Leto said that he would meet me here. I can't just leave."
"Plans change," Hawke said calmly, unwilling to back down. She was going to have her answer, slavers be damned.
Just then a man in deep blue robes descended the stairs from the private quarters in the back of the tavern, two men in Tevinter slavers uniforms flanked him. The man was obviously a magister, the way he carried himself belayed to the stick that was shoved up his ass.
"You wouldn't be trying to run off with my new apprentice would you?" the man's voice was rough and grating, it made Hawke's hair stand on end.
"Lord Danarius, I…" Varania tried to explain herself to the magister, but Hawke interrupted.
"Andrate's thunderhumping knickerweasels!" Hawke bellowed jumping up from her seat at the table, pulling her daggers from their sheaths, ready to fight if the need arose.
"I do not wish to fight you, Champion," Danarius said, holding his hands up in a placating motion to show her meant her no harm.
"Then why are you here, you bastard?" Hawke spat, her nose scrunching, teeth slightly bared, an angry cat ready to pounce.
"I wish to collect my property, nothing more."
"You can't have Fenris. You don't deserve to control any man, and especially not that man. He has fought for his freedom and he will keep it, or Maker help me I will destroy all that stand to prevent that from happening."
"I don't believe it," Danarius said smirking, a noise that sounded like a strangled laugh escaping his throat, "the great and powerful, Champion of Kirkwall is in love with a slave."
"And, so what if I am?" Hawke asked, pointedly glaring at the magister.
"And, you would do anything to protect him, wouldn't you?" he stalked past her slowly circling her, causing Hawke to turn and follow his movements, "Even take his place?"
"Take his place?"
"Yes, while I enjoy Fenris and his prowess as a fighter, I am sure that you would far surpass him as body guard. I need someone of great strength to protect me. Would you do that to save your precious slave?"
"Perhaps," Hawke said, having already made up her mind to protect Fenris no matter what it took. She loved him body and soul, nothing could stop her.
"You would be given the same markings, and you will never remember your life from before. It is a chance to be reborn and have a new life."
"So, you are saying that you would leave with me and give up your pursuit of Fenris?"
"Yes, I would."
"Then I will go with you."
"Good. We shall leave immediately. Varania go tell the rest of the guards. The weather will prevent us from returning the Minrathous for several weeks, but until then we will stay elsewhere. The ritual will be done as soon as possible," Danarius walked forward, tracing a finger along Hawke's jaw, "I would like to have my new body guard ready before we leave."
Hawke followed the magister with Varania and his guards at her heels through the city and out to the mountains surrounding the Wounded Coast. She hoped against hope that things would work the way she planned and that the others would find her, before Danarius was able to do what he had planned.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for all the favorites and alerts! And now we wait to find out what will happen to Hawke. Will they find her in time? Or will they come to late? Or not at all? I shall update soon and we will have our answers... as we go along the chapters seem to be getting longer and longer, so it make take me a while to update and if it does I am sorry.
MM