Anders entered the Hanged Man after receiving a message from Hawke that she had something important to discuss, the last time he had seen her he had assisted her with finding a templar recruit gone missing. They ended up finding the recruit being tormented by blood mages. Hawke had been so angry with the mages, but showed a surprising amount of leniency on the templar.
He was making his way back towards Varric suite when he noticed everyone making a hasty retreat down the stairs from Varric's rooms looking decidedly uncomfortable.
"Someone let the fire get out of control again?" Anders asked with a chuckle.
"I wish Blondie, family drama," Varric chimed in, looking back towards his rooms.
"What happened this time? Carver find out Hawke wouldn't pay his tab at the Rose?"
"Hawke and I were discussing who we should take on the expedition since she has raised most of the money, and Carver walked in to over hear he might not be going." Varric explained, just as the voice of the Hawke siblings could be heard where they were standing near the stairs.
"Carver! Someone has to stay and take care of mother!" Hawke's angry voice drifted down the stairs.
"If you're so worried about mother, why don't you stay?" Carver roared back.
"I have to go, I'm the business partner. It's kind of a requirement."
"Oh sure rub that in my face again, you're the business partner because Varric heard more about you in the Red Iron and all the great work you did. Here I am still stuck in your bloody shadow."
"That's why I thought you would enjoy the chance to stay here. I wouldn't be around to block the sun. It would let you shine."
"It's just because you want all the glory for yourself!"
"This isn't about glory! It's about getting mother her childhood home. The home she grew up in and was supposed to inherit until out bloody lovely uncle spent all the money gambling and whoring it away. Kind of like you at the Rose, a tab I have to pay instead of saving it for the expedition."
"Oh yes, let's talk about whoring sister, what about you?"
"What about me?"
"I see the way the elf and mage look at you. What have you been doing to earn that kind of attention, I wonder?"
Anders and Fenris glared at each other, blushes blooming across both their cheeks causing Isabela and Varric to chuckle.
"How dare you! Besides Fenris hates my kind."
"Not from the looks I've seen him throw your backside when you're leading us."
"I don't know what you're talking about. You must be seeing it wrong."
"I wish, sometimes I'd like to punch both of them for the way their eyes follow you around a room, but I suppose it's not the first time I've seen men go moon-addled over you, remember Birk? How long was it before you slept with him I wonder?"
"They certainly don't hold back, do they?" Varric mumbled.
"Birk used me remember? Used me and threw me away, he told me he loved me and now suddenly it's my fault? Besides it's not like I have had anything to compare it to, I've been the one in hiding my whole life. You actually got to go to town when you were younger. You got to go to school while Beth and I had to stay home and learn to control ourselves."
"Yes, you got to spend all that time with Father, is it any wonder you would have been his favorite? I was his son, and still he chose his daughter over me."
"I was the eldest and it had nothing to do with son or daughter. I was told to take care of the family. I am the one who has always puts the family's needs above my own. All I have ever done was take care of you, mother, and Bethany."
"And look how well that turned out? Maybe if you were better at taking care of the family, Beth would still be here."
"Oh yes, thank you for that. Everything is always my fault. It's my fault you decided to join the King's army. It's my fault the darkspawn attacked. It's my fault they destroyed Lothering. It's my fault Beth distracted the ogre so it wouldn't kill mother. It's my fault that we're here in Kirkwall. Go ahead, blame me, it's what you're good at."
"Where are you going?!"
"Away from you!"
The misfits could only watch as Hawke came thundering down the stairs and raced for the door out of the tavern.
"Elf, Blondie, you two should follow her; make sure she doesn't get into any trouble. The way she is right now, she won't notice any trouble until she's already in the middle of it, and there are still gangs out there that need to be taken care of. The rest of us will stay and calm down Junior." Varric instructed quickly.
Anders and Fenris raced into the night, knowing that Hawke was quick. They saw her disappear around the corner near Gamlen's hovel and raced after her. Thanks to Fenris' sharp hearing, he was able to track her through town all the way to the docks. She slowed down once she was in the docks, turned down a pier, and she was suddenly climbing a stack of crates and stepped onto the roof of the warehouse. After the two climbed up onto the roof, they found Hawke sitting at the far end of the storehouse looking out to sea.
"What do you want?" Hawke asked the pain evident in her voice. "Come to yell at me some more, Carver?"
"Now that's an insult," Anders quipped, causing Hawke to turn to see him and Fenris standing nearby.
"Oh, sorry," Hawke replied. "What are you doing out here?"
"Well, I think the entire tavern heard your fight," Anders explained, coming to sit next to her.
"I see…" Hawke trailed off, staring out into the distance.
"Varric wanted to make sure you didn't run into trouble," Fenris stated, sitting on Hawke's other side.
Hawke barked out a bitter laugh but said nothing.
"Why did you come here?" Anders queried.
"This is where I always come when I want to be alone with my thoughts. It's up high, so I don't run into the usual foot traffic or gang members. I don't know what I'm going to do when they move those crates."
"If we are disturbing you, we can go," Fenris started, beginning to stand.
"Its fine, stay," Hawke replied wearily, still staring out at the port. They sat in silence for several minutes, and Anders was amazed at how still Hawke was. She was normally so energetic and effervescent, this stillness was mildly disturbing.
"If not your brother, who were you going to ask on the expedition?" Anders finally asked, breaking the silence.
"Well, you two actually," Hawke stated, as if it was the most natural choice. "I love my brother dearly," she scoffed, "But Fenris you are a better warrior than he is. And with your ability sense darkspawn and superior healing you would save a lot of lives on the expedition. And yes, I know you hate the Deep Roads, but you haven't turned over your maps yet so I thought you were basically insisting you go along."
"So will you take your brother, now that he knows?" Anders questioned.
"I'll have to, he won't accept anything else," Hawke sighed in aggravation. "I just don't know who will look after mother while I'm gone. I suppose I could leave Demon, he'll protect mom but I do not trust Gamlen to have her best interests at heart and any money I left with mother would be spent at the brothel by him."
"If you take your brother instead, I can look after your mother," Fenris rumbled. "A dog, even a mabari, would not be enough."
"Really?" Hawke squealed, joy lighting up her features as she looked at the warrior. "Thank you Fenris, I'll owe you big. I'll leave money so you can make sure mother gets everything she needs while we're gone."
"I already owe you a debt Hawke," Fenris countered. "This would simply absolve me of that debt."
"Freedom calling to you, huh?" Hawke inquired, sounding hurt.
"I could see myself staying, for the right reasons," Fenris replied a smirk on his lips as he met Hawke's eyes.
Anders heard her gasp slightly before she turned away, and seated this close to her he could see the blush creeping across Hawke's pale cheeks. So Carver was right, the elf is interested in Hawke. Strange, since he claims not to like mages, but he seems fascinated by her.
"What are the right reasons?" Hawke playfully asked, looking out to the port as a smile ghosted her lips.
"I'll be sure to let you know," Fenris stated with a shrug but the smirk was still on his lips as he watched Hawke.
The three went back to watching the sea for a little while before Hawke stood saying she needed a drink and headed back towards the Hanged Man. The two men followed her, with the occasional glare passed between them.