{More weaving in the past. The cameo below of Maric Therin comes via the good graces of JayRain, from her delightful and poignant series about Cailan's struggling teen years, beginning with Questing Eyes, s/7139000/1/Questing-Eyes
You will never think of Cailan the same way after you read her stuff! Fair warning!
I've never been able to play Hawke as a bloodmage, and I don't think I could. She is too much Malcolm Hawke's daughter. She's being dragged down this path, but let's not forget that she's still a Hawke.}
Chapter 4: Wrong Turn
Not a single glance of a palace.
Mirah Hawke felt robbed. Instead of mirrors and chandeliers, she and Zani watched as Maric Therin, King of Fereldan, wondered aimlessly through a large stable. The King was looking for someone, but he did not want others to know. The weather was cold, and Mirah found herself shivering. The bad thing about someone else's dream, she discovered, is that you have no control of anything.
She and Zani stalked the King, keeping out of his sight. Finally, the King spotted the object of his search: a boy with sandy blond hair was mucking out stalls. The shovel was as large as the boy, it seemed, and it was hard work to shovel the manure into the waiting wheelbarrow. Steam rose from the boy's breath and sweat seemed to freeze on his brow. He paused to rest, wiping at his forehead, and blowing into his hands to warm them. He wore no gloves, and in places his skin was cracking from the cold.
Mirah's heart melted. She liked this boy. She wanted to help him.
Zani caught her arm, and shook her head in warning. It was a dream. The King's dream.
But the boy was real, Hawke just knew it.
The King did not approach, but balled his fists in anger. Mirah's was heartened to see this, maybe the King would fix things? Something just felt …wrong.
Instead, her King, the Saviour of Fereldan, turned his back on the boy and strode out of the stable. As he turned, Mirah caught a look of anguish on the man's face. "I'm sorry Alistair," She heard him say.
The boy kept working, having never noticed the King, or the girls, in the first place.
"Let's go!" she ordered Zani
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"That was NOT fun!" Mirah accused Zani when they returned to her own part of the Fade.
Zani sighed. "I know. The boy is so lonely."
"It's not just that," Mirah decided. "It just felt …wrong. We're not doing that again." She looked at her finger which still had an angry-looking mark on the tip.
"There are other dreams, better ones …" Zani began.
"I said no!" Mirah Hawke repeated. Her blue eyes flashed. Zani stared back at her. After a moment, the blonde girl's eyelashed fluttered and she began to sniffle.
Instantly, Mirah regretted her harshness. "I'm sorry I yelled, Zani." She said, and gave her friend a hug.
Zani accepted the hug, a sly smile crossing her face as she held her Mirah. "I just want us always to be friends. Promise?"
"I promise."
But our Hawke is growing up, and her father is no fool. Next chapter is already in my head, will post soon!
Please comment. Anything, good bad or ugly. TY!
