A/N: My muse's have been wrestling each other lately…haha. Also, RL has been quite forward with its need to stress me out. Sorry about the not-so-fast updates.

Disclaimer: Don't own it, don't sell it, just obsess over it.

Magical Blunder

Chapter Six: Conflict

Anders and Fenris continued to be at each others throats the entire length of the journey to the Deep Roads, Hawke biting her tongue to keep from lashing at them the way she normally would have if she had been good old Garret Hawke; she had to be careful. Just because his sex changed didn't mean his personality or mannerisms changed with him. She had already made multiple slip ups over the last few days but had simply blamed it on having been around Garret so much the he was wearing off on her. It was taxing to have to censor everything, from her actions to her words and even, she realized, her assumptions. Fenris seemed irritate to the excessive, muttering Tevinter curses that his male persona was quite familiar with; curses that made him want to turn and snap at the elf impatiently. Finally, as they closed in on their destination, she couldn't take it any longer – one curse too many sending her over the edge – and she turned abruptly. Fenris didn't see her stop and crashed into her, stumbling back with a frightening scowl on his features as he growled.

"You blasted mage; what is stopping you this time?" He snapped with a curt gesture of his hand, Anders and Isabella making a silent exchange that voiced their displeasure at Fenris' behavior toward Eevee.

"You two, keep going on ahead; I need to speak to Fenris," Eevee sighed softly. "The deep road entrance we took should be coming upon us shortly; don't stop until you reach it." Anders nodded and grabbed Isabella's arm when she seemed reluctant to move, dragging the rogue after him as they passed the two who stood off with angry expressions. Once they were out of sight, she turned her eyes back to Fenris and narrowed them as he huffed, crossing his arms.

"Who died and made you our leader?" He growled as he shuffled his feet. "Last I recall Hawke was still breathing; we don't need you." He accentuated his last word with a rude gesture, pointing his finger directly at her – almost daring to poke her – as his lip curled up with his scowl.

"Why you ungrateful – " She stalked toward him, her fists clenched, but she stopped just short of him, sucking in a deep breath. She shook her head as if to clear it, and then took a couple of steps back. "If you are uncomfortable with my leadership, by all means, return to Kirkwall. I'm sure we will manage without you just fine," she snapped out and turned, beginning to walk away.

"So Hawke just passed his reigns onto you so easily; he wouldn't trust a stranger to care for his friends," Fenris snarled and she stopped, shuddering as she clenched her fists; had Fenris been this bad to the first time they'd done a mission together with him as Hawke?

"I'm not a stranger! And for the love of the Maker, I'm family," she growled out in response and snapped back around. "And who are you to say who Hawke would and would not trust? Huh? And who are you to decide who and who he does not care for?" She had reached him by the first question and began poking him in the chest with a finger with barely restrained anger.

Fenris' eyes narrowed dangerously and suddenly his lyrium brands flared to life, illuminating her in an eerie blue glow as he smacked her hand away. "I know Hawke," he said simply. Eevee blinked and couldn't keep herself from bursting into laughter, only serving to make the elf even angrier to the point where he gripped her wrist and jerked her toward him, staring into her now frozen face. "What is so damned funny about that?" he growled.

She shook her head with a sigh and pulled her wrist from his hand, her heart fluttering nervously in her chest; it wasn't just from fear, she realized, but from the cautious desire that was making her body tingle strangely. "You only know what he shows you," she said simply as she turned away, swallowing thickly as she began moving away, only stopping when she was safely at the edge of the small hill.

"Here is where you say you know more of him than us all," he drawled from behind her, making her nearly jump out of her skin at the fact that he had appeared so quickly, unheard, to stand so close to her back. She could make out the faint blue glow that let her know he was still angry and she grit her teeth, turning to glare at him with a look that would frighten the toughest of any darkspawn they would cross.

Despite the attraction Hawke had always felt toward the elf, his attitude toward his female half was beginning to wear on him and, at Fenris' last jibe, she decided to be just as glib. She crossed her arms and smirked. "Actually, no, this isn't where I say that," she chuckled. "This is where I inform you that Anders knows my cousin far better than any of us, especially you. They are quite friendly."

Suddenly those lyrium markings were flaring more brightly than she would have liked, a scowl on the elf's face and a growl escaping from his throat. His fingers were curling and uncurling again at again at his sides, his eyes narrowed at her angrily. "Oh, let me guess – now you want to rip my heart out?" Eevee sighed softly and shook her head, brushing back a gathering of strands of hair back from her eyes. "Let me get this through your thick head, elf. Hawke trusts me, he wanted me to lead this excursion in his place. If you do not like it," she glared right back at him before letting her eyes soften. Her stance eased and she stood straight, allowing her annoyance and irritation to flow away from her. "You are more than free to leave, I'm sure we can handle this without you, as much as I would like you to accept me – even if begrudgingly – and go along with us."

Fenris stayed like that for a long moment, as if it were taking every ounce of his willpower to keep himself from ripping out this little mage's annoying little heart; which, in truth, it was. He trusted Hawke though, didn't he? Over the last three years the man had never failed Fenris, nor had he ever turned his back on him or done much – there had been a few things – that Fenris did not approve of. So…if Hawke trusted his cousin, he should too, right? There was a chance that Hawke would send him out with someone if he thought they weren't capable and if there was even as ounce of a possible betrayal. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, before looking at her with still slightly annoyed green eyes(though his lyrium glow had long since ceased). "I admit…I may have been…a little out of line," Fenris finally muttered beneath his breath.

Eevee clapped her hands together with a bright though forced smile. "Excellent! No harm done," She turned away and started walking toward the crest of the hill. "Now, shall we be on our way?" At Fenris' nod she began walking again. It was a silent walk, thank the Maker, though Hawke would have liked to get close to his friend in this form; he was beginning to miss the close companionship he normally had with them all when he was himself. Especially with those who have trust issues – hint hint, Fenris. He could at least be thankful that Anders knew the truth of it; briefly he wondered if he should just confess and confide in his trusted teammates and tell them the truth that only Anders knew. She chewed her lip thoughtfully as she walked; how would they react? What would they say? Would Fenris look at him differently if he knew that the mage he was constantly fighting with was none other than Hawke?

"Amell!" She lifted her eyes when the man's voice reached her ears, finding Anders standing at the end of the road waving his hand in the air to get her attention. Not bothering to see where Fenris was behind her, she sped up to a job until she reached her friend. Anders glanced over her shoulder and smiled almost smugly before looking back to her. "Broody sulking?"

Eevee turned her head to look behind seeing that Fenris was still at the end of the road and only walking toward them with a slow gaunt. She sighed and shook her head, looking back to Anders. "He isn't adjusting to this well," she said with a frown.

"Really, Hawke? What did you expect?" Anders scoffed. "He accused you of blood magic the moment after we helped clear out his master's mansion. Quite convenient, don't you think? He has no problem accepting magic when it benefits him," the man crossed his arms over his chest. As much as Hawke would have liked to argue, she found she was speechless. Fenris had admitted to knowing that Hawke was a mage before they had assaulted the mansion. How could he not feel used?

"Really, Anders, stop taking the chance to bash unnecessarily. It took Fenris years to come around to me, I doubt he will ever come around to Eevee," she said with a tight smile.

"What do you plan to do then?" He asked with a frown.

"All that I can, for now, I suppose; there are more important things to deal with than earning trust from someone who is adamant in his refusal to give it to me." She moved her eyes from him to look around the area just as Fenris walked up behind her; there was no way to tell if he had heard her, but if he had, he showed no indication of it. "Where is Isa?" she asked Anders as she looked back at him.

"Oh," he shrugged his shoulders as if he hadn't thought to bother remembering where the pirate had gone. "We found the entrance. She was checking for traps while I came to meet you."

"Well, let's go check on her then, shall we?"

Isabella was nowhere to be found once they reached the large opening in the rocky cliff side. Eevee stopped and placed her hands on her hips, peering into the darkness that encompassed the cave. Before she could say anything there was suddenly a body on her back and very plump breasts pressed to her back, tan arms wrapped around her neck. "Hello kitten, took you long enough," Isabella purred against the shell of her ear, making her shudder inwardly from a desire that Hawke found she could not deny; she was really a man, after all.

"Hello Isa," Eevee choked out before she cleared her throat. The rogue pouted when the mage failed to give her the reaction she desired and climbed off her back. Eevee turned to face her, swallowing thickly as the look the pirate was giving her made her want to bite her lip to stifle a whimper, or a moan. "Did you find anything?"

"Nope! Whatever traps were set where already triggered by whoever went in before us," Isabella explained as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts to push them up enticingly under the mage's gaze; she smirked to herself when she saw the woman swallow hard.

"The dwarven boys," Fenris said as he frowned and came to stand closer to the group, though it was clear he was not placing himself among friends. In all actuality, their little group consisted of those in their band of misfits that Fenris hated most – save for Merrill, perhaps. Hawke liked to believe that Fenris had more distaste for the proven blood mage than for his female persona.

Eevee nodded and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's possible, but it's best to be optimistic. Let's not assume they're injured or dead just yet." Anders nodded as she raised her eyes to give him a knowing glance. "If they are just injured, Anders can heal them."

Fenris frowned tightly. "It's best to always assume the worst. They are just boys in the deep roads that are known to be infested with darkspawn," he muttered as he crossed his arms. "If they are not dead, they are luckier than most."

"Fenris, would you stop being such a spoil sport?" Isabella frowned and stuck a hand on her hip as she turned to face him. "We wouldn't have taken this job if the boys were dead. Hawke believed they are alive so we should too."

"Thank-you, Isa," Eevee offered a genuine smile for once. "However, Fenris is entitled to his own opinion. He came with us regardless, so just leave him be. If he wishes to believe the boys are dead, let him. It's no use arguing with him." Fenris' eyes found her and he scowled, as if insulted, though he said nothing. "Come, the longer we linger the less likely they are to be alive when we find them."

A/N: Review, yes? :p