I always hated how you couldn't bring as many people as you wanted in the deep roads, so here is my take on how that can be corrected. They are still Bioware's toy...damnit they are lucky. Anways reviews and such are greatly enjoyed.

Stars Fall

Chapter 10 Preparations

Well the runaway mages had been dealt with. And not to Hawke's surprise, they had killed several blood mages before the rest of the runaways had accepted the templars 'invitation' to the Circle. Hawke was exhausted when she returned to Petrice's abandoned house for a nap before her meeting with Varric later.

She was quite proud of how quickly she was learning to recognize the buzzing in her mind that signaled blood magic. She had never been exposed to it like this before. Questions kept cropping up in her mind. Was there more she could do? Did the Star Children who were in the chantry know how to recognize blood magic? Was there someone who could teach her what else she might be able to do? Fenris seemed to know alot about Star Children, but when it came to their abilities, he had informed her he didn't have any answers. Hawke sighed to herself, the answers she wanted weren't worth the price she knew she would have to pay to get them; her freedom. Hawke grimaced at the thought of joining all the other Star Children in monasteries or other places, yep freedom is definitely better, she forced herself to smile before falling asleep.

"I'm not kidding you Hawke, Bartrand said you can only bring two people." Varric repeated for what must have been the fourth time that evening. Hawke banged her head on the table and Fenris was scowling. Hawke was pissed off, she knew she had to bring Bethany to keep her away from the templars, and Anders darkspawn sensing would be invaluable. But she felt she needed to bring Fenris.

"Look Varric I am not about to be the only sword down there damnit." She practically growled.

"I don't know what to tell you Hawke" Varric's tone was almost pleading. He knew how she felt about not having enough swords; he knew she was scared of a repeat of what happened to her brother.

Alright Hawke time to think outside the box here, your good at it, so damnit all think...Ahhh, the sly look the crept up on Hawke's face made both Fenris and Varric nervous.

"How about this..." she looked at Fenris and he froze, "I will pay you to join us Fenris"

Varric interrupted "That's not how..." Hawke cut him off with a scary grin "Shush Varric" turned back to Fenris and spoke again "I will pay you fifteen sovereigns to come with us, and I will pay for any extra provisions that you may need. Bartrand will not be able to say a damn thing about another hand that he doesn't have to pay. And of course Fenris, you will get to keep any loot you find down there."

Varric's jaw dropped "That might just work Hawke, damn your good at this negotiating thing."

"I pride myself on thinking outside of the box" she replied with a smile before turning to Fenris again "So what do you think Fenris?"

Fenris was quick to respond, "Fifteen is far too much Hawke, you don't need to pay me at all."

Hawke wasn't having that "Of course I do, Bartrand will pitch a fit if he thinks for a moment that he will have to pay you. Besides I'm hiring you, I'm not so heartless that I wouldn't pay you for it. Think of it as an investment in that wine cellar of yours. I'm paying back for all the bottles I have drank and probably will drink in the future."

All three of them laughed. Varric looked at Fenris "It's really not a bad idea Elf, besides this could be a very good way to lose those hunters of yours."

To everyone's amazement Fenris smiled slightly before replying "True". Fenris sat quietly for a few moments Hawke and Varric both waiting on his decision.

Fenris looked at Hawke sharply before extending his hand to her "Alright Hawke it's a deal, on the condition that the money for my supplies comes out of my payment." Hawke thought it over for a moment before shaking his hand "Deal."

Varric clapped his hands together "Excellent, now that that's settled let's get some more drinks while we go over the final details." He signaled the barmaid and within moments they all had fresh drinks. Varric stood on his chair and held his arm over the table, his mug raised high "I propose a toast; to the increased probability of all of us returning from that damn hole alive." Hawke and Fenris both smiled and raised their mugs to meet Varric's. "Cheers" came from all three of them.

After a few more drinks and a few stories from Varric about Hawke taking down a werewolf the size of a house, Fenris rose to leave. "Wait, wait, wait" Hawke managed to stammer out.

"Yes Hawke?" Fenris replied plainly. Holy shit does he ever get drunk? Hawke shook her head to refocus her thoughts.

"We need to discuss the last few details."

Fenris looked at her doubt clear in his eyes "And you wish to do this now? Perhaps when you are more sober..."

Hawke waved her hand at him "Piss on that I'm sober enough right Varric?" they both turned to look at the dwarf who had fallen asleep at the table and was snoring softly. "Umm..Okay then" Hawke turned to look at Fenris "Walk me home and we shall discuss the details on the way?" Fenris chuckled softly and nodded his head.

Once they were outside the Hanged Man Hawke turned to fully look at Fenris standing next to her "So we leave in a week, I don't have any jobs lined up right now, so we are just using this time to prepare. We are probably going to be down there for about two months, that going to be a problem?" She looked at Fenris seriously.

To his credit, he was obviously taking this seriously, Hawke could almost hear him thinking. Finally after a few moments he spoke "No, I don't think that is a problem. But I warn you now I will be using all the time before we depart to prepare, so I will be unavailable to you until then."

Hawke smiled and gave him one of her favorite lines of his "Fair enough" he smiled at her. Hawke was caught in his green gaze. Damnit his eyes are gorgeous, fuck who am I kidding he is gorgeous, oh shit I am no where near sober enough to keep following down that thought process, think other things, other things Hawke Oh oh I got it. "Shoes" Hawke blurted out.

Fenris raised his eyebrow and looked at her like she had lost her mind "I'm sorry?"

"You might want to get some shoes before we go, I'm betting the Deep Roads are not too pleasant on barefeet." she clarified.

"Ah I see, umm... yes thank you for the advice." Way too go Hawke he really believes you have lost your mind, ah well can't loose what you never had. She attempted to recover the situation. "So how much do you think you will need for your provisions? I'm assuming you will want to gather them on your own?"

Fenris smiled at her, how she managed to make him smile so much, he would never understand. "You assume correctly, as for the amount I believe four sovereigns will cover it."

Hawke reached for her coin purse on her belt. "Take the whole fifteen now, get what you need because your probably going to need it. I don't want us going down there unprepared."

Fenris looked at her with surprise clearly written in his expression. "I don't understand, how do you constantly have so much coin?"

Hawke let out a laugh "I am one good money manager, after the fifty that I gave Bartrand, I still had another sixty left." Fenris shook his head and smiled at Hawke again "Impressive".

Hawke began walking up the stairs to Gamlen's door "I'll have you know every bit of that extra money came from at that rummaging I did in boxes and crates and stuff." She laughed happily "And all of you made fun of me for it, seems to have paid off huh?"

Fenris smiled when he remembered Hawke's obsession with going, through what appeared to him, to be every crate of trash in Kirkwall. "Indeed it has Hawke."

Hawke allowed herself a bow to Fenris, a tribute to her own intelligence. "So unless I see you before then, we meet in exactly one week, three hours after dawn, outside of Bartand's office." Fenris started to walk away, he called out to her "I shall see you then Hawke" and he disappeared into the night. He had alot of preparing to do.

Hawke spent the rest of the week gathering supplies with Bethany and Varric. Her mabari Raze, was going to stay behind to protect her mother and by association, Gamlen. Neither Fenris nor Anders were seen all week, it was assumed they were both making their preparations. On the morning they were scheduled to leave Hawke and Bethany left Gamlen's to pick up Varric before going to Hightown. They were all varying degrees of excited about the impending trip. When they finally made it to Hightown, Anders saw already there giving some extra herbs and potions to Bodahn and Sandal would were in charge of the supply carts they would be bringing. Bartrand was organizing his hirelings. Varric went to speak with his brother while Hawke and Bethany went to greet Anders. "Morning Hawke, Bethany, still can't believe you talked me into this." Anders said with a smile. The sisters greeted him and went to help him with his supplies.

Bethany and Anders were chatting away happily when Anders looked past them, his expression changed to an instant frown "What is he doing here?" Hawke turned around and looked to see Fenris approaching them with a knapsack on his back and one in his hand. Until then Hawke had been wearing her fallback smile as she called it that she usually wore when she wasn't busy with some other facial expression. The moment she saw Fenris though her face changed to pure delight. Bartrand approached her as well "Good question" he growled, "What is he doing here, I told you we aren't paying for than two of them." he gestured towards Anders and Bethany.

Hawke gave both Bartrand and Anders a smug look "I know 'we' aren't" she allowed sarcasm to drip into her voice "But I am paying him, it has all been taken care of."

Bartrand glowered for a moment before relenting "Fine, if he dies it's on you" Hawke rolled her eyes as Bartrand walked away "And when we live it's on me as well." By now Fenris had joined the group after politely declining Bodahn's offer to stow his both of his knapsacks with the rest of the supplies. He allowed Bodahn to relieve him of the one he carried in his hand, but kept the one on his back.

Anders gave Hawke a pleading look "Are you sure it's a good idea to bring him along?"

Hawke rolled her eyes again and looked directly at Anders "Nope" Fenris looked at her and scowled while she continued "I think its a great idea, I really don't want to be the only person who knows how to work a sword down there."

Fenris smirked at her quickly before turning his scowl on Anders who chose that moment to look away "Fine, I see your point, I guess".

Hawke grabbed Anders by the shoulder with one arm and put her other around Fenris' shoulder before speaking to both of them "Now you two I know you have your differences, put I don't want to hear any excessive arguing down there all right?"

Varric strode over to them laughing "Hawke's right on this one boys no arguing about mages or magic or Bianca will have something to say to both of you." Hawke and Varric laughed as both Anders and Fenris shrugged Hawke's arms away and grunted in agreement. Bartrand chose that moment to begin addressing them all, only to be interrupted by Hawke's mother.

Hawke slapped a hand to her face and went with her sister to speak to their mother away from the group. After convincing their mother it was a better idea for Bethany to get out of the templars' sight for a while than leaving her here in the city, their mother pulled them both into a hug. Hawke had to fight to resist the urge to pull away. Finally after several moments, several awkward, embarrassing moments, Leandra let go of her girls. They rejoined the group, grabbed their packs, and headed out for the Deep Roads.

Watching her daughters' strange group depart, Leandra whispered a prayer "Maker, guide them all, give them all the strength to return home safely, watch over my little Bethany and protect my little star."