As the night wore on, plans came together… and others fell apart. Fenris still refused to meet her gaze, let alone speak to her. Hawke ignored him, hoping that his mood would improve by the end of the evening… but she doubted it. Hawke sighed and turned her eyes back to the map that lay unfurled on the table. She had other things besides her failing love-life to think about.
Aveline shook her head, "This is ridiculous! The Blight has ended, the Archdemon is dead, yet you would risk members of my guard running round the Deep Roads with all manner of creatures and demons on a fool's errand, Hawke?"
"I don't remember saying that, Aveline…"
"Well, that's what it sounded like." The Guard Captain stated as she crossed her arms angrily. "They're not Wardens, Hawke, they are citizens who give their lives to protect this city and you think just because we're friends you can…"
"I appreciate your stance, Guard Captain," Alistair cut in, "but this is a threat to your city and I must confess I think it is best if the City Guard do have a hand in this matter. If you cannot come yourself, I would appreciate having at least a representative to report back to you, so that Kirkwall may prepare itself in the worst case scenario."
Aveline still didn't seem happy, but her anger appeared soothed, "Very well, your Majesty. May I put forward a man named Donnic? He's a steady fighter and reliable…"
Alistair nodded with a warm smile, "if he has your faith, Captain, then he also has mine."
"Thank you, your Majesty." The blonde was sure she could see the beginnings of a smug smile of the red-head's lips. The last thing she needed was a glorified babysitter in lieu of her friend. That was an aggravation too far.
"Aveline…"
As if reading her mind, Aveline raised her eyebrows to Hawke as if to ask what the problem was. "Hawke." She acknowledged. Hawke returned her stare for a few seconds, then cursed beneath her breath and gave up. That was a fight she couldn't win and she knew it, not now that she had kingly approval.
"We can take the entrance here," Varric pointed to a location on the map, with a tone of authority, as if to change the subject, "my brother's men reported a cave-in after Bartrand tried to excavate the old thaig further, so that one's no good."
"You know when I went to Orzammar, all of the thaigs had names. I don't see any on these maps." Alistair mused, studying the complex tangle of tunnels and caves on the paper.
"Well, there's a strong sense of history in Orzammar, no one remembers when these thaigs were evacuated or even built… their names have been long forgotten, my dear King." Varric explained. "Honestly, I've never been to Orzammar and I can work that out." He smirked at Hawke who returned his humour with a smile.
"And so what when we're down there?" Fenris asked curtly. "Are we exploring? Sitting there waiting for dark spawn…? What?"
Alistair was clearly taken aback about being spoken to in such a tone, but if it actually bothered him it wasn't apparent. "Well, you're to the point, aren't you?" He chuckled, "…If you're not careful I'll nickname you 'Morrigan'." After he had finished musing on whatever he found so funny, the sandy haired man continued. "No…What I propose is that we split into teams. Each team will take a couple of my own men and wait at different locations as outposts. Hawke and I will patrol the route and monitor the situation as a whole. Nothing happens? Fantastic, we can all go home. If something goes wrong and my hunch is right, we withdraw and the Guard Captain here is already on full alert ready to defend the city."
"I see… you and Hawke…" Hawke knew that tone, and she knew that Fenris wasn't happy. It wasn't often that she heard that tone and genuinely had no idea what was bothering him about Alistair's plan.
"Yes." Alistair seemed confused as well, and not without reason. The elf wasn't even trying to hide his displeasure, but neither was he offering any explanation as to why.
"And before you even ask, Isabella," Hawke pre-empted the pirate's request, "we are picking the teams… and you don't have a say. The only one decided upon is Merrill and Anders."
Isabella slumped back in her chair looking severely unimpressed. Hawke was surprised that she was still awake- although it was just barely. The Rivaini had sunk enough alcohol to… well, sink a ship. Her words were slurred- when they could be interpreted as such- and her drunken leers towards Alistair and Fenris had become very toothy grins and awkward attempts at sitting on their knees. It was only when Aveline and Hawke had threatened to tie her to the chair that she had even tried to behave appropriately.
Although he didn't say it, Hawke could tell by the sour expression on Anders face that he wasn't pleased. She gave him an imploring look, trying to tell him that she would explain, and he nodded; he still didn't seem happy in the slightest at the prospect of spending a few weeks… in the Deep Roads… with Merrill…
"Alright, so if we say we'll head off towards this entrance in the morning. Any more questions… um… yes?" The King seemed surprised when the dark haired, young elf shot her hand into the air enthusiastically.
"I do have one question," Merrill began, and looked down and began twisting her tunic as if in embarrassment. Hawke smiled in spite of herself as she took a sip from her glass. She had seen the mage ramble… but she had never seen her act so coyly, "is there a Mrs 'King of Ferelden'?"
Hawke spat out the wine, "Merrill!"
Merrill looked back to her, "I'm only asking a question, Hawke, I'm not killing anyone…"
"I don't think that's a statement I will be able to say honestly by the end of tonight…" Hawke sighed despondently, tempted to bang her head on the table in frustration.
Alistair cleared his throat; Hawke noticed his cheeks had reddened slightly, it made him look much younger than the mighty 'Warden King' she had anticipated. "I have never taken a bride, no."
"Oh! Well, that's interesting!" Merrill answered eagerly.
"No it's not," Aveline snapped sternly, "this is to plan a mission to save the city, not a meeting about who has bedded who. And this is the King of Ferelden, Merrill… a little more respect would be in order."
Hawke knew that Merrill wouldn't understand why she had received such a harsh reprimand from Aveline, but rather than antagonise the guardswoman further, Merrill fell silent. Hawke caught her attention and gave an encouraging smile which the elf barely acknowledged. It was late, everyone was tired and there was much to be done in the morning… "I think that's enough, if we're setting out early tomorrow we'll need to get some rest."
"An excellent idea, we'll meet tomorrow at the gates to the city." Alistair agreed. Everyone rose wearily to their feet, mumbling between themselves as to what perils the morning would bring with it. "Come on, Rivaini." Varric poked the pirate, "time to go."
"You can't expect me to walk home in this state?" Isabella slurred in Hawke's direction. "What if some scoundrel tries to take advantage of me?"
"I've never seen it work that way round with you, Isabella." Hawke frowned a little, wondering what the woman was trying to get at.
"I need a big strong man to walk me home." She turned her gaze firstly to Alistair- who swiftly cast his eyes elsewhere- before they fell on Fenris.
The swordsman looked a little baffled, "You want me to walk you from Hightown… where I live," he added with emphasis, "all the way down to Lowtown… where I don't?"
Although Isabella flirting with Fenris was nothing new, it bothered Hawke tonight in a way it hadn't before, perhaps because she'd never considered that he might take her up on her offer. "Don't be ridiculous, Isabella, Varric is heading back that way already, Fenris doesn't need to waste his time…"
"I can speak for myself, Hawke." The swordsman cut her off abruptly.
His words stung her, and his disparaging glare made her feel slightly sick. Not that she was about to let him know that. "Then do what you want." Hawke was glad her voice didn't shake, "I don't really care what you do as long as you're not half dead for the fighting tomorrow."
To her immense shock, the elf's eyebrows raised slightly, as if her reaction had wounded him a little… as if he had not expected her clinical response. Hawke bit her lip; her immediate reaction was to apologise, and perhaps she would have done if she knew what she had done to earn such wrath in the first place. Whatever desires she had to do so, however, faded as Fenris' expression returned to his lingering scowl.
Isabella struggled and swerved to her feet, Fenris didn't help her steady herself, but neither did he remain at the table. The Rivaini giggled at she gave, what Hawke could only presume was meant to be a wink, "I won't wear him out too much, Hawke, don't worry."
Hawke fought hard to maintain her composure… and restrain herself from punching the pirate several times in the face. As Isabella somehow hobbled out of the door, now pulling the white haired man by his arm, Fenris looked back and caught Hawke's gaze. All she wanted to do was erase the evening's earlier events and have things back to the way they were. She hated the thought of him being angry with her, nearly as much as she despised the thought of him being with Isabella. But she had no right to tell Fenris what to do… and given the mood he was in he would probably appreciate it even less than usual. The blonde didn't know what to think, let alone what to do.
So, she did nothing.
By the time he had faded into the night and the door had clicked to a close, Hawke already regretted such action.
The group slowly started to follow Fenris into the cool air of Hightown, and like him- they did it wordlessly. Whereas Merrill avoided catching her eyes with her own and just offered a sympathetic smile, Anders rested a hand on her shoulder in comfort. Hawke nodded to communicate that she was fine.
Aveline shot a look of sympathy on her way out, but it was not nearly as consoling as the one Donnic gave. Eventually, only Varric and Alistair remained in the hall.
"Why do I get the feeling that I'm missing out on some important 'group politics' here?" The young King asked with a twinge of sarcastic humour.
Varric only shook his head softly as he watched her rigid stance. "Hawke…"
She stood leant against the table, her arms folded around her as if it were armour, her eyes remained fixed on the door. Had that really just happened? Fenris had left with Isabella… and she had let him?!
Hawke shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. This would have to wait. He could have simply walked her home to appease her. It meant nothing until Hawke knew the whole story.
"Your Majesty, your men will see you back to your lodgings?" Her voice sounded strange, even to herself. Taut… somehow…
Alistair hesitated; normally he would have made a joke or something. Maker knew he always relied on humour when he didn't know what to say… or was simply just uncomfortable. Yet something about the stiffness in her shoulders and the way she would look at neither of her guests made him bite his tongue. He didn't want to intrude on her seeming solitude, but neither did he want to leave her if there was something he could do. "I'm sure I could… um… stay a little longer if…"
She shook her head, and still did not look at him, "Just go… We all need our rest. Tomorrow, at the gates."
The Warden King struggled. It seemed that he so often said the wrong thing, yet now he would have given anything to say anything.
"At the gates." He agreed, he gave a Warden's salute in her direction and made his way towards the door.
"Varric," he heard her say to her remaining companion.
"Yes, my friend?"
"Would Bianca be terribly angry if I borrowed you for a while?"
Alistair heard the dwarf chuckle, "I'll make it up to her, what relationships don't hinge on compromise, after all?"
…
Hawke took in the sight with mixed feelings of determination and apprehension. Although the last entrance she had taken to the Deep Roads had hardly been attractive, this dank and shadowed cave seemed downright ominous.
"Not the best view I've had in the Free Marches." Alistair sighed.
"And what might that have been then?"
"Well… not to sound… inappropriate, but there are many beauties in Kirkwall…"
"I seem to recall there not being too few in Ferelden…"
"Yes, but in Kirkwall they wear better dresses…" He grinned.
Hawke didn't know if he had meant the comment as an innocent one, but her cheeks flushed furiously. As if he had read her embarrassment and realised how the statement could be taken, he suddenly became a little panicked. "I didn't mean you… I mean, you look very nice in a dress, but I didn't mean you have to wear one to be a nice view… I mean…"
Hawke's embarrassment faded into amusement, as she watched the tall man in glistening armour all but emasculate himself before her. So much so she found herself laughing. He stopped his rambling. "Is this the part where you punch me in the face and make me run round the camp in my smalls as a punishment?"
"Tempting."
"Tell me there's a 'but' coming."
Hawke laughed, "I think if I made you do that you'd never make it round the camp without Isabella trying to jump you or join in… and I don't need to see either outcomes."
"So you're not that mad at me? I remember accidentally asking Leliana if she was a woman once and she threatened to turn me into an arrow cushion…"
"It's nothing offensive to be called a 'nice view', your Majesty. If you ever ask me if I'm a woman on the other hand…"
"You did it again…" Alistair said, in an almost teasing tone.
"Did what?"
"I told you to call me 'Alistair'."
Hawke sighed with a smile. "I apologise, Alistair."
"Hawke!"
"Merril?"
The dark- haired mage made her way towards them excitedly, holding a box in one hand and tugging Anders along with her with the other. Since they had left Kirkwall, Merrill had held that box close as if it were some mystical object of power … and whenever anyone has asked after the contents she simply smiled coyly and whispered 'It's a secret'.
Merrill halted as she reached them, as did Anders. Hawke could tell he wasn't impressed, but he lacked Fenris' ability to hurt people's feelings and not care too much about it afterwards. "I'm ready to show you…"
"…what's in the box." Hawke finished for her. She eyed the parcel that her friend had carried with such care for so long with curiosity. "Well, don't keep us in suspense, Merrill…"
"Well, it isn't much really… I couldn't show anyone because it's a present for Anders and I wanted to wait till just before we went underground to give it to him."
If Anders looked more than surprised. "A present… for me…?"
"Well, I know you don't like the Deep Roads, so I thought I'd get you something to cheer you up a bit…"
Anders seemed genuinely touched. Hawke couldn't remember another single occasion when the ex-Warden had smiled at Merrill, at least genuinely. Slowly and gingerly, the Elf lifted the lid and the three of them peered in with interest. This interest changed swiftly to confusion and they shared glances with each other. Alistair was clearly absolutely baffled, Anders a little disgusted and Hawke… was it wrong that she wasn't overly surprised?
"Do you like it?" Merrill swung to Anders.
"Um…"
"It took me days to catch this in the sewer. Jumpy little bugger too… sorry, I shouldn't swear in front of a king… but Hawke, you have no idea how difficult it was! They are so fast. I thought maybe you could call him something like 'Lightning' or 'Quick Feet'…"
"Um… Merrill…" Hawke tried to interrupt.
"But I thought he could cheer you up when we're down there. I mean, he tries to bite me, but I'm sure he'll be nice to you…"
"Merrill…"
"And I know how much you miss, Ser Pounce-a-lot, so I thought why not…"
"Merrill!" Hawke finally succeeded in halting the mage's rambling speech.
Merrill looked at her with questioning wide-eyes. "Yes, Hawke?"
"Merrill… that's a rat…"
"Ser Pounce-a-lot was a cat, Merrill." Anders was still staring at the scabby, whiskered creature which twitched its nose in response.
"Don't be silly! I know what a 'rat' looks like… they have fur for starters…"
"So do cats…"
Merrill hesitated and studied Hawke's face, as if trying to decipher if this was a joke or not. "That one on Sundermount didn't…"
"You used a powerful fire spell on the tree it was sitting in…" Anders pointed out, "of course it had no blighted fur left!"
"I'm fairly new to Kirkwall, but I wouldn't have thought that there are many cats to catch in the sewers…" Alistair offered.
"I did think it lucky to find so many in one place… Oh, well," Merrill's eyes fell and her gaze was fixedly set at the poor animal in the box. "I'm sorry, Anders,I suppose you'll have to be pet-less in the Deep Roads again." She sighed heavily and turned away from them. "I suppose I should let him go, then… if I've got things wrong again…"
Hawke caught Anders gaze and tilted her head, indicating him to go after Merrill. He shook his head and waved both hands to tell her that there was no way, incredulous that she would suggest such a thing. Hawke poked him in the shoulder with some force and with the same hand pointed after the Elf. He stood strong and met her stare.
Hawke decided it time for a different tactic. Her narrowed eyes widened and she stuck out her bottom lip, she hoped that she seemed imploring. It wasn't a look she often went for. Anders grunted and rolled his eyes, "Merrill, wait!" It would have been difficult for him to sound less enthused, "perhaps a… rat… will prove a worthy beast after all…"
Merrill squealed, and ran back to them. She caught the creature gently around its stomach and lifted it to Anders face, the box now discarded. "Lightning, I want you to meet Anders, he's your new owner…"
Anders was still, very clearly, very un-amused. "Lightning? You've decided its name is 'Lightning?"
Merrill's eyes widened and she seemed crestfallen. "Do you not like it? I mean, he is very fast… but he is yours… " Anders looked back to Hawke for help. The blonde crossed her arms and frowned a little, it didn't quite mask her mirth at the scene playing out before her.
Anders gritted his teeth. "Lightning sounds like a lovely name…" He was sure he heard Hawke and the King snicker behind him. No matter, he would get her back later…
"Hawke! Scouts have returned, the path is clear." Fires were put out and equipment scraped into bags. The groups started to gather as Varric approached the swordwoman.
Hawke nodded and turned to Alistair, "make sure everyone is ready, I'd prefer to make the initial push whilst the sun is still up… everyone remember: mages at the back, swords at the front."
"Let's just hope nothing goes wrong." Varric grumbled as the soldiers scattered, though loudly enough for those listening to hear.
"Hmmmm, yes." Alistair added thoughtfully, "the Deep Roads really isn't the place for mistakes."
Hawke caught sight of Fenris on the edge of the camp, helping a young soldier load a supply bag onto his back. Although she couldn't say he had warmed to her since last night, he seemed evasive now rather than angry. Not that that made it any easier to talk to him. He saw her looking and dropped his gaze as quickly as she did hers. Hawke turned away from him and back to Alistair and Varric. "Then let's not make any." She told them.